#oops all fluff

[kj-yikes]

20. Sapphire

(on ao3 here)

Lena's eyes slowly open to see bright sapphire ones staring back at her. Kara's already warm smile brightens as Lena blinks sleepily, realizing where she is. Her face flushes as she remembers last night, and her heart starts pounding faster.

Kara, opening the restaurant and car doors for her, taking her for dinner at their favorite place, walking by the waterfront hand in hand, pressing Lena up against the front door, carrying her to bed. It's like a dream, the best dream, only now, she's opening her eyes and seeing Kara, right across from her, hair fanning out on the pillow and warm sunlight hitting her face.

Lena Luthor is normally calm, cool, collected. It takes a lot for her to freak out about something. But, she's kind of freaking out right now. In a good way.

Kara Danvers, her best friend of five years and the woman who she is desperately in love with, had asked her out. Kara Danvers had asked her out and taken her on a date and brought her home. Kara Danvers had kissed her. Kara Danvers had slid her hands up her dress and pushed her back onto the bed and, well…

Now, here she was, the next morning, with Kara's gorgeous face staring back at her. Kara's in bed with her and it's morning and she spent the night and Kara's smiling and Lena feels like her heart is going to explode. It's everything she's ever dreamed about. It's too good to be true. And Lena's freaking out about it. Just a little.

Lena lets out a soft laugh and buries her cheek into the pillow. "Hi."

"Hello," Kara whispers, reaching a hand up to tuck a piece of stray hair out of Lena's face. "Sorry, I didn't mean to stare. You just looked so beautiful."

Lena feels her cheeks redden further. "You should look in the mirror, Miss Danvers."

Kara giggles and shakes her head. "You're a goof," she says, drawing close and bringing her lips to meet Lena's. She presses so softly, so gently, and Lena is surely going to die from happiness.

Kara sighs and pulls back, a dopey expression on her face. "Your heart is beating really fast."

Lena's brain hasn't quite kept up with what's going on, and her thoughts tumble out before she can stop them. "Yeah, I'm kind of freaking out right now."

Lena sees the flash of panic in Kara's eyes and she amends quickly, "The good kind! The good kind of freaking out." She gathers Kara into her arms and presses a quick kiss to her forehead.

"Oh, good," Kara relaxes. "Why are you freaking out?"

Lena traces Kara's jawline softly, runs her fingertip lightly over Kara's lips. "I've wanted to do this for so long. I can't believe this is real," she whispers. "Is this real?"

Kara's laugh bubbles out of her. "You better believe it's real! I'm not going anywhere, baby." She says it teasingly, but it doesn't stop a thrill from jolting in Lena's belly at the pet name.

Kara must hear the way her heart skips a beat, because she quirks an eyebrow. "Was it…okay when I called you baby?" she asks, a hint of shyness in her voice. Lena knows she's not only asking about just now. She's asking about last night, when Kara whispered it into her ears as her hands slipped higher up Lena's inner thigh, when Kara moaned it when Lena threw her head back in ecstasy.

God, can Kara not tell by her burning cheeks and racing heart? She's really going to make Lena say it?

"Mmm, I don't know," Lena says slyly, pretending to consider. "Maybe I should hear you say it again."

Kara cups a hand to each of Lena's still-heated cheeks and bites her bottom lip. Her hands are big and warm and so, so soft as she looks into Lena's eyes with her bright blue ones.

"I had such a good time last night, baby," Kara says softly, earnestly, and Lena feels high on the warmth and love emanating from Kara. She grips into Kara's threadbare sleep shirt and tugs.

"Me too, darling," Lena replies as she covers Kara's lips with hers.

God, she's so in love with Kara Danvers.

[thelonecalzone]

I AM NOT still hung up on Pattison, and I am NOT writing a Coffee Shop AU for these idiots 🤬 I REFUSE.

[justanotherxreaderhoe]

somEONE IS CUTTING ONIONS I SWEAR

"You know, Nanamin," Yuuji started, between mouthfuls, "when we first met, I thought I wouldn't like you at all."

Kento raised one thin eyebrow over the rim of his paper-cup coffee. He sat with you, and Yuuji, at a dirt road Conbini overlooking Tokyo. The sun was setting, casting the city as a silhouette against oranges, purples. You could smell the earthy petrichor of an incoming storm. Yuuji did not mind, thoughtful as he slurped at an instant ramen.

"Like, really," Yuuji continued, his mouth puckered up, "I thought you were boring. Unfunny, grumpy, miserable. Maybe even a little bit mean." Yuuji laughed now, becoming gradually more animated as he set the scene. "And when you tried to lecture me, while I was fighting that curse? Insane. I was like, 'Who the hell is this guy?'"

You covered your mouth, hiding a smile, eyes flicking between your unreadable husband, and the bubbling boy opposite him. Yuuji finished laughing, wiping his eyes and sighing into another slurp of noodles.

You placed a surreptitious hand on Kento's thigh under the table, and he barely reacted, but to tense and cross his arms. Yuuji rested his chin on one hand, eyes softening as he looked over the ant-like lights, moving in scattered formation across the city.

"But then...I realised. You just cared. I mean, really cared. About me. And if I wasn't being treated right. And if I was gonna be okay." Yuuji swallowed, his voice thickening. "And I...didn't have anyone left like that. The only person I ever did have was my grandad, and maybe he just took care of me because he had to, y'know? But you chose to. Even though I'm...I'm a monster."

You saw Kento squirm within. You knew he'd had his misgivings about Sukuna's Vessel, before Kento knew him as Yuuji. You knew the shame and guilt Kento carried for that. His shoulders ached, a pall-bearer of emotions for so many.

"And you're hilarious. Anyone can see it, really. And you're a rebel. And a protester. And you stand up for the little guy when nobody else wants to. And you don't do it to make us like you. You just...believe it's right. And don't get me wrong, I like Gojo-sensei too, but I love you."

You pursed your lips, closing your eyes and trying not to tear up on Kento's behalf. Kento remained silent, arms crossed and frowning down at his steaming coffee. Yuuji looked at you, uncertain. You gently flapped one hand; don't worry, you're alright, you're okay.

Kento eventually broke his silence, his voice gruff. He pushed his bank card across the table to Yuuji.

"Itadori-kun." Yuuji sat to attention, wide-eyed. "Go and get yourself some snacks. As much as you like. And the other students, too, if you know what they'd want."

Yuuji took the card in confusion, with both hands and a little bow, and disappeared inside the shop, the automatic doors booping behind him.

Kento stood, your hand falling off his lap, and grasped the metal railings overlooking the city, with his back to you. His shoulders were taut, stiff, occasionally hitching with emotion. You felt him, as you always had.

"...Kento? Are you alright?"

A thick swallow and a sniffle before a single gravelly, "Yeah. I'm fine, I...I'm fine."

[nonranghaes]

jeonghan wakes up to the soft sound of you singing happy birthday to him, and he's already smiling to himself. the door creaks open, that sweet sound coming closer and closer as he turns over to see you're bringing him breakfast. you don't do this often, which he's always been fine with, but he likes it when you spoil him like this... even if he knows he has to be a menace about it. he's your menace, after all: you'd be disappointed if he didn't live up to that.

"happy birthday, my sweet jeonghannie," you play up the cuteness a little more, just because it's his day, and carefully seat yourself next to him, tray in hand. "i'm so glad you're in my life."

ah. well, now it feels a little mean to be a menace. but he leans in, lips pressing against your own for just a few seconds before he pulls away. "do you mean that?" he's grinning. "then feed me."

you snort a little, almost jostling the tray as you balance it in his lap. "really?"

"you don't love me?" he's not going to fight back how visibly amused he is with you. you've seen him tease others with a straight face, but he almost never hides that smile or that glimmer in his eyes with you anymore. not unless joshua's around and your partner's other partner (as you and joshua jokingly call each other now) is in on some bit.

you just kiss him again. "i adore you." you press another kiss against the corner of his mouth, and another against his cheek. "so if you insist..."

"i do." he reaches up, cupping your cheek as he steals one last kiss for now. "i love you, too, by the way."

[theysangastheyslew]

IT'S CHRISTMAS IN JULY BITCHES (yes I know it's almost over shh 🤫)

Now could this have been 4 panels with Hans just plopping down on the couch, patting Levi on the shoulder and saying ''Yo I'm knocked up'', and then carrying on with their evening?

Why yes, yes indeed. But where's the struggle in that ? :')

[adridoot]

Do you think Jayfeather is lonely?

[jojo-schmo]

The Purr Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

[lulublack90]

Prompt 30 - Sky

@jegulus-microfic April 30, Word count 643

Previous part First part

Last one guys. I hope you like it xxx

Promptly, at 8pm, Regulus walked out of the Slytherin Common room and was immediately covered by the invisibility cloak. He surprised himself when he didn’t flinch. Normally, an unknown thing like that would have had him raising his wand and firing off a slew of curses, but as soon as that cover came down, James’s scent engulfed him and he felt calm. That was until James grabbed his hand and began leading him out of the castle's door. 

His heart pounded, holding hands was a very new thing to him, and now he understood why so many simpering fools did it around the castle. It felt wonderful, having that contact with someone you cared about. 

James veered right and headed straight for the black lake. Regulus prayed he wasn’t about to suggest a midnight swim as one, the water would be freezing, and two swimming was not his thing. But James took him along the side of the huge lake, away from the lights and eyes of the castle. 

The loose stones and swaying grass were lit silver by the almost full moon as James led Regulus down to a little hidden beach. James walked them onto the sand and removed the cloak. There, laid out perfectly, was a tartan picnic blanket, bottles of butterbeer and a selection of sandwiches and other finger foods and, to Regulus’s utter excitement, a verifiable mound of profiteroles. 

James tugged him onto the blanket and helped him sit. James settled himself next to Regulus, offering him a butterbeer. Regulus noticed that the blanket had a warming charm on it, as while the spring night wasn’t bitter there was still a nip in the air. He took the drink and had a sip. The sweet drink warmed him further.

They made their way through the food. Regulus was glad that he’d been too excited to eat much at dinner as he eyed up that tower of profiteroles. 

Once they were both fit to bursting with the delicious food, James pulled out a rather cosy looking blanket and a couple of cushions. He tossed them behind Regulus and vanished the remainders of their meal. With careful, gentle hands, he slowly tipped Regulus back onto one of the cushions before following him onto the other and throwing the warm blanket over them both. 

Regulus’s heart was fluttering, he was sure James must be able to hear the thrum in the quiet night. He tensed as James snuggled closer to him, but relaxed when all James did was wrap an arm around him and bring him closer. James sighed as they stared up at the star-lit sky, tracing the constellations with their eyes. 

Regulus couldn’t believe how comfortable he felt like this with James and so quickly. He shifted his gaze to look at the golden-skinned boy holding him so gently. What was it about him that had himself and his brother so enthralled? James, feeling the movement, turned away from the stars also and stared deeply into Regulus’s eyes. 

Regulus’s heart soared when the image of the cottage filled his thoughts right before James’s lips met his. It was sweet and caring, melting Regulus’s icy soul with each gentle caress. He could have kissed James like this until morning and then some. But eventually they parted and stared at the night sky once more, Regulus’s head now resting on James’s chest. He chuckled to himself as he thought about how all this had started because James had blocked his path to the snitch. 

They stayed there curled up together until the sun's rays began peeking over the horizon, splashing the sky with pink and gold. James took Regulus into his arms as they stood and watched the colours play across the clouds before heading back up to the castle, unseen fingers twining together and sweet smiles playing across their faces.   

[nightshiftshenanigans]

Heya!!! Here’s an unedited excerpt from the next chapter of Burning the Candle at Both Ends! Life permitting, the final draft should be written and up by the end of the week! I hope y’all enjoy😁💗

——————————————

“Just take your time, Danny. I promise I’m not going anywhere this time.” Jason had hoped his words would have a soothing affect on Danny, seeing as how he didn’t feel entitled to the idea of comforting him in the form of physical contact quite yet, yet all it did was cause Danny’s tears to form faster in the corners of his eyes.

“But you will. You should. You can’t promise something like that when I know that’s the only way this is going to end. I don’t deserve anything more.” The first of Danny’s tears slipped free from his right eye, trailing down his cheek and hitting his leg where it still sat on Jason’s bed.

“I just- I thought I’d really lost you when I got back to the apartment and everything was gone and you weren’t answering your phone and I just- I j-just-” Danny’s tears quickly devolved into steady rivers of pure agony, his breath receding inward as he verged on the tipping point of full blown hyperventilation.

Not knowing what else to do, Jason closed the final chunk of distance between the two of them and pulled Danny into his arms, taking a seat on the bed right next to him. Danny hid his sobs in Jason’s neck, wetting the edge of his shirt in the process. Jason couldn’t give a single fuck less though, only caring about comforting Danny in that moment right there.

“I can’t lose you.”

[galaxygermdraws]

I have not drawn anything but kirby stuff for the last week and I don’t think that’s changing. Uh. Not apologizing to my normal followers bc art is smth to enjoy but I will eventually draw stuff for yall again cause. Well we know why :)

Anyways gajinkas!!

(reblogs with tags/comments are appreciated)

[sprite-periodt]

🌺🌻

Hi my lovely moot

🌺What tease flusters you the most? This is meannn. There’s this tease @magicaltickles loves to say which was already bad. It’s worse verbally tho. “What’s wrong Kitty?~” But I mean they generally use that nickname a lot as well as @faleesia likesndidkslf “Giggly little kitty” “My kitty” “Who’s a cute/good kitty” and one time shawty used a toe bean tease one time and I passed away Also to add to this silly loves to use this certain tummy rub tease(they know😒) and justrnskdkdk shut up omfgggbdkskf

Pet names in general are p great. @thecutestler loves to use them. And so specifically, even tho I call her pretty girl all the time like it’s going out of style I can’t take what i dish out. @oceanic-vampire loves to say “What happened to all that confidence!” Or “You were so confident just a second ago!” Sndudnslejerk be quhiet. Calling me out for happy stimming is just horrible or fucking “See you’re already laughing!”or just saying my name in that voice,,,hey @redderthanatomato -////-

additionally! Complimenting my laugh, using “giggly” as an adjective for me or calling me “Giggles” or asking me “What’s so funny?”, Saying you can’t wait to get me, saying the word over and over, “I’m listening! <3”, praise, playful mocking, playing dumb, babytalk, anticipation.

🌻 Does anyone IRL know you’re a lee/ler? Aside from 2 people I don’t care to remember and my god sibling, and while I’m sure they don’t really know the terms like that, I recently told my friend group and they took it so fucking well even though I died🥹💖

[justanotherxreaderhoe]

cuuuteee~~

Nanami Kento was not a father; not strictly speaking. Not technically speaking. Not metaphorically speaking. The absence of paternity, however, did nothing to eschew him of the shackles he wore with pride, wearing them as a mantle; a medal of honour.

For one with such a black hole in his life, Itadori Yuuji would not notice Kento's absence unless something took Kento away from him, so natural was it that the void was filled.

Nanami Kento's priorities altered so dramatically, with such quiet consideration, that he had no real words to explain his situation to you when he first took you out for dinner. Or, when he took you out to the beach. Or, when you took him to that art gallery. Or, when you came over to his, tumbling through the door into stumbling kisses, all hands and groans and desperation.

For Nanami Kento was not a father. He ensured that his relationship with Yuuji did not overlap with his relationship with you, fearful that you would reject the burden of not-parenthood.

Kento was so introspective in his attempts to hide his not-parenthood, that he failed to see how blatantly-fucking-obvious he was. As if you wouldn't notice that dinner was always made for three, with a portion put aside or frozen for a hungry visitor. As if you wouldn't notice that Kento browsed the teenage boy sections in clothes stores, making note of what he would come back for later. As if you had not seen Kento listed as "I.C.E." on Yuuji's phone screen at school one day.

As if you were not a mother. As if you were not fully prepared to be.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Kento was stalking through the belly of the beast when he spotted two missed calls; one from Yuuji, and one from Shoko. His heart leapt into his mouth, his blade hanging dumbly by his side as he cursed internally at his lack of signal. Torn by conflicting responsibilities, he focused on the task at hand, but as a noticeably sloppier Sorcerer when worry gnawed at the bones of him.

An hour later, finally free, he jogged to his car, panting. He slipped into his seat, and called Yuuji-- no answer. He called Shoko-- no answer. He swore again, hurrying to start the car...and his phone buzzed.

He looked at the screen, and opened a message from you. He sat, staring at it, a cold trickle of worry down his spine. A photo; of Yuuji's characteristic shoes, beside your own, with the caption:

Picked up a wounded stray. He looks hungry. We'll be at yours soon!

Kento churned through emotions, trying to read your tone on the screen. Angry? Cheerful? Exasperated? Would you want to talk about his deceit later? Technically he hadn't lied. Or, he had. A lie by omission perhaps? She's angry. She's disappointed at least. Is that worse? That's worse.

Kento stewed, the whole drive home.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Kento continued to stew, when he arrived home to an empty house. He paced, and sat, and paced, and sat. He cursed himself for not maintaining tighter boundaries between Nanami-Kento-the-Boyfriend and Nanami-Kento-the-Not-Father. So deep was he in his self-flagellation, he jolted to hear the door open, and two familiar peals of laughter rolling through.

"--Ieiri-san told me I should have waited for Ino to arrive, but I just had to do something, y'know--"

"--not jump through a damn window, Yuuji, that's excessive--"

"--not stupid if it worked though--"

"--as your Not-Mother, I cannot condone this."

Kento stood, watching the scene unfold in wonder. You and Yuuji, bantering. You reaching for the grocery bags, and Yuuji insisting he carry them instead. You directing Yuuji to the bag with the snacks. Yuuji totally bypassing Kento, jogging past him to the kitchen.

As if this was his home. As if Kento was his home. As if you were his home.

Kento was still stunned into silence when you leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

"Hey! Sorry we're late. Yuuji was hurt on a mission, so I picked him up, but I wanted to get ice cream, and I noticed we didn't have enough in for dinner for three, and--"

Your words cut off with a muffled "mmf!" as Kento leaned down, pulling you in by the back of the neck, and small of your back, silencing you with a kiss which tasted of all the gratitude for which he had no words. By the time he'd released your lips, his forehead pressed to yours, you felt the air rush back to the vacuum he'd left behind.

"...Kento, are you oka--"

"I love you."

The air rushed straight back out of you, leaving you light and giddy. Your lips puckered, threatening tears, so long had you been wondering if he'd ever confess the depths of his feelings.

"...you love me?"

"I love you. I love you. I absolutely love you. And I'm sorry I didn't--..."

"...didn't think I'd be happy with you looking after a boy with no parents, who needs some?"

You let your question hang, so Kento could soak in how much of a fool he'd been. He sighed, tense and looking over at Yuuji rustling through grocery bags in the kitchen.

"...I didn't want to assume that you'd accept it."

"Would you choose someone like that, though?" Kento looked unsure, and you clarified. "I mean, would you choose someone who felt jealous of you looking after an orphaned child?"

Kento's gears turned. "...no."

You smiled up at him, cupping his cheek in your palm. "Exactly. So, like I was saying...I put fresh sheets in his room. I'll go and make dinner. Yuuji will pick a movie. And you should have a word with him about jumping through plate glass windows to get to a Curse faster."

At that, Kento's head snapped up, fixing Yuuji with a frown that had Yuuji dropping bags of snacks on the floor.

"Yuuji."

"Shit, I'm sorry Nanamin, I--"

"Language."

"Shit, I'm sorry Nanami-san, I--"

You headed to the kitchen, pulling on an apron and stifling laughter at the Not-Father and Not-Son bickering in your wake.

[bungeepuppet]

Happy Birthday

Prompt: Illumi is the only person to ever celebrate Hisoka’s birthday.

Rating: Mature (Mentions of sex, but nothing explicit)

Words: 4,000~

Note: A VERY FLUFFY one-shot that I had planned alongside the comic I did for Hisoka’s birthday, but could not get to cooperate with me until last night! So... Happy Birthday, Hisoka! 🎂🎈🎊 (+ao3)

—

No one ever celebrated Hisoka’s birthday.

In fact, most people would rather curse the day he was born than celebrate it.

They couldn’t curse the exact day, of course, because just about no one besides Hisoka himself knew what the actual date of his birthday was.

No parents, no siblings, no extended family that might have taken guardianship otherwise.

Hisoka hoped that if any had ever existed that they were all dead.

The administration from the carnival that had bought him as a small child were all dead. Hisoka had made sure of that.

They had known the date, since his documentation was inside the safe a young Hisoka had plundered after killing the office staff and owner. 

June 6th, 19xx. 

(There was a convenient coffee stain over the last two digits of the year.)

Hisoka kept the date as one of his little secrets. That way it would be so much funner to be out indulging himself in a bloody fight or two and no one would know it was really just a birthday gift to himself. 

The few times that he shared the date was in passing at bars or clubs on the night of his birthday, and he was often treated to a few free drinks and sex with pretty, drunk strangers for doing so.

They wouldn’t remember the date. No one alive did.

Except, that wasn’t entirely true anymore.

There was one. 

And it was funny too, that the only person to ever remember his birthday, let alone celebrate it, was someone equally as merciless and bloodstained as himself.

Illumi Zoldyck, of all people.

—

The first year was laughably minimalistic. The absolute bare minimum.

Hisoka had accompanied Illumi on a small job, free of charge. Only he knew that it was an excuse to do something a little fun for his birthday, in the company of one of the few people that could stand him for more than a few hours. 

It was fun keeping his secret for the flight there and during the slaughter that Illumi allowed him to commit with the guards. Illumi didn’t know that allowing Hisoka to act out was incidentally giving him a birthday present, and it made Hisoka smile. 

By the time they were waiting for their flight back to Padokea, Hisoka felt inclined to let Illumi in on his secret. He had been a good “friend” and had shown him a good time for his birthday, albeit unwittingly. 

“You know…” Hisoka smiled as he shuffled a deck of cards in his hands. “Today is my birthday. ♦”

Illumi turned to look at Hisoka, his expression betraying no emotion. Hisoka tilted his chin up to catch a peek at his companion. He knew Illumi’s wide eyes well enough now to know that he was curious about the declaration.

“Hoh, is it…?” Illumi asked with his airy, unafflicted voice.

Hisoka pressed his smile flat into a pleased “u” shape, and his eyes bent closed in an equally pleased fashion. 

“Yup! ♣” He answered childishly. “And my friend Illumi was so nice to take me out for the day~♥” 

Illumi’s small mouth disappeared into an even smaller dot on his face. 

He hadn’t been aware at all that Hisoka was celebrating with him today. Hisoka’s way of speaking was confusing, but it was acceptable that Hisoka enjoyed his time working with him, seeing as Illumi wasn’t paying him for this job. If Hisoka took that as Illumi doing him a favor on top of already working for free, then that was fortuitous on its own. 

Still, Illumi was confident that Hisoka was asking too little for a birthday, even for an adult. Illumi was currently the only adult in his line of siblings, but his parents would still present him with a few practical gifts and his favorite dessert come his birthday. His younger brothers were much more spoiled, and always had cake and toys on their birthdays.

“Hm.” Illumi put his knuckle to his chin in thought. 

This was quite a predicament he had been put in, but simple enough that surely it was fixable. 

Hisoka’s expression faltered when Illumi stood from his seat suddenly.

“Excuse me for a moment.” Illumi said politely.

Hisoka watched his cohort walk down the terminal hall and slumped his mouth to the side. He supposed it was his own fault for expecting more of a response than that from a man as composed as Illumi Zoldyck.

It took quite a bit longer than a moment for Illumi to return, and by the time he did, Hisoka was standing by the window while other passengers waited in line to board. 

Illumi walked right up to him without any change in expression. 

“I bought you a gift.” Illumi said nonchalantly and reached into his pocket.

Hisoka’s eyes opened more in surprise. He wasn’t sure what kind of gift Illumi would have purchased from the many random travel kiosks in the airport, but he was curious to know. 

“Oh? Did you? ♦” Hisoka leaned in to see Illumi’s hand.

Illumi opened his palm face up to reveal a package of Bungee Gum. Hisoka’s eyebrow twitched. 

“Ah…♠” He didn’t know what to say. 

“Hm? This is your favorite, isn't it?” Illumi asked him curiously. 

Hisoka lifted his hand to take the candy from him.

“Oh, well… yes.” He admitted. 

Well, it was his favorite gum. Significantly so. 

Hisoka would have loved to receive a packet of Bungee Gum for his birthday when he was a little carnie kid without a jenny to his name. But as an adult… 

Hisoka turned the package in his hand and looked at the familiar smiling face and suit patterns decorating the paper. He couldn’t stop the smile that snorted to life with his laugh.

One of the world’s most proficient assassin’s had gotten him a pack of gum for a birthday gift, because he remembered that it was his favorite. Why did Illumi even bother to remember that?

“I guess it’s the thought that counts…♣” Hisoka thought, and laughed again.

“What is so funny about it?” Illumi asked while they joined the check-in line, with Hisoka giggling to himself all the way.

“Oh, not a thing, Illumi.” Hisoka grinned at him and peeled the wrapping off of the side of his silly birthday gift. 

Hisoka popped one of the blocks of gum into his mouth, then picked up another foil covered piece between his clawed nails. He offered it to Illumi while he chewed. 

“Would you like one? ♦” Hisoka asked courteously. Illumi blinked back at him, still confused.

“It's your birthday gift.” Illumi replied with almost enough infliction to sound human. 

“And I would love to share it with you. ♥” Hisoka rebutted. 

Illumi looked at the piece of candy with some thought. After a moment, he took it, peeled the foil off, and popped the square of gum into his mouth without a word. Hisoka smiled.

They spent the first part of the airship ride with nothing but the shuffling of cards and the dull pops of bubblegum to break the silence.

—

The second year was more practical. 

It was about a week before Hisoka’s birthday, and he and Illumi were enjoying a drink after completing another easy job. 

Hisoka hadn’t brought up that his birthday was nearing, and debated the best way to do so as he sipped on his glass of whiskey. He didn’t want to point it out on-the-nose and come off as desperate.

The addition of sex to their relationship’s pot had really been a mixed bag; on one hand, great sex, and on the other hand, constantly teetering on emotional vulnerability.

He tilted his drink back and forth while he considered his words. Illumi spoke up before he found them. 

"Oh," He breathed. "I almost forgot."

"It's your birthday next week…" Illumi turned toward Hisoka further.

"It is customary to have dinner and drinks, isn't it? Do you have any preferences?"

He had really meant to bring it up earlier, as it was his nature to be prepared for events such as these. Reservations may be needed, and even though the Zoldyck name could easily sway any establishment to bend policies, it was always better to have accommodations settled early. Hopefully a week was enough time—Illumi didn't want to come off as ill-prepared for something important.

Hisoka's expression lit up at the question, and he tried to stifle his glee, to no avail.

No one had ever offered such a thing to him in his entire life!

A good few times he had eaten and drank with others on his birthday, but it was never planned, and it certainly was not offered to him by a friend. He had allies come and go in the past, but no friends to speak of for as long as memory served him. 

Except now, he had Illumi.

(Even if the assassin argued over the definition of "friend" every time it was brought up.)

"Ohh~♥" Hisoka cooed. "Illu you are so sweet to me~♦"

Hisoka rested his elbows onto the bar counter, drink still in hand, and laid his cheek onto his wrist in thought.

"What did I do to deserve such a sweetheart like you? ♣"

Illumi's mouth pursed at the overly soft term.

"You ensured that my birthday last year was quite… memorable." He answered.

Hisoka dropped his expression for a moment, then slid his eyes shut with a mischievous smile. 

Illumi's birthday was in November, a considerably good while ago, but he must have truly enjoyed himself to want to return the favor now in June.

Hisoka allowed his ever-hungry tongue to flick out from the corner of his mouth and lap at the skin above it as he recalled the wonderful sounds he had pulled out of Illumi the night of his birthday. Dinner, drinks, and a very hot night of dirty kisses and oral sex—what a blissful memory. And it hadn't been long after that that they had finally slept together, too.

"Will I be receiving a similar gift from you? ♦" Hisoka purred in excitement.

Illumi watched Hisoka's hips as he squirmed enough to pivot himself in place on his stool, even with his legs crossed. He looked back up to Hisoka's face with a small smile.

"It is your birthday." He said, with an understanding that it meant Hisoka was free to ask him for whatever he would like as a gift. 

Hisoka swooned with a malicious laugh. 

"You're too good to me, Illumi~♥"

—

The third year was a… surprise.

Illumi called Hisoka two days before his birthday and informed him that he urgently needed his assistance with a job on the west coast of Kukan'yu. Hisoka was expecting Illumi to be calling him about potential plans for his birthday, but figured that a job in a pretty, posh little coastal town would offer plenty of opportunities for fun together, and plus, killing and fighting was a treat all on its own.

Hisoka flew to the much larger city just north of Illumi's location, then took a cab to the affluent hamlet where Illumi said his target was holed up somewhere. As he watched the glittering sea from the taxi window, Hisoka received a call from Illumi.

"I got your text." Illumi said, distracted. Hisoka could hear him rummaging with something in the background.

"Yes, I'll be in town within the hour~" Hisoka flicked at his nails casually. "So where am I meeting you? ♣"

"Oh, I cannot meet today." Illumi replied with a much more direct tone. "You will be meeting a correspondent."

Hisoka glanced at his phone questioningly. He didn't want to say he was disappointed to have to wait to see Illumi until tomorrow, but it did take some gusto out of him. Illumi was aware that his birthday was tomorrow, right? He had to be.

Oh well, once the job was done they could do something together.

"Alright." Hisoka turned his attention back to the ocean view.

"I'll send you the address." Illumi said, absentminded again.

—

Hisoka arrived at the address Illumi had provided by mid-afternoon, and found it to be attached to a manicured townhouse. The street was lined with equally well-kept, Mediterranean style homes, with groomed tropical plants and trees that made the area look more like a postcard than a place for murder.

Well, murder follows money, and there was plenty of money here.

Hisoka entered the house with a quick knock, and was greeted by an older man in a black suit.

"Master Illumi has asked me to give you instructions for the meeting tomorrow." The man said formally. Hisoka tilted his head. 

This was a butler, he assumed. Not very powerful, maybe 45 points.

The butler handed him a small envelope.

"Please follow the details listed inside carefully. Master Illumi says it is imperative."

Hisoka stared at the envelope, then raised his eyes back up to the butler with a cocked eyebrow.

This was not normally how his jobs went with Illumi. They always met together and Illumi personally explained the details to him. They call and text each other freely, after all, so what was the point of this run around?

"Alright. ♠" Hisoka agreed finally.

With a flick of his wrist, a card appeared between his fingers, and he used its Nen-hardened edge to open the envelope like a letter.

The instructions were clear, but all the more confounding. 

Hisoka was to meet with an informant tomorrow, at a different address, and give them the code "44301". That was all.

There was also a note to again remind Hisoka that Illumi would not be available to meet tonight. Hmph.

But Illumi did take the initiative to book a room for Hisoka to spend the night at… on the other end of town. Hisoka did his best not to grind his teeth—his taxi just left five minutes ago. 

The hotel better have a bar.

—

Hisoka laid in bed and stared at the clock; 11:45PM.

The only contact he had with Illumi after he arrived was texting him to tell him that he got the information for the meeting, and Illumi acknowledging it.

He didn't want to be disappointed, but he had been expecting Illumi to at least mention his birthday. Though, technically it was his birthday tomorrow and not tonight, but still.

No text saying, "Sorry to do this on your birthday weekend, but…" or any promises like "We'll go out after the job is done."?

This was all very unlike Illumi as he knew him.

Hisoka frowned. Had Illumi forgotten?

Illumi remembered last year, so it would be strange if he forgot this year, but it wasn't impossible.

Hisoka watched the clock tick past 12:00AM.

This was stupid, being upset over someone forgetting his birthday. No one ever celebrated it with him until recently, so it shouldn't bother him.

But Illumi was the only one to ever remember, so he was the only one that could forget it, too.

Hisoka groaned and rolled away from the clock to get some sleep.

—

Hisoka’s blood was boiling.

After waking up to nothing from Illumi but a text telling Hisoka to notify him once he met with the informant, Hisoka had again called a taxi and gone to the new meeting spot as requested.

He had assumed the informant may be untrustworthy, and probably powerful, if Illumi was having him go, but to his surprise, as he arrived at the listed motel room, Hisoka was greeted by a civilian man in an inconspicuous blue-gray suit with a dull, lackluster expression.

The man asked for the code, and upon receiving it, handed Hisoka a manila envelope.

"Please bring this paperwork to the address below." He said.

No fight, no attitude, no bloodlust, not even any impressive Nen or rowdy cohorts that might have had him considering to fight even if it was against Illumi's wishes! This was a trivial errand that anyone could have accomplished!

Hisoka was so upset by the insult of this mundane exchange that he failed to notice the neat line of golden needle heads sticking out of the back of the "informant's" hair.

Instead, Hisoka seethed as he stalked up the sidewalk and into a very affluent neighborhood that overlooked the ocean by cliffside.

"Calling me for a job on my birthday? Sure, fine, whatever." Hisoka ranted in his head bitterly. "But to have me run these menial little errands? A butler could have done this! At least have me fight something! ♠"

His clawed thumbnail dug into the paper of the yellow envelope as he gripped it tight in annoyance.

And that bastard Illumi hadn't called or texted him anything about his birthday all day! He really had forgotten!

It made Hisoka mad, and a little embarrassed, to have had placed any expectations in the assassin, even if he was his lover. He felt even stupider for being so upset about it, as if he needed Illumi to give a damn about whether he was born or not.

"That's what I get for expecting anything. ♠" Hisoka thought with a huff as he reached the listed residence. He didn't even bother to knock, and let himself inside.

His heels clicked on the tile floor of the foyer as he skulked into the belly of the house to look for the next stupid correspondent he was probably meeting here.

He stopped short at the sight of pastel party decorations and Illumi, standing amongst it all, with his hands up on either side of his head.

"Surprise!" Illumi said with a big smile that was disproportionate to his airy, calm voice.

"Haha, I tricked you!" He added gently with a boyish laugh.

Hisoka dropped the envelope in his absolute dumbfoundment.

Behind Illumi there were bouquets of baby blue, pink, and yellow balloons—one of his favorite color palettes—that hung on either side of a "Happy Birthday" banner that draped down the wall in similar colors.

Below the banner was a small party table, with its pastel blue skirt pinned up in intervals by soft pink and yellow pom poms. And in the center of the table was a very expensive-looking chocolate birthday cake; big enough to look like a centerpiece, but small enough to share between two.

Hisoka felt an unfamiliar, overwhelming feeling overcome him as he realized what was happening, and he shakingly approached Illumi as the latter carried on explaining without a care.

"Retrieving the envelope was just a diversion!" Illumi continued, giddy that his clever plan had worked exactly as intended. "It actually has your card—"

Hisoka grabbed Illumi by the shoulders, quickly enough to startle him into pausing his explanation.

"ILLUMI… ♥" Hisoka choked out, eyes wet. Illumi stared at his upset face with his usual wide eyes.

"Oh, do you not like it…?" Illumi asked.

That would be a shame, as he was sure Hisoka would like it. His younger brothers had always liked parties like this.

Hisoka swallowed back the emotion clogging his throat, and followed it with a hard sniff for good measure. He returned Illumi’s stare, though his eyes were bent up to fight off the mistiness that kept clouding them.

Illumi had planned him a surprise birthday party, in an expensive rental home on the coast of Kukan'yu, for just the two of them. He really thought that Illumi had forgotten his birthday, and in doing so, he played right into Illumi’s hand. Illumi got him good; some master of tricks he was!

Illumi didn't forget.

Hisoka pulled him into a tight embrace.

"You were setting this up all yesterday?" He asked, muffled by Illumi’s thick, black hair.

Illumi smiled and hugged him back.

"Mm!" He affirmed, and carried on with his explanation. "I had to wait on the balloon arrival, and then oversee the workers through the set-up in the afternoon yesterday, and there was a delay with the champagne delivery, which was very annoying, as well as having to continuously call the service desk at the bakery today because they were also over an hour late delivering this morning."

Illumi paused his rambling to peek at Hisoka, who had not moved besides pushing his face into Illumi’s neck. Illumi gave himself a self-assured grin.

"Did I surprise you?" Illumi asked, his voice as mischievous as a toddler's.

Hisoka squeezed him tighter, and after a moment, managed to pull away to plant a deep, grateful kiss on his lover's lips.

"Yes. I love it. ♣" Hisoka sniffed, then turned to pepper Illumi’s sideburn with quick kisses.

"Suki, suki, suki, suki, sukiiii-dayo. ♥" 

( →"I love you" but soft, like a crush)

Illumi gleamed at the appreciative gesture, and rewrapped his arms around Hisoka’s broad shoulders. 

"Oh good! I was worried for a moment." He sighed contently, completely unaware of the turmoil he had caused.

—

♥ Epilogue:

Hisoka sank further into the rolling bubbles of the jacuzzi. He watched the sunset stretch over the horizon line of the ocean from the comfort of the vacation home's private balcony, and from the comfortable embrace of the hot water, and his hot lover, who was just as naked as he was.

Illumi puffed a relaxed sigh, and leaned further into Hisoka’s embrace.

He was glad that his efforts had paid off, and that Hisoka was pleased and cuddling with him now. Hisoka had stalled his invitation for sex right after the surprise, which was very unexpected, but his worries were eased when Hisoka suggested this instead. Illumi had never been met with anything less than overt enthusiasm when he was the one to initiate, so for a moment he was worried Hisoka was unhappy with him.

It was quite the opposite of unhappy, unbeknownst to Illumi.

Hisoka cradled Illumi closer and carefully slid a wayward strand of his long, wet hair back into place. Illumi hummed approvingly from his resting spot on Hisoka's collar, and Hisoka pursed his lips with a blush.

He felt silly.

He felt bubblier than the jacuzzi, or the champagne sitting nearby.

He wasn't even really in the mood for sex, which was so surprising that he couldn't even bring himself to explain it to Illumi, instead shying away from the other's inviting words and proposing this alternative instead.

There was no way he could coolly explain that the only thing he really, really wanted to do tonight was hold Illumi close for as long as time allowed. Teasing about taking a naked dip in the hot tub was the closest that he was getting to that confession.

Hisoka stroked more of Illumi’s hair back, and drew lazy circles over the smooth skin of his shoulder blade. He felt Illumi smile, and pouted over the heat that reaffixed itself across his cheekbones.

He was so happy, so content. It was really unlike him.

There was nothing he would rather be doing on his birthday than reclining with Illumi like this.

"Hmm, ah…" Illumi mumbled as his thoughts started up again. "Is there anything specific you would like for dinner?"

Illumi tried to sit up, but Hisoka coaxed him back into lying on him. Illumi smiled in amusement.

"There are several acclaimed restaurants close by." He resumed from the nape of Hisoka’s neck. Hisoka's lips squirmed again, and he set a kiss onto the crown of Illumi's head.

"I don't feel like going out…" He answered reluctantly. 

He didn't want to move from this spot. He didn't want to stop holding Illumi, who cared for him and took him into consideration. Illumi, who remembered his birthdate, and made such an effort to make him feel special.

That's what it was, Hisoka realized with another shy sigh.

He felt special.

He felt special to Illumi, specifically.

"We can order take-out then." Illumi suggested it like a solution to a math problem. He moved to reach for his phone, but was again enveloped in Hisoka’s arms and dragged into a tender hold.

"I'm not too hungry yet..." Hisoka tried as an excuse. "I would rather stay here for longer."

Illumi's black eyes stared up at Hisoka from below his chin. He was acting very unusual, almost submissive, but he supposed it wasn't a bad unusual, so Illumi let it be. 

"Alright, then," Illumi pressed a kiss to Hisoka's neck, unaware of the agonizingly blissful expression the act garnered.

"Happy birthday."

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

Daughter of the Rain and Snow

Concept: Around ten years after the events of Crooked Kingdom, 25-year-old Captain Inej Ghafa frees Maya Olsen from a pleasure house in Ketterdam. Maya is looking for revenge against the man who put her in her position, a man who she knows nothing about except his name: Kaz Brekker.

Tags: @wraith--2 @lunarthecorvus @just2bubbly @real-fragments7 @cartoon-clifford @origami-butterfly @lady-a-stuff @thelibraryofalexandriastillburns @inej-ghafa-deserves-the-world @thatdelusionalnerd

If anyone wants to be added let me know :)

Content Warnings: in more general terms I want to remind people to be aware of the nature of Kaz and Inej's experiences and relationship since even if I'm not directly addressing these things they tend to be implicit in any writing about them, but specifically to this chapter there's blood, wounds, fear of losing loved ones, ptsd references, and violence/knife violence references

AO3 link: Daughter of the Rain and Snow - Chapter 129 - She_posts_nerdy_stuff - Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo [Archive of Our Own]

Chapter 128 - Kaz

It was almost an idyllic morning to wake up to, whether it should have been or not. Kaz only realised how long he’d slept for when the sun was dancing across his eyelids and a gentle, welcome breeze was drifting through the window. The curtains were drifting slightly in the soft wind and the spring air was not too cold, but fresh enough to prickle against Kaz’s bare arms. He closed his eyes again for a moment, feeling the sunlight leaking through the curtains warm against his face, before looking down at Inej. She was still asleep, lain against his chest, her hair a dark mass falling over both of them. Kaz smiled, lying still and just watching her, listening to her breathing, feeling her heartbeat pressed against his own, until she woke up. He had no idea how long it took. Inej lifted her head slowly, blinking, and turned to face him. 

“Good morning,”

“Inej? Inej, look at me, Inej, please… Inej!”

Kaz should’ve been here. He should’ve been here. He should’ve been here.

“Good morning,” he smiled, reaching out to push a lock of hair behind her ear, “Did you sleep alright?”

Kaz knelt on the floor by Inej, breaths catching in his throat, blinded to the commotion around them as he pressed his gloved hand against the wound in her side. What had he done? What had he done?

“You’re okay,” he tried to tell her through a wavering voice, “Inej, look at me, you’re okay,”

It was an ugly cut. The knife had gone in deep but Alby hadn’t had time to pull it out again, so for as long as Kaz could keep pressure on it would be okay, wouldn’t it? He could tell himself that all he wanted, but his glove was still wet with Inej’s blood. There was an unpleasant slash on her thigh as well, that only when he looked properly did he realise the thin handle of a much smaller knife was still protruding from.

What had he done? What had he done?

Inej’s smile was wide as she leant up towards Kaz, lips pressing briefly against his.

“I slept very well,” 

The Healer seemed to take an eternity to arrive. By the time the girl came in - barely teenaged, let alone a competent bloody adult - Kaz had pulled Inej onto his knee and was cradling her head with one hand, still trying to keep pressure on her side with the other. Her blood was soaking into his clothes. He could feel her pulse throbbing through the wound as she reached one hand up and delicately touched his cheek with the barest trace of her fingertips. Kaz’s gaze flicked between the knife in her side and the knife in her leg, panic and fear and anger and a thousand other things screaming silently with every tiny movement that he made. There was less blood at the wound in her leg, but he was pretty sure it was in a similar position to where she’d had stitches just a few weeks ago. Even though those had been fixed by a Cororalnik, Kaz doubted it was good to have another wound so close.

“You’re making a dangerous habit of this,” he whispered.

“What?” she asked, almost laughing, “Getting used as a pincushion?”

“How are you feeling?” Kaz asked as he stood and stretched, finding his cane where he’d left it leaning by the desk before offering Inej his arm to stand up.

“Surprisingly good, actually,” she smiled, and Kaz found he actually believed her.

Of course, surprisingly good in this case could more than easily just mean not on death’s door but Kaz decided to take it as a positive. Inej rolled her shoulders, sighing happily, then released Kaz’s hand to stretch and touch her toes, and promptly fell over.

Kaz’s heart leapt as he moved to grab her arm. His cane slipped on the shiny wooden floorboards and both of them tumbled, holding each other tightly, crashing messily on top of each other. Inej groaned but she was laughing too, leaning heavily on the side of the bed to pull herself up before collecting Kaz’s cane and offering him it or her arm to stand.

“Are you alright?”

“Balance aside?” she smiled, but he could tell it was bothering her, “I’m okay,”

Kaz breathed.

“I’m sorry,”

Kaz was an idiot. He had left her all alone, and for how long? He didn’t know how many hours he had slept for, but sunset had been a distant thing when he drifted and now night had long since fallen beyond the palace walls. The sky was pinpricked by stars. 

“Inej? Inej, please, keep talking to me… Oh Saints, Inej, I’m so sorry,”

Inej’s eyelids were flickering. Kaz was covered in her blood. Both of them were. 

“I’m so tired,”

“Inej? Inej, look at me-”

“Shhh” she whispered, shaking her head, closing her eyes, “I’m sleeping,”

“Don’t you dare,” 

Kaz shook her shoulder. And then he shook it again.

“Inej? Inej!” he shook her once more, and she just sighed quietly, “Where the hell is that Healer!?”

“Kaz…”

“Just a few more minutes,” he promised her, “Just stay awake a few more minutes for me,”

She stroked his cheek again, and as she pulled away his free hand caught hers in the air. He let her run her fingers beneath the rim of his glove, shivers coursing down his spine at the feeling of her skin against his wrist.

“For you,” she murmured.

“For me?” he whispered.

Her fingers slipped higher, pushing the leather up along his palm to slowly remove the glove. She was touching his wrist, then his palm, the back of his hand. He let her pull the glove away and closed his fingers over hers; it dropped to the ground next to her and lay still. Some black ominous thing, like a dead animal at their feet. Their fingers intertwined, wedding rings clinking against each other like distant bells.

“For you,” she smiled, “I can make an exception,”

She slipped her thumb into the tiny space between their palms, and Kaz felt his shoulders tense. He was fighting the need to lean over, to close the space between their lips. That was ridiculous. He was holding her stab wound, feeling her blood spilling over him, and still he was thinking of the soft brush of her lips against his own. He tightened his grip on her hand, her thumb suffocating in between them.

“Inej, I’m sorry,”

“Don’t say that,”

Kaz watched Inej now, breathing slowly as she sat down in front of the dressing table. She winced as she reached up to brush her hair, then tried to carry on as though he hadn’t noticed. Kaz hesitated for the briefest second, then stepped forwards and took the brush from her hand.

“Kaz-”

“One braid or two?”

Inej watched his eyes for a moment in the mirror, then smiled.

“Two,”

When the Healer had finally arrived last night, she’d not been long followed by Fiona Kittel and the Nazyalenskys. Kaz had been aside by that point, breathing an almost painful process as he watched the Healer leaning over Inej with his heart in his throat.

“What happened?”

“You’re incompetent fucking guards happened,” he hissed, not moving to meet anyone’s gaze until he glanced briefly at Fiona, “Where’s the girl?”

“Asleep, I think. I heard-”

“Don’t leave her alone, I don’t know where Rollins is-”

“In custody,” said Nikolai, calmly.

Kaz did lock eyes with him then, no change in the ferocity of his tone as he repeated:

“Don’t risk leaving her alone,”

Fiona glanced almost nervously between Kaz and the royals, then vanished. Zoya frowned, but said nothing. It took several long, nerve-wracking minutes for the Healer to announce that Inej was okay. More than okay. Whatever medicines - the Healer had said drugs and Kaz’s heart almost careened off course before the girl clarified she meant the drugs that Genya had given her, why the hell did the wording have to be so unhelpful? - were left inside Inej after the procedure were still working well enough to keep her stronger than she otherwise would have been after an injury like that. She had lost a lot of blood but the blade hadn’t hit any vital organs, and it would be within hours that she would start to feel normal again. Normal. Kaz didn’t feel very convinced by that word. But Inej had awoken not long after he’d banished everyone else from the room and changed out of his blood-soaked clothes, and she claimed to barely feel the pain at all. He wasn’t entirely certain he believed her, but who knew what kind of medicines Genya had given her to dull such things? It made him shiver to think about it too long.

Inej hadn’t wanted to go back to sleep, once she was up. Kaz insisted that she at least rest and they had lain together on the bed for a long time, talking softly. She told him she’d woken up during the procedure and he made a mental note to find out which Corporalnik had screwed up so he could show them their own innards and see how they enjoyed it, whilst he cradled Inej’s head against his chest and tried to convince her that next time it would be okay. He would find a way to be there with her, no matter how many arguments with Genya Safin it might take. She told him what had happened when Alby came in and he told that he knew that he had Maya’s contract and everything the girl had said to him. He told her what had happened when they went downstairs. Inej had almost cowered slightly at that, saying that she should have done something because Fiona had told her Maya was convinced Alby had spoken to her on the boat, and Kaz thought of what the Heartrender had told him about the river seeming to take control of Maya in her deepest hysterics as he promised Inej that she could not have changed anything, that she had done everything she could. She had given everything and more for that girl, and damn it to hell if Kaz let her think she should’ve done better. He had no idea what time it was when Inej drifted to sleep, still leaning on him, or when he fell not long after, but it must have been late for them to have stayed in bed this far into the morning.

Kaz had just about finished tying off Inej’s second plait when there came a knock on the door. His fingers froze before hastily finishing the task and he stepped away from her, searching the nightstand blindly for his gloves as Inej called for whomever was behind the door to come inside. Fiona leant nervously into the room, eyes flicking over Inej and clearly trying to ascertain how well she was doing before she spoke.

“We have a... slight problem,” she pursed her lips, “Maya’s missing,”

[pearlypairings]

Hi babe happy birthday!! For the cute birthday scenarios, how about hellcheer and one baking a surprise cake for the other?

eddie x chrissy || fun, fluff, goofy mistakes || 959 words

A/N: you've been so patient rosey, to be last but not least :) hope you enjoy the fluffy cake disaster that only a ADHD/distracted Eddie could make enjoyable <3 thank you for this one! ending on a high note:)

previous prompt

A scoop of powdery white mystery rested lazily atop the magazine cut-out on the counter. Eddie couldn’t remember if he’d scooped the flour or the baking powder and smelling it gave him no further clue. He slipped the recipe out from underneath to reexamine the ingredient list. “Son,” Uncle Wayne mused, approaching from the trailer’s quaint living space to haunt over the haphazard piles of ingredients and bowls and spoons. “Wouldn’t everyone be happier if you just bought the damn thing? Leave baking to the professionals. I can’t remember a Munson ever baking a cake, not even Great Grandma Gin.”

“Exactly, Chrissy won’t expect it.” Eddie picked up the scoop and poured it confidently (still wondering how bad the mess-up would be if he switched ingredients on accident) into the big mixing bowl amidst other dry ingredients. “You know how she is, always one step ahead. I never get to really surprise her. It’s about time that I give her a real shock.” Wayne shook his head, peering into the metal bowl with skepticism before taking stock of the cracked egg shells and milk carton close by. “Your girl is more likely to get the shock of food poisoning, but don’t mind me. I’ve just got her health more on my mind than your grand ideas.” “Thanks for the vote of confidence. I’ll be sure not to save you a slice after your shift.” Eddie waved him away, his eyes glued to the numbers on the recipe instructions. With a shrug, he tossed the rest of the ingredients into the bowl and took their trusty, chipped wooden spoon off the sidelines. Sure, the recipe called for a mixer, but a little elbow grease and their lucky spoon had to wind up with the same outcome. His uncle stayed away from the kitchen while Eddie finished up. He’d had to borrow a cake pan from little Red and her mom down the way and promised to return it the way he found it—washed with maybe a few extra burnt bits stuck on the bottom. The Munson’s oven was more of a holding bay than an operational cooking appliance, so he cleared out the old frying pans and boxes of cereal too big for the cabinets before he clicked it on and set it to the proper temperature of 375 degrees…or was it supposed to be 325? Whatever, it’s hot enough at least. At any rate, the batter was to the brim of the pan when he slid it onto the rack like a brain surgeon who’d pivoted his career to expert baker. He saluted the oven, fully trusting it would honor its commitment to cooking the hell out of Chrissy’s cake. When enough time had passed (vibes were essential to this part, he thought a timer was a bit much), the dingy dishtowels were his gauntlets—primed and prepared to face the flaming hot metal inside.

Upon first glance, there may have been some spillage over the sides when it rose; he forgot about the whole “cake rising” part. And shit, sure, the edges looked darker (a rich toasty black-brown) than he expected, but the frosting would solve all of that, he assured himself as he placed the pan on the stovetop to cool. That much he remembered from little Red’s mother’s parting advice. By the time he’d finished swirling the last swatch of frosting, Chrissy would be here any minute. Wayne had already left for his shift at the plant and for that miracle, he was glad. Eddie would have never heard the end of his digs while they waited for her arrival, if he had seen the cake. Hell, his uncle probably would have gone out and bought a replacement cake for her. His disaster of a birthday cake had more potholes than the Forest Hills trailer park and more cracks than old Harry’s truck windshield. The only thing holding it up was his overabundance of frosting gluing pieces together and poorly filling the divots, lumps, and bumps across the top. A whole army of swirly, wax candles didn’t help his case much, but those were the finishing touches he needed for the surprise to feel complete. There were a couple of taps on the trailer door, and her familiar voice greeted him affectionately beyond the screen. Chrissy let herself in, wearing the prettiest white blouse he’d ever seen, probably a well-deserved birthday splurge from the mall. He called her over to the kitchen, stepping out to showcase his Frankenstein creation. “What are you doing in the—” Chrissy’s eyes froze on the deflated, over-iced cake. Her soft features exploded in glorious shock, and with a squeal, she rushed the last few steps and jumped into his arms. “That’s mine, right? You made that for me?” “I did, pretty girl.” He kissed her, hoping he still tasted like vanilla from all the frosting he’d been sampling. “Surprised?” “I can’t wait to try it!” She nodded, nuzzling into his neck and squeezing her arms tighter around him.  “Let’s light the candles first.” Eddie touched her feet back down onto the floor, looking between her pretty smile and the funky cake. He pulled open the drawer to get his lighter, shuffling a few items around to find the shiny black box while his back was turned. “You might wanna wish for a better tasting cake, just as a warning.” And before he had time to react, Chrissy had scooped a healthy finger-full of icing and slathered it down Eddie’s nose with a devious cackle. She retreated without hesitation, ducking behind Uncle Wayne’s favorite chair and hiding from the fistful of cake he carried behind his back. Her laugh was uncontrollable. Eddie had the biggest grin on his face. Sometimes cakes were really sweet. Sometimes cakes were made for throwing. Sometimes surprises went sideways in the best way. He wanted to record that laugh forever.

[wlw-webcomic-bracket]

Very, very belatedly: the last fic I wrote for the 2024 Yuri Shipping Olympics, featuring Undine, Kokoro, and special guest star the human rhinovirus.