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anantaru · 9 months

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4 RULES TO SURVIVE A DIVORCE (GONE WRONG)

— ꒰ synopsis ꒱ — deciding to end your marriage with neuvillette might've been the hardest decision you've ever had to make in your life, although now, navigating through the divorce was becoming even more difficult, especially when you suddenly fail to stick to four simple rules you have both set between each other.

— ꒰ word count ꒱ — 7.8k

— ꒰ warnings ꒱ — [ns]fw, fem! reader, ex! husband neuvillette, divorced couple goals lmao, fluff & crack, p with plot, lovers to strangers to lovers, size kink/size difference, rough sex, unprotected sex, unresolved tension and lots of bickering, sassy comments from the both of you, it's very much giving married old couple, office sex, cumming inside

RULE NUMBER 1: KEEP YOUR DISTANCE AT ALL TIMES

by the sixth day of waking up to an empty bed— with the left side untouched and consisting of nothing but a feeble scent of vacant perfume, neuvillette has decided that he's had enough.

which wasn't to say that he's had enough of sleep, even though that's certainly a potent route to take, yet the neuvillette the people of fontaine knew was only the one they believed they knew.

in this agonizing moment in time, he wasn't sure on how long he could act out this picture-perfect facade for the sake of his people.

they thought he was brilliant, attractive, chocolate-box pretty.

a radiant, enigmatic dragon that was quite the sight to behold, his smile reminding the flowers of spring-time to blossom to their original beauty— awakening their way of life— ah well, such lovely things to ruminate on, or when they decide to appreciate his delicateness, how uniquely he viewed the world and how otherworldly soft he chose to explore it.

in a true sense, the alluring stories the people of fontaine told each other got one single piece about him right; that neuvillette was very handsome and soft to someone's eyes.

with all ones heart, the man unquestionably had enough of the irrefutable coldness wearing down on his shoulders, sitting there alone in an empty bedroom that was previously essential to his well being, with misery written all over his face and bursting at the seams of his mental health, just enough for him to stop talking all at once.

the cold bedspread was rough against his naked body, the mattress too soft to rest on and giving in beneath his weight. wholly crestfallen did neuvillette realize that sadly, the only way to return to the life he's lived a couple months ago, return to where he should be, was to somehow learn on how to travel back in time and make things right.

which from the bottom of his heart, was impossible.

it was confusing, he has to admit, because the only factor he found somewhat common now was on how empty the bedroom was— besides his own belongings, which weren't a lot in the first place, everything else was taken by you weeks ago, beloved items that were brimful of memories stacked in cold boxes and delivered to your new home.

a predictable event, he knows, and how embarrassingly predictable it had gotten that neuvillette found himself in teething trouble, precisely the issue of his sleep schedule in this bed— one you had bought together, shared together every single day, one you had made love to each other every single night.

a slump of mindless memories waft through his psyche, resembling a wicket current of catastrophes as he ultimately came to the conclusion that the reason he was unable to sleep must be because of you— his serious issues on being unable to rest, it has to be because of you.

neuvillette's thoughts and judgments were all scattered, rummaging through the vortex of problems he had endured through the weeks, a matter much more pressing than all of the other issues put together— he continuously waits and aches, hopes and dreams, and before he notices he's slowly healing, it all comes crashing down on him again.

a recollection long gone relives itself in his mind's eye, and his previous gaze gets overturned by a new, haunting stare.

this is why he had bought the bed in the first place, he remembers it vividly now, it's because you fell in love with it right away, you liked the way it felt underneath your body, heedless of how he personally never really found it comfortable.

concealed from everyone's eyes, neuvillette was deeply saddened, but he hadn't given his mental health much thought yet, because how do you even process that your wife has left you?

how do you tell anybody that you failed as a husband?

and it's raining again? what a hassle, although now he's acquired another way to fault himself on, most importantly hurt himself, because no one deserved the bad weather other than he himself did.

for the first time after gaining the position of the iudex of fontaine, neuvillette did not want to go to work. what if someone begins to ask too many invasive questions when he visits the palais mermonia today?

if that's the immediate case that was going to happen, he begins to think about it more clearly— a person asking about his private life was definitely trespassing his boundaries, right? he could immediately do something about it and put them on trial.

by that logic of his, neuvillette cannot fathom how humiliating it was, his face clouds with a mixture of desperation and disappointment in himself, because he can already imagine the hot off the press headlines on the cover of the steambird;

ATTENTION! ATTENTION!

IUDEX OF FONTAINE LEFT STRANDED BY FORMER WIFE! ARE YOU WONDERING WHY WE THINK THIS MARRIAGE WAS DOOMED TO FAIL FROM THE START? GO FIND OUT IN THE NEW ISSUE OF THE STEAMBIRD. ©this article was written and published by journalist charlotte, do not plagiarize under any circumstances

up to the minute he was able to calm himself down, until imagining the wildfire of emotions an article like that would cause in fontaine.

all the unpleasant hours of arguing with you, even attempting to understand each other without actually coming to a conclusion on how to navigate a situation like that. aside from wanting to keep it all hidden from the outside world, leave it concealed and let the people of fontaine forget about the fact that you two had been married in the first place.

who cares, right? who gives a damn if it's husband or ex husband now? what even was the difference between a wife and an ex wife, you see that it's all the same?

ugh, who was he fooling besides himself.

the whole 'ex-wife' was aggravating him to the point where it made him physically sick.

why can't he just flip a switch and everything goes back to normal like it never happened in the first place. neuvillette wanted his normal life back, the normal life he thought you both loved and would continue to live on until your dying days.

in the end, neuvillette saw no other route around it other than to quit using it all together, maybe stop talking about you entirely.

by all means, it's not like he will talk to anybody about the divorce, maybe besides you when he has to mention it. granted that he might not talk to you about it either, because he wasn't allowed to see you right now, neither were you allowed to see him.

on how it came to that point was genuinely understandable.

after the divorce was finalized, new adjustments had to be made regarding your previous living situations, shared income and the future possibility of seeing each other.

as was anticipated, before he was able to say anything or make suggestions, you had already started to list out a couple of "important rules" that you made up, you called them rules but in the iudex mind he called them pesky little regulations.

regardless of his distaste for them, he wrote them down on a piece of paper as to not aggravate you.

well, he found it a bit bizarre, but neuvillette thought it must be a serious requirement at this point. it was his first divorce so how was he supposed to know how to navigate through one? it wasn't supposed to be easy, that's what he knew, it's very heart breaking and draining his life force.

although funnily enough, his overwhelm strengthens after you waltzed over the fourth rule of the day. that's one rule too much in his opinion.

just how many were there?

"i can't think of a better solution," you state whilst leaning your body against his desk, always facing the ground, you wouldn't want to lock gazes with him during such difficult time.

"we may even be able to talk again in the future, you know,"

but did you really want to?

it's safe to say that neuvillette would want to keep in contact, but it's certain that this would not only stress you both out in the long run, possible new partners could also get weirded out by the fact that you two were still talking and they may become jealous.

neuvillette stifles a groan, scribbling down the second rule that left your mouth before absorbing the letters on the piece of paper, "it's for the best if we keep a distance,"

to say like that was a punch in the gut would be an understatement, despite the fact that you proposed the idea in the first place.

alas and without any of you knowing before setting out those four simple rules, now— weeks after, you had found yourself in a position that made it near impossible to keep a distance from each other, or at least make eye contact in a social gathering.

for you, it has become your life in a literal sense to comb through this difficulty, for neuvillette, the possibility of seeing you in the future would secure his sanity and keep him from turning as mad as a hatter.

patience. the incurable truth was patience.

this afternoon, you have to talk for at least five minutes, with a window consisting of a maximum of ten minutes if one of you talked slowly— it's not like you want to see him, but you have to visit your ex husbands office to sign a paper regarding your previously shared finances and then you're good to go for the day again, you can leisurely exit his office and leave this failed relationship behind, exactly where it belonged in the first place, deeply stored in the past.

previously during the negotiations, neuvillette was quite persistent in leaving you the house which was located a little outside of fontaine. he was in no need of it anymore and wanted you to have it, without payments required.

between us two, it's quite obvious he wanted to get rid of it.

but so did you.

you didn't want to stay there, not now, not ever, you wouldn't sign that damned paper even if the god of contracts suddenly came knocking on your door and force you to.

all the memories in that house would eventually eat you up, they'd definitely destroy you, the gnawing grief would certainly keep you awake at night.

originally after telling your ex husband that you didn't want the house, he was able to find you a flat in the city— it's small but cute, and it had everything you needed. a cozy bedroom, a kitchen that was big enough to dance in while you're preparing dinner and an area where you can set up an office for yourself.

how convenient it was that you were previously married to the person that is in charge of fontaine.

aside from that and the fact that you were practically making neuvillette handle the most difficult parts of this— you realize how a sudden guilt was stored on your shoulders, you could barely face him after that.

the parts he needed to handle included, but were not limited to, well, a problem slightly more irritating since it was about his life, turning approximately a hundred other problems he deals with on a daily a whole lot easier.

most of the legal process was handled by him, and only him for that matter, meaning that he had to spend additional hours on it and was barely able to move on with his life after losing you.

unlike you did.

well frankly, it's only been a couple of weeks, a month at best since you've last seen him— although it has been much longer since you've last felt him.

there really wasn't a lot going on in your life after breaking things off, it's always a grueling whirlwind of;

waking up, heading to work, walking home, eating, sleeping, repeat.

most significantly, your new bed felt a bit hard as well, it's uncomfortable and drove you insane.

you missed the one you had previously shared with neuvillette— wether it was because of the way it felt underneath you or because of its much better quality.

perhaps it was also that in the past, you had the chance of leaning against a warm body whenever you were freezing— the secret on why you found your new bed worse in comparison to your old one would certainly remain a secret forever.

it can never be answered, because you do not even know the answer yourself.

it's frequent and happens all the time— when you suddenly begin to wonder late in the evening if this was the right decision after all.

then again, a divorce wasn't necessarily something you would just forget from one day to the other— aside from that, there was a reason it happened, considering the countless events of arguing and the inability of you both to find a solid middle ground.

when you notice that a relationship drains the life out of you, or makes you cry your heart out late at night, a decision has to be made eventually, especially before it would turn your love into resentment or make your respect for the other person dwindle away.

was it really that surprising that you had your doubts?

when it comes down to it, neuvillette wasn't a bad man and you would never speak poorly of him. he was everything else but bad, which reminds you of the reason you had fallen in love with him.

but in earlier days, he had a reflection less of the way he was than of the way he wanted you to see him.

it was challenging for neuvillette to open up to you.

but hell, you're certain you won't be able to find someone who'd ever make you as happy as he did, bring you sweet tummy aches when he makes you laugh all night, or be there for you when you're sick and unable to take care of yourself.

you shake your head in embarrassment, your cheeks aflame as you're drawing several deep, steadying breaths— perhaps that's just how you're supposed to think right now.

it's not real, it cannot be.

right now, you feel like you should've never broken it off, but this marriage had been on death's door for months before the decision was finally formed— albeit from afar, no one had ever suspected anything and you're quite proud of that, in fact, both of you made sure no one would notice too much of what had been going on behind closed doors— like good spouses should always protect each other.

among other things, taking into consideration just how important his work and image was, the last outcome you wanted was for your ex husband to endure dreadful gossips about him.

neuvillette did not deserve a single negative word against him, this man deserved nothing but the finest life for himself— furthermore, after spending yet another night without sleep and thinking about your ex husband, you believed that the best for him just wasn't you.

it never has been.

RULE NUMBER 2: NEVER SHOW UP TO EACH OTHERS HOME OR WORK, NOT EVEN ON EMERGENCIES, ESPECIALLY NOT IF YOU MISS EACH OTHER

it's a little clumsy when you first enter his office, accompanied by an unnerving type of awkwardness outstretching across the room as neuvillette meets your eyes right away— but his head drops after around two seconds and he puffs out a wretched sigh, sounding as if he's about to cry.

neuvillette thought that this should've been way easier— but before you, he has never felt real love like yours before, and he was quite certain that this type of love only happens once in life.

the melusines were also happy to see you, and you could tell that they were equally as confused as you were— they probably did not realize what was going on and nor did you really want them to know.

given that their love and admiration for neuvillette was bottomless and you wouldn't want them to suddenly harbor a disdain for you.

nevertheless, when you listened to what they were whispering about behind your back, they were talking about how you must've been away for travel or desperately needed a vacation from fontaine, or one even mentioned that you might've been sick— considering how dead and empty your eyes looked those past weeks.

then there's the "being busy with work". ah well, the excuses were surely endless and somewhat amusing, you know you're not taking care of yourself when every second a melusine talks about how tired you looked and if you needed a glass of water.

everything but a divorce was being spoken about, at least you managed to hide that well.

your gaze lifts to meet his own again when neuvillette stands up from his desk and looks at you from the opposite side of the table.

under further examination of your facial expression, he notices the slight discomfort that buzzes underneath your skin, especially around your eyes and how you could barely look at him for more than five seconds.

beneath the familiar emotion of being in the same room as him, the sharp bite of his aftershave slips down the back of your throat when you suck in a sharp, choked breath, tensing like a tree at each step forward.

why do you look like you haven't slept for days?

it cannot be, right? but he was paying attention to certain details, either relevant or not he notices how you're looking around without focus, or shift the weight of your body from left foot to right foot.

and well, his supernatural senses were sharp, immediately picking up on your heart pounding against your ribs as if trying to fulfill a thousand beats.

his fingers twitch slightly with the document in his hand as he remains in his position, waiting for you to come closer.

"this couch doesn't seem very comfortable for sleep," you point to the sofa in his office, in an attempt to break the awkward tension, your chin forwarding to the left where a neatly put blanket and a small pillow sat on top of the furniture.

just how many nights has he spent here? did he even sleep in the first place? was he taking care of himself and should you worry?

it's safe to say that his work shouldn't be in danger, but it really is killing you that you cannot ask without coming across like a desperate ex, and you're fully aware that it would also go against your rules.

but neuvillette has always taken his important occupation very serious, sometimes even to the point where he forgot about his own marriage and his wife waiting for him at home with freshly made dinner served and his most favorite beverage awaiting him on a beautifully set up table and— yikes, that escalated quickly.

you're beginning to remember one of the reasons as to why this marriage failed.

"i hope you do not mind if i ask," neuvillette stifles a groan, "but are you mentioning this out of curiosity or are you speaking down on my new sleeping area?" the hint of sarcasm in his voice was unmistakable, the underlying scorn making you wince.

and oh, "sleeping area" was a big statement for that little excuse of a couch, you're very much aware that he can barely fit all of him on it and always had troubles finding a comfortable spot when he fucked— uh, well, when you did things to each other there.

yes, you already know how it felt on there, and who could possibly know of the plentiful times you had been intimate with each other on that couch.

wait a minute, was that the reason? was he already having a rebound this soon after your divorce?

no, it cannot be.

not your neuvillette, hold on, scrap that and reverse, he wasn't your neuvillette anymore.

it's stinging and like pins and needles on your heart when you think about neuvillette fucking someone on the exact same place he made love to you— leading to the conclusion that simply looking at the couch made you sick to your stomach, instantly setting off another unpleasant lurch of nausea yet you could still muster enough strength to fix yourself for the sake of this conversation.

he wouldn't dare, okay, this is the last time you're discussing this with yourself;

what if he wanted you to see this, tell you that:

hey, look at me! i am so happy without you stupid witch, and i already have a new partner too, isn't that nice for me? there really is no need for you to be worried about me, so please sign this document and exit my office.

because i am getting my dick sucked every single day!

your heart beat turns feverish in your chest, and you quickly snap your head towards the direction of your ex husband, "isn't it obvious that i was just trying to make conversation with you?" you retort back, swatting away the dust lingering on your clothes while simultaneously coughing out in an awkward manner.

"although i really cannot imagine that this couch is somewhat comfortable to sleep on."

"i believe you must still remember on how it felt laying there yourself,"

yikes, what a great comeback from him, and he didn't mean to say it like he's spitting venom into your mouth, it's almost like he wanted to tell you that it's your loss you cannot make yourself comfortable on here, even though he wouldn't mind bending you on all fours again like he did last— okay, that's enough.

there was a half-visible smirk on his face that aggravated you, the absolute last expression you were expecting to see from him.

you roll your eyes, "trust me, i don't want to," you reply, pinching your eyebrows together while assessing your distaste of his answer.

just when did an innocent question about a dusty, old couch turn into— whatever that conversation was about.

RULE NUMBER 3: DO NOT ASK INTIMATE QUESTIONS ABOUT EACH OTHERS PRIVATE LIFE

no, stop it, that doesn't seem right, neuvillette shouldn't treat you this way.

right now, he was experiencing his worst nightmare and the previous gears of sadness grind to a halt upon perceiving another emotion— one, that certainly scared him.

whatever the case, he wouldn't repeat his mistake, accepting any destiny the universe would bestow on him as he silently promises himself to stop any anger from slipping past the tip of his tongue.

pressing your lips together, you dig your heels into the ground, "okay, forget it, i don't have a lot of time," an unexpected force of confidence pushes you forward until you could feel the wooden desk graze across your thighs, you're so close now and the only thing keeping your bodies apart was the desk in between.

your mind was repeatedly screaming at your frame to stop moving before you actually did, "i have to be somewhere in, uh, about a couple hours, so lets finish this quickly."

what a sweet and pretty liar that you were, terribly aware that the only thing waiting for you tonight was your bed.

what a sad image, but he must not know!

"oh?" neuvillette mutters bitterly, a nervous rasp roughening his voice.

"a date, i assume?"

you would have gasped if you had any breath to spare, because you did not think this would actually work in a million years.

"ah, ah, ah," you note in a triumphant colored tone, happily waving your pointer finger from left to right.

"this, dear iudex, goes against rule number three."

content, neuvillette resumes to the document in his hand before placing it in the middle of the desk, sucking in a short, harsh breath, eyes deepening down south, just any area that wasn't you,

"of course, my apologies," his tone was thick, sickly sweet with barely cloaked amusement.

now he knows you're lying— he knows you so well it's almost embarrassing.

"this, is why you came for, right?"

you fumble a blistering retort that died with the hard press of teeth against your tongue, "mhm," you murmur in a low, rich tone, his casual unbothered spirit was dangerously convincing.

oh well, he must have gotten it right— and ah, you were remarkably stubborn too, resisting even the most innocent type of help coming from him as you take a random pen laying across the other side of the desk instead of the one in neuvillette's hand.

your eyes slowly scatter over the document, your brain struggling to put together the authoritative choice of words displayed in front of you.

"please elaborate on that," you press a finger on a significantly befuddling paragraph.

neuvillette muses agreeably before slanting against the desk to see for himself— and when he did you got a real good taste of his perfume suddenly invading your nostrils, playing devils advocate when you flinch back a little.

"do not worry yourself about this," his answer came so quickly you barely caught it, spelled out without a flutter of hesitation.

"everything is accounted for," he adds gently, you only need to put your name, there,"

your once-vulnerable eyes now squint stormily, "that smart mouth of yours surely has been busy, i can tell," as you place the pen on the desk before dropping both arms to your side— the man before you narrowed speechless, burning his eyes through your smug face.

"oh, just how many tricks did you pick up on your way here?" he replies sternly, accentuating the "here" as to remind you on where you currently were— as if that would somehow make him look threatening, you have been in his office plenty of times before, both naked and fully clothed, so neuvillette surely must search for another way to dominate this conversation.

priding himself in front of you with his position as iudex certainly wouldn't work on his ex wife.

"why?" you retort, "you like it?"

"indeed i do, or is that what you want me say, i assume?"

"no," a soft sigh above you echoes your own, "but i do find it weird that you'd want me to sign something without explaining it to me,"

"i did explain it to you multiple times, in fact, last time we saw each other i even asked you if you understood what i was referring to,"

an instinctive flutter of frustration, anger and exhaustion slips down his throat, "and if i recollect my memories," he coughs out and walks around his desk, so that nothing was in between you anymore.

"—you have said your time was limited." the radiating dominance of his body momentarily presses your back against the table, trapping you in the middle, caging between a wooden desk and your ex lover.

"that was weeks ago," you pause, "it's normal for most people to want a quick run through on a document of this importance,"

"it's normal?"

"it's normal," you reaffirm.

"how interesting indeed. i will keep that in mind,"

you lean your weight against the desk as to keep the eye contact with him in an attempt to stand your round, and the two of you have since lost the original purpose of this meeting.

"how could you possibly forget that?"

your voices flap over in an unmusical tune when neuvillette attempts to reply to you, although your tone was far louder than his.

there was an awkward moment of silence that was practically slicing the air within your bodies and it's unusual on just how strong the tension had gotten in a span of two minutes. not to mention that he was so close— you honestly preferred it when his desk was keeping you both apart.

it was hard to remember anything and keep a rational mind, neuvillette realized that and found himself deeply saddened on how quick this meeting went out of hand and turned to this.

but a whispered sentence reaches your hearing and immediately calms you into a warm, relaxing state, "i apologise," he speaks finally and it surprises you, a nervous rasp shaking his voice,

"i shouldn't have talked to you in such disrespectful manner,"

your eyes widen, "no," and your cheeks grow hot with deep embarrassment, "it's really my fault, i need to apologize to you," as you force out a shaky laugh in an attempt to lighten up the mood.

"don't," neuvillette retorts back, contemplating wether he should or not but lastly deciding to rest a hand over your shoulder before he squeezes it, a smile manifesting on his lips— and it was otherworldly radiant, illuminating his complete face with deep warmth and joy.

"i always loved that witty side of yours."

he doesn't say anything for a moment, in fact, neither of you do— and the feeling of him touching you again after weeks of spending apart from each other, and despite it being just his palm on your shoulder, was instantly turning your knees into jelly.

the minute of silence felt like twenty years as neuvillette straightens his body upright, drawing a more serious touch along your shoulder before moving his palm from your collarbone until curving his hand along your cheek, holding your gaze through bright, gemstone-like eyes.

he must be crazy, he thinks— because right now, he's going against everything he has promised himself not to do, and everything you have told him not to do as well. but fuck, he hasn't touched you like this in so long, the last time was long before your divorce, and the helpless intensity of his desire horrified him.

it's when neuvillette suddenly realizes that he has never stopped loving you— not even for a minute, nor a searing second.

it was impossible to stop loving you.

"it's just that i…" your voice grows softer and quieter the more you attempt to speak and your heart thuds feverishly in your chest that you're pretty much aware he must notice it too, "everything feels terrible," you admit hesitantly and flutter your eyes up at him, your gaze fanning over the soft pink across his facial features.

neuvillette begins to move his thumb across your cheek, "please forgive me for failing us," he whispers weakly, on the brink of tears, "for failing the only thing that made life worth living," his throat adds a slightly hoarse perception to his tone.

your eyes widen as you attempt to drop your head if not for neuvillette holding your cheek in his palm as a whirlwind of crystallines well up in your eyes, sousing your lashes.

your mind was gone, but suddenly you can think more clear— and you're not depending on the damaging daze that was originally controlling your body's autopilot feature— the grueling circle of work, sleep, repeat.

you sniffle between words, "no!" and helplessly slant into his chest as to bury your face in the fabric of his garments, "it's my fault, not yours!" continuing to cry and wail and sob your heart out.

"please don't hate me! don't resent me!"

being able to finally let go of all those stored emotions in your heart felt utterly freeing, as if an unbearable weight was lifted off your chest.

how did you two even end up in this situation? can someone, just anyone, make this agony for the both of you stop?

neuvillette shushes your cries with a soft shhh, folding his arms around your waist before smoothing one hand across your back. he decides to rest his head on top of yours, his warm breath fanning against your hair as you return his hug, pulling him deeper into you.

"i could never hate you," neuvillette sighs, "it's because i have never stopped loving you," before putting on weight around his embrace on you— perhaps as to prepare himself, because he was sure you were about to smack him due to what he just bluntly admitted to you.

while he knows it was certainly deserved as well, no excuse would make this proclamation easier even in the slightest.

but he doesn't regret it, it's over now. he just wanted to get this off his chest even if you'd most likely break off any remaining contact to him— although now he realizes that you've given him so much and he won't let you go again, not before repeatedly telling you that he loves you, loves you, loves you.

despite him believing that his efforts went to waste.

to his surprise, you did not hit him, nor did you yell at him or ask if he's hit his head somewhere— instead, you slowly move yourself from his chest, a saddened gaze meeting his own as a single tear falls from your eye.

your answer dwells a moment before you push it out, "i love you too," and whisper, "i love you so much," before you're peering at him with an expression he couldn't begin to decipher— for what's obvious, it's pure and selfless, a startled hum immediately following the last syllable that leaves your mouth when neuvillette suddenly slants his head forward to feel your lips.

RULE NUMBER 4: DO NOT FUCK UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, PLEASE JUST DON'T DO IT, SNAP OUT OF IT, DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT SEX WHILE BEING IN THE SAME ROOM TOGETHER

by all means, this wasn't supposed to happen— hell, you don't even know how you got here.

but his eyes were enticing as they meet your gaze, a deep source of exuberance affecting your delirium and when he leans into you to kiss your lips, his soft lashes clash against your skin, his traces subtle enough to make you feel a faint tingle shiver downwards your heat.

against all odds, neuvillette was terrible at making this any easier for the two of you, no matter how hard you tried to pull away after the third, fourth or fifth kiss, there was no way of ending this and his tongue made sure to clash against yours at each lap— this passion, it had no resistance, it will always find a way to flourish.

nothing more, nothing less, and you've got the iudex right under a fucking spell because even when his life felt depressing after you left him, when he was living through all those weeks and tried to navigate through this divorce— now, his heart had suddenly begun to beat again, although neuvillette knew that this would go against the fourth, and most important rule you had set up.

but he cannot stop.

blood racing, nerves alight, he pushes you against the desk and helps you to get on top of it.

you wanted him to pleasure you, needed him to use his hands and devour those pretty lips of yours— whine as his mouth carvs in a smirk, so excited and sooth as silk when you wrap your arms around his neck to push his frame against your chest, so he could easily rest his entire weight on top of your own.

"you're gorgeous," he coos, "so utterly breathtaking," the thought of you craving his attention to that level was flooding him with pride, it made his skin crawl with a thousand thunderous vibrations that hit the bulge in his pants, your wet kisses and hot traces fueling the withdrawals of your soul on his skin.

the dizziest groan touches your glossed lips— and neuvillette flips over your skirt to expose your drenched panties to his hungry stare, his eyes instantly hard with lust and love, every measure of his yearning openly shown as his cock twitches uncomfortably in his clinging pants.

you moan a dreamy sigh when the freezing office air hits your most sensitive parts, the tone leaving your lips high-pitched and desperate to feel more of him. in response, you earn a rough groan from neuvillette as he discards of his belt, dopamine shaking his soul alive, manifesting ruthlessly and tempting as you hug him tight, your erected nipples crushing against his strong chest.

you kiss along his neck with tenderness and feel the intense force of redness on his flustered cheeks, your tongue swift to blend over the quivering skin as you lash fiercely at the outline of his jaw between sharp flares of teeth tickling his face— his bewitching expression being held captive by your hand gripping his jaw hard enough to pull him towards you.

unwinding with relief, neuvillette manages to pull his tight slacks off, sighing as he drew out his hard cock and aching balls— instantly taking himself in his palm before fisting it slow in front of your hole. a thrum of arousal around the slit of his tip intensifies his need to crowd you with his shaft, and he gracefully strokes himself until you wrap your fingers around his wrist as to stop him for a second.

"i want you to make love to me," you mumble impatiently, "it's been so long," and neuvillette follows your lead in a flash and a quick nod of his head, making sure that you're sitting all comfortable on the desk and that you wouldn't hurt yourself with a random utensil on the table before he urges you to wrap your legs around his waist, your thighs squeezing his hips close.

"everything you say, i do," neuvillette reassures you, "forever,"

your broken moans and bulging eyes excite him, not to mention when you refuse to let go of him. of course, who knows what will happen after desire subsides and you're both thinking rationally again, after all, you do trust him with your life, but you're still divorced and sure you would look stunning on your second wedding with him, he would very much prefer to marry you right after fucking the broad daylight out of your figure.

gently clutching at your clothes, neuvillette slowly lifts up the fabric until you're wholly exposed for him to feast on, at last working your panties down your legs as they hit the ground, a coy smile spreading across his lips— your naked body was prancing in front of him, reminding him on how gorgeous you were, especially now as your lips hang apart and your lewd whines spill from the tip of your tongue.

your pretty nipples were erected as well, laying a familiar caress up his spine when you grind your chest against his chiseled one, encircling the exposed skin until it comes to meet in front.

"just look at you," he mutters proudly, almost to himself, his cheeks flushed as he ducks his head to hide the beginnings of a pleased smile when he kisses your shoulder. the praises set your blood raising, pumping a hotness into your pussy as you moan out his name in sweet tandem, feeling the slight trace of his cock-head shadowing your hole.

you will do so well tonight, neuvillette thinks to himself, and before he helps you keep your legs parted, he teases your entrance with a half-hearted push of his cock. you want him closer and carry on to search for his entire weight on top of you as his dripping dick slides past the tight edges of your hole, your pussy throbbing as it began to hurt a little— just a bit, and it's important to note that you weren't used to this anymore, used to him, and it's because all the pheromones are currently leaving your body that it was worth having a slight pain come by.

because you knew neuvillette will do anything in his power to make it hurt as little as possible— so you could enjoy his erection painting your walls white as you moan avidly, your pussy rubbing deliciously on him, his hand continuously massaging the delicious, soft skin of your thighs and ass.

you breathe a shaky sigh of relief when he snakes himself half-way in, a gentle breeze of your whimpers scatter across the room as neuvillette continues to push inch after inch of himself into you, your body relaxing underneath his much bigger one as you welcome him, beautiful moans and whimpers spilling from the back of your throat.

oh, how much you missed sucking in his cock like your life depended on it— and whatever issues would arise after this sinful encounter, neither of you was giving an inch of mind to those future concerns.

"there you go, that's what you need," neuvillette grunts, tensing his jaw and limiting his breathing because fuck, how are you still so fucking tight— in any other case, he would never skip foreplay with you, knowing that his size tends to be too big for your pussy, sometimes offering you help in spreading your puffy cunt apart— but he is aware that you're extra wet today, he notices how much easier it was to slide himself through your walls and collect your slick.

a slightest raw edge of desperation made his groan sound almost like a plea when your pussy clamps down on his shaft, and neuvillette moans softly as he bows down to trap your lips against his own, sliding down his tongue and lapping at yours, wet and slow, wet and slow, a low hiss of pleasure accentuating his skilled ministrations.

your pussy squeezes him gently and wets him thoroughly so that his flushed cock glistens in your walls as neuvillette allows himself to nuzzle his face against your neck, humming appreciatively when he began to move his hips, drinking in the light tears that swell in the corners of your eyes as he kisses them away.

everything was so filthy, just like that, and you're back to square one again— it's lewd enough to make his cock throb heavily between your legs when he picks up on his shallow tempo, warm and viscous grinds of his thick cock pounding you in two, wild and passionate burning through your sore hole and matching the rhythm of your hips that were catching his shoves halfway.

fuck, you missed his cock filling you up, shaking at the added stimulation when one hand squeezes your tits— not to mention how heavy it felt to have him deep in your guts again, his slicked erection pawing through your walls and searching for your pleasure spots, until you're practically writhing of overstimulation, most importantly releasing the stress you endured those past weeks.

somehow, everything felt more intense tonight— ecstatic and as if you're drugged of his cock, like you broke off the connection from clear reality each moment his tip inches down the searing spots in your cunt— your screams muffled by his strong shoulder which resulted in your noises coming out in weak cries and sobs.

"i'm— i'm so close." it's the way you said it, the way you wanted him to hear you.

neuvillette glances down on you, "yeah?" he cannot hold back anymore, your walls were too hot and too tight, his thudding erection cornering your bruised pussy as his cheeks turn cherry red— the tip of his ears shading the same color, "will never let you go again..." the following sentence comes from under his breath, a strong utterance, holding graven significance as it ignites flames deep within the pits of your core.

it's so unbelievably sexy when you tell him that he's about to make you cum, and the repeated proclamations of love were aiding your orgasm in unraveling much more intense— neuvillette parts his lips before pinching your nipples in between his digits, never faltering nor losing the steady streams of thrusts on your sex, paying no mind to your minor struggle of keeping his thick member within your sloppy hole.

the moans you sob are bringing him such satisfaction as well, particularly the ones of his name made him swallow down the assembling saliva in his mouth, leaving small kisses against your face as his adams apple bobs harshly against his throat when he grinds his hips into your heat— your slick seeping out at the corners of your hole as your beautiful legs hover over his waist to get into that ideal position.

he cups your pretty face without stopping the shallow tempo on your cunt, "i.. want you to look at me," his rhythm becoming blistering and rapid— it almost pains him to hold himself back, or the desire to cum but wanting to make you climax first. it's like his shaft runs through satin, pressing back and forth the finest silk but it's your pussy instead, so soft and taking his shape, you're made for him and he'll never let you forget.

even though he could hardly breathe because of how achingly hard he was, caged within the tight embrace of your walls as tears spring to his eyes, slip down his flaming cheeks, being wild and free and finally one with you again— in addition to the exciting sounds of wet noises of skin clashing on skin providing the last bonus puzzle pieces to make you spiral out of complete control.

a static crushes as if underwater in your ears— and neuvillette rolls his hips fast and hard, purring deeply when your legs wrap and urge him to penetrate you further. the pleasure buried in you was coiling from the base of your spine and found the candid bubble in your belly before snapping into a million pieces— your gorgeous noises finding his ears as he fucks you faster, yanking his head back and clenching his jaw as you came apart together, moaning into each others mouths and welcoming your orgasm with melting, soothing moans.

you shake your head and bury yourself into his warm embrace, earning you a smile you cannot even see when your thighs shake around his waist as he continues to pump his seed into you, the warm covers of milky whites prolonging your orgasm and intensifying it to a tenfold.

just in time too, his hot gift soothes the soreness on your walls as neuvillette deafens your body with a post-orgasm sensitivity that catches you in a trance, his cock still buried inside and never leaving your tight hole as you work to somehow get a hold of your breath again, letting you ease the stress he senses from you.

the stone-hard desk underneath you was bruising and uncomfortable, but it's bearable when you nuzzle yourself into your ex lover, or, well— current lover? soon to be fiance again?

"do not worry your pretty head," his hand lovingly brushes over your head as you fuse into his trace, "i will take care of everything," as he's allowing you to indulge in the intimate atmosphere you have missed so dearly, "i could marry you right this second, wherever you want," and with that sort of enthusiasm, you hold in every passing word with love, knowing that whatever the case— neuvillette and you will figure out a way, but you'll do it together, as a team.

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blossomthepinkbunny · 7 months

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Vivzepops fetishization of queer men and the lack of Sapphic content in HH and HB

I found it a bit dissapointing that Charlie and Vaggie had very little interactions that could be read as romantic or sexual, especially since they are the supposedly the main couple of Hazbin Hotel and have been together the longest out of most of the couples in HH and HB.

Of course having more casual representation is also fine but the most memorable thing about their relationship was the quickly resolved argument they had when Charlie found out about Vaggies past. I've seen different opinions about how they were handled as a pair.

I understand when someone says that they enjoyed a more relaxed couple with subtle, realistic interactions, interactions that are often overlooked just because both characters are female.

But I can also agree, that they were really not a stand-out couple (wich is weird since Charlie is the main Character) and that it was a bit dissapointing to not see a lot of content for them.

Now the main issue I found with this is that in Vivzepops stories there is a definitive lack of sapphic content. It sometimes seems like women are sexless unless they are with a man. But two men can be sexual and openly affectionate (romantically too). At first I didn't really understand why I felt weird about Chaggie as a couple, so I looked at all the implied/canon ships in Helluva and Hazbin (including past relationships).

Implied/canon couples between a man and a woman:

-Millie and Moxxie

-Blitzø and Verosika

-Stolas and Stella

-Millie and Chaz

-Beelzebub and Vortex

-Sir Pentious and Cherry Bomb

-Adam and Lute

-Lucifer and Lilith

Implied/canon couples between two men:

-Stolas and Blitzø

-Asmodeus and Fizzarolli

-Moxxie and Chaz

-Angel Dust and Husk

-Vox and Valentino

Implied/canon couples between two women:

-Charlie and Vaggie

Now please tell me if I missed any, but these were the ones I could think of.

Honorable mentions include Loona & Vortex, Blitzø & Striker, Blitzø & Chaz and Blitzø & Fizzarolli. But I didn't put these on there because they're either one-sided or don't have enough romantic content.

Now it's very easy to see the difference between representation for queer men in comparison to queer women in these shows. The only relevant (im not counting Background characters) Sapphic relationship there is, is Chaggie. And it's completely underrepresented when compared to the content the man x woman or man x man ships get (not to mention the total absence of gender-queer characters).

One of Millie's and Moxxie's jokes is that they're so in love, that they're almost always cuddling, holding hands, talking sweet or just straight up making out with eachother (I'll talk about Millie a bit later). Sir Pentious had multiple scenes dedicated to him trying to confess to Cherry Bomb or just crushing on her in general.

Stolas' and Blitzø's relationship has become one of the main topics of Helluva Boss and they get a Backstory and explicit aswell as dramatic scenes for them as a couple. The same goes for Asmodeus and Fizzarolli (except that their love isn't as important). Angel Dust and Husk get a song and part of an episode for their relationship to develop.

Here i'd also have to mention that by the list I made Vivzepop's fetish for queer men is very prevalent. Most of the couples between men and women are either past relationships or they get very little attention to them. The only ships that often get special focus, development or explicitly romantic/sexual focus are ships with two men (no matter if their dynamics are even good, healthy etc.).

Now for Millie there are different ways you could talk about her situation with relationships. In general I think that everyone can agree that Millie lacks Character and is a good representation for the neglect of the female characters. Most of her moments revolve around Moxxie in a way and she hasn't had precise characterization so far.

Millie's relationship with Moxxie is sweet and simple and is generally one of the better things about Helluva Boss (if you ignore Millies lack of personality wich really pulls the couple down for me). Now the Episode "Exes and Oohs" shows the mutual Ex of Millie and Moxxie. Chaz dated both of them and as we see in the episode affected both of them very negatively. At the start we literally see Millie freak out and destroy a bunch of stuff, just because she saw Chaz on the street.

Yet Millie's relationship with him is never explored further. All we know is that she dislikes him and that he's a giant asshole. Whereas Moxxie get's a whole Backstory and episode plot about him and Chaz. No focus is given to Millie at all even though Chaz is the ex of BOTH of them.

Another thing that I wanna point out is Millie's possible Bisexuality. Now im not so sure for this point because I couldn't find genuine confirmation on wether Millie is actually confirmed to be Bisexual or if it's just a headcannon. So take this with a grain of salt BUT if Millie is Bisexual then she perfectly shows how little Vivzepop cares about Sapphic representation. What does Moxxie get to confirm him as Bisexual? An ex of the same gender (also multiple explicit flashbacks with him), a whole discussion about his queer identity and a scene where he literally says that he's Bisexual. Moxxie is pretty good Bisexual representation in that regard.

What does Millie get? Nothing. Again I don't know if she's genuinely also Bisexual or if it's ever been confirmed but it'd also be pretty weird if Vivzepop apparently cares so much about queer representation and then doesn't confirm any female characters as actually queer.

I think a lot of people have talked about her blatant fetishization of queer men and I think that that's also mainly why I feel weird by the lack of attention on Vaggie and Charlie as a couple.

I sorta wish I could enjoy a more toned-down and realistic couple in these shows, but when I see that a ship like Vox and Alastor (wich isn't canon nor would it even happen since Alastor is Aroace) is talked about more than the actual main character's relationship I just don't like it.

There's so much more you could say about poor queer representation by Vivzepop (like the fact that she's fine with people ignoring Alastors Aroace identity, and the stereotypes etc) I mainly wanted to talk about the neglect of her female cast in terms of sexuality.

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel charlie #hazbin hotel critical #hazbin hotel criticism #hazbin hotel critique #helluva boss #vivzepop critical #vivziepop #helluva boss critique #helluva boss millie #helluva boss critical

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eucalyptus-lvs · 2 months

Text

Your Girl? - Carmen Berzatto x Reader

When I first started writing this it was going to be a stand-alone, but I could also see it as a pt. 2 to Good Luck Charm. Either way, I hope you enjoy it. If you have any thoughts or constructive criticism it's always appreciated. May not be the most canon portrayal of Carmy, but after S3 I need some happy moments. - Elli <3

TW: None. Maybe a suggestive comment or two.

Walking into The Beef you’re immediately hit with the smell of fresh bread and cooked meat. Before you can even make it to the counter Richie's face breaks into a bright smile as he spots you. "You're not supposed to be in today. Couldn't stay away from me, sweetheart?"

Most people found him to be rough around the edges, maybe even misogynistic, but you preferred to think of him as old-fashioned.

The two of you grew close in the time you spent working together.

Although you started as a dishwasher, Mikey had switched you to the front after two weeks of working there when Richie almost made a kid cry for trying to order a hotdog with ketchup. You quickly learned that your new job was about keeping the peace and making things run as smoothly as the people around you would allow.

Regardless, it was hard to see the man in front of you as a bad guy after watching him get on his knees to put a Hello Kitty bandaid on Eva's hand at a time when she was adamant about being “champion of the monkey bars”.

"Oh, I never wanna be away from you, honey." You share a laugh. "I just came by to drop something off for the boss. Then I'll be on my way."

"He's in the back if you wanna go on through."

"So I can get sucked into the vortex of chaos on my day off? I don't think so." The fighting has slowed down a bit at the restaurant, but it was still pretty busy. Guaranteeing that the energy level was always high.

"Good point. I’ll tell him you're here."

“Thanks, Rich.” You move to stand off to the side in a less crowded part of the restaurant. Taking out your phone, you check the time as you watch him retreat into the back.

If you make this quick you can still get to the coffee place a couple blocks over before it closes for the day.

After a moment you see them both enter from the kitchen. Richie goes back to the register to attend to the customers, while Carmy heads your way.

"Hey. Richie said you had somethin' for me?" Wiping his hands on a towel and tossing it over his shoulder as he approached you. “Everything okay?”

"Yeah. I was getting ready this morning and saw this on the bathroom counter." You reach into your pocket to pull out a gold chain.

His gold chain.

Dangling between you both from your fingers.

"Shit, I don't even remember takin' it off." Grasping it from your hand to undo the clasp and put it on.

"That's because I did right before we got in the shower. I'm surprised it's still together with all the wear and tear you put it through."

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks for droppin’ it off. I coulda stopped by tonight though. After I close up?" The phrasing of his statement sounding more like a question.

"I was close by. I wanted to try that coffee shop down the street I was telling you about." You took a step toward him and whispered, "As for tonight, you know I want you over, but we're gonna have to make an effort to get some actual rest before we both develop a sleeping disorder."

"You seem to be doin’ just fine.” A grin broke out on his face.

"Did you forget the part where I told you I have to go get coffee?" You reminded disapprovingly.

"Okay, I get it. Sleep sounds really fuckin' good right now actually." He ran a hand through his hair as he paused. "You eat somethin' already?"

You break eye contact to look around the room aimlessly and avoid the question until your eyes land back on him. “....Huh?”

“We talked about this. You can’t starve yourself all day and then do your fuckin’ girl dinner shit when you get home.”

“First of all, you will never know the joys of girl dinner because you refuse to participate. It's the most well-balanced meal I'm capable of. Second, I've been running around all day and I forgot.”

“First of all, the fact that you call a plate with butter noodles, kimchi, a hard-boiled egg, and some red cherries ‘the most well-balanced meal you're capable of’ is scary. It's really fuckin’ scary. Second, I know you're busy. I'm a chef! What kinda asshole do I look like lettin’ my girl eat like that because you refuse to let me cook you somethin’?” He shot back, growing exasperated with the topic at hand.

“It literally covers all the major food groups! Wait-” You paused, tilting your head. Only just processing his full statement. “your girl?”

You can see the exact moment he processes it too. His eyes widened in panic. “Uh I-I meant, I mean we’ve kinda been-”

“Oh my god, you poor baby boy. You're blushing.” A smirk grows on your face.

“Fuck off” His eyes focusing on the floor, shaking his head. The heavy blush spread up his neck as well as his face.

“I'm afraid I can't do that at this particular moment, but maybe we both will later after you ask me to be your girlfriend.” You replied in a sing-songy voice. “Yknow for future reference you typically ask someone when you want to be exclusive with them.”

He leaned closer to you, eyebrows furrowing as he lowered his tone so he wouldn't be overheard. “I-I thought we've been exclusive. I haven't seen anyone else since you.”

“I haven't either, but I guess if you want it to stay that way you're gonna have to ask me and make this official. Unless,” You lean away, kissing your teeth as you cross your arms. “you're too scared?”

“You know what? I'm not gonna ask.”

“Wow, you've already backed out. You sure there's not some other girl I should know about?” You mocked, knowing he barely had the time and energy to keep up with you.

Even if he did, you knew there was no one else. Spending most of your nights at each other's place testing new recipes or wrapped up together in the early hours of the morning before the restaurant needed attending.

That's why it never occurred to you to define what this is. He was making an active effort to have a life outside of the restaurant and he was doing it with you.

That doesn't mean you couldn't enjoy making him sweat a little though.

“What?! No. I'm not asking because you're gonna ask me.”

“I’m gonna ask you to be my girlfriend?”

“No, smart-ass.” He let out a breathy chuckle, gesturing vaguely. “Your yknow- boyfriend.”

“Well, that's never gonna happen.” You stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Why not?”

“Because you're right. I should get a boyfriend that’ll take care of me and all my food-related needs.” Shrugging your shoulders you wave a hand in the direction of the register. Shouting, “RICH-”

“Stop.” He cut you off, raising his hand. “That's not even funny.”

“Oh, come on. It's a little funny.” You giggle, nudging his arm with your hand.

Shaking his head, he leads you to a table to sit down. “I've gotta get back in there.” Leaning close to your ear he whispers, “Sit tight while I make somethin’ for my girl.” Cupping the underside of your jaw with his calloused hand, he places a quick kiss on your cheek before walking off.

You smile as you watch him disappear past the doors and back into the kitchen.

You weren't gonna make it to the coffee shop today, but that was okay. Maybe you could go together on your way to work tomorrow.

“Hey, sweetheart.” Richie came up and put a hand on your shoulder, squeezing. “You call for me?”

You put your hand over his and squeezed back. Looking up at him you replied, “Just fuckin’ with Carm.”

“Good girl.”

#carmen berzatto x reader #the bear #carmen berzatto #carmy berzatto x reader #carmen berzatto imagines #carmy berzatto x you #carmy berzatto imagines #Carmen berzatto x you #the bear x reader

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selineram3421 · 1 month

Text

🎩

You're Off-key

Prologue

Reader X Gravity Falls

Warnings ⚠

⚠ The Book of Bill SPOILERS HERE! Do NOT read if you don't want any spoils of the book. Other than that, enjoy. -mentions of madness, blood, cryptids, italics= thoughts, ya know..the usual. Oh! And for our old pal Stan, some swear words. ⚠

You missed this.

Being one of the weird kids who loved the supernatural, interested in solving puzzles, uncovering secrets. Of course you ended up watching Gravity Falls.

Never really growing out of it, you'd still watch videos about ghosts or getting a heavy duty flashlight and a pair of brass knuckles for whatever made a noise in your apartment.

Ghost or not, they'd learn not to mess with you!

At some point you got The Book of Bill.

It was so cool! Little funny and silly at times. There was also the triangle's descent into madness. Man those pictures were good.

Also an axolotl?

You don't know but it looked cute.

As you kept reading, the more you wanted to experience everything you didn't get to when you were younger.

So you decided on a road trip!

A road trip to all the places that inspired the creator of the show and the final stop would be Bill's statue!

Best friend in the passenger seat! Sun glasses in the glove boxes! And snacks to last you a while before the next gas station stop!

You even brought a camera!

"Ready for the time of your life?", you asked excitedly.

"In this heat?", your best friend fanned their face with the paper map. "It'll be meh but yeah, I'm ready for the car AC."

You both were in the car, ready to begin the adventure to Oregon, but you were just double checking before it actually began.

"Ok, ok. I'll start the car.", you said and put the key in the ignition, turning it and starting the car.

Immediately putting the AC on high, both of you were ready and you slowly backed out the driveway.

"Let's get that fucking pie!", you said and put on the sun glasses.

It was really bright today.

First you went to the famous diner with the pie. It was a give in, honestly but the pie was really good. Next to the Oregon Vortex. Now that was a really weird shack! Everything was leveled but you were standing slanted a bit. Then you both went to every roadside attraction that you could and got some key chains for souvenirs. It's been really clear weather since you started the road trip, which was a bit of a surprise. It was supposed to sprinkle at some point.

Finally, the last thing on the list arrived.

Playing the song "We'll Meet Again" by Vera Lynn as you drove to the parking area and both of you were singing along to it before you had to turn off the car.

You brought The Book of Bill for fun.

Deciding to joke around, you bought some spaghetti to go and went to park the car before venturing into the woods where Bill's Statue was.

"Are you seriously gonna try it?", your best friend laughed.

"Why not?", you smiled while putting a water bottle in your pack. "It's ok to be silly. Mabel says so. Trust the silliness!"

"Yeah, ok.", they agreed with a smile. "If we get mauled by a bear, I'm sacrificing you first."

.....

"Fair."

Camera, spaghetti, book of Bill, and water! (Also a flashlight.) You were ready for a photo shoot with the oh so famous Dream Demon!

Looking back to see the sun, you guessed that you had about two hours to find Bill's statue before it got too dark. Your best friend had a map they downloaded off the internet that would lead you straight to it. Of course, with you having some attention issues, you'd get sidetracked by anything you found interesting, hence needing the two hours.

⯅

You were right!

The two hours were needed because you were still trying to solve one of the codes in the book, while also getting distracted by some cool looking bugs around the area.

"Did you try the Caesar cipher?", your friend asked.

"Yeah, but this is new. It's something else.", you sighed. "I should have tried the website before leaving.", you grumbled sadly.

"Hey, it's totally fine!", they said and patted your back a few times. "You'll get to do that when we go back home.", then they pointed towards the right with their thumb. "By the way, Bill statue is next to us, over by those bushes."

"WHAT!?", you screeched and ran over, whispering a few ouches as the branches of the bush scratched your legs.

That's when you saw it.

In all of its odd glory was the Bill statue with its hand out, waiting for a hand shake.

"Eeeeee!", you cheered as you got closer, hearing your friend laugh behind you as you did so. "I gotta give him spaghetti!"

Opening up your bag, you took out the take-out box that held the noodley deliciousness and took a quick forkfull for yourself before putting it in front of the stone triangle.

"I really thought you were joking.", says your friend as they watch you take out the book and camera from your backpack.

"Nope!", you smile, snapping a quick picture of the statue with spaghetti. "Ok, now for the silliest part."

You take out Parmesan cheese and a cheese grater.

"Oh this is fucking hilarious.", your best friend says and takes pictures of you with their phone.

The sun hits the horizon and the sky is slowly darkening, you start grating the cheese and when you think it's enough, you stop.

"Hey, take a pic with me shaking his hand.", you say and get closer to the statue, reaching out to touch it.

"Sure thing jellybean.", they say and lift their phone up. "It's my turn after you."

"Ok!", you say and put a thumbs up as you put your other hand on the statue's.

As you look to where your best friend is, all you can see is darkness.

You call their name in confusion. "Are you there?", you ask. "Turn on the flashlight, its really dark out here."

But you get no response.

And then you hear something odd.

Kinda sounds like someone with a weird sound filter over their laughing.

"Ok, ha ha.", you roll your eyes. "Quit playing the Bill audio and take the picture already."

When you try to get a better hold on the statue, you realize you weren't holding anything at all.

"What?", you say and look at your hand. "Wait.. Why can I see my hand perfectly fine when everything else is-"

"Well, well, well!", says a familiar voice from behind you.

What?

Turning around you see a floating, glowing Dorito chip with a fancy bow tie and a top hat.

Holy shit.

"Here we are at last! I've been waiting an eternity to meet you."

How is this happening? Was one of the snacks you ate expired? Did you eat the wrong brownies!?

"Thanks for reading my best seller kid!", Bill says and twirls his cane into existence in his hand. "And for the handshake.", he blinks. Winks?

"Wait, hold on! I-!", you start.

"See you in Gravity Falls!", the triangle snaps his fingers and suddenly there's a hole beneath your feet that reveals a cartoon animated forest.

"Wha-"

"Don't break your neck on the way down!", the one eyed demon waves.

And you begin to fall.

ZKDW D QLFH VXQQB GDV

~Seline, the person.

Part 1

Taglist@

@+?

YO-🎹 | GF List🏞️

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sciencebecameouraddiction · 7 months

Text

title: just a touch?

author: sciencebecameouraddiction

fandom: hazbin hotel

rating: PG

genre: Angst, fluff, romance, idiots pining for each other

pairing: Lucifer x reader

summary: The minute you saw the King of Hell your heart was never the same. You fell, and you fell hard, that much everyone could see. But while your heart knew what it wanted, Lucifer, your mind put a stop to all those foolish day dreams. He would never want you like that, right?

warnings: some deep self loathing and negative self talk

this is a request from lovely anon:

When you met the King of Hell, you didn’t expect yourself to be so smitten so quickly. You were enamored right from when he walked in, and observed very quickly that he had a natural distaste for sinners. You couldn’t blame the guy really, being an arch angel and then falling, having to see what humans had done when they were given free will? Seeing that many chose war, violence and crime over just being good people? Yeah, you’d hate them too.

Which is why when you saw him walk into the hotel, met him and really saw him. Saw how he was willing to put his own beliefs on the back burner for Charlie. Willing to go up in front of Heaven again, you were sure with concern of putting a target on his back, he did so, no second thought. He shouldered it and carried it. Then when the hotel was in pieces and he helped rebuild it, you saw a man change right before your eyes and you were in love.

You shook your head at yourself as you nursed the drink you had at the bar. Husk eyed you and shook his head. “Thinkin’ ‘bout ‘im?” He asked cleaning the mug. You nodded, a sad look in your eyes. “Why don’t you jus’ talk to ‘im kid?” Husk said.

“Because, Husk, he’s…” You stop and pause. He was what? The King of Hell? Former arch angel? God’s favorite? The LightBringer? A man who was no man? Someone so sweet and kind, who still kept going after being dealt a shitty hand? Someone you didn’t even deserve to look at?

“He’s-He would never see me like that.” You muttered. The facts plain as day. The King of Hell and a lowly sinner, not even a fucking overlord. You’re in hell because you illegally downloaded music and forgot to register your car and drove illegally. And probably because you told your neighbor Karen to fuck off when she said that gay rights was ruining America. Did you regret it? No. But it’s not like any of that made you worthy of him.

“It’s not that he won’t see you like that.” Husk said. “It’s that you won’t see you like that.” You look at Husk, knowing he was right. You raise your glass in acknowledgment and he shrugs his shoulders. You sigh and turn, watching Charlie and Lucifer laughing about something, Angel joining in. Nifty came up to you and tugged on your pants.

“This is for you.” She said, holding out a pin with a roach on it.

“Oh, Nifts, you shouldn’t have.” You say putting the pin on the counter and Husk taking it. You smile and pat the small demon on her head. She giggles maniacally and runs off. Husk looks at you and holds a bottle in his hand, proceeding to do a trick with it and your eyes light up and you start clapping, you running behind the bar wanting to learn. Momentarily forgetting your pitiful loathing. What you didn’t see was Lucifer now watching you, glaring at Husk as he helped guide your hands.

It brought out this sick and twisted vortex that settled in the pit of the King of Hells stomach as he saw Husk even touch you. It should be him touching you like that. No one else. The bitter jealousy had grown over time to an over bearing monster. He laughs loudly at whatever Charlie said, loud enough to try and get your attention, and it doesn’t work. Making his mood grow sour as he announced he was retiring for the night. Everyone said good night and you just waved, going back to your Vegas bottle flipping with Husk. He saw how you were always so comfortable with touch, freely gave it even. Even to Alastor, who he had seen allow you to hug him. But anytime he came around, you stiffened. If he even brushed past you, you were gone quicker then he could say hello. One time, you both had reached for your drinks at the bar at the same time and just touched pinkies. You retracted your hand so quickly you accidentally threw your glass at the wall.

Lucifer didn’t understand. He must’ve done something. Truly he could understand why a sinner would be afraid of him. Why a sinner wouldn’t want to be near him. He caused all this misfortune. Everything in hell was his fault, you were here because of a decision he made a millennia ago. No wonder you hated him, was his last thought as he shut the door to his room.

—————————

The next morning saw a new day and as you came down stairs seeing Charlie, Vaggie, Lucifer and Nifty present, and a certain Radio Demon lurking in the shadows that no one noticed, you waved hello and grabbed some coffee. When you joined the group you chose a seat close to Charlie who immediately hugged you in greeting. You smiled as you balanced your coffee to ensure it didn’t spill, not noticing Lucifer’s glare, not at you but at Charlie. You went back to talking and when Alastor materialized everyone jumped except you as he glided over to you and patted your head. You looked up and smiled at him in greeting as everyone wondered why you weren’t shocked.

“Why would I be? He was in the shadows over there for a while.” You say, shrugging. Everyone looking at you, with a mix of confusion and bewilderment.

“It takes a lot to see beyond shadows my dear. If you’re ever interested in learning more I’d be happy to teach you.” He says, his voice sickly sweet, not that you pick up on it. But Alastor picks up on Lucifer’s quiet fuming. The anger, desperation and sadness, bundled into one aura fueled Alastor more than the screams of his last kill.

“Oh, thanks Al! I’ll keep that in mind.” You say, taking another sip of coffee.

“Charlie! We need to get to work. Come on, let’s go look at those curtains on the third floor.” Lucifer suddenly says as he hops up and takes Charlie with him, Vaggie trailing behind as they both look at Lucifer appalled. You can hear Charlie’s protests as she disappears around the corner.

“Wonder what that was about.” You say, looking at Alastor. Alastor’s smile widens.

“Nothing that concerns us, my dear.” You nod and go back to relaxing.

—————————

Later on that day you and Angel had decided that a movie night was exactly what was needed. Well, Angel had decided and you had agreed. As the movie was playing in the background, you rested on Angel’s shoulder, his fingers combing through your hair.

“I just don’t know Angel.” You murmured. “I’ve tried to just move on, but I can’t. My heart is in a chokehold.” You say miserably.

“Could be worse, sweet cheeks.” He responds, pulling you closer and kissing your head. Lucifer coming down the stairs, stops. Seeing this interaction between you and Angel, something just… breaks inside him. All this time. All this yearning. He just wants you and you won’t spare him a glance, not like he can blame you. He doesn’t mean to, but a sob tears out of his mouth and causes you and Angel to whip around. You see Lucifer standing there, tears in his eyes, spilling down his cheeks, his hands over his mouth. His eyes wide as he’s caught, and he turns and runs back up the stairs. Ignoring your call for him to wait. You stop at the sofa and look at Angel.

“What-What do I do? Should I get Charlie?” You ask.

“I’ll go get Charlie, you go follow him.” Angel says pausing the movie and glancing up the stairs.

“Okay.” You say as you start to run up them to follow Lucifer. Angel sits back down and goes on his phone once he sees you disappear.

“They’ll finally figure it out.” He says to himself, pulling the blanket over himself and texting Husk to see if he wanted to finish this movie with him.

Upstairs you stopped at a corner panting and cursing yourself for never taking cardio seriously, but really chasing an arch angel down would have required Olympic tiers abilities. You rested for a second and then sped walked around the corner, landing at Lucifer’s door. You can hear on the other side gut wrenching sobs and things being thrown.

You knock on the door, something smashing and then silence besides a few hyperventilating sounding breaths. You knock again, “Lucifer? Can I come in? I want to make sure you’re okay.”

“I-I’m FINE.” He yells, sounding angry and sad at the same time. “Just go!”

“I’m not leaving. You don’t sound fine.” You sigh, putting all your feelings aside and realizing he needs someone right now and you’re literally the closest right now. “I’m coming in.”

“No! Don’t you DARE!” He yells as you open the door and see a rubber duck headed your way. You duck and the toy hits the door and bounces into the hall. You look at him and see glasses shattered, decorations torn to shreds, and in the middle of it all is Lucifer who has curled in on himself to be the smallest he could be. As you approach him you realize he’s bleeding, gold drops to the ground almost mesmerizing. You quickly go to his bathroom and get the first aid kit that Charlie mandated be in every bathroom. You come out and he hasn’t moved so you sit in front of him with the kit, his eyes refusing to meet yours.

“Lucifer, please, let me help you.” You say holding out your hand. He looks up at you, his eyes meeting yours, sadness, anger and hatred apparent.

“Why would I?” He spits out at you. “You avoid me like the plague the rest of the time, why is this different? Leave me be. It will heal.” Your eyes widen at his venomous tone.

“I-I don’t avoid you.” You start.

“You don’t?” Lucifer says, getting angrier. “What do you call it then? Every time I’m near you, you run away. I brush past you and you’re on the other side of the room. For fucks sake, we barely touched hands getting a drink at the same time and you were so repulsed that you threw the drink into the damn WALL!” He screams, on his knees now, invading your space, his demonic form slowly taking shape the angrier he gets. “I TRIED, to be nice, to show you I never meant you harm. But I am the one who landed you here didn’t I?” He laughs bitterly. “I’m the one who caused this, caused hell to be. I understand you don’t want to look at me but I ask you to be less obvious about it.” He snarls, his face in yours.

As it dawns on you, that Lucifer thought you hated him and you thought the opposite, without thinking, your hand goes to his cheek and the other to his neck. Before you can think about your actions you lean over and kiss him. You feel him frozen and quite honestly, you are as well. For several moments, you keep your eyes shut, your lips on his and you wait, knowing that what you feel couldn’t be conveyed with words right now. At least not well. You prayed, for the first time in a long time, you prayed that Lucifer would just understand.

And suddenly your prayers were answered, as his hands came up and gripped your shirt like a lifeline, as he straddled your lap and deepened the kiss. Feeling the whimper that came from him more than hearing it and letting your arms fall to his waist drawing him in. Your tongue darting out to his lower lip, begging for entrance. A gasp coming from you as it was granted and you felt his forked tongue enter your mouth. Your hands not landing anywhere, wanting to be greedy and devour everything he had to give, switched from his hair down to his waist multiple times. You both broke away panting, a string of saliva connecting you both, until you broke it and started to kiss up his neck. His moans sounding like symphonies in your ear.

“I never hated you.” You whispered in his ear. “I thought you were too good for me. I’ve loved you since I first saw you.” You clutch him to you, placing gentle kisses on his neck again, feeling like you would be committing a terrible sin if your lips stopped touching him for more than a few moments. He gasped and arched against you.

“I-I thought you hated me. Because I was the one who created all this. Gave humanity free will. Why you were down here.” He uttered, pulling away, his hand resting on your cheek and staring at you.

“You silly man.” You said, tears in your eyes. “I’d run a thousand red lights, kill a hundred people, jaywalk as many times as it took to ensure I could be back down here with you.” You brought your forehead to his. “None of this is your fault. You had a beautiful and inspiring dream. You gave humanity a choice and how beautiful of a gift to give?” You asked as he looked at you, tears falling down his cheeks again. You wiped them away, kissing each of his eyes.

“You are beautiful and stunning to me Lucifer Morningstar. I am truly unworthy.” You murmur, kissing him again.

“No, you are a beauty to behold. I am truly unworthy.” He murmurs and you both smile.

“Maybe we’ll find a way to feel worthy of the love we think the other deserves, hmm?” You ask and Lucifer smiles at you.

“It’ll take time.” He whispers.

“I have all the time in Hell, Your Majesty.” Your kiss engulfing the moan he voiced hearing you, as you drew him closer to you again. You both knew one thing though, you were going to have to work on communication.

#queue my love #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin hotel imagine #hazbin lucifer #hazbin hotel fluff #hazbin hotel lucifer #lucifer hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel angst #hazbin hotel lucifer x reader #lucifer x reader

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op-sys-chaos · 2 months

Text

@stealingyourbones mentioned in a post I just saw that Booster Gold could be used in a DPxDC fic related to Clockwork bc they’re both invoked in time travel stuff and omg yES I have ideas now

Feel free to use any/all of these, just tag me!

1. Booster Gold being in the present is good for the timeline, but he wants to go back to the future. Clockwork sends Danny to sabotage the time machine. Shenanigans ensue. The JL thinks Danny’s a villain until a massive attack happens, Booster Gold is very much crucial to saving the day, and afterwards Danny shows up with a perfectly intact time machine (he fixed all the damages he caused while they were fighting the villain) and goes “ok now you can go home! :)” and the JL is so confused. Dealer’s choice if they get an explanation and maybe even ask Phantom to join the JL or if Danny just vanishes, never to be seen again

2. Booster Gold wants to change something in the timeline. Clockwork needs it to stay the same. Danny and BG go back and forth trapping each other in various situations (maybe it’s comedic what they end up trapped in) until one of them gives up

3. BG and Danny actually know each other in the future. Knowing how OP Danny is and knowing he’s an active hero rn, BG keeps trying to get the JL to recruit Phantom. The JL keeps refusing (“that’s a KID Booster we can’t put a kid in the JL”) until like Vortex or someone shows up and wreaks havoc and the JL is floundering and barley hanging in there and Danny shows up and beats him in like two seconds flat. The JL just kinda goes “ok, maybe Booster had a point”

4. BG, being a time cop, and Danny, being Clockwork’s personal equivalent of a time cop, keep running into each other in various situations (usually bc Clockwork sends Danny to help BG whenever he’s in over his head). But they keep meeting out of order, not even realizing that Danny’s from the time BG ends up staying in until they run into each other on a normal, non-time related mission. Spider-man meme pointing at each other, “what are YOU doing here???”, “is there some time-related issue on top of this?”, JL confused why Booster and a random overpowered teen they just met today seem to know each other. (Their meeting in their normal time is after all the meeting out of order shenanigans. After that point, they stay together for time missions that Clockwork sends Danny to join BG on; he makes sure they meet in the right order this time.)

5. Booster and Clockwork hate each other. Danny is a big fan of BG. Shenanigans ensue

6. Danny and BG hate each other. Clockwork needs them to get along for the sake of the timeline. He keeps sending Danny to BG’s time cop missions. Will they ever make up?

7. Danny and BG are the same age and start dating. Clockwork sends them on fancy fun time travel dates

8. BG keeps running into this random kid in various places in the time stream. He only ever tells BG that “Clockwork sent me” and BG is getting more and more determined to find whoever Clockwork is and kick his ass for putting this poor precious kid in harm’s way. Hell, BG might just end up adopting this poor kid himself if that’s what it takes to save him… which is exactly what Clockwork wants

9. BG is incredibly surprised when his time mentor, Clockwork, reaches out and asks him to adopt a kid, Danny

10. BG and Clockwork are dating. Clockwork asks BG if he’s okay with adopting Danny

I can come up with more if y’all want! Please tag me if you use these I wanna see what you create :)

#I’m either writing this or begging you to send me your version

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mysecretlittlelibrary · 4 months

Text

Every Inch of You

Pairing: Luke Alvez x Reader

Word Count: 2.8k

Warnings: reader is fighting demons (insecurities), very specific descrpitions of body image related insecurities- like the reader is literally picking herself apart in a mirror, hella praise, body worship, fingering, edging, multiple orgasms, creampie, cockwarming, pseudo voyeurism/exhibitionism (he fucks her in front of a mirror idk) I think that's everything

Genre: starts off pretty angsty, we transition to smut and end with fluff!

Summary: Insecurities can be quite rough on you but your boyfriend has no intentions of letting you go through it alone

***

You frown at your reflection as you stare at yourself in the mirror. Today has been a rough day. Nothing in particular happened. You went to work, you ran some errands, you did normal daily things, but for some reason you've been in such a weird mood and now you're stuck in a vortex, picking apart yourself apart in the fucking mirror. You really ought to go to the gym more often, or- stop snacking at night, have your pores always been so noticeable? Since when do you have so many stretch marks? You can't see your toes over your stomach- god that's embarrassing. You let out a long sigh as you bite back the tears stinging the back of your eyes. You hate this. It doesn't usually get this bad and the worst part is you know it's not real, you know you're not some hideous monster but it doesn't stop that nasty voice in your head from warping your perception some days and when that happens nothing you say to yourself changes it. But man does it suck, because most of the time you have all the confidence in the world, you've worked very hard on it. Days like this make it feel like you're still some lost little kid desperate to find your place in the world with no sense of self. You should just walk away. If you can't see yourself, you can't pick your appearance apart. But your feet feel glued to the floor, as if they can't remember how to move, as if it's the most impossible task you've ever been given.

"Alright that's enough. You'll lose your mind standing here." You tell yourself, shaking your head in hopes of getting out of this dreary mood. You finally step away from the mirror and head to your closet to put on some clothes post shower. You throw on a hoodie and some shorts and leave your room.

"Babe?!" You hear as you walk down the hall. Sounds like your boyfriend's back.

"Hey love, welcome home." You meet him by the door and he kisses you on the cheek.

"Hope you haven't made dinner yet beautiful because I brought take out." Luke tells you holding up the bag with an excited grin.

"Take out's good. You wanna shower first or dive straight in?" You ask him.

"Would you mind terribly if I showered first?"

"Not at all. Go ahead." You take the food from him and nod your head towards the bathroom.

"I'll be quick!" He kisses you once more and jogs down the hall. You set the food on the living room table and watch TV while waiting for Luke. You hope you're able to keep it together for the few hours you'll be spending with Luke before bed. Considering its a weekday, you don't have to keep the mask up for that long. True to his word, Luke is quick to return, maybe 15 minutes pass by the time he plops down next to you on the couch. "Alright! Let's eat!" He announces, opening the takeout bag. He hands you your food before digging into his own.

"How was work today?" You ask him.

"Fine, tedious. Was mostly doing paperwork today." He shrugs. "How was your day cupcake?"

"Work was work and then I ran some errands. No fun stories here unfortunately. How's everyone?"

"Well, Spencer was giving a guest lecture today so he wasn't around since we didn't have an actual case. Garcia was telling me about some woman that seems to have his attention at the uni though."

"Is Pen keeping tabs on Spencer at the college? He'll literally hate that when he finds out." You frown.

"That's what I told her but you know how she can be. Especially with how sometimes things- go wrong when we meet new people."

"I mean if she's just a coworker, Penelope's getting ahead of herself don't you think? He probably hasn't even made a move on her." You say.

"He hasn't. You're right but it's not like she can be stopped." Luke chuckles.

"Yeah I guess so." You hum.

"Alright, what's wrong, princess?" Luke frowns.

"What do you mean?"

"You've barely touched your food. Did you think I wasn't gonna notice you've only been picking at it? Do you not like it? Do you want to eat something else?"

"No it, it's fine, I just- I'm honestly not all that hungry I guess." You sigh.

"What do you mean you're not all that hungry? What've you eaten today?"

"A bagel for breakfast and a salad for lunch." You shrug. Luke checks the clock in your living room.

"Lunch was 8 hours ago, all you had was a bowl of rabbit food and you expect me to accept that you don't want to eat your favorite food? Come on, spill it baby what's going on with you?"

"Nothing's going on. I dunno I just- feel weird." You mutter, avoiding his gaze. Dating a profiler is so irritating sometimes, can't he just ignore your body language for once?

"Weird how?"

"We don't, have to do this. It's not a big deal babe." You mumble.

"You're not eating y/n it is absolutely a big deal."

"Luke-" you sigh.

"Don't 'Luke' me, what's going on?" He frowns.

"I'd really rather not discuss anything there's no need, seriously."

"Baby, don't shut me out. You can't shut me out. We're in this together, always. You've gotta tell me what's going on in your head." He caresses your cheek gently. You sigh, unable to justify holding out on him when he speaks so softly, with such care.

"I've just been having a bad mental day. Nothing's happened, but I, just feel uncomfortable in my body, and it's hard to deal with let alone talk about." You say, tears burning behind your eyes again.

"Baby," he says, concern contorting his features.

"It's fine, I'll get over it. Today's just been a rough one. It happens. Sometimes my insecurities flare up out of nowhere but that's life, I don't want you to worry." You shake your head.

"Do you know me at all princess?"

"What?"

"My baby, my darling, the love of my life, my reason for being, is stuck in her own head hating her body, the body I live to worship, the body I can't get enough of and you want me to simply 'not worry about it'? That ain't happening." He stands up.

"Luke." You grumble as he grabs your hands.

"No no no no, no complaining, up you go." He pulls you off the couch and lifts you into his arms.

"Ah! Luke what are you doing?" You ask, throwing your hands around his neck as he princess carries you down the hall.

"Well if that nasty little voice in your head wants to lie to you, I'll simply have to remind you myself of all the reasons ever inch of you is perfect." He says matter-of-factly.

"I do not like the sound of that." You tell him.

"And I don't like the sound of you feeling uncomfortable with yourself." Luke shrugs.

"Well that's not-" You stop yourself with a sigh, not even sure what your comeback would be. In your bedroom, Luke carefully lowers you to the ground in front of the mirror with your back facing him.

"I want to help you to see yourself the way that I do." He says softly. He kisses your neck lightly and gently lifts your gaze to meet his in the reflection. "Ask me how I see you." His fingers brush against your thighs as he speaks.

"How do you see me?" You whisper hesitantly. You're not sure you even want to know, but his lips against your throat and his hands on your skin are rather persuasive.

"You, mi amor, are the sun at the center of my universe, if ever I was asked to describe perfection I would simply describe you." Luke slides his hands up under your hoodie caressing your skin.

"Luke." Your brow furrows. This can't possibly be sexy for him, he's only touching your stomach to comfort you, he'd probably prefer it if-

"Relax baby." Luke whispers. You didn't even realize you'd sucked your stomach in against his touch unconsciously, as if you could hide from him your size. You slowly untense your muscles, cringing at the way you fill his large hands. "I'm going to take this off of you, is that alright baby?" He asks.

"Well," can you really handle looking at yourself again?

"You can say no if you want princess, but I need you to stay with me."

"I'm not going anywhere." You say.

"Physically maybe, but I can see your mind wandering off." He kisses your temple. "Don't go."

"You can take it off." You whisper. Luke tugs the hoodie over your head not a moment later, tossing it somewhere in the room, out of sight. He lets out a sigh as his eyes trail over your body through the reflection. You can still feel the heat of his gaze in the mirror and weirdly enough it feels undeserved. He looks at you like that all the time but, tonight you just can't understand what would make him look at you with such want.

"God, you're gorgeous." He sighs placing his hands on your hips again. Luke places kisses on your shoulder. "Your skin is so soft, I can never get enough of touching you, kissing you, holding you." He says. He slides his hands up your sides to cup your breasts. "So perfect, I love the weight of your tits in my hands." His thumbs stroke over your nipples and the light stimulation makes your breath catch in your throat. He twists and tugs at your nipples, enjoying the little whimpers you let out. "You make the prettiest noises when I touch you baby."

"Luke-" you whine, your head lolling against his shoulder.

"Uh uh, head up princess, you've gotta watch. Watch me touch you, worship you, and watch how your body reacts to me, see for yourself how captivating you look." Luke gently shrugs his shoulder to push your head forward. You force your eyes to focus back on your reflections in the mirror, the sight of his hands kneading your breasts with rough fingers toying with your nipples to create hardened peaks only serves to make you squirm more against him. He keeps at it until your breathing is heavy, then one hand slides down, pausing to rub your tummy, "You may not believe me but this, I love this. Growing up it meant you were eating well, taken care of. And I like to think I take good care of you. I want it to show." He says kissing your neck. "Plus it's excellent for cuddles." He winks with a smile that makes you giggle. "I like that sound even more than your little whimpers, but I'm about to get a lot more of those." Luke's hand continues down, pushing your shorts down enough for you to kick them off. His hand caresses your thigh.

"You're teasing." You pout.

"You look cute when you pout." He chuckles. "But I'll be nice." His voice drops as he slips two fingers between your folds. You arch you back against his touch as his digits toy with your cunt. Luke knows your body maybe better than you do and his hand makes quick work of bringing you to the edge. Your head tips back again, instinctively and his movements slow when he catches it. The sudden change drags your gaze to his in the mirror, a silent question in your eyes when you whine. "If you want to cum pretty girl you have to watch yourself do it."

"But-"

"No buts, keep your eyes open and on the mirror." He says stroking you faster now that your attention is back on your reflection. Again when you feel your orgasm creeping up your spine your head drifts back and again Luke slows his hand almost to a stop.

"No!" You cry out as your release slips away.

"I already told you princess, your eyes have to stay on your reflection." He says waiting for your breathing to calm slightly before his fingers work you again. This time, you manage to keep your head forward, but your eyes still slide closed from the pleasure. Unfortunately for you your boyfriend is very observant and closed eyes still break the rule, so his fingers slow again.

"Fffffffffffffuck me." You grit out, frustrated from his edging game.

"I'll keep doing this until you get it right mi amor. Keep your eyes open." He says beginning again. This time, you steel yourself. You don't think you can handle another denial. The signs of release return quickly with his hands on you and though your lids desperately want to close you keep them open even as they threaten roll back in bliss as you finally cum with a breathy moan. "That's it, so fucking stunning." Luke says as he strokes you through the aftershocks. Your legs are still shaking and your chest is still heaving when Luke lifts you again. "I'm not finished with you yet, but this next bit will be easier in the bathroom. So you have something to hold onto." He says carrying you into the bathroom. He sets you down facing the large mirror over the sink. "I'd do this in the bedroom but you won't be able to see yourself if I fuck you right up against the mirror." Luke says in your ear and the words send a shiver down your spine. "Place your hands on the mirror sweetheart. Let me show you how badly I crave every inch of you." He says with a hand stroking your ass. You lean forward enough for your warm hands to touch the cool glass. Your eyes follow Luke's in the mirror as they trail over your skin hungrily while he frees himself from his sweatpants. He wastes no time sinking into you with a groan and though he gave no warning you moan at the stretch of him filling you. The look on his face as he settles into your heat can only be described as euphoric and it's one you could never get tired of seeing on him. After a moment his eyes peel open again and catch yours in the reflection. He gives you a smirk before his hands tighten against your hips and he sets a rhythm that explains why you needed something to hold onto. His thrusts are harsh and deep and have moans spilling uncontrollably from your lips. Luke's eyes are locked on yours in the mirror as he fucks you. "God you're beautiful, perfect, you've got the- prettiest eyes that sparkle when you laugh, and look so good rolling back when I make you cum." He hums.

"Oh Luke." You moan part of that was sweet, part if it made your walls clench around his dick.

"You're perfectly soft for hugging or cuddling and it doesn't hurt that I have plenty to hold onto when I wanna fuck you stupid." Luke says and if he weren't currently doing just that you might've laughed at his words, but the moaning makes it hard. "If I could spend all my days wrapped in your arms, buried in your heat- you have no idea how quickly I'd do it." You can feel your cheeks heating up from his, mostly, sweet words, so contrasting from the way he's railing you. "God I love you so much." He groans.

"I- I love you too Luke, more than- more than you know." You pant out.

"Fuck I'm close." He grits out. One of his hands wraps around your waist and finds your clit. It doesn't take much, a few well focused circles of your sensitive bundle of nerves and you're shaking as your orgasm hits, your walls clamping down so tightly around Luke's dick it pulls his orgasm from him too. His hips stop flush against yours as hot spurts flood your inner walls. You practically slump against the bathroom counter as the waves of your release die down. You're not quite sure how he manages but Luke turns you around and lifts you in his arms again somehow without fully pulling out of you. He walks you both over to the bed and lays down with you on top of him, soft dick still buried in your heat. Luke lifts your head from his chest to get your attention.

"I love every part of you with all that I am." He says.

"Thank you. I love you too." You say softly.

"I know insecurities are no easy battle but, yours is a body the Greeks would build statues for. It pains me that you see yourself as less than idolized."

"I'll admit it's much harder to feel that way when you react like this."

"Well I'll just have to make a habit of it then." He kisses your forehead.

"I- can't say I'm opposed to that suggestion." You hum.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"And where we on food? Did your appetite come back any?" He asks, hand stroking soothingly down your back.

"Yeah but- I'm too tired to move." You mumble into his chest and he laughs.

"Don't worry I won't make you get up now. I'm sure after a nap your body will convince you to get up and eat, until then let's just lay here."

"Perfect that's exactly what I planned to do." You sigh as you snuggle closer to him. Maybe your insecurities will beat your ass every once in a while, but you smile knowing Luke will be there to fight them with you and that is more than enough for you.

***

#criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction #luke alvez x reader #luke alvez #luke alvez smut #luke alvez fluff

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07-bilin · 1 year

Text

but i'm not her

₊˚ପ⊹ summary: reader is part of spider society and in this multiverse you have soulmates, miguel is your soulmate but you aren’t his

₊˚ପ⊹ warnings: angst, lots of angst, death, betrayal, plot twist!!

₊˚ପ⊹ relationship: miguel x fem!spider-reader

₊˚ପ⊹ wc: 1.5k

you were invited to the spider society when an anomaly entered your world and after wrapping up the fight you were greeted by the leader of the spider-society who had offered you a spot on the team which you had happily obliged to.

at first, it took some time to get used to all the different spider-people who were just like you, there were all sorts of variants, animals, peni’s, gwen’s, miles, and a ton of peter parker’s.

but the one that stood out to you the most was spider-man 2099, miguel o’hara.

sure he was a cold fella when you first met him but he had to have another side to him right?

over the next year or so you started to crack miguel’s shield until you two began to lean on each other for support.

one night that stood out very clearly in your memory between the two of you was a night when you had almost lost your life during a fight.

“y/n, are you crazy?? if i had been one second too late you would have fallen to your death, do you realize how serious this is?”

you stared at miguel in a daze as you had felt your life flash before your eyes. your webs had jammed and you were falling from a building 50ft in the air and all that raced through your mind was that you were gonna die.

fortunately for you, miguel had caught you in a blink of an eye and was now scolding you for what had just occurred.

“okay okay i get it, it’s my fault and i’m sorry i scared you like that..”

miguel let out a loud groan before pulling you into a hug and whispering something only the two of you could hear.

“don’t ever do that again, it scared me, i care about you.”

you let out a small chuckle as you relaxed into his embrace and as you stroked his back you realized you had fallen for the stone-cold man

over the next course of the weeks, you two had practically been inseparable other than the time he spent in his universe you two were stuck like peas.

the two of you hung out so much to the point you felt like he also had feelings for you.

but you were proven wrong when she stepped into the image.

she was a girl who miguel had met in his world, she was funny, smart, and could cook! but most of all, she was another variant of you.

eventually, miguel drifted away from you and started to cozy up on the other you which left a void for you to fill with absolutely nothing.

it was heartbreaking to know that miguel loved you, just, it wasn’t you. but i mean, shocker right? the man who absolutely loves keeping the canon intact and risking it all for some relationship that could cause an anomaly? no way that was happening on his watch!

you watched in sadness as you saw the two of them getting along so happily, laughing and cracking jokes— just like how you and miguel used to.

“miguel, if you ever need someone to lean on, you know i’ve always got your back!”

miguel’s breath hitched a little at her words, it gave him a sense of deja vu, almost like he had heard it somewhere before.

before he could put a finger on the familiar sensation, he had a sense that someone was watching him and as he scanned his office as he caught sight of a spider lurking.

“mi alma, wait here for a second while i go and take care of some business okay?”

he gave his variant of you a quick kiss on the head before he swang off to go find the individual who had been spying on the couple.

"y/n, what are you doing?"

you flinched as you heard his low voice behind you and muttered a small lie.

"was just going to report a mission, usual business, sorry for interrupting."

"if there's nothing left, have to go back to my universe, kinda got something big going on!"

miguel watched as you disappeared into the orange vortex and even after several minutes you had been gone he stood in the same place waiting for you to just pop out but you never did.

"Si tan solo supieran por qué lo hice, creo que entenderían."

"the anomaly is in sight, be prepared y/n"

"alrighty, here we go lyla!!"

the anomaly was a variant of your doc ock except this one was extremely more futuristic than yours.

swinging from side to side, you manage to dodge the incoming attacks and land a few hits here and there eventually being able to slow her down.

"is that all you've got?" you yell as you disable her tentacle attachments.

unfortunately for you, that seemed to have fueled the anomaly's anger causing her to bring out some sort of technology that you've never seen before.

dodging the incoming attacks became harder and harder as fatigue started to dwell in your muscles, after a period of time, she manages to catch you off guard which resulted in you slamming straight into a building.

"holy shit, now that one sure did hurt.." you groan out in pain as you clutch your abdomen.

you pick yourself up and quickly call into your watch to call for backup as you swing yourself onto a higher building to get a good angle.

what you didn't expect for who to come was miguel, it had been quite some time since the two of you had even talked ever since that small little conversation.

it seemed he hadn't expected you to be there either as he flashed you a sort of look you couldn't quite put a finger on to what he was thinking.

"well, a little help here?" you mutter as you feel the adrenaline in your body wearing off.

before you could hear a reply he swung into action to clean up the mess you couldn't have finished which left you to catch your breath for a few seconds.

following the brief moment of rest, your watch started to chime indicating something big was happening.

"canon event happening.." you whispered as you stared at the hologram.

who's canon event? there couldn't possibly be another spider here other than you and miguel, but maybe there was, whatever it was you swung yourself back into action hoping to find miguel to explain what needed to happen in order for the canon to occur.

you saw his figure clearly 7ft away and called for him.

"MIGUEL! CANON EVENT, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?"

hearing your voice he gazes over at you and his mask depicts one of surprise like he hadn't seen it coming either which was odd. he manages to snap out of it and yell back at you.

"STAY OUT OF THIS Y/N, GO BACK TO HEADQUARTERS OR SOMETHING!"

your face contorts at the sudden command, rather than obliging you swing yourself into combat once more syncing with the man beside you.

it had been going oh so well, but you should have known that it was too good to be true.

just as the two of you held the villain down with your webs, some sort of green fog pursed out of its tentacles enveloping the area you and miguel had been in.

you coughed as the weird fog made you feel weak, faltering you felt yourself drifting in and out of consciousness, miguel sensed this and dropped the villain quickly into prison before rushing to your side just as your grasp loosened on your webs.

as the two of you dropped onto a ledge, miguel pulled your mask off revealing a horrifying sight. your body was bruised and battered up, the haze you consumed not making it any better.

"Joder, esto no se suponía que sucediera."

your breathing was irregular as you stared at the man whom you've loved oh so much in the past time you've been a part of the society.

"miguel, i think it's time, i just want to tell you one thing," you choke out as the oxygen flowing into you made it even harder to continue your words.

"please don't die, it wasn't supposed to be you, i thought i fixed it, i thought i changed it." he rambled as tears threaten to spill from his eyes.

you smiled softly as you understood what he meant, he wasn't trying to replace you, he was trying to save you.

"thank you for everything, thank you for inviting me to your society, i've learned many things over the years, and most of all, thank you for letting me love you."

the tears gushed out as he heard your last words, the water prickling her face, with all her remaining strength, she cupped his face and caressed it softly until her body falls limp leaving the leader of the spider society to mourn as he clenches her battered body close to his own.

"canon event completed."

₊˚ପ⊹ translations:

Si tan solo supieran por qué lo hice, creo que entenderían. - if only you knew why I did it, I think you'd understand.

Joder, esto no se suponía que sucediera - fuck, this wasn't supposed to happen

Mi alma - my soul

₊˚ପ⊹ a/n: felt like writing this after i saw a prompt like this on tiktok but added a little twist of my own it, hope you enjoyed >D<

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thesamoanqueen · 6 months

Text

Blackwater XVIII

Raiting: 16+

Warnings: at this point its just drama.

A/N: a chapter before my trip to Philly and the month’s end. The situation doesn’t improve, let’s say I apologize in advance for the next chapters. I left some clues, not too hidden but it’s pretty clear something is not working since for the first time Y/N and Paul are on the same side.

There were kids running everywhere, jumping off the stands, chasing each other in the field and parking lot where their parents' cars were. It was hot, air full of dust, smell of sweat, grass and mexican food cooked at the nearby kiosk. It was all exactly as his boys had left it a few days earlier, as if their family war had not touched that place, as when he was the boy running around on an ordinary afternoon and not a pop with drinks. And as in those days now long gone, Jey had seen him before even intercepting the scent of him among others, standing next to the fence to caress his son head and a shiver had crossed his chest.

Even when they were the ones playing, he never took the field unless it was time, but everything still seemed to revolve around him, collapsing against him in a vortex in which Jey fought not to drown. All his life he had followed Roman flow, but now he was tired and had had enough of those mob games.

Leave him. Dont.

He saw him raising his head, shift attention from his son who continued chatting, happy he didn’t have to change his whole life, put hand back in his pocket with his perfect smile and anger began to burn in Jey chest.

- Find your brotha, bring him this – Jey pushed him away with an excuse, ignoring any electrified story in which Jeyce had tried to involve him too.

His little boy didn't pay much attention, he was used not poking his nose into family affairs, he wasn't old enough to do it yet and after saying goodbye, Jey watched him run away to look for his brother who had ended up who knows where with his former school friends. He had done everything he could to not move Jeyce from the community in which he had grown up, but Jaciyah was almost a man, there had been no way, Roman had already done everything possible to burn any possibility for him. When the youngest was far enough away and Jey turned back, his cousin was still standing there looking at him, relaxed, but he knew it was a facade, he knew it.

And he knew the reason he was there.

He feels threatened now. Threatened where he cares.

- So you finally decided. What you've always wanted… it's a challenge bigger than you, beyond your capabilities, sure you can handle it lil Jey? – he asked provocatively, as if he was the grown ass man and Jey the unconscious and stupid boy.

Three months apart but he was the big one talking sense.

- You forced me. I never wanted it – he replied seriously, refusing to give in once more.

He would have forgiven him anything, he had always forgiven him anything. Even when they were kids, he was the one who made excuses, he was the one who took the blame and got in the way if him and Jimmy argued. He loved him, like a brother, his brother, he loved him even now, but they were no longer kids fighting in the backyard, Roman had crossed the line. He had been willing to talk, to put his head down again and find a solution. He didn't care about power, about the alpha title, about being the head of the table and taking on the weight of their dynasty, he had never wanted it, he had never aspired to that much. He just wanted to do his part, to show that he wasn't just a hothead, provide like every father, husband, son and Roman had hit him where he knew it hurt, but that time Jey hadn't been able to forgive him. He had hit back and knew he had hurt him.

- You've always been like this and that's why they didn't choose you as the alpha, as the tribal chief. That’s the reason why you will always be back in line, not on top. You can't even admit you always wanted to have what is mine – he laughed, venom on his tongue, looking at him as if Jey was nothing.

- I wanted to keep my head high with you. I wanted to be with Jimmy, next to you. I wanted a family, a real one, as they taught us, as it was before.

Our pack.

- You ruined everything, it's on your hands. I'll kick you out after our combat, you know that? And I'll kick Jimmy out too and both your families, no more Bloodline, no more home for your boys. You’ll leave and never step here again and neither will them - he threatened again, with that blind anger covering his gaze.

And if the inevitable hadn't happened by now, Jey would have fallen back into line, as he always did, he would have pretended that he was the one who provoked him, that he was really guilty, that he could endure for a taste of peace, but after so many years , that afternoon Jey looked at him as he had done a few times in their lives, seeing him for what he was.

He attacks 'cause is scared.

- If I lose – he replied without growling, impassive and Roman seemed to tremble, taken by surprise.

He had never wanted to lead the family, Roman did. Roman had had a dream before the title and had chased it, but when life had closed the door in his face, leaving him without hope, sitting at the head of the table had become everything for him. Jey had seen him work like no other, sweat blood to prove himself worthy, do anything, even in the wrong ways, to get it and he had succeeded, because there was nothing his cousin couldn't have if he decided to take it. His world, his life, was having the ulafala around his neck and holding his alpha title, it was an obsession he could no longer live without. He had lost contact with reality, with truly important things, with people with whom he should have shared burdens and joys, he was corrupted by power, by the hunger and it didn't even helped finding his mate to bring him back to earth. The man in front of him had no longer been his cousin for too long now, he wasn't even his Tribal chief, he was a stranger and Jey had finally had to agree with Jimmy: help him, support him so as not to hurt anyone, wasn't the solution, it just made things worse. The only way to solve now was to take away the only thing that really mattered to him.

- We've already been through this, nothing will change this time, im still better than you and anyone else – he tried again, his face serious, his gaze dark.

He remembered it, how he could not? He saw it in his nightmares, flashing before his eyes every time Roman raised his voice and threatened to explode, in the looks he gave Jey if he held his head too high or took a step too far, in the kind words he said to convince him to do something. Years had passed, but Jey still felt his teeth around his throat ready to open it, hands that had slammed him against their family tree until his head bled, that growl filling his ears threatening to kill him, the pure, visceral, suffocating hatred with which he had looked at him even when he was crying and Jimmy begging for mercy. He remembered everything, every detail of that day and it was precisely because he remembered that he would not have given up that time. He wouldn't collapse, he wasn't the same man anymore, he no longer hoped that things would go well the same, the stakes were too high, they both knew it and Roman's almost desperate attempt to scare and push him back into line one last time, it already showed that it wouldn't go like that day at all.

- If you're so sure, then why you here? – he asked, looking him straight in the eyes and saw him growing mad, offense now visible behind his facade.

He will never admit it. He will never take it back.

- You made your choice – one that hurt, both, but was necessary.

He loved Roman, he was his blood and he would have sacrificed himself for him, it had been like that all their lives, but it was no longer Roman he had in front of him and he had to get him out of the way now, for the sake of his family. Once and for all.

- You said that I need to take my responsibilities. I’ll do it when and where the elders decide, get ready. – he ended it, looking at him one last time before walking away to his boys.

He had never dared to turn his back on him voluntarily, he had never left him behind. Jimmy had dragged him away at the border, but now he was the one doing it, with intention, fighting the instinct to go back. And he knew that Roman stood there, he knew he hadn't moved, if he had only looked back he would have met his gaze, to do so however would have meaning give in, lose himself once again. So he crossed the entire field, breaking the pack bond that had united them for as long as Jey could remember.

He would no longer acknowledge him as family. They were nothing now. No more pack, no more brothers.

***

He had looked him straight in his eyes and turned away. Jey had done it without second thoughts or doubts, without anyone to push him to do so. He had abandoned him once and for all, he had broken their bond. They were no longer a pack, no more righ hand man and chief, no more brothers, they were no longer anything. Roman had felt it in his bones, more painful than a wound, burning his chest, confusing his wolf and the emptiness of the previously full field, had fallen on him.

He left us alone.

Taking care of his family, leading the Bloodline, providing for everyone, being the alpha, had always been everything to him. It was a responsibility for which Roman had been ready for anything, a sentence that he had willingly accepted, because only him had showed that he could handle it, because it was in his nature, his destiny, because he loved his family more than anything else. Yet more time passed, more the weight of them became too much and the pain that was inflicted on him by wearing that ulafala triggered something in his mind. Every now and then, like in that moment, he just wanted to repay the harm he received in exchange for his sacrifices.

He had offered Jey another opportunity, the last one to acknowledge that he had made a mistake, stop that challenge. But after everything they had been through, Jey had chosen to no longer be around him and not want to have anything to do with him anymore, he had betrayed him in the worst way possible for their pack. Nothing would have been able to heal the breakup, no demostration of submission, no promise would have been enough. There was only one thing left to do and with anger rooted in his heart, Roman went back into the suv ready to do so.

- My Tribal chief... - the wise man called him softly, sitting at a safe distance, his voice already worried.

Tribal chief. Provider of the pack. Leader of the Bloodline. Head of the table.

They wanted to destroy his world, crumble it, but he wouldn't be the one to fall in misery. He would rebuild again. Something new, something better. He had already done it years before, he would have done it again without Jey and his ingratitude. Another pack, another future, a higher level. He could replace him, everyone could be replaced, he hadn't lost what he needed, what mattered. He still had a family, a pack. Him and Y/N would have filled seats at their table, he would choose another right-hand man, pass the title to his true blood in the future.

- Call the elders. Tell’em to make it – he announced, his gaze pointed out the window, numb.

Enough is enough.

He couldn't afford any weakness. He couldn't give in. He would think about feelings later.

The wise man hesitated for a second, fidgeting in his seat, leaning in his direction as the SUV was already moving, one hand reaching out to him as if to shake him, but not daring to touch him.

- There's still time to make things right, you two can talk, we can try again, maybe he need more time, it's not- he insisted, his tone soft as when he was trying to direct him and Roman growled a deep warning in his throat, without turning.

They were well beyond trying now and even if there was still room, he wasn't about to take it any longer. Now he just wanted to hurt Jey, to really show him what he could be capable of if he wanted. Ready to teach a lesson to the world that watched him waiting for his downfall.

- Do what I said, I didn't ask your opinion.

Heyman immediately lowered his head, closing his mouth, returning to his seat. Just as it should have been, just as it would have been for everyone.

In the silence of his suv, they left the city outskirts where his cousin and his family lived until a few days before, taking the road that would take them towards the reserve, on his land, his property.

***

She had spent part of the morning on an estate just outside their reserve, a plot of land on the opposite side of the road leading to the border where the owners had opened a small market. She had been there other times months and months ago, when going to town was still an almost impossible task for her, the twins had raided freshly baked waffles at that time, while Naomi browsed the shelves for her, but that day it had been different. She had gone there to distract herself and look for a gift, in an attempt to thank Lisa for the company she had kept her during Roman's trip, but she had ended up trying to make both owners relax. The woman, with chubby cheeks and a nose perpetually red from the sun, hadn't seemed happy to see her as soon as she entered and she hadn't continued to be unfriedly even when Y/N had politely made small talk. Her husband stood behind the register like a soldier, his gaze fixed on Solo who was guarding the door in religious silence, one hand on the phone as if he had to call the police.

Y/N immediately understood the reason for that reaction. By now people knew who she was and they certainly knew what had happened on the border with the Bloodline. She had wandered among the shelves for a while, but in the end she had given up and left with a forced smile, returning with the only certainty that things were getting even worse in an endless spiral. A short time had passed, just for her to have a shower, and Roman had also returned, more tense than when he left, to give her yet another proof.

Not his scent.

- Why you smell like him? – she asked immediately, her eyes fixed on him as he was already getting rid of the clothes he had worn that morning with his head down.

He had left early, saying he had business to settle with partners who had refused to sign extensions of agreements for some territories now behind the lost border and a meeting with Pearce in the afternoon, but none of those scenarios included his cousin and Y/N had been pretty clear when she told him and Jimmy to stay away from them.

- Nothing has happened yet, don't worry.

- Yet – she repeated confused, but even then Roman didn't make a move to turn around, too busy looking for a change of clothes and avoiding explanations.

He wasn't physically hurt, nothing out of place, but wasn’t enough to reassure her.

- We'll solve it once and for all soon, face to face, decision is made.

- Yup, it’s a wonderful idea, lemme know when so I'll warn the doctor to keep himself free – she complained ironically and heard him breathing heavily, his bare chest expanding in an effort of patience in which she too was having difficulty.

He had come home covered in blood just a few days earlier, his forehead open, his mood shattered and the previous one she had witnessed firsthand the attempt to repeat the feat. She wasn't the kind of woman who was easily suggestible, she had seen and been through enough to be able to put up with more than most of the alphas out there, but that kind of approach didn't help.

- Don't start Y/N. It's official.

- Official, what does that even mean?! What happened to cutting them out of the family business?

Cut them out. Turn away and forget them. For her or for himself, it had been the decision he had made returning from the border, he had told her reluctantly, he had repeated it, she hadn't imagined it. What had changed? Why so suddenly and talking like it was something he couldn't come back from, some kind of blood pact?!

He's hurt. He's angry.

She felt it too, not just her wolf, she saw it too without her bond and it was for that exact reason that she didn't like that change. He wasn't thinking, he was acting under too much pressure.

- It's not enough – she heard him explain, as if that should mean everything.

- But tearing each other apart would it be?! – she replied in disbelief and at yet another reply Roman stopped to clench his fists with annoyance.

- I tried, I left a door open, it didn't help, I did it - he complained and she felt the weight of his frustration - when I get Jey out of the way, we'll start again. No one will challenge my role. Solo will take his place as my right-hand man in the Bloodline, everything will be good again, I’ll regain control of the family and after them I’ll take care those bunch of idiots out there, first the family business and then’em.

Standing in the doorway of the walk-in closet, she listened to him rambling, his gaze going from her to something far away only in his head that made his brow furrow and his teeth gnash. His plan, his big plan.

He had really tried, she knew it, she believed him. It hadn't worked, it hadn't been enough, but the solution couldn't be to tear each other apart, fight to hurt each other even more and make the situation worse. It shouldn't have even become a possibility, and yet it had happened, everything kept crumbling, falling apart and she felt more and more dizzy. She trusted Roman, she knew that he really could take back control and that he would do so, but now it all felt strange and wrong and dangerous. It wasn't paranoia, doubts or her mood swings at the wrong times, but the ease with which he was talking about those enormous changes, those drastic solutions, he was alarming her.

- Are you really planning to solve things like this? – she asked and the flash that crossed his gaze as he felt hesitation in her voice, doubts, caused a shiver down her spine.

- I'm planning our future. Mine and yours! – he exploded, as if he was ready to fight at that very moment and her confusion made him furious – they are nothing, Jey is nothing! I dont need’em. The elders want a leader for the Bloodline who represents the family and I’ll give them that, I’ll teach everyone a lesson and remind them why its my role!

He was snapping more often than usual lately and like every time, Y/N saw him grit his teeth, inspire to regain control and swing his head almost shaking off his own wolf when she watched him with wide eyes. She didn't like that attitude, it was the kind of alpha behavior that she had always avoided in the past, but she knew why it happened, it wasn't completely unmotivated and contrary to what she would have done in the past, she once again found herself reaching for him to caress his arm and calm him down.

He’ll never hurt us.

It was his nature to attack in order to defend, and the way they raised him, what he went through to get what he wanted, had only made that side worse. Roman mind had been programmed to provide, attack if necessary and keep the indispensable, it was his wolf taking control due to stress. He talked about real dangers and imagined others, he exaggerated things and was incited by speeches that he shouldn't have listened to, he was worried, pressured and scared probably at the idea of losing his family even if he didn't admit it. He needed someone ready to keep him grounded, to make him think and she had promised to stay by his side.

- Whatever the elders said you need to do for the Bloodline and prove yourself, it could be a problem if those men you were talking to yesterday – she tried to explain and Roman stopped her before even getting to the point though.

- Stop defending the twins, stop doing that Y/N – he growled, as if he hadn't heard.

After what she had seen, defending Jey and Jimmy it wasn't something she would have done instantly like a few weeks ago, but she really wanted to hope that blood was thicker than tears. They had other enemies, strangers, people who had no family bond to any of them roaming their territory, attacking each other was a move that could spell the end of them all.

- I'm not doing it, Im with you, I told you… I just don't want you to get hurt for nothing – she tried again, running her thumb over his tattoo, but once again Roman watched her up and down still angry.

- It's my legacy, it's everything, we have no future without it, nothing – he growled seriously, his gaze hard and Y/N found herself with an empty hand, while he grabbed a hoodie and disappeared back downstairs, leaving her in their room alone.

***

Their date night was spent apart, but that wasn't important. Y/N had never hoped to have a perfect romantic movie relationship, those childhood dreams had never belonged to her and she hadn't started having them even with Roman, she kept things real. He had locked himself in the gym for hours, occupying his mind with physical exercises, silencing doubts, second thoughts, feelings, anything. She couldn't feel anything through the bond, just the fatigue of his big body pushing past its limits to prepare, nothing more. And Y/N was worried, alarmed by the way he had decided to go down that path, to go through with it without looking at the consequences. Jimmy's words had come back to her by chance, while she was preparing a tea to drink in the living room in front of a book, seeing the amount of food still filling the pantry, when months earlier him and his brother would have cleaned up the same day in which it had been filled. It hadn't happened in a while now, but more time passed, more it seemed to her that their house was getting colder.

"We're fine as long as we do what the great Tribal Chief wants and when it doesn't happen it's over"

Whatever Jey had said, it hadn't gone the way Roman wanted and now he was ready to end it. Their relationship wasn't normal, it had probably never been the healthiest, but Y/N knew right away that they had a special bond in that big family. Jey had smelled her even before Roman, he had recognized her at the bus station, as if he was an extension of Roman. The thought he had now decided to end his bond with his cousin, that he no longer wanted to have anything to do with him, explained why Roman thought he would go that far, but not why he actually planned to do so.

He's not a monster. He’s hurt.

Sure he was, Jimmy's lies had nothing to do with it, her wolf was right. She had to put that thought out of her head and focus on what to do. He was in panic, attacking because he thought it was the only solution, driven by the crazy approval of the elders, by the pressure at the border and she couldn't allow him to sink or make the situation worse.

- Y/N – Paul called softly, almost whispering, but she gave no sign of having heard him, staring at the lit fireplace.

Her ears could hear the most imperceptible noises, she was trained, but when it came to him they closed. It was selective listening and they had selected him as the person absolutely not to listen to, evidently Paul was not of the same opinion however and Y/N saw his fingers drumming on the coffee table in front of her in a discreet attempt to attract attention.

- … can we talk? – he asked, sitting down without permission next to her, refusing to let go.

- No.

She didn't turn, she didn't even look at him, but was absolutely certain that he had curled his head into his expensive suit like a plump, pale turtle, as he always did when something wasn't right the way he imagined and she seemed to be incredibly good pushing him to that kind of reaction. Usually just a word was enough to keep him away, he had learned the lesson after the threats months before, yet this time, defying opposition and fate, Paul cleared his throat anyway.

- It's about what's happening, I was hoping we could discuss... collaborate maybe under the circumstances – he started again and she finally looked at him with disgust and exasperation.

He had stayed after dinner to do who knows what, without an invite, but even now that it was time to finally go away, disappear for a few hours, he refused to leave.

- Open a couple of buttons, there's no blood getting to your brain and I won't call anyone if you faint.

Them working together was like freezing hell, it was already a miracle that they managed to tolerate each other at Roman's behest, but it would have been impossible more than that. There was something about Paul that Y/N didn't like, a suspicion had never found proof of and yet her she-wolf sensed. It could have been down to past experiences, betas like Paul whispering into alphas'ears to get a taste of power were never trusty, it could also have been down to the fact that he breathed the same air as Roman in a shameless display of fetishism.

- Y/N I know we don't have a good relationship and we've never done anything to improve it-

Or it could depend on the way Paul had treated her from the very first time, going from preaching her to submit without shame to his tribal cult to treating her like a dumb trophy mate. She didn't care, she didn't like him and he needed to stop making advances.

Bite him.

- Stop these diplomatic speeches with me Paul, ain't eating a single word running out of your mouth and I've already advised you to stay away from me, would you like a lil reminder?

She watched him adjust his blue suit in a classic nervous tic and despite everything force himself to reach out, inviting her to calm down and continue the conversation peacefully.

- It won’t be necessary, I'll get to the point. I'm worried about him - he hastened to explain, alluding with a discreet nod of his head to the side hallway that led to the gym and Y/N raised an eyebrow in disbelief - I have full faith in his abilities, he's extraordinary, but I was there when it happened the first time, time has passed now… things have changed, it might not go well as he thinks and there are more dangers besides the twins, Jey… a violent fight now is too big of a risk for him.

She'd probably never find out exactly what happened when Roman became the family's alpha and tribal chief, but she had an idea. Remaking such a scenario was something she didn't want, it was enough for her to see them fighting in the parking lot and even if they were doing everything they could to get to that point again, she was convinced that in the future they would regret it as much as they did then. A confrontation wouldn't have calmed anyone down and wouldn't have resolved problems, she didn't even understand why the elders who were supposed to be the wise men of the family were authorizing and encouraging everything. For the first time, incredibly, she found herself agreeing with Paul, even if she was still convinced his motivations were different.

- You’re worried about him... or about your job? – she pressed him and he nodded, cashing her shot.

- There will be nothing left if they will go down this way.

Again that nonsense, again that motivation. All of the Bloodline's business, all of their problems, everything, revolved around what they owned and could lose. It was an obsession that she couldn't swallow and she didn't fully understand. Y/N knew that it was important, that it had cost Roman blood, sweat, sacrifices, it was his will and somehow represented the future for the next generation, stability for the current one, but it was also a weight that was dragging them all to the bottom and for sure, not everything like Roman thought.

- And I must have given you the impression of being the least bit worried about the loss.

- Well, I should probably admit you proved to be different from what I thought, it rarely happens and Im sure that you would be able to survive without anything anyway, you’re used to it. You don't care about all of this, but you care about them, about him... I saw it… it matters to me too whether you believe it or not. We both want the family to survive Y/N. I've never seen him like this.

Maybe that desire wasn't the right choice after all, maybe it would have been better for everything to end, for them to completely turn the page to get rid of that cancer born from power. Maybe it was simpler and more painless to let them destroy everything, but seeing with how much anger and ardor Roman defended his empire, feeling what burned inside him through the bond, seeing that shadow in his eyes when he talked about it, prevented her from being sure. For him it was everything, it was his world, the reward behind years of dissatisfaction, it was so important that it pushed him to face someone he loved, to give it priority before his own blood. Y/N didn't want to watch Roman get hurt for it, but she couldn't turn away or fight him.

We’ll stay by his side. He’d do the same for us.

Thoughtfully, she studied Paul who was watching her with pleading eyes and blew in exasperation.

- So what do you want? Ain’t gonna start plotting with you, you heard me.

- No please, no. I’ll try to make the twins think about the whole situation, making a deal if we’re lucky, they’re hotheads but they grew up together, they’re a family. I'm just hoping for some support if needed. An extra voice of reason is useful and if that isn't enough, you know how to get them back in line.

He had smeared honey on every single word, a perfect lawyer and counselor already trying to calm things down to save his throat, whether from her or from Roman was not clear at that moment. She didn't like Paul, she would never like him and she would never trust him, but for once he was being a wise man. Whatever his reason was for not letting them get to the fight and even if she doubted he would be able to get Jey and Jimmy on their side again, maybe, the combat could be avoided. They had already done enough.

- So are we on the same side now? – he dared to ask, looking at her with a fake friendly expression that that Y/N struggled to bear for the first time.

- Roman can count on me. Not you. – she said clear, seeing anyway him immediately nod, satisfied with his incredible, miraculous victorious exit from the scene.

She couldn't believe she had gotten to the point where she even had to tolerate Paul. Things were bad for real.

Tag squad: @sunnyfleur23 @racerchix21 @alyyaanna @reignsangel444 @romanreignsdefencesquad @romanstheory @claymorexpunisher @keybladeofsteel @msbigredmachine @nayys-world @gobbersworld @utika151209 @cumxxslutt @civildawn @romanmydaddy @triscillal @papireigns-05 @helensanders92 @darqchilddaydreamz @meggylynnloves @unfriendly--blvck--hottie @nicolewoo @reignsx @reigns-central-blog @kianaleani @daguenoire @extra-11 @joannasteez @snowpanda18 @brattyfics @mzv11 @dreamsinfocus @romanreignseater @tribalchiefdaily @2baddies2furious @vebner37 @depressedneedingrevenge @cyberdejos2 @mahi-wayy @jxtina-86 @harmshake @wrestlingprincess80 @southerngirl41 @blkbutterfly816 @spritelucozade @smile1318

#roman reigns fanfiction #roman reigns x female reader #roman reigns x oc #roman reigns x reader #roman reigns x black reader #roman reigns smut #roman reigns fanfic #roman reigns x y/n #wwe fanfiction #wwe smut #roman reigns fic #roman reigns oneshot #roman reigns one shot #wwe #wwe fic

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madangel19 · 3 months

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Hunting 101

Had the idea to write a murder ghoul fic where Swiss teaches his kits how to hunt and it quickly became angsty.

Tags: Murder ghouls, feral Swiss, blood and gore, torture, graphic violence, quintessence use, gun use, kits in danger, angsty but with a good ending, fluff and angst, family fluff, polyghouls

Word Count: 3533

“Stay away from me!” The man screamed, throwing sticks into the darkness. None of them hit there targets. Good. He was becoming disoriented.

Swiss followed closely behind the man, blending into the shadows without being detected. It was the perfect night for a hunt and his latest batch of kits were old enough to come out with him to learn. They were still too small to attack, but they could still hide and watch him and the elder kits work their magic on the intruder who stumbled into the forest surrounding the church.

The man stopped in a clearing, breathing hard while looking around for a way out. The fear emanating from him was absolutely mouthwatering and it was just going to go up.

Hiding behind a tree, Swiss watched the man’s every move. A curious chitter and a tug on his arm made him look down at Cinder who looked up at him with hungry eyes. Nova and Vortex were hidden behind another tree, holding Cheese, Onyx, and Shade who were starting to become restless. Cheese had taken a bite out of the man’s leg when he had fallen down and she had that familiar blood-thirsty look in her eyes that most kits had after tasting blood for the first time.

“Can we jump him now, daddy?” She whispered.

“Not yet, baby. We need him tired and hopeless and he still has some fight left in him,” Swiss whispered back, holding a finger to his lips before turning his attention back to the man.

The blood oozing from his leg and his shoulder caught Swiss’s attention again and he let out a low hiss that made the man freeze in place. He was about to make his move before an orange shadow rushed past him and made a mad dash for the man. The man turned around and cried out when Cinder took form and slashed at his ankles, tearing the skin with ease and making him fall.

Cinder cheered, clapping her hands and hopping in place as the man wailed in agony. Swiss wanted to be angry, but he couldn’t help but feel impressed. That was one of the first tricks he had taught her and she did it beautifully.

“I did it, daddy! Look!” Cinder chimed.

“You did an awesome job, babygirl! I wasn’t expecting you to jump out like that, but you did so good,” Swiss crowed, stepping out from behind the tree.

He motioned for the rest of the kits to join. The little ones were chittering nonstop and wiggling about in their sibling’s grips before they were put down on the ground. Cheese was the first to skitter to the man, growling loudly when the man tried to kick her.

Swiss hissed and stepped forward, planting a foot in the middle of the man’s back and slowly pushing down, making several bones crack. The man wailed again but stopped when Swiss let out another warning hiss.

“If you so much as hit or kick my babies, I’ll make sure you feel every bit of what we’re going to do to you,” the multi ghoul growled.

“Fuck….Fuck you…demon,” the man hissed, swatting at Shade who was nibbling on his pinky finger. Shade hissed at him before rushing to Vortex’s arms. Swiss was quick to grab the man’s hand, breaking off his pinky with ease before tearing it off to the man’s terror.

“Here ya go, Shade-baby,” Swiss cooed, going over to Vortex and Shade. The little kit chittered happily and made grabby hands at the bloody finger. Swiss chuckled and handed it to her, ignoring the man’s cries. Shade purred happily in Vortex’s arms while chewing on the finger, wrapping her tail around his arm. It was such a cute sight. Swiss pulled out his phone and took a picture of his smiling babies.

“He’s trying to crawl away, daddy,” Nova said.

Swiss put his phone away and turned back to the man who had crawled several feet, leaving a delicious blood trail behind him. Cheese and Onyx lapped up a pool of blood that he had left behind, ignoring the man.

“Well, do you guys remember what to do when a human is struggling like this?” Swiss asked, sauntering over to the struggling man and crouching in front of him. He motioned for his kits to come closer and chirped at the smaller ones to get their attention.

“Immobilize him?” Nova asked.

“Cinder already did that, baby.”

“Pluck out his eyes?” Cinder asked.

“We save that for last, sweetheart.”

“We use our magic to enchant and numb him so he can stay alive until we get to his heart or his brains!” Vortex chimed. Shade chittered in agreement, holding up the skeletal remains of the finger proudly.

“You’re absolutely right, buddy!” Swiss chimed, giving him a thumbs up.

“You’re…You’re…gonna do…what?” The man groaned. He had stopped crawling, too tired to keep going.

“Well, as you can see, my kits are really hungry and they need to learn how to hunt on their own. You came by at the perfect time so thank you for helping me teach my kits. I just need you to open your mouth for me and you won’t be going anywhere after that,” Swiss explained, turning the man over on his back with a single push of his foot. The man grunted as he turned and Swiss felt his stomach grumble at the sight of such an amazing feast. He was on the fatter side. A perfect meal for him and his kits and the rest of the pack who he was sure were on their way after smelling the blood in the air.

“There ain’t…ain’t no way I’m doing that…beast,” the man hissed.

Swiss sighed and moved to sit on the man’s squishy stomach. In just a manner of minutes, that squishy stomach was going to be torn open for his sweet little kits.

“Now, we can either do this the easy way or the hard way where I force you to open your mouth and you might bite me, which will hurt like a bitch and make me rip out your throat. What would you like to do?” Swiss questioned, smiling down at the man menacingly.

“Just kill me now,” the man groaned.

“Not yet. Just relax and let ol’ Swiss take care of you, pookie,” the multi ghoul chuckled, planting both hands on either side of the man’s head. The man struggled, but with just a little bit of quintessence from Swiss, he became still.

“Sometimes, you guys will need to use your quintessence to calm your meal before numbing them. Now, for this next part, the simple way you can go about with numbing a human is to just pour the magic into their mouths like sand. I prefer to do it another way, but ya’ll are too young to be seeing that yet,” Swiss crowed, rubbing his hands together and blowing the smoke into his closed hands. His kits stepped closer, watching on with wide eyes. Onyx and Cheese crawled onto his shoulders, chittering curiously in his ear as he worked.

“Now that I have enchanted the dust, I can just tell the man to open up and he’ll do as he’s told and I can just pour it right on in,” Swiss said. The man did as he was told despite the pained look in his eyes and Swiss made quick work of pouring all of the dust into his mouth. Before he could cough, Swiss covered his mouth and waited for a few moments before the man sighed and relaxed under him.

“And now he can’t feel a thing, but he’ll still be awake until we get his heart or brain. Do any of you guys want to give it a try?” Swiss asked, smiling at his older kits.

“I wanna try, daddy! I wanna go first!” Nova exclaimed, raising her hand.

“I made him fall! I should go first!” Cinder growled, glaring daggers at her sister.

“No, I called dibs first!”

The little ghoulettes were hissing and growling at each other now. Swiss had to act fast before they got into another brawl that could possibly ruin their meal.

“Cut it out, girls. There’s no need to fight. Cinder, your sister was the first to call dibs, so you can wait your turn,” Swiss said, gesturing for Nova to come forward.

Cinder pouted, crossing her arms while sitting on the ground. That sour expression didn’t last long when Shade crawled over to her and offered her the remains of the man’s finger with an adorable chirp.

“Thank you,” she cooed, taking the bloody bones and sucking on them. Shade chittered and clambered into her lap, purring while watching Swiss.

“Good. Now, do you remember what to do when numbing a human?” Swiss asked, guiding the little ghoulette over to the man who watched their every move.

“I think I do,” Nova murmured before getting to work rubbing her hands together. Swiss could see the dust forming in her hands and he closed his eyes, using his quintessence to bring the man out of his numb daze. He wanted to see if his kit had improved in her abilities.

“Keep that…that shit away from me,” the man groaned when Nova crept forward with her hands cupped.

“Calm down and open your mouth,” Nova chimed, her eyes glowing purple.

The man struggled, trying to look away, but with some extra quint magic from Swiss, he looked at Nova and grew still, opening his mouth. The ghoulette giggled and moved to sit next to his head.

“Here you go,” she said while pouring the dust into his open mouth. The man briefly coughed before swallowing the dust and he groaned, his eyes glazing over.

“Did I do good, daddy?” Nova asked, looking over at Swiss hopefully.

“Only one way to find out, sweetheart,” Swiss crowed before digging his claws into the man’s shoulder, tearing into his flesh like butter. The man only turned his head to stare at what he was doing with eyes full of terror. He opened his mouth as if to scream, but the only thing that came out was a wet gurgle.

“You did an amazing job, Nova! He can’t feel a thing now,” Swiss crowed, licking his bloody claws. Nova smiled, flashing all of her pointy baby teeth at him and reminding him of himself when he was a kit.

“My turn now!” Cinder exclaimed, jumping to her feet once Shade had crawled out of her lap.

“Go for it, baby girl,” Swiss crowed, eager to see how she and Vortex would do.

It took a while for Cinder and Vortex to get the hang of immobilizing the human, but with some help from Swiss, they were able to turn the man to a groaning pile of mush. He wouldn’t be able to move or swat at Swiss and his babies.

“Perfect. Now, where do you guys want to start?” He asked, rubbing his hands together in preparation for a delicious meal.

“I want his tongue and ears!” Cinder chimed.

“I want his eyes!” Nova exclaimed.

“I wanna bite his neck,” Vortex crowed.

“Hmm, those are the best bits. We need to save those for last so the man can sense everything that’s happening. How about we open his belly up?” Swiss suggested, holding up a single claw.

All six of his kits perked up at that, their eyes going wide in awe before they all nodded. Cheese chirped and hopped onto the man’s stomach, patting at it and smiling up at Swiss adorably.

“Open him up, daddy!” Cinder giggled, holding out her arms to Cheese who jumped into her arms.

“Welp, I can’t keep my babies waiting after doing so much hard work. Watch this, you guys. Once you’re older, your claws will be much sharper which will make it much easier to tear and rip flesh,” Swiss explained before cutting the man’s shirt off with ease. The man shivered in response but he did nothing else. The multi ghoul chuckled darkly as he pushed the remnants of the man’s shirt away and he slowly rubbed his stomach, relishing in the fear emanating from the man.

“Mm, I should have brought tupperware to bring back to the others,” he chuckled before dragging one claw down the man’s stomach, cutting him open with ease.

“No…,” the man whispered weakly as the kits sat around him and began their feast.

Swiss watched on proudly as his babies ate their fill. Cinder and Nova tore out pieces that they gladly handed to the smaller kits who chittered happily in response. Vortex ripped out a piece of the man’s stomach and dangled it over Cheese who swiped at it, growling ferociously before she was able to get a good hold of it.

Swiss looked over at the man and saw that he wept silently, his eyes closed shut. He shook his head, smirking as he used his quintessence to force the man’s eyes open. The man obeyed, watching everything with pain and defeat in his eyes.

A sigh came from Swiss’s lips as he turned his attention back to his kits. They looked absolutely darling after their first hunt. He had to take a picture of them so he could send it to the pack and let them know that there was plenty of meat to go around.

He pulled out his phone and took a picture of his kits who paid him no mind as they ate.

“So cute,” he cooed as he sent the picture to the pack groupchat and also to Delia.

Holy shit…

A soft gasp and the pulling of a trigger was all Swiss needed to hear before he whipped his head around to let out a warning scream at his kits. All six of them looked up at him in confusion before a gunshot filled the air and the man’s head exploded, splattering blood on all of them.

“Hide!” Swiss ordered, his rage and fear growing when he saw Cheese fall over from the explosion. She was just inches away from being hit. Too close. Too fucking close.

The little ones wailed as their siblings immediately scooped them up and disappeared into the shadows. Swiss immediately got to his feet and turned around. He should have known there was another human nearby but his mind was too preoccupied with hunger and adoration for his kits. He should have been more alert and now his babies were in danger.

He sniffed the air and growled. There was only one human nearby. Good. He was going to make this one suffer. He leaned his head back and screeched, letting his pack know that they were very much needed.

He smelled the familiar scent of gun powder to his right and he whipped his head around. He could see that bastard hiding in some bushes. He bared his teeth at the man and disappeared into the shadows, chuckling darkly when the new smell of fear mixed with surprise came from the man.

“I’m going to kill you,” Swiss whispered as he crept up behind the man. He usually would take his time with his prey, but this was different. This human needed to suffer. He could still hear his kit’s wailing in the distance. An awful sound.

The man was about to turn around when Swiss pounced, pushing him out of the bushes with ease. The man cried out and tried hitting Swiss over the head with his rifle, but missed when he turned into shadows again. Swiss grabbed the rifle and pulled it out of the man’s hand with a hard yank, glaring daggers at the man as he held the rifle.

“Do you have any fucking idea who you’re messing with?” Swiss growled, taking form and standing over the man. The man grunted and was about to reach into his pocket before Swiss brought his foot down on his arm, crushing it and making him scream. Swiss closed his eyes, relishing in the way the man screamed and struggled beneath him. His ear twitched when he heard the cries of his pack deep in the forest.

“Let…Let me go! I…I won’t tell anyone!” The man pleaded, trying his damndest to hit Swiss’s leg with his free hand.

“You’re not going anywhere. You almost hurt my babies and for that, we’re going to make you suffer,” Swiss hissed, sitting on the man’s chest and making quick work of immobilizing him.

“Daddy? Is it safe to come out now?” Cinder’s voice whispered from the darkness, bringing him out of his fury.

Swiss looked back and saw six pairs of eyes watching him from the shadows. The little ones were still crying.

“You…You guys can come out now. The rest of the pack is on their way so we’re gonna be okay,” he said in a softer voice, motioning for them to come forward.

It took them a few moments to come out from the shadows. They were all on edge and Cheese was crying the loudest, clinging to Cinder tightly. Such a sight broke Swiss’s heart.

“Oh sweetheart. The bad man almost got you but I took him down for you. You’re okay,” he cooed, going over to Cinder and Cheese. Cinder held out the wailing kit to him and as soon as Cheese was in his arms, she hid her face in his chest, trembling.

“Oh darling. I’m so sorry. You’re safe. I won’t ever let another human hurt you or your siblings again,” he whispered, rubbing her back and using his quintessence to calm her. Cheese still whimpered and trembled, wrapping her tail around his wrist.

The cries of Onyx and Shade got his attention and he smiled sadly over at Nova and Vortex who held them.

“Bring them here,” he said.

Nova and Vortex obeyed and gave him the small kits who immediately snuggled into his arms with Cheese. Swiss smiled and kissed each of the tops of their head, making them purr softly.

“I know, girls. That was very scary, but that bad man is gonna regret trying to hurt us,” he said, turning his attention back to the man on the ground. He was looking at the bloody remains of the first man’s head with wide eyes.

“Hey! What the fuck happened here? Are the kits okay?” Dewdrop questioned after bursting into the clearing. The rest of the pack followed after him, chittering and growling upon seeing the men on the ground.

“They’re fine. That fucker snuck up on us and almost hit Cheese but he killed the first guy instead. Such a waste of good suffering,” Swiss explained.

Cumulus rushed into the clearing and chirped loudly, getting the attention of Nova and Vortex who rushed over into her waiting arms. Dewdrop made the same sound, calling over Cinder who chirped back and went over to his side.

“Are you two okay? You didn’t get hurt?” She questioned, checking her kits for injuries before glaring daggers at Swiss. No charm or quintessence was going to help him escape her wrath.

“We’re fine, mama. Daddy caught the bad guy before he could try and hurt us,” Vortex chimed. Cumulus sighed in relief and licked blood off of his cheek. Cirrus rushed over to Nova’s side and began cleaning her off as well.

“Thank goodness,” she murmured, pulling the two of them into a tight hug.

“So, should we take him home or eat him here?” Rain asked, crouching by the body of the first man with a ravenous look in his now-red eyes.

“Let’s bring them both home. Who knows who might be creeping about in the woods late at night,” Dewdrop suggested.

“I…I don’t…wanna go…go with you guys,” the man stammered, making all the ghouls hiss in unison.

“That’s too damn bad. You tried to hurt our kits,” Mountain grumbled, picking up the man and throwing him over his shoulder. He picked up the dead man and threw him on top of the man, making him whimper softly as the man’s brains and the rest of his head leaked all over him.

“We’re gonna eat good tonight,” Phantom crowed as Aurora clapped her hands.

“No…Let me go!” The man pleaded.

“Let’s go before more humans show up,” Cirrus said, tousling Vortex’s hair.

“We learned so much tonight even though it was scary. I got to immobilize the first guy and it was so much fun! I can’t wait to hunt on my own soon!” Cinder chimed as Dewdrop led her away.

“I’m sure you did. I’m just glad you’re safe, kiddo,” Dewdrop replied, glancing back at Swiss and giving him a nod of approval. Swiss nodded back and turned his attention back to his daughters who chittered up at him. Cheese reached up and nuzzled his cheek with a purr and he nuzzled her back, purring even louder with closed eyes. It was probably going to be a while before he was going to take them hunting again.

“I think that’s enough excitement for the three of you. Let’s go eat,” he said, turning to follow the pack. The man’s pleas for mercy echoed through the night.

#the band ghost #ghost band #ghost bc #nameless ghouls #swiss ghoul #ghoul ocs #murder ghouls #ghost fanfiction #fanfiction

57 notes · View notes

cal-writes · 4 months

Text

hot damn everyone liked the superhero au bit huh, have some more

Law wouldn't consider himself a hero. Officially the government has him classified as a vigilante because he isn't registered or affiliated with any sanctioned hero groups. That's fine by him. He never set out to be a hero, he has other things to focus on.

He is occasionally overcome with altruism however. So when he walks down a street and the two highrise apartment buildings begin to toppel into each other he bothers to create his room and stop them in their tracks.

The world around him floods blue, feels the phantom pressure of their weight as he extends his powers. The cars on the road come to screetching halts, blocking the street. People in the cars up front emerge, running down the way Law came in anticipation of the fight.

The buildings creak, the walls of their ground floors crumbled. The rubble shakes and move down the street as if possessed, straight towards the obvious culprit. A tall man, huge shoulders and purple hair and the only one who isn't running away from the precarious state of the buildings framing the street. He turns towards Law, wearing sunglasses and an ugly sneer.

"Who are you?" The guy asks, lifting his chin.

Name: Trafalgar Law, alias The Surgeon Age: unknown (29) Powers: Room He can summon a bubble - the titular Room - in which he has limited control over the conditions inside, such as air pressure and temperature, as well as every object inside its radius. His signature move "Shambles" switches two objects with each other. (Unbeknownst to the public, Law can also affect living creatures. He's invested in keeping it that way). The bigger his Room the bigger his arsenal but so is the effort required to keep it up.

Law lifts his chin in kind and walks onto the street. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Around them the screaming has quieted down and people are rapidly exiting the building through what remains ground floor and the fire escapes. The structural damage of which hinder the process significantly.

The man laughs and as he does, bits of concret tumbling around him. "You a hero?" He asks as the rubble rises to float around him. Some sort of telekisis then, Law notes. Though it must be limited to a specific type of matter. Glass shards and bits of rebar remain where they are unless the are stuck in the stone.

Law puts his hands in his pockets and shrugs, looking around lazily. The thing that had caused the buildings to fall where the huge holes in its structure, compromising their integity. Both buildings were primarily apartments with the odd office in between. As if they had been specifically chosen for the maximum amount of casualties.

"You a villain?" Law replies and the man throws his head back to laugh.

"You tell me." He says. The floating rocks become a vortex, flying in spirals around him and Law widens his stance. The first rock that flies towards him goes wide even without having to dodge but the second is getting closer. If he weren't currently occupied holding two buildings in place this would be easy. But as he is very much occupied doing that, all he can do is dodge and hope that the people inside hurry the fuck up.

A volley of rubble comes his way with enough speed that he will eat one of them if he doesn't stop them otherwise so he thrusts out his hand, increasing the air pressure until it stops dead. Around him the buildings creak dangerously, the screaming increases as they wobble. He curses under his breath, moving his hands in a wide arch to grab onto the buildings again. If he could just move them it would be trivial, alas he is stuck with what he has.

The brief lurch has slowed the evacuation. Thanks to his Room Law knows exactly how many people are still inside and none of them are moving anywhere much to his dismay. Except for one. He grits his teeth. One person that had been climbing down the fire escape from their balcony has lost their footing, barely holding onto the rail and Law knows it's a matter of seconds before their plummet.

The asshole responsible is pulling more projectiles towards him, gleefully smirking and Law wants to smash his face in. He vows to do it later.

A sharp yell and the persons grib slips tumbling freely towards the street below and moves. His arm shoots up, focusing his control over the area around the person to slow their fall without letting the buildings move. He sees the twister of concret roar back up around his opponent and knows it's about to be ugly.

(Options: 1. Drop the person - no, 2. drop the buildings further - not recommended as it will likely cause more injuries and/or people falling that he will have to rescue, 3. dodge the giant bit of rubble heading his way - sudden movement will jeopardize his control and possilby cause both options 1 and 2 to occur, 4. stand there and take the hit - risky if something vital is hit but if he has trajectory correct it will merely hit his shoulder)

Law stands his ground, braces for impact as he lowers the falling civilian slowly to the ground. His body tenses.

He notices the pollen first before he becomes aware of the shadow piercing his Room. A flash moves in his periphial vision, followed by a horrible metallic sound. The civillain touches the ground and scrambles down the street with a frantic thanks, unharmed.

"Need a hand?" Demon asks him, a sword in each hand, deflecting the projectiles headed his way.

Name: Roronoa Zoro, alias East Demon Age: unknown (Law assumes they are close in age based on appearance) Powers: unknown (something that Law has a personal gripe with) All he knows that he is good at close quarters offence with a few long range attacks that he hasn't seen enough times to determine exactly how they work.

Demon is dressed in street clothes, black jeans and a white shirt. Only the black bandana over his head is part of his uniform. It hides his hair and casts his eyes in shadow. His third sword is still hanging on his hip, waiting for use.

Law grimaces. "I can handle myself." He tells him.

Even without seeing his face, he knows that Demon rolls his eyes. The thunder of a rifle sounds and Law flinches on reflex before he sees the impact on one of the villains stones, shattering it into smaller pieces. Law follows the origin of the shot and just barely sees a figure on one of the neighbouring buildings but he doesn't need to see him clearly to know who it is most likely to be.

Name: unknown last name Usopp, aliases Snipergod, Savant Age: 22 Powers: unconfirmed accuracy ability He is trained in all manner of firearms and has near inhuman accuracy with all of them. Thusfar unclear if it is a trained ability or a physical trait.

"Where's the rest of your merry band of assholes?" He asks.

Demon's sword sparks as it collides with a piese of rubble, causing it harmlessly land next to them.

Law wouldn't exactly consider Demon and his group allies or friends. But he does owe them his life or whatever (he tries not to dwell on it - if only Luffy would give him the opportunity to return the favor).

"Snipergod is giving cover and Lady Ohara is helping evacuation." Demon tells him.

Name: Nico Robin, aliases Lady Ohara, Mrs. All Sundays, Demon Child Age: 33 Power: Bloom She expells pollen and can create fully functional additonal limbs and organs whereever the pollen reach. They are extentions of herself and as such, suceptible to damage that she will suffer from.

"You have the buildings?" Demon asks.

Law bristles but swallows it down. Not the time. "And the rest of you?" He asks instead of answering because the answer should be obvious.

"Not here, we happened to be in the area." Demon says and Law scoffs. Just his luck.

"Right. You know this asshole?" He asks.

"Calls himself Zed, for cement." Demon tells him and Law glares at his back. His muscles move underneath his shirt as he slashes at the bits of concret.

"That doesn't even make sense!"

Demon shrugs with one shoulder and pivots on his heel to catch a stray piece of rubble. "That's what he said. We fought him before."

Law groans. "What a tool." He mutters. "How long until all the civilians are out?"

Horrifyingly a mouth appears on Demon's shoulder as well as an ear. Even knowing Lady Ohara it freaks him out.

"I estimate around twenty more minutes." The mouth on Demon's shoulder tells him. "Are any injured or trapped?" She asks and Law closes his eyes, focuses his awareness in the Room.

"None so far. Children on the seventh floor of the left building." He says.

"Understood. We contacted Handyman, estimated time of arrival is four minutes." She tells him.

Name: Cutty Flam, alieses Handyman, Iron Man, Cyborg Age: 39 Powers: Material Creation He can convert energy into objects, creating them out of thin air. Due to his background in carpentry he most often creates wood or other building materials and crafts insane structures out of them. Additonally half his body is mechanical (reason unknown) and has a variety of weapons and tools stored inside.

Law rolls his shoulders and makes his neck crack. Four minutes until Handyman can secure the buildings and free up Law from the burden.

"Shouldn't you cover your teammate?" Law asks as Demon deflects the next assault on them. Zed roars, focus split between trying to attack Law and protecting himself from Snipergod's shots.

Demon huffs. "She's hidden. If I go to her I'll reveal her location." He says and Law begrudgingly admits that he's the most vulnerable player on the field right now. "You got here first. Your call." Demon tells him and the ease in which he defers to Law catches him off guard.

He's too used to both heroes and vigilantes having too big of an ego for teamwork. It's a nice change of pace. Though he is acutely aware that it would be a different story if Demon's leader were here.

Law glances around and tries to assess the situation. Without having to spend time to defend himself, his hold of the buildings is rock solid and Lady Ohara will make the evacuation go much quicker. With Snipergod keeping Zed occupied he won't be able to get away quickly.

"Can you deal with him?" Law asks, ducking his head when a piece of rubble chips off and passes by Demon. Nothing big enough that would cause damage.

"If I can get close." Demon tells him. They must have come here in a hurry. The knot of his bandana is beginning to come lose, showing off the grass greeen hair underneath.

Law looks past him towards Zed. He only catches a glimpse of the man's sneer before the ground rumbles. Conrete and rubble rolling towards him until he is completely encased. The buildings further down the road start to crack Snipergod's next bullets barely put a dent in the stone.

"I can get you close." Law says, breathing deeply. The area is already huge in order to encompass the entire two buildings but not big enough to catch Zed in it too. He doesn't even to run from it as Law expands his room. It swallows him easily. Law crocks his fingers, pulling at the stone surrounding Zed.

Here is why Law tends to keep a low profile and prefer quick beat down fights: If his opponent knows how his ability works, it's easier for them to resist it.

Zed's hold onto his makeshift armor is too complete for Law to make any piece of it budge. He grits his teeth. "If you can cut through stone." He adds, exhaling sharply. There has to be something else.

"With enough speed I can." Demon tells him and Law files that little tidbit away to investigate later. Law looks off in the direction of Snipergod.

"Lady Ohara, tell Snipergod to fire on my mark." Law says, focusing in Zed. More and more rubble joins him, lifting him higher off the ground. The rocks becoming and extention of himself. "You are going to be very fast, I won't be able to catch you." He tells Demon who simply nods.

With a gust of pollen, a mouth and ear appear on Law's shoulder and he resists the urge to shudder. "Where should he aim?" She asks him, voice strained. If he focuses he can feel her presence all around them, bits of her and her limbs in every room of the two buildings.

"Dealers choice." Law tells Demon who moves his head slighly to speak over his shoulder.

"Throat." He tells the ear there.

It disappears from Demon's body with a whisper. "On your mark, Surgeon." The mouth on Law's shirt says.

The buildings around Zed shake, losing chips of plaster, whole chunks being pulled into the orbit of the man's powers. They don't have much time.

Demon shifts his stance, puts one of his swords in between his lips before unseathing the third one.

"Ready." He says with surprising clearity.

Law breathes, watches the rubble tornado pick up speed. "Now." The rifle bellows and Law feels the instant it crosses into his Room. His index and ring finger curl underneath his thumb. "Shambles."

The bullet slams into the road below him and in its stead, Demon flies through the air. The blades of his swords turn black and a palpable aura appears around him. As if smoke were pouring out of his orifices but not in same composition. Immaterial. An energy so potent it becomes visible.

A deafening screech sounds as Demon flies past Zed, crashing through a shopwindow on the other side of the street.

For a heartbeat, Law thinks Snipergod missed his shot. Then everything stops. The rubble floating around Zed pauses midair before it rains to the ground. A red hot line cuts across his stone outer body. His armor slowly falls away, his hand shaking as he reaches for his torso. It takes another second for Zed to realize what happened before his body collapses in on itself, buried under his own rubble.

Law exhales, pulling his room closer around himself and the buildings to make the burden easier on himself. "Status on Demon?" He asks.

"Unclear. I had to leave or risk injury." Lady Ohara tells him curtly, unhappiness audible.

Law glances towards Snipergod but his figure has disappeared from the top of the building, probably making his way down. Behind him he hears footsteps accompanied with a metallic clatter and when he turns he sees the turqoise hair of Handyman and his terrible red unbottoned shirt as he runs towards them. Law wants to believe that Handyman is only wearing speedos because of the urgency but unfortunately he knows the man to be an exhibitionist.

He gives Law a thumbs up as he skitts over the asphalt towards the closest building, dropping something round and metallic at his feet that extends into support rods that shoot into the walls to hold it up. Handyman secures them quickly while creating rebar out of thin air and adding to his patch job. On the other side of the road and the other building a flurry of pollen is the precursor to hundreds of arms shooting out of the ground, bracing against the walls. Law lets go of his hold slowly, testing the new support before he is sure it's safe to let go.

The weight leaving him is almost dizzying. While using his powers he doesn't notice it as much but the sudden lack of pressure is so stark he stumbles forward, only years of practise helping him to catch his feet. No sign of Snipergod yet and the rest of the street is deserted. Distantly Law notices the sound of sirens.

He doesn't run but it's a close thing (just to be efficient not because he's worried). The shopfront window has a human sized hole, destroying the logo printed on it that would identify it as a café. Chairs and tables have toppled and splintered, a swathe of destruction ending in the bar counter that has been broken in two. A pile of glass, wood and the remnants of an espresso machine obscured Demon save for his black boot sticking out from underneath.

Law climbs through the broken window, glass crunching under his feet. "You still alive?" He asks loudly, heart hammering in his chest.

A groan, and the pile of carnage shifts. Law hurries over to get the biggest pieces off. The espresso machine is warped, sharp metal everywhere.

A hand plunges through the rubble first and Law takes a step back, feet slipping underneath him. Demon breaks through. He sits up, shaking his head like a dog and making splinters fly everywhere. Law makes room before he gets hit by the debris (and so he doesn't do anything stupid loke offer a hand).

Demon's bandana slips off, having hung on by a thread to the man's head. Green hair is sticking up with sweat and blood, the latter of which also runs down his face. Little cuts and scrapes all over. He doesn't appear to be too injured, Law wagers from Demon's movement. He digs himself out of the rubble without issue. His shirt is ripped in parts, leaving little patches of red on the white fabric as he takes care to pick all the wood from it.

He looks past Law, squinting out the window. "We got him?" He asks, shuddering slightly.

Law nods and feels stupid standing there.

Demon nods, sheathing one of his swords before reaching out blind to grab the third from the rubble. He presses the flag blade against his forehead briefly, muttering something Law doesn't catch before he sheaths the other two swords.

He blinks with the one eye that isn't scarred over and blind as blood runs into it, obscuring his vision.

A common theory about Demon's abilities is that is must be a healing factor of some sort or he that he simply doesn't feel pain at all. Law has seen him fight and fought alongside him too many times to believe that.

Demon winces slightly as he steps down from his pile, sliding on the broken wood.

He wipes at his brow to stop the blood flow. "Nice work." He tells Law with a smirk that shows off his teeth, pink with bloody saliva.

Law takes a second too long to remember himself. He huffs and turns around, stomping back to the front of the shop.

"Could have done without your help." He says, seeing Snipergod emerge from the building across the street and jog in their direction.

Demon snorts. "Yeah, yeah. You're welcome." Law bends down to pick up a piece of glass and with a flick of his wrist and a small Room, its replaced with Demon's bandana. Miraculously it appears to be undamaged. He holds it out towards the other man as he comes to stand by his side. It's as much of an apology as he will lower himself too. After all it was his plan that caused Demon's injuries.

"Thanks." Demon says, having no qualms about gratitude. "Drinks?" He asks as Snipergod reaches the broken window, out of breath.

Law is grateful for it too because with one word, Demon has derailed Law's entire train of thought. He looks at him as Demon ties his bandana around his head (and over his injury which makes Law bristle professionally).

"Oh, thank god," Snipergod says, holding his chest. "He's good." He tells the ear on the strap of his rifle. "That was so stupid." He whines dramatically.

Demon shrugs. "Worked out, didn't it?" Is all he says before climbing outside. Law follows after some delay.

#op #its so long im sorry lol #if im ever succinct its bc ive been replaced by aliens #superhero au #superpower au

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rosellacwrites · 5 months

Text

oh, my dreams

(part 1: it’s never quite as it seems)

summary: Your name’s put you in some strange situations before, but this one might win the prize.

pairings: Steven Grant x fem-presenting!Reader**

rating: general audiences

warnings: strangers to…?, administrative fuckups, descriptions of anxiety/anxiety attacks. **I wrote this with a masculine-named AFAB reader in mind, for reasons I’ll explain below, but it could also be read as a transfem reader being deadnamed, so please read with caution if that’s a sensitive issue for you.

word count: 2650

author’s note: Written for the Moon Knight Spring Bingo @moonknight-events — this is entry #5 for “One Bed.” And thanks to @silvernight-m for the encouragement to finish this. 😘

Happy reading! ❤️

dividers by @firefly-graphics

You tap your keycard against the lock, half your mind on the lecture you’d just attended and the other half laser-focused on turning your brain off and some trash TV on. It’s the best way you’ve found to decompress, after a day of the sheer chaotic overwhelm that is more usually known as the academic conference.

Opening the door, you vaguely register someone else’s presence; it’s always irritating, the university’s insistence on saving money by forcing the grad students to share hotel rooms, but there’s nothing to be done for it. Dues must be paid, and someday, you’ll have tenure and you’ll never have to share a room again. But when you emerge from that pleasant daydream, you realize that something’s gone very wrong.

There’s a man in your room, lounging on the bed, tilting his head at you. “Hello,” he says, rather tentatively. “I — I think you might have got the wrong room.”

“Oh God — “ You fumble for the tiny envelope your keycard had come in, and can’t find it. “I’m so sorry — you must be right, let me just… but I swear it said 303, it’s got to be here somewhere…” After what feels like a year, you manage to unearth it, and it’s right there in black and white. You glance back to the still-open door, and those numbers haven’t changed either. Belatedly, it dawns on you: it’s happened again.

“Oh, shit,” you wail, dropping your bag on the floor. “Shit shit shit.”

“Are you all right?” He gets up and pads over to you, peering curiously at your stricken face. He’s British, clearly, from the accent; tousle-haired and dark-eyed and cute in the gentle, nerdy sort of way you like. Far too cute to be tainted by the swirling vortex of bullshit that always seems to follow you around.

“Fuck.” You scrub at your forehead, trying to ease the sudden headache that’s developed, and laugh bitterly. “It’s not personal, I promise — I don’t even know you…”

“Well, I’m Steven. With a V. Steven Grant.” He smiles at you, radiating a careful sort of friendliness, as though you’re a stray dog of uncertain temperament. “So now you know me a little bit, yeah? D’you want to come in and see if we can sort this out?”

You’re too flustered to object, and you step into the room and flop down into the desk chair, because your legs don’t seem to want to hold you up anymore. “Okay. It’s okay,” you repeat softly, trying to calm yourself. “He seems nice. He’s probably not a serial killer...”

“I’m definitely not a serial killer, if that helps.” His eyes are kind, concerned, and you feel oddly safe with him, despite your embarrassment at realizing you’d just said that out loud. “I’m just Steven, perpetually exhausted student. So what’s happened here? Is it something I can help with?”

“It’s my stupid name,” you growl. It happens all the time, no matter what you do to prevent it, and every time it does, it feels like sandpaper on your skin. You’ve put your pronouns in your email signature, you’ve written Ms. before your name, and none of it ever matters because people don’t fucking read. “They see it on the registration forms and just assume I’m a guy, and then something like this always goes wrong.”

“They did tell me I’d have a roommate,” he thinks out loud. “I saw your name on the list and I thought you were this bloke I know from my college, so I didn’t think anything of it…” He takes a seat on the edge of the bed, facing you, and that’s when it hits you.

The bed.

The single, solitary, admittedly large and very comfortable looking, but still only, bed.

“There’s only one bed,” you sigh. “Of fucking course there’s only one bed.” Tipping your head back, you study the ceiling as though it has an answer for you.

“Well, that’s it then,” Steven says. “We’ll have to talk to the organizers — I’m absolutely sure it wouldn’t be a problem for them to move one of us to another room. I’ll go with you and talk with them, if you like.”

“I can’t,” you interrupt. You feel it rising, that itchy, frantic, skin-too-tight feeling, the certain knowledge that when one more thing goes wrong you won’t be able to hold the screaming in. You’re frantically trying to gather up the cracking pieces of your carefully constructed shell, and the tigers in the tall grass will be upon you before you know it. “I can’t, because then I have to admit they’ve put me in the wrong room, and they’ll have to shuffle everyone around and it’ll make a big fuss and I’ll have Pain In The Ass stamped on my forehead when I go to network and I’ll never find a PhD advisor and — “

I don’t need you anymore, you’ve tried to tell it so many times. There aren’t any tigers here — you don’t need to protect me like this. But it doesn’t work that way, and you know it. It’s a bit like a wild animal itself, the anxiety, the way you’ve tried your best to tame it with meds and therapy and other, less doctor-sanctioned remedies, and sometimes it feels like you’re finally learning how to be friends.

And then it turns on you again, vicious claws and teeth sinking deep, and you remember you haven’t learned anything at all.

“I just can’t,” you whisper.

Steven’s hand lands on your shoulder, and you flinch; you hadn’t noticed him getting up to approach you again. “Breathe, love,” he says gently. “Just — take a minute, yeah?” You try, but your brain and heart and lungs don’t want to get with the program, and he sees the panic in every line of you. He half-sits down on the table, never taking his hand off your shoulder, and the other hand finds yours and curls around it comfortingly. “The only good thing about having anxiety attacks,” he says quietly, “is that you know what to do when someone else is having one.”

He breathes, deep and slow, leading by example, and gradually your heart settles into a slower rhythm as though his own is pacing it. His hands are big, and warm, and they ground you, bringing you back to yourself. Tigers in the area, the anxiety whispers, fading, but not here, not right now.

“The way I see it, we’ve got two options,” he says softly, letting go of you and ticking them off on his fingers. “Option one, we go and talk to the organizers and let them sort things out.” You shake your head quickly; he must see the panic rising again, because he switches tracks immediately. “Option two, we, er — don’t do that, and just leave things as they are.”

Your eyes fly wide. You’d been half-ready to just leave, throw your opportunities away and run back to the airport with your tail between your legs, but... “You mean…”

“This isn’t some kind of a — a come-on, or anything!” he assures you quickly, brows furrowed. “I don’t want to be the conference creeper, you know? But it is rather late, and if you’re really sure you don’t want to talk to anyone about it, I don’t mind at all if you stay.”

“Even though there’s only one bed? Doesn’t that bother you?”

He shrugs. “It’s only two nights — I think we can manage to be grown-ups about it for that long, yeah?”

The faceless Many, the Here Be Dragons on the map, versus the gentle sweet-faced One, familiar only by a technicality: it’s an easy choice, after all. It’s probably not your smartest, and even as you make it, your rational brain is pressing you to reconsider. But the anxiety, for once, is silent.

“Okay,” you murmur. “Yeah. I’ll stay.”

You stay, and it’s — well, it’s nice. He’s nice.

He’s nothing but cheerful all evening, going out of his way to help you feel more comfortable with him and with this whole clusterfuck of a situation. And he’s funny, with a sassy wit that offers a glimpse of the brain below the messy curls. (You have a momentary thought of gratitude for the opportunity to see Steven Grant with bedhead tomorrow morning. It’s going to be epic.)

“I’m at Cambridge,” he tells you at one point. “About halfway through my PhD in Egyptology. On the linguistics end, mainly, not digging up tombs and things. But I have been on a dig or two.”

“Wow, Ancient Egypt. That’s like — the gateway drug. The thing that makes kids want to be archaeologists in the first place, and here you are doing it.” You smile at him, and he flushes.

“I suppose you’re right — always had a thing about it, as long as I can remember. Probably watched too many old movies as a kid.” He grins back at you, and it’s endearing as hell, warm and a little shy but somehow cheeky, too. “How about you? What’s your field?”

“I’m on the tech side. Mapping, satellite photography, ground-penetrating radar, all the fancy-ass things that tell you folks where to dig.”

“Oh, that’s fascinating!” he exclaims. “I could never — I’m hopeless with technology. Utter disaster.”

“Most of you are,” you retort before you can think better of it. “That’s why you have us.”

He laughs for the first time, and you immediately want to make him do it again. “That’s why we have you,” he acknowledges with a tilt of his head.

You’ve always been prone to crushes. They tend to creep up on you, more subtle than the anxiety, but no less consuming. The first tendrils always wind delicately around your ankles, and by the time you’ve registered their presence you’re already bound up to the knees. No no no no no, you tell yourself, you cannot do this right now. This is Not Allowed. This whole thing is more than weird enough already, without bringing his kindness and his intelligence and his big brown eyes into it.

Oh, no.

It’s already too late, isn’t it? the anxiety taunts.

Sure fuckin’ is, the crush responds.

You shove it down, ruthlessly, burying it as deep as you can. You keep it light, trading fieldwork tales, always the preferred currency at these things but more important than ever now. I’m for real, they say, trustworthy and honest and normal about things. I’m safe to talk to.

Steven ventures out for snacks to give you a chance to get ready for bed in privacy (god, how is he so nice), and when he comes back he nibbles on dark chocolate while he regales you with stories of Egypt. “Most people don’t know this,” he says, “but Cairo’s literally right up next to the pyramids. There’s a bloody Pizza Hut across the street.”

You stare, skeptical. “No. No way. That can’t be true.”

“Have a look at your maps,” he insists, pointing at you with the chocolate bar. “It’s absolutely true. Fastest way to spot the Egyptologist in the room is to show ‘em a movie where someone visits the pyramids and gets ‘lost in the desert.’”

You trade a few more stories, and then you can’t put it off any longer; your commitments tomorrow make a reasonable bedtime imperative. When there’s a lull in the conversation, you stand up and stretch. “I’m just gonna — “ you say awkwardly, gesturing toward the bathroom, and disappear to brush your teeth again (since he’d given you half the chocolate).

When you come out again, he’s rummaging for his own toothbrush, which means you have at least two minutes alone to decide how you want to navigate the inherent absurdity of getting into bed with a stranger. Don’t make it weird, the anxiety cautions. “By the way, do you have any, uh — bad habits I should know about?”

He looks up, startled. “Pardon?”

“I mean, like — do you hog the covers? Or snore?” You shrug as though it’s a perfectly normal question to ask someone you met a couple hours ago, and try to ignore the heat rising in your face.

“My, er, brothers — Marc and Jake — they say I talk in my sleep, sometimes. So I’m sorry in advance if I say anything bonkers.” Steven laughs and rubs the back of his neck. “Still don’t know if I really do, or if they’re just having me on.”

“If I hear anything, I’ll let you know,” I promise. “And if — if I can’t sleep, I’ll try not to keep you up.”

He smiles at that. “Likewise.”

And once he’s brushed his teeth, there’s really no putting it off any longer, and it doesn’t end up being as weird as you’d thought. Just two people climbing into opposite sides of a bed and settling down for the night, nothing weird about that at all. It feels rude to turn your back, somehow, so you curl on your side, facing him, and he clicks off the light and does the same.

You’ve tried to talk yourself out of it, but the apology spills out anyway. “I’m sorry — this is probably the last thing you needed tonight…” Your voice is small in the quiet room. “But — but thank you. For helping me.”

“No, no, it’s no trouble at all! This is good!” Steven protests. “I mean, not that you’ve got anxiety, but this — whole thing.” He waves his hand in a vague circle around the room. “It’s a good distraction. Means I’m not getting in my own head about my lecture tomorrow.”

Okay. That makes a certain amount of sense, and you begin to feel slightly better. “Do these conferences bother you too?”

He pauses for a moment. “Maybe… not quite in the same way as you? I don’t mind talking to people one-on-one and that, but presenting to a crowd always gives me a few fits, beforehand.”

“Do you — “ You swallow hard before continuing; it’s going to sound silly, maybe, but he’s looking at you so gently and like he understands, and you blurt it out. “Do you want to know a trick I have? It might help, if you want it…”

“Yeah?” He’s waiting as calmly as if you’re having this discussion over coffee, in broad daylight, not inches from each other in bed in a darkened hotel room, and it emboldens you.

“If I’m nervous about meeting someone, or — or giving a talk, or whatever, sometimes it helps me to, um — get there first.”

“Get there first,” he repeats, considering.

“Yeah. Get there first. Then it’s like — they’re coming into your territory, and you’re in charge.”

“That’s quite clever, actually.” He begins to smile, a broad grin creeping up like sunrise, and nods happily. “‘Get there first.’ I’ll remember that.”

A tiny glow of satisfaction burns in your chest, and you lie in silence together for a time. It’s a comfortable one, strangely intimate; you could talk, if you wanted, but for once you don’t feel like you need to. It’s enough just to be here, next to him, somehow knowing it’s enough for him, too.

It’s just — nice.

And then he stretches and turns, and for half a second your brain shorts out. “G’night,” he says, his voice already blurred with sleep. “Sweet dreams.” And he’s out like a light before you can even return the wish.

Even as your eyelids grow heavy, you’re convinced you’ll never sleep; how could you, when you’re literally in bed with a complete stranger, kind as he is? But the soft rise and fall of his breath is better than your white-noise machine, and the last thing you remember seeing before drifting off is his strong profile, silhouetted by the moonlight seeping through the space where the curtains don’t quite meet.

If you dream, you don’t remember it.

But it’s the first time you’ve ever been to one of these things and slept through the night.

part 2 coming soon…

@juneknight @spacecowboyhotch

author’s note, again: I got the idea for this fic from something that did, actually, happen to me as a teenager. Only in my case it was a summer music camp, not a conference, and my mother threw an unholy fit and made them change my room immediately.

(Sorry, Andrew. I guess we’ll never know what could have been.)

If your own name doesn’t match your gender presentation, for whatever reason, please know that I am fist-bumping you in solidarity and I love you.

#moon knight fanfiction #steven grant #steven grant x reader #steven grant x f!reader #moonknightevents

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