#riddle probably picked them up for an outing once and they both got in like 'thanks mom :D'

[merakiui]

Omg that doctor!Riddle fic crumb!

Is it hinting to the fact that Riddle is gonna do a two-in-one with reader?? After he hits them with his car, he brings them to his home to keep it a secret. But it takes a long time for so much damage to heal and he’s starting to get attached and his mother said she wanted grandkids didn’t she-

She is rather insistent about how he ought to seriously consider marriage and family because of his age, isn't she? Although for this fic there won't be any baby-trapping or pregnancy or nsfw! Just Riddle navigating two sides: successful, well-respected magic doctor and criminal who hit and nearly killed an innocent person. May he find strength in this fic because I certainly won't give it to him. >:D

I will share another tiny snippet from the fic! This time Riddle is doing some fun mental gymnastics to reach a very crooked rationale.

[dweeb-central]

yuu cooked too much ft. heartlabyul, floyd, malleus, & ruggie

guys i entered a fugue state & wrote angst?? hcs

mc is used to cooking for a big family & accidentally mistakes recipe proportions, leaving them w way too much food. scenarios of them asking diff twst boys if they'd want some, mentioning why. a bit downtrodden with no family to share it with...

trey, cater, riddle... are touched. trey & cater both have big families, & their eyes soften at the mention of yours. trey especially empathizes with you, before he began cooking and baking for the majority of his dorm he cooked & baked for his family. he identifies with the habits of buying groceries in bulk & the need to keep the house stocked with anything five or more people could ever need (just in case). cater's interested to see what kinds of foods you'll cook. make him something from your heritage! he'll magicam it <3 or just save the memory in a photograph if you'd prefer. he'd love to listen to you talk about recipes & regional preferences & tastes. that goes for riddle too! his mom kept him on a strict diet for his childhood, but now that he's got the opportunity he'd love to learn about your heritage & culture! as he grows more outgoing he's learned more about the cultures of his peers & he'd probably be one of the most qualified (& excited) to answer any questions or point out any similarities with twisted wonderland cultures.

floyd... blinks his big wide eyes once, twice, & then launches himself towards you to wrap his arms tight & pick up straight up off the ground. "awwww, shrimpy misses their troupe! shrimpy's aaalways welcome to bring me dinner! we can play house!! i'll be the dad, you'll be the mom, azul will be our baby, and jade... he can be the dog and go play outside or something." ('- , -) you better stop him before he gets ahead of himself. least likely of octavinelle to bother you about selling the recipe to azul ((he'll give you a cut of the profits!)). still makes you cook in the mostro lounge kitchen, but only because he wants you to grow to feel more at home with him & in an environment he's used to... that way when he gets serious about his & shrimpy's relationship....

the adeuce duo... both go... quiet, at the mention of your past. it wasn't something you avoided talking about when you were reminded of something relevant, or things you enjoyed or saw, but... you don't talk much about your family. they don't ask much about your family. deuce feels a twinge of guilt—he doesn't shy away from talking about his mom, & he loves her too dearly to be ashamed or shy. he wonders if they make you feel as loved as his does. ace wonders if he should ask you about them more often. he's not exactly shy about his own family, but he doesn't exactly ever seek to bring them up in idle conversation. he wonders what your siblings are like. they give each other a resolved look above your head when you're not looking, & now they regularly (as much as they can) come over for dinners at ramshackle! if you're comfortable with it, they invite all the first years too. you hope they feel as familiar & familial to you as you feel for them. they hope you know they do.

malleus... feels a twinge in the back of his throat—maybe behind his eyes? his truest friend feels alone, something he recognizes deeply. he hasn't lost anyone close to him like that—at least, he doesn't feel like it. his lonely was a different sort, where he's never really known family like you have. but, he considers, maybe no one at this school has had to sacrifice more than his prefect. he wonders what dinners were like with that many, & you tell him. the bickering, the debates, the movie nights & commentaries, the nights spent making s'mores(?) over the fireplace. he wants dinners like that with you. you invite him to.

ruggie... might invite you to spend some time over with his family. not immediately, no way, but the thought lingered in his head long enough for his throat to burn with the words (& his cheeks to burn in embarassment). in reality, he grins a big wide grin & laughs his mischeivous little laugh. "i'll NEVER say no to free food. feel free to keep it coming! shehehe." he ends up coming over to help you cook a few times a month. it's a good excuse to spend time with you over a dinner he knows was cooked with love.

i had to google what a group of shrimp is called lol. could've actually been troupe OR run OR colony. i wonder if it's ooc that floyd knows this.... i mean, he is a fish man, so 🤷

[sweetbunpura]

When Rollo and Yuu was found out as a couple

"I feel like this is an intervention..."

Currently, Yuu and Rollo were sitting in the Ramshackle lounge with the other NRC students in front of them.

"I would ask how you all got inside, but the lock is broken." Rollo crossed his arms. "So why, exactly, have you invaded our home?"

"Because you're both dating."

The couple on the couch froze. Rollo looked off to the side while Yuu laughed nervously.

"What? No, we're not, shut up."

"For once, the bastard's hobby came in handy." Leona crossed his arms. "We got pictures, Herbivore."

"Oui." Rook put the pictures on the coffee table.

Yuu and Rollo glanced at the pictures. They could spy pictures of them kissing, hugging, dancing together, and doing vaguely couple like actions.

"Wow, that's such an invasion of privacy-"

"Potato."

"Okay."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Riddle asked.

Rollo answered in her place. "Forgive me for pointing out the obvious, but you are aware that I tried taking magic from several of you in the past? So, how do you think that reveal would've gone? Given how protective you all are of her."

They all shifted to glare at Rollo as Yuu sighed and placed her face in her hands.

"You guys should know how sharp his tongue is by now."

Ace scoffed. "Of course you would know that."

"Ace!"

"Ignoring what he just said." Riddle spoke with a strained voice. "Why him?"

This had Yuu narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms. "Oh? And who else here would've been a better option?"

No one spoke up as they all either winced or looked off to the side. Kalim tried speaking, but Jamil covered his mouth.

"Or maybe, someone who actually asks me about my day? Or asks how I am? Who cares about the fact that I don't have magic and ACTUALLY remembers that?"

Heavy silence.

"I know you guys probably don't approve, but I'm not looking for it." She held Rollo's hand. "We didn't tell you cause Rolls likes his privacy and well... it's out there now. Accept it or don't."

"...Are you happy with him, Child of Man?" Malleus spoke up as all heads turned towards him.

"I am."

"Then that's all I require and I'm sure I'm not the only one."

Vil sighed. "We do want to see you happy... And if you are, then we have to accept that."

"But if he hurts you..." Idia added in and let the threat linger.

"Yeah, yeah, they won't find his body." Yuu waved her hand while Rollo fixed her with a stare. "But you'd guys would just have to go through whatever scraps I leave you."

"She already yelled at me once." Rollo said. "I'd rather her not do it again."

"Then everything is fine!" Lilia clapped his hands. "Now we should be on our way!"

"A moment." He spoke up before anyone could move. "We're aware how some of you knew from the photos, but how did the rest become aware of this?"

"...Cameras." Idia and Ortho confessed.

"Herbivore's scent started getting mixed with yours." Leona responded as Jack and Ruggie nodded behind him.

"Flamme's heartbeat would pick up when you were near and his body language would change." Malleus said as Lilia, Sebek, and Silver nodded in agreement.

"Yuu-san, you should know by now." Azul added in with Jade and Floyd smiling behind him.

Vil gestured to Rook, who smiled.

"Grim told us." The others responded.

"Grim..." The couple looked towards the direbeast as he flinched.

"Funa! I thought it was obvious! You two were even sleeping in the same bed!"

"Wait, what?"

"GRIM!"

Rollo placed his face in his hands and sighed as a loud argument started up. He hates this school, but it gave him Yuu, so he can't loathe it with all his heart.

[thesquishypenguin]

My Cuddlebug (SFW)

Maxime Le Mal in all his buggy glory!

Maxime x Reader fluff/comfort - 'Full' bug Maxime/cannon

? slight exaggeration of body features ig? i just feel like he should have more spines? teehee I just like the idea of you two working around his body :)

Just over 2k words!

Now on AO3!

-

Neither of you were..*shy* about Maxime Le Mal’s..powers. Both of you were quite comfortable with his skin, in fact. Maxime didn’t seem to mind having his lovely coat off around you at all, quite happy to flaunt his superior insectoid body. While he preferred being warm, usually he found you and you love to be an excellent source of it that kept him heated. You found it rather endearing that the more he lost his temper, the more twitchier and animated he got with his extra parts. Hence why during his latest rant on something-or-other you weren’t quite listening to, you were staring at the pair of antennae twitching irritability on top of his head. You remember a remark he made about them, a small smile twitching onto the corner of your mouth as you pretend to listen while thinking about something else entirely than your lover’s ire. He seemed to notice this too however, cutting his eyes at you with scowl. “‘Allo? Are you even listening to me?! ‘Allooooo?”he waved a hand in front of your face until your eyes were back on his. He gave you a thin smile and carried on now that he had your attention once more.

Only to stop again a moment later with a huff, putting his hands on his hips, his second set of limbs gesturing out towards you slightly. “*What* are you staring at, ma chérie?!”. His eyes went from yours, upwards slightly to his own face in almost a roll of his eyes, then back to yours. Clearing his throat he slicked back his hair and antenna, only for the latter to spring forward again back into view. “Now I ‘ave lost my train of thought..” He threw up a hand before wiping it down his face, then pushed his glasses back up his nose. Flopping down he took a seat rather sourly and pouty next to you, crossing both pairs of arms in a huff. Clearly he was still worked up and you hadn’t really done anything to help that, had you? If he’d been wearing his coat it probably would’ve swallowed him up with how scrunched up and tight he was sitting.

He was glaring off to the side still wrapped up in his thoughts and emotions when you made a move to get closer. Sensing it he practically leapt off the couch, flailing his hands frantically at you “No! Ne fais pas ça!! You.. crazy!” he looked mortified at what you’d tried to do and gestured at his own limbs as he breathed heavily from the surprise. His face softened from judgemental shock to a somber upset and longing. “I..I don’t want to ‘urt you..” Maxime explained, picking at one of the spikes on his forearms - razor sharp and like a needle, every single one. On a regular cockroach they were mostly for grip - but at his size..well, pricking you the wrong way with one would be..most unfortunate. Sure they wouldn’t hurt so much when brushed the right way as they would flex down..but the wrong way they were rigid spears ready to impale you! You couldn’t just! Move in like that!

“..Zhe only downside..eh?..” He remarked sadly as he brushed over his arms; that his form made the intimacy he craved with you a tad more difficult for the pair of you- the spines were only a small part, mostly delegated to his forearms and calves and thankfully none too many. But they would still hurt if he pricked you with them..and..he could think of nothing worse than hurting you. It was, quite honestly.. the one and only drawback Maxime could think of. Even the pronotum plate covering his shoulders and neck was riddled with spines.He cast his sad eyes back your way only to find you smiling softly. You hadn’t shied away so far and..you weren’t about to start. 

“I didn’t mean to startle you” you started, watching as he moved swiftly to snatch his embroidered puffer coat off the back of the chair to bring to you. “I was going to be careful - promise” you added, rising from your seat to stop him from draping the item over you as a barrier from his body, like he was about to. Pausing in his actions he looked to you, taking in the soft and loving look on your face. “I want to hold you, my little cuddle bug. Please? As you are”. Pursing his lips Maxime almost looked like he was about to cry; his adoration for you written all over his face as he stared at you, replaying what you said in his head. Not everyone appreciated cockroaches as much as he did and….he understood that might make him physically..unappealing.. to most. But..not you, apparently. He was..very grateful, to still have your love and affection, even with the changes he’d made to himself. Both sets of arms sagged, too caught up in his emotions to move for a moment - but he eventually pulled himself together and in a hurry placed the coat back on the chair, barely able to take his eyes off you. “You are a treasure  - Please, I would like zis very much so.”. 

“Thank you!” you chimed brightly “We’ll figure it out.” you sat back down on the couch and opened your arms. Fidgeting with his hands momentarily he looked over the way you sat and made an unsure nose. “Ehhh..slowly..let me..” he voiced his intention to be..very…very careful in the way he slinked over and positioned himself against you, his tongue stuck out in concentration the entire time. Slowly but surely Maxime sank into your side, his arms around your waist and the second set tucked up close to his own body out of the way. He sighed in relief as he managed not to prick you as you arranged your bodies together, though you had to be equally careful how or where you placed your arms around him to hold him close to you. He hummed with deep satisfaction as he nuzzled his face into your side, so happy to be snug as a bug in your arms. Other than cockroaches, he loved nothing more than *your* love. 

You certainly didn’t think it was as big of a deal as he did. Sure he was a little sharp in places and..his general form was rather..unconventional; but he was still your Maxime and you could (and were!) most certainly find even more ways to show each other your love. But clearly something nipped at the back of his mind about it, and how *you* might feel about it. Still, for the moment he was contently pressed into your side, sighing blissfully.

With a sly movement while he was thoroughly distracted, you brushed your hand lovingly against one of his antennae. The effect was immediate, Maxime tensing up and going rigid at the intrusion upon such a delicate sensory organ. You passed over it again with your hand, soft, gentle and warm. He was used to doing it himself but not so used to *you* touching him there, evident in the whimper that left his lip. You weren’t sure for a second if it was a good thing as he seemed to be holding his breath; tense in his arms in particular as his fingers curled up to ball his hands, grabbing fistfuls of your clothing. But you tried once more to see where it got you, brushing some of his hair down out of the way and running both antennae under your hands..feeling them twitch under your touch- even flicking back and feeling for you to try and stay in contact. Maxime finally let his breath out in a deep moan, a great deal of the tension and worry he was holding leaving his body. His head on your shoulder, peeing up at you he mumbled. “C-C’est le paradis..I ‘ave died  and gone to ‘eaven..surely..!” he sighed dreamily up at you, face smushed into your arm. 

“E-Encore..please…again…please do it again.”. With a warm smile at your lover you obliged, caressing his antennae again. Maxime tense up once more as your hand moved over them, then shuddered as the contact stopped. He moaned softly “*Oh*…*oh*!…Amazing…you are amazing..” he sang your praises even at the simple motion. You continued to pet him slowly, earning soft moans and mutterings from your French darling as each time he tensed up he released more of his earlier stress with a pleasant shivver. 

The delightful sensation of your love directed there in particular sent it thrumming all over his body. Maxime let out another deep moan as you gently twirled your finger around one of them, careful not to tug or wrap it too tight. Combined with a sweet kiss to the bridge of his nose it sent his wings into a little flurry behind his back and earnt you another whimper from him. Not fully out but enough to buzz them with his enjoyment - the sound of his much bigger ones and the breeze too much more noticeable than that of a little roach, it was impossible to ignore. Quite frankly he was a little embarrassed at the somewhat involuntary movement when he caught it, judging by the hot blush on his face and the sheepish chuckle he let out. “Ahaha..ha…ha…I-...ehh…” he trailed off, unsure what to say as he shifted himself around slightly and tucked his wings very firmly away again. “I think it’s sweet” you mused “Oh…pshh..come..” he tried to wave you off. 

You distracted him from his embarrassment with a soft kiss to his lips, one he eagerly returned as he slipped his tongue into your mouth to make out. Humming his delight just before you pulled away to talk, Maxime chasing after your lips with his own. “Let me try something..?” you asked after you pulled away from your kiss. “Hm?” he chuckled coyly, “A little adventurous today, no?.. I like it!”. Maxime seemed amused, animated and excited with the turn of events and your eagerness to explore him. “I trust you..” he let you proceed, if it was anything like they’d recently discovered he couldn’t wait! But a small frown came over his face as for the moment all you did was go back to petting his antennae - though it was hard to keep that emotion there, instead his eyebrows knitted upwards at the pleasure it was bringing him until he was back to a mewling whimpering mess. 

“Mon ange..Mon amour…*please*..” he pleaded with you for something a little more, for whatever it was you wanted to experiment with. “It feels so…so good..!” Words seemed to fail him as he couldn’t come up with anything more grandeur in phrase than that. Craning up slightly to oblige his sweet requests, you guided his antennae closer with your hands. Nuzzling into your chest he brought his head closer for you with another mewl of delight, huffing hot air through your clothing onto your skin. You very softly pressed your soft, warm lips to his sensitive antennae, bestowing all of your love to him and his unconventional parts. His arms clung around your waist tightly as he once again trembled, antennae shuddering under your lips before the rest of him followed and another deep moan left his lips. His grip on your waist tightened as he pressed his face further into you if it were at all possible, his glasses askew. 

“You..” he breathed “You are magnifique..! I-I love you.” Maxime gave you the most lovestruck and dopey grin as his arms relaxed once more, chest heaving with heavy emotions and the deep feeling of being in love and intimate with you. “I love you too, my little love bug” you cooed as you plucked his glasses to put them out of the way. Maxime scrunched up his face in delight and amusement, still blushing as he let out a little laugh. Smoothing his hair and antennae back for him he shuddered again, and he wagged a finger at you as he propped himself up, chin on your shoulder. “Ah-Ah-!…it is my turn, eh? Pucker up!” he practically cackled with delight before pursing his lips exaggeratedly and covering your entire face with fevered kisses.

[roanofarcc]

THE FIRST DATE

pairing: pete martino x fem!reader

summary: pete hadn’t planned a first date in a long time, but he wanted everything to be perfect. unfortunately, nothing could seem to go as planned for pete. but fortunately, you never minded a bit of chaos. 

warnings: dead!reader, first date mishaps, children 

word count. 1.7k | masterlist

“I had to die in tall socks, didn’t I?” Pete sighed, peering down at his outfit with a self-conscious itch. He’d never paid much mind to the death outfit that he was stuck in, even when his fellow ghosts made their jabs. He liked being a troop leader, and even though that brought him his untimely death, he liked that his outfit reflected his passion. That was, until he was trying to freshen up for his first date as a ghost only to realize how ridiculous he looked. 

From the other side of the room, Trevor scoffed. “At least you have pants, man.” 

That was fair. But Pete still felt grossly under-prepared to be going on a date. From his outfit to his overall rustiness in the dating game, he was riddled with doubt. It must’ve been obvious because Sass approached him with a somewhat sympathetic look. 

“You’ve got to relax, buddy,” he said. 

“I know,” Pete sighed once more, hanging his head. “I just want this to go well because if it doesn’t, it’s not like it’s easy to avoid each other.” That was the thing about fraternizing with your fellow ghosts, whether things went wonderful or were a disaster, you all were stuck there with each other. However, if Pete made a big enough fool of himself, maybe retreat to the basement and spend the rest of eternity with the ghosts down there. 

Trevor joined Sass, both of them standing in front of Pete with any tone of friendly mocking gone and replaced with a brotherly kind of support. Pete had friends growing up, fellow nerds that he got along with enough to survive high school with. But Trevor and Sass, if they’d all been alive at the same time probably wouldn’t have spared each other a second glance. Yet, there they all were an odd but nice collection of friends. Pete was forever thankful for that. 

“Everything will be fine. But if you freak out, you’ll freak her out,” Trevor said. 

“You’re right,” Pete said. He rolled his shoulders back and tried to smooth out the wrinkles forever pressed into the fabric of his shirt. “I think I’m ready.” 

“Yeah you are!” Trevor smiled, clapping him on the shoulder. “Go get, ‘em tiger.” 

Pete tried to keep his composer as relaxed as he as could as he walked out of the room and into the hall. He bee-lined for your room. It wasn’t like he could pick you up in a car, so a simple walk from upstairs to downstairs was the best he could do. He also couldn’t bring you flowers or, well, anything, but Sam had bought some and put them in a vase on the table that she and Jay had set up. 

Pete was almost to your room when a gaggle of children came sprinting up the stairs. Confused, Pete didn’t even have time to move out of the way before the kids ran right through him. He doubled over in the strange pain that flooded the ghosts’ bodies when livings passed through them. The kids were quickly followed by a flustered Sam not far behind. She huffed, slightly out of breath as she stopped in front of Pete. 

“Oh, Pete, I’m sorry,” she rushed out. “New guests. And they brought their kids who are, apparently, the devil incarnate.” Just as she spoke, the sound of glass shattering startled both of them. A vase lay on the ground at the feet of laughing kids, probably no older than eight or nine. 

From your room, Hetty, Alberta, and Flower emerged, with you with them. “What in the world is going on out here?” Hetty asked. 

“New guests and their kids,” Pete answered, watching as Sam quickly tried to pick up the pieces of glass off the floor before taking off after the kids again. 

A look of disgust fell across Hetty’s face. “This is no establishment for children. Could they not have left them at home or at work?” 

You smiled gently with a shake of your head. “People don’t usually leave their kids alone anymore, Hetty. And they don’t have jobs.” 

Hetty scoffed. “Ridiculous. How will they learn discipline?” 

“Clearly they don’t have any if they’re runnin’ around like this,” Alberta said. 

“Shall we?” you said to Pete, trying to ignore the chaos the children were causing. 

Pete nodded quickly and offered his arm. You laughed lightly as you took it. You felt nerves twist around in your stomach, but it was outweighed by the excitement bubbling up. You had been secretly pining after Pete for as long as you could remember but never acted on it since he was still loyal to his wife, even in death. But once he mentioned he would be interested in dipping his toe in the ghost dating pool, you tried to subtly hint that you were interested in him. It took a little while for him to get the hint, but once he did, your first date was set in motion thanks to the help of your fell ghost mates. 

You’d been waiting all week for your date, excited to have a first date after years of ghost hood. It had been ages since you went on a date, but with Pete, it didn’t feel as nerve-wracking because you two were already good friends. 

As you made your way down the stairs, you heard echoes of loud chatter from the dining room, where your date was supposed to take place. At the bottom of the stairs, you two shared a confused look. Heavy footsteps sounded from behind you, and you quickly shoved Pete to the side as the kids raced down the stairs. Sam followed, breathing heavily and face flushed with frustration. 

“Geez,” she wheezed out, approaching you and Pete. “I didn’t know owning a B&B would mean becoming a temporary babysitter.” 

“Um, Sam,” Pete started, gesturing to the dining room. 

She let out a huff and took off toward the dining room, you two quick on her heels. Pete’s heart sank when he saw two people seated at the dining table, enjoying a meal he had picked out for your date, wine glasses filled, and the bouquet of flowers picked apart by the eager kids plucking their petals off with giggles. 

“Oh, Sam, isn’t it?” a woman said, waving around her wine glass carelessly. “This meal is fantastic! Not our usual choice for dinner, but we have been saying we’ve been wanting to step out of our box, right sweetheart?” 

The man across from her swatted one of his kids’ hands away from his plate before he made a big show of wiping the food from his chin. “Yeah, everything’s great.” 

“Tiffany, darling, don’t eat that,” the woman said to her daughter, who had a flower shoved in her mouth. “You don’t mind throwing on a movie for them or something, do you? Mark and I would love a little longer to ourselves.” 

Sam got that look on her face she often did when a guest was being ridiculous, but she couldn’t say no for fear of losing the business they desperately needed. It was a tight-lipped smile and hands clasped in front of her. “No problem,” she said stiffly. “Just give me one second.” She hurried into the kitchen, prompting you and Pete to follow. 

Jay was standing at the stove, tapping his foot against the ground. “Are they here?” Sam nodded. “Ah, man. I’m sorry guys. That meal was supposed to be for you! I mean, I know you can’t eat it but…you know. These people just showed up, no reservations or anything.” 

“It’s okay,” you said. It wasn’t like they could turn down business and Jay had a point; you and Pete couldn’t eat the meal he made. 

Sam glanced at Pete, frowning. “We can reschedule?” 

He looked conflicted, a series of emotions flashing across his slightly scrunched face. “Yeah, I guess,” Pete said, disappointed. You looped your arm with his once more, an idea flickering to life inside your head. 

“Maybe we don’t have to.” 

Pete furrowed his brows. “There’s no dinner, no flowers, no-” 

“I don’t need any of those things,” you interjected, pulling him closer to your side. “I just want to hang out with you.” 

“Aw,” Sam cooed from a couple feet away, but she quickly quieted herself and gestured for you two to keep talking. 

“Wait, what’s happening?” Jay asked. 

“Come on, I’ll fill you in.” Sam and Jay left. 

Pete still looked unsure. “We hang out every day. I wanted tonight to be different like a real date. But I should have known something would go wrong. First, I’m stuck in this stupid outfit-” 

You cut him off once again, unhooking your arm before placing both hands on his shoulders and looking him right in the eyes. “Hey,” you said quickly. “I happen to like your outfit. Tall socks and all.” That earned a small smile from him. “And I think I know a way we can still have a real date.” 

“How?” 

With a wide smile, you laced your fingers with his and tugged him out the back door and into the backyard. It was still under renovation, but Sam and Jay had restored a little corner just off the back door where guests could sit when the weather was nice. You enjoyed the small corner, but the other ghosts didn’t visit it as much as you did. 

You led him to the bench and pulled him down to sit beside you, your legs pressed against one another. “It may not be a ‘normal’ date, but we're not exactly normal, Pete.” 

He seemed to relinquish some of his disappointment and leaned back into the bench, still holding onto your hand. “Yeah, but we could’ve pretended for one night.” 

“That’s no fun,” you replied. “I like this.” 

Pete was quiet for a moment, a comfortable stretch that allowed you to take a breath of fresh air and admire the scenery between the feeling of Pete’s cold hands clasped in yours. 

“I like you,” he finally said, his voice quiet in the still evening air. 

You turned your head to face him, your smile stretching wider. “I hope so.” He matched your grin and playfully rolled his eyes. “I like you too.” 

“I hope so.”

[yuusishi]

Hmmm. I've got it!

Could I request headcanons of Epel, Riddle and Lilia (the short squad) with a s/o who's a tiny speedy powerhouse? Like their so small and petite but can pack a punch that can knock out a grown man and can run faster than the eye can see.

. . . BITE SIZED PUNCH!!

summary : the bowtie trio with a strong and speedy s/o !

pairings : Riddle Rosehearts , Epel Felmier , Lilia Vanrouge

genre : fluff , slight crack

cws/tws : fights and mentions of injury

a/n : I jus finished the lantern rite story in genshin and FUCK I cried for 10 mins, hope you enjoy the product of me trying not to fall asleep after crying <3

Riddle Rosehearts !!

Riddle probably didn’t meet you, or properly get to know you to be more accurate, until after his overblot. His impression on you for so long was just “small, most likely around my height, but very speedy”.

If you’re in Heartslabyul he most likely had you help around with more outdoor activities like cutting the hedges and gathering the hedgehogs since you can do more work and cover more ground.

But after officially becoming his s/o, that was when he discovered that GOSH you are strong.

He walked to a secluded hallway towards the library when he saw you getting picked on by a bunch of savanaclaw students, all of them double, no, triple your size.

Just when he was about to intervene you struck one of them up the chin and sent him flying.

Guy just stood there like 🧍‍♂️ the entire time.

“[Name], what in the Great Seven happened here!?” you heard him yelling from behind you and you thoroughly explained even if he witnessed the entire one sided brawl.

He helped you clean yourself up and take care of any injuries if you got any while giving you a VERY thorough scolding.

No matter how tired, exasperated, and angry he starts to sound while giving you a scolding, he doesn’t mean it. Although he cares about you and his’s reputations, they don’t come first to your safety and that’s Riddle’s number 1 priority.

The type to get EXTREMELY flustered when he complains about the once in a blue moon event of running late for class and you settle on picking him up off the ground and sprinting to each others’ classrooms.

Straight up almost blacks out on the spot, but both of you weren't late, so in the end he didn't complain <3

Epel Felmier !!

“YEAH, GET HIS ASS, [NAME].”

Your number 1 supporter when you (reluctantly) have to fight against a student.

WILL go feral once one of them seriously hurts you though. One of them could’ve just given you a scratch but Epel will return that tenfold for you.

I don’t think it needs to be said about how often you two get into scoldings with Vil and the punishments that occur.

So now you both settle with just doing heavy-lifting for events such as the VDC, mostly you though since Epel’s busy with performance practice.

When it was VDC season and his group had to pass by the stage where you worked to build, dude literally has to fight for his life not to become redder than the apples back at home when he sees you picking up the construction materials with ease.

Especially with Ace there 💀

As much as he wants to witness you fight even more he’d rather not get himself and you in any more hot water with Vil.

Definitely wants to help you and would rather spend his time working on the stage than all this dance practice, especially with you!!

If you pick him up and start running he’d be scared at first then start to enjoy the feeling of the wind hitting his face, carefree laughter belonging to you two filling wherever you are.

Sometimes, though, he gets jealous. He’s the same height and stature as you, but how are you stronger than him? You have to give him some reassurance or time alone based on his mood, but treat him to something after to not make him feel guilty over being jealous and to take his mind off those thoughts!

Lilia Vanrouge !!

You just surprise the old man every time you’re with him.

Like Riddle, Lilia didn’t have much of an opinion at you at first, you just kind of blended in the crowd for him before you both met.

But the first official time he saw you properly was during alchemy class when your cauldron was mere seconds away from exploding, you managed to pick it up and somehow toss it out the window.

Thankfully, it didn’t damage the sports field nor hit anyone, but you had to sit through a 2 hour lecture from Crewel because the two scenarios could’ve happened.

Malleus and Lilia were in the class with you and witnessed the entire spectacle, the smaller fae couldn’t help but babble on to the briar prince about how a tiny human could’ve picked up a cauldron that you were barely larger than, the only thing that Malleus said was how it reminded him of Lilia before letting him continue rambling.

The next day the tiny fae approached you for the first time, effortlessly making a conversation with you, and everything else that happened in the progression of your relationship is history.

He’s really amused as to how a human like you could even exist, you have no special blood right? Like ones of fae, beastmen, or mermen? No? Now you’ve just piqued his interest even more.

Your responses to his questions is just “I’ve just been like this since I was a child, maybe some things I did helped me build muscle”, and the interrogations continues.

After school Lilia likes having races with you, he soars through the sky while you ran as fast as you could on the ground. And to any student who knew of Lilia’s past (aka Silver, Sebek, and Malleus), they’d be in for a shock once they find out that most of the time it ended in a tie, even more if they were to witness one of those races for themselves.

Other students marvel at your strength but the diasomnia students pray to the Seven you’re strong enough manage to eat Lilia’s cooking.

If you do, the students look at you as if they’d made a scientific breakthrough, if you don’t, well they’re not surprised.

[yuri-is-online]

Hello hello! Anon here. First of all, congratulations on getting accepted for your courses! Don't worry about trying to balance work and the blog, we will always be here waiting for you. Second of all, your whole Yutu AU has been really fascinating to look through. (Though that may be because of my bias toward Fire Emblem Awakening, as it was what got me into the series) Sorry for the incoming wall of text, but it's been giving me THOUGHTS.

So imagine this: whoever Yutu's dad is (I'll pick Azul for this example because I headcannon his English voice somewhere between Matt Mercer's Chrom and Olivert from The Legend of Heroes games) finds out who Yutu really is. You remember that cutscene after Chapter 13 in Awakening, with the Lucina reveal and Chrom has this: "You deserved better than a sword and a world full of troubles. I'm sorry."? Imagine Yutu hearing something like that: the acknowledgement of everything he's gone through, the pain of knowing his dad couldn't do anything and can't do anything more than offer words, and the reality that it might now be really possible to change the future? I imagine Azul breaking down after hearing all that because the last thing he wants to do is hurt Yuu or his son after everything he's been through. Oh goodness, the two of them both need hugs.

Second: did Crowley tip off the Magic Marshalls (because I think he would) and force Yuu to take the blame for his negligence (because he absolutely would)? Now imagine Yutu finding this out and telling his dad. Now his dad knows Crowley is a cheapskate who fobs his work onto everyone else without a second thought. And now he's responsible for having Yuu taken away and starting all this? Knowing the boys and how far they would go for Yuu I'd imagine they don't take that well. In other words, to slightly alter a quote from Regina in Once Upon A Time: "I guess killing a crow suddenly made the top of my to-do list."

Sorry for the wall of text but that's been rattling around in my head for a few days (so make of it all what you will). Hope you're doing well and looking forward to what's next!

-The anon who loves Riddle & Azul

AHHHHH (i feel like I always take forever to answer your asks I am sosososososososososo sorry, this one just drove me crazy in a good good way)

Listen fire emblem awakening was my entire personality for like all of middle school.  The only thing i wanted to talk about was chrobin.  I celebrated Morgan and Lucina's birthdays by drawing them. I think I still have a Cherche x Libra fan art thing I drew on some sheet of paper somewhere in my things because I was SO MAD that no one shipped them and I couldn't find fan art of them anywhere and I just oooooooooooh.  THE WAY CHROM GETS A NEW CRIT LINE ABOUT HOW ANYTHING CAN CHANGE AFTER THE REVEAL???? BECAUSE OF HOW DETERMINED HE IS TO KEEP THAT PROMISE AND GIVE LUCINA A BETTER WORLD???? i just cant be normal about them i am so sorry.  R+A annon I love you, I love you so much for this you made my entire month and possibly my year.  Awakening is also what got me into the series and made me so many friends I just love her so much.  She's an icon and I hope she gets remastered with Sumia either deleted or with a fucking personality.

I should probably sit down and actually write a timeline for myself of events, but since I am free to lean in to the fire emblem pacing, I want to say that monsters from Yutu's timeline start showing up (similar to how the Risen do in Awakening) in the past and stirring up trouble, which leads to an event where Yutu panics and forgets himself in his desperation to protect his dad.  The main way the future kids always proved themselves was by showing their mother's wedding ring, but Yutu doesn't have that so really it's just up to his dad to see someone who looks like him and Yuu blended together, supposedly from Yuu's world using magic and above all else crying out and driving up his own blot levels to protect him calling him dad. For Azul! Yutu it's especially painful, he feels like he already knows what his dad is going to say. That he's disappointed in him. That he has no idea how they could possibly be related. That he hopes in this future he turns out to be different. But that's not what happens.

Before Azul overblotted he was quiet. There's a similar quiet over him now, a similar look of tense surprise, but Yutu- no- his child doesn't know that. His child is looking at him in fear, in worry for his reaction or his safety he doesn't know but he knows the way those tears start to form. Azul knows the quiver of the lip and the shriek, of all the things he could have passed on to such a treasure.

"You deserved better from me." Because it's true. He might think of himself as a work in progress but he still thinks he has quality; he would have done research, read every book he could get his hands on, taken classes, anything he would need to do to be a good father, a worthy partner. Anything. "You deserved to have the world within your grasp, not whatever shadow of a future and a father I left you with. I am so sorry." He does not expect Yutu to grab him and hold him like he's still somehow worthy of his love, but Azul can't fight the urge to grab back, to stroke his son's hair and let the tears fall on his suit without any care at all. I'm here. It's ok, daddy's here, daddy's got you, he won't let anything happen to you.

As for your second question, I did not really write Crowley like that no. It was more like he was the first person mysteriously arrested after the Magical Marshall's decided to finally do their job. I was writing it like they wanted to ship Yuu away to cover up for their own incompetence in preventing seven overblots instead of properly investigating what might have caused that. He's not completely innocent though, so yes. The boys do not take it well at all. And please do not apologize for sending in your thoughts, I am so so slow but I love hearing from you.

[slytherinsrule89]

Hi i hope you are having an amazing day! I was wondering if you could do a FLUFF mattheo riddle x fem RavenClaw (if you do houses) reader, were she has mixed insomnia or just insomnia? Could you plz tag me in it to? Thanks!

I didn’t really mention reader house in this but it can totally be implied:) Thank you for the request!

I’m so sorry but it’s not letting me tag you so I hope you still see this, or if someone in the comments can tag you

You didn't sleep again last night. Trying everything to sleep better yet nothing was helping. The professor already got irritated by you for being only half awake in class and you were desperately trying not to let it happen again.

Unfortunately though your body didn’t want to listen as it tried dozing off again. It was interrupted though by a warm hand on your thigh. Looking up you were met with the familiar chocolate eyes of your boyfriend, Mattheo.

He had known about you having insomnia and was always there for you however you were feeling. You could see the sympathetic look in his eyes as he sees just how tired and unfocused you are.

That’s when he raised his hand saying you weren’t feeling good and that you needed to rest. With an annoyed huff the professor agreed, allowing Mattheo to take you out of class for the rest of the day.

He grabbed both his and your books, refusing to let me carry them no matter your protests. Hell he’d probably carry you as well if you asked him.

It wasn’t long before you two were in front of Mattheos dorm and he dropped all of your books on the desk. Your body was absolutely exhausted. Going straight to Mattheos bed to sleep.

Mattheo, apparently having different plans had picked you up, turned on a hot bubble bath and helped you undress before placing me gently in the tub before joining a few minutes after.

Despite your whines of being tired he simply shushed you knowing if you didn’t do something to help you relax before sleeping you’d be awake within half an hour of falling asleep.

After a while he pulled you back out drying both of you off with the towels before dressing himself then going to get your comfy pjs to help you sleep.

Once again he picked you up like a sack of feathers tucking you into bed, soft music playing in the background as he pulled you close to him knowing sometimes his heartbeat helped.

You had fallen asleep quite quickly but Mattheo was just worried about you staying asleep but around half an hour later he had been asleep as well cuddled up close too you.

Hope you enjoy ☺️

[blues824]

Hello! May I request twst wonderland first years or dorm leaders reacting to a kokushibo(demon slayer) yuu?

Feel free to skip if you like.

Have a nice day/night!

Gender-neutral reader with the Housewardens. Jichael Mackson is totally going to be the rip-off version of Michael Jackson from here on out. 

Riddle Rosehearts

He was honestly so relieved to see another rule-follower, but you were more severe than he was. You learned all 810 rules in the span of an hour, and you have threatened students with a fight when they broke them. You weren’t exactly loud about it, though. Instead, you just launched yourself at them.

Your eyes are definitely what he noticed at first, then the katana that was sheathed in its saya at your hip. You were not one to joke around, and neither was he. You both saw eye-to-eyes when it came to the rules, and you made sure that everyone followed them. It had gotten to the point where they were begging him to call you off before you left them with a black eye and a few cracked teeth.

Then there was your loyalty to not just him, but also the Queen of Hearts. Ever since being teleported to this world, you have found it hard to control yourself. It was because of him that you were able to find faith in humanity once again, and so you calmed down a bit. You hadn’t eaten anybody yet, just tackled them like a football player.

Leona Kingscholar

About as opposite as you could get at this point, because he disregards the rules. Because of your strength as a demon, you have the power to pick him up and hoist him over your shoulder as you drag him to class. His attendance record has improved drastically because of your efforts, so it counts for something.

He wasn’t exactly creeped out about your appearance. He honestly thought you were probably a spider or insect beast-person, but came to find out that you are a demon. He was rightfully wary of you, as he didn’t know much. However you explained that you had control over your urges and that if you wanted to eat him, you would have already.

You were quiet, compared to all of the other students, so he found himself able to nap around you once you got closer. You at some point swore your loyalty to him, so you were with him all of the time. You acted as a rather unorthodox knight/guard, and you became close with Ruggie because of it.

Azul Ashengrotto

You scared him, to say the least. It wasn’t your eyes, though. He has seen much weirder and scarier creatures in the ocean. It was your ability to turn him, Jade, and Floyd into diced fish within seconds because of your power as a demon. He had no idea what an ‘Uppermoon’ was, but the fact that you were #1 definitely did not slip his mind.

Because of your desire to follow the rules, you offered to act as a bouncer to the Mostro Lounge as long as you were compensated properly. He thought you wanted a human to eat, but you were just trying to make that bank. He agreed once the misunderstanding was cleared up, and damage costs were decreased because now there was someone to escort disruptive customers to the exit. 

The aura surrounding you was an unnerving calmness, and it really worked for your position. You honestly were annoyed by the contracts that were being made, and the line for you was crossed when Ace, Deuce, and Grim were all under them when they had an unfair chance. You held your sword to the cecaelia’s neck. The tweels weren’t even able to help because of how quickly you pinned them down.

Kalim Al-Asim

The only problem he had was how you were so quiet. He wanted to know more about you, so he liked to ask you questions as you answered them with barely enough words. You appreciated his efforts, as you can’t remember the last time someone really cared about you… not since your brother or even your spouse from however many years ago.

He’s definitely a bit more fun than you were, as you want to stick to the rules and he didn’t mind bending them. It was his spontaneous idea of hosting a dad joke session that actually managed to put a smile on your face. They were just so horribly bad that you couldn’t help but smirk at one of them. Kalim let out a loud cheer as he hugged you and in a sing-song voice stated that he made you smile. 

This guy does not pick up on why so many people are scared of you. You smile as you shrug, telling him that you had no idea what it could be, knowing full well that people were afraid of your ability to wield your katana as well as you being a demon. It might be true that you hadn’t eaten anybody yet, heavy emphasis on the yet, but you were still a killer who had the blood of thousands, if not millions, on your hands. But Kalim didn’t need to know that.

Vil Schoenheit

Your eyes are definitely the first thing he notices, as well as your rather unique way of dressing. It kind of looked like a more traditional and… vintage?... version of the Pomefiore dorm uniforms. However, he does not judge a book by its cover, so he does ask you about yourself whenever you come to Pomefiore for something.

He tends to follow the rules, as it means that everything falls into a routine and nothing is left up to chance. You also follow the rules, but to a much more hardcore degree. You’ve tackled and fought people who dare go against the rules of the Fairest Queen’s Dorm and against Vil. He has had to tell you a few times to reel back in the aggression, but he understood that your training under Jichael Mackson caused you to be like this.

Honestly, as long as you don’t kill or eat anybody, you’re alright in his book. He enjoyed your company, as you were a good person to rant to because you listened. You’ve gotten to the point where threats alone are enough to strike fear in anyone, which is more than the actor can say for himself. You were in a position of power, which intrigued Vil because not anyone could do that in such a short amount of time.

Idia Shroud

You reminded him of a character from ‘Help! Jichael Mackson turned my sister into a demon and now I have to find a cure for her!’ Excuse him if he gets really shy around you because now one of his favorite demons was right in front of him… in the flesh. He thought you never would have noticed him, but it would be hard to not meet someone as extroverted as his younger brother, Ortho.

Yeah, the younger Shroud brother had walked up to you and scanned you, and you were very weirded out. However, it started a rather pleasant conversation between the two of you. You eventually saw Idia’s tablet, and you asked what it was. The cyborg explained that Idia had social anxiety, and you nodded before moving on with your day.

Anyways, when you both finally meet in-person for the first time, you thank him for creating such a person as Ortho, as he was the first true, respectable friend that you had made in your brief amount of time in Twisted Wonderland. Congratulations, the older Shroud brother is now passed out as his hair is burning bright pink. 

Malleus Draconia

Well, you both bonded over the fact that many people are afraid of you two. The only difference is that you wanted them to fear you, Malleus did not. During your walks underneath the moonlight, he asked about your story. He was not afraid of you, so you decided to spill the tea. You told him about your rank in your former master’s army, and how you were the strongest. The fae prince was so intrigued that he clung onto each word you uttered.

The pain you must have suffered not only in your human life but also your afterlife is incomprehensible. You told him about your brother and how envious you were of him, but he still cared for you anyways. Then seeing him pass away in front of you was absolutely heartbreaking and kind of Ctrl+Alt+deleted your emotions.

You became very loyal to Malleus, but not as bad as the others. You were someone he could confide in, while you tackled anyone who dared bring him harm. You’ve even thrown hands with Sebek for annoying you and you won that battle, and that made him erupt in pure, uninterrupted laughter. The way you were able to keep a dead-straight face after just made him, Lilia, and Silver continue laughing.

[ghost-bxrd]

Okay so I know this wasn’t the intention, but I read the most recent part of Owl Song and now I can’t stop thinking about Ivy, Jason, and Dick.

Like, in canon she fought both of them as Robin (I think??? I’m pretty sure she was around for Dick’s Robin) and she’s one of the better Rogues in terms of motive and morals. She probably cared for both of them somewhat, so how do you think she (and the other semi-decent rogues) took it when Jason died?

Ah I see how it is, we’re unpacking the good questions now!!!

So at first Ivy probably didn’t notice. Let’s be real, she’s got better things to do then play “keeping up with the batfamily”, and yeah, sure, some of her plants have been getting agitated the more days went by without sightings of either Robin or his loyal shadow (either Batman or Talon/Nightwing), but eh, maybe they’re on vacation or something.

But then Batman is back on the streets and it’s BadTM. Even simple thugs need to be hospitalized, more than one comes close to actually dying (one even flatlines for a moment) and Ivy gets suspicious. Not enough to raise any alarms just yet, still, odd. And still no sight of Robin anywhere.

And then the Joker keeps being found. All over Gotham. Her plants her agitated, they keep whispering about the child-from-the-clocktower and the-one-who-is-cold. And even Ivy can’t keep turning a blind eye.

At first she checks in with Harley, but her girlfriend she doesn’t have any insight either having just returned from a mission with the Birds of Prey (timeline? What timeline). So, dead end. And Crane is a no-go because the Bat hospitalized him with way too many broken bones just the other day.

Two-face it is, but Harvey (both sides of him) are equally as disturbed by the Bat’s sudden volatility as Ivy and he is now on board with trying to find out just what made the Bat snap.

(At this point she’s having a veeery bad feeling about this. Especially because even weeks later Robin is still suspiciously absent from the streets, and there are only whispers of Talon/Nightwing and even her plants can’t seem to pin down either of them.)

Next up is the Riddler, who is already neck-deep into investigation (because how dare Batman not appreciate all his carefully laid riddles and instead punch in faces of low time criminals! And also he may be a teeny-tiny bit worried about the sassy sidekick but SUE him, the kid grows on you like a particularly stubborn case of the pocks ok!?) and immediately agrees to a temporary ceasefire.

So now we have part of the rogue gallery joining forces to find out just wtf is going on, and their next bet is the elusive Catwoman.

And let’s say Selina doesn’t know who Batman is but she’s got soft spot for the big burry anyway so she’s CONCERNED ok? It doesn’t take much persuasion to join forces with the rest of the rag-tag group of high profile rogues to figure this out, and her next proposition is this: grill the Penguin for information.

Oswald Cobblepot is SO not prepared for the joint forces of Catwoman, Two-Face, Riddler, Harley, and Ivy and before long he’s telling them what little he knows about the Joker and his excursion to Ethiopia.

And they all just kinda— freeze. Because— what? No, Robin can’t be dead. Robin is magic. That spunky little kid who’d throw pebbles at Riddler, the one who’d always try to pick-pocket Catwoman, the one urging Harley to leave-the-Joker-he’s-an-ass, the one who always drives Harvey insane with his prime numbers, the one who’d stalked all the way into Robinson park just to ask Ivy how to save the little potted plant he’d been gifted—-

No, no he can’t be dead… right?

But he is. And the talon who’d always kept him safe? That one is gone, too. Nobody knows where he went, but Batman is unspooling, and unspooling fast. And the rogues… well, for once they keep quiet. they don’t give Batman any additional grief (god knows he’s got enough) and instead now make it a point to keep kids out of their business in silent solidarity.

From that day forward any and all people who try to associate themselves with the Joker get taken down by them with extreme prejudice. You think Batman is bad? Try spouting some Joker loving bullshit in front of Ivy. She doesn’t even have to ask her plants to gut you and hang you from the carousel at amusement mile like a Christmas ornament. And god forbid you say anything negative about Robin.

[lulublack90]

Prompt 27 - Open

@jegulus-microfic August 27, Word count 810

Previous part First Wolfstar part

“Flitsy!” Sirius cheered, scooping the little elf up into his arms and twirling her about. “I’ve missed you, you beautiful elf!” He kissed her cheek wetly. 

“Master Sirius put Flitsy down!” Flitsy screeched, brandishing the wooden spoon in her hand. Sirius promptly put her down after she’d got a few good whacks in.

“Master James, you is back already and with more guests!” She cried out, exasperated. 

“Sorry Flitsy but it’s important.” James apologised and walked past her, leading the small group towards the library. 

“Flitsy has put Master Regulus’s bunny slippers by his usual desk!” Flitsy called after them and Regulus definitely heard her cackle before she disappeared. Why was she picking on him? He hadn’t done anything to her. He shook the annoyance from his head and followed the others to the library. 

“Damn, James, you live like a king,” Marcus exclaimed as they neared the top of the stairs. 

“I don’t,” James muttered. “It’s my parent’s house, I have a flat in London.”

“Oh, alright. So where are they, your parents?” Marcus asked. 

“Dead,” James said gruffly before flinging both of the double doors into the library open. 

“How was I supposed to know?” Marcus hissed under his breath to Remus. 

“Just try to keep your mouth shut, Marcus.” Remus sighed as he followed James into the library. Regulus and Sirius walked in together, leaving Marcus to sulk.

Regulus went up to James and rested his head against his arm. He knew James would probably need some comfort, but he wasn’t sure what to do. It seemed to be enough though, as James leant his head over on top of Regulus's and sighed. 

“Sorry,” James said. Regulus leant in harder. 

“You’ve nothing to be sorry about,” He told him. James moved away, only to wrap his arms around Regulus and draw him in as close as he could get him. 

“I’ve never had a boyfriend like you before, you just seem to know what I need,” James said, burying his head in Regulus’s shoulder. Regulus swallowed and blinked hard. Had James Potter just called him his boyfriend?! 

“I found it!” Sirius cried out, waving a bit of yellowed parchment about before Regulus could respond to James’s words. Sirius skimmed through the long text and began reading aloud from the bit that interested him.

‘So the Ministry called upon Morfin. They did not need to question him, to use Veritaserum or Legilimency. He admitted to the murder on the spot, giving details only the murderer could know. He was proud, he said, to have killed the Muggles, had been awaiting his chance all these years. He handed over his wand, which was proved at once to have been used to kill the Riddles. And he permitted himself to be led off to Azkaban without a fight.’

“Holy shit, that’s it!” Sirius grinned at the others. “There’s a connection somewhere between the Riddles and the Gaunts.”

‘Morfin was arrested and convicted previously for assaulting the head of the magical law enforcement squad, Bob Ogden, while he was trying to prevent Marvolo Gaunt from attacking his own daughter Merope Gaunt,’ 

“James, do you have a pureblood families book? The one with the family trees in it?” Sirius asked, already looking at the shelves behind him. 

“Er, yeah, it’s on one of those over there,” James pointed at a set of shelves in an alcove and Sirius raced to it. James took Regulus’s hand and led him over to Sirius as he pulled the heavy tomb from the shelf. 

He dropped it onto one of the tables and began flicking through the pages until he got to Gaunt. He continued to flick until he hit Greengrass and then flipped back a few pages to the end of the Gaunt family tree.

Regulus peered over his brother’s shoulder and there it was. Merope Gaunt married Tom Riddle and below it connected with a black line. Tom Marvolo Riddle.

“Sirius, you’re a genius!” James cheered, picking him up like Sirius had done to Flitsy when they arrived and spun him around. 

“Ahhh, Prongs put me down!” Sirius yelped. James eventually put him down and grinned broadly at him. “Thank Merlin, that you have a knack for remembering useless information that turns out to be very useful.” 

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Sirius mumbled, sticking his hand out and fumbling for Remus’s hand. 

“Not so funny now is it!” Flitsy appeared in the doorway and stuck her tongue out at Sirius. Regulus felt a warmth for the highly stung little elf that he hadn’t before as she told them she’d set out snacks in the drawing room for them for after they’d finished messing up the library. James lifted Regulus's hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles. Regulus swallowed as the words James had said to him came flooding back. Boyfriend. 

Next part

[awhhhflush]

The Meeting

Mob!Bucky x Reader x Steve Rogers (Massive warning - this fic is dark.)

I'd recommend listening to this for this chapter!

Warnings (apply to the whole series): drugging, mafia/gang activity, criminal activity, age gap (reader is over the age of 18), arson, death, murder, coercion/peer pressure (non-sexual), manipulation/brainwashing, parental issues (a.k.a daddy issues), abuse of power, sort of stockholm syndrome?

Summary: Left to your own devices whilst your mother joins socialite groups with the other rich moms in town and whilst your father deals with those business troubles he's been having, you decide to explore your surroundings, and make a new friend on the way.

Fine. Maybe a miniskirt and Mary Janes weren't the best fashion choice for exploring the woods down the street, but you were yet to have unpacked the entire contents of your wardrobe. It was the best you could do. Besides, it would hopefully make a nice impression on anybody who saw you. The outfit painted a sweet, innocent, girl-next-door picture of you that you rather enjoyed. The plaid skirt went nicely with the cardigan you wore, which was perfect for the autumn chill. You promised your parents you'd be home by lunchtime, and surprisingly enough, your father let you leave without assistance. That was probably his first mistake, unbeknownst to you.

As you stepped out of the house, the October breeze hit you like an avalanche, a shiver running down your spine instantly. The shiver was also impacted by the eye contact you made once more with the man across the street, however. Your hands immediately flew to your skirt, tugging it down as much as you could to avoid judgement, earning a chuckle from the man. Although he was rather far away, you still heard his laugh and it sent an unfamiliar warmth to your core. You shuddered at your own avidity. You both paused for a moment, neither of you wanting to be the first to break the gaze, until he turned on his heel and gave you one more glance before entering his own home. Relief relaxed your shoulders, and you let the huff of air you must have been holding in slip from your lips. You clutched your bag as your stomach began to ache with hunger. Maybe it would be nice to have a picnic date with yourself in the forest.

The walk to the grocery shop, which perched on a corner flooded with crates of flowers and fruits, was thankfully rather short. You picked up a punnet of berries and some cookies, receiving both lustful and judgemental looks from most of the other customers. The cashier, who just so happened to be a suited, well kept man, whom was insanely buff and broad, that owned the shop itself, simply watched you in curiosity. You smiled warmly at him and thanked him as you left, the bell on the top of the door frame dinging sharply as you stepped out. Peckish, you bit into a perfectly crimson strawberry as you made your way to the woods your father had driven past on your way to the house. The juice of the berry stained your lips as you chewed and hummed contently. It was delicious.

The leaves under your feet crunched faintly, crisp and warm toned. The forest was riddled with overgrown greenery which had now grown limp and dry, but it was beautiful all the same. Ivy creeped up the trees, embracing them tightly. The grass was somehow short amidst the dying leaves and bushes. The trees cast a shadow over the entire forest. The place had a simple yet eerie beauty to it. Perhaps you could visit here more often. You found a tree, twisted and distorted, its trunk reaching out the the ground among the thorns and nettles. You settled upon the trunk, leaning against the upward twist of it. It was a perfect place to sit and relax. This place only got better.

You'd just dug into your berry mix as you heard a deep grunt sound before you. Your gaze snapped up, meeting the intense eyes of the man across the street. Your body immediately tensed under his watch. "We must stop meeting like this," he chuckled, the same sound from earlier reverberating through his chest, which was, much like the shop keeper's, exceptionally broad and muscular, his sweater fitted just enough to outline the muscles perfectly. You smiled softly, still nervous as his eyes burned into you. He held his hand out to you, offering it as a greeting. You shook it lightly, your small hand enclosing around his in a way that made his eyes darken. You didn't notice, though. You were too busy trying not to melt under his gaze. The man was incredibly attractive - it wasn't your fault that he flustered you so much. His dark hair was gelled lightly, stray and short curls framing his face. His eyes were a vibrant and deep blue, somehow radiating an alluring darkness despite their brightness in colour. He towered over you, and you were sure he would even if you weren't sat down. His shoulders were wide and his arms were large and rugged. His jaw was defined and sharp, brushed with faint stubble which was strangely attractive. Whilst it made him look older, it made him all the more handsome. His lips were plump and pink, in a constant state of soft smiling toward you. Between his brows was a crease, similar to the kind that frustration or anger would bring. But he wasn't angry or frustrated - at least you didn't think he was. Despite the time you felt you had spent scanning the man's features, seconds had not yet even passed. He seemed to freeze time. "I'm James," he breathed, "but my friends call me Bucky," and a smirk tugged at his lips.

"How does James turn into Bucky?" You giggled, playful confusion washing over your features. He hummed a laugh, leaning nearer to you. "When you become a friend." He purred. Your smile dropped, now replaced with a blank and flustered stare, heat rising in your cheeks. Bucky could've sworn his pants got tighter as he watched the blush erupt in the apples of your cheeks. You shook your head softly, the smile returning to your lips as you composed yourself and steadied your breathing, eyes bearing into his. "I mean where did the name come from." You simpered. "My last name's Buchanan," he explained, his eyes flickering between each of yours. The moment was oddly intense, sending warm shivers through you. Your stomach broke out in frenzied butterflies. "Oh," you breathed, and with that, a content silence settled upon the both of you. After a few seconds, Bucky broke the silence. "I was just about to go on a stroll," He said smoothly, his eyes shining with mischief. "Care to join me?" And his hand brushed against yours once more.

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

Comfortable silence had lingered for long enough, and Bucky wanted to hear your voice again. The leaves crunched beneath your feet as you walked, but Bucky's deep voice broke through the haze that nature's ambience has lured you into. "So, where'd you move from?" He asked, turning to peer at you as you did the same. "Leesville," you muttered, nostalgia washing over you. You'd never had the most exciting social life, but Leesville had still been your childhood home. The look of gloom that clouded your expression made Bucky's hand move on it's own. He reached towards your face, hand cupping your jaw as his thumb swiped over your lips. "Strawberry juice," he mumbled softly in response to your look of surprise. Once again, the blush he had reacted so extremely to before sprung back to life, an almost inaudible groan sounding from his throat instinctively. You blinked at him, the same blank expression settling on your face, your lips parting as you exhaled shakily. You couldn't wrap your head around how easily this man was effecting you, this stranger, this new friend.

The two of you spoke and walked until the sky began to darken, when the realisation that lunchtime had long passed hit you. A small gasp left your lips, as you spun to face Bucky. His eyebrow quirked in confusion, to which you yelped, "I was supposed to be back home for lunch!" You absentmindedly grasped his hand and began to rush back the way you came, before his hand tightened around yours, the realisation of your action falling over you. You quickly dropped your hand and continued speed walking until you passed the tree you had sat at. Huffing, and clutching your chest in exhaustion, you heard Bucky catch up with you, his strides long and steady. "I'll walk you home. Besides, you're a big girl, I'm sure your parents won't mind." He insisted. You just stared at him as he began to walk ahead of you, glancing back at you just how he had that morning, until your senses came back to you and the panic clouding your mind subsided. He was right. You were old enough to get home a whatever time you wanted - except, it was more so to do with your safety than your age.

Rounding the corner and approaching the both of your houses, Bucky cleared his throat. You looked at him expectantly, and your mouth hung slack when you processed what he had to say. "Would you like to have coffee with me tomorrow?" He'd asked. This man, this god-carved hunk, the most attractive man you'd admittedly ever seen, was asking you, a girl he'd only just met, a girl at least 10 years younger than him, out to coffee. You'd assumed he only walked with you out of politeness, because he'd bumped into you and introduced himself. You'd assumed he was only being courteous because you had just moved in. But no, he had walked with you because he, James Buchanan, wanted to walk with you. He, burly Bucky, wanted to spend time with you. It was his eyes, exploring yours in expectance, that bought you back from the depths of your thoughts. You gulped, unable to verbally accept his offer, and nodded. You were eager, don't be mistaken, but you'd never had any friends. You knew you were attractive, but to be thrown from your typical lonely state into a state of possible romance shook you. Bucky, leaving you just as he had greeted you, chuckled in response and shook his head at your obvious nervousness. "How does 11 work for you?" He asked, not even expecting a verbal answer anymore. You only nodded again, before quickly heading up your porch steps and into your strangely quiet home, leaving Bucky behind you, smirking, eyes dark and hooded.

Author's Note: Okay, I'm quite nervous to publish this... this is my first time allowing my writing to include outward sexuality. I'm hoping it isn't too cringey? This is also my first series! So I'm hoping it turns our nicely. Enjoy!!

Taglist: (comment to be added.) @chemtrails-club

[marshmellopie]

YOU THERE

Give me your spamton headcanons! Any kind!

loki i love you so much you don't know how much i've been wanting to share my headcanons oh my GOD [scans over my 20+ page headcanon doc]

putting it under the cut because it's a lot of random stuff, i didn't categorize anything so there might be whiplash between everything:

– Five feet tall, previously 5'10 when he was still an Addison. I made Puppet Spam was 4'5 for the longest time, but I decided to say fuck it and make him taller. Still short in terms of Cyber City residents though, I like to imagine normal Addisons are around 6ft.

– I sometimes forget to draw it and I can't really animate it consistently, but his knuckles are constantly bruised because he keeps punching things whenever he's angry. Experiences really severe temper tantrums/outbursts and usually resorts to violence.

– Do not touch his fucking hair if he doesn’t know you. He’ll legitimately plan your murder if you cut any of it off– and that’s not a hyperbole. He can’t grow it back and his hair is his pride and joy, so he will genuinely track you down and rip your goddamn soul out of your chest. It's also permanently black (besides the grey but that's from stress), he changed his coding when he was famous to have black hair. Could've been reversible, but some things kinda stuck after he fucked himself up and became a doll.

– Weird mixture of Addison and mannequin. Mysteriously fell incredibly ill with a virus that was destroying his coding after his phone went dead silent, and became desperate to the point of converting his remaining data into an inanimate object. Kind of like converting a PDF into a JPEG with the compressed quality and all. Kinda iffy with this one and not really canon-inspired, I swap between him gradually and suddenly turning into a puppet. Used to base it off the Acid Theory but I'm tryna be creative sjfkdsjf he did probably fall in/get pushed a few times but it didn't burn him to the point of no return, it definitely stung though

– Blurry vision in both eyes because he had the audacity to peek into the Shadow Crystal multiple times. Hacked his glasses to somewhat correct it, but it only works to a certain extent.

– Talks through a voice box. He really doesn't need to move his mouth at all to speak and has limited range of motion (he can't close his mouth all the way and has no tongue), but he tries to purely out of habit.

– gayest man in cyber city

– Eats basically anything. From spaghetti-code to cardboard, his body is kind of forced to digest all of it, but it obviously hurts him if it's not supposed to be eaten.

– Sometimes doesn't recognize his own reflection.

– Riddled with viruses for so long that he probably wouldn't ever be able to get rid of them. He could probably minimize them if he got treatment, but only to an extent. They're a permanent part of him now.

– His nose is simultaneously the strongest and weakest part of his body. Either pierces through metal or bends like a bendy straw depending on if you throw him or just lightly poke it.

– Terrifyingly amazing aim. Can throw a pipis at a specific target without much thought. His pipis explode.

– Calmed down a bit as the years went on (because he lost hope LMAO), which isn't saying much considering he's still extremely rabid. Was extremely volatile when he first decided to give up the good life and live in the dumpster. Frequently tried to break into the mansion, probably stole a few cars, mugged a few Plugboys, picked fights with other malware on the streets. He still continues to do these things, of course, but to a lesser degree.

– Spiteful cunt. Wrong him once and he'll never forget your name. Rarely apologizes even if he's in the wrong.

– Can't say names properly unless he's being completely serious.

– Upholds his end of most deals, but words himself carefully so that if what he has to bring to the table isn't up to par with what the other person asked of him (which is 99% of the time), he can easily swindle his way out of it. No refunds on the sword. It's broken? I told you that. Cut anything, two pieces. You heard me clearly, and you obviously had no qualms with it from what I could tell. (Except he'd say that in a really fucked up and more condescending way.)

– Constantly hears static, but it grows and fades depending on his mood.

– Laughs at the most inconvenient times. Someone's threatening him? He'll chuckle. He's nervous? A little giggle. He just received some devastating news? Roaring laughter.

– Very unreliable narrator and storyteller. Tends to exaggerate things that have happened to him (doesn't mean that he didn't go through some wild shit though).

– Doesn't celebrate his birthday, for obvious loneliness and conflicting self-resentment reasons. Also because he doesn't keep track of the time. He don't know what day it is fam.

– Can mimic voices really well, though he still retains that bitcrushed/noisy overlay and the ad pop-ups.

– Tends to chew on things occasionally as a nervous habit. He doesn't exactly have a tongue, so he instead picks up random small items scattered around (ie. a pencil) and chews on them. Worst case scenario he just grinds his teeth together.

– Gestures with his hands a lot when he speaks. It literally looks like he's going through an emote hotbar. Also very expressive when it comes to his face, despite rarely being able to frown properly. You can garner a lot about his mood from his glasses.

– Mostly bark over bite. Tends to make empty threats a lot when he's startled in hopes his loudness will be intimidating, but will indeed bite if he needs to… or wants to. Sometimes there’s no bark at all, and he’ll literally bite.

– Has a weird fascination with shiny objects. He steals many things that seem valuable or visually appealing and hoards them in his shop.

– Once you put the KEYGEN into NEO, it takes a little bit for him to actually take over the body because he's transferring his data onto it. Permanently. Even when he becomes small Spamton again, he's permanently linked to the machine now, so he can change into it at will. Technically not at will because he has trouble controlling it, but you get what I mean.

this was insanely long but thank you for letting me ramble <3

[twistedtavern]

Head empty

Heres my list of how all the twst boys would be like as spouses from best to absolute worst. No in-between

Tw: mentions of abuse, cheating and bad stuff. You've been warned

Reverse au:

A: tweels: they are responsible and very caring and loving. No doubt you're marriage will be full of love and happiness

silver : same as the tweels. Even though he's basically handicapped since lilia took his kneecaps he still makes everything possible to support you. He's such an amazing spouse, but you'll have to remind him to rest quite often

B: epel: he would like to be pampered but he'll help with house chores and stuff. Getting very protective of you if he catches anyone looking at you weird and is a little insecure he managed to pull someone so amazing

cater: the way I see it he's more of a househusband. Preferring to stay inside and take care of the house and maybe if you both have kids, he'll look after them too while you work

C: Riddle: he's very cool but he's not over how his mom would manipulate his childhood. Hell do basic things but don't trust him by himself for too long, might break the law out of boredom

vil: I honestly have no clue bucause he's got a bromance going on with neige. But if he does marry someone else, don't trust him anymore than riddle. As soon as you look away he's playing with the lit candles and vaping outside your house

Idia: after finally accepting himself he's very quiet and meek. Following you around the house and cuddling up close to you. He's very happy, but he's still not quite over getting himself roped into unnecessary drama..

sebek: yandere. He'd take care of you yeah but would probably kill anyone who looks at you and vice versa. Possessive.

jack: he's two face and a liar right? Don't trust him with very personal things, because he'll just tell someone to start something since he's bored. "Can't you take a joke, silly?" No. Absolutely cannot. Say goodbye to your reputation

D: Ruggie: would be neglectful maybe. He still has that inferiority complex. He'll let you spend money as long as you leave him alone. Maybe he was unfaithful once or twice but he swore never to do it again because he felt guilty.

Leona: can't cook for shit and so whiny. You'll have to do everything by yourself because he'll start crying saying he hurt his finger picking up the broom and duster. Can't even sweep

E: Ace: coward. Would probably get you in drama and run away, leaving you to deal with the angry people

deuce: abusive and sadistic. No. Don't even Respec his mama.

Rook: would skin you alive

F: trey: abusive and neglectful. He'd probably hit you a couple times while frustrated

azul: abusive #3

malleus: sadist. Would probably torture you or starve you since he likes seeing you so hurt and pathetic. Horrible.

Lilia: even worse. He'd do bad many things. Unconsensual. Grouchy. Sexist.

YEEEEEE

Ough there are some pieces of Shit in this au huh 😅

[lucas-deziderio]

Dezi reads Pact

I am a newcomer to Tumblr and have just found out about liveblogging books. It seems pretty darn fun! So I decided to try my hand at it to both exercise my literary analysis muscles and to maybe make a few friends in this site. And I've decided that my first subject on this will be John “Wildbow" McCrae's web serial Pact.

I've been a huge fan of his other work, Worm, for years now (though I do have a couple issues with it). And I'm also a big fan of urban fantasy stories with well designed magic systems, so the premise of this book is already very appealing to my tastes.

I have actually started reading through it before but put it on hold for a while. I am currently sitting in the middle of Signature 8.7 and will be picking up the story from there. I'll try to post once I finish each chapter, sharing my overall thoughts and analysis, and maybe once I finish each arc to stitch them all together and make predictions about the plot.

The road so far

Here are some assorted thoughts I've had on what I've read of the story so far:

Blake Thornburn is definitely a protagonist of all time. This little wet blanket of a man has successfully fled his toxic family, survived homelessness and got adopted into a found family of queer artists only to then be dragged back into his family's issues. And the skeletons in his grandma's closet want to eat his soul.

Also he totally fumbled a threesome. My dude simply can't get a win.

Rose Thornburn is a character who is completely devoid of any trans subtext, thank you very much. At the beginning I thought she was an excellent addition to the story, being a tool to get Blake to externalize his thought process and opinions. The first arcs would have been really dry without her. But she has grown so contrarian; convincing her to help is now an additional step Blake has to do every time he comes up with a new plan of action. I suspect she might become an antagonist even before the end. Is it just me? Is it some kind of ingrained misogyny?

Evan is the best character in the story. He's such a ray of sunshine that every line of his is like a breath of fresh air in this dark and gritty narrative Blake is trapped in. Please, let him become a fire bird. I beg you. He's just a cinnamon roll too pure for this world.

The magic system is maybe the best I've ever seen and is definitely what makes the story stand out. It feels like what I, almost instinctually, always imagined magic should work like. But defined and refined to a point where it actually becomes a usable set of rules. Everything from true names, binding, spirits, demesnes... It's ugh, so good! I will probably dig more into each of those elements as they come up in the next chapters because there's so much to chew on.

The monsters. The author has this amazing ability of grabbing well-known concepts of mythological creatures and giving them their own spin while at the same time seemingly distilling them to their core appeal. After meeting Wildbow's goblins, that's how I expect all other goblins to be like. The same goes for demons, fey, ghosts... As with the magic system, I'll dig into each of those as they come up in the next chapters.

During the discussion of the binding contract, the imp Pauz has mentioned some “inviolable rules", which caught Blake's attention for a second but were not clearly explained. This has been living rent-free in my head since then and I am very sure it will come back later.

Isadora, the sphinx, could step on me. Also, she has mentioned the fact that in the classical Greek myth Oedipus actually gave the wrong answer. I've been dying to know what is the true answer the the classic sphinx riddle, but unfortunately I don't think it will be revealed...

The way they defeated Conquest was, to me, a total copout. I couldn't fully follow Blake's plan until it was all over, and I can't understand why Conquest needed to travel into the mirror world to catch Rose when previously he just pulled her out of it like it was nothing. It just felt anticlimactic to me.

Also, please, can we actually just give him an actual arsenal of stuff he can use? I know Wildbow likes to keep his protagonists as the underdog but this is getting ridiculous. This magic system allows for basically anything but still our main man only has two or three tricks up his sleeve at any time and is constantly losing resources as fast as he can get more of them.

Last time I saw Blake he was swallowed whole by an ontophagic demon, being completely erased from reality as we know it and leaving Rose to steal his life. I know he'll come back, he's the protagonist after all, but I'm really excited to see how it will play out. Will he fight his way out Hell itself? Like Kratos??

The spoilers I already got

I don't care that much about spoilers, but still would like to avoid them if possible. I decided to list here what I could already gather from the future of the story simply by osmosis from the fandom:

There will be a mermaid called Green Eyes who is super cute in a “bite your face off" kind of way.

Blake will become part tree(?).

The ending is bittersweet at best.

Next

[potterbite]

A few more steps to you

Suddenly my fic writing nerves started to tingle, after being idle for over a year... 

A far fetched (probably) speculation fic for 6x14! On AO3.

-

The first date goes, as predicted, horribly. 

Okay, fine, it’s not that bad. But the woman came in wearing a donut necklace, as if that’s a thing that should exist. All Eddie could think about was how the last time he ate donuts was with Buck, on a quiet night, both hunched over by the kitchen counter, the only source of light the bright moon outside. So he goes back home, and can feel his shoulders relax as he goes through the front door and hears Buck and Chris laughter.

The second date is more of the same, and Eddie starts to feel like he’d rather crawl out of his own skin than sit through this woman talking about the increasing rate of natural disasters. How can he, when he’d rather listen to Buck spew random facts about them instead? So he goes home and does exactly that, not even caring about the fact that Buck keeps mocking him about letting pepa set him up on dates. 

The third date is, well, it’s unpredictable. When Eddie comes to the restaurant he stops right by the entrance, making sure he’s not seeing things. Because that’s definitely a man sitting at the designated table, and Eddie’s heart rate picks up. Not because it’s a man, but because that’s the split second it takes for him to understand two very fundamental things about himself. 

One, he’s not as straight as he thought. Or maybe he never even thought about it, just assumed. Filled the already molded shape that was created for him: Eddie Diaz, father, husband, army vet. 

Two, he’d much rather it be Buck sitting at that table than this handsome stranger. 

A stranger who’s currently eyeing him, probably wondering why he’s loitering next to the entrance like some creep. So he makes himself go over there, chatting all the way through dinner, not even flinching when the guy says he’s an electrician who got hit by some strong lightning last year. Eddie can even appreciate that – had things been different – he probably would’ve agreed to a second date, and not even freaked out about the fact that it’s a dude.

Frank would be so proud. Will be, when he tells him about this. 

It’s just past ten pm when Eddie unlocks his front door. The house is almost completely dark. Buck sleeps in a sitting position on the couch, legs flung onto the coffee table as always, his face is illuminated by the soft glow from the only lamp in the room. 

And Eddie can practically feel his heart squeezing at the sight. 

Buck stirs just as Eddie is contemplating whether he should stop staring at Buck, wake him up or both. 

“Hi”, Buck says, his voice rough like sandpaper. As it always is when he’s just woken up. 

“Hi”, Eddie replies.

Buck drags a large hand across his face. “How was it?”

“I’d rather be here”, Eddie says simply with a shrug. “With you, and with Chris.”

There’s something there, in the depths of Buck’s penetrating gaze. Something resembling a question, but also an answer. Like a riddle he’s already solved. But he only nods at the empty space on the sofa. 

“Sit down.” His voice is not quite a whisper, but almost. It sounds like a plea. 

So Eddie sinks down next to him, thigh touching thigh, wondering what Buck would do if Eddie raised a hand to trace his lips. Thinking it might be too much all at once, he instead places his hand on his own thigh, a finger touching Buck.

There’s an exhale, and he doesn’t know which one of them it came from. Does it matter?  

Then Buck’s hand is there, too, his finger interlocking with Eddie’s, and Eddie gets this feeling of a breath being caught in his throat while at the same time never having been more relaxed. 

It feels monumental, and expected. 

They sit like that for a while, the hum of the dishwasher only slightly audible from the kitchen, Buck’s fingers warm against his. That settled feeling in Eddie’s chest – the one he always gets when he’s near Buck – anchors onto the small crinkles Buck gets when he silently tells him a joke he heard earlier that day. Onto the way his socks have glided all the way down his ankles, barely holding on. Onto the small curls in his hair. 

He has no idea how much time passes, but there is nothing, really, stopping them from sitting here like this all night. 

Not ready to leave the moment yet, but still needing to get it off his chest, Eddie quietly says, “I realized something tonight.” He feels Buck’s gaze on him, and meets it steadily. 

“Oh, what’s that?”

“That it’s always been you”, he murmurs.

Buck’s lips part, but he doesn’t look surprised. No, he looks pleased. 

“Figured you’d realize something like that out on a date with someone else”, Buck huffs in an undertone, but it’s fond and there’s a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. 

“What, like you’ve known for a long time?” 

Buck looks sheepish. “No”, he admits. “But pepa sent me a picture of your date tonight, like she has all other dates, and I realized that it never bothered me when they were women because it made me feel like you were out of reach.”

Eddie tugs at their combined fingers. “Never out of reach for you.”

“Ugh”, Buck says with an eye roll. “That’s how it’s gonna be? You all sappy.”

“Only when you’re around”, he grins, just to get a laugh out of Buck. 

They’re both smiling when Buck leans so close Eddie practically can savor Buck’s cologne off the tip of his tongue, and forces himself to breathe. He blinks, Buck’s eyes never leaving him, and wonders if it’s wrong to thank all the awful things that’s happened to them because it has lead them to this. A quiet Friday night, together on his couch.

He’s not sure who closes that final distance. 

Buck catches his bottom lip between his, and if Eddie had given it any prior thought these past five years he would say Buck’s lips are just as soft as they look. He uses his free hand to get a light grip around Buck’s hair, and feels the vibration in Buck’s chest when he does it – making him harden his grip, and Buck to release that moan he’s so clearly holding back. 

Fingertips dance across Eddie’s back, making him shiver and lean into it. It’s too much, and not enough, and Eddie doesn’t want it to ever stop. 

Maybe it doesn’t have to.

(Two fingers are still interlocked, later, as they both fall asleep on the couch.)