#oof my taste is mildly confusing

[bellysoupset]

Sicily - Part 7

Finally it's Vin's turn! This one gets mildly nsfw towards the end :)

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"Hydrate," Vince bossed, passing Leo the gatorade bottle and the other man rolled his eyes.

"You're not the boss of me," he scoffed, but took a large gulp regardless.

Vince's birthday had been yesterday and they had originally planned to sing him happy birthday with his whole giant family, the italian part too. However those plans had been delayed by a day since Leo had gotten so horribly sick no one felt in the mood to celebrate until he was back on his feet.

That meant the cakes, yes plural, Wendy had ordered and all the snacks were still in the fridge and by god was Vince salivating over them. He didn't mind the actual date getting changed, after all the whole week had been basically one big celebration of his birthday, but dammit did he mind not eating the cake.

Vince watched Leo finish drinking and then raise his eyebrows, all attitude as he said, "see? I'm fine. I've been fine since yesterday evening, chill out."

"I'm chill," Vin shrugged and indeed he felt that compared to Jonah and Luke, he was very very chill. Jonah was watching Leo like a hawk and Lucas had been distraught when him and Bella had come home the day before yesterday and found Leo bedridden with a fever and a bucket next to his head.

"You're all the opposite of chill," Leo sighed, rubbing his face, "so how should I dress for tonight? Should I break out the singular button up I brought?"

Vince couldn't help but chuckle. He nodded, "yeah and shave, sexy homeless man isn't exactly your look."

"Says you," Leo showed him his tongue like a kid, "Jonah says the stubble is hot."

"Jonah has horrible taste," Vince teased back, then let out a oof when Wendy sped in the room and threw herself on top of him, "jesus, Wen, don't do that!" he cried out, fixing her legs and rubbing the sore spot on his side where her elbows had hit him.

"Sorry, sorry," she said, distracted, sounding excited "you two have to look at this."

She was holding a magazine and she unrolled it. It was a 90s gossip magazine and Vince frowned, glancing at Leo, who looked equally confused.

"The fuck is that?" Leo asked and Wendy shushed him, pointing the cover.

It was a black model in her 30s, with extremely voluminous chocolate hair and striking green eyes, dressed in an emeralds dress that was clearly being blown back by a fashion fan. Vince squinted.

"Is that... Is that Jon's mom?"

Leo immediately perked up, scooting closer and studying her face, "Oh it totally is Jackie!"

Wendy nodded, opening the magazine, "wait for it," she said, flipping quickly through the pages and then opening in the article. There was another editorial picture of Jackie and Wendy flipped another page, then tapped it, grinning like a mad woman, "look at him!"

Little Jonah was sitting in his mom's lap, he couldn't be older than one. He had the cutest little afro and his eyes were more green than the current hazel they were. He was clad in a little shirt and social pants.

"OH MY GOD," Leo squealed, snatching the magazine, "he was the cutest fucking thing."

"Let me see," Vince grabbed the back of Leo's shirt, pulling him closer and opened a wide grin, "can we steal this magazine? Make copies?"

"It gets better," Wendy giggled, turning the pages again. She quickly passed by two different articles and one "what is your season?" quiz. Then reached the gossip column and slowed down, passing over familiar faces that Vince had seen before but couldn't name, until Wendy stopped in one and then pointed at it, "tell me this isn't the best thing ever!"

Leo leaned in to look and then started laughing, "oh my god, I need this to be my laptop's wallpaper."

Little Jonah, in a different outfit, was sitting in a little picnic tablecloth and next to him there was a different little boy. One Vince recognized far too quickly, because Lucas, unlike Jonah, still had a lot of his baby features.

Little Lucas had a mop of brown wavy hair and his eyes were lighter too and he was fighting Jon for his stuffed plushie. Around them Vince recognized Jackie, Luke's mom, two women he had never seen before and he assumed were nannies and a man an extremely sharp outfit and the tackiest blow out hairdo Vin had ever seen.

"Is that my dad?" Jon said, startling all three of them as he walked behind the couch, "what the fuck are you- Give me that."

"That's your dad?" Leo sat on his knees on the couch, trying to snatch the magazine back, but Jon slammed it shut. His cheeks turned darker with a blush.

"You three have no business digging through this old stuff."

"You and little Luke were so cute," Wendy teased him, "what happened with all that cuteness?"

Jonah looked like he wanted for the ground to open up and swallow him, "this is getting shredded" he said darkly and then glared at them, "where did you find this?"

Wendy blushed, "uh... I was just looking around the house...Found this in an office upstairs..."

"My dad's office?" Lucas said, jumping off the last step of the stairs, "the one with the albums on the wall?"

"Yeah, that one..." Wendy's face was red at being caught snooping, "I'm sorry, I was just bored-"

"No, it's fine," Lucas shrugged, while Vince frowned.

"Uhm... Are we not gonna talk about the fact there's a magazine on Jon's sexy mom in your dad's office or...?"

"Shut the fuck up about my mum!" Jonah exclaimed, holding the magazine protectively to his chest, while Wendy gasped and Lucas rolled his eyes,

"Shut up, Vince."

"I'm not saying anything!" He laughed, looking between the two of them, "just that your dad was a serial cheater and Jonah had green eyes as a baby, just like you."

"SHUT UP!" Jonah exclaimed, while Leo let out a wheeze, falling on his back while laughing and exclaiming.

"OH MY GOD!"

It was the fact that Lucas looked absolutely unbothered by the joke that had Vince's laughter dying in his throat. He widened his eyes, ready to exclaim wait, really?! But Livia interrupted him, running in the room and throwing herself on Jon.

"Why aren't you dressed!" she exclaimed, hugging him by the middle "we're going to Vinny's party!"

"Yeah," Jonah smiled to her, then glared at the rest of them, "go get fucking dressed and stop saying Luke's stupid father boned my mum, thanks."

Livia gasped, wrapping her arms around his neck as he picked her up, still holding the magazine.

"Bad word!"

"Oh I'm so sorry, darling, but they're morons, they deserve it," Jonah's voice trailed off as he carried Livia down the hallway with him.

Leo let out a wheezing breath, "oh man, that was too funny," he sighed, wiping the tears from the corner of his eyes and rubbing his side, "my stomach hurts from laughing."

Vince glared at Lucas, "please say that's not possible."

"I don't know and I don't wanna know," Luke shrugged, not looking even a little bit as amused as they were, "he's right, we should start getting dressed if we don't wanna be late to your grandma's house, Vin."

He got up too and Leo gladly took the hand Luke stretched out, both of them going back upstairs. Wendy let out a giggle, falling against Vince's side.

"So, you and I agree they're totally half brothers, right?" she whispered, causing Vince to snort.

"Absolutely," he agreed, grabbing her legs and throwing Wendy up in his arms, getting up too while she let out a squeal, wrapping her arms around his neck and continued to laugh.

Nonna Monacelli's place was fifty minutes away from Luke's summer house, in a tiny town. It wasn't big or fancy like the house they were staying at, but Vince immediately felt like crying the minute he crossed the threshold, his family and friends right behind him.

He remembered every corner of that place. He remembered sleeping over at his nonna so many times that he had his own room - that once used to be his father's. It was his father's side that was from Sicily, his mother's people were from Rome and they didn't talk much.

His nonna was well into her eighties, almost ninety, but she was still very active. She lit up as they entered the house and quickly ushered them to backyard.

Vince hadn't been to a real italian party in so long, but he immediately felt at ease. He watched, with a smile, as his grandmother made a face to the cakes they were carrying.

"I made cake!" she exclaimed in italian, offended, "you don't need store bought!"

Wendy frowned, "what is she saying...?" she asked and Vince grinned.

"I think she's declaring you her mortal nemesis, honey."

"Oh shut up," she scoffed.

It was funny to smack his friends right in the middle of his family that only spoke italian, but Vince needn't have worried. Lucas and Jon both knew enough not to die and his parents were engaged into translating.

Besides, certain things didn't need translation.

None of them needed translation to know the music was for dancing and none of them needed translation to know when to sing happy birthday, in the weirdest chorus Vince had ever heard, of english and italian mixing together.

His grandma, Ludovica, tugged on his earlobe 24 times and then pulled him into a hug, letting out a yell when he pulled her off her feet.

Vince grinned, planting her down and then pointing Wendy, "nonna, this is my grilfriend, Wendy" he said in italian, before quickly translating it in english.

"Tell her she's beautiful," nonna said, studying Wendy, "and to let her hair grow."

"I will-"

"And say thank you for bringing my grandson home."

"Alrigh-"

"And that if she ever orders another cake in my house she'll be kicked out."

Vince laughed, translating the entire thing and Wendy blushed, touching her hair in a self conscious manner, "I'm sorry nonna!"

"She sounds very american," Nonna scoffed, "tell her she needs to learn italian."

"I'm not telling her that," Vince rolled his eyes, kissing his grandma's temple, then flashed Wendy a smile as he said, "I promise I'll eat your cake too, nonna."

"You better," his grandmother huffed, before moving away.

Wendy pouted, looking at him, "So? What did she say?"

"She just told me to eat her cake," Vince translated partially, pulling Wendy by her hand as the music slowed down. He twirled her around. She was wearing a peach drapey dress and it created a circle as she twirled.

Wendy smiled, her hand small and dainty in his and she threw her weight partially back so she could get a good look of his face, "oh no," she pouted in an amused way, "whatever will you do, big guy? You know you can't touc-"

"Well, obviously, I'm gonna eat it," Vince shrugged, snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her closer. Wendy rolled her eyes, still smiling.

"Amore mio," she dragged the words, "you can't even glance that cake's way. It's all milk. That's why I bought a second one."

"And risk breaking my nonna's heart? No chance," he twirled her again and this time Wendy's back pressed against his chest, so he leaned in to whisper in her ear as they swayed from side to side, "besides, my girlfriend is into tummy aches, so I don't think she'd mind."

Wendy's face turned beet red as if he had just whispered her the filthiest thing and she scoffed, looking ahead, "doesn't mean I want you to get one purposefully-"

"No?" Vince said in a quizzical manner, enjoying the fact no one was paying them much mind and nibbling on her earlobe, "what if I kinda enjoy it too?"

"But you don't," Wendy said, forcefully pulling back so she could glare at him, "you can't lie to-"

"I'm not lying," Vince shrugged, "just a little tummy ache is not the end of the world, I want my grandma's cake. It's my birthday goddammit... And belly rubs do sound like an added bonus."

Her pupils were blown in her eyes and he could tell she was struggling to string together a coherent thought. It made his chest ache with pride. That was the kind of distraught, lustful eye contact he only got in the bedroom, it made him terribly smug that he could get her this worked up over only a few words.

"Cat got your tongue, sweetheart?"

She scowled at him, cheek red and then glanced at the cake table, then back at him, "...You can't eat it now," Wendy decided, voice all breathy.

Vince nodded, pulling her closer again and she pressed against him. If he pressed a little closer, he could feel she had the start of a boner, trapped by the shapewear. He smiled, cheek meeting her temple.

"Alright, honey. When can I eat it?"

"When we're almost going home," she whispered, breath hot against his neck, "so you're all mine when it hits."

"Okay," he continued to sway them, "just one slice, I don't want to puke."

"Uhm..." she hummed and he wasn't sure if she wanted him to be sick or not, but Vince decided to call the shots in this one. He didn't want to spend his birthday night praying to the porcelain god.

He glanced over her head, letting out a sigh as Wendy rested her forehead to his shoulder, enjoying the music. He could see Luke and Bell and Leo and Jonah dancing too. Leo looked beyond surprised that Jonah could slow dance like a pro and Bella and Lucas were in their own little world, foreheads pressed together, eyes closed. His father was trying to convince ma to join him in the dancefloor.

"Thank you," Vince whispered in Wendy's ear, "for all this. It's the best gift I ever got."

She let out a huff, turning her face in order to kiss his cheek, "you deserve this, my love."

The party went on for a while still, stretched into the night aided by all the wine.

Vince chuckled as he watched his dad drunkenly intermediate a conversation between Bella and his uncle, flipflopping between english and italian and failing miserably.

"Happy birthday, man," Lucas jumped on his back, squeezing him into a big hug and planting a kiss to his cheek. Vince let out a choked out noise at the sudden weight and they nearly fell, but he managed to hold the man after some stumbling, Lucas giggling the entire time.

"You're killing me!"

"Oh deal with it," Lucas squeezed him again, but let go, in time for Leo to tackle him in a hug.

Vince couldn't help but laugh, all air escaping him as the blonde squeezed him by the middle, Jonah getting dragged by Bella by his wrist as they piled him in a big group hug.

He wheezed for air, "okay okay, let me go!"

"No," Leo mumbled, voice muffled by his shirt and Vince laughed, losing his balance and causing all five of them to fall in the middle of the grass in a pile of limbs.

"You're crushing my arm!" Lucas cried out, giggling still and Vince tried to roll away, only for Leo to cry out at the movement and Bella scream "Jonah you're pulling my hair- Stop-"

"It got caught in my cufflink!"

"What are you doing?" Wendy laughed, walking over and crouching down in order to free Bella's hair from the tangle around Jonah's wrist, only for Lucas to grab her arm and pull her to them.

She fell on top of Leo and Vince with a yell and Jonah cackled, while Bella slapped Wendy's bum since it was right up her face and caused the other girl to let out a squeal and giggle.

Finally they managed to straighten up, still all shaking with wine fueled giggles. Sophia let out a scoff as she passed them by.

"Seems like you're turning four, not twenty four," she said, causing Vince to flip her off, his chest hurting with how happy he was.

"Okay guys, I think my nonna is gonna kick us out any minute now, we should go," Vince said, an hour later, as it was almost 2 AM. Bella nodded, getting up from her seat.

"I drive," she declared, which was wise, seeing as she was the most sober from all of them.

"We're staying," his mother said, waving him off when Vince circled the table to tell them they were leaving.

"Buona notte, mamma," He nodded in understanding, kissing the top of her head and smiling when his father hugged him again. Vince messed Sophia's hair as he passed her by, causing the teenager to hiss and slap his hand away.

"Where should I put her?" Jonah whispered and Vince let out a snort. Livia was completely passed out in his arms, drooling on his shoulder.

"I never pegged you for such a softie," Vince grinned, guiding him back inside the house, "put her in my old room, it's the last door in the hallway."

"You're not leaving without taking cake," nonna scoffed, "you're so skinny, you poor thing. Don't they have food in America?"

She filled a plastic tupperware with all sorts of snacks and another one with cake, out of pettiness not even touching the two beautiful cakes sitting on her table, that already had some slices missing.

They had come in two different cars, but since they had left one for his parents, now they were all squeezed in one. Leo was giggling, sitting up front on the passenger's seat, on Jon's lap, while Wendy was squeezed between Luke and Vince in the backseat, Bella driving.

"C'mere," Vince grabbed Wendy's waist, pulling her to sit across his lap, while Lucas reached in the space between the two front seats in order to grab some of the snacks in the tupperware that Leo was holding.

Wendy uncovered the tupperware with cake, breaking off a piece and holding it up to his mouth and Vince grinned, biting it off. It was what used to be his favorite: dulce de leche and chocolate, squished between two layers of a spongy vanilla batter.

He nibbled at her fingertips, letting out a moan when the flavor exploded in his mouth and eagerly finishing up the slice in four more bites. Wendy bit into the next one herself, nodding with a groan, "yeah, this is really good."

"Let me taste," Lucas said, grabbing his own slice and letting out a hum, licking off his fingers, "Bell did you try the cake?"

Vince was salivating for more, but he firmly dug his metaphorical heels. He didn't want to suffer too much, he just wanted the cuddles and tummy rubs and for Wendy to have that look in her eyes as if she was about to explode in flames.

"Wow," Leo grumbled as the car finally came to a stop and he jumped out, "I didn't realize I was so drunk until now."

Jonah laughed, wrapping an arm around his neck, "c'mere, baby. Let's get you to bed."

Bella was leaning heavily on the car as she undid the straps of her heels and Wendy winked at her, tugging on Vince's hand to pull him inside the house.

She was almost vibrating out of her skin as they entered the bedroom and Vince sat down with a groan, falling flat on his back against the pillows and chuckling, tipsy.

"My face is on fire," Wendy whispered, locking the door and walking to him, "I feel high."

"You kinky deviant," Vin chuckled, but his voice was less breathy. He grabbed her hand, planting it over his stomach, "it's bubbling here."

She could feel it. His stomach was packed full with two slices of the non-lactose cake and other foods, wine mixing everything together. Wendy danced her fingers over his skin, "hurts?"

"Not yet," he struggled with the buttons of his shirt, "I'm all yours."

Wendy let out a little huff as she patted his thigh, "lie against the pillows," she bossed, removing her own heels while he did so and then crawling on the bed. She sat on his lap, undoing his belt and pants and Vince let out a little relieved sigh.

She had seen him more stuffed before, straight up looking pregnant, but today he was looking good enough to eat. His belly was rounding out nicely, poking over his boxers and pushing gently against the buttons of his shirt. Wendy busied herself undoing the buttons one by one, leaning in to plant a kiss at every little inch of exposed skin.

He cupped the back of her head, fingers curling on the wavy hair and Vince combed his fingers through them, guiding her kisses to where his stomach was churning the most, "I can feel it right here."

"Here?" Wendy planted her lips over his skin, then Vince let out a surprised chuckle as she bit him. Teasing and light, not enough to leave a mark, but enough to send a jolt of desire down his body. Vince nodded, his mouth drying up.

As if wanting to join the party, he could feel his tummy finally making sense it had been fed its mortal enemy The Milk, because suddenly there was a loud whine from his midsection, loud enough that Wendy pulled back with a chuckle.

"Oh no, we upset it," she said, her voice deeper.

Vince let out a groan, one he wasn't playing up for her. Suddenly everything didn't feel as good in his belly and he shifted uncomfortably in the bed, "okay, I was promised tummy rubs, honey."

"I know, I know," Wendy nodded, planting both her hands on his stomach, fingers drumming his belly. The lightly bloat was getting worse, not enough that she could see anything, but enough they'd soon take notice of it.

Wendy rubbed her thumbs on each side of his stomach, in deep circular motions and then dragged them up, towards his navel. Vince let out a grunt, squirming and Wendy tried not to show just how much every little noise was turning her on.

"Here," Vin grabbed her hand, wincing and planting it over his belly button, "right there."

She pressed her palm flat in, in a half circle motion, in and out, and Vince pressed a fist to his mouth, letting out a sick belch, "ugh, I shouldn't have done this with my favorite cake," he scoffed at his own silliness and leaned his head back, "keep rubbing."

"It's so gurgly," Wendy whispered, leaning in so she could hear the noises better, licking her lips when there was yet another loud whine from his tummy, "it's amazing this is all from one slice."

"Uhm, amazing," Vin said sarcastically, pushing his own hand against his left side and letting out another airy, weak burp, "it hurts here."

"It's where you had those stitches," Wendy noted, gently rubbing her hand over the area and working up another delicate burp from him, "you're so dainty tonight, Vince."

"I know, right? A gentleman," he grimaced as she moved on his lap and caused the cake to splash in his throat, "ugh, wait, don't squirm so much, you're giving me reflux."

Wendy let out a sigh under her breath, heartbeat in her ears as she nodded and continued to stroke and rub his upset tummy, forcing up a gentle burp here and there.

"I can feel just how turned on you are by this," Vince mumbled a couple minutes later, relaxing a little bit. Wendy blushed.

"It's not like I can control it-" she started to defend herself, only for Vin to pull at the front of her dress and bring her mouth in for a kiss. She let out a little surprised noise, before kissing him back, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He smiled against the kiss, rolling them on the bed and Wendy let out another moan as she felt his stomach press against hers, "you're gonna make it worse," she whispered against his ear, locking her legs around his torso.

Vince let out a scoff, starting to kiss her neck, "as if you mind," he mumbled, pushing the straps of her dress and letting out a little groan as his belly immediately took his words as a challenge. He leaned in, pressing a little sick burp against her chest, while Wendy stroked his hair back.

"You said you don't wanna be sick," she scoffed, pushing his shoulders, "I'm not gonna make you sick. Lie back down."

"Uhm, changed my mind," Vince teased, but he allowed her to push him on his back again and sighed in relief when the movement reduced the nausea, "it was one little slice, this is ridiculous."

"It's fucking hot, that's what it is," Wendy teased, sliding down on the bed so she could press her cheek to his chest, hand resting on his belly, "close your eyes."

"I wanted to fuck," Vince whined and she let out a loud cackle, turning her face to muffle it against his skin.

"You absolute dweeb," she shook with giggles, "you can't even make out without feeling queasy. Hush."

"This is the most convoluted kink ever, honey," Vin sighed, closing his eyes as he felt his stomach churn in a queasy manner, Wendy pressing little kisses over it and still rubbing.

"We just need to get a hang at this, that's all," she whispered, voice thick with lust and then leaned in, kissing him again, "happy birthday, love."

[subterranianhomesickalienx]

"Rules: We're snooping your playlist. Put your entire music library on shuffle and list the first ten songs, then choose ten victims."

thanks for tagging me @swampsong13 !!!

here goes:

bury me- the luka state

loving is easy- rex orange country

arabella -arctic monkeys

globe alone -blur

the lifes they wished they had -slaves

halfway to nowhere -chelou

nobody -mitski

the national anthem -radiohead

connection -elastica

kansas -gorillaz

i'll tag @kristines-galaxy-of-blackholes @beetlebun @s1eepingp0wder @pbandj-starz @goldengrahamcracker @pbandj-starz and whoever else wants to do this! soz i didnt know who to tag. if u dont want to you obviously dont have to do this ^^

[fanficparker]

Faking, Falling > Part 9

Harrison Osterfield x Reader (Fake dating! Unrequited love switcheroo!)

Word count: ~2.4k words

Warning: Swearing, mentions of anxiety, mild angst and a little fluff if you flinch ;) Also a lot of this may seem bullshit but *shrugs*

Summary: Dreams and reality...

<< PART 8 [ MASTERLIST ] PART 10 >>

Harrison threw a slightly thick blanket on the floor and a thin one on the top with a pillow. You had slept long before while discussing all the rules of the fake dating thingy. He had nicely tucked you in the bed, kept your notebook, glasses and phone secured on the bedside table, switched off the lights and now he was trying to sleep on the floor, holding a spare pillow tucked under his arm.

No. He couldn't sleep. Maybe because the floor still felt cold and hard on his back. He sat up, switched on that little lamp on the side table and took your notebook. Lying again on the little blanket-bed he made, he flipped through the pages. Occasionally, glancing at the rough sketches of flowers, sceneries, stick models with dresses, he ended up settling on the page you jotted down the rules of your fake dating contract in your handwriting. He started re-reading it.

Rule #1: Being a good listener. Not arguing till the other is finished explaining their stance.

"Believe me, Y/n if we don't stop arguing, there is no way this act is gonna last thirteen days. In a matter of hardly six hours, we have already fought for more than five times. This is far too unstable for any relationship." He had suggested this rule.

Rule #2: Being comfortable with each other. Start with holding hands, sharing glances at each other (not threatening ones), wrapping hands around the other's waist, giving a hug, little kisses on cheeks and forehead etc.

"I know I was the one coming up with this fake relationship thing. But as hard it is for me to accept, still, I will say the truth." You sucked in a breath as he looked at you, waiting for the truth. "Whenever you're sweet to me, I feel as if it's just an act and that you were actually plotting something against me. I am afraid to trust you."

His head hung low as a sharp blow of pain made the way into his heart. Guilt, regret and anger for himself rushed through his veins. His palms were again getting sweaty, it was again becoming hard for him to breathe. And maybe you noticed that. He felt your soft hands on the back of his own hand. He lifted his head to look at you, you were looking at him concerned.

"But I will like to try. I will like to give you a chance. Please make me trust you, Harrison." You pleaded.

Rule #3: Know each other. Like: individual likes, dislikes; having a friendly banter, sharing little tid-bits of life events etc.

"We should know each other better. That's the only way we could develop any understanding between us." You had suggested.

Rule #4: Just one kiss at your friend's wedding reception party, just for show. Or only in situations when it's absolutely necessary.

"We don't need any practice. People turn their heads away when they see people kissing." You told.

"Yeah. If we are comfortable with each other's touch, we could make anyone believe this is real."

That's when he noticed your hand was still on top of his hand. And he gave it a little squeeze. For assurance.

Rule #5: Calling each other with cute nicknames, sometimes.

Rule #6: Doing little stuff like making breakfast etc. to make the other feel special.

Rule #7: Try to be out of the house as much as possible, away from my parents so that we can take this act lightly.

And then the last rule. You both thought you had already ruled out all the necessary things until you said something that made him add another rule to this contract.

"So finally, we are done! Oof." You sighed dramatically looking at the seven rules.

"Yes," Harrison grinned, "But it's going to be tough acting continuously for so long. We need to be extremely alert."

"I may need to work hard but I guess it will be very easy for you." You said making him confused.

"And why's that?"

You rolled onto your back, hands folded beneath your head.

"You have done this before."

"How?" He asked, his eyebrows seemed to connect.

"That's how everything started Harrison! You acted like you liked me a lot for almost a month and then blew everything off at that party. How can you forget?" You said rolling to the other side, facing away from him. He stood there thinking, engulfed in silence and came up with the last rule, a rule you were sure wasn't necessary, but according to him it was:

Rule #8: We will part our ways as soon as the act ends and never meet again.

He closed the notebook reading all the rules and kept it back on the table, switching off the lights. He laid down and closed his eyes in a hope to sleep peacefully.

***

"You would have never done this if it wasn't for her. Right, Harrison?"

The voice startled him. Because it was his own voice. Was he talking in his head? He felt his body tensing. He opened his eyes. And there he was. He.

Harrison could see Harrison standing right in front of him. He looked around. He was sitting inside the costume room of the same studio where he was shooting for his previous role. The costume room you worked in.

"If she was anyone else, you would have treated her worse. Isn't it Harrison? Why is she an exception?" The other Harrison spoke again.

"Who the hell are you and whom are you talking about?" Harrison started to panic. His hands were again sweaty and breath heavy. The other Harrison chuckled and moved to sit across him.

"I am you, Harrison. Can't you see that?" The other (that's what Harrison decided to call his 'lookalike, clone??' till he could figure out anything) said. Or maybe he was just dreaming...

He tried to stand up from his chair but realised that he couldn't. He couldn't move at all, not even his hands. He was stiff like an inanimate object. The other laughed at him. His anxiety worsened.

"Look you can't move. There is no use of crying or panicking." The other said simply, shrugging his shoulders. Was he crying?

"What is happening? Who are you? Who is 'she'?" His voice was already cracking and maybe he was actually crying because it felt like he was begging.

"Stop fighting with your past Harrison. Accept it! And don't hide it. Tell it to someone, stop suffering alone!" The other said. No. He was not just saying—he was begging too.

"I don't understand." Harrison pleaded and he could taste his warm, saline tears that slid down to his mouth.

"Tell Y/n about Shelly. About Tom and gang. About yourself." The other suggested.

"Why would I do that?" Harrison's eyes furrowed like his question actually was—Do you think I am crazy?

"Because it will make you feel less guilty. And less alone."

"But why her?"

"You know better." The other stated and looked to the side for a second and then back at him, "Because she thinks this fake relationship is easier for you. Because she thinks you have pretended to like her before. But she doesn't know that you actually liked her."

"Bullshit," Harrison spat. He wished he could just get up from the chair and hide somewhere.

"If that's bullshit then why did you liked her smile and laughter so much. The days you spent with her to make her believe you were interested in her weren't actually a make-belief thing. Weren't you actually liking her? You dragged her to roller skate with you. Your heart fluttered whenever she held your hand to balance herself. Whenever you made something new in the breakfast, you packed a little portion for her, just to see her smile at your attempt. You wanted to keep staring at her whenever she was fixing your costumes. She was the first thing you wanted to see upon reaching the workplace. You were---"

"I stopped it. After the prank was over I stopped feeling anything for her." Harrison argued.

"Then that's why you couldn't sleep seeing her crying face that night? That's why you took two-day leave, afraid you won't be able to face her. That's why you didn't want her to go on that date with Simon.

"The thing that you were actually pretending was not to like her, but to dislike her. You searched for ways to spend time with her even when it came in the cost of annoying her. You almost stopped fucking random girls after you started spending time with Y/n.

"The reason you took on your snobby personality was not because you considered people didn't deserve you. It was because you think you don't deserve anyone. Especially her." The other said and sighed, Harrison's eyes were concentrated on him and he was no more crying.

"But she hates me now," Harrison mumbled. The other smiled at his words.

"You know what type of person she is. She tries to be angry and mad at people but as soon as they apologize or be nice to her, she couldn't stop but forgive. You have seen it multiple times yourself."

"And I hurt her every time. It feels like I am using her, exploiting her." Harrison closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath.

"She doesn't even know you properly. Get out of your veil and tell her about you, your past, your mistakes---"

"They are terrible. She'll think I am trying to make excuses for my behaviour." Harrison says cutting him off.

"Tell her. You have thirteen days with her. You started to care for her no matter if it was for that stupid prank but remember those were also just thirteen days. You can make her feel something for you too. Thirteen days aren't less if you try hard and she has actually given you the biggest opportunity. Be the best fake boyfriend, so when it's over, she'll want you for real!" The other stood up from his seat like he won a prize, happy and excited. Harrison tried to laugh but the laughter came out more like a snort. "I don't deserve her. And also, I told her we won't see each other again after this contract is over."

"Let her decide that."

Harrison suddenly started feeling like he was mildly shaking. But the other was perfectly balanced.

"She's here. Tell her about you. Give 'yourself' a chance, Harrison." The other smiled and suddenly all Harrison could see was darkness and all he could feel was his shaking body, all he could hear was his name—your voice.

He fluttered open his eyes. It took him a few seconds to adjust his vision to the lights and then he saw your face and felt your hands on his face and shoulder.

"Harrison?" You said again.

It was all a dream. Thank god. He sighed. He then tried to sit up and felt pain shoot up to his back. Sleeping on the floor was hard.

"You were mumbling in your sleep. And whimpering. Badly." You said and he looked at you with more focus and then looked at his shaky hands and felt hot. His body was covered in sweat.

"Harrison, are you listening?" You asked, more worried. He looked at you again trying to catch your eyes that were roaming all across him.

"Yeah. Yeah." He finally spoke and heard you sigh. Relieved. You moved a bit to give him more space to sit properly and he did.

"Why were you sleeping on the floor. You'll hurt your back and even get cold."

He didn't answer right away, re-thinking about his dream. Yeah, Y/n can't actually be completely mad at someone. Or it was just because of the contract. He doubted.

"Harrison do you have anxiety?" You asked softly and came closer to him, wiping off the sweat from his forehead with your hand. He wanted to hug you and cry pathetically on your shoulder.

"Don't sleep on the floor please." You were basically the only one speaking. You were genuinely worried. You got up and gave him your hand. "Get up. Sleep on the bed." Your voice was mildly authoritative now. Harrison looked at you and your outstretched hand and then took it. He stood up, already feeling far better than the terrible minutes before.

He did have anxiety. Bad anxiety. And it was getting worse for the last two months. You made him sit on the bed and then walked to your cupboard to get a hand towel. You sat across him, your knees bumping with his as you softly wiped off the sweat from his hair, face and arms. He just sat their silent, watching you.

"You should remove your t-shirt, it's wet." You said. He felt the wetness himself and removed it. You handed him the towel. "Wipe yourself. Do you need another shirt?"

He shook his head. "No, I am feeling hot." He said and start wiping off the sweat from his chest.

"I will get you some water then." You tapped his shoulder. You walked to the table and poured a glass of water. He had kept the towel aside along with his shirt. You handed him the water sitting beside him as he gulped it as if he was thirsty for hours.

"You sure, are okay?" You again asked. He nodded keeping the glass down.

"Thanks." He whispered wiping off the water from his lips with the back of his hand and laid down on the bed feeling more tired than he was before. You picked up the covers from the floor and gave it to him, he tucked himself under them. You switched off the lights and got inside the covers. You placed the spare pillow between you both and tried not to worry about him.

***

"You should sleep." You told him sleepily feeling his eyes on you. It was more than fifteen minutes you both were lying on the bed. He groaned lightly at your words and closed his eyes, breathing slowly.

He re-opened his eyes maybe after twenty minutes to look at you again. He didn't know why he was trying to stare at you. Maybe because he was afraid of sleeping now. But out of luck you had already turned your back towards him. He puffed out air from his nostrils and shifted in the bed, turning to the other side so that you both were facing in the opposite direction. He took off the pillow from the middle and tucked it under his arm. He closed his eyes again.

He wished he won't dream again.

He wished he could sleep.

He wished he wasn't holding the pillow in his arms, but you.

  ————-

A/N:  I should die in hell. wtf! I am so fucking unproductive and never upload on time. Fuck me!

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[cyberneticfire]

Disorientation

(Credit to Void!Al goes to @daydream-squad !)

(Previous Chapter: Rude Awakening)

Fandom: Hazbin Hotel

TW: Referenced death, Cursing, implied starvation

~~~

“Oh my gosh, this is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen Mr. Alastor do! I just wanna hop in there and hug him until-”

“Shh, Niff, you don’t wanna wake ‘em up,” A gruff voice interrupted the overeager chirping coming from the little maid. There was a sloshing sound that Alastor could place as a bottle of alcohol even in his half-awake state, and his brows furrowed in confusion. What were Husk and Niffty doing in his room?

....What was he doing in his room?

Even with the lingering confusion, the deer was currently swaddled in warmth and didn’t plan on moving as he snuggled closer to his heat source. Something fluffy was tickling his nose and he scrunched it up as the smell of strawberries of all things assaulted his senses. Cracking an eye open, white fur overtook most of his vision. Hm. His source of warmth also appeared to be breathing steadily beneath him.

“Oh shit, he’s processing,” Husk commented helpfully.

Processing...Oh. Oh. Propping himself up, eyes blown comically wide, the deer realized he was staring at Angel Dust’s sleeping face. Because Alastor was laying on top of him. The spider’s arms were still wrapped around his back, unconsciously trying to pull him back down to cuddle.

There was a second where the deer froze, a screech of feedback escaping, before he jerked away, kicking out and knocking the porn-star unceremoniously to the floor with a thud.

“Ow- Shit! What the hell-” Angel’s head popped back up, a hand pressed to his aching forehead while his eyes refocused. He was about to comment on Husk’s snort of amusement before Alastor caught his attention again. The deer was frozen stiff, arms hugging his chest, and expression a mix of mortified and confused. Angel was quick to remember the events prior to this morning and splay out his hands in a placating manner as he slowly stood.

“Okay, look, nothing happened! I was kinda worried about ya freakin’ out about this, but- we were just cuddling, I promise!” Alastor’s eyes flicked across the spider's face. “Al, I wouldn’t do anything without consent, you know that. I wouldn’t take advantage of you. You were just panicking last night and didn’t want to be left alone, remember?”

Now that he mentioned it...Last night was rather blurry, but Alastor did recall a humiliating amount of...clinging and...panicking. And now Angel was giving him a patient, mildly hurt, look that made him feel all the worse for jumping to conclusions. Dropping his hands into his lap, the tension seeped out of the deer as fast as it’d come.

“I...My apologies, Angel dear! I had a lapse in judgement, and it won’t happen again!” Did his voice sound energetic enough? Alastor was doing his best to project, but Husk was giving him a strange look that the deer couldn’t place. Oh well. He focused his attention back on the spider. “Are you alright? I didn’t mean to kick-” A loud rumble cut in, startling Alastor as he turned claws on his stomach at the oh-so-familiar pain. His eyes went a bit wider. Oh no, what happened with Charlie would not be allowed to happen again!

Husk and Niffty threw a look at each other before the little maid darted to the nightstand, then to the bed, all but flinging herself into the deer’s chest with her package. Alastor flinched letting out a startled ‘oof’ before quickly enveloping the younger demon in a hug. He had missed her dearly…it felt so nice to hold someone in his arms for the first time in what seemed to be ages. It was…unusual for him.

“Mr. Alastor, we’ve missed you so much!” she chirped, “You were gone and I cleaned the hotel so many times and set things up for the new patrons and cooked for the hotel and it was kind of a lot and the food was never as good as yours but-!” Niffty fired about twenty words per second at the deer - it was a good thing he’d grown used of her manner of speech - but it was still a bit difficult to comprehend much at the moment.

“Darling, slow down! It sounds like you did a marvelous job in my…absence… I couldn’t stand the thought of never hearing your voice again, so it’s only appropriate that I came back isn’t it-?“ Alastor paused at the watery sniffle and the wetness that dripped onto his arm.

Niffty’s big eye was brimming with tears, the little maid hardly holding them back. That made Alastor freeze before pulling her back into the embrace, ears drooping. “It’s alright dear, I’m back now… I don’t plan on dying…again.” The thought alone made his throat catch and his hands tremble, but the idea of needlessly breaking down again left a sour taste in his mouth. One time was too many. Niffty was the one in need of comfort.

“Dry those tears, doll,” he added in a softer tone, swiping a few of the tears away with his thumb, “and smile! You know you’re-“

“-never fully dressed without one,” she finished with him, letting out a little giggle. Alastor widened his own grin for emphasis, earning another shaky laugh before the little maid was pressing something warm and metallic into his hands. He glanced down curiously at the…thermos?

“It’s more broth,” Angel supplied helpfully, smiling a bit at the adorable pair. Not that he’d ever call Alastor adorable to his face- he liked breathing just a bit too much…Hm, it could be worth it to see the deer's expression, though. “Charlie said you couldn’t keep the first bowl down, and after last night you were out like a light faster than she could come back.”

Alastor took this in for all of two seconds before he was hurriedly uncapping the bottle. Niffty grabbed the bottom, narrowing her eye with a chiding, “Slowly!” before the deer could just chug it again. Alastor flashed a smaller smile but did as asked, tipping the bottle back and gulping down the contents slowly. Oh, Lucifer, he missed this.

Thankfully the deer was able to stop himself before getting sick this time, but Niffty stared intently when he went paler at the ensuing nausea. He waved the concern away. The feeling of fullness wouldn’t last long – it never did – but neither would it be as unattainable as it was in the Void… The sickness swirling in the deer’s stomach was unfortunately expected, but it was preferred to the constant, stabbing ache.

With a contented hum, he lowered the thermos to his lap, lightly pulling it away when Niffty tried to take it back. There was still some broth left. Alastor didn’t plan on giving up the food any time soon. She gave him a strange look but didn't push the issue.

Now it might be possible to think clearly. Surely, he had lost time to make up for! What did Charlie do without his help? Who was monitoring his radio tower? Did his absence affect the other overlords? There was simply no time to rest with so much to do!

“Right, well thank you for your company Angel Dust, Niffty for your care, and Husk for your…unusually pointed glaring! But I have much to catch up with and so little time!” Alastor shuffled to the edge of the bed prompting Niffty to jump down as he stood, summoning his staff with a gesture and going to step forward.

Three things went wrong in that moment. First, the deer’s legs buckled the instant they were on solid ground. Next, his microphone began screeching feedback, the eye that was normally so focused on him, darting erratically around the room. Last, but not least concerning, a sharp pain lodged itself in his chest, the traditional tug of magic replaced by a tearing sensation in his very core. It definitely felt like he was back in Hell with the static blaring in the room, his own thoughts becoming incoherent once again.

Alastor would never admit to being relieved that someone was there to catch him when his microphone and the container slipped from his grasp, staff clattering to the floor while making that horrid sound. Husk yowled, hands jerking up to cover his ears, Niffty had thrown herself down to grab the discarded thermos before broth could spill everywhere, and Angel Dust was the one to latch onto the deer before he could hit the floor.

“Alastor, turn that shit off!” Husk snarled, fur standing on end as he pressed his ears further down.

Alastor could certainly try to oblige! His own ears were similarly flattened against his head, but he was able to snap his fingers and unsummon the staff, making the static come to an abrupt stop except for the little bit still rolling out of his own chest. Now everyone looked to be in a disheveled state.

“Well,” Alastor broke the silence that followed, attempting to pull away from Angel and stand on his own, “that was certainly unexpected! But I still have things I need to-“

“Sit the fuck down, asshole!” Husk snapped, wings flaring as he shot a look to Angel. The spider’s eyes went wider, but he offered a nod, turning and pushing the deer to sit on the bed again.

“Uh, yeah Al, you’ve got to stay here. You didn’t let anyone explain shit to ya and you’re obviously in no condition to leave.” Angel crossed his top set of arms, the lower pair resting on his hips and making him look more like a sassy warden than a porn-star.

The deer's own claws began to sharpen, digging into the sheets at the tension thickening in the air. He didn’t like this. The deeply engrained ‘prey’ instinct was making his heart beat a touch too fast to be comfortable. Despite this fact, he did as he always would and forced his smile wider, faking nonchalance.

“Whatever do you mean? I can get caught up in no time! And I am perfectly fine, I simply need a moment to-“

“Shut up!” Husk cut in again, making his ire rise. “Shit has happened since you were gone! You fucking died Alastor, there’s no way in Hell you’re just ‘fine’, so cut the bullshit act!” That outburst certainly got the deer's full attention. “The world doesn’t revolve around you- you can’t just expect everything to be normal now!”

Couldn’t he? What would be the point of agonizing over something he couldn’t control? There was none, or so that’s what he told himself repeatedly as his hands began to shake more visibly.

“Uh, guys,” Angel interjected, eyes darting between the two bristling demons. Alastor ignored him in favor of narrowing his eyes at the cat.

“And why not? I’m back now! All of this extra fuss in unnecessary. I can go back to work, rest my powers, and get on with my afterlife!” The ache in his chest was getting steadily worse. He balled his hands into fists to hide the ever-growing tremors.

“Guys.”

Husk tucked his wings closer to his body, something new coloring his expression as he hissed, “Because things are different now. It doesn't work like that. I doubt you even have your powers! You can’t just ignore the fact that you were dead less than 24 hours ago, like you ignore everything else you don’t want to see! Where the fuck do you think your magic went, huh? Vox took the energy right after he put a fucking bullet between your eyes!”

“GUYS!”

“What?!” Husk shouted as they both snapped their heads towards Angel, Alastor seething internally while the cat was clearly resisting the urge to punch something. Angel had both set of arms crossed, mouth pressed into a thin line as he jerked his head towards Niffty.

The maid had a wide eye, little claws digging into the thermos as her gaze flitted between the pair. When she blinked in recognition at the silence and the realization that all eyes were on her, it wasn’t hard to notice the increased fidgeting. Before either Husk or Alastor could open their mouths to speak, let alone offer some comfort or apology, she was letting all her words tumble out in one breath. “Sorry, I’ll go and get Mr. Alastor some fresh clothes while I’m out and maybe some more soup because he’s still looking pretty hungry so I should probably hurry-!” And she was already out the door before she’d even finished, leaving a disappointed Angel, a stricken Alastor, and a very tired Husk.

“…Fuck.” Husk’s anger seemed to rush out in one sigh, shoulders slumping, wings drooping, tail stilling. There was a cold regard in his eyes. Alastor didn’t know how to react to this silent fury when he was used to flared wings, bared teeth, and comical irritation over the smallest slights. The cat’s eyes were dull and narrowed, so unlike the fiery anger or sarcastic indifference he was known for. There is lack of care, and then there’s whatever this was. Husk was supposed to be his closest companion…Alastor didn't know how to react to this type of anger.

Ears in a neutral position to match the other’s, Alastor watched the cat turn to glare, taking a long swig from his bottle of booze, before moving back to the door with a grumble. “I’m going talk to her. Don’t even fuckin’ think about leaving this damn room. Charlie, Niff’, and the others are already worried sick. Think about something other than your own goddamn pride for once.” Without another word he was gone, and the frustration bubbling up in the deer left, a coldness replacing it as he digested the words thrown at his face. Of course, he hadn’t thought of changes. Or Vox. Or of ever coming back. He’d lost hope of being brought back quite some time ago.

The mattress sank as Angel slowly sat down, hands clasped on his knees, but Alastor paid him no mind. There should’ve been anger, spite, annoyance burning through Alastor’s thoughts. Some sliver of irritation at Husk for insinuating such things, but…there was just an icy resignation gnawing at his very bones. A doubt that screamed Husk was right. He wasn’t fine. Things weren’t the same. He deserved to be yelled at.

Even so, the deer clung so desperately to the lie because he didn’t know what would happen if he let himself believe the truth.

Something in his mind had…broken. Not in the way he was used to. Not in the way that had him cackling at the sight of suffering, at inflicting it himself. This was different. Scarier. Why else would these intrusive thoughts be hurting him so? Alastor hugged himself in vain, knowing comfort wouldn’t come and that he shouldn’t want it regardless. He didn’t deserve it. Yes, something was well and truly wrong with him if Husk’s words actually bothered him. Judgement was something that held no power over him before…What had changed that?

“Al,” Angel shifted to put a hand on his shoulder, but the deer flinched away. Angel pulled it back, hands settling in his lap instead. “You know there is a lot of stuff to talk about…right?” The spider let out a nervous laugh. “Things have just been harder on a lot of us since you’ve been…gone. Husk didn’t take it well obviously. But whatever, I’m sure you probably have a pile of questions, huh? It’s a bit surprising just how much can change in just five months in Hell- whoa!”

Angel jolted forward with the exclamation as Alastor wobbled, his whole form lurching forward to clutch his head in his hands. Five months? It had been five months? There had been no way to tell time, so Alastor never could’ve known. The question was, had it been just five months, or had it been five unbelievably long months?

Was it a good thing to say he’d survived for so long? Or was he weak for having a full breakdown in that little time when compared to the decades he’d been alive? Such time was daunting when faced with starvation, sensory deprivation, insanity, but a look at his mental state in the mere months stacked against all of his time existing made him look pathetic. Must he be constantly at war with himself…?

“Shit, Charlie didn’t mention the time did she? Damn it…I’m sorry Smiles, I didn’t mean to upset you.” The words, punctuated with a slight guilt-filled gaze were lost on Alastor who hardly twitched while his thoughts rose in a crescendo, louder and louder in his mind until it was just him and his screaming internal dialogue.

Then everything came to an abrupt stop at the spider’s words. Slowly, Alastor mustered up the energy to raise his head, stare fixated on the far wall. Smile tight, ears flattened, Alastor was rather proud of how steady his voice came out.

“…I believe I should freshen up. Niffty said she would be retrieving a change of clothes and I very well can’t put it on filthy as I am, now can I?” The subject change was sudden, painfully so, but thankfully Angel seemed to catch on quickly.

“No, yeah a shower or bath or whatever the Hell you prefer sounds good! We’ll um…we’ll just talk when you’re done, yeah? Need help up?”

No, Alastor wanted to say. Unfortunately, his body still strongly disagreed, and he didn’t feel like dealing with his unruly staff at the moment. With a sigh he offered a stiff nod, allowing Angel to duck under his arm and help him to his feet.

His legs trembled like a newborn fawn’s for a moment under his weight but steadied by the time they got to the bathroom. Transferring his hold to the doorframe, the deer let his claws sink lightly into the maroon-tinted wood as he turned to face Angel.

“You gonna be alright in there?” A mischievous smile grew on the spider’s face as he crossed his arms, matching the amused glint in his eyes. “I doubt you’d want me seeing that adorably fluffy tail o’ yours anymore…” Said fluffy appendage twitched up in surprise while red flooded the deer’s cheeks.

“I- you- excuse me?” Alastor sputtered uselessly. Well, he supposed it was no shock Angel would comment on it considering his lack of overcoat, but he’d happily forgotten about the useless deer-like feature for some time! “No thank you-” maybe if he ignored it, Angel wouldn’t bring it up again! “I’ll be just fine, my dear! Now if you’ll excuse me,” he abruptly shut the door before Angel’s joking “You’re the deer!” could distract him.

Huffing he stumbled to the mirror, gripping the edges of the porcelain sink and glaring at his blushing reflection until the red receded. Then he shifted the glare to his tail for continuing to twitch against his will. This deer form really annoyed him at times! He didn’t like being called cute. He was infamous! Scary! A bloodthirsty serial killer! The damn Radio Demon!

“Ridiculous,” Alastor sniffed, moving to the shower and turning the water on, not satisfied with the temperature until steam filled the room. His mood sobered when he moved to unbutton his shirt, eyes drifting back to the bandages. Right…those would need to be cleaned as well.

Shrugging off his shirt, folding it, and setting it neatly to the side, he returned attention to his arms again. With a slow breath he unwrapped them, the pull on the healing gashes making him wince but not anything to bother with. The only thing truly filling him with dread currently was the impending conversation with Angel Dust…

“I’ll need to know sooner or later,” he muttered to the battered demon in the reflection. Regardless of what was wanted he would need to learn…The deer sighed, berating his lack of knowledge and composure at this trying time. Hopefully a hot shower would soothe his frayed nerves…

.

.

.

“Alright, spill.”

“Hm?”

“Whatever’s been making you stare at the wall for five minutes,” the voice snipped impatiently, “instead of paying attention to a word I’ve been saying.”

The tv-head finally turned his attention fully to the moth-demon lounging on the chair opposite of him. His screen wavered as he rolled his eyes, “It’s nothing, Val, I’m just thinking.”

That earned a snicker and a wave of one of four hands, “Bullshit. I can practically see the smoke pouring out of your pretty little head, Vox. Now,” he leaned forward, clasping his hands on the desk before him, “are you going to tell me what’s got you short-circuiting or not? I’ve got better things to do than watch you attempt to crash your systems for the day.”

Vox snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. He should’ve expected this. Nosy bastard. Though he did come specifically to talk about something related to this…Might as well get it over with.

“Alright, alright…It’s my magic.” Valentino gave him an unimpressed look, raising an eyebrow and peering down at him through his rose-tinted glasses. Vox sneered in response. “Something is wrong with it.”

“You aren’t losing your touch, are you? Too much power gone to your head?” The moth snickered, antenna flicking to the side as he fluffed up his coat.

Vox stared for a moment before letting out a boisterous laugh. “Hell no! I’m still as powerful as the day I toppled the damn Radio Towers! And when I took down the Radio Demon himself!” Despite this apparent confidence, his claws were tapping endlessly away at the table while the moth waited for the ‘but’.

“But…” There it was! “…There’s this weird feeling in my chest. A tiny pull on my magic. It’s fucking infuriating because it just kept getting more noticeable as the day went on.”

“…Which is why you called me,” Valentino finished mildly.

“Exactly! It’s annoying, and I’ve been switching through feeds all day to see if some idiot is trying to mess with me, but nothing seems out of order in or outside any of our territories.” Sparks skittered across his shoulders as a growl escaped. “I would be keeping a closer eye on that trashy hotel, but there aren’t many devices in there to spy from. Of-fuckin-course the princess would make sure of that. And god forbid we touch the daughter of Lucifer's stupid pet project…”

“Don’t worry about them, I’ve still got someone on the inside remember?” Valentino soothed, pulling out his phone and tapping away at the screen before sliding it over to Vox. The other overlord shot him a look before leaning forward to read the message sent.

I need you to keep an eye on things over there for me Angel Cakes.

Vox raised a brow, glancing up to Valentino with a chuckle, “You really trust him at all? You realize he was the one shooting at me when I went to take out good ‘ol Ally don’t you? I wouldn’t trust his word for shit.”

A laugh was the only response Valentino offered before gesturing to the phone again.

If anything unusual happens, you’ll be the first to know, boss.

“Angie is loyal to me. I own his soul! If he even thinks about betraying me I can put a stop to it faster than he can say ‘shit’. I think he learned his lesson after last time.” The overlord leaned back, smugness radiating from his expression. Angel would have to be an idiot to defy him again…

“You on the other hand, he never really cared for. You know I would’ve taken care of it when he shot at you, but there was no reason you couldn’t stop him yourself! As long as you don’t use a holy weapon I don’t care what you do. That is, if he’s directly in your way- otherwise he’s mine to deal with. I can't have you permanently damaging one of my best stars, no matter what ridiculous projects he busies himself with in his free time…”

Of course not; god-forbid Vox mess up any of Valentino's toys! …Still he processed the words, sparks of energy running through his antenna as he thought. “You already know why I couldn't stick around- What with the princess showing off a bit more of her demonic side…as much as any of us would hate to admit it, she is Lucifer's daughter.” He summoned a small wire, fiddling with it as he spoke. “When she lets her powers loose it would be all too easy for her to tear any demon apart, overlord or not…” a quick flick of the wrist and he snapped the wire in half for emphasis.

“I shouldn't have been surprised that she would be upset about me killing the red asshole considering he'd protected her and her friends beforehand…I just didn't expect Ally to ever get close to someone again. Or for him to risk his life to save anything other than his own sorry hide.” He let out a darker chuckle, discarding the broken wire in favor of throwing his arms over the back of the chair, resisting the urge to kick his feet onto Valentino's desk.

“Of course you wouldn't expect him to,” the moth grinned cryptically. “But, to be fair, I don't think anyone would've expected the Radio Demon to form any relationships… At the time he probably just considered the hotel his territory. Who's to say he wasn't just protecting said territory? ...And the people in it, I suppose.”

“Yeah, sure, but you weren't there Val. I've never seen anything like that from him before. It was like Al was a different demon. Sure there was the sarcasm and the ferocity and that damned grin hardly ever faltered, but there was also desperation.” The eyes on his screen narrowed hungrily at the memory, his grin stretching even wider. “I’ll admit it was nice seeing him knocked down a peg for once, cowering at my feet. Gaining his power to go alongside my own didn't hurt either…” At the mention his magic did an annoying little pulse again and he almost groaned in frustration.

“Yes, just be glad you had the proper weaponry to make sure he stayed dead.” It was hard for anyone to get their hands on a holy weapon in Hell. Being overlords meant he and Vox had more facilities and people to search with, but tracking down the weapons and retrieving them was still a bothersome business. The search was well worth it for the tv-headed demon considering he wanted the Radio Demon gone. Permanently.

“…And you're sure we'll know the first thing that seems unusual around there?” Vox prodded.

“Yes, and if Angie doesn't come through, you or I could always just go down there ourselves, couldn't we. No trouble would need to be had, just a bit of ‘checking in' I would say…But I still think you're looking into this too much.” The moth gestured with his hands. “You took in a lot of magic and I imagine your body is still getting acclimated to it.”

“Five months after the fact? This wasn't happening five months ago…” He sighed, leaning his head back against the chair. “…but whatever, I suppose you're right, I might just be looking too much into this…” Maybe he was getting a bit paranoid- After all he was used of having his rival of a few decades around to constantly keep him on his toes…It was a good thing they took care of that problem at least. Thanks to him, the Radio Demon was well and truly dead.

[ilovemygaydad]

title: sincerely (i hope)

pairings: pre-romantic analogical

summary: (prequel to together) logan is finding a lot of new things while sneaking out of the house. not all of them are good.

warnings: technically there’s no happy ending but in the context of the end of the story it’s just bittersweet so um.... yeah, virgil is kind of like a total asshole in this, lots of swearing, kissing, yelling, anger, verbal fighting, crying mentions, mentions of bad parents, arrest mention, vandalism mention, transphobia (not from the main characters), smoking, sarcastic use of pet names, and possibly something else

a/n: there is a possibility that i’ll write the intermediate portion of this fic and together. i’ve got an idea, but i thought it would be better to post this now instead of making you wait for another however many words

check my bio for commission info

check out my ao3

buy me a coffee

-

Logan had found the stream when he was trying to escape his parents.

It was late at night--too late for an adolescent person to be outside alone, really, but Logan couldn’t stand the freezing cold of his house for another second. It was a metaphorical cold since the one place where the house didn’t lack warmth was the actual temperature, which was nearer to boiling than habitable. But the white walls and white furniture and white lighting and very obvious lack of decorations made the house feel as if he were in the Antarctic rather than sunny Mississippi.

Logan was only being mildly dramatic.

The stream was only about twenty feet wide with tall grasses and reeds growing up on either side. There were trees dotted around, but Logan hardly thought that it could be called a forest. In all honesty, he was surprised that he had never been there before. The stream was less than a mile through the fields near his house, and there were all sorts of interesting rocks and things to look at. It seemed just up his alley.

After a few minutes of walking along the edge, Logan settled down on a fallen tree that halfway hung over the stream and looked up at the stars. He didn’t go back home until much, much later.

---

It had been a few months since Logan had found the river, and he had made it a nearly daily occurrence to go out and look at the stars. This, however, was very different.

Someone was sitting in his spot.

Well, it wasn’t his spot because he didn’t own it, but it really felt like it was his spot. Plus, he’d never seen anyone else visit in all of the months he’d been visiting. And this person was just... sitting there.

The stranger took a long drag of a cigarette and blew out a slow curl of smoke.

“What are you doing here?” Logan found himself asking, and the stranger yelped, almost falling off the tree into the water before catching themself and glaring back at Logan.

“Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you? Hasn’t anyone ever taught you not to sneak up on a guy? Jesus fucking christ.”

Logan quirked his head and took a look at the person on the tree. They were probably as young as he was; they had soft, round features and dark hair, and they seemed to have a penchant for excessive jewelry if their facial piercings were anything to go by. All in all, their whole aura just screamed angsty, no-good teenager.

“Hello?!” The stranger broke through Logan’s thoughts with an annoyed growl. “Are you going to say anything, or are you going to stand there and stare at me like a freak?”

“You’re in my spot.”

Wow, Logan, that was very intelligent of you to say in front of someone who very likely could kill you! 

“I’m sorry, what?” 

Logan winced, gesturing vaguely at the tree. “I always sit there.”

“Newsflash, asshole! The world doesn’t revolve around you. Suck it up.”

“Um, may I sit on the tree with you, then?” If he was being honest, Logan would rather not spend more time with this person than he had to, but he also didn’t want to go back home, so he decided to suck it up.

“Whatever,” the stranger snapped as they took another drag and moved to lay on the tree. Carefully, Logan climbed down the trunk to sit a few feet away from where their head was. They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes before they continued, “Why are you even out here? You’re dressed like you just got back from the country club.”

Logan glanced down at his jeans and polo and almost disagreed, but instead he said, “I don’t like my parents.”

“Oof. Mood. I’m supposed to be on house arrest right now.”

“Why?”

The stranger laughed, which almost startled Logan to hear. “’Cause I got arrested for spray painting ‘be trans, do crime’ on the high school, and my parents got pissed. Fuckin’ squares.”

“Did you just call your parents ‘squares?’“ Logan asked incredulously as he watched them exhale smoke.

“Yeah. You know, boring and conservative. Lame-asses.”

“No, I understand what a square is. I just don’t think I’ve heard someone use it in that connotation in... ever. Especially not from someone who seems to enjoy using such colorful language.”

The person smirked and tilted their head back to get a better look at Logan. “I’ve always been full of surprises.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” Logan quipped. “Were your parents more upset about the being arrested part or the trans part?”

“Definitely the trans part, oh my god. They went fucking ballistic, dude. I mean, like, full on ranting.” They screwed up their face and aggressively waved the cigarette around as they mocked, “‘You’re not a boy! You’re a girl! That’s what you’ve always been and always will be!’ Then I took one of the knives in the kitchen and hacked my hair off right in front of them. Their faces were priceless.”

“You’re a boy, then?”

“Yeah. He/him.” He stuck out his right hand, presumably for Logan to shake. “I’m Virgil.”

Not wanting to be rude, Logan took Virgil’s hand and gave it an awkward shake. “Logan. I also use he/him pronouns.”

“Lit. So what’d your parents do?”

Logan rolled his eyes and groaned, “God, don’t even get me started...”

---

Logan very quickly became accustomed to his new routine. Every night, he’d sneak out of his house to visit the stream with Virgil. The other teenager would always bring a few cigarettes despite Logan’s many lectures on the dangers of smoking. The two would talk and laugh and stargaze and just exist outside of the bullshit that was teenage life. Days became weeks, which became months.

“It’s really weird to not see you smoking for once,” Logan said as he approached Virgil, who was idly blowing bubbles with chewing gum from his perch on the fallen tree.

“Yeah, well, I’m kinda tired of you getting on my ass about it every day. Can’t you just let a guy live?”

Logan smirked and got into his usual position on the trunk (sitting with his legs wrapped around it and feet hooked together underneath). He leaned forward on his hands so that he was hovering slightly over Virgil’s face. “Someone’s got to have some common sense here.”

“Hey! I’ve got plenty of common sense, asshole,” Virgil protested, swatting at him playfully.

He quirked an eyebrow. “You nearly fell into the water last week because you decided to be an idiot and tried to see how far down the tree you could walk before it wouldn’t hold your weight.”

“It was for science, Logan!”

“You can’t ‘for science’ everything, Virgil. That isn’t how life works.”

"Ugh, whatever. You never appreciate my experiments.”

Logan smiled down at Virgil. “That’s not true. I enjoyed the one where tested who could skip rocks better.”

The other boy pouted and whined, “You just liked that one ‘cause you won.”

“Perhaps.”

“Smug bastard. You need to shut your damn mouth.”

“And how do you suggest I do that?”

It was Virgil’s turn to raise an eyebrow, and his fingers toyed with the open front of Logan’s jacket. “Do you remember the first time we met, and I said that I’m full of surprises?”

“Yes?” Logan answered, confused. “I don’t see why that’s relevant--”

The words were forced back into his mouth as Virgil simultaneously pulled down on the jacket and pushed himself up until their lips crashed together. And Logan--wow, Logan had never kissed anyone before, and he was nearly certain that this would be considered a terrible kiss to anyone else, but to him, it was incredible. Virgil’s lips tasted like cool peppermint, and a similarly cold sensation ran through his veins as his face turned hot.

After a few seconds, Virgil lowered himself back down, and Logan was left in a shocked haze as the other boy blinked up at him through his long lashes.

“Dude, you good? You’ve literally never been so quiet.”

“I--you kissed me,” Logan whispered, too startled to think anything else.

“Yeah? I was trying to get you to shut up. It’s no big deal, Logan.”

“What do you mean that it’s no big deal?! You kissed me, Virgil!”

Virgil rolled his eyes and snorted. “I’ve kissed tons of guys before. You’re not special, sweetheart.”

“Right,” Logan affirmed, straightening up. “Of course.”

“Atta boy!” Virgil crooned as he reached up and patted Logan’s cheek.

“Oh dear, I’ve just remembered that I have a test tomorrow that I need to study for. I’ll see you later, Virgil.” Scrambling up, Logan quickly shuffled up to the shore and away from the stream.

Virgil popped up into a sitting position and made a move to follow. “Wait, you just got here!”

“I know. I’m so sorry, Virgil, but I really need to go.” Logan heard Virgil’s feet hit the grass, but he just kept walking. If he tried to look at Virgil right now, there was absolutely no doubt that he would start crying.

“Logan--”

“Will you let it go?! God, Virgil, just fucking waste your time smoking,” he snapped, not looking back.

“What is your problem--”

“MY problem?!” Logan screeched hysterically as he whipped around to face Virgil. “What the fuck is your problem? I had never had my first kiss, and you had the gall to not only take it from me, but you also told me that it meant absolutely fucking nothing! I can never get that experience back because your selfish ass decided that I was nothing more than a toy to you!”

“That’s not--”

“That’s not what? That isn’t what you meant? Wow, Virgil, I didn’t take you for such an actor!”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to be such a prick about it!”

Logan felt his blood run cold, and he snarled, “Get the hell away from me.”

“It didn’t mean anything--”

“It sure meant something to me, so speak for your own damn self.”

The other teen opened his mouth to respond, but Logan beat him to it. “I sincerely hope that I never have to interact with you again.”

With that, Logan walked away.

[hermannsthumb]

hey idk if u take prompts like this but I love ur work; there’s a line in Hozier’s song Talk that says “so I’ll try to talk refined, for fear that you’ll find out how I’m imagining you” where hermann overcompensates for his dirty thoughts about newt by being exceptionally proper

newt’s Himbo energies in this one are off the charts..... (warning for 18+ content later on)

-------------------------------

The first thing Hermann says upon walking into the lab one ordinary Friday morning, half-asleep, travel coffee mug in hand, most comfortable sweater pulled on, is “What on earth are you doing?”

The first thing Newton says, down on his hands and knees on the dirty lab floor, and peering under Hermann’s small bookcase, is “Looking for my contact lenses.”

This is not what Hermann expected to hear. He deposits his mug on his desk and frowns at Newton. “You don’t wear contacts,” he says.

“It’s something new I’m trying,” Newton says. “I break my glasses a lot, you know. And lose them a lot. More, uh, cost effective.” He swipes his hand under the bookcase and curses.

“You lost these, too,” Hermann points out.

Newton pops up for a brief moment merely to scowl at Hermann. Or, really, to scowl in Hermann’s general direction. He’s squinting in a way that makes it quite clear he can’t actually see anything. “I’m aware, Dr. Obvious.”

Hermann takes a sip of coffee and settles in against his desk. “It’s Captain Obvious.”

“I was making a joke, you dick,” Newton says. Hermann watches, mildly entertained, as Newton swipes fruitlessly beneath the bookcase a few more times before crawling over to feel under the kitchenette. “I had no fucking clue how to put these bitches in. They just--popped right out. Ew.” He lifts a moldy crust of bread up, squints at it, and tosses it over his shoulder. It bounces off Hermann’s shoe.

“Newton,” Hermann scolds, kicking it away.

“Newton,” Newt repeats in a mocking approximation of his accent. He gropes his way over to Hermann’s desk and comes to a stop in front of Hermann’s shoes. “Do you mind--?”

“What?” Hermann says. “Oh.”

Feeling a bit warm under the collar at Newton’s uncomfortably suggestive position, Hermann parts his legs. Newton dives between them to peer under the desk, thighs jostling either side of Hermann’s ankles, rear stuck out. His shirt is riding up his back. His sturdy back. If he turned over, Hermann would get a glimpse of his stomach, the sparse bit of hair that--or so Hermann presumes--trails down to his waistband. Hermann grows warmer. “Do be careful,” he says, swallowing hard. He taps at Newt’s boot with his cane. One false move and Newton could send him tumbling. Distantly, dazedly, he thinks he ought to move.

“Mmhmm,” Newton says, rear end wiggling, grunting loudly with effort, then, “Oh!” He wraps the fingers of one hand around Hermann’s calf to steady himself as he sits back on his heels and presents a single dusty contact lens with the other. “Got one.” He squints at it, pink tongue poking out between his lips, as if attempting to asses the damage.

“Fascinating,” Hermann says, hoping, vaguely, that Newton doesn’t attempt to cram it back into place without washing it. Newton’s shirt is still rucked up his chest; he’s not let go of Hermann. His hair is a mess. It would be very easy--almost too easy--for Hermann to thread his own fingers through that messy hair, to draw Newton closer, to press that pink tongue and lips to the front of his trousers and hear him make more of those lovely little grunts. Hermann taps his cane against Newton’s boot again. “N--Ah--I have to. Newton. I left something in my quarters.”

“Huh?” Newton says.

“Dr. Geiszler,” Hermann chokes out. “Ah. My quarters--”

Newton releases Hermann’s calf quickly, his eyebrows creasing in obvious confusion. Not without reason. Hermann has not used his full title since the early days of their correspondence. “Right. Sorry.”

“Jolly good,” Hermann says, and, fumbling with his cane, half-sprints away.

Newton’s reverted back to his standard eyeglasses when Hermann ducks back into the laboratory thirty minutes later, his problem taken care of, so to speak. “Failed experiment of the day,” Newton declares. He makes a show of flicking both--filthy--contact lenses into the trash bin, and then following them up with the box of the rest of them. Hermann wonders if Newton waited for him to get back to do that. He also wonders why, if Newton had his glasses on hand, he didn’t put them on before writhing around on the ground. “Oh well. It was worth a test run.”

He has dirt from the lab floor staining the knees of his skinny jeans. Forcefully dredging his mind from the gutter (Newton, scuffed jeans hiding bruises from where he’d kneeled for something else entirely, and something entirely for Hermann), Hermann nods stiffly. “Certainly. Of course.”

“Glasses suit me better, anyway,” Newton says, and tugs them off his face to wave them around.

"Indeed,” Hermann says.

This is hardly the first time Hermann has been caught embarrassingly off-guard by Newton’s ability to inject a healthy douse of sexuality into even the most innocuous behavior. Newton eats with his fingers and moans when he’s really enjoying his food. Newton has never managed to not stick his ass out into the air when he drops something and bends to pick it up. Newton sucks on the tips of pencils when he’s deep in thought, cheeks hollowed, lips puckered and spit-slick. It drives Hermann mad, frankly, sends him spiraling into completely inappropriate arousal in the middle of the laboratory or mess hall or restaurant every time; he’s long-since developed a routine on how to deal with it. Act proper. Act professional. Newton will never know.

It’s hardly the last time today, either. Hermann is around ninety-percent certain he’s imagining it (fantasizing unintentionally, perhaps) when, three hours later, he hears Newton emitting those same little obscene grunts as before, which is why he ignores it at first. Then they grow louder. Then--

“Hermann?” Newton says. A little squeaking huff. “Hey, dude, can you help me with something?”

Hermann drags his glasses off with a little sigh and sets down his chalk. “What is it?”

Another grunt. “Uh. I’m having--a little problem reaching something.”

When Hermann finally turns, it’s to find Newton leaping and swiping desperately at the cupboard above the kitchenette. Just out of reach for someone of Newton’s height. Not out of reach for someone of Hermann’s height. “We really ought to get you a step-stool,” Hermann says, but clacks over nonetheless. He’s not sure what could possibly be in that cupboard that’s so urgent that Newton needs it right away. They never use it.

Newton has not stopped swiping at the cupboard when Hermann comes up behind him; in fact, he’s only struggling harder. Evidently he’s not heard Hermann. “I almost--”

He grunts against as his fingertips graze the metal handle, deep and exertive, just as Hermann chooses that unfortunate moment to take a step forward to attempt to steady him; Newton falls back with a loud oof!, stumbling, ass rubbing fully against Hermann’s crotch, at the same time Hermann reaches out to catch him, on instinct, and ends up with a hand up Newton’s shirt and a grip around Newton’s soft left side.

Newton stares upside-down at him, eyes wide, glasses askew, pink blooming across his cheeks. Hermann stares down at Newton.

“Whoops,” Newton laughs. “Uh. Sorry. Thanks for--” He wriggles out of Hermann’s grip and turns, awkwardly, to pat his arm. Hermann jerks away.

“Of course,” he says. Too loudly. He pushes past Newton and pulls the cupboard door open so hard it nearly snaps off its hinges. “What--ah--what did you need?”

“Box of disposable gloves,” Newton says.

Hermann grabs it and thrusts it at Newt without even looking. He had not expected Newton’s skin to be so soft and warm to the touch. Obscene fantasies come, unbidden and fast: Hermann stroking both hands up that shirt and over that soft, warm body, Newton making those same little grunts and squeaks, perhaps, even, allowing Hermann to grip his waist and bend him right over and rub against him, rock his hips against him-- “Right,” Hermann says. “Well. Ah. Here you are. Newton. Dr. Geiszler.”

Newton’s tongue flicks out over his lips. He smiles. Innocent, and a little confused. Hermann feels a rush of guilt. “Hey, thanks!” Newton says. He rips open the top and pulls out a pair, teeth worrying at his lower lip for a flash of a second in concentration and leaving behind a tiny dent. He snaps the gloves on. “I bet a stool would count as a business expense.”

“Mm?” Hermann says. He cannot tear his eyes away from the dent. He could leave some of his own on Newton--kiss him until his lips are red and swollen, perhaps. Bite at them until Newton comes apart with a cry under Hermann’s fingertips. Until Hermann can taste blood.

“A stool,” Newton says, and Hermann wonders if all of him is as warm as his chest. “I said we could request a stool on our next supply requisition form.”

Hermann shakes his head. His heart is racing. “I suppose,” he says. He tries to push past Newton. “Ah. Yes. Pardon me, will you, I--”

“I can see your boner, Hermann,” Newton says.

Hermann freezes in his tracks. “Excuse me?”

“I can see your boner,” Newton repeats.

“No you can’t,” Hermann splutters, going beet-red, “that is to say--you cannot, because I do not have one.”

Newton points to the front of Hermann’s trousers; Hermann quickly blocks the view with his cane. “Yes you do,” Newton says. He takes a step closer, one hand settling to rest at Hermann’s waist, and flutters his eyelashes. “Is that for me?”

Hermann’s breath catches, and, for a moment, he considers confessing it all, the fantasies, how wild Newton drives him; then Newton’s face splits into a grin. Mortification surges within Hermann. “This is an entirely inappropriate conversation to be having in--in the workplace,” he spits, pushing Newton off and backing away, “as are your--your jokes. Completely unprofessional. Please refrain from--”

Newton catches his arm. “Listen, man,” he says. “Sorry. I’m not joking. Do you want me to blow you or not?”

Hermann blinks at him. “...Are you certain you’re being serious?”

“Well, yeah,” Newton says. 

“Alright,” Hermann says, happily.

[alloveroliver]

Fenrir ✶ MC |Justine| “Your Trigger Finger is Mine.”

Smut: Vampire!Fenrir Godspeed

★ Vampire AU | Ko-Fi Event ★

Prompt: “You are such a good girl. Now stay still. I’ve almost had my fill.”

Kink/TW: Gun play, Praise Kink, Body Worship, Vampire Bites, Blood.

WC: 1,429

Ikemen Revolution Fanfic

◢▆▆▅▅▄▄▄▃▃-▃▃▄▄▄▅▅▇▇◣

She bolted over the coffee table as her heart jumped against her rib cage. Narrowly escaping his grip, she landed on the plush carpet. In the dark room, it was hard to see what his next move was, but Justine knew she didn’t have much time to think.

Dipping to the right, she pulled a decorative pillow off the couch and tossed it behind her in hopes to make him falter.

“Oof”

She silently cheered, hearing the muffled sound of the pillow hit him square on the face. She made it to the other side of the room, but the door was closed and locked.

“Shit,” She whispered under her breath. Pausing a moment, she wondered if she had time to unlock the door. However, Fenrir would catch her the second she stopped moving at this rate. There were no other options. Her only way out was that door.

She ran towards it, but just as the lock clicked out of place, a blunt object pressed into the back of her head.

“Stop right there.” Fenrir’s satisfied voice boomed into the room.

Justine put her hands up slowly, finally able to catch her breath from running at full speed. She glanced behind her, seeing his boot planted to the ground in a defensive stance.

“What happens now.” She questioned with arms held high, as the object pressed harder to her head, tilting her gaze downward.

“Now,” Fenrir feigned a stern voice.  “You have to take off your shirt.”

Justine rolled her eyes and turned around. She playfully moved to push his arm, but Fenrir caught her wrist. He held her hand up above her head and pulling her close to his chest.

“Do you think I’m playing?” The corners of his mouth tipped up to a mischievous smile.  “I won fair and square.” The blunt object proved to be a shiny silver gun he’d recently acquired. He kept it pointed to the side of her head.

It was true, the rules of their little game indicated he’d caught her. And now, she was to comply with his wishes. Justine scoffed at her self for thinking she could win against him, but it would have been nice to make him drop to his knees shirtless and worship the ground she walked on.

She blinked out of her fantasy and nodded slowly. “Fine. I'll take it off.”

Fenrir let go of her hand slowly but kept the gun pointed to her. The metal glistened in the dim moonlight that poured into his bedroom window. She pulled the top up and over her head and placed her hands on her hips.

“There-”

“And, that sexy bra too.” He added, dazed at the frilly lingerie decorating her chest.

She shook her head and reached back. With a simple pinch, the bra went slack, and she pushed off her arms, letting it fall to the floor.  

“Mkay, what next.” Her heart skipped a beat, watching Fenrir’s hungry eyes devour the image of her body.

“Now…” He took a step closer, “get on the bed.”

She huffed, still mildly upset she lost the game and dragged her feet in the direction of the mattress.

“Hurry now.” He cocked the gun, loading a bullet into the chamber.

She picked up the pace and took a second look at the gun. “Is that a real gun?!” She wondered out loud, confused as to why he would be so reckless as to load it.

“It’s as real as you and me, but don't worry.” He took a step towards her. “Now lay back.”

Justine pulled the pillow towards her and lay back atop the soft cushion. Fenrir quickly straddled her hips and leaned down to hover over her mouth. The gun pressed against her jaw as he playfully nibbled her bottom lip.

“Open up,” He cooed, tracing his tongue over the seam.

Justine let her jaw relax, parting her lips. Fenrir retracted his tongue and moved the gun along her jaw.

“Good girl,” He pushed her hair off her face while the barrel of the gun pulled down at her bottom lip. “So eager to please.” He whispered. Justine trusted Fenrir entirely, yet there was still a sense of thrill that overcame her as the cold metal touched her skin.

Watching the gun intently, Fenrir pulled her bottom lip down further to fit the weapon between her teeth. Despite how gentle his touch was, she was staring down the barrel of a terrifying looking weapon. This kick-started her heart, sending shivers straight to her desire.

“Use your tongue,” He pushed the gun in further. Justine timidly met the shiny metal with the tip of her tongue, exploring the ridges carved into the sides. “Good. Show me how you want to take my cock.” His voice dropped an octave.

Eager to please, she used her lips to allow the icy metal to delve further. However, the longer she ran her tongue over the gun the more she tasted “...Cherry?” She mumbled past the intrusion, pinching her brows.

Fenrir’s intimidating stare broke as he laughed. “Yep! It’s actually made of candy." He chimed with a sideways grin. "Looks real huh?”

She sighed a breath of relief and opened further. She sucked on the candy gun, letting the cherry flavor coat her tongue. Taking the barrel deeper and deeper, she watched Fenrir’s eyes ignite.

He leaned in, moving the weapon in and out slowly. Fenrir was transfixed on how her lips wrapped around the metal-looking shaft. With each pump, his eyes grew darker and darker. Justine moved her hands to tangle in Fenrir’s hair, willing him to her neglected chest.

Fenrir removed the gun from her mouth and tossed it aside atop the sheets. Justine licked her sweet coated lips and focused on where his were moving to.

Fenrir moved around her chest, placing small gentle kisses all while deliberately missing her nipples entirely. She held back a whimper to beg him to play with them, but she allowed herself to revel in how he took his time loving every part of her as thoroughly as he wanted.

Pressing tons of tender loving kisses, he stroked her hip. The tips of his fingers teased the band of her pants while he fished for the button clasp. With how inflamed her skin was under his sensual touch, the air in the room was a welcome relief as he pulled the bottoms down her legs.  

“That was sexy how you licked my gun.” He smirked against the skin below her belly button.

“Oh? You liked that…” She gulped as his strong hands pulled her unclad thighs apart.

“Very much.” He mumbled over the skin of her pelvic bone. “Now I’d like to return the favor.”

The feeling of his wet tongue trailing down her slit was euphoric. His lips teased the sensitive flesh while his tongue explored her heated desire. He flicked his tongue against her clit, watching her jolt, before trailing kisses towards her thigh.

His thumb replaced his tongue on her clit while he explored the erogenous zone of her leg.

“Riiight-” Fenrir paused, rubbing full circles with his digit on her sensitive nub. “Here.” He sank his fangs into the thickest part of her thigh.

“Ah-” She mewled. Warmth spread from the fresh wound as did it radiate from where he played with her most sensitive spot.

“Mmm,” He downed her life essence.

Fenrir’s finger dipped low, intruding into her slick entrance to press against the spongy patch just inside.

“Oh! Fenrir,” She squirmed against him.

Fenrir took a second bite above the first on her leg and began draining her faster than before. He greedily took long gulps of her blood while adding a second and third finger to her pussy. Justine jerked against his hand the farther he stretched her.

“You are such a good girl.” He licked the blood from his lips as he spoke. “Now stay still. I’ve almost had my fill.”

She tried staying still for him, she really did, but the addition of a third bite and finger sent radiating pleasure pulsing from her core.

Justine peered down and moved her hand over his muscular back. Fenrir’s shoulder blades flexed as he devoured her very essence.  Her walls clenched against his fingers the faster he rubbed the delicate spot just inside.

She thought that losing the game wasn’t so bad. Next time, though, she’d make sure the door was unlocked before they started and have a better chance at winning. Before she could hatch a new escape plan for next time, Fenrir took a fourth bite of her leg, making a bloody mess of the sheets.

.

.

.

Thank you, @justine-the-guillotine for the Kofi commission!

Status of Ko-fi event at the top of my blog!

[stan-and-the-newbie]

A kpop newbie’s reaction to BLACKPINK

Alexa: bold Alex: italic

today you are reacting to... BlackPink!

o damn, are you sure this band isn’t your favourite?

pFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT-  ok, good one, anyway this is them :3

((she tried sending me a picture but it didn’t work))

awh come oN

~ technical difficulties, please stand by ~

dfgfd shhhHhhHhH i know wot im doin smdh. this is alreaDY GOING BADLY

...should i just google them?

its okay, i got it. this is them

o damn. they're very pretty, but that was to be expected

yep.. so what concept do you think they have? lol as if it isnt obvious

idk man three of them are giving me death glares. uhh black? and pink?

tbh,,,,,they have the girl crush concept, like, theyre all badass and stuff

oh, well that’s..  interesting

i cant believe im letting you edit this post..  anyway, opinion on them? they dont look that similar, thank god

well the red-haired one i like the most so far since she doesn't look like she wants to choke me (and not in the kinky way)

fgjgfghj yes i see

the one wearing the 2b outfit is probably your goth waifu

omf

and the pink(TM) one looks like she's the sugar mommy of the group

m o o d

i'm guessing she's the leader? it could just be the thanos throne

they dont really have a leader..  this is also them

ah, lovely, a picture where they don't look like they want to murder me

yes, finally

a bunch of talented asian cuties, wot is new

to be honesT. i'll start with the first one from the second picture

alrighty

her stage name is rose

the first two from left to right are the prettiest imo

o rlly

i'm gonna get lynched alive for saying that, aren’t i

so, opinion?

she's uhhh 23? and a singer, and she's the goofy one

well youre right about her being a singer..  shes 21, and yes, she is pretty goofy. she is fluent in english because she is australian

n i c e

this is her kickin everyone's ass 

((Then she showed me this video))

i-

skinny legend

and they said infinity war was the most ambitious crossover... asian idols wearing brazilian carnival outfits as some dude sings that song from shrek 2? sign me tf up

LMAOO gee her voice still gives me chills rose step on me

alexa that's lewd, let us move on swiftly

sorry i just like her shes also a good dancer

i'm guessing she's gonna be my favourite

o

english speaking idols get bonus points, and she seems to excel at everything else, so...

yes, she is amazing. oh, she also cried over her fish's death

;-; oof

:( bless her anyway, you have any questions?

nop, she's gucci, let us proceed

right, the next one is jisoo

she's a qt ;; she looks like a dork i want to shake her hand and give her a hug

this is her smiling

i-

see thats the heart smile

is she the radiance? because my retinas are burned

SDFGFDSADFG MOOD

literally no one is gonna get that joke

wat if they do?

then they are people of culture

opinion?

uhh, she is the soft one, and.. she's short because why not, and she's 22 and she sings ;; 

o- i mean, she isnt really tall, but she isnt that short. yes, she is a singer, the oldest, 23 y/o and she is a goofball, a derp. very entertaining tbh

she looks adorable and has a cute name and is a goofy dork god bless

all of them are good at english but her. but she Tries- and is confused.  

o o f

tis a baby

she deserves all the hugs

she isnt the best dancer, but shes a Great singer, and very stable on stage

their hair alexa their hair is so fucking aesthetic

i KnoW

i am in pain, pack your dictionary we're moving to korea

fuck yeaH the next one is lisa

abs of JUSTICE

hot diggidy she's the sass queen, and she's uh..  23, and a rapper

oh, this is also her

she is also 21, and yes, a rapper!! a very swaggy one

jackpot

but shes a whole cutie, and the youngest

awh ;;

and she gets embarrassed easily

i see, so she's the tsundere of the group

she is from thailand, and i think shes fluent in four languages, including english

nice, man

she is also an Amazing dancer

n i c e ,  m a n

shes kinda my wife but theyre all my bias so i cannot decide it is Too Hard

i only have one bias  u-u

ofc u do

remember to only have one waifu alexa, too many waifu will ruin your laifu

a baby

they’re all cuties this is fucking illegal

it  i s do you have any question about baby lalisa over there :(

so far this is a very solid kpop band

o

lots of english speakers, cute dorks and pure babies everywhere

;-; yes

it has my seal of approval

n i c e the last member is jennie

o damn. jennie? j-just jennie?

just jennie. she doesn’t need anything else

is that an ACDC shirt

apparently

why do they all look so good and fashionable, and both glamorous and cute and pure at the same time, alexa the space-time continuum shouldn't allow this

pffft opinion?

hmm.. she's both a rapper and a singer, and uhh..  she's the second sassiest, but also a goof, and she's 23. I'LL STICK WITH MY 23 also damn nice thighs

she does have amazing thighs tbh.. WAIT HOW DO YOU KNOW SHES ALSO A RAPPER AND A SINGER

well usually in smaller kpop bands one of them does the support for both singing and rap..r-right?

,,,,,,,,,now that you say it

it finally happened folks, i taught alexa something about kpop

badass

THEY'RE ALL SO PURE, FUCC

THEY ARE, they have the badass girl crush concept, BUT THEYRE ALL FUCKIN CUTIES IRL also, take this

my poor heart

jennie is so smol ;; jennie is the smolest

i'm sorry, i was distracted by the thicc

mood tbh she is also fluent in english lmao

pack your shiT ALEXA WE'RE GOING TO KOREA

y ES theyre all really cute and entertaining, they dont go over the top, but theyre still pretty funny - as funny as a girl group can be anyway

pfft i find all of them entertaining tbh. show me some songs fam 

o, alrighty. this is a dance practice, it was the first thing that was released and everyone went nuts

((Then she showed me the dance practice video))

lisa is the one with shorts, jennie has the cap, rose is the one with braids and the last one is jenniejisoo

oof, a bit too edgy for my taste, sorry. but the routine is great!

well, they were kinda made to be badass

yeah, i figured

also, a little side note

o?

their company is one of the biggest companies out there, but theyre known for their shitty management, as in, they dont really give idols many comebacks or promotions, so they dont have many songs;; even tho they debuted two years ago

well, that kinda sucks

yep..

i imagine this business is pretty finicky behind the scenes. i guess it can’t be all sugar and glitter all the time

true..  anyway, this is is one of the two songs in their debut ep lol 

((Then she showed me “Whistle”))

also, may i add, their mvs are hella aesthetic

they seem to be..  not a fan of the super edgy american-ish songs though

yeh, their second ep was better. this is from the second ep

((Then she showed me “Playing With Fire”))

pyromaniac title, piano in the first second. this one's gon' be gud

yeah, this one was definitely better - well, not objectively, just imo 

yeah then theres this beautiful beautiful song 

((Then she showed me “Stay”))

that title gives me the hibby jibbies

y e p p

nvm i saw a mcdonalds in the background and now i'm chuckling

sdfdsdfg honestly the mv is So Pretty

ALEXA I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR SAD TIMES

shhh its a nice lil song just dont read the lyrics lmao

...i'm reading the lyrics now I THOUGHT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE A BADASS GROUP WHAT IS THIS

the chorus is so nice tho, with the claps

it is..  well, that was mildly depressing

at the end they hold hands and laugh and jump around in a circle in the mv and its just..  i rlly like the mv and the filter is very pretty

a e s t h e t i c

anyway, back to badass

((Then she showed me “Ddu-du Ddu-du”...?))

this is their most recent release, this time with a mini album

and i see thanos’s throne is back

y eS

these sets look expensive as fucc.. is that a fennec fox?

maybe..

and the evil parrot from rio? what is this, a crossover episode?

THE MOST AMBITIOUS CROSSOVER

first we had the shrek 2 song, now this they gon' hit me with dat turu turu du alexa halp meh  

i k r wat u gon do

is that.. a sparkly tank?

y ES jennie is an icon

i feel like i've ascended

tbh all these things were so unnecessary yet they did it anyway

well i certainly don’t regret it

that breakdown at the end is kinda cheap, but i think the diamond tank made up for it

definitely

sdfvbvGJHGthere are two mvs left

oh, just.. just two?

y es

i feel bad for them ;; did u say it's been two years

yeah..

this is so r00d

yes, always feel bad for yg artists

what’s yg?

its a company - their company

ah, i see

their shitty company

oof

here's their debut song (which i dont really like but Oh Well.)

((Then she showed me “Boombaya”..? who the hell comes up with these names?))

well, in all fairness if they're one of the biggest they probably have a lot of bands to manage

not really..  they had very successful bands though, so that kinda paved the way for the ones nowadays

ALEXA THESE FUCKING LYRICS ARE KILLING ME

ASDFGBFVDS MOOD CLICK CLACK BADDABING BADDABOOM QUEEN

"i'm so hot i need a fan i don't want a boy i need a man" BISH YOU'RE A 5 FOOT 20-SOMETHING ASIAN IDOL CHILL

hjkjhghj shhHHH

this is a whole drugtrip

it iS

are those..  black leather biker pants...  mixed with blue jeans? this is some next level shit alexa i can't handle this

y ES fashion icon

why do coke when you can watch this for free and legally?

ikr theres one last mv, and its better, trust me

..alright...

theyre cute in this one

((Then she showed me “As If It’s Your Last”))

jisoo is the one with the heart magnet and i love her

awh ;; man these titles are edgier than 13 year old me

oh come on, its a love song

that dancing, it's s-so lewd  <-<;;

it iS oh, i forgot lisa's rap is in english

n o i c e i didn't know jennie had her own ice cream business

girl is going places okay but 1:36

what about it?

th-the cotton candy part

pfff

sorry i remember the first time and saw it and was like fukc thas cute

well, it was. it was pure ;;

alright, final thoughts?

well, they're a bunch of cute and talented dorks, but that ain't nothing new. either way, 10/10 for the lewd dancing and the fact that they speak english. give dem more comebacks, fam

they have lewder choreos, but thats for another day. justice4blackpinkcomeback edition

yeS, let’s make a petition

Heya peeps, it’s a boii mod Alex here. This was the first time I put together a Reaction Wednesday post, so uh.. yeah...  I think it turned out pretty good! But seriously, a lot of work goes into these, even though it may not seem like it. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! See you next week!

[katie-dub]

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year: The First Annual Hot Chocolate Contest

Killian and Emma battle to discover who makes the best hot chocolate.

Thank you so much for all the likes, reblogs and comments - I’m overwhelmed by how much you’re all loving these stories! 

There are a few days that I don’t have ideas for - so if anyone fancies it, send a prompt my way! (I can’t promise I’ll do them all, but I’ll see if I can use yours!) 

If you need even more of a festive fix, you should absolutely check out ‘Tis The Season by @effulgentcolors - 25 perfect Christmas AUs to warm your cockles this festive season. And if you want to spread some festive joy yourself @secretlessvicki is organising the CS 12 Days to Christmas. It starts 14 December and is open to any and all creations - just tag them #cschristmascountdown

AO3

Day 1 |  Day 2 |  Day 3 |  Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6

The First Annual Hot Chocolate Contest

“So, who's it going to be Mary Margaret?” Emma asked, folding her arms in a not-so-subtle attempting to intimidate her sister into submission.

“Yes, whose hot chocolate concoction is the tastiest of them all?” Killian punctuated his question with a wink and a suggestive lick of his lips. Bastard. Emma knew how to seduce along with the best of them, but she could hardly pull those moves on her sister, even if she was adopted.

Emma arched her brow, the silent warning again falling for Killian's charms written all over her face. Mary Margaret sweated slightly under her gaze.

If you'd asked Emma to explain why winning The First Annual Hot Chocolate Contest meant so much to her, she honestly couldn't. Perhaps the competition had just awoken a previously dormant competitive streak. Perhaps it was that after the year she had she felt like she deserved a win. (Because, seriously, she had had to contend with the return of the ex who left her to have their child, Henry, in prison, Henry winding up in a coma after eating a poisoned pastry and a near-miss with a man who she dated happily until he proved to be mildly psychotic when she rejected his somewhat hasty proposal. Wasn't it about time for something to go her way?) Perhaps she just felt the need to wipe the infuriatingly beautiful and immensely smug smirk off Killian Jones’ face.

It was probably the latter.

Everyone had cast their votes and it all hung on Mary Margaret’s decision. It was a dead tie between Emma and Killian - no one else’s offerings got a look in. Mary Margaret’s white hot chocolate with honey whiskey was too sickly. Ruby’s red velvet hot chocolate was a strong contender, but lacked that something special. Robin’s rosemary-infused hot chocolate with vodka was intriguing but when even his fiancée Regina dismissed it for “smelling like forest” no one else felt the need to vote for him either. Regina herself was disqualified for making spiced cider spiked with bourbon, she shrugged unapologetically at the verdict. David, with his “straight up classic” of hot chocolate with no trimmings, was nearly thrown out of the apartment by Emma for failing to take the contest seriously. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she saw a wounded expression cross her brother in law’s face for just a split second before he nodded briefly and evenly told them to “count me out”.

That left just her and Killian.

Emma was exceptionally proud of her creation. She had used cinnamon sugar vodka and bourbon combined with a rich milk hot chocolate and topped it with a homemade cinnamon marshmallow. It tasted fantastic and she knew it.

If she was up against anyone else, she’d know she had it in the bag, but Killian’s drink had been good. Really, really good. Begrudgingly she could even admit to it being excellent - and that’s why she had voted for him herself, as much as it felt like a betrayal.

But seriously, the drink was like Christmas in a cup. He’d mixed spiced rum, peppermint schnapps and dark hot chocolate and topped it with swirls of whipped cream so perfect that Emma suspected he had been practicing. He completed the look with tiny candy cane sprinkles and an actual mini candy cane. Mary Margaret was a sucker for anything festive, he was sure to get her vote.

It wasn’t even like there was a prize - unless you counted bragging rights. Emma seriously should not be this desperate to win.

“Well, you know I love cinnamon on my hot chocolate,” Mary Margaret began, Emma’s heart raced, hearing the but in her voice. “But I do love a good festive drink and Killian’s minty chocolate was really Christmassy…” she trailed off, looking between the two anxiously and Emma’s heart sank. “They were both just so good.”

“Say no more, milady, I know not to come between the Swan sisters and their love of hot chocolate with cinnamon. I concede defeat to Emma, knowing that my offering was a worthy contender.” Emma’s eyebrows flew up in shock at Killian’s concession. He’d been needling her about his “secret recipe” for weeks now, and he gave up just like that?

Mary Margaret breathed a sigh of relief and nodded happily at the turn of events. Killian raised Emma’s arm up in a sign of victory. The others made a show of clapping half-heartedly, before forgetting all about the contest and going back to chatting.

Emma shrugged Killian off and turned to him, eyes narrowing in suspicion. She felt irrationally angry. She didn’t want to win just because he let her - she wanted to beat him fair and square. Somehow, she felt cheated; her victory seemed hollow.

He walked off down the hall towards the bathroom before she could say anything, and she followed him, needing to speak her mind. She grabbed him by the arm, turning him to her.

“What was that?” she hissed, “you haven’t missed a chance to rub my face in your supposedly superior hot chocolate making skills, and now you just throw in the towel at the last hurdle?”

He shrugged. “Yours was better, Swan, I voted for you myself.”

She stamped her foot, in a move that even 10-year old Henry would have found unbearably childish. “I don’t need your sympathy votes, I can win off my own merit you know.”

Killian looked bewildered at her outburst. “I know you can. You can do anything!” She felt a blush rise on her cheeks - she had to struggle to remember that she was meant to be mad at him. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to use the facilities. If you want, you can wait here to yell at me some more when I’m finished?”

Emma’s mouth dropped open in shock at his words. She didn’t know whether she felt more annoyed at him or less now. She was still debating it when Killian reappeared minutes later.

“So, what’s the verdict? Am I still a terrible scoundrel for accepting that the best man should win?” He wiggled his eyebrows at her cheekily.

“Scoundrel?” she repeated in disbelief, “you know you’re not Han Solo, right?”

“I fancy I’d make a rather good space pirate actually.”

“Don’t you mean a smuggler?”

“And you think smugglers aren’t pirates?”

Emma opened her mouth to argue with him, before shutting it abruptly. How had he managed to distract her from being mad at him with a ridiculous argument? He made to move past her, but she held out her arm to stop him. “Not so fast.”

He arched his eyebrow at her quizzically. “Are you taking me hostage?”

Her face burned with embarrassment, but she just wanted to understand why he’d done that.

“I just… what’s going on here?”

“Well, I needed the bathroom and you wanted to accost me.”

“I mean with - you know, telling Mary Margaret to pick me.”

He sighed and scratched behind his ear. “Seems like you could do with a win.” Emma was honestly a little surprised by Killian’s comment. It was entirely true, but it’s not exactly something that she had shared with him. He must have misinterpreted the look of curious confusion on her face because he quickly carried on, “I wouldn’t for one minute suggest that you couldn’t have won entirely off your own back, but honestly, I thought Mary Margaret’s head was going to explode with the weight of choosing. What I did was as much for her as it was for you.”

“How did you know that?”

“Know what?”

“That I needed a win?”

“I’m quite perceptive - and you’re something of an open book to me.”

His words stirred something in her. Now that she came to think of it, it was Killian, more so than any of her other friends (or even her sister), who noticed when she was down. He was usually the one to comfort her too, mostly because she didn’t actually have to ask him to do it, he was just there with whatever she needed, be it a stirring speech or a glass or rum.

How had she never realised that before?

The realisation left her a little flustered.

“I … well, yeah, thanks for that. I did kind of need it. That probably sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?”

His eyes were soft and understanding. “Sometimes everyone needs a win.” They gazed at each other for a minute, anticipation filling the air. “Perhaps a little gratitude is in order?” Killian broke the tension with a cheeky suggestion and a tap on his lips.

Emma rolled her eyes, but found herself tempted. Really tempted. And without giving herself time to change her mind she gave into the urge and dragged Killian’s lips to hers. He gave a little “oof” of surprise but kissed her back passionately. His body was warm and firm against hers. He made delightful little noises of desperation and desire. He tasted of chocolate and spices.

“What are you two up to through there?” David’s voice drifted towards them, breaking the spell. Emma sprang back from Killian, panting a little and suddenly confused and uncertain.

“Nothing!” Emma called back and moving back towards the group.

“Wait, Emma,” Killian pulled her back to him. He looked dazed and his lips were swollen from their kiss. “That was…”

Emma panicked suddenly and blurted out, “your consolation prize. Better luck next year, Jones.” Without another word or a backwards glance, she walked away. Something told her that if she let herself, Killian could spell big trouble for her. She settled back to chatting among their friends and ignoring the tingle she could still feel from where Killian had held her and his taste on her tongue.

[amaranthkick]

A Wolf and a Raven, Part 8

Wolf familiar Shiro escaped from the galra seeking a safe place to recover. He’s led by a raven, Black, to veterinarian Lance’s animal hospital and he accidentally establishes a bond with the kind animal doctor.

a modern-ish/ fantasy au

(Part 1), (tag for this story)

Lance smiled warmly as his friends Hunk and Pidge who seemed happy as clams, they were really in their element here in the castle. There was no doubt they would pick up on how Altean technology worked. They were having a complex conversation with the energetic Coran. He was happy to answer any and all curious questions.

 His smile turned into a frown as Shiro walked to the table he was sitting at and place a bowl of what looked to be green goo in front of him.

 Shiro had the decency to look apologetic, “I know it doesn't taste that appealing but Coran says it's nutritious… and we kind of have to get used to his food while we live here,” he whispered the rest so the advisor wouldn't hear.

 Lance shuddered as he ate a spoonful of the goo. He turned to the door as he heard more footsteps approaching. It was Keith and Allura. Keith was holding Blue in his arms for some reason. His beautiful baby seemed to pawing at whatever Allura was holding. Were those mice?

 Allura thankfully decided to regale him and Shiro with an explanation at their confused expressions. “I found these little ones with me when I woke up from the cryopod. They are Altean mice and like myself and Coran are survivors of the realm of Altea since the Galra decimated most of it. Our minds are connected possibly due to the long sleep we shared.”

 She tilted her head toward Blue, “I would greatly appreciate it if your cat would stop trying to hunt them.”

 “Aah, got it.” Lance blushed sheepishly and motioned for Keith to give him Blue. Keith and Shiro looked amused by these turn of events.

 “This is gonna take awhile...” Lance said as Blue purred in his grasp. Cats were free spirited, they tended to do as they pleased. And Blue could get away with anything if she looked at him just right. He was just too soft-hearted, too weak-willed against her.

Pidge had asked him to help with understanding the tracer spell that could possibly lead to her family saying that two newbie mages have a better chance of pulling this off.

 They were in a room that had a very living room like feel to it. They sat at the center of a circle indent in the ground, it was surrounded by couches all around the circle except for a spot for the stairs to lead inside or outside the circle. Shiro was there too lying lazily by his partner’s side, his tail slowly swishing back and forth. He warned them that they should wait til they get more experience first. Then he sighed and non-committedly followed as Pidge was successful in dragging Lance along to help her.

 To the side of the room Coran was talking with Hunk and Keith, the princess was bemused at her advisor’s antics. He was showing neat doo-dads he had gotten from his travels way back when. Coran was holding up a glass that had a tinier, spherical glass inside that held some kind of purple mist. Lance heard the words infinity vapor before Pidge grabbed his attention again. From the looks on Keith's and Hunk’s faces, the shifter was unimpressed and the human mechanic was mildly interested.

 Lance and Pidge linked their hands and tried to infuse their magic into the magic circle Pidge brought out for them.

 The magic circle reacted violently to their combined efforts. A mini explosion pushed the three back and it sent a beam of energy ricocheting off the walls in the room. Everyone ducked for cover but the beam smashed through the infinity vapor gaining more strength and new, unpredictable properties. It rebounded off a wall and headed straight toward Lance.

 A black blur swooped in front of him and took the brunt of the blast. Lance's eyes widened in shock and panic. “Shiro!”

 Lance coughed as he tried to wave away the smoke that suddenly appeared. “Shiro!? Shiro are you alright!?”

 Lance froze when felt a spike of fear through his bond. It felt a bit off for some reason. While the smoke slowly dissipated his ears caught a tiny, whining and yipping sounds like those he heard from puppies.

 The smoke cleared to reveal a small, scared wolf puppy. Lance’s protective instincts took hold of him before he knew it. He knelt down trying to look as non-threatening as possible. He cooed soothingly, “Shiro? Hey, it's alright. Nothing will hurt you here. You're safe.”

 To his relief the puppy seemed to trust him padding over to him and letting Lance pick him up. The little ball of fluff nuzzled into his hold.

 Lance heard Pidge groan in pain. “Pidge, are you alright?” He kept his voice down as to not frighten Shiro even further.

 “Ugh, I'm fine. How about-” her question died in her throat when she laid her eyes on the pup in his arms. “Oh no…”

 Keith rushed up to them asking, “Pidge, Lance, what happened? Where's…Shir-oh.” He stood still not knowing what else to do once he saw puppy Shiro.

 When they finally recovered from their shock, Allura rounded them up to make a plan. “We should make haste to reverse this as soon as we can. Time spells or anything of the sort are extremely complicated and dangerous if handled incorrectly. Time has a way of painfully correcting itself...”

 “What!?” Lance held Shiro a little tighter.

 Now that she mentioned it, it was like time reversed itself with Shiro. Scars no longer littered his body and his cybernetic prosthetic was just non-existent. The normal flesh arm right where it used to be.

 “Pidge, I need you to find the finer details of reverse spell. I think I can help with it but I'm a bit rusty, I haven't performed that spell in quite sometime.” Pidge nodded in affirmation then running off to find her laptop.

 Allura then nodded to Coran, “I need you to prep the balmera crystal, we could use it to power up our spell. I'm not sure how exactly the infinity vapor affected this transformation but to undo this we need to match it in terms of power.”

 “Keith and Hunk, you will come with me to search for runes in the realm of Arus to aid in channeling all the energy required more precisely. Hopefully it'll prevent another explosion.” They nodded waiting for the princess to finish then lead the way.

 Allura motioned for Lance to let Keith to hold Shiro who appeared to be sleeping while she talked privately with him. “Lance, you'll stay here and watch over Shiro. Even as he is now, he still trusts you. But try not to reveal yourself as his partner or things that will eventually happen to him. Time- no history changing can be a fickle matter. And with your bond with Shiro, I'm not sure how this might affect you.”

 “Me?” He tilted his head confused. “The bond can do stuff like that? So like if Shiro just got sick normally, I'd get sick too?”

 The princess nodded, “Yes, those kind of situations are a common occurrence. But with this… we’ll have to see. Hopefully nothing happens. But if something does, do not hesitate to go to Pidge or Coran.”

 “Alright.”

He was heading back to the common area with the pup in his arms when Shiro yawned waking up from his nap. “Heh, hey there. Feeling better?”

 Suddenly the weight in his arms became heavier as Shiro shifted to a little kid in a plain gray t-shirt and black shorts that were just his size. Lance just barely stopped himself from gaping, he totally forgot he could do that. Shiro smiled happily at him, “yea.”

 Lance chuckled and ruffled his hair affectionately getting a delighted squeal. He then carried him the rest of the way. He was thankful Shiro was taking all this pretty well and not questioning stuff. The little guy seemed to just enjoy his presence. Well he's not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

---

Alright, game plan, Lance couldn't tell Shiro about the present or what will happen to him or that he's his partner. It's simple enough, he could do this. As he watched Shiro play with Allura's mice a protective warmth settled in him. This was young, precious, surprisingly quiet and shy little Shiro. But still Shiro nonetheless. The one who will grow up to be the wolf he treated, the familiar who will choose him and be an awesome friend in general. Lance swore to do his best to always do right by him. He forgot he was pretty much an open book and that his warm fondness could be felt by the little familiar. It caused Shiro to gasp and whip his head to look at him. Shiro then ran up to Lance as quick as he could. Shiro hugged and nuzzled him with all he's got. Lance could feel cute, pure happiness streaming through their bond. Then the little kid looked up at him starry eyed and cheered, "You're my partner!"

Oof, this kid was sharp as a tack. “How did we bond?” He asked excitedly.

 Uh oh.

(Part 9)