#now this is what i call liquid gold xD

[whatifyoulivelikethat]

dire iv, m | jjk

pairing(s): jungkook x reader

summary: Jeon Jungkook and his wolf girlfriend are going on a date! Outside!! Not just fucking in his bedroom all day! Who would have thought? (Not me.) Can't get ahead of ourselves though. She has to attended to her official duties and him? Unfortunately, he begins to realize the world around him is much crueler than he thought.

warnings: rated M (18+) for language, world-building, the Dire = wolf people, species discrimination / prejudice; maknae line goon antics; smut (fem reader, spit kink (an understatement), unprotected sex (ty biology), m and f-receiving oral, face-fucking, cowgirl, creampie, cum-eating, biting/marking, m-masturbation, doggy); violence; non-idol!AU - werewolfAU / soulmates; werewolf!reader x blond, human!Jungkook; switches between JK's POV, your POV, and the Dire Alpha's POV (your dad), ft bodyguard!Park Jimin and bodyguard!Kim Taehyung

best doggirl and the spit kink king are back! my writing style has changed from 2021, did my best to summarize as you read but if you want the other parts: (i), (ii), (iii) happy birthday JK 2024! enjoy this gift? XD inspired by YOASOBI - 怪物 (Kaibutsu)

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part iii

-

“You have to admit. You look really cool.”

Those dark gold eyes seemed to burn. The wet, visceral sound of black lips peeling back, revealing sharp, white teeth that could tear holes into his flesh with ease. They glistened in the moonlight, along with her pink tongue that lolled out, curling over the edge of her snout in a slow, predatory motion.

Sexy as fuck.

Jeon Jungkook tried not to quiver in excitement, but he was sure his death grip on the silvery fur of her chest was giving him away. Underneath his knuckles he could feel hard muscle and the heavy thud of his mate’s heartbeat. Well, there was probably some technicality in that wording, but that didn’t stop him from already thinking it.

“I’m starting to think you might like this form more than my human form.”

The female Dire wolf mused, tilting her head, breathing above his hair. He had continued to bleach it the ashy blond with a darker shadow root. His scalp wasn’t happy about it, but Jungkook liked to think of it as complimentary to the love of his life. Yes, uh, the giant wolf with the black-tipped silver fur sitting in his bedroom. Yes. Her thick tail thumped on the hardwood. She was doing that thing.

That thing with her saliva.

“I… I d-don’t…” Jungkook panted, but he was rapidly losing the plot.

The Dire seemed to grin.

“At least during sex.”

Drool slipped down the edge of those black lips and splattered onto his forehead, making him moan and close his eyes. He tried not to writhe, to scream, to collapse. There was no human ecstasy that could match what was surging through his veins now. It was a crime to call it spit. The second the drips hit his skin, his nerves seemed to sing with carnal need, all sensations heightened with a single drop. The wolf dipped her head, splashing saliva down his chest, and, as if possessed, his hands flew up and smeared it all over him, sending himself into a feral frenzy as it felt the slick liquid leak through his fingers, cling to his skin, down his abdomen, hot, burning, intense, his lungs on fire with primal desire. He could not speak.

His knees gave out.

He felt a padded, leathery paw catch him, claws nicking at his arm, and then a tuft of softness by his legs. Her tail. But before Jungkook could say anything, do anything, scramble to screw his brain on right, her tongue descended and pressed flat against his sternum.

“O-O-Ooooh, fuck meeeeeee...”

He opened his eyes to a hazy vision of pointed jaws, sending another surge of violent need through him, but at this point he could do nothing but submit, pinned to the ground, hypnotized by bright gold eyes as the wolf slid down, wrapping her tongue around his achingly hard shaft with teeth bared.

Okay, so, maybe Jungkook was a kinky freak but that was because of biology.

Not by choice.

Er, right.

And he wasn’t a furry.

Right.

The tip of her wolf tongue hoked around the oversensitive head of his cock and made his head snap back, nearly knocking himself out as pleasure tore through his blood. It was similar to human sex, except multiplied hundredfold, nearly resulting in an out-of-body experience. His palms slapped the floor, curling into fists in attempt to ground himself with knuckles into wood. Jungkook could relate the fetishists that obsessed over the Dire and willingly became sex slaves. Not that he condoned it per se, but, well, pot calling the kettle black and all that.

The sound of grinding bone.

A deep growl that turned into a husky chuckle.

Her human form was as beautiful as her wolf form. He marveled how quickly she could transform in front of his eyes, with her mouth hardly leaving his skin. She still retained her silvery ears and fluffy tail, the telltale features of the Dire, along with the wolf tattoo on her left hand. Like all of her kind, she had a serial number. But she was more than numbers. Scarred skin, powerful muscles, a mole under the inner corner of her right eye. An unmistakable air of regality and overwhelming power. She was, indeed, the Dire Alpha’s one and only daughter.

And, in Jungkook’s humble and purely unbiased opinion, insanely hot.

“And you say you could handle me while I’m in heat,” she taunted, licking upwards, spit sticking to his balls and making his eyes roll back into his head. “It’ll take you a few more years, I predict.”

“S-Shut up… aaah, yes…”

Oh, he thought about it. Not that he wanted to be a dad right now, but, someday. She had said before their children would follow the species of the mother. A little of pups, maybe? Or one by one? Jungkook had no idea what the specifics were, but he sure as hell thought about how fucking mind-blowingly intense the experience could be. He could only fathom, because she refused to tell him, instead drenching his throbbing cock with her hot mouth. He came instantly, the orgasm clawing through him from his core, tearing an animalistic groan from his ribcage, desperately fighting the urge to pass out, the high splintering through his muscles in igniting sparks.

Maybe embarrassing, but all shame was wiped away at the radiating sensation of her swallowing his thick load. He could feel the volume, feel the way her throat muscles constricted around him, feel the muscles of his crotch strain, and his cock remained hard, aggressively pulsating from their wanton connection.

Her warm, wet tongue hooked around his balls and Jungkook gasped, his hips snapping up violently, back arching, almost screaming as he felt the head of his cock slam into the back of her throat. Her hands gripped his ass, fingernails digging in, lifting him with ease, forcing him to thrust into her mouth in an absurd form of self face-fucking that would not be possible without her strength, which was both extremely arousing and extremely concerning. But horny canceled out fear, so Jungkook soared towards glorious heaven without a care in the world.

His moan swelled throughout the room, saturating it with his lustful vocalization.

A part of him wished he could describe the impending orgasm that was thundering from deep within. It held the same gravity as terror, the same abyssal depth as love, and the undefined quality of time. It ripped through him and put him back together at the same time, leaving him in tears, stronger than before, a step past alive that walked the line of death, and through the haze of oblivion, Jungkook saw her rise with the look of predator to prey, and she sank down on him, his stiff cock still sputtering residual spurts of cum while her hot, slick pussy tightened around him, sending a fresh wave of blinding bliss through him.

He felt her hands clutch his shoulders, the points of pain from her nails bringing him back to reality.

But only just.

She licked her teeth like royalty about to feast on fine dining.

“Mine.”

-

You dipped your fingers into your mouth and pulled them out, glistening with saliva, and smeared them over Jungkook’s lips. You watched with fervent delight as his instincts took over while you rode him, roughly, brutally, his eyes still conscious, his body bucking into each thrust, his mind on the brink as he tried to grasp onto each sensation. His willpower was breathtaking. No, addictive. You leaned down, hungry to watch his face that was unable to hide wave after wave of ransacking pleasure, his shoulders practically vibrating under your palms.

In the end, you were more animal than human.

You breathed out, your heavy exhale washing over him, and Jungkook writhed, fascinating you with the way his strained muscles rippled, whining, slamming his hips into your crotch with a loud wet smack and cumming again, but you did not relent.

There was such a thing as love among Dires, although you should not partake in such as the Alpha’s sole heir. At least, tradition did not allow you to partake.

Taming you, another story.

You tightened around him, defying tradition, losing yourself to a pleasure that could never be matched.

Like humans, Dire wolves also spoke of the ideal of a perfect mate. Less abstract than the concept of a soul, though. More focused on the concept of matching power levels and building a strong bloodline. There was no room for the weak among the pack.

And yet.

While Jungkook by no means matched you in physical prowess, perhaps that meant that the power of humanity was not measured by pure muscle, but by determination that went past personal safety.

You threw your head back, gritting your teeth, a rising hiss bubbling in your chest, the heels of your palms pressing against his chest. His back hit the floor with a thud, starting a vicious cascade of adrenaline from him to you, and you felt the rising pleasure crash and burst, suspended on the hairline of sanity before the spasms beneath gripped you, ricocheting up your ribcage, seeping juices painted between your connected bodies and you let out a howling moan, your nails digging into his flesh.

Jungkook came, trapped in the jaws of your orgasm, adding a squelch of fluids to the rest buried within you.

You reached between your bodies, opening your mouth, collecting spit onto the tip of your tongue.

It dripped down, down.

His mouth opened mid-moan, his dark eyes unfocused, pupils blown out, and you smeared the mix of his cum and yours onto his tongue along with your saliva, watching his Adam’s apple bob as he drank it, intoxicated, gurgling your name in wet bliss. His bleached-blond hair stuck to his forehead, damp from sweat. Or maybe from your drool from earlier. Ah.

You leaned in and kissed him.

His taste was different.

Like electricity.

You tilted your head, kissing him deeper. Again and again, until he reached the edge of consciousness.

“D-Don’t… stop…”

You kissed him even as he passed out, licking his face, staking your claim, painting him with you.

It might be primitive, but Jungkook loved it, so you did not deny him.

After wiping him down the best you could and tucking him into bed, you cleaned the floor. He slept like the dead, oblivious to your silent movement of mopping his floor. You made sure it was relatively dry before putting everything away, giving his form one last look before gazing out his bedroom window.

The moon blazed above in the pitch-black sky.

The adrenaline still rippled through your blood, but it wasn’t from the sex. You could not see the eyes, but you could feel that the window was being watched. The growl below your collarbones simmered. You felt the shallow presences shrink back a little, sensing your intent to kill on your territory.

They may have disappeared now.

However, you did not relax.

You had hired security detail for Jungkook. Against his will, they lived next door. Kim Taehyung and Park Jimin from RJ's Private Security Services. The only reason you trusted them was because the CEO was well-regarded among your father’s security guard. Your father, the Dire Alpha, had human security detail outside of Dire territory, and wolves for around the castle. Crime was handled by the nation of the perpetrator. Between Dire and humans, the wolf was almost always ruled the perpetrator.

Which did not benefit the humans, since punishment was usually death.

It didn’t benefit wolves either, since punishment was usually the Alpha slaughtering you in front of your family.

Very pleasant traditions, yes.

Hring human bodyguards was important for Jungkook, because wolves were unlikely to attack humans and because humans were slightly less likely to attack their own kind when in groups. Slightly. Although you trusted Taehyung and Jimin, they were only human. They could not sense the world like you could, plus their bodies required ample amounts of sleep to be fully alert. Therefore, you had begun to stalk Jungkook’s apartment – much to his delight – but you did not inform him that it was because of the malicious intent that seemed to scuttle along the pavement like cockroaches. You did not mind satisfying his lust, of course. Other than your saliva giving him an almost hallucinatory high, it made your pheromones radiate off him, essentially telling anyone in the vicinity to back the fuck off or you would give him a very nasty bite.

You left out a wispy, heated breath, fixated on the moon.

You would protect him, no matter what.

On his bedside table was your necklace. A pendant of a jagged diamond with a platinum plum flower pressed in the center on a thick silver chain. On the chain were ten silver rings. Rings of conquest. You would have to go back tomorrow. There were at least two rituals scheduled soon. You were both prime breeding age and the next Alpha. Every male wanted to be the Alpha’s mate with the intent of producing the next royal kin.

You, however, were not interested in any of them.

Jungkook snored very loudly from the bed.

You slunk away from the window and crawled into bed beside him. He was warm. Once he felt your skin brush against his, his body turned, haphazardly flinging his limbs over you.

You smiled.

Pulled the blanket over his arm and listened to the sound of his slumber.

For Dire wolves, courtship was completed through combat. There were those that did participate in the gentler rituals common through humans, but marriage could not be viewed as solidified without combat between mates. If they deemed each other as worthy through battle, both wolves could call a truce, thus having their union recognized among the pack. Common wolves could perform this ritual at their leisure. The ritual for royalty was, of course, different. Although anyone and everyone wished to become the next Alpha’s mate, initiating an official challenge was intimidating to say the least. Not only was each match overseen by the Alpha himself, losing was both shameful and embarrassing. Nearly ostracizing. Still, word was also getting out that you were fucking a human. Unsurprisingly, most Dire were not thrilled at the idea.

And so, you were soon to be called to fulfill your royal duty of kicking lupine ass that had delusions of being your husband because your mate was currently snoring into your fluffy ear.

You would not lose. At this point, you would rather die than select a different mate.

Wolf men were overrated anyway.

The problem was, how were you supposed to have your marriage recognized by your people? It was a future issue that needed a solution, but one step at a time. First, kick the lupine ass of whoever was stalking Jungkook. Then figure out how to get your people – well, actually, your father – to acknowledge your mate.

Sigh.

That was already impossible, as Father would most likely bite Jungkook the second he showed his face.

Even from this distance, you felt the tingle of his disapproval from within the stone walls of the castle.

-

“Wait are you guys wearing?!”

Kim Taehyung flashed a dazzling boxy smile that further illuminated the flashiness of his pink-and-orange Hawaiian shirt. Maybe that was why he was wearing those ridiculous large sunglasses. “It’s fa-shun. You wouldn’t understand, dear record store employee.”

Jungkook was flabbergasted.

Park Jimin was also sporting a similarly colorful shirt, slate blue chinos, and big sunglasses. Leather loafers, even. He handed Taehyung a tan sports coat that he slipped on, covering his identification badge and harness that held his, er, tranquilizer gun. Jungkook still wasn’t sure what that meant, but the suspicious gun-shaped thing in the holster was bright orange with a blue biohazard sign on the handle. Jimin had one too, although his demeanor was less unhinged. He seemed more trustworthy with it. The shorter man put on a light green shirt jacket over his yellow-orange floral shirt.

Neither of them looked normal.

Despite this, Jungkook had no choice but to endure the stares of everyone as he stood on the train, squeezed between two men chattering over his head. He tried to look nondescript in his large grey bucket hat, dark red long-sleeved henley shirt, baggy black sweatpants, and black sneakers. Tried being the key word, since it was impossible to avoid looking like an emo child chaperoned by two parents perpetually trapped in the seventies.

He would have felt less weird holding the hand of his wolf girlfriend, honestly.

“What’s up, buttercup?”

Jungkook glared at Jimin, who was grinning with his sunglasses ticked down like a sleazy porn star.

“Aw, someone’s cranky,” Taehyung teased, earning him a similar death glare as they walked off the train. “Missing the missus that bad, huh?”

“Please stop talking like that,” Jungkook muttered, slapping down his train card rather harshly. The gate let out a hasty beep and shot open. “I feel like I’m stuck with the two goons of a half-assed gangster movie.”

“Who’s which half of the ass?” Jimin chirped.

Then his supposed bodyguards both shot finger guns at each other and burst into a fit of giggles, which made Jungkook half-consider jumping into an open manhole. On a better day he might have joined in on the fun. However, he was indeed cranky. This morning, she had kissed him goodbye, apologizing for having to cancel their plans and promising to be back in a couple days. He had almost protested, but then he caught her glancing at her hands. All her fingers were laden with heavy silver rings. A snake head with black gems for eyes. The black stone with a bone pressed into it. The wolf with the opal eyes. The ten-pointed star etched into a hammered silver circle. The simple silver band. The large opal gem inlaid in stars. The skull with the snake. The moth with opal gems as wings. The ring scripted with a single word, FEED. A twisted silver band.

“You replace them as you defeat stronger opponents, right?” Jungkook had asked.

She had smiled, pleased that he had remembered. “Yes, that’s correct.”

“Do you think you’ll replace any this time?”

He swore a gold streak flared through her irises but he couldn’t be sure.

“Probably two.”

It mildly pissed off Jungkook that male wolves could just rock up and ask for her hand in marriage, but now that he thought about it again, saying that to the Dire Alpha’s face that you wanted to fuck his daughter sounded shit-inducingly petrifying. Upon further inspection, he didn’t envy them that much. Plus, they all got their butts kicked by his hot wolf girlfriend. The latter might be kinda – ahem, anyway, today was Jungkook’s day off.

He looked both ways before crossing the street, quickly followed by animated Jimin and Taehyung.

He couldn’t help but notice the Dire among the humans as he walked.

They stood out everywhere they went. Pointed ears, some clipped. Bushy tails, some shoved into voluminous skirts and baggy pants to make it less obvious. He used to think the ones that lived among humans were all up to no good. That was the public perspective, after all, similar to humans who were heavily tattooed. Such groups were treated with veiled contempt simply for existing. It made Jungkook feel ashamed for assuming that, especially since he now saw how carefully the Dire approached humans, trying to look as meek and unassuming as possible, moving in and out quickly so as to not disturb the peace. He also noticed how some groups of Dires glared at everyone that passed them, jaded by public perception.

Part of him wondered why they did not live in the wooded area of the main colony. Then another part of him came to realization that he probably didn’t want to know the answer to that. After all, his wolf girlfriend had to leave him to participate in courtship combat rituals, so… yeah.

It was a dog-eat-dog world.

There was a loud clang as the glass door opened and hit a male Dire in the face. Jungkook started. A group of teenage boys snickered and pointed, racing away from the business as the thin Dire in a dirty grey long coat shook his head roughly, looking pissed off but still staring at the ground. Nobody around him said anything. The Dire snorted and turned away from the establishment, empty-handed, quickly shoving his hands in his pockets.

Jungkook opened his mouth to ask if the stranger was okay.

The Dire glared at him, snarling deep in his chest before breaking into an alley.

A deep sense of regret stung within.

“He’ll be fine.” A hand rested on Jungkook’s shoulder. He turned to see Jimin ruefully smiling. “He nicked a wallet from one of the kids.”

Alert perked up his shoulders. “What? Aren’t you guys gonna do something?”

Taehyung appeared beside him with a frown, ushering him along. “For what? Ten thousand won and a drained train card? Besides, our job is to protect you.”

“Don’t you have a sense of justice?” Jungkook hissed under his breath, not liking their lackadaisical attitude.

Even behind the dark glasses, he saw Jimin’s expression deepen. “Justice? Of course.”

“Then–”

“We can’t go around invoking our personal justice on others.” Those plump lips twisted to a morose grimace. “That’s not our job. Our job is to protect you.”

Indignance flared as Jungkook harshly whispered back, “Then why aren’t you taking it seriously–” And he cut himself off as Jimin and Taehyung looked back at him. Faces tense despite their colorful appearances. Once again, he was reminded of how much they stood out.

“People… People are staring at us…”

Taehyung took a step past him, ticking his sunglasses with a sly smirk.

“The more eyes on you, the more witnesses available to testify if we are attacked,” he said under his breath, monotone, with a sweeping laugh to cover up the gravity of his warning. Jungkook half-turned, feeling Jimin’s arm clap over his shoulders, breathless and wide-eyed as Jimin’s pitched laughter rang with Taehyung’s deeper octave. It took a moment for those words to really sink in, but at that point Jimin was dragging him into the department store they had been heading towards all along, and then all of a sudden they became three longtime friends out shopping, noisily discussing the current frivolous fashion trends. Definitely not one dumbass and two dumbass-looking-but-actually-extremely-competent undercover bodyguards.

It wasn’t until Jungkook was shoved into a dressing room with an armful of random dress shirts that he spotted himself in the mirror, his wide eyes trembling with fear.

“I’m in danger,” he mouthed, feeling panic rise to his throat.

His heartbeat raced. He clutched the nice fabrics and shut his eyes, breathing in. Breathing out. No. Don’t cry wolf, idiot, and Jungkook almost laughed at the thought because it was more literal than most would expect. He missed her very much. He knew she could sense him somehow, so he tried to radiate calm, especially when he knew she was busy with her personal preparations. She had hired Jimin and Taehyung for a reason. It just… It hadn’t hit him until now that, yeah, they had been hired to protect-protect him.

Maybe, deep down, Jungkook had wished that it was only silly paranoia.

Then again, before he had security, five Dires had beat the stuffing outta him just because. So, if word was getting out that he was banging the Alpha heir for free…

Oh.

Okay, he was a little scared.

But only a little. He coughed and straightened, dumping the hangers of shirts onto the ottoman in the corner of the dressing room and whipped off his bucket hat, roughly mussing his flat hair. He scowled, hating this feeling of helplessness. Maybe he would hit up the mixed martial arts gym by his house. Increase his workouts to six days a week. He couldn’t be useless forever. At the very least Jungkook wanted to be able to kick human butt.

He yanked his shirt over his head.

“Hey – Whoa! Freaky-deaky!”

Jungkook almost launched himself into the mirror in a mute scream, pressing his long-sleeved shirt into his chest as he spun around to see Taehyung and Jimin cramming themselves into the dressing room, locking the door behind them. He gawked, flapping his jaw like a fish as the shorter male bent towards him, giving him a shifty up-and-down stare as Taehyung tried not to burst into another fit of deep giggles.

“Your back looks like the imprint of a chain-link fence,” the giggly man snickered, tapping his crossed fingers.

Jimin ticked his sunglasses down and wagged his finger.

Jungkook chucked his shirt into Jimin’s face, who promptly slingshot back into the dressing room door in dramatics. Taehyung grabbed his shoulders and gleefully hissed, “Stop, stop, not so loud,” as if this unbelievable ruckus wasn’t suspicious enough.

“Get out,” Jungkook gritted out to the other two. They waved his warning away and began to pick up the dress shirts, hanging them on the bar while very poorly acting as if they couldn’t see the welts and scratches all over him. Waving their hands this way and that, sticking him into a revolving door of various dress shirts while exchanging not-so-subtle looks.

Assholes.

“I can see you.”

His bodyguards-turned-fashion-critics were splitting up the tried-on shirts into two categories. Both tucked their sunglasses into the dip of their collar to begin serious deliberation. Wordlessly shaking their heads at each other. Contorting their faces in various levels of judgement. It was strangely efficient and also weird as fuck.

“Get some slacks. Dark ones, tapered,” Jimin nudged Taehyung, and the taller male was off, sticking his head out of the dressing room in a left-right criminal-level lookout stance before sauntering out.

At this point Jungkook knew it was pointless to protest. A pair of dark brown orbs popped over his shoulder as he unbuttoned the silky black dress shirt with small opalescent polka dots. He noted Jimin had to teeter on tiptoes to harass him properly.

Heh, shorty.

“You got that dawg in you, eh, Kookie?” Jimin wiggled his eyebrows. “Can I call you that?”

“No,” Jungkook muttered sulkily, slipping out of the dress shirt to put on a mid-weight navy one. He felt a little hand slap his arm once he shouldered it on. The upper seams were too short for his broad shoulders. He took it off without even buttoning it, recognizing there was no point in putting on something ill-fitting.

“Ain’t nothin’ to be ashamed about, Kookie,” Jimin barreled on and Jungkook realized now that the shorter male must be from Busan. His intonation and blunt talk reminded him of his hometown. “You and I ain’t so different if we get down to it.”

“Uh huh,” but it was a distracted reply. Taehyung spoke smoothly but there was a rough depth to his elegant, low voice. Daegu? Jungkook wondered how they got here. Money, probably. “Why accept this job?”

“Huh?”

He lifted his head and frowned at Jimin’s peeking eyes over his shoulder through their reflection.

“Why protect me?”

Jimin’s dark brows lowered slightly. Even though half of his face was covered by Jungkook’s shoulder, the crinkled in the corners of his eyes indicated that he was smiling.

“Honestly, I was getting really tired of protecting people who only care about themselves and not the world around them. But I don’t know how to make it better either. So, until then, I’ll have to keep looking for people who have the courage to make our shared world more beautiful.”

Jungkook stared at Jimin through the mirror.

For some reason, he remembered fluffy ears and soft tail curling around him, the smile of a leader-to-be by his side.

He turned, then jerked back.

“You’re too close.”

Jimin wiggled his eyebrows again. Creep. “Hey, no pressure or anything, but does your lady love have some fri–”

Taehyung chose this awkward moment to burst through the dressing room door. He gasped audibly and shut it quickly, waving the pants at Jungkook, “Cover yourself, you animal!” And, because Jimin had whipped his head around, Jungkook could now see down the nape of the shorter man’s neck. He had a series of obvious tattoos that disappeared downward.

The moon phases.

Then it clicked.

Jungkook bopped Jimin on the head.

“Ow!”

“The fuck is that for?” Taehyung scolded, jabbing him in the chest with the hanger of the slacks. “Didn’t your parents teach you that violence is wrong?”

But Jungkook paid him no mind, instead giving Jimin a knowing glare. The shorter man stuck his tongue out with a cheeky smirk before morphing back to a hurt baby chick when Taehyung looked back at him. Asshole.

“Get out before I clobber you both.”

Three really was too many to select one dressy date outfit, but such was Jungkook’s life now.

-

“Father, do you hate the humans?”

The Alpha could smell him. Despite his daughter’s attempt to shower, coitus between highly compatible mates lingered. Sigh. He knew this day would come, and he had dreaded it. His expectations were sadly met. Sigh. He shut his eyes and breathed in, but not too deeply. The urge to chomp on the human boy became stronger than before. He looked down to his daughter, who was still in her human form, wearing the traditional loose robes of the Dire. Silver, to indicate her royal status. It was coincidence that the color matched her natural fur. She was giving him a curious, searching expression.

His scowl must be showing.

“I don’t hate the humans,” he growled.

She remained unconvinced.

The Alpha let out a huff and looked out to the forest. They were on the rooftop on the stone castle, about to spar. The sun was setting, turning the green leaves a cinder-orange glow.

“Human are selfish, cunning, hateful creatures,” he said to the sea of leaves. “Such is the nature of those who perceive themselves as weak. The mouse lives an honest life, for it does not know of its level in the food chain. But humans do. They are not like you and I. The Dire know themselves to be apex predators, and so we act accordingly. That is, until the integration began, poisoning the Dire with their human fears.”

The moon was slowly peeking out, a flirty little sliver in the sky.

“But humans are not weak.”

The Alpha raised his head to the memory of his lovely silver wolf in the sky. She used to say these words to him, back when he was a haughty, arrogant, uneducated young wolf. She was always the wiser one.

“Their bodies might be weak but, unlike the rest of nature who are simply living in their own isolated bubbles, humanity has the ability to comprehend, empathize, and connect all these isolated bubbles. They are creative, innovative, and imaginative. They are the bigger world that the Dire are only a small part of.”

He looked back to his inquisitive silver pup.

It was partly a lie, as the Alpha did, indeed, hate the humans with a fiery loathing.

He would not, however, actively place his emotions onto his own daughter. If she was to lead after him, it should be with her own beliefs and ideals. He was simply there to guide. He still didn’t think he was doing an exemplary job, but he was only one Dire, after all. Sigh. It wasn’t the first time he wished his wife was still here to scold him to do better.

“Are those Mother’s words?” his clever pup asked.

The corner of his jowls raised. “You always know when she speaks through me, somehow.”

She smiled, playful and roguish, and he saw himself in her. Then a flash of guilt clouded her expression. He saw her pause, unsure. It made him feel like a failure. He was a leader before he was a father, unfortunately. His own daughter hesitated to be open with him.

He gazed back to the turning crimson leaves, not wanting his stare to intimidate.

“I know you have been helping humans on nights of the full moon.”

He felt her withdraw slightly. He frowned. But then she pulled herself up, standing straight beside the Alpha.

There was his defiant child.

“So?”

He tried not to smile. “You challenge our right to the hunt?”

“If our people were better hunters, then my impact would be insignificant.”

He continued to stare at the trees despite the pride swelling in his chest. “You wish to end such massacre.”

To his surprise, his daughter hesitated once more.

“The Dire cannot prevent themselves from becoming our true selves on that night. I will not let us be convinced that the core part of who we are is ugly. I want us to be able to hunt the natural way. However, I cannot deny that the full moon night has created mutual resentment between our species. But, perhaps, there is a way for us to contain our hunt to a different prey.”

“Oh?” The Alpha did his best to not sound impressed.

“Haven’t we become too lazy when it comes to the wildlife, Father?”

She had noticed it too. Raw meat had become too easy to obtain.

“According to the humans, the deer have become an invasive species.”

“Is that so?” He already knew. Calling out his own people as idle dogs did not exactly earn respect, although he was getting closer to doing so out of personal frustration.

“Yet I don’t think I can suggest such things until we better improve the bond between us.”

They stood in silence, father and daughter.

“I’m ready to kick your ass now.”

“I doubt you’ll be able to do so, Daughter,” the Alpha barked, his laughter cracking through the twilight. Something only she heard nowadays. “You’ve become soft hanging out with those humans.”

She proved him wrong.

-

He was drooling.

It was a little unsettling. It shouldn’t be, but it was for some reason. Maybe because he was human.

“Jungkook, uh…?”

He started and made a hasty slurping sound. Lovely. You turned a little, swishing your tail back and forth to get a feel for mobility. Checked yourself in the mirror again, satisfied with the tailor’s adjustments to the cobalt blue velvet dress. There was an additional zipper by the hole at the lower back of the dress that allowed your tail to poke through. The dress was a stark difference from the usual baggy clothes you wore. Although the fabric was stretchy, it hugged close in your body with a soft cowl neck and gathered side seams. The wolf in you disliked this encasement, but there were slits along the sides that helped, as well as your mate’s hungry expression. It was quite amusing.

And flattering.

“Wow, you look so… so fucking hot.”

“The open back is making me feel rather cool, actually,” you remarked. The thin straps crossed in the back to hold the front against your chest. Some of your scars and half-healed gashes were visible. You didn’t mind though. Jungkook seemed to like it, creeping closer and closer to you with every second. You pretended not to notice. “I brought some silver shoes to wear with it. Do you think this will be acceptable for the establishment you selected?”

He was not listening. Jungkook was now almost breathing down your back, and then you felt his fingertips trace your recent wounds with gentleness and concern. And a hint of desperation.

No, a lot of desperate horniness.

You stared at him blankly through his own full-length mirror in his bedroom.

“Does it hurt?”

His big eyes lifted to pout at your reflection.

“It does not.”

You had two new rings now. The FEED ring had been replaced with one that held a black onyx heart-shaped gem held down with locked chains. The snake head ring was also gone, swapped for a silver band composed of fused triangles. He was peeking down at them.

“The more intricate ones are from newer families,” you explained. “The older families have simpler designs, as that was the norm at the time.”

“Families?”

“Just as you humans have a coat of arms for your families, we have ring styles. There is a special Dire family of silversmiths that create them. The royal family has a pendant.” You laid your fingertips over the pendant hanging from your neck, a jagged diamond shaped like the full moon with a platinum plum flower pressed into it. “Unlike the families, who are able to swap rings and be indited to new families, the royal family are locked to their fate.”

His brows knitted together. “Sounds complicated…”

You smiled, patting his cheek. “Let me handle such things. You can stand there and be pretty.”

But a shadow crossed over his features. You paused, not expecting that. Jungkook shifted to hold your elbows, pulling you towards him with a rueful expression. He shook his head.

“I want to do it.”

You blinked in confusion. “Are you using euphemisms for sex now?”

He looked annoyed. “The ritual.”

Huh?

Wait.

He was crazy.

“The courtship combat?”

His nodded, making his blond ponytail bounce.

You almost laughed. Almost, stopping as soon as you saw the serious look on his face. “Ah… That’s not possible, my sun.”

Pink dusted his cheeks. “S… Sun?”

You reached up and twirled his bleached bangs. “Mhm. As I rule the moon, you are the sun that allows me to shine.”

He was two seconds away from becoming a blubbering mess. You laughed again as he hugged you fiercely, then received whiplash from him jerking back, gripping your shoulders tightly. His big brown orbs with glistening with brightness. “I want to do the ritual. It is a tradition of your people. I want to respect it. I want to win you.”

You raised your eyebrows.

“Oh… well, not win you, but… you know…?”

Still, you considered it for a moment. You could tell him that he had already won, but you also knew that wasn’t what he meant. “The ritual reflects the savagery of the Dire. It is not for the weak.” You raised your head. Jungkook straightened, determinedly setting his jaw. He was far from the frightened young human shivering in the alley back then. The corner of your lips upturned. “You want to fight me that bad, huh?”

He waved his hands, dark eyebrows falling in worry. “No, no, not like that. I just think… I mean, your dad might – uh…” He rubbed his chest nervously.

Oh.

You looked out the window, to the growing moon. “Hm, I suppose there is some way to arrange a degree of fairness. But you will need to become stronger. There’s no way you can win now.” Father will be pleased, perhaps. It was hard to tell with that wolf.

“R-Really?” Then the latter half of your words sank in. “Hey…”

You turned to face him with a wolfish grin.

“Would you like me to prove it to you now?”

-

Well, Jungkook didn’t win the tussle, but he could confidently say he had won at life.

He had one hand pinned behind his back and the other on the floor above his head, her weight on top his thighs, and her tongue sliding down the nape of his neck. His boner was getting violently uncomfortable against the hardwood. He was too absorbed in pheromone heaven to care. The more competitive side of him argued that this was cheating and the horny side of him told the former to shut the fuck up and enjoy the saliva dripping down his shoulders, his skin burning with heightened sensation.

She had the foresight to remove her dress before pinning him down.

Jungkook could never compete with such wisdom, but he was fine with that.

She let go of his hands. He could do nothing. She gripped his lower ribs and hoisted his torso off the ground, too easily, and ran her tongue down his spine, removing her knees from the backs of his thighs as well. His hot skin prickled at the sensation of her teeth nicking him. Somehow he was now on his knees. Her arm snaked around his front and gripped his inner thigh, sharp fingernails digging into delicate flesh. His entire body shuddered, lungs included, her spit in rivers across his shaking backside.

Her tail flicked against his calf, soft fur rubbing against him.

“O-Oh, fuck…!”

Pre-cum was already leaking down his shaft. Hypnotized. His own palm pressed against the swollen, slick head of his cock. Like a spark to a flame, his nerves blazed with delight, prompting him to wrap his hand around the shaft. Her other hand clawed up his chest. And then he felt her teeth sink into his side. Jungkook looked down, vision unfocused.

Gasped.

Eyes streaked with gold gleamed and she bit down, into him, not hard enough to break skin but definitely hard enough to drive him insane.

His head snapped back, vicious lust tearing through his throat in a strangled moan, jacking himself off hard, fast, punishing, driven by the scratches down his chest and inside his inner right thigh, by the teeth locked into his left side, and then pain blossomed into unyielding waves of torrential pleasure. Coiling into his blood. Seizing his heart. So intense he was on the edge of alive and dead. A moan ripped at his throat, nearly a howl, and Jungkook could smell blood, nearly sending himself into a frenzy.

His orgasm shot all over the floor.

His lower muscles clenched and he thrust into his hand, burning all over, sensitivity exploding through his frame, and now he saw it, streaks of milky white splattered onto the hardwood, oh, shit, right before his eyes rolled back into his head to flashing blackness, feeling hot tongue washing over the bruise throbbing at his side.

“Ah, I’m sorry…”

“I d-don’t care,” he immediately choked out, swaying, his head lolling back into place, infernal ecstasy threatening to swallow him whole. His eyes could barely register that he was bleeding from the small pinpricks of her teeth marks. He felt unnaturally good, truthfully. Maybe because her saliva lingered on the wound. A fresh surge of arousal rippled down to his groin.

Her name slipped from his gasping lips.

A low, animalistic huff.

For a moment, Jungkook could not quite understand the image in front of him. One second, he was sinking on his knees, panting, staring at the cum-drenched floor of his bedroom. The next second, the powerful, lithe, crouching form of his wolf girlfriend was before him, on hands and knees. Her bushy silver tail swishing back and forth, her head low to the ground, ears standing straight up, and her tongue flat against the hardwood.

She was licking his cum!

Her tail was wagging!

“O-Ooooh…”

Those gold-flecked eyes fixated on him, watching him with a low, throaty snarl.

“Get behind me.”

Jungkook didn’t need to be told twice.

His body knew what to do, springing into action, probably ungracefully, but he didn’t care, launching off his knees, positioning behind her round, raised ass. His hands gripped the soft curves, the pads of his thumbs slippery against her heated opening, and her snarl morphed into a blissful hiss, the tendons on the back of her hands visible, and he sank in, instantly drowning into suffocating, insatiable fervor.

Violent, loud, wet smacks of hips to hips.

She licked his taste off the floor. Her tail thumped against his thundering heart. His body snapped forward with unrelenting force, breathless, alive, intense, illuminated by the moon, his throbbing cock swelling against her pulsing muscle, snaking shivers seizing his insides.

Synchronized, laborious exhales.

Her head tipping back, the tip of her tail curling around his neck, her ass pushing back against his crotch.

“Ah, Jungkook, yes…”

Then he felt it.

A sublime pull coaxing him from within, otherworldly, not just fitting together on the physical but in a divine perfection, and his grip tightened, trying to hold on, thrusting deeper, harder, there.

He orgasmed in this carnal, dream-like state, moaning to the ceiling.

He wanted to ask what that was, if she had felt it, but his hips continued despite the heightened sensitivity, and he couldn’t stop, kept going, his lungs burning, leaning forward, oh, fuck, this angle was even better, her orgasm spasming around him, his eyelids fluttering from the racing bursts of pleasure, still so hard that it was almost painful, cumming again, the saturated scent of their sex overpowering, slickness dripping down their tense thighs, once again building to another wet, tight, soaring climax.

Jungkook continued until his legs literally gave out.

He slid to the floor, gasping, marveling at the way her pussy glistened, the quivering lips puffy and engorged dark pink, leaking heated slickness.

He inhaled.

Ducked forward.

Pressed his tongue into her and groaned, massaging his sore cock as he ate her out, tasting himself, tasting her, tasting them. Intoxicating, sweet, slipping into wet velvet, drunk on their union.

-

“What… W-What was that…?”

You listened to him describe it to you. And nodded.

“I see.”

“What?”

You rubbed your chin and asked him a question. “Do you ever wonder why the humans that become Dire sex slaves rarely stop such relations?”

His face contorted into embarrassment and confusion. “U-Uh, well, n-no, I’m not–”

“I’m kidding. That has nothing to do with anything,” you hummed, patting his chest with adoration. The look on his face though. “Humans have the concept of soulmates, don’t they?”

His pout turned into wide-eyed interest. “Uh, yeah…”

“Well, that doesn’t happen the nature.”

Jungkook glared at you.

You grinned. And then sighed, resting your chin on his pecs. “Do you wonder why the Alpha bloodline is so coveted?”

“Because you’re in charge?”

You hummed, your tail creating the tent with his blankets. “Well, of course. But we are not simply in charge by blood alone.” You placed your hands on his chest. Your rings and necklace were on his nightstand. “The Alpha position can be challenged by any wolf in the pack. However, we are difficult to defeat due to our blessing from the moon. This includes our amplified strength, heightened senses, increased rate of regeneration and healing… and the nature of our copulation.”

Those big eyes were blinking bewilderedly at you, not yet understanding.

A slow smirk touched your lips.

“The more you have sex with me, the stronger our connection becomes. You will feel the traces of divinity stirring within you to draw you towards orgasm.”

He sprang upward, startled.

“You mean it can feel even better?”

You laughed, sitting with your hands between your legs. “Yes, the sex will feel better and better as time goes on. The Alpha needs to bear children after all. So, to ensure this despite our low ovulation rate of twice a year, the moon encourages us to enjoy the mating process. Alphas in heat are extremely overbearing.”

Jungkook looked traumatized. “Y… You…?”

You licked your teeth in ravenous delight.

“I’m gonna die,” he declared, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

“I thought you would be happy to know that.”

He looked more stricken than pleased. “H-How can I keep up?! I’ve barely started not going full crazy every time you spit on me!”

You wiggled your tongue at him.

“S-Stop!”

His body involuntarily flinched at the sight of your tongue. You stayed between his open legs.

“I wouldn’t worry. I’m not sure about the specifics with humans, but I do know our marriage will mean that you too will receive the full blessing of the moon. Until then, the compulsion will strengthen you to your full potential each time we fuck. The moon wouldn’t want you to give up midway, you know.”

“H… How do you know that?”

You frowned. “Hm. I don’t.”

Jungkook almost fell off the bed.

“But I do know that is what my father told me. Alphas used to have a lot of children outside of their marriage, because the sex is quite literally addicting. It is similar to partaking hard drugs. Alphas only marry once, to the suitor most powerful that makes them yield, thus establishing their offspring as the true heirs blessed by the moon. The moon’s blessing ensures fertility between that connection. It does not, however, stop the Alpha from getting around.”

He hesitated and then blurted, “Your dad gets around?!”

You froze.

Then your ears lowered.

“No. I have never smelled another scent mingling with my father’s other than my mother,” you sighed sadly.

-

He could tell he struck a forbidden chord.

“I’m sorry.”

She smiled. Weakly. Then shook her head. “No. Don’t be.” She lifted her head, facing out the window. No. To the moon hanging above them, softly illuminating the world below. Her hand raised.

She tapped above her heart, twice, with her fingernail.

Turned to him. They shared silent expression of understanding. She took his right hand, and directed it to his heart. Nodded when he held his index finger out.

“Tap your heart twice and look to the moon,” she instructed softly.

He did so, feeling a faint, strained pull from within.

“What does it mean?”

She smiled again, and Jungkook could see the sadness. The yearning. A dream broken, a memory never forgotten, a love indescribable that transcended time and space and worlds.

“It is a Dire practice. How we to pay respects to the dead.” Her eyes shone. “She would have loved to meet you, my sun.”

She fell into his arms and he caught her, holding her for a long, long time.

-

You had never been in such a place before.

“Reservation for two? Right this way.”

It was a grand place. Different from the castle. A restaurant. The chandeliers above were massive, but each held small, dimly lit bulbs that resembled stars in a dark ceiling. Tables with starched white clothes and high-backed chairs. The clientele was dressed like you and Jungkook, in elegant dresses and pressed slacks paired with button down shirts. They stared at you and him above their wineglasses, trying and failing to be subtle. You held your head high, one of your hands on his elbow, sweeping past them in cobalt velvet and silver heels, your tail brushed out behind you, silken ears raised on alert.

You noticed the table beside yours had two sharply dressed men. The taller man wore a dark green suit, and the other in a navy suit. They sat across from each other, but both turned to glance at towards you as you approached.

You almost smiled, but tried your very best not to.

Park Jimin winked. You felt Jungkook stiffen next to you as Kim Taehyung raised his wine glass to you.

“Those punks…”

Still, he looked nervous in his silk black dress shirt. He hadn’t buttoned it all the way. The peek of his collarbones added a tasteful touch. His dark slacks were well-tailored, perfectly laying over the leather of his black dress shoes. Even the gold buckle of his belt matched the thin gold chain around his neck. As he pulled out your chair, you noticed his cuff links glimmer blue.

Sapphires to match your dress.

You swept your skirt by your thighs and sat down carefully, your tail brushing by his hand.

Smiled as you heard him suppress a squeak.

He sat down quickly as the waiter patiently introduced himself and set down the menus, bowing low in exit.

You curiously glanced about, noticing a few well-dressed Dire among the tables. In fact, you recognized some of them. High-ranking officials that worked in the human government. Your father had appointed them. They all had their full pointed ears, their soft tails groomed, and a couple had precious metal chains and dangling gems woven into their fur.

“I’ve never been somewhere like this.”

“Really?” Jungkook was gawking at his menu as if he had never seen paper before.

“This is my first time. I’m glad it is with you.”

It turned out the menu had an entire section dedicated to cuts of raw meat. There were no prices on the menu. Frightening.

“Do you want me to pay?” you asked, tilting your head.

Your mate seemed on the verge of passing out. “Ah… Actually, when I reserved a table, they asked for my credit card. So they can charge it when we leave, I guess…” Jungkook frowned slightly, his ears turning red as he glared at you. “I’m treating you. Although,” he muttered under his breath, I can’t do this all the time, clutching his menu so tightly his knuckles were white.

You assured him. “I’m really looking forward to it. You look very handsome, by the way.”

His face brightened. He straightened up, tucking a few strands of his blond bangs behind his ear. Half of it was tied back, leaving the shorter layers to soften his features. His shoulders relaxed a bit.

“I thought you went to these kinds of places all the time.”

You shook your head. “No. Father hates these sorts of places. Excessive pomp and circumstance.” You imitated his deep, gruff voice with a laugh. “We have a personal butcher bring cuts of meat about half the time. The other half, we hunt.”

-

The Alpha sneezed.

It was a loud, hostile sound that echoed throughout the stone castle.

He rubbed the end of his snout with the pad of his paw. Hmph. Someone must have been mocking him.

He growled and continued down the stairs, heading to the dining room for peaceful dinner.

-

“H-Hunt?”

“Ah… Wildlife.”

Before either of them could continue the conversation, the waiter was back. He asked if they were ready to order. Instead of looking towards him, the waiter poised towards his girlfriend first. Jungkook was a little surprised at how the waiter seemed to not react to the silvery black-tipped fur. Maybe he shouldn’t though. He had chosen this restaurant because it had a raw meat menu, after all.

She made eye contact, and Jungkook smiled, gesturing her to go first.

Their waiter was a gentle-looking man with salt-and-pepper hair, sparkling dark eyes, and slightly rounded cheeks. He listened carefully to her order with his hands tucked into one another, a napkin draped over his forearm.

“Excellent selection,” he praised, separating his hands. “I would like to invite you to try our house red wine, specialty crafted and bottled specifically for our dear customers to prefer the raw selection. Its deep, rich, fruity flavor will match perfectly.”

He nudged her foot under the table, trying to convince her to ball out. She did not look at him but tapped the tip of her high heel against the side of his shoe.

“That sounds lovely.”

“Wonderful.” The waiter bowed and faced him. “And what would you like this fine evening?”

“Ah, well…”

He somehow managed to mumble his way through the peppered wagyu beef option. Medium rare. The waiter was unperturbed by his obvious anxiousness. He asked if them both if they would like to share the bottle of wine, then, since the pairing would be excellent with both their choices.

“Oh, we can do that?”

For his part, the waiter did not react to Jungkook’s sputter.

His wolf girlfriend shot him an alarmed look before quickly composing herself and saying, “We would love to.”

The waiter bowed again, and repeated their orders to confirm. He took their menus and bowed out, swiftly disappearing to the bustle of the kitchen.

“He was very professional.”

“I… I made a fool of myself,” he groaned, wanting to hide under his hands. Instead, he clasped his cloth napkin for life support. “It’s so obvious I’m low class. I’m sorry.”

Her chuckle was warm. “Don’t apologize. You weren’t rude.” She reached over and pet his knuckles with her fingertips, her ears perked. “Remember, this is my first experience too.”

He could feel eyes on them. “Do you think… anybody here recognizes you?”

Without breaking eye contact, she said, “I think I’ve been identified, yes.” There was no warning in her voice. “But Taehyung and Jimin are here. And I am not embarrassed to be seen with you. They will need to get used to it.”

Jungkook couldn’t help but peek at their surroundings. “Would you call this a soft launch?”

Confusion brushed over her features. “Launch of what?”

He grinned. “Don’t worry about it.”

She scowled cutely. “No, tell me. Explain this terminology to me.”

He sometimes forgot she didn’t know these things. He explained, and the topics moved on to other phrases and sayings she had questions on. He remembered once again that she didn’t own a phone; it was hard to recall because she knew so much information about music, science, and even philosophy. She explained how she received the schooling that all Dires did, but also had additional classes with various occupations such as silversmithing, tailoring, butchering, and shadowing the Alpha when he interacted with the human government.

“How does it work? Are you supposed to step into the role as soon as possible?”

She shook her head. “No. When my father chooses to retire, I will defeat him in combat to assume the title of Alpha. I could challenge him before that, but,” she mused, smiling. “Over his dead body, as he would say.”

“Does everything end in fighting?”

“A lot of things do.” She caught his troubled expression. “I think you are mistaken by the nature of combat. For humans, fighting is generally negative, as it often devolves from conflict and hurt. But, for the Dire, combat is essential to life. How we defend our ideals, how we connect with our souls, how we become one with the earth and each other.” The waiter came by with two polished wine glasses, soon followed by a bucket of ice that sat on the edge of the table. “We do not fight to cause pain. Of course, we bruise. We bleed. Bones break occasionally, but not often. With each strike, we communicate. We understand. We bond.”

Their plates of food followed. His steak and roasted vegetables, plated with a crisscross pattern of delicate, buttery sauce, and her select raw meat sliced to thinly marbled red perfection. With a careful tilt of the wine bottle, the waiter filled her glass first, wiping the edge of the opening with his folded cloth napkin in one smooth motion. Jungkook noticed the label of the bottle was a wax seal of a family crest with a handwritten brush script in looping characters. He could barely read what it said, but it was clearly very expensive dark red wine.

His mate raised her head to thank the waiter as Jungkook prayed for his bank account not to end in the negatives after tonight. But, really, did it matter? He was surprised to realize that he didn’t mind too much, especially after seeing the sparkling expression in those gold-flecked eyes as she curiously viewed her plate. The waiter poured him a glass too before placing the bottle on ice, bowing as he implored them to enjoy their meal.

That was the best steak that he had ever consumed to date.

Jungkook did not know, at the time, that it would leave a bitter taste in his mouth.

He did not know, at the time, that he would never, ever visit this establishment again. In fact, both of them would come to unconsciously avoid this type of place, at least for a long time. Yet, in the moment, he felt a rising, pure joy in seeing her spear her meat and dine with him so freely. So lovely. So normal, just like any other couple on a fancy date enjoying each other’s company. He asked if she was enjoying her meal. She nodded, and took a sip of her wine before licking her lips, her brows knitting together before relaxing.

“I think you’re supposed to swirl it a little and sniff it,” Jungkook whispered, holding his own glass as if it was a bomb. “To let out the aromatics or something.” He did not know if he was right or not.

“I can smell it very clearly,” she whispered back, but rocked her wrist regardless. Even she seemed unsure. “Dires do drink alcohol, but I’m told it has a stronger effect on humans than us. Our muscle density and blood chemistry are different.”

“Oh.” He called the Dires slamming shot after shot in the bars of Hongdae. “That’s why they drink so much…” He took a sip and tired not to grimace. It was smooth but quite intense. Then again, it was made to pair with raw meat, so it must be crafted to suit the Dire tastebuds.

“It’s mild. I like it.”

“Y… Yeah…”

She saw right through him. “You don’t like it?”

He rubbed the back of his head. “I don’t think I expected the flavor to be so concentrated.” He took another, smaller sip this time.

“Are you pleased with your selections?”

Both of them started and tried their best not to look as startled as their initial reaction. Their waiter had mysteriously appeared right next to their table, smiling, a little mischievously perhaps. His salt-and-pepper hair gleamed under the starry chandeliers above.

“U-Uh, yeah. Yes.” Jungkook cleared his throat. “It’s delicious.”

“Agreed.” She tipped the wine glass towards the waiter. “The red is wonderful. Thank you for suggesting it.”

“My pleasure.”

The waiter bowed deeply, forearm over his vest to smooth it over his apron as he stood up.

“Please, savor your time with us.”

It was not until later that Jungkook pondered on the phrasing of those parting words.

They ate. They drank. They fell deeper and deeper in love, staring into each other’s eyes.

She still had a few slices of meat left on her plate when he began to notice the gold streaks bleeding into her irises.

-

You were so absorbed in your conversation with Jungkook that you failed to notice the distant, unfamiliar sensation piercing your heart until it suddenly became white-hot pain.

Your palm hit the table with a resounding blow.

"Jungkook."

His name shot out of your mouth like a bullet. The pain intensified, forcing you to double over. His eyes went wide at your terrified whisper. Your other hand covered one of your eyes as the stabbing agony scalded through your veins at warp speed. Fuck, it hurt. And… power. You gasped, knocking over your glass, the white tablecloth hemorrhaging red, and suddenly you knew what it was – every single fiber of your being seized against your will, overtaken by devastating, inhuman, feral rage.

Your visible eye shot to the waiter.

The wine.

He smiled.

It was vindicative and cold. 

You poisoned me!

The wolf inside you tore at your insides, ravaged by wrath, breaking every shackle of internal control with alarming ease. You had never felt broken from your inner soul before, but it was happening, it was happening right now, and you cried out. Helpless. The sound of grinding bone. Fur already shooting through your fingers. Jimin and Taehyung at the other table springing to their feet. The growl in your throat unmistakable now and the other patrons gasped in terror. But not Jungkook. 

Your sun looked scared for you. 

Unlike him, you were dreadfully, horribly afraid.

"Jungkook... don't look for me," you pleaded.

You threw yourself out of your seat as silver black-tipped fur bristled all up your arms. Your back. Your legs. The sound of velvet tearing. The despairing feeling of losing your mind to an unstoppable force. Snapping your teeth, half-wolf, half-woman, blinding pain shooting throughout your body at the forced transformation and you tried to fight it. Tried so hard that you tasted blood as a disconcerting screech was ripped from your lungs. Bones cracking. Startling everyone around you as you crawled on all fours, hearing Jungkook calling after you, almost muffled due to your ears flattening against your head, your lips peeling back, sharpened teeth bared. Your shoulder blades grinded against each other, too big for your human form. Wicked black claws slashed the carpet, creating large gashes and deep channels into the wood underneath. 

You let out a bloodcurdling howl of pain.

The restaurant erupted into screams.

Jungkook shouting your name. 

You bellowed at the top of your lungs. 

"DO NOT FOLLOW!"

You must run. 

You ran. 

-

"Always an animal."

Jungkook spun around and punched the waiter in the face, right before Jimin and Taehyung tackled him to the ground. 

"Catch the bottle!" Jimin yelled as the man tried to swing an arm at the ice bucket. 

He caught it mid-air, not knowing where to look, after you or at this sicko with a black eye who definitely did something to you. There was still some wine in there. Taehyung was on his phone, speaking rapidly, and Jimin unforgivingly slammed his knee into the lower back of the waiter, silencing his horrible laughter. The restaurant was an uncontrolled chaos of wailing patrons.

Another violent, heinous howl silenced them all. 

You. 

Jungkook could recognize your broken voice fading into the distance. 

Do not follow. 

"Do not follow," Jimin wheezed. "Please, Jungkook, I know you want to, but do not follow."

He set his jaw and fell to one knee, landing right on the waiter's writhing hand. The man squealed in pain as the sirens sounded outside. 

"Only humans use underhanded tactics," he spat, his voice so low that it seemed to have a cutting edge. The man in Jimin's grip froze, his eyes wide, finally realizing he had pissed off the wrong person.

Jungkook snapped his teeth. 

"Animals fight head on."

-

The Alpha could smell it. 

Rage.  

Fear. 

His daughter. 

He bolted from his seat, forgetting his dinner. The servants started, but he could smell it, it, the horrible scent from memory. It was coming. Coming right for him. 

He howled. 

Loud, resolute, commanding. The servants immediately ran, dashing away, howling with him. The growing sound carried from the echoing stone castle to the homes into the woods, penetrating into the darkness, rising to the sky. The message was loud and clear. Run. Lock the doors. Barricade them. Stay inside. You will die.

The Berserker approaches.

There was the sound of splintering wood and a heavy thud. On all fours, the Alpha shot through the halls, his silver robes tearing apart as he ran. In his lifetime, this had happened only once before. Only once. The heavy pendants of his chain necklace slammed against his broad chest. The large black wolf bounded into the throne room, snarling, seeing his eyes burning gold in the glass of the window.

A silver blur crashed through the glass. 

Teeth, claws, blood, launching right at him. His beautiful daughter nearly the same size as him, a silver wolf with black-tipped fur, but she was there no more. Even the pupils of her eyes had been swallowed by gold fury. Full beast, no human to control the reigns, breaking his heart.

She looked exactly like her mother on her final day. 

He did not hesitate, throwing himself to the side so she missed. She caught herself on all fours, jaws snapping, viciously growling with black lips peeled back. No remorse. Only attack. She flung again and he twisted, but she was faster, slashing through his fur and drawing blood, cutting almost to the bone. 

The Alpha screamed, but not in physical pain. 

She wretched her claws out, swiping at him. 

No. 

No. 

Not his daughter too.

He dodged, throwing a chair into her path. She smashed it into splinters, roaring, all her fur bristling, awful flat glowing gold coins for eyes. 

Then for a split second. 

The Alpha had excellent eyesight. He swore he saw the slightest sliver of pleading. He narrowed his gaze, baring his teeth too as she began to stalk around him, her tail straight up, her pointed ears rigid. Pure aggression once more. The two gigantic wolves circled each other, their claws clicking against stone.

"I swear on my life I will save you, my daughter," the Alpha declared. "You must fight it."

She growled and slammed into him. 

-

part v

--

masterpost

[katastronoot]

WIP Wednesday

Tagged by: @hannahcbrown Ty for tagging!!!

Tagging: @the-sunlit-earth @blackfeathercourt @vidvana @sheirukitriesfandom

I don’t have any artworks in progress right now surprisingly. I am still writing my novel (slowly but surely) I have never posted any writing on here so…here’s me being brave xD

This is the opening draft to my book :)

The ballroom was bustling with noise. Glasses clinked on glass while nobles chattered away about extravagant wealth. Their flashy jewels and adornments shimmered under the large crystal hung chandelier. Melancholy melodies played through the gramophone all the while snarls and growls came from the beasts that argued at the dining tables.

They always bicker about something.

Mira silently grumbled to herself. She was no stranger to these so called ‘elegant’ dinner parties that were thrown at the most outlandish manors on this side of Eliphias. In fact, she found herself parading around crowds of gaudily dressed bureaucrats at least once or twice in a week. Maybe even three times, considering how badly they wanted to brag and boast around each other lately.

She could use a stronger glass of champagne.

“Would you like a refreshment?”

Right on schedule.

A tall, hairy butler paraded beside her. His long thick hair was pulled back in a knot at the base of his skull, facial hair was neatly kept, while it even appeared that he trimmed the patches of wiry hair on the tops of his hands. They usually never went to such ‘bodily maintenance’. Mira looked down at the silver platter in his claws. A crystal decanter full of a golden-brown liquid and two goblets of a dark red.

“Pig’s blood and bone mead. The lady’s favorite.”

Mira summoned a polite smile, “No, thank you”. Werewolves. She rolled her eyes with a sigh. They weren’t the worst company to be in, but her enjoyment didn’t matter at the moment. She was here on a job, and she needed to devise a plan. The art of thievery was nothing short of natural to her. Nearly thirty years in the trade and it makes sense for one to be quite the expert on slinking around while putting on the façade of an average everyday citizen just enthused to be in the company of so-called elegance.

It wasn’t precious jewels or extravagant heirlooms that this thief was after. No, it was something much more valuable than that. Monsters in this land did not value gold like humans do, even if their pocketbooks flourished and they had enough to share with every soul in this world. They owned businesses and ruled kingdoms. They were at the top of the hierarchy chain. A few lost coins or trinkets did not matter in the slightest when it came to the beast’s worth. So, what was?

[elvencantation]

damsel liveblog

tbh my forward arrow fingers are itchy so im gonna be skipping through a lot of this

okay that opening quote was just tacky. we get it. we've seen the previews. youve made the point with the movie title

dude youve brought like twelve people to kill a dragon?? how badly do you want to die?

ooooooo i do love some mushroom arthictecture!! gimme more pls

also love how the fire almost looks liquid in some spots. or maybe thats the melting armor

oh look she's cutting wood she's not a regular girl

they did pick the right task tho chopping wood is kinda hot (see that one canadian lady on instagram)

why does her maidservant already annoy me? its cute theyre holding hands tho

i like their furs. giving stark family vibes

queen of aurea?? seriously??? queen of gold with ships of gold? how on the nose??? or is that the point

srsly giving reverend mother vibes with the 'your holiness' and matchmaking. or maybe ive just got permanent dune brainrot that's closer to the surface after seeing pt2 twice in imax

oooooo cool hair!!

WAIT THATS HER LITTLE SISTER? oh okay the side by side shots make more sense now

more cool hair i wanna see closer!!! and cute sibling interaction

OMG THIS LOOKS SO COOL I WANNA GIF IT

screen recording aquired, will link when i gif

i'd be annoyed at the parent's reactions to aurea if i didnt think about just how much it weighed on them to not be able to provide for their people

i need to take a break and go walk mom's dog

back after that and yummy dinner and just hanging out in bed with puppy and re-reading star wars time travel fics

love how the mountains are immediately ominous behind the beautiful manicured gardens and the stately if a little smudgy castle

AHA THERES THE HAIR!! WHAT BEAUTIFUL BRAIDS IM OBSESSED

lovely balcony and once again, ominous mountains! so pretty so pretty

also yes i know this is pretty basic symbolism but having her in full sunlight and the other girl in shadow? *chefs kiss* i love it every time

girlie why you drawing a labyrinth? i thought she was journaling or something

GOD I LOVE ROBIN WRIGHT. I WANNA SEE HER EVIL

excited to see what the labyrinth will be. boy be calling it a maze smh

awww i do love a good horse ride!! and they match! too bad he's about to toss her into a chasm like a sack of sacrificial potatoes

oh no did they brainwash her poor dad?? also my god stepmom is on fire with the braids and outfits

the cracks are starting to show. but seriously, forgetting the name of the girl youre about to sacrifice?? thats just plain rude

ahhh here's the scene i saw like five times on instagram

oh god please dont make the corset weird please dont say anything weird about it P L E A S E for the love of marzi!

did they give her a bodice dagger?? or was that just the sheath? i love it

ahhhh i do enjoy some nature inspired jewelry!!

also the red cloak!!! lovely

pretty pretty pretty!!!

ahhh the creepy gold masks theyre so intricate!!!

and robin is now a reverend mother too

ooooo what a pretty shot and i want her jewelry wow

ahhhh i do enjoy how subtly uncomfortable the prince looks

aha there we go. now the fun can begin!

oooooo look at all those coins

also a very pretty shot!

oooooooo i need to gif this bit too

WAIT THE DRAGON TALKS?!?!!?

my god the voice is stunning

MAGMA DRAGONFIRE THIS IS GORGEOUS (pausing for more screen recording)

looks like the maw of a dragon!!!

wait im sorry why's the other girl burnt and dead if its only 'once a generation'???

avenging angel vibes pls continue

ok yeah so it was only a sheath. too much to ask for for them to give her an actual weapon

what the heck was in that pretty filigree egg thing?? also i want one. its so pretty. i mean i know it was some kind of scent. convenient that it burns like a lamp XD

wow this movie is just feeding me lots of pretty visuals tyty

good thing girlie's got lots of upper arm strength from chopping wood!

yeahhhh make a bioluminescent lamp!!! and double win, she got rid of the second sleeve. much better now

wow im gay

magically healing bioluminescent non-oceanic nudibranches??

thats my new indie band name btw

please tell me shes taking some magic slugs with her. youre gonna be climbing spikes pls bring some healing with you

such pretty stabby crystals!!

once again looking like a maw. though this time more like the maw of a sandworm ;)

"three were taken three must be given" ???? excuse me

ah. they were dumb enough to anger a mama dragon. they deserve to die

tell me her dad aint gonna get him and his men killed

also damn she made it all the way up just to have to come back down

oh we finally get to see the dragon!!! goddamn. she looks like a scaly gryfon i like it

dont you guys dare kill the dad off just as i was starting to like him. dont do it

yeah i guess they realized they had to redeem him so his death would have impact. rude

girl take chekhov's sword!

ohhhh this is so pretty i think i gotta screen record it too

this is some pompeii shit. oh i should watch that movie its got two hot people in it

even cooler!!!

theyre just killing everyone?? thats boring

the mulan hair thing woulve been cool if i didnt daily put up my hair in a very secure bun without any pins or hairties that only works when your hair is like mid back length at least XD

its a miracle you didnt hurt your leg with you fell elodie

oh noooooo oh god that was so awkward i cant

why is this so awkward?? whats happening

like you ever did what you were told?? whats happening? whats with the pacing, the dialogue the blocking?? w h a t

why did they have to show the queen with her crown melting off for so long??

oh they match! nice

ooooooo pretty pretty

overall kind of a fun movie. dont think i'd watch it again. still need to watch i am dragon

[exalted-dawn-drabbles]

HAP FRI HAP FRI “Let’s push all of these stuff away. I wanna dance here right now with you.” “Are we really doing this? Are we really slow-dancing?” for tal x calder?

Hehehehe I actually already started a lil drabble along the lines of this so I was able to sorta bend it to this prompt XD WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER! But anyway, enjoy! (It's a lil naughty cause dumbasses do be horny always)

for @dadrunkwriting

Rated M: Slightly suggestive themes, 510 words

Slow Dancing | by Exalted_Dawn

Talenna hid her burgeoning smile beneath a sigh. But still, she did not pull away. 

“You’re drunk, ma lath.” 

“And you’re ravishing. Doesn’t mean we should stop.”

His laughter, scented of berry wines and the late summer breeze, stirred against the crown of her head, hearty and warm and criminally endearing. It made chasing his hands from her waist, something she was hardly keen on to begin with, far more difficult a feat than it already was. His touch was insistent, and he held her close against his chest as they both swayed gently down alleyways, dancing beneath the light of the two moons. 

The music had long since faded; swept away between hallways and shut doors as they had drifted farther and farther from the celebrations. Somewhere across the maze of stone and shingles, the bands still played and drinks were still poured, but they were a long ways from there now, and Calder was beginning to step on her feet. 

"I beg to differ," she snorted, tilting her head to catch his gaze. "I won't be so ravishing when you fall over top of me, tipsy as you are. We may have survived the war, but that hardly means I can't be crushed to death under your fat arse."

“Nonsense,” he murmured, speaking kisses against her forehead. “You are ravishing, always. Especially whenever you wind up under me,” he added after a moment’s thought, gleeful. 

She shouldn’t have, but Talenna couldn’t help but chuckle. Even drunk, the man was much too keen for his own good. Reckless and witty were a bad combination, and that was without any encouragement, liquid or otherwise. She shook her head, biting down on her lips to hide her grin. “I’m not doing this here with you.”

“Doing ‘what’ exactly?” His smile widened against her brow. His hand glided over her hip. “Slow dancing?” 

Talenna scoffed, but she did not push him away. Instead, her eyes flicked to his, their bronze gold bright with knowing. “Is that really what we’re doing right now? We’re slow dancing?” 

“Yeup.” The ‘p’ smacked on Calder’s lips. And he spoke it oh so confidently, too. 

“Unfortunate,” she hummed, plucking at some invisible speck of dust on his shirt. “I was hoping for a different answer. After all,” she grinned up at him, her smile more wolfish now than his– fitting for her namesake. “You are a much better lover than you are a dancer, ma lath, and that's without the wine in your veins. I may have been tempted otherwise.”

And with that, she slipped out of his grasp and began to run, jogging across the cobblestones. Somewhere behind her, she could hear the man’s befuddled squawk, but she did not stop for it. He would be fine, she knew. 

“Ir abelas,” she called, laughter like the unbound strands of her hair streaking out behind her. “But I won’t dance for all of Orlais to see! If you want a show, you’ll have to catch me in private first!”

And, well, Calder found his feet fast enough after that. 

[lemedstudent2021]

LMAO WHAT? PLEASE TELL ME THIS IS SATIRE. MANSAF? MANSAF?? OF ALL DISHES?! HELP XD

i honestly dont know if i should be laughing or crying. for context:

mansaf, a dish made of fermented yogurt (jameed) and meat cooked in said yogurt, was literally invented to spite (for lack of a better term) the jews who had to wait a full six hours between eating meat and dairy/ were prohibited from cooking them together

king Mesha of Moab, an ancient kingdom in present day Jordan, whom you may know from the Mesha Stele, ordered meat to be cooked in dairy in order to differentiate his people from the jews (the history is extremely interesting but way too long to write here lol)

the milk is cooked/ fermented and left to dry in the blistering heat to make these jameed rocks as i like to call them that are the size of a shot put (theyre heavier than they look) with a shelf life of up to 2 yrs.

to cook it you have to soak it and add a bunch of things anyway the finished product is beautiful liquid gold, but be warned it is very dense and you might fall asleep right after (my dad and i call this mansaf syndrome). also part of the process is adding a metric tonne of salt which kinda explains why hypertension is so prevalent lol

even over 3000 years later it still holds a special place in the hearts of many in the levant, including but not limited to Jordan, Palestine, Syria and Iraq with several variations existing based on geographic location & climate

there are plenty of bedouin traditions surrounding the making of this dish going strong to this day, as well as cultural significance, like where im from its typically served at weddings and funerals.

i might reblog with more because now im hungry XD

Sometimes I think about that one israeli guy who claimed mansaf was an authentic israeli dish and posted a picture of his (nasty looking) mansaf plate like out of all the dishes you wanted to steal, you chose the one that is specifically not kosher (lamb meat steeped in yogurt) and made by Palestinians+Jordanians in response to the occupation specifically? Like the one dish that is logically impossible to be an Israeli dish and you wanted to pass it off as one? I remember israel stans on here got livid when they were introduced the concept of food colonialism but like... a little too on the nose in this situation, right?

[iristial]

[mellointheory]

Happy BHM! Hi! I'm Mello and I write fics mostly focused on the ppcrew members of the dsmp (Punz, Ant, occasional Foolish and Velvet as well). I tend to write a lot of religious themes and aus, and if I ever write a fic that does not involve blood or smoking in some capacity you will know that I have been killed and replaced. Here are some of my fave/best ones, with some snippets from them as well!

Hallowed Devourer, a gods and angels au where Punz is an angel of DreamXD wandering the mortal realm.

“I’ve cleansed you.” XD says in satisfaction. “Not a trace of rot remains. You’re pure now, and so I send you to those who are not.”

Punz reaches up and stretches his arms over his head, opens his wings wide until the feathers seem to reach from end to end of the island they stand upon. The hunger gnaws at his belly like a living thing.

“What do you want me to do?”

XD grins with the void of his face.

“Make them fear me.”

Broken Mirrors, Bleeding Hands, a himbros-focused au where Punz is a demon summoner and Foolish is his guardian angel

“Maybe it was compassion that I lost,” Foolish says finally. “But I don’t really know.”

“If you were really compassionate you would have just killed me by now.” Punz isn’t sure if they’re even being fair, but nor do they care.

“I will,” Foolish says gently. It sounds like a promise, and it’s more soothing than it ever really should be. 

“I’ll kill you when you fall too far,” the angel promises. It’s the kindest Foolish has ever really sounded.

God's Favorite Angel, a canon compliant fic exploring the concept of Punz and Foolish as the favored entertainment of DreamXD

Punz forces one last breath into their fragile lungs and XD pulls them under.

It’s like being on fire, being submerged in that pool of bled gold, dragged in by the hand around their throat. Then an arm slides under their shoulders and lifts them from depths. Molten gold streams from his skin as XD bends over him. The god’s arms are wrapped around him, keeping him from sinking back under the surface of the pool. He’s whole again, fractured body healed by the liquid they float in.

“I can fix you,” XD says tenderly, setting Punz down. It holds out a hand to them, taking a step back. The surface of the pool ripples around its robes.

“And I feed you, that’s the way it goes.” Punz reaches up and takes his hand.

Rafflesia Hearts, a velvetfrost focused superhero au following villain Velvet and hero Ant as they get way too mixed up in both the Crimson and each other.

“You saw the video. I can’t fucking do that again. That’s not hard to understand, right, cutie?”

“Don’t call me–”

“I’m not trying to manipulate you. I’m being dead fucking honest here.” Rafflesia takes a deep breath and lowers his hands. His fingers wind around each other and for a moment he’s almost entirely motionless, just standing there and staring Ant in the eyes. “I need your help, Grimalkin. I need you to save me.”

Ant growls.

There’s no way he’s this weak, right? There’s no way he’ll just give in and agree again, help the desperate, shaking man who stands in front of him. 

Right?

These are just a few examples of my more popular ones; I hope you enjoy!

[dorki-c]

Ms. Cheshire Cat

Characters: Dabi and Reader  

A/N: Thanks for all of the support I’ve been getting! This one-shot was HEAVILY inspired by the song called ‘Feeling Good’ by Michael Buble- anyways Happy Christmas (or if you don’t celebrate Christmas, then happy holidays)! Btw, prepare yourselves for a lil bit of spice in this one-shot and remember to like, reblog, and follow me for more content!

Edit: I accidently didnt realise I spelt the title wrong XD Anyways hope you guys enjoy it otherwise!

Important note: Reader has cat ears and a teleportation quirk :D

It was the same boring day when the raven-haired man noticed his client had decided to hire another villain to work with him and the blonde gremlin- or as most people dubbed her ‘Toga’.

And if he ever said that this new recruit had made the day seem more interesting, that wouldn’t be a lie.

From that point onwards, neither of you realised that this sort of encounter would ensue many more meetings or as Toga likes to say, “lots of cheesy and gross flirting” because of the numerous times she’s walked into a room in the place of operation where either Dabi or (y/n) were roaming their lust-entranced eyes over the other person’s body.

Though once this normal day to day thing had ended when the client had no use for the crummy place. It was upsetting to say the least.

From each corner of the villain’s hideout, everyone had noticed Dabi’s change of behaviour after the mission was done and dusted. In the male’s head, he wasn’t annoyed that the job wasn’t thoroughly complete- that was Shigaraki’s reaction- but instead, with a shallow gaze down into the small shot glass swirling with the deep hazy golden-brown liquid, Dabi had thought of the many possibilities on when he could see you again.

Or how he could see you. But let’s leave those thoughts at the back of his head for now.

Throwing his head back, the burning liquid ran down his throat like the change of scenery around him.

He was no longer in the league’s hideout but instead in a largely owned villain nightclub- one that he hasn’t been to yet- although, it was only for a small errand of getting a folder of information because Twice couldn’t be bothered to get his lazy ass off the couch and additionally it would be good for him to “find other fish in the sea.”- quoted by that one marble guy (which Dabi can’t be asked to remember his name).

As minutes licked past in a slow languid fashion, the dangling golden dimmed lights strung up above the bartending station as the rambunctious gathering hole blared with music and the heavy smog of cigarette smoke.

Gripping the folder in his hand, Dabi thought to stay for a little bit. Maybe it will help him gain information on your whereabouts were, though it was difficult. Ever since Giran had informed the villain of your ‘in and out of existence’ behaviour being a normal occurrence for assassins, that still spurred him to the brink of exhaustion.

Closing his eyes when cocking his head backwards in an attempt to feel an exasperated sense of serenity in this unknown environment, when Dabi’s eyes circled in confusion at the appearance of another glass of vodka sitting cutely on top of the glossy lacquered redwood bar. It dawned upon him when the sticky warm breath of somebody’s breath tickling his pierced ear had angelically whispered “Aren’t you going to drink it?” that it was actually your voice.

“Is there poison?” Dabi muttered as two of his ten fingers grasped the clear shot glass that could’ve been mistaken to be empty if not for the reflection of the liquid inside of it. “No, baby.” Murmured (y/n) as two (e/c) cat ears flickered in anxious need for his hands to caress you once more.

“Good kitten.” He took his drink of victory, placed the glass down and leaned upwards to feel the pressure of your chest squeezing so right against taut shoulders. He didn’t care if those dangling illuminations had shined straight into his eyes because he had you locked in his grasp.

Slightly shaking hands reached up to feel the smooth texture of your ears resulting in your lungs releasing an unsteady puff of air when the atmosphere had stagnantly crumbled away in the wake of their minds resulting in (y/n) becoming lightheaded, causing the female to dip her head forward allowing her lover to please her more.

“Do you like that kitten?” She knew Dabi had a shit-eating grin on his face and she didn’t give a flying fuck. “Y-yes…” With the impossibly soft tug of the male’s fingers, when he sneakily pulled one of his hands away from your ears, he led you to a room. “Where are we going?” If it weren’t for your body being held close to his, Dabi wouldn’t have heard you.

Though he didn’t answer you.

Instead, your vision had given you the answer you needed.

Throwing yourself down onto the nightclub’s private bed, Dabi had closed and locked the door behind him.

It wasn’t long for two calloused hands to feel the familiar bumps of your pure untattered skin or have them crawl up against the smooth mesh fabric covering the majority of your body, only being held up by two thick but light weight chains of gold, where Dabi satisfyingly rests his fingers and glides his thumbs slowly down the buds of your body.

“I’m surprised,” He spoke first as (y/n)’s eyes hesitantly snapped up to meet his, “usually your feistier—” Let’s not forget how Dabi caught the narrowing of your eyes “Not like this is any bad, kitten…” Spending no time for you to give a response, he shoved his lips onto yours. Locking them in with the help of salvia, the villain spent not even a millisecond in taking those golden chains and moving them down your arms to reveal the jutted-out bones that shaped the collarbone.

Your skin was always tantalising for him to bite and mark. “T-that’s not fair…” Peeking your eyes open, the male’s outfit still remained on him as untouched as ever whereas he was slowly- most annoyingly- removing the scandalous dress that left nothing for the mind to think about.

“What’s not fair, kitten?” Under this dimmed lighting, you noted how his bright blue orbs seemed to emit some sort of glow to use as a tactic of submission. “Y-your t-teasing me…” Raising your arms upwards to wrap around the warm mounds, the slick sensation of a warm slippery organ ran itself along the thin helix of her ear where in that moment, a low chuckle bellowed out of Dabi’s throat.

“I thought you liked being teased?” All you needed to do is grab that folder and escape your lover’s grasp. Though that was proving more difficult than it was thought out to be.

The money that came with this incognito mission was something you desperately needed, but even then, what should you choose? Dabi or money? Love or wealth?

Maybe you could pick both? That’s what (y/n) thought, as she felt a warm digit press harshly against the nether regions of her body. Sure, the entrance to the forbidden cavern was blocked by expensive fishnet tights and soft cotton panties, but it doesn’t stop the slithering finger of the villain above her.

Dabi eyed the twitching ears and the flooding blood to (y/n)’s cheeks, “Kitten, you haven’t answered my question…” He also eyed the sporadic squirming of wanting some sort of release from a singular digit pressing against your body. Leaning forward to only allow your eyes to stare dead centre into his own with a hint of sobriety lingering. “Com’ on kitten,” It was only his voice that lured you into a true sense of serenity, “you don’t want to be a bad kitty, do you?”

“No, no, no, I don’t—" The words had squeaked through babbling curses as an advantage to him. “Then answer my question.” As harsh as before the separation, his actions further proved his meaning, though with that crazed pearly white smile, you weren’t sure what signal he was sending.

“I-I think. I d-do…” He simply shook his head.

“I need a clear answer—" She didn’t know at the time, but when the music in the nightclub had a bass drop hit from the band preforming as Dabi dipped his finger near her nether region- after wriggling under the cloth barrier- that was when (y/n) snapped out of her intoxicated state and teleported across the room with the folder sitting snug in her fingers grasp.

It was a surprise to Dabi. Darting his head towards the folder that was left unadministered on the side of the bed, it wasn’t there.

Instead, in the corner of his vision, there you stood; fully dressed before you entered this room and wearing a wide grin.

Jumping off the bed to get the folder out of your grasp, Dabi swiped at your illusions body. “Wrong move, baby.” Snapping his head towards the direction of Chester cat grinning lady dangling from the window by only her arms.

In a second, she was there. In another second, she disappeared.

(Y/n) was called Ms. Chester cat, for a reason.

God fucking damnit. How could he have let his horniness get the better of himself?

The next morning was another surprise.

With the throbbing of his head echoing like a traditional drum being banged against, the excuse he made to Shigaraki had been half-assed- considering he was cockblocked by his beloved kitten.

So, here he was sitting short-fused and tired. When Giran had opened the door to his working place room waving a very familiar coloured folder paired with a red stained kiss on it- Dabi may or may not have jumped to conclusions that you were playing with him.

“The fuck? You better not be playing with me, Giran.” Looming over the broker, he wasn’t impressed with whatever the fuck is going on.

Through the expression that he was receiving didn’t give him all the answers, the next sentence he heard was an impressively bold one.

“What?” Giran shrugged at Dabi, with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Say thanks to your little lady next time.”

Huffing in response, Dabi gave Giran a dismissive wave.

 “Well, she is a Cheshire cat, after all.” 

Taglist:

  @orenjineki, @haredabi, @in-this-house-we-stan-izuku​, @glitterfreezed​

[emerald-amidst-gold]

Random fic ask! Is there a favorite scene that you are particularly proud of in your fics? If so, which one is it?

Hello, nony! Thanks for the ask! Rambling about my stories is on a whole different level than rambling about individual characters for me! It's like utilizing the rubber duck technique! :D

So, this took me a bit since I have about three scenes I'm especially proud of due to structure and just overall dialogue, but this one particular scene from a five chapter drabble that was my first dip into smut has to be my absolute favorite. I legit re-read it to help me remember how to write. Honestly. XD

***

“Aterian..”, Solas called out to the sleeping man once again, voice a touch louder this time as he leaned down to lay a light kiss against a freckled cheek. “..Come. Open your eyes for me.”

As if his words were some kind of command, Fane’s glimmering emerald eyes cracked open, albeit slightly, a hazy cloud of deep sleep masking the usual brilliance of liquid-like gold. Solas smiled more at that as he pulled back slightly to connect their gazes.

“Good morning, ma vhenan.”, Solas greeted the barely awake Elvhen dragon softly, stroking Fane’s cheek with a thumb. “Sleep well?”

Fane leaned into his touch easily before emerald eyes slipped shut once more, the curtain of sleep threatening to shade a draconic mind from the waking world once more. Solas chuckled with fond exasperation at that before moving his hand to cup the side of Fane’s head, brushing his fingers against the dragon’s pointed ear. Yes--this would be a battle, or more appropriately, a war .

“My dragon, I know you dislike early mornings, but this way, we have more time to ourselves before duties begin anew.”, Solas attempted to coax with a sweeter tone before leaning down further to lay a light, but loving kiss against slightly frowning lips.

The kiss had been a mistake, Solas realized because before he could sit himself back up, a heavy, muscled arm came up to gently yank him down. He let out a soft noise of surprise and confusion before feeling the softness of the bed he was now pinned down against, his face going blank. He was losing ground in this war already. That would not do.

“Aterian.”, Solas said with a fond, but warning tone, face still deadpan as he looked up at Fane, who’s own face was down turned into a slight frown. At least he had managed an expression to appear. A small victory.

Fane merely snorted sleepily, presumably at his tone of voice, before emerald eyes opened once more - a bit more this time as flecks of gold began to shine from the rising sun outside.

“Mm?”, Fane hummed out in question, finally deigning to acknowledge him as the arm that had yanked Solas down closed in to hug him close.

“It is time to get up.”, Solas repeated calmly, attempting to dislodge himself from Fane’s embrace with little success as his body still felt heavier than a lead weight, and from the sheer strength of the man responsible for that predicament in the first place. “Fane.”, he warned once more, pulling out his heart’s other name for a harsher effect.

“Mm-hm. I ‘eard ya the..first time..”, Fane’s voice finally eked out in a growl gruff with sleep, eyelids slowly slipping shut once more as he buried his face into the plush pillow more.

“Then you should be attempting to rise.” A warm feeling of affection filling Solas’s heart at the precious sight before him. He would never say it to Fane’s face, but his heart could be rather adorable at times with some of his softer habits. Fane’s grumpy attitude in the mornings was just one of those many soft spots.

“Mm-hm..” Another absent hum leaking out from slightly frowning lips as he watched Fane begin to drift away once more.

“Fane.”

“Solas, shut. the. fuck. up..”

Solas couldn’t help a small smile at Fane’s childish attitude. While his dragon did tend to wake up at the crack of dawn most days, that didn’t mean Fane actually enjoyed it. It was simply a routine for him. Years of living with a Dalish clan, and endless roaming practically warranted such a routine as hunts were best done in the early morning. It was a routine that only seemed to worsen with his role as the Inquisitor, however - the ancient man staying up far too late to pour over reports as well as his own research surrounding his kin while still attempting to help Solas, even if before this, he had lightly diverted the eager dragon. It was also a routine Solas knew was never broken unless Fane was exhausted , and judging by the way the large man was literally fighting to stay awake told him that that was the case this particular morning. Then again, they had indulged in various ways last night.

Perhaps, too indulgent, but I would not change what happened for anything. He thought with a warmer smile, eyes tracing the strong, but graceful contours of Fane’s face as they laid next to each other. He let out another quiet, fond sigh at the memory of emotional and physical connection before shifting closer to Fane’s muscled frame, laying a soft kiss against a bold jaw.

Well, what was the harm in a few minutes more? He would surrender in this war for just a few..

“Ma’isenatha..”, Solas purred out quietly, trailing more kisses along before gripping a pointed chin gingerly to direct Fane’s face towards his own.

“What?”, Fane growled out testily, eyes opening once more to weakly glare at him with a simmering ember of grumpy agitation.

Solas chuckled before releasing Fane’s chin to place it upon a sturdy neck. “Ar lath ma.”, he said tenderly. A simple truth that had long been denied in favor of grief born protection finally being said without fear or shame.

His words had the intended effect of drawing Fane’s attention away from sleep as he saw emerald eyes brighten slowly, an annoyed grimace turning into a faint, but tender smile.

“I love you, too..”, Fane reciprocated with a whisper, the arm around Solas tightening a bit more. Those words were better than any music as Solas returned his dragon’s soft smile with one of his own before leaning in to brush their lips together lightly. Perhaps he had won this war after all.

***

Like seriously? I don't know how I wrote this. It just flowed so well, and since this story I've struggled with replicating it. I'm convinced I was possessed by a writing demon and then they got bored and left. XD

[shadowdianne]

So, apparently, I was tasked with something... xD

@allbutwrong. Your prompt went like this: narcissa gives a speech at draco's wedding and accidentally says hermione's name instead of draco's and then rants to hermione how they could never be till hermione shuts her up with a kiss

I’m just going to do what AJ here knew I was gonna to probably do and make both this and my former prompt related. Enjoy :P

The plates were empty, the glasses half-full and the air was filled with the scent of about-to-fall rain. Despite the ozone and humid blue, the sky was cloudless and Narcissa glanced up at it for a moment while the echo of the calling clink she had made with the aid of her wand and a glass, cursed through everyone’s tables. Conversations halting as shadows began to emerge like scurrying animals beneath the feet of those sitting and slowly turning to the matriarch of the Malfoy family, expecting, waiting, for the last speech of the night, the one that would mark the end of the banquet.

The blonde witch eyed her boy and the man at his side, their intertwined fingers, the subtle yet obvious mark on Draco’s neck as he tried to hide it with the collar of his shirt. She could do anything but smile as she felt Draco return a very similar look etched on his face, a squeeze and a graze of fingertips against darkened tuxedo, magic swirling against the fabric. With the same look, Narcissa moved and pivoted towards her right, catching everyone’s eyes, noticing that while, yes, the number could be feeble as opposed to what could have been before the war the mixed and yet trusting looks tasted much different for both her and the one who had already shared his vows with the dark-haired boy that sat next to him now.

It was bittersweet in a sense, but also rewarding, and the blonde woman could do nothing but start her speech, the one she had written and perfected for weeks now, with something less Malfoy, less Black, and more solely hers: A swinging motion, her hand hitting the dying light, the gold on her hand glowing momentarily while her eyes caught on the witch that, same as she had done  three years ago, had been invited with the same polished piece of white paper, the same hex on the ink of the invitation of itself that she could remember for her as the younger witch had walked towards the second youngest of the Weasley family: red bursting on her cheeks, gorgeous enough to burn.

And, three years after that wedding, the one in where Narcissa had needed to walk away, line after line of words never said burning her tongue, her nostrils, her lungs, the brunette looked just as good, just as gorgeous, as she had done before. With silver and green in subtle details, with the lack of a ring on her finger, her marriage in shambles as the papers had echoed some “unreconcilable problems” amidst the Weasley-Granger household.

Mind blanking, tongue flat against her teeth, Narcissa let her hand fall once more and grasp the stem of her glass, the motion clunky but disguised. Blue eyes searching, the older witch took into the ones still glancing at her, the lag on her response minute and barely seconds but loud on the way her heart humped on her chest. Demanding just as it had done back in the day.

She had tried to revoke herself for the possibility of having a similar reaction, had worked and moved on with her life until the two months mark after the wedding, a bump and a casual way in where her name had been said the last signal for her dying resolution. She had been thrown in a series of decisions of dates and teas and laughter and friendship and, ever so steadily, she had seen the darkened eyes, the lack of sleep, the pursed lips, the word divorce being whispered. Not due to anything in particular, not because some horrible secret, some skeleton that would be best if it remained buried. It was, as Hermione would sometimes confide with tongue licking her lips, eyes lost, wand between her fingers, not a matter of disgraced cruelness but rather her own realization that friendship and fulfillment withing a relationship didn’t necessarily mean the same thing.

Despite of it, or maybe precisely because of it, she had remained as silent as possible, as just as possible. No one needed to repeat to a jailed intellect that they were being clipped off from their wings after they realized it, after all. She remained unshaken, silent, kind, and when Draco had told her about his plans of marriage, she had known what to do when the list for guests had rolled by even if the same concept of it burned the back of her eyelids.

And there she was now, eyes on Draco, fingers shaking slightly, voice enchanted so it could be whispered and murmured by everyone’s in the attendance. The grass beneath their feet lush, the earth amongst it, dry, the twinkling set of flaming stars above them all warm on their winking light.

“There’s braveness in love.” She begun, smile tensing her lips just enough. “During my formative years I was led to believe that love solely meant giving to the point of exhaustion and disappearance. Giving until there was nothing left of me for me to preserve. Love felt like a chore and in the same breath it burned brighter than anything else the moment I first laid an eye on the one you have in front of you. Because the second I saw him, the second I hugged him close to me, I realized that I could not merely put my love for him under the pretense of a chore in where my own soul was destroyed and given to the wind for it to judge me. “

Her voice sounded and echoed and she rolled her shoulders slightly, retaking her initial position, her heart beating wildly, quickly, not out of nerves due to the speech but the acute feeling of being watched, of Hermione’s eyes following her every word, her every move, her every sentence.

“I was wrong, and I got to learn as years passed. Love is not only fire, not only destruction and life wrapped up as beginning and end of a wand and a spell, though, but is also water, tranquil and still on its welcoming embrace. Love is not only the big actions, the ones we are forced to do or rather nothing else will be after we are done. Love is also the smaller decisions, the ones that are choices we take every day, every moment, every waking second. Love is the laughter and the shared glances and the touch of their skin against yours. Love is intimacy in not merely the option of being naked but also on the way her arms around you are enough for you to know you can close your eyes, and rest.”

She didn’t realize her slip until Draco looked at her, eyes open, skin white. She didn’t realize the slip until the pronouns rolled by her tongue when her mind flashed against her eyes, the glass falling to table, liquid sloshing, dripping.

She had been taught how to preserve the pretense no matter how the world around her was misshaped and hit. She felt her lips tremble, the point in where her eyes tried to focus fill with black dots that danced and mocked her. She felt a tremor on her spine, the questioning looks beginning to be thrown around. She had seconds, moments, and she could only refuse to glance towards where Hermione was sitting at. Decisions made on her mind’s eye.

Love. The word felt too bright, too strong, too full of implications neither of them were ready to consider. Yet that had been the word she had chosen for her initial speech and that word had been blurted out of her the second her mind had halted, left her bare. She felt the same ringing sensation on the back of her mind, the one that had made her get up and leave the moment the vows between Hermione and the Weasley boy had been exchanged. She felt weak and wrong. Something that made her skin prickle with the fear of not having the ready answer on how she needed to behave.

“Pardon me.” She finally said, voice weakened, brittle. “Seems like both the wine and the nerves have made my tongue not capable of proper pronunciation. I will let another voice to raise tonight. Have a good evening.”

She waited for the confusion to die and she turned, ready to disappear, to move back to the shadows and the blackened corners of not being noticed, when a hand on her forearm made her jump, the electricity deafening, the way her magic reacted, obvious.

And when she turned and eyed the now young woman, she felt her vision began to close in a tunnel-shaped one, the circles and black dots bigger, anxiety brimming on the back of her lungs, muscles seizing. She couldn’t, she wouldn’t answer.

“Narcissa?”

The younger woman’s eyes were doubtful and Narcissa could feel them full of questions and the never-ending nervous worry of having misunderstood what for her had been so painfully obvious it made her want to turn into ash. Younger and younger still, her heart beat and writhed, traitorous, and she closed her eyes and wished for not being there, amidst those who, even if had turned their backs to the now quickly retreating couple of witches as the rest of the speech was finalized and banquet terminated, were nothing but curious, noisy, who wanted to understand.

A feeling that, even if it pained her, was something Narcissa couldn’t blame them all.

“I walked away from your wedding the second I saw you in your dress.” The blonde finally blurted, blue against brown, magic so vivid it made her take a breath while she tried to focus on anything, something, aside of Hermione’s eyes on her. “I knew it back then; I hadn’t realized until then. I needed to leave, I needed to give you the space. Because there was nothing I could do, nothing I could ask…”

She was stopped by a hand and a smile, a set of eyes so full that they made her feel empty and about to explode.

“Nothing you could have asked?”

It was said in a soft way, timid, fragile, and Narcissa shook her head in a poor imitation of a “no” as her breath was stolen and her hands grasped, her lips pursed, her head tilted, a smile reaching Hermione’s lips and eyes.

“Nothing?”

The younger witch halted, mid-movement, mid-kiss, mid-air.

“Noth…?”

“Please.”

“Very well.”

[novantinuum]

AMV process...

I’m not sure many people often think about the process that goes into editing fast-paced videos, and to be entirely fair neither did I before I got into it as a hobby. XD

But with that, I thought it may be interesting to pull back the curtain a bit and share some of my mental process/decision making while editing. So letsgo!

To start, I must be entirely honest: I am currently cursed with the grungy piece of trash software that is iMovie. Adobe Premiere is my preference, but dear goodness it’s too expensive for me now that I’m not getting a student discount anymore. But honestly, I think that really gives credit to iMovie about how much it can do, despite its lack of features. If you’re really savvy with it, there’s a lot of functionality you can squeeze out. 

Where it makes me cry, however, is how it only allows chronological editing.

Basically, I had to put in every single clip one by one IN ORDER. I can’t float clips I want at a minute forty seconds and then return to the very beginning to edit there. This is a huge disadvantage of iMovie, along with its weak ass transitions. Despite this, I thankfully found a way to make it work.

So! I’m gonna look at the Oh No! AMV I just finished. First off, when I select songs, I try to pick ones that have lyrics I can outright match thematically relevant clips to. The more lyrics you can match up, the better. Second, songs with strong beats are the best candidates to edit to. A strong downbeat helps give good transition points. Thankfully, this song had both.

In my mind, the best AMVs tell a story. Thus, while considering clip choices I wanted to both reflect the lyrics and also drive the video’s narrative of Steven’s plunging mental state further. One of the ways I worked to do this was by switching up the meaning of one of the lyrics in the chorus each time it showed up...

“I know exactly what I want and who I want to be.”

1. In the first instance, I used a bunch of clips where Steven appeared lost, flustered, or confused to push the sheer irony of this statement for him. Because at this point in his life, he doesn’t know what he wants, not at all. It’s a statement laced with spite and sarcasm.

2. The second time the chorus hits, it’s Steven- still every bit as lost and confused as he ever was- realizing that what he wants is to be Stevonnie forever. The clips are all proposal/Stevonnie focused here.

3. In the third chorus, Steven has now convinced himself that who he wants to be is... a monster. Because that’s what he feels he is. I swapped it back and forth between Steven having a bit of a mental break in Everything’s Fine and Kaiju Steven to really push that he only appears like this because he’s successfully convinced himself of it.

I made a lot of active lyric-matching choices like this throughout the editing process, but this was one of the biggest ones. 

One of the others I’m particularly proud of was matching up the last “I’m now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy” to three consecutive clips of Steven standing in craters of his own making. 

That’s one of the other places where AMV making is fun- pulling in the parallels! Sometimes while editing you notice moments of thematic parallelism you don’t notice on first watch.

Okay, so beyond matching lyrics... what about clip choice? How do you pick clips that are gonna make the video really pop?

Here’s a few tips I’ve picked up from over time:

Avoid using a surplus of clips where characters are doing nothing but talking. This is especially important when you’re not incorporating audio clips from the show in your edits. This is because tiny lip movements can often distract against the song’s beat. 

If you DO have clips where the characters’ mouths are flappin’, do your best to at least sync it up with the rhythm! Or else, sometimes I outright edit the order of the frames to make it look like they’re lip syncing, ahah.

Seek out clips with strong movement. Feet stamping down. Arms swinging wide. Eyes dawning with horror. Use those movements to emphasize the downbeat.

Clips that have strong movement AND already incorporate “camera” movement are liquid gold. Protect and use these hummers. By camera movement, I mean... the POV pans or zooms in and out. Those look extra sexy in video edits.

Timing? Transitions? How the hell does any of that work?

Gonna be real here. Timing is a bitch. I can’t even count how many times I’ve rewatched portions of this video, constantly making tiny spot edits over and over and over again. It’ll honestly probably never look 100% perfect. I eventually just have to call it done for the sake of my own sanity. Fast-paced video edits are tricky because it has to both stay on beat, and be clear enough that viewers aren’t lost with the speed of the transitions.

A few things I’ve come to find helpful...

Don’t overdo it with the fancy transitions. In my latest video I’ve got a few cross-zooms, a few slides, and one funky mosaic thingy. But mostly, I just let the bulk of my clips sit side-by-side. Hard transitions are really crisp. You really can’t beat them. Save the fancy ones for moments you really need a bit of extra pop. 

I honestly speed up almost all of the clips I use. It depends on the kind of song you’re editing to, but for fast edits this helps keep everything up to tempo.

Smash-zooms. A lot of the time, I split longer clips halfway right on a down beat and then crop the second half so it’s zoomed in. It gives a fun bounce to your video.

Anyways, in the end- video editing is as much about the audio as it is the video. Let the music flow through your soul, kiss your creativity free, and go feral with it! It’s a whole lot of fun, if you ever wanna try playing around with it.

[lady-divine-writes]

The Prince of the Sea and his Child of Fire - Epilogue (Rated NC17)

Summary:

Blaine is a water sprite, prince of the undersea kingdom and sole heir to the throne. Five days away from turning seventeen and his big coronation, he decides to take a journey to the surface, to seek out a legendary flame said to be tended by an evil witch. Instead of a witch, he finds something else entirely ...

Kurt is a fire fairy, prince of a race of fire fairies and heir to the throne. Five days away from turning seventeen (on the night of a full solar eclipse when he will transform and become king), he sees for the first time in his life a water sprite - a member of a race that he's been raised to hate.

What will happen when these two mortal enemies fall in love? Is there any way for them to escape destiny and be together?

Read on AO3.

Epilogue

Kurt anxiously taps his feet and flutters his wings as he watches the sun sink toward the horizon.

“Come on, come on, come on, come on …” he mutters as it slowly drops from the sky, melting into a puddle of gold as its rays come in contact with the water. Kurt counts the seconds as the last of the light touches the land, spreading out, racing across the ocean with fingers of champagne pink, the sky fading into a broad palette of purples and blues that bleed out the night.

“Yes!” Kurt cheers, preparing to leap from the throne room window and soar into the sky.

“Kurt!” a voice whines, catching him before he leaves. “When are you going to let me out of the palace?”

“Ugh! Rachel!” Kurt groans, almost falling from the window’s ledge. “Not yet, my darling. You are still too weak. Besides, there is no flame to tend. You are fine indoors for a few more nights.”

“Hmph! You’re worse than Mother. Even she wouldn’t have kept me locked up half this long,” Rachel pouts, plopping down in Kurt’s throne and kicking her feet, her heels scraping the floor.

“Yes, well, you don’t know the things that Mother would have done,” Kurt mutters. It’s been weeks since his coronation, and Rachel has been slowly recovering from the horrendous coma the Eternal Flame had put her under to save her life. Now, with the flame safely beneath the water, lending its life to the world from the center of the Earth, the job of Royal Fire Tender is extinguished, and Rachel can focus on the task of being a young, carefree fairy.

A gift that Kurt was never given.

Rachel’s grieving has been long and difficult. Ergo, he’s decided to give her time before he fills her in on everything she missed when he became king, especially with regards to their mother.

Kurt steps out onto the air, spreading his wings in the cool breeze, letting it hold him aloft.

“Kurt!” Rachel calls out, her rough voice summoning her brother back before he has the chance to fly away.

“What?” he asks impatiently, hovering just outside the window.

Rachel’s grin is weak from her convalescence, but sincere with her love for her brother.

“Tell Handsome I said hello.”

Kurt rolls his eyes, glad to have his sister back to taunt him to no end – king or not. He blows her a kiss, waves one final good-bye, and pushes off the wall of the palace, sprinting for the water. Over the surface of the ocean he flies, the swells parting as his wings beat against the breeze, the light from his body glittering like the stars on the water, calling forth his one true love.

Blaine can see Kurt’s light from anywhere beneath the water - from the darkest reaches of the farthest abyss, even the other side of the world. Not before long, the Great King of the Sea answers, his sleek, muscular body rising up from the waves to chase his Fairy King. Kurt zips through the sky, cutting between the rising waves, laughing and bobbing just out of Blaine’s reach.

“Come on!” Kurt twirls upward, barely escaping Blaine’s grasp. “You’ve got to do better than that if you want to knock me out of the sky!”

“I’m not trying to knock you out of the sky,” Blaine chuckles, launching through the water, diving down deep, then rising up into the air to grab Kurt around the waist. Kurt plays at struggling to break free, but he eventually surrenders … like he always does. The water pulls Blaine back down, and Kurt lets Blaine take him with it. In Blaine’s arms, the water rolls off Kurt’s skin, his wings and his flesh barely wet by the time Blaine’s wave carries them to the shore of a distant island and deposits them on the sand.

The island is a creation of Blaine’s – a gift to Kurt for his coronation. It started life as a massive rock embedded in the ocean floor, miles wide, that would have eventually floated free if not for a single tether keeping it wedged inside a crevasse. Blaine released it and, with Kurt’s help, they established new life on its surface – grass, trees, and flowers of every color, but mostly roses.

Hundreds and hundreds of roses.

“You cheated!” Kurt squirms to stand, but Blaine wraps his arms around him, locking their bodies together as they lay out on the sand.

“I did not,” Blaine says, pressing cold lips against Kurt’s warm neck, smirking when Kurt’s eyes go from sea blue to liquid silver with desire. “I won fair and square.”

“You call that fair, you brute?” Kurt moans when Blaine finds a sensitive spot on his shoulder and runs his tongue over it. “You tackled me!”

“And you loved every minute of it.” Blaine continues his assault on Kurt’s skin until it’s hot to the touch. Kurt tries to argue, but soon abandons any attempt at speech. Blaine loves having Kurt like this – lying on top of him, the heat from his skin countering the cool of Blaine’s body, making everywhere they touch each other tingle. Kurt relaxes as kisses become softer, gentler. Kurt curls his wings over their heads, creating a private corner of the world where they can be absolutely alone - where even the stars can’t see them.

One particular star especially.

“What did you want to do this evening, my liege?” Blaine asks, not sure whether or not he’s going to get a coherent answer.

“Are you making fun of me?” Kurt asks, looking into Blaine’s bioluminescent eyes with mock offense.

“Not at all.” Blaine runs a hand up Kurt’s back, trailing light fingertips between his wings, causing them to tremble. “Tonight, consider me your humble servant.”

“Servant I’ll believe, but humble - never.” Kurt laughs. Blaine attaches his mouth to Kurt’s chest and kisses him hard. Kurt hums with every press of Blaine’s lips against his skin, considering Blaine’s proposition.

“You’ll do anything I want?” Kurt asks, carding the fingers of both hands through Blaine’s sandy hair.

“Anything. Just name it.”

Kurt knows exactly what he wants. He bites his bottom lip as he tries to find the right way to ask.

“Do you remember that night in the meadow when we …” Kurt drags out the sentence, the blush on his entire body becoming deeper and deeper.

“A-ha,” Blaine says, provoking an already flustered Kurt.

“You called what we did an expression of love,” Kurt reminds him.

“Yes. And I’ll remember that night for the rest of my life.”

“Well,” Kurt continues, raising a hand to trace circles over Blaine’s heart with the tip of his finger, “remember when you said that was one of many?”

“Yeah …” Blaine smiles wide, rolling Kurt gently onto his back in the sand, giving him a moment to carefully unfurl his wings before he sets him completely down.

“I thought, maybe, you could show me another one.” Kurt’s eyes cool as they focus on Blaine’s mouth, his lips curling devilishly at the edges when he smiles.

“Oh Great Fairy King,” Blaine whispers, brushing Kurt’s lips with his own. “Your wish is my command.”

The end.

***Notes: So this is the end of the main story. There are two one-shots following this that are simply "this is more fluff after HEA" xD

[rainbow-filmnerd]

Another Top 5 Favorite Sanders Sides Videos (3/5)

In honor of the one-year anniversary of me watching Sanders Sides for the first time and becoming a Fander, I’ve decided to count down ANOTHER Top 5 Favorite Sanders Sides videos! If you didn’t see a video you think I should have discussed, be sure to check out the first list!

#3 is... “Putting Others First - Selfishness v. Selflessness Redux”

GENERAL THOUGHTS

This one ranked a little lower because of two reasons. First, I was kinda missing Virgil, but that’s just me being picky about wanting my favorite Side to appear. And second, I had a bit of trouble processing everything after the video was over. So much has happened, and I couldn’t register everything from the first half of the video as I watched the second half. XD

However, despite that, it was such a great episode! A lot of emotional moments will likely be addressed in future episodes, and from my understanding, there’s only a couple left in this second season. I really did admire the fact that some of the scenes were parallels to SvS. Just overall, one heck of a doozy!

FAVORITE PARTS/LINES OF DIALOGUE (in no particular order)

That 8-bit video game art. John Stratman, that work that was put into this video to bring the video game aspect of it to life was AMAZING!

All the cameos of Leslie Odom, Jr. Now, I’ve never seen or heard Hamilton, but I think it’s cool that Thomas got him to be featured in this video.

All the “F” jokes and f-bomb teases. Also, I like the gold coin as the censor beep.

“I don’t want Thomas to croak! That’s my job.” *croaks*

Janus’s name reveal. Not something I saw coming, but what kinda threw me off was Roman’s reaction. But that was because I didn’t realize that it was “Janus”, the two-faced Roman God, and not “Janice”, the Friends character portrayed by Maggie Wheeler.

Janus snapping back wasn’t any better, but it was still an impactful moment.

“We should start looking into ways to PREDICT THE FUTURE!!!” “No!” And then whatever Roman said in that voice.

“Video games mean so much indoor time, that they should cause a little OUTDOOR time! Don’t you think?” “Ehhh…”

Patton hopping aboard on the “taking terms too literally” train after Roman asked Thomas who “gave him the jump” when his car broke down.

“Okay... I understand, now, that I have been.... a little-.” “Much?” “The mayor of Much-kin Land?” “... Sure.”

Patton and Janus’s interaction at the endcard scene.

Janus’s  “Ah, d-d-d-d-DOY!”

“Jesus Christ Superstar!” That just reminds me of my Dad, because he likes that musical.

“Roman... I only mean well when I say... that is the stupidest thing you’ve ever said.”

The 8-bit video game music. From the theme song, to the main score for the characters. I love that detail.

“He’s the actual snake on the plane! And I, for one, am tired of this MORALITY-FIGHTING snake on this METHAPORICAL plane!”

Patton calling out Thomas for not getting up sharp by calling it, “6am dull”.

“By the liquid lipstick of William Shakespeare...”

Roman’s cat-filled apartment scenario.

“Especially to Mrs. Snuffles. More like Mrs. Sniffles! Because of the allergy...”

Just the overall video game theme in this video. I got a few of the game references, but not all of them. I don’t really play video games. :P

“I mean... there’s an obvious right answer here.” “Please don’t tell me you’re going to wrestle Tony award-winning actor Leslie Odom, Jr. for a hot dog.” “What?! No! I’m going about my day!”

All the callbacks and references to Thomas’s works and the little cameos of his friends!

“Well, when is it enough?!” “.... Trees?” “No! Selfishness!”

Patton having his eyes closed when he says that “doing nothing is worse than doing something good for the wrong reasons”.

“Like, you’re such a Dad that it’s too much to handle sometimes.”

Janus’ entrance/reveal in this video. I think it’s my favorite entrance of his of the series.

“Ooooh! Ooooh! Reptilian Rapscallion! Reptilian Rapscallion! We got a Code Yellow!”

Patton misusing “factoid”.

“People are being hurt by this reptilian with scallions.” “No.”

Janus before he sank out. I am still a little wary about him, but oh my gosh, he was a complete DORK in that scene.

“Don’t make me regret trusting you! I don’t want to be stuck with an evil snake boy!” “You’re not stuck with an evil snake boy.... You’re just stuck with a snake boy.”

Roman trying to read the text on Logan’s Lowdowns, but it goes by too quickly. Every gamer’s struggle.

“Sometimes, we get this.” “A bagel?!” What?! No. Maybe.” I didn’t realize it was a parallel to the Valentine’s Day video, but it’s still silly.

Logan’s Nietzsche impression.

“He does have a stu-uper duper unique mustache.”

Every time we get to see one of “Logan’s Lowdowns”. Felt kinda sad that he feels like he could be a bother, but it was still cute to see an 8-bit Logan (and Janus disguised as Logan).

“I think I understand what it means... Deceit being a part of me.” “That’s cool, talk about me like I’m not here.”

Roman’s exit is HEARTBREAKING!!!

Logan’s “I’m so f**king done” face when Thomas said he “wouldn’t be wrestling Logan for a hot dog”.

Patton’s breakdown. The entire scene and the transtitions.

“So, that rule trumps the other rule?” “Roman!” “Eh?!” “You know we don’t like to use the “T” word in this house.” “Oh, sorry!”

Roman mouthing, “behooved”.

“Three out of four of those are normal for me... Do I have hypoxia right now?”

Thomas’s score (80085) and time (limited/being lost/poorly spent), and the 8-bit portrait of Janus.

“I don’t want to make you think you’re some-.” “Stupid, dirty, rotten, filthy-silly, billy, no-good for nothing, uh, white, urgh, rat-scandrel b*tch!”

We can all agree that the “Rhythm Redux” was a bop. The visuals were amazing to look at, and man, Thomas’s vocals were on point.

Thomas screaming at Lee and Mary Lee and shutting the door at their faces.

“Leslie offers up a reward.” “What’s the reward?” “Leslie’s famous cake!” “Phrasing?” “What? Leslie’s literal cake that he baked! Oh my gosh!”

Roman reaching over the text bar and selecting “ignorant”, and him slicing through the giant text box after it hit Patton. That editing is just well done!

“He didn’t mislead you on purpose, Thomas. I don’t think the little guy-. Or the big frog is capable of that sort of thing.”

Thomas realizing his neck was stiff when he turned to look towards Janus.

“In my head, I’ll just feel this way.” “What way?” “The way a groom might feel if he just watched as his bride ran away.” “... But you’re gay.”

Janus laying down the severity of Thomas’s mental health and the overall message of self care.

Patton’s high-pitched “Right?” sounds like a little dog bark.

[agnesclementineblog]

Can we see what goes about when it’s just them and none of them are knocked out haha, sort of like fluff after a hunt I love your writing 😊

Aww! I’m glad you do!!!

The motel room smells pretty damn nice, Dean thinks- compared to them at the moment. Poor Baby. He's not gonna be able to scrub the stink out of the seats for at least a week, he bets.

He's careful not to drip the...everything on the floor too much and beelines it for the bathroom, Diego hot on his heels. They shuck the sticky, wet clothes on the floor and scrub off the swamp water, mud and monster guts under the spray that is too small to fit them both and they have to take turns. But Diego is warm when their arms brush and still gives Dean semi-conscious smiles for the half-assed jokes he throws out while washing his hair.

He's still not entirely sure what the hell was it that they killed, knee-deep in mud and assaulted by mosquitoes, but as he watches Diego pull on his pair of old sweatpants and collapse face-first onto the bed, not even bothering with covers- he finds that he doesn’t really care.

“Diego,” he calls, tugging half-heartedly at the duvet, “c’mon, inside.”

“’m inside,” Diego responds, voice muffled by the pillow.

Dean keeps jostling him until he sluggishly crawls underneath the sheets, then gets in himself.

Diego and affection are…complicated. Dean can’t tell exactly what it is, and he can’t bring himself to ask why Diego sometimes looks like he doesn’t know what to do when Dean touches him. But as he settles his palm over Diego’s nape, thumb tucked in the soft hollow behind his jaw joint, Diego flushes pleasantly pink and shuffles that inch closer, so it’s good enough for him for now.

●●●●●●

“I bet you 20 bucks and a blowjob that I can make the shot,” Dean says, confidently, as the Sun beats down in his eyes.

Diego peers at the trashcan about 15 feet away from his sprawl in the small shade the Baby provides, head pillowed on his duffle bag. The gas station is, save for them and the clerk, completely empty and Dean twirls his apple core by the stem. He can totally make the shot. He has seen Diego do it a hundred times and not miss once, so it can’t be impossible. Besides, he’s got great aim.

Diego’s mouth, dark, vivid pink- because the idiot obviously has some kind of irritability to oranges and still keeps eating them- turns up in amusement.

“You can’t make that shot,” he says.

“Wow. Way to be supportive,” Dean tells him, contemplating strength and angle he needs to make it work.

Beside him, Diego shrugs, rubs his lips together and gnaws at them with his teeth. “I thought you wanted an honest opinion,” he quips back with a dazzling smile.

Dean’s free hand curls around his ankle and his grin turns content. He tips his head back onto the duffle and turns it to watch Dean’s throw.

He judges (wings it) the distance and the non-existent breeze and swings, sending the core hurdling across the lot. It’s trajectory flies smoothly towards the can- and then it twists on its axis because aerodynamics is a bitch. They watch it ping off the rim and plonk down on the asphalt next to the can. Dean deflates. He was looking forward to that blowjob.

“Well,” Diego breaks the silence, wiggling one leg between Dean’s back and the side of the Impala and draping the other over his lap, essentially hugging him. “You can keep the money. But I’m definitely getting that blowjob.”

Dean aims a charming grin at him, asks, “Can I play a “consolation blowjob” card?”

Diego smiles up at him, eyes glinting playfully. “Maybe.”

That’s what he’s talking about.

●●●●●

Dean wakes up to Diego making breakfast. Because the motel they’re staying in has an actual kitchen. And a bathroom with a showerhead that doesn’t look like it’s going to fall off any moment and kill them, so Dean thinks they really got lucky. Especially considering they plan on staying here a few days, just catching a short break.

He pulls on some sweatpants and a T-shirt and staggers into the bathroom to brush his teeth and splash water on his face until he feels at least moderately human again.

In the kitchen, Diego is frying eggs. They are perfectly round and the yolk is intact.

“Diego, your breakfast making skills terrify me,” Dean informs him and then his stomach growls traitorously.

Diego quirks an eyebrow at him.

“I can be hungry and terrified at the same time.”

Diego hums, says, “Thanks.”

“That’s not a compliment, man.”

“Sure is,” Diego tells him cheekily. Dean remembers their first meeting, the déjà vu of the banter, and feels a sudden urge to kiss Diego.

So he does.

“What was that for?” Diego asks him after they part. The eggs sizzle lightly and Dean thinks this is almost too normal for them. Aside from the creepily perfect eggs.

He shrugs, “Just so.”

Diego smiles, flits his eyes down and tells him, “Mom taught me to cook. You gotta use molds.”

Dean scrunches his eyebrows, “…egg molds?”

Diego blinks, “Cookie molds, you idiots,” and chuckles before pulling him in for another kiss.

●●●●●

The road stretches into infinity in front of them, the sky milky pink and blue on the horizon as the Sun rises on Dean’s right. Nirvana plays quietly, not to disturb Diego who’s slumped against the passenger door. Air is fresh and goosebumps travel over his arms, bare in Dean’s old Led Zeppelin T-shirt.

Light plays across his skin, painting it bronze, his eyelashes casting shadows over his cheeks. They flutter as he stirs, awoken either by the Sun or the chill. He squints as the light hits his eyes, turns them into liquid gold, then peers at the miles of flat fields and dewy horizon in front of them. Finally, he turns to Dean, features soft and adoring, still half-asleep, making Dean’s heart clench in his chest, and turns up Come As You Are.

[morievna]

Ugetsu and mugs

Little late gift for Santa ^^ I wanted to write about this theme for some time actually.

What’s interesting once you are conscious of mugs, they are literally everywhere – in almost all scenes with Akihiko and Ugetsu. Of course, they aren’t present during flashback from high school – but it is intentional too. They represent Akigetsu as well as a broken aspect of their relationship, but school was more like golden times for them. Besides, mugs appear very often in anime too – even in additional scenes mugs are always present. In short mugs are important. Very.

Few examples - ch 8, 13, 25

In addition, a mug appeared too when Haruki mentioned Ugetsu in ch 24

It’s a bit funny that Akihiko immediately got about who Haruki was talking xD

In the same chapter Haruki commented earlier that Akihiko looked like “lost somewhere deep in his thoughts”. I assume that he was thinking about his life and Ugetsu – rethinking everything and a bit of preparation before going to him in next chapter with declaration about moving out.

Let’s move to THAT scene:

Ugetsu: “Around the time we had started to live together, when he brought me my first present, somehow… I hated that very much and I refused it saying – “I don’t want it!” Even though it was only a mug. Back then, I should’ve just say – “I am happy”.

I like so much double meaning in this monologue. It is not only about receiving a mug as present, but about receiving Akihiko’s love too. Overall it sums up Ugetsu’s situation perfectly – him being overwhelmed by first gift/Akihiko’s love and rejecting it because of being afraid of these feelings. And then there is regret that he should’ve react differently and accept it happily.

I also want to point out some difference between fan-translation and official polish translation about rest of that monologue:

Fan translation: “I want to be with him. But, I’m in love with music. Still... never more than that. Really.. he is good guy, isn’t he”

Polish translation: “I want to be with him. But, I love music and him equally. Even though I will never experience anything good as that again*. Really.. he is good guy, isn’t he”

*I am not sure if my rough translation from Polish to English is good enough, but it originally sounds like he consider that relationship with Akihiko is best what happened in his life.

I found it interesting how translator decided for less vague but more straightforward option. Though it way more sad too. I am curious how it will be translated in SuBLime’s release btw.

Another thing about this scene what makes me ponder is Akihiko’s carefree reaction. Like breaking that mug meant no big deal for him. I wonder if we get his POV on that someday.

To me it feels more that Ugetsu doesn’t like new mug because it reminds him of that regret and dilemma (to be with Akihiko or not to be). Since his feelings are “exponentially larger” I think that he remembers them more vividly too.

But it doesn’t mean that mugs are not important for him – just look:

Ch 24:

Ch 25:

The perspective in these frames is almost the same, so they are meant to be compared. Even though there is more mess (which itself tells a lot about Ugetsu’s state), mugs are still in their places. It even seems like he is not using them when Akihiko is gone. To me it is like showcasing that he is still waiting for him to come back.

Theoretically it could be end of my meta, but no.

What always intrigued me the most was that Kizu Natsuki specifically chose broken ceramics mug as symbol for this pairing. Because it is not like it can’t be repaired – it is actually opposite.

It’s called kintsugi (金継ぎ), literally golden (“kin”) and repair (“tsugi”). This traditional Japanese art uses a precious metal – liquid gold, liquid silver or lacquer dusted with powdered gold – to bring together the pieces of a broken pottery item and at the same time enhance the breaks. The technique consists in joining fragments and giving them a new, more refined aspect. Every repaired piece is unique, because of the randomness with which ceramics shatters and the irregular patterns formed that are enhanced with the use of metals. The glue traditionally used to bring the pieces together is the urushi lacquer, which is being sourced for thousands of years from the Rhus verniciflua plant.

Message it conveys is very in line with Given:

When an object breaks, it doesn’t mean that it is no more useful. Its breakages can become valuable. We should try to repair things because sometimes in doing so we obtain more valuable objects. This is the essence of resilience. Each of us should look for a way to cope with traumatic events in a positive way, learn from negative experiences, take the best from them and convince ourselves that exactly these experiences make each person unique, precious.

[source]

Another quote that I like very much:

The only willfulness in the process is the effort to assist with the rebirth of something whose existence has been threatened, something that has held value for others. [...] Simultaneously we have the expression of frailty and of resilience, life before the incident and life after. Yet the object is not the same. In its rebirth it assumes a new identity that incorporates yet transcends the previous identity.

[source]

I hope that we see more of character development of Ugetsu – that he will realize that he made some poor life choices and will try to repair his life and relationship with Akihiko in some way. I think he will want Akihiko’s forgiveness for hurt he caused. And in the end they will reconcile and their relationship will transform to the different and more beautiful quality. Besides, the fact that Akihiko is taking violin seriously now bodes well too – after all it was one of reasons why Ugetsu broke up with him because was feeling guilty that Akihiko abandoned his dreams (“my existence means fundamentally suffering for him”). So I think it will be sorted out too.

Given is about healing and second chances - this phrase is not only about letting go of past and starting something new, but also rectifying past mistakes and repairing broken things. I believe that it will be outcome of Akihiko’s and Ugetsu’s story.

As always thanks for reading. Of course, this is just my interpretation, but I will be reaally baffled if all that mugs were put in the story with no deeper meaning. But we will see.

[bittersweetmelxdy]

Day 6: Coffee Date Content

Here it is, the ‘Coffee shop AU’, I mean come on, you can’t say coffee, and my mind won’t immediately go to this XD. Also here it is my very first (Y/N) in a fic!

Tagging: @that-wasnt-so-bad

Words: 716

Hearing the bell over the door jingling, you quickly fixed your hair and placed a smile on your face. Seeing it was not the person you were looking for, you felt a little ridiculous, but kept up your good spirits and served the customer, as they walked off you leant your elbow on the counter and propped your head on your hand. You let up a huff, going back to your musings watching the people walking past the glass windows outside. You were looking for a specific person, you and he hadn’t talked much, you knew each other’s names but that was it. Well you knew his name, as you had literally burned it into your memory, but you kind of doubted he remembered the name of some small coffee shop worker, plus you hardly ever wore your badge, so he couldn’t have caught it. You sighed, shaking you head to distract you from that depressing train of thought. He had been coming by for the last month or two, and would just come in, gave his order and his name (to be written on the cup), and after paying he would offer a comment about the weather and leave. Still despite your limited interactions, you had developed a sort of crush on the stoic officer, he was easy on the eyes (you weren’t superficial, but you also weren’t blind), and he seemed nice. So now like an idiot you were waiting for him, he usually would have come in by now, and you would admit that you did miss him a little. Catching sight of a blue uniform, you started, realising it was him, you tried to look as natural as possible as he walked up to the counter, (and not like you had been waiting all day for him to come in). He came to the counter and you asked in your usual cheerful tone,

“Hi, can I take your order?”

The man after catching your eye for a second looked quickly down at the floor, before saying quickly, “One large Cappuccino, please.”

You set the machine and then turned around, “You want Gavin written on the cup right?”

Gavin offered you a quick sound of agreement and he continued to look at the floor. Your shoulders dropped slightly in disappointment, thinking you had made him uncomfortable by remembering his name, and quickly turned around to make the drink. Gavin, after seeing your disappointed expression before you had spun around, realised he needed to do something to save the situation. He looked around the shop, noticing the lack of patrons, and said as offhandedly as he could.

“So, (Y/N)… it’s a bit of a slow day.”

“Yeah, people are probably flocking to the Starbucks around the corner. “ You said bitterly, completely missing that he just said your name.

“It’s just a passing curiosity I’m sure.”

You turned around, coffee in hand, tilting your head in curiosity, “What makes you so sure?”

“I doubt anyone would choose Starbucks over seeing you everyday.”

“…”

“…”

The silence stretched out between you, both eyes locked on the other. Then both of you kick started back into reality, a blush rushed to your cheeks, whilst Gavin’s hand was behind his head, cradling his neck and he was pointedly not looking at you.

“I mean, your coffee, the store, not just you- although you are probably a big part of it- I’m making this worse right?” Gavin rambled, and at seeing how bright red his ears were, you laughed happily, causing Gavin to peek back at you nervously.

“Here’s your coffee.”

Gavin nodded, and handed you the money you rang it up in the register, and Gavin turned offering you a quick goodbye. Summoning all your courage, you took a deep breath to calm your nerves, before calling out,

“Hey, Gavin!”

Gavin froze in the doorway and turned to look and you, the sunset shining behind him, making his brown hair look like liquid gold.

“Yeah?”

“We close up at 6, you can pick me up then.”

Gavin grinned at you, “Sure it’s a date,” and then he left.

The breeze created by the door blew a single golden gingko leaf into the air, and you couldn’t help but feel like this was the start of something wonderful.