#okay if I *had to* say who Nozel will end up being end game with I'd probably say Dorothy

[thoughtfullyrainynightmare]

What do you think will be the final couples of black clover?

Ooo hmmm 🤔 Before I go into the actual answer, I will be including notes from the manga, so if you're not up to date with BC manga, and don't want spoilers, this is the head up

So, while keeping in mind that we're only at chapter 353, and there's at least a good 100 chapters to go, a lot can still happen, which will change opinions to one way or another, but overall I don't think we'll see a lot of "end game" couples confirmed (because ultimately the focus of BC isn't in romantic relations, rather than in friendship and found family thematics).

Let's start with an easy one:

YamiChar - I do think that this will be end game, even if Yami was surprised to learn that Charlotte fancies him, since he had been under the impression that she acted "strangely" around him, or her ki did at least, because she hated or disliked him more than most men. This notion alone, however, doesn't mean that he wouldn't like her back. It could be just that he was caught off guard and has now discovered that his feelings are reciprocated. Which is something that to many would be surprising, I dare to claim. This ship is also very directly insinuated by the series, so I do think that it'll end up being end game. And I do think that Yami and Charlotte would compliment each other as characters, since they're both "loners" in a sense. They've both needed to grow strong on their own, and they both have had it rough while growing up, although Yami does take the cake in that one. Charlotte being cursed doesn't compare to what Yami has been through, but still, they are still able to relate to one and another, and they have respect for each others' talent.

Astelle - Though Asta's headspace isn't in relationships or romance as of now, I do think that this will be endgame as well. There has been a lot of interactions between Noelle and Asta that showcase their common journey, and how they are able to lean to each other. Though Noelle has been gaining more confidence from Asta, than Asta from Noelle, I think, but in any case, I wouldn't say that Asta wouldn't value Noelle's presence and his relationship (in the broader sense of the word) with her. And if we compare Asta's interactions to all other "potential love interests" (I use this vaguely), it seems like all the others have developed a crush on Asta because he's a good guy, which he absolutely is, but Noelle and Asta have been there for each other through thick and thin. Which I think connects them well. As said, only Noelle is more vocal about her emotions thus far, but I do think that Astelle will end up being end game with how strongly that relationship is being built as well. (Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if in the later chapters Noelle ends up saving Asta, like he has done for her in the past, and he ends up saying something like "when we're side by side nothing can stop us!" Which ends up setting them down the path more concretely.)

Greyche - Again, they've been shown to have a lot of positive interactions, and bonding over the course of the series. Grey is gaining self-confidence, and Gauche is growing to feel loved and appreciated; he has found a place in which he belongs. That and they have shared history, in a way, due to that one interaction, and I do think that the reason why that was specifically put into Grey's backstory, is to give more footing for the romantic relationship for the two. I don't have many ships for BC, but I honestly can't see these two with anyone else than each other.

Finral/Finesse - I mean, this is more of an arranged marriage type of a deal, but Finral wants to grow into a loyal spouse for Finesse, and she does care for him, so I do think that it will end up being end game, even if the relationship itself isn't as well fleshed out in canon as it perhaps ought to be, but we can't have it all, I suppose. But in any case, I do think that it'll end up being end game, because they are striving to be together, granted that Finral is doing more of the striving, and Finesse is more or less promising to wait for him. That and Langris seems to be, for reasons best known to himself, rooting for the two to wind up together. I don't have that strong of an opinion about this ship, or reasons as to why the dynamics would make sense, but I do think that it'll end up being The Ship for these two (plus it's being built up by canon, so it would make sense for it to happen).

Charmill - Okay, this could go either way, really, so it's a *maybe* option. And it will greatly depend on how Charmy will continue to see Rill, since she was angry at him for wasting food during the elf arc (granted that it was the elf soul in Rill, rather than Rill himself). And aside of that one interaction, we haven't seen them interact a lot after that, so it's really about how, and if, they discover each other in the future. Because Rill saw Charmy's human form, and Charmy saw Rill's "elf form". It really could be either way, but I would be more inclined to say that these two will end up becoming a ship.

Meresuga - Another *maybe* option, since we haven't actually gotten to see these two interact, but I do think that if someone could pass Mereo's criteria of being able to go head to head with her in a mortal battle, it'd be Yosuga (and he might actually like the brawl, instead of running away screaming like the rest of the Kingdoms). He wouldn't water down her strength, but instead would throw gasoline into the open flame, I think. I think Mereo would find him interesting at least, perhaps not romantically interesting, but ... interesting.

I think that's the ships that I could see being end game (more thoughts in the notes)

Thank you for the ask!

[babyybitchhh]

This is the anon who commented about yami! I didn't like nozel at first but I can't lie, he kinda grew on me and he's fine asf. I couldn't look at magna in anyway until I saw him with his hair down. Now I'm like 👀👀👀. More than anything, I just want yami to ruin me. Spank me and call me a good girl pleaseee

Yessssssss

Yami was BUILT to be daddy. So strong, so rough around the edges but with a big soft heart, so beefy 💗🥴💗

Words: 3937

Warnings: daddy kink, alcohol, drunk fingering, vaginal fingering 

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27172960

❤️❤️❤️❤️

You probably should have known better than to start drinking with them. No, not probably. You definitely should have known better.

Hindsight was always twenty-twenty though, and you could see now just how grievous a mistake it had been to accept Vanessa’s invitation without stopping long enough to consider the consequences but, well ... she was one of the only other women in the squad and she seemed to like you well enough. You wanted her to keep liking you, of course. So you’d foolishly jumped at the chance, far too eager to be included in this decidedly unorthodox team bonding exercise of theirs.

The Black Bulls were, by nature, sufficiently rowdy enough on their own but adding alcohol to the mix only seemed to fan the flames. They were the very definition of unruly. Clothes had been shamelessly discarded, more cigarettes smoked than you would have thought possible, arguments over nothing at all turned heated with alarming frequency only to be immediately forgotten and you, you were stuck in the middle of it. Thoroughly lost in your own world and floating serenely through the hazy bog of consciousness without a second thought to what chaos was going on around you.

It was kind of nice, actually. Liberating.

“Remember, ya’ gotta’ have at least three matching pairs to discard,” Magna reminds the assembled party as he quickly deals out a fresh hand. “Or you can do the same suit if ya’ want, but it has to go in order. No incomplete sets.”

The worse for wear table everyone had initially gathered around started off cramped, a tight fit for so many people and with little elbow room to spare. As the night wore on, however, most of the plucky squadron had gradually called it quits and retired until eventually only four remained. You were proud of yourself for outlasting the others but you also knew just how in over your head you were with this particular group. Yami could likely drink anyone under the table and Magna appeared to keep up with him just fine. While Vanessa didn’t exactly hold her liquor well , she could certainly put it away. There wasn’t a doubt in your mind that you were on your last leg here even if you were, for all intents and purposes, having a good time.

“Alright, lets see what ya’ got.”

Feeling simultaneously as light as a feather and sluggish under the weight of heavy, invisible chains, you slowly flip your cards over. It was hard to tell which way was up anymore, especially when your inner vertigo was so off kilter. You were warm, too. Almost unbearably so. Clammy in the worst possible way and you teeter forward in your chair, struggling to focus your swimming vision on the cards spread out in front of you.

It was a shit hand.

Grumbling under your breath, you distractedly tug at your clothes. A soft, fitful whine claws its way up your throat when it does absolutely nothing to alleviate just how stiflingly hot you are and, in fact, only seems to make it worse. You were absolutely burning up and this card game was its own special brand of torture, you decide with nothing short of woozy contempt.

“What the hell’s your problem?” Yami asks mildly from his spot beside you.

He was infuriatingly collected despite having consumed even more alcohol than you had, guzzling down mouthful after mouthful while you’d taken your time sipping on the fruity concoctions Vanessa made special just for you. You’d lost track of how many cups he’d emptied quite some time ago but you were still only on your third. It didn’t make sense. How were you so damn tipsy already?

“Hot.” You groan, not bothering to look up from what was possibly the worst hand you could have been dealt. Letting Magna shuffle the deck was, unsurprisingly, yet another mistake to add to the ever growing list.

Turning his head, Yami glances over at you and you catch the movement from your peripheral but still refuse to divert your attention from the cards. Maybe if you just stared at them long enough, hard enough, they’d morph into something you could actually use. You weren’t a magic knight in name only, right? Surely your grimoire was good for something .

“You’re drunk.” He suddenly announces, loud enough to make Vanessa whip her head around.

“M’not.” You grumble.

“Bullshit.”

The inebriated witch inserts herself into the fray before you can respond, wrapping slender arms around your shoulders and pulling you in against her bosom. “Awww, honey! Did’ju really like my drinks that much?” She coos at you sweetly. “I wasn’t tryin’ to get you drunk. Promise.”

“M’not drunk.” You insist, louder this time, much to Vanessa’s giggling amusement.

Heaving a clipped sigh, Yami leans across the table and taps your cards with a thick finger, slowly drawing your attention back to them. “I’m not saying I don’t believe you,” He says around the cigarette in his mouth. “But someone who isn’t piss drunk would probably know better than to lay their hand out on the table like this. Do you even know what game we’re playing right now?”

Mouth tugging into a frown, you wrack your muddled brain for the answer to that question. “Go fish?”

Magna inelegantly snorts at that. You can feel yourself starting to flush in embarrassment as Vanessa begins fussing over you, softly petting your head with murmured, nonsensical endearments. She definitely wasn’t helping matters and you sincerely hoped none of them could see your fluster.

Yami doesn’t seem to miss it though and he purses his lips, pinning you with an unimpressed glower. “That’s what I thought. Sorry, sweetheart, but you’re officially cut off. No more booze tonight, okay?”

Both you and Vanessa groan in unison. Your head immediately starts to spin in earnest now and you slump against the other woman even as she grabs your drink and holds it up to you as if she were bottle feeding a baby. The notion that she might accidentally dump it all over your head when she was just as intoxicated as you doesn’t even cross your mind and you obediently open your mouth to accept her offering.

“Come on, captain! At least let her finish her dr-drink first! I worked really hard to -”

Yami cuts across her babbling with a huff, standing and grabbing hold of the cup so he can pull it away despite Vanessa’s best attempt to keep it in her fumbling grasp. You watch it go, feeling an odd mix of disappointment and relief. The giddy, jovial mood you’d been imbued with was nice, yes, but realistically your body probably couldn’t handle much more. It was likely for the best.

“Just knock it off.” Pointedly setting the drink down towards the center of the table, Yami turns back with a furrowed brow. “Are you trying to kill her or something? What all did you even put in that?”

Vanessa hums a noncommittal sound of guilt, winding a strand of your hair around her finger.

He scoffs and moves closer with an accompanying shake of his head. Your heart gives a little jolt when you realize he’s coming towards you, not Vanessa, and you can’t help the anxious tinge that sparks in your chest. He was probably mad at you for getting so drunk. He looked mad. You didn’t want to be on the receiving end of one of his lectures though and you lean further into the softly swaying witch next to you in search of protection.

Much to your faltering surprise, however, Yami’s tone sounds closer to exacerbated than angry when he says, “Alright, brat. C’mere. You get to sit with me for the rest of the night so I can keep an eye on you and make sure someone doesn’t try to sneak you anything else.”

You blink, thoroughly confused, and it feels like even something as simple as a muscle twitch takes a small eternity to accomplish. Yami either doesn’t notice or he doesn’t care though.

Shooing Vanessa away, he bends at the waist and curls big hands under your armpits, hauling you straight up out of your seat. You outright squawk, flailing weakly in Yami’s grasp when you suddenly find yourself much further from the ground than you were used to. But your panic lasts only a terrifyingly brief moment and you relax when he draws you close, allowing you to curl your limbs around his thick frame. With a slight jostle, he adjusts his hold and secures you to the front of him. You instinctively nuzzle further into his arms, drunkenly whimpering as you tightly lock your elbows behind his neck.

“You’re no fun …” Vanessa whines on your behalf.

He clicks his tongue. “I’m thinking ahead. You’re not.” He says, those rumbled words reverberating inside your skull and further grounding you by some margin. “But if she gets sick, you’re the one who’s gonna’ clean it up.”

With that admonition, he moves back to his own chair and sits down again. It takes you a moment to get situated on his lap, still unbearably hot and fussy now after forcibly being removed from the fun. The last thing you want is to look like a lightweight in front of your teammates but he finally stills you with a large, mindful hand against your lower back. The silent warning in that innocuous gesture is enough to make you quit while you’re still ahead and, mewling something unintelligible, you press your warm face into his neck so you can settle in to pout.

Magna says something then, successfully distracting Vanessa from the subject, and the game carries on without you. The three of them don’t seem to mind the loss one bit as they seamlessly pick right back up where they’d left off.

It's hard to shake the feeling that your presence at the table was nothing more than an afterthought to them, or maybe a simple nicety, and it stung a little. There was no denying that. But you were much too hazy and disoriented to linger on it for more than a moment, molding yourself to the firm weight against you and going pleasantly slack in Yami’s arms. He was surprisingly comfortable, given his hard physique. A little too warm for your liking when you already felt swelteringly hot, but ultimately comfortable.

The even rise and fall of his broad chest is almost enough to lull you into dozing off right then and there with your head resting on his shoulder. Yami’s rough fingers tracing nonsensical, soothing patterns across your spine is the only thing that keeps you tethered to reality and you sit there, eyes closed, just listening to the slurred conversation going on at your back. It sounded far away now. Muted, as if your ears were stuffed with cotton, but you didn’t mind that too much. Magna was loud enough when sober and even worse when he was drunk.

A long moment later, Yami removes the cigarette from his lips and turns towards you when the other two start bickering about the validity of a certain card sequence. “How you feeling, squirt?” He asks, pressing his mouth against your hair.

“Good.” You murmur dreamily.

He laughs, very quietly, and gives you the briefest squeeze. “Yeah? You’re deadweight, baby girl. Sure you’re not gonna’ pass out on me over there?”

“Mmhmm.”

With a soft click of his tongue, Yami focuses back in on the game. The hand resting on your back slips lower, inconspicuously giving your behind a playful tweak that seems to go unnoticed by the table's other occupants given that they keep talking without pause. Magna would more than likely look away, politely pretending he hadn’t seen it, but Vanessa … if she’d caught so much as a glimpse, you’d be hearing about it right now. That was at least one reason (of which there was many) why what you had with Yami, whatever it was, still remained a secret to the rest of the squad even though it was probably a miracle they hadn’t caught on already, especially when he was so damn handsy with you.

Normally you’d err on the side of caution for that reason alone but you felt just daring enough to give him little push back. Emboldened by the liquid courage sitting hot and heavy in your stomach, confident that he wouldn’t have initiated this had it not been safe to do so, you discreetly roll your hips into him. The drag of your pussy across the front of his pants makes your breath hitch and he stiffens underneath you. That’s all the reaction you get for your trouble though, prompting you to lift your head from his shoulder and lean close to Yami’s ear.

“ Daddy …”

It’s nothing more than a tiny, breathless sigh but the effect it has on him is instantly noticeable. Steel chorded arm tightening around you, he breathes out a terse exhale and pulls you more firmly against his chest until you can scarcely breathe. A wavering puff of air slips from you as your thighs flex around his waist, silently trying to urge him on. It doesn’t work though and a shudder works its way down the length of your spine when he turns towards you again, growling right against the outer shell of your ear.

“Watch it.”

You whine, bucking against him more insistently. “ Nooooo .”

Yami snorts and swivels his attention back around to the cards clasped in his other hand. Pressing your face into the crook of his neck, you take a deep breath until the naturally heady scent of him swarms your senses like a fragrant, masculine cocktail. You can taste him in the back of your throat and it just makes you want him all the more.

Another wiggle of your hips is all the incentive he needs, calloused fingers slipping further down to grab a pinching handful of your ass. Roughly nudging you to sit a bit higher up on his thighs, he reaches lower and snakes his hand under your skirt. You squirm at the first touch against your panties, whimpering softly into his skin. Yami merely tightens his arm around you as he ever so carefully pulls the thin layer of cotton aside just enough to slide those sinfully long digits past the flimsy barrier.

“Spoiled brat,” He murmurs fondly, just loud enough for you to hear. “Already so damp and needy for me.”

You bite down on your tongue to keep yourself quiet, shuddering when he casually traces the length of your slit with abrasive fingertips.

Magna abruptly cackles about something and the sudden noise makes you jolt. Yami, to his credit, remains perfectly still though and merely waits a torturously long beat before continuing in rumbling hushed tones. “How long were you sitting over there in your own mess, hmm?”

“I - it’s not a mess.” You warble into his shoulder, your cheeks flushing hot.

“Oh? This certainly feels like a mess to me …” Pausing, Yami dips a finger into the meat of your labia and the slick quality of your pussy suddenly makes itself known. You hadn’t noticed until now, either because you were too caught up in your inebriated stupor or simply too focused on pouting to pay it any mind, but you were absolutely soaked. It wasn’t exactly surprising. Your body always responded eagerly to being manhandled by the captain but even this seemed a bit excessive.

Whining low in your throat, you decide you don’t want to play this game after all and try to angle your defenseless little cunt away from his searching hand. But Yami puts a stop to that quickly enough and shifts his legs further apart, forcibly spreading your thighs until you can’t find the leverage needed to wriggle out of his hold. You lip quivers when he takes advantage of this vulnerable position to worm a finger into the tight, squeezing heat of your body, gummy walls contracting around the intrusion with a pleasant flutter. It takes everything you have not to throw your head back and unabashedly moan up at the ceiling.

“Can’t you feel that, baby? You’re so wet I didn’t even have to work you open.”

Hiccuping, you shove your face against Yami’s neck again. “Dah - daddy … please .”

“Shh.” He warns even as he starts up a slow pace, sedately pumping into you. “Keep quiet or I’ll have to stop.”

As if on cue, Vanessa says something to him then and Yami effortlessly diverts his attention to the slurring witch as if nothing about the situation were out of place. You dig your nails into the broad expanse of his shoulder blades and bite back a groan, suddenly feeling ten times hotter than before. Even with all your concentration focused on keeping as still and quiet as possible, you find yourself imperceptibly arching to give him better access to your sticky cunt. It was certainly a blessing in disguise that she was just as drunk as you were, otherwise she might have given the whole thing a second thought. The way you were sitting on his lap. The smallest twitch of your hips to accompany the shallow quality of your breathing. It was so obvious what you two were doing. How had they not noticed already?

The table.

Neither Magna or Vanessa could see over it unless they came around and stood right next to the chair. You were essentially safe from the waist down and a fresh spark of confidence alights throughout your whole system with this realization, doubling and then tripling your arousal. It was still risky doing something so brazen right in front of them but you were just drunk enough not to care.

Loins twisting and curling, you carefully rear back to meet his shallow thrusts. You’d never felt more uninhibited in your whole life. “Oooh, daddy,” You whisper, choking on it. “Right there.”

Yami doesn’t miss a beat, easily keeping up with the conversation as he allows a second digit to slide in with the first. You feel the stretch in your bones and you quietly seeth, lashes fanning against the apples of your cheeks when it pushes you to just this side of discomfort. Even being as wet as you are, his fingers were just too thick for your eagerly clenching passage to accommodate them without some resistance and you hedonistically bask in the searing burn. It felt good. Almost good enough for you to lose yourself to the pleasure but, somehow, you manage to keep your wits about you instead of shamelessly writhing in his lap.

You may as well have thrown caution to the wind though. Discretion hardly mattered anymore. You already felt like a blatant little slut and the shock of how much that turns you on has your pussy drooling obscenely all over Yami’s hand.

“Hah - harder, daddy … nnghh, harder, please.”

Rather than obliging, he actually pauses his ministrations and you quietly mewl at the loss of friction. You squirm on top of his muscular thighs and desperately try to fuck down on his digits, panting like a bitch in heat against the captains neck. He shifts underneath you, says something to Vanessa that makes her direct a chiding tone at Magna. Their bickering starts up again and with the rise in volume, Yami gives his wrist a good twist that shoves his fingertips into your upper wall. Static electricity shoots through your system at the sudden pressure on that pulsing sweet spot and the tension in your gut immediately starts to toe the line of unbearable.

Your mouth drops open in shellshocked ecstasy but nothing comes out. It’s hard just to draw breath when the dizzyingly sharp jolt of arousal has your toes flexing uselessly in the air and you tremble, quaking in his arms. Unperturbed by the effect this is having on you, Yami takes his time caressing the velvety soft lining of your insides with sedately smooth motions. Those worn fingertips gradually curl up in the general direction of your belly button and press in deeper, harder, making your cunt absolutely gush around him. You weren’t going to last much longer at this rate.

“Oooh god !” You gasp, clutching him in a death grip.

Turning your head, you press your cheek against Yami’s shoulder and fix your gaze to a random spot on the far wall. The room looked like it was tilted on its axis - - spinning, spinning, spinning - - and all you can do is whine and shake when he scissors his fingers, making more room for himself within you.

You weren’t just overheated anymore. It was as if you’d caught flame, burning from the inside out, and it only gets worse when he flexes his hand, jabbing at the spongy soft spot again and again.

A choked off squeal rises in your throat, just barely held back by tightly clenched teeth. You’re almost positive you can hear the greedy, slopping clicks of your pussy sucking him in deeper just below the surface of the enthusiastic argument going on behind you but they don’t seem to notice. They just keep shouting back and forth at each other, oblivious to what was going on at the other end of the table. You have no idea how you’re getting away with this - aren’t even really sure if you will get away with this when all is said and done - but that’s the very last thing on your mind anymore as you haltingly roll your hips into the blinding pressure.

“Ah - ahh - d - dah - ahh - ddyyy !”

“Do it.” Yami murmurs, his mouth pressed tight to your ear. “Come now , baby. Do it while you have the chance. Come on.”

Your eyes roll back in your head and you give your pelvis one good little twist. The drag of your throbbing clit across the front of his rough pants is the last push you need, the resulting friction searing your veins. It sends you spiraling right over the edge into doped out bliss and you squeak, jerking against him when full bodied tremors grip you in earnest and make you shake.

Riding out the cresting waves as discreetly as you can, you blink back an onslaught of reflexive tears. Your pussy squeezes tight, milking your orgasm on his fingers, even though the effort of forcing yourself to remain quiet nearly breaks your resolve. But you manage, somehow, to breathe through it even as your hips weakly buck in unmitigated pleasure, subduedly twisting in his arms. It felt like you were drowning in it, choking on immense, all encompassing relief.

But Yami doesn’t immediately let up on his concerted attack, continuing to work you over until the spasms start to subside and you whine in frazzled distress. Digits finally stilling inside you, he offers a brief kiss to your hair and it makes you breathe out a tired sigh. You immediately slump, going boneless on top of him, now even clammier than when you’d started. The sweat clinging to your skin has you feeling worryingly damp but you were also satiated and comfortable. It was an acceptable tradeoff, as far as you were concerned.

“Such a good girl. You even managed to stay quiet for me. I’m proud of you.”

Smiling at the hushed approval in his tone, you snuggle further into Yami’s musclebound frame. You were floating on cloud nine, no longer concerned about being removed from the card game; not when the pleasant afterglow and the reassuring presence of your captain - your daddy - had you feeling so at peace. There would always be a next time.

[talpup]

Summary: Yami Sukehiro just wanted to join the Magic Knights and make his mentor proud.  He knew there would be trails.  He knew trouble would come his way.  Knew he would be faced with discrimination for being a foreigner and a peasant.  What he didn’t know.  Didn’t expect.  Was that literal Chaos would come his way.  That he and his mentor’s sister would be at the center of world ending trouble.  Or that he would fall in love with his mentor’s sister and face more than discrimination; but the jealously of Nozel Silva who loved the same woman he did.

Please remember this fic is rated mature and has warnings of violence, abuse, sexual tension, eventual sexual behavior, and other possible triggers.  For a full list of story tags please check the fics AO3 (link to that at the top of my tumblrs homepage).

Chapter 80

“Do you have any idea how utterly stupid your actions were?  Did you even think?  Did you stop to consider anyone other than your own selfish insatiable curiosity?”

Teris stared at her enraged Captain.  She waited a beat, unsure if these were questions he wanted answered or just part of his tirade.

“You disobeyed a direct order from your Commanding officer in the mist of a dangerous mission.”  Jax went on.  “You endangered yourselves, each other, and your comrades.”

Jax didn’t need to tell her that.  Teris knew she massively screwed up. She had put the team in danger.  She put Yami in danger.  Teris felt Yami standing beside her.  She couldn’t have been more thankful he was okay.

Though her mana’s response had been slow to act in the labyrinth.  Once outside, Teris’ own system had seen her well on the way to healing before she and Yami were taken to Healers Hall.  Yami had woken up less than an hour after their exit from the geyser labyrinth.  He had no memory, and thankfully no ill effects from what happened.  It was all too similar to what happened to Teris when the force inside her took control.  Except in this case it was the supposed Darkness within Yami.  After seeing it for the first time, Teris was glad she didn’t remember going through it herself.  Though a part of her feel watching Yami go through it was far worse than anything she could've remembered from her own experience.

“Are you even listening to me!”  Jax barked.

Teris’ eyes focused on her Captain.

“Soon you will be going to Magic Investigations to give your report and answer all of their questions.”  Jax went on.  “You will come straight back after.  And here you will stay until after the Winter Solstice.  Do you understand me?  I don’t care if there’s an entire squad of Magic Knights willing to escort you somewhere.  I don’t give a damn if there’s another damned war or the Clover Kingdom itself is being attacked and set ablaze.  You will not leave this property until I say.”  Jax’s eyes pinned on Yami searching for any sign of argument then narrowed on Teris.  “I swear, Teris. If I so much as think of opening your grimoire to that blasted page of Chaos or looking through those pages Nozel gave you I’ll burn those mana forsaken papers and lock you up in a cell so fast it’ll make your head spin.”

Greywright cleared his throat.  This was becoming uncomfortable even for him. And the Magic Knights Commander had both seen and given his fair share of dressing downs over the years.  Even though Yami had played a part and stood beside Teris, Jax mainly addressed his scathing remarks to Teris.  Greywright wondered how much longer the two could take it.  Though they both remained at attention.  Teris seemed to sink further and further with every word.  While Yami’s muscles tensed and trembled, hands balling into fists.

Greywright glanced at the line of Magic Knights who had been part of the missions team and silently stood behind Jax.  Even Neyres who had smirked with smugness and Jack who had been amused, were looking away in discomfort.

“Acting Vice Captain Fuegoleon and Randall found the vault.”  Jax told Yami and Teris.

Teris’ eyes flicked to her cousin.  She owed him an apology.  She owed the entire team an apology.  If Jax was looking to make her feel worse by having her fellows there to view her shame, it wasn’t working.  The Black Bulls.  The entire Magic Knights order.  Heck the entire kingdom could be present for this and she still wouldn’t have felt any worse than she already did.  After what had happened with Yami. There was no way she could feel any worse for endangering him.  It was humanly impossible.

“Of course they weren’t able to carry much between the two of them. Taking what they thought most valuable to the kingdom.  They certainly could have used your help.  Not only to get more out but to fight.  Both men were injured by a beast.”  Jax said.

Teris glanced at her cousin again.  Catching Fuegoleon’s gaze her eyes darted back to the floor.

“Minor injuries.”  Greywright said.  “Randall’s scratches and bruising were barely worth the healers time.”  He didn’t know about anyone else, but he had reached his limit.  If Jax wanted to tear into Teris some more the Black Bulls Captain would have to do it without an audience when she returned from Magic Investigations.

The Greywright confirmed what Yami had already surmised.  The two Crimson Lions wouldn’t be standing here this morning if they had been terribly injured.  Greywright’s Ki told Yami the Magic Knights Commander had had enough.  Yami was relieved by that.  He wasn’t sure how much longer he could have stood silently by while Jax focused all of the fault and anger on Teris.  Yami had played his part.  He hadn’t so much as tried to reason Teris out of it.  Sure, he had mentioned the lack of map and time stone.  But those had barely been half heartened attempts to dissuade her.  Yami could have stopped her if he wanted.  Even if it had meant knocking Teris out from behind and dealing with her anger later.  He could have stopped her.  But he hadn’t even tried.

Yami wanted to pull Jax’s wrath away from Teris and claim his hand in it all.  He didn’t need to sense Teris’ Ki to know she couldn’t feel any worse than she already did.  He would have to talk to Teris later.  Tell her none of this was her fault.  If she refused to believe him, Yami would play her game of guilt and simply think of a fun way for her to make it up to him.  A smile began to tug at his lips at the notion.  But he managed to stop it.

“You two.”  Greywright looked at Yami and Teris.  “Apologize to your fellows.”

Not even close to done, Jax turned to the Knights Commander.

Greywright met the Captain's gaze.  “Let them apologize so we can all go about our day.  You want to continue this later, be my guest.  But I’m taking them to Magic Investigations now.”

“Fine.” Jax snapped, clearly displeased.  He looked at Teris.  “Well? Apologize to your fellows and teams Commanding officer.”

“I’m… sorry.”  Taken off guard, Teris’ words sounded more like an uncertain question than anything else.

Greywright gave her an exasperated look that all but pleaded her to work with him.  A portal opened in the Black Bulls great room.  It was different from Bronn’s.  Yami sudden growth of tension eased. Bronn’s appearance would’ve made this a thousand times worse.

Ellara appeared with Cob following.  The Spatial Mages bright smiling face markedly out of place among so many somber expressions and frowns.

“What’s taking so long?  I have Investigation Mages sitting around waiting to interview those two.”  Ellara gestured to Yami and Teris.

Greywright looked at Jax.  Lucky for them Jax’s lingering anger and worry over what happened covered his concern about Ellara getting her hands on Yami and Teris.  As much as Greywright hated to admit it, he found Ellara’s interest in what happened suspicious.  The near crazed look in the Advisors eyes when she asked him question after question yesterday had stayed hauntingly with him.

Greywright was glad he had gotten to Sir Jorah before Ellara had a chance to speak with the Wizard King.  Ellara hadn’t been pleased about the written order from Sir Jorah saying that Yami and Teris were not to undergo any form of memory or communication magic during their debriefing with Magic Investigations.  Greywright wouldn’t go so far as to personally admit he suspected Ellara of using her magic to effect Sir Jorah.  But the Knights Commander knew how persuasive the Wizard Kings Advisor could be.

“Then let’s go.”  Greywright said, waving Yami and Teris along.

“Cob.” Ellara ordered.

Cob opened the way to Magic Investigations.

“Right back.”  Jax called after Yami and Teris.

Yami gave the Captain a wave.  Honestly, Yami didn’t see Teris wanting to go anywhere other then home after the interview anyway.

Appearing outside of Magic Investigations, Ellara dismissed.  “Thank you, Cob.  This way.”  She said to Yami and Teris who looked at each other and followed.

The last time they had been in Magic Investigations had been after the labyrinth where they had received the History of Chaos.  The events instigated by Julius and Bronn from back then didn’t exactly make them feel comfortable to be back in the building.

Hearing more than two sets of footsteps following, Ellara turned.  “You need not be present for this, Commander.”

“They’re my Magic Knights.”  Greywright said.

“I’m sure they’ll behave themselves.”  Ellara said.

“You think you and your information loving paper sniffers are the only ones interested in what happened yesterday?  I’m coming.” Greywright said.

Ellara sighed and turned back around.  “Fine.  But I don’t want to suffer your complaints about how back logged you are.”

“I suffer your complaints often enough.”  Greywright toyed.

“And will continue to do so.  Especially when it comes to this hobbling order you talked Sir Jorah into giving.”  Ellara opened a door for them.

Greywright eyed her as he passed.  “The Wizard King hardly needed convincing. After what Yami and Teris went through yesterday.  Both of them and their mana are on edge.  Any spell that would access their memories would only further disturb them and agitate their mana.  The less that happens the better.  Especially with the Winter Solstice so near.”

“A sound argument.  But debriefing them would have been so much easier and quicker if Marx had been able to use his memory absolute spell to show us what they experienced.”  Ellara said, not admitting that she would have been the one using her magic to look into their minds.

Greywright glanced back at the two Black Bulls who silently followed him and Ellara.  “I’m sure Yami and Teris can paint you and your Mages as vivid a picture as you want.  After all, they have nothing better to do for the rest of the month.”

80.2

Marx entered Julius’ office at the darkened Azure Deers base.  The Communication Mages body might’ve been tired from the long day and even longer night, but his mind was wide awake and racing.

Head thrown back against the upholstered chair Jax’s eyes opened at Marx’s entry.  “I understand the need for us to be careful.  But, meeting at three in the morning?  Seriously?  Isn’t this a bit much.”

“Absolutely not.  The Advisor only left her office an hour and a half ago.  She was met by one your Black Bulls by the way.”  Marx told Jax.

“Olsen? The man has it bad.”  Jax sighed and shook his head.

“As long as that’s all it is.”  Marx said.

Jax waved the Investigations Mage off.  “If Ellara was going to use someone from my squad as a spy, she wouldn’t have picked Olsen. Olsen’s obsessed with romance.  The only intrigue that would catch his attention is a secret love affair.  Trust me.  I know my people.”

“Just as I know mine.”  Greywright said, entering the office.

Jax and Julius bolted up from their seats.  Marx spun around, taking a step back in surprise.

Julius’ eyes snapped to his Vice Captain who stood behind Greywright’s shoulder.

“Don’t be so hard on Jon, Julius.  What could the man do when I entered and ordered him silent?  You may continue your watch, Vice Captain.” Greywright told Jon.  “If anyone else shows up...  Well, I’m sure your Captain told you what to do.”

Head ducked, Jon disappeared.  Closing the door behind him.

The Knights Commander stepped further into the officer.  “What’s with the face Marx?  You weren’t followed.  At least by me.  I’ve had one of my magic army men watching this place and the Black Bulls base since the sun set.  Was just about to give up.  Thinking maybe I didn’t know you my people as well as thought, when you arrive.” He looked to Jax.

Julius muttered under his breath.  He really needed to figure out how to break the spell that blocked Bronn’s magic from entering the Azure Deers base.  Though fairly certain his old Captain wasn’t still sour and mad about the prank wars, the thought of asking the retired woman made Julius feel like a chagrined child.

“I figured that wasn’t everyone.  You had to have someone in Investigations feeding you information.  I figured it was Marx.” Greywright turned to the Communication Mage.  “You carried yourself quite well during Yami and Teris’ interview this afternoon.  I doubt Ellara suspects a thing.  Well, anymore than she suspects any and everyone.  She’s always been a watchful, suspicious sort.  Her position, like mine, all but requires us to be to some extent.”  He sat.  “Shall we?”

“Sir.” Julius tendered.

“Ah.” Greywright held up a finger.  “Don’t try to explain this as anything other than what it is.  You’ll be forced to lie and I’ll be offended.  You don’t want to offend me, Captain.  Not today.” He watched the three men look among each other with uncomfortable uncertainty.  “Fine.  I’ll go first.  Ellara’s interest in what happened with Yami and Teris yesterday unnerved me.”  The look in her eyes flashed through Greywright’s mind causing the hair on his arms to raise.  “Luckily I got to Sir Jorah first and convinced him that any memory or communication spell would be unsettling and potentially dangerous for Yami and Teris.  Sir Jorah didn’t even finish hearing me out.  He agreed and immediately wrote up the order that a verbal interview was all that would be allowed.  Ellara mentioned how it would’ve been easier and quicker to let you, Marx, have at them.  But let’s face it, we all know Ellara.  She’s far too proud and controlling.  She would’ve used her magic and done the spell herself.”

Jax slowly sunk back into the seat.  “So you believe us?”

“I don’t know what I believe concerning Advisor Ellara.  But I know the two of you, and the rest of my Captain's, better than I ever knew my own siblings.  I know you and Julius wouldn’t be meeting here like this unless you truly believed something was amiss.  It’s my job to keep my Knights and this kingdom safe.  I would be foolish and remiss in my duty not to take your concerns seriously.”  Greywright tilted his head.  “You don’t take me for a careless fool, do you Jax?”

“I take you for a great many things, Sir.  But a careless fool has never been one of them.”  Jax answered.

Julius sat down, shoulders easing.

Still anxious and unnerved despite not being in trouble, Marx moved to the decanters of alcohol on the bureau beside the sitting area.  “I need a drink.”

“Get me one too.  Whiskey.  Two fingers.”  Greywright told.  He smirked at Julius.  “I know you can’t stand the stuff but unlike Jax, you’re a good host.  Given how often he comes by you’re bound to have some.”

Marx served himself a fingers worth of bourbon.  Downed it.  And, refilled his glass.  He handed the glass of whiskey to the Magic Knight’s Commander and sat down, setting the copied files he had brought on the low coffee table.

“That’s the transcript of Yami and Teris’ interview along with everything I found on to geyser labyrinth and this… person Teris spoke with.” Marx said, not sure person was the proper term for a long dead form that had reanimated for a short time.

Julius took up the interview notes while Jax grabbed the file on who the corpse Teris talk to was.  Marx tried to avoid the Magic Knights Commander’s gaze.  Attempting to settle his nerves he told himself Commander Greywright wouldn’t have calmly sat down if he was going to discipline and write them up for this secret meeting.

Having been at Yami and Teris’ interview and seen everything on the first team of Magic Knights ever to enter the geyser labyrinth, Greywright studied Marx while the two Captain's read.  “You said copies. Would that be you making them?”

Marx swallowed thickly.  It wasn’t against the rules to make copies of interviews, reports, and other official documents.  But his not having gone through the proper channels and logged his making of the copies was.

“It’s alright, Marx.”  Julius soothed as he read.  “The Commander knows our suspicious and need for care.  You can tell him without fear.”

Marx, never one for breaking the rules, gave Julius a scalding look.  He eyed the Magic Knights Commander warily.  Julius wasn’t the only one with lofty goals.  Marx had wanted to be Wizard Kings Advisor ever since his younger self learned of the position.  But he wouldn’t become Wizard Kings Advisor if dismissed from Magic Investigations for making illegal copies; never mind his support and secret meetings with fellow believers who suspected the current Advisor of subversion.  Commander Greywright might not be his direct superior. But the man was Advisor Ellara’s counterpart.  Given the magnitude of his ever accumulating infractions, the Knights Commander could end his career just as quickly and easily as Advisor Ellara.

At Commander Greywright’s arched brow Marx tentatively nodded.

Greywright took a sip of his drink.  “So how’d you get them?  The copies that is.”

“I didn’t make the copies while in Investigations.  Like Magic Knights Headquarters, any magic used while inside Investigations is recognized and logged.  In order to use a copy spell within the building one would have to send in a form of what was copied and why.”  Marx said.  He knew the Knights Commander was already aware of this but was hoping that would suffice.

Greywright shook his head.  “You Investigations Mages and your love of notating and filing every single thing.  So how’d you get these without it being logged then?”

Marx glanced at Julius still uncertain with making such a confession. Then again the Magic Knights Commander already knew the worst of his transgressions.  Meeting here in secret to discuss their concern about Advisor Ellara being connected to the Agents of Chaos and using her magic to effect Sir Jorah…  What he was doing might not be treason, but it felt that way to Marx.  Then again he revered the position of Wizard Kings Advisor second only to that of Wizard King.

Clearing his throat, Marx told.  “I created the copies in my home.”  At the Commanders questioning expression he went on.  “My magic allows me perfect recall of everything.”

“You forget nothing?”  Greywright questioned.

“That’s correct.”  Marx nodded.

The Commander blinked.  As useful as that could be, it was probably also annoying as hell.

“So what?  You bring these pages to mind with your perfect memory and use some sort of spell to transfer it to paper?”  Greywright asked.

“In the most rudimentary sense.  Yes.”  Marx said.

“It says here the corpse Teris saw was a member of the first team of Magic Knights ever sent into the geyser labyrinth.”  Jax said.

Julius looked up.  “So they wouldn’t have known about the time limit. They were stuck down there?”

Jax nodded, summarizing as he read.  “It took three other missions upon the labyrinth’s opening before they found all the others from the first team.  The Magic Knights wrapping up the remains and bringing them out for a proper burial.  But the one Teris spoke to had never been found.”

“And she was a light magic user?”  Julius asked, wanting to be sure.

“The last one in the Clover Kingdom till Teris.”  Jax looked at the report to get the number right.  “Three hundred and seventy-seven years ago.  Says here she was Captain of the Azure Deers.”  He looked at Julius.  “Only six years your senior at thirty seven when she led the mission.  Maybe your library has more on her?”

Julius frowned, doubtfully.  “The Deers base has moved twice since then. Most of the Captain's logs from that far back would be housed somewhere in Magic Investigations.  That’s if they weren’t lost or destroyed.  Still, it’s worth a look.  What was her name?”

“Shadow Banashe.”  Jax answered.

“Really?” Julius raised a brow at the name.  Given Teris and Yami’s magic. And the fact that the long dead woman had called herself a Harbinger. It was--

“An interesting coincidence.”  Marx said.

Jax tossed the file down.  “Sure.  It’s all one big coincidence. Just like how it’s been three hundred and seventy-seven years since the Clover Kingdom had another light magic user.  Or this Shadow Banashe was thirty-seven when she led the mission and died down there.  I’m sure none of that has any connection to Yami being the seventh son of a seventh son of a seventh son.  Look.  I’m not one to believe in signs and portents.  But when they keep slapping me in the face, it gets pretty hard to ignore.”

Marx looked skeptically at the Black Bulls Captain.  “What are you saying?  That this is some sort of fate or destiny?  That Captain Shadow was meant to be sent on that mission?  Supposed to be trapped and die down there?  That Teris was meant to find Captain Shadow’s body all these years later just so she could be locked behind a stone wall so Yami could access the dark force within him?”

Sitting back, Jax crossed his arms.  “Alright smart guy.  Why did Teris sense something when no one else did?”

“Captain Shadow had been a light magic user.  As a light magic user herself, Teris likely sensed the residual mana within the late Captain’s remains.”  Marx reasoned.

“A team had already mapped that way.  So why had no one found the late Captain's remains before Teris?”  Jax asked.

“Her remains were behind a stone wall.”  Marx answered.

“And how did Captain Shadow or her remains get there?  Yami and Teris’ description of the rock wall was exactly that.  That it was a wall. Not some cave-in that had trapped Captain Shadow in there.”  Jax said.

Julius set down the report of the interview.  “Teris and Yami both said that Teris had touched the wall.  Is it possible that something recognized her magic and that’s why the wall allowed her through?”

“Something? Or the dead Captain Shadow?”  Marx questioned trying to get Julius to hear just how absurd the query sounded.

Undeterred, Julius told.  “Magic is capable of some pretty fantastical fetes. Dark forbidden magic even more so.  All be it at a much greater and often deadly cost.  Rare as they are.  There has even been record of Fate Mages.”

Marx could scarcely believe Julius had taken up the Black Bulls Captain line of thought.  If the situation weren’t so serious, he would have thought this some poor attempt at a jest.  He half expected Commander Greywright to laugh at the two.  Instead, the Magic Knights Commander looked at him to respond.

Seeking to be the voice of reason in this lunacy, Marx cleared his throat and told Julius.  “Yes.  But what you and Captain Jax are suggesting is something so far beyond all that.  Yami and Teris may be especial powerful and have rare magic.  But in the end.  Yami is just a young man with dark magic.  And Teris is simply a young lady with light magic.  The Agents of Chaos and others might attempt to make them out as more than that to suit their beliefs and aims.  But, that is why we call them crazy zealots.”

80.3

Yami entered the common study.  Scratching the back of his head, he squinted at the brightness of the candlelight.  “Teris.  What are you doing?”

Seated at a long table, Teris stopped writing.  Looking up, she froze.  The sight of Yami always made her heart flutter.  But this was different. He had clearly just woken up.  His hair more tousled than usual.  He was shirtless and barefoot.  His black pants hung low on his hips without a belt to help hold them up.

“I—uh…” Teris floundered, taking him in.

Still half asleep, Yami didn’t catch the way she looked him over. “Teris?”

Teris shook sense back into her head.  “Go back to bed.”

“Why are you whispering?  Everyone’s asleep and Jax isn’t here.” Yami said, voice at its regular volume.  He stared at her, eyes adjusting to the light.  “But you knew that already.  Didn’t you?”

Teris fidgeted with the quill, unable to meet his gaze.

At least she had the sense to look guilty, Yami thought.  “You’re not messing with anything Jax told you not to, are you?”

“No.” Teris said.

Yami gave her a look.

“No.” She said, again.

“Good. Cause I’d miss you if Jax locked you away in a cell.”

“You mean you wouldn’t come visit?”  Teris played.

“Nope.” Yami stepped to her.  The winter cooled floor, that made everyone else chill, warm under his bare feet.

Teris remembered something and turned, jotting down a few words.

Yami leaned over her seated frame.  His hands rested on the table to either side of her, caging her in.  Head beside hers, Yami looked over Teris’ shoulder and read.  “Captain Shadow.  Azure Deer. Thirty-seven--”

Teris flipped the paper over.

Yami looked at her.  “If I didn’t know Julius was Captain of the Azure Deer I might be jealous of this Captain Shadow.  What with finding you at the dead of night in your robe writing his name and hiding it from me.”

Teris put the quill down.  “It’s nothing.”

“Then why hide it?  What is all that?  Who’s Captain Shadow?”  Yami asked, eyes searching her profile.

Teris tried to lean away, Yami’s face distractingly close.  But his arm stopped her.

“Teris?”

“She was the one I talked to in the labyrinth.”  Teris answered.

“The dried up corpse that reanimated?”  Yami asked, wishing she would look at him.

Teris nodded and turned the paper over so Yami could read it.  “I caught a glimpse of her service record while we were at Magic Investigations.”

“So you’re trying to remember what you saw and write it down.”  He shook his head and huffed.  “You just can’t help yourself.  Can you?”

Teris turned to him.  “She used me.”

“She’s been long dead.”  Yami told.

“That doesn’t change the fact that whatever part of her remained. Whatever it was that called and spoke to me, used me.  It used me to get to you.”

Yami’s expression softened.  “I’m fine, love.”

Teris lifted her hand and caressed his cheek.  Her fingers traced the line of his jaw and down his neck and arm.  “You don’t remember what happened.  Didn’t see what I saw.”

“Scared you did it?”

“It scared me for you.”  Teris told.  Her hand clutched his arm.  The fear that she could have lost him to the force inside him making her throat raw with emotion.

Yami studied her beloved face.  “I know the feeling.”

When the fear didn’t leave her eyes, Yami straightened and pulled out the chair Teris sat in.  Teris squeaked, feet lifting off the floor as Yami turned the chair around so she could face him.  He squatted in front of her, legs butterflying to either side of hers.

“Scary as it may have been.  I came back to you didn’t I?  I came back to you the same way you came back to me.”  Looking up at her, Yami swore.  “I’ll always come back to you Ikigai.”

“What does that even mean!”  She asked of the endearment.

Yami chuckled at her whine.  Avoiding the question, he asked one of his own.  “You think there’s a single thing in this world or any other that could keep me from you?  I thought you were smarter than that, Princess.”

“Yami.”

“Don’t shake your head and try to argue that there’s greater powers out there.  I’ll surpass my limits if it means staying by your side. You can’t begin to fathom what you mean to me.”

“If it’s even half of what you mean to me, I’m sure--”  Teris jumped at the tickling feeling of his rough hand gliding up the top of her bare foot.  She tensed further when his hand continued around her ankle and slowly traced up the back of her calf. “Wha—what are you doing?”

Yami’s eyes lifted from her curled toes.  “What’s it look like?”

Teris trembled, legs pressed tightly together.  Yami’s hand grazed passed the back of her knee and gripped her thigh.  Teris jerked on instinct.  Yami caught her foot before it connected between his legs.

“Careful where you kick.  You’ll want that later.”  He smirked at Teris’ wide eyes.  “I mean later, later.  Not later tonight.  Unless...”

“No!” Teris said, hoarsely.  “You said you wanted to wait too.”

“I do.  I’m just giving you a hard time.  You make it so easy sometimes.  It’s like you’re asking for it.”

“Trust me.  I’m not asking for anything.”  Teris blushed.

“I remember you asking me to kiss you some more earlier tonight.” Yami teased, wondering what she wore under her robe.

Teris’ color deepened.  “That’s different.  We weren’t alone then.”

“Yes we were.”

“We weren’t alone, alone.  The others were awake and about.  And we weren’t in our sleep clothes.”

“I’m dressed.”  Yami said.

“You’re wearing pants.  That hardly qualifies as dressed.”

“Would you feel better if I was in my sleep clothes too?”  Yami questioned, deadpan.  He made for his pants fastenings.  “I could take them off if that’d make you more comfortable.”

“Yami! It—I—no!”

Yami chuckled.  He pushed to his feet and grabbed her wrist, pulling her up with him.  “You need to relax.  Turn around.  I’ll give you a massage.  Help you loosen up.”

Teris stared into his mirth filled eyes.  She wasn’t annoyed by his teasing.  She was annoyed that his teasing flustered her.  If she played back...  No, they had been through that twice before.  One of them had to keep a clear head and handle on things.

Her eyes betrayed her, lowering to take in Yami’s bare chest.  Teris reached out, fingers tracing the lines of his well defined abs.  Yami watched her take him in.  He reveled in her soft touch, wanting her to explore and feel more of him.  Her fingers stopped at the waist of his pants.  Her eyes slowly caught up to the halted path of her trailing fingers.

Teris licked her lips and swallowed.  The tips of her fingers grazed along the waist of his pants.  Yami sucked in a breath and caught her hand. His other hand lifted her chin.  The lust filled glaze in Teris’ eyes almost his undoing.

Yami cleared his throat.  “You do want to wait.  Don’t you?”

Eyes still hazy, Teris nodded.

Yami was both relieved and disappointed.  He meant what he said when he told Teris he wanted to wait too.  But in moments like these.  When faced by the tempting sight of her.  The desire and reasons for waiting alluded him.

Yami grabbed Teris’ hips and spun her around.  The quick movement left her dizzy.

Yami steadied her.  His chest pressed into her back, strong arms coiling around her waist. “I got you. I’ll always have you.”

Teris shivered.  It wasn’t just the husky words that delighted. It was the way Yami’s hands slid along the silk fabric of her robe and pressed flat against her abdomen, pulling her closer to him.

Yami kissed along Teris’ shoulder to her jaw.  A humming growl of hunger rumbled deep in his chest.  It set Teris’ hips to dancing.  Her thighs squeezed together, a thrumming need igniting. Her head fell back against his shoulder.

Yami kissed the apple of her cheek.  He watched her fluttering lashes.  “You need to stop working on this.”

Teris tensed, coming back to herself.  Her head lifted. She tried to turn and face him.  But Yami’s arms tightened, holding her firm.  He nuzzled against her, watching the rise and fall of her chest.

“Just for tonight.”  Yami murmured, lips brushing her neck as he spoke.  He kissed her pulse point and nipped at her earlobe. “If Jax returned and found you at this…  There's no telling what he’d do.  And I really would miss you if he locked you in a cell.”

Yami’s fingers curled under Teris’ chin and turned her head to face him.  His nose brushed hers.  He gave her a chaste kiss.  Then his mouth latched on to hers. Teris kissed him back.  Her hands crawled up his arms and snaked around his neck.  She tugged at Yami’s hair, back arching against his chest.

“Yami.” Teris breathed, coming up for air only to dive back in.  She stretched up and back to him, pulling him down to her.

Yami gripped her swaying hips.  His hands pressed one way and then the other, making her dance to his rhythm.  Teris moaned into his mouth. The sound and vibration shot through Yami like lightening. He broke the kiss, struggling to tamp down his growing excitement. Teris leaned back against him.  She tugged at his neck and shoulder, lifting her face, seeking another kiss.

It was her eyes, pupils blown full of desire, that broke him.  Against his better judgment Yami’s lips and tongue met hers once again.  His hand traced up between her breasts to cup her face.  Teris’ short trimmed nails clawed down his arms.

Yami pulled away again, straightening to his full height.  “We need to stop.”

Though disappointed and tempted to push for more, Teris didn’t.  Her arms lowered from around his neck, falling to her side.  She moved to step away, but Yami held her fast.

“You’re giving me mixed messages here.”  Teris laughed, lightly.

Arms wrapped around her waist, Yami rested his chin on her shoulder.  “There’s something I need.”

Teris’ head tilted to get a better look at him.  “Something you need?”

Yami nodded, eyes never leaving the tie that dangled from her waist.  Deep voice serious, he told.  “It’s imperative.”

“It’s imperative now?” Teris laughed.

Yami reached for one of the ends to the belt that held her robe closed and slowly started to pull.

Teris grabbed his arm.  “Yami!”

Yami halted.  “I just want to see.”  He said, as if it were the most innocence thing in the world.

“It’s just my sleep clothes.” Teris said, knowing it was far more than that.

Yami’s eyes fixed on her.  “I just want to see what you sleep in.”

“They’re just night clothes.  It’s not that big a deal.”  Teris told.

“If it’s not that big a deal, what’s it matter if I see?  I’ll show you what I sleep in.”  Yami offered.

Teris pressed her lips together, tempted.  She had often wondered what Yami wore to bed.  Usually while laying awake in her own bed.  But his earlier comments had all but confirmed the answer was his underwear. She blushed, imagining him in nothing but that.  Her legs once again squeezing together at the mental picture.

“We need to stop.”  Teris said, feeling overheated.

“We have stopped.  I just want to see.”  Yami said.

“That’s all?  Nothing more?”  Teris asked.

“That’s it.”  Yami answered. When Teris still seemed hesitant, he said.  “All I want is to see you in your night clothes.  It’s not like I’m asking to see you without them.”

“Yami!”

“Please.” Yami looked over her shoulder and slowly began to tug the belt end he held.  He half expected Teris to stop him again; and told himself that if she did he wouldn’t press further.  He didn’t want her to feel pressured into anything she wasn’t willing or ready for.

Teris released Yami’s forearm.  As intimate as it was.  It wasn’t like she was wearing anything suggestive or see through.

Yami’s movements didn’t speed when Teris let him continue.  He wanted to savor this.

Teris laughed when it turned out Yami had pulled the wrong end of the belt, knotting it instead of undoing it.

Yami growled in frustration.  His other hand moved to tug at the tie. Teris laughed further, watching Yami fumble and struggle to undo the knot.

“You’re making it worse.”  Teris firmly gripped his hands and pulled them apart.  She stepped away from him.

Thinking that he had messed up his chance, Yami had a moments disappointment. But the feeling didn’t last long when he saw her turn around.

“Allow me.”  Teris smiled, still amused by his irritated clumsiness.

Yami watched her slowly but expertly pick out the knot he had made and pull the belt open letting the ends fall.  Her hand reached up to the side of her right breast and pulled free another tie that he hadn’t known was there.

Teris felt a sudden wave of nervousness.  Her shy gaze met Yami’s and all her uncertainty fell away. His eyes held so much more than physical desire. Love and adoration burned in his gaze.  There was an absolute trust and a sort of reverence shining in his eyes that made her feel unworthy. She didn’t deserve such a man and his devotion.  Especially after what happened at the labyrinth.  Teris pushed the guilt away and bolstered herself, silently swearing that she would to do everything in her power to be worthy of Yami and his care.

Yami stared into the dark pools of Teris’ eyes.  He could get lost in her gaze for eternity and be a happy man.  He hadn’t really expected her to agree to this, let alone pull the strings herself.  But watching her do so was so much better.  The sight made things so much harder, in more ways than one.

Yami swallowed, throat bobbing as Teris slowly opened the robe. It was a simple thin strapped, silk, midnight blue camisole with a matching set of shorts.  Yami’s eyes followed the camisoles deep ‘v’ that dived between her breasts.  He saw the hard twin peaks of her nipples that raised the soft, thin, clingy fabric.  With effort he pulled his gaze further down, wanting to take in every inch of her.  The shorts sat low on her hips. And the camisoles hemline only reached Teris’ waistline.  Leaving a couple inches of smooth, pale skin visible in between.

Yami groaned lowly at the sight.  A small damp spot blossomed in his underwear at his growing excitement.  His eyes lowered still, taking in her toned thighs.  He noted a light birthmark high up on the front of her left thigh.  Yami could easily see that being a favored place of his to kiss once they were wed.  He saw that short as the bottoms were, they rose even higher at the sides.  Tilting his head slightly he saw why. The shorts were a butterfly style.  The front and back of the fabric didn’t close together in a seam but rather overlapped slightly to cover her hips.  If only a widow was open or they were outside on a breezy night.

Voice caught between terse and hopeful, Teris asked.  “Happy?”

“Completely.”

It was an effort not to protest when Teris lifted the robe back on and wrapped it closed.

“You should go to bed.”  Yami told her.

Teris tied the belt around her waist.  “You too.”

“Oh, I will be.”  Yami smirked.

Teris blushed at his salacious tone. They both turned at the sound of the front door opening and closing.

“Jax is back.  You need to head up, quiet as you can.”  Yami whispered.

Teris agreed, especially after the scolding they got from the Captain this afternoon.  Even if she hadn’t fully learned her lesson as was secretly looking into stuff, Jax wouldn't be happy finding her and Yami like this alone so late.  She turned to the table but Yami blocked in her path.

“Naha.” Yami sounded softly but firmly, shaking his head.  “I’ll grab those.  You go.”

Teris looked from him to the papers, hesitating.

“Now!” Yami whispered.

Teris turned and made her way out, the padding of her bare feet barely audible.  Yami huffed at her insatiable curiosity and stubbornness.  He heard Jax's tread on the stairs and turned to the papers. Quickly shuffling them together, Yami rolled and stuffed them in his pants pocket.  He kept his hand in there to reason away the bulge should Jax look well enough to see.  As for the bulge that still remained at the center front of his pants.  Well, Yami just had to wait that one out.

“Yami?”

Yami turned.  “Jax.  Kind of late to be just getting in.”

The Captain ignored the comment.  Yami wasn’t his Vice Captain yet.  He owed the man no answers as to his whereabouts.

“What are you doing up and in here?”  Jax scanned the room.  He had seen the faint candlelight light shining through the window on his way up the path to the house and had been sure he would find Teris in here.

“Bad dream.  Was heading down for a snack when I saw light coming from in here.”  Yami said, all of which was true.

A flash of concern crossed Jax’s face.  “Not the page of Chaos was it?”

“Don’t think so.  Teris said she woke up feeling disoriented any time that thing messed with her.  That hasn’t happened.”  Yami said.

Jax crossed his arms finding it strange.  Though they hadn’t known it at the time, the closer the Summer Solstice got the more the page of Chaos had communicated with Teris.  With the Winter Solstice a mere week away Jax would have figured Yami would be going through something similar.  Not that he wanted it to be so.  But still, it made him wonder.

“Maybe it effects you differently.”  Jax theorized aloud.

Yami shrugged.  “Couldn’t say.”

“I’ll see if Marx can come by.”

“Why? Mushroom Head wasn’t able to see anything last time he tried. What makes you think now would be any different?”  Yami asked.

“I don’t.  But at least we’d know if it was happening and you just haven’t been picking up on it.”  Jax said.

“What’s it matter?  Knowing if it’s happening or not.  It’s not like it would make a difference.”  Yami said.

“Just-- It’ll make me feel better.”  Or possibly worse, Jax thought.  He sighed.  “I’ll talk to Julius.  See what he thinks.“  Why did he feel that it was them, not Yami, who missing something.

Yami made for the door.  “Whatever.  I’ll leave you to snuff out the candle.  I’m headed to bed.”

“What happened to your snack?”

Yami turned back and grinned like the cat that got the cream.  “Got something far tastier than any food to relax and wear me out.” Jax watched the younger man go, wondering what he was talking about.  The kid’s strange, Jax thought to himself.  Not really such a kid anymore, his mind told.  Yami was eighteen.  So was Teris.  Jax recalled what he’d been like at eighteen.  The only things he had cared about were food, fighting, and girls.  Well, one girl in particular.  That was something he and Yami seemed to have in common, right down to being enamored with one particular girl.

Jax’s hand dipped into his pants pocket, fingers caressing a well worn piece of fabric he always carried with him.  His heart clenched in a familiar ache around the hole that one particular girl had left.  He would do everything in his power to make sure Yami wasn’t left suffering the same ache.

Pulling his hand from his pocket Jax rubbed his face and sighed.  Only one week left to the Winter Solstice.  Yami and Teris would have to be under constant watch.  He had considered forbidding them from leaving the house but thought they would chaff too badly at that and didn’t want to chance them running off, restless.  As it was they wouldn’t be allowed to leave the property.  And anytime they left the house they would be accompanied by two other Black Bulls.

As they got even closer to the solstice, Jax would likely bar them from leaving the house altogether.

He and Julius were suppose to have discussed what they were going to do with Yami and Teris during the two days leading up to the solstice. But with Commander Greywright showing up to their secret meeting and all the stuff with the deceased Captain Shadow Banashe, they hadn’t gotten around to it.  Maybe they would get a chance to talk before the meeting with Sir Jorah and Greywright tomorrow.  No, Jax corrected himself, the meeting this afternoon.

Jax shook his head and yawned.  He was exhausted.  He didn’t know how Bronn did it, being out in the field for extended periods.  Maybe that was why Bronn was so ready to marry and retire.  The constant field missions had worn the man down and made him feel aged.

Sixteen more days and Jax would have two new Vice Captain's.  Sixteen more days and he’d see his best friend wed and hopefully headed for a happier, easier life out in some Forsaken Realm village.  As if life in the Forsaken Realm was carefree or easy.  Then again after the last few years since Yami and Teris had joined the squad, anything would likely be easier.

Jax just hoped the Agents of Chaos didn’t get their way and they were all around to enjoy Bronn and Gilly’s wedding on December thirty-first.

I'd like to take a second to thank you all for sticking with me through this fic.  For those who have commented and/or reblogged, or sent in an ask, thank you!  Ever single interaction has been such a joy and encouragement.  Truly.  I’ve made so many new friends on this sight that even now I’m smiling as I type.  Thanks again!  Hope you all have an awesome New Year.

Next chapter snippet:

Lips pressed together, Teris looked at Nozel.  Could she do such a thing? Call upon and use Nozel’s affection for her?  The affection she tried to pulled away from and dissuade every time Nozel showed a hint of it.  Could she use that affection to try to get justice for Zara?

[cawcawpeasants]

Okay so that little ficlet you wrote is PERFECT I am always down to see these dorks pine! I hope everything escalates if this is what the result is! Also legit NO ONE ever knew Nozel had the shirt. For years. So a few weeks after Nozel snatched that shirt, he realizes no ones gonna catch him. So he goes 'I wonder what else I can get away with?' So naturally this ruthless idiot decides to wage some phycological warfare with an idiot who suckerpunched Fuego the week before.

I’m glad you liked it 😊❤️

Also boy, Nozel can be so petty.

(this has gotten kinda long. Damn.)

It’s at a time where he is actually like a common sight at the games of the crimson lions, especially at this court. Even though he never interacted with the guys, and usually disappears pretty suddenly whenever Leon tries to establish eye contact. One Time he smiled at the silver haired and he could swear the other blushed and nearly tripped. He seemed somewhat shy, but there was also something cold and calculating about his gaze when he saw their matches. Also he was very handsome. So Leon couldn’t help but look forward to their little silver haired shadow with eyes like ice.

Nozel couldn’t help but come to watch the hockey players, a sport which his family has always looked down on. So rough, so unrefined, barbarians besmudgin the pristine ice with their violence. But this was different. They glided across the ice like figure skaters, all the while following a strategy, acting like a swarm, a unity, then dispersing into solo plays. It was fascinating. And Nozel didn’t saw Violence, he saw brilliance. And the most brilliant, the most outstanding of them was a male with a loud voice, deciding movements and a number one on his back.

Nozel loved seeing him fly across the field, defending, attacking, scoring, but whatever he did, it was always on point. No unnecessary movements, no wrong decisions, but there was still a fire with him, that ignited the ice. It seemed to reach Nozel too, he felt a warmth creep up in him, especially when the other looked at him.

He couldn’t understand what was going on. This was a weird, overwhelming situation and he held firmly onto every feeling that he was acquainted to, just to feel some normality.

One day, during a training match where the team was split in two and played against each other, one of the more common feelings in his life welled up in him. Disapproval. Anger. Loathing.

During the match, there was one player who just couldn’t seem to play fair. Something was off about him, too, since he joined the team he was nothing but trouble as far as Nozel had determined. The guy was new, none of the usual players Nozel was at this time quite knowledgeable about. He listened to other fans during the games to pick up something about the sport.

Now the new guy just moved to the city, he came from a rich family and basically bought his way to the place he was currently at. There were rumors of covered up foul play often ending up with severe injuries. On the ice the male was acting like a diva. There was no team play, he was always getting into everyones way trying to snatch the puck even from those in his own team. He even ordered them around in a way usually only the captain does, but with way more unreasonable orders.

There was also a certain talk amongst fans about a rivalry regarding the position of the center player. The position which in hockey is like the quarterback one for football. And which is currently the position a certain fiery captain holds during matches.

They were originally planning to use the other as a stand in whenever Vermillion needed a break, but the last match turned ugly real quick. There was so much foul play that even Nozel saw that something was not going right. Apparently the trainer and the captain nearly popped a vein afterwards, trying to reason with this dude.

So this training match was loaded by a lot of animosity. The feeling between the two current center players was hostile as it could ever be. While the Vermillion was leading his team and made sure things were running smoothly, the other was disrupting his teams play, was ordering them to be more aggressive or use their sticks to swab at the other players, which was certainly a foul, so they didn’t follow these “encouragements” and also was a total Puck hog. It became so unbearable that even the team under Vermillion became aggravated. No one wanted to continue playing like this, they were one team and hearing one of their own to use potentially very dangerous acts of violence against them, hurt. They were a loyal team, and this one did not fit in their ranks, everyone could see that.

The trainer called in a short break. The players were disoriented and no body felt good about the performance. They all came together on the bench, drinking water in disgruntled silence. All but one. A certain loudmouth couldn’t help but blabber on Bout what “his” guys should change, what they should do, he even gave them advice on how to certainly make some one trip. They were so disgusted by that that one by one they joined their usual colleagues.

The loudmouth called them cowards and worse, laughed at them and then stayed alone at his bench.

Leon exchanged a look with the trainer. He shook his head as to say “he doesn’t fit in”, and his trainer nodded at him. The crimson lions were passionate, they were fiery, but they were all loyal, sportsmanlike and especially fair players. Some of their fans even called them Knights, because they were so valiant, and they were very proud of that.

“Captain?”

Leon looked up at the others. They were all showing different varieties of uncomfortable feelings on their faces.

“I know right now we are supposed to play as enemies, but we are one team. And we can’t play like this. Not with him, not against him. We all know that you never welcome discrimination on the ice, but we really can’t think of him as a part of the team. What can we do?”

Leon nodded, he understood their feelings very well. But he couldn’t just jump right in their and start a round of bad mouthing another, that’s not befitting a Sportsman, especially not a captain.

“I understand your frustration. I have had the feeling too, that maybe he belongs in a different team, one that is going over the basics of hockey with him. Right now, we will continue the game. We will play to our best possibilities. We will play as we always did, clean, fair and honest. If I see anyone following the advice on tripping and spearing, I will make sure the person will clean all the teams equipment alone for a month, is that understood!”

“Yes sir!”

“We will play this match, and we will win this match, not as two teams but as one. Because every thing we learn and experience on the ice is a win. Isn’t it?”

“Yes Sir!”

“And we will show our new friend over there how the crimson lions play! And now back into the rink with you!”

“Yes sir!”

With new motivation and fire the players took on their positions. The loudmouth heard the captains speech, the yelling was loud enough. He knew exactly how the others thought about him. And he was jealous. He wanted to make the redhead feel his anger so badly.

Nozel, from his view point up high couldn’t hear all the words, but he got the gist of it all. New dude was causing more and more trouble, and the team was fed up with him ad his ways. That definitely showed in their game play.

The guys weren’t really listening to the newby after the break. They tried to play with him, but after he continued to be a Puck hog and not a team player, they left him out when they could. That gave the other team the opportunity to power play, overpowering them with full force.

Suddenly the frustration apparently took over, and Nozel could only watch wide eyed how the troublemaker suddenly took off and went face to face with the other center. The other tried to stand his grounds while also to Deescalate the situation. Soundly the others stick flew and in the next moment the Captain doubled over in pain.

Nozel blinked in surprise. Did this dude just spear his captain in the gut just over such a petty reason?

Was he mad?

Nozel didn’t see the aftermath of that confrontation, he just witnessed from the corner of his eyes how the other players came to Vermillions help. He left the rink to go seethe somewhere else in anger, before he forgot himself.

That night, he couldn’t sleep well, as was usual. But this was for far more unusual reasons. He was concerned for the well being of the red haired captain, angry about what he saw today and absolutely furious with the prick who just Went and sucker punched his Captain in the gut with a hockey stick.

He threw himself around in his bed, and then kind of automaticaly his fingers found the cloth safely hidden in his pillow case. Since he snatched this it has become an anchor for him, something to calm his mind after long days. The faint smell of the other that still lingered in the fabric made him think about its original owner. Also it made him feel a kind of thrill of victory again, like the first time he realized that no one knew he was the who stole it. It made him feel invincible, like the phantom of the Ice Rink.

Suddenly he got up. He had a power in the ice rink. He had keys, which the late owner of the ice rink had once lost at a small garden party with the Silva family. Originally Nozel had intended to return them, but then so many things happened, and the rink had become like a second home to him. His happy place. And when his insomnia kept him awake, he figured he could just spent the time training.

Now he could do something else, too.

A small smile formed on his lips.

‘game on, you prick’

Over the course of the next weeks, not only felt the loudmouth unwelcome in his new team, he also felt like the building itself was despising him.

His gear was disappearing from his locker only to turn up at the weirdest places, even though he had a lock. Well, the Key was his player number and a one for good measure, but how? He considered bullying from the others, who now openly didn’t put up with his attitude anymore, but after a while even the captain told the others, that this was in no way acceptable. Bullying was beneath them, and if it turned out to be one of them, there would be heavy penalties.

Loudmouth could only roll his eyes at that. That goody two shoes Captain even came to him after their match to talk this whole situation out. He wanted to make peace, even offering him help to find a different team or, how dared he, tutoring at hockey! Tutoring! Him!

He stayed out of pure spite, it didn’t matter to him how they hated him, he hated them more, and he was planning to disrupt and hurt them as long as he could.

After the speech, the stuff inside didn’t leave his locker anymore until he opened it. Then it always fell on him, stacked in such a matter that it couldn’t help but hit him in the face. He tried everything, stacking the things a certain ways, even using tape to secure them. After his ramblings about posseded lockers some Jokesters even gifted him a book about exorcism. Vermillion just handed him a new lock, one with a key only he had.

The next time he came to the training there was a salt circle and some fake candles placed around his locker. There even was a pentagram drawn on a photo of him, attached to the door.

He took his stuff home with him from then on, but that was annoying and tiring after a while. He was running on his last ouce of spite when the pentagrams started to reappear. Not only those, there were different symbols drawn in circles on photos of his likeness. After some sleepless nights filled with research via Google, he realized those were sigils to summon evil.

He felt attacked and like he was being cursed. He started to be uncomfortable when he was somewhere alone, it always felt like there eyes drilling into his soul, waiting for a time he was helpless and weak.

His attitude left him first, then his spite, and lastly his hair. He thought it was the stress getting to him, but when he saw the voodoo doll with somethin like a tonsur where his usual mane was, he knew it. He was being cursed. He became frantic, not even putting his pants on. He just took his belongings, threw on his jackets and ran.

When he passed some of his ex team colleagues he just yelled that he’d quit and that he hopes they suffer in this cursed rink.

They couldnt react with more than surprised blinking. But then the guys decided it was a thing to be celebrated, and made plans to organize a little something to eat. Leon just shook his head and checked the locker room to see, of the guy had forgotten something in his haste.

To his surprise all he found was a little doll made out of string, which looked surprisingly like the man he had to thank for an especially nasty bruising. He didn’t know what was going on here, but he surely hoped it was over now.

Meanwhile a certain figure skater did his laps on the rink, a bottle of Nair safely tucked into his bag.

He heard the commotion and the cheers of the hockey players, and he felt even more victorius.

'mission complete’

Then the redhead showed up on the higher visitor ranks, in his hands the doll which he stared at. Nozel nearly skated into the wall, he hadn’t thought of that. What if he left a hair on the doll? Any kind of trace that could lead to Vermillion figuring out what he did.

His fumbling caught the attention of Leon, who looked at the figure skater.

'Now look at that, it’s our silver ghost.’

Leon waved at him, and to his delight the other, after a few seconds timidly repeated the motion. He nodded and smiled, so as to good day, have fun, and then went on.

'Hm, so he skates, too? Cool, but I thought figure skaters are kinda stuck up jerks, at least that’s what the guys said.’

He threw a glance over his shoulder, just in time to see the silver haired do a jump with a turn, a so called toe loop jump. He raised his brows.

'woah. A talented jerk. In… Very tight clothes. Dang.’

He felt a little blush on his cheeks. He Gotta investigate on this. This could be something nice to check out.

[thoughtfullyrainynightmare]

hello laura how each captain would react knowing that his S / O has the mutual feeling? bonus with Mereoleona and Julius, please 💕🔥

Hello! ^_^

I took this in the way that the reader confesses to them, hope that’s okay 🤗 I hope that you enjoy 🥰

Rill

He couldn’t believe it at first and he’d just blink and stare at you with wide eyes

“Really?” He’d ask before smiling wider than you had ever seen and erupting into a laughter

He would almost be at a loss with what to do, but as you were his muse, he’d be inspired to paint.

And with that he’d paint the most beautiful picture that he had ever painted, one that would showcase his love for you.

But after looking at it for a moment, he’d realize that it didn’t live up to the depth of his feelings

So, you’d take his hand and tell him: “luckily we have time to paint that picture together throughout the rest of our lives”

Nozel

Depending on the situation; he’d either wear an expression of utter surprise or nearly succeed in keeping his cool.

In both scenarios a faint blush would appear over his complexion and he’d try to brush the moment off as his pride wouldn’t quite allow him to do anything else

If it was surprise, then he’d try to get a hold of himself as soon as possible, and try to brush the moment off

But internally, he’d be feeling all fuzzy and warm. So much happiness tumbling inside of him that he wasn’t quite sure what to do with it all, to the point that he wouldn’t care if he was seen taking your hand

And that’s what he’d do. He’d take your hand and lead you to a more quiet spot and wrap his arms around you, burying his face to the crook of your neck. He’d be silent, all throughout the moment, but his actions would speak so loud that you wouldn’t need him to say anything

Jack

His expression wouldn’t change from the grin that he always wears, but he’d stay there, just looking at you for a moment

“What?” He’d utter, before letting out a small laugh

He’d casually just tell you that you’d need to go out to dinner, or drinking, some time

The only anxiousness you’d notice in him would be the slight shifting of his eyes when he’d be speaking out the words, but other than that, he’d be playing it cool

Dorothy

She’d be awake once the fact of your mutual feelings reach her, and she’d immediately start grinning. The corners of her mouth nearly reaching her ears

He’d take your hands and spin around you, keeping eye contact all the time

And she’d laugh happily, inviting you to join in with her joy

She’d immediately swoop you to Glamour World where you could spend your first date, unless you opposed of course

Charlotte

She would blush. Very hard

Her blush would be followed by her long internal monologue in which she’d tell herself to essentially “calm down”, but end up failing

She’d have a “small” meltdown, during which you’d have to calm her down. But would probably end up making it worse, until she escapes to actually calm herself down

She’d eventually come back to you, still wearing that prominent blush, clearing her throat and ask you (very formally) on a date

Yami

One day you gathered the courage to tell it to him straight, since he wasn’t taking the little hints you were giving him. Which did make you wonder if he would like you back, but you had concluded that you couldn’t know unless you’d tell it to him as it was.

��Hm?” and a blank expression would be his first reaction, which would then turn into a grin

“Is that right?” He’d smirk at you before taking a few steps closer to you to the point that he’d be towering over you.

“What do you suggest we do about it?” he’d taunt; his face lowering close to yours

If the intensity of the moment wouldn’t make you faint then and there, you’d kiss, and maybe figure out date ideas

But would most likely end up just spending the day together, doing nothing in particular but still enjoying each other’s company

Fuegoleon

He had been thinking about the proper way to approach you on the prospect of a date, so once it came to his knowledge that you like him back, he couldn’t help but smile

If it was you who told him, he’d look at you with the fondest of expressions for a moment, just trying to grasp the joy he was feeling

“I see the feeling is mutual, so may I suggest a dinner?” He’d ask gently, making you blink in surprise as you couldn’t quite believe the fact that your feelings were being reciprocated

Of course, you’d agree to his suggestion, and if you initiated a hug or a kiss, he would answer it, but wouldn’t make the first move just yet. He’d just like to be respectful of your boundaries

Kaiser

In a world where he wasn’t married, you would carefully approach him and tell him of your feelings for him

He’d maintain his composure, but would pause for a few seconds to take in your confession

“It makes me happy to hear that, for I share your feelings,” he’d say, fiddling with his moustache out of nervousness.

Yes, he’d get butterflies in his stomach too, thus he’d be a little bit nervous

He’d still try to upkeep his composure and as you for dinner in the most courteous manner like the gentleman that he is

William

Romance is a new territory for him, so once you confessed to him and he became aware that his feelings for you were mutual, he’d blush and fight back the tears that almost rose to his eyes

“That makes me happy,” he’d begin, taking a moment to swallow and steady his breathing. “You see, I’ve grown fond of you too, and I just haven’t found a way to approach you. And I apologize for that.”

He’d take your hand into his, gently, like he was holding a delicate flower.

“But I would like to repay you, if you allow me,” he’d state, meaning nothing more than to take you on an exquisite date

But as you leaned closer for a kiss, his breath would hitch slightly.

He wouldn’t lean away from you. He’d just be very taken aback, and would thank you for the kiss, making you giggle

Mereoleona

She’d grin. Teeth showing and eyes beaming.

“Took you long enough to say it,” she’d comment and wrap her arm around you before kissing you, there and then

She’s not one to play the dating game. For her it’d just be a simple ‘now we belong to each other’, and that’d be it.

I don’t see her taking you out on traditional dates, unless you ask, but she would be spending a lot of time with you from that point on

Julius

Would flash you a smile, a very cute one to say the least

He wouldn’t be phased in the slightest. Honestly, I can’t see him getting phased by much

“I see,” he’d begin. “Then we should go out on a date, don’t you think?” He’d grin at you, making your heart clench

And as you’d stand there, dumbfounded, he would continue: “because, you see, I like you too” the same smile still present on his face