#reg writes

[dream-of-the-bitchless]

I imagine at some point Silco might've been despondent when it came to the cause of Zaun. And on a night like that, Vander would've tried to cheer him up.

They would be in Vander's small room above the Drop, Silco spiralling a little; why are some people not responding to their call to action as expected? Why do some even berate them for trying to change anything at all? Are they even on the right track?

"What do you want to do when all of this is over?" Vander would ask, the question catching Silco off guard because what is there "afterwards"? This is what gives him purpose. What else could he possibly yearn for beyond the liberation of their people? But Vander would just smile and reveal, "I want to get a cat. I've always wanted one, but we're so busy that I couldn't take good care of it right now, so I would get one then."

A cat? Silco would probably find it a tad absurd. Nothing's really stopping Vander from getting a cat; the creature would surely survive their absences no problem.

"But first I would spend a whole day in bed. Waking up just to sleep again right after," Vander would add, and Silco, confronted with his own bone-deep exhaustion, has to admit that he would very much like that, too.

"I—I would eat sweet pastries. Every kind available in that nice bakery we've passed near the bridge," he'd concede, to Vander's delight. Encouraged, Silco would admit to a much deeper dream. "I would study. Proper study, that is, at a university. With big lecture halls and like-minded people to discuss with."

"Still would be the smartest guy in the building," Vander would say, and it's the kind of compliment that Silco doesn't have a hard time accepting.

"I would have time to write, maybe do it for a living, although that's highly unrealistic." You see, one must know their limits, even when dreaming.

Vander would stay quiet for a while, drinking it all in. "I'd like some kids," he'd finally declare. It wouldn't fully take Silco by surprise, but his next words would. "Not too many. Just two or three."

"What?? That's plenty!"

His reaction would make Vander laugh for sure. "Oh, come on. Think about everything we could teach them!"

"We?" Silco would wonder out loud, brow arched, and would be met with a cocky smile.

"Yeah. With your brains and my strength, we've got all fronts covered."

"That's a tall order," Silco would point out, his own mouth stretching involuntarily into a smile because kids are the furthest thing from his mind, and it's a crazy idea, perhaps even crazier than making a living out of writing.

"I think you'd make a great father," Vander would say in a low voice, and there'd be raw honesty in that statement, the same unconditional trust Silco is met with whenever Vander blindly puts his own life and the future of Zaun in his hands, as if he could do no wrong with either of them. And Silco can almost believe it.

[reggie-hedgie]

Since I actually really enjoyed the last payday post…. Have some heisters x reader garbage-

Side note, I forgot Duke in the last one, should I add him to it- this is also without the ships I mentioned in the last one, just one guy each-

TW: standard payday stuff, implied death of past partner (not yours), implied drug use (Jimmy, ofc), alcohol use, clingy partner (Jimmy again), mentions of being wounded (nothing explicit), implied violence against the police

Characters:

Jacket, Hoxton, Wolf, Duke, Jimmy, and Sokol

___________________ENJOY!________________

Jacket- 🐔

-He’s caught between wanting you to love on him and wanting to love on you.

-Honestly, he’s very wary about getting into a relationship in the first place, since the last one… didn’t end very well- ifykyk… plus, heisting isn’t the safest job.

-once he feels safe enough to get into a relationship with you though, he’s definitely sticking closer than he had been.

-He seems like the type to just want to be near you, maybe just hold your hand to know you’re there, especially when he’s sleeping.

-He has zero issue what your love language is, he gets it. Physical affection? He’s your teddy bear. Gifting? He’s keeping everything and taking great care of each thing. Acts of service? He does things for you as well, making your life easier. He basically mirrors whatever your thing is.

-He likes kisses and cuddles, he wouldn’t mind getting lots of those if that’s your thing. He personally likes giving kisses on your face and neck, if you don’t mind it. Hands feels too formal, and anywhere else… well, that’s for behind doors.

-with cuddling, he likes you on his chest, he just likes to see you comfortable and content. He likes laying on your chest too, he just likes being close.

-He’s very good at listening, for obvious reasons. He likes if you ramble, he likes seeing you enjoy something. Besides, it gives him ideas of things to get you for holidays or your birthday, or just because.

-As much as guys usually like it when you wear their clothes… you’ll want to warn Jacket before you borrow his jacket. Mostly because it’s a comfort item for him, and he’d like to know where it is at least.

-He’s not really a “go out to eat for a date” kind of guy. Especially since suits aren’t his thing, and it’s hard to order without it being awkward. He much prefers just a quiet movie night with pizza, and of course, you.

-He will lovingly scold you if you come back beat up, but happily bandage your wounds, cleaning them with utmost care.

-Usually he just cleans and patches his own wounds, but if you want to return the favor, you’re the only person he’ll allow to do it. Couple goals, you clean each others wounds, awwww

Hoxton- 🇬🇧

-Ah yes. British man. Love them.

-Honestly, I can’t see him being all that touchy to start with. He may call you questionable pet names but he definitely has to warm up to being cuddly.

-Once he does though, he comes up behind you and hugs you around the waist, maybe giving you a kiss on the neck, cheek or the back/top of your head, depending on your height compared to him.

-Very standard pet names once he gets past the awkward first month, he’ll call you ‘love’ and ‘darling’. If you’re on the short side, I can absolutely see him calling you ‘shortcake’ or ‘short stack’.

-As for cuddling, he seems like he’d like you on his lap, or having his head on yours. Chances are, he’s too big to sit in your lap, and even then, do you want a stinky British man on your lap? Idk, maybe you do, I don’t know you

-Again, I think he cooks pretty poorly, so don’t expect breakfast in bed, but sleepy morning cuddles? Absolutely. You go to get up, he just drags you back into the bed, tucks his face into your neck, and goes right back to sleep lmao

-Far less lax when you come back beat up, he’s torn between being absolutely PISSED that someone hurt you at all, let alone bad enough that it needs more than just a kiss and a plaster, and stressed that you’re hurt.

-The cops are getting their asses handed to them the next time he goes on a heist, he’s MAD. He absolutely patched you up, maybe even giving a little kiss over the bandages once he’s done. 🥺

Wolf- 🇸🇪

-The lovely man himself, I can’t imagine him being anything other than a big sweetheart when he’s not committing crimes against the Geneva convention

-Honestly, things don’t change that much between friends and dating, he’s just more affectionate and cuddly.

-I can see him being on a heist, seeing something that he thinks you’ll like, and just pocketing it for you, happily giving it to you when he gets back

-Lots of kisses, and just leaning against you when you’re sitting together. Definitely likes holding your hand, maybe playing with your fingers.

-He likes when you ramble, although I can’t guarantee all of it sticks. He’s not intentionally ignoring you, he just likes seeing how passionate you are that he forgets to actually retain the things you’re saying, and his brain doesn’t run at full power (just like me fr)

-Like hoxton, but less outwardly pissed, more like “how do I make them pay for this?”. He’s cleaning you up, kissing you better and cuddling you. He honestly feels guilty, even though it isn’t even remotely his fault.

Duke- 🥃

-Much like Jacket and Hoxton, he’s definitely cautious, just because he… isn’t honestly very good with relationships. He seems like he really needs to get to know someone before he can develop feelings.

-He’s more of a gift giver than a hugger (he’s a lover not a fighter- oh wait no, he just stabbed a man)

-But he doesn’t mind if you are more snuggly.

-I can see him laying in bed, reading something, just stroking your hair while you lay with your head on his chest. That’s his kind of cuddling.

-He’s very domestic, all things considered.

-Oh my god, if you do art, he’s gonna want to see your work. He’ll respect you not showing him everything, or not wanting to show him stuff until it’s done, but he will eat up anything you show him.

-He’s very good about GOOD constructive criticism.

-“Darling, that looks lovely. Perhaps next time you could do this here? Just a little extra something. I don’t make art though, you’re the expert. You are the art.” (Need someone like him in my life 😔)

-If you get hurt, he’s angrier than when his suit came back from the cleaners with a stain it didn’t have when he left it there. Not at you, although he will gently lecture you about being more careful, staying in cover, things like that.

-The cops are getting hell though, he’ll make sure of that.

Jimmy- 🦘

-Oh boy… here we go

-I can see him drunkenly flirting with you, and if you bring it up while he’s sober, he’s redder than the blood on his shirt lol

-You aren’t gonna get a minute of peace, unless you make it very clear he’s being ultra clingy.

-Cuz he’s clingy. Extremely clingy- He’s the small spoon 110% of the time, sorry lol

-Also, you’re never gonna not have white powder on your clothes… it’s like owning a white cat and wearing black clothing

-He’s a thigh guy imo. He likes napping with his head on your lap. Partly because he just crashes and slumps and that’s where he ends up most of the time, but if he had a choice, he’d probably still lay on your lap.

-If you come back hurt? Oh man… someone is getting punched by him because he doesn’t regulate well… it’s probably gonna be Dallas, let’s be real.

-He isn’t really very good at helping with wounds, so he might go find someone who is, like Joy, or maybe Bonnie. He’s apologizing too, he feels terrible, even though again, it isn’t his fault. He’s like a dog with separation anxiety for a while after, if he wasn’t already obnoxious enough lol

Sokol- 🏒

-He’s iffy at the start, but once he gets used to love and care, he wants more.

-Russian puppy behavior who said that

-I feel like he doesn’t have enough trauma, so he’s gonna have daddy issues

-Love didn’t come without conditions, so you’re just… loving him? Why?? What do you want in return??

-it takes him a while to trust that you aren’t going to withhold affection for dumb shit, like missing a text or not hearing you the first time, but once he gets it through his head, he’s all yours

-He likes laying his head on your shoulder, just enjoying your company. Maybe a neck kiss occasionally, he just likes feeling you being there.

-He likes when you play with his hair, it makes him feel special :3

-Trace his face or just hold his face, and you get to enjoy a melted Sokol

-if you get hurt, he’s surprisingly attentive. He’s used to patching his own wounds, so he knows what he’s doing. For whatever reason, he acts like he’s treating a kid.

-not like he’s mocking you, but like, he makes jokes, he’s super gentle, he tells you what he doing and warns you if something is gonna hurt. If it’s really bad, he gives you his belt to bite on so you don’t wake the whole neighborhood around the safehouse

__________________________________________

There you have it, my favorite goobers dating you! Thanks for bearing through how long this is-

[residentrookie]

omg could u maybe do 85 or 86 for jegulus.....

ur wish is my command mil. here’s prompt 85. i’ll walk you home :)) 715 words!

regulus waits for his one night stand to fall asleep before ducking out from underneath the heavy weight of his arm and beginning a truly undignified search for his underwear in the dark.

he’s hyper aware of how much noise he’s making- the creaking floorboards at his every step, each hissed cursed as he trips over something in the blackness, even the sound of his own heavy breathing. he’s trying to make a quick and clean exit. or what some would call: sneaking out in the dead of night to avoid further interactions with the man he just had sex with.

he’s not leaving under the cover of night because the sex was bad. the sex was good, actually. really fucking good. so good his legs feel a little shaky walking around, reminding him he needs to do more squats if he wants to match the stamina of the next guy he hooks up with.

no, he’s leaving because he’s regulus black and this is what he does whenever he finds it in himself to go on a date with a rich stranger, follow back them to their million dollar apartment, moan obscenities into their mouth for two hours, and then come onto their 1,000 thread count sheets. it’s his MO, the bread and butter of his approach to intimacy and dating.

also he has to shit and he’ll be damned before he does that at a random fucking man’s apartment.

he’s just about gathered his scattered belongings together, slipping his arms through the holes of his shirt when he’s suddenly doused in a painfully bright fluorescent light, making him screech like a bat who’s just been blinded by the flashlight of some rude fucking cave tourists.

he spins around, arms uselessly caught in the fabric of his cotton shirt, and finds the man sitting up in bed, a remote for the big light in the center of the ceiling held in one hand.

“you’re leaving?” he asks calmly.

regulus squints and looks down a his disheveled self, pants still unbuttoned, house keys firmly in hand. “i would say no but i feel like it’s pretty obvious that i am.”

“oh okay,” the stranger says like this makes perfect sense. “okay, cool.” he rises as well, not exactly showing off his disgustingly toned body but also not bothering to hide it either. it would be impossible to hide under lights of this caliber. regulus thinks they’re bright enough to lead a ship to safe harbor in a storm.

“what- what are you doing?” he asks dumbly when the man starts shrugging into his clothes.

he turns around with a sleepy smile. “i’ll walk you home.” he says simply.

like it’s a normal thing to tell someone who was actively sneaking out of your house a minute ago and never planned on speaking to you again.

“walk me—?” regulus pauses to adjust his clothing impatiently. “what do you mean ‘walk me home’?”

the man shrugs good-naturedly. “what i said.”

“it’s 3:32 in the morning,” regulus points out.

“all the more reason you shouldn’t be going by yourself.”

“i’m a little flattered you think i live in walking distance of this fancy ass neighborhood.”

on the contrary, regulus was about to catch a very long train ride and probably call barty on the way home to make himself look busy and therefore un-robbable.

the man shrugs again. “it’s a nice night.”

he has no way of knowing this, of course, since he was asleep as of a few minutes ago, but makes the statement with complete confidence. regulus thinks it could have been pouring outside and the man would have said the exact same thing. the thought makes him feel guilty for his attempted escape, as it should.

“morning,” regulus corrects like the most annoying person ever.

weirdly, the man finds this funny. his laugh could easily be confused with anything sweet and languid, like honey or dew coating a grassy field at dawn.

“do you have everything you need?” he asks regulus who nods stupidly, at a total loss for words.

“alright. let’s go then.” he moves to pass through the door, but regulus catches his arm, stopping him, forcing himself to look into those kind dark eyes, resisting the urge to smooth the wild black hair sticking up in every direction.

“james,” regulus says softly, because he knows the man’s name, of course, but didnt want to keep it in mind and grow attached to the person it belongs to. “you really don’t have to.”

but maybe… well maybe things could be different this time around. maybe he could allow himself to bend his own rules. if he couldn’t let himself stay, perhaps he could at least let james leave with him.

“i want to,” james smiles, lips tinged with something more than a little sinful. “besides i owe this much to the guy who just gave me the best sex of my life.”

[eurydicesflower]

my heart says 'yes,' but my lips say 'no' (zoro/robin)

Pairings: Zoro/Robin Tags: Canon Divergence (Post-Wano Arc), Idiots In Love, Mutual Pining Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Word Count: 2.7k words Summary: Even the most logical person in the Straw Hat Pirates have a hard time finding how to untangle the ways of love.

A/N: It's been a while since I have posted something zorobin related here haha Also posted on: Archive of Our Own

Robin was smiling to herself when she was heading all the way back to their quarters in the palace of Wano. Since she knew someone would very much like this sake she had bought and would drink this in one go. She knew him too well, and she couldn't wait to see his reaction. When she arrived, she passed by Nami in the hallways.

“Have you seen Zoro, Nami?” 

“Isn't he with Momo's younger sister? Why are you looking for him, though?”

Oh. 

“Right, right. How can I not know it?” Robin smiled as she hid the sake behind her back. 

Of course, how can she forget that? He was getting closer with Hiyori after all, and it's not like she should disturb them. She had seen how close Hiyori was with Zoro the past few days and there was not a day she would hear her crewmates tease Zoro and Hiyori that they should be together. There was a throbbing ache inside her chest, she couldn't quite place this feeling, so instead, she could only smile at them like she was so happy.

Meanwhile, Nami stared at her suspiciously and it was starting to make Robin uneasy since Nami wasn’t like this unless she sensed something .

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You’re too obvious, you know.”

“What do you mean?”

Nami rolled her eyes in amusement. 

“When you’re annoyed, your brows are visibly frowning and your mouth pouts and then.” 

“I don’t do that—”

“And, the sake was so obvious that it was for him, so no need to deny it now, Robin. I know.” Nami patted Robin's shoulder. “And not to mention, he’s an idiot, Robin...” 

“He’s not stupid, Nami. I mean, he’s not book-smart but he’s well-versed with his swords, and he is actually kind… and handsome, I guess?” She trailed off her words before snapping herself back to reality, realizing what she had said. “Why am I even saying this to you, well, it’s not actually for Zoro. I just happened to have this in my hand when I was looking for him! And I don't know what you are talking about so if you may excuse me, I’m heading out, see you around.”

“Why are we losing a promising woman to a dumbass like Zoro?” Nami sighed deeply, massaging her temples, as she watched Robin scurry away from the palace.

She was not supposed to leave Nami like that, and now the navigator might be thinking that she has hidden feelings for the swordsman. She was only friends with him, so why did Nami have to come up with such a ludicrous theory? She only has sake with her since she bought it from one of the shops downtown. And it was on sale! So, obviously she didn’t pass up that opportunity to buy the sake for him.

“Robin-chwan~!” Robin heard the cook’s scream of adoration. “Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be with the others at the plaza?” He asked as soon as he was standing in front of Robin.

“Oh, I forgot something in my room.” 

Sanji then looked at the sake, then looked at Robin with a knowing look but he didn’t say anything. 

“Well, let’s go to the plaza, shall we?” 

“I can manage, you go on ahead, Sanji.” She smiled at him.

“Well, see you there, I guess?” 

Robin craned her neck as she looked for a specific swordsman in the sea of people in the plaza. Holding the sake in her hand, she just hoped she would see him here. No, she was not looking for him. There was a difference between wanting to see him and giving him a gift, and also to do both. Robin didn’t want to admit to herself but it was actually the latter. To her dismay, she hasn’t found him yet. 

“Nico-ya, are you looking for someone?”

Robin almost dropped the sake in her hand, startled to hear the Heart Pirates’ Captain behind her back. 

“No, I wasn’t.” She gave him a quick smile before she kept on tiptoeing to search for the swordsman.

“I know where he is.”

“I think you’re mistaken, Torao. I’m not looking for Zoro.”

“Sure, but I didn't even mention a name.”

That struck a nerve on Robin. Nevertheless, she ignored him and moved a few steps away from him, yet the doctor never left her side.

“Why are you looking for him?”

“For someone like you, I didn’t peg you to snoop around other’s business, Torao. It doesn’t seem like you.” She smirked, deflecting the topic on her.

“Okay, sure, but next time don’t ask me where he is when I saw him standing there by the stalls with Momonosuke's sister.” Before Law could finish his sentence, Robin was already nowhere to be found.

So, they're together. Why was she even denying it? There are already hints that Hiyori was interested in Zoro, and he might feel the same as well so… Oh well, there is no point in giving this to him after all. The sake would go to waste if she didn't consume it right away. She did buy it with her own money after all.

“You're one of the Straw Hats, right? You look beautiful in person!” A man, reeking in alcohol, showed up to sit in front of Robin's seat. “Why are you all alone, pretty lady? Do you want some company?”

“That's kind of you but I don't need any company as of the moment.” 

“But you might need one since you're drinking the finest sake in Wano! That sake is much better served for two people.”

“It's okay, really.” Robin was starting to get unsettled, so she grabbed the sake with her and left the man alone. But the man seemed not to get her point and followed her.

“Don't you want to have some fun—?!”

Robin was about to cross her arms to silence him, without hurting him in the process, when all of a sudden, someone interrupted her stance.

“The woman said she didn't want any company right now, asshole.” 

“And who are you—?” The man stood frightened and gulped. “Never mind, I'm outta here.” The man whimpered before he ran as fast as he could.

Robin didn't need to turn back whoever had pushed away the creepy man, she already knew who it was. And it was starting to make her hands feel jittery all of a sudden. What's going on with her?!

“I already handled it myself, Zoro, aren’t you with Hiyori? Why are you here?” She asked him.

“And I thought you were with Torao?”

Robin looked at him, as confused as she was. 

“Huh? But I wasn't with him, didn't you see I was alone?” She didn't have time for petty arguments, she was getting tired just by sitting here all alone, she wanted to take a rest instead.

“What about the other day? I saw you with him going somewhere so I didn't disturb you.”

“You mean the— I was with him because he wanted me to see the poneglyphs under Wano… But you're with Hiyori? Aren't you two already together?”

“We're not—!”

“Zoro, I need you here, look at this.” Hiyori showed up beside the swordsman with a lucky couple bracelets in her hand. “Oh, the archeologist of the Straw Hats, it is nice to meet you in person.” The woman smiled at her as she took Zoro's hand in hers.

Robin didn't even need any further explanation about their situation right now. Zoro and Hiyori together right in front of her just proves it already. Robin already got the idea where she should not interfere between their alone time. 

“I think you two will enjoy this sake I bought for you.” Robin handed the sake to Zoro before excusing herself to leave them alone. “Enjoy yourselves tonight.” Robin smiled before she left them alone, ignoring the recurring pain in her chest.

She shouldn't have bought that sake in the first place.

Instead of heading back to the palace, Robin decided to go back to Sunny instead. Leaning her body towards the railing, she basks herself under the moonlight, knowing no one will find her here since almost all of them were busy in the festivities in the streets of the city. It was much better to stay here out alone with her thoughts, away from a specific swordsman that runs inside her mind. 

Hiyori complements Zoro's aloof and cool attitude. Although she knew that even then, Zoro can match Hiyori's kindness and doting personality. Even some of the people who had seen them say that they both look good together. Some of their friends even think they are better together except Sanji, of course.

“Are you really going to be alone here for the rest of the night?” 

Robin looked below the ship and saw the swordsman, standing on the seashore. 

“Robin, why are you ignoring me?” The swordsman then asked.

“I'm not ignoring you. I was only giving you space with Hiyori, that's all.” She quipped. 

“I honestly don't understand you, Robin.” Zoro sighed deeply. 

'So am I,' she thought. Why all of a sudden, she was having this ache inside her heart when she has always been healthy courtesy of Chopper's readings on her vital signs? Had she contracted any diseases without knowing what it is? Maybe she needed to consult again with another doctor. Maybe Marco or Torao would know what was happening to her. 

“But can I go up there with you?”

Robin was about to leave the railing, and yet, when she stared at Zoro's eyes. How come her heart says, 'Yes, please,' but her lip says: “No, Zoro. Go back to Hiyori, good night.”

They haven't left Wano yet so she was glad that she could wander around the town except for one thing: Zoro was preoccupying her mind for the rest of the day. There was no other reason that she should be thinking about him lately, but alas, he was just there. She tried doing her daily routine like reading books, watering her plants, playing with Chopper and Luffy but nothing could distract her away from the thought of the swordsman. 

It was not even this hard like the past few years. She can just make him magically disappear inside her mind but right now, how come it was so impossible?!

Later that day, she decided to ask Law for assistance. She knew that Law might have known what's going on with her. What if it is a disease that could potentially damage her brain?

“I always get this pain inside my chest and I get nervous whenever I was with him recently, and sometimes I get frustrated towards something like I feel itchy on some parts of my hands when he is with someone. Though I still like him.” She gave an expectant look at the doctor once she finished her rambling.

“I've never seen you this frantic, Nico-ya.”

“Do you think there's any chance I might die because of this?”

Law rolled his eyes and scoffed. 

“Gods, no. It's not that serious. But I do warn you that something’s wrong, though you just need to sort out what is going on between you two.” Law was already packing up his things before he was leaving Chopper's infirmary.

“So, what should I do next?”

“I'm a surgeon, Nico-ya, not Straw Hats' personal therapist, go talk with him, I know you can do it without my help,” he said before he and Robin left the room.

“ROBIN, WHERE ARE YOU?!”

The archeologist and the doctor heard the loud scream of their resident doctor outside the infirmary. Concerned, Robin quickly went to Chopper and checked what was going on before everything turned into chaos. The little reindeer wailed inaudibly, clinging on Robin’s legs.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“ItwaSHZHORO. PLISHLOOKFOHRZORO!” Chopper was still clinging tightly into Robin’s legs, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Say it slowly, Chopper. What happened?” Robin leveled herself for Chopper.

“Zoro is…” He sniffed. “Is going to leave…” He wiped away his snot with his little arms. “Convince him not to leave, Robin.” He whimpered with teary eyes.

“What? You know Zoro wouldn’t do that.” Robin assured him with a smile. “Maybe he was just joking?”

“Then why isn't he here yet?" He sniffed once more. "Can you talk to him?"

Robin let out a deep sigh. One thing about Chopper is that she wouldn't want to see the little reindeer sad, let alone cry. 

"I will go talk to him then. But where did you last see him? Is he not in the crow's nest?" Robin caressed Chopper's chubby cheeks.

Chopper shook his head. 

"Maybe he was at the palace, he was enjoying his stay here, Robin, what if he doesn't want to sail with us anymore?"

"Zoro wouldn't do that, I'll go talk to him for you, and if he doesn't want anymore, I'll convince him for you. I promise that." Robin smiled when Chopper tightly embraced her. 

Just when she was about to leave Sunny, the swordsman she was looking for had arrived just in time.

"Zoro." She said firmly.

"What?"

The tension felt tight which made Chopper scurried away from them and went behind the barrels on deck with a little smile in his face that Robin didn't notice.

"Are you really leaving?"

Zoro gave her a puzzled look. 

"Huh? Why would I? Who said that? That stupid cook?"

Robin looked as confused as he was. When she turned around to ask Chopper, it seemed the reindeer was no longer on Sunny. 

"I actually have no idea." She sighed and rested her body against the railings. 

"Are you already together with Hiyori?" She asked him out of the blue. She already kind of expected Zoro would deflect the question, yet surprisingly, the swordsman seemed to have readied himself for this question, or was that just her?

"To tell you the truth, if you'll actually believe me, there's nothing between us. How about you and Torao?"

"If you'll actually believe me, too, then, I am only friends with him."

They both stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do nor talk about. And there goes Robin's jittery hands, and faster heartbeat. She swears Zoro can hear her heart beating fast if he stands closer by her, which she kinda wished he would actually do. Then all of a sudden, she chuckled to herself until she burst out laughing which was followed by a baffled laugh from Zoro. 

"Why are you laughing?" Although he, too, was laughing along with her.

She hadn't said anything yet, but in her mind, she just realized that maybe the reason why Chopper had bawled in front of her, was to reel her in to talk with Zoro. She could be wrong but if she was actually correct then the little reindeer is so convincing, she thinks he can be qualified as one of the Grand Line Theater Actors for his outstanding performance. 

"It's nothing, don't worry. By the way, sorry to bother you earlier," Robin said, stepping ahead of him back to Wano. Before she could step on the sands of Wano, Zoro called out her name.

"Robin?"

Robin had never turned around so fast to face him.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry, too and…Thank you for the sake…" Zoro gazed down on his feet, avoiding her gaze. "Let's drink it together? If that would be okay with you." Zoro mumbled softly. Robin could see the hint of pink forming in Zoro's ears and cheeks, but if she spoke of it, she knew it would just further make the swordsman flush in embarrassment. 'It's kinda cute, though,' she thought.

"Only if I can bring my books up in the crow's nest just like always." She grinned at him.

"You're always welcome to do that." Zoro said before he climbed up. Zoro then stopped for a moment right before he was close to the hatch. "I'll wait for you up there, see you later, Robin." 

Behind their backs, Nami would probably shaking her head in disappointment and tell herself, 'How long will they even realize?' and she would just be as frustrated as the Heart Pirates' Captain like he had always knew the secret affair between the archeologist and the swordsman except, of course, for Zoro and Robin.

hello! if you enjoyed this story please consider leaving me a tip on ko-fi, so i can keep on writing. thank you so much!

copyright 2021 - 2023 © eurydicesflower! all rights reserved do not copy or translate without my permission!

[dream-of-the-bitchless]

It's not Wednesday but I wanted to celebrate that I survived another dreadful week. So, please make me write! My mountain of WIPs and I will thank you.

Here are the file names of what I'm working on:

Corintheus Il Gattopardo/Arranged Marriage AU

Corintheus "Human"!Corinthian AU

Corintheus A Story of Sacrifice

Corinthiel Clothes sharing drabble

Here's the snippet to kick-start the game:

Dream follows his older brother’s advice and heads to their library. Nostalgia overcomes him the moment he crosses the threshold, and pessimism washes over him. How could he miss this place so much when it was merely yesterday when he admitted to his sister that his new study was comfortable and his life not miserable? And yet, it all had changed in a matter of hours.

No pressure tags for @rriavian @aisalynn @windsweptinred @bobbole @eldritchdemonfox

And if anybody else wants to join, you're more than welcome! Just let me know and I'll send you an ask (:

WIP Wednesday Game

It’s WIP Wednesday, time for a little accountability, sharing your work, and getting a kick in the pants.

Here’s how it works:

In a reblog of this post (so people can find you in the notes) or new thread (w/ rules attached) if you want to play on your own, post up to five (5) filenames of your WIPs; not titles, file names.

Post a snippet from one of them. Snippet must be words you wrote in the last 7 days. We’re posting progress here. If you haven’t made any, go make some and come back to play!

After you’ve posted, people can send you an ask with one of your file names. You must then write 3 sentences in that file. If the filename is one you can't share from (for example, an event or gift fic), write 3 sentences on it anyway, and then 3 more on another to share.

That’s it! You can invite others to join in, or just post. I’ll be searching the reblogs to find people to send asks to!

If you’re reading this, you’re invited!

If you see someone posting a WIP Wednesday Game snippet, send them an ask! Make them write.

Requested/Friend event mentions under the cut! If you'd like to be pinged next week, let me know!

Friends @fiore-della-valle @redbirdblogs @greenbergsays @idkfandomwhatever @luckyspike

@obaewankenope @mad-madam-m @anonymousdandelion @geometricfractal @prettybirdy979

@eriquin | Requests @aparticularbandit @madnessfromthemountains @makeroftherunes @1attheedge

@whimsicalmeerkat @kidsomeday @lizhly-writes @skyderman @adhdavinci

@owlbearwrites @anachronismstellar @anyctibius @rilannon @lazinesswrites

@zyrafowe-sny @dreaminghour @blue-eyedbeta @candyskiez @dreamerking27

@kalira @virgulesmith @i-want-delfeur @selkies-world @exceedinglygayotter

[ultravioletbrit]

“Italy” - Jegulus microfic - @into-the-jeggyverse - 333 words

 

Regulus has his suitcase packed and he’s almost out the door when Sirius stops him.

“Where are you going?” Sirius asks him.

“Italy.” Regulus almost growls.

“Why are you going to Italy?” Sirius asks ignoring Regulus’ tone.

“He asked me to marry him, Sirius!” Regulus says through gritted teeth.

“Yes. I know.” Sirius tells him.

“YOU KNOW?” Regulus is yelling now.

“Yes, of course I know. That still doesn’t explain why you’re going to Italy.” Sirius questions again.

“HE ASKED ME TO MARRY HIM, SIRIUS!?” Still yelling and getting louder.

“Reggie, I still don’t see the connection here.” Sirius says, but before Regulus can answer, James walks out of their bedroom.

“James, Reg is going---” Sirius starts.

“To Italy. I heard… He’ll be back.” James says casually.

“No, I will not!” Regulus says firmly at the same time Sirius asks “What?!” as he looks at James confused.

“He just needs a bit of time to process.” James shrugs, still very calm about the entire situation.

“Why are you not freaking out?” Sirius asks a bit frantically.

“I freaked out when he went to France when I asked him to be my boyfriend, but then he came back a week later and said yes. So, I didn’t freak out when he went to Greece when I told him I loved him. And then he went to… Spain?” He questions and looks at Regulus.

“Yes.” Regulus grits out.

“Spain, when I asked him to move in with me. Italy sounds like it will be nice. Have a good time.” James tells Regulus and gives him a kiss.

“I am not coming back this time, James.” Regulus says very definitively.

“Okay, love. I’ll see you in a week.” James says as he starts to walk towards the kitchen. He pauses and looks over his shoulder, “You have the ring, right?” He asks Regulus.

“Yes.” Regulus says as he walks out and slams the door. 

---------

Regulus is back in a week with the ring on his finger.

[ecstarry]

regulus and james meet cute at a coffee shop at like 6:30am and reg is there to start his day while james is still up from the night before. james who never pulls an all nighter and wants to flirt with reg but reg is like “mmm i dont think our lifestyles match well im not interested” and james is like “noo this isnt my usual self, u have to believe me” so reg is like “okay then, tomorrow at dinner tell me all about who u actually are” and gives james his number. and james is just like stumbling on his words now because damn that was smooth

[oh-phoenixx]

"Guilt" - Jegulus microfic - 551 words

-

James hated being given the silent treatment. He would much rather have someone yell at him. At least they were there. As long as they were screaming, they hadn’t left him yet. His father would go quiet when he was angry, taking a walk or locking himself away to work; James had hated it ever since he was a child. 

Right now, he was getting the silent treatment from Regulus, and he couldn’t stand it. Regulus had not talked to James in two weeks. It had only been their first fight, James didn’t understand how he’d managed to ruin it already. Guilt churned in his gut at the memory of how Regulus had flinched when James had raised his voice. Of course Regulus wasn’t talking to him, he was scared of him. The thought made James feel ill. All James wanted was to fix things, he couldn’t bear being away from his boyfriend for this long.

James could feel all the eyes staring daggers at him as he walked through the Slytherin common room, up to Regulus’s dorm. James didn’t care. The only thing on his mind was finding Regulus, and if he had to get on his knees and beg for Regulus’s forgiveness, he would.

The door to Regulus’s dorm opened to reveal Barty, whose eyes narrowed when he saw who it was. “What do you want, Potter?”

“I need to talk to Regulus,” James answered, determined and unwavering.

“No.”

“Bee. Let him in,” Regulus’s voice called.

Barty hesitated, but moved aside, continuing to glare at James until Regulus gestured for him to go. After lingering for a moment, Barty stepped out of the room, leaving James and Regulus alone.

By the blank expression on Regulus’s face, James thought he might have to do more than beg.

“Reg, I’m so sorry,” James tried. “I…It was such a stupid argument, I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

“Why are you here?” Regulus spat, though for a split second, James thought he saw sadness crossing the younger boy’s face.

“To apologise,” James answered, a little confused.

“What does it matter now? We broke up,” Regulus mumbled, hands tightly clutching the sheets.

James bit his lip to keep from crying or letting out some pathetic whimper. Broke up? All it had taken was for James to show a worse side of himself, and Regulus had given up on him. This was why James tried to hide his anger and his sadness deep inside of himself; it was ugly, it was unlovable.

“I didn’t realise we had,” James said, voice but a breath.

Regulus’s head snapped up, eyebrows furrowed. “But I- I thought, I mean, you- you yelled at me. I thought you wanted to break up.”

It took James a moment to process this, unsure whether to be confused or sad or relieved. Once he had thought it through a little, he sat beside Regulus, his full body turned towards him. “Couples fight. Just because I yelled, doesn’t mean I want to break up.”

“You don’t?” Regulus asked, seeming so vulnerable.

“No, angel. I never want to lose you.”

Slowly, Regulus nodded, as though the idea that he could be forgiven was something foreign; and James was determined to show him. He would show him that he could make mistakes and be loved regardless.

[lexithwrites]

the fact that i know for sure regulus would write fanfiction is so fucking funny, he's just as weird as we are

[courfee]

Regulus finds a label maker. That’s useful.

Reg with a label maker from early morning, coffee cups by @alarainai stuck with me for some reason...

[nottslove]

my fav sang rn is melancholy hill by gorillaz. it's been in my head for WEEKS such a good song :)

event; profile; nav; hi anon!! thank you for sending in this request. it is a pretty good song. once again, it gave me angsty vibes...

it also gave me regulus vibes, i have no idea how, or where, but it just gave me reggie vibes. ITS ALSO VERY VERY LONG 3.4k words

song: melancholy hill, gorillaz slytherin boy: regulus black.

SINCE day one, he had always been your best friend. growing up in a strict, pureblood household was not easy.

especially with your six, younger siblings behind you, and a limited amount of gold in your parents' vault at gringotts.

unfortunately, that meant being betrothed to someone you hardly knew; at the young age of eleven.

your fate was sealed, the moment you got your letter to hogwarts.

augustus rookwood.

his name was augustus rookwood.

your future husband's name.

currently studying in durmstrang, and four years older than you, rookwood came from utmost wealth, which meant good news for your family should you marry him.

support for all your younger siblings.

and so, with this dark cloud of an eventually arranged marriage hanging over your head, you set foot into hogwarts, at the age of eleven.

naturally, you were sorted into slytherin. coming from a long line of slytherins, how could you be sorted into any other house??

being the oldest of seven, you had always been shadowed by the rest, and you often used to find yourself curled up on the chaise lounge with a book whilst you were given the responsibility of watching your siblings, making sure they weren't getting into trouble.

now, alone at hogwarts, you suddenly felt free, away from the burden of your future, and the responsibility of looking after your siblings.

your thoughts were interrupted when a boy sat beside you after being sorted into slytherin.

you recognized him. he came from the most noble and ancient house of black, one of the most prestigious wizarding families who lived in london.

your mother was close friends with his mother, so you had seen him a couple of times.

you'd never spoken to him before though.

the pair of you would simply make eye-contact before he went upstairs, and you buried your nose in a book.

now, however, you were grateful to have the slightly comforting feeling of having someone you knew sit beside you.

you had barely eaten anything; your anxiety was filling enough. an air bubble had wedged itself in your throat, preventing you from doing anything but staring at your food and rubbing your sweaty palms on your robe-covered thighs.

"you've barely touched your food," regulus had murmured with a small, sullen nod; his way of greeting you.

"so have you," you observed quietly, your eyes flickering to his untouched plate, then wandering to hazel-green eyes and dark, messy mop of curls.

no more words were exchanged after that, but regulus and you walked together to the slytherin common room.

you studied together too, and sat next to each other during classes, and even hung out together during the weekends.

one would even go as far as to call you friends.

that was what you had become.

you quickly noticed how similar he was to you. quiet, hardworking, same sense of humor... he even had the same taste in books as you did.

first year passed quickly, too fast for your liking, and before you knew it, it was summer, and you were back to looking after all your siblings and having your mother continuously chastise you for unladylike behavior, constantly reminding you of your upcoming marriage to rookwood as soon as you would graduate from hogwarts.

you were tired of being reminded of it. personally, you couldn't imagine being married to rookwood. you'd never even met the wizard, and you could only hope your parents would change their mind.

you exchanged letters with regulus all summer. yet you never once told him about your betrothal. in your mind, if you didn't speak of it, it would make it less true, and less likely to happen, which was what you wanted.

second year was uneventful, except for the time you and regulus got your first ever detention together.

regulus' brother, sirius had been ignoring regulus whenever the two of you tried to approach him about their mother's letter to regulus, and you had grown frustrated and hexed sirius with a spell you found in one of your books.

as a result, sirius had hexed you with a nose-growing spell and regulus, who was furious at his brother for doing this to you launched himself all over sirius and pummeled him with his fists.

you had to arrange all the borrowed books in the library according to category and author, but it was more rewarding than punishing, since you got to read books and hang out with regulus at the same time.

the summer after your second year was pretty much the same as the one the year before.

for regulus, it was one of his worst summers yet. his brother had run away from home, and got disowned, leaving his little brother to take the brunt of his parents' wrath.

he had immediately flooed over to your house in the middle of the night, and you nursed him back to health as he had suffered the cruciatus curse multiple times that night.

"thank you," he had told you, when dawn began creeping closer. you had hidden him in your room, hoping your parents wouldn't find out about an uninvited guest.

"any time," you whispered back, giving him the tightest hug you could muster. "it's what friends are for, right?"

you and regulus grew closer after that. two of your siblings joined hogwarts that year, and the heavy responsibilities you dealt with at home followed you to hogwarts, the place that had become your safe haven.

when the twins got into trouble, your parents sent you a howler for not looking after them properly, and regulus was there holding you as you cried into his shoulder late at night in the common room.

"it'll be okay, i've got you..." he kept murmuring.

and he was right. it was all okay, because he was there.

you and regulus didn't need anyone else's company when you had each other.

he was enough for you, and you were enough for him too.

third year was also the year you were allowed to go to hogsmeade. as usual, you and regulus went together, checked out the village and bought a few candies, before returning to the castle.

the rest of the visits, the two of you took advantage of the empty castle to hang out alone in the slytherin common room.

summer after your third year was uneventful apart from the fact that you met augustus rookwood for the very first time.

he had just finished his seventh year at durmstrang, and had come with his father to see you for the first time.

all at once, everything felt real.

you didn't want to do this; not one bit. you didn't want to marry rookwood.

still, you had come to terms with your fate, you had accepted it.

yet another one of your siblings joined hogwarts at the beginning of your fourth year.

regulus instantly noticed something was different about you this year. the whole train ride, you were completely silent, reading. or at least, pretending to read.

you didn't realize it, but you had been holding your book upside down, too lost in your own thoughts to realize.

regulus noticed, but he never said a word.

he merely smiled and shook his head.

regulus had thought you needed time and space, so that was what he gave you.

at christmas, when you still weren't back to your normal self, he had decided that he had had enough.

"okay, spill," he said randomly, when the two of you were doing homework by the black lake.

"i'm sorry...??"

"something's been bothering you. i want to know," he got to the point, his beautiful hazel-green eyes meeting yours.

and then, you broke.

all this time you had been holding yourself up, afraid that if you opened your mouth, you wouldn't be able to stop, you would start crying.

"reg— don't.... don't ask me that," you pleaded, your eyes watering. "ask me anything else, just.. just not that..."

you couldn't give him an honest answer; you didn't want to talk about rookwood.

you just wanted to forget.

you wanted to enjoy the rest of your hogwarts life and your childhood before your marriage to rookwood.

fully able to tell you were sensitive about the issue, regulus pulled you into an embrace, and that was where you began crying once more, sobbing and shaking as he held you.

"i'm betrothed to rookwood— i'm going to marry him as soon as we graduate from here.."

"oh, love..." your stomach fluttered intensely at the pet name, and as you buried your face into his shoulder, arms wrapped around his neck, the sensation only intensified instead of fading away.

when had he smelt this masculine, this good?? when had he felt so muscular, so safe?

you didn't realize it, but that was when you started falling for regulus black, your best friend.

summer after fourth year was no better than the rest. you got to meet regulus at all the pureblood parties and galas hosted by different wizarding families during the summer.

it was also when you shared your first dance with rookwood, and your first dance with regulus.

your best friend has asked you to dance when he saw you sitting pitifully on the stairs, right after your dance with rookwood had ended.

the two of you had ended up sneaking away from the party and into the piano room, where you played tchaikovsky together and stole a bottle of firewhiskey from the cellar.

safe to say that you both got drunk, but you had managed to take a sobering potion before either of your parents caught you.

your fifth year was when you realized you had caught feelings for regulus. every time he gave you that quiet smile of his, every time his eyes twinkled in mirth when you said something funny...

it made your stomach lurch in a completely pleasant way.

every time he would hug you, you would blush. every time his hands would brush against yours, you bit your lip to stop the grin forming across your lips.

it only made everything more painful; knowing that you couldn't act on your feelings because you were betrothed to rookwood.

regulus didn't realize; and you hoped he never would realize.

little did you know, he had already fallen in love with you.

but neither of you acted on your feelings. you simply grew closer to each other than ever.

during the slytherin christmas party, you and regulus got caught under the mistletoe, and he pressed the barest, gentlest of kisses on your lips.

it was your first kiss, but you didn't tell him that.

it lasted less than a second, but it meant everything to you.

it was hard pretending everything was normal after that. regulus was strangely oblivious to your feelings, and you often wondered how he couldn't see your painfully obvious feelings for him, and how he could go on pretending his kiss hadn't affected you.

the rest of your fifth year, you tried to distract yourself from regulus; knowing that if you confessed your feelings for him, it would ruin your friendship.

even if he did like you back, you were betrothed to rookwood anyway.

the summer after your fifth year, and before your sixth year, your parents hosted your official engagement party.

after much pleading and begging, you were allowed to invite regulus.

and as you watched another girl, who happened to be your cousin, chat him up and touch his arm, your blood boiled, your heart clenched, and tears sprung to your eyes, as you watched him lean against the wall with his hands in his pockets and shrug.

the girl moved on and before you knew it, your eyes met his.

a fierce jolt traveled through your entire body, tension suffocating you from all sides just from bearing the weight of his gaze.

that was when you knew you were in love with regulus black.

he was your life jacket in the stormy sea of like, and you simply could not live without him.

you needed him.

but you never said a word.

your fate was sealed. you loved him from a distance. he was so far, yet so close.

and this type of pain was worse than the cruciatus, even.

no, you smiled through it all, acted like you were happy.

only regulus saw through your façade.

your sixth year was your hardest year yet. another of your siblings joined hogwarts, and you and rookwood were expected to write to each other every week.

his letters were short. yours were the same length.

regulus had started to gain attention from the female population.

the tall, brooding, silent type is what they called him. he acted oblivious and uninterested to all of it, but whenever he was approached by a girl, you noticed the slight smirk on his pale, pink lips, and the slightest lift of his eyebrow, and his eyes would meet yours, as if he were waiting for your reaction.

that was when you would quickly cast your gaze down and hastily begin to pretend you were writing.

but regulus knew.

he could see.

and he wanted to confirm if you had feelings for him, so he looked at you cluelessly before he asked his question.

"should i go out with her?" he asked innocently, his face betraying no emotion. "she seems nice, doesn't she?"

it was all a ploy to get you jealous, but you didn't know that.

fisting your hands underneath the table, you forced a smile through gritted teeth.

"mhmm, yeah, she does. if you like her, go ahead— ask her out..."

and he asked her out right in front of you, fully aware of your reddening cheeks and your annoyed glare.

two could play that game.

with every letter that came from rookwood, once a week, you made a show of receiving it, reading it and replying to it.

"want to head to the library?" regulus would ask.

"can't," you'd say. "i need to reply to rookwood."

you would give him the same response when he asked you to accompany him to hogsmeade, and when he asked if you would play chess with him, unaware that your responses made his blood boil.

he decided to up his game.

every quidditch match he would play, he would always wink at you and smile, right after he caught the snitch and won for slytherin.

his win was always dedicated to you.

since his second year, his first year after getting on the team, he always won for you.

you were always there in the crowd, wearing his jersey, his number painted on both your cheeks.

this time, he winked at her.

at the stupid, stupid greengrass girl.

what's more, she ran to him right after his win, and kissed him full on the mouth.

in front of everyone.

your blood boiled, coursing through your veins, and the roar of the crowd around you was drowned out by the pumping of your heart in your ears, making your whole head throb.

hot, angry tears spilled down your cheeks, and your head felt heavy. without casting another glance backwards, you stormed off angrily, into the forbidden forest, without a care.

you didn't know how long you were there, feeding unicorns, talking to the centaurs, but you lost track of time.

it grew dark, and it even began raining.

and you were lost; you couldn't find your way back to the castle.

after wandering blindly through the trees, you managed to get out of the forest, tears mingling with the rain crashing down from the sky.

you were drenched. completely. you had worn regulus' quidditch jersey, as usual; the way you did every match.

now it was a soaking mess atop your shorts.

and then you heard his voice.

calling out your name.

you froze.

he saw you, a good distance from hagrid's hut, wand in hand, wearing his jersey, soaking wet.

you were shivering, freezing cold. but one look from his intense eyes and you felt hot all over.

you were on fire.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED I WAS?" he roared, his angry gaze meeting yours. "YOU WERE GONE FOR HOURS— i... i thought something happened to you," he rasped, his voice losing its angry tone and taking a sad, defeated one.

he never lost his temper; it was a rare occasion. and at the moment, he was mad at you for making his heart go through the possibility of losing you.

and you, you could only stand in silence, angry tears spilling down your cheeks.

for once, you were glad it was raining, so regulus couldn't see your tears.

"well, i'm fine," you replied coolly, still completely pissed at regulus. it wasn't his fault. "no need to worry."

you shouldn't have been mad. after all, he didn't like you that way and you were meant to marry rookwood.

"that's all you're going to say?" he scoffed, as he couldn't believe you.

"should i be saying something else?" you prompted, irritation lacing your words.

"an apology, maybe?" regulus muttered, voice laced with irony. "for worrying me? for making me think... something happened to you? for making me think... that i... lost you?"

his voice were laced with vulnerability, spoken with a quiet sort of disappointment, as if he couldn't believe that you of all people would leave him.

in this world, he only had you.

no one else.

you were his family.

"well, why do you care what happens to me anyway?" you retorted, still furious at him for kissing the other girl. you simply couldn't get the image of greengrass locking lips with your best friend.

"i care because you're my best friend. you're all i have," regulus replied earnestly, raising his voice slightly to be heard over the thundering sound of rain. "and..."

his voice dropped lower as he broke off, averting his gaze to the floor before his beautiful eyes flickered back up to yours. "and i love you."

a deafening silence pounded through your ears, and though he spoke so so softly, it was fully audible over the sound of rain.

your heart lurched.

more tears poured down your face, and you swallowed hard.

"reg— i—" you stuttered, completely frozen, unable to string two words together. hope festered in your heart, and you guarded it fiercely, unable to tell if he meant it platonically, or romantically.

"it's... it's okay if you don't feel the same—" he began to panic, brows furrowing together in worry.

"i do," you gurgled, surprising him completely. "i love you."

before you knew it, he was kissing you, hands tangled in your wet, matted hair, your lips mingling with his.

you were freezing cold, and the rain drenched both of you, but the moment your lips touched his, your body was on fire.

you and regulus started dating, but in secret. you couldn't risk your parents finding out about you being in love with him.

they would forbid you from seeing him, and you couldn't live that.

your sixth year summer was uneventful, save for the fact that you convinced your parents to allow you to floo over to regulus' place every now and then.

they only allowed you out of pity.

it was your last summer to be free, to be unmarried.

it was also regulus' last summer to be free. he would be joining the dark lord immediately after graduation from hogwarts.

unbeknownst to you, regulus was hatching a plan.

he didn't tell anyone about it, in fear of failure.

your seventh year was bittersweet.

it was full of exams, and looking after your siblings.

and wedding preparations.

the year ended, and you were swamped with wedding preparations.

you had no time to see regulus.

every night, you would cry, as your wedding came closer and closer, and you were desperately in love with regulus.

the night before your wedding, regulus had managed to sneak into your room.

"pack your essentials," he whispered. "let's run away together.."

and you did. you grabbed his hand and let yourself fall, because you knew he would always catch you.

you knew he would always be there for you.

he would always catch you.

you put your entire faith in him, because everything was better when he was there.

and finally, finally, when you and regulus reached the house he had bought in france, the two of you stopped running.

you were safe.

you were home.

event; profile; nav;

©nottslove 2025. do not copy, steal or claim any works/graphics as your own.

[dream-of-the-bitchless]

@deromanuscoven's Halloween event Day 5 - Lovecraftian Horror

"As a man of science, I had always rejected such notions, casting them aside as a product of susceptible minds and magical thinking. However, at present I find myself turning back to those wretched manuscripts, desperate for the answers medicine cannot provide. And there's promise in them. They recount instances of reanimation, of reclaiming souls from beyond. Oh, can I trust such foolish ramblings or is my reason irredeemably blinded by my sorrow? To think that I could bring him back. My sweet boy, my Amadeo. There isn't a deity to which I wouldn't pray to have him return to me..."

Moodboard for an AU with reluctant necromancer Marius delving into eldritch knowledge to bring back his beloved Amadeo from the dead. But all bargains have a price

[reggie-hedgie]

Fuck it, payday headcanons

TW: drug mentions, temperamental characters (nothing explicit), maybe not be totally in character, but it’s HCS, implied abuse, lack of personal space, implied violence

Basically just Payday 2 is the TW lmfao

Characters included:

Jacket

Hoxton

Wolf

Sokol

Jimmy

__________________ENJOY!_________________

Jacket- 🐔

-I know he’s not canonically mute in Hotline Miami, but I like to think that he is.

-He was a foster kid, lots of shitty homes, which caused his sociopathy. Yes, I’m taking the sociopath perk deck as canon to his character.

-He doesn’t express emotions much, other than subtle facial expressions. Won’t stop him from punching someone if they talk shit they shouldn’t be talking though.

-His jacket and cassette are comfort items. His jacket was a hand-me-down from his foster sister in his last family before he aged out. She was the only good person in that household and he still thinks about her, and wants to find her someday.

-He has a surprisingly good spice tolerance. Not spicy ramen level, but jalapeños aren’t that bed to him, and he likes spicy sauce on his nuggets.

-He listens really well, and enjoys gift giving. So if someone in the gang mentions something that they enjoy, like a game or smth, he’s gonna get them something they like. Jimmy is the easiest to gift, he doesn’t stop talking-

-Much like me, he has days where he just wants plain/bland foods, and some days where he wants something a little more flavorful.

-Like buttered noodles some days, then loaded fries with onions other days. (Can you tell I’m hungry?)

-He is wary around physical touch at first, especially when he’s new to the gang, but after being around Jimmy, Wolf and Sydney, he gets used to it, cuz all of them have affection impulse issues and/or are so wasted that they don’t even realize what they’re doing-

-He can sleep just about anywhere, as long as it doesn’t smell like hospital. We don’t need those, we have Aldstone- but yeah, he’s been in a coma, he can’t stand the hospital smell.

-He likes pineapple on his pizza, and I will fight someone over this because it’s GOOD. (Also people make pizza out of watermelon, so I think we have bigger problems than pineapple, PEOPLE GRILL WATERMELON AND PUT SAUCE ON IT-)

-He didn’t realize it until someone more responsible in the gang, probably someone like Joy, pointed it out, but he bites his nails. At least he doesn’t have to cut them, ig?

-He dissociates sometimes, either when he hears something that reminds him of all the shit that went down in Miami, or he gets emotionally overwhelmed, because he doesn’t know how to handle it when his feelings get too much, because he doesn’t feel them that strongly very often.

Hoxton- 🇬🇧

-struggles with American pronunciation. Also will punch somebody if they mock his accent, that was made very clear very quickly when the gang first came together-

-The only person who gets a free pass is Wolf (Hoxton is gay), and Wolf doesn’t mock him, he just does a neurodivergent and echos the accent without meaning to.

-Hoxton regularly gets frustrated with his hair, which is why he ties in back. He’d cut it short, but he likes it long and it took way too long to grow out, and he thinks he looks like an egg when he cuts his hair short. Wolf loves him regardless, and keeps hair bands with him, because Hoxton tends to break them-

-do not suggest that the gang play a board game, Hoxton will flip the table as soon as things go wrong-

-HATES monopoly

-He’s not bad at card games, mostly because it was all he could do while in prison.

-He is still kinda awkward around the newest heisters, mostly because he’s known the other three original guys the longest and isn’t the greatest with people.

-He makes snarky/passive-aggressive comments to Houston, because Houston was basically his replacement while he was locked up, and while it isn’t exactly Houston’s fault, he’s still salty.

-Have you seen how the Brits cook? Yeah…. That’s Hoxton. The man cooks like he hates food, and always burns his bread, which pisses him off-

Wolf- 🇸🇪

-He is the sweetest bear of a man when he’s just chilling.

-He makes Hoxton tea and toast in the morning so Hoxton doesn’t start his day with shitty coffee and burnt toast. <3

-He is a fucking psycho in combat. If you’ve seen the art of him taking a drill to a dozer… you know. Hoxton loves it though.

-Can speak Swedish, but doesn’t speak it often enough so he’s losing it a little. Hoxton encourages him to teach him, so Wolf doesn’t forget it.

-Probably the only one that can be trusted in the kitchen. He’s a very good cook, although his food will put you into a food coma, that shit is hearty. Well worth it though, especially after a long heist, you’ll want something heavy to fill you up.

-very mildly allergic to pineapple, it makes his mouth itchy. Probably still eats it tho

-He’s the little big spoon, he enjoys holding Hoxton, who is definitely taller.

-When he gets excited or he’s congratulating someone, he’s the type to hug them so hard they get lifted off the ground. He’s freakishly strong for his height. Not that he’s all that short, everyone else is just abnormally tall.

-He’s a fidgeter, he likes the marble in the mesh pocket things, because it’s quiet, and he won’t get slapped for fidgeting in the van.

Jimmy- 🦘

-He’s very touchy when he’s wasted, which is always. Not touchy in a “grabbing asses” way but in the “I won’t admit I’m touchstarved otherwise, please hold me or I’m gonna cry” kind of way.

-He’s the kind of guy to fall off the couch/bed and just decide he doesn’t feel like getting up so he’s just gonna sleep there.

-He has the worst spice tolerance of the whole team lmao, spicy Dorito and he’s done for-

-I admit to being a JimmyDuke shipper… they’re cute as hell-

-Like any proper aussie, he bites.

-I’ve noticed that Jimmy seems more out together when he’s on coke, based on game lines, which could be one of two things. He is either so fucked up without the drugs that he just cannot function/hes so used to being high that he doesn’t know how to function without them, OR He’s got undiagnosed ADHD. Caffeine is basically free ADHD meds for most ADHD people I know, myself included, so I can totally see Jimmy doing coke for the same reason, it actually mellows him out-

-Again, zero personal space. Mostly because he tends to just crash and fall asleep and end up leaning on people, or he gets drunk and is too inebriated to realize that he’s in people’s space.

-trans Jimmy trans Jimmy trans Jimmy trans Jimmy trans Jimmy

Sokol- 🏒

-THE PRETTY RUSSIAN MAN :D

-I love Russian men lmao

-Does the thing bilingual people of getting words mixed up or forgetting a word in English and trying to remember it in their other language- Rusglish lol

-When he first joined the team, his teeth were a nightmare. He played hockey professionally, and if you see hockey guys playing, they’re missing so many teeth- first paycheck, he was immediately going and getting his teeth fixed.

-I’m partial to Soket (Sokol and Jacket). It was definitely rocky when they first met.

-Sokol thought Jacket was just being difficult when using his cassette, and Jacket was having flashbacks to the events in Miami…

-But they figured out, after consistently being difficult with each other, getting in Bain’s nerves by refusing to work with each other, that they were both wrong about the other.

-Jacket wasn’t being intentionally difficult, he genuinely couldn’t speak, and rather than forcing everyone to learn how to read sign language, he used the cassette, which is far more convenient in a heist.

-And Sokol wasn’t a murderous mafia member who killed Jacket’s girlfriend. He was a former hockey player with too much brains.

-They got much more comfortable after that.

-He’s still learning how to manage Jacket’s dissociation spells but he’s trying, and that counts.

-he’s definitely a hothead, albeit not as bad as Hoxton. It tends to come out the most during jobs, but occasionally he blows up at someone if it’s been a long, irritating day.

-I imagine he blows up at Jacket, who doesn’t even flinch, because he’s used to it from when he was a kid with shitty foster parents, and just offers to listen and give physical comfort, and Sokol practically melts because holy shit he hasn’t just been held or listened to in forever and it feels so nice 😭

_________________________________________ I love the chaos squad, so I really just did them- idk how good this is, this is just shit that is in my brain all the time, so—

(Also, I’m fairly certain that Payday!jimmy is aussie, but honestly, idk, I haven’t gotten to watching hardcore Henry yet-)

[residentrookie]

last line tag!

thanks for the tags @emlovessid @sunfl0w3rmoon

"James,” the name rasps from Regulus’ lips as he tips his head back, eyes closed, sighing with something dangerously close to ecstasy.

tagging @static-radio-ao3 @pretentiouswreckingball @ecstarry

[eurydicesflower]

From the Start (zoro/robin)

Pairing: Nico Robin/Roronoa Zoro Tags: Modern Setting, Light Angst Warnings: None Word Count: 2.4 k Summary: A flight to Logue Town that will reconnect two long-time friends, and a song that will rekindle the old flame. A/N: light angst for angstober 2023 (no particular prompt, but this draft has been up since last year so i decided to finish this one) Also posted on: Archive of Our Own

“This is an announcement for passengers on flight N1127 to LogueTown. The flight has been delayed due to bad weather conditions… We are sorry for the inconvenience.”

The flight announcement has been repeated so many times now. Of course, it will be so tiring to hear it when you were supposed to be arriving the next day to visit your close friend in Cocoyashi.

Robin: im sorry, nami might arrive a day late : ((

Nami: don’t worry, it’s fine!!! at least we know that you’re going to make it :D loveyewww &lt;3

Honestly, this delayed flight should have been making her insane right now, but when she received the text from Nami, her mood shifted. Her reassuring text had earned a small smile on Robin’s face. Taking a deep breath, she whipped out her phone and read the manuscript Koala sent to her. Just a little peak. There shouldn’t be any work-related things hindering her vacation, but it wouldn’t hurt to check some edits here and there.

“Is this seat taken?”

Robin didn’t mind looking up, “No, no, it’s fine,” before she started reading one of the lines from the manuscript. A minute later, she just realized who that was. She recognized who that voice belonged to.

“Zoro?” She never meant to mumble it out loud, and it seems the man had heard her.

“Oh. I didn’t recognize that it was you.”

It was a lie. She knew he was lying.

“Yeah, me, too! Are you also going to Nami—? Wait, you don’t have to tell me. Of course, you’ll be going there, too. How long has it been, two years?” She joked, which made Zoro chuckle for a bit. She still likes hearing him chuckle. 

“Hey, it might feel like two years, but it’s only been a year since you left. By the way, how are you? Nami told me that you’re already working at the National Archive Museum in Ohara like you always wanted. Is it true?”

He remembered. Of course, why would he not know that? They had been friends for so long. Besides, Zoro has always been a supportive friend, and Robin always appreciates what he has done for her even the smallest things.

She smirked at him lightly. “I’ve been well… And yes; it’s also been a year since…”

“The day you left.” He completed her sentence before an awkward silence filled in the gap of their conversation. Robin didn’t know what to say, andso did he.

“Well, surprise, I’m back.” She chuckled, breaking the silence. “Did you miss me?” She teased.

“I would be lying if I said that I didn’t miss you.”

“Hah. Stop it…” He was a madman.

There goes him, giving her mixed signals and that signature smirk of his. That’s one of the worst things about having Zoro as one of your close friends. She hates it when he is unpredictable. And most probably, that's one of the reasons she likes him, thinking that their dynamic fits the same wavelength, which eventually causes her to fall for him for about four years.

“How’s your girlfriend?” She changed her subject.

“Oh… We ended our relationship before our first anniversary six months ago…”

“Oh. Oh… Sorry about that.” Robin didn’t know that bit of his relationship. How come she does not know—? ‘Oh, never mind,’ she thought. Once again, their conversation came to halt, and Robin went on reading the manuscript on her phone before she switched on another app on her phone to scroll mindlessly and watch silly contents.

“Did you really mean it?” Zoro broke the silence.

“What?”

“That night.”

“Zoro, I didn’t remember—”

He then showed a video of her singing at the karaoke during her despedida party. At first, she didn’t know what he meant, but slowly, the realization sank in when she sang the last words of the song, extending her hand, and pointing vaguely at someone in the audience.

“I think I was drunk that time.” She lied.

He scoffed, not actually believing her word.

“What?”

“You had a flight the next day but I know you’re not a lightweight drinker—”

“And so? I am just singing a silly little song about unrequited love, so?”

 He was about to counter what she said. “Never mind, forget about it.”

“So, why are you bringing this up right now after a year?” Robin questioned him. 

Not that she was bitter last year (she was); she blocked him from all of her social media accounts that she could think of. She hadn’t heard him for so long, and then he just shows up like nothing happened? Wow, that was just so uncool of Zoro, to be honest.

“Maybe it just took me so long to realize..." He stared at his feet, avoiding Robin’s gaze.

“Why now?” she asked before he could even complete his sentence. 

Despite the loudness sinking in, another silence wraps them away from the noise of the airport. Robin didn’t want to hear what he was about to say next. She wanted to cover her ears. Not that she was waiting to hear him say those words out loud, but�� why now?

///

Every moment in our lives comes into bits and pieces, whether you want to keep them or not. For Robin, seeing her friends for the last time at Baratie’s before her flight the next day would be one of her best and saddest decisions in life. Spending every moment to the fullest, she never knows when she will experience this once again.  

“Robin!!! We’re going to miss you.” Nami pulled Robin into the tightest hug. “Who’s going to come with me when I go shopping?”

“You can take Sanji with you during your shopping sprees," Robin joked, and Nami glared at her playfully. “Okay. Okay, and maybe next time when I get back.”

“And what if that will take more than two years? Or worse, ten years…”  

“Don’t worry, I promise I will be back next year.”

“You promise that. I believe your word, Robin.”

“And so Mosshead decided to show up late when Robin-chwan is already here! Why are you fucking late—?" Sanji shouted at the back when someone had arrived.

“Sorry, we’re late.”

“Who’s we?” Sanji quipped before he was visibly stunned along with his friends when Zoro was with a turquoise-haired woman.

“Everyone, this is Hiyori, my girlfriend.”

Half of his friends were surprised, and half of them were bewildered, when Zoro just nonchalantly announced having a girlfriend. Robin, on the other hand, didn’t know what to feel. She should have been happy for him. She was his friend, of course. But the more that she stares at their happy couple faces, Robin would rather get drunk than stay miserable.

“Wow, I never thought," Sanji murmured. “How long have you been together?”

“A month.”  

“A month? And you kept this from us?”

“I just wanted to introduce her to you guys and to Robin as well.” Zoro smiled and introduced his ‘girlfriend’ to all of their friends. The woman smiled sheepishly at them while holding Zoro’s hand.

 “Girl, are you okay?” Nami shared a concerning look at Robin.

“Don’t you just think I should have scheduled my flight a little bit earlier, so I couldn’t see this?”

Robin would be lying to herself if she said there was no jealousy bubbling up inside her guts. She couldn’t even handle looking at the couple. Nami was the only one who knew of her secret. It’s been more than one year— no, three years— she concealed what she felt for Zoro. And the moment when she wanted to tell him,  maybe she should just forget it. She’ll be living away from them anyway,so it wouldn’t even matter in the end.

“Robin, it’s not your fault.” Nami held her hand and squeezed it. “We didn’t even know that he would be hard-launching his ‘girlfriend’ tonight. And this is also the first time he mentioned this to us? Like, why now?”

"Just... let’s just don’t think about that. And just enjoy the night.”

And so they did. 

Her friends had prepared a night to remember, not a night to resent. She wouldn’t let her friends’ efforts go to waste just because of one minor inconvenience; she would make this night hers. The night went on, and everything was smooth sailing. Robin almost forgot what had made her mood shift for a little bit. Thanks to her friends, Robin never felt the sinking feeling—or, that’s what she thought—until Brook asked who was next in line for the karaoke machine, which was Robin’s song. 

“Whose song is this? From the Start by Laufey?”

Robin stood up and grabbed the mic from Brook. 

The modern bossa nova song opened with a summery guitar strum, and Robin danced with a cute sway of her hips to match the beat of the song's intro, which earned cheers from her friends. 

“Don't you notice how I get quiet when there's no one else around?” Robin spared a glance at the man she had fallen for.

She couldn’t quite imagine that she would actually relate to this song after listening to it for, like, weeks now. As she sang the first lines of the lyrics, she imagined that she was the person in the song. When her gaze landed on them, she could see the crease in Zoro’s eyes when he looked at her. The burning pain that she wanted to erase just by seeing Zoro and his girlfriend doing the lovey-dovey gestures that couples do. 

“Oh, how I wish you'll wake up one day, run to me, confess your love, at least just let me say…”

For some reason, Cupid shot an arrow into her heart for someone who would never feel the same way as hers. And of course, Robin had a high sense of pride; she would never confess what she really felt towards him. She’d rather let whatever she was feeling wither and wilt rather than actually say what she really feels— except there was a screaming little voice from the back of her head that she wanted to confess tonight, and confess, ‘I loved you from the start.’

She had been thinking about confessing ever since, but for some reason, there was an invisible force that held her lips and mind, reeling her not to. And to think that it has been going on for about two years now— how could she even bottle all this up? Direct and honest Robin was being held back from confessing to her long-time friend. 

How could she not say it directly when she was one of the most outspoken people among their friends? 

Even the smartest people had a hard time predicting love because, at the end of the day, it was not as easy as analyzing them. Be surprised at the unexpected, and that’s what Robin felt.

“Have to get this off my chest; I'm telling you today…”

When Nami first introduced her to her friends, she was intrigued by him rather than falling in love with him at first sight. Aside from Luffy, who was the most enthusiastic to befriend her during her college years, Zoro was the next one who caught her attention. She thought this was just admiration, but the next thing she knew, this once petty feeling building up inside her chest had built up into the history of genuinely liking someone. She tried to erase him from her mind, but the more she tried, the harder it was for her to move on. However, that night, she found a solution: vaguely confess with a song, then pretend and forget like nothing happened.

“I know I’ve loved you from the start.” She ended her mini-performance by extending her hand, vaguely pointed at the audience. ///

“I talked through Nami about this a month ago, and I really wanted to see you, so...”

“Zoro, just tell me already and—”

“I actually liked you before, Robin.”

Robin stared at him for a moment, so speechless that she couldn’t move her lips to respond with a witty reply.

Between her and Zoro, Robin was the most direct between them. She was brutally honest, and she was flawlessly fluent in any spoken word. But as soon as she heard what Zoro had said that evening, she knew that night was full of surprises. First, her flight to Cocoyashi was delayed; second, Zoro showed up beside her, boarding the same delayed flight; and third, his confession? What is happening? She even pinched herself to make sure tonight was real. Any moment now, she should be waking up. But she didn’t. This was real. It was happening in real time.

“What did you just say?” Deep breaths— inhaling and exhaling thoroughly, processing through what Zoro had just said. Even if she wanted to hear this for a long time, the crippling doubt creeped in. “Did you just mean to tell me this? Wait— Ah, ah.” She raised her pointing finger mid-air, stopping him for what he was about to say. “What do you mean before?”

“I liked you, Robin.”

“And you didn’t tell me?” She laughed airily and couldn’t believe what she was hearing at that moment. “How come you didn’t tell me?”

“I thought you didn’t like me before, but not until I rewatched the vid Nami sent the other day.”

That’s it? Robin belted out the loudest laugh that night. Some people beside them started to look at her as if she were crazy. All this time, when she thought he was the one who didn’t like her, she learned this almost the same day she confessed to him. Was the universe playing a joke on her?

“Why are you laughing? Did I say something funny?” He stared at her; brows furrowed in confusion.

“I hate you,” she quipped teasingly with a small smirk on her lips. “And now, you’re meeting me here at the airport, so you could tell that?”

“That’s not what I meant to say…”

“Just tell me already, Zoro so I know—”

“Do you think if we’ve been together, we would make everything work out?”

Once again, Robin was left speechless. 

"Zoro, I don’t really know what to say, but… if I say that, let’s talk about this when we get to East Blue. Will you wait?”

“I’ll be waiting.” He smiled at her, never leaving her side. 

Robin knew to herself that Zoro was not the romantic type. Yet, there were moments that she would be blown away, and if their friends heard what he had just said, all of them would not believe that the Roronoa Zoro possesses at least a bit of a romantic side in his veins. 

And will Robin say ‘yes’ to Zoro’s question? That’s for her future self in three days to decide, even though she already knew the answer.

[bloodbruise]

@jegulus-microfic | april 26: aimless | 1,276 words | trans! regulus

james does regulus' tape binding aftercare <3

James lingers in the doorway, quietly observing Regulus in their softly lit bathroom.

He's perched on the ledge of the bathtub, seemingly lost in thought, his head bowed and fingers idle and aimless where they trace the rim of it. He's shirtless, clad in only boxers and socks. His bare thighs press against the cool porcelain, causing goosebumps to rise there. Soft, late evening light leaks from the window, casting gentle shadows against his frame. 

Outside, the rhythmic passing of cars punctuates the stillness, their headlights casting golden beams that dance across the wet asphalt. The nearby stoplight's red glow mingles with them, creating a surreal mix of colors on the shimmering pavement.

There's a soft rustle of movement as James enters the room behind Regulus, moving to the sink. He sifts through the contents of their vanity, hands passing over their shared face wash and the cup holding their toothbrushes to retrieve the items needed for Regulus' tape aftercare. Deft hands gather oil, washcloths, cotton swabs, and salve before placing them on the bathtub ledge. He approaches Regulus with a tenderness reserved only for moments like these, for him. 

"Ready, love?" James' voice breaks the silence with a mellow murmur. He settles his weight behind him. 

Regulus turns his head, giving a small nod against his own shoulder. "Yeah," he says, voice crackling from disuse. 

James leans in to press a kiss between Regulus' shoulder blades. He lingers there for a moment. This close, he can see the faint dusting of freckles that mark his back. They're spattered across the skin like spray from a wave on sand. Speckles in shades of russet, sepia, and chocolate dance across his pale skin, shifting as Regulus shivers lightly. As James' lips leave his back, the muscles beneath those pretty dots tremble.

James reaches for the oil, uncaps it, and warms it between his hands. He presses both his palms to Regulus, carefully smoothing the oil over the edges of the tape. His touch follows the span of the tape from Regulus' back, under his arms, to the front of his chest. His movements are slow and practiced, designed as much to reassure as to treat. The oil glistens slightly on Regulus' skin, catching the dim light as it begins to soften the adhesive.

As they wait for the tape to loosen, a comfortable silence settles over them, punctuated only by the distant sounds of the city and their own quiet breathing. James doesn't stop his ministrations; his fingers continue to trace gentle paths along Regulus' shoulders, the back of his neck, following the delicate contours of his shoulder blades. These moments are so special to him; he wants Regulus to feel loved through his actions, to experience the same palpable surge of affection with each pass of his hands that James feels. There is so much trust that Reg offers him in these moments—it's intimate. James is the only person Regulus allows to see the most vulnerable parts of himself, and that knowledge alone makes James' heart swell with fondness and love. He has never loved someone as he does Regulus.

Regulus, Regulus, Regulus. 

Sometimes, James thinks Regulus was crafted specifically for him; as if the cosmos themselves conspired to mold him to perfectly complement the contours of James' own body, his own soul. Looking back, it's almost silly to him now—he thought he knew what love was like before him. His heart was already overflowing with it for Sirius, his mum, his dad, his friends. He's always had big emotions, brimming with affection and fierce protectiveness for the people around him. He's always cared deeply and felt profoundly, but nothing could have prepared him for the depth of feeling that Regulus brought into his life.

James knows nothing, nobody else could ever make him feel like this.

He settles his hands on the edges of the tape on Regulus' left side. "Gonna take it off now, okay?"

"Yeah, okay James. Go ahead"

James pulls at the tape gently, easing it from the skin. He's careful not to pull too hard or move too fast, patient as he works. He grabs Regulus' bicep, thumb pressing into the underside, fingers curling over. "Lift your arm up, Reg," he instructs softly.

Regulus raises his arm, holding it aloft as James' hand moves back down to steady the skin being separated from the tape. He can't resist pausing to press a kiss to the underside of his bicep before continuing to peel off the tape there. When he encounters a tough spot, where the tape still clings to his skin, James reaches for more oil. He warms it between his fingers once again before lightly holding the piece back, rubbing it into the seam between Regulus' skin and the tape until it loosens enough for him to continue. He carefully removes the first piece, then works at a second, a third, before repeating the process on Regulus' right side.

There's still a faint trace of leftover adhesive where the edges of the tape once were. So, James takes a cotton swab, dips it in oil, and meticulously traces the outlines left by the pieces. He moves slowly, with deliberate delicacy, mindful of the soreness of his skin.

Once he's satisfied, James fetches the washcloth. He soaks it in warm, soapy water and carefully cleans the area, wiping away excess oil and any lingering traces of the day. Then he reaches for the salve—the last physical part of their routine, though James knows the comfort it brings goes beyond just the skin. Two of his fingers dip into the container, scooping up the soothing balm. James is so careful with him, his fingers so gentle as they spread the salve, taking extra care with the tender skin under his arms and over his ribs. He traces the rungs of them, then the dip of his chest, making sure no skin is left uncared for.

James then grabs what's technically his own shirt—a worn, soft thing that Regulus has claimed as his own, his favorite pajama top—from the ledge of the sink. He helps Regulus slip it over his head, taking advantage of every second he allows him to be so close, to take care of him.

"Feeling okay?" James asks once Regulus is settled.

He trails his hand at the hem of his shirt, slipping it underneath to rest gently on his stomach, careful not to brush the newly cared-for skin or his chest. 

Regulus hums an affirmative, "mhmm." Eyes closing and head tipping back as he nods.

"I'm not just asking about your skin, love," James whispers. It's tough for Regulus sometimes, taking the tape off, sitting with his chest. It's a necessity though, for his well-being, despite the discomfort it brings. And James always does everything within his power to make it easier for him. He knows he can't fix everything, but he'd be damned if he didn't at least try to.

Regulus reaches back, his palm sliding from James' elbow to his hand beneath his shirt, their fingers intertwining at his stomach. Their faces are so close that Regulus' cheek drags against James' as he turns his head, planting a soft kiss on James' cheek. "I do, I feel okay. I promise," he murmurs, giving James a warm smile.

Leaning back into James' frame, Regulus lets his weight settle comfortably against him. "You make it easier," he breathes out, words floating into the space between them. Another kiss, "Thank you. I love you."

James holds him a moment, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breath, heart swelling just a little bit more. "I love you too."