#one is you start looking for harder to find cuts of meat and wind up here

[bwabbitv3s]

I am looking into ordering a 1/2 share of a cow. As there are a couple places near me that have small operations that offer this. Would cost around $9.75/lb for about 300lbs live weight, even with the estimate of the low end of hanging weight loss it is over 100lbs of beef.

Add in that I love to cook this might just be my Christmas gift to myself. Well myself and my family. Plus it is one of the only ways I can get certain cuts of meat around me. I am not a big steak person but instead more of the other cuts of meat person for roasts and stews. One of my friends also might be into going half with me. I might have to do this and wait on upgrading my phone.

[moondirti]

Who from the 141 speaks the best arabic do you think? From one arab girl to another, it’d be so hot if any of them were fluent 🫠

if my memory serves me correctly, we get a bit in the first campaign from price. to me it seems to be a basic knowledge. a few sentences he picked up on the field and memorised to make his job easier. evac orders, cardinal directions, how to ask for water, food, medicine. that kind of stuff. pure utility, though that’s his approach to most things.

i like to believe (call it bias or whatever) that gaz is fluent. this ties in to my headcanon that he’s the only member who attended and graduated uni, but he strikes me as someone intensely curious about everything. introducing him to something, be it language or cuisine or a skill he hasn’t mastered yet, is like knocking down the floodgates. it’s his time in urzikstan that does it. hearing the way it rolls off farah’s tongue (let’s ignore doumit’s canon pronunciations), or how she’s able to translate a long, winding, clumsy sentence to something short. beautiful.

there’s a word for everything, he finds. one for the state of gossiping with your friends over morning coffee. one to congratulate someone on their cleanliness after a haircut. one that means may you be the one to bury me, for it would be unbearable to live without you – that is used so casually in conversation, kyle is stunned when he learns the true meaning. it doesn’t hold the same expectation, the same trepidation, as it does in english, though it retains its weight all the same. he wonders what makes a language so special that its intrinsic devotion has found a common place within its cultures, and he sets to find out.

this turns into a thing. more rambling under the cut.

the largest learning curve is the alphabet. the sounds that don’t exist in his mother tongue. he’s especially hard on himself when it comes to enunciating them properly – half the beauty is in the way words flow together, and there would really be no point in indulging in arabic’s more lyrical aspects if he’s off pitch. he gets the hang of it eventually, of course, one too many vocal exercises later.

the weathered dictionary he picks up at a second hand store teaches him that most words have three letter roots, and that it isn’t so easy as to look them up alphabetically. picking up new vocab becomes infinitesimally harder, then. for twelve million choices, the distinction between some words comes down to diacritical marks. necklace, decade, contract, held, complicated, and knots are all spelt the same way, yet pronounced ever so slightly different — a fact he learns the hard way when he tells the cashier at the kibbeh place he frequents that he likes her decade.

reading. reading is what helps him get over that.

(he probably should touch on basic grammar first — nouns, verbs, particles, sentence structure, that sort of stuff — but figures he'll pick it up as he goes, basing his methodology on an inability to remember any rules for the english language. he grew up hearing it, reading it, watching it, surrounded by it, so it just is what it is now. why work so hard on task books made for kids, then, when he can just get right into the meat of the matter? acclimatise through force.)

he picks up stacks of books upon books upon poetry. naguib mahfouz. ghada al-samman. al-mutanabbi. mahmoud darwish. it takes him a month to get through the first, and another month for the second. which only means he really takes his time with them, roving over the same line until it's etched into his memory. the cadence, the beats for pause, the way a word he has to punch from his throat is followed by one that lilts, all sing-songy. eventually, he starts to (inadvertently) mimic that sweeping manner of speech, employing it in contexts which certainly don't call for it.

the cashier — the very same one whose age he mistakenly stressed, despite the fact that she couldn't have been much younger than him — is far too nice to say anything about it, smiling instead, endeared, while he waxes poetic about meze.

farah calls him out immediately the next time they catch up.

apparently, no one speaks in classical arabic anymore, go figure. it would be like talking in shakespearean english, she tells him. he imagines it, iambic pentameter and all, and cringes, newly determined. his own research unearths (though it wasn't really a secret) the fact that there are roughly 25 different dialects belonging to different regions — and while some are pretty similar (syrian and lebanese), others could classify as a whole other language on their own (moroccan).

reddit tells him what he already knows; that the best way to learn is through exposure. there are no dictionaries for patois. and farah, despite her total enthusiasm at his interest, is far too busy of a woman to help.

(really, it just gives him an excuse to finally do what he's been meaning to.)

the next time he's craving kibbeh, he's fixed on not making a fool of himself when he asks the cashier out to lunch.

[mountain-lion-gremlin]

i wanna share something that I wrote while I was m-shifting. I honestly think that its super cool, and is such a good way to become more aware on how you can feel m-shifted, and understand it for yourself.

(Hey there's blood, guts, dead animals, killing animals, and it talks of animal sickness in here. Wouldnt recommend reading if these trigger you in any way.)

The cougar watched the rain drip through the stone of her small hideaway. She had curled up for the morning in this small crevice, and water dripping from the trees above had awoken her from a dreamless darkness. The leaf litter was cool on her paws, surprisingly dry under her. Rain overcame her sense of sound, but she could still hear past and deeper into the trees, where the bushes rustled and tiny paws skittered across the stone and moss. Squirrels, foxes, birds. The tiny heartbeat of a mouse, tucked deep into the stones around her pounded and pounded on. The air was wet and was full of the smell of herself, and the rain. A draft of a passing transient and deer tickled her nostrils.

Stretching with a curved back, paws out and clawing at the bark on her territory, small scent glands between her toes caught on the tree, and the smell of herself covered the base of the tree. Rain slid down her coarse fur and back. It smelt of continuing storms, and the foggy air around her kept her locked safely away from others seeing her. Wind blew her scent behind her, a cloak of a warning to anything that was near.

But she wasnt hungry for small rodents, or fox, or carrion. Her kill had spoiled, and a bear had chased her off. But she had hid it so well, and was very careful to move it each time, perhaps the rain had rotted its meat and the stench. Her smell and the forest floor wasnt enough to hide it. She would just have to find more.

The cougar started at a slow pace, paws barely dragging in the leaf litter and bare dirt as she wound her way through the warm trunks around her. The fog helped both her to hide, but also her prey to hide. She had to rely on smell alone. The wind had shifted slowly, and the smell became stronger, much, much stronger. One was close. She could start to hear its breathing, and her mouth started to water already. An image of it lain dead before her, just like any other kill before, flashed across her mind. The rain beat harder into the earth, and she quickly ducked under a single bush. Running water filled her senses, and she found herself on the edge of a small stream. She was struck by an odd feeling, a feeling of wrongness watching the deer drink in the stream. Closer than before, she could smell it. Sunken eyes and flesh, she could see how sharply the doe's chest caved inwards between the hind bones and the long teeth. (hips and ribs)

Her soul yearned to make the kill, but her instincts told her the truth. The doe was sick. Its head dragged, its eyes milky, missing fur and stumbling. Dangerous. She would die to eat the deer. She had to return it to the earth. She stalked slowly forward, picking up her feet perfectly so no branch nor twig was disturbed. Her whiskers pushed forward, tail lifted, ears pricked and her senses attuned to everything around her. She could hear its breathing, and could sense the heat permiating the air around it. It turned away, hind legs splashing into the stream and stumbling, so she took her chance and lept for its hind. It was only an instant, but it was the most exhilerating and anxious time of the kill. Her instincts took her right to the neck, and her teeth inserted between the skull and disk right below it. Claws dug deep into its shoulder, they were falling together. The cougar's canines cut through the connection between it, and at that same time hit the ground, trapping her tail beneath it. Pain shot up her tail, and she hissed, looking around with her ears back until her eyes rested on her tail, trapped beneath the doe. She grabbed it by its scruff, and started to pull it out of the stream so the earth could accept the doe once again. Her fur was soaked now, and once pulled out of the stream she set to cleaning her fur. She was always driven to cover herself with the scent of her kill after she took it down, but this time it wasnt to eat, and she was too wet to continue on.

The rain had started to quiet, but the fog persisted as time went on. She had ripped open the kill, careful to avoid disease. She cleaned herself a second time, feeling the sickness waft onto her fur. She stood, and bounded off into the woods, following a long worn path of the animals. She needed to eat. A feeling rested upon her body, but was soon gone once she came across a herd of deer. It was quick, and soon she had a young buck beneath her, ears clipping on the antlers as she took it down. It was running for a ledge, faster and faster. She grabbed the back of its skull in her jaws, and with a sharp yank she heard a crack in its disks and its body collapsed. She was lucky to catch this kill - the inside of her chest was eating itself, and she dug in without any hesitation. Warmth brushed across her face once she ripped it open, and she quickly removed the grass snakes within the deer. They were organs, looked like organs, but they did not give nutrition to her, so they were removed quickly and dragged away from the deer. A fox, or something else would find it later and feast. Next was the grass pouch, same as the grass snakes - and finally she found the thick slab of organ that was darker, and was the only organ she ever looked for first. Humans called it "liver", but all she could focus on was her chest eating itself, and how she had to stop it.

Blood dripped down her whiskers and was covering her fur, and finally her chest stopped its consuming. She pulled the buck for a long time away from the ledge, until her teeth hurt and she could no longer see the ledge. Her paws then scooped up the forest litter, and she went to covering the kill from other animals. She yawned, and walked a little bit away, watching its resting place as she cleaned herself of both her scent and the blood on her fur. Darkness had overtaken the sky, and the clouds parted, the air dry but still smelling of rain, distant rain. She wanted to rest. She clawed her way into a tree, and settled on a large branch. She could feel her body relaxing and the flesh within her chest filling her body and making her warm. This was her home, and she would never leave this place. Darkness overtook her senses, and they faded away from her as her eyes drooped closed. She was drifting aimlessly in the darkness, and knew nothing more.

I donno, I just wanted to share that lol

[rabbitbites]

ask and you shall receive my friend :3333 (full analysis under the cut)

okay, i’ll do a quick run down on the elevator scene for the uninitiated:

asuka enters the elevator to find that rei is already there, rei stands in front of the door while asuka lingers in the back, as far away from rei as possible. they stand in silence for several seconds

rei tells asuka that she needs to open her heart to her eva in order to properly pilot it. this makes asuka mad

asuka insults shinji and calls rei a doll, and rei denies this which only makes asuka more upset

asuka hits rei (or tries to if you’re watching the rebuild) then exits the elevator, declaring that she hates everyone

obviously, asuka is killua and rei is illumi

their initial conversation doesn’t matter much, illumi gives killua some sort of correction and it pisses killua off. in the rebuild asuka accuses rei of being a nepo baby, and claims that rei has never had to work for what she has. i can see killua maybe having a similar mindset in terms of feeling like he has to work much harder to do the things illumi does with ease, but it doesn’t quite land the same killua being the heir and all.

and then we get the line where asuka calls rei a doll:

“when an emotionless wind up doll like you starts being sympathetic, im doomed!”

and in the rebuild,

“you’re only the commander’s (silva) favorite because you’re a suck up! his obedient little doll that does every single thing he says!”

“i am not a doll”

“you are! you do anything you’re ordered to! you’d kill yourself if your commander (again, silva) told you to, wouldn’t you?”

“of course”

and then a few lines later,

“you are a robot, just like i thought! you’re an unthinking emotionless puppet! i hate you!”

these lines are the real meat of the scene and they give us a very good look into the minds of both characters

for one, asuka is upset that she was bested by someone who she views as “barely a person” it’s like spending years training to be the world’s best chess player only to be immediately beaten by a computer

and for two, the same way that illumi is the perfect assassin, rei is the perfect pilot and from asuka’s vantage point, the only way to surpass her is to become like her and put up with just as much as she does which is completely unacceptable to asuka

the parallels aren’t hard to draw from there, anything killua does illumi can do better, illumi is perfectly obedient to their father, he describes the perfect assassin as a “puppet of darkness with no wants or desires of their own” a description that illumi fits perfectly and which is the last thing that killua wants to become

in other to “win” in the eyes of their father and the rest of the family, killua must become a carbon copy of illumi, and this makes killua resent him

@illukillu sorry for the at but i wanted you to see this since i used your tags :p

killua and illumi in nge elevator scene…..

can anyone hear me……..

[narutogwriting]

Eat Your Words

Pairing: Kiba Inuzuka x Reader

CW: NSFW; creampie; dirty talk; cheating

Length: 2.6k+

Summary: Kiba is your jerk of an ex boyfriend. All you wanted was to get your stuff and never see him again. But Kiba has a special way of getting under your skin. 

Inspired by me wanting Kiba to rail me into oblivion

Please don’t tag as NSFW! 

REQUESTS ARE OPEN!

“Get out of my face, and just give me my shit!”

You felt like your head was going to explode. How could one person be so arrogant, so obnoxious, so infuriating!?

Kiba snickered at you, crossing his arms and leaning back against his doorway. He looked so cool like that, so calm and collected. Meanwhile you looked like a crazy person, screaming at his front door in the middle of the day. He always did know how to press your buttons just right.

“I’m not in your face.” Kiba pointed out, raising his eyebrows. “I’d say I’m an appropriate distance away, given the circumstances. But you and I both know we’ve been a lot closer.”

You wished you could slap that smug smirk off his face.

What you ever saw in Kiba Inuzuka was beyond you. It must have been temporary psychosis, a mental breakdown. Somehow you had spent an entire year dating him before you finally came to your senses and ran for the hills. You’d never met someone so full of themselves in your life.

Taking a deep breath, you rubbed your temples, trying to compose yourself. This is what he always did, said just the right thing to get you all worked up and then poked you until you burst. You had to stop falling for it. Feeling like the hot air was cartoonishly escaping from your ears, you straightened, eyeing the brunette in front of you.

It must have been purposeful, you thought, that Kiba answered the door shirtless. He must know how good he looked; anyone with eyes could see that Kiba was easily one of the hottest guys in the village. With his tan skin, those wild brunette locks, and the taunt muscles in his biceps--not to mention the washboard abs. Kiba belonged on the cover of a magazine.

Better seen and not heard.

“Listen, can I please just get my things? Then I’ll be out of your hair and we can part ways forever.” You ran your fingers through your hair, trying to look through him rather than straight at him. He could be… distracting, and he knew it. This was just another part of his plan to drive you crazy. One last “fuck you” before you left.

“What’s the hurry?” Kiba asked you, yawning boredly. “You that ready to be done with me?” A faux pout painted itself on his lips as he did his best to look hurt, but you knew better. Kiba didn’t have a sensitive bone in his body.

With a sigh, you shook your head. “I have a boyfriend to get home to, actually.” You told him. It hadn’t been two weeks after your breakup that rumors began to fly about Kiba and Ino hooking up in the training grounds. Well two could play at that game, you’d decided. You had only cried for a day before you picked yourself up and found your rebound. The cute owner of the new gyoza shop in town was the perfect person to get your mind off your sleeze ball of an ex boyfriend. He was nice enough, didn’t hurt to look at, and most importantly, was the complete opposite of Kiba. 

Kiba snickered in response, not looking impressed. “Right, dumpling boy. How is Prince Charming? Better run along, wouldn’t want to miss that sweet scent of meat and sweat.” He gave you a pointed, smug look. 

“Better than smelling like dog and sweat.”

You could tell from the look on Kiba’s face that the insult had hit its mark. His eyes narrowed, and his jaw flexed, and you knew he was trying not to snap at you. 

The Inuzuka clan was known for their closeness with their canine companions, but you knew for a fact that Kiba hated being compared to an animal. He’d heard the jokes one to many times in your genin days, and now it was a sore spot for him. 

It was why you said it. Now it was your turn to smirk, pleased that you’d gained the upper hand. 

“Seriously, nothing was a bigger turn off than having you on top of me and smelling Akamaru,” you taunt. “The smell was bad enough, but then you would paw at me like a dog, too.”

His eyebrow was twitching, the anger plain on his face though he was doing his best to play cool. “I don’t remember hearing any complaints before,” Kiba shot back. “Matter of fact, I remember you absolutely begging me not to stop, to go harder even.”

You could feel your cheeks start to burn, remembering that, yeah, you definitely used to beg him for more. Sex with Kiba was one of the things you missed the most. But you weren’t about to let him know that. 

“Obviously I said those things,” you shrugged. “You were my boyfriend. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. What was I supposed to say? That I almost fell asleep everytime you were inside of me?”

“Fat chance!” Kiba shot back immediately, pushing off the door frame and stalking closer to you. “Can’t fake the way you would gush around my cock, sweetheart.”

If you weren’t blushing before, you certainly were now. Your lips parted instinctively, and it took everything in you to bite back a moan just thinking about it. 

You straightened, trying to compose yourself. You weren’t going to let Kiba get the best of you this time. 

“Whatever. I don’t even know why I’m bothering to sit here and argue with you about it when I could just go be with someone who can actually make me cum. In fact, I’m gonna go find him right now.”

You turned your back to Kiba, making a move to leave before you felt him grab your arm and spin you back around to face him. “Wanna run that by me again?” He hissed. 

There was fire in his eyes, and you didn’t think you’d ever seen him so angry before. You could practically feel it radiating off of him, and it made you smirk, knowing that you had gotten him so worked up. 

“You heard me.” You told him slowly. “I said that ‘gyoza’ boy fucks me way better than you ever did.”

You weren’t sure what you were really expecting. Maybe for him to yell, punch a wall even. Anything other than what he ended up doing. 

His grip on your arm tightened as he yanked you towards him. A small squeal left your mouth as you stumbled into his arms. 

He leaned in close to you, so close your noses almost touched. Through gritted teeth, he said, “You’re gonna eat those words.”

In a moment, Kiba had you in his arms, your legs instinctively wrapping around his waist as he carried you into his house. 

“K-Kiba, wait!” You protested in surprise. 

“Too late for apologies now, darling.” Kiba told you as he entered the bedroom, tossing you back on his bed. You landed with a squeak, looking up at him in shock. You’d never seen him like this before. 

Kiba chuckled darkly as he stared down at you, hands moving to unbutton his pants, dropping them down his legs. You could see his erection straining under his boxers, a small wet spot where precum was forming at the tip. He palmed himself as he stared at you expectantly, an eyebrow raised. 

“Don’t just lay there looking all helpless. You know what to do,”

God he was so arrogant, so presumptuous, so annoying! And so fucking hot. You found yourself crawling off the bed, moving down to your knees in front of him as you began to mouth at him over the fabric. Kiba snickered, feeling victorious. “That’s what I thought,” he muttered before winding his hands in your hair. 

Using that hold, he moved your head back and forth, forcing your open mouth to rub over his entire length. There was a sane part of you somewhere that was livid you had given in so easily, but that part was buried away deep. 

Kiba liked the power he had over you, the fact that you would drop to your knees in front of him so willingly. He licked his lips, looking very much like a predator sizing up its prey. 

Finally, he released his grip in your hair, moving to sit on the bed. “Strip,” he commanded, and you found your fingers had a mind of their own, moving to pull your shirt over your head.

Kiba’s eyes were trained on you, watching as you pulled the clothes from your body. “You talk a lot of shit for a girl so willing to get naked for me,” Kiba taunted you. “Maybe I need to punish you, put you in your place for that?” 

Standing in front of him nude as he teased you made you flush over. You wanted to protest, but he grabbed your hand, pulling you to him. His fingers ran over your folds, finding that you were already wet. He grinned at you. “Already, huh?” He let you go to pull his boxers off, exposing his hard cock completely. Your eyes were trained on his thick girth, your mouth watering. It’d been too long since you last had him inside of you. 

Kiba reached out again, hands twisting in your hair. “Sit on it.” He commanded. You tore your eyes away from his cock to look him in the eye. 

“But Kiba. I’m not—“ he cut you off with a yank on your hair. 

“You’re wet enough already. I know you can take it.” A cruel smile tugged at the corner of his lips, making you drip in arousal even more. 

Obediently, you crawled onto his lap, positioning yourself over his length, already shaking in anticipation. Kiba let go of your hair to run his thumb over your parted lips. Then, before you could protest, his hands were on your shoulders, and he was shoving you down onto his fat cock as his hips thrusted up to meet yours. 

“Kiba!” You squealed, tossing your head back as he bottomed out inside of you, filling you up completely. The burn from him shoving himself into your unprepared arousal felt so good; the perfect mix of pain and pleasure. 

“That’s it, baby girl. Take it.” He commanded, pressing your head down to his shoulder as his other hand gripped your hips tightly, enough to bruise. He held you in place, hovering over him as he began to thrust inside of you relentlessly, groaning in pleasure at the way you took his cock so well.

“Please, Kiba,” you whined, your fingers gripping into his shoulders as he pounded into your hole. It was simultaneously too much and not enough. Kiba only laughed cruelly in your ear.

The noise infuriated you, pulling you from your haze just enough. You pulled your head back from his shoulder, glaring at him. “Don’t get so cocky,” you spat at him, doing your best to keep your voice even as he continued pressing his dick inside of you. “I’m begging for you to do something that will actually make me feel good.”

The words had barely left your mouth before you were being lifted up. Kiba dropped you on his cock again, holding you against him as he carried you. Your back hit the wall roughly, causing a gasp to leave your mouth. Kiba’s hand trailed up your neck before his fingers gripped your throat. He leaned in close to you again, his lips brushing barely brushing against yours. “You want to act like a little slut? Fine, I’ll treat you like one.”

You could only cry out as he began to fuck himself into you with a renewed vigor, his hand still clasped around you throat. “God, this hole was just begging for my cock, wasn’t it?” He hissed. When you didn’t respond, he squeezed his fingers tighter. “I asked you a question!”

“Yes!” You gasped out, clawing at his back. You were drowning in pleasure as Kiba battered your gspot over and over again, your legs not even able to wrap themselves around him. “Yes, Kiba. Please fuck me! Give me what I deserve!” You begged.

You screamed out again when Kiba’s teeth sunk into your clavicle, his canines breaking the skin. The throbbing pain just made you squeeze tighter around him, causing him to groan out.

“Fuck, you love this, don’t you?” He asked as he pounded inside of you. “You love being fucked by my big cock while your little boyfriend sits at home waiting for you. You’re gonna go home to him dripping with my load.”

He grabbed one of your kicking legs, lifting it up over his shoulder, letting him reach into you deeper. Your eyes rolled back into your head, your mouth open in a silent scream. 

“I can feel the way your little cunt is fluttering around me,” He goaded. “I know what that means. You gonna squirt baby? You wanna gush around my cock for old times sake?” 

You were practically sobbing now, overwhelmed by his dick and the dirty words tumbling from his mouth. “Kiba, kiba please…” You cried. 

“Tears, huh?” Kiba reached up, wiping them from your cheek with his thumb and bringing it up to his tongue. “Is it that good baby?”

You nodded furiously, eyes screwed shut as your head pressed against his shoulder. “Do it then,” Kiba whispered in your ear, teething at the lobe. He pulled his hand from your throat to brace himself against the wall, thrusting harder and harder. “Cum around my cock. I want to feel it.”

You felt the pressure building up, your stomach coiling in pleasure. It only took a few more thrusts before you were screaming Kiba’s name, cumming violently around him. You squirted, liquid gushing from your pussy, causing an salacious squelching as he continued to press himself in and out of you.

“That’s it baby. Let it out,” Kiba breathed, keeping his pace. It was quickly all too much for you, overwhelming to the point of pain. 

“K-kiba,” you hiccuped. “P-please, i can’t…” 

“You can, baby. You’re gonna.”

And you’re crying, you’re overstimulated, and you’re pretty sure Kiba is saying something but you have no clue what. All you know is he’s still moving inside you insistently, and it feels like you’re still cuming.

You feel him pull you away from the wall, laying you back on the bed, and now both of your legs are over his shoulder. Kiba practically folds you in half as he fucks you on his cock, and now his finger is pinching your nipple. You think you hear him mutter something--“How’s this for pawing at you”--but you can barely hear past the blood rushing in your ears.

You feel your cunt tightening around Kiba again and he curses and then his lips are smashed against yours, swallowing your cries as you drown in the pleasure. You’re begging, you don’t know if you want him to stop or keep going, but it doesn’t matter because he’s telling you he’s not gonna stop, not yet. He’s gonna fuck you as long as it takes for you to remember who you belong to.

You don’t know how many times you’ve cum by the time you hear him tell you he’s close. Kiba says he’s gonna fill you up, fuck his cum into you until you can taste it and he does, unloading inside your worn pussy as he bottoms out inside of you completey. You can feel his cock twitching as spurt after spurt of cum shoots inside of you.

He collapses on top of you then, almost as spent as you are, keeping his dick inside of your spent cunt as it softens. He’s placing light kisses over your neck as your breath finally comes back to you. You blink up at Kiba through blurry eyes as he props himself up, wiping the tears from your cheek. He gives you a wolfish grin, hands running gently down your body. 

“You still want me to give you back your shit?’

[zealous-whispers-of-us-redux]

a different kind of song

(A/N: no one ever asked for this, but there isn't enough merman!Bucky/reader fics out there, lol. Also, her song is basically "Siren Song" by Margaret Atwood)

Warning- allusions to sexual assault. Do NOT read if that bothers you!

Summary: The sea swallowed her whole, and she was reborn with saltwater on her tongue and webs between her fingers.

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

She did not remember her life as a human. All she remembered was the war, and the hunger, and the men raiding her village. She remembered the sweat-soaked skin of a warrior snatching her up as she cried out for help. She felt the slide of his body, his blade against her throat. Then when he had finished, she remembered being thrown away into the deepest part of the sea, left to die. But she was blessed by the primordial sea god Phorcys, a child of Artemis, and was allowed to live again. Her new body was formed from misery and blood, and the reward for her suffering was eternal life with the chance to kill as many humans as she wished with no divine interference. The killing of human men, for men were the chosen victims of any siren. Women were not drawn in by their song, and if, by chance, a woman stumbled across a siren, that siren would leave her alone.

Slowly, she began to forget the trappings of humanity, the sound of her mother's voice, and the taste of human food. She aged with the world, hidden deep beneath the waves. Countless men fell prey to her beautiful song, and she learned how to kill quickly. She grew to love the taste of flesh, the sound of someone drowning. She forgot what it was like to be lonely. 

Now, she only knew starvation.

An all-encompassing hunger clawing at her belly made her whine with pain. Humans had avoided this part of the sea for a few years, and she last ate three months ago. She'd had to survive solely on fish, which, while technically food, were not filling nor even tasty. She was beginning to hate fish.

There were no boats; she checked three times in the past hour. It was dangerous for her to be so close to the surface because the air outside was toxic. There was also a very likely chance that she would be spotted by anyone who could harm her. But she was so hungry that she forgot herself. She floated just beneath the surface and sang, letting her voice ring out through the water, enticing any man into approaching. The setting sun shined down on the outcrop of rocks above her.

And there! A flash of something!

She sang louder, opening her eyes underwater. There was a man with darker hair than she had ever seen lying on a gigantic rock. He was acceptable, she guessed. She barely knew what that meant.

He had yet to notice her, dumb as he was. She could see her song was affecting him as his eyes started to close, and his hand inched unconsciously closer to the water. His finger just barely skimmed the surface before she lunged, yanking him into the sea with her. He began to fight back as she dragged him down to the sandy bottom. Thrashing against her hold, he scrabbled to gain purchase on her body, but to no avail. Her skin was as hard as stony coral and difficult to cut. She sang her trumph, mocking him as she brought him up to break the surface, only to bring him right back down.

But this man had a tail, and she did not realize it until it hit her in the face. She squawked in surprise, her song cutting off. The merman twisted out of her slackened grip. She snarled, baring her teeth as she swam at him. Sirens were stronger than mer, especially in deeper waters, so it did not take much to grab him again. They wrestled, flipping over each other. She sliced his side with one of her nails; his tail knocked the wind out of her. He pulled her lure too hard, and she made a pained sound, biting at his hand. He cried out as she ate clean through one of his webs. Blood leaked into the water, making her ravenous.

"This is the one song everyone would like to learn: the song that is irresistible," she began, "The song that forces men to leap overboard in squadrons, even though they see the beached skulls!"

The merman ceased struggling. He stared at her, his eyes growing vast and dreamy. She grinned toothily. She had only had mer meat once before. It was harder to draw in mermen than human men, so because of that, she was only able to entice a single merman. But that was years ago, and he wasn't nearly as delicious to look at as this mer.

She dropped the tone of her voice to a seductive curl. "This is the song that nobody knows because anyone who has heard it is dead, and others can't remember. Shall I tell you a secret? And if I promise to, will you come nearer? I will tell my secret to you, to you, only to you. Come closer, closer to me."

She lifted her finger, tempting him to come over so that she could take a bite. The merman swam closer until their chests were pressed together. He said something in a language that she had never heard before.

"This song is a cry for help, my dear. Help me! Only you, only you can, for you are unique!" she cried sadly.

His tail curled around hers, and she frightened at the gentle touch broken out of her song. She spat and gnashed her teeth, but still, his tail stayed where it was. He opened his mouth and said something, but she still could not understand. She went to bite his nose off, but he leaned forward and pressed his mouth to hers so plainly that she stilled. She was not sure what was happening. She was not sure what she was supposed to be doing. She floated there, letting him mash his mouth against hers. His mouth tasted bizarre.

Finally, the merman stopped. He pulled away only minutely, still looking spellbound. Strange. Her song had ended. Why did he continue to look at her like that? He reached out and lifted her chin to meet his eyes. His own were darting back and forth across her face, searching for something. He spoke more things that she didn't understand.

"Uhh-h- hello," the merman said in a language she could understand. "Hi."

"Why were you crushing your mouth onto mine?" she asked.

"What, never heard of kissin' before?"

His smile was much too pleasant. That was unacceptable. Food was never supposed to look nice. She wanted to claw the smile right off of his face.

"Kissing?"

"Yeah, touchin' lips. Usually done as a sign of love or, you know, desire."

"Desire?"

"Sweet Thetis, you're fuckin' gorgeous," said the merman, ignoring her confusion.

His hand shot out to touch her lure, but he thought better of it and withdrew.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

His smile grew bigger, how funny: "Beautiful. Pretty."

"Pretty? What's that?"

"You know, like when you find a shiny thing, an' you wanna keep it forever?"

"I do not know," she grumbled (How dare this mer make her feel unintelligent!). "I have never had shiny things."

"Never had… Hold on, my pretty one."

Mystified, she waited just as he'd asked as he ruffled through a pouch that she had not noticed before. She had never seen anything like it and wondered where she could acquire one. Of course, she never had a reason to have a bag since she had no use for possessions. Perhaps it could hold weapons! Or bones to snack on!

"Ah-ha!" the merman said, thrusting something in her direction.

She stared at the thing in his hand.

"Looks even prettier underneath your lights," he said, avoiding her eyes.

"What is it?" she replied, her hand darting out nervously to touch it.

She pulled back almost instantly, but the merman grabbed her wrist.

"It's called gold," he explained, tipping it into her hands. "The humans use it to get other shiny things. D'you like it?"

"I am not sure. I do not know what I like."

"You can keep it."

"What kind of trickery is this?"

"No tricks. As I said, you're beautiful, and beautiful things should have beautiful things."

"No tricks, certainly, but what do you want in exchange?"

For the first time tonight, he looked sheepish. She noticed that his stomach was turning pink, but for what reason, she was unsure. She wondered what he was trying to work up the nerve to say.

"Well, er, matin' season is comin' up," he began.

"Not yet."

"Right, it isn't for a few months yet, but I was taught to woo the mer, er, the creature that I choose with shiny things. It's my first matin' season, you see."

"Mhm."

"An' the wooin' part takes a while. An' then there's the courtin' stage, which takes even longer."

"If you need a mate, there are mer all around this area during this time."

"Well- heh." The merman rubbed the back of his neck. "I-I'd like it to be you."

"Why?"

"Because you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"Ah."

"I have more shiny things if you want 'em," the mer said, reaching for his pouch.

She shrugged. "I have no use for them."

"You don't gotta have a use for 'em. Where's your home cave? I can bring 'em there."

"I do not have a home cave," she said.

"Oh, right, where is your family's cave, then?"

"I have no family."

"No family? You mean, you're out here all by yourself?"

"Yes."

"Aren't you lonely?"

"What is lonely?" she asked.

"Sad, because you have no one with ya."

"What is sad?"

"Whaddya mean, 'what is sad?' It's sad! Don't you know what that is?" the merman twisted his face up like he was in distress, though what kind she was not sure.

"I only know hunger," she told him.

His eyes lost some of their shine. "Oh, yeah, right. How long's it been since you ate properly anyway? You don't look so good."

"I have not caught a human in months."

"D'you need help huntin'?"

"Can you ensnare a human with your singing?"

"No, but I know some good spots for fish."

"I am not in the mood for fish," she said.

"You just haven't found the right kind," the merman replied, closing his left eye.

He turned tail, swimming away from her before glancing back to see if she would follow him. The hunger in her belly was making her act quite strange in that she was willing to go along with this merman. She felt, oh, what's the word, she knew this, like mer, she was curious. She decided to follow him, keeping a bit of distance between them until the merman flipped around in an impressive display of tailfins and long dark hair, and decided they would swim side by side. His hand kept brushing hers, trying to grab onto her fingers for some reason. She tugged away, unsure of what he was trying to do. She still had not yet decided if she wanted to mate with him anyway. Sirens did not mate in the same way that mer did, that much she knew. They called it breeding, and it was over in a frenzy of teeth and claws. There were no gifts of shiny things or "kisses."

"What's yer name?" the merman asked.

The question stunned her. She could not remember her name before the sea took her in, and she had no use for a name now. No one else called to her. Her name was simply another memory, another casualty to add to her list.

"I do not know," she said.

"You know what a name is, right? Like, I'm Bucky, for example."

Her fingers drifted up to her lips, searching for her name. If she remembered the shape of her mouth as she spoke it aloud, perhaps she could remember the correct sounds. She thought back as far as she could, to the feeling of water filling her lungs, to the sounds of screams, to the smell of a fire burning down her village, to her blood staining her tongue. She wanted to remember her name. She had not even realized this was something she had lost until she needed it.

Then there was a flash of memory, jagged and cutting. Her heart began to race. In her mind, she heard it. Her mother had been crying. Her mother had been screaming at the men to stop. Her mother had been shrieking to let go of her, let go of my daughter. Her mother yelling at her to be brave, hold her breath, be strong, my love, my dear. Her mother. She remembered her mother.

Her lips parted, and she whispered the name into the water. The merman, Bucky, repeated it.

"Again," she said.

He did, and oh, she felt something new, something besides hunger. A hole opened in her chest. Her lower lip wobbled, and then she was singing a new song, never before heard from a siren. It echoed around her and Bucky, reaching out to the farthest depths of the sea. It was filled with desperation, isolation, and salvation, but it was hope and home too.

"Is this what sad is?" she asked Bucky once her song was over.

"Yeah, it is," he answered, curling his tail around hers.

When he went to wrap her up in his arms, she let him, falling into his embrace.

[silver-tongued-bby]

You're Mine, Chapter 7

You’re the CEO of a groundbreaking drug company in Sweden with a work/life balance that’s more work than anything else. That is before you meet Loki, who turns your world on its head in the best of ways.

Set during the first Avengers movie. This work contains explicit content and BDSM.

Pairing: Dom!Loki x Sub!Reader

Warnings: NSFW, 18+!!!, BDSM, dirty talk, oral sex (M receiving), bondage, spanking, fingering, anal play

Word Count: 4,440

Chapter Summary: You cook Loki dinner and he stops going so easy on you.

Author's Note: Chapter 7 already???? I'm thinking of closing most of the fic out next chapter but keeping it around for a few more prologues (particular kinks lol). I'm sorry I was late with this one- but I hope it was worth the wait. As always, your feedback is valued and I hope you enjoy!!

...

By the time the two of you slipped out of the bath it was well after sunset. You felt fully relaxed and refreshed. You changed into a comfortable pair of shorts and sweater while Loki conjured himself an outfit.

You led him into the kitchen, sitting him down at one of the stools at your countertop.

“Do you like Thai food?” You asked, turning to open the fridge.

“Of course,” you could hear the apprehension in his voice.

You smiled at him then brought out some chicken thighs, scallions, an egg and some Chinese broccoli, placing them on the counter. Bringing your eyes back to his you found him curiously watching you. “Is something wrong?”

He chuckled. “No- it’s just I think I can count on one hand the number of times someone’s cooked for me who wasn’t being paid in some way. Thor once tried to make stew while we were hunting Bilgesnipes but it did not end with something edible.”

“Hm- not sure what a Bilgesnipe is but I can assure you this will be edible.” You smiled at him, grabbing the wok from the cupboard.

“Do you cook?” You asked, filling a pot of water on the stove for the rice noodles.

“I’ve dabbled since coming to Midgard. I do love a good plate of breakfast meats,” he sounded thoughtful.

You laughed. “Good to hear we have at least one leg up on Asgard. Here,” you pushed a cutting board with the vegetables in front of him. “Can you chop these? And slice the scallions? Here’s a knife,” you handed him your nakiri.

He moved the knife, testing the weight and balance of it with his fingers. He nodded, then gave it a flip and went to work, finishing in seconds.

“Oh,” your mouth was open as you looked at the finely prepared vegetables then back up to him. You were starting to rethink your first and only rule.

He smiled, chuckling. “Knives are kind of my thing.”

“I see that…” you trailed off, eyeing his dextrous fingers as he held the knife, picturing him in the armour he had on last night, knife in hand… You swallowed, bringing your eyes back to his you knew by his mischievous grin that he could tell exactly what you were thinking.

“Um- sorry, right okay.” You composed yourself then brought everything over to the stove and mixed the sauce. You quickly assembled the dish, tossing the ingredients together in the wok.

You dished out two servings and brought them to the counter and settled in the stool beside him. He had topped up your wine glass already.

“Ta-da! Pad See Ew,” you motioned to his dish, grinning.

He smiled at you, picking up the chopsticks to take a bite. His eyes grew wide, “this is delicious.”

“Thank you, thank you,” you bowed slightly towards him before turning to eat the noodles in front of you. Fuck- it was delicious.

“Where did you learn to cook like this?” He asked, most of his bowl gone.

“The internet. I’m not going to lie to you- I only know three recipes. This one kept me alive in college.”

You soon fell into an easy conversation as you finished your meal.

“Well, I promise next time I’ll do the cooking,” he said, helping you clear up the dishes. “Though I did bring desert,” he said and pulled a plate full of petit fours out of thin air, placing it on the counter before you with a little wink.

“Impressive,” you mused, bringing the wine to the couch in the other room. The two of you settled side-by-side on the couch, looking out at the dark, frosty lake beyond.

“Do you miss New York?” Loki asked, stretching out on the couch, bringing his hand to lightly brush circles over your shoulder.

“Hmm, sometimes. Though Tony, my old boss, is around a lot so at times it feels like I’m still in New York working in his lab.” You decided then to let him in on the only thing you’d kept from him- your work for Stark Industries. It was only fair. If he could tell you about being an alien-god you could tell him about your postdoctoral experience.

“Are you two close?” His hand stopped its movement.

“In a working-friendship kind of way. He’s the primary shareholder of the company so he’s around often. He took me under his wing at Stark Industries.” You let the words sink in.

“You worked for Tony Stark,” he turned to you. “From what I’ve seen of the man he seems like quite the handful.” He gave you a grin.

You laughed, relieved. “Yes I’d have to agree with you there. Though he’s the one who pushed me to go to Elv. I hadn’t been out in ages.”

“I’ll have to give him my thanks,” he picked a langue de chat off the plate, popping it in his mouth.

“It would be fun to visit New York again, with you, someday,” you said gently, looking into his eyes.

“I’d love to,” he smiled at you.

“Speaking of Elv, you’ve told me what you’re not willing to try. Tell me älskling, what do you desire to explore?”

You licked your lips, growing nervous. You felt trapped by his stare, his eyes were daring you to answer. “Bondage,” you swallowed, “and discipline.”

“You want me to be harder on you, little one?” His hand moved from your shoulder to gently push your hair behind your ear.

You nodded, looking down at your hands.

He brought his hand under your chin, guiding your gaze back to his. His eyes were warm though there was a hint of mischief simmering beneath. “I can do that, my älskling. Is there anything else?”

An answer immediately came to you but you couldn’t bring yourself to say it out loud. You lightly shook your head.

“It is not wise to lie to me,” his expression darkened with his tone.

You bit your lip. “Anal,” you whispered.

He tilted his head, surveying you. “We’ll have to train you for that, little one. Have you done it before?” He gently brushed your cheek with his thumb.

You shook your head. “Never, Sir.”

“I’ll take my time with you, älskling.” He stood. “Now, let’s have you change into something lovely so we can get started.”

He led you to your bedroom and into your closet. You brought out a few options, laying them delicately on the island of the walk-in. Your heart raced as he considered each option, his gaze flickering back up to you before motioning to the white Lise Charmel set. Without another glance he strode out of your closet, leaving you alone.

You shakily pulled your sweater off, marvelling at how quickly he changed from Loki to your Sir. He demanded complete submission with the way he carried himself and spoke to you, dressing you down with just a gaze. You took a deep breath and slid off the rest of your clothes before slipping on the soft white lace.

You slid the garter up your thigh and took a look in the mirror. Fixing your hair you took one last deep breath before stepping out of the closet.

You were surprised to find the room empty. You turned around, puzzled, before you felt his firm form behind you, his warm hands firmly grasping your waist.

“Such a lovely little thing,” his breath tickled the shell of your ear and you shivered. “My lovely little thing,” he was closer now and pressed his lips against your neck, just below your ear. You breathed in a shaky breath, the feeling of his tongue against the sensitive spot making your head spin. He snaked his hands away from your waist and pulled away from you to circle you slowly, his eyes tracing your heated skin.

“What should I do with you, hm?” His tone was lush, velvety, and dripping with sin as he continued to move around you with his hands behind his back. You felt like his prey, tangled up in his very essence, entranced before he consumed you entirely.

He stopped in front of you, an eyebrow raised. “I asked you a question, älskling.” His jaw was pronounced as he reprimanded you, the look of his aristocratic face set in a scowl sent waves of heat to your core and your heartbeat hammering in your chest.

“I’m- I’m not sure, Sir. I’m sorry,” you stammered, feeling very much exposed in front of his fully clothed form.

He stepped back, his knuckle against his chin as he studied you. “On your knees. Hands behind your back.”

Your thighs clenched together before you bent down on shaky knees, resting yourself on your heels, your hands gingerly placed behind your lower back.

He circled you once more, his eyes on the floor. He stopped suddenly and moved his hand in an upward motion, materialising emerald green ropes on the ground beside you. His eyes met yours, his expression momentarily gentle as he nodded your way, as if to confirm his actions.

You gave him the tiniest of nods and his jaw set once more. He snapped his fingers and motioned with his hands, each finger curling upwards as the ropes followed suit, coiling themselves around your limbs.

You sharply inhaled as they moved around you, the soft feel of the shibari rope gentle across your sensitive skin. The ropes fastened themselves around your arms, winding several times before tightening so that your upper arms were held firmly together. They wound themselves around your chest, the green bright against the white lace of your bra, then your shoulders, fastening together at your back. Your legs were bound similarly to your arms, the rope finding its way between your thighs, though your legs were kept separate.

Once the movement stopped you looked up at Loki with wide eyes, your mouth open to accommodate you accelerated breathing. Your chest heaved under you, the ropes tightening against your skin, constricting your breathing in the slightest. The rope pressed up against the lace delivered the most delicious burn.

He continued to circle you, his eyes darkening as they traced the curvature of your skin against the cords, accented by the white of your lingerie. “I’ll ask you again. What should I do with you?”

“I don’t know, Sir.” You said, both the fabric and the ropes between your legs dampening as you trembled.

“Wrong answer, älskling.” Suddenly he gripped your arm roughly to pull you up and threw you on the bed, face down. Your legs dangled off the edge and you lost track of his position within the room, disoriented by the movement. You stayed there for a few moments, listening to the sound of your breath, straining to hear something that’d give way to his position.

After a few moments of silence you felt the glide of his fingers against your bottom, gently caressing the skin. You let out a breath, feeling your muscles relax into his open palm as he laid it against you.

Suddenly he lifted his palm and struck it against you, a sharp slap ringing out in the silence of the room. Your muscles clenched at the sensation, naturally pulling away from the strike as a whimper left your lips. His hand was in your hair, gently tugging at your roots and you felt him over you.

“Two more,” he said against your ear, forcing a shudder through you. He bit the skin of your earlobe and you cried out, your hips pushing against him.

He ran his tongue over the spot before tugging more sharply on your hair. “And don’t you fucking move.”

Your slick was hot between your thighs and your arms flexed against the soft rope as you tried to focus on your breath, willing your body to stay still.

Pulling back he ran his hand gently over the skin of your other cheek before delivering a sharp slap. Your muscles clenched ever so slightly in response, your heart falling as you realised you’d failed to obey his simple command.

He was back against you, his strong hand gripping your bound wrist. He sharply bit on the skin by your pulse and you cried out loudly, the pleasure and pain overwhelming.

“Good girls listen, don’t they?” You could feel the depth of his voice vibrating against your back as he spoke the words.

“Yes- I’m sorry, Sir.” You got out, your voice sounding small.

He bit the spot again, this time sucking against it harshly between his lips. You cried out pitifully, the ache between your legs almost painful.

“You’re still at two more,” he licked the spot. “No moving this time, älskling. Be my good girl.”

You nodded. “Yes Sir.”

He moved back off of you and quickly brought his hand down. You held your breath, willing yourself to stay still. You let out the breath slowly and felt the slick between your legs dampening more and more of the lace and rope.

“There we go. So much easier when you listen, isn’t it?” His voice was sweet in your ear, making your heart swell with pride.

“Yes Sir.”

He ran his fingers between your legs, against your wet heat. You inhaled sharply, unsure if you were allowed to move. “Poor thing,” his velvety voice was above you still.

“So wet for me. One more, älskling.” He brought his hand back over your cheek, squeezing the flesh. “Then I’ll you’ll feel so much better.”

You shivered though just your teeth knocked together, the rest of your body holding still. His hand came down to give you the hardest spank yet, the skin aching in immediate protest. You swallowed the pain but welcomed the pleasure, coming in warm waves through your core.

“Now before I turn you around,” his hand gently ran along the ties binding your arms. “Take a deep breath älskling.”

You obeyed, filling your lungs with air before gently releasing the breath. He must have dematerialised your panties since you could feel his fingers tracing the skin of your backside. His touch left you momentarily, only to come back with some sort of cool slick covering them. He moved them along your tight hole and you relaxed into his touch.

“Good girl. This may feel cold,” he replaced his fingers with a small chilly object, running it against the sensitive skin of your anus. You whimpered at the sensation, both excited and nervous at the idea of what would happen next.

As he traced the object against your backside his lips came to press kisses against your shoulder, giving you a little nip with his teeth now and then. You were drunk with lust, your breaths slow and laboured.

“Breathe out and relax,” he commanded as his warm hand came to rest on your lower back. You did as you were told, your muscles releasing with his touch. He pushed the thing within you, and it stretched your hole momentarily before your muscles took it in, the top of it stopping on the outside of your body.

“There’s my älskling.” He tapped the end of the object and you whined, the sensation shooting waves of pleasure through you. You didn’t feel uncomfortably full yet you could feel something within you, warming up as it was exposed to the heat of your body.

He kissed the shell of your ear. “So tight yet you hold that so well. My lovely girl.” He gripped your hips and helped you up before spinning you around and throwing you down on the bed, facing him as he stood at the end of the bed. He moved to climb atop of you, his body caging you in as he brought himself over you.

His eyes searched yours for a moment before he bent his head, capturing your lips with his own. He licked along your bottom lip before dipping into your mouth. You moaned as you brought your lips around his tongue. He pulled back and bit your bottom lip between his teeth, marring the flesh slightly before letting you go. He smoothed his tongue over your lip then came away to study you once more.

He slipped his hand down towards your heat, taking his time to gently brush against your skin, the rope and the lace along the way. He ran the tips of his fingers along your slit and you gasped as your muscles clenched, the thing within you moving ever so slightly.

He dipped his fingers against your folds, the wetness of your skin allowing him to easily glide his digits against you. Your back arched against him on the bed, the ropes straining against your muscles with the movement. His eyes slid down from yours, watching the swell of your breast taut against the rope.

“Does my pretty thing want to cum? Poor älskling,” he dipped to kiss you, “I can feel how much your body craves me.”

“Y-yes please Sir. Please touch me,” you panted, his teasing almost too much.

He gave you a filthy grin and dipped a finger within you, then moved to bring in another. You could feel your walls clench around him, the toy in your backside pressing ever so slightly against his knuckles when he curved them to press the spot deep within you. The sensation caused you to cry out, and you pressed your nails into your palm to hold your orgasm at bay.

“Are you going to cum, älskling?” He spoke as his hungry eyes flickered from your face to your heaving chest, the white lace covering your flesh constricting against the ropes.

“Yes Sir- I’m about to,“ you were cut off when he slipped his fingers from you. Your eyes pleaded with his as you swallowed, your arms shaking as they propped you up against the bed.

“Only good girls get to cum,” he spoke firmly. “And you have not been a good girl today.” His jaw was pronounced as he hovered over you before moving off of you, leaving you to fall back against your bound arms on the bed.

You felt like crying, or screaming, or both but settled for a deep breath to compose yourself as you stared up at the ceiling.

He chuckled. “My pretty girl, so upset.”

You smiled pitifully, biting your lip hard as you shook your head. “I’m sorry Sir.”

He grabbed you by the ropes binding your chest, pulling you up to sit on the edge of the mattress. He brought his hand to your cheek, gently brushing his thumb against your heated skin. “What am I to do with you, hm?”

You looked up at him, your eyes wide. “May I show you how sorry I am Sir?” You licked your lips while your eyes traced the outline of his erection in his dark pants.

He kept brushing your cheek as he came closer, and you gently kissed his clothed thigh, your eyes never leaving his. His eyes were warm pools of blue-green, though once you kissed directly over his clothed member his expression darkened. You proceeded to give open-mouthed kisses over his hardened length, running your tongue against the fabric.

His eyes were heavy-lidded as he watched you before he gently brought you away from his thigh, unzipping his trousers and freeing himself. You marvelled at his member, the smooth skin of it making your mouth water. You bent to press a very delicate kiss against the tip of him, the skin ever so slightly red in its current state.

You kissed him again, this time swiping your tongue across the very tip of him and he inhaled sharply. You brought your eyes back up to his then opened and took him all in, his breath hitching as you did so. His skin felt divine against your tongue, salty with the smallest hint of juniper. You kept your lips pouted as you bobbed and ran your tongue along him, moaning ever so slightly when he was farther in.

You kept your throat relaxed and took even breaths through your nose as you moved over him with your mouth. Your eyes were wide, innocent, as you observed him, willing him to grab your head and use you as he pleased. His chest was heaving while he watched you, his hand coming around to the back of your head.

You moaned and pushed back against his hand. He took the hint and brought both hands to either side of your face and began moving you over his cock. You hummed, your core dripping wet over your thighs while he took his pleasure from you.

“Do you like being used, little one?” He rasped, his pace steady. You nodded, your head moving against his movements. He clenched his jaw as he looked down at you, a thick muscle in his neck visible from your angle. “Do you like it when I fuck your mouth, älskling?”

You moaned around him in response, your eyes watering as he continued to hit a particular spot in your throat. He pulled his length from your mouth, giving you a moment to collect yourself. You quickly dipped your head and bent forward, bringing one of his testicles in your mouth and gently sucking. You wished you had a recording of the surprised, strangled groan he made in response, you were pretty sure it was the first time you’d truly caught him off guard and it had you dripping with wet. You could feel it beginning to pool around the edge of the toy still within you.

You continued to lap and suck at his testicles, chancing a look up at him you were struck with his dark, hungry gaze. His hand came to your shoulder, swiftly pushing you away from him and pulling you up before turning you around and bringing you down onto the bed so your face was against the comforter. He brought a pillow under your hips so your backside was raised off of the bed.

You felt the bed dip between your legs then the hot heat of his length against your slit as he rubbed his tip against you, gathering wetness. He tsked, “not much of a punishment when you’re this wet, is it älskling?”

You whined in response but held yourself still, praying he’d realise you were being a good girl and would let you cum this time. Your thoughts were interrupted when he slowly pressed himself within you, the toy and his length hitting similar angles and spaces within you.

He bottomed out and pulled you up against him, the new angle of his cock within you pressing up against the toy in your backside. Now it was your turn to release a strangled moan at the sensation, the feeling of it all completely overwhelming you. With one arm across your ribs, under your breasts and the other against your throat he set a steady pace as he thrust into you. His hand roughly pushed the cup of the bra down and his finger moved to your nipple. He rolled it in-between his fingers, forcing a throaty moan from your lips.

“Please Sir,” you managed to get out between thrusts, “may I cum?”

His breath was hot against your neck as he kept moving within you. “Not yet, älskling. I can feel that you’re close, your cunt is gripping me so tightly. I can feel the toy I put in you against me, within your tight little hole. Does it feel good, älskling? Do you like being filled?”

You shuddered at the sound of his velvety voice in your ear. “Yes Sir, it feels so good- I feel so… So full,” your head was spinning with the combined sensations.

“Good. Do you want to cum on this cock for your Sir, little one?” His fingers were still playing with your nipple, while the others that remained wrapped around your neck were tightening slightly.

“Yes, Sir! Please- please let me cum for you,” you begged, your fingers growing numb behind you.

“Good girl. All right my älskling, you may cum,” he pinched your nipple hard, “now.” He sucked on the spot behind your ear and you came instantly, crying out as the combined feeling of it all overpowering you. You could feel yourself moving against him as wave after wave of pleasure came, intensified when he licked and bit the same spot on your neck.

“Good girl, ride it out. There’s my good girl,” he murmured against your skin, his pace unrelenting. You came down from your high and he pulled himself from you. The ties around your arms were suddenly gone and he turned you back around, laying you on the bed so you faced him, your back propped on the same pillow as before.

He settled himself on his knees between your legs and fisted his member, his eyes taking in your form. “Touch yourself for me, älskling.” He commanded, his eyes heavy lidded as he did the same.

You licked your lips, “yes Sir,” then moved your hand down to your folds, gently playing with your clit as you watched him. You moved your hand to your uncovered nipple and rolled it between your fingers as you continued to play with yourself, the sound of your breathing filling the room.

“Do you want me to cum on your chest?” He asked, his expression sinful.

“Yes Sir, please- please cum on me. Please cover me in your cum,” you squirmed at your words, you could feel another orgasm building quickly.

“Are you going to cum again, little one? Are you going to make yourself cum with me?” He rasped, you could tell he was close and that thought excited you even more.

“Yes Sir- fuck! I’m going to cum!” You whined, your pace even with his strokes.

“Good girl. Cum now- with me,” his voice was strained as he met his finish, thick ropes of cum shooting across your chest. Upon feeling the warmth of his release against your skin, marking you, you let go, your back arching off the bed slightly as your muscles constricted.

You both panted, fully spent, slowly coming back to yourselves. You smiled at him then looked down at your chest- the green rope still tied beautifully, with thick lines of cum across the green cords, white lace, and your skin. You lay back against the pillow and brought your eyes back to his. “I think this is the prettiest I’ve ever looked.”

He nodded. “Absolutely lovely,” he gently ran his fingers along your cheekbone. His eyes fell to your chest and darkened slightly. “And all mine.”

Chapter 8 here.

End Note: Happy Loki eve!!! When you rethink on your "first and only rule" it's the no knife play from Chapter 1. Stay tuned for Chapter 8- not sure if it'll be out Saturday as I'm hoping to update Summer Wine this week too and 3 chapters is a lot for me to get through. Love you all and thank you for reading!!

Taglist (open!):

@fuck-is-going-on

@thehornytitty

[the-dimitrescu-seamstress]

I Won’t Be Long - A rather long one shot

(I have been working on this, what I call “Magda’s Worst Day”, for a while, and I only recently was inspired to finish it. Hence why I’ve been rather quiet in terms of posts. I can only torture my muse so much.

Basically, this story came about because of the “What have you done to my daughter?!” line. Alcina was in her chambers while saying that, therefore unable to see or know that Ethan was outside. So how did she know what happened to Bela, and who told her? 

My answer? Magda.

I did my best to follow the game’s timeline, but there might have been some condensing or stretching in order to make things fit. I’ve also included some brief cameos from other OCs Magda has interacted with. 

Please note, this is not an “Ethan Hate” story. Magda is simply reacting as one would in their given situation. Is this a sad story? Yes, in parts. Will you hate me for writing this? Maybe. Will you still enjoy reading it? I hope so.)

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“You must hide. The man is a danger, and I wish for you to be safe. Do your best to keep out of all this. If he approaches you, play the helpless victim. Do not help him, but please do not hinder him either.”

“But I want you to stay safe.”

“You know that I always do, dearest. He is nothing but a man.”

“You literally just said he was a danger.” The press of Bela’s lips against Magda’s was enough the hush the smaller woman and soften her demeanor. “Kissing me in order to maintain the last word is technically cheating, you know.”

“True, but I did learn it from you,” the witch smiled. “I won’t be long.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That conversation happened a little over an hour ago. Since then, Magda had quietly paced the floor of her workroom, occasionally stopping to listen for any sound outside her door. She prayed she’d hear the familiar drone of flies, but nothing came. Everything was unnervingly quiet. Magda did her best to reassure herself. She kept telling herself that the man was outnumbered three to one, that the girls would work together and remove him as a threat, that they couldn’t be killed.

The sudden barrage of nearby gunfire and shattering glass ripped away any comfort she had tried to retain. It wasn’t terribly close, but then again it wasn’t terribly far either. Worse yet, there was no celebratory laughter that accompanied the silence that soon followed. Worry gnawed at Magda’s insides, and she did the one thing that Bela had asked her not to do. She unlocked the door to her workshop, and left her hiding place.

Magda went through the halls in sock feet, wanting to make as little sound as possible. The last thing she needed was to run into the man by accident. Thankfully, the courtyard was deserted. Freezing, especially without shoes or a coat, but it was empty. Even better, the door leading to the dining room was still locked. That meant the intruder had not found a key or harassed one of the few servants who had a skeleton key to the various entryways. Magda was one of those servants. Being a seamstress, and a trusted one at that, gave her a few perks.

As much as she wanted to rush in, Magda knew better. She turned the key slowly, as the locks were heavy and made a distinct and rather loud click when undone. The door she also took time opening, just in case there was an armed madman standing on the other side. Finding none, she closed and relocked the door behind her. Best to keep him confined.

Cassandra’s laughter coming from the Main Hall signaled that she was keeping the intruder well occupied and, rather than risk an interruption, Magda turned to the much plainer door which lead to the kitchen.

Normally the kitchen was a warm place, full of the sounds and smells of cooking food for the human staff, but the rush of cold air that blew in as she entered confirmed a fear she had. Hurrying past the preparation table and ducking under the cuts of drying meat, Magda stopped short in the doorway to the connected storage room. What she saw squeezed her heart like a vice, making it difficult to breath.

Shattered glass and the remains of broken boards framed a large, collapsed pile of frozen flies. The room wavered and suddenly felt hot, despite the open windows. Maybe… maybe this wasn’t Bela, she tried to reason. It wasn’t Cassandra, as she had heard her laughter not moments ago. A small, hateful voice in her head whispered that this was Daniela, that Bela was still alive inside the castle, perhaps happily carving up the man with her sister, and what laid before her was Daniela. Magda hated to even think that, but right now she was mental begging the powers that be for that to be the truth.

Step by hesitant step, she approached the pile, acting as a windbreak when she knelt between it and the broken window. Tears began to cloud her vision as she saw pale yellow flies mixed in amongst the brown and black insects. Again, her heart wrenched inside her chest. Her skin burned and the walls of the room closed in as her anger grew and burst forth in a ragged scream of rage, sorrow, and anguish.

Why?! Why did he do this?! How did he even know?! Did he just get lucky with a stray bullet breaking a pane of glass? Why did he kill her? Why did he go after her? The cold would have been enough to stop her! She would have stopped the chase, and he could have gotten away, but he still decided to kill her! He killed her while she was hurting! He killed her while she was cold, alone, and separated from everyone. He killed Magda’s stea mică… her little star…

He didn’t give a shit about anything or anyone.

Magda’s guttural scream was echoed by a rasping, undead one crawling up from the once boarded up passageway that led to the dungeon. In her emotional state, she hadn’t put two and two together. The boards were smashed going into the storage room rather than out into the passageway. The man had come up from below, meaning he had created a potential access point for the thralls to get upstairs.

“Căcat!” she cursed, scrambling as quickly and as quietly for a container in the other room. It would take the thralls a bit of time to coordinate and stumble their way up the stairs, but they would eventually make it and Magda was not about to let those disgusting things trample all over what was left of Bela.

She would also need to tell the Countess.

Grabbing one of the large basins used to hold drained blood, as well as any discarded towels or cloth she could find, Magda carefully moved every single fly she found into the container, scouring the floor for any the wind may have blown about, but always keeping a careful eye on the dungeon passage. The last thing she needed was to be attacked by those damn thralls as she finished.

The basin was… not as heavy as she thought it would be. That knowledge made her stomach sink and made her feel that much worse. She was carrying her love’s body, and it wasn’t heavy. It needed to be. The woman was seven feet tall! It should have been heavier! These stupid, unimportant thoughts made her tears start to once again fall as she returned to the dining room. “Dammit. I’m sorry, Bela,” she mumbled as a few hot tears fell on the flies.

One twitched in response.

Magda stopped at that. She was seeing things. In her grief, her mind was clearly playing tricks on her. Bela was dead. The cold killed flies. She was dead and the tear hitting the fly only made it look like it moved.

That was when the worst feeling in all of creation latched itself onto her.

Hope.

Leaning in close, she breathed a few times on a small clump of flies, letting her warm breath roll over them. And then she waited… Her heart pounding in her chest as she watched for something. Anything.

…A leg spasmed.

It was small, almost imperceptible, but Magda took it as a sign. A possibility. A tiny one at that, but she grabbed onto it and refused to let it go. Hope was evil like that.

Covering the basin to shield the flies from the cold, she ventured back across the courtyard and towards Alcina’s chambers, locking any and all doors behind her because fuck this man and his doings. Make his shit life harder.

The Countess’ chambers were empty, which sent a chill of dread and terror down Magda’s spine. Had she fallen to the man as well or was she simply hunting him along with her daughters? Should she wait for her to appear? Right now, searching the castle was not the ideal thing to do, as she was unarmed, human, and she had no idea if the intruder would have mercy on her if she encountered him. Thankfully, her questions were answered as familiar heavy footfalls were heard coming up the stairs. Now all she had to do was explain to Alcina what she thought was possible. And hopefully not die in the the telling.

“If I can’t, I’ll do my best to bleed on you as I die, sweetness,” she told the basin of flies, trying to make a joke and do her best to smile. The latter crumbled as soon as the chamber door opened.

“Countess?” Magda’s voice was weak and shaky, full of fear, and she immediately regretted opening her mouth due to the look on Alcina’s face. It was one of surprise mixed with displeasure, which made sense as Magda should still be locked in her sewing room, not running around as she was currently doing.

“Are you not aware of our current situation, Magdalena?” Her tone was cool and reserved, as if she were waiting on Magda’s answer in order to decide the best manner of action to take.

“I am very much aware of the situation, Countess. Which was why I came here as quickly as I could.” she replied, uncovering Bela’s remains. The candelabra the taller woman had been holding streaked towards Magda’s head and the seamstress barely had time to duck.

“What have you done to my daughter?!” she roared, lunging forward and grabbing Magda by her neck. For a moment, fear and terror filled the seamstress’ mind, but she somehow managed to find her voice despite the vice-like grip upon her throat.

“It wasn’t me… the man… did this… the flies… not… not dead…” Darkness had started to creep around the edges of her vision before Alcina finally released her. Landing on the ground hurt, but the deep breath of fresh air she took afterwards was incredibly sweet.

“Explain yourself,” Alcina growled, stretching out those two words in a low and menacing fashion, one not at all suitable for a woman of her standing, but perfect for a mother seeking justice for her child.

“I heard the fight,” Magda rasped, throat still sore. “It was in… the kitchen. I found… Bela. I thought she was dead… but some flies reacted to my tears…. and warm breath. There’s a chance. That cold state they go into. She told me about it. Bela might not be dead. Only hibernating. If she can be warmed, maybe she can be saved.” Magda watched Alcina, eyes never turning away or blinking too rapidly. She didn’t want to give the woman any excuse or reason not to believe her.

The quiet between them lasted for what seemed an eternity, only to be interrupted by a low rumbling and draining of liquid coming from the next room over. They both heard it, though Alcina only gave the most subtle of glances in its direction. The pool in the Hall of Ablution had been emptied. The Countess’ iron grip was suddenly around Magda’s arm, pulling her back to her feet.

“You will take my daughter back to your workshop and you will keep her warm,” she hissed. “You will not leave her side, not even for a moment. Should I find you disobeying my instructions and wandering these halls while that impudent wretch is still in my castle, your life is forfeit. Is that understood?” Magda nodded, fear in her eyes. She picked up the basin, replacing the cover before being roughly escorted out of the chamber.

Once safely back in her workshop, Magda set about gathering her thickest fabrics; the wools, flannels, gabardines, and anything else heavy she had. She removed the blankets and comforter from her bed and did what she could to form a nest or bed for the flies. For a moment, she even considered cutting her forearm and dribbling some blood onto them, but if they weren’t moving then they weren’t feeding, and the last thing she wanted to risk was them somehow drowning in her own blood.

Magda did her best to obey the Countess’ instructions, as she was not about to risk Alcina’s wrath, not with her life on the line. However, if she did end up being wrong about Bela, maybe it would be better to join her in death. What was she thinking? Magda likely would die anyways. But, in terms of when, it would just depend on Alcina’s mood. So, the seamstress sat in silence, waiting and praying to hear the soft buzzing of fly wings as they slowly warmed up.

Instead, she heard someone faintly plinking the keys of the piano in the Opera Hall. Rather badly at that. Naturally, the all too familiar footfalls of an enraged Alcina soon followed. He must not have realized she was hunting him, Magda thought. Because what idiot would actually take the time to play the piano if they were actively trying to stay hidden? The brief retort of gunfire seemed to prove her point. Although she could only hear what was going on, Magda still had a brief chuckle as she imagined the man scrambling for his life away from Alcina.

Not that he had many places to run to. It was either to Magda’s workshop or the library, and as the noise of confrontation began to distance itself from her hiding place, she breathed a sigh of relief. The library it was then.

“How has this man managed to survive this long?” she softly asked Bela’s remains. As if in answer, gunshots rang out once more and the seamstress stood, wondering who he was fighting now. The previously reassuring knowledge that bullets couldn’t harm anyone in this house re-entered Magda’s head… but it was quickly dashed to pieces as she glanced back at Bela. Who had he gone after now? She needed to know.

For five long minutes, Magda stood at her sewing room door, with it cracked open enough to listen. But she heard nothing. No footsteps, no gunfire, no sounds of anyone.

If Alcina caught her, it would be death, a voice in her head reasoned.

So she simply would avoiding getting caught, another replied.

The distance to the library wasn’t far, and she could easily hear the Countess’ footsteps well in advance, allowing her to hide as she approached.

“I’ll be back soon, stea mică. I won’t be long,” she softly told the flies. A few seemed to twitch in response. God, she hoped that she was right in the foolish ‘not dead, only hibernating’ theory. Basin and flannel cloth in hand, Magda made her way to the library, hoping she wouldn’t need what she carried.

Her heart sank upon feeling the chilly air inside. Papers were scattered, vases lay shattered, and, near enough to be in the light cast from the glass skylight which acted as a central decorative point for the room, was another large pile of immobile flies. Magda actually needed a moment to sit and collect herself with this discovery. Little flies, whose bodies glittered in the light, matched Daniela’s hair color.

Alcina will weep, Magda thought as she did her best to keep her own tears from falling once more. Gathering up these remains took longer than Bela’s, but not because they were scattered about. No. For as messy and wild as Daniela was in life, she had collapsed in a neat little pile. It was the weight and knowledge that this was the baby of the family which made this such a long and arduous task.

“You’re not alone, Dani. I’m not letting you be alone. I’m taking you to your sister. You’ll be safe in my sewing room,” She told the flies. Could this have been the first sign of madness? After all, Magda was talking to a container full of potentially dead insects. She recalled the character of Renfield from Dracula. The man went mad in an effort to serve and worship his vampire lord. Perhaps she was becoming something along the same lines. Perhaps she was already dead; killed by the intruder, and this was her own personal hell of gathering up mounds of flies throughout the castle for the rest of eternity, all the while avoiding Alcina. If Bela’s nest was not in the workshop when she returned to it, Magda figured this terrible thought would be reality.

Thankfully, upon opening the door to her workshop, the comforter and blanket that Bela was nestled in was still where the seamstress had left it. So maybe she was not dead and this was not hell. Little miracles were all she could hope for right now.

Magda took her time making Daniela’s nest, listening for anything that would signal they were victorious and this man-thing was dead and gone. She shook her head a little as she used that term. Normally, Magda did not join in on calling men that, but this was a special case. This individual didn’t seem human. The fact that he could best two of the daughters worried her, and a dread feeling that, unless mother and daughter combined forces, Cassandra could fall as well filled Magda’s stomach like a lead weight.

The daughters were monsters, yes. By the classic definition, that’s what they were, and Magda did not deny any of it. Blood stained dresses, screams and laughter coming from the dungeon, or even the rare times when Bela’s kisses had a slight hint of copper or something raw tasting to them. They weren’t normal. Alcina was also a monster; perhaps even more of one. The height, the claws, the gray skin that she hid beneath layers of foundation. All four of them shared that same inhuman appetite for blood and flesh. But, they also had human tendencies. They laughed, they cried, they screamed in fright the odd times they were scared or taken by surprise.

Then again, humans could be monsters as well. History showed how terrible they could be. Magda was certainly no angel, and she had the odd feeling that this man wasn’t entirely a good person either. Maybe she was wrong. Magda didn’t know. All she knew was that she was trying to save the small group of friends and family she had left in this world.

Minutes ticked by and still her wing of the castle remained quiet. The longer it stayed quiet, the more she worried. If the man was dead, Alcina would have come to her workshop to see to her daughter. But if the quiet persisted? Magda didn’t want to think on that.

“Should I go out and search?” she asked her charges. Of course, no reply came. Magda thought she saw more movement from Bela’s flies, but she had no idea if they all needed to be restored to a proper temperature, like a hive mind, before they could respond. With the way Magda had layered everything, they would warm up slowly and naturally. No artificial heaters or fires were being used, as she didn’t want to risk damaging them. After watching both mounds for a few minutes, the seamstress nodded, knowing once more what she had to do.

The castle had an unusual quietness, a stillness she had never felt before. There was always at least some sort of background noise; the shuffling of servants, the daughters’ laughter, the general noise of a home being lived in. Where was everyone? Had the man killed them all? Or were Sylvia, Andre, Samuel, Bianca, and the rest hiding in the servant’s quarters, having barricaded themselves in? Vulga likely would have escaped into the walls upon hearing the first gunshot, so she was probably safe.

At least there would be some survivors of Castle Dimitrescu.

Finding Cassandra took a long time. Besides hiding from both the constantly patrolling Alcina and the seemingly trigger happy mad man, Magda had to think like the middle child, who had the tendency to spend time in the oddest of places. While Bela and Daniela could be found in seemingly normal locations in the castle, Cassandra explored. She found hidden areas that were unknown to most of the inhabitants, hard to get to, or simply dilapidated enough and impossible to access unless you could fly. Magda assumed she enjoyed being hard to find.

The seamstress had searched damn near every room, after having briefly hidden for a few heart-pounding minutes in one of the dressing room wardrobes upon hearing Alcina’s approach. Currently, she was sitting in the back hallway, taking a moment to try and mentally collect herself. Magda hated failing, and right now she was absolutely in sync with the idea that she was a failure. Cassandra, as far as she knew, had simply disappeared. Had the man shattered a window and thrown her outside? If that was the case, then the chance of finding the young woman dropped to impossible odds. The castle was surrounded by woods and cliffs with sheer drops. Maybe… if the snow and cold somehow preserved her through the winter, Cassandra would show up in the spring, like crocuses.

At that thought, Magda let slip a sharp little laugh while, at the same time, her eyes began to water. Cassandra would hate being compared to a flower. She would absolutely have hated it. And for as much as Magda wanted to continue to both laugh and cry right now, it would certainly draw unwanted attention from one of two parties currently in the castle. Possibly both.

Wiping her face with her sleeve, she allowed herself a few calming breaths before pushing herself back to her feet and continuing this fruitless search.

The slight draft blowing on Magda’s hand from beneath the door stopped her. Yes, castles were drafty, but not this one. Alcina made certain to insulate everything as best she could so her daughters could survive the winter in relative comfort. But, there was a definite bit of air movement coming from under this door.

Opening it, Magda found the Statue of Pleasure…. with an animal skull in place of the sacrifice’s head. Not even Cassandra or Daniela would be foolish enough to ruin one of their mother’s statues. So, on top of being a murderer, this man enjoyed defacing both art and private property. What the fuck was wrong with him?

The indignity aside, the windows in this room were intact, so where was the draft coming from? The only other option was the fireplace, but if the chimney was that badly cracked, why wasn’t it sealed? Crouching in front of it, the reason quickly became apparent as the entire back of the fireplace has been removed, and the hole led to a set of stairs.

“Cassandra, you little shit.”

Crawling through the passageway, Magda entered what looked to be the remains of a hidden armory, or at least a place to stash and work on things a certain daughter didn’t want her mother to learn about or her sisters to interfere with. It would have been a lovely little room had it not been for the gaping hole in the wall, letting in all the cold air. And there, near enough to the stairway, laid what was left of Alcina’s middle child.

“At least you were smart enough to fight him in a room without windows,” Magda commented as she gathered her up. Cassandra was vicious and violent when she wan’t to be, but she was also calculative and observant. Perhaps that’s why she lasted as long as she did. Had she sacrificed her sisters in order to study this man? If Magda were the girl’s mother, they would definitely be having a talk about that later.

With the last of the Dimitrescu daughters safely bundled up, Magda began to make her way back to the workshop. As it was nearly on the other side of the castle with no direct route, she took great care to move as quietly as possible. She paused repeatedly, and scanned the Main Hall, looking for signs of the the woman in white. For as large as she was, Alcina was a stalking beast. She could be incredibly quiet if she wished to be.

As she crouched in one the small balconies, Magda heard movement coming from below her on the floor of the main hall. However, it didn’t sound… right. It couldn’t have been the intruder, unless he was gravely injured. But If that were the case, Alcina wouldn’t have been far behind, and Magda didn’t hear her at all. Speaking of the Countess, it certainly wasn’t her, as the noise was far too small to be anyone remotely her size.

Chancing a look, Magda peeked over the edge, and a soft gasp of surprise, sounding so devastatingly loud in this silence, escaped her lips as she saw what was beneath her. Luana, the castle’s head servant, the personal watchdog for the Countess, laid collapsed on the marble floor, clothes stained red with blood. Where had they been all this time?! Magda had scoured entire castle… Had they been outside and only just now managed to get in? This just made her life ten times harder. Not only did she have Cassandra to carry back, but now there was the issue of Luana as well.

She could have left them where they were. She could have. After all, Magda was currently disobeying orders and Alcina was already displeased by her previous actions. She should have taken Cassandra back to her workshop and then returned. By then, perhaps Alcina would have discovered Luana herself and… done what? She was hellbent on hunting down the intruder. Would she even have stopped and tended to her servant? Magda couldn’t say. She also had no idea what would have happened if the man found them first. Would he finish the job he clearly started? In all likelihood? Yes.

Tucking Cassandra safely in an out of the way corner by the top of the stairs, Magda made her way down to her fellow servant, glancing into the Hall of the Four as she went.

The doors leading to the Temple of Worship were open.

In all her years there, Magda had rarely seen those exterior doors stand open as they were now. The Countess was strict in her orders about that portion of the castle being forbidden to everyone save herself, and now the seamstress was watching her tall figure ascend the temple stairs. An unknown fear filled Magda with dread at that sight, and she hurried towards Luana.

Rolling the head servant over onto their back, Magda gave them a quick look over. Buckshot, and a few normal bullet holes, peppered Luana’s blood soaked torso. A normal human would have been dead from such injuries and blood loss, but Luana was thankfully not fully human, rather a Lycan-cross. They usually preferred not to speak of their heritage, but Magda hoped they would be happy to have it just this once.

“Luana? Luana, dear, can you hear me?” she asked, opening their eyes to check for any sign of life. She was met with slurred, half-conscious Portuguese. “You know damn well I don’t speak that, but right now any response is a good one, so I’ll take it.” The bleeding had stopped and their breathing seemed normal from what she could tell; no gurgles, bloody froth in the mouth, or sounds of difficulty.

“…Apologies…” they said in Romanian, doing their best to sit up.

“You’re fine. I’m just happy to see someone else, aside from the Countess, alive,” she replied. Their uniform already ruined, Magda removed Luana’s jacket and began tearing off bandage strips. Or at least she started to, as a distant crash and a devastating roar from outside quickly stopped her efforts. Whatever injuries seemed to be afflicting Luana were momentarily forgotten as they did their best to stand, only to collapse almost immediately. As they attempted it a second time, Magda moved to support them. She didn’t even say a word or caution them to take it slow as the two of them made it to the open doorway.

And what they saw? There were no words.

It was huge. A great beast, vast and terrible, with an immense wingspan, lashing tail, and a toothy, gaping maw circled the top of the temple tower; sometimes flying, sometimes crawling along the stonework. It was pale white with streaks of pink flesh, slick and glossy looking as the sun hit it. Muscles bulged as if barely contained by the skin, as tendrils curled and whipped about in an independent fury. It looked both cancerous and incomplete while at the same time horrifically beautiful and awe-inspiring in some inexplicable way. And to top it off, as if in an absurd gilding of the lily, Alcina’s upper torso, looking flayed and monstrous, erupted from between the beast’s shoulder blades. Her voice was distorted, both by rage, vengeance, and sorrow, but also by this transformation. She was lost in this madness, fully given in to it.

Magda’s knees gave way, and she fell to the floor, unintentionally bring Luana down with her. The seamstress was lost. How was this even possible? How had Alcina become this gargantuan beast? Could she change back? A sudden sick feeling rolled over her as all these questions and more filled her head. She was sure Luana was thinking similar things.

All they could do was watch this battle as it unfurled. Stonework and roofing tiles fell freely as the dragon creature did its best to pursue its quarry. Gunfire was heard regularly as Alcina taunted, threatened, and cackled in her torment. The fight moved steadily upwards, with more and more of the building being destroyed until a bloodcurdling shriek was heard and something structural gave way.

Multiple somethings.

Large plumes of dust, broken window, and cracks forming in the side of the building were the indication that the dragon had fallen through all of the interior floors of the temple, landing with a massive crash.

Magda and Luana looked at each other and then back towards the temple. “How about we wait and listen for movement?” the seamstress started to offer, but the head servant was already stumbling towards the building, trying desperately not to once more fall onto their face. They didn’t get very far before collapsing, but Magda was there to lift them back up. “How about a compromise? We get to the temple door and listen before barging in?” At that, Luana nodded a little sheepishly.

If Magda had thought the castle had been quiet, the inside of the temple was a veritable tomb. She just hoped it wasn’t a literal one. At least not for Alcina. Let the man be buried under all that rubble. Unfortunately, her wish was not yet granted, as she saw the limping figure of a man leaving through the lower level door. All she needed was a gun. Why didn’t she or Luana have a pistol? One bullet through the back of his damned head, that’s all that was needed and all this terribleness would be over with.

But instead, Magda just stood there, watching him leave before her gaze turned to Alcina’s body. It was still that dragon creature, but she had just come to accept that this was the Countess. Luana was already making their way down to her, carefully using the broken rubble as a stairway. Magda reluctantly followed suit.

The beast may have remained, but the human torso that was Alcina? That was gone, crumbled to ashes. The body was also still. Seeing that, Magda sat down hard, shocked by it all. Luana at least made it to the corpse, but they soon collapsed as tears began to fall.

Theirs was an ugly crying, one that Magda had never heard from them before. It was a full body shaking, heaving from the gut sort of crying. Luana had been serving House Dimitrescu since they were a teenager, and they saw Alcina as a mother figure, so Magda could only imagine what they were going through.

Letting them grieve for a few minutes, Magda eventually stood and walked over to Luana, placing a hand on their shoulder.

It was then that the beast took a great, shuddering breath.

Instincts quickly took hold and Magda scrambled backwards, not wanting to risk being eaten, while Luana did the opposite and moved closer, overjoyed to see some sign of life coming from the creature. She expected to hear a scream or cry of pain from Luana, imagining the creature lunging forward and devouring the head servant in one or two gulps. But instead, when the seamstress looked back, she saw Luana petting its head, saying soft things to it in Portuguese as it just laid there, barely making any noise.

“You are either very brave, very trusting, or very stupid to be petting that thing,” Magda hissed, keeping her voice down low, as if raising it would trigger the beast to attack them both.

“It knows me… us. It won’t hurt us,” Luana replied calmly.

“How do you know that? How is it even still alive?! Alcina’s torso is gone! The thing should be dead!” In response to Magda’s outburst, the thing growled, slightly turning its head in her direction. “… All right, I’m clearly wrong in my assessment of life and death. But that still doesn’t explain why or how.”

“Separate functioning systems? Maybe it all… pinched shut when the torso disintegrated? Like a limb or a tree branch that’s dying? Save the main body?” Luana offered.

“I would have thought Alcina would have been the main body. Can she regenerate from this?” Magda asked. Luana simply shrugged.

“We take her back to the castle and see what happens over the next few hours or days.”

“Easier said than done,” Magda replied, gesturing to the rock they scaled down and the all too small door was the only other exit.

“If it is a simple creature, then it will respond to simple things like food. She will need to eat anyways. We lure it back with food,” Luana reasoned.

The kitchen was thusly raided and a good bit of the meat that was there removed; both cured and what was still fresh. Amazingly, despite having heard the shrieks of the thralls earlier, the kitchen was now devoid of them. Had they wandered back down into the dungeon after finding no prey? Or were they all dead? Magda could only wonder as she glanced towards that corridor, her eyes wanting to linger on the spot where she found Bela. No, she thought. No, Bela was safe in the sewing room with her sisters. Magda had made a brief detour to deposit Cassandra there, as well as retrieve a pair of shoes for herself, before joining back up with Luana in the kitchen.

Along with the meat, they also brought along two barrels from the tasting room, placed at strategic points along the route back to the castle, in case extra bribery was needed for the beast. By the time they had finished setting everything up, the Alcinadragon… for what else would you call it?… was on its feet, clumsily walking around its temporary enclosure. Naturally, after throwing down the first piece of meat, with it being consumed in a single bite, the beast’s attention snapped to the two of them as it began the effort of climbing its way up towards freedom.

Magda knew better than to run. After all, doing so would likely trigger hunting and chasing instincts. But still, once the massive forelimbs appeared and the beast pulled itself up and over the lip of the hole, she made sure to be a good distance away, keeping Luana between it and her.

While this was something she normally would never state, on pain of death, it was rather easy to lead this version of Alcina around by her stomach. So long as they had a trail of food, she was easy to please and keep relatively docile. In the end, they only needed one barrel as a treat, though it wasn’t quite that. As they passed it on the bridge, the creature must have smelled the contents, or perhaps recognized the shape…. but how that was possible, Magda had no idea, as it had no discernible eyes right now. Either way, the tooth lined maw easily engulfed the barrel and bit down, splintering the wood and draining the contents quickly. Afterwards, the creature seemed more agreeable.

Maybe it had just needed a drink.

By the time they had entered the Hall of The Four, the remaining castle staff had emerged from their hiding places. There were no reprimands or excuses given, only looks and sighs of relief. Bianca, Sylvia, and Mihaela quickly flocked to the form of the Countess who was currently gorging on wine and meat. Samuel latched themself onto Magda with a tight hug; one that she was not exactly ready to receive, but she was also not about to deny them this comfort. Vulga also soon joined in, likely in an effort to make Magda feel even more uncomfortable.

“If you two insist on being this close to me, I will be putting you to work,” Magda told them both before taking them to her workshop and retrieving the three sisters. Sam took Daniela, Vulga carried Cassandra, and Magda held Bela close. The urge to place the daughters next to their mother was great, but caution won out instead. Who knew if or how the Alcinadragon would react to seeing her children as nothing more than collections of flies? Yes, they were becoming more active, but there was no indication they were on their way to reforming back into their human shapes. They just need time, Magda thought. That’s all. They’ve been through trauma, and they just need time to recover.

Even though it was not yet midday, It was decided that everyone would spend the night in the Main Hall. It was the inner most room, central to most of the castle, and it was big enough to house all of them comfortably, even a dragon with a massive wingspan. There would be safety in numbers.

“Do you think he’ll come back?” Magda asked Luana quietly.

“No. As far as he is concerned, everyone here is dead. Whether that is true or not…” They paused, not wanting to say the unthinkable. Understanding, Magda nodded and finished their sentence.

“…It’s best to keep up that appearance.”

“Precisely. We keep everyone centralized for the time being. Close off and safeguard the exit points, stay quiet, and wait. With any luck, things will be different twenty-four from now. Or at least there will be an indication of a difference.” The look the two of them shared was one of tiredness and threadbare hope. There wasn’t much left to run on, but so long as the lady of the house still drew breath, no matter what form she took, they still had their duties to attend to.

“Even if the man isn’t coming back, no one is going down to the outer gatehouse and drawbridge by themselves. One of the lords is currently weakened, you are still recovering from being shot multiple times, and while my mind may be playing into the medieval hierarchy of things, I wouldn’t put it past other things going wrong and our current situation being taken advantage of. We’ll go together. It’ll be faster that way.”

Despite initial outward appearances, the castle was rather impenetrable once locked down. A drawbridge, three heavy doors of varying designs dividing the exterior gatehouse, a massive portcullis at the Carriage Gate, and a smaller, but just as fortified, portcullis on the interior of the entrance hall that kept the front doors closed from the outside. For all intents and purposes, they would be safe and secure.

More of the staff wanted to assist in the closing of the gatehouse, but they were dissuaded by a few other duties; securing the door leading to the temple, keeping an eye on Alcina, and gathering up any supplies they would need for the night. They were also greeted by another unexpected task upon opening the castle doors.

In the middle of the Carriage Gate rested four crates; three of a similar size and one that was noticeably larger. Nothing had been ordered, and the Duke had packed up his caravan, vacating his usual spot some time during the battle with Alcina. Yet the note tacked onto the larger crate was in his elaborate, flowing script:

I’d wager these treasures are of more use to you than I. Think of this as a thank you for your years of patronage, as well as a farewell gift for the time being. Keep them safe.

Bonne chance,

The Duke

The lids came off easily, and inside, nestled amongst packing material were… statues? Odd ones at that. Beautiful, crystalline, and perhaps a bit macabre, they were three busts and one massive torso with what seemed to be very familiar proportions. Either the Duke had a sick sense of humor or this was something else.

“Take these inside,” Magda instructed, still a bit confused as to what they were. “Be careful with them. Don’t damage them.” She then hurried to catch up with Luana who had decidedly not stopped to investigate the crates.

While neither of them ventured out into the village, the lack of the noisy day to day life that would normally filter up from it was obvious and more than a bit unnerving. Yes, there were the occasional barks and growls from whatever lycans were still prowling around the buildings, but there were no sounds of people. That lack of background noise twisted Magda’s stomach and made her raise the drawbridge that much faster.

“Tomorrow… Tomorrow, we will search the village. Look for survivors,” Luana reassured her.

“I don’t think there are any other survivors,” she replied morosely, as her thoughts immediately went to the one person outside the castle that Magda actually cared about. Stay safe, Donna. Please God, keep her safe.

With each barricade put into place, Magda felt both safer and more alone… cut off from everything. But this was what needed to be done. As the final portcullis fell into place in the entrance hall, a burden lifted from her shoulders. There was still that sick feeling in her stomach, but her back felt lighter.

Why? She didn’t know. She didn’t deserve to feel better.

Everything was starting to blur together, and she didn’t care anymore. Magda remembered entering the Main Hall and seeing the Alcinadragon curled protectively around the crystalline torso that shared the measurements of the Countess, growling at anyone who came near it. She didn’t care or wonder why. Someone called out her name as she climbed the stairs, but she ignored it, legs carrying her faster and faster as she went. She didn’t want to talk. Her head, neck, and chest felt hot. She felt smothered and unable to breathe. She needed to get away.

By the time she was in the Hall of Joy, Magda was running. The library was a blur, as was the opera hall. Her eyes were open, but they saw nothing, as if her brain was on automatic. All she cared about was getting away.

She slammed the door to her workroom shut, turning the lock as well in order to keep herself physically, mentally, and emotionally away from everyone. She managed to go a few steps into the room before her knees gave way and she collapsed into a heap. That’s when the floodgates of emotion just opened up. She screamed and wailed, tears falling uncontrollably. All the pain and the burdens accumulated from this day, from these past few hours, came roaring out.

She had no idea how long she cried, nor how many in the castle heard her. She didn’t know if anyone knocked on the door to check on her, nor did she care. She would have ignored it anyway. At one point early on in her anguish, her stomach heaved. Only bile came out, as she had eaten nothing this entire day, but the wretching continued until even that was entirely discarded from her system. She cried until her tears ran dry; until only hiccuping breathes and weary, burning eyes remained.

Throughout all of this, there was one constant in Magda’s mind. She knew that if anyone, and she did mean anyone, interrupted her in this moment, there would be hell to pay. The staff had seen her mad and frustrated before, but they had never seen her rage. If anyone tried to comfort or hold her right now, they would be met with punches, thrown objects, and a slew of filthy, hate-filled words that she would likely regret at a later date. Perhaps even shears to the intruder’s throat, if she could reach them in time.

She didn’t want comfort. She wanted this pain. She wanted to hurt.

But most of all, she wanted her Bela.

Eventually though, the pain did subside. It slowly dulled and dissipated. To say it was completely gone would have been a lie, but it had settled for the time being. Magda’s body ached, as did her head. The floor beside her was a mess, but she made an effort and took the time to clean up the bile. She couldn’t stand having such a thing lingering in her workshop, no matter her mood or the circumstances. The process also helped the seamstress return to a semblance of herself.

After a change of clothes, a quick washing of her face and brushing of her teeth, Magda made her way back to the main hall. Samuel was lingering in the hallway, shuffling around a bit in an effort to entertain themself while probably waiting for Magda to re-emerge.

“Hey, Magda? Are… are you okay? Do you need anything? A hug maybe?” they asked, holding their arms open. Magda just shook her head and continued on. “Ice cream, maybe? We could sit and watch a movie together Not a scary movie or anythin’, but I’ll sit and watch something you’d like if it makes you feel better.” At that, Magda just sighed.

“Sam? Right now, what I want? I can’t have. So, please? Just let me go sit in peace next to what is left of the woman I love. All right?”

“Yeah, um…. about that? Okay, so we brought the statue things in like you said, but as soon as we did, the dragon thing that Lady D turned into? Yeah, she got real defensive and grabbed the big statue and isn’t giving it up. So, we then took the smaller ones and the fly piles got really active. Like super, super active. I mean, they’re not buzzin’ around like normal or human, but-“ Magda didn’t even wait for Sam to finish. Once more, she was off and running.

The daughters were on the opposite side of the fireplace from the Alcinadragon, though pretty much everyone was on the opposite side from her, as she took up an entire length of the hall. Samuel had actually been right, as the flies were more active since the last time she saw them. While not swarming, they were crawling over the statues, or rather, individual statues. Now that she was able to look at them properly, Magda could discern the shapes of the daughters in the torsos. Bela’s she knew well enough, and Daniela was a bit slighter than Cassandra… and all the while the appropriate flies were crawling over the appropriate statues. She still had no idea what they were for, but clearly they held some importance.

Whether it had been intentional or not, someone had set Bela in the alcove under the stairs, allowing a bit of privacy and seclusion if it was needed. Obviously, Samuel or someone else had taken Magda’s breakdown into consideration. Normally, the seamstress did not enjoy having special things done for her, but at the moment, she was not about complain.

Sitting on a blanket with her back against the wall, Magda actually managed to take a breath and relax for the first time that day.

They were alive.

Whether due to the added heat, time to recover, or whatever these odd statues were, the daughters were alive and moving around. They would be all right. The Alcinadragon had a forelimb curled around her own statue, surrounded by her favorite maidens, and was practically asleep, if her breathing was any indication. She would be all right. None of the servants had been gravely injured in the long term. The current state of the castle was an odd miracle, but it was a miracle nonetheless.

Looking at the crystalline statue beside her, Magda gently placed her fingertips upon it, in hopes that it would pulse or feel abnormally warm. That wasn’t the case, but one of the pale yellow flies that had been idly traversing the torso’s clavicle almost immediately changed direction and climbed onto her hand. Smiling, either from happiness or exhaustion, she brought the insect closer as it proceeded to march into the palm of her cupped hand. It happily buzzed and bumped its head against her skin, settling down in the warmth as Magda gently stroked it.

As if energized by her touch, the fly took to the air and landed in the hollow of the seamstress’ neck, where it buzzed and bounced around more; its little wings tickling her just enough to elicit a soft laugh from Magda.

“Hi, stea mică…” she said softly, body instinctively relaxing to that sensation. Magda wasn’t sure if it was her exhaustion or something else, but as her eyes closed and sleep began to take her, she could have sworn she heard Bela’s voice in the drone of the fly.

I won’t be long.

EPILOGUE:

“Magda? Magda, wake up. Somethin’s happening,” Sam’s voice cut through the blackness of sleep. The seamstress groggily rubbed her eyes and looked around, remembering where she was. Instinctively, she looked over at the Bela statue, worried for a moment at that she would find. The concern was unfounded as it was mostly covered by a swarm of flies, more than what she had seen prior to falling asleep.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” she asked, standing up. The Alcinadragon was still asleep, her harem of maidens still tending to her. If it was possible, she too looked healthier.

“There’s something goin’ on in the village. Luana told me to get you. They’re in Lady D’s bedroom.” That made sense. The Countess’ chambers had a view that overlooked the village. It was a smart place to scout from.

Making her way there, Magda discovered that night had fallen, meaning she had slept most of the day away. Why hadn’t they woken her up sooner? She didn’t need to have her sleep schedule even more messed up. However, the not so far off explosions made her decide otherwise, as she quickened her steps up the stairs.

Luana was out on the balcony of Alcina’s chambers, watching a veritable firefight going on in the village. Massive waving tendrils were erupting from the ground, knocking what looked like military helicopters out of the sky as explosions and gunfire rocked what was left of the buildings.

“Have they come towards the castle?” Magda asked after taking it all in.

“No,” Luana replied.

“Then unless they come towards the castle, it’s not our fight. I’m not about to start something with a group that has guns, explosions, and…” An airstrike briefly interrupted the seamstress as she talked. “Whatever the hell that is!”

“I simply thought you would like to be made aware of this. It was wise that we closed up everything when we did.” Magda didn’t know why Luana was making her seem more important than she actually was. They were the head servant. She was just the seamstress.

“…… You’re going to sit out here until it’s over, aren’t you?”

“Of course.” At that, Magda sighed.

“I’m not staying out here all night. It’s too cold. I’d suggest that you come in from the cold as well, but you’re just as stubborn as I am. I’ll be inside on the chaise lounge if you need me. Please don’t freeze out here, Luana. I’m not about to lose you after keeping you alive.” With that said, Magda went back inside and made herself comfortable on the Countess’ furniture, something she’d never do normally, but this wasn’t exactly normal circumstances. Come to think of it, the large hole in the floor was also out of the ordinary. That hadn’t been there earlier today… What had happened here after she left with Bela?

She must have fallen asleep, since the next thing she knew, Magda was woken up by the sudden slamming of a door, followed almost immediately by being rocked off the chaise lounge by an earth shattering explosion. Broken glass rained down on her as the shockwave smashed the windows. For a brief moment, she thought a nuclear device had gone off and she waited for the incineration wave to burn her to a crisp. When none of that happened, and the castle remained standing, she looked around.

Luana was crouched against the door leading to the balcony, covering their head out of instinct. Brushing the glass from her hair, Magda cautiously stood up and looked out the window. Smoke filled the air, but as the wind carried it away, she could see a decently sized crater in what had been the ceremony site. There was nothing left of the tendrils from last night, just like there wasn’t much left of the village.

“What in the hell happened?” she mumbled. “Do you even now think there are survivors?” she asked Luana. In response, they simply pointed to the distant shape of a quickly retreating helicopter. For a moment, anger blossomed in Magda’s chest. If that man was on that thing? How dare he be able to escape so easily after causing all this destruction. But the feeling and hatred vanished along with the helicopter. If he was gone, then so much the better. Better for him to be gone and forgotten than to remain a problem for them all.

“Goodbye and good riddance, stupid man-thing,” Magda said, before turning her back on the sunrise and returning, with Luana, to her family.

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #213

Today on Fate and Phantasms we're making the big bad of Lostbelt 2...'s fleshy meat vehicle, Sigurd! This dragon slayer is a Psi Warrior Fighter to launch his blades around as well as a Bladesinger Wizard to mix his runes in with his swordplay. He's also a Knowledge Domain Cleric for all that wisdom he's got. Is it a little complicated? Yes. But is it any good? Let's find out.

Check out Sigurd's build breakdown below the cut, or his character sheet over here!

Next up: Buy one, get two free

Race and Background

Sigurd is Human (mostly), and we need ability scores more than feats, so we're just getting +1 to Everything.

Siegfried and Sigurd may or may not be the same person, so we're giving him the same background. As a Folk Hero, he gets Animal Handling and Survival proficiencies. Humble beginnings.

Ability Scores

Your highest score should be Intelligence. You have infinite wisdom in your glasses, that makes you a smrt boy. After that is Strength. You throw swords around and you literally carve your magic into people. Third is Wisdom. Again, infinite wisdom. That's worth at least a 13. Your Dexterity also has to be above average. Your diving suit does have some armory bits, but your vital organs aren't in your wrists so I'm not counting it. We're not dumping Constitution because you're not dumb. That means we're dumping Charisma. You're a pretty cold guy, and that's not just because of the weather.

Class Levels

Fighter 1: Starting as a fighter gets you proficiency with Strength and Constitution saves, as well as Athletics and Insight. We'll get the brainier proficiencies later. You also get more health to start than your other classes, and the Thrown Weapons Fighting Style. This lets you draw weapons as you throw them, and you deal an extra 2 damage with each hit. Thrown weapons are ranged attacks, but they can still use your strength, so keep that in mind. You also get a Second Wind once per short rest, letting you heal yourself as a bonus action.

Fighter 2: Second level fighters can use an Action Surge once per short rest for an extra action in your turn. Hit a little harder, or use this to swordfight and calculate differential algebra at the same time.

Fighter 3: At third level Psi Warriors awaken their Psionic Power, giving you 2x your proficiency bonus in psionic energy dice. Some of your powers roll psionic dice, some expend them, but as long as you have at least one die you can probably use your powers. You regain all your dice on a long rest, but you get get one back per short rest with a bonus action. They also get bigger as you level up. Currently you can create a protective field to reduce incoming damage for a nearby creature as a reaction, a psionic strike to launch a weapon at a creature you've hit this turn, dealing extra damage to them (not like a smite, so no crit fishing), or use telekinetic movement to move a willing creature/object that is larger or smaller up to 30' as an action. If it's tiny you can bring it straight into your hand. You can do that last one once per short rest for free- doing it again spends your dice. My god, that looks like the amount of text you'd see in a caster level.

Fighter 4: Use your first Ability Score Improvement to round out your Strength and Dexterity for stronger swords and a tougher AC. Maybe. Playing to character would be light armor at most, but I highly recommend heavy armor up to level 5, if only for living's sake.

Wizard 1: Bouncing over to wizard gets you Spells that you cast and prepare using your Intelligence. You also gain an Arcane Recovery, so once per long rest you can get a little magic back on a short rest as a treat. Speaking of spells, you can stuff a ton of them in your book. Grab Frostbite, Fire Bolt, and Shocking Grasp for your runes, Catapult and Magic Missile to throw weapons around without having to pick them up later, and Detect Magic, Identify, and Comprehend Languages for a bit of that infinite wisdom. Finally, you pick up one of the most important spells in this build: Mage Armor. It makes your AC 13 plus your dexterity modifier. Now you can dress in a turtleneck all you want without risking your own neck in the process.

Wizard 2: At second level of wizardry, you become a Bladesinger, giving you proficiency in Performance as well as access to the Bladesong proficiency times per long rest. You can activate it as a bonus action and it lasts a minute. During this time, as long as you are wearing light/no armor and don't use two handed attacks, you get: your intelligence modifier added to your AC and concentration saves, advantage on acrobatics checks, and an extra 10' of speed. Once again this is a big level for you, since three minutes of combat is often the most you'll have in a single day, that means you'll usually have an AC of 17, extra speed, and your buff spells (which are coming soon) are very good at staying up. Speaking of spells though, grab Ice Knife and Burning Hands for some more powerful runes.

Wizard 3: Third level wizards get second level spells, and Magic Weapon makes your sword even deadlier with a +1 to attacking and damage, plus it also cuts through nonmagical damage resistances. You also learn Cloud of Daggers so you can stop throwing the real ones around as much.

Wizard 4: Use this next ASI to bump up your Intelligence for stronger spells, better songs, and better psionic powers. You can also use Sword Burst to fling your bigger weapons around, Enhance Ability to look up relevant tips and tricks for any situation, giving a creature advantage on one kind of ability checks, and steal a bit of Icingdeath's Frost from a UA/Skadi to deal cold damage and freeze creatures in a cone. This isn't quite hold person, but it does waste a bunch of actions.

Cleric 1: We're smart, but we're not really wise yet. Let's fix that. As a first level Knowledge cleric, you get Blessings of Knowledge. This gives you doubled proficiency in Arcana and History. Boom, infinite wisdom, done and dusted. You also get another set of Spells that you cast and prepare with your Wisdom, but since they're prepared we don't have to go into too much detail. You get cantrips like Guidance for more wisdom, Mending to fix those glasses when you trip with your bad dexterity, and Toll the Dead for a bit more violence. You also get free first level spells like Identify and Command.

Cleric 2: Second level clerics can Channel Divinity once per short rest. Turn Undead is the standard, but you also gain Knowledge of the Ages. As an action, you gain proficiency with any skill or tool for 10 minutes. Kinda niche, but at least you'll never be stranded on a boat. Alternatively, you can Harness Divine Power. Once per long rest you can burn a Channel Divinity use to regain a spell slot whose level is equal to or less than half your proficiency bonus. We only ever get third level spells anyway, so it's fine.

Fighter 5: At eleventh level, fighters get an extra attack. You're still at fifth level, but you get an Extra Attack too, why not. Now you can finally attack twice per action. Also, your energy dice are d8s instead of d6s.

Fighter 6: Another ASI! Use this one to bump up your Strength for stronger attacks.

Fighter 7: Seventh level psi warriors become Telekinetic Adepts. You get two more psi energy dice uses in Psi-Powered Leaps and Telekinetic Thrusts. The former gives you a flying speed as a bonus action once per short rest for free, or by spending a die. It only lasts the turn, so it's more like jumping. If jumping could turn corners. Perfect for anime hops. The latter means your psionic strikes force a strength save (DC 8 + proficiency + intelligence save), and if the creature fails you can push them 10' in any direction or knock them prone. Attacking a prone creature gives you advantage, so it's basically a one-round hold person as far as the frontline's concerned.

Wizard 5: Remember that thing about 3rd level spells? Let's get those. Bestow Curse is really quite flexible, and as long as your DM signs off on it and the target fails a wisdom save you can pretty much screw them over however you want for up to a minute. Some suggestions include disadvantage on one kind of checks and saves, disadvantage on attack rolls against you, wasting turns if it fails a wisdom save, and taking extra damage from attacks. If you like your spells straightforward, Melf's Minute Meteors gives you a bunch of tiny fiery knives that explode on impact, and you can throw one or two per turn.

Wizard 6: Normally we wouldn't got this far into a multiclass for an Extra Attack since they don't stack, but the bladesinger's is special. You can replace one attack with a cantrip as part of your attack action. You're literally carving spells into enemies, so it only makes sense. You also learn Spirit Shroud for more cursed demon energy, and Fireball to chuck your sword and unleash the power of the sun.

Fighter 8: Use this ASI to max out your Intelligence to be the smartest boy possible for the best AC, best telekinesis, and best spells.

Fighter 9: Ninth level fighters are Indomitable, letting you re-roll a failed save once per long rest. We haven't really focused on any of the defensive ability scores this build, so you'll be needing this one a lot.

Fighter 10: Tenth level psi warriors have a Guarded Mind, giving you resistance to psychic damage. Also, if you're charmed or frightened you can spend a psi die to end every effect doing those to you.

Fighter 11: Eleventh level fighters get another Extra Attack, and to be honest I have no idea how this pairs up with bladesinger now. The hope is you get three attacks, one of which can be a cantrip, but it could also be a tradeoff? IDK. The good news is your psi dice definitely grow to d10s.

Your last level is another ASI, so round out your Constitution and Charisma for more health and to warm up to the party at long last.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

You come packing a lot of ways to mix things up in combat. Casting cantrips without wasting an entire action is huge, especially since you've got some utility cantrips that you can pull out without breaking the flow of combat.

You also have a great AC, so even with a low constitution score you're unlikely to have your concentration broken any time soon. 20 AC is pretty good for someone who isn't a monk, and it can be even more if you pick up shield of faith from being a cleric.

You've got a lot of smarts, so you'll be just as useful outside of combat as you are in it. With proficiency in pretty much anything when you need it and telekinesis, you'll have plenty of ways to solve puzzles.

Cons:

We spent so much focusing on intelligence and strength we neglected constitution, which means your health is waaay lower than we'd like on a melee fighter. But you're not totally melee, so...

Yeah no, you are. Thrown Weapons kind of suck. Being a psi warrior makes it a little better since you more than double the damage of your daggers, but still. Just hit them normally.

Mixing spellcasters with a martial class that also has stuff to keep track of just makes this entire build really complicated, especially when the casters have different casting abilities.

Good thing you're smart then. Find the optimal solution to every problem, then blast your way through with swords and magic. Just try not to get hit, I hear things go downhill fast when you're out of the picture.

[thekillingjoke-haha]

Just You And Me

Summary: Sam and Dean are on there second hunt to find John. They need help from the one person who hates Wendigos the most Y/n Winchester

Prequel to What's Worse Then Wednesday?

Ten years ago John had his first encounter with a wendigo a family went hiking with a full group of fifteen and no one has came down from the mountain in almost a month. Having asked a more experienced hunter John wrote down things he needed to remember as he went up the mountain a bag with Molotov ,lighters,and flare-up. It took almost a week to find the small mine shaft his brown eyes widened at the seen. Male and female limps were torn of and only some still had enough meat and clothing to be identifiable. Some bodies were on hook that resembled mountain climbing gear. None of them moved except for one. Stepping closer a six year old girl was hanging from her binder wrist her eyes look into his scared before gazing over down a tunnel a thick trail of blood went down it as tears spilled down her face. "Mommy and Daddy are gone. I next." Her voice cracked and a unhuman beastly type growl echoed. "I'm gonna get you out of here, darling." That's how John Winchester met his adoptive daughter Y/n.

Its been seven years since then and the little family the Winchester's made for themselves was falling apart. It broke John's heart that he pushed away his youngest son when he wanted a way out of this life, but when his adoptive daughter wanted to hunt more big league he almost blew a fuse. Y/n was young really fucking young to be hunting on her own,but it could have been worse she could have cut off contact with John and Dean. Now two years later John's missing and the siblings need each other.

The h/c teenager hissed as she cleaned the deep cuts on her shoulder looking into the bathroom mirror. A fucking blood suckered clawed at her shoulder taking advantage of the other two she beheaded. The burner phone on the back of the toilet rings as she grabbed it putting it between her ear and none injured shoulder. "Kinda busy Dean-o." She mumbled slipping the antibacterial cream in the cuts making the surface pink. "Dad went on a hunt and hasn't been back yet. I got a call last night and it sounds Ike somethings under it." He said the sound of baby let be know he's in the car. "Send it over to me and I'll have it back to you by the hour. You leaving New Orleans?" She ask starting to Butterfly stitch closing up the cuts. "Yeah left about two hours ago heading to California." Pausing and shacking her head. "No no no no no! You're not involving Sammy! He got out the life let him stay away and safe." Y/n finished up wrapping her shoulder as she walked out the bathroom to put on a shirt. "I need to,n/n. I won't keep him long we are just gonna check out the place dad was last at. The question is are you coming." Licking her lips she sighed. "I can't I'm in New York right now just took care of a nest in Brooklyn. I won't make it cross country for a couple of weeks." Dean let out a heavy breath. "I know,but I also know you're avoiding Sammy." Maybe the youngest wasn't the only one heart broken after one of her protectors,her best friend left in a huff and hasn't answered a single call.

The silence was drawn out as Dean's phone buzzed against his ear. "There your voice-mail put it through a gold wave. Sounds like a vengeful spirt bring rock salt for the shotgun." Dean chuckled. "Thanks baby sis...wait did you put me on mute to ignore me!?You bit—" That's when the line went dead. The h/c girl giggled as she layed on the stiff musty motel mattress. Her eyes closed,but her mind ran ramped.

The woods they were dark and seemed to loom over her. It was so quite no sound came from anywhere not even the wind dared blow. Crying filled the the air it was that of a child. It grew closer till it disappeared all together the claw marks on the trees marked the familiar place the blood soaked leaves crunched behind her causing the teen to go stiff. She knew what was behind her it was the same thing in every dream for ten convective years even if she knew her body wouldn't allow her to act she was that same scared little girl paralyzed as the horror show continued. The creature yelled,but it echoed in all directions. "HELP US!" Dean and Sam's voices shocked her awake her body pinned in fear as she looked at the Wendigo on top of her. It successfully restricting movement if her whole upper body. Blinking hard it was gone and air filled her lungs like rushing water. It meant nothing...nothing at all.

It's been almost a two weeks since Dean's call. He often text since Sam tried to high jack his phone last time he tried calling. Sam and Y/n didn't exactly end on the best of notes. "Come with me." Sammy looked at a younger Y/n who shook her head. "No. I can't leave dad and Dean. Not like this." The dust has settled after the heated argument between father and son and the rules were clear the moment he walked out those doors he stayed gone. "Don't call him that." His mood seemed to shift back to angry,but something else was there. "Call him what? Dad?" The young girl was confused now. "He's not your dad." It wasn't a secret that Sam harbored negative feeling against his sister they were never anything serious,but he still somewhat loved her just not like a sister. "You're not apart of this family you can get away,but no you're going to stay here and become their weakness!" He points at John and Dean who were just behind her. "I'm not a weakness! I got their back like they've got mine. That's what's family's for!!!" She shouted her eyes welling with tears not letting them fall,but they slip out at his next words. "Your family is dead! Did you save them then?! Maybe if you did we wouldn't be stuck with you!!!" The room was still no one dared breathed Dean stared wide eyed at his baby brother as John grew tense grasping the neck of his beer bottle in a vise grip while same looked like a deer in headlights. A sniffle brought the three men's attention to the girl. Tears streamed down her face before she used a open palm to whip her face dry. "Just go. Cause that's what you do best you runaway from your problems and wait til Dad or Dean can fix it." The thirteen year old snapped at him as she pushed on him as he just stumbled back. "You're nothing,but a coward and a pathetic one at that. I don't want to loss the little family I got for myself you're so willing to walk away from them it shows how different we are...nothing,but two strangers." He stood in the doorways as the h/c teen grabbed his packed duffle bag and threw it into his torso making him fall to the ground.. "So just FUCKING LEAVE!!!" With that she slammed the door shut. What Sam couldn't see as he drove away from the dingy motel was the mess he left behind. A father struggling to keep his kids safe,a brother torn between hunting and normalice,and lastly a adoptive sister that can't help,but be different. Sam Winchester left his family in a worse state then imaginable.

Sitting in bed I looked at my phone hoping it rang or buzzed with a incoming message that said they were fine. Y/n jumped as the screen lit up the name Batman lighting the screen. "About fucking time you jackass!" Her words were harsh,but the relief filled her voice. "Yeah we just got out of Stanford campus heading to .... now." Dean said the sound of cars and wind slightly muffled his voice. "H-how's Sam after...after you know?" One thing that Winchester’s hated was emotions and even if they weren't blood she grew up the same. Nature and nurture going toe to toe. "I don't know. You can always ask him yourself you know." The h/c teen laughed as she ran her hand down her face. "Dean-o he's the same shaggy haired asshole that said I wasn't family. I'll give him a chat when we're cheek to cheek in hell." And another thing Winchester’s sure knew how to hold on to a fucking grudge. "God you sound like Bobby said if he ever saw dad again he'd be looking down his shotgun barrel." They both chuckled as the faint sound of a ding of a convince store rang out. "Well tell Samantha same goes for him." She picked her nails as she decided to get up. "What are you morons hunting anyways did dads ex-marine crap give you a clue?" The crunch a gravel on the line grew louder. "It just had coordinates,my name,and a note saying safe place with your name." Dean opened the car door and got inside as Sam approached him. "I don't know Dean I don't have a safe place in the middle of nowhere so keep me updated,Batsy." Sam looked over at Dean who switched hands to the furthest from his brother. "Copy that talk later,Robin." That's when the keep away match started.

"Dude what the hell I want to talk to Y/n." Sam huffed as his brother closed the flip phone dropping it on the floorboards next to his feet. "Your chances of talking to her are zero to none,man. Sammy she'll talk to you when she's ready." Dean sighs as he starts the car. The youngest huffed he will admit he was a shitty brother that night and everyday following he didn't like it,but he ignored her calls for a months till they just stopped.At first he was still heated,heated, he felt guilty,then he was too busy. Sam tried calling,but it disconnected immediately meaning she blocked him. He thought he'd see her when Dean broke in but finding out she's been taking her own hunts scared him shitless. And from what Dean told him she started after the first month she trained harder taking own bigger hunts with Dad before doing normal ones alone. Sam realized by leaving he took away her only need for normalice,her want to have something other then hunting. He took her slice of the apple pie for himself.

The brothers were in the fucking woods in jeans and flannels walking with a makeshift search party for a missing kid. They were in a abandoned campsite after they lost their supplies. The signal was shot and Dean's phone was useless in most areas. He sent a text as it waited for any signal to send. "' Going in the woods with unknown creature. You know the coordinates I'll call if we need you'" That was a bit of a lie. He knew what it was before nightfall,but he didn't want her to have a panic attack he wouldn't be there to help her. The guide Roy? shot blindly in the woods after something rustled and growled like no animal. The boys ran after him as he got snatched up into the treeline which made them quickly escape back to the camp. As Haley and her brother Ben slept Dean had first watch they weren't prepared and this was the last creature he wanted his sister to hunt. Not after last time.

Dean was on a hunt with Dad and Y/n while Sammy stayed at uncle Bobby's for exam week or some shit. John never told them what they were hunting they had to discover it themselves. The hunt that was suppose to last three days,but took almost a week the tried tracking it yet nothing came up,but more missing persons. The trio decided they'd go back into the national park when it was daylight again,but they didn't need to wait that long. That night they slept Y/n sharing the bed with Dean as dad slept in the bed to the right of them it was probably the quietest night they've every had so the fact that something breezed in under their noses scares them most. Dean rolled out of the bed to the bathroom closing the door after he turned on the light it illuminated the pale skinned beast in the corner. It creeper closely to the only adult in the room gazing at his body before turning to the smaller figure in the bed breathing evenly. It crept onto the bed leaning over her body the old motel mattress creaked as it settled onto her. The weight of the creature was crushing causing her breath to come out in a hissing wheeze as her e/c eyes opened before they filled with shock. Going to scream the crushing weight on her chest pushed all the air out along with breaking a few ribs. Her hand wiggled out from under him as she wiggled her arm to hit the lamp off the table it broke onto the ground and John shot up with his gun and Dean busted out of the bathroom both froze before jumping into action the young boy running to get a lighter while John shot at it just to get it away from Y/n. The boney supernatural creature screeched getting up allowing the girl to try and roll out of the bed it struck her back blood soaked her clothing as she fell coughing roughly knowing the fall made one of the ribs stab into her lungs. The males in the room were able to set the monster ablaze quickly getting out of the room John holding his daughter. Y/n was in shock like many victims they've seen that monster was her nightmare and it casual gazed at her having the ability to kill her at any moment. After going to the hospital she stayed at Bobby's for almost a month to recover physically and mentally. Wendigos are her yellow eyes.

The next day as the followed the tracks of the Wendigo a sigh left Dean's lips as he tried to call her it rung for awhile before dial tone at least it went through,but she must have been busy. About to hand up the girl took off running after the beast made itself know Dean ran to keep up with her Sam yelling for him to wait as he stayed with her brother. She managed to trip as he went to pick her up he was hit over the head as she screamed for help as he started fading in and out and the voice-mail ended with Cries of help.

Y/n sat in her car waiting for a update text form Dean she started driving close to where he was,but didn't involve herself yet she almost got a room at the motel when her phone buzzed with a text. It was a update to come if he ever called to head over and help with a thankful sigh she back tracked from the motel and went to the dinner as she left her 0gonw on the table to order food it vibrated with a incoming call. One missed call and a voice-mail. As she grabbed her bagged lunch she grabbed the stuff off the table going back to her car as she got in the driver's seat she opened her phone to see a missed call and a voice-mail. Dean never sends voice-mails so Y/n opened it and she almost broke her foot as she hit the pedal to get to the woods. "Dean wait up~*crackle of leaves and grunts*~Come on we gotta ge—~*Female Screams followed by a thud*~ DEAN!!! *Inhuman roar before cut off*" Y/n almost had a panic attack in the car,but the adrenaline made her move faster that was sent five minutes ago. Taking a deep breath she began calling any hunter supernatural or not that knew the area well enough. "Hello?" "Hey this is the ARIA. I'm F/n F/L/N you have been hunting in the area for forty years are there any identifying landmarks within those woods? So incase of emergency?" The old man happily spoke about clearings,cabins on the edge,river,and a abounded mineshaft and where they were. She quickly thanked the man before hanging up she pulled out a satellite gps as she got looked over were she needed to go. Grabbing a backpack she loaded it with everything she needed as she took off into the wood watch as she got closer and closer with each click.

Sam's eyes fluttered open as he grabbed his bearings. Dean was next to him which mean he got captured not long after Dean and got taken. Haley,Ben,and Tommy were to the right of him they were stuck as he tried to move or at least hit Dean and wake him up. His brothers eyes sluggishly opened as he looked around before turning back to Sam in shock. The heavy foot steps creeped closer as the half clothes supernatural being looked down at them even though they were hanging on meat hooks. It moved down the line of people about to grab Tommy when a soft cry echoed in the cave. It turned around and listened closely. The brothers strained their ears to hear what it was. The Wendigo sprinted off to investigate when something else came into the Winchester’s view. Y/n stood infront of her brothers mud,sticks,and leaves on her body to mask her sent. Walking forward with a knife she cut Dean down before doing the same for Sam. The oldest went to cut down the siblings as Sam stopped his sister. "Y/n how did you get here? You shouldn't be here the monster is a—" She cut him off with a anxious smile in her face. "A Wendigo I know,but you guys needed a hero so I'm here." Dean came over to them as he stood next to his taller brother. "Sammy's right though,N/n. You got to get out of here after what happened last time. This thing is different from the last one it won't sit still for us to shoot it." He had a point, but he knew that was years ago he was still scared he couldn't protect her. "I got this I can defend myself. Get these people out of her I can distract the man eater." Handing them both a flare guns She turned towards the opposite tunnel the beast went into. "That leads straight to a river follow the flow and after it stops you're only two miles from Baby." About the protest they hear a growl. Y/n quickly sprinted further into the cave making enough noise to cover them escaping.

"OH OH HERS SHE COMES WATCH OIT BOYS SHE'LL CHEW YOU UP! OH OH HERE SHE COMES SHES A MAN EATER!!!" She sung running lighting flares leaving a trail as she ventured deeper. Y/n pulled the rubber top igniting another about to drop it when a snarl came form behind her. "Well hello beastie." She didn't turn around evening her breathing before spinning. The red light illuminated the monster in a devilish glow she wasn't a scared little girl anymore she was a Winchester and Winchester’s chase after their demons. "Just you and me now." A roar sounded throughout the damp cave. The boys turn to look back they both wanted to run back,but both of them would have pit her in more danger they were injured and a extra body to look after would put her at risk. They saw the orange hue of flames and the sound of glass breaking. Standing anxiously waiting for her to come out they were thrown back by the force of a explosion pressurized by the small space. The rock of the cave entrance was about to crumble when a head of h/c hair running out with a limp as it collapsed dust clouded the scene before them they could tell if she even got out until it settled. The youngest Winchester stumbled forward as she smiled at her brothers blood coming from her head and her split lip. "That was awesome. I did a Indian John's." Dean ran as fast as he could capturing her in a bone crushing hug. "Do some shit like that again I'll kill you then myself." She giggled as she hugged him back. "Sorry can't hear you. Explosion ya know deafening me." Y/n joked as her brother pulled away from the hug. Sam walked over slowly almost testing the waters. "Hey Y/n." He said shaky as he looked down at her. She's grown alot since last time he saw her she had more scarred and hard exterior. "Heya Sam." Her e/c orbs looked up at him they were uneasy as she smiled at him before hugging her as well. "I missed you,Jackass." Her voice was muffled by his shirt as he returned the hug. Their relationship will never be the same they both had Dean as a buffer between them,but for right now in this moment it was just the two of them Just you and me against the world.

[miyanom]

DEVILS PARADISE (part three)

SERIES MASTERLIST | JEAN KIRSTEIN X FEM!READER

synopsis: as the plan for trost begins, y/n finds herself questioning everything she was once taught about the island devils.

warnings: nothing I can think of, but lmk if you think otherwise!

word count: 1884

The Titan swiftly brought its hand down, grabbing the boy in its tight grasp. Screams fell from his lips as he looked back to his comrades, his friends, who watched on in horror as he was brought closer and closer to the Titan’s mouth.

Suddenly, the screams were silenced as the Titan’s mouth snapped shut, the boy nearest to it taking off into a sprint, fearing he would be next.

“Marcel!”

Y/N’s eyes shot open as she jumped up in fright, one palm pressed to her chest as she took sharp breaths, her heart pounding loudly within her chest.

As her eyes began to adjust to the light coming through the curtains of the dorm, she noticed Christa sitting at the end of the bed, a concerned look painted across her visage. “-you okay?”

Blinking away the tears in her eyes, Y/N looked around the room, slowly bringing herself back to reality.

“Y/N? Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she breathed out, glancing back in Christa’s direction. “Yeah. Sorry, what happened?”

“You were having a nightmare,” Mina commented from the other side of the room. Her hands were holding onto her hair, most likely in the middle of tying it before Y/N woke up.

“Oh…”

“Who’s Marcel?” Ymir spoke bluntly, her arms crossed as she stared in Y/N’s direction. “You got a boyfriend you never told us about?”

“Wh- what? How do you-”

Christa, still sitting at the end of Y/N’s bed, frowned with concern. “You were muttering his name in your sleep,” she explained.

Ignoring the gazes still pointed in her direction, Y/N pushed the blanket off her lap, kicking her legs over the side of the bed as she rubbed her eyes tiredly.

“He’s just…” Her eyes met Annie’s, who lingered in the back of the room. Quickly she averted her gaze. “Someone from the past.”

Watching as the girls continued to get ready for the day of training ahead of them, a shaky breath fell from Y/N’s lips.

They cared, they cared but for how long?

No, they didn’t really care. How could they? They didn’t know who she was, what she was.

She wasn’t a soldier, she was a warrior, a monster, and this was her mission. That’s all it was, a mission.

And yet, for some reason, she couldn’t prevent the terrified feeling clawing at her chest at the idea of the people around her finding out what she truly was.

Why did she care so much for these devils?

If there was one thing Y/N didn’t understand about Paradis’s military, it was the ranking system they had.

The harder you trained, the further away from the Titans you could be. It made no sense to Y/N. Wouldn’t they want their strongest on the front lines battling what they thought was humanity’s only predator?

But instead, if you were ranked in the top 10, you were given a chance the other cadets wouldn’t get; the chance to join the Military Police and find sanctum inside Wall Sina.

Ranking at 5th, it gave Y/N the option to join the Military Police, an option she’d quite possibly take if she were from this hell. But the plan was set in motion already, she was to join the scout regiment and ensure the devils didn’t come close to finding out what lies beyond their walls.

With a sigh, Y/N raised her cup to her lips, ignoring Christa’s laughter from the other end of the table as the girl laughed at a joke Sasha had told.

Her eyes scanned the dining hall, falling onto Reiner and Bertholdt’s figures as they headed outside, followed by Annie just a few minutes later.

“Hey, I think- I think I’m gonna head back early,” Y/N spoke up, her eyes flickering back to Christa and Ymir.

“Huh? Okay… we’ll see you when we’re done here,” Christa smiled softly, watching Y/N stand up and grab her plate.

“Right.”

Y/N dreaded the meetings she’d share with the other warriors. Led by Reiner, with Annie constantly reminding them they should’ve just gone back to Marley, they were truly horrible.

“Out of all people, I just had to be ranked lower than her!” Jean’s complaint snapped Y/N out of her thoughts, causing her to come to a stop next to him.

“Jean…” Marco’s eyes flickered between the two as they glared at each other. Of all times for Jean to complain, he just had to have the unfortunate timing of speaking as Y/N walked by.

“What was that, Jean?” Her voice came out softly, though the look in her eyes was anything but.

“You heard me.” Jean stood up to face her. “How the hell did I rank lower than you of all people?! You never even tried in training, always acting weaker than you are. Come on, Y/N!”

Y/N’s glare faltered as a laugh fell from her lips, making the boy in front of her stare in confusion. Though just as suddenly as her laughter started, it stopped again. “You’re just angry that your little ego was bruised cause a girl ranked higher than you.”

Jean’s mouth opened, clearly wanting to object, but the words just didn’t seem to come out as he continued to open his mouth, quite literally looking like a fish out of water.

Not that Y/N could tell him that, obviously.

With his jaw clenched in anger, Jean fell back into his seat. An action that shocked those surrounding him. If his fights with Eren were anything to go by, then this was quite unusual for him.

“Whatever.” Y/N clicked her tongue in frustration, dropping her plate into the tray by the door on her way out.

She was just glad that in a few days time, Jean would be well on his way to the interior and she would never have to see him again.

She pitied the devils, sure, she believed they didn’t truly deserve what was coming. But Jean? He was a whole different story.

Y/N just didn’t understand why it was so easy for him to get under her skin in a way no one else had — not even Reiner.

“The time’s right.” Reiner stated, keeping his head down, avoiding the gazes of his comrades as he explained his plan to attack the gate of trost during their upcoming assignment.

“Five years and now you think the time is right?” Annie scoffed with a roll of her eyes.

Y/N could see their lips moving as they bickered amongst themselves, but the words didn’t reach her ears as she thought back to the day they first arrived inside the walls.

The screams she heard and the faces she saw below as the armoured titan trampled through Shiganshina… they were going to do it again.

Only this time it would be worse for the Eldians.

So many lives would be taken, so many innocent lives. The lives of the family that took her in, that gave her a home before she left for the military.

Was this really necessary?

“Of course it’s necessary.” Y/N’s eyes widened as Reiner spoke, making her realise she must’ve spoken aloud. “You’re not… you’re not hesitating, are you?”

“I just- there has to be another way to get the founding titan,” she said. “Do we really have to break through the gate again? Do we have to kill any-”

“Y/N.” Bertholdt cut her off, meeting her gaze with a softer look than the glare she was receiving from Reiner. “We’re Warriors, remember?”

Biting back the shout that threatened to escape from her throat, Y/N nodded her head, opting to keep silent as she averted her gaze once more.

The conflicted feeling that constantly weighed down on her chest seeming even heavier than ever as the three across from her continued to talk, continued to plot against the Eldians they had been sharing meals with for the past three years.

Her head fell into her hands for a moment, hiding the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.

Had she really stooped so low as to call these people her friends, only to turn around and kill those they held dear?

Was this truly the only way for them to be free?

The next few days went by fast, too fast. The thought of what was to happen in Trost leaving Y/N to question everything she had been taught, everything she once believed.

And as she stood atop the wall, helping the other cadets with the fixed cannons, she couldn’t help but look over toward the edge, wondering when Bertholdt would make his move.

Sasha walked over, the odd bounce in her step managing to snap Y/N out of her thoughts. "Um, everyone... I bought meat from the officers' storehouse," she whispered, opening her jacket slightly so they could see.

Y/N’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. If her time with the family in Trost taught her anything, it was that meat was extremely precious with the land lost to Wall Maria’s fall.

"Sasha, do you want to end up in jail?!" Eren questioned.

"You really are an idiot!" Samuel sighed.

"Idiots are scary..." Connie murmured.

Sasha stared off into the distance dreamily, probably thinking about the taste of the meat she held so delicately. "Let's all split it... We can slice it and make sandwiches!"

Realising she should speak up before anyone thought she was siding with Sasha, Y/N pushed herself up onto her feet. “You can’t be serious, Sasha!”

Mina nodded in agreement. "After all the land we lost, meat is really valuable."

"It's fine!" Sasha brushed it off, carrying it over to a nearby box. "Once we retake the land, we can raise cows and sheep again."

Retake Wall Maria, Y/N repeated to herself. They truly had no idea what was coming if they believed that to be possible…

Samuel took a deep breath. "I'll have some of the meat, too!"

"M-me too!" Connie added. "Get it ready!"

"I also will, of course!" Mina grinned.

Unable to stop herself, Y/N nodded her head slightly, keeping her eyes focused on the cloth in her hands as she refused to look any of them in the eye.

"You guys..."

"Why are you standing there, Eren?" Samuel suddenly asked. "We need to get back to work, or they'll find out."

"It isn't lunch time yet." Mina waved.

Just as Y/N leaned back down to clean the cannon, a familiar strike of lightning hit the ground just in front of the wall, sending a harsh gust of wind in their direction.

With her heart hammering in her chest, Y/N realised this was it. It’s begun… there was no turning back now.

More people were going to lose their lives, and amongst them, were people she had grown to care for during her time pretending to be a soldier.

Slowly lifting her head, she could see the Colossal Titan glaring down at them, her eyes meeting his.

Her heartbeat only seemed to grow louder, drowning out Eren’s order to attack as she continued staring upward.

Was this necessary? She asked herself again.

Was this truly the only way for them to be free?

[wanderingcas]

C’mon Inn destiel, 3k words. a commission for @jensenackhles, who had the most AMAZING prompt of “what if Dean and Cas stayed at an inn that kept making them go into each other’s rooms?”

. . . . 

There is absolutely no way that Dean Winchester would ever stay at an inn. Much less a bed and breakfast. Breakfast should be a hearty plate of bacon and pancakes, not unsalted egg whites with freshly-picked garden vegetables piled on top of it. And especially not topped with garnish. 

Dean full-out shudders when the innkeeper (an older woman in her fifties with greying, tied-back hair) explains the meal to him. And he would have gotten the hell out of dodge right then and there, too, if Cas hadn’t elbowed him sharply in his side.

“That all sounds wonderful,” his ex-angel partner says with a forced smile. “What time are you serving it?” 

“Seven in the morning,” the innkeeper, Cherry, cheerily proclaims.

Dean grins at Cas’s horrified face. Serves Cas right for suggesting this inn of horrors in the first place. “Bright and early, huh?”

“Oh, yes,” Cherry says. “And don’t be surprised if you hear me down in the kitchen earlier than that—I wake up every morning at five, without fail.” She winks.

Dean is beginning to see why this inn has such an open vacancy in the first place, more than the fact that there’s cat wallpaper and decorations on every inch of the walls. 

“That’s…” Cas works his jaw and forces a smile. “That sounds wonderful.”

Cherry beams. “Now, which room would you like: Tabby cats or Maine Coons?” 

Dean resists an eye roll. “Whichever is fine.” 

“And I’ll take the opposite,” Cas adds.

“Oh, you won’t—be staying together?” Cherry asks. At the shake of their heads, her face twists into a frown. “Oh dear. This inn is really for couples only. I know it sounds strange but it’s really better if guests are staying in the same room.”

Cas looks down at their bags with a face that Dean knows well: he calls it Cas’s if I don’t get into a bed and sleep right now I’m going to lose it expression. Dean leans forward onto the welcome desk and gives Cherry his sweetest smile.

“Listen, my friend and I—we’ve had a long day,” Dean says, “and all the hotels in a thirty mile radius are booked up for some god-forsaken reason—” 

“The Big Ten Championships are in Columbus this year,” Cherry pipes in.

“Okay,” Dean says, teeth clenched in a smile. “So basically, ma’am, you’re the one who’s deciding if we’re sleeping in a car or a bed. Which one is it gonna be?”

Cherry looks between them. She sighs, and holds out two keys. “Second floor. The Maine Coon suite is right when you walk up the stairs and the Tabby suite is at the end of the hall.”

Dean’s shoulders sag in relief and he grabs the keys. “Great, thanks.” He yanks his duffel bag over his shoulder, along with Cas’s, ignoring his friend’s glare. 

“Just, before you go,” Cherry calls after them, tentatively. “If you notice anything—well, strange. Just call me down here in the front desk.” 

“Strange?” Dean repeats. 

“Yes. Anything unusual.” 

Dean narrows his eyes. “Whaddaya mean—”

“We will,” Cas says impatiently, pushing at Dean’s back. “Thank you.” 

“You think we should keep our eye out here?” Dean whispers to Castiel as they climb up the narrow staircase. “She seemed kinda freaked.” 

“I don’t care if a Wendigo comes out of the closet,” Castiel replies, wincing at each step of his injured leg. “I just want to sleep.”

“Fine, you big baby.” Dean deposits Cas’s bag in front of the Maine Coon room and turns the key in the lock. “You can take this one.” He opens the door, switches on the light, and looks in horror upon the Maine Coon wallpaper and framed photos of various Maine Coon cats. 

Cas he walks through the door, eyes wide. “Do you suppose this counts as something ‘strange’ to notify Cherry about?” 

Dean snorts. “Well, you gotta appreciate a woman who knows what she likes.” He picks up a Maine Coon plush toy from the dresser and grimaces.

“If I wasn’t injured, I’d be tempted to salt and burn this room,” Cas groans, lying on the bed with mud-stained clothes and shoes and all, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Cas,” Dean gasps, dramatically covering the stuffed animal’s ears, “they can hear you.” 

Cas narrows his eyes. “Dean, as much as I typically love your antics—right now, they are very irritating to me.” 

“Which means you want me to—”

“Leave, yes.” 

“Nice way to treat a guy who carried your bag all the way to your room.” Dean picks up his own bag, pointing to Cas’s leg wound. “I’ll be back to clean and dress that thing in the morning.” 

“Fine,” Cas sighs, already turning over and pushing his face into the pillow. 

After a moment of hesitation, Dean walks to the bed and pulls the quilt over Cas’s body. “You don’t want to catch a cold, idiot,” Dean explains to Cas’s questioning look as he tucks the blankets around Cas’s shoulders.

Cas rolls his eyes, but nonetheless says, softly, “Thank you, Dean,” as Dean shuts the door behind him.

. . . 

Dean wakes in the middle of the night with a raging urge to pee. He blames it on the Gatorade that he chugged at the gas station after the hunt. He lays in bed for a minute, considering his options, and deciding that peeing where he sleeps would not be in his best interests. 

Hauling his aching and bruised body out the bed, he scratches at his bare chest and stumbles to the door of the attached bathroom. He opens it, and—

Comes face to face with Maine Coon wallpaper. 

He blinks into the dark room. Cas is snoring loudly on the bed, limbs flailed across the bed and head tilted back. Dean looks back at his own room, through the door of what he thought was the bathroom, then back at the bedroom.

“I’m dreaming,” Dean says to himself. “Either that, Winchester, or you hit your head a little harder than you thought on that damn hunt.” 

He backs up, shuts the door, and goes to use the bathroom in the hallway.

*

Cas is running a fever when Dean checks on him the next morning. He peels the bandage away on Cas’s leg, and hisses at what he sees.

“Is it bad?” Cas asks, gritting his teeth in pain.

Dean examines the deep gash and the red splotchy skin around the edges of the cut, thinking about how to put it nicely. “Well, you’ll probably lose the leg.”

Wide-eyed, Cas grabs at his thigh. “What—”

“Nah, it’s just an infection. You’ll be fine.” 

Cas flops his head back onto the pillow. “Has anyone told you that you have the worst bedside manner?”

“Maybe Sam, once or twice; but he’s a natural-born complainer.” Dean starts winding a fresh bandage around Cas’s leg. “You’ll have to rest up for a few days, get your fever down. No way we’re traveling while you’re like this.” 

“That means we’ll have to eat—” Cas winces at the pressure of the bandage around his wound, “—inn breakfast.” 

“There’s worse things, Cas. Like, for instance, having to amputate your infected leg.” Dean ties the bandage tightly for emphasis and smiles sweetly at Cas’s glare.

. . . 

“Your friend won’t be joining you?” Cherry asks as Dean picks scones off one of the many plates scattered across the table.

“Uh, no. He’s feeling sick. Actually, I should be getting some food up to him, so I can’t really stick around.” Thankfully, Dean doesn’t say.

Cherry seems put out, but forces a smile anyway. “Oh, that’s fine!” She watches as Dean piles eggs on a plate (they’re scrambled with cheese, Cas’s favorite) and a few pieces of toast. “You didn’t notice anything strange last night, did you?” 

Dean frowns at the lack of bacon on the table, or meat at all for that matter. “Strange?” he asks distractedly. 

“Oh, it’s nothing, I just—I’m just wondering.” 

“Nope, nothing strange.” He balances a plate on one hand and two mugs of coffee clutched in the other, giving Cherry a nod. “Thanks for the breakfast.” 

He’s really focused on balancing the plates, so it could just be a matter of him not paying attention; but when he goes through the swinging door of the dining room, he only has to walk a few steps when he’s once again in the hallway, right in front of Cas’s bedroom door.

“Huh,” he says to the empty hallway. Making a point to investigate that later, he walks into Cas’s bedroom to give him his breakfast.

. . . 

It keeps happening so many times the rest of the day that Dean can’t even chalk it up to distraction, or a concussed head, anymore.

He walks through his bedroom door to the hallway after a phone call with Sam only to find himself in Cas’s bedroom again. Cas goes to bed early that night, and ends up back on the porch where him and Dean were sitting, trying to get some fresh air. Dean walks through his walk-in closet door only to find Cas in the shower, who’s yanking the shower curtain around his body to shield himself.

“Something’s very wrong with this inn,” Dean says, sitting on the bed next to a dripping wet Cas.

“I didn’t even get a chance to condition my hair,” replies Cas, petulantly.

“Dude, you could have finished your goddamn shower.”

“How could I finish, when you walked straight into the shower curtain, Dean? Would you really like me to have continued washing my hair while you were—” 

“Okay.” Dean holds up a hand. “Focus on the real problem here, Cas. This inn has something supernatural going on with it.” 

Cas frowns down at his bare feet. He wiggles his toes a bit, and Dean instructs himself not to find it adorable. “Does this inn seem malicious to you?”

“No. More like it’s fucking with us.” 

“Then there’s our answer.” Cas gives him a lopsided smile. “I hardly think a bed and breakfast that likes to play practical jokes is something worth fretting over, Dean. It’s just some harmless entity. I sensed plenty like it when I was an angel.” 

Dean crosses his arms. “Well, I don’t like it.”

“You don’t like it because you presume everything supernatural is going to be dangerous.” 

Dean opens his mouth to protest—closes it when he sees the smile in Cas’s eyes. “Fine,” he says. “But if it does anything to piss me off—”

“We’ll investigate it, yes, of course,” Cas says. “Can you please leave my room so I can continue showering?”

“No shower, only a bath,” Dean says, pointing to Cas’s injured leg as he stands. “I don’t wanna have to pick your ass off the floor when you slip and fall on that bum leg of yours.”

“Okay, mother,” Cas says with a roll of his eyes. Dean sniffs in annoyance as he turns the door handle and yanks open the door to walk into the hallway.

He meets Cas’s surprised eyes when he walks right back through the closet door of the bedroom. “Son of a bitch inn!” Dean barks.

. . . 

Cas’s fever spikes in the middle of the night. Dean only knows this because when he goes to the bathroom to get himself a drink of water from the sink, he ends up in Cas’s room instead.

“Not again,” he groans, beginning to turn around, when he hears Cas’s rough voice call his name.

“Cas? The hell are you doing up?” Dean whispers in the dark.

“My leg, there’s—” Cas hisses, his words cutting off, “a lot of pain.” 

Dean forces down the spike of worry in his gut. He flips on the bedroom light and walks to the bed, where Cas has burrowed himself deep into the blankets. Putting a hand on Cas’s sweaty forehead confirms his fear. “Okay, buddy, you’re burning up. I have Tylenol in my bag, just hang on.” 

Cas nods, wincing as he adjusts his leg on the bed. Dean turns before his eyes linger too long on Cas’s pale face. He walks through the door to the hallway… only to find himself back in Cas’s room via the closet.

Dean grinds out a curse and tries again. This time, he makes it to the hallway, but instead of walking through his room, he finds himself in the middle of Cas’s bathroom. He stalks out to the bedroom and ignores the amused look on Cas’s face.

“Look, you goddamn house, I’m trying to get him some freakin’ painkillers!” Dean yells up to the ceiling. “I’ll be right back, so don’t get your panties in a bunch. Jesus.” 

“I don’t think the inn has ears, Dean,” Cas says.

Dean points a finger menacingly. “Shut up and rest, and let me deal with this.” He shakes out his shoulders, takes a starting pose, and sprints through the door to the hallway before the house can realize what he’s doing. He continues running down the hall, like an idiot, to his bedroom. 

“At least it’s providing you a shortcut,” Cas says sleepily from the bed as Dean walks through his bathroom, Tylenol in hand.

“This inn is an asshole,” Dean replies. “Sit up.” Parking himself at the edge of Cas’s bed, he hands Cas two small Tylenol tabs and a plastic water bottle he found at the bottom of his bag.

Cas eyes him as he drinks the water, his throat a long column as he swallows the pills. “Don’t make that face.” 

“What face?”

“Your worried face. It makes me worried.” 

“So your leg got clawed to shreds by a ghoul, you have an infection, and you want me to not be worried? Is that what you’re sayin’?”

Cas leans against the headboard, arms crossed. His eyes are glassy from the fever, but they still retain a fire of defiance. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.” 

Dean gusts a frustrated sigh. “You’ve barely been human for a month, Cas. I don’t want you pushin’ it.” 

“Dean.” Cas lays a hand over Dean’s, and Dean represses a shudder. “I’ve been through worse.”

“Yeah. As an angel.” 

“Being human doesn’t make me any weaker.” 

Dean glares at their joined hands. “Yeah, whatever.” His thumb rubs over Cas’s knuckles distractedly. “You still can’t beat my ass at pool.” 

“That doesn’t require strength, Dean. Simply skill.”

“A-ha!” Dean points triumphantly at Cas. “Last time you lost, you broke a pool cue and said it was the stupidest game in human history and now you admit that you were wrong!” 

“Oh my god. I’m going to bed.”

“Yeah, okay,” Dean says as Cas rolls over, his back to him, “just say that again real quick. I’m gonna record you on my phone.”

“Dean, please. I could die of a fever tonight.”

Dean knows it’s a joke, but that annoying prick of worry pokes him again painfully in his chest. He stands and deposits the Tylenol bottle forcefully on the bedside table. “Take this in four hours, okay, drama queen? I’ll be back to check on you.” 

Cas peeks over his shoulder at Dean. “Fine.” 

They hold the gaze for a few heavy moments. The offer to stay with him is on the tip of Dean’s tongue. 

“Just go to sleep,” Dean blurts, turning quickly on his heel. He shuts off the light before he leaves the room, and opens the door. He takes a steadying breath, and forces himself not to succumb to the pull of wanting to get into bed with Cas, holding that feverish little idiot to his chest until he sleeps off the infection.

But Dean’s resisting Cas’s gravity for years—so he resists the pull, and walks through the door.

Only to end up inches away from Cas’s bed.

They stare at each other, again, by the light of the moon spilling through those gaudy pink curtains. Dean works his jaw, trying to figure out what to say.

Cas finally shakes his head, and pulls the blanket up from his body; an invitation. “Well, we may as well do what the inn says.” 

“Uh. Are you—”

“Dean,” Cas says. 

With a grumble, Dean obeys, tentatively sliding into bed with Cas next to him. He clears his throat awkwardly as he settles in next to Cas, carefully not touching him, pulling the fluffy comforter up to his chest. They both lay next to each other on their backs, staring up at the ceiling.

“I have a thought,” Cas says into the dark.

“Did that hurt?” Dean asks.

“Shut up. I’m serious.” Cas takes a deep breath. “I feel as if the ultimate motive of this inn is to bring us together.”

“Okay.” 

“So perhaps we should—I don’t know. Let it.” 

Dean swallows a rock in his throat, and his voice is husky when he replies, “Uh-huh.” 

Cas turns his head to the side to look at Dean over his pillow. “Do you understand?”

“Yeah, Cas, I’m not an idiot.”  

But Dean doesn’t move. The fear won’t let him. And Cas sighs with the exhaustion only an ex-angel would have, saying, “Dean. My leg hurts very much, and I would like to sleep. Can we please just—cut the bullshit, as you would say, and you just—hold me?”

“You really are a grumpy bastard,” Dean says. The words come out gruff because of his nerves. He rolls over to push his chest into Cas’s back. He wraps one arm around Cas’s waist, and slips another under Cas’s neck. Cas grips Dean’s arms, and finally relaxes against Dean’s chest. Dean feels like he can die happy.

“I still think this inn is an asshole,” Dean mutters into Cas’s hair.

“You can burn it in the morning,” Cas says, placatingly tapping Dean’s arm where it lays across his chest.

And Dean may be imagining it, but as they drift off to sleep with their breaths moving in tandem, the walls sound as if they’re settling into a contented sigh, the buzzing energy of the house wilting into a dull murmur.

There is no way that Dean Winchester would ever stay at an inn.

But if it means holding Cas in his arms as he sleeps—maybe he’d do it again.

[ordonianhero]

Above and Beyond

author’s notes: This is a complete one shot. please excuse grammar and spelling mistakes. this story turning out way differently then what I was expecting. The characters belong to jojo56830 Linked Universe. I am sorry I haven been writing much and Chapter four of my main story is on hold till I feel motivated to work on it. so for now I am working on short stories. Hope you enjoy this one. Feel free to take inspiration and do fan art of this if you wish. 

Genre: Fluff- lots of fluff and comfort.

words: 2,805

Synopsis: They had been traveling for some time, the weather not letting up. Wild is running a cold. Everyone seemed tired and they needed shelter. Time’s own old injuries are acting up. So Twilight takes it upon himself to make sure they all get somewhere to settle down till the rain settles down and they can recharge.

Characters: EVERYONE  

Above and Beyond

  It was officially the first day of spring. The grass in the fields they crossed were lush and green. The trees just starting to blossom and gain back their leaves from the long winter days. little flowers bursting from the grounds. The sky was partly blue, with blankets of grey clouds of an upcoming spring storm. The birds were far more lively and chirping as they flew past the nine heroes as they wandered the land. However, despite it being spring, the cold air of winter still lingered. At night the temperatures would drop near to freezing, with frost caking the area. Then as the sun showed the warmth of the day would melt away the cold some. However the cold had seeped into the Older hero's bones. The aches were from old injuries he had gotten long ago.

 Legend was being extra quiet. He didn't trust his words to lash out wrong. enough of the cold and hard ground. Their feet sludge through the mud as another bout of showers begin. Spring showers as they are often called. Legend held in his outwardly grumbling. Twilight's own hair stuck to his face, water droplets dripping to his eye. He looked over at the Smith who was not really covered, he removed his pelt and placed the hood and rest over them. Meanwhile the traveler wore a brown cloak. The Captain had used part of his cape to shield Wind from the rain. Wild had been friendly to share some of his hood to Sky. Even though he had his own hood, it wasn't doing much. as the Cub sneezed.

 They at this time should find a place to say. From what Twilight could gage, this rain wasn't going to give up anytime soon. The sun teasingly shining through the clouds. The kept moving on with the Leader moving forward quietly. Every once in a while twilight caught him massaging a sore spot on his body. "This rain is really not letting up is it?" stated the Traveler. The rain drops bounced over a few flowers they passed. "They are spring showers." replied Twilight, the heavy rain now just letting up into a drizzle. "is it truly spring?" asked Wind as he peeked out from Warrior's cape. "It sure is. I remember the days working on my uncle's apple farm and dealing with such unexpected showers." Legend said very coldly.

They sloshing of their feet through the mud only made things even more dampening. The captain approached Twilight as they walked. "we should probably look for shelter. I doubt Time will want to. He seems determined to keep walking, but with each step, I am seeing him in pain." he spoke in a low whisper to the rancher. "I agree. I will offer to scout a head for shelter." he replied patting the Captain's soaked back. Twilight walked up to Time who's eyes were focused all about him. "We should find shelter. There's no point to trudge more in this weather. I can scout ahead if maybe to find us something." Time didn't reply. Twilight looked directly into their leader's eyes. They were filled with tiredness. The bags and dark circles gave part of that away. He then looked over at Twilight and nodded to him to do so.

Twilight nodded back as an understanding and took off ahead to go scout out ahead. "where is he going?" asked sky out of curiosity.

"Maybe he is abandoning us." Legend jokingly stated. Wild's eyes widen to that statement. "No he wouldn't." The young sailor's voice came.

"No. he is just scouting ahead." replied the captain, glaring at Legend.

"why didn't he ask anyone to go with him, it's not safe to go on their own." Replied Four.

"He can handle things on his own. I have seen him do so. Fear not." Came their leader's tired voice.

Wild then felt weak and begin to lean against Traveler. He let out another sneeze. Hyrule looked at his friend, he looked flushed. He was clearly sick. Oh Rancher, please find somewhere we can rest at.

-----

Once twilight was out of sight, he transformed into Wolf form. He could find places much faster that way. His paw sloshed as he went into full run and only stopping to sniff by old tracks of travelers from weeks ago. Which then lead it way west towards some forest. He stopped at the edge of the woods. Using his sense, he was able to calculate that they were not far from a traveler's cabin. He also used it to sense out if there was any enemies nearby. So far. none. Once he gathered all the information, he turned around and rushed back toward the group. Mud splashing against his fur coat.

The closer he got he transformed back and met up with the group.

"There's..." He was trying to catch his breath.

"whoa, looks our Rancher age is catching up with him." Legend laugh.

"Oh cut it out." Snapped Four.

The captain moved up to the front where Time and Twilight were. "find something then?"

Twilight shook the rain off him and then took a deep breath, "I was able to find a cabin. not far. I didn't see any enemies along the way."

"well that's good, wait- how close?" the Captain questioned.

"Oh, 'bout two miles away." replied Twilight.

"You ran, two miles." The sailor said surprised.

"I told you, I have faith in him." Time spoke giving the Captain a look. He reached over and ruffled Twilight's hair a bit.

The captain snorted. Twilight then eyed the rest of the group and spotted the Cub leaning against Hyrule. He looked bout ready to fall over. He rushed over to him and catches him. The group stopped. Twilight picked up the cub to carry him. Wild made a fuss to fight him on it. however he was too weak to do so. Goddesses you're stubborn. He walked over to Epona. Hyrule following behind him. Twilight Lifted the Cub onto her back, followed by himself. "Rest."

"I am not a baby..." Grumbled Wild.

"And you're in no condition to be traveling. You are not well." Twilight replied.

Wild let out a grumble and just rested against Twilight as they traveled on. Twilight own warm body helped combat the cold he felt throughout his own. Hyrule stayed close by Twilight.

-----

Once they had reached the cabin, they all sighed with relief. The rain had gotten to be coming down harder. Twilight hopped off Epona, Captain offered to take care of Epona as Twilight got Wild into the cabin. Four and Legend got a fire going. Twilight got Wild bundled up to keep him warm. Wild was about to grumble again. Sky helped set up Wild's bed roll. As Hyrule made up some herbal med to give to them. Wild was about to fight him on it till he gave in and took it. Wild could feel its effects as it relieved his aches. Twilight quickly got Wild into much drier garments and then let him fall to rest in his bed roll. some sleep would do him some good.

Everyone managed to get into much drier garments themselves. Time had even though known to not sleep much felt sleep take over him. He had fallen asleep himself. Hyrule was careful to not wake them as he went over and using some of his own healing magic, eased some of the old man's pains. Twilight looked about the room. Everyone looked grateful for the shelter as the rain pounded the roof. Sky found some wood to carve on, while four took to reading a bit. Wind was huddled up Warriors under a blanket. The fire was slowly getting the Cabin warm.

Twilight moved over to fill a kettle up and placed it over the fire to make some tea. Legend was sitting near Four. "So since the chef is sick, whose going to cook?" He asked.

The room stayed quiet. The sounds of those sleeping could be heard, mixed by the rain. "I will make a soup." Twilight replied. Anyone willing to help with the ingredients, much appreciated.

Sky stopped carving, "I can help."

"Me too." replied Four.

"Hyrule, you rest, okay." said Twilight, knowing the traveler need to recharge his magic.

"So what you going to make?" questioned Legend.

"Oh something I have learned from being around you all." Twilight winked.

"Oh this better not be something hyrule made up." Snorted Four.

"thee has little faith in me?" Chuckled twilight.

"Oh I trust you...just couldn't peg you for a cooker." replied four with a soft laugh.

"you'll be surprised." twilight said, as he grabbed out some potatoes, carrots, onion and celery. along with a big chunk of meat.

------

Sky helped peel the potatoes and cut them up in to cubes. Four was helping cut up the celery and carrots. while Legend was put to dicing up the onion. Twilight made work with cutting up the meat. Twilight filled a stew pot with water to let the water get to boiling. Legend as he cut the onion was fighting off the tears from cutting it. Which they all quietly chuckled. "aww so you do have feelings." Sky joked.

"shut it bird boy. someone had to cry at the travesty of this meal being done by the rancher." jest Legend.

"or I could of just let you starved." said twilight sprinkling herbs into the stew pot as the meat went in. Followed by him putting the cut potatoes, carrots and celery. He took the onion and tossed it in.

"you wouldn't?" smirked legend as he took everyone stuff to clean up.

"could be worst." Four replied.

"whats worst then-ooooooh. yeah that is worst." sky suddenly remembering about the goron spice. 

Twilight finished stirring things up, letting it simmer.

Sky then poured them each a cup of warm herbal tea. which warmed their souls. The rain still falling. Daylight fading.

Legend sat beside Twilight. "So what kind of stew are you making anyways? It seems familiar the ingredients."

Twilight softly smiled softly and bumps Legend gently, "something to feel like home."

----

The Nice warm hearth with a stew simmering nicely. The Smell was beginning to fill the cabin. Twilight checking it once in a while and adding more seasonings if needed. Legend took to reading some, while Four worked taking care of everyone's weapons. Sky was plucking gently at his harp. Twilight looked over and seeing a solemn look across his face. Twilight moved over closer to him. "Missing your gal hu?"

"Am I that really that easy to read? You and Time seem to be the two who pick up on that."  Sky looked up at Twilight.

"Hm, cause love is easy to spot and the missing of those we care about is easy to spot." smiled Twilight. He saw Time slowly waking up as well.

Sky plinked one last note before setting his harp down. "It's like before when I was searching for her. I was always one step behind to reaching her."

"Hm. That's got to be saddening." responded Twilight.

Time filled his mug with tea and sat by them on a stool. Hyrule also slowly woke up from his own rest, as he slept beside Wild. Warriors, snorted his self awake, not realizing he had fallen asleep. Which gain a chuckle from the Veteran.

Sky blushed a bit. "It's stupid."

"Nah, being in love isn't stupid. It can be amazing, painful and hard sometimes. But when you are that bonded with someone-its magical." Smiled twilight. He went back to the stew to check on it. Taking a sip of the broth.

"Oh, well aren't you a romantic." teased the Captain.

Twilight sputtered at that statement, burning his tongue a bit on the broth. Time just let out a soft chuckle.

"Excuse you, At least I know what being romantic is. versus whatever garbage you try." jeered back with a smirk at the captain.

"Yet you were the one with your heart shattered." the Captain threw back.

"Oh, oh we going there? be very careful what you say, or I may just put something special in your own food." replied twilight.

"Hey. question." their attention was pulled by wind speaking up. he let out a yawn as they all stayed quiet. "why Do you and captain always banter like this? do you have like something against each other?"

"Not at all, it's all out of fun. never intended to hurt each other. It's like a older younger sibling rivalry." Explained Twilight. Warriors nodded in agreement.

"So, like when my sister gets annoying like banter?" asked Wind innocently.

"nah, that would be the Veteran and pretty boy." Chuckled Twilight.

"Oi! No. We just pick on each other like a pair of old friends who attempt to one up each other." Legend replied.

Twilight went back to the stew and snorted.

"I am actually use to this style of talking sometimes. Back when I lead. The men and I would banter in our sparing practices." The captain explained to wind.

"would you like to lead then." Time joking stated. "cause you said 'Use to.' " his arms crossed and a smirk across his face.

"and put up with his left right march- how about no." Teased legend.

"any time old man. Any time." Captain stated with a smirk back.

----

Once the Stew was finished, Twilight filled their bowls. He then went over and got Wilds own bowl and filled it. He then gently Woke them up. Wild let out a grumble, then woke. He then smelt the stew, He looked at it and then back at twilight who was giving him a soft smile. He saw everyone Smiling at the having something to warm the belly. He slowly sat up and took the bowl. "you cooked this?" he asked quietly.

"its editable, trust me." smirked Twilight.

Twilight sat beside Wild. Wild leaned against Twilight and took a sip of broth. The flavor was so rich and full of flavor. His mind flashed to something he had made back when he was home in his own hyrule. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he at the stew. Nobody had noticed it except Twilight who had finished his own bowl.

"it remind me of home." wild hoarsely said, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Everyone looked at Wild. Twilight gently rubbed his back. "It's something I learned from Legend, I am sure it something you picked up in your land too. I felt it was the best thing to make."

"Wait, you knew how to make my Uncles stew?" Legend stated in shock. "That's why I recognized this."

Twilight blushed. "well yeah."

"Can I have more?" asked wind.

"Is it better then Grandma's soup then." teased Captain.

"No, but its homey." Wind said, getting a second helping.

Everyone chuckled a bit. Wild finished his bowl and sleepily curled up into Twilight. Like a smile child when sick, all they want is to be comforted. Twilight just wrapped an arm and held him.

"Well since Twilight did most of the cooking, I think its best we help do the clean up." Time spoke up. The captain agreed. Time came over and picked up both Twilight's and wilds empty bowls. He gave Twilight a soft smile to the pup and Cub. Everyone seem to help out with clean up. along with making the fire more.

---

More Tea was made as bed rolls were set up. Hyrule made sure to give Wild more herbal med to help fight the cold he had clearly developed. Captain had gotten to telling a story at some point. Everyone was in such a chipper mood. As their night was starting to settle in for the night. Wild had drifted off back to sleep, bundled up in his bed roll and Twilight's pelt. Time pulled Twilight away. Twilight caring side often could get in the way of him getting actually sleep.

Twilight’s bed roll was set beside Time's. Captain put on last log to keep the fire going for the night. Before settling beside Wind. Time poured a sleep potion and gave Twilight it. "Here."

"I-"

Time just gave him a look and Twilight slouched and took it in his hand. Threw it back and scrunched up his face. Letting out a grunt of disgust. Time chuckled. Taking a bit himself. Twilight could instantly feel the effects of it in his body. He couldn't fight it any longer as he laid down in his bead roll. His eye closing, his body going into a resting state. Time just smiled and brushed a bit of Twilight's hair aside. "I am so proud of you. So proud of you."

He leaned over and gently kissed the top of Twilight’s forehead.

"my son."

-fin.

[lazysublimeengineer]

Caged Heat: Chapter 2

(A/N: Welcome to the second and last chapter of this story. This finally concludes and ends the titillating love affair between Wakasa and Takemichi. This is an AU meaning to say that the plot had diverged away from the canon and these characters are of legal age doing and engaging in adult behaviors and activities. This contains explicit sexual content. So, if this is not your cup of tea or if this makes you uncomfortable, feel free to hit the back button right there. Otherwise, if you’re fine with it and have no problems regarding this story then feel free to scroll down and continue reading. Moreover, for the sake of this fic and plot purposes, I made Wakasa’s eyes and hair highlights into the shade of violet since we didn’t get the official color scheme of Wakasa because he’s not animated yet. Lastly, enjoy this while the ride lasts.)

Their moments passed in a blur. Takemichi just found himself being pressed against the walls in a murky alley where he could see faintly the people walking along the road, completely unaware of the heated make-out session that’s been happening around them. He clung to him like a helpless kitten, the rational side of his head had melted and was now only operating on want and instinct. He felt that his body had a mind of his own and reciprocating Wakasa’s action with much fervor and enthusiasm. Takemichi tried to stifle to loud moans that were threatening to spill out from his lips as Wakasa’s fingers worked its way inside his pants and started to stroke his shaft vigorously, the last stringent of anxiety still clinging into him as he realized that they were still out in a public place and anyone could walk in on them at any moment.

Nevertheless, a dark want was climbing out of the deep recesses of his mind about the thrill of risking themselves of being revealed to the sea of crowd who’s passing them by unconsciously at the downtown of a city. It seemed that Wakasa had read his own mind and leaned closer to him, licking at the shell of his ear before he whispered darkly into him and a shiver ran down deliciously on his spine.

“You like that don’t you? Having an audience and see of how much of a hussy you get you off.”

A low groan suddenly escaped from Takemichi’s lips, reducing him into a drooling mess because of his hand that’s stroking his member rapidly and the dirty words that were redirected to him.

“A-ah… If you k-keep on doing t-that…” Takemichi moaned out weakly.

“Hm? If I keep on doing what?” Wakasa licked and nibbled at the sensitive expanse of the skin on his neck which made the blond arched slightly against him.

“I-I’m n-not going to l-last l-long…” Takemichi stammered, tears of pleasure started to gather around his eyes.

“That’s a shame because I’m not done with you yet. Don’t cum until I told you so.” Wakasa replied darkly as his penetrating gaze froze Takemichi on the spot, his heart beating wildly on his chest.

There’s a certain thrill of being commanded and dominated by that lovely voice of his.

Takemichi could only nod mutely and stared back at him with flushed cheeks and wet lips.

Wakasa withdrew his hands on his cock and flipped him over the wall, his tongue darting on the backside of his neck languorously that made Takemichi shivered in delight.

The sun was already setting and dusk started to enveloped the skyline of the city. But for the both of them trapped in this delicious heat of their libido and hot bodies against each other, the cold wind did nothing to soothe the fire that was blazing inside their hearts and traipsed under their skin.

Without any hesitations, Wakasa pulled down on his pants and after stroking himself and lined up against Takemichi’s quivering entrance before plunging in deep and hard that made the blond see stars in his line of vision.

A string of muffled moans and groans of pleasure escaped from Takemichi’s lips as Wakasa proceeded to grind and thrust harder into him.

“Fuck…! That f-feels good! F-faster!” Takemichi mewled which made the blood sing in Wakasa’s veins, unable to deny his request as he started to pound into him.

Takemichi knew that his hips and legs were going to be sore and bruised tomorrow but he didn’t care. All he wanted right now was to satisfy the itch and heat that was coursing through his body and veins and let Wakasa dominate every inch of his body roughly. A tremor shook his body when Wakasa hit his prostate repeatedly, his brain turning into a puddle of ecstasy and pleasure.

“M-more… P-please… Don’t stop…” He moaned out lecherously as tears of pleasure began streaming down his face.

Wakasa leaned down and licked his tears gently before settling on his mouth and captured it in a passionate kiss. Takemichi returned it vigorously, his mouth exploring wildly the crevices of the other which made him moaned inside his mouth. He continued pounding into him rapidly before he tore his mouth away and latched his mouth onto the crook of his neck, growling under his skin as he reached his climax and release everything into him. Takemichi shivered at the white-hot, blinding sensation that enveloped him before he also reached his peak and groaned weakly at the overwhelming sensation that coursed throughout his body.

For the next few minutes, only their ragged breathing can be heard throughout the alley and the racing of their hearts inside their chests before Wakasa started to pull away and zipped on his pants. Takemichi groaned faintly at the loss of contact before he tried to move and winced at the soreness that began to make its way over his body. Wakasa silently took out something from his pockets and gently wiped off the cum that slipped down on his thighs before he helped him in pulling up his pants and smoothing the wrinkles away of his shirt to make him at least decent and not just a hot mess that came out from having a quickie.

Takemichi was quiet at first as the mortification flooded his face after the lust and want ebbing away from his body. He looked down on the ground and was unable to look at Wakasa directly in the eye.

God, why was he reduced into a pathetic, horny teenager when he was with him? Was his sex life that nil in the past that just by seeing Wakasa made his libido shot through the roof?

“Takemichi.”

Hearing his name finally slipped past Wakasa’s lips made his thoughts came to a screeching halt and an electrifying sensation shot through his veins. The way he had said his name in a low, throaty voice of his after their make-out session was like a sweet, guilty pleasure that he wouldn’t mind repeating over and over again inside his head.

“Yeah?” He rasped out, his azure eyes locking into his dark wine orbs.

“Let’s head to my flat and talk.” Wakasa replied simply.

“Really?” Takemichi blurted out intelligently.

Wakasa shot him a deadpanned look. “I’m not some mindless animal who only thinks with their dicks involved. I can tell that you’ve got a lot of questions. And I’ll be happy to answer them.” He replied sardonically.

A faint blush coated his cheeks. “That’s not what I meant… But okay… Let’s talk…” Takemichi rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and looked away.

Wakasa resisted the urge to reach out and caressed his rosy-hued cheeks, that embarrassed look never failed to captivate and mesmerized him altogether.

Fuck.

Takemichi was bad for his heart.

He pocketed his hands inside the pouches of his jeans and walked past Takemichi who scrambled to his feet and followed him from behind. Silence engulfed them as they walked beside each other going to Wakasa’s residence. It seemed that both of them were engrossed in their own thoughts or either one of them were just scrambling for the right words to say.

They finally reached his flat and gestured for Takemichi sit on the couch which made the latter nod in silence and complied, observing his surroundings.

Wakasa sauntered over the kitchen, opening the door of his fridge to find something edible to cook and present to his guest to eat.

‘Huh? I ran out of fresh meat and vegetables? Might have to do some grocery this coming weekend.’ He thought wryly as he took some pasta and a can of corned beef before closing it.

Wakasa thought that he’ll just prepare of what is left on his place and be more resourceful about it. He took the casserole and began filling it with water before he placed it on the stove and turned it on. Putting on some teaspoon of oil into the casserole, he closed the lid and waited for it to boil. Afterwards, he put the saucepan into another stove and opened the can of corned beef and started to chopped some garlic and onions. After putting an oil to the saucepan, he sautéed the garlic and onion, the sizzling sounds and savory aroma permeated through the place, reaching the living room.

While Takemichi was observing the place in silence, he smelled the delicious aroma of the sautéed garlic and onions. Out of curiosity, he stood up and peeked silently at the other who was in the kitchen and was moving around deftly, like it was his navigated territory. It seemed like he had discovered another facet of Wakasa today. And that he was an able cook.

“20 minutes.” Wakasa’s calm voice cut off of his wandering thoughts.

“Huh?”

“After 20 minutes you can finally eat.” Wakasa clarified after he put the pasta into the casserole of boiling water and turned back to him with a smug smile on his face.

It made Takemichi’s heart skipped a beat. Wakasa doesn’t smile that often since his usual default facial expression was either an apathetic look or quiet annoyance marring his face. But when he did smile, it made his features more youthful, open, and captivating. Not that he wasn’t beautiful to begin with. In fact, he deemed that Wakasa was gorgeous regardless of what expression he was sporting at. It’s just that it’s more magnified and stunning when his lips pulled upwards into a tantalizing smile.

“That fast?” Takemichi quickly answered before the other found out that he was staring at him again. He didn’t want a repeat of his embarrassment of being caught red-handed by him again.

“If you live alone, you gotta be fast and resourceful.” Wakasa simply replied before he turned his attention back again to what he was cooking and turned off the stove where the casserole was sitting at and carried it out with his mitten-covered hands and started to tap the water out from the pasta by putting it into the strainer.

Takemichi then proceeded to sit in one of the available chairs at the dining table and watched Wakasa’s movements with rapt attention and silence. Aside from being great at sex and cooking, what else can he do? He fought back the blush that was threatening to spread across his face. What the fuck? He didn’t like where his thoughts were going and he deemed himself as not being a perverted person. He was starting to feel disgusted with himself.

As Takemichi was having an internal crisis of being aroused and disgusted with himself at the same time, a bowl was placed into the middle of the table which caught his attention and his eyes met an appetizing sight of a pasta slathered in corned beef and cream. It made his mouth water and suddenly grew hungry. Wakasa placed a clean plate and utensils in front of him before he sat on the opposite side of him.

“Now eat.” He said tersely.

Takemichi quickly muttered a prayer before he scooped some pasta into his place and dig in. Upon tasting the pasta, bursts of delectable tastes and tangy flavors exploded inside his mouth that made him moan out in delight.

He fucking moaned.

In front of him.

He belatedly realized on this and mortification flooded his face, feeling his cheeks hot all of a sudden. He couldn’t look at Wakasa in the eye but he swore that he could feel his eyes staring at him intently.

God, he can’t stop embarrassing himself in front of this guy.

“Was it good?” Wakasa finally asked that made him stop and looked up at him again after swallowing back down the food.

“Huh?”

“The pasta Takemichi. Did it suit your tastes?”

“It’s goddamn delicious!” He exclaimed before he suddenly grew shy again and cast him an apologetic look.

A slight chuckle slipped past Wakasa’s lips at his instinctive yet genuine response, enjoying Takemichi’s zealousness and simplicity.

“Well have some more then. Don’t want to have my guest starving.” Wakasa put some more pasta into Takemichi’s plate before turning to his attention to his own plate and bringing some food into it. He tried to focus on eating his pasta but Wakasa couldn’t help himself as he sneaked some subtle glances to the blond who was eating with much gusto and holding a reverential look on his face as if he was tasting the holy grail of a dish.

It did silly things to his heart and he swore that he felt his pulse skyrocket at the notion of Takemichi admiring him and his skills of some sort.

Meanwhile, Takemichi kept his focus on the food and tried to ignore the blunder he had made earlier and the wild stuttering of his heart inside his chest. It was true that Wakasa could cook like a pro and he would gladly go to heaven after this hearty meal but he doesn’t want to be derailed and needed to get to the heart of the matter.

They needed to talk. Properly.

Even with the nervousness still clouding his veins, Takemichi swallowed back his nerves and braced himself. He quickly finished his meal and finally looked at Wakasa on the eye.

“Can we talk right now?” He inwardly congratulated himself for keeping his voice even and calm despite his heart that’s almost going to leap out of his throat.

Wakasa swallowed down the pasta and stared right back at him with a blank expression on his face. “Seems that you don’t waste time. Okay. We can talk right now.” He replied dispassionately.

The way it sounded was like an impersonal, businesslike deal that they’re talking about. Takemichi still thought about how Wakasa can be like that. He was a passionate, fiery lover earlier. But now he was a wall of glacial ice and impenetrable walls at the next part.

He was like dealing with a hot and cold person sometimes.

Takemichi tried not to let that threw him off at the abrupt change of the other’s tone and gears. “What are we exactly…? And what do you want from me aside from…” He trailed off as a faint blush marred his cheeks as he couldn’t get the words right out of his mouth.

“A quick fuck?” Wakasa supplied for him easily which made the blond sputtered.

“H-hey…!”

“Look Takemichi. Reason I invited you here is to let you know of how great we are together in bed and I don’t want to ruin that by some misunderstanding or miscommunication. So, I’m laying it out on the table if you’re open to no strings attached kinda relationship. That way we don’t have a responsibility towards each other than to have sex when we need it.” Wakasa replied bluntly.

Takemichi was speechless on how straightforward and direct he was at his intentions. He was not mincing on his words. While he appreciated the fact that he was honest with what he wants, another part of him couldn’t help but grimace at how callous it sounded, like they’re just talking about the weather on a casual basis.

“Oh.” Was all he could say.

“Oh?” Wakasa repeated with an arched brow. “You don’t want this kind of setup? I mean you can tell me and I’ll be cool with it so that we don’t have to waste our time with each other.” Wakasa added, perfectly hiding the twinge of disappointment at the mere possibility of Takemichi rejecting his offer.

“N-no! I’m just surprised that’s all.” Takemichi replied weakly. It may be true that Takemichi was captivated by Wakasa on their first explosive meeting together and he couldn’t help the pull of physical attraction and lust whenever they meet together. But was it enough to have a relationship with him? Wakasa was just laying out the facts right in front of him. Being in a serious relationship was a big responsibility and he wasn’t even sure if he was ready for that. Nor Wakasa for that matter. Takemichi was still a bit confused and bewildered of what he felt towards him and it doesn’t help that his heart was doing a weird somersault inside his chest whenever he was near him.

But one thing is for sure. He can’t deny the sexual attraction that he felt for Wakasa. He can’t be a hypocrite right now and flat out reject his proposition where he also found the offer very tempting.

Wakasa just looked at him in silence, prompting him to continue as he sensed that he’s going to say something.

“I accept…” Takemichi muttered, his voice growing faint and small.

Wakasa blinked a few times. He was sure that the blond would reject his offer seeing the surprised yet conflicted expression on his face. He doesn’t strike him as the type of a person who’ll just be okay with a casual relationship with one another and deemed him as an awkward yet serious kind of a guy when it came to certain things in life. Wakasa was the one who was surprised. In a good way.

He shot him a lopsided grin. “I see. So, you’re okay with it then? You’re ballsy and you know your own game.”

“Shut up. Stop teasing me damn it. Your words just made sense to me and it wasn’t that bad.” Takemichi mumbled as he looked away from him as he could feel the mortification flooding his cheeks again.

“Are you that easy to fluster? That’s kinda cute Mitchy.” Wakasa couldn’t help the teasing lilt to his voice coated over his words.

Takemichi bit his lip as he could feel his entire face growing hotter and mortified at this point. “Whatever. If you’re done with that. I’ll wait for you at the couch.” He stood up and went to the living room. He could hear Wakasa’s faint snickers from the background.

Takemichi plopped himself on his couch and just stared right through the small windows ahead of him, his heart was beating wildly inside his chest and his cheeks was still burning in mortification. He knew himself that he’s a clumsy, awkward, and walking disaster of shyness and embarrassment. But when he was with Wakasa it was on an entirely different matter. The guy knew what to say or do to make him lose his composure and just reduced him into a blushing, stuttering mess. It doesn’t help that he possessed those dark, amethyst eyes that bored right through his soul.

He knew that when he stared at those intense eyes, he could never deny him of anything.

He was royally fuck up.

Takemichi was still on his reverie when he felt the side of the couch dip that caught his attention and glanced at the side to see Wakasa sitting right beside him with a casual expression on his face.

“Wanna watch something together?” He asked nonchalantly as pressed on the button from the remote that he was holding and the TV went to life.

“Uhm, okay sure.” Takemichi replied quietly, growing damn shy again when he was in his presence. Why was he being like this? They practically had sex thrice now and he was still acting like a virgin, wallflower in front of him! He didn’t know whether to be angry or pity himself because of how embarrassing he was.

Nonetheless, Wakasa seemed unperturbed by his behavior and just kept scrolling through the channels until it landed on a random action movie in the midst of a car chase scene. For the next few minutes, everything was silent as both of their attention was now glued on the screen and watching the climactic scenes of the movie until it was over and it’s replaced by the usual dialogue of the actors in the hospital.

Takemichi kept his attention to the screen even though he was slowly growing bored and losing focus since Wakasa scooted closer to him that almost invaded his personal space and placed his hand on his thigh which made him caught his breath in his throat.

“What’re you doing?” Takemichi finally turned to face and gazed at him in half bewilderment and half excitement.

“I wanna kiss you.” Wakasa replied with a straight face.

Takemichi almost choked on his spit. “W-what? R-really?” He stammered.

“Yes really. I’m bored of the movie now and to be honest with you I just wanna kiss and fuck you again until you forget your name the next day. Can I do that?” Wakasa asked simply.

Takemichi would’ve laughed at his usual bluntness but it only turned him on and stirred something from within him. Instead of answering him, he took the initiative and climbed on his lap, grabbing the lapels of his shirt and crushed his lips against him in a searing kiss as a response.

Wakasa was surprised yet once again at the other male because of his spontaneity and boldness but welcomed his actions enthusiastically, settling his hands to his hips and gripped it tightly to kept him in place. Wakasa returned his kiss fervently, his tongue fighting for dominance against the other wildly.

Even though Takemichi struggled to kept his dominion towards the other, he was quickly losing control as Wakasa ground against him teasingly which made him gasped and moaned inside his mouth to which the other took advantage of and plundered the insides of his mouth hotly. Drool started to trickle down their lips as Takemichi was reduced into a puddle of mess, mewling and shaking like a leaf against his arms.

Wakasa grew impatient before he tore his lips away from him and broke off their kiss to undress him and take off his shirt, throwing it carelessly somewhere on the ground. He didn’t waste his time as his mouth latched into one of his nipples and nibbled and sucked eagerly on the sensitive nub which made the blond arched and moaned wantonly against him.

“W-wakasa…! T-that’s…” His words came out as a stuttering cry of pleasure which made the other more aroused and turned on.

“Hmm?” He shot him a brief, lustful gaze before he turned his attention back to his chest where he peppered it with kisses and love bites.

Before Takemichi could get drunk and be lost on the storm of passion and lust again, he struggled to put his hands on his shoulders and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“S-stop…” He mumbled weakly.

That seemed to get Wakasa’s full attention and faced him with a puzzled look despite the pleasure clouding his eyes and senses.

“Something bothering you?” He asked throatily.

It took some willpower not to throw himself into Wakasa’s arms again and let him do what he wanted to do with him. Despite their rendezvous together, the other always took the lead and charge. He wanted to spice things up and be the one pleasuring him instead to pay him for his efforts and skills in the past.

“I want to suck you off.” His face was beet red as he said this honestly while staring back at Wakasa’s face fully.

Wakasa just stared at him intently for the next few seconds which made Takemichi fidget under his silent scrutiny and gaze. Did he overdo it? Was Wakasa disgusted by what he—

“I’d like that.”

His simple affirmation cut off his anxious thoughts and made him smile shyly at the other.

“If you’re ballsy enough to say it then I guess you can do it.” Wakasa added as he licked his lips slowly in front of him.

It made Takemichi gulped and his heart raced inside his chest but he couldn’t back out now. Besides the mere thought of sucking him off invaded his mind and thoughts, making him hornier than usual. He proceeded to pushed him gently on the couch and hovered over him. He didn’t waste his time as he quickly unbuckled his pants and took them off. Takemichi didn’t linger on it for too long or he will lose a nerve. He immediately discarded his boxers and it revealed his cock which was heavy with arousal and was already leaking with a precum. It made his mouth water at the sight.

Wakasa was eyeing him silently but there was a tint of anticipation and eagerness of what he was about to do next.

Even though this was the first time that he’ll be doing it, Takemichi has a vague memory on how to do it. From the playboy magazines and X-rated movies that he read and watched, his mind had mapped out and stored the necessary movements and actions at the back of his head where he can retrieved it when the time has come to finally use it.

Just like now.

Takemichi started running up his hands up and down his thighs, petting his cock leisurely and did some manipulation with his hand, squeezing it a bit and feeling it as the blood flow starts to get going. A heady sensation began coursing through Wakasa’s veins and his hands fisted through his flaxen locks idly as he let out a low groan.

His positive reaction spurred Takemichi on and he quickly switched up his techniques to make it more exciting. He began lubricating his cock with his spit, his index finger flicking through its tip teasingly before giving it a few, swift strokes that made Wakasa catch his breath and let out a grunt.

“Fuck.” It came out as a low, throaty growl and he instinctively tightened his hold into Takemichi’s locks which sent the other into a mixture of pain and pleasure.

Without any warning or hesitations, Takemichi’s mouth took his member enthusiastically in one go. The warm sensation of his mouth enveloping his eager cock made the other shudder and let out a breathy moan of delight.

Takemichi paused for a few seconds, his mouth adjusting to the shape and size of his shaft. Fuck. He’s well endowed in this area. But not that Takemichi can’t handle on. Afterward, he closed his lips around his cock and began sliding it out of his mouth and take his tongue, and ran it along the ridged tip of his cock. He started using both of his hands along with his mouth while rubbing his balls eagerly.

For the next few seconds, the room was filled with lecherous moans, gurgling sounds, and grunts of pleasure that resonated within the walls of his flat. Wakasa had an inkling that he might get knocks of complaints from his fellow tenants once again. But he didn’t care. The one thing that he could focus on right now was the man sucking off his dick like there’s no tomorrow.

“Damn Mitchy. You’ve got a talented mouth and hands.” He groaned out.

Takemichi paused and looked up at him with his eyes blown wide with lust and his red mouth glistening with spit and precum.

“They don’t call it a job for nothing, Wakasa-kun.” He replied with a saucy grin on his lips before he resumed on his work and began sucking him off deeply. He wrapped both of his hands at the base of his shaft and began moving them up and down while his cock was inside his warm mouth.

Takemichi began to lose himself at the addicting sensation and ecstasy of his member inside his mouth and started bobbing up his head and down rapidly. His eyes started to water but he took it like a champ and deep throated him roughly. He could feel Wakasa’s grip on his locks tightened a bit more and was shoving his cock into his mouth which he accepted eagerly.

“Fuck Takemichi. I’m going to cum if you keep on doing that.” He growled out to which the blond only hummed in response and didn’t decrease his motions, continuing to deep throat him with a blinding speed.

In the midst of his eager actions, a hot, sticky sensation suddenly flooded his mouth and made his vision go white for a few seconds, feeling his pulsating cock reached its climax and released everything into him like a gush of a waterfall.

Takemichi tried not to let his cum settled for too long inside his mouth and swallowed it quickly like a shot of tequila after letting go of his cock. Before Takemichi could even catch his breath, Wakasa grabbed his wrist and suddenly pulled him towards his direction and crushed his lips against his own in a wild kiss. It made Takemichi moaned inside his mouth as he tried to return his kiss ardently and followed his quick motions, drooling slightly.

“Fuck. That was hot.” Wakasa mumbled hotly against his lips as he tasted himself.

After a few more passionate kisses, Takemichi finally broke from it to catch his breath.

“I’m glad you like it.” He sported a shy smile to his face and Wakasa was thinking about how he could still look like that. He was wild and bold earlier but now he reverted back to his awkward yet adorable self. But he still looked sexy doing it. It should be a crime.

Wakasa noticed the tent on his pants and he smirked. “Oh. Looks like we also have to take care of yours too Mitchy.” He sang as he effortlessly flipped them both over with Takemichi now lying under him on the couch.

A slight squeal escaped from the blond’s lips at his sudden actions, eyes wide as saucers. But his surprise quickly melted into a fit of lust and passion as Wakasa’s hand wandered eagerly on his chest and gave his nipples a teasing pinch and squeeze while his other hand had taken off his pants and boxers, discarding them carelessly somewhere on the ground. He tried to muffle his moans by covering his mouth as Wakasa leaned down and started to let his tongue wandered around his torso teasingly.

His gaze flicked over Takemichi’s. “Don’t. I want to hear you.”

“But your neighbors…” He replied weakly.

“It’s too late for that now isn’t it?” There was an amuse lilt to Wakasa’s voice as he shot him a playful wink before one of his hands had reached out to Takemichi’s hand that was covering his mouth and pried it off.

It fully revealed Takemichi’s flushed face, red mouth that was glistening with his drool, and eyes that were heavily clouded with lust and ecstasy. It made something inside of Wakasa snap. He can’t wait to break and devour him all by himself.

He looked down and resumed on what he was doing, kissing, nibbling, and licking the sensitive flesh and skin along Takemichi’s torso which made the blond shiver and groaned out in delight. He grew bolder and reckless as his hot and eager mouth trailed downwards, kissing along his hipbones until it landed on his thigh. He gave it a teasing lick before he bit on the skin lazily which made the other trembled slightly on his arms. He could feel his scalp being tugged on as the blond had fisted on his locks.

A wave of pleasure and pain had hit him simultaneously which made him grunt in ecstasy before his eyes trained on the other’s member which was now stood erect and glistening at its tip. It made Wakasa licked his lips slowly before his tongue darted out and licked at the stripe teasingly. He could hear the low moans slipping from Takemichi’s lips and it spurred him on, his thumb flicking at the tip lazily which made the other pulled harder on his hair. It made Wakasa’s blood sing on his veins before his mouth took all of him eagerly, his tongue snaking inside his aching cock with much gusto.

“D-damn… That feels g-good…” Takemichi gasped out as his heartbeat wildly inside his chest when he felt the warmness of his mouth enveloping him inside, his mind blanking out blissfully for a second.

Wakasa’s eyes glinted at his response before he started his own pace, his head started bobbing up and down beneath him. His movements started out as slow and teasing until it increased in tempo making his mouth ran rapidly and harder against his throbbing cock. Takemichi’s body was moving on its own accord and reacted instinctively, thrusting more into Wakasa’s mouth in response to the other man’s enthusiasm in sucking his dick.

It’s a good thing that Wakasa has a better gag reflex hence he was able to take all of it in stride without even choking. His hands caressed around his torso before going down on his thighs and gave it an experimental squeeze which made Takemichi let out a choked moan and arched against him in ecstasy.

“I… I’m gonna…!” Takemichi groaned out, drool slipping past his lips.

It made Wakasa more enthusiastic and eager, wanting the other to reach his own peak and pleasure.

‘C’mon…’ Wakasa thought determinedly as he deep throats him faster, his tongue lavished around the sensitive seams of his cock inside. With a visible tremor wracking around the blond’s body, he eventually reached his climax and spilled his hot seed into the other’s mouth which made the other catch it zealously, not letting a single drop escaped on the ground. Wakasa released his shaft with a resounding pop and swallowed everything in one go, his tongue darting out afterward and licked at the side of his mouth languidly.

Takemichi could only stare at him, completely mesmerized at Wakasa’s red mouth which was wet with spit and his cum and his heliotrope eyes grew darker with lust and pleasure. He tried to catch his breath before speaking again.

“I… That’s… Damn… I think you literally fucked my brains out on this one.” Takemichi blurted out, his face feeling hot all of a sudden on how he said that without any filter at all. His body was still in a tingling sensation after that mind-blowing experience.

Wakasa laughed throatily before he suddenly grabbed him and rolled them over to the ground which made Takemichi yelped embarrassingly.

“W-what was that for?!” The blond complained staring up at him with wide eyes.

Wakasa smirked deviously in response as he trailed his finger lazily along Takemichi’s chest.

He swallowed thickly as he stared into the deep, pools of Wakasa’s eyes that were both dangerous and captivating at the same time. Was this man for real?

But Takemichi couldn’t deny himself that his body grew excited again and his cock jumping out again in response to the other’s insinuation and seduction. Maybe there was something on his face or even in his own gaze that made Wakasa suddenly leaned down on him and captured his lips in a ferocious kiss and didn’t wait for his response.

And throughout the night they’re both insatiable with each other, filling the room with the smell of sex and their cries of pleasure.

Chifuyu had rolled down the rolling door of the café and put a padlock on it afterward. He then stood up and dusted himself off. The orangey hues from the sky started to spread around the city, signaling for the day that was about to end and dusk would come soon afterward. Earlier, he was actually tempted to follow Takemichi on where he was going.

He was definitely hiding something.

However, against his better judgment, he left him be. For sure, Takemichi has his own reasons, and sooner or later he would tell him what was that all about soon. He trusted his friend enough to deal with whatever he’s facing right now.

Chifuyu sighed and put his hands deep into his pockets before he started to walk away from the café, looking straight ahead as he moved forward along the street. His curious mind and thoughts started to wander and he can’t deny that Takemichi and that previous customer that they have inside had something to do with it. The blond was acting like a poor, hot mess in front of that customer who had that shimmering violet highlights on his hair. And he goes by the name of ‘Wakasa.’

It's obvious to see that there was something going on between Takemichi and the mysterious customer lounging on their area a while ago although it wouldn’t show on the latter since he perfectly treated Takemichi like a normal stranger and an ordinary barista basing on his indifference and placid expressions thrown at him earlier. It was Takemichi who had struggled to keep his own composure with that mortification flooding his expressive face and that genuine surprise coloring his tone and voice despite spouting some inane shit of customer service at him.

He finally reached his residence and paused, looking contemplatively at the interior of his house. He grunted and shook his head faintly. There were still questions running inside his head but it can definitely wait until tomorrow since Takemichi had promised to treat him out after their shift at the ramen place nearby the city that he’s talking about. He can wait until tomorrow. Besides he knew how the blond was adamant about keeping onto his promises. He was one of the people he knew who possessed a large amount of guilt and active tear ducts whenever he broke them. His firm morality was both his strength and weakness at the same time ironically.

Chifuyu entered inside his house and prepared food for his cats who greeted him sweetly in the doorway.

Yep, tonight was his usual rest day after all.

The loud claps of the thunderclouds resonated outside and the brief but sharp flash of white lightning glinted across the windows of the living room. Senju draped herself on the couch as she nibbled on the ice cream on the cone that she was holding in her right hand.

“It’s a good thing that we discontinued our plans of going to the beach this weekend. There’s heavy rainfall outside. I heard from the news that there’s going to be a typhoon soon. I’ve always hated this kind of weather and stuff.” Senju commented as she stared at the pelts of rainfall clashing through the windowsill.

“I guess it’s one of those days that we gotta thank Wakasa for changing his mind and bailing out of our plans for the weekend because of his usual grumpiness and boredom. He’s not very keen on outings ya know.” Benkei grunted as he was watching some random sports show about football while munching on some potato chips.

Takeomi could only hum in response as he carefully carried the mug of coffee between his lips.

“Speaking of Wakasa, don’t you think that he’s being weird these days?” Senju cocked an eyebrow.

“Whaddaya mean? He’s always been a weirdo most of the time. That’s why people are intimidated by him as always.” Benkei snorted.

“Not that you idiot.” Senju rolled her eyes. “What I mean is something has been occupying his mind these past few days. He wasn’t usually late to the meetings or come in unprepared. Wakasa has always been one of the sharpest and observant members of our group despite his off-putting attitude sometimes. So, making Takeomi actually called his ass to attend our scheduled meeting and hearing that lame excuse of I actually forgot? Something weird has been going on with that dude.” Senju added, folding her arms across her chest.

“So, you’ve noticed it too huh?” Takeomi stared at her inquisitively.

“I’m not an oblivious dolt like Benkei over here,” Senju replied offhandedly which earned an indignant yelp from the other in the background.

“What do you mean by that?!” Benkei’s voice was muffled by the chips on his mouth.

“Swallow the food down on your mouth before speaking,” Senju replied with a straight face.

Akashi sipped again on his coffee before settling it back to the table carefully. “Hmm. Maybe he’s busy with something. Or with someone rather.” Takeomi replied idly.

His words caught Senju’s attention and settled her eyes on him with a narrowed gaze. “There is something or someone worthy of his attention that broke his usual routine of indifference and apathetic attitude towards almost everything?”

“Wakasa actually gives a shit about something?” Benkei piped up after swallowing the bag of chips into his mouth.

“I can’t say for sure but remembered the time after we got wasted in that bar and he suddenly disappeared right before us and we haven’t heard from him over the weekend only to turned up late into the meeting after I reminded him over the call? That’s rather telling.” Takeomi said in a matter-of-fact voice.

“So, you mean he found someone already? Like a new flavor of the month?” Senju finished her ice cream and swallowed the tip of the cone afterward.

“Don’t make it sound like he’s a player or some shit. The only thing going for him is his looks since he didn’t exactly possess a stellar personality and social skills.” Benkei grumbled.

“Hm.” Senju tapped her chin idly. “I’m curious to meet this person.”

Akashi watched her curious and thoughtful face. When there’s an idea forming inside her head, it’s difficult to stop her from doing what she wants. Despite being his older brother, Senju’s a force to be reckoned with sometimes. And she can be really stubborn and insistent.

He could only sigh in defeat. Takeomi knew where this was going.

“I’ll definitely meet this person! It’s not easy to catch the full attention of our grumpy member so it got my head spinning on this mysterious person. They must be really interesting.” Senju added with a bit of enthusiasm lacing her voice.

And this was one of those ordinary days that Takeomi grew another headache at his sister’s antics.

The woman at the counter took out her sunglasses and stared at the menu casually behind Takemichi before proceeding to order. “I’ll have a Java Chip Frappe venti and a slice of blueberry cheesecake.”

“Got it, ma’am. That’d be ¥ 750.” Takemichi punched the codes on the machine before it opened and took the bills from her and gave her the change and the receipt.

“What’d be the name ma’am?” He asked as he took the cup and pen from the board.

“Just Lily will do thanks.”

Takemichi nodded before the woman left and took an available seat on the front. He finished writing her name on the cup before he went through the backdoor and greeted Chifuyu who was busy preparing some earlier orders that day.

“Java Chip Frappe for Lily and an additional slice of blueberry cheesecake Chifuyu.”

“Got it, partner.” Chifuyu put the finished orders on the tray and handed it to him to which Takemichi took it gladly.

Just as he was about to leave Chifuyu’s next words made him paused for a second.

“Hey, don’t forget later at that ramen place I’m telling you. You still owe me that one Takemichi.”

He didn’t turn around so that Chifuyu wouldn’t see the look on his face as he fucking remembered something again with Wakasa that made his cheeks flushed and his body hot all over again. Right. He still owed Chifuyu of that treatment to the ramen place that he was talking about and of course that juicy news about his personal life that the other was pestering on him about.

“Of course, I didn’t forget that dumbass. I ain’t that old you know.” Takemichi grumbled to hide his own mortification and went out of the room quickly, not waiting for the other’s response.

He needed to brace himself on how he’s gonna tell Chifuyu later on what he had been doing currently on his boring life. Which was not so boring anymore considering that he got himself a gorgeous guy as a fuck buddy temporarily.

Takemichi heaved a deep breath as he tried to calm his frayed nerves and the wild beating of his heart inside his chest. He needed to clear his mind and focused on what he was doing at the moment. He was still at work and he had to be attentive and professional lest he doesn’t want to be berated by their manager again for spacing out like an idiot in the past. His ‘important talk’ with Chifuyu about Wakasa would have to wait until their shift was over. Hence, in the end, they spent the whole day being busy and tending to their customers as usual seeing that the café was at always its peak during the morning and lunch break every weekday.

Takemichi finally put the remaining cup inside their cupboards when they’ve reached the end of their shift and he let out a satisfied hum. ‘Finally. Work’s over.’ He thought happily as he slung his backpack into his right shoulder and punched out at their attendance monitoring system.

As he was already beginning to head out of the counter, an arm suddenly slung all over his shoulder which made him almost yelped out of surprise. Turning around, he saw the grinning face of Chifuyu behind him.

“Well, partner let’s head now to that ramen place quickly before we lose some available seats!” Chifuyu enthused.

“Stop giving me a heart attack Chifuyu! And it’s basically a few blocks away from the café. I don’t think we’re going to lose some seats that quickly.” Takemichi grumbled as he lets Chifuyu bulldozed him out of the café.

“You never know partner. It’s one of the best ramen places here in the city so people tend to flock to it, especially after working hours. So, c’mon now!” Chifuyu pulled on his wrist after locking the café and ran towards the street with Takemichi running from behind him.

“Oi slow down will you!” Takemichi shouted but it fell into a deaf ear as the other had to keep on running excitedly into the ramen shop until they reached that place within a few minutes.

“Let’s take a seat over there in the middle. It’s still available.” Chifuyu said as he pulled along Takemichi inside while the other was still catching his breath.

“Don’t do that again,” Takemichi grunted as he glared at him without any heat behind it and just slumped down at the seat.

“You need to exercise more often Takemichi if that shit, we did earlier already worn you down. Your stamina is growing stale because of your sedentary lifestyle.” Chifuyu snorted when a waitress went to their spot and gathered their orders.

Takemichi let the other ordered for him as he knew that the other came here more often than not and knew the best foods to order at this place.

After the waitress had successfully gathered their orders, she went away from their table.

That’s when Chifuyu started to run his mouth and asked what’s been on his mind lately.

“So, who is it?” He asked seriously.

“What?” Takemichi looked confused for a moment.

“Your boyfriend Takemichi.” Chifuyu replied with an arched brow. “The one who’s been occupying your mind lately. And don’t even deny it partner. You got this look that screams I’m into someone very badly.” He added.

Upon hearing his words, Takemichi sputtered and his face burned in mortification. He broke his eye contact and looked away.

“T-that’s…! You’ve got it all wrong Chifuyu!” He exclaimed all of a sudden.

“Oh really?” Chifuyu crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at Takemichi unimpressed. “Cause right now that doesn’t seem to be it. At first, I thought that maybe some serious shit is actually bothering you like stress or what. But one day, when I saw you with that customer with long hair and violet highlights and you’re acting like some blushing, shy teenager in front of him. And the way you’ve talked with each other… The only thing I could think of is that both of you had something going on and maybe you’re boyfriends or some sort. Now tell me I’m the wrong partner.” He added.

‘Damn his observational skills sometimes. It’s both blessing and a curse.’Takemichi thought with wide eyes. He almost got it right except for that one part cause it’s never going to be true either way anyway.

Takemichi was about to respond when the waitress came back again wheeling the tray containing their orders. They both waited for her to finish putting the ramen into their table before leaving them again.

The blond heaved out a deep breath before bracing himself, looking Chifuyu again directly into his eyes even though the flush on his cheeks was still visible due to his mortification earlier.

“You’re right about almost everything. Except for the boyfriend part. Because he’s just my fuck buddy that’s all. I’ve gotten myself into a no strings attached relationship kinda thing recently.” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“What?” Chifuyu blinked a few times, trying to digest his answer.

Takemichi then told him of the events on how he met Wakasa at the bar during the other week and how they ended up fucking each other whenever they meet. He took out the raunchy details of their rendezvous and just focused on the summarized parts of the story since he didn’t see the point of telling that to him and bringing out too much information and how they basically ended up in their current casual set up of having no responsibility towards each other except for the booty call whenever they feel the need to do it. Chifuyu listened to his tale with rapt attention yet a thoughtful look on his face, not bothering to interrupt him and even let him finished until the end.

“So, there you have it. That’s how we basically met and how did it go from here.” Takemichi sighed before he took the chopsticks and muttered a quick prayer, eating the ramen with much gusto afterward.

“A no strings attached relationship huh?” Chifuyu hummed under his breath before he followed suit and started to eat his ramen. “But are you really fine with it Takemichi?” He asked after swallowing down his food.

“What do you mean I’m fine with it? I’m not going to agree with the setup if I’m not don’t you think?” Takemichi replied with a furrowed brow.

“I mean yeah… I get what you mean but… knowing how can you get emotionally attached with someone Takemichi, I’m not sure if a casual booty call is the right thing for you. This Wakasa guy seemed fantastic but from what can I tell from the story you’ve told me is he knows how this works and he’s not a neophyte in this area. I just don’t wanna get you hurt in the long run considering that you already have feelings for him.” Chifuyu answered sincerely.

Takemichi paused and stared at him wide-eyed. “Hey! What do you take me for? I’m not some fragile little thing that needs to be reminded of and be protected! I know what I’m doing Chifuyu. I’m 26 years old! I can handle this kind of shit after all. Also, what made you think that I already have feelings for this guy? He’s just my fuck buddy. Nothing more, nothing less.” He emphasized his last words.

“Takemichi you’re pretty damn obvious back there at the café.” Chifuyu deadpanned before sighing deeply. “I guess when you say that, then I have to stop treating you like a child and see you as an adult. But it’s kinda hard sometimes partner when you’re just goddamn impulsive, reckless, and highly emotional sometimes.” He grimaced.

“Shut up you, dumbass!” Takemichi grumbled as he shoved more ramen into his mouth, a sour expression on his face. While it was true that he can be excessively spontaneous and hasty in his decisions sometimes, his gut instincts usually led him to the right places or to the right people even if his partner would beg to differ on the matter since he also witnessed how can his careless actions landed him on unlucky situations on an occasional basis.

“But if he makes you cry in the long run, don’t go on weeping on my shoulders because I’ll tell you I told you so.” Chifuyu smiled cheekily at him.

Takemichi swallowed down his food before answering again. “Of course not! And why would I do that?” He denied vehemently.

It made Chifuyu chortled heartily, shaking his head fondly. “Nah. Just kidding. But your face looks hilarious. I’m your best friend Takemitchy so whenever someone hurts you tell me and I’ll beat the shit out of ‘em.”

“God, you’re fucking corny sometimes.” Takemichi looked down at his food again, unable to meet Chifuyu’s sincere eyes and smile without making his eyes water a little.

He’s just damn lucky to have a loyal best friend like him after all.

A few weeks had passed again before Takemichi and Wakasa had met up once again.

Sometimes they’d meet up in one of the random places in downtown. Like in a store, diner, park or even at that bar where they first met ages ago. But it would still end up in one result at the end: both of them hooking up with each other and just having sex in the confines of Wakasa’s flat or in a motel throughout the whole day.

Every day, every week, every month that passed them by felt like an eternity whenever they got to meet each other again. It’s only the barest of his touch and that fleeting, smoldering gaze thrown in his direction that made his defenses came crashing down and succumbed to the whispers of his traitorous heart and body.

Takemichi as Wakasa had discovered, was a person who can be please with simple things. In short, a low-maintenance person. Even though the blond was prone to overreacting and a sudden burst of shyness would engulf him afterward, it never failed to amuse and mesmerized him most of the time since he saw it as a genuine reaction to his teasing and the occasional outburst of deadpan bluntness. Most of the people he knew and met in his life always displayed a false sense of coyness just to gratify someone and make good use of it for their image which instantly made his grumpiness show beneath his cloak of indifference and dispassionate attitude.

With Takemichi, he’d just take it in stride. The blond was now used to his taciturn and coldness sometimes and wouldn’t force himself to engage in a small, meaningless talk just to fill in the silence between the two of them. Nevertheless, there was something entertaining yet charming about Takemichi just randomly saying things after the heat of their night together.

“A lot of people might get this misconstrued about me, but I actually hate pineapples in a pizza.” Takemichi casually stated as he stared at the ceiling while lying beside Wakasa with nothing on but a thick blanket covering their naked bodies.

It was already 2 AM and they just finished another round of sex which to be honest they had seemingly lost on the count.

“Hm?” Wakasa glanced at him lazily but there was a curious glint around his eyes. “Why?”

“I just don’t like the taste I guess…” Takemichi mused. “Most of the people thought that I like eating it. Heck, a lot of people thought that I like a lot of the usual things and stuff. They’re just surprised one day when I told them that I really don’t. Maybe it just goes to show how basic I am to their eyes.” Takemichi added with a peal of slight laughter leaving his lips.

“Didn’t know that you have a self-deprecating humor sometimes Mitchy.” Wakasa commented idly.

A soft chuckle slipped past his lips as he glanced at him in slight amusement. “I don’t really know about that. I guess it’s a sort of a bad habit of mine.”

“You’re not just some basic person.” Wakasa replied idly. “Of course, people would have this impression of you that’s not accurate most of the time. I mean first impressions are not 100% correct. You’re more interesting than half of the people that I’ve met over a lifetime.” He added casually as if his honest opinion was just as easy as breathing the fresh air into his lungs.

It made Takemichi blushed furiously and ducked his head away. “That’s not fair.” He sulked.

“Hm? What do you mean?” Wakasa resisted the urge to laugh at him but his eyes crinkled in mirth and humor. He would never get over how cute and adorable the blond was always looking like this.

“Stop saying those things… Or I’ll…” Takemichi bit his lip before he trailed off embarrassingly.

“You’ll what?”

Takemichi didn’t respond at first and remained silent for the next few seconds before he suddenly lunged at him and lied on top of him, sporting a certain look that made his dick twitched in excitement and lust clouded his judgment.

“Don’t be mean and say these wonderful things to me when we’re just fuck buddies. I’m not going to let you pass with this kind of teasing.” Takemichi leaned down and whispered breathily against his ear before he leaned down and captured his lips in a fiery kiss that ignited their bodies once again and spent the next few hours jumping on each other’s bones like horny rabbits.

The ringing of his phone jolted him out of his thoughts and reveries and picked it up, reading the name of the caller before sighing deeply.

He didn’t want to babysit this silver-haired demon. This gal must be getting bored again and decided to pester him. It didn’t help that her big brother, Takeomi, seemed nonchalant and okay with having him as the assigned companion for her shopping antics for today.

“Senju? Where are you? I thought you said you wouldn’t take a while looking at the Alexander Mcqueen’s shop?” He sounded grumpy as usual as his other hand was carrying the other shopping bags of the female from the earlier stores that they went through.

“Stop being a grandpa Wakasa. It’s just for only a few minutes! And I’m already walking straight ahead to the bench where you’re sitting from so relax will you?” Senju piped up cheerfully at the other end of the line.

“You better. Cause I’m damn tired and hungry. I wanna eat something.” He deadpanned before he ended the call and pocketed his phone in his pockets.

Wakasa looked blankly at the people walking around the city until a blob of ivory locks and bright, lavender eyes greeted his line of sight.

“Well c’mon now. I found some appetizing thing that we can head off to.” Senju greeted him with a cheerful smile on her face.

“About damn time,” Wakasa grunted before he stood up and accepted the other shopping bags from her hand and carried them as they walked along.

They finally ended up in one of the cafes in the city which seemed oddly familiar to him. It was no later than when they entered inside that it hit him.

They were inside the café where Takemichi was working.

Takemichi was giving out his usual greeting to the new customers who went inside when his smile froze on his lips as his eyes landed to no other than Wakasa and the female companion that he was with.

Even though he hasn’t seen him for the past few weeks, Takemichi resisted the urge to just call him and talked to him. He reminded himself of the boundaries that their relationship entailed.

And he agreed with it.

Regardless if he misses Wakasa or not, their relationship would purely remain as physical and nothing more. He didn’t want to blur the lines between having a normal, standard relationship with him and just checking up on him each other versus the fact that they’re just supposed to contact each other when they want to fuck and scratched the itch lingering on their bodies.

He ignored the pang that hit right through his chest when he saw Wakasa with another woman. Takemichi didn’t have any right to claim him since they’re in a no-strings-attached relationship. Technically speaking, they don’t have a responsibility towards one another and they’re still open to date other people. But why the hell his heart was being a pest right now and tell him otherwise?

‘Damn it to hell. Stupid heart. Stupid me. Why do I have to fall in love with a guy like him anyway?’ Takemichi berated himself inwardly before his mind ground into a screeching halt.

Him? In love? With Wakasa?

No fucking way.

Before Takemichi could hyperventilate from that mind-blowing realization, a female voice jolted him out of his racing thoughts and brought him back to the present. His eyes now landed on a smiling woman right in front of him with short, white hair and smiling violet eyes.

‘No wonder Wakasa dates her. She’s pleasant looking and easy on the eyes.’ Takemichi thought bitterly while he kept the polite smile plastered on his face.

“I’ll have one caramel Frappuccino with an extra whipped cream, one flat white mocha, and two slices of lemon cake.” The woman ordered smilingly as she took out her black credit card and handed it to him.

“Got it, ma’am. So, what’s the name we put in your cups?” Takemichi kept his voice calm and even as he took the credit card from her and swiped it on the machine.

“Just Senju and Wakasa.” She answered.

Takemichi could only nod as his throat felt constricted and he doesn’t trust his voice right now to slipped in without sounding weird. He handed the card back to her after it was successfully credited and handed her the receipt. She took it from him and muttered a quick thanks before leaving him and went back to sit beside Wakasa.

Takemichi tried not to stomp his foot down on the ground at the sight and just made his way back to the personnel’s room briskly.

“Oi Chifuyu. One caramel Frappuccino with extra whipped cream, one flat white mocha, and 2 slices of lemon cakes for Senju and Wakasa.” He said flatly.

“I saw that earlier partner. You look jealous as hell.” Chifuyu pointed out.

“I’m not!” He denied vehemently.

“Your face is an open book Mitchy. Learn to have some poker face sometimes dude.” Chifuyu grinned at him widely.

“Shut up dumbass. Just get the orders done quickly.” He groused as he went out of the room and tried to calm down himself.

‘Calm the fuck down and get a grip on yourself! He isn’t yours to begin with so stop acting like an idiot.’ His mind sneered at him.

Takemichi repeated the mantra to himself and drilled it into his head until his pesky heart had quieted down into numbness for a while.

“This café has a nice interior isn’t it?” Senju commented idly as she observed the surroundings inside with an interest to her face.

“Wow. Is this your way of making small talk Senju? Cause you suck at it.” Wakasa deadpanned as he looked at her blandly.

He should’ve realized earlier that this woman was up to something. And this is what it was. It finally dawned on him that Senju wanted to meet Takemichi to sate her curiosity and boredom in life.

He acted calm and indifferent earlier even if he saw Takemichi’s surprised yet irritated face afterward which puzzled him to no end.

What’s up with him? He doesn’t remember doing anything that would earn him the ire of the blond. He could only inwardly sigh in defeat at the puzzling thought.

“You really pull your punches, aren’t you?” Senju rolled her eyes before a playful grin inched across her lips. “So, that’s Takemichi.” She added calmly.

“Who?” He asked evenly.

“The blond barista over there.” She pointed out at the counter.

“What about him then?” He asked dispassionately.

“He’s a good catch. You really scored a nice boyfriend out there Wakasa. You and your lucky ass.” Senju replied with a saucy grin on her face.

“He’s not my boyfriend.” He deadpanned.

“He still isn’t? Don’t be an idiot and let him go in the future like that. He’s a real looker and you’re screwed in the head if you don’t take him seriously.” She scoffed.

“Oi shut the hell up. You don’t know what you’re talking about.” He huffed.

“Oh, sure I am.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You don’t think we don’t know what you’ve been up to these past few days? Well, you can say that maybe he’s your flavor of the month. But we can’t deny the fact that this Takemichi guy has a positive impact on you. You’re less of a grumpy ass and less intimidating and annoying ever since you’ve met the guy. So, upgrade your status and just date him already.” Senju added with an arched brow.

Wakasa was about to retort when they heard a male’s voice that caught both of their attention.

“One caramel Frappuccino with extra whipped cream and a slice of lemon cake for Senju and one flat white mocha and a slice of lemon cake for Wakasa.” It was another barista who had short, sandy locks and sea-green eyes.

The male seemed to be studying them in silence despite his congenial smile.

“Oh, thanks… Chifuyu.” Senju read the tag on his uniform before smiling casually over to him.

The male bowed to them but Wakasa could feel his brief but narrowed gaze towards his direction before leaving them afterward.

His mouth quirked upwards, brows furrowing slightly. ‘Looks like someone doesn’t seem to be happy that I’m here.’ Wakasa thought wryly before dismissing him completely. Not his fault if he can’t please other people.

“If you brought me here to give me some pep talk, you’re wasting your time,” Wakasa commented as he reached for the cup of coffee and sipped it slowly.

“Ugh. You’re a hopeless case sometimes Wakasa. You like the guy so what’s stopping you? Don’t say I didn’t tell you what to do if things go shitty in the long run.” Senju casually sipped her Frappuccino.

“Whatever. C’mon, let’s finish this so we can head home. Dead tired already.”

Senju just shook her head faintly, letting out a low ‘tsk’ before eating the meal in front of her.

Adults were goddamn stubborn sometimes. And that’s the truth.

Takemichi just finished cleaning up the counter and was already preparing to leave the café since his shift already ended when Chifuyu elbowed him that caught his attention and looked at him in slight irritation.

His mood had deteriorated throughout the day ever since he cannot get out the image of Wakasa and that Senju woman dating in front of him. Inside the café. He tried to stay professional and kept a happy façade during work but now that his shift already ended, he just wanted to go home and wallow on his own misery and regret.

Chifuyu’s teasing look and smile were not helping matters. At all.

“What is it now?” He grumbled childishly.

“Better be quick there partner since someone is actually waiting for you outside to pick you up.” Chifuyu sang as his lips pointed in the direction where Wakasa was standing outside the café and he gave a simple wave of acknowledgment when Takemichi’s eyes landed on him.

He blinked a few times. What.

Now, this was the first time that the other had actually stood outside and waited for him after his shift. What happened to their rule of just meeting each other in another place randomly when one of them calls each other for a hookup?

Nevertheless, it sent a warm, tingling sensation inside his chest at the mere thought that the other was waiting for him patiently outside like a boyfriend was picking him up after work. Takemichi quickly dispelled that thought away before he got carried away and reminded him of their current situation which made his heart clenched instantaneously.

“Don’t make it weird dumbass.” Takemichi grunted as he slung his backpack into his shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow Chifuyu.” He added as mumbled a quick goodbye and left the café.

“Yep. See you tomorrow. Go get him a partner and never let him go.” Chifuyu sent him off with a wink and teasing laughter which made the other sputtered and grumbled in defeat before he finally went out of the café.

“What’re you doing here?” Takemichi muttered as he fiddled with the strap of his bag, looking at the other side of the street.

“Well, I just thought to ask you if you can accompany me to this new ice cream parlor that recently opened a few blocks away from here for a change. That okay with you? You seemed to be in a bad mood today.” Wakasa noted as his amethyst eyes stared at him blankly.

“No… I guess I got tired from work…” Takemichi denied, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Let’s go to that ice cream parlor you’re telling me to.” He added quickly and didn’t wait for him to respond as he started to walk.

Wakasa grew quiet for a few seconds before sighing inwardly and shove his hands into his pockets and walked beside him. They spent walking together in silence, wrapped around their own thoughts.

They finally reached the place and Wakasa ordered ice cream for the both of them before they headed outside where they ended up in a grassy park with a lake in front of them.

Wakasa sat down with Takemichi following suit and sitting down beside him as well.

“I don’t think your co-worker likes me very much,” Wakasa commented.

“Who? Chifuyu? Don’t mind him. He’s just like that sometimes.” Takemichi replied as he licked his ice cream. “Why did you asked me out here anyway? Didn’t you have a date earlier with a gal at the café?” He added, trying to stay casual even though he struggled beneath it.

“What do you mean? Senju? She’s not my date.” He scoffed. “I’m just her unofficial assistant aka babysitter for the day when she wants to go shopping or some shit like that.”

“What? She isn’t…” Takemichi trailed off, blinking a few times.

“She’s not my date. Besides she’s not my type and the feelings are mutual.” Wakasa replied calmly.

Takemichi suddenly stood up and started to leave which made Wakasa surprised and suddenly stood up as well and tried to follow him.

“Oi! Where are you going? Why are you leaving all of a sudden?” He caught his wrist and spun him around gently.

“Don’t say things like that! Or even do these things that make my heart hope for nothing! We’re just fuck buddies! Why are you even… Ugh. This is not even part of our rules. We’re supposed to contact each other if we only wanna have sex not doing this sappy shit!” Takemichi exclaimed, on the verge of breaking down in front of him. He didn’t want Wakasa toying with his feelings like this. Of giving him hope when in the end they’ll part ways when one of them grew tired or be fed up with one another.

Because he’s in love with him. No matter how much he denied it, his pesky, little heart was proving him otherwise.

Wakasa’s gripped loosened on his wrist and shove them back in the pockets of his pants, sighing deeply. “What if I told you that I wanted to finally date you and I just don’t want to have a no-strings-attached relationship with you? Will you accept me as your boyfriend in the future?”

Takemichi’s eyes widened and his blue eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Stop joking about these kinds of things!”

“Who says that I’m joking? I don’t joke with these kinds of things Takemichi! I may be an asshole but I’m not that completely heartless. Okay, I admit that at first, I don’t even plan on having a serious relationship with you and I’m content with what we have because it’s easier just hooking up like that with no responsibilities towards each other and we can call this thing off if one of us don’t feel like staying in this kind of set up anymore. But as the days and even weeks passed us by, seeing these little but important things about you, how emotional yet empathetic you can be to other people in need, how talkative and bright you can be at times, and how you’re genuinely shy yet resolute when it comes to your own beliefs. I admired all of these about you. Then I just woke up one day realizing that I’m in love with you. I’d have to thank Senju because she’s the one who knocked some fucking sense into my head to take a risk with you and never let you go. Because I’ll be the biggest idiot if I just let this beautiful person beside me just leave without even trying. So there Takemichi… Will you please go out with me and be my boyfriend? Or am I too late in saying these things…? If you don’t feel the same way I’d understand…” Wakasa’s voice grew quieter with each admission but his usual blank eyes held an emotion, so raw, visceral, and emotional that Takemichi had to blink twice to see if he’s not crying. He isn’t. But he can see the mixture of emotions flitting around his face.

His confession just made him cry harder, every word that slipped past his lips shot its way through his heart.

“You fucking dummy. How can you say that? Of course, I will! I love you too dumbass. You don’t know how hard I tried not to make some stupid mistake earlier because I was damn jealous of you and Senju. I thought that you two are really dating.” Takemichi ran into his arms and hugged him tightly and buried his crying face into his shoulder which made the other froze for a few seconds before the other’s arms wrapped around him gently.

Wakasa let out a sigh of relief before chuckling softly. “I’m glad you say yes. Home is where the heart is. And that is in your arms Takemichi.” He murmured softly before he pulled away and tilted his head up gently so that their eyes can meet.

“Yeah. This is the risk that I’m willing to take because you’re worth it.” Takemichi closed the distance between the two of them and sealed their lips with a kiss that promise them another tomorrow in each other’s arms.

(A/N: If you reached this part then I’d like to congratulate you for finishing this more than 20k of words filled with filth, sin, and cheesiness at the end. But what can I do? Wakamichi/Wakatake had taken over my mind and I need to unleash this creative itch inside my head before I can move on to my other works. There is something both intriguing and exciting about having a quiet yet blunt and mysterious person like Wakasa falling for a bright ray of sunshine in the form of Takemichi in the most unexpected of ways. And vice versa. Reviews are fascinating. So, let me hear them from you.)

[katytheinspiredworkaholic]

KATY KATY KATY!!! Congrats again on 200 you deserve it okay??? ILY!! May I please have 🎵 with just my name (Sarah) so you don't have to come up with a ton of songs lol. And also ✏ with Hotchreid and the prompt: “If I could, I would kiss away all of your scars.” pls and thank you ILY <3333

Thank you so much Sarah!!! You are so sweet and so supportive of me ILY too!! <3

I was 100% prepared to do your whole username xD It was harder trying to choose just ONE song that starts with S! But I ended up getting a romantic/pining theme going here so hope you like it love <3

S - Someone New - Birds At Night

A - Anywhere But Here - Safetysuit

R - Right Here - Betty Who

A - A Fateful Meeting - James Newton Howard

H - Hello, I’m in Delaware - City and Colour

-

HotchReid blurb, “If I could, I would kiss away all of your scars”.  Mildly NSFW so it’s below the cut. CW: scar wounds, body image issues

SEXY ANGST HERE WE GO. Hope you like it dear <3333

-

It's not until the third or fourth time they fall into bed together that Spencer notices Hotch doesn't take his shirt off all the way. 

He'll roll his sleeves up to his elbows, exposing strong forearms and pulling the fabric taut around his biceps. Outlining the width of his shoulders so enticingly. He'll unfasten the top few buttons, revealing dark chest hair and sharp collarbones and faded tan lines from running every morning. If the room is dark Hotch seems to have no problem ripping the fabric over his head and pressing Spencer heavily into the bed, miles of warm, soft skin above him and against him. Spencer has shamelessly mapped out every curve and dip of muscle and bone he can reach -- every single time -- so, to be fair, his IQ being sliced in half by Aaron's hard body over him can really be to blame here. 

But then, one evening only a few weeks into the physical aspect of their relationship, his wandering hands slip beneath the hem of the causal sweater Hotch is wearing as the other man kisses Spencer breathless. Skin thrumming, fingertips alight with firing neurons and dopamine practically dripping down his spinal cord as Hotch does something impressively sensual with his tongue. Everything is buzzing and warm and on a timed delay. He barely notices that his hands aren't just tracing over the musculature he wants to taste so badly his mouth waters at the thought, but they also skim over what can only be rough, raised scar tissue and -- just like that -- it all clicks into place. A rapid fire sequence that connects dots Spencer hadn't even considered warning signs until that very moment.

There's nine of them, that he knows of. Nine that were put there by George Foyet, and the physical reminders don't just remain healed within his body -- but they also litter Hotch's skin. He doesn't want to look at them. He doesn't want Spencer to look at them. It all makes sense now…

And Spencer has stalled far too long as he realizes all of this. 

Hotch has stopped kissing at his neck, his hands -- ever steady, patient, purposeful -- take hold of Spencer's wrist and pull his hand out from under his sweater. Spencer doesn't know if he's going to stop them altogether, which would be a damn shame with the direction they had just been heading as they made out just inside his front door, or if Hotch was planning on redirecting Spencer's attention elsewhere. But either way… Spencer decides he isn't having it. 

He drops to his knees. His hands go back to where the hem of that sweater meets the waistline of the older man’s jeans, and he looks up at Hotch just in time to see those dark eyes go black as his pupils dilate in shock and arousal. 

"I can close my eyes, if you want me to," Spencer tells him, knowing it's the seeing as much as the feeling. But as he plans on kissing every inch of skin along the man's stomach and strong core muscles, feeling them was going to be a given.

Hotch shakes his head, like the question is ridiculous. As if Spencer is needlessly coddling him. "It's not -- you don't have to do that. It's fine. They just... aren't very pretty to look at."

Now that sounds ridiculous, to Spencer’s ears, because he can’t think of one single thing about Hotch that isn’t breath-taking in its own right. He almost says as much, lips parted around the words, but at the resigned look on Hotch’s face he goes for a more practical approach.

He pushes the sweater up the long line of the man’s body, exposing a dark trail of hair from his navel to his waistline, strong hips and hard planes of muscle from years of cardio and field work. And the first of the nine scars, pierced through the very meat of his internal oblique muscle, parallel to his inguinal ligament -- the V shape of the pelvis that Garcia always raves about on Morgan’s physique. While Hotch’s isn’t as prominently ‘cut’, it’s still there, and Spencer finds himself nosing at it as he presses a kiss to the scarred knife wound. Slow, profound, and the intake of breath above him is as audible as it is soft.

“If I could, I would kiss away all of your scars.”

Because he knows they are reminders of the worst day of Hotch’s life. How much he hates them, that they must mock him constantly as they itch beneath whatever fabric he wears, but Spencer doesn’t want him to feel he has to hide them. Not from him. He mouths at the gnarled skin, slow and wet and heated and Hotch’s breath goes ragged.

“I wouldn't mind you trying,” Hotch tries to tease, but it sounds winded, and that just pulls a smile at one side of Spencer’s lips. “Just to see what happens.”

The smile spreads wider, Hotch has to be able to feel it pressed into the skin of his stomach as Spencer sits up a little straighter, travels to the next abdominal scar -- along the linea alba, the very center of his abs -- and he nearly speaks against it as he pushes the sweater even higher up Hotch’s chest. “I know exactly what will happen.” 

It wouldn’t remove the scars, in any physical way, but to erase them from Hotch’s mind for a few moments would be well worth the effort.

With a carefully controlled pause, catching Spencer’s lust-hazed eyes, Hotch considers him for a moment -- and then slowly peels off the offending fabric the rest of the way. Leaving him bare-chested, heaving lightly, and awaiting a reaction that apparently is written all over Spencer’s face because the man can barely contain a smirk as he answers.

“Do it, anyway.” 

[elleonmybeloved]

For the city of song, wind, and wine, it was a regular occurrence every other month to hold a music competition. Onlookers would gather around the large open space surrounding the statue of Barbatos and anybody above the age of thirteen could compete as follows: perform three songs, one of which had to be an original composition, solo in front of the audience. There was no limit to the number of instruments one could use, but since the rule was for solo performance only, it was unusual to see the use of more than one instrument.

The prize was 10,000 mora, 3 free meals from Good Hunter, and a commemorative feather artifact meant to honor the wind archon. There was of course, clout associated with the victory however, so naturally all the bards in the city of Mondstadt competed fiercely for the victory.

Lumine had the pleasure of finding out about the competition as a result of trying to buy some mint and honey and being told by Blanche that she would likely be out of stock by eight a.m. every day for the next week and a half. Mint tea with honey was one of the best ways to soothe the throat, so the city’s bards were snatching it off the shelves and shutting themselves in to compose and practice their songs without risking anybody hearing and ruining the impact of their performance.

For the young woman, it meant no sticky honey roast, radish veggie soup, calla lily seafood soup... unless she felt like picking it herself or going to Liyue just to buy some. And she sure as hell wasn’t about to attempt finding and messing with a bee hive in the wild. Unintentionally acquired powers of wind or not.

At the moment though, Amber was taking it harder than she was.

“Ugh I totally forgot that the Good Hunter doesn’t sell sticky honey roast this week because of the competition... I was totally looking forward to a nice hot plate of sweet ham after all the hilichurls I had to chase off the roads today too.”

“Why not have a sweet madame instead?” Lumine suggested. “It’s basically the same thing.”

Amber gawks at her. “How can you say that? See, this is what makes it so obvious you’re not from around here. Everybody knows the taste of those two dishes are not even remotely similar to each other.”

She’s teasing, it’s obvious from the exaggerated shock and pout of her lip, but something about what she said makes the neutral smile slip from Lumine’s face.

“Hey, if you think about it, she’s right you know!” Paimon comes to Lumine’s defense. “One ingredient is sugar, and the other is meat!”

“You eat slimes.” Amber says. “On purpose. Sorry but that automatically disqualifies you from giving culinary advice.”

“Wait a minute. On purpose? That implies a story I think I’d very much like to hear.” She turns to see Kaeya walking up behind them, a bag of something in his hands. It seems he had been shopping. And eavesdropping on their conversation.

“Oh no, there’s nothing like that.” Amber waves her hand in a nonchalant motion that would be convincing if she could lie with her face as well.

“Mmhm, sure.” He says with that smirk that never seems to leave his face.

“I should get going.” Lumine says, cutting off Amber’s reply before she can open her mouth. Once these two get started they can really argue, and she doesn’t have the time or energy to stick around for that. Especially when Charles made a deal with her to probe customers for info on her brother if she could find and bring back all of the lost business records that had been spewed from the tavern during the storm.

“Okay, see ya later!” Amber says with a salute.

“Yes, run along now.” Kaeya makes a shooing gesture.

The sun is setting by the time she is looking for the last one, hasty now that the natural light is fading. She had found some on the roof of all places, and she had all but scoured the ground, so here she was looking down dusty chimneys and clinging to the roof tiles like a squirrel every time the wind made her spook.

“Gotta be around here somewhere.” She mumbles to herself. Paimon had since gotten hungry and was presumably out eating, or looking for something to eat.

It’s a bit of a habit to use her elemental sight when searching for something, even though there wouldn’t be any traces she knows of on the documents. That’s how she ends up seeing it. At the top of the windmill, bright teal anemo energy, leaking out from the door and window in a slow trickle. Above the window, papers, caught in the gear that connects the wooden support to the spinning white blades of the mill.

“Aha.” Those must be the documents. Lumine gets a running start off the roof of the house and launches herself in the air. Thank the stars for the wind crystal Venti gave her- with a whoosh it pushes her up and gives her the altitude necessary to skip what would’ve been a sketchy climb up the curved wooden wall of the mill. Below her, she sees a young woman at the base of the mill reading and writing something in a notebook, and prays she doesn’t look up. Sure she has her license but it would still be embarrassing to be seen. Or asked questions of.

Landing with a modicum of grace, she very carefully steps across the roof tiles over to where the papers are stuck. It takes a bit of gentle wiggling but they come loose, and she puts them in her pack.

No sooner had she buttoned the flap than had the door to the balcony below her slammed open, and a “Who’s there?!” startle the absolute daylights out of her.

Lumine looses her footing.

She doesn’t hear the “oh crap” someone says because she is falling with a panicked shout, but before she can even open her glider wings, she’s being gently floated through the air. Wind carries her back up and places her gently down on the floor of the balcony. Standing above her with a distressed look on his face, Venti abandons his lyre to rush over and pat her in several places, checking for injuries.

“Oh no, are you okay? I swear I didn’t mean to make you fall!”

“I’m fine.” She says breathlessly. Behind them the door is open and there’s a small room filled with straw, crates, and some random items strewn about.

“I’m so sorry.” He says, hands still patting at her, blue eyes wide. “I didn’t even know it was you, traveler.”

“I’m okay.” She gets to her feet. In the room there is paper strewn about everywhere like a tornado hit. “...What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” He casts a glance down and behind her. “But not out here.”

He scoots back inside the room and motions at her to come in. Curious, she does so. He closes and locks the door behind him.

“So...” She prompts.

“So,” He says, “You found me! Good job. How’d you do it?”

“Uh, what do you mean found you? I wasn’t looking for you.”

“You weren’t?” He looks genuinely surprised to hear this.

“I was looking for some tavern documents blown away in the storm, I found them on the roof.” She explains. “Why would I be looking for you?”

“Heheh.” Venti laughs nervously instead of answering. “Oh! I see!”

“What’s with all the papers?” They are seriously everywhere. Lumine knows him well enough to know he’s not the scholarly type.

“I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”

“... Okay. Never mind then.”

“Just kidding!” He’s quick to quip when she doesn’t get the joke. “But it is a secret so if you want to know you have to swear you won’t tell a soul!”

“I swear.” She says curiously. “Aren’t I already keeping one of your secrets well?”

“That you are.” He nods. “Very well. I’m in the middle of composing a new song. And practicing my other one.”

He announces it with a lot of weight, like it’s something super important and not exactly the type of thing she would expect a bard to say.

“And that’s a secret because?”

“A new song to use in the upcoming music competition. Surely you’ve heard of it? It’s a new tradition most people in Mondstadt know about.”

“Oh, that. Yeah I have heard. It’s why I can’t buy any mint or honey for the next week or so.”

“That’s right! I have some though, do you want some?”

“No, it’s okay.” Seemed like he needed it more anyways. “Is it going okay though?” She refers to the papers strewn willy nilly.

“Sort of.” He says, absentmindedly plucking at his lyre. “I’ve got my first song down, it’s one of the old ones from a few hundred years ago called Lion Heart, a ballad about the bravery of the great hero Venessa.”

“Who?”

Venti’s eyes go wide. “Who’s Venessa? You mean you haven’t heard of her? She’s the most famous hero in Mondstadt’s history.”

“... Not from around here.” She says. “Not really familiar with history yet.”

“Wanna hear the story? I have several songs you can choose from that tell it.”

“Hmm. Will it cost me?”

“Ahahaha! Of course not. For you Lumine, my performances are always free.”

“Okay then.” His enthusiastic smile is contagious, and although Lumine has no interest in Teyvat’s history beyond what could be relevant in finding Aether, she can’t help returning it with one of her own as she takes a seat on the floor.

The next hour is spent regaling her of the tales of a young woman whom she could not forget was a redhead even if she tried. Venti’s voice is beautiful, and he sings with such reverence and fervent adoration of this hero that she almost suspects a deeper relationship existed than that of the sung supporting role of Barbatos in this historic rebellion.

“You must really admire Venessa.” She says after clapping and giving a small smile at his formal bow.

“Everybody does.” He says with a shrug. “She was something special.”

Something squeezes hollowly in her chest.

“Now that I think of it, she’s the one Jean mentioned when she got sick from overworking and I had to help out.” Lumine pulls forward the relevant memory, blocking out the strange aching feeling. “She must have been a force to be reckoned with to make Jean feel inferior.”

“I could sing her praises forever.” A rare seriousness passes over Venti’s face. “So brave. Fiery hair like a flame that would never die out.”

Lumine has never seen a woman with red hair. It must be rare in Teyvat. It must be considered very beautiful.

“What about the other song?”

“Ehe, right, the other song. That is, the one that I’m composing. Well I’m not having much luck. But I think you could help me.��

“Me?” She asks. “What can I do?”

“Tell me about your most recent adventures.” He replies. “For inspiration.”

Lumine is flattered. “Wait, you’re writing a song about me- my adventures?” It’s kind of embarrassing to say from the pure self importance it assumes but she is sure she hasn’t misunderstood him.

“Heheh. Would you like that?” He’s rubbing the back of his neck. Lumine forgets about redheads.

“It’s a little embarrassing.” She claps her hands together in her lap, feeling warm. “What are you going to say?”

“Nothing weird, don’t worry!” He’s quick to say. “Nothing private either.” He’s probably talking about the unknown god and the loss of her powers.

“It’s fine with me.” Lumine acquiesces. “Just don’t get carried away. I don’t want a bad reputation.”

“It’s not that kind of song.” Venti is quick to assure her. “It’s uhhh... well, you’ll find out.”

“You’re not going to tell me?”

“And ruin the surprise? Heheh, nah, you’re just going to have to wait and hear it when everybody else does.”

Before she can say anything in response, she covers a yawn. It must be well into the night by now.

“Oh, you must be getting tired. Sorry for keeping you so long. Didn’t you need to go do something? I totally forgot about that.”

So had she.

“It’s okay. I do need to get going now though.” She says it with a sigh, getting up to leave. “Good night... and good luck with your song.”

Venti beams like the sun. “Thanks! I have a feeling it’s going to go just swimmingly now. Good night!”

Leaving the room feels like re-entering the world as the lights and sounds of the city surround her once more. Funny, despite the music, it had felt so quiet in there. Like they were the only two people for miles.

Weird.