#not sure i like the colors but that seems to be me with all the stuff i make rn lol

[notquitecanon]

Search History // Poly!141 x Reader

A continuation of this thought

Summary: Reader (based loosely on Penelope Garcia from Criminal Minds) has to be face-to-face with the boys for the first time since they started including her in their late-night fantasies. They've decided it's time to take it off-screen and move in IRL.

I'm taggin the peeps who replied to the last part bc I'm desperate for attention lol (in all actuality y'all really encouraged me to actually write thank you!!)

CW: allusions to porn, allusions to female genitalia, they're all horny in the workplace, this is basically workplace harassment but we're excusing it because they're hot and fictional and I say so, no outright smut

Still nsfw though so MDNI pls and thanks

“The 141 just touched down. ETA twenty minutes.” 

Your eyes flicked up from the muted video on your monitor, cheeks flushed red but masked by the light radiating off your screen in your dark office. Thank God, your monitor faced away from the door. A young private was standing in the doorway with a tablet, looking at you for an acknowledgment, probably running about starting preparations for their arrival back on home base. 

“Thank you, private.” You murmured, teeth toying at your thumbnail, chipping the polish. The young soldier gave a short nod at the quiet dismissal and disappeared once again. Your eyes, with embarrassingly blown pupils, flicked back to the video. 

After your discovery two weeks ago, the sites and links you had to review furthered down the rabbit hole. And this video you were currently watching had been one that all the men had been visiting, and revisiting, and revisiting… 

By god, they’d done it. 

Similar build, skin tone only a shade or two different - you could probably share foundation and it wouldn’t look too bad. Hair and eye color so close it was uncanny. And when the woman looked over her shoulder at the mountain of a man hitting it from the back, the angle made the resemblance almost scarily uncanny.  The Had you had a porn career and simply forgotten?- kind of uncanny. 

Sure there were differences- she was a little taller, maybe a bit leaner, with boobs that had definitely had some work done. Tattoos where your skin was bare and vice versa, different piercings. Her voice was pitched different, and her accent was completely different from yours but within three minutes of the video she’d stopped speaking words, so accent didn’t matter much.  But as far as porn actresses went- she might as well be your twin. 

It seemed the 141 had perused her entire.. filmography. Different videos, different scenarios, different partners. They all had videos they seemed to like better than others. Soap seemed to particularly like the POV video where the man had a thick Scottish accent. Gaz had bookmarked a soft-core bondage and forced orgasm scene. Price, a shorter video of an unseen man pushing the actress under a desk for oral, and Ghost… the only link he’d visited was your instagram. It was hard not to let it stroke your ego a little bit. 

God, if you told anyone about this… They’d tell you to file a workplace harassment suit, and maybe a police report.  To start job hunting, and therapist hunting. Distance yourself. You should have been embarrassed or uncomfortable- you knew you should be. That you should feel objectified or disrespected, disgusted. 

But hell, you’d be lying if you said you didn’t send yourself the links and watched them in your free time at home. It was hot- turned you on in an almost concerning way that would set feminism back twenty years if you told anyone. 

The video kept playing on your monitor, one of the videos that Soap had visited more than once (little did you know it was one that Ghost had picked out). A gloved hand smoothly glided down the actress's spine before curving around her throat and pulling her upright on the man’s lap, filthy praises in a British accent playing through your single AirPod. 

“Holy shit…”  You muttered, thighs clenching because if you squinted it really did look like you, even some of her mannerisms. And the rough accent was like a mix of Ghost's and Price’s. 

Abruptly, you shut down the entire monitor completely, ripping out the AirPod and tossing it on the desk. Pressing slightly shaking hands to your too hot face. You needed to get it together, because Price was your boss and the others were your superiors. They’d been gone for a month and a half, and it’d been your voice in their ears guiding them through missions, and you knew you had a flirty disposition, especially from the private safety of your dark little office half way across the world. 

It made sense that their wires got a little crossed, but your wires- like those off all your monitors and hardware- needed to stay neatly organized and separate. Focus. Focus. 

Your nails were bitten to the quick, the bitter taste of old nail polish on the back of your tongue. The skin around your nails was raw from your teeth toying with it as your so intensely focussed on the videos. You needed to get out of this too small, too hot room.  Which is how you found yourself, twenty minutes later, in the communal break room fighting with the vending machine. It was withholding the ice cold water you were desperate for, despite your curses and attempts to jostle the machine. Right as you delivered a frustrated kick to the machine-

“Just the bird we were looking for!” 

It was Kyle’s voice first, that tipped you off to the herd of men entering the space. You almost jumped out of your skin- brain flitting through several scandalous snippets of the videos he’d replayed. His smile was dazzling as always as he came into view, tapping the yellow warning stickers that instructed people not to jostle the machine, with the little illustration of the stick man getting crushed, “What’d the machine ever do to you? It might start fighting back.” 

A gloved hand reached between the two of you, skeleton fingers curled into a fist that delivered a blunt strike, and, like magic, the water bottle fell in to the receptacle. You peeked over your shoulder at Ghost, standing just slightly too close and looking down at you intensely, but not meanly. An easy to miss bit of mirth that was usually reserved for Soap. Thank god you’d bitten your nails to stubs or they would’ve drawn blood from how they were digging into your palms to distract you from the gloved hands and the brutish display of strength. 

Kyle put the drink sweetly in your hands after cracking it for you, like he would do when bringing Ghost or Price something, eyes twinkling like he knew something you didn’t.  Another hand, warm and large clapped gently on your shoulder, pulling you back a step, almost directly into Captain Price’s chest. 

The men shared a look over your head before focussing back on you. 

“Your intel was good.” It was a simple statement, but delivered in a warm, proud tone that felt so much like praise that your stomach flipped a bit, with that warm smile that made him look soft despite the fact he was still in full tac-gear, “They didn’t even see us coming.” 

“They never see you coming, that’s kind of your whole thing.” You tried a joke, your voice a touch strained. His hand was lingering, right on the curve where your shoulder became your neck, fingers flexing into the flesh just so. Just like it did on the boys when he thought others wouldn’t noticed. focus, focus, focus. 

Fortunately, or unfortunately, it was Soap that interrupted the kneading of Price’s fingers. 

“Don’t be so modest, bonnie!” He was laughing as large arms caught you around the waist, lifting and spinning you slightly. His voice so similar to that one Scottish co-star that had done such filthy things to your lookalike, it made your head spin.  Despite your startled yelp and squirming, his grip didn’t waver, “Couldn’t of done it without our lass in the chair.” 

“ ’nough, Johnny,” Ghost called firmly, leaning against the vending machine that they’d all but cornered you against, “Put ‘er down.” 

Soap’s laugh was still good natured as he set you on your feet again, a little roughly for the heels you had on to match your skirt, you wobbled only for Ghost himself to steady you, giving you another intense look, that you had trouble meeting, “ 'e’s right though. Intel was good.” 

They were all staring at you, varying degrees of smirks, eyes a spectrum of mischief and something that was dizzyingly close to hunger.  Unable to keep still, you were squirming, shifting your weigh from foot to foot, fiddling with the wrapper on the bottle. You found your eyes flitting around settling anywhere but their own gaze, cheeks feeling hot, mind full of vile images that you knew they’d seen and enjoyed- ceiling, the exit sign, Johnny’s tac-vest, the floor, the water bottle in your hands. You gulped, eyebrows raising as you puffed a breath, trying desperately to reign yourself in.

“Glad to be of service.” You smiled tightly, nodding meeting each set of eyes briefly and hoping your foundation masked your blush (it didn’t). Jesus Christ, you couldn’t do this.  You couldn’t tell if you felt turned on or awkward or both, but you needed to go. Preferably before you did something that would cost you your job. Your voice was rushed as you squeezed between Gaz and Price, double timing it to the exit, “Enjoy your leave, boys, you deserve it.” 

As you all but fled the building, you typed out a mass base-wide memo email, language formal as you professionally reminded every soldier, specifically four of them, that any website visited by government devices was subject to internal review. 

You swore you could hear them laughing as the memo went out. But maybe that was just your overactive imagination. 

____

You’d gone home for the evening, and then clocked back in the following morning. Surprised to find all of the 141 was still there, debriefing must have ran long. 

“Morning, love.” It was Kyle that greeted you, pressing a cup of coffee into your hands. He looked tired but happy to see you. Soap was with him, eyes bright and grin wide as he whistled lowly, fingers tugging at the hem of your skirt as you passed his seat. 

“Looking good, bonnie,” He smiled devilishly, rubbing the fabric between his fingers before letting go, “Tired of all the green, black, and beige tac gear. Missed seeing something a little… softer.”  

You somewhat doubted that. He seemed to appreciate military khaki when it hugged Gaz’s ass, and he sure didn’t seem to mind an all black tactical ensemble when it was on Ghost. But the compliment still brought heat up your neck, which you coupled with a sip of the hot coffee Gaz had brought you- fixed perfectly the way you liked it. It elicited a pleased sigh as you swallowed, humming in content. 

“Price wants to see you before we all leave. Brought you some new stuff to work on.” Kyle smiled, watching how your expression softened at the taste of the beverage, clearly proud of himself for drawing out that reaction.   

“A present? For me?” You smiled sarcastically back at the prospect of more work added to you caseload, “It’s like Christmas.” 

“You been good this year?” Kyle grinned back, accompanied by Soap chiming, voice low and chiding, “Nah, she’s definitely been naughty.” 

Both Sergeant’s shared a look as you almost choked on another sip of coffee. 

“I’m leaving now.” You shook your head, turning on your heel away from where they were hanging around the rec room, clearly waiting for Price to dismiss them, “Y’all should shower. Or take a nap.” 

“You want us naked?” Kyle questioned, raising his eyebrows at you, leaning back against the wall, standing so very close to Soap, who was sprawled out in his chair, long legs splayed and spread before him as he waggled his eyebrows. “And in bed?” 

Now that was some imagery. Taking the lord’s name in vain you didn’t dignify that with a response other than a huffed, “Leaving now.” 

____

The good thing about Price and Ghost was they were business first. So if you really focussed you could almost ignore Ghost's thigh pressed against yours as you sat beside him in the dark room, reviewing body cam footage. They pointed out different things to you, things to include as you started your next dark web deep dive. 

You could almost ignore how Price’s fingers grazed and lingered on your palm as he gave you a thumb drive to decrypt and analyze, how he stood close enough to you that you had to look at him through your lashes. 

“Has a self destruct program that Gaz didn’t want t' aggravate. Figured it needed your... soft touch.” Price smiled down at you as you curled your fingers around the thumb drive. You had to try pretty hard to ignore the slight emphasis on soft. Ghost seemed to chuckle lowly at your expression at the captain. 

“What’s on there'll point us in the next direction of our next target.” Ghost nodded to you, his leg shifting so it pressed harder against yours. In the guise of stretching out, he’d draped an arm over the back of your chair, the cotton of his gloves half tickling the sensitive skin on the back of your bicep, where the flesh was soft. 

“So don’t screw it up, got it.” You swallowed thickly, shifting so you couldn’t feel his thumb against your skin- it was making it hard to think about hacking and terrorism and military operations.  He took it as an invitation to spread out more, his fingers grazing the exact spot only seconds later. 

“Precisely,” John laughed lowly, his hand moved to your shoulder, back into that sweet curve that was partly your shoulder and partly your neck, and gave it a lingering squeeze, that kind of made you want to melt, “You won’t screw it up, love.” 

The captain gave his Lieutenant a nod, and Ghost quickly stood, his boot giving the toe of your pretty heels a slight nudge as a goodbye before silently stalking out. Price took a seat across from you, leaning back and his arms cross comfortably over his chest.

“I’m having the boys over at mine tonight. A couple of drinks, I’m gonna grill, put the footie on, celebrate another successful mission to start our leave.” Price listed out their plans casually, noting how you squirmed a bit, uncrossing and recrossing your legs as you tugged at the hem of your skirt before continuing, “We want you to come. Couldn’t have done it without you, so you should celebrate it too.” 

“Oh, uh-“ You started before you could think of a good excuse, “I’ll be really busy… with.. with the flash drive. And stuff.” 

“What stuff?” Price rose a single brow, his stare pinning you still as he reached across the table and took the flash drive back, “This can wait.” 

“Files. Coding. Security checks.” You mumbled the first couple aspects of your job that came to mind, the intensity of his gaze making you want to adjust your collar or shrink in your seat. You figured you’d have a couple more sites to clear off their devices, if they’d been sitting around base all night. Your cheeks heated just at the thought. “I’m a little behind. Been… distracted lately."

“Everything all right, love?” He ‘asked’ with at signature warm smile and amused eyes, he seemed to already know the answer to his question, “You’ve been… skittish, since we got back.” 

Your teeth worried the seam of your lips as you considered the question. Skittish, was one way to put it- fidgety, fleeing rooms, avoiding eye contact, barely speaking as opposed to your usual chatter and banter. Your eyes flitted away from his gaze again, swallowing dryly again- geez when did you get so shy, “ ‘m fine. Absolutely fine. Never been better. How’re you?” 

Cringing at your own rambling, you sighed shoulders drooping as he fixed you with another look, and muttered your name in a way that sent a shiver down your spine. It was a look that expected obedience, as his legs shifted into a natural man spread. Your brain flitted back to the video of your look alike being shoved under a desk… 

Him saying your name again, slightly louder but just as bemused drew you back to him, realizing you were staring at his legs, debating if you could fit between his knees and you almost sputtered as you cleared your throat, “I’m fine, really.” 

“Either lie more convincingly or tell me what’s bothering you, sweet.”  Price chuckled, leaving forward against the table, drumming a knuckle against the table. Sweet, that was new. You’d have to add it to the laundry list of nicknames and pet names the boys had for you. You’d always told yourself that it was nothing personal, that British/Scottish people just did that. But this on wasn’t as easy to write off as ‘love’ or ‘bonnie’, average pet names in the UK colloquial, no sweet seemed personal. 

“I’m not bothered.” You glanced away again, nose wrinkling, even though you were bothered- hot and bothered. John Price had a way of drawing details out of people with just a look and a couple of well prodded words.  With a deep breath, you tried to keep your characteristic rambling to a minimum, a losing battle as he starting stroking at his beard with those long fingers- two parts of him that you’d been thinking about way too much lately-, “Listen, I’m not judging, you’re grown men, watch what you want to, but just a reminder that it’s my job and obligation to review every link and site that government devices visit. Which includes at least skimming videos.  In case you didn’t know or maybe forgot that I can and do see these things, so maybe you could pass that along to the boys-“ 

“You can tell 'em yourself. ’s your job, sweet.” Price said firmly. The girlish part of your brain corrected ‘firmly’ to dominantly. Before his demeanor relaxed again, giving you an amused, appraising look again, “At my place. Tonight. 8 o’clock. Not a request.” Shrinking in your chair a bit, hoping the chair hid the way your thighs involuntarily clenched, you couldn’t help but nod and squeak, “Yes, sir.” 

___

Was supposed to have actually smut in this but I got carried away on the build-up, laugh out loud. Maybe a part three or you can just imagine how the little dinner party goes (hint, she's the meal)

Tags: @fruitymoonbeams-blog @viviennevianna @savas-q1 @cringeycookies @lainey-laines @buttercup337 @acosmisted @carqueensworld @tmartin0918 @dreamland08 @sheepdogchick @hidden-wildflowers @lilynotdilly @astrxsee @joopyjup @originalsoulcollector @henhouse-horrors @ohdrey89 @red5tars @cod-z @balletbiscuit @spacecrawllerr @scrumptioussportstoadgarden-blog @blues-of-neptune @monster-effer @yunho-leeknow @ungodlydilf @pluviofleur @jandthecrow @fangtoothgod @coquetterie-dancer @sapphires-and-silver-things @ghost-is-my-bbg @loveergirll @silly-starfish @popkle @honestlymassivetrash @not-mentally-sane @devoetee @beloveds-embrace @jellyamour @simon141price @divinecat

[jarl-deathwolf]

I figured that was exactly the case - no matter the language, one does not simply call oneself Bardic Truth by itself! Although she is supposed to be one of (if not the) greatest bard of her generation, she has too much respect for the craft to just name herself "The Muse." I ended up giving her a place name attached afterwards, which also serves to tie her closer to the very legend she will be living. A nice reference and five second foreshadowing.

Its the exactly that trend of non-Welsh people making her almost a cryptid type being that stopped me from using her in the first draft. I intended for her to be more of a jovial trickster spirit, but even so I wanted to be sure I wasn't furthering a bad trend before I put the scene in.

Honestly I really love the idea of multiple Mari Lwyds with only one as the real one - probably the one that is actually really good at the competition. She's slowly drinking the village dry of booze when our bardic hero steps up and bests her through wit.

Ooo, very interesting with the seasonal names. It'll be a trick to work them in since the convention I'm working with is that everyone is speaking Fellish (Fantasy Welsh) by default in this story, and I specifically note when people switch to other languages. It is still good to know, though, and having the option available gives me more to work with. Naturally the English over there trying to get out of paying their rain dues. I might need to look up some of those bridge faerie stories (presumably there'd be some in the ebook you sent me), if only to give Llywela another opportunity to prove her cleverness.

That's a very good point with the instrument crafting! Llywela's crwth is locally made, of course, but I could see Fellish harps and lyres and flutes being prized beyond its borders. The waterfall tradition especially grabs me - its got a mystical quality to it that gels well with the magic system of the story. I'm familiar with the river fuckery. Straightening out the Mississippi has done pretty much the exact same thing over here, especially lately. There was a pretty good sized town that was half wiped off the map not too far from me - a decade later and they are *still* recovering. I'm noticing that the natural disasters seem to mostly stem from land (and river) mismanagement, which brings me to the next question. A major antagonist faction in the story are the Marcher Lords (or just Marchers) - foreign nobles that were awarded land in the Fells for their role in the Conquest.

They tend to see their authority over their part of the Fells as a means to gain power and wealth in more "important" lands. As a consequence, they are doing all they can to rip what wealth they can out of their slice of the Fells to fuel these gambles.

This is intended to be contrasted to local rule - especially by the reborn Arthur - which is centered more on proper care of the land.

So the question is - What does that look like? What are some traditional and effective means of land management (woods, rivers, hills, etc)? What would it look like on a local level (villages), and on a higher level (kings and chiefs)? You mentioned the moorland controlled burning of heather as one such thing

As for the Marcher (mis)management... unfortunately that is pretty easy to imagine. Chopped down swathes of woods, emphasis on deep mining, Highland Clearances style evictions and overgrazing (admittedly, more of a Scotland thing).

As a heads up, I'll probably send any more questions I have through an ask since this post is getting pretty long even with the read mores. I believe I saw someone in the notes call this the 'Do you Like the Color of the Trees' post

Hi hello! I'm writing a story in my original world, set in a Fantasy Wales. A King Arthur Returns type story, if that matters.

I was wondering if I could ask you some questions about Welsh ecology? And possibly also some cultural details?

Thanks ahead of time! And I understand if you decline or don't respond!

YES OH MY GOD YES HELLO

[dollishmehrayan]

# “ME AND MY HUSBAND WE’RE STICKING TOGETHER.” ── .✦ ( this just a brainrot drabble of bruce wayne && mrs. wayne because I’m obsessed with this mini series ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ )

a/n: i love infecting this type of brain-rot into you guys omg like genuinely it’s a slight problem i have to stop for a while because it GETS to a point😭😭, anywayss here i guess 🧍🏻‍♀️tags: (bruce wayne x fem!reader/batmom)

© dollishmehrayan — ( all rights reserved to me. These works cannot be reposted, translated, or modified. Thank you for understanding dollies! )

The lights of Gotham’s grandest ballroom sparkled like stars fallen to earth, casting an ethereal glow over the sea of designer gowns, sharp suits, and dazzling jewelry. The annual Wayne Foundation Gala was in full swing, a spectacle of wealth and power that captured the city’s fascination every year. Reporters lined the velvet ropes outside, cameras flashing as Gotham’s elite ascended the marble steps of the historic venue.

But tonight, all eyes were on you and Bruce Wayne.

When the two of you arrived, the murmur of the crowd outside turned into a roar. The whispers started almost immediately, a ripple of surprise and intrigue as the media scrambled to capture every angle of your entrance.

You walked beside Bruce, your hand resting lightly on his arm. Your gown a masterpiece in midnight blue satin clung to your frame with an elegance that seemed almost otherworldly, the fabric shimmering faintly under the streetlights. The diamond earrings you wore caught the light with every step, but it was the confidence in your stride and the warmth in your expression that truly captivated the crowd.

Bruce, ever the enigma, looked every bit the part of Gotham’s most eligible billionaire and bachelor. His tailored black suit was immaculate, and his usually reserved demeanor seemed to soften when he looked at you. It was a subtle thing the way his gaze lingered on you as you ascended the stairs, the faint smile tugging at his lips—but the cameras caught it all.

The tabloids were going to have a field day.

Inside the ballroom, the air was heavy with the scent of fresh roses and expensive champagne. Crystal chandeliers hung high above, their light refracting in a kaleidoscope of colors across the polished floors. Bruce guided you through the throng of guests, his hand firm at the small of your back, as if silently promising to shield you from the inevitable onslaught of questions.

And they came, as they always did.

The whispers were relentless as you mingled, weaving through the crowd like threads in a tapestry. Who was she? Where had she come from? How long had she and Bruce been together? Speculation about your background and your relationship with Gotham’s most elusive bachelor flooded the room.

“She’s stunning,” someone murmured behind a raised champagne flute.

“But where did she come from? She’s not one of the usual socialites,” another voice responded, tinged with curiosity.

Bruce ignored the comments with his usual stoic grace, but you couldn’t help catching fragments of the conversations as you moved through the room. You were used to the scrutiny, though. Being with Bruce meant living under a microscope, and while the attention could be suffocating, you’d learned to wear it like armor.

“Smile,” Bruce whispered into your ear as the two of you paused near a towering floral arrangement. His voice was low and teasing, but there was a hint of concern in his eyes. “You’re doing great, make sure to keep your eyes focused on the camera’s slightly.

You tilted your head up to meet his gaze, offering him a wry smile. “I wasn’t aware I was being graded.”

He laughed softly, his fingers brushing against yours in a fleeting gesture of reassurance. “You’re acing it.”, “really? Am i bruce??”

── .✦

Despite the intensity of the evening, Bruce never strayed far from your side. His presence was a constant, grounding you amid the whirlwind of flashing cameras and probing questions. Every time a journalist approached, Bruce would deftly redirect the conversation, shielding you from anything too invasive.

But the media frenzy outside was relentless. The headlines were already being written:

"Bruce Wayne’s Mystery Date Stuns at the Wayne Gala"

"Who is Gotham’s New It Girl?"

"A Love Story in the Making? Inside Bruce Wayne’s Relationship with (your name) Wayne"

As the night wore on, you found yourself on the balcony, stealing a moment of quiet away from the crowd. The cold air bit at your skin, but the solitude was worth it. Bruce joined you moments later, his jacket draped over his arm. Without a word, he slipped it around your shoulders, the warmth of the fabric a welcome relief from the chill, you weren’t gonna lie you got why every celebrity seemed to ‘hate’ paparazzi && fame.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice soft in the quiet.

You nodded, your gaze fixed on the city skyline. “Just needed a breather. It’s… a lot.”

He leaned against the railing beside you, his expression thoughtful. “They’ll talk. They always do. But none of it matters.”

You turned to face him, your lips curving into a small smile. “I know. It’s just… overwhelming sometimes, not used to this kind of attention..”

Bruce reached out, his fingers brushing against yours before wrapping them in his warm grip. “You don’t have to face it alone,” he said, his voice firm but tender. “Not tonight. Not ever.”

For a moment, the rest of the world faded away. It was just the two of you, standing under the Gotham sky, the distant hum of the gala forgotten. And as Bruce pressed a soft kiss to your forehead, you realized that no headline, no rumor, no amount of scrutiny could ever overshadow the quiet, steadfast connection you shared.

Inside, the gala continued, the music and laughter spilling out into the night. But out on the balcony, you and Bruce found something far more valuable peace, however fleeting, in each other’s company.

[celesomnis]

❝ The Lionguard Gambit ❞

Nyoka Wadjet x Prefect Reader

The prefect requires some help. The snakeman will not provide it without a catch. There is chess, and a more harrowing "game" is maybe played too.

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babes, bros, and nonbinary beaus, I present to you the highly anticipated ''x reader'' ficlet for @cozymochi and @oddberryshortcake 's slitheringly handsome oc!

because let's be so real, we all down bad for that snake boi.

(and happy christmas you two dears! <3 I hope you do enjoy this and that it lifts your spirits fghsjk and i am so sorry if he is wildly ooc,, I tried my best 😭)

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“I know a guy for that.”

"Yeah. I'm kinda... I'm kind of here because you do, actually."

Nyoka Wadjet did not look amused.

You folded your fingers together and regarded the venomous beastman as passively and politely as you were able.

"Look. I know since we've been sticking around in Savanaclaw lately, Grim has been pushing your boundaries here and there. So if you help me, I'll make sure he doesn't bother you again like that... for two whole weeks."

Air pushed slowly through his nostrils. He was regarding you more seriously now.

Approaching the very allusive, and admittedly rather frightful, student in order to find somebody who could counterfeit thaumarks was perhaps not the most self-preserving decision you'd made. But it was imperative to a growing idea you had on how to deal with you and your friends' latest Azul troubles.

"Three weeks." You sweetened the deal.

Nyoka's eyes narrowed.

"He landed on my head." was stated factually, like the action's offense spoke for itself.

That had indeed happened. Grim was not a often creature of preserving personal space.

"A month?" You tried.

"A year."

Well that wasn't happening. "Um. I could offer two months, maybe." People really had a tendency to overestimate your level of control over that little (lovable) demon.

It seemed like that was not a favorable compromise. Nyoka's attention dipped from you and moved to the room's center where he had previously been seated.

Your stare followed his towards the shining, porcelain chess set readied and untouched at the low-standing table. Sparking a different tactic.

"Or, maybe you could play me for it?"

His gaze swung lazily back at you. Something about the action, and the hooded way his eyes looked, put little tingles along your arms.

"I promise I actually know how to play." You said, in case he was doubting your authenticity.

Movement caught your attention behind his legs, and a second later, his long tail came swishing side to side. A myriad of scales glittering under the sunroof's light.

A somersault happened inside your stomach, but was ignored in favor of catching Nyoka's next words.

“I like to be on the winning side.”

"Is that you doubting yourself against me?" You pushed.

He tipped his chin up slightly, a sun-flare running over his glasses.

“One battle doesn’t lose a war, prefect.”

The message was clear. Challenge Accepted.

He waved a gloved hand, inviting you to sit, which you obliged.

"Alright." Nyoka told you, easing himself gracefully onto the opposing seat. "If you beat me, I will connect you with my friend. But if I beat you, you will forbid your familiar from invading my presence for the remainder of the year."

Oh dear. He was dead-set on that, wasn't he.

Your eyes met. The colors in his clashed your own.

These were desperate times.

"Deal."

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The first few minutes of the game were done mostly in silence.

While it was true you knew how to play (at least, back in your home world you had) it'd been awhile since you'd done so for real, and there was a necessary amount of concentration needed in the first half while you eased back into things.

Nyoka, naturally, was a hard player from the start.

Though some of the plays and tactics he tried helped along in jogging your memory of the nuances, there was still some clear rust in your play, whereas he was all refined sharpness.

Poising in ponder, then striking fast.

Quick as a cobra.

The game did not take long to be leant in his favor.

And the silence was becoming brutal.

It was very quiet in the room, which made sense as to why Nyoka liked to frequent here. And it wasn't unsettling.

That was not the issue.

The distress came because in its peace, it caused the only sound you could latch onto in the whole room was the slow, deep, even breaths leaving the man's chest.

Slow in, slower out, over and over.

Each breath led your concentration to phase in and out of the game with it.

When you snapped back to, you found you just lost one of your knights. Rather viciously.

"You're really subtle with your attacks." You noted sardonically, mostly just to say anything.

There was a shake to your hands as they moved your king.

Nyoka watched you fidget.

In reply, there was a smooth counter of; "Hmph. Like a drop to the head."

You wetted your lips. Moved a pawn. "Grim's harmless, just very personable."

"He is lucky I didn't bite him." Nyoka murmured.

You were still a little lost to thought when this was said, so your ears failed to detect if its inflection held jest or sarcasm.

"Really? I figured you too elegant to go around handling annoyances with your teeth," Slipped out of your mouth before sense caught up to it.

His eyes slid at you. Pinned you there.

Something in your gut flipped.

"I should bite you, Prefect."

The game, and entire room, might have disappeared, but right then you couldn't have been sure.

He spoke it low, and it rolled out of his throat in a way that sent heat down your back. "But I think I wouldn't get the taste out of my mouth for days."

The heat became infernal.

Your head turned away, cheek meeting the forgiving cold of the sofa, desperate to pretend those words weren't the most charged thing you'd experienced in your time here.

"Calm yourself," He intoned, and maybe it was your racing mind, but you almost thought he had the gall to sound amused. "Any venom I have is reserved for other targets."

Oh, you were anything but calm. But there was a bell ringing in the distance, another later hour revealing itself.

It was getting late, and you still had a chess game at stake.

Nyoka exhaled, a low and long huff that makes you at once certain you won't be able to stand for a long while after this.

It felt like a lot of things were at stake right now.

From infernal to charred, you were a wreck at this point.

Forcing your focus to cooperate, the board came back to life before you and a realization was brought with it.

"Finding it difficult to think?" His words were edged with a sultry hiss.

You steeled. Made your move fast. Trying to keep your face unchanging.

Nyoka fluttered his long fingers atop his pieces, calculating, before finally resting atop his queen. And took your pawn.

A sudden sense of victory quelled all other emotions within you, and with haste you moved your knight into a position that seemed vulnerable.

Taking the bait, Nyoka moved his queen back where it was before.

You struck, using your bishop to fly across the board for the winning move. Exclaiming "Check!" and knocking porcelain against porcelain. Hands springing up, elated. "Hah! I did it! The Lionguard Gambit!"

Nyoka looked up at you fast, then moved aback. Expression one you couldn't define. "The... What."

You remained as you were. Enjoying the simmer of your victory.

Thanking the gods and the Seven for having provided the luck that led you to stumble across that move in a late-night library study one evening.

The snakeman stared at you a long time.

The longer that the seconds ticked by, the less sure of yourself you became. Fearful there had been a miscalculation or premature celebration.

You hadn't done it wrong, had you?

And then, Nyoka said; "...Lionheart Gambit?"

A rush of burning sensation to your ears coaxed your arms into a deflate.

"Oh." That was embarrassing. "Well- you know what I meant! My point is, I won!"

"So you did." He relented, sparing you by moving on from your blunder.

It had felt like your mispronunciation had sort of rattled him, for whatever reason, but that was a mystery for another time.

“I guess some battles can turn a war’s tides, snake eyes.” You said, tone lilting once more coy.

Nyoka lowered himself into the spine of his chair with crossing arms.

You waited. "...Um. So. Nyoka?"

"Don't get fretful, prefect, I withhold my ends of bargains. I'll introduce you to the person you seek tomorrow."

You felt a press of disappoint, but relented that it had gotten late. You hadn't realized when the sun's shine had been replaced with the softer lights of the overhead lanterns.

Rising from the seat, knees mercifully only wobbling a little, you offered him thanks and began to make the - perhaps a little purposefully slowed - trek towards the exit.

"Well. Goodnight, Nyoka."

"Hmm."

"You not going to sleep?"

"In a while."

“Ah. Putting in some extra practice for when you get a good chess partner?” You tossed playfully over a shoulder.

“That is not an issue.”

Nyoka rolled his fingers into a fist and set his chin on it. He did not look back at you, but somehow, the heat in your chest returned all the same.

And beyond noise of the door shutting after you, you caught six words that kept that heat burning low in your chest for the whole night following;

“I know a prefect for that.”

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fin.

[cherryblessing]

📎— A DATE WITH SATORU?!

``some days, getting lost is the best way to find where you’re meant to be.``

The sun hung low, casting golden hues that spilled over the bustling streets, wrapping everything in a warm glow. Satoru tugged at your hand, his grin as bright as the day itself. His fingers interlaced with yours, the casual gesture somehow grounding despite his chaotic energy.

"So," he asked, tilting his head in that familiar playful way, "where shall we go?"

You shrugged, a laugh bubbling up as the scent of street food mingled with the crispness of the late afternoon. "You were the one dragging me out, remember?"

"True, true," he said, a teasing lilt in his voice. His free hand gestured broadly, as if presenting the whole city to you. "But I thought it’d be more fun if we wing it. How about... ice cream first? Or wait, a movie? Nah, karaoke! I need to bless the world with my angelic voice."

"Angelically off-key, you mean," you shot back, grinning at his exaggerated gasp of betrayal.

He stopped mid-step, spinning around to face you with a mischievous gleam in his too-blue eyes. "You dare doubt my talents?" he asked, his tone mock-serious.

Without waiting for a reply, he slung an arm around your shoulder, pulling you close. His hum—a hilariously offbeat rendition of the café tune drifting nearby—vibrated against you.

"Okay, okay!" you said through laughter, the sound bright and untethered. "Maybe karaoke later. For now, let’s grab a drink. Coffee?"

"Coffee?" he echoed, his brows shooting up as though you’d just suggested something profound.

"Yeah," you quipped, "so I can watch you drown yours in more sugar than should be legally allowed. Honestly, it’s impressive your teeth haven’t quit on you yet."

Satoru gasped again, one hand clutching his chest with Oscar-worthy theatrics. "Excuse me, I happen to have impeccable taste. My coffee is just—what’s the word?—enhanced."

"Sweetened beyond recognition, you mean."

"Details, details," he said with a dismissive wave, steering you toward the café.

Inside, the smell of roasted beans filled the air as the barista handed over two steaming cups. Satoru’s drink looked more like dessert, whipped cream piled high and drizzled with caramel. You raised a brow at him as he took a proud sip, the whipped cream smudging the tip of his nose.

"You’ve got—" you started, laughing softly as you reached to wipe it away with your thumb.

"Enhancements?" he finished smugly, leaning closer into your touch, his sunglasses slipping down just enough to reveal a teasing spark in his eyes.

"Sure, let’s call it that," you said, shaking your head with a fond smile on your face.

The two of you slipped back out onto the street, the day unfolding in spontaneous bursts. He led you into a cozy bookstore, immediately picking up the most ridiculous title he could find to perform a dramatic reading in his booming voice.

Later, you found yourselves caught in a light drizzle. Without missing a beat, Satoru popped open a rainbow-colored umbrella he’d "borrowed" from the lost-and-found at the café.

"You could’ve just used your technique," you teased, huddling closer under the small canopy.

"But where’s the romance in that?" he replied, grinning.

Every turn of the day felt like a discovery, filled with laughter, shared glances, and moments of quiet joy that seemed to stretch time.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in soft purples and oranges, Satoru turned to you. The golden light kissed his snowy hair, framing his face in a way that softened the usual sharpness of his grin. For once, his voice was quiet, almost tender.

"See? I told you. The best adventures aren’t planned."

You looked at him, his gaze holding a warmth that rivaled the fading sunlight. And in that moment, you couldn’t help but think: maybe he was right.

all writing, including poems are my own.

©cherryblessing.2024

[ajaxbell]

Fangs of Fortune (Bai Ze Ling): perfect on pure aesthetics alone, but also it will tear your heart out while being very gay.

I was lured in to this show by Tumblr gifsets and friends on Bluesky talking about how queer and poly this show is. I'm old and I've been in fandom more than half my life. I know how to read queer subtext. I'm also pretty well versed in cdramas, so again, I know how to read subtext. So I went into this ready to, well, read the subtext.

But no this show is just puts the queer it right there in the text. The vague information we have about Chinese censorship repeatedly left me asking, 'wait how are they getting away with this?' Like some of these jokes and implications are just so blatant it seems incredible this show ever made it to being broadcast. It just feels very much like queer media made for queer people even if t's more subtle than something western like Queer as Folk.

Even without the heavy coloring of gay this show is incredible and so much more than I expected from the title and the promo. The premise is essentially the death of the goddess, who governed relations between humans and demons, leads to an influx of demons in the human world. This brings together the goddess's disciple, Wen Xiao--seeking to restore the goddess's power. WX's childhood sweetheart, Zhuo Yichen--seeking to restore the demon-hunting bureau after the powerful demon Zhu Yan killed his father and brother. It opens on Zhu Yan, in human disguise as as Zhao Yuanzhou, volunteering to help the imperial court restore the demon-hunting bureau to quell the chaos. They are joined by Pei Sijing, a retired female general from the rival demon hunting sect, and a very young doctor (and comic relief) named Bai Jiu. It starts off as a sort of monster-of-the-week with a grim Scooby gang doing detective work and fighting monsters. Each major demon has a mini arc that relates to the larger case (restoring the power of the goddess to balance the realms), and they are repeatedly blocked by either the demons or the rival demon hunting sect. Each mini arc also acts as a mirror or parallel story to slowly revealed backstory of all the main characters as well. In true cdrama fashion it's a mix of adventure, intense emotional drama, romance, and comedy. And queer and poly jokes and romance. It also has a kind of manga vibe in the way the comedy is woven into the more serious story, and in the fantastical depiction of the characters and how the story unfolds.

It is also just insanely beautiful. Every single shot is lovely. The costumes, make up, and hair are incredible. The casting director made all the major demons inhumanly beautiful. The sets are spectacular. The effects are nicely done. Every bit of has the vague surreality of a fairytale. The perfection of each shot ads to the manga vibe, as if we're seeing each critical storytelling panel come alive. There's recurring water-based special effects that are just gorgeous. Based on aesthetics alone this show would be worth watching to me. That it is combined with a complex, very emotional story is a spectacular gift to the watcher. A lot of the negative reviews of this complain about the staginess or that it's overly contrived in how each scene is shot. But I think it's gorgeous, works perfectly with the storytelling, and if we criticize art on whether it achieves the goal it intended then this show is doing exactly and perfectly what it means to do and doing it beautifully.

Additionally the acting is also very good, but Neo Hou is the stand out for sure. I enjoyed him in Back from the Brink, especially the later part of the story, but in Fangs of Fortune he's transformed, utterly embodying the role, the way Dylan Wang is Dongfang Qingcang in Love Between Fairy and Devil. Neo Hou has the right look, a slightly uncanny beauty perfect for a gorgeous immortal not of this world. The show does incredible things with his styling between the various looks and personas the role requires. But in acting he somehow manages to utterly transform his face and demeanor to manifest each aspect of the character as story demands changes from him.

There is a lot of crying in this drama. Like early on I joked that there was going to be a character crying a single perfect tear in every ep. Lol nope. Multiple single perfect tears per ep and many outright full on sobbing scenes. This show is just waiting to rip your heart out and you see it right from the beginning. But it was such sweet pain all the way through. Just a truly engaging and utterly wrenching set of intertwined stories.

My only criticism is that the pacing falls apart in the last 3 episodes. But overall the story is solid through the end, though like so many cdramas, it's saved by the epilogue.

You should absolutely watch it if you want the chaotic bi polycule (it's her, her girlfriend, her boyfriend, her boyfriend's boyfriend who is also her boyfriend, their two idiot sons, and her boyfriend's ex-who is also eventually sort of his boyfriend again), or if you want your heart torn out and stomped on. Or even if you just like really gorgeous cinematic things. Also if you watch, please don't skip the ending credits, as they change as the arcs change, and the radiant joy Tian Jiarui has as he dances is an excellent antidote to the emotions of each episode.

[boredpotate]

Happier Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Arcane or any music I link. I only own the concept for this story.

Concept: Isekai Fem Reader turns back time to fix her timeline, but has unforeseen consequences.

Powder Pov

"You really are a little artist. You like your new addition to your army kiddo?" I ask Isha as she colors another toy that Ekko made for her. She nods her head rapidly, not breaking her focus on coloring the toy robot while wearing a smile on her face.

"Good to know you like it." Ekko says, sitting on the other side of Isha, keeping the kid between us, before reaching to wipe some food off of her face.

It's been a few days since that operation happened; five days to be precise. After things calmed down for everyone, Vi and Cait went more into detail about what happened in those mines before leaving to check on how the others were doing, and then report their findings. Apparently some old rich guy from Piltover was running the gang and they were using orphans to work in the mines.

"Did she finish her food?" Dad asks as he walks over our table, making Isha pick up and present her empty plate to Dad, "Good job kid. Looks like you're getting your appetite back." he says as he pats her head which makes Isha giggle before going back to her coloring.

After all the kids from the mines were checked on by doctors, we decided to take Isha with us back home and dressed her since Y/n seemed to really care for her.

'Y/n.'

Their name echoes in my head again. I recall her lying down on the table again. Coming back with uncle's medicine to see a more clear view of her injuries with her clothes cut open. Watching as fragments were removed from the surface level of her body. I didn't get to see much more after Professor Heimerdinger arrived, but just by the look on his face before Ekko and I stepped out of the room, I was able to tell it wasn't good. Even when that Viktor guy arrived, it didn't help ease my nerves.

She had some close calls when it came to some deeper wounds in her back, but they would heal with time. The worse was her leg. They said she may recover, but if she woke up she wouldn't be able to walk right for awhile. Cait offered to house her until then but..... that didn't feel right for some reason. Luckily dad suggested housing her in one of the guest rooms we have available since buying out the old building connecting to ours. It being a more familiar place for her to wake up than in a fancy place was his reasoning.

Uncle Silco and the professor pay visits to check on her condition and make sure her IV is working. We sometimes find Isha checking in on her too.

Speaking of Isha, she's been a bundle of joy for the place. Took time, but eventually when she started getting comfortable she started showing her kid self more. Doesn't cause trouble and if she does it's harmless stuff. Ekko and I have taken over the duty of watching over her; I can see why Y/n cares for her a lot. Only took a few days for me to grow attached to her, and it looks like the same goes for the others. She doesn't talk, but she's expressive enough to convey how she's feeling and actually knows some sign language. Can write too.

"Kid must feel lucky. She's got her own personal attack dog ready to go rabid for her." Benzo says as dad brings the plate behind the bar to clean.

"Tch. More like a reckless bodyguard. Ignored all the thugs in the area and just gave into impulses." Sevika says as she nurses her drink at the bar, sitting near Vi and Cait. All of them off duty.

"I wonder what that's like?," I say sarcastically as I glance at Vi and Cait. Cait giggles a little while Vi gives me slight glare before I look back to Isha, "Take my advice kid, and appreciate it while it lasts. Next thing you know she's gonna get all lovesick for a cutie and start stalking her." That get's a chuckle out of people that hears, since pretty much everyone knows how protective Vi is.

"C'mon Pow Pow, y'know I would do the same for you. AND. I did not become a lovesick stalker. Right, Cupcake?" Vi says and looks to Cait to back her up, but get's a skeptical look instead.

"Mmmm, it's not completely wrong." Cait says making Vi look betrayed and the rest of us smirk.

"What!?"

"Sweetie, did you really think I believed that you would "conveniently" run into me every time I went on patrol around Zaun?"

"......It wasn't every time." Vi says, defeated and slightly embarrassed making us all have more of a chuckle from it.

"I did find it cute though. You also made patrols less boring." Cait says with a kiss to her temple to cheer her up, which makes Vi immediately perk up. The scene makes me smile before turning to look at Ekko.

"Hey, I'm gonna go check on her real quick. Keep an eye on her?"

"Go ahead. I got her." Ekko says and I ruffle the girl's head as I stand up and make my way up a set of stairs.

The walk to her room isn't too far from the bar. We decided it would be best that she was close to check on and just in case she woke up with no one with her.

I open the door to see Y/n still lying down on the bed, not having moved a muscle, the light from a nearby window slightly shining on her. I walk to the side of the bed and go to check her IV to make sure nothings wrong and doesn't need to be switched out. Once that is done I turn to look down at her again, this time much closer, and I take a moment to look her over. I see some of the bandages wrapped over her shoulder and collar bone that sticks out from underneath the blanket and take a quick look under the blanket to make sure her wounds haven't opened up again.

Once I see that she's fine I find myself staying to watch her for a little. Usually I'd find this type of thing weird, especially since I hardly know her, but something about her makes me stay longer than needed. It's comforting. She eased the headaches Ekko and I have been having. At first I would just do a quick check up, but then I started staying longer to just watch her sleep. It wasn't just me either. Sometimes Ekko and I will just stay in here and talk while keeping an eye on her.

I take a glance at the door and listen if anyone is coming before sitting down on the side of the bed. It felt nice to be close to her. It felt.... right.

I slowly reach forward and brush aside a few strands of hair behind her ear and I hesitate before laying my hand gently against her cheek and jaw. After caring for her and keeping her clean there's no longer any smudge of dirt or smog on her face.

"Why do you make us feel this way? Why do those headaches go away when near you?" I whisper, knowing she can't hear me or respond. I get lost in my thoughts before noticing my thumb brushing against her cheek and quickly pull my hand away. Calling my strange behavior there, "What is wrong with me?"

I stand up and quickly go to leave, but I take one last long look at her before closing the door and heading back to the bar. Feeling guilty of my strange behavior that I know I should be stopping.

"Why do I not want it to stop?"

Reader Pov

I feel my senses start coming back to me from what feels like a long sleep. I go to open my eyes, but find them hard to open from a bright light. I raise an arm and try to sit myself up on the bed I am laying on and feel myself struggle slightly to do the simple task.

'Wait. A bed?,' I realize before quickly covering my eyes from the light and open them to see myself in an unfamiliar room. I then notice the unfamiliar large shirt I am wearing and lack of pants. I finally see the light that has been causing me trouble is the sun shining through a nearby window, there's what looks to be a leg brace leaning on the wall near the nightstand and I notice that I am connected to what looks like an IV before taking out the tube connected to my wrist, 'Where am I?'

I remember what happened before falling unconscious in Isha's arms. I slowly shift to the edge of the bed and go to stand up; finding myself struggling slightly with my legs feeling weak. One leg feeling very painful to put weight on, so I hold onto the IV stand for support and make my way towards the nearby window and look out after my eyes adjust to the light. I see the streets of Zaun with people going about their day and kids playing.

"Good morning!"

I jump in shock, instinctively reaching for my gun which isn't there, but calm down once I see Professor Heimerdinger.

"Oh, sorry for frightening you. It's good to see you awake. How do you feel?" he asks in his always joyous tone.

"Uh, yeah. Thank you, I feel fine. Some pain in my back, but mostly my leg. My body feels weak though." I say which get's me a chuckle.

"Well that is expected for someone who has been in a coma for five days. S-"

"Five days!?"

"Yes! Now I must ask that you take a seat on the bed so that I may give you a quick check up." he says and I follow instructions while thinking about how long I was bedridden for.

Heimerdinger first jumps onto the bed and checks my eyes before asking me to lift the back of my shirt to look at the bandages I only now notice were wrapped around my torso. He then drops down to look at my injured leg.

"Um, quick question. Where am I?" I ask as he looks it over.

"Oh right! Don't worry young one, you're safe. Currently you're in The Last Drop, the owner of this establishment was nice enough to house you." he answers which makes my eyes widen.

"Vander."

"Yes! You were in quite a severe condition from your task with the enforcers, but you were rushed here to get help. You're lucky nothing vital was damaged. After removing all the embedded fragments and making sure you were stable, Vander and her daughter suggested housing you here. He said it would be better for you to wake up in a place you're more comfortable with than in the Kiramman estate like Caitlyn had offered," Heimerdinger explains before finally looking satisfied with his examination of my leg, "Well, Y/n, it looks like most minor injuries have healed and the more concerning ones are healing fairly quick. The only one that brings concern is your leg. It took a bad hit and will take awhile for you to recover before you can use it normally again, but don't worry. Viktor and Jace both made a leg brace just for you based off your measurements. Easy to put on too." he explains and I nod my head before looking down at the oversized shirt I am wearing.

"Do you mind telling me where my clothes are?"

"Ah, right, well unfortunately they had to be cut open in order to operate on you without risking making things worse. Your armor also did not survive the blast and was fractured in my places; stopping some fragments from hitting you, but also some of it cracking and stabbing into your back. I don't know what was done with it afterwards," he explains and I nod with a disappointed sigh, "Though I am sure Powder will have some clothes for you. Oh! I need to inform them of you waking up! Wait here." he says before rushing off back out the door he came in. I smile at his antics before my eyes explore the homey room.

It has some simple decorations like lamps, a shelf and a wardrobe. Decide to get lost in my thoughts for a few minutes about the situation I find myself in while I wait.

'I really messed up this time.'

*knock* *knock* I hear before I see the all too familiar blue head of hair before seeing Powder's whole head poke in. I see a smile on her face when she sees me.

"Hey, it's good to see you recovered well," she says as she steps in with folded clothes under her arm and cane held in the other, "These should fit you well, and Heimerdinger said you're gonna need the cane to walk. I hope you don't mind if my clothes don't match your tastes. Oh, and your shoes are just by the door." she says as she sets the cane near the nightstand and hands me the clothes.

I over the simple clothing of a pair of pants and a white collared shirt with long sleeves and smile.

"Thanks. This is fine, and thanks for housing me." I say and notice her shoulders drop slightly to be more relaxed.

"Don't mention it. Plus it wasn't that hard to look after you. Even Isha helped a lot." Powder says and makes my eyes widen.

"Isha's here!? I-Is she okay?" I ask and Powder sets a hand on my shoulder.

"She's fine. We took her in after the doctors looked her and the rest of the kids over. You clearly cared a lot for her so we thought it would be best for her to be here," she explains which makes me sigh in relief, "Now if I were I'd hurry before Isha finds a way to sneak up here herself. Ekko and I can only keep her at bay for so long. By the way, how do you know her anyway?," she asks which makes me freeze, "She told us she doesn't know who you are, but she does really like you now for saving her. She makes sure to check up on you every morning."

'Shit. Did not think about that.'

"I..... I kinda knew her parents. They weren't in the best position to support her, so they gave her up." I make up on the spot.

"Where are they now?"

"They passed away. I didn't know which orphanage she was in, and even if I did I couldn't care for her. My lifestyle would have put her in danger." I continue to build off of the lie.

"Hm, how did you know it was her then?"

"It..... It was a feeling," I lie which get's me a brow raise, "I know. It's weird, but it really was just a feeling. I-I can't explain it." I lie again, knowing it's not hardly gonna work to kill her suspicion.

She stares for a second before nodding and goes to leave, but before she does I see her stop for a second before looking back at me.

"H-Hey, are you gonna need help...... y'know... undressing?" she asks with a light blush on her cheeks and I my own cheeks heat up at the question.

"No-No I-I got it. Thanks for offering though."

"Alright, yeah..... cool. I-I'll see you down there. Just head over here when you're ready." she says, pointing down the hall before shutting the door and I hear her footsteps quickly leave.

I take a few seconds to calm my blush down before I start changing. Turns out, I did not completely have it. The pain on my back making it a little hard to take off the shirt I'm wearing, but I still manage to get it off before changing into the clothes given to me. Honestly it felt kinda weird to wear something that was clean and good quality.

I fold up the sleeves just before my elbows before reaching for the leg brace. Now holding it closer I can see the quality of the brace and a part of me hesitates before strapping it on. Once I make sure it's on correctly I use the cane to stand up from the bed and immediately notice the lack of intense pain in my leg because of the brace.

I awkwardly make my way out of the room, trying to get used to the brace and using a cane, before making my way down the hallway to another door where I hear noise. I walk through and find myself on the 2nd floor of The Last Drop. I spot familiar faces sitting at the bar before heading to the stairs. I try to take a step down, but find it a little difficult with the brace and cane making the movement unfamiliar.

"Need help?" I hear and see Ekko walking up towards me, but doesn't make a move to help until I smile and nod.

'Always a gentlemen.' I think before he helps me balance and walk down the stairs.

"Thanks. Not used to moving around with a cane, let alone a whole leg brace."

"No need to thank me. Does it hurt?"

"Nothing I can't handle, the brace helps a lot. I just gotta get used to it. Name's Y/n by the way."

"Oh right! I'm Ekko, sorry, forgot we haven't met yet." he says sounding a little panicked, making me laugh a little.

"Who doesn't know about "The Boy Savior"?" I ask which makes him groan, making my smile widen.

"Man, and here I thought you wouldn't know about that. I don't know why people call me that."

"'Cause you help people. From what I've heard you always try your best to help people."

"So? A lot of people help people."

"Not as much as you do "Boy Savior"," I say again teasingly which makes him roll his eyes, "Sometimes all people need is for someone to care. It gives them hope." I say as we finally reach the bottom step.

"Well, looks who's finally woken up." I hear Vander say and finally notice all the eyes on me now.

"Mornin'," I say not knowing what else to sayin in the moment, before I notice Isha staring at me from behind Powder's legs which makes me smile, "Hey kid, good to see you're alright."

'Most likely kinda scared after I we-' I don't finish the thought because she comes running from behind Powder and crashes into a lower half; hugging me close, 'Maybe, not.' I thought as I run a hand through her hair.

"She's been waiting for you to wake up for days. Always checkin' up on you to see if you're awake," Vander says as I take a moment to take a moment to hold Isha close, old memories of her death going through my head, "Here, you better eat." he says as he places a plate of food on the counter once Isha pulls away, but still holds the bottom of the shirt I'm wearing.

"You-You didn't have to do that." I say which makes the professor look aghast on his stool.

"Nonsense! After being stuck in bed for so long it's best to have a nice meal to start building back your strength and readjust your body." he says and Isha grabs my free hand before tugging me to the corner of the bar counter where Vi, Cait and Sevika are sitting; insisting that I eat, "See? Even the young child agrees." he says which makes me let out a sigh before sitting down at the counter; Isha trying to climb up the high stool next to me to sit down so Powder helps her up.

"Thank you." I say to Vander and begin eating the fresh meal.

'It's felt like forever since I last ate a hot meal.'

"So, I have informed Vander of your condition. I believe after some rest and not putting too much weight on your leg you will recover in no time." Heimerdinger explains and I nod.

"Thank you again. Uh, how much is the brace gonna cost exactly?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. Free of charge! Viktor was the one who wanted it made and insisted you not worry about any payment."

"Really?" I ask in slight disbelief before continuing when I get a nod, "Huh, I guess that's one less thing to worry about. Just gotta figure out how to get back home." I say as I take another spoonful of food. Though I sense a tone shift in the room.

"About that. I, or more like we, were wondering if you got anyone back home to help you recover. We thought someone would come asking for you eventually, but no one showed up." Vander asks as he picks up a glass to wipe down.

"Oh uh, no," I answer which makes Vander look concerned, "I should be fine though. I could hunker down for a few day." I say as I continue eating.

"And if some gang tries something?," he asks and I stay silent; not able to provide an answer, "Mmhm. You're staying here until you recover." he says, making me choke on some food.

"Taking in two more strays I see?" Silco jokes from across the bar with Benzo letting out a small laugh, as Isha pats my back.

"Wait. No I can't st-" I go to protest, but Vander gives me a look which makes me shut up, and Benzo laughs harder.

"Haha! You still got it, huh Vande'!?"

I sit there in defeat after already being shut down of any protests like a damn child, while the three men break off into their own conversations.

'This isn't fair. He used the "Don't test me" look.' I thought as I hear giggles from Powder and Vi.

"Nice try, but when Dad decides on something like this it's better to just roll over. I've tried." Vi says as she gives me sympathetic look.

"Plus I doubt this kid would let you go by yourself. She'd probably follow you down there and I don't think any of us want that." Powder says as she ruffles Isha's hair and hands her a toy robot.

"Thanks. And I'm sorry for screwing up the whole operation." I apologize, but Sevika scoff and waves it off.

"Whatever, it's fine. Wouldn't be the first time we had someone go off the rails on the team," she says as she and Cait give Vi a quick glance, making the pink head roll her eyes, "Plus it turned out better than expected. That explosion caused a noticeable rumble above ground, so when some enforcers found Chross and his guys come out of a tunnel up in Piltover, they put them into custody." she explains making me curious.

"They ended up in Piltover? I didn't know there were mining tunnels there." I voice my curiosity and Cait jumps in to give an explanation.

"There are a few old ones that have been abandoned. Turns out that's how he moved shipments to the Undercity. After interrogation his thugs broke and admitted to crimes, such as paying off some caretakers at orphanages to stay silent and lie about the whereabouts on the children," she says which makes me glance down to Isha who is now coloring the toy, "and the rest of the gang are scrambling without order. Overall a much better outcome than expected, even given the way it went. Your payment will be given in a few days time after we finish our overall report for our investigation." Cait finishes with a satisfied tone and expression on her face before I hear the door of the bar opening.

"Woah, look who woke up. It was about time." I hear and turn in time to see Mylo get elbowed by Claggor.

"Sorry about him. He's still learning how to behave," Powder says as she leans back against the bar counter next to me, "Y/n, these are my brothers, the gangly one is Mylo and the big one is Claggor. Guys, meet the new residence of The Last Drop, Y/n."

"Wait! She's staying here!? Why!? Isn't she still technically a criminal?" Mylo brings up which makes me glance at Cait.

"Right. I forgot to mention. My mother took a closer look at your record and insisted on pardoning you of charges on your record. It was pretty easy to get when it was obvious you weren't targeting any civilians. Though she recommends putting your skill to good use with the enforcers; if not then she suggests at least getting a mercenary license if you want to operate as a mercenary." Cait explains which makes me even more confused.

"There's licenses for mercenaries?"

"Yes. Though it is no longer as common to have mercenaries working around; Silco suggested making it available so that mercenaries would lean towards a more legal line of work instead of working with gangs, which worked." Cait explains making me wonder just how much has changed with laws.

"You didn't know about merc licenses?," Ekko asks as he walks over next to Isha and sets down a pack of what looks like crayons for Isha, and I shake my head, "It was a pretty big deal. Helped a lot when Piltover and Zaun made peace. The council paid any mercenary willing to help with clearing out gangs in Zaun, even if it was just some info."

"See Mylo, she ain't that bad. Stop being an ass" Claggor says, but Mylo scoffs before looking me up and down.

"Well, at least you aren't dressed in rags anymore. You really need a sense of style." he says with a smug look which makes me look deadpan at him.

"You really gonna judge my look, Eyebrows?" I ask, getting a few chuckles from the others and Mylo looks offended.

"I've been telling him the same thing for years." Powder tells me which gets another scoff from Mylo.

"I am, not, getting my brows done. That's a girl's thing." he says which makes Ekko raise a hand.

"Powder does my eyebrows sometimes." Ekko argues.

"Whatever, that's different. I'm not getting my brows done." Mylo continues to protest as he folds his arms, making Powder roll her eyes.

"Fine. If not the brows, then shave the facial hair," which makes him look aghast at the suggestion, "At least the sideburns."

"What!? No way! They're the main part of my look. It's manly. Right guys? Tell her." Mylo says as he looks at Claggor and Ekko to defend him on this.

They both look at eachother, then me, then back to Mylo before acting like they didn't hear anything. Looking elsewhere around the room, making the rest of us laugh.

"Oh, c'mon guys! It looks good." he tries to say, but doesn't gain any support. He then looks defeated before making eye contact with now my own smug look.

"Shave the sideburns." I say as I finish the last of the food on my plate, before my attention is grabbed by the capsule contraption Claggor is holding. Is that a flower?

"What's with the flower?" I ask which makes Claggor smile.

"Glad you asked," he says as he brushes past a disgruntled Mylo and sets it on the counter, "This is a hybrid flower to help get fresh air into the Undercity. It's supposed to be able to survive and produce air, even with all the gasses from the fissure." he says as he twists and pulls some things which gives a demonstration on the flower taking in the fissure gasses.

"What a brilliant idea!" Heimerdinger says enthusiastically.

'Mylo and Claggor working with plants? Never would have expected that.'

"Buuuut?" Powder asks with a slight head tilt, making Claggor sigh.

"But it's not fully working as expected. We got it to start feeding off the fissure gasses, but it's not working out fully as expected. They survive, but won't grow and can't produce enough air down here." he explains as Isha taps on the glass of the capsule.

'What about the tree? That somehow survived.'

"Tree?" I hear Ekko ask and turn to see him and Powder both looking at me curiously.

'Oh shit. I was mumbling again.'

"Oh, u-uh nothing. Sorry I was ju-"

"What tree?" Claggor now asks Ekko.

"Y/n said something about a tree." Ekko says, making Claggor and Mylo look to me. Claggor looking very interested, making me slightly nervous.

'Do they not know about it?'

"Uh, y'know. That one tree in the underground? Has some plants growing around it? Why don't you take samples from those?" I ask, but they look confused, "I guess that's a no."

"A tree? What tree? Where?" Claggor asks, now leaning onto the bar.

"It's not in plain sight. It's hidden in some abandon place, probably where maintenance used to be for the old pipes or something."

"W-Wait. So it's like an actual tree? How big is it?"

"Pretty big. I'd say it's been growing down there before any of us were born, maybe even longer than that."

"An actual tree. Can you show me where it is? Maybe if Mylo and I study some samples and the soil, then we can make a hybrid that can actually work for the Zaun." Claggor asks with hope in his voice and eyes."

"Su-"

"Woah, hold on," Vi says with a raised hand, "I don't think you should be walking around with your leg right? You just woke up." Vi says with concern.

"It's fine. I just gotta make sure not to put too much weight on," I say and turn to Heimerdinger, "Right?"

"Hmm, usually I would say you should rest, but I am also fascinated by this recent discovery. If the location of this tree is not hard to get to, then I think your leg should be fine."

"Not hard at all. Just a walk through some pipes and you're there, though I hope you don't mind getting your shoes wet." I say to Claggor and Mylo.

"As long as there's an actual tree, then it's fine by me." Claggor says and Mylo just shrugs his shoulders.

"Cool. I'll come too. Ekko?" Powder asks and gets a nod before looking at Isha, "And I'm guessing you're gonna wanna come too, huh?" Powder asks and Isha excitedly nods.

Vi then groan as she leans back into her seat.

"Maaan, I wanna see the tree too. Instead I need to go on patrol again." Vi says disgruntled and Cait comforts her with a shoulder rub and Sevika rolls her eyes.

"We can go see it another day Sweetie. Speaking of patrol, we better head out. Stay safe on your trip." Cait says as she pays for the drinks before leaving with a disappointed Vi and Sevika.

I stand up from my seat before looking down at my hip, remembering my lack of weapons.

"You guys wouldn't happen to have my stuff?" I ask, Isha perks up as she jump off her stool and rushes to the backroom, making Powder and Ekko chuckle.

"Yeah, about that. Isha found her way to them, so I hope you don't mind. We were supposed to clean them before you woke up." Powder says, making me raise a brow at her before Isha comes rushing back out with her arms full and wearing two helmets.

She looks at me expectantly as I see she made some cosmetic changes to my gear. Blue and green being the most colors that stand out. My shovel having a smiling face with shark teeth on it, my plain holster now being a mix of blue and green, my revolver having some stars and smiley faces with numbers on the spinning chamber, my gas mask has some little markings added where they could fit, and my helmet is much more colorful with bunny ears on the front. Looking at the colorful gear makes me smile as I pick up my helmet from atop Isha's head.

"I like it," I say before putting it on, "How does it look?" I ask

"Somehow, even more scary than before." Ekko says making me nod in approval before reaching to put on the rest of my gear while Claggor and Mylo discuss with the professor about the potential of their hybrid plants.

I do kinda struggle with reaching around with my gun holster before I feel my hand brush against another and turn to see Ekko.

"Let me help with that," he says as he helps me get the holster around and before I know it he helps with buckling it too; I feel a slight heat on my cheeks from the action, "That good?"

"Yup. Thanks," I say and Ekko nods before I take my gun and shovel and strap them on my hips, then put on my gas mask. Only then do I remember one more important thing missing, "Did you happen to find a journal on me too?" I ask, making Powder perk up.

"Oh right! Sorry," she says before reaching into her jacket and holding it out to me, "Don't worry, I didn't look in it. Just thought you'd want it somewhere safe." she explains and I nod before taking and pocketing it.

'It's best for you to never look in it.'

"Thanks. So I guess we can head out now?" I ask and get nods from everyone and Isha grabs my hand and pulls me towards the doors.

"Dad! We're heading out to go see a tree!" Powder says and get's a nod from Vander.

"Stay safe out there, and don't lean on your leg too much Y/n." Silco says before the three men go back to talking.

As we leave and Isha holds my hand in hers, I can't help but have a nice warm feeling in my chest.

'.....Maybe this isn't so bad.'

Ekko Pov

"Hey, you okay?" I whisper to Powder after noticing her lagging behind the group. All of us now walking through an old pipeline that supposedly leads to the tree Y/n has mentioned. Isha enjoying the the walk in the water, while our shoes are ankle deep in water.

"I am, but.... I don't know. This is just weird."

"You think it's a setup? She seems fine to me"

"No, I don't, but that's the problem. This whole thing feels too fine. Feels too right for someone we just met yesterday. Look at them," she says as she gestures forward at the rest of the group. Bantering about things that come to their minds. I see Y/n, her mask now off and attached to her holster, say something that makes Mylo and Claggor laugh, "She fits in. She fits in too well. Mylo would usually be stumbling over his words when met with a cute girl, but instead they're just joking and ribbing each other like they've known each other since forever." she says, making me sigh.

"I know. I was surprised when Mylo was actually able to let out a sentence without a voice crack." I say jokingly, making Powder slightly glare at me and give me a nudge.

"I'm serious. It's weird, but it's good weird. Even you and I have stayed in her room because it felt nice to just be there with her. You know that's not normal," I remember the times we'd spend in that room, using Isha as an excuse of being there sometimes because she wanted to be there, but I know Powder and I enjoyed Y/n being in the same room as us, "She makes me forget that she's a stranger. We all have friends, but we have a pretty tight knit group of people we really really care for. When I saw the condition she was in that day Vi rushed her in; I never felt that worried before. I thought she was gonna die and that made me want to cry. Even now, I still hardly know her, but it just feels right to be with her. She's hiding something and that makes me feel really upset, and I shouldn't be." Powder finishes airing out her thoughts and finally takes a deep breath. Making me wrap an arm around her.

"You're not wrong. I've been questioning it too.... but is it that bad? Maybe she just fits in really well with us?," I try to argue, but then immediately sigh in defeat to myself, knowing that's not it, "Never mind, I'm just lying to myself. I feel it too. That weird pull to her. It makes me want to protect her."

"Exactly! Whenever I think about how she's hiding something, I really wanted to look in her journal but held myself back. It's wrong, but it feels right. I-I think I see it in the others too. What-What's happening to us?"

"I don't know."

'A part of me doesn't want to know. Just accept it.'

"There just up ahead, it should be there." Y/n says as she points to the light at the end of the tunnel. A smile on her face that brings back that comforting feeling and I feel Powder relax under my arm as we catch up with the group.

Once we finally reach the end I blink to adjust to the sunlight and stare in shock at the actual living tree.

"It's real." I say looking at it in awe.

"Amazing! To think that life somehow found a way to live deep down here underground. Imagine what it must have gone through to adapt to it's conditions!" Heimerdinger says looking at it in awe.

Claggor quickly goes up closer to it with Mylo and the professor following close behind. Isha splashes around the area, she looks to be having fun playing in the water and looking at the insects.

"It's beautiful. How did you find this place?" Powder asks Y/n, who is keeping a close eye on Isha with a smile on her face.

"Just wandering around. Eventually stumbled upon this place one day." she says, but I see her fiddling with her shovel handle. I ignore the sign of nervousness and turn back to the tree.

"I can't believe no one knew about this place. It's like a sanctuary."

"A sanctuary for hope," Y/n says as she glances at me, "Even in the roughest conditions. Life finds a way to thrive. Kinda like Zaun." she says and turns back to the tree. I catch myself admiring her in scenery, apparently a little too long because I feel Powder nudge me slightly and give me a knowing smirk. It's then that we see some slight shine onto her eyes, making her blink and rub at them.

"Damn light." she says as she raises a hand over her eyes and blinking a lot, having a hard time to adjust.

"You really aren't that good with light are you? What's up with that?" Powder asks as Y/n moves to a more shaded area.

"I'm just not used to it. I've spent most of my life in the deep end of the Undercity, so light isn't really a thing I'm used to." she says making me raise a brow.

"You've had to have come up from there at least sometimes right? When was the last time you left?" I ask curiously, and also some concern for the health of her eyes.

"Besides yesterday, it's been years. Last time was when that whole speech about peace between Piltover and Zaun happened on that bridge," she says making both Powder and I stare at her in shock and horror, "What?"

"Y/n. You haven't been to the surface in eight years!?" Powder asks in concern, making Y/n nervous as she helps Isha up from the water after she slipped.

"No. Too busy dealing with gangs honestly. Never really kept up with Zaun," Y/n says as she wipes some dirt off Isha's face, "Wake up, eat, hunt down gangs, sometimes wipe them out and if I'm lucky I get a good amount of sleep. Rinse and repeat." she finishes explaining making me connect some dots.

"That's why you look so confused about laws and the way Zaun is now. You've been completely out of the loop," I say, getting a nod from Y/n, "So you haven't seen how Zaun is now? The markets? Stores? Community? Nothing?"

She looks hesitant and too embarrassed to answer, even getting a sympathetic look from Isha.

'She has been living in the past. Literally.'

"Okay. No, we're going on a different trip." Powder says, sounding slightly upset, as she walks up to Y/n, grabs a hand and starts dragging her back to the pipe with Isha following close behind. Y/n gives me a pleading look to help her, but I shrug my shoulders. A part of me also wanting to see where this goes.

"But-But what about the tree and the others?" Y/n asks making Powder roll her eyes, before tugging Y/n forward almost causing her to fall and looping her arm with her own, holding her close to support her and help her walk.

"They're too busy getting samples and admiring the tree, they'll be fine. We, are going to give you a tour around Zaun."

"You do-"

"Shut up. You don't have a choice. Come on you two." Powder calls back to Isha and I. I quickly catch up them and pick up Isha from behind and place her on my shoulders as we follow behind the two. Powder continuing to drag the reluctant girl. That feeling of everything being right, emerging again.

I don't fight the feeling this time.

Hope you enjoyed reading. Sorry if there are grammar mistakes.

[thefallennightmare]

The Ties That Bind Us: One

*gif created by me. feel free to use, simply give credit.*

•Parings• Noah Sebastian x Soulmate!Reader.

•Word Count• 2,268

•Warnings• fluff, language, talks of death/sickness, angst, depression, dark thoughts, soft!Noah, smut that will include unprotected p in v, oral with both male and female receiving, hand jobs, and fingering. Pretty tame smut in this.

•Summary• Growing up, Noah’s grandparents told him the story of why everyone wore a red tie around their wrists and while theirs glowed while his didn’t.

“Yours will glow when you meet your soulmate, Noah.”

When someone moves in next door and catches Noah’s eyes immediately, he sees the red tie around her wrist glowing only to see his remains red. Convinced she’s not his soulmate, Noah tries hard to stay away from her yet small moments between them start to blossom. So much so, he can’t ignore the tie that binds them together

•Authors Note• As I previously stated, even though this is a "reader insert", there will be moments I describe the reader because it pertains to the story. I'm not quite sure how many chapters this will be, I'm thinking around ten but it could change. I'm also sorry this chapter seems very short, but I figured it doesn't need to be super long with an introductory chapter.

•Tags• @artificialbreezy @blueskylinesx @dominuslunae @lobolocaamo @lilcrazy011 @badomensls @shayeanna-ashlie @supersquirrel1996 @missduffsblog @nicelittlenightmares @curse-bearing-hips @collisionofyourkissmakesitsohard @chey-h @idontwantthemoney @heyyoplayer @amelia-acero @xmads-omensx @poisongirl616 @theanarchymuse95 @trvshdxddy @thisbicc @losingmyselfinthoughts @follow-me-down-to-wonderland @alwaysfightforwhoyouare @klutzy-kay24 @xxkatsatwatwafflexx @collidewiththesavannah @tosoundlessdarkistare @rumoured-whispers @dontwantthemoney

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NOAH

Growing up, my grandma would always tell me the same thing whenever I asked her about the weird red tie around my wrist. 

“An invisible red thread connects those destined to be together, regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break.”

When I asked her why hers and my grandpa’s glowed the same color, her answer was simple. 

“We’re both soulmates. Destined to be with each other.”

I always thought the idea of soulmates was a bunch of bullshit people told to make up reasons why we all were born with these ties. I spent many hours trying to cut or rip it off but it wouldn’t budge. My grandma’s words echoing in my head once again. 

“The only way to remove a bind is with death.”  

The soft breeze filtered through my hair as I adjusted the beanie over my head, opening the door wider so my guest could leave. Yet while I stood on the front porch waiting for her to stop talking with Michael, I messed with the red bind around my wrist like I typically did. I’d been expecting to see it glow for the last few years once I reached the age of twenty one yet here I was at twenty four with the still same red bind around my wrist. 

“So, can I call you?” 

Snapping my eyes away from my wrist to the woman in front of me, her bind also red, I gave her a curt nod. “Sure, I guess.” 

I didn’t miss the way her smile faltered with my words and when she crossed her arms over her chest, I suddenly regretted not trying to be a bit more upbeat. It’s not like she was some stranger, she’d come over a few times before but it was never serious. I didn’t even remember her name most of the time which might have been wrong on my end but like I said, it wasn’t ever serious. Just someone to call when the nights were lonely. 

Wow, I sounded like a real asshole. 

“Maybe we can get coffee tomorrow?” I suggested while stuffing my hands deep into the pocket of my sweats. 

Whatever her name was smiled and nodded enthusiastically. “I would really love that, Noah.” 

Fuck. She said my name which means now I have to say her name. It's the respectful thing to do. 

I rubbed the back of my neck, long strands of hair tangled between my fingers. “Uh, yeah. Same here, uh-.” 

When I trailed off, unable to remember her fucking name, her lip snarled and threw her shoulder over her shoulder, bounding down the front steps. 

“You know what, don’t call me. I’m busy for the foreseeable future!” She called back, making sure to slam the door to her car as she sat inside. 

Shrugging, I didn’t bother to watch her peel out of the driveway and turned on my heels to head back inside when a commotion to my left made me pause. The house next door had been vacant for a few months now so when I saw a large moving truck parked in the driveway. With furrowed brows, I took a few steps closer to the edge of the front porch, the side closest to this house, and watched as someone walked up the ramp into the back of the truck. 

“New neighbors.” Jesse appeared next to me almost out of thin air, taking a rather large bite of his apple. 

“Since when?” I asked, giving him my attention now. 

He tapped my shoulder with the hand that didn’t hold the apple. “Since this morning. Someone was a bit preoccupied to notice.” 

Rolling my eyes, I flipped him the bird and gazed back towards the moving van, expecting to see a group of guys like ourselves emerge from the back of the truck. So when I saw a female figure walk out carrying a large box, my breath caught in my throat. The way her hair cascaded over her shoulders and how a soft melody seemed to echo in the wind over towards me; her singing some unknown tune. 

My eyes tracked every movement of her when she walked through the front door of the house. She was gone for less than a few minutes but the entire time, my heart beat wildly in my chest. It was something Jesse noticed but didn’t bother to tease because with a wave, he disappeared back into the house leaving me alone again on the porch.

The sunset had broken over the horizon, painting the grass in a glow of oranges and slight pinks. It all paled in comparison to the brightness that radiated from the woman next door as she stepped back out, pausing for a moment to roll up the sleeves of her sweater. 

“Shit,” I muttered when I saw the band on her left wrist vivid with a glow. 

Holding my breath, I yanked up the sleeve of my shirt hoping to see my own band glowing but felt my stomach drop when it was still that stupid red color. It was foolish to think that this gorgeous woman who moved in next door would randomly be my soulmate. Things didn’t work out that easy for me. I’d been dealt a shit hand in life so I should have figured that this wouldn't be any different. 

My soulmate isn't out there. I should learn to accept it. 

“Excuse me?” 

I whipped my head up from my wrist over towards the house next door, giving a very awkward wave to her. 

“H-hi,” my voice shook, showing my nerves. 

She gave me a warm smile nonetheless. “I’m sorry if this is weird but do you know when garbage day is? I’ve got stacks on stacks of boxes that are taking over my garage.” 

Her giggle danced in the air over towards me, wrapping itself around my heart, and I had to tell myself not to get attached by her damn laugh. If her bind was glowing while mine wasn't, that only meant one thing. 

“Uh, Thursdays,” I said after clearing my throat. “Recycling is every other week.” 

“Thank you,” she beamed with a tired smile. “We just moved in and the relator failed to mention that.” 

Stuffing my shaking hands in the pockets of my sweats, I did my best to not let her realize how the way she was looking at me affected me. 

“Well, if you need help or more tips on the neighborhood, I’m your guy,” I said with a lopsided smile. 

Even from the distance between us, I could still see her brow peak while she crossed her arms. “That’s very nice of you, thank you. But I don’t even know your name.” 

“It’s Noah.” 

Very briefly, the bind around her wrist flickered which didn’t seem to phase her because she gave me a curt nod. “Well, Noah, it's nice to meet you. I’m Y/N, your new neighbor.” 

I leaned against the fence that surrounded my porch. “Welcome to the neighborhood, Y/N.” 

Both of us stood frozen for a few beats, staring at one another, and as I felt an urge to ask her something, someone exiting the house made my body go rigid. 

“Love?” He called out towards Y/N, resting a hand on the frame of the door. “Do you need any help?” 

All it took was once glance at the man's wrist to see the matching glow with Y/N’s, indicating what I already knew. 

She had found her soulmate. 

You met her less than two minutes ago, idiot. Stop being so heartbroken. 

“What are you doing, Eric?” She nearly rushed over to him. “I told you I would bring in the rest of the boxes. You should be taking it easy.” 

Feeling suddenly out of place, I pushed myself off of the porch and dragged my feet back inside, doing my best to ignore the way I had once again got my hopes up for this soulmate bullshit. 

READER

“Are you alright?” I asked Eric, slowly helping him back into the house and over to the couch. 

Even though we moved in this morning, we had a moving company bring all of our heavy furniture a few days ago and set it up. Anything to help take the load off of Eric and I since it was me that did most of the packing and unpacking. 

He playfully pushed me away and sat on the couch himself. “I’m fine, Y/N. I just wanted to make sure you were still doing fine unloading the truck. It needs to be back by 8 tonight.” 

I nodded while throwing the blanket over his lap and quickly adjusting the black beanie on his head that came askew. “I have three more boxes to bring in. Will you be fine alone while I take the truck back? I can call someone to come stay with you.”

This caused Eric to raise a brow. “Who? We don’t know anyone here.” 

Right. Nearly forgot that. 

“But I’ll be fine. I already told you I can take care of myself for a bit. It’s mostly when you’re gone for the entire day that it gets rough.” 

Guilt filled my veins for a number of reasons so instead of unpacking the rest of the truck, I sat on the couch next to him, wrapping my arms around his midsection to feel his familiar warmth spread to me. I traced the various tattoos on his arms with my gaze, burning them into my memory so I could never forget the way they looked. 

The way he looked. 

“Your mustache is getting long,” I giggled while glancing up at him. 

With everything going on in our lives the last few weeks, Eric had basically forgot the upkeep to his mustache. Not that I ever complained though, I loved how that was the only facial hair he kept. 

“I know how much you love it,” he winked and pressed a weak kiss to my forehead. 

We laid there for a moment on the couch, enjoying each other's presence in our new yet quiet home. Things would be different here, they had to be. We gave up a lot to move to this city because of the opportunities that awaited us. 

“I met more of the neighbors,” I spoke after some silence. 

“Yeah?” Eric asked, running his tattooed fingers up and down my arm. 

“Noah. He told me trash days are on Thursdays. Recycling every other week.” 

He hummed. “Is that the one who always seems to be eating some sort of fruit?” 

I giggled while playfully smacking his chest. “No, that’s Jesse. He’s the one that recommended this great taco truck a few blocks down. I was thinking maybe I grab some on the way back from dropping off the truck. Our car is at the UHAUL place so I’d drive it home.” 

“Home,” Eric repeated the word. “I never thought we’d call California home. I thought we’d be stuck in Ohio forever.” 

Tucking my legs underneath me on the couch, I buried my face deeper into Eric’s sweater desperate to have his scent tattooed into my skin. 

“We had to move though, Eric. The cancer units here are far better than Ohio,” I reminded him, doing my best to not cry. 

I’d spent the last couple of months crying because of not only Eric’s cancer coming back but the news of this time, the chemo might not stop it from spreading. We refused to give up hope so one of Eric’s doctors recommended a program out here in California that was testing some new age chemo, one that possibly could help Eric's type of cancer. 

“Which reminds me,” Eric sighed. “My chemotherapy appointment has been moved up to 8 a.m tomorrow. Is that alright?” 

Blinking away the tears, I nodded with a long sigh. “With my new job, I can work from home and clock in wheenver just as long as I work a full eight hours.” 

His tender touch lifted my chin, forcing me to look into his brown eyes; ones that had lost their light over time. 

“I hope that you remember days like this, both of us sitting here together when you're living somewhere new. These things were never clearer in my head especially when peace was in our home and needs were met. Before my cancer.” 

“Eric,” I choked out. “Please don’t talk like you’re already gone. You’re still here, in my arms. We need to focus on that.” 

Reluctantly, he nodded, knowing that he wouldn’t win this fight. It was one we had often, him trying to tell me not to dwell on his death for long if it came. He wanted me to be happy. But the glowing binds on our wrists for each other gave me hope that Eric would overcome this, like he had before. 

Forgetting about the boxes that needed to be unpacked, I let my eyes flutter shut with the sounds of Eric’s soft snores pulling me down to a slumber that my body had been craving. I couldn’t help but wonder of all the new opportunities we’d find here and possibly new friends as I thought of my neighbors, ones that seemed to be somewhat friendly. Especially the one with the longer hair out of the bunch. 

Noah. 

Exhaustion had taken both Eric and I, us falling asleep in each other's arms on the couch. Neither of us noticed our red binds flickering like a home losing its power in a raging thunderstorm.

[devil-in-hiding]

I had this idea last night and it’s been eating away at me since:

Childhood best friend!Simon who left when he joined the military. Cbf!Simon who, after finding his family murdered, disappears again -or so you think. Simon, who spends every night he’s in town at your place while you sleep. Who sees that you kept his old jumper, the one he gave you before he left. He sees how you hold it and cuddle it, holding it to your nose as if hoping it still smelled like him after all these years. He can’t give you a new one, but he can make this one smell like him again. When you’re out buying groceries, so much more often than usual, it seems, he takes the jumper and rubs in against himself; his armpits, the back of his neck, and then, against his cock and balls as the scent of you fills his nose.

You seem to sleep better that night.

Other things start to change too. He now starts to touch you as you sleep. Just brushing his hands against your hair. Feather-light touches that are almost impossible to feel.

He does darker things too. You are, thankfully, single. And he makes sure you stay that way. Your nice lotion gets an extra load of five of protein. Your blind dates mysteriously stop texting you back. You’re getting /frustrated/ which leads to a night with your vibe and dildo (much smaller than his, Simon notes. He’ll have to change that). Your little moans and whines make it almost impossible for him to not barge into your room and take you. But Simon Riley is nothing if not patient. When you finally fall asleep, one hand still clutching your dildo, he sneaks out.

Two weeks later, a mysterious package is at your door from a secret admirer. You don’t even notice the “clone a Willy” printed on the bottom of the silicone toy. What you do notice is how big it is and how much you want it to ruin your holes. You set to work right away, opening yourself up. Getting so frustrated that it doesn’t fully fit. All the while your secret admirer watches from your closet.

And when he does finally lay claim to you? It’s all roses and apologies.

He knocks on your door after a particularly grueling mission, bouquet of your favorite flowers and a teddy bear in hand.

“Simon?” You say, shock coloring your voice. “My Simon?”

“‘Ello, lovie,” he replies. Sheepishly smiling, he holds out the gifts.

“This is real? You’re really here?” You ask grabbing the flowers and teddy.

“‘M here,” he says, scared you might reject him after all this time. Not that it matters, but it would still hurt.

You drop the gifts and he braces for the rejection. What he didn’t plan on, was you wrapping your arms around him and sobbing into his chest. “Si, I missed you so much.” He leads you into your flat, you don’t wonder how he knows where your room is. He sits you on your bed and holds you while you cry.

He’s a perfect gentleman for the first few months of dating and rekindling your friendship. It’s not until you tell him one night after a few drinks too many, “you know, Si? I had the biggest crush on you when we were kids.”

“Did you now, lovie?”

“Still do,” you confess, eyes strangely clear despite the alcohol.

He doesn’t think when he finally kisses you. Falling into bed with you is easier than breathing.

Your breath hitches as you feel that familiar stretch when he enters you. But you don’t think about it. You don’t think what it means when he hits every spot that your secret admirer’s gift reaches.

Now he has you. And now he’s not letting go.

♠️

I’m clawing the fucking floor my scent kink has not recovered jeowkdkfoekskdkrkkwlfk

[profundcherrylady]

SINGLE DAD!SAE ITOSHI.

A/N: Finally writing about Sae's late wife because y'all have been begging me to (y'all: like 3 people). Honestly idk if I'm gonna make more parts of this one so sorry I can't think of anything else at the moment (and I have other themes I wanna write)

Warnings: Mentions of death (kinda explicit but not too much) and SOME angst, bc obviously he's gonna be sad. Lots of grieving (it all works out in the end trust 🙏)

Contents: Sae being a little careless and awkward lol, kid not knowing a single thing about keeping her thoughts to herself, some fluff but this is a weird mix of like three things at the same time including hurt/comfort. Implied fem!reader (usage of femenine pronouns for reader, reader being refered to as 'miss')

Description: After losing his daughter at the supermarket, y/n FINALLY makes and appearance and makes the tag "sae x reader" make sense for once.

At the vegetable section, you struggled to choose between the various options to bring home for dinner. It shouldn't be this hard, since you were all by yourself most of the time, but you couldn't decide what you wanted to eat. It was then when you felt a gentle tug on your coat that made you look down, little teary teal eyes meeting yours and almost making you smile at the adorable sight of this kid staring at you in confusion.

"Hey sweetheart, what's wrong? Where are your parents?" you took notice of the lack of adult supervision this child had, since all the other adults around seemed to be either alone or not in panic of having lost a kid.

The girl opened her mouth to speak but then paused (seemingly reconsidering her words) and then spoke again, "Hi, my name is Mao Itoshi. I can't find my papa right now, can you help me find him or get me to the 'nearesest' 'autohority'?

And your heart almost melted at the way she messed up her little speech (which you assumed was given by her father in case she got lost). And how could you say no to helping this little angel? "Aw, of course honey, let's get you to your dad." you took her small hand in yours, ensuring she wouldn't get lost again, and started walking around in hopes to find her father. She still seemed a little scared and confused but you managed to calmed her down with the assurance of finding her dad. "What does he look like?"

"Um... he's... super tall and super cool-looking." you chuckled at her answer. Of course she wouldn't give you an actual description.

"I mean, what's the color of his hair or his eyes. Does he have eyes like yours?"

"Yeah."

"And what's his name?"

"...Papa?" you laughed again.

"You know your dad's name isn't 'papa', right? He has an actual name."

"He does??? What is it?"

"I don't know." you giggled. "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll know when we find him."

"Mao!!" a short-breathed, panicked voice interrupted your little conversation, and it was then when you spotted Sae for the first time. You weren't particularly interested in football, but even then Sae's reputation as the country's favorite midfielder was hard to ignore. One would think he wouldn't be out in a public space like this, but here he was, a totally different face as what was shown in the media. He looked just like a regular father, relived to have found his child.

"Papa!" the child beamed at the sight of her dad, and she let herself be carried and hugged as soon as he reached her.

"What were you thinking wandering around like that? You're just so- I've told you a million times- You are in so much trouble, young lady, you- What did you think would happen if-" he took a moment to breathe. In moments like this one, gentle parenting was probably one of the hardest things Sae has ever done. He tried his best to not loose his cool and scream at her; that wouldn't solve anything. The important thing was that she was safe and sound. "...You are going to give me a heart attack one of these days. Something bad could've happened to you, you know? I'm just... glad you're okay." and it was then when Sae first took notice of you, standing awkwardly trying to not ruin the little family reunion.

"She helped me get to you, papa." he heard his daughter explain, and it made sense because he knew the little girl would probably still be crying for her dad if no one was there to help. So although he would've liked to avoid the extra social interaction, he figured the least he could do was say thank you.

"Thank you for helping her. I've told her to not wander around, especially in big supermarkets like this, but she just won't listen sometimes..." you chuckled once again, now more from embarrassment than amusement at her antics.

"That's okay. I know how kids can be."

"You got any?" he inquired, and you shook your head with another laugh (which Sae didn't understand because he asked seriously).

"Nah. I mean, they're nice, I'm not saying I wouldn't like any, but I don't have any kids at the moment. Just little siblings; they can be just as difficult."

"You don't have to tell me twice..." he scrunched his nose a little at the thought of Rin as a child, and how difficult he was to handle, which in retrospective made it easy to figure how he got along so well with his niece (lil bro was just as problematic)

"But your kid seems nice. I'm sure she's a good child."

"When she wants to be... but mostly yes, I try to make sure she grows up to be good."

"I'm pretty sure she will."

"Are you single, miss?" Sae turned his head at his child so fast he might've breaked his neck, but he didn't care about that, he was too busy being shocked.

"Mao, don't ask people things like that."

"Why not? She's so nice to me, I like her. And you're single too!"

"That doesn't mean you can ask her if she's single. You need to think before you speak a little more, god..." he turned to you again, "So sorry about her; seems like she hasn't learned social norms yet." (Isn't that his job to teach her? Lol.) "We'll be going now, thanks again." with the still complaining child on his arms, he walked away to his shortly abandoned shopping cart, making sure to NOT set her down this time so he could keep an eye on her.

"Papaaaaa."

"Don't throw a tantrum in here, please... what's going on now? What you did was wrong, you know?" he sighed. "I don't you didn't mean anything bad, but you can't just ask any woman who is nice if she's single and try to set her up with me."

"Why not?"

"It just isn't correct, okay? Why are you insisting so much on this?" she pouted, hiding her face on his shoulder on an attempt to not talk to him. Sae rolled his eyes at the sight as he continued pushing the shopping cart through the aisles, then spoke again. "Come on, tell me."

"I wanna do the mommy-daughter dance at school..."

"Oh..." that made it make sense. "I could do it with you; you don't have to set up strange women with me for a parent-daughter dance."

"It's a mommy-daughter dance! It's not the same... I'm the only one who doesn't have a mom and the teacher says it's okay but I know my classmates are gonna think I'm weird." he hummed, understanding her feelings. Of course, he hadn't gone through anything similar, but he could get how she could feel singled out if she showed up to a mother-daughter dance with her father. He really did wish there was something he could do to make her feel a little better.

"Well, sweetie, there's not much I can do... you know I'm happy to do the dance with you if you want." he felt her lower her voice a little as he got closer to the line infront of the check-out.

"I know..."

"Don't get so sad... you're not going to be left out, I promise. It's the same thing, I mean, what difference does it make? I'm still a parent, and you said your teacher said it was okay."

"She did..." Sae's attempts to cheer up his daughter were failing, so he went straight to the only fool-proof plan he's ever known to always work.

"You want me to buy you ice-cream?"

"Okay..." he smiled a little for her, hoping to coax her to do the same, and once he was close enough to the small ice-cream freezer next to the cash register he opened the lid to take one for the little girl (one he knew for sure that she loved, just to be safe). But as he was taking out his hand he took notice of your presence, again. You looked even more surprised than him, but your expression quickly changed at the sight of the sad child.

"Aw... it's you again." you said, "why the long face, little one?"

"Don't mind her, she's upset about something... rightfully." Sae responded before Mao could. "Can't do anything about it though."

"A mother-daughter dance."

"And... why is that difficult...? Does she not have a...?"

"No."

"Oh... I'm very sorry." he answered you straight to the point. He was used to people asking about his late wife but he never bothered talking about it. It just... still hurt. And it kind of hurt even more knowing he couldn't give his daughter the one thing she yearned for the most, even though everyday he tried his hardest to give her the best life possible. He did everything in his power, he fought and struggled and worked day-to-day to be both a father and a mother somehow but it still wasn't enough. She still missed her mom as much as he did and the thought of replacing that woman was... well, there's just a reason why Sae was out of the dating game after his wife's passing.

And now he was here, teary-eyed child on his arms and a woman he only met once that same day on the supermarket, when the possibly stupidest idea came up to his brain, and he made the stupidest decision of saying it out loud.

"Listen, I know we don't... know each other technically but my daughter seems to think you're nice and... could you go with her to that dance? She just... she doesn't want to feel left out." he was also kind of desperate. Like really, really desperate because if he wasn't he wouldn't be asking this to a supermarket stranger. "You don't have to if you don't want to, but I... can't seem to find a solution to this. She'll settle to go with me if I tell her but she'll be sad and... people won't know you aren't actually her mom. It'll just be one night."

You doubted for a moment, but when you looked at that sad little girl with her big eyes full of tears, how on earth were you supposed to say no?

"Okay, I'll do it. I don't mind."

"And don't get me wrong, okay? I'm not trying to... replace her mother or anything; it's just that one night." he warned, and you nodded. "Thank you."

He tried to be nonchalant about it, however it was hard to deny the strange feelings he had about the situation. He closed himself off after his wife passed away and he promised to not try and find her a replacement, alas not get married again. This was the mother of his only child and the one woman he could say he's ever loved; how could he just throw that away dating someone else after she died like that? It felt wrong, somehow.

When he got married it was "til dead do us apart" so, what now that it did? He couldn't move on, no matter how much he tried. Even when his wife was dead he was struggling to process that he was a widowed man; whatever interaction he had with any woman for some reason still felt like a betrayal of his marriage. Like cheating. He was cheating on his wife who was no longer even alive. His daughter was motherless and he was a little bit of a coward. Many people had told him it was the grieving process and that the feelings would pass with time but they didn't feel like they were. He still teared up a little whenever he remembered that day when the stupid rain caused a stupid car crash that his wife wasn't even involved in yet got unjustly affected from the aftermath of the crash. Or when he got home and remembered he was one person short of a family. Yes, he had a daughter and furthermore a family to come home to, yet he felt... oddly lonely.

Was that normal? Was he allowed to feel lonely? How could he when she still had that child waiting for him at home and looking up to him, making him drawings and giving him hugs whenever she felt sad?

Maybe it was because he spent so much time working, or because his daughter spent a lot of time at her preschool, that it almost felt like it was just him. That he really was lonely.

So, fast-forward to a few months later, imagine his surprise when (before he could even realize it) you were part of his daily routine? It had become so frequent for his daughter to ask for your presence at school events or things like do her hair or just play together for a while that in a very short amount of time he found himself calling you over every weekend, and maybe making a little conversation with you while you were there. Then hours would pass and it would become a little too late for you to go home, so he'd offer you spend the night, and later inquire if you had dinner yet to make sure he had made enough food. The morning would come and with the moon hiding to let the sun rise you'd be gone as well; quick farewells before you rushed back to your own routine and his daughter would inevitably ask how much was left to see you again.

Then he'd chuckle at her impatience, staring at the door you just left through for a brief second.

And he'd say 'soon'.

[nerdanel01]

rungs of gold (18+)

certain works of fan art have me thinking a little too hard about what piercings Emmrich may or may not have.

Emmrich x Gender Neutral Rook, lots of cock, genital piercings, jacob’s ladder piercing, smut implied at the end but not depicted

“That—that’s not—” 

Rook’s tongue felt thick in their mouth; clumsy. The sight in front of them had rendered them inarticulate, and more than a little stupid, with a sudden, dizzy rush of heat and need. 

The lines around Emmrich’s eyes deepened with amusement, and his mouth slanted fetchingly to the side. 

“Yes, dear?”

The last two functioning brain cells in Rook’s head cast the incredulous words upon their tongue:

“That’s not part of your grave dowry.”

Because a grave dowry—as Rook understood it—was gold that Nevarrans took with them when they died. Rook had seen some of the undead thralls in the Necropolis, bangles of gold stacked along their wrists and ankles, just like the bracelets Emmrich wore nearly to his elbows.

But, with a shock that had nearly stopped Rook’s heart (but left other parts of their body clenching, deliciously, in anticipation)—when Emmrich had undressed in front of them for the first time, unfastened his trousers and pulled himself free, he had revealed certain jewelry that Rook could not possibly imagine any skeleton wearing from beyond the grave. 

Rook had no idea how they would attach it. 

“A keen observation,” Emmrich replied, his widening grin tugging crookedly at his words. “When I pass on, I won’t be able to take these particular adornments with me; they are exclusively for the admiration and stimulation of the living.”

Emmrich’s hand dropped between his slender hips, long fingers grasping loosely around his swollen arousal, already red and weeping. The ladder of golden barbells that ran along the underside of his shaft winked seductively at Rook as Emmrich ran his fingers over them. Really, Rook shouldn’t be surprised. Whyever should Emmrich not be dripping in gold from head to toe? Look at him: gorgeous, precious—perfect, even without the embellishments of the studs in his ears and the rings on his fingers (and the piercings along his cock, which Rook probably couldn’t pull their eyes away from if they tried.) But Rook still wants to layer him in golden pendants and ruby brooches until he shines exactly like the treasure he is.

That—and Rook would also very much like to climb naked into Emmrich’s lap, to feel all that gold pressing up against them.

Emmrich’s hazel eyes sparkled as he watched Rook’s gaze trace the movements of his hand. 

“Darling Rook, if you like them so much, I will have the gold melted down into a bracelet, and ensure it is bequeathed to you after I am gone.” The laugh lines around the necromancer’s mouth deepened, though Emmrich did not make a sound beyond the shallow huffing of his breath, unsteady with lust. “A small token to help you remember me fondly.”

‘Fond’ was perhaps not the word Rook would use the memories such a token might recall to mind. But the idea of Emmrich’s genital piercings living a second life as a bracelet on their wrist humiliated them with a burning they admittedly did not totally despise. Swallowing, Rook drank in the sight before them and imagined what Emmrich would look like after he came—milky rivulets of his spend trickling between the gold barbells like beads of dripping pearls—

“Dear,” Emmrich began, then, his voice wavering, less sultry and far less sure of himself, “you seem a bit shocked—forgive me, I ought to have said something, not left it til the moment to reveal it to you. If it is too much…”

A dull whine from the back of Rook’s throat answered. “Not too much,” Rook managed to reassure him after finding their tongue, tearing their gaze away from Emmrich’s waist to meet his eyes. “Definitely good, I just…”

Rook’s eyes sunk back to Emmrich’s waist. Color heated their cheeks, and they asked: 

“Can I touch?”

In the periphery of their vision, Rook saw Emmrich jerk his head—a sharp, emphatic nod of his head, yes—and Rook took a step forward, closing the space between them. 

Hesitant—not for any lack of desire on their part, but out of a profound reluctance to hurt Emmrich—Rook groped gently along his shaft, tugging loose-fistedly along the hot swollen length of it, carefully not to pull too roughly on his piercings. But even that gentle touch left Emmrich stifling a satisfied groan in the back of his throat—and Rook matched that groan in kind, feeling the smooth, golden ball-ends of the piercings glide across their fingers, imagining what all that metal would feel like, dragging mercilessly inside of them. 

Croaked, weakly, “Wow.”

Just like that, the crooked grin was back on Emmrich’s face—though now he surveyed Rook through eyes heavy lidded with desire, his breath catching unevenly as Rook continued to stroke him. 

“I’m pleased you like it. I must admit, some partners have found it off-putting, in the past.”

Rook choked out a laugh. Honestly, it was taking all of Rook’s self control not to rip off their clothes and jump on it this instant, but they gathered that such a move would neither be wise nor entirely welcome. Still,

“That’s insane. It’s a huge turn on.” 

Emmrich answered this declaration with a gasp of delighted disbelief. “Really?”

“Mm-hmm,” Rook affirmed with an emphatic nod of their head, swiping slow, firm and insistent at the weeping, red head of his shaft. Told him:

“Emmrich, you’re gorgeous.”

—and felt their stomach flip and clench in excitement at the way Emmrich’s cock jumped in their hand at the words, bloodflooded and thick. 

“How very fortunate I am that you think so.” Emmrich’s words came breathlessly, now; a faint blush was starting to spread across his cheeks. “Do you still want to…?”

Rook pulled on his cock, kissed his neck, kissed up to Emmrich’s ear. 

“Yes,” Rook swore, pressing the words and their hot breath against the barely-there evening stubble on Emmrich’s neck. They could feel their own cheeks burning at the thought of the dirty talk perched on their tongue, felt a little shudder of arousal run through them when their mouth shaped the words against Emmrich’s skin:

“Yes, you’d better—

“It’d be cruel of you to display yourself like this in front of me if you weren’t going to fill me up after.” Emmrich didn’t answer. And Rook shrank in on themselves, already ready to apologize for pushing things too far—Emmrich was such a gentleman, they should have realized he wouldn’t want to be spoken to like that—when they felt Emmrich’s long fingers on their chin, tilting their face up to his and pausing only to groan a low, “oh, darling…” between their lips before he was crushing their mouths together in a kiss so passionate it bordered on the obscene.

[rainforestakiie]

hi everyone! this is for @lilacwriter07 and @sir-tater-of-the-tot ! based on the bunny hybrid Lucifer and wolf hybrid Adam. i turned it into the omega-verse as i always do. i hope you like it!

omega bunny hybrid Lucifer x beta wolf hybrid Adam

(Lucifer is still the top in this!)

i do not know if this will become a series? it was just an idea.

Lucifer strutted down the bustling market street, his tiny frame radiating an air of untouchable confidence. The sun caught the soft fluff of his rabbit ears, which twitched with irritation as yet another admirer dared to whistle in his direction. His sharp blue eyes, the color of ice on a frozen lake, shot daggers at the offender, and his delicate nose twitched as though catching a whiff of something unpleasant.

“Back off,” he growled, the sound oddly menacing coming from someone with cheeks as rosy as an autumn apple and a round, cherubic face. His sharp little teeth glinted as he bared them ever so slightly, a warning that he wasn’t just some helpless omega bunny waiting to be scooped up.

Lucifer knew he was cute—irritatingly cute, devastatingly cute. He was a walking contradiction, all soft fur and big eyes, but underneath the fluff lay a temper as fiery as a dragon’s breath. And oh, how it drove the hybrids wild. The alphas prowling the market would stop and stare, their gazes lingering a little too long on his slender figure. They’d see an easy conquest, a bunny omega who must surely need an alpha to take care of him. How wrong they were.

He adjusted the strap of the leather satchel slung across his chest, deliberately ignoring the lingering gazes. The hybrids could look all they wanted, but they’d never have him. Lucifer had no intention of being anyone’s submissive little bunny, no matter how persistent they were.

“Lucifer, darling!” A flirtatious voice cooed from behind him. He turned to find a tall fox hybrid leaning casually against a fruit stand, a sly grin spread across his pointed face. His auburn tail flicked back and forth as he held up an apple like it was some sort of peace offering.

Lucifer rolled his eyes dramatically. “Felix, don’t you have something better to do than stalk me through the market?”

“Not when the company is this good,” Felix replied, his amber eyes glinting with mischief. He stepped closer, but Lucifer raised a hand, sharp claws glinting in the sunlight.

“One more step and I’ll take a chunk out of that fancy tail of yours,” Lucifer snapped, his voice low and threatening.

Felix chuckled, completely unbothered. “Still playing hard to get, huh? You know, for someone so small, you’re awfully feisty.”

“And for someone with ears that big, you’re awfully bad at listening,” Lucifer shot back, turning on his heel and striding away. His fluffy tail gave an indignant twitch as he muttered under his breath about “Arrogant foxes with too much time on their hands.”

Felix smirked, his sharp fox teeth gleaming as he leaned casually against a nearby wall, his auburn tail flicking with amusement.

“You know, Lucifer,” he said, dragging out the words in a tone dripping with mockery, “One of these days, someone’s going to put you in your place. You can’t snap at every alpha who tries to get close.”

Before Lucifer could spin around and verbally rip him apart, Felix’s smirk faltered, and his golden eyes shifted to something behind Lucifer. “Ah, looks like your shadow is getting himself into trouble again.”

Lucifer froze, his floppy rabbit ears instantly standing on end. His soft, twitching nose picked up a scent on the air, faint but unmistakable. His heart skipped a beat.

That scent. He’d know it anywhere.

In one fluid motion, Lucifer spun on his heel, narrowing his ice-blue eyes at the commotion just a little further down the crowded marketplace. And there he was: Adam, his beta wolf, with his ever-messy mop of muddy brown hair and those green eyes that always seemed so full of quiet warmth. But now, Adam was clearly in trouble, locked in what seemed to be a heated argument with two lion hybrid alphas who were puffing out their chests like territorial fools.

Lucifer’s protective instincts roared to life like a wildfire. Without thinking, he took a step forward, ready to intervene, but Felix’s hand shot out, gripping his arm.

“Whoa, whoa,” Felix said, his voice lower now. “What do you think you’re doing, running into that mess? He’s not worth it.”

Lucifer yanked his arm out of the fox’s grasp so hard that Felix stumbled.

“Touch me again, and you’ll regret it,” Lucifer hissed, baring his sharp teeth in warning. His fluffy tail twitched furiously, betraying just how livid he was.

Felix threw up his hands in exasperation. “I’m just trying to stop you from getting yourself hurt again, you lunatic! You’re always throwing yourself into danger for him, and for what, huh?”

He sneered, his voice turning bitter. “I’ll never understand what you see in that wolf. He’s just a beta. And weak, at that.”

That hit a nerve. Lucifer’s icy eyes burned with fury as he whirled back toward Felix.

“Don’t you dare call him weak,” he snapped, his voice low and dangerous. His claws flexed at his sides, itching to strike. “I’ll do what I want, and if you don’t like it, stay out of my way.”

Felix sighed heavily, muttering, “Suit yourself. But one day, you’re gonna regret wasting your time on him.”

His tone was laced with something almost like jealousy, though Lucifer didn’t care enough to notice.

Lucifer didn’t respond—he didn’t have time to. His sharp ears caught a sound that sent a bolt of panic through his chest: a yelp of pain.

His head snapped back toward the scene, and his heart dropped. One of the lion hybrids had grabbed Adam by the scruff of his neck, shaking him like he was a rag doll. Adam, bless his clueless soul, looked more confused than afraid, his brows furrowing as he struggled to free himself.

Lucifer saw red.

With a final snarl in Felix’s direction, Lucifer darted off, his small frame weaving through the crowd with practiced ease. His bunny ears flattened against his head as he moved, his sharp teeth bared in silent fury. Nobody touched Adam. Nobody.

Adam had always been oblivious, a trait that Lucifer found both endearing and maddening. They’d been attached at the hip since they were kids, the beta wolf with no sense of smell and the fiery bunny who never let anyone mess with him. But Adam, dense as he was, never quite realized just how fiercely Lucifer loved him.

For years, Lucifer had tried to show Adam that he wanted to be more than just a friend. He’d given every subtle signal he could think of—and some not-so-subtle ones—but Adam never caught on. Whether it was because of his obliviousness or his lack of self-confidence, Lucifer didn’t know. But it didn’t matter. Adam was his, even if the wolf didn’t realize it yet.

And now, seeing his wolf in danger ignited something primal in Lucifer.

He reached the scuffle in a blur, his sharp claws glinting as he lunged at the lion hybrid holding Adam.

“Get your filthy hands off him!” he snarled, his voice cutting through the chaos like a whip.

The lion barely had time to react before Lucifer’s claws raked down his arm, forcing him to release Adam with a howl of pain. The second lion stepped forward, but Lucifer whirled on him, his icy blue eyes flashing like lightning.

“You want some, too?” he hissed, his teeth gleaming dangerously.

“Whoa, whoa,” the second lion stammered, raising his hands and backing off. “We didn’t know he was yours, okay? Chill!”

Lucifer didn’t relax until both lions had slunk off, muttering curses under their breath. Only then did he turn to Adam, his chest heaving as the adrenaline began to fade.

Adam blinked at him, utterly bewildered. “Luci? What are you doing here?”

Nose twitching as Lucifer glared up at him. “Saving you, obviously. What were you thinking, arguing with alphas like that? Do you have a death wish?”

Adam rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish. “I wasn’t arguing. I was just… correcting them. They were wrong about how much meat you should get in a stew, and I—”

Lucifer groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “You’re impossible,” he muttered. But the anger in his voice was softened by something else—something tender.

Tilting his head, Adam’s green eyes studying Lucifer. “You didn’t have to step in, you know. I could’ve handled it.”

Lucifer crossed his arms, his cheeks flushing. “Yeah, sure. You were doing a great job getting shaken like a chew toy.”

Adam chuckled, the sound warm and familiar. “Thanks, though. You’re always looking out for me, huh?”

Heart stuttering at the smile Adam gave him. Lucifer looked away quickly, his ears twitching in embarrassment. “Someone has to. You’re hopeless.”

Adam reached out, ruffling the fur between Lucifer’s ears.

“Well, I’m glad it’s you,” he said softly.

Lucifer’s cheeks burned, but he didn’t pull away. Maybe—just maybe—Adam wasn’t as clueless as he thought.

The marketplace buzzed around them as Lucifer and Adam strolled side by side, the chaos of earlier already forgotten. Stalls overflowed with colorful fruits and vegetables, the scent of freshly baked bread mingling with that of blooming flowers. Lucifer stuck close to Adam, as he always did, brushing against his side every few steps and occasionally grabbing Adam’s arm under the guise of pulling him toward some interesting trinket or snack.

“Look at this, Adam,” Lucifer chirped, holding up a small, hand-carved wooden charm shaped like a crescent moon. He leaned against Adam’s side, tilting his head up to show him the piece. “Doesn’t it look like something you’d wear?”

Chucking, Adam scratched the back of his neck. “You think so? I don’t really do jewelry.”

Huffing, Lucifer’s soft nose twitched as he pressed even closer. “Well, maybe you should. You’d look good with it.”

He held the charm a moment longer, then dropped it back onto the stall with a shrug. “Or maybe I’ll get it for myself.”

Adam gave him a teasing look. “You? The great Lucifer wearing something so plain? I don’t believe it.”

Lucifer smirked up at him. “Maybe I’d wear it if you gave it to me.”

His voice dipped into something softer, something almost teasing, but Adam, predictably, missed it entirely.

The two meandered through the market for a while longer, Lucifer touching Adam at every opportunity—brushing imaginary lint off his shirt, leaning against him when the crowd grew thick, even tugging on his sleeve to guide him to stalls Lucifer claimed were must-sees. Adam, oblivious as always, simply went along with it, as if this closeness were entirely normal between them.

When the heat of the sun began to bear down, Lucifer tugged at Adam’s arm and gestured toward the park just beyond the market.

“Come on,” he urged, his soft, fluffy tail flicking behind him. “Let’s sit under the trees. It’s too hot to be out here.”

Adam let himself be led, chuckling as Lucifer practically dragged him toward the shade. They found a spot beneath a large apple tree, its branches heavy with ripening fruit. The grass was cool and soft beneath them, and Lucifer wasted no time flopping onto his back with a contented sigh. His fluffy ears twitched lazily as he stretched out, one hand brushing against Adam’s thigh as he lounged.

“This is nice,” Lucifer murmured, his voice soft as he tilted his face toward the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves. He purred faintly, the sound vibrating in his chest as his fingers absently toyed with the hem of Adam’s shirt. “I like spending time with you.”

Adam, seated beside him, leaned back on his hands and glanced down at him with a fond smile.

“You’re always saying that,” he teased. “You’d think you’d get tired of me eventually.”

Lucifer snorted, his icy blue eyes sliding open to meet Adam’s green ones. “Tired of you? Not in this lifetime.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, the summer breeze rustling the leaves above them. Eventually, Lucifer broke the quiet with a soft hum.

“My heat’s coming soon,” he said casually, though there was a pointed edge to his words as he turned his head to study Adam’s reaction. “You know what that means.”

Adam blinked, his brow furrowing slightly. “Uh… it means you’re going to be grumpy for a week?”

Groaning, Lucifer can’t covered his face with one hand. “No, you idiot. It means I’ll need someone to take care of me.” He dropped his hand, his gaze turning sly as he propped himself up on one elbow, leaning toward Adam. “You could always volunteer, you know.”

Adam laughed, shaking his head. “You’re ridiculous. You’ve always been able to handle yourself.”

Lucifer’s ears twitched in frustration, though he quickly smoothed his expression into one of resignation. He flopped back down onto the grass with a sigh. “You’re hopeless.”

Sharing his heat with Adam…it was hard not to fantasy about it. Lucifer tended to do it often. He would become wet and hot every time. Lucifer really wanted to throw Adam down, mess him up and rip his clothing off. Rub their bodies together and make sure Adam knew who he belonged too!

Adam in his hands and knees…bubble backside up in the air for the bunny. He’s sure he’d get that wolf whining by the end of the night. Maybe can a bark~

A pause hung between them before Adam, his tone suddenly more thoughtful, asked, “Lucifer… would you ever take an alpha as a mate?”

Freezing, Lucifer’s ears perked up in surprise. He turned his head to look at Adam, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly. “Why do you ask?”

Adam shrugged, but his lips pressed into a faint pout. “It’s just… you’re almost thirty, you know? Most omegas your age are already mated by now. Some even have their first litter. Don’t you want that?”

Lucifer blinked at him, momentarily at a loss for words. Then, muttering under his breath, he said, “I would have that if a damn wolf could catch a hint already.”

“What?” Adam asked, confused. “What does that mean?”

Letting out a bark of laughter, Lucifer rolled onto his side to face Adam fully. He reached out, his hand brushing against Adam’s knee as he preened at him, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

“It means nothing,” he said lightly. “And no, I don’t want to mate with just any alpha.”

Adam hummed thoughtfully, his green eyes flickering with curiosity. “Then what do you want in a mate?”

Lucifer’s smile widened as he sat up slightly, resting his chin in his hand.

“Oh, that’s easy,” he said, his tone almost sing-song. “I want someone who’s kind, someone who’s steady and calm. Someone who’s brave, even when they don’t realize it, and who’s always there when I need them. Someone who makes me feel safe.”

Nodding along, Adam was completely oblivious to the way Lucifer’s gaze softened with every word. “That sounds nice,” Adam said thoughtfully. “Do you know anyone like that?”

Lucifer rolled his eyes but couldn’t suppress the fond smile tugging at his lips.

“Yeah, Adam,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I might know someone like that.”

Adam missed the obvious hint, as usual, and Lucifer didn’t press the matter. Instead, he leaned against Adam’s side, resting his head against the wolf’s shoulder with a contented sigh. His fingers toyed idly with the hem of Adam’s sleeve, and his purrs grew louder.

Adam, clueless as ever, simply smiled down at him and said, “You’re so clingy today. Are you sure your heat hasn’t started early?”

Chuckling, Lucifer’s lips brushed against Adam’s arm as he murmured, “Maybe it has.”

He smirked to himself, already plotting his next move to get his dense wolf to finally, finally catch on.

Lucifer’s ears twitched as he rested against Adam’s shoulder, the summer breeze brushing against his face. His purring deepened, but his thoughts drifted, pulling him back to the days when everything changed between them. He closed his eyes, letting the memory unfold like a cherished dream.

Back then, Lucifer had been so small, so quiet. A timid little bunny omega, easy prey for anyone who felt like having a laugh at his expense. The alphas in their class were the worst—they’d corner him, tugging on his ears or making crude jokes about what omegas were “good for.” And no matter how much he tried to deny their words, his trembling voice always betrayed him.

One particularly bad day, they had surrounded him by the playground fence, shoving him back and forth like some sort of game.

“Aw, what’s the matter, bunny? Gonna cry?” One of them sneered. Lucifer’s cheeks burned with humiliation, his ears drooping as he tried to keep the tears at bay.

He didn’t know what he had expected—certainly not for anyone to step in. But suddenly, out of nowhere, a young wolf pup with wild brown hair and a determined expression appeared in the fray.

“Leave him alone!” Adam had barked, his voice cracking but firm as he placed himself between Lucifer and the alphas.

Lucifer had been star-struck. Who was this boy? He was smaller than the alphas, his lanky frame no match for their size, but he didn’t back down. Even when one of them pushed him to the ground, Adam scrambled back to his feet, his green eyes blazing with defiance.

“Pick on someone your own size!” Adam growled, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

The alphas, finding it more amusing than threatening, shoved him aside and left, laughing as they walked away. But to Lucifer, Adam’s bravery was nothing short of heroic.

Lucifer’s heart had pounded in his chest as Adam turned to him, panting from the effort.

“Are you okay?” Adam asked, his voice softening, despite the scrape on his cheek and the dirt on his clothes.

Lucifer could barely nod, his cheeks flushed with an emotion he didn’t quite understand.

“Y-you… you didn’t have to do that,” he stammered, his voice small.

Adam grinned, the expression bright and disarming despite his bruises. “Yeah, well, someone needed to. Those guys are jerks.”

Lucifer stared at him, awestruck. No one had ever stood up for him before. And as Adam reached out, gently brushing a stray tear off Lucifer’s cheek, something inside Lucifer shifted.

That was the moment—the moment—Lucifer had started falling for Adam. He didn’t realize it back then, but looking back now, it was so obvious.

The next time the alphas tried to mess with him, Adam had been there again, stepping in without hesitation. But something was different this time. Watching Adam get pushed around again sparked something new in Lucifer—a protectiveness, fierce and unrelenting.

“Stop it!” Lucifer had shouted, his voice ringing out louder than it ever had before. When one of the alphas sneered and moved to shove Adam again, Lucifer stepped forward, his sharp little teeth bared. “Touch him again, and I’ll bite your hand off!”

The alphas, stunned at first, quickly dissolved into laughter—until Lucifer lunged at the biggest one, sinking his teeth into the bully’s arm. The alpha yelped and stumbled back, and the others quickly followed suit, muttering insults as they left.

Adam had stared at him, wide-eyed. “Whoa… I didn’t know you could do that.”

Lucifer had wiped his mouth, a little embarrassed but mostly proud. “Well, someone needed to.”

From that day on, the alphas didn’t bother him anymore. And Adam, bless him, never stopped trying to protect Lucifer anyway, even if Lucifer had clearly proven he could handle himself.

Lucifer’s heart warmed as more memories bubbled up. Like the time Adam had carried him home after he’d twisted his ankle climbing a tree (“Bunnies don’t belong in trees,” Adam had scolded, but he’d been smiling the whole time). Or the time Adam had stayed up all night helping Lucifer bake cookies for a school fundraiser, even though he’d been terrible at it and burned half the batch.

And then there were the quieter moments—walking home together after school, sharing snacks under the shade of a tree, or the way Adam would instinctively tuck Lucifer’s ears out of the way when they started to droop too low.

Lucifer didn’t know exactly when his feelings had gone from admiration to love, but somewhere along the way, they had. And now, years later, those feelings were as strong as ever.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Adam said, his voice breaking through Lucifer’s reverie.

Lucifer blinked, looking up at him. Adam’s green eyes were bright in the sunlight, and his messy hair framed his face in a way that made Lucifer’s heart ache.

“Just thinking,” Lucifer murmured, his hand drifting to rest lightly against Adam’s arm. “About us.”

Adam tilted his head, curious. “Us?”

Lucifer hummed, a sly smile curling on his lips. “Yeah. You’ve always been such a hero, haven’t you?”

Adam laughed, scratching the back of his neck. “I don’t know about that.”

Lucifer’s gaze softened. “I do.”

He leaned into Adam’s side again, purring contentedly as the warm summer breeze rustled the leaves above them. He didn’t need Adam to understand everything right now. He was used to waiting, after all. And as long as Adam stayed by his side, Lucifer didn’t mind waiting a little longer.

Lucifer shifted against Adam, resting his chin on his hand as he gazed up at him with a teasing smirk. The summer sunlight dappled Adam’s face, highlighting the curve of his strong jaw and the softness in his green eyes. He looked so calm, so blissfully unaware of the storm Lucifer was keeping at bay in his heart.

“Hey, Adam,” Lucifer purred, his voice honey-sweet yet deceptively casual.

“Hm?” Adam glanced down at him, his brow raising in curiosity.

Lucifer’s smirk deepened, though his tone held a note of sincerity. “Do you ever think about… mating?”

The question hit its mark. Adam stiffened slightly, his green eyes widening as his cheeks flushed a soft pink. He cleared his throat awkwardly, glancing away as if trying to compose himself. “I, uh…”

His voice faltered, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess… yeah, I think about it sometimes.”

Lucifer’s heart gave an excited thrum in his chest. He leaned closer, his soft, fluffy tail flicking lazily behind him as he pressed further. “And?” His voice dropped into a whisper, just teasing enough to make Adam squirm. “What do you think about?”

Adam let out a nervous laugh, avoiding Lucifer’s gaze.

“I don’t know,” he mumbled. “It’s not like I have any plans or anything. I mean…”

He hesitated, the blush on his cheeks deepening. “I guess it would be nice. Someday.”

Lucifer bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from grinning like a fool—or worse, jumping Adam right then and there. Instead, he sat up slightly, resting his chin on Adam’s shoulder and peering up at him with wide, innocent blue eyes. “Someday, huh?” he murmured. “So, what kind of mate would you want?”

Adam blinked, clearly flustered.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, his voice low. “I’ve never really thought about it. I mean… I’m just a beta.”

The way he said it—soft, almost self-deprecating—made Lucifer’s heart ache. He straightened up, reaching out to gently swat Adam’s arm.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he demanded, his sharp teeth flashing in a mock scowl. “Being a beta doesn’t mean anything. You’re plenty amazing.”

Adam chuckled, though there was a hint of shyness in the sound. “Thanks, Luce. But you know what I mean. Betas aren’t exactly… well, we’re not exactly the first choice for most people.”

Lucifer’s ears twitched, and his icy blue eyes softened as he looked at him.

“You’d be my first choice,” he said, his voice dropping to something quieter, something more serious.

Adam blinked, clearly startled, but before he could respond, Lucifer waved it off with a laugh, leaning back on his hands and glancing up at the branches of the apple tree above them.

“Not that it matters,” he said breezily, though his heart hammered in his chest. “You’re probably too dense to even notice if someone wanted to mate with you.”

Adam frowned, clearly trying to process the shift in tone.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, his voice tinged with confusion.

Lucifer just grinned at him, leaning closer again until their faces were only inches apart.

“It means,” he said softly, “You should start paying more attention. You never know who might be waiting for you to catch on.”

Adam opened his mouth to respond, but whatever he was going to say got lost in the jumble of thoughts visibly racing through his mind.

Lucifer chuckled, leaning back again and letting the moment hang in the air between them.

He’d been waiting this long for Adam to notice him. A little more waiting wouldn’t kill him—probably.

Adam was, without a doubt, the most adorable creature Lucifer had ever laid eyes on—and possibly the most infuriatingly oblivious. Ever since they were pups, Adam had always been the one to miss the most obvious cues. Lucifer could stomp his foot, pout, and practically throw himself at Adam’s feet, and Adam would just blink at him, utterly clueless, like a happy, wagging puppy who didn’t understand why everyone else was growling.

Lucifer often wondered if Adam’s naivety stemmed from his lack of a sense of smell. Scenting was practically second nature to wolves, a crucial way for them to pick up on moods, signals, and intentions. Without it, Adam was like a wolf pup with his nose permanently buried in a snowbank—lost and blissfully unaware.

At first, Lucifer had assumed it was because Adam was a beta. Omegas and alphas both had stronger instincts, but betas? They were somewhere in between, typically pragmatic and balanced, neither too driven by instinct nor ruled by emotion. But that theory went out the window the day Michael, Lucifer’s older brother, introduced his intended mate to the family—a charming and witty beta mouse hybrid who was as sharp as a fox and twice as observant.

Lucifer had begrudgingly admitted that the mouse hybrid was cute, though not Adam-cute. But what struck him the most was how different this beta was compared to Adam. Where the mouse picked up on every subtle shift in conversation, Adam would just tilt his head and smile. Where the mouse hybrid could assess a room in a glance, Adam would stare up at the ceiling, probably imagining shapes in the light fixtures.

Adam’s obliviousness was unique to him. And Lucifer adored it as much as it drove him insane.

The feeling only solidified the day he met Adam’s mothers—an omega wolf couple who were just as dreamy and scatterbrained as their son. Lucifer had gone over for dinner, intent on learning more about Adam’s family and sizing them up. But by the time dessert rolled around, it was painfully clear that Adam had inherited his daydreaming tendencies and airy demeanor straight from his parents.

“Oh, Adam’s always been such a sweetheart,” one of his mothers had said, smiling fondly. “He used to get so distracted by clouds that he’d walk straight into trees. Remember that, darling?”

“Oh, yes,” the other mother chimed in with a soft laugh. “We used to joke that he was part bird, always looking at the sky instead of where he was going.”

Lucifer had smiled politely at the time, but inwardly he’d been seething. If Adam was so distracted, who had been looking out for him? Protecting him from anyone who might take advantage of his kind, carefree nature?

That answer, of course, had always been Lucifer.

Still, even with his protective instincts on high alert, Lucifer couldn’t help but find Adam utterly endearing. The way he giggled at his own thoughts, cracking into wide, toothy grins out of nowhere. The way his green eyes would sparkle when he talked about something he loved, like his favorite books or a recipe he wanted to try. Or the way he would tilt his head, his messy brown hair flopping to one side as he asked, “What’s so funny?”—completely unaware that the joke had been him.

Even now, as they laid underneath their apple tree in the park, Lucifer watched Adam out of the corner of his eye, marveling at how utterly at ease he seemed. He was picking at the grass and flowers with one hand and was humming to himself, licking the edge of his empty lemonade bottle absentmindedly. Lucifer’s sharp eyes caught the way Adam’s long fingers curled around the bottle’s neck, and he felt his cheeks flush.

Adam didn’t even realize the effect he had on people—on Lucifer. He was just so… Adam. Sweet, thoughtful, and so completely oblivious that Lucifer had spent years being simultaneously charmed and exasperated by him.

But maybe that was part of the reason Lucifer had fallen so hard. Adam wasn’t calculating or sly. He wasn’t trying to charm anyone. He simply was, and it was that unassuming genuineness that made Lucifer’s chest ache with longing.

Lucifer sighed, leaning closer, his shoulder brushed against Adam’s, and when Adam glanced at him with that wide, easy smile, Lucifer felt his heart skip a beat.

Yes, Adam was infuriatingly clueless. But Lucifer wouldn’t have him any other way.

Lucifer snapped out of his thoughts, the warm, happy haze of his memories dissipating like morning mist. Blinking, he looked around, realizing with a sharp pang of irritation that Adam was no longer beside him. His ears twitched, swiveling instinctively as his blue eyes scanned the park. It didn’t take long to spot him.

There, by the park vendor, stood his Adam, casually chatting with a hybrid omega. She had sleek red hair, striking golden eyes, and dainty features that screamed delicate and sweet—a typical omega. She wore a bright smile, her laughter ringing out like soft chimes as she handed Adam an ice cream cone.

Lucifer’s sharp eyes narrowed as he took in the scene. Adam was smiling at her—really smiling. The kind of smile that made his green eyes light up like sun-dappled leaves. The kind of smile Lucifer had only ever seen directed at him when they were kids. A knot of jealousy coiled tightly in his chest, twisting and burning until his foot began to tap against the ground.

At first, the stomps were slow, methodical, but they quickly picked up pace as Lucifer’s frustration grew. His floppy ears stood straight, his nose twitching as he glared daggers at Adam and the omega. The audacity! That sparkle in Adam’s eyes was supposed to be for him, not some random, overly sweet, ice-cream-peddling cat!

He crossed his arms tightly over his chest, his sharp teeth grinding together as the soft thump-thump-thump of his foot hitting the ground grew louder.

“Mommy, look! That bunny is doing the stompy thing!”

Lucifer’s ears twitched again, catching the amused voice of a nearby child. He turned his glare slightly, spotting a fellow bunny hybrid with her little one in tow. The mother giggled, giving Lucifer an understanding smile as she gently patted her child’s head.

“That’s what bunnies do when they’re upset, sweetheart,” she explained in a hushed tone. “It’s called ‘thumping.’ See how he’s frustrated about something?”

“Or jealous,” she added under her breath, loud enough for Lucifer to hear.

Lucifer’s cheeks burned as he whipped his glare back to Adam, feeling thoroughly exposed. His foot, however, didn’t stop thumping. If anything, the pace increased. How dare that omega stand so close to Adam? And how dare Adam smile like that at her? What was she even saying to him? Something funny? Charming? Did she—did she just brush her hair back all coy-like?

Lucifer’s claws curled into the fabric of his sleeves as he seethed. He wanted to march over there, grab Adam by the arm, and yank him back to their spot under the apple tree where he belonged. Preferably far, far away from the likes of her.

But he couldn’t just stomp over there and make a scene… could he? His foot thumped harder, almost against his will, betraying his inner turmoil. His icy blue eyes darted back to the omega, watching her giggle again as Adam said something in that easy, carefree tone of his.

The fire in Lucifer’s chest burned hotter. This was ridiculous! Adam wasn’t supposed to smile like that at anyone else. And certainly not some random park vendor with perfectly coiffed hair and—ugh—pristine nails! He glanced down at his own hands, noting the faint scratches from earlier when he’d accidentally pricked himself trying to gather apples for Adam.

How dare she look so perfect?

Lucifer’s tail flicked irritably, his thumping foot making the earth beneath him feel like it might crack open from sheer indignation. “Unbelievable,” he muttered under his breath.

A soft giggle from the bunny hybrid mother reached his ears again.

“Whatever it is, dear, just go talk to him,” she called lightly.

Lucifer froze, turning to shoot her a glare, but her warm, knowing smile softened the edges of his frustration. He huffed, muttering something incomprehensible, before deciding she was right. Enough was enough.

With a sharp flick of his ears, Lucifer pushed himself to his feet, his small frame nearly vibrating with determination. He didn’t care if Adam thought he was being possessive—he was. And if that omega thought she had a chance, she was about to learn otherwise.

Lucifer stalked toward the vendor, his footfalls light but his presence unmistakably charged. His blue eyes locked on Adam, and a small, wicked smirk began to curl on his lips. Oh, this was going to be fun.

“Adam!” he called sweetly, his tone deceptively bright as he approached.

The sound of his voice made Adam’s head turn, his green eyes lighting up in recognition. The cat hybrid blinked, startled by the sudden interruption.

“Oh, hey, Luci,” Adam greeted warmly, oblivious to the tension radiating off him.

Lucifer wasted no time, slipping smoothly between Adam and the omega with an innocent smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“You wandered off,” he said, his tone teasing but laced with accusation. “I thought you got lost.”

Adam blinked, looking confused but amused.

“I was just grabbing us something to drink,” he explained, holding up a bottle of lemonade and an ice cream cone.

“Oh, how thoughtful,” Lucifer replied, leaning against Adam’s arm in a way that left no room for anyone else to stand too close. He glanced at the cat hybrid, his smile sharpening just a fraction. “I didn’t know you were such a good multitasker—chatting and shopping at the same time.”

The omega looked between them, clearly sensing the sudden shift in the air.

“W-well, um, enjoy your day!” she chirped nervously before quickly retreating to the other side of her cart.

Lucifer watched her go with satisfaction before turning his full attention back to Adam, who was now giving him a puzzled look.

“Luci, are you okay?” Adam asked, tilting his head.

Lucifer just smiled sweetly, looping his arm through Adam’s and pressing closer.

“I’m perfect now,” he said, his purring returning as he tugged Adam back toward their tree.

Adam, as usual, didn’t suspect a thing. He plopped down beneath the apple tree with a contented sigh, the sunlight filtering through the branches and dappling his messy brown hair in warm golden hues. He stretched his legs out lazily, taking a long sip of his lemonade, completely unaware of the storm brewing beside him.

Lucifer sat close—too close by anyone else's standards, though Adam didn’t seem to notice. The bunny hybrid’s sharp blue eyes were trained across the park, locked on the red-haired omega, Eve, who was doing her best to focus on her customers despite the metaphorical daggers being glared her way.

“She’s really nice, Luci,” Adam said excitedly, breaking the silence and pulling Lucifer’s attention back to him—briefly, anyway.

“Who is?” Lucifer asked, feigning ignorance though his ears twitched irritably.

“Eve!” Adam exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face. “You know, the red-haired girl at the vendor. She’s new to the city, just like I was when I first moved here.”

His green eyes sparkled as he spoke, completely oblivious to the tension radiating from Lucifer. “She told me she’s from Eden Town too! Can you believe that? We’re practically neighbors!”

Lucifer’s stomach twisted unpleasantly. Of course she was from Eden. Of course, she had to come along and have that in common with Adam, a connection Lucifer could never share. He’d only known Adam after he moved to Pentagram City, after Adam’s life in Eden Town was already a thing of the past. Lucifer had never even seen Eden Town—only the pictures Adam occasionally showed him, full of rolling green hills and small, cozy cottages. It was an idyllic place, nothing like the bustling chaos of Pentagram City.

And now she had a piece of Adam’s past that Lucifer could never touch.

“Oh,” Lucifer said flatly, his arms crossing over his chest. His sharp claws tapped against his sleeves as his gaze flicked back to Eve, who was doing her best to avoid looking in his direction. “How… nice.”

Adam either didn’t hear the edge in Lucifer’s tone or didn’t think anything of it. He was too busy rambling, his voice full of excitement. “She even remembered some of the old bakeries I used to go to as a kid! We talked about the apple pies from Mrs. Green’s shop, and—oh, Luce, you’d love them! They’re so much better than the ones here. I told her all about you too.”

Lucifer blinked, startled by the sudden mention of himself.

“You… did?” he asked warily, his ears twitching again.

“Yeah! I told her I had this amazing best friend who always looks out for me and keeps me company.” Adam beamed at him, completely unaware of how much those simple words made Lucifer’s chest tighten. “She said she’d love to meet you properly sometime.”

Lucifer’s sharp gaze darted back to Eve, who was nervously handing a customer a popsicle while glancing over her shoulder every few seconds, no doubt feeling the weight of his glare.

“Mmm,” he hummed noncommittally.

“She’s really sweet,” Adam continued, leaning back against the tree with a dreamy expression. “I think you two would get along if you gave her a chance. She kind of reminds me of you, actually! She’s got that same sharp tongue and a little bit of sass, you know?”

Lucifer’s jaw tightened. Did he just compare me to her?

Across the park, Eve glanced nervously in their direction again, her golden eyes catching Lucifer’s icy blue ones. She paled visibly, almost dropping a bottle of water she was handing to a kid. Lucifer didn’t even bother to hide the venom in his gaze, silently daring her to keep talking to Adam.

Back under the tree, Adam let out a soft laugh, completely oblivious to the invisible war happening across the park. “It’s funny, though. She was just as surprised as I was to meet someone else from Eden. She said she hasn’t been back in years either. Can you imagine that? Two people from such a tiny town, meeting here of all places?”

Lucifer’s ears flattened against his head, his nose twitching as he fought the urge to thump his foot again.

“How… quaint,” he muttered through gritted teeth.

Adam, predictably, didn’t notice. “I was thinking we could all hang out sometime. Maybe I can introduce her to the park? Or we could take her to the diner! You think she’d like that?”

Lucifer resisted the urge to snap his lemonade bottle in half.

“I’m sure she’d love it,” he replied, his voice tight but deceptively sweet.

Adam finally turned his attention fully to Lucifer, tilting his head in confusion. “You okay, Luce? You’re kind of quiet.”

Lucifer forced a smile, his sharp teeth glinting. “Oh, I’m just wonderful, Adam,” he purred, leaning closer until their shoulders touched. “It’s not every day I get to hear about how amazing and sweet your new friend is.”

Adam blinked, clearly missing the sarcasm. “Right? She’s great!”

Lucifer’s smile twitched dangerously, his gaze flicking back to Eve. She was now desperately trying to ignore him, her tail puffed out as she focused on the line of customers.

“Well,” Lucifer said, his voice taking on a saccharine tone, “I suppose I’ll just have to meet this Eve of yours properly someday.”

His claws curled into the grass beneath him. “It’ll be… enlightening.”

Adam grinned, completely oblivious. “Yeah, I think you two would really hit it off!”

Lucifer’s smile didn’t waver, though his thoughts were anything but pleasant.

Not if I have anything to say about it.

~#~

The following week had been nothing short of torture for Lucifer. His heat was approaching fast—he could feel the simmering warmth in his veins, the subtle ache in his body, and the heightened sensitivity that made everything seem sharper, from the rustling of leaves to the way Adam’s scent lingered in the air around him. Normally, he’d enjoy this time of year. It was an excuse to be a little clingier, to lure Adam closer, to tempt him with everything he had to offer.

But this week? This week, Adam had been bouncing around like an overenthusiastic puppy, grinning from ear to ear, and all of it—all of it—was because of her.

Eve.

That blasted red-haired omega had apparently wormed her way into Adam’s world in the blink of an eye, and Lucifer couldn’t stand it. He’d tried everything to redirect Adam’s attention, to remind him that he was the one Adam should be spending time with, but every attempt was met with oblivious smiles and excited chatter about how "nice" Eve was or how "cool" it was to have someone from Eden Town nearby.

And today? Today was the last straw.

Lucifer was curled up on the couch in Adam’s apartment, his chin resting on his palm as his sharp blue eyes followed Adam darting around the room. The wolf was gathering a small pile of things—snacks, a board game, and a ridiculous-looking scarf—and humming happily to himself. His tail wagged faintly, completely unaware of the storm brewing in the bunny hybrid sitting mere feet away.

“What are you doing?” Lucifer finally snapped, his voice sharper than intended.

Adam paused mid-step, tilting his head in that endearing way that always made Lucifer’s heart flutter despite himself. “Oh, I forgot to tell you, Luce!” Adam beamed, completely missing Lucifer’s irritated tone. “Eve and I made plans to hang out at her place tonight! She invited me over, and I said yes—obviously. I mean, how cool is that? I haven’t had a proper hangout with someone from Eden in forever!”

Lucifer’s eye twitched. How cool is that? Very uncool, actually. So uncool it made his teeth ache and his claws dig into the cushion beneath him. “Her place, huh?” he said flatly, his nose twitching as he tried to keep his jealousy at bay. “Sounds… fun.”

“It will be!” Adam grinned, completely oblivious to Lucifer’s lack of enthusiasm. “She said she’s making this apple pie recipe that’s been in her family for generations. I mean, how could I say no to that?”

Lucifer’s ears flicked irritably. Apple pie. He didn’t care about apple pie. What he cared about was the fact that Adam was running off to spend the evening with another omega when his omega was sitting right here, practically radiating need.

“Well,” Lucifer began, trying to keep his voice steady, “that’s… nice, I guess. But, you know, my heat is fast approaching.” He leaned forward slightly, his sharp blue eyes locking on Adam’s. “I could really use some company. You’ve always been so good at taking care of me, Adam. Maybe you could…” He trailed off, letting the suggestion hang in the air like bait.

Adam blinked, his green eyes wide and innocent. “Oh, yeah, your heat’s coming up, huh?” He tilted his head again, clearly thinking. “You want me to bring you something from Eve’s? Like some pie or something? I’m sure she’d be happy to share!”

Lucifer’s jaw nearly dropped. Pie? Did this dense wolf really think pie was what he needed right now? His claws dug deeper into the cushion as he forced a smile, though it was strained. “No, Adam. I meant I’d like you to stay with me. Here. During my heat.”

Adam’s ears perked up as if the idea had just occurred to him. “Oh! You mean like last time, when I helped you out with the water and stuff? Sure! Just let me know when it starts, and I’ll swing by after my hangout with Eve. That way you won’t be lonely!”

Lucifer stared at him, his patience hanging by a thread. He’d been dropping hints all week, trying to make Adam understand what he wanted—what he needed. And yet, here they were, with Adam smiling at him like everything was perfectly fine, completely unaware that he’d just stomped all over Lucifer’s carefully laid plans.

“That’s… great, Adam,” Lucifer said through gritted teeth, his tail flicking in agitation. “I’m sure that’ll be just perfect.”

“Awesome!” Adam said cheerfully, oblivious to the sarcasm dripping from Lucifer’s words. He grabbed his pile of things and headed for the door, pausing only to flash one last grin at Lucifer. “Wish me luck with the pie! And don’t worry—I’ll bring you a slice if there’s any left!”

Lucifer watched as Adam disappeared out the door, leaving him alone in the apartment. The second the door clicked shut, he let out a frustrated growl, his foot thumping furiously against the floor.

Pie. He thinks I want pie.

Lucifer flopped back against the couch, his arms crossed over his chest as his ears flattened in frustration. Adam might have been oblivious, but Lucifer was quickly realizing that this level of cluelessness was bordering on sabotage.

Still, as much as he wanted to stay mad, he knew he wouldn’t. Adam had a way of melting his resolve with a single smile, and Lucifer hated how much power the wolf unknowingly held over him.

But if Eve thought she could steal Adam’s attention for much longer, she had another thing coming

Lucifer sat on the couch, seething quietly, his claws tapping rhythmically against the fabric as his mind spiralled.

Thump. Thump. Thump. His foot hit the bottom of coach repeatedly.

The nerve of Adam, running off to spend the evening with her. The thought of the wolf laughing, smiling, and sharing stories with that red-haired omega made his skin crawl. It wasn’t fair. Adam was his, whether the dense wolf realized it or not. And yet, here he was, abandoning Lucifer during the most vulnerable time of his year for some pie and idle chatter.

The jealousy and possessiveness that simmered beneath Lucifer’s skin began to boil. His sharp teeth clenched as his foot started tapping irritably against the floor. It wasn’t just frustration anymore—it was an overwhelming, instinctual need to be near Adam, to remind him who he belonged to.

Suddenly, Lucifer shot to his feet, his ears flicking upright as if struck by an idea.

“Wait!” he shouted, loud enough to echo in the empty apartment.

Without giving himself a chance to hesitate, he bolted for the door, yanking it open and charging into the hallway.

Adam was just a few steps ahead, leisurely making his way toward the elevator with his arms full of snacks and games. He turned at the sound of Lucifer’s voice, his green eyes wide with surprise.

“Luci?”

“I’m coming too!” Lucifer declared, stomping toward him with determination.

Adam blinked in surprise before breaking into a grin. “Really? That’s great!”

He adjusted the pile in his arms and started walking again, this time with Lucifer stalking alongside him.

“You know, I was kind of worried you didn’t like her,” Adam admitted with a sheepish chuckle. “Even before you met her!”

Lucifer’s eye twitched, but he managed to keep his expression neutral.

“What would give you that idea?” he muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Adam, predictably, didn’t pick up on it. “I don’t know! You just seemed kinda… grumpy whenever I mentioned her.”

He grinned at Lucifer, completely oblivious to the bunny hybrid’s increasingly murderous glare. “But I guess I was wrong! I mean, you wouldn’t be coming along if you didn’t want to get to know her, right?”

Lucifer didn’t answer, his sharp blue eyes narrowing as he stalked alongside Adam, his body language radiating pure territorial energy. Every instinct in his body screamed that this wasn’t about “getting to know” anyone. It was about making sure that Eve knew exactly where she stood—and that Adam knew exactly who had always been there for him.

“Yeah,” Adam continued, completely oblivious to Lucifer’s mood. “This is gonna be so much fun! I think you’ll really like her, Luci. She’s funny, and she’s got this great laugh—”

Lucifer’s ears flattened, his nose twitching in irritation. He didn’t care about her laugh or her personality or any other detail Adam seemed intent on sharing. As far as Lucifer was concerned, this wasn’t about her at all.

“She better be as amazing as you keep saying,” Lucifer muttered darkly, his tail flicking behind him as they stepped into the elevator.

Adam laughed, completely missing the threat in Lucifer’s tone. “Oh, she is! Just wait. You two are gonna hit it off, I can feel it!”

Lucifer crossed his arms, leaning against the elevator wall with a scowl.

Not if I can help it, he thought, his sharp teeth glinting as he forced himself to play nice. For now.

As Lucifer walked alongside Adam toward the elevator, his mind was a storm of schemes and ideas. He needed to act fast—tonight. There was no way he was going to let Eve or anyone else think Adam was free for the taking. He’s mine. He’s always been mine, Lucifer thought, his blue eyes narrowing as he considered his options.

Maybe he could scent-mark Adam in front of her—subtly, of course. He could rub his cheek against Adam’s shoulder, or "accidentally" lean against him too closely. If Eve had half a brain, she’d get the message. Or better yet, Lucifer could start using more overt language around Adam, referring to him as “his wolf” or “his beta.” Eve wouldn’t dare make a move after that.

Then again, maybe it wasn’t enough to just claim Adam subtly. Maybe he needed to tell Eve directly. Something casual but clear, like, “Adam’s mine, so don’t even think about it.”

No, that might make Adam suspicious—or worse, confused. The last thing Lucifer needed was for Adam to ask why he was acting so weird.

As Lucifer’s mind raced with increasingly elaborate plans, Adam continued rambling on beside him, completely unaware of the bunny hybrid’s growing possessiveness. Lucifer wasn’t really listening, but he found himself watching Adam’s face instead—the way his green eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled, the way his lips tilted lopsidedly when he laughed. It made Lucifer’s heart ache in the best and worst way.

Why does he have to be so oblivious?

Eventually, they reached a tall, glossy apartment building with sleek black gates that glinted under the evening sun. The place was unnecessarily flashy and high-end, and it made Lucifer’s mood sour further. He muttered under his breath as the gates opened, the soft hum of machinery doing little to distract him from Adam’s giddy energy.

“Wow, this place is nice, huh?” Adam said, practically bouncing on his feet as they walked up to the entrance.

Lucifer didn’t respond. His foot had started thumping against the ground in irritation as they made their way to Eve’s door.

“Uh, Luci? You okay?” Adam asked, glancing at him with a raised brow.

Lucifer froze for a second, his foot halting mid-thump.

“Fine,” he muttered. “Completely fine.”

Before Adam could press further, the door swung open to reveal Eve, who looked just as bubbly and enthusiastic as Adam had described. She was practically bouncing on her feet, her bright red hair framing her face in loose curls. Her expression lit up even further when she spotted Lucifer.

“Adam! You’re here! I’m so happy!” she chirped before turning her attention to the bunny hybrid. “And you brought the famous Lucifer you told us all about!”

Lucifer forced a smile, though it was anything but genuine.

“Yeah, that’s me,” he said flatly.

Adam grinned and greeted Eve enthusiastically, completely missing the tension in Lucifer’s voice. “Come in, come in!” Eve said, stepping aside to let them through. Then she turned her head and called out, “Lilith! Adam’s here!”

Lucifer’s ears perked up in confusion.

“Lilith?” he muttered, his brows furrowing as a tall, slim lion hybrid strolled into view.

She had golden hair that shimmered in the light, piercing amber eyes, and an aura of effortless confidence. What really caught Lucifer’s attention, though, was the clear mating bite on her neck.

“Oh, right!” Adam said, snapping his fingers as if he’d just remembered something. “Luci, this is Lilith!”

He gestured to the lion hybrid, who gave a small, amused smirk.

Lucifer blinked, his confusion only growing as Lilith walked over to Eve and casually slipped an arm around her waist. Eve beamed up at her mate, grabbing her hand and squeezing it affectionately.

“Nice to meet you, Lucifer,” Lilith said smoothly, her tone friendly but laced with amusement. “Adam’s told us all about you.”

Lucifer stared at her, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

“Luci, say something! You’re being rude to Eve’s mate,” Adam pouted, his green eyes flicking to him in disappointment.

“Eve’s… mate?” Lucifer finally breathed out, the words feeling foreign on his tongue.

His ears twitched as the realization hit him like a brick. Eve had a mate. She had a mate this whole time. The jealousy that had been eating away at him all week evaporated in an instant, replaced by a flood of relief so overwhelming it made his knees weak.

Eve laughed, clearly amused by Lucifer’s reaction.

“I know, it’s surprising, right? Lilith’s such a knockout!” She leaned against Lilith’s side, grinning up at her mate.

Lilith smirked, her sharp amber eyes meeting Lucifer’s with a knowing glint in them. “You thought Eve was single, didn’t you?”

Lucifer blinked rapidly, feeling both foolish and ridiculously relieved. “Uh…”

“Don’t worry,” Lilith said, her smirk widening. “You wouldn’t be the first.”

Adam, blissfully unaware of Lucifer’s internal meltdown, clapped his hands together. “See, Luci? I told you Eve was great! And now you get to meet Lilith too. Isn’t this awesome?”

Lucifer forced a stiff nod, still trying to process the situation. “Yeah. Awesome.”

As Eve and Adam launched into another conversation, Lucifer silently swore to himself that he’d never doubt his instincts again—though a tiny part of him was grateful for the misunderstanding. At least now, his wolf was safe from her.

The evening dragged on, and despite knowing Eve was mated, Lucifer couldn’t quite shake the gnawing unease that twisted in his chest every time she and Adam shared a joke. Their laughter rang out, light and carefree, but it only served to deepen his scowl. He sat off to the side, arms crossed and cheeks puffed out in a pout that would have been cute if it weren’t so stormy.

Lilith, reclining on the couch across from him, watched with barely contained amusement. Every time Lucifer glared daggers at Eve, she let out a soft snort, clearly enjoying the show. Lucifer’s sharp blue eyes flicked to her more than once, his foot beginning its signature thump against the floor whenever her smirk grew too wide.

To make matters worse, somehow, by the end of the night, Lucifer found himself roped into washing up in Eve’s fancy kitchen—with Lilith of all people. He stood by the sink, his cherry-red lips twisted into a sulky pout as he scrubbed a dish with more force than necessary. Soap bubbles clung to his fingers as he grumbled under his breath, his fluffy ears drooping slightly.

“Why did Adam have to come here?” he muttered to himself. “Why couldn’t he have stayed at my apartment like he always does?”

Lilith, drying dishes beside him, raised a golden brow and let out a low chuckle.

“You really are something else, bunny boy,” she said, her voice carrying that easy confidence that had grated on Lucifer all evening.

He shot her a glare. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” Lilith drawled, leaning her hip against the counter as she waved a dish towel lazily, “You’ve been glaring at Eve all night like you want to take her head off. Even though you know she’s my mate.”

Her amber eyes glinted with amusement. “You’ve got it bad for that wolf of yours, don’t you?”

Lucifer froze, his hands gripping the edge of the sink as his ears twitched. He avoided her gaze, staring at the soapy water as if it held all the answers in the world.

“…Is it that obvious?” he muttered after a long pause.

Lilith laughed, a deep and rich sound that filled the kitchen. “Oh, come on, Lucifer. You’ve been glaring daggers at Eve all night, even when she wasn’t doing anything. And the way you look at Adam? It’s painfully obvious. Even to me, and I don’t have a wolf’s sense of smell.”

Lucifer’s cheeks flushed a deep pink, his nose twitching in embarrassment.

“It’s… it’s not that simple,” he admitted quietly, his voice uncharacteristically soft. He sighed, setting down the dish he’d been scrubbing and turning to face her. “I’ve been in love with Adam since we were pups.”

Lilith hummed thoughtfully, her amber eyes narrowing slightly as she listened. “That long, huh?”

Lucifer nodded, his ears drooping slightly as he stared at the floor. “Adam moved to Pentagram City when he was young. We’ve been attached at the hip ever since.”

He let out a bitter laugh, his lips curling into a faint, self-deprecating smile.

“But obviously, he doesn’t know. And it’s not for a lack of trying. If I had my way…” He trailed off, his cheeks darkening further as he muttered, “Let’s just say Adam would have a sore ass for a month at least.”

Lilith burst out laughing at that, doubling over as she clutched her stomach.

“Oh, I’m surprised,” she said between chuckles. “I would’ve thought Adam would’ve been the one to… you know.”

Lucifer rolled his eyes, grabbing another dish to scrub just to have something to do with his hands.

“Yeah, well. Adam’s too oblivious to catch on. I’ve thrown myself at him a hundred times, and he still doesn’t get it.”

Lilith shook her head, still grinning. “He’s a special one, that’s for sure. But you really love him, huh?”

Lucifer glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, his sharp blue gaze softening for just a moment. “…Yeah. I do.”

For a moment, the kitchen was quiet except for the soft clinking of dishes. Then Lucifer frowned, his curiosity getting the better of him as he turned to Lilith with a furrowed brow. “What are you exactly?”

Lilith blinked, caught off guard by the abrupt question, before flashing a cocky smirk.

“I’m a beta,” she said simply, her tone dripping with pride.

Lucifer’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re a beta?”

“Yup,” Lilith said, popping the “p” as she leaned casually against the counter. “Why? Surprised someone like me could bag an omega like Eve?”

Lucifer blinked, clearly taken aback.

“I mean… yeah, kind of,” he admitted bluntly.

Lilith laughed again, tossing the dish towel onto the counter. “Don’t underestimate a beta, bunny boy. We’re full of surprises.”

Lucifer huffed, his lips twitching into a reluctant smirk as he returned to scrubbing the dishes. Maybe Lilith wasn’t so bad after all.

Lucifer dried his hands on a dish towel, his ears twitching as curiosity got the better of him. “Alright,” he started, glancing at Lilith, “since we’re stuck here anyway… how did you and Eve even get together? How long have you two been a thing?”

Lilith’s smirk softened, and for the first time that evening, her confident, cocky demeanor melted into something gentler. Her amber eyes sparkled as she leaned back against the counter, clearly reliving a fond memory. “We’ve been together for about five years now,” she said, her voice softening. “But I first met her when she started working at that little café in Eden. You know, back when she was just trying to make ends meet.”

Lucifer raised a brow, crossing his arms as he leaned against the counter beside her. “Let me guess, you swept her off her feet?”

Lilith chuckled, shaking her head. “Not even close. I was the clumsy idiot who spilled hot coffee all over her on her first day.”

Lucifer blinked in surprise before letting out a sharp laugh. “Seriously?”

“Yup.” Lilith’s grin grew wider, though it carried a hint of sheepishness. “She was so tiny back then, this adorable little ball of nerves. I thought she was going to bite my head off when I ruined her apron, but…” Her gaze softened further, and she smiled fondly. “Instead, she just laughed. Said it was her fault for being so jittery.”

Lucifer tilted his head, intrigued despite himself. “And that’s how it started?”

Lilith nodded. “Pretty much. I couldn’t stop going back to that café after that. Not for the coffee—it was awful, by the way—but for her.” She let out a soft chuckle. “She’d always give me this big, bright smile whenever I walked in, like she was genuinely happy to see me. It was addictive.”

Lucifer’s lips twitched into a faint smile despite himself. “So when did you finally make a move?”

Lilith’s ears flicked, and she let out a playful groan. “Oh, that took forever. She’s oblivious in her own way, you know? I flirted, I brought her flowers, I even learned to bake so I could give her cookies. But she just thought I was being friendly.”

Lucifer snorted. “Sounds familiar.”

Lilith shot him a knowing smirk. “Yeah, I figured you’d relate. Anyway, it wasn’t until I outright told her, ‘Eve, I’m in love with you, and if you don’t go out with me, I might just cry,’ that she finally got it.”

Lucifer stared at her, incredulous. “You said that?”

Lilith shrugged, grinning unapologetically. “Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures. And it worked. She looked at me like I’d just told her the sky was pink, then she smiled—this huge, blinding smile—and said, ‘Well, why didn’t you just say so?’”

Lucifer found himself smiling too, despite his earlier irritation. “She really said that?”

“Yup.” Lilith’s gaze grew distant, filled with warmth. “Our first date was the next day. I took her to this little flower field on the outskirts of Eden. She loved it so much, she wouldn’t stop talking about it for weeks. That’s when I knew I was screwed. She’d completely stolen my heart.”

Lucifer’s ears twitched as he watched her, noting the absolute adoration in her expression. It was so obvious Lilith adored Eve, and it was… well, it was kind of nice, he supposed. He hadn’t expected to like Lilith at all, but seeing how much she loved her mate made it hard to dislike her.

“You really love her, huh?” he asked, his voice quieter.

Lilith smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “More than anything,” she said simply. “She’s my everything.”

For a moment, the two stood in silence, the soft clinking of dishes and the hum of conversation from the living room filling the air. Lucifer found himself lost in thought, his mind drifting to Adam and how much he wanted something like that for himself.

“You know,” Lilith said suddenly, breaking the silence, “you could have this too, bunny boy.”

Lucifer blinked, snapping out of his thoughts to glare half-heartedly at her. “What are you talking about?”

Lilith smirked knowingly. “Adam. You just have to stop waiting for him to figure it out and tell him already. If Eve can fall for a disaster like me, your wolf doesn’t stand a chance.”

Lucifer opened his mouth to retort, but no words came out. Instead, he turned back to the sink, his ears drooping slightly.

“…Yeah,” he muttered, more to himself than to her. “Maybe.”

Lilith tilted her head, her golden mane catching the soft light from the kitchen. She set down the dish she’d been drying, crossing her arms as she studied Lucifer. “Okay, so… serious question, bunny boy.”

Lucifer grumbled at the nickname but didn’t interrupt, keeping his eyes focused on the suds swirling in the sink.

“Why don’t you just tell Adam how you feel?” Lilith asked bluntly. “I mean, let’s face it, the guy’s as oblivious as they come. Subtle hints? Suggestive comments? That stuff’s not going to work on someone like him. You’ve gotta be direct.”

Lucifer stiffened, his sharp ears twitching. He gritted his teeth, refusing to meet her gaze. “It’s not that simple,” he muttered.

Lilith leaned against the counter, arching a brow. “Why not? You’re practically attached at the hip. He obviously adores you. I’m pretty sure if you just said, ‘Hey, I love you, let’s mate,’ he’d wag his tail and say yes.”

The corner of Lucifer’s mouth twitched, but the usual snarky comeback didn’t come. He scrubbed at a plate a little too hard, his shoulders tense. “You don’t get it,” he finally said, his voice quieter.

Lilith straightened, her expression softening. “Then help me get it,” she said, her tone gentle now. “What’s holding you back?”

Lucifer hesitated, the plate in his hands forgotten as he stared down at the soapy water. For a long moment, he didn’t speak, his lips pressed into a thin line. Finally, he exhaled, his voice barely above a whisper.

“…I’m scared.”

Lilith blinked in surprise, her sharp features softening further. “Scared? Of what?”

Lucifer’s cherry-red lips twisted into a bitter smile. “Rejection,” he admitted, his voice trembling just slightly. “Yeah, I tease him. I drop hints. I even… even suggest things like sharing my heat. But there’s comfort in knowing he’s too clueless to catch on. It’s safe. If he doesn’t know, he can’t reject me.”

Lilith frowned, her amber eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “You think he’d reject you?”

Lucifer shrugged, the motion stiff and defensive. “I don’t know. Maybe. Adam’s always been… different. Sweet, yeah. Loyal, absolutely. But he doesn’t see himself the way I see him. He thinks he’s just a beta, just some nobody. And what if—what if he thinks I deserve more? Someone stronger? Someone who can give me what he thinks I need?”

Lilith sighed, leaning forward to rest her arms on the counter. “That’s a lot of ‘what-ifs,’ bunny boy. You’re making yourself miserable over something that might not even happen.”

Lucifer let out a dry laugh, his ears drooping. “Yeah, well, welcome to my life.”

Lilith tilted her head, watching him carefully. “You know,” she said after a moment, her voice lighter, “Eve said something to me once, back when I was trying to work up the courage to confess to her. I was terrified too, thought for sure she’d laugh me off or say no. But she told me, ‘Sometimes you just have to jump, even if you don’t know where you’ll land. Because what if you’re jumping into something amazing?’”

Lucifer glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, his expression skeptical. “That’s… really cheesy.”

Lilith smirked, shrugging. “Yeah, but it worked. And look at us now.”

Lucifer huffed, turning back to the dishes. “Easy for you to say. Eve’s not oblivious. Adam would probably wag his tail and say, ‘Oh, that’s nice,’ and then go on with his day.”

Lilith snorted. “Maybe. Or maybe he’d wag his tail and tackle you in a giant wolf hug because he’s been waiting for you to say something all along.”

Lucifer paused, his hands stilling in the soapy water. The thought made his chest ache, a strange mix of hope and fear.

“…I don’t know if I’m ready to jump,” he admitted quietly.

Lilith reached over and lightly flicked one of his floppy ears, smirking when he yelped and glared at her. “Then take your time, bunny boy. But don’t wait too long. Someone else might decide to jump first, and I don’t think you’d handle that well.”

Lucifer scowled, his cheeks flushing. “No one’s jumping anywhere near my wolf.”

Lilith laughed, straightening up and grabbing another dish to dry. “There’s the possessive bunny I know. Keep that fire, Luci. You’re gonna need it.”

~#~

The two of them walked through the dimly lit streets of Pentagram City, the hum of distant chatter and the occasional honk of a car filling the air. Lucifer felt lighter somehow, his earlier agitation easing as he glanced over at Adam. His wolf trotted along beside him, hands stuffed into his hoodie pockets, his posture a little slouched as though he were waiting for judgment.

Adam cleared his throat and peeked over at Lucifer, his voice hesitant.

“So… what did you think of Eve and Lilith? They’re nice, right?”

Lucifer hummed thoughtfully, dragging out his response just to tease him. He watched as Adam’s head drooped slightly, his floppy wolf ears tilting downward like a scolded pup. His lower lip jutted out in a soft pout, his green eyes big and shiny as he peeked up at Lucifer through his lashes.

The sight was almost too much for Lucifer to handle. His heart gave a little lurch, and his earlier jealousy evaporated, replaced by a wave of fondness.

“Oi, stop that,” he said with a snort, smirking as he crossed his arms. “Don’t pout. You’re too handsome to be making a face like that.”

Adam blinked in surprise, his cheeks flushing a faint pink as he looked up properly.

“You really think I’m handsome?” he asked shyly, his ears perking up slightly.

Lucifer couldn’t help but laugh, his sharp teeth glinting under the streetlights.

“Obviously,” he said with a playful grin. “Haven’t you noticed all the people staring at you whenever we’re out? You’re a total heartthrob, Adam.”

Adam’s blush deepened, and he let out an awkward chuckle, scratching the back of his neck. “I dunno about that…”

Lucifer rolled his eyes affectionately, shaking his head.

“Anyway,” he continued, “about your new friends. At first, I wasn’t so sure about Eve. She’s a little too sweet, you know? It was… suspicious.”

Adam frowned slightly, his tail drooping. “Oh…”

Lucifer held up a hand to stop him. “But after meeting Lilith and spending more time with them… yeah, I like them. They’re good people. Eve’s lucky to have someone like Lilith, and Lilith’s clearly head over heels for her.”

Adam gasped, his face lighting up like a kid on Christmas morning.

“Really? You like them?” he asked excitedly, his tail suddenly wagging with such force that it was thumping against his legs. “I’m so glad! I was worried you wouldn’t, but I knew you’d come around!”

Lucifer couldn’t hold back his laughter, his chest shaking as he pointed at Adam’s wagging tail. “Look at you,” he teased, stepping closer. “You’re like a happy little puppy.”

Adam blinked, glancing back at his tail before letting out an embarrassed laugh. “I didn’t even notice!”

Lucifer grinned, his blue eyes sparkling with amusement. “You’re hopeless.”

Then, without thinking, he stood on his tiptoes and reached out, ruffling Adam’s messy brown hair and scratching lightly behind his ears.

Adam froze for a moment, his green eyes wide as his blush spread further across his cheeks. He let out a soft, involuntary noise—a mix between a sigh and a whine—that made Lucifer’s heart skip a beat.

“See? Good boy,” Lucifer teased gently, though his voice had softened, his gaze warm as he stared up at Adam.

Adam swallowed hard, his face burning, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he muttered, “You’re so weird, Luci.”

Lucifer chuckled, dropping back down onto his heels. “Takes one to know one, mutt.”

Adam laughed, his earlier shyness fading as he nudged Lucifer’s shoulder with his own. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, bunny boy.”

They walked the rest of the way back to Lucifer’s apartment like that—close, comfortable, and filled with a warmth that made Lucifer’s heart ache just a little less. For now, this was enough. For now.

maybe someday he won’t be too frightened about taking the leap…

~#~

Lucifer’s golden ears twitched erratically as his sharp blue eyes followed Adam’s every move, narrowing each time he laughed with Eve. They were huddled over some glossy magazine, their heads nearly touching as they flipped through the pages, pointing and giggling like a pair of pups. Lucifer’s foot began to thump against the floor, starting slow before picking up pace, a telltale sign of his brewing irritation.

"Alright, that’s enough of that." Lilith’s smooth, amused voice cut through his internal storm, and before Lucifer could protest, the lioness grabbed his arm and hauled him off the couch.

“Hey!” Lucifer yelped, glaring at her as she dragged him toward the kitchen.

“Help me prepare the drinks,” she said with feigned nonchalance, though her golden eyes gleamed with mischievous intent.

Lucifer grumbled under his breath, muttering about how he wasn’t some waiter. As soon as they entered the kitchen, out of sight and earshot of the others, he spun on his heel to face Lilith, arms crossed. “What’s your problem, huh?”

Lilith leaned casually against the counter, crossing her arms in return, her lips quirking into a sly smirk. “My problem? Oh, bunny, you’re the one with the problem.”

Lucifer scowled, his fluffy ears folding back slightly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Lilith’s chuckle was low and knowing. “Oh, please. You’ve been glaring daggers at Eve for the past hour, and your foot’s been thumping so hard I thought you might crack our fancy floorboards. For someone who knows she’s mated to me, you sure act like she’s your competition.”

Lucifer’s cheeks flushed a deep red, his sharp teeth grinding together.

“I am not jealous,” he hissed, though the stomp of his foot betrayed him.

Lilith snorted, tossing her golden hair over her shoulder. “Right, and I’m secretly a unicorn. Come on, Luci. Just admit it—you’re a possessive little bunny who doesn’t like to share his wolf.”

Lucifer’s eyes narrowed further, his blush deepening as he pointed a finger at her. “First of all, my wolf is mine, got it? And second, Eve’s too… too…” He trailed off, waving his hands as if the words would come to him.

“Too friendly?” Lilith supplied helpfully, her grin widening.

“Yes!” Lucifer barked, glaring at her. “Too friendly. She’s all up in his space, and they keep laughing at dumb things I don’t understand! It’s—ugh—it’s infuriating.”

Lilith raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying his little tirade. “You do realize Eve’s just as in love with me as you are with Adam, right?”

Lucifer spluttered, his ears flicking as he looked away, his blush spreading to the tips of his ears.

“I—I know that! Doesn’t mean I have to like them being so… so…” He waved his hand again, searching for the word.

“Friendly,” Lilith repeated, laughing.

“Exactly!” Lucifer snapped, stomping his foot again.

Lilith reached over and patted him on the shoulder, her grin softening into something more teasing than sharp. “You’re hopeless, bunny. Completely and utterly hopeless.”

Lucifer swatted her hand away, his glare lacking any real venom. “Shut up.”

Lilith chuckled, turning to grab some glasses from the cupboard. “You know, you’re lucky Adam’s as dense as a bag of rocks. If he wasn’t, he’d probably think you hated Eve with how much you scowl every time she breathes in his direction.”

“I don’t hate her,” Lucifer mumbled, crossing his arms again. “She’s… fine.”

“Wow,” Lilith said dryly, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “That’s high praise coming from you.”

Lucifer huffed, grabbing a bottle of sparkling water from the counter. “Why are we even talking about this? Shouldn’t you be the one jealous? Eve spends all her time with Adam, not you.”

Lilith laughed outright at that, the sound deep and rich. “Oh, sweetie. Eve comes home to me. I know where her heart is. I know how she quivers under me, she knows who she belongs to and she makes the cute little sounds.”

She glanced at Lucifer, her smirk returning. “The real question is, when are you gonna make sure Adam knows where yours is?”

Lucifer froze for a moment, his grip tightening on the bottle.

“…None of your business,” he muttered, his ears drooping slightly.

Lilith leaned closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “You’ve got two choices, bunny. Keep pouting and glaring from a distance, or actually do something about it.”

Lucifer shot her a glare, though it lacked its usual fire. “I’ll do it when I’m ready.”

Lilith shrugged, picking up the tray of glasses. “Fine. But don’t wait too long. You might not have to worry about Eve, but there’s plenty of other wolves who’d jump at the chance to claim your Adam.”

The thought sent a sharp pang through Lucifer’s chest, and his jaw tightened as he followed Lilith back to the living room.

As he watched Adam’s face light up at something Eve said, his resolve hardened. Lilith was right—he couldn’t let anyone else swoop in. One way or another, Adam would know exactly who he belonged to.

Lilith and Lucifer returned to the living room, Lilith gracefully sliding onto the couch beside Eve, who immediately brightened at her mate’s presence. She leaned into Lilith’s side with a soft preen as the lion hybrid draped an arm around her shoulders. Lucifer shuffled awkwardly toward Adam, holding out the drink he’d prepared.

When Adam looked up at him, his face glowing with one of those bright, lopsided smiles, Lucifer felt his knees go weak. His hand trembled slightly as Adam eagerly grabbed the glass, his fingertips brushing Lucifer’s, sending an unexpected jolt up his arm.

“Thanks, Luci!” Adam chirped, his tail wagging lazily behind him.

Lucifer managed a grunt in response, trying not to let his soft, utterly smitten expression show. He was about to say something—anything—to prolong the moment when Eve suddenly gasped, springing to her feet like she’d been struck by lightning.

“Oh! Wait a sec!” she exclaimed, scrambling toward a chest of drawers. Eve rifled through the top drawer with an excited frenzy, her movements causing the entire piece of furniture to wobble slightly. “Adam! Look at this!”

Lucifer’s ears perked up as Eve retrieved a crumpled piece of paper, rushing back to the group and slapping it onto the coffee table with a triumphant grin. “I thought you might be interested!”

Adam blinked in surprise, leaning forward as Eve smoothed out the flyer. Lucifer’s brows furrowed as his own curiosity got the better of him. Both he and his wolf shifted forward instinctively, their sharp blue eyes scanning the words on the paper.

“IVS?” Lucifer read aloud, his voice tinged with confusion.

Eve grinned wider, tilting her head up to beam at Lilith, who responded by giving her a light squeeze. Eve leaned against her mate, preening as if showing off a prize.

“It’s this new study for betas,” she began, her voice bubbling with excitement. “You know how betas aren’t able to breed with omegas or alphas, right? Well, this study is working on changing that!”

Adam sucked in a sharp breath, his hands twisting nervously in the hem of his oversized sweater. Lucifer immediately noticed the change in Adam’s demeanor. The wolf hybrid’s ears drooped slightly, his green eyes flickering with an emotion Lucifer couldn’t place—something between nervousness and longing.

Lucifer’s gaze softened briefly, but his curiosity remained piqued.

“I’m not following,” Lucifer mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper.

Humming softly, Lilith’s golden eyes darted between the flyer and the group.

“Betas can participate in the study,” she explained, her tone more subdued. “They can either be the breeder or the one being bred.”

Lucifer’s breath hitched. The words bounced around his head like a ping-pong ball, leaving him momentarily stunned. His gaze flickered back to the flyer, his heart suddenly racing.

As a bunny omega hybrid, it was expected—no, assumed—that he would one day have kits, that he would be bred and carry children. But the idea had always made him… uneasy. Lucifer didn’t crave the thought of pregnancy, the weight of it, the vulnerability. Yet, the thought of Adam? Adam being his, filled with his babies, swollen and radiant under Lucifer’s touch?

A shiver rippled through him. His secret bunny-wolf stirred with an unsettling possessiveness, and Lucifer clenched his fists to steady himself. He refused to look at Lilith, already certain she was wearing that knowing smirk again. Stupid lion.

“How?” Adam asked weakly, his voice cracking just slightly.

Eve’s eyes sparkled as she eagerly explained, “They inject an omega or alpha’s pheromones and reproductive enhancement cells into the beta. It’s a weekly shot, and over time, the beta’s body starts adapting to believe it’s ready to breed.”

Adam bit his bottom lip, worrying it between his teeth. His green eyes seemed distant, lost in thought, and Lucifer’s instincts roared to life. His grip tightened on the edge of the coffee table, the impulse to snatch Adam and whisk him away growing stronger by the second.

“Adam?” Lucifer whispered softly, his voice uncharacteristically tender.

Adam jolted slightly, his ears flicking as he turned to face him. Blinking furiously, he offered Lucifer a sheepish smile. “Oh, right! That’s… so cool, Eve! I—I’ve got my fingers crossed for you guys!”

Frown deepening, Lucifer’s sharp eyes darted between Eve and Lilith, noticing the subtle glance they exchanged. Eve’s expression flickered with concern for a brief moment before she buried it under a bubbly laugh, nuzzling closer to Lilith.

Something wasn’t right.

Lucifer shifted his focus back to Adam, noticing how his shoulders had gone stiff, his fingers twisting his sweater into knots. Adam wasn’t just nervous—he was uneasy.

Lucifer’s gaze fell once more to the flyer. The words blurred as his thoughts churned. What was going on? What had he missed?

And more importantly, why did the idea of someone else breeding Adam make his blood boil with primal, searing jealousy?

~#~

The walk back to Lucifer’s apartment was unusually quiet. The only sounds were the gentle rustling of leaves in the evening breeze and the soft crunch of their footsteps against the pavement. Adam, typically bursting with energy and endless chatter, was subdued. His shoulders slumped slightly, and his lips were pressed into a tight, worried line.

Lucifer’s keen eyes flicked to Adam every few moments, watching the way his brows furrowed in thought, how his ears drooped as if carrying the weight of the world. A knot twisted in Lucifer’s chest, a mixture of concern and frustration. He hated seeing Adam like this—his usually radiant wolf dimmed.

The silence stretched unbearably until Lucifer, unable to hold back anymore, whispered tenderly, “You want a kid, Adam?”

The words hung in the air like a spell. Adam stiffened, his green eyes widening in shock as he turned to look at Lucifer.

“I—I…what?” he stammered, his voice barely audible.

Lucifer tilted his head, his golden ears twitching slightly.

“The IVS study,” he said softly, his tone as gentle as a summer breeze. “It’s something you’re interested in, isn’t it?”

They came to a halt under the glow of a streetlamp. Adam stared at him, his face a mixture of surprise and apprehension. Lucifer offered a small, comforting smile, stepping closer.

“You know that’s normal, right?” he murmured. “Wanting to settle down, to start a family. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Adam’s face twisted into something raw and vulnerable, a far cry from his usual sunny demeanour.

“It’s not normal for me,” he muttered, his voice cracking at the edges.

A pang of hurt coursed through Lucifer, though he kept his voice steady. “Why isn’t it?”

Adam hesitated, his gaze dropping to the ground. For a moment, it looked like he wouldn’t answer at all. But Lucifer reached out, his fingers brushing Adam’s arm as he leaned in closer.

“It’s alright,” he breathed, his voice barely more than a whisper. “Tell me what’s wrong. You can tell me anything.”

A heavy silence passed between them, the kind that felt like the world was holding its breath. Adam turned his head away, his ears flat against his hair. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke.

“I do want a child,” he admitted, the words trembling as they left his lips. “I…I want to carry my baby myself.”

Lucifer’s breath hitched, his wide blue eyes locked on Adam as his mind reeled. His. The very idea of Adam, round with life, glowing with the warmth of motherhood, sent a shiver down Lucifer’s spine. His pulse quickened, and he had to clench his hands into fists to keep from grabbing Adam then and there.

He swallowed thickly, his voice uncharacteristically soft as he said, “There’s nothing wrong with that—”

Adam cut him off with a bitter laugh, his expression twisting with frustration and self-doubt.

“Of course there is,” he snapped, gesturing to himself. “Look at me, Luci. I’m a wolf hybrid. I’m supposed to be the dominant one, the strong one. But I’m not! I—I don’t want to be the dominant one.”

His voice cracked again, and he tugged at the hem of his sweater, twisting it nervously. “I want to be…to be taken care of. I want to feel…safe. To…”

He trailed off, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment, but Lucifer’s sharp ears caught every unspoken word.

Adam took a shaky breath before continuing, his voice quieter now. “My body doesn’t know what to do with itself. I look like an alpha, but I feel like…like an omega. And I’m just a beta. Not even good at being that. Who would ever want this?”

He gestured to himself again, his voice laced with self-loathing. “Nobody, that’s who.”

Lucifer’s heart broke a little more with every word. Adam’s insecurities were a deep chasm, far deeper than Lucifer had ever imagined.

“At least,” Adam said, his voice barely above a whisper now as he turned away, “If I had a child…then maybe…at least that child would love me, right?”

The silence that followed was deafening. Lucifer’s chest tightened painfully, and his wolf growled low, demanding he do something, say something. He stepped forward, his hands itching to reach out, to hold Adam and chase away every ounce of doubt clouding his mind.

“Adam…” Lucifer’s voice was a gentle croon, his tone softer than it had ever been. When Adam didn’t turn to face him, he took another step closer. “You’re wrong.”

Adam stiffened but said nothing.

“You’re wrong,” Lucifer repeated, his voice growing firmer. “You’re not nothing, Adam. You’re…you’re everything.”

Finally, Adam turned, his green eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Lucifer’s breath caught, and he forced himself to continue, his words spilling out faster than he could think.

“You’re kind and funny and sweet, and you’re so strong—even if you don’t see it,” he said, his voice trembling. “You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met. And anyone—anyone—would be lucky to have you.”

Adam blinked at him, his cheeks reddening as his ears flicked nervously. “Luci, I—”

“Don’t,” Lucifer cut him off gently, his own cheeks tinged pink. “Don’t say I’m just being nice. I mean it. Every word.”

The air between them crackled with an unspoken tension, and for a moment, it felt like the world had stopped spinning. Lucifer’s heart pounded in his chest as he gazed at Adam, willing him to see the truth in his eyes.

“You’re worth everything, Adam,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. “And anyone who can’t see that doesn’t deserve you.”

Lucifer’s breath hitched, his chest rising and falling as he stared at Adam, the intensity of his emotions making it difficult to find the right words. For the first time, it felt like Adam was truly seeing him. Those vibrant green eyes weren’t glazed over with daydreams or distracted thoughts. No, they were focused entirely on him, studying him as if Lucifer were something precious and rare.

"You..." Lucifer’s voice cracked, and he cleared his throat, trying to steady himself.

“You should do the study," he said, his words rushed but sincere. "I’ll…I’ll support you. Whatever you need."

Adam blinked at him, his lips curling into a soft, meek smile. He shrugged, his posture shrinking just a little.

“Yeah? That’s reassuring," he said, his tone warm but laced with hesitation. "But…I probably won’t."

A frown tugged at Lucifer’s lips, his sharp blue eyes narrowing slightly.

“Why not?" he asked, his tone sharper than he intended. The idea of Adam denying himself something he clearly wanted didn’t sit right with him.

Adam exhaled, his shoulders slumping as he looked away. The way he bit his bottom lip and twisted his hands nervously made Lucifer’s protective instincts flare.

“For me to take the IVS study," Adam began softly, "I’d have to…be paired up with someone. A stranger. Since I don’t have a mate or, you know…anybody to enter the study with me."

Lucifer’s ears twitched, his stomach knotting at the mere mention of Adam being paired with anyone else. His fingers curled into fists, but he forced himself to stay quiet, letting Adam continue.

"I’d be assigned a donor," Adam explained, his voice faltering slightly. "And even though it’s just temporary, and I’d probably never see them again…it would still feel a little…you know."

He trailed off, his cheeks darkening with a blush as he cast his gaze downward. "Hard."

Lucifer’s heart ached at the vulnerability in Adam’s voice. He stepped closer, his body almost instinctively moving to shield Adam from the invisible weight pressing down on him.

"Adam," he said, his voice softer now, almost a whisper. "Why would that be hard?"

Adam hesitated, fidgeting with the hem of his sweater.

“Because…" He sighed, the sound heavy with unspoken emotions. "It’s personal, you know? Having a child…starting a family…those are things you’re supposed to do with someone you love. Someone who…loves you back."

Lucifer felt his breath catch again, his heart thundering in his chest. The words hung between them, electric and raw. His mind raced, a thousand thoughts colliding all at once, but one thought stood out above the rest: Say something. Tell him. This is your chance.

"I..." Lucifer’s voice came out shaky, and he cursed himself for the hesitation. He clenched his fists, summoning every ounce of courage he had. "Adam, you don’t need a stranger," he said, his voice firmer now, more resolute.

Adam looked up at him, his green eyes wide with confusion. "What do you mean?"

Lucifer swallowed hard, his heart pounding so loudly he was sure Adam could hear it.

“I mean…" He took a deep breath, his words tumbling out before he could stop them. "You have me."

Adam blinked, his brows furrowing slightly. "You?"

"Yes, me," Lucifer said, stepping closer until he was just a breath away. His blue eyes burned with intensity, his ears twitching nervously.

“I’m not a stranger, Adam. And I…" He paused, his voice softening as he whispered, "I love you. I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember."

The world seemed to stop. Adam stared at him, his mouth slightly agape, as if trying to process what he’d just heard.

Lucifer pressed on, his voice trembling but filled with determination. "If you want a child…if you want to be part of the study…you don’t have to do it alone. I’ll be your partner. I’ll be there every step of the way. Because, Adam…"

He reached out, gently cupping Adam’s cheek with a trembling hand. "There’s no one else I’d want to share that with but you."

Adam’s lips parted, his breath hitching as a deep blush spread across his cheeks. For a moment, he said nothing, just staring at Lucifer with an expression that was equal parts shock and wonder.

"Luci…" Adam finally whispered, his voice so soft it was barely audible.

Lucifer held his breath, waiting, hoping, praying that he hadn’t just ruined everything. But then, slowly, Adam’s lips curved into a shy, tender smile, and Lucifer felt his heart soar.

"You’d really…do that for me?" Adam asked, his voice trembling with emotion.

"Of course I would," Lucifer said without hesitation, his thumb brushing gently against Adam’s cheek. "For you, I’d do anything."

Lucifer felt his chest swell with hope, but just as quickly, it deflated as Adam’s green eyes lit up with innocent affection instead of the realization he so desperately craved.

"You’re the best, Luci," Adam said, his smile as bright as the sun. "I’m lucky to have a best friend like you. Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without you."

Lucifer’s ears drooped slightly, and he bit back a frustrated whine that threatened to escape his throat. How could Adam still not see it? He had practically laid his heart bare! But instead of the romantic revelation he had imagined, Adam was, as always, completely and utterly oblivious.

Adam’s gaze softened, his hands twisting nervously in front of him.

“But," he began, his voice quiet and unsure, "I can’t do that to you. Asking you to do something like this—it’s…it’s huge, Luci. It’s not fair to you. This isn’t your responsibility."

Lucifer straightened up, his blue eyes narrowing with a flash of determination.

“Adam, stop," he said, his tone firmer now. He reached out, resting his hands on Adam’s shoulders and squeezing gently. "Don’t say that. It’s not about responsibility. It’s about what I want."

Adam blinked, his lips parting slightly in surprise. "What you want?"

"Yes," Lucifer replied, his voice soft but resolute. "I want to do this with you. I want to be there for you, to help you. This isn’t something you should have to face alone, Adam. And besides…"

He hesitated for only a moment before continuing, his lips quirking into a small, teasing smile. "A child would mean we’d be connected for the rest of our lives."

Adam’s cheeks flushed a deep red, and he looked down, fidgeting with his sweater.

“I…I don’t know, Luci," he murmured. "It just feels like…too much to ask. What if it changes things? What if—"

"Adam," Lucifer interrupted gently, his voice low and soothing. "Look at me."

Slowly, Adam lifted his head, his green eyes meeting Lucifer’s steady gaze.

"It won’t change things," Lucifer said firmly. "If anything, it’ll make us stronger. And if you’re worried about whether I’m serious about this, don’t be. I’ve thought about it, and I want this. I want to do this with you."

Adam’s expression softened, but the uncertainty in his eyes remained. "Are you sure?"

Lucifer smiled, his blue eyes gleaming with a rare tenderness.

“More sure than I’ve ever been about anything," he said.

For a moment, there was only silence between them, the weight of Lucifer’s words hanging in the air. Then, slowly, Adam’s lips curved into a small, hesitant smile.

"Okay," Adam whispered, his voice barely audible. "Okay, Luci. I’ll…I’ll think about it."

Lucifer’s heart soared, and he couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face.

“That’s all I ask," he said, his voice filled with warmth.

But as Adam looked away, his blush deepening, Lucifer couldn’t help but feel a flicker of frustration mixed with hope. His wolf growled softly in the back of his mind, impatient and possessive.

One step at a time, Lucifer thought to himself.

He’ll realize how I feel eventually. He has to.

[lured-into-wonderland]

“Preferences for a mug for today or for a mug that we are going to get for me soon?” – she asked cheerfully; it would be too much to say that Nunnally got used to this kind of conversation with Ravein, when she had to fill in gaps or missing information. She had never considered herself to be too good at it, but it wasn't that she minded it too much either.

She had always lived in an environment clouded with secrecy, although Nunnally might not have been always aware of it. Though she perceived Ravein secretive, she didn't see his silent nature in the same way as she was thinking about her own father. Mr. Ambly des Ayvalles. Her father.

Even during the times she believed he was merely a successful businessman, her father had spoken little, often leaving her to guess or figure things out on her own. Perhaps he thought he had been clear enough? Nunnally could never truly decide. The ambiguity of his words and actions created a veil of mystery around him; one she rarely dared to penetrate. Even back then. When he was j u s t her father. It was now much clearer for her as she reflected on her childhood and early teen years trying to identify what had gone so wrong. After she had learnt the truth...

With her father, she preferred not to ask questions, fearing the disappointment of trying and failing to understand (or rather to please) him. His silence was a wall she had learned to navigate around rather than to confront. This unspoken distance between them left her feeling isolated (unhappy even), always yearning for a connection that seemed just out of reach.

In contrast, Roberto’s kitchen, with its warm, inviting atmosphere, offered a different environment. Here, she felt (more) comfortable and relaxed, even though she was surrounded by unfamiliar things and sights. The presence of Ravein added a layer of comfort, a stark difference from the guarded interactions she had grown accustomed to at home. Or rather in her life in general.

Probably that was the reason Nunnally continued speaking not really giving Ravein any time to proceed with a reply in his notebook.

“Any mug will do for now…I like the thin edges though…”

A pause.

“I like all various shades of blues…Oranges or reds…” – true, she liked intense colours, but it was also a sort of a new situation for her, when she was to decide what she wanted. She had learnt not to care about details like that. But her very own mug here… Well, that was a much more difficult decision in Nunnally's eyes.

What would she like?

Initially she had thought 'birds' or 'ladybugs' or 'polka dots'. While she would surely like all of them, Nunnally suddenly thought they might be too a v e r a g e for a special occasion like this one: getting her mug here. But what would be special?

“Anything that you choose Ravein…” – she said realizing that it was not about the mug but about getting it together with him – “You know…” – she continued slightly surprising herself with that – “It’s not really about the mug but about getting it with you…”

“But I like birds… and intense colors…” – Nunnally added, feeling unusually relaxed. In her ease, she reached out to fix his hair, a gesture so natural for her that she forgot to be cautious. Though he showed no visible reaction, the moment she withdrew her hand, she realized her mistake. She should have asked for p e r m i s s i o n before touching him. She suddenly remembered how uncomfortable Ravein was with anyone, except perhaps Roberto, invading his personal space. Though was he comfortable with Roberto? She had never witnessed these two interacting without her being involved (mainly in a bad way), so she could not be sure either.

The realization brought a faint flush of embarrassment onto her cheeks. She had overstepped a boundary. Again. What was a causal form of intimacy for her, was probably something else for Ravein. Nunnally had only hoped that he would understand that her gesture had come from a place of affection and not disregard for his feelings.: --

“I…I am sorry.” – she hoped he would understand what she was apologizing for as she didn’t find it in herself to provide more explanation.

And she simply focused on preparing the drinks. Though his return to his chair poured some hope that her overstepping was not as much unwelcomed as she initially had thought.

He was confused. What was so funny? A small head tilt to the side as he stared at Nunnally laughing. He could tell that somehow she was laughing at something involving him, but it didn’t bother him any. He didn’t sense any mal-intent behind her laughter, but perhaps she found something silly or endearing that caused her laughter. Whatever the case, it was better than seeing her upset earlier, so this was a nice change of pace.

For the most part, he kept out of her way as much as he could by sitting down on the stool, watching as she’d move about in the kitchen, trying to figure her way around to prepare to beverages: one for himself and the other for Roberto. The latter had gone to attend to the customers out at front, and he remained in the kitchen with Nunnally, watching her every move with curiosity and interest.

It was interesting how Nunnally had started to hum a song, one that was unfamiliar to him, but he had to admit that it was a pleasant tune. It felt like it was one that brought her joy, or was reminiscent of happier times in her life- and if that were the case, he’d be happy. The mindless humming or singing often were signs of being in a pleasant mood, so it was nice to see that she must have felt comfortable enough to start humming.

Yes, for anyone who knew Roberto and Ravein for any amount of time, they probably would have a good guess which mug belonged to whom, but they may have still ben surprised that Ravein would choose such a cute mug for himself.

What would be a fitting mug for Nunnally? Ravein wasn’t very sure, but he somehow had an image of flowers suiting her, maybe something with brighter colors. There was also something that told him that maybe she’d like a cute animal theme as well… maybe a cat or a bear? Those were cute, and people liked those (this is what he gathered from the times that Roberto would do art on drinks for kids, they usually asked for things like cats or cute bears).

She didn't have a dedicated mug for herself now, but he and Roberto could probably find one for her soon. Her mug from before was left at the table, so for now... they should choose another one for her.

[Okay] [Preferences?]

The ex-assassin has always been acutely aware of his surroundings and is sensitive to the movement of others, so he noticed when Nunnaly turned to him and moved closer to him. Trained in keeping his emotions steady, he didn’t reveal a change of expression, nor could anyone notice if his body went stiff at her approach. Perhaps the only thing one could notice was that for a few seconds, he held his breath.

When she moved some locks of hair out of his face, he blinked in surprise. He was unnerved by the approach, but it was a testament that he was willing to trust her in the way that he allowed her to even touch him. He really was doing his best to learn to trust her and to feel safe around her- despite the ‘family business’.

Getting up from his seat, he walked over to where Roberto kept his coffee beans and opened the cabinet to reveal an assortment of containers full of coffee beans, all neatly labelled with their origin, the roast, and the date of when they were procured. He returned to his seat afterwards, returning to being a quiet observer once again. Not that he ever really made much sound to begin with.

[ikkyfics]

Rings

James Potter x fem!reader

Summary: "Well, now that we have the rings... what else is on the list? Invitations? Music? Or can we just run away and get married tomorrow? You know I’d be up for it, right?"

Warnings: none

Part 2 of Marry Me

Masterlist

The wizarding jewelry store was a charming place, almost like a solid dream. Floating chandeliers glowed softly, casting colorful beams of light that danced across the display windows. Each piece on display seemed unique, as if it told its own story, shining in delicate shades of gold, silver, and platinum, with gemstones that pulsed lightly, as if they had a life of their own. You were holding hands with James, his fingers intertwined with yours, as he looked around with an almost childlike excitement.

"Well," he began, gently squeezing your hand as his vibrant blue eyes scanned the shop, "I think we need to find something that’s... perfect. Something that will make everyone know, without a doubt, that you’re mine."

You laughed, but felt the warmth rise to your cheeks. "James, I’m already yours. The ring is just... a detail."

He stopped in his tracks, gently spinning you so you were face to face. "Oh, love, it’s so much more than a detail. It’s the symbol of all this," he said, gesturing between the two of you. "Of me and you. Of all the times you made me laugh, of all the nights I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be, just because you were there. I want it to be the most beautiful ring you’ve ever seen."

Before you could respond, a shop attendant appeared, an elderly wizard with a kind demeanor and a silver beard that looked like strands of light. "Ah, young lovers," he said with a warm smile. "Welcome to our shop. I’m sure we’ll find something as unique as your story."

James immediately got excited, beginning to describe what he had in mind. "Something simple, but... special. Maybe with our initials or some detail that has meaning. Oh, and that matches her hands," he said, holding up your hand and lifting it for the attendant to examine.

"Of course," the man replied, picking up a fine wand and gesturing to a nearby display. Small rings began to float, each with a unique glow. Some had stones that changed color slightly depending on the angle, others had small enchantments that made engravings appear and disappear with a touch.

"Look at this one," James said, pointing to a delicate gold band with a small stone that seemed to shine with the light of a tiny star. "It looks like your eyes," he added, smiling at you.

"James," you said, trying not to laugh. "I don’t need something that extravagant."

"Extravagant? This is just the beginning," he teased, pulling out another ring with small carvings that seemed to form a map when illuminated. "Maybe something that reminds us of that trip to Hogsmeade, when you finally said you liked me."

"I said I liked you because you were impossible to ignore," you replied, crossing your arms with an amused smile.

"And it still works today," he shot back, leaning in to steal a quick kiss.

In the end, the attendant suggested a personalized idea: a fine ring, with your initials engraved on the inside, accompanied by a simple spell that would make the initials glow lightly every time you were near each other. When he explained that the rings could also pulse gently, as a constant reminder of each other’s presence, you saw James' eyes light up.

"This is it," he said, without hesitation.

"Are you sure?" you asked, glancing at him sideways.

"Absolutely," he replied, holding your hand and intertwining his fingers with yours once more. "Because that’s exactly what you are to me, love. My constant presence. My reminder that, no matter where I am, it's with you I want to be."

The fitting process was almost magical. As soon as the rings were enchanted and dipped into the finishing solution, the final glow was revealed. James carefully held it, sliding the ring onto your finger just to "test" it.

"See? Perfect," he said with a side smile, his eyes locked on yours.

James held your hand firmly, even more excited after the ring’s approval. He couldn’t seem to hide the smile that lit up his face. "Well, now that we have the rings... what else is on the list? Invitations? Music? Or can we just run away and get married tomorrow? You know I’d be up for it, right?"

You laughed, shaking your head, but the warmth in your chest grew with his comment. "James, you know I want the full wedding. No running away. And besides, you promised you'd pick the music with Sirius, remember?"

He made an exaggerated grimace, letting out a dramatic sigh. "Oh, right. Because everyone trusts Sirius Black's taste in music. You know he’ll suggest something completely inappropriate, right? I bet he’ll want to play some Queen anthem for the entrance."

You raised an eyebrow. "And you wouldn't think that’s amazing?"

James tried to hide it, but the corner of his mouth betrayed a contained smile. "Maybe. But only because I’ll be too busy looking at you to hear anything."

The comment made your cheeks flush, and you turned your gaze away, pretending to study the shop windows around you. James didn’t miss the opportunity and leaned in a little, trying to catch your face again. "Hey, no point in hiding. I’ve said it before and I’ll repeat it until you believe me: there’s nothing in this world that makes me happier than seeing you like this. Than knowing that you’re mine."

You looked at him, a shy smile escaping before teasing him, "You always know what to say, don't you?"

"No," he replied sincerely, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Actually, I get kind of goofy around you. A walking disaster. But somehow, it always works."

He stopped abruptly, gently pulling you to a quieter corner of the street. "Seriously, love... you know how grateful I am for you, don’t you? For every second, every laugh, every moment. You make everything worth it. And these rings are just the beginning of everything I want to give you."

You felt your eyes begin to well up, but before you could respond, he leaned in, his fingers gently gliding to hold your face. The kiss he gave you was delicate, as if trying to convey every word he couldn’t say. When he pulled away, his smile was softer, but his eyes still shone brightly.

"Now," he began, resuming the intertwining of your fingers, "I think it’s time to find an excuse to celebrate this. How about lunch? Or maybe we stop by my parents' house to show them our choice? My mum’s going to want to know every detail, you know that."

You nodded, your heart full. "Yes, but only if you promise you’ll defend the choice if Sirius starts teasing."

James threw his head back, laughing, and kissed your temple quickly. "I promise. But who knows, maybe he’ll give in to the charm of these magical rings."

The two of you walked hand in hand through the busy streets of Hogsmeade, mentally planning the next steps and the visits you still needed to make. Every little detail seemed to bring more excitement and certainty that the future you were building together would be everything you had always dreamed of—and so much more.

[saiintvalentiine]

request: for the sake of the holiday spirit, have we considered clonefies first christmas..

and to cap off requests, a Christmas episode! i hope you enjoy Clonefies wondering about the Christmas spirit. . .

Word count: 1,114

“You gotta have a stocking.”

“. . . Like on? Right now?”

Ken's look is scathing.

“No, a Christmas stocking. For Christmas. Smartass.”

“Oh. Sure.”

Ken still looks annoyed, so Wifies puts his book down and turns to face him fully.

“Yes, Ken?”

“Do you even realize that this is gonna be your first Christmas?”

Wifies opens his mouth. Closes it. It's not really— but it is. He has the idea of a memory about. . . something Christmas like. A fireplace while it snows. The suggestion of twinkling colored lights.

“Isn't Christmas this week?” he asks in turn.

“Yes!”

A red and white stocking hits Wifies's face. He spits out a bit of white fur and he pulls it off of his face.

“I've got glitter glue. C'mon.”

Wifies follows and uses Ken's mysteriously acquired box of glitter glue to write his name on one side of the stocking, along with some small wobbly stars and lopsided swirls. This seems to satisfy Ken greatly— at least he doesn't throw anymore hosiery at Wifies after.

He thinks that's the end of it, but then Parrot and him meet up and it comes up again.

“Are you doing anything for Christmas?” Parrot asks, head tilting in such a way that he looks like a perfect impression of real jungle parrots.

“Uh,” Ken will probably want to do something with the stocking, so he says, “Maybe?”

“Oh, do you not celebrate?” Parrot asks. “Sorry man, I didn't realize.”

“No, I just— I don't know what I'll be doing, is all.”

“Alright,” Parrot nods slowly. “Me and some of the other Unstable members are gonna do a party on the 24th if you want to come. I'll send you the details, come if you want.”

“Thanks. I'll. . . let you know.”

It stays on Wifies's mind after that. Should he care more? Does it matter? He doesn't have any warm fuzzy feelings attached to Christmas. He's not sure what to think.

“Wato, is Christmas all that important?” Wifies asks, arms heavy with a box of redstone components.

Wato glances back at him.

“It's a pretty big deal, but only if you want it to be,” Wato says, dropping their own box off into a corner of the room. “Why?”

“Well, Ken seemed to care,” Wifies puts the box down next to Wato’s and dusts his hands off. “And Parrot looked at me funny for not really knowing what I was gonna do for Christmas.”

“You talked to two people who can't control their faces,” Wato snorts. “It matters if you want it to matter.”

“I want to care about the things people I love care about.”

Wato pinches Wifies's ear, all show and no force.

“One day you'll learn to care just for yourself. But if you want to test out the Christmas hype, you should join Ken and me on the 25th and we'll make it fun.”

“Alright, alright, let go of me!”

Wato does and they go back to organizing their cluttered storage room. Wifies turns the suggestion over in his head and makes a plan.

The 24th is cold but the party is warm and loud. Spoke throws himself across Wifies's back as soon as he arrives, muttering and cheering. Minute peels him off with a smile and a greeting. Parrot weaves in and out of the crowd madly. He’s pretty sure Zam and Wemmbu are arm wrestling in the corner, but there's a ring of people around them that he doesn’t want to muscle through. There are so many people stuffed into one place that Wifies is honestly dizzy.

He's been kissed under a dozen different mistletoe doorways by a dozen different people by the time he escapes.

Okay. Well. It wasn't a bad experience, but it wasn't— ideal. He’s not sure if the Christmas spirit was in the room with them, but the eggnog was nice and he likes everyone quite a bit.

He makes his way into Ken and Wato’s server with little fanfare, still in his party clothes and sticky with stolen lipstick marks.

[Wato1876]: Wifies!!!! Come join us at spawn!!!

Before Wifies can start the journey, he feels the tingle of a command teleport and suddenly he’s inside a glittery pink and silver nightmare. There is tinsel on his face within seconds.

“Wifies!” Ken bounds over, giving him a squeezing hug. “You smell like liquor.”

“I went to a Christmas party,” he says, shrugging his coat off and shaking snow out of his hair.

“Dude, you’re covered in lipstick,” Wato says. They’re in the softest looking green sweater Wifies has ever seen.

“I’m really good at standing under mistletoe, I guess.”

“Who took your first mistletoe kiss?!” Ken demands.

Wifies purses his lips and says, “Clown, actually.”

“ClownPierce?!”

“Wow,” Wato says with a whistle. “Good job?”

“Thanks?” Wifies feels sticky. “Actually, can I take a shower here?”

“Yeah, sure, fucking ClownPierce?”

Wifies shoves Ken’s head back and Ken yowls and sputters, baring his sharp teeth at Wifies. Wato barks out a laugh at them and disappears, only to return with a bundle of clothes and a towel, which Wifies takes gratefully. He washes up and discovers there’s an equally soft white sweater in the pile Wato gave him, which he’s thrilled to pull on.

“See?” Ken says when Wifies finds them, sprawled out on a blanket pile in front of a fireplace that definitely wasn’t there a week ago. “I told you it’d fit him fine.”

Ken is wearing a red sweater of the same kind. They all look like matching baubles now, matching just like the three red and white stockings on the fireplace mantle. Wifies sits down next to him on the floor.

“Good! Wifies, do you want hot chocolate?” Wato yells.

“No, thank you. My stomach is actually kind of upset.”

“Did you have eggnog?” Ken asks, tail swaying in a leisurely figure eight.

“I did.”

“That’ll do it.”

Wato comes back with three mugs regardless. They hand one off to Ken, and the smell of chocolate wafts out of it. The one they hand Wifies, however, smells like ginger and peppermint tea.

“For your stomach,” Wato clarifies, sitting down on Wifies’s other side. “That should help. I think.”

“It will. Thank you.”

“We were gossiping before you got here,” Ken informs him as he sits up.

“Christmas gossiping?” Wifies raises his eyebrow. That also doesn’t seem like the Christmas spirit.

“Yes, obviously.”

“Alright, so what’s the good gossip?”

Ken launches into a story that somehow involves half of their shared friends, Wato chiming in occasionally. Wifies still isn't sure that this is the Christmas spirit, but it's not a half bad way to spend the night to get to the 25th.

[fanficlolsblog]

UNHEALTHY OBSSESION

back to my main masterlist

pairing: yandere!jenna ortega x reader

summary: after a brief encounter with jenna ortega at a meet-and-greet, y/n is surprised to receive a follow request and a message from her. what starts as a seemingly innocent exchange soon spirals into a possessive obsession, with jenna constantly messaging, showing up unannounced, and isolating y/n from friends. as y/n tries to distance themselves, jenna’s behavior grows darker, her obsession tightening like a trap, until y/n realizes that escaping her hold might be impossible.

warnings: obsessive behaviour, stalking, emotional manipulation, psychological distress.

w/c: 1k+

you never thought much of celebrities. sure, you admired them from a distance, but you always told yourself they were just people, just names you’d heard. so when your friend dragged you to jenna ortega’s meet-and-greet, you felt out of place. she was beautiful, magnetic, but she was just a name on your friend’s lips, a face you knew from magazines.

that changed when you stepped up to meet her, the last in line. your friend had already gone ahead, gushing over the quick selfies she’d taken with jenna. you tried to keep your cool, gave her a polite smile, kept your distance. but when jenna looked at you, it was as if the whole room went silent. her gaze lingered, a little longer than it should, and you saw her eyebrows lift, just slightly.

“you seem… different,” she said, her voice soft, almost a murmur meant just for you.

you laughed nervously, shrugged it off. she held your gaze, eyes searching yours like she was trying to memorize your face. the brief exchange left you feeling strange—giddy but unsettled. it was probably nothing. you left, pushing the moment out of your mind as you rejoined your friend.

but that night, as you lay in bed, your phone buzzed. you glanced at it, frowning. a follow request on instagram—from jenna ortega.

your heart skipped. it had to be a joke, right? or maybe her team managing her account? but you hit accept, curiosity outweighing logic. almost immediately, a message popped up.

jenna: hi, y/n. i hope it’s okay i reached out. i… couldn’t stop thinking about you.

you blinked, staring at the message. it felt surreal, like a scene out of a movie. you hesitated, then typed a casual reply, something light, just to see if she was serious.

you: i didn’t expect you’d remember me.

jenna: i remember a lot about you.

from there, the messages kept coming. every day, multiple times a day, jenna reached out, asking about your life, your interests. she was kind, thoughtful, curious. her questions were endless—what was your favorite color? your favorite food? did you like to read? what was your dream vacation? the messages were warm, personal, and slowly, you felt yourself getting drawn in, almost hypnotized by her attention.

but things began to shift. her messages came faster, more insistent, like she needed to know where you were, who you were with. if you took too long to respond, she’d send another message.

jenna: you’re not ignoring me, are you?

you tried to laugh it off, tell yourself she was just lonely, maybe a little over-enthusiastic. but one evening, while you were out with friends, your phone buzzed.

jenna: i thought we agreed you’d tell me when you went out.

you frowned, fingers hovering over the screen. you hadn’t agreed to anything like that. but before you could type a response, another message popped up.

jenna: you don’t understand how much i care about you. you have no idea what it’s like, thinking about you all the time.

you typed a careful reply, trying to brush it off as a misunderstanding. but it was hard to ignore the chill creeping down your spine. things were moving too fast. she was everywhere—your notifications filled with her likes, your friends disappearing one by one, as if she’d somehow driven them away without a word.

then, one night, she showed up.

you were at your favorite coffee shop, the one you’d casually mentioned to her in passing, and she walked in like she belonged there. she didn’t look surprised to see you; if anything, she seemed pleased. she took the seat across from you, leaning forward, her fingers brushing against yours as she murmured, “i just wanted to see you.”

you tried to smile, tried to pretend it didn’t unnerve you, but her stare was intense, unblinking. she looked at you like you were the only person in the world, her fingers tapping idly on the table as she asked you about your day. every detail, every minute, like she needed to know it all.

from that day on, she’d show up without warning, always knowing where you’d be. and when you tried to confront her, her expression would shift—soft, almost hurt, like you’d wounded her.

“why are you acting like this, y/n?” she’d ask, voice trembling just slightly. “i’m just trying to keep you safe. you don’t understand how much you mean to me.”

you’d try to explain, tell her it was too much, but she’d look at you with those deep, unflinching eyes, and somehow, you’d find yourself apologizing, as if you were the one overreacting.

then came the gifts. small, thoughtful things at first—a book you’d mentioned, a necklace in your favorite color. but one night, you came home to find a box on your doorstep. inside was a single rose, delicate and freshly cut, and a handwritten note.

you have no idea what i’d do to keep you close, y/n. don’t push me away.

you tried to distance yourself, but jenna’s grip was tight, suffocating. she flooded your phone with messages, each one more desperate than the last, her words dripping with both devotion and a hint of menace. you stopped posting on social media, hoping it’d make her lose interest, but instead, she started showing up more often, as if your silence made her crave you more.

one night, you couldn’t take it anymore. you told her, face-to-face, that you needed space. she laughed, a soft, unsettling sound, her fingers tracing invisible patterns on the table between you.

“space?” she repeated, her voice laced with disbelief. “y/n, you’re all i think about. i go to sleep thinking of you, wake up dreaming of you. don’t you see? no one will ever care about you like i do.”

you swallowed, trying to hold her gaze without flinching. “jenna, this isn’t… normal.”

she tilted her head, her smile fading. “maybe normal doesn’t matter,” she whispered, her voice chillingly calm. “maybe it’s just you and me, and maybe that’s all that’s ever mattered.”

you stood up to leave, feeling her eyes follow you, the weight of her stare burning into your back. as you walked away, you heard her say, quietly but clear enough to make your blood run cold:

“you’ll come back to me, y/n. you always do.”

and as you stepped outside, feeling the night air prickle against your skin, you knew she wasn’t finished with you. this wouldn’t be the end.