#ridiculous that this man sniffed the air behind her as she walked by

[lilyharvord]

I need people to understand that my hyperfixation ships are limited to one thing: a man who is usually in full control of himself meeting 1 woman and losing complete and utter control over absolutely everything he does.

I just like to watch when they go full feral for a woman who could literally chew them up and spit them out, but choses to let them stick around because I don't know, it's nice to have someone carrying their bag or whatever.

[juiles]

Sticking Out Sucks 3

Requested: no

Summary: part 3 of the au where they find out a secret of yours they dont love.

Tags: fluff

Triggers: smoking

Masterlist here.

Requests here.

Taglist here.

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I looked out at the field below my window as I sat on the windowsill, a cigarette between my lips taking small puffs. A calming lull of security ran around me as Queen songs played on in the background. This was something I did when I knew my new mothers were out. It was a lot easier to hide when they hated me. Well, I guess they never hated me but when they decided to ignore me for my own benefit. Something I’m still getting used to is having two parents who care about my health. If they knew I smoked, they would freak out, I would probably get grounded for life.

I heard the elevator ding meaning someone was coming on to our floor which was odd because nobody but me and my mothers ever came up here. I quickly extinguished the cigarette in my hand and stashed the whole pack and my lighter away in a small nook right outside that was kept dry by a stone I shoved over top. I quickly sprayed some body spray around my room and settled back on the windowsill, music still playing in the background.

I heard a knock and yelled come in. My door opened and Bruce was standing in my doorway. “Your moms told me to feed you while they were gone, din-“ He stopped mid sentence and sniffed the air around him. “Why does it strongly smell like vanilla with a hint of cigarette smoke in here?” My heart rate picked up slightly but, on the outside, kept a calm façade. I shrugged flipping the knife in my hand around. “Y/N?”

“Its probably someone outside smoking. I had a candle lit not too long ago.” I muttered looking over at the man in the doorway. “What did my mothers say you were to do again?” I asked placing the switchblade on the dresser beside me.

“Right. Food is on the table in the kitchen. Its pizza and wings. Sorry I can’t cook like your mom.” He said with a small sheepish look on his face. I shrugged and grabbed my phone off my bed, following him as he walks out my door and towards the elevator.

“That’s fine. I was used to less than that before.” I said as he pushed the elevator button and the doors opened with a ding. I pushed past him lightly as I got on, him following up behind me and pressing the button for the main living floor where the kitchen was. We stood in silence as I scrolled through my phone.

“If you’re smoking you need to tell me.” He said out of the blue, making me look up at him with shock. “You’re thirteen years old. Your body is not ready to handle those types of things. Those drugs.” He said looking at me strongly.

I tried to play it cool. “If I was smoking Bruce, you wouldn’t know. I’m to smart for that.” I bit my lip looking down at my feet as the doors opened. I quickly stepped out of the elevator and made my way towards the kitchen trying to get away from him.

As I sat and ate my pizza, the doors opened revealing my two mothers, dirty but otherwise not looking to bad. “Detka.” I looked up and my face broke out into a giant smile. My safe people were home. It had been a week since my breakdown and they’ve been nothing but supportive in everything I need and I knew that tomorrow we would be having the conversation with Fury about taking me off missions, something that I was ridiculously looking forward to.

“Momma!” I said, hopping off the stool and running towards the two women. “Mama! You guys are back early! I thought you wouldn’t be back until early tomorrow morning!”

“We happened to finish early so we thought we would come home and spend the night together! Movie night?” Natasha said with a small smile as I wrapped myself up into their arms. Nat sniffed my head then pulled me back with a raised eyebrow.

My smile immediately faded as I looked up at the redhead in front of me. “Hi mama.” I said sheepishly. Her smile faded as well as she looked over at Wanda then back at me. “We have pizza…?”

“Why do I smell cigarette in your hair young lady?” She asked, nervously I shrugged and went back to the counter where my pizza was sitting. “No. Why do I smell cigarette in your hair?” I shrugged again and took a bite of my pizza, knowing it was fruitless to lie to them, but I still didn’t want to admit it to her.

“Natasha what are you talking about?” Wanda said, making her way over to me and placing a kiss on my head before she stopped and sniffed my hair as well. I knew I had forgotten to spray something, my hair. “You do smell like cigarette smoke. Why?” Wanda said, making me put down my piece of pizza.

I shrugged again but stopped when I heard a cough from beside me. “No lies. Truth. Now.” Instead of taking that properly, my whole body felt like an instant reaction to Wanda’s words, and I immediately went into defense.

“Why should I tell you the truth?” I snapped standing up. I pushed past the redhead on my left and found my way up the stairs and into my room. “FRIDAY, keep my door locked, no one can enter, not even Wanda and Natasha.”  I opened my window and grabbed my cigarettes, quickly pulling one out and lighting it. I took a few puffs, tears falling down my face. “Why the fuck would they want to keep me now? You’re fucking stupid Molchalin. Why would they want to keep you now?”

My door was kicked open and, in the wake, stood my redhead mother looking at me with nothing but concern and worry. “Why did you run off detka? Why did you lock yourself in?” She said running towards me, ignoring the currently lit cigarette in my hands, and pulling me into her arms. I felt the cigarette get taken out of my hand and I instinctively wrapped my arms around Natasha, small sniffles coming out.

“I’m sorry mama! I’m sorry!” I cried out looking up at her. She shushed me, tucking a piece of red hair behind my ear and pulled me into her again. Rubbing my back to calm me down. “I’m sorry I lied, I’m sorry I smoked!”

“No more tears malyshka.” Wanda said pulling me into her arms next.

“We just want to know if you plan on continuing to smoke or if you want to stop. We would really like to help you stop. Youre so young detka.” Natasha said, sitting on my bed, prompting wanda and myself to sit next to her.

“It’s calming… it makes me feel serene… something I don’t get very often.” I mumbled, picking at my fingers, being held in my mothers arms. “It was more often from when you guys ignored me… it was easier to just feel spacey then deal with what I really felt on the inside.”

“From now on, when you feel the need to smoke, why don’t you come to one of us?” Wanda suggested, running her fingers through my hair. “You come to us and we talk about why you might be feeling that way rather than smoking and ruining your body hmm?” I looked up at her, eyes wide and full of fear.

“What if I’m not sure why I feel that way?” I mumbled looking back down at my fingers. “Sometimes I feel feelings, I don’t understand and its just easier to float away than feel them…”

“Well momma and I were talking on the flight back and we thought about maybe putting you in therapy… we all had to do it when we first got out of wherever we got out of and since your now in our care, we think it would be very helpful.” Natasha said braiding my hair in small sections. I shrugged holding the teddy they had recently gotten me, tightly in my arms.

“Its scary…”

“But it will be easier with us on your side. Now, movie and cuddles? I can go get the pizza and some snacks?” I immediately perked up when mama mentioned movie and cuddles and nodded my head quickly.

“Yes please!”

Taglist:

@asiangmrchk13 @boredandneedfanfics @mythixmagic @natashamaximoff-69 @grim-trans-witch

[newtonsheffield]

Ooh, can we please get Newton Thoughts on him thinking he's running the whole damn farm and how did anything get done before he got there? He looks at Anthony like, "OK, Mum and I have to go to London. Please don't undo all my hard work while we're gone."

Oh my god, imagine

Here’s some Newton thoughts™️

Newton sighed as he looked over at Katie’s mate, shaking his head. Anthony was a very nice man, he really was. Newton had been curious about him since Katie had lain on their old bed with him and sighed,

“Okay, it’s silly because he lives really far away but I really like him, Buddy.”

Newton had no idea who he was but he was a curious, so he nudged her with his nose to go on.

“I… really want to meet him in person but he hasn’t asked me and… you know what, I’m going to do it. I’m going to pretend I have a reason to go to Kent and I’ll ask him to meet me and we’ll just… rip off the bandaid.”

Newton nestled against her neck in support.

He was feeling a little less supportive when he was unceremoniously dumped at Eddie and Goosey’s. With only his travel bed to sleep on, and a handful of toys. He’d tried giving Katie the cold shoulder when she came to pick him up on Sunday night, smelling completely unlike herself. He sniffed delicately at her as she bundled him into the car and huffed as he smelled the masculine scent clinging to her.

So the meeting with her new mate had gone well. Interesting.

“Newton, he was so sweet!” Kate said on the way home, “I had the best time with him. I think me and Anthony could really be something. And! Get excited, little guy, we’re going to the country next weekend and you’ll get to run around the farm with the sheep. That’ll be fun.”

Newton huffed, trying not to sound too interested in case Katie got the idea that he’d be moving to a farm of all places.

But as the week had worn on Katie had sounded so happy every time Anthony had called her and truly: by the time Friday came around he’d been desperate to see this Anthony. Curious about what had gotten Katie so enamoured with him.

He’d sat in his car seat and watched the grass roll by, a little mournful that he wouldn’t be able to chase his favourite squirrel tomorrow morning. But he supposed if this Anthony had a farm, as he’d been promised, there might be one there. From the second they arrived Newton felt excitement building in his chest as Kate let him out, the grass soft under his paws, the air filled with so many smells.

A man stepped forward, waving to Kate a little nervously, “Kate, Hi! You made it!”

“Hey, Babe.” Kate wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him close and Newton averted his eyes.

“This must be Newton.”

Yes, Newton huffed as Anthony crouched in front of him, scratching behind his ears. Thank you for finally greeting me. Took you long enough.

Anthony smelled nice though, Newton was a little dismayed to notice, and his hands were warm but Newton had gotten immediately distracted by the two pups who had run up behind him. They smelled close to Anthony, but they weren’t his puppies, Newton didn’t think as he licked the girl’s face, giddy at her delighted laughter. He liked the pups. They gave him treats and let them sleep on their beds but even better than the pups were the sheep.

Newton loved that. He loved running around after them and he realised with a sigh that Anthony needed his help if he was going to get this place in order. He seemed absolutely bloody determined to undo Newton’s hard work as quickly as possible. He kept moving the sheep to ridiculous spots around the yard no matter how many times Newton called out to him.

Anthony! No! No! The other way!

And normally, Newton wouldn’t mind doing the most work out of everyone. He was used to being the backbone of the family. But today him and Katie were going back to London for a few days. And he just knew when he got back Anthony would have undone everything.

Newton sighed as he walked up to Anthony, placing his paw on Anthony’s boot.

I know this is hard for you, buddy. But you need to just try and keep things running without me.

“Oh, bud.” Anthony chuckled, “Are you going to miss me?”

Honestly, I’m worried about you. I don’t know how this was a successful venture before I got here. Newton sighed, Just leave the sheep alone, please. I’ll tend to them when I get back.

[primofate]

2K Followers Event: Pancake and Waffle Cafe Masterlist

Nutella Waffles (overhearing and misunderstanding a conversation/situation) MODERN AU ANGST

Characters: Childe, Kazuha, Thoma, Albedo, Kaeya, Zhongli, fem!reader

Warnings: not proofread :D, cheating, fighting, insulting, misunderstanding (duh), pregnancy, sexual innuendos, implying sex, mentions of sex, still SFW though, of course I bent the lore since it’s an AU

Notes: I had trouble with this so I decided to make it a modern AU. That’s also why it took so long. I think my brain is starting to run dry XD I mean, there’s only so much situations/conversations I could think of that could be misunderstood. Still, enjoy!

Childe

"Ah, sorry, Y/N, I can’t walk you home today... Maybe tomorrow?” Childe smiled at you, scratching the back of his head, his school bag swung over his shoulder already. He looked like he was in a hurry. 

It’s been a few days like this and you really didn’t know what was happening. You asked him if he needed help with stuff at home or if he was having a hard time with his homework and if that’s why he was always rushing off. He would just give you the same smile and wave a hand. “It’s nothing like that,” and then off he’d go. 

The next day, as you walk towards his classroom during lunchtime you hear him and his friends talking before you even reach the classroom door. 

“Zoe is totally cute,” Childe says. The voice he uses is something that he’d never used on you before. You freeze in your tracks and try to listen in more. “Wow, she really is! Great job picking her!” one of his friends said and it sounded as if they’d hit Childe on the back as a congratulations. “Let me see, let me see,” another one says followed by a gasp. “Have you taken her out yet?” Childe laughs nervously and you know all too well without even looking at him that he’s probably scratching his head. “No, not yet,” 

“Does your girlfriend know yet?” Someone else asks.

And then you hear a laugh that’s all too mischievous. All too playful. All too heart-wrenching. “She doesn’t know!” and they continue to laugh.

You turn away and try your hardest not to let tears escape from your eyes. It felt as if you were being laughed at. Like everyone knew that he was cheating. Everyone except you. It doesn’t help that there was a Zoe in the other class too. The way his friends laughed made your cheeks heat up in embarrassment and the tears you were so desperately holding back to finally flow through.

You ended up staying in the washroom for the whole of lunch time, staying in a cubicle for an extra few minutes, late for the next class.

Somehow you didn’t expect Childe to still show up in your classroom to pick you up for the day and walk you home. You stare at him at the classroom door, your eyes had already gone back to their normal shade, but still glossy. He doesn’t notice, he has a big smile on his face that mocks you. Ridicules you. 

“Y/N! Let’s go together today!” Does he feel guilty? Is that why he finally agrees to walk home with you? Cause he’s had his fill of Zoe already? You don’t say a word and exit the classroom, going past him. Childe blinks, and turns to watch you walking away from him. “Y/N?”

He walks after you, and takes his place next to you. He touches the strap of your backpack, as usual, and says “I’ll take this--”

“I got it,” you reply curtly and move away from him. He’s dumbfounded, eyes still a little wide at your sudden coldness. Now he’s getting anxious. Did he do something wrong? “H-Hey...Y/N, are you mad because I didn’t walk home with you the past couple days? See, I was just--”

“I’m not that petty!” You nearly growl at him, holding his gaze for a few seconds before walking off again. Your eyes are starting to prickle with more tears. You just wanted to get home. As soon as you can. Away from him. You didn’t have the heart to break up with him face to face. You liked him too much, you knew you wouldn’t be able to do it while looking at his handsome face. 

Then, he snatches your wrist and pulls you back towards him. The school hallways are emptying out, there’s a few students walking by who ignore the two of you. “Then what’s the matter? I don’t like it when we fight. At least tell me what I did!” 

You wrench your wrist away from his and start sniffing. He stands there, shocked at where your tears are coming from. Until you start talking. “I heard you, during lunch time,” his eyebrows furrow. “Lunch...time?” He mumbles, not following. “When you were talking about your cute Zoe!” He doesn’t say anything for a moment and that only confirms your fears. 

He’d been looking at other girls, and probably wanting them.

“...Y/N, Zoe is...” Childe scratched his cheek, averting his eyes away. 

“I don’t wanna hear it,” you try to turn away, but he doesn’t let you and holds your shoulders with his hands, staring straight at you. “My dog,” You were crying at this point, and when you hear his next words your eyes narrow. “W-What?”

“Zoe is my new dog,” 

“B-But your friend asked if you took her out yet...”

“Yeah,” Childe tilted his head, “for a walk?” As you start to connect the dots he takes out his phone and shows you the picture of a cute miniature poodle, it had a collar and a silver tag on it that said “Zoe”. You thought that you might cry again at how cute she was but you just glare up at Childe. “Well, I didn’t tell you cause I was gunna surprise you. I’ve been going home early these days cause we had to go visit the pound a few times and finalize the papers and everything...” 

“I-Is that true? Is that all it is?” You sniff, now wiping your stupid tears away. Childe smiles down at you and takes your hands away from your face, replacing it with his, thumbing away the streaks of wetness. “Y/N, no one can ever replace you,” you sniff and let him dote on you. You’d been missing him for a while anyway. 

“...Well except Zoe, maybe Zoe can,” he’s clearly teasing you and you don’t hesitate to lift your fist and punch him on the shoulder, earning a small “Ow,” from him followed by a laugh. “I’m just kidding, how ‘bout you come over and visit her today? It’s only her second day home!”

Thoma

You’d made an appointment with your friend a long time ago. Just a quick lunch and catch up date. Thoma had graciously volunteered to drive you to the mall where you were meeting up with her.

“You sure you don’t need me to pick you up? It’s Saturday. I’m free,” he flashes you a smile, his eyes darting towards you only for a second before going back to the road. “I’ll be fine hun, I’ll take the bus home,” you reply to him.

Halfway through your journey he says that he needs to buy something from a convenience store, and so he parks the car properly and grabs his wallet. His phone is on the car phone stand and you pay no heed to it until a soft ‘ding’ makes you pick your head up to look at the screen. 

Your best friend’s name pops up, she’s messaged him and your blood runs cold.

“I’ll come over when Y/N’s gone,” the message read. Your heart is already at your throat, and you don’t know what to think. What is this make-believe situation that you’re suddenly in. Is this really happening? Your eyes dart upwards to look at the door of the convenience store. You could see Thoma was still looking at the shelves.

You gulp and you wonder what the right thing to do is. Invade his privacy and peek at his messages? Let it go? Confront him? Cry? Another ‘ding’ fills up the car.

“How long is she going to be out? The longer the better. So...” you couldn’t read the rest of the message, it being cut off but you were already spiraling down the hole of despair. How could he? Your sweet and loyal Thoma ended up going behind your back with your best friend. You thought you were going to be sick, you actually had to roll the windows of the car down to get some fresh air, just as Thoma came out of the convenience store door with a plastic bag. 

You couldn’t look at him. You couldn’t even be in the same space as him. You were going to cancel today with your friend, you didn’t think you’d be able to function properly. When he sat on the driver’s seat and saw you looking out the window, he didn’t think much of it and revved the engine up. “Ready hu--”

“Take me to my sister’s place,” Thoma blinked and turned to you, confused. “But, what about your lunch date today, dear?”

“I don’t feel like going. My sister’s place is nearby, just drop me off there,” Your hands were already typing a reply to the friend that you were about to stand up on, but you couldn’t even think of what to do or say. 

“Dear is everything okay?” He asked while backing the car up, arm outstretched to your side while he’s looking at the rear. He was appalled by your sudden mood change. You didn’t answer but he hears you sniff and he immediately stops the car again. “Y/N? What’s wrong?” He’s alarmed that you’re crying and he reaches to cup your chin and tilt it towards him but you move your face away from him. 

“Y/N?” he asked, the confusion in his voice is actually genuine and you can hear a bit of panic in it. “How long have you been seeing Aya?” you spit the words as if they’re poison and the car is quiet. You laugh bitterly. “I thought so, cat got your tongue, huh?” 

Thoma shook himself out of his confusion to say, “No, wait, I don’t know what you mean,” You scoff at him. You’re shocked at the amount of resentment you had, you trusted this man and yet this is what happens. “Yeah? Why is she sneaking into our house then?” You point at his phone, the screen is still lit up because of the messages and there were more coming in from your best friend. 

Thoma snatches the phone away from the stand and looks at it. Then, he deflates and slumps back on his seat. “Y/N, it’s not what you think,” You hate that line so much. You cross your arms and say, “Just drop me at my sister’s house,” 

“Y/N--”

“NOW!”

The drive was quiet. You didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to push you but didn’t want to drop you off to your sister’s without explaining as well. So, just before your sister’s block, he parks on the side and unbuckles his seat belt, then opens your side of the door. “Y/N, listen to me,” he’s rarely this assertive, but you still don’t listen. He’s blocking your escape path. 

“It’s your birthday today,” Thoma starts and you blink, completely forgetting about it. “Ayu is sneaking in our house while you’re gone because we were going to set up a surprise for you.” He says slowly, as if he’s talking to a child. Your eyes widen, and you relax in your seat. He gives you his phone and urges you, “Go on, Y/N, you know my passcode right? I don’t hide anything from you, you can read the rest,” 

You hesitate, but accept his offer and type it in. 

“How long is she going to be out? The longer the better. So we can set up the balloons,”

“I got the cake don’t forget the candles and lighter,”

Thoma picks up his other hand that had the white plastic bag from the convenience store, he picks up the two items from inside. Birthday candles. And a lighter. 

Your mouth opens, but you can’t say anything and you only bury your face in your hands out of shame. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry Thoma, I--” He manages to let out a laugh and kisses the top of your head. “I’m so stupid. I trust you, I really do, I just--” now you’re not sure if you’re crying out of relief or embarrassment. “I’m so sorry,” You can’t say anything else and he only kisses you on the forehead again.

“It’s alright, you can make it up to me by going on that lunch date, okay? You deserve the rest. You haven’t cancelled yet have you? Let’s freshen up at your sister’s place and I’ll send you to the mall,” 

You nod your head, small smile on your face. This was gunna be one story to tell in the future.

“Oh and it would help if you act surprised when you come home,” Thoma adds with a full laugh that you join in on. 

Kaeya

"So how are you and Y/N?”

It’d only been a couple of months of the two of you dating. Kaeya was handsome, gallant and he knew exactly what to say to people. It wasn’t a secret that he was quite popular in school. 

Little old you was just another girl in just another class.

“Good, I think,” Kaeya responds, you smile around the corner, hidden from sight, knowing that he was taking a juice box break with his friends. “It’s a little annoying though,” your smile drops and your head tilts sideways in question. “I can’t keep her away and she doesn’t even realize how annoying it is,” 

Keep me away? You think. Am I too clingy? You hear them exchange words a bit more, but none of the other words process in your head. Their laughter spurs you out of your thoughts and you return to your classroom dumbfounded. 

When the bell rang for dismissal you immediately packed and walked home by yourself. Kaeya was confused when he arrived at your classroom door, and found that you weren’t there anymore. “...Hey, did Y/N go home?” he asked one of your passing classmates. “Yeah, she went out pretty fast,”

Now he was worried. Did something happen at home? He takes his phone out as he’s out the school building, tapping your name and calling, only for the call to not even connect. His brows furrow but nonetheless, he goes home for today and types in a message for you.

“Hey, you okay? Talk to me if you need something,” 

The next day, when he usually waits outside your door for you to come out, he realizes that you’re a little late and further realizes that you weren’t going to come out. He wasn’t about to knock on your door, your parents didn’t know about him yet. 

He tries to call you again but he’s met with the same result as yesterday. He sighs and looks up at the sky while he’s walking. He hasn’t seen you for nearly a full day now, and he doesn’t realize how long a full day is until now. He just wants to see your smiling face again and he starts to wonder if he’d done something wrong. 

By lunchtime, he’s sprinting towards your classroom as soon as the bell rings, wondering if you were there. Indeed, finally, he spots you in your classroom and his shoulders slump in relief only to tense up again when he sees a guy in your class talking to you, and you, smiling happily. 

“Y/N,” he calls out to you, waving his hand. You look away from your conversation to him and he notices how your smile turns into a tight line on your face. His own smile drops, but you walk out of the classroom anyway and address him. “Yes?” He blinks down at your tone of voice. “U-Uh... Wanna have lunch together?” 

“...But it’s annoying that I’m clingy right?” The two of you unconsciously move away from the door to out in the hallway, so that you’re not blocking the way of people coming in and out. He narrows his eyes in confusion. Where is this coming from? “I--No, what do you mean? I never said that,” 

“Yesterday, you said you can’t keep me away and it’s annoying,” you averted your gaze, feeling your eyes start to water. Kaeya reels back a little, replaying things in his mind, trying to remember if he said something like that. And, with a light bulb moment, his face breaks into a grin and slight laughter. You glare up at him, “What? It’s funny?”

Kaeya places a hand on your shoulder and explains while smiling. “Y/N, you didn’t listen to the rest of the conversation, did you?”

---What really happened---

“It’s really annoying though. I can’t keep her away and she doesn’t even realize how annoying it is,” he sips on his juice box again.

One of his friends pipe up, “Dude that’s a little harsh,”

Kaeya blinks. Once, twice and thrice. Until it dawns on him. “Oh, no, I meant that I can’t keep her away from other people,” he grins and leans both his elbows on the windowsill. “She doesn’t realize that she’s super friendly, and other people like talking to her a lot. Whenever I go to her classroom she’s always talking to different people.”

His friends make a sound of understanding. “I wish I could just keep her to myself,” and continues sipping on his juice.

“That’s really cheesy, even for you, Kaeya,” one of his friends say and the lot of them starts laughing.

---That’s what really happened---

It was your turn to blink at him, confused. “S-So...”

Kaeya pats your head and smiles. “You can ask my friends if it makes you feel better,”

A small blush crosses your cheeks and you duck your head to hide it. It earns yet another chuckle from him. Your moment is interrupted by another guy who approaches the two of you. “Hey, Y/N, if you’re free, do you think you could help me out with this? I don’t really understand it,” 

Kaeya just looks at the guy and sighs, then turns to you again. “See what I mean?” to which you just goofily smile at. 

Kazuha 

“You saw what?”

Your hands freeze, holding the book you were reading open. The living room had gotten lively again, seeing as your little brother had come home from school. “I saw Kazuha with a girl,” 

You try to keep your face composed. It was a school day. You’d stayed home because you weren’t feeling too well. Your brother was saying it without a care in the world. He was just a grade schooler and telling you about the things he observed. He was looking through the fridge for something to drink. 

You didn’t ask more, but you were DYING to know more. Kazuha didn’t mention going anywhere today... You picked your phone up and wondered if you should ask him. Your phone had blown up this morning cause he didn’t see you at school and he was wondering if you were alright. 

But it seems that Kazuha himself was having a grand time too.

“So...T-The girl...Did they look close?”

Your little brother closes the fridge and looks at you while drinking from a milk carton. “Mm...They were holding each other...” You bit your lip as tingles run down your spine. They weren’t the good kind. It was the kind that you get when you watch horror movies and or a drama movie and a revelation had just happened. You were silent for a moment, but in your mind you were already thinking of how Kazuha looked with another girl. Holding each other? What did your brother mean? Like...hugging? Or...? But you couldn’t ask him about that, could you?!

You sighed out loud and slammed the book you were reading down on the table, just as your phone started ringing. “Kazuha,” you whispered under your breath and looked at your phone screen. Well...you believed in him, and you thought the best way to clear this up is to talk to him about it.

So, you grabbed your phone and retreated into your bedroom to talk to him. You picked up the call, “Kazu-kun?”

“Y/N,” he greeted. Even apart, his voice has this effect on you. Like he was really there and breathing into your ear, sending shivers down your spine. You were sure that you were blushing. “How are you? Are you feeling better?” His voice is smooth and calm and you melt into your bed. “Yeah, a little,”

“Could I come over later? I just want to check on you,” You smile into your phone and close your eyes. Kazuha could never do that to you, you think to yourself. But still, you really wanted to ask. “Of course, I don’t think my parents would mind...Hey,” you start, your fingers nervously drawing circles on your pillow. “My brother said he saw you...with a girl,”

There’s silence on the other line, and you can hear him shifting a little. “A...girl?” He repeats the question and you bite your lip. He sounds unsure and now you were unsure too. “Yeah, he said that you were holding on to each other...or something,” Again some silence, until he makes a sound of understanding.

“Ah, he must mean Sango,” there’s a little lilt to his voice, like he was happy and you were a little jealous. “Sango’s my cousin, she came to surprise me for my birthday week.” Kazuha laughs nervously and adds a little hesitantly. “She...uhm...would like to meet you actually, is it okay if I bring her over today?” 

Your heart sighs in relief, as do you and you don’t realize that you’ve done that out loud. In the next moment though, you smile and nod, even though he can’t see you. “Of course! Bring her over!” 

Albedo (More fluff than angst)

Cleaning at home was one of the things you did to get your mind off of things. Some people would call it tedious, but to you, it was sort of relaxing. It was something easy to do, you didn’t need much of your brain, just motor memory. Folding. Laundry. Ironing. Sweeping. Basic chores.

But when you clean up in the bedroom you shared with your boyfriend, and found a neatly wrapped present, red wrapping paper and blue ribbon tied on the top with a tag that said “To: Leila” you’re a little dumbfounded.

Who’s Leila? Is your first thought. Your second thought is, what’s inside? You hold the nicely wrapped box in your hand and turn it all over, trying to get some type of hint. A flash of doubt seeps into your mind but you shake it away. Albedo isn’t like that...Is he? He’s always so dedicated to his scientific research and sure he comes home late sometimes but he always makes it up to you on the weekends...

So who’s Leila? You ask yourself again. And why hasn’t he mentioned it to you? Why didn’t he ask YOU to wrap it? Menial tasks like these were usually passed on to you. You bite your thumb just thinking about it, but in the end just leave the present where you find it.

Later that night as you’re fixing dinner, you aren’t as bothered by the gift as when you first saw it. But it’s still there at the back of your mind and it resurfaces to the front when you hear the familiar keys rattle. Despite that, as he snakes his arms around your waist from behind you can’t help but smile and melt a little, pressing back against him as he leans over to kiss your cheek. “...Smells nice,” he simply mumbles and closes his eyes, enjoying the warmth of both you and your home.

“Welcome back,” you say, while closing the lid on the pot and turning around to give him a proper kiss on the lips. He hums into the kiss as a response and pulls you away from the stove. “How’s your day?” he asks you first and you smile, because your day is nearly the same time and time again. “Fine, I did find a little secret though...” you start and peek up at his beautiful eyes. 

He nods to ask you to continue. “A present, nicely wrapped. and it’s addressed to someone called Leila,” He looks down at you and you stare at him. A moment passes by before he takes his arms back and go into his thinking pose. “...Leila...?” he asks, eyes averting from your gaze. You wonder if he’s pretending. You wonder if he’s trying to make an excuse up. “...I don’t--” and then his eyebrows twitch. “Ah,” he says and drops his arms to his side.

“We were invited to a birthday party, remember? By a co-worker,” he tucks in strands of your hair as he talks. “It’s her daughter’s first birthday...I don’t care much for such things but you insisted it’d be alright to go.” he chuckles a little. “Her daughter’s name is Leila,” 

You make a sound of understanding. Suddenly your hesitant thoughts wither away. “Hmmm? You could’ve asked me to wrap the present,” Albedo pulls away from you and towards the fridge, wanting a glass of water. “The wrapping wasn’t done by me, it was the shop, free service,” and so it made more sense.

And although you want to ask more questions, like where he got it, when and what’s inside, you realize it’s such a trivial thing. It was not worth that much time. A gift is a gift, and you turn back to continue making dinner while making idle conversation with him. 

Zhongli (Warning: Suggestive) (but this is also my personal favourite... aha...)

“Zhongli?” You arrive home a little early today, dropping your keys at the front shelf. You don’t hear him anywhere and you shuffle around your living room for a while, looking at the letters for today. 

He was on a work from home arrangement today, and he would usually be in his office. You were quite sure that he would’ve come out to greet you though, if he heard you. He must be busy at the moment. 

You’d wanted to wash your hands as soon as you came home, and went for the guest washroom. When you open the door, your eyes land on something on the counter, next to the sink. This bathroom was always kept clean for visitors. You liked to host people once in a while, or just invite friends and you took pride in having them comfortable in your house.

Your eyes narrow as you go closer and your hands pick up a pregnancy test that was lying there. 

It was positive.

You put it back down and shudder a little. You don’t remember getting a pregnancy test. You bite your lip and look at yourself in the mirror. You’re already jumping to conclusions, and you can’t help it. Who the hell would leave a pregnancy test in YOUR guest bathroom? Zhongli didn’t mention anything...

You sigh a breath out and close the bathroom door behind you, taking your phone out to text your best friend.

“There’s a positive pregnancy test in our guest bathroom,”

After a moment, there’s a reply.

“OMG Are you preggers?!”

“No, it’s not mine,”

The next reply takes a moment more. “Oh, maybe ask him?” and you know that your friend hadn’t known what to reply at that moment. Because a random positive pregnancy test in your guest bathroom was NOT a good sign. To top it off, you didn’t announce to Zhongli that you were coming home early today.

Your perk up when you hear noise from the other room. You open the bathroom door slightly, and hear the unmistakable low voice of your fiance, coupled with...the voice of another woman. You close the bathroom door again, not bothering to lock it, and sit on the closed toilet seat. You’re sitting there with nothing in your mind, unable to think.

A few minutes later the voices are louder, they’ve moved to the living room, right outside the bathroom you were in. You tense up, and your jaw tightens. You don’t want to see them. You don’t want to hear them. For a moment you wish that you didn’t come home early, and just pretend this didn’t happen, but the door to the bathroom door opens, leaving you eye to eye with a woman you recognize.

Luna was a beautiful woman. Long cascading brown hair, they’re wavy and stops right at her waist. Doll-like blue eyes and a slender body. She sees you sitting there and you feel stupid, but she just breaks into a grin. “Y/N!” she grabs you by the wrist and pulls you out of the bathroom before you could even say anything. You’re numb, so you don’t respond to anything around you.

Zhongli turns around wide-eyed to see you standing there meekly, not meeting his gaze. He still goes to you though and asks curiously. “When did you come in? I didn’t hear you,” he places a hand on your arm while Luna releases you, but you still don’t look up and he wonders if something happened at your workplace to make you come home so early. “Luna and Childe stopped by,” Zhongli says, in at attempt to cheer you up. You look up, and only then did you realize that Childe was there too, talking animatedly to Luna. You tilt your head sideways, “They came with a surprise. Ah, but it’s not mine to tell,” 

That’s right... Luna and Childe had been together for a while and then it hits you when Luna shows you the same positive pregnancy test you saw on the counter, and announces that she’s pregnant. Your eyes are wide. You can’t tell if you’re more relieved that it wasn’t what you thought or more happy for your friends. You feel horrible about it but you manage to crack a smile and went along with the festivities. The more time passed the more you were able to enjoy their happiness and by the time they left, that was the only time you sighed and let your shoulders slump, exhausted.

“Is something the matter?” Zhongli asked. He noticed how your smiles were a tad bit forced. How you seemed to enjoy everything but also seemed to be on edge. You turn to him and shook your head. “It’s...stupid. It’s my mistake,” but he holds on to your waist and urges you to tell him.

And you tell him. How you came home and saw what you saw in the guest bathroom, what you thought it was and how you felt. The only thing you can feel now is embarrassment and shame. You couldn’t even feel happy for your friend. Zhongli only smiles and combs his hand through your hair. “It’s the normal reaction,” he reassures you, again trying to make you feel better. You only respond with your own hug but his next sentence makes you flustered, all thoughts of earlier gone as he whispers into your ear.

“Would you like your own positive pregnancy test?”

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[leoneliterary]

How would the ROs react to an “oh no there’s only one bed what will we ever do?” scenario?

So this is one of the first asks I received and I was just getting my footing on how to answer asks! To the dear anon who sent it, sorry it took so long, and I'll try to make it worth the wait. Also something very similar to this might appear in the story, except with more detail, so I guess this is also like a sneak peak!

Merikh:

He drags his hand down his face, not even looking at the innkeeper as he tosses some coin to the man. "We're going to need two rooms." Scrunching his nose up at the smell coming from his clothes, he quickly adds, "And access to the baths." The innkeeper gives a gracious smile, and shouts to have baths drawn, but hands back half of the money. "My lord," he starts out hesitantly, "It is our humble honor to offer you lodging, however you came during the Festival of Brishkar." He shakes his head and finishes, "All the other rooms are full of devotees, I can only offer you one." Merikh rubs his face again roughly, before glancing quickly at you. Looking at you for a moment he shakes his head and picks up his coin. "Never mind then, we'll seek other lodging." He moves to walk out the door but you catch his arm. "It'll surely be the case no matter what inn we go to, or they might not even have one room available." the innkeeper nods vigorously in agreement with you. With a deep sigh Merikh places his coin down again and the innkeeper giddily gets up to show you both to your room. Outside the door he hands Merikh the key "You were right anyway" he says begrudgingly, already turning the key, "It'd be more trouble than it's worth to try to find another place, especially when we need to stay out of sight tonight." What you see when the lock clicks and the door opens stops you both in your tracks. A modest room, with a hearth and even some bread and cheese on the table. One bed. Two bath tubs sitting side by side, steaming behind a gauzy partition. Merikh immediately turns to head back out of the door. "This is ridiculous." He's seething and actually trying to shut the door, as if something in the room was trying to pursue him. You stop him again. "Look my lord, the only place that would likely have a bed for us this late would be a brothel, and believe me, you spending the night there would definitely get our whereabouts known." His shoulders slump and he knows you're right. "Besides," you add with a wry smile, "The water is already hot." Bristling at this, he begins to walk down the hall and back downstairs, he calls out over his shoulder, "Enjoy your bath, I'll enjoy a drink before I come back up.", irritation clear in his voice. He knows he won't drink however, instead he sits in a corner in the common area, water in hand, knowing that the most foolish thing he could do would be to be drunk in the same bed with you. Liquor would only make the already troublesome images in his head worse. The steam rising from the tub, instead rising from your skin. The idea of you tangled in sheets, still bare from your bath. He slaps the sides of his face and stays down there, staring into his cup. When he finally returns, it looks like you've kept a lamp lit for him but the bath water is cold. It's exactly what he needs. He sits at the edge of the bed, listening to the soft sounds of you breathing before he falls asleep just like that. Sitting up, hunched over, gripping the sides of the bed.

Desma:

She gives a big stretch, and sniffs the fabric of her clothing before wrinkling her face dramatically. "Ugh, we smell!" Giving her a smack on the shoulder you cry out in mock indignation. "Why are you saying we when you just sniffed yourself?" She let's out a snort before calling out loudly to the innkeeper she shouts, "You throw in baths with the room, or am I to wash myself in a tankard?" The innkeeper gives a gracious smile, and shouts to have baths drawn. With a wink he tosses Desma a key which she dangles at you and you both begin to head upstairs. Desma roles her shoulders, giving you a smile as you walk up the steps. "How lucky are we right? Finding a room during the Brishkar festival!" You nod in agreement, adding while Desma turns the key, "Looks like a pretty decent place to stay out of sight too." When the lock clicks and the door eases open and you step in, what you see gives you both pause. Like you said, it's a decent place. A modest room, with a hearth and even some bread on the table. One bed. Two bath tubs sitting side by side, steaming behind a gauzy partition. Desma turns to you with a wide smile. "And they even included some bread!" Giddy with excitement she walks in to inspect the room. "Ah but they forgot the cheese! No worries, you hop in the tub and I'll go get us some from the kitchen!" With that she practically prances out the door, leaving you to your bath. As soon as the door closes behind her, she slumps against the wall taking deep breaths. It is fine. It is fine. It is fine. The words reverberate in her head like a prayer. She feels like slapping herself. It's not like it'll be the first time you shared a room together. Hell, it won't even be the first time your shared a bed together. But she knows that things are different now. At least for her. She wants you in her bed. She wants to cover you in kisses just so that you know that you're as much her's as she's yours. But you aren't, and she can't. She actually does get the cheese, and when she comes back you're in bed waiting for her. She chats with you from the bath as you eat the bread with the cheese she brought and everything is fine. And she smiles wide, maybe too hard when she joins you in bed and extinguishes the lamp. As you settle close to her, her eyes close but sleep doesn't come. Lying next to you, she can't hold you, at least not the way she wants to. Looking at you, sleeping soundly, she let's out a bitter chuckle. "I'm a fool."

Laverna:

She holds out a coin pouch to the innkeeper. "We are both in need of a room." she says quietly. The innkeeper grins and reaches out for the pouch, but Laverna withdraws her hand quickly and raises her eyebrows at him. "We are also in need of your discretion."

"Of course my lady, you'll hear nothing from this servant." With a knowing smile he takes the coin purse before turning to look you up and down. "I'll also call for baths to be drawn."

It's only a brief wait before he returns with a key. You take it from his hands and lead the way upstairs.

Laverna shrugs her hood off as you both reach the door, letting out a sigh of relief when you turn the key. "Thank heavens they had a room!" her relief is short lived and a wave of worry flits across her face. "Do you think I gave him enough to keep him quiet? What if he recognized me? I'll go pay him a little bit more!"

She moves to head back down stairs but you grab her cloak, keeping her from moving forward. "Easy now, he'll get suspicious if you keep throwing money at him." She lets out a small laugh and looks down as you continue. Grabbing the other side of her cloak as well to pull her a little bit closer, you give her a teasing smile, before giving her hood a tug. "Between this and the fact that I'm sure you aren't the only lady having a dalliance with someone below your station on the night of the Brishkar festival, he probably won't pay us a second thought."

At that she takes in a sharp breath of air and rushes past you and heads inside the room. With a laugh and a shake of your head, you follow her in.

What you see gives you both pause. The room is immaculate, clearly used to having wealthy guests, with soft cushions in front of a large hearth and even a platter stacked with bread, cheese and fruit. Two bath tubs sit side by side, steaming behind a gauzy partition.

And one bed. You turn to look at Laverna, who just stands there. She stares at the bed, mouth slightly parted, lost in thought. Finally she breaks the silence.

Eyes boring holes in the floor, she fiddles with the edge of her cloak before asking, "Would you like to bathe first?" Before you can answer, she hurries out, "Actually, you can bathe, I do not need to! In fact I'm tired, I'll see you in bed!"

With that she crosses the room and practically dives into the bed and nestles deeply under the covers.

Her heart pounds in embarrassment, but there is also the faint thud of hope. She hides her face further under the covers as she hears you slip into the water.

What if we were lovers? She thinks and has to resist the urge to slap herself. But the damage is done. Under the covers she thinks about how things would be if the circumstances were different. If she were to join you in the bath or to bed you. If her hands could trace your body or if she could feel your skin on hers underneath the covers.

She stiffens as you get into bed and softly whisper goodnight to her.

Like a lover. Echos in her head until she can hear your breaths slow to the rhythm of sleep. She hesitantly touches your hand. "Goodnight." she whispers.

Sutek:

"I need a room. Quickly." The innkeeper hurries to hand Sutek a key with shaking hands, which he quickly takes. Grabbing your arm he tugs you up the stairs.

"Easy!" you shout, wincing at the grip on your arm. "It's not like I'm going to run! Neither of us will benefit from being seen tonight."

He let's out a grunt and looks at you with a raised brow, clearly not believing you. Nevertheless, he releases his hold on you, instead turning to unlock the door to the room. When the lock clicks and the door eases open he begins to walk in but stops short, causing you to bump into him. It's a decent place. A modest room, with a hearth and even some bread on the table. One bed. Two bath tubs sitting side by side, steaming behind a gauzy partition. "How generous! Bread and a bath!" You keep your voice light, trying to fend off the growing tension in the room.

Shoulders tense, he glares at the bed and then throws an equally fierce look at the two tubs. He lets out a bone rattling sigh before pulling you into the room and locking the door behind you both.  He checks the room.  The water in the tub, under the bed, even cautiously looking out of the only window of the room. “If you want to bathe, you can.”

Your eyebrows shoot up and he knows you’re probably surprised.  He is too. 

“Like you said, neither of us wants to be seen tonight.” He grips the dagger tied in his sash, watching as your eyes flicker from it back to his face, eyebrows still raised.  “I don’t think you’ll run.”  

With that he turns his back to you and sits on a cushion in front of the fire.

A mistake.

He waits to hear your footfalls, or feel the impact of you slamming into him, instead he hears the rustling of clothing and the slosh of water as you settle into the tub. 

Are you actually...bathing?

Shocked he alternates between staring into the fire and out of the window, back firmly towards you.  He stiffens when he hears you climb into bed.

Could you really be prepared to sleep in the same room as him?

The sound of your breathing evening out causes him to turn toward you incredulously.  There you are, resting peacefully. He doesn’t move, the room silent except for the crackling of the fire and your breathing.  

He could join you.

He could be close to you, even if it’s just for the night.

He dwells in these thoughts from his place in front of the fire for the rest of the night.

Sarai:

"We are both in need of a room." she says firmly. The innkeeper shakes his head, his hands raised.

"Dear lady, I would, but we are full."

Sarai narrows her eyes and removes her earrings. The weight of their gold landing on the counter with a thud. She crosses her arms.

"How about now?"

"Of course my lady, whatever you request of this servant." With a knowing smile he takes the coin purse before turning to look you up and down. "I'll also call for baths to be drawn."

It's only a brief wait before he returns with a key. You take it from his hands and lead the way upstairs.

"I loathe price gouging." She scowls as you both head up the stairs.

You laugh and nod, "Oh he could probably smell the money on you, and you throwing jewelry at him didn't help!"

She scoffs but you can see the hint of a smile.

You open the door for her, but what you see gives you both pause. The room is immaculate, clearly used to having wealthy guests, with soft cushions in front of a large hearth and even a platter stacked with bread, cheese and fruit. Two bath tubs sit side by side, steaming behind a gauzy partition.

And one bed. You turn to look at Sarai. She blinks, then blinks again before heading over to the baths.

"Thank the heavens that the water is still hot." She wrinkles her nose at you. "Because we both need a bath."

She pulls you over to the tubs and doesn't look at you when she says, "I think we can both trust our eyes not to wander."

But once in the tub she immediately regrets her bravado. There you are. You and your body, just an arm's length away from her, yet she can't look or touch. Who came up with this?

She takes the quickest bath of her life and dresses in a hurry until she realizes that you fresh from the bath was one thing, you fresh from the bath and in her bed was another.

She moves before she thinks and begins to throw pillows and covers onto the floor.

"You can sleep down there." she calls to you through the partition an seeks refuge under the covers.

But the covers offer no escape, because all the things she wants to do with you, and all of the feelings she has for you are still there, bubbling at the surface.

Nari:

You both ride up to a seemingly abandoned house. Pulling your horses up beside it, Nari takes the initiative to knock, only for the door to creak open.

"At least something will be easy tonight." you sigh, weary from the ride and the night's events.

Nari let's out a grunt in agreement, but still carefully peaks inside. It seems even she couldn't take this turn of good fortune at face value.

Once she pokes her head in, she let's out a soft "Oh no."

You rush to her side to see what has upset her and take in the small one room home. It's a step above poverty stricken. A fire pit, and a table with an old lap are pretty much all that's there. That and a single bed. You turn from the bed and look at Nari, only to find her looking at you, as if in a daze.

"How nice of the owners to have a bed ready for us, right?" You keep your voice light, trying to fend off the growing tension in the room.

“Our bed...”

Your eyebrows shoot up and she blinks rapidly, like she's recovering from a spell.

“I mean, yes—the bed, we could use it—for sleep!” She grips the hilt of her sword and furrows her brow, mentally kicking herself.

Use the bed for sleep? What else is a bed used for, Great Heavenly Architect strike her down now!

The problem is, that she knows what beds are used for besides sleep. And if you both shared a bed...

You could do those together.

With that thought she leaves the small home with a shout of "I'll stand watch!" and a promise of waking you for your turn.

She knows that she won't. Just like she knows that she won't do anything in bed with you. She'll just think about it.

All night.

Vividly.

Great Heavenly Architect strike her down now!

Aretas:

"I sent Isam ahead for a room." Aretas takes your hand and pulls you past the common area of the room, tugging his hood lower as you both head up the stairs.

"Slow down" you laugh, "If you're trying to avoid looking suspicious, then pulling me up the stairs in a cloak isn't the way to do it."

He stops and looks at you sheepishly, but doesn't let go of your hand. "Sorry, it's just it was so hard to find a room, and I've actually never been in an inn." When the lock clicks and the door eases open he begins to walk in but stops short, causing you to bump into him. It's a decent place. A modest room, with a hearth and even some bread on the table. One bed. "Oh, and there's bread? You should give Isam extra coin!" You keep your voice light, trying to fend off the growing tension in the room.

Shoulders tense, he glares at the bed.

"I should give Isam a death sentence." he mutters under his breath. Then he perks up as if something just occurred to him.

"We sleep back to back, that way if anything happens during the night, the other will be alerted!"

When you nod at his suggestion, he has to hold in a sigh of relief.

Please don't suspect his real motivation.

Please don't notice that he just wants your closeness and he'll take what he can get.

He climbs in first, and the moment you pull up the covers he extinguishes the lamp, lest you see the look on his face.

The warmth of your back bleeds through the fabric that separates you both and oh, how he wishes it was gone. He wishes that he wasn't such a coward, that he could turn over and tell you the truth about how he wants you.

But it's weak. It would be weak to lay himself bare before you, but he still wishes he could. And so the night is not filled with sleep for the young king, instead silent wishes and your soft breaths fill his head and heart.

Heka:

"Hello Brother! May we shelter with you tonight?" Heka smiles wildly at the older monk who opened the gate to the isolated temple.

The older monk squints at Heka's smiling face and let's out a reluctant sigh, before opening the door.

"The little brother knows that I can't say no, so why bother with the formalities?" he mutters more to himself than the two of you.

"Come, come. We have one pavilion for guests, but I've already eaten, so don't expect a meal."

Heka simply smiles and gives a bow. "Of course brother, and we are sorry to interrupt you during the festival."

The grumpy monk just sighs and leads you to an overgrown pavilion and leaves you both there without a second glance. Despite the meager lodgings, Heka is brimming with excitement.

"It's truly a blessing to find a place like this. Away from everything!" He doesn't enter the the pavilion, instead he runs up to it, running his hand over the faded walls. "These etchings look like they're from my teacher's time!"

He catches himself and looks at you, amusement dancing in your eyes.

"Oh no Heka, " you hold up your hands with a laugh, "Don't let me interrupt your inspection!"

He laughs and fiddles with his sash. Flustered he turns away from you looks at the pavilion again. "I know it's foolish to be happy about old wood but," he gives a wistful sigh before looking at you again, "it just reminds me of home. Let's go in." The door eases open with a creek and he begins to walk in but stops short, causing you to bump into him. Calling it humble would be being generous. With a small coal pan some bread on the table, meager would be a better term. Oh, and one bed. "Well, the cushions look soft!" You keep your voice light, trying to fend off the growing tension in the room.

Heka slowly turns toward you, eyes closed and a tight smile on his face. “I need to join my brother in prayer. We must chant and pray for the festival. You—you stay here, and rest well!”

"Should I join you—"

"No, no! Monk business!" with that he dashes out the door.

Heka runs through the overgrown temple, not to the other monk and certainly not to you. Under the moon he rests under a tree, feet still but his mind still racing.

It's a sin to lie, but these thoughts that he has for you can't be permitted either. He respects you, but as he imagines how it would feel to caress you under those covers, to breath you in, he knows that respect isn't all he has for you.

He wants to share your warmth, he wants to be yours and for you to be his.

Want.

The chill of the night feels like the only thing keeping him from igniting.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Fully Completely 1

Warnings: non-consent sex and rape (series), attempted violence, mutual irritation.

This is dark!Loki x reader and explicit. 18+ only.  Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Series Synopsis: There’s a new face in Birch and he’s come to haunt your door.

Sister series to Smalltown Bringdown, When the Weight Comes Down, and Little Bones

Note: I did not plan to get the first part done so soon. I will probably be setting time aside as I write this to also work on some original stuff. When it comes to that, I’d love if y’all might let me know what you think would be a better medium to release it? Kindle, Patreon, etc. I’m really not sure but if it was Patreon it would like be two series running at once with a chapter of each a month + Q&A and maybe some bonus materials? I am a noob at this shit and it wouldn’t be for a while yet.

Anyways, I’m rambling...

Thanks to everyone for their patience and feedback. :)

I really hope you enjoy. 💋

<3 Let me know what you think with a like or reblog or reply or an ask! Love ya!

Chapter 1: She simply slammed the door

💀💀💀

The garage smelled like oil and snow. The cold air seeped under the closed metal door as you sat on the low stool and affixed the new headlight to the propped up Harley. It was only the start of an impractical rebuild; your brother wanted everything metal replaced with chrome. You thought it was obnoxious but the parts were paid for and you could never complain for money.

You were funded exclusively by the town’s club, your garage not far from The Asp where the members hung out and revved the engines you found yourself looking at more often than you liked. You were good at what you did though and privileged for it. You had the protection of the club without having to devote yourself truly to its bounds.

You checked the wiring and rolled away from the bike to change the station as the radio crackled. The snow kept setting the speaker to static and the noise was driving you mad. You flipped the switch to play the cassette stuck in the drawer, the old stereo beaten up and filthy. Springsteen’s gristled tones filled the shop and you wheeled back to your brother’s ride.

With the storm would no doubt come more work. Your fingerless gloves itched more than they kept you warm. Your fingertips were numb as you touched the frigid metal and the sweat of your palms made the fabric uncomfortable. You were used to it, rather tolerant as your task kept you distracted.

You were interrupted as you bent to look under the tank and get a good look at the exhaust and the rest of the beast’s entrails. You had the new pieces still wrapped and didn’t intend to do it all at once. Jerome could wait for his tacky redesign.

A loud banging came at the metal door and you glanced over in irritation. Anyone in Birch knew to come in the painted door to the left and not hit the large one. You huffed and stood with a groan, your hips sore from the low stool. 

You fixed the front of your fleece-lined denim jacket and pulled the tail of your plaid shirt from inside your jean pocket. You’d been hunched over so long you were all wrinkled. You went past the large door and into the small entryway off the left of the garage and opened it with a tinkle of the rusty old bell above.

You stuck your head out into the gales as the snow continued to fall and squinted at the man in his thin jacket. He stood beside the long luxury car as another man with wild orange hair remained in the driver’s seat and blew into his hands. They were out of place in the small town and you could tell by the way the man scowled at the door that he knew it.

“Hey,” you called to them, “there’s a place down the street. I don’t do walk-ins.”

“Oh, hello, Miss…” he let his voice trail off as he neared and you stared at him rather than provide your name. His accent, his attire, the curl of his lip, it was clear what he thought of you and the bodunk town, “actually I was referred by an acquaintance. One, James Barnes.”

“Bucky?” you furrowed your brow.

“Mm, yes, that one,” he said, “my car will need detailing. We had some difficulties on the motorway.”

“Right,” you tried not to scowl, “well, if he sent you, I guess I can help.”

You left him and the door clattered behind you. He followed a few steps after as you went to the switch and pushed it to raise the wide door of the garage. You waved in the driver of the car and he carefully pulled in beside your brother’s bike. 

He got out and you were surprised by his size, he was taller even then his companion and wider; neither could be described as short. You lowered the door as the thinner man walked along the shelves and the long table along the other side of the garage. The bigger man stood by the car and tucked his hands in his pockets.

“Not much better in here than out there,” the dark-haired man turned back to you, “you have heat in here?”

“You need a better coat,” you said as you rounded the back of the car, “and some boots.”

You glanced pointedly at his leather shoes and bent to reach under the table. You pulled out the space heater and plugged it in as you set on the wood. You cranked it up and smiled at him tritely.

“So, what’s the damage?” you asked as you looked to the other man.

“Headlight, maybe,” he said in a peculiar accent, “some scratches. We had a bit off a run-in.”

You neared and bent to examine the front of the car. You sighed as you tilted your head and clicked your tongue. It was easy enough to beat out the dents and buff out the scratches with a quick refinish. The headlight would need to be replaced and you knew they didn’t carry anything for that model in town. No one there was pretentious enough to drive it.

“If you want the headlight done before you leave town, it’ll take some time to get the replacement,” you warned.

“Oh, and how do you know I’m leaving?” he taunted coyly.

“Well, I know you’re definitely not sticking around,” you scoffed.

“Why wouldn’t I? A quaint place like this, I’m sure there is so much to explore,” he said dryly.

You had no delusions of what Birch was but it wasn’t the part of outsiders to deride the dead end. You stood straight and put your hands on your hips.

“You can go back to your castle, my lord, but you will have to wait out the storm,” you sneered. “Two days for the scratches. If you want to take it back after that and wait for the headlight to arrive, that’s fine with me.”

“Two days for the scratches? Surely you could do it before the morning,” the black-haired man insisted.

“I could but I have other work to do,” you replied, “so you can be patient and take your turn in line after all the hicks who live here.”

You went back to the table and grabbed your phone from where you tossed it earlier. You unlocked it and searched the model of his car and scrolled through the parts list. 

“You’re Bucky’s guest so I’ll send the bill to him?” you asked, “though you do look to be able to afford it yourself.”

“You can invoice him directly,” he assured, “so you’re one of them?”

“One of them?” you repeated as you focused on checking out. The damn internet kept cutting in and out.

“My brother, those men in this town, I never knew a woman--”

“I’m not a biker. My brother is in the club,” you assured him, “so that big blond dope, he’s your brother?”

“Regrettably, yes,” he slithered, “Loki Odinson,” he introduced himself as he rubbed together his hands, the leather gloves doing little to protect his fingers, “my driver is Korg, and you’ve yet to tell me with whom I am trusting my property.”

“Again, there is a shop down the street. Prices aren’t bad,” you finished up your purchase and tucked your phone in your jacket pocket.

He met your eyes as you turned to him and he looked down his nose. You kept on and brushed past him as you went back around the car and sat by your brother’s bike.

“Sorry about the boss,” the other man, Korg, intoned, “he can be a bit--”

“Don’t apologise for me,” Loki snipped, “I needn’t atone to her.”

You rolled your eyes and wheeled around the side of the bike, “if that’s everything, you two can head back out. I’ll let you know when the car’s ready.”

“We might wait for the snow to calm,” Loki suggested.

“I close in an hour, you’re not staying here all night,” you sniffed.

“Trust me, I have no special desire to spend more time with you than necessary,” he retorted, “I don’t think I’ve ever met a woman so volatile as you, dear, and I’ve only just met you. I never expected you people to have very many manners but perhaps what I did presume was too much.”

You bared your teeth but kept at your work. You would worry about kicking him out when you finished the wiring.

“To be fair, had you not spoken first, I might’ve assumed you were a man,” he added.

You paused and glanced down at the open tool box. You weren’t unused to the comments, you weren’t girly in any way but it wasn’t like you were trying to be a man. You wore what was comfortable and in your work, practicality prevailed over aesthetic. Yet, your years of ridicule as a kid made you less tolerant of the comments and those had stopped long ago because you made sure they did.

“Oh, darling, have I upset you?”

“Don’t call me that,” you said as you reached into the toolbox.

“Well, you’ve not given your name and I’d hate call you what I truly think of you--”

The wrench flew from your hand as you stood and spun to him. It barely missed his head and bounced off the wall and plunked onto the table beside the heater. His eyes rounded and the other man looked at him. There was a thick silence as you glared at him.

“If you weren’t a friend of Bucky’s, I wouldn’t’ve missed,” you hissed, “now I will kindly, before I reach for a bigger wrench, ask you to leave.”

He pushed his shoulders back and tilted his head as his lips thinned dangerously. He swallowed and beckoned the other man with two fingers. His cheek twitched as if he would grin and he nodded subtly.

“Well, darling, how amusing you are. These brutes must adore you,” he snarled, “the exterior does indeed say it all.”

You bent and reached for another tool blindly. He blinked and quickly dodged as you flung the next wrench and he followed his henchman to the entryway. Your temper was a match for many men. It kept you safe.

“Barnes did not say his mechanic was a madwoman,” Loki called back as the bell rang.

“What, are you going to tattle on me?” You stormed towards the doorway, “you precious little princess?”

“Princess?” he met you in the doorway as Korg behind him held the door open and the snow blustered in, “I know Barnes will do me no other favours, but do you think he’ll do you any?”

“Get out,” you spat and shoved him, “I don’t need men to take care of me and I have no problem in proving that.”

He bit the inside of his lip in a crooked smirk and winked before he turned away and strutted out into the snow, shielding his face from the wild winds. Korg trailed behind him and the door sprang back into the frame. You crossed your arms and glared at the peeling paint. 

You were tempted to tow his car out and let it weather the storm but you were smarter than that. If he was doing business with Bucky, you would be a fool to get in the way of it. 

💀

The snow dwindled to a lazy dusting, the ground thick and treacherous. That day, you started early and around noon, you headed across the street to the diner for your usual lunch of a club sandwich and black coffee. You didn’t have to order as all the waitresses knew what to expect. You weren’t unfriendly but your association made many standoffish.

You tapped on the lip of your mug with your thumb, fingers hooked through the handle. The sleepy town felt dead in the winter. You were used to the dullness of Birch but tolerance was hardly happiness. It was home, where you’d grown up and you had no certain desire to get out, but you wouldn’t mind a little more than what was expected.

You yawned and gulped down the last of your coffee. It was bitter and left a few grounds on your tongue. You leaned back and grabbed the monthly newsletter from between the salt and pepper shakers. You read through the fun facts which weren’t very fun or even new. They were copy and pasted out Guinness and Reader’s Digest.

You looked up as you sensed someone approach your table but it wasn’t the waitress. The man from the day before slid coolly onto the seat across from you at the booth and smirked over the table. You raised the newsletter again and folded it backwards to read about the weekly knitting circle down at the rec center that was also the library.

“Good afternoon to you too,” Loki said, “it must be fortune I ran into you, I was hoping to inquire after my car--”

“I told you, two days,” you said tersely as you continued onto your horoscope …‘a new force will bring change’... You hated this tripe. You swore, every month they just switched the blurbs under each sign and hit print.

“So be it,” he cleared his throat and you lowered the paper as he shrugged out of his jacket.

“What are you doing? I eat my lunch alone,” you said.

“Well, to be frank, I was pointed here on the promise of some famous cabbage soup,” he explained as he folded his jacket over the seat next to him, “you looked like you needed company.”

“I don’t,” you assured him.

Kimmie came over and set down your sandwich. She greeted Loki and you saw the way she eyed his tailored suit. He stuck out in the town of flannels and denim.

“Hello, sir, can I get you something to drink?” she asked.

“Tea, English breakfast,” he ordered smoothly.

“Oh, sorry, we only have um, um, sorry, peppermint, earl grey, ginger lemon, and green,” she listed off as she tried to remember them all.

“Earl grey,” he sighed, “and a menu.”

“No, no menu,” you insisted, “and you can take his tea to another table.”

“And when we’re through, I’ll take the cheque,” he ignored you and snickered under his breath.

“Kimmie, can I get a to go box?” you asked as you shimmied off the seat and snatched up your coat, “I have to get back to work.” You took out your wallet and counted out the usual amount plus a tip, “thanks.”

“Of course,” she smiled awkwardly and glanced between you and Loki.

She scooped your sandwich back up and scurried away with it. You felt him watching you as you walked away and went to stand by the till as you watched Nora flit into the kitchen. She packed up your food and returned with the box. You took it and headed for the door, ignoring the arrogant out-of-towner on your way.

“Wait,” Kimmie called out your name and you turned back as she held up your keys, “you dropped these.”

You met her halfway and took them from her with a mutter. Again, he was watching you… or still watching you. She spun and promised she’d have his tea shortly.

“Hmm,” he hummed and you head to the door again, “interesting, I never would have put the name to the face.”

You pushed out into the snow and gritted your teeth. You thought of getting the work on his car out of the way quickly so he would leave you alone but your spite made you want to put it off entirely. Whatever. He’d be gone soon enough.

[comfyswitcherblanketfort]

IUI - The Way I Love You

bear with me here folks

I know the Idiots are usually soft af. but my lovely spouse/fiance/soon-to-be-fiance and beta @dani-dandelino hit me with an idea and I added a dash handful of angst bc i couldn’t help it

Warnings: feelings of inadequacy, fear of breakup (no actual breakup I promise), miscommunication, drunk af Geralt, past shitty relationships, happy ending tho I promise, there’s tears but they’re happy I swear.

______________________________________

Geralt only ever got sloppy drunk when Jaskier was the DD. It wasn’t necessarily that he didn’t trust anyone else, it was that he didn’t trust his drunk boyfriend not to goad him into something stupid. 

The last time they’d both gotten fucked up outside of their apartment they woke up with three traffic cones and a “Speed Hump” sign in their living room. When they asked Triss what happened she sent them a video of them giggling as they tried to fit the sign into her trunk.

After hanging the sign in their apartment, they decided it may be best to take turns. 

This particular instance, they’d dropped Triss and Yen off and were on their way home, Geralt’s head lolling against the window as he fought to stay awake. 

“I’m not carrying your perky ass upstairs,” Jaskier laughed, snapping his fingers near Geralt’s ear. 

Geralt grumbled but sat up straight and leaned into Jaskier’s outstretched hand, “Radio.”

Affectionately rolling his eyes, Jaskier pulled his hand away and flipped on the radio. Geralt immediately gasped and started singing along off key and slurred. The first time Jaskier heard Geralt scream along to Taylor Swift he’d been shocked, if extremely endeared. 

“BUT I MISS SCREAMIN’ AND FIGHTIN AND KISSIN IN THE RAIN! IT’S TWO AM AND I’M CURSIN’ YOUR NAME! SO IN LOVE THAT WE ACTED INSANE, AND THAT’S THE WAY I LOVED YOUUUUUUUUU!”

Jaskier turned the volume down to a reasonable level when Geralt cranked it so loud his ears might start ringing. He rolled his eyes when Geralt started singing it to him, taking the shortcut home and trying to ignore the little pit forming in his stomach. 

When the song ended Geralt turned the radio down and picked up his hand not gripping the steering wheel, “Jask?”

“Mhm?”

Even in the car, Geralt glanced around conspiratorially before whispering, “I have a secret.”

Fear flared in Jaskier’s chest but he took a deep, calming breath, reminding himself who he was talking to. His boyfriend thought secrets were fun. Mostly because Geralt’s version of a secret was keeping what he made for dinner a surprise until Jaskier got home. He’d even felt guilty not telling Jaskier he was seeing a therapist when they’d started dating. For all his gruff exterior and suspicion, Geralt really was an open book with those he loved and trusted. Jaskier had a very different idea of what secrets in a relationship meant. 

“What’s that, love?” 

Geralt giggled as he traced the edges of a magnolia on the back of Jaskier’s wrist, “That is the way I love you.”

Luckily for Jaskier’s car, they were rolling up to a stop sign. He had time to loose his breath for a moment and fight back the initial feeling of shame and anger with himself before he pulled his hand away and gripped the steering wheel as he punched the gas. 

Through gritted teeth, he said the gentlest thing he could think of, “We don’t kiss in the rain.”

Geralt frowned, almost pouted at him, “I still love you.”

A part of Jaskier wanted to scream at Geralt, another part wanted to pull over and make him walk home, thankfully the loudest part reminded him the idiot was just drunk. He didn’t know what he was saying and he thought he was being sweet. There was also a good possibility he would cry himself to sleep in the passenger seat if Jaskier yelled at him and last time he tried to carry Geralt to bed his back hurt for a week. 

“I love you too,” Jaskier sighed as he pulled into their parking spot. 

He didn’t sleep well that night. Not because his sweaty, smelly, and fidgety boyfriend clung to him in his sleep, but because he couldn’t stop thinking about the ride home. 

Jaskier had lived in relationships like that for most of his adult life. Hell, even in his teens. They were nothing but all consuming passion with no connection to support it and left both parties jaded and lost. When he left his mentor he’d sat in Yen’s chair for hours and hours, until his arm had gone numb, and the only thing he could think was ‘never again’. 

And now Geralt thought he was being cute. The ridiculously meticulous and serious man was only ever sappy when he got drunk and now instead of reveling in it like he’d like, Jaskier was staring at the clock on his nightstand calculating how exhausted he’d be in the morning as the minutes ticked by. 

Turns out, he was at least in the land of the living by the time Geralt shuffled into the kitchen with his hands in his hair and a pained expression. 

“Feel like shit.”

Jaskier hummed in agreement as he sipped his morning tea and shifted in his seat to see better out the window. 

After popping a few anti-inflammatories and nibbling on a cracker before giving up on food, Geralt lumbered up behind Jaskier and draped his arms over his shoulders, “What’s wrong?”

“S’nothing. I’m just being… touchy.”

Geralt pressed a light kiss over the hellebore tattoo on Jaskier’s neck, “I doubt it.”

Tears threatened to spill from his eyes as Jaskier laid his hand over Geralt’s arm across his chest, “I don’t want to lose this.”

“Why…? What makes you think you would?” Geralt was a little slower on the draw hungover, but he knelt next to Jaskier’s chair and rested a hand on his knee as he waited for a response. He only ever looked so worried when Roach had an abscess and it broke Jaskier’s heart. He didn’t want to say it and ruin everything. 

After a deep breath in, he mumbled out his answer, “Do you really love me like that song?”

“What song?” Geralt breathed, his thumb brushing back and forth over Jaskier’s knee.

“The uh, Way I Loved You one.”

Geralt searched his face for a beat, the crease between his eyebrows only deepening, “Of course I do.”

“Fuck,” Jaskier breathed, biting his lip to keep it from wobbling as he forced all the air from his lungs in the hopes it would do something to stop the tears from falling. When it was clear he would lose the battle he leaned forward with his elbows on the table, hiding his face in his hands.

“You… don’t want me to?” Geralt sounded close to tears himself, but he didn’t take his hand off Jaskier’s thigh. 

“No- yes! No?” Jaskier sniffed and wiped at his face but didn’t lean back to look at Geralt, “I- Geralt I can’t just fill a hollow relationship with lust. We ha- I thought we had more? But if you want the- the fights and the hate fucking- I don’t- Geralt I don’t want that. Not with anyone but not with you. Ne-”

“Hey, hey,” Geralt tugged at Jaskier’s arm, gathering him to his chest when the brunette melted into sobs, “I don’t want that. That’s not what I meant. I’m sorry, love. I’m so sorry I let you think that.” He cradled Jaskier’s head to his shoulder, pressing kisses into his hair between softly spoken apologies and reassurances. They stayed there until Jaskier’s tea went cold and his sobs were closer to little gasps. 

Eventually, Jaskier lifted his head and met Geralt’s eyes, “H-how do you love me?”

Geralt licked his lips, his voice barely above a whisper, “Not- It’s not hollow.”

Jaskier squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his forehead to Geralt’s, “Please?”

One of Geralt’s hands came up to cup Jaskier’s cheek as he took a deep breath, “I’ve never loved anyone like I love you… I never wanted to be romantic with anyone until you. You… You make me feel… safe. I’m never bored of you or numb or sick of you. This is the first relationship I’ve had where I bother to fight, Jask. I love you so much it makes me do things I never thought to do and I’m glad and I never want to change anything about us. Never.” 

A shiver ran down Jaskier’s spine as relief flooded his whole body. His throat ached from crying and his shoulders were sore from holding all that tension in a way they hadn’t for years, but he’d never felt so good. Geralt loved him. Him. Not some tumultuous relationship or the sex or the drama of it all. Someone finally loved him for him. 

It hadn’t really hit Jaskier till then. They’d said ‘I love you’, sure, but he hadn’t really believed Geralt, just like he’d stopped believing the string of selfish lovers before him. 

“Thank Mellitelle,” Jaskier laughed, just on this side of hysterical as he tightened his grip around Geralt’s shoulders, “I fucking love how boring we are. And you. Fuck I really really do love you.”

“Even when I smell like my regulars?” Geralt teased, intentionally huffing a little extra and dosing Jaskier in his horrendous hangover morning breath.

Jaskier wrinkled his nose but smiled and kissed him anyway, “Of course.”

“Mhh,” Geralt pulled away for a moment, brushing his thumb over Jaskier’s crows feet in a silent request for him to open his eyes, “Can we go back to bed?”

“The crying does it for you, huh?” Jaskier chuckled, his voice was still weak but his laugh was genuine.

“I’m so dizzy, Jask,” squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head ever so slightly, Geralt plopped back onto his heels. If Jaskier hadn’t witnessed just how much he drank he’d say he was lying, but Jaskier was truly surprised he’d even climbed out of bed this morning.

“Mkay, up. Back to bed then.”

They settled under the blankets and tangled themselves back together. Geralt hummed, closing his eyes and squeezing Jaskier a little tighter.

New, happier tears threatened at the corners of his eyes but he pushed them down, opting to trace the corner of Geralt’s buttercup tattoo peeking out of his shirt, “I love you.”

Geralt took a deep breath in before he sighed out a rumbling, “I know.”

“No, Geralt. Really,” Jaskier laid his hand over the yellow and green ink, “I’ve said these words more times than I can count but I don’t think I ever really understood them until you.”

“Jaski-”

“I love you,” Jaskier’s interruption was far smaller and far more fragile than he had intended. His words just continued to spill out, “You’re steady and calm and I’ve never had that. I don’t know what it’s supposed to be like and I’m constantly scared I’m gonna fuck it up…”

Comforting fingers ran through his hair as Geralt murmured his reply, “Me too,” Jaskier just squeezed his shoulder in a bit of solidarity and a bit of selfish comfort, “But I think we’re doing alright…”

“Why’s that?”

“Well,” Geralt started, shifting so he was practically engulfing Jaskier, “we both still love each other, and...” his boyfriend pinched him when he trailed off, pretending to fall asleep in a way that always mad Jaskier giggle, “Ow- and you use the hooks by the front door.” 

“I do, don’t I?” Jaskier sniffled, “And you used your words.”

“I’d use all the words for you.”

“All of them?”

Geralt really was drifting away this time, his words coming slowly as his arms relaxed and Jaskier felt their full weight over him, “Not well, but I would...” 

[abbacchiosbelt]

Excerpts for potential stories from my upcoming project, Royals & Rogues.

LISA LISA, THE KNIGHT ✩

“A lone knight stands in front of the throne room, eyes sharp. She was silent -her stature spoke for her. Her gaze never leaves you, making your skin prickle. Though you had been invited as part of the audience to the throne room, the knight spared you no clemency in her observation of you.

Your guide, Suzi Q, nudges you. “That’s Lisa Lisa,” she whispers. “Isn’t she incredible? No knight has ever bested her.” Suzi Q grins at you, lowering her voice. “And she’s so beautiful. Don’t you think?”

You swallow at the thought of being under a woman as powerful and intimidating as Lisa Lisa, averting your eyes from Suzi Q’s prying gaze and clearing your throat. Suzi Q giggles and stands back to attention next to you. You follow suit and stand straight up, glancing at the knight.

You swear Lisa Lisa is looking right through you - had she heard all of that... and had she seen how you hadn’t even been able to speak?”

PROSCIUTTO, THE MERCENARY ✧

The blonde man hisses as you put a rag to his wound, the cut bleeding through the rag faster than you can keep up. For the most part, the man is stoic, only letting out a few grunts of pain as you clean his wound. After a few more tense minutes, the bleeding starts to slow down and you’re able to get cloth wrapped around the injured area on his arm. When he sees you’ve backed away, he peers down at his arm and gives a slight nod.

“... Thanks.” He says, going to stand. Immediately, his legs wobble and he’s forced back into his seat. 

“Oh,” you mumble, hurrying to his side. He huffs, his lips curling into a frown. You know he won’t be going anywhere for a while. “You need to stay here. All that blood you lost is going to make you fatigued.” 

“I don’t have time for that.” The man says, but he doesn’t try to get up again. He leans back and closes his eyes, wincing when he moves his injured arm.

“I’ll get you something for that pain,” you say, already turning towards the cabinet where you kept your small collection of wine. It was better than nothing - it might help him take his mind off of it, at least. When you’ve poured him a small glass, you hand it to him before sitting down across from him with your own glass. “You’re welcome to stay here, but if you’d feel more comfortable, I can help you to the inn. It’s only a little ways from here.”

The man opens his eyes as he takes a sip, still leaning back and staring at the ceiling. “It’s best if I don’t stop in town,” he says, closing his eyes again. “I’ll keep out of your hair.”

JOTARO, THE LONELY PRINCE ✫

Ocean blue eyes gaze back at Jotaro as he stares at himself in the mirror, his crown thrown haphazardly to the floor. What did it matter, when he had lost everything? His friends, his wife, his daughter... At least he had the comfort of knowing they were alive and breathing. He’d pushed them away before they could get hurt, after all.

He was a dangerous man, or at least, he always attracted danger. There was no way he could have them close, yet Jotaro had been cruel to them. Isolation, coldness, leaving them for days at a time without word; it was no wonder they left.

And yet, he still craved the presence of another. Someone to hold close at night, to sit next to in his throne. Jotaro knew it would be selfish, but it had been years since he’d felt the warmth of another - he could be different this time.

He has to be.

ABBACCHIO, THE BUTLER ★

You take the sweet from the plate your butler, Abbacchio, is offering you with a prim smile. It was drizzled in sticky honey - almost unbearably sweet, but you couldn’t help but crave the treat from time to time. Abbacchio would demand them from the kitchen the second you even thought about one. He was a loyal man, responding with grace to even your most odd requests and quirks.

Abbacchio was the only butler to have stayed with you long-term. The two of you fit like two missing puzzle pieces - in private, you had a rapport that would be scandalous if the kingdom found out, but you couldn’t help it. He was magnetic. His soft lavender hair and his plump lips, the way his muscles shifted under the uniform he wore. You were well aware that he watched you the same way you watched him, yet neither of you had been bold enough to make a move.

Times like these, though... You thought about it.

You take a bite of the sweet, letting the sticky honey drip down your index finger before you place the treat back on the serving tray. “Oh,” you breath, mocking surprise at the mess. You press your index finger to your mouth and catch Abbacchio’s gaze, watching his eyes darken as you slowly suck the honey from your finger. “Oops.”

“Be more careful, or you’ll dirty your dress.” Abbacchio says, stern.

“Hm, and will you help me change?” You reply. His adam’s apple bobs as he swallows, no doubt thinking of the soft skin and curves that hid under your clothing.

DIAVOLO, THE EMPEROR ✦

The Emperor was the most feared man in all of the Kingdoms - he ruled with an iron fist; wrath over mercy, blood over anything else. To see Emperor Diavolo was to see Death itself. The man rarely showed his face, yet his people still yearned to see him. He was a horrible man, a tyrant to other territories, but he was their ruler that kept them fed and safe. Perhaps it was just tradition that made the people clamor for a sight of their Emperor. They wanted to see an heir, yet their ruler was a recluse.

That’s why the people rejoiced when they heard the Emperor was to conquer another territory - in it lived a heir that would be perfect for their Emperor. Emperor Diavolo’s closest confidant and retainer Doppio was buried in letters begging for the Emperor to consider the heir. 

Diavolo found his rage at his people’s audacity quelled once he gave their idea consideration - Perhaps it was time for him to settle down. The people didn’t need to know that Diavolo never planned on vacating the throne; the magic he sought to keep him alive indefinitely was so close he could taste it. Having someone to share that with wouldn’t be so bad.

BRUNO, THE ELF PRINCE ✺

You can only stare as the elven prince Bruno peruses your small herbs & potions shop, his opulent outfit standing out from the warm tones and greenery filling the room. He was beautiful, and you’d never seen anyone quite like him - you’d never seen an elf, for that matter. You’d heard through the grapevine that he was here as a foreign dignitary, but you expected him to be staying at the palace, not roaming around the shops in town.

Bruno approaches you and you quickly scramble to attention, nervously smiling at him.

“Tell me, do you sell any body care products here? I bought the loveliest scrub from another Kingdom over in a shop like this, and I’d love to sample something from your shop.” His voice is deep and smooth, catching you off guard. You aren’t sure why you expected something else. Bruno smiles while you think, his deep blue eyes never leaving your gaze. Elves were known for their intensity, and Bruno was proving the anecdote true.

“Uh, y-yes,” You say, stumbling over your words. You step from behind the counter and walk Bruno towards a small section filled with different ointments and scrubs that he must have accidentally passed by. You pick up a blueberry and vanilla scented hair oil, tapping the lid. “This one is pretty popular, but we have other products as well. We, uh, I also make custom orders if you have something in mind.”

Bruno hums and takes the product from your hand, uncorking the lid and sniffing it gently. His eyes light up. “Wonderful,” he says, putting the lid back. He looks down at the rest of the wares and carefully picks through them, selecting a peach and honey scented body scrub. Again, he smells the product, and sighs happily. “Do you make these yourself, then?” You nod. “You’re incredible, a talent like this is so often overlooked.”

You feel your face grow warm, Bruno’s candid compliment making your stomach do flips. Were all elves this forward, or was it just Bruno, their prince?

JOLYNE, THE FORMER HEIR ✫

Two loud voices sound from behind front desk of the inn, alerting you that potential guests had arrived. You smooth down your uniform and walk out with a smile, ready to greet the guests before a loud voice interrupts you—

“Dad can kiss my ass.” Jolyne crosses her arms, staring down her mom.

“Jolyne,” Marina sighs, frowning at her daughter’s colorful use of words. “It’s not proper to speak like that.” The older woman turns to you, looking apologetic. “I apologize for my daughter’s language. She knows better.”

“Gods, you act like I’m a child. I’m 22, mom.” Jolyne replies. She watches her mom’s face fall, feeling a twinge of regret. She sighs. “Sorry, mom. And sorry...”

She waits for you to say your name, raising an eyebrow when you relay it to her. Jolyne repeats it, the name sounding like something special when she says it. “Sorry again. Being a former heiress and all, people tend to react weird. And it is my Dad’s fault, so...” Marina gives her daughter a look. “Sorry, I’m rambling. So, that’s why we need to stay at your inn. No home, and all that. But lots of money, that’s the least the bastard could have given us.” Jolyne grins, giggling when her Mom lets out a sigh. She leans forward on the counter, staring you down with bright chartreuse eyes.

“So, ya got room for a former princess and disinherited heir?”

THE SWORDS-FOR-HIRE ✵

Risotto pulls his cloak tighter around himself, shivering in the cold air of the night. It wasn’t often that the broad man felt chilled to his bone, but tonight was proving more than he or his teammates could handle. It was only a few more miles to the nearest inn... If they couldn’t scrounge up enough coin from their pockets, they could at least huddle together in the stables. 

Formaggio grunts from his left side, barely visible under his layers of clothing. “Three talented guys like us and we’re stuck dragging our asses out in the cold like this? Ridiculous.”

Illuso pipes up from Risotto’s right side, practically glued to Risotto’s side to suck up some of the warmth his body exuded. “You’re right, for once.”

“Hey,” Formaggio starts, glaring at Illuso.

“Enough.” Risotto says - it’s enough to have Formaggio back down and Illuso shrink back down into his scarf. Risotto knows as well as Formaggio and Illuso that their situation is far from ideal, but it was the best they could do with Risotto’s family name following them. He was marked with evil - or so the people said - his dark sclera and family history making him a pariah. The fact that Illuso and Formaggio had decided to travel with him still surprised him, and he was grateful for their presence. 

Hopefully, the inn would take pity on them - or at least be intimidated enough by Risotto’s presence that the trio could afford a room.

MISTA, THE RETAINER ★

Mista closes his eyes, leaning back against the cool wall outside of the castle baths. His back is tight from today’s work, but he’d have to wait until you finished bathing. Mista didn’t mind, of course - it was his duty as your retainer to protect you. He just wished that things were different... That he could be in the bath with you, washing your back and sharing an intimate moment together.

He smacks his head against the back of the wall. He shouldn’t be thinking like that - no matter how deeply he loved you, he wouldn’t ever let his romantic feelings come before his duty as your protector. Mista swore to go to the ends of the Earth for you, even if his actual vows were a little more formal. 

Still, he wondered if there was a chance - no matter how small - that you felt the same. The upcoming journey to another kingdom would see you and Mista spending more time together than usual. To Mista, it meant he finally had a chance.

Little did he know that your thoughts were nearly the same as his on the other side of the wall. 

[johnkrrasinski]

burning desire;

full masterlist

Pairings: Ari Levinson x reader x August Walker 

Word count: 2,779

Warning: SMUT!!!! familial sex (step-uncle & niece), threesome, dirty talk, mentions of alcohol. 

Summary: your step-uncle, ari levinson, brought a friend, august walker to his house one night during you stayover and things heated up real fast. 

a/n: this idea popped into my head out of nowhere and i just had to write it immediately. (my other wips are sobbing so hard right now) enjoy! please leave a comment & like. 

The mid-August air feels clammy on your skin, and the daylight glared brightly into your eyes, but thank the heavens that you were clad in nothing but your pastel pink bikini and your eyes were protected by your heart-shaped sunglasses. you always loved basking in the sun in uncle Ari's pool in his massive backyard. Your parents were currently out of town for business matters, as they always were and when they were away, you always stayed at uncle Ari's place.

His place was only thirty minutes away from your parents' house and you always loved coming over to his house. What's not to love? The fact that it was just as huge as your parents', designed grandiosely and located in a secluded area made you wish you could just move here. Not that your parents' was any less palatial but- okay, honestly, your parents' house was just as fancy and you were the princess ruling your little castle, so what was really the reason that you wanted to move here so badly?

If you're being honest to yourself, it was because of your ridiculously good-looking uncle. Seriously, the man had no right to be that attractive at that age. He was nearing his 40's and he could still make every woman in his path weak on the knees. His cerulean blue eyes, the thick beard and those ripped muscles never ceased to make a particular part of your body tingle when he is nearby. It wasn't helping either that he'd touch you so close to the part where you wanted him the most when you two were alone, or that he would speak in a really low tone by your ear, causing you to shiver. And you definitely didn't miss those flirty glances when he thought you weren't watching or when you were dressed in something a tad provocative.

It was as if you were playing a secret cat and mouse game that you were both aware of and you both kept playing but no one dared to admit to partake in it or put it to an end by making a move. The tension in the dining table when your parents invited him to come over for dinner or when it was just the two of you watching a film on the couch and you would lift your legs and fold them so your bare thighs would be displayed for him (which you would pretend you weren't aware of its effect on him.)

You were lost in your daydreams of him tearing that bikini off your body and fucking you rough in this pool as the water splattered around you when you heard his voice.

"Enjoying yourself?" his smirk was smug as if he could see the pornographic movie that was playing in your head.

"Uncle! give a girl a warning, will you?" you tried to maintain your composure, not wanting to show him the wet stain in your thong.

He walked closer to you and crouched down to your level. "Didn't wanna disturb you, you looked so relaxed, I thought I'd give you a few more minutes." Was he watching you? How long had he been standing there? "I got a friend coming over tonight, to watch the game. Just wanted to let you know."

"it's your house uncle, you don't need my permissions to have a friend come over." You chuckled.

"I wasn't asking for permission sweetheart, I was just informing you so you wouldn't be startled to see a stranger in the living room," he stood back up. "I got some errands to run. I'll see you tonight." you scoffed. Curt and enigmatic as always.

You were lounging in the room that Ari specifically spared for you. There were six bedrooms in his house alone and five of them were empty. He figured you must have your own personal space every time you visited. You walked to the kitchen to grab some snacks when you were stopped by Ari’s voice calling your name.

“C’mere, say hi to my friend, August.”

The sight of the man sitting on the couch next to your uncle stopped you in your tracks. My God, he looked like a Greek god. His sleek black hair was combed to the side and moustaches weren’t your thing but damn, he rocked it so well. His blue eyes took your breath away as he smiled at you and shook your hand.

“Oh, so you’re the friend uncle told me about.”

“Well, your uncle here doesn't have that many friends so I might be the only friend of his you’ll ever hear.” oh, the things his voice is making you feel…

You chuckled, “well, I don’t wanna be a bother. You guys are watching the game, right? I was about to grab some-”

“No, of course not. Come, sit. We can all enjoy the game together, right?” He took a sip of his beer.

“I’m not really into-”

“We insist.” His tone left no room for argument.

“…okay, I guess.” August and Ari made a room on the couch for you so you sat between them. To say you were nervous was an understatement. A million scenarios were going through your head right now. The image of being sandwiched between these two bulky men with your clothes off was making you uneasy. You were only wearing a big loose shirt that barely reached your mid-thighs. You weren’t wearing any undergarments except a black lace thong because it was summer and petit clothing items were all you packed. (Not like you were trying to impress a certain person, not at all.)

“You want one?” August offered you a drink. “Yeah, sure.” You were an adult now so what’s the harm in one? Your parents were thousands of miles away and it wasn’t like you had to worry about dealing with the hangover in the morning.

August put his arm on the headrest, behind your head and it made your breath hitch. You put your leg over the other to cover the arousal growing in your extremely minimum underwear. Ari took a sip of his beer and then spread his legs and the side of his thigh graze yours and you were growing hotter every second. It was as if they could sense your arousal and fooled around to rile you. You had to take control over your breathing but it was getting more challenging every passing minute.

“So, y/n, what are your plans for college?” August broke the silence.

“I actually am in college. I’m currently in my second year and I always come home during summer.”

“Oh, you certainly don’t look like any older than nineteen. My bad.”

“It’s alright, uncle.”

“August is fine.” He was watching you intently as if he was paying attention to every detail on your face. What was he looking for?

“What are you studying?”

“I’m in fashion design.”

“Suits you.” He winked, retreating his arm from the headrest, to open another bottle of beer.

August asked you several questions about yourself and you answered every single one. After a couple more bottles and the soothing sound of the TV, you found yourself getting drowsy. It felt nice being in the presence of these two beautiful men so you let yourself drift away. You didn’t realize that you had fallen asleep on Ari’s shoulder. When Ari called your name in a low voice and you didn’t open your eyes, Ari and August looked at each other and were ready to execute their plan.

Little did you know Ari had been talking about you to August for months. Who was he kidding? Of course, Ari was attracted to you. You were hot, young and promiscuous. Also, something about the fact that you were his brother's stepdaughter turned him on even more. He and August had been friends since college and they shared a lot of things ever since. They had many hookups with women whom they shared with. They were also business partners of a company that had bestowed them a lot of fortune. Hence Ari’s swanky place and the fact that he stayed single throughout all these years. He was never the ‘settle down’ type. He never told you about his business partner, you only knew that he existed, you just didn’t know his identity.

August sniffed your scent on your open neck, and the vanilla smell turned him on. He began to spread your legs and caressed your thigh until he reached your underwear. He chuckled when he felt the delicate material on his fingers, “she’s practically begging for us to fuck her brains out on this couch.”

“You should see what she wears every day in this house, it’s like she wants me to pounce on her,” Ari replied.

“She’s soaked. She should’ve just asked, we would’ve obliged immediately.” August rubbed you in circular motions through your thong and when he felt you growing wetter, he pushed your panties to the side and inserted two fingers into your entrance.

You gasped in your slumber, feeling something scissoring you open but your head was too fuzzy to figure out what was happening. August curled his fingers and stroked your G-spot and your breathing became ragged. You began to stir and mumbled under your breath. Your brows furrowed and when August’s fingers moved faster in and out of you and Ari began fondling your breasts through your thin shirt, your opened your eyes.

“Uncle Ari…”

“Shh, just sit back and enjoy, sweetheart. We’re gonna make you feel good.” He whispered sultrily in your ear. You whimpered when August’s thumb circled your clit, causing your head to spin. “God, you’re so hot. I’ve been waiting to put my dick into this tight pussy for months now.” August whispered in your other ear.

Your hand went into August’s wrist, needing to hold onto something. You knew this was wrong, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to tell them to stop or get up and run to your room. Ari’s hand went to your jaw to turn your head to him and kissed you with fervently. He licked your bottom lip and you made room for his tongue to tangle itself with yours. You were making out on the couch with your uncle as his friend had his knuckles buried deep in you.

You felt your muscles tightening and then the dam broke, making a mess all over August’s fingers. He watched your expression as you hit your peak. The image of you losing your mind sent electricity right to their cocks and they were eager for more now. They couldn’t wait to see the face you were going to make when they gave you a bigger one.

You thought they would at least give you a few seconds of repose after the onslaught but you should’ve known better. You knew that Ari was a hustler when it comes to what his heart desired. And now, his body yearned for you and he didn’t waste any time in undressing you from the scanty garments you had on.

August sucked on the sensitive spot of your neck, leaving little love bites here and there before biting the spot where he wanted to mark you. You bit your lip at the thought of parading around Ari’s house with those sensual bruises reminding of the sinful act the three of you committed last night. You didn’t think as far as how you were going to act around Ari now after tonight but you were surely hoping that this wasn’t a one-time thing.  

Ari was still possessing your mouth with his, his plump lips felt soft on yours and they tasted even better than your fantasy. Ari pulled his lips away from yours and looked at his partner, “should we do doggy or missionary?” Ari asked as if you weren’t there at all.

“Missionary, I wanna see those tits bounce,” he smirked against your skin.

“Fuck yeah,” Ari keened.

They began stripping and you couldn’t help but watch. My God, they were sculpted to perfection by the hands of God themselves. The sweat on their skin made them glow from the ray of the TV. They pulled down their pants and their massive cocks sprung free and you could’ve come right there. Their packages were impressive, would they even fit inside you? You were drooling at the sight and you needed them to fill you up right now or you were going to explode.

“Lay back,” Ari commanded.

You did as he said and folded your legs to make room for Ari. The couch was large enough to fit two more people in here but you needed them as close as possible. Ari knelt on the couch and August was above your head. They both began stroking themselves as they kept their eyes on your naked body. Ari was staring at your drenched pussy and August imagined spurting all over your breasts.

“Open your lips, little girl.” You obliged and August pushed the tip of his cock into your lips and he pushed deeper until the tip hit the back of your throat. You looked up at him staring down at you with a predatory look. Ari pushed his cock into your entrance and your tight walls welcomed him with open arms causing him to throw his head back and groaned.

Ari had his hands on your thighs to keep them apart and he began pulling out until only the tip was left in you and pushed back vigorously like he was trying to invade your body. August began moving at the same pace, and he groped your breasts, pinching the nipples. The sting elicited a moan out of you, causing a delightful vibration flowing in his bones.

“Fuck, you’re as tight as I imagined,” Ari grunted. Your warmth wrapped his girth and he pounded into you as your breasts jiggled from the rough pounding. He lifted your legs onto his shoulders so he could delve deeper. He impaled the spot that made you forget your name and you clenched around him. The squelching noises that your pussy made blended with his pre-cum were lewd.

August grunted as you took him in your mouth as much as you could. You struggled to control your breathing with Ari ramming into you mercilessly and August’s size intruding your throat but you were getting off on it. You felt every inch of them inside you, the velvety skin and the raw taste were intoxicating. You hollowed your cheeks and let August use you. Let them both use you like a rag doll.

Soon, you were both moving in sync as the couch squeaked due to the impetuous action happening on it. Ari accelerated, chasing his own orgasm and you pulsated. The familiar pressure forming once more, ready to burst any second now. His cock throbbed and you tightened around him. A few more deep-seated thrusts and he came undone, painting your walls with his hot cum and filling you up so well.

You fell apart beneath him as well, moaning in ecstasy around August. If you weren’t muffled by his cock, you would’ve screamed so loud. You trembled and your legs shook. He pulled out of you and watched his juices leak out of you. The soreness between your thighs was pleasant and you were completely spent from Ari alone but you were definitely satisfied. If only your parents could see the blasphemous act you and your uncle had just committed. And you weren’t even finished yet.

August chased his own climax as well, needing to release the tension in his muscles. Profanities fell from his lips as he released on your tongue and you swallowed every drop of him. You were a sweet tooth but his salty taste had you addicted. You whimpered and panted on the couch, hoping that one of them would give you a warm bath to clean you up and bring you to your comfortable bed and wrap you in your blanket but then,

“We’re not done yet, princess.” August and Ari switched places and now August was kneeling between your legs while Ari was above your head. God, you were so worn out, you didn’t know if you had any more energy left in you to take them again. “You’re all ours tonight. And we’re gonna keep playing with until we’re satisfied. And trust me, we are far from being satisfied.” August whispered huskily in your ear as his raging hard cock penetrated you and Ari pushed himself through your opening lips and you could taste yourself on every inch of him.

Looks like it was going to be a long night.

[littledreamybeth]

Daddy ignores me

A/N: Another part of the “Secret Child” series! Not really proof read!

“MUMMY!” The sudden shrill cry of her little son pervading the quietness of their idyllic home almost caused Y/N to drop the white porcelain plate of her new tableware onto the kitchen’s granite floor. She immediately put it aside, but before she could even rush to see after him, the young boy had already beat her to it. And the picture presented in front of her simply pierced daggers through her delicate mummy heart. Big fat teardrops were flowing down Robin’s apple cheeks, uncontrollable agonized sobs wrecking his tiny body, and he looked at his mother as if she were the last person who could help him. Y/N couldn’t recall seeing him this dejected over something. With worry consuming her mind, she crouched down on his eye level, inspecting him from head to toe to find out whether he had hurt himself. But as she was going to find out later, her baby boy was dealing with emotional rather than physical pain.

“What’s wrong, honey?” Y/N cooed, opening her arms, and inviting him into her embrace. Robin nuzzled his face into the crook of his mother’s neck and clutched her shirt with intensity, seeking for her comfort. Running her hand up and down his back, the young mother waited until her son had somewhat calmed down.

“Daddy doesn’t talk to me,” Robin sniffed, lowering his tiny head in defeat.

Baffled at his answer, Y/N replied, “He won’t what? Why is that?”

Her firstborn shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know, mummy. I don’t know what I did that he’s upset with me. He would play with Ella and Mila the entire time, but shoo me away when I want to join them. And when I ask why he doesn’t let me play, he doesn’t answer and turns his back towards me.” Another flow of tears was brimming his green eyes as he started to hiccup. “It makes me sad.”

“Oh my poor baby boy!” His mother pressed him lovingly against her chest, tangling her fingers into his hair.

It surprised her immensely to hear that Harry was upset over something their son apparently had done that it was enough to punish the little boy with disregard and indifference. Her partner and son rarely argued with each other because they loved and cherished each other with such intensity- they both worshipped the ground that the other one walked on. Of course, Robin did some things Harry got angry with, however, he would forgive him once Robin apologized and then everything was forgiven and forgotten. She was just as confused as the boy in front of her, who had no idea of where he was at fault. She wondered about the reason behind Harry’s behavior.

“Daddy doesn’t love me anymore…”  Robin mumbled, causing his mother to shake her head in denial.

“You know that is not true, m’love. Don’t you ever think like that. Daddy loves you with his entire heart. You’re his pride, his big buddy, hm?” She smothered his face with affectionate kisses, eliciting a giggle out of his rosy lips. “Why don’t you tell me what you guys did before daddy stopped talking to you?”

Robin put his finger on his lower lip, his brain recapping the last happy interaction he had with his father. “We were playing cardboard games,” he answered then. “He hasn’t talked to me ever since we finished.”

Knowing were this was going to lead, Y/N still pushed her son to continue. She already had her suspicions as to why Harry refused to acknowledge Robin.

“How many rounds did you play, honey?”

Robin pointed the number three with his fingers into the air. “Three times.”

“May I ask who won?”

A proud expression flashed over his features. “Me. All rounds.”

Y/N scoffed. She genuinely wanted to slap her partner in that moment, her hand was itching terribly to make contact with his cheek. If there was something that everybody knew about Harry, then it was his competitive nature and his strong will to win when it came to games. Nobody took games as seriously as Harry did. Losing against his own child had probably hurt his stupid ego. No wonder he behaved like this towards a child, who went to kindergarten. The young mother sighed. Not that she had enough to deal with, nope, now she had to handle a man child.

“I think I know what the problem is. Come on. Let’s have a word with daddy.” Y/N picked the little boy up and steadied him on her hip, then making her way to search for her lover. Ascending the stairs, she heard some noises coming from the girls’ nursery, so she steered directly towards it.

She halted in front of the door, gesturing Robin to be quiet and through the slight door gap, she observed what the young father was doing with his daughters. Harry was sat on the ground while the girls were placed on top of their playmat. Their toys were scattered into different directions. Harry’s voice rang through her ears.

“You can do it baby girl! Just a little bit more!” Harry cheered Ella on, who had grabbed onto the musician’s fingers and tried to lift her body from the ground with his help. Her twin minded her own business by playing with her stuffed animals, babbling uncoherent sounds. Ella finally managed to stand on her legs, earning lots of praises from her father. Although Y/N didn’t want to disrupt their interaction, she had a problem to solve.

Therefore, she entered the nursery.

“Harry Edward Styles!” Her voice boomed through the living room, making Ella plop down on her little bum and grabbing the other twin’s attention also, who started to wail. “Don’t tell me you’re ignoring your child just because he beat you at a game!” The smile that had adorned Harry’s face vanished from his lips.

She pointed at Robin, who had hidden his face on her shoulder, avoiding eye contact with his daddy.

“What are you, five?” she reprimanded him, “This is ridiculous. Don’t you think you’re overreacting?”

Harry only shrugged his shoulders, reaching for Mila, who seemed to sense the tension in the room and hence became restless. He picked her up and made silly faces to soothe her.

“Jesus Christ, Harry. Would you please look at me or rather your son, who thinks you don’t love him anymore because you refuse to talk to him? Because you lost a game? What the hell is wrong with you?” Slight anger was boiling in the pit of her stomach, even more when she felt Robin’s tiny body trembling against hers.

According to the British man’s reaction, Y/N knew she stroke a particular nerve. “What do you think you were doing, Harry?” she asked, “You can act like this towards somebody else but not your son. Get your shit together, will ya?”

“I wanted to win…” She heard him mumble under his breath, “One game, okay. But all three? It’s not fair.”

Y/N retorted, “You know what’s not fair? The way you treat Robin! You hurt his feelings. Now, apologize!”

“But-“

“I said apologize! And don’t you dare to ignore my boy again, you hear me? Is a stupid game more important than your family? One more time and you can search another place to live your life.” Okay, the last statement was a bit exaggerating but at least it worked. Fear appeared in his eyes and he immediately rose from the ground, walking towards them. If there was somebody who could threaten him with his family, then it was the one and only woman her loved.

“Hey buddy,” Harry murmured sheepishly after Y/N had handed the boy over, watching them sternly with her arms crossed over her chest. “I’m sorry I was mad at you for stupid reasons and made you feel like I don’t love you. I’m not going to do it again, I promise.”

Robin glanced at his father with glossy eyes and pledged, “I won’t play any games with you anymore. You were being a meanie. And I don’t like meanies.”

“Fair enough,” Harry chuckled, kissing his temple.

“Have we come back to our senses?” The young mother questioned.

“Yes, madam!”

[maybe-your-left]

BITCH I AM DEMANDING A FLUFFY PART TWO TO KYLO FORGETTING OUR DATE OKAY?!

I WANT SWEET AND NASTY MAKEUP SEX

HAHAHHA YESSSSS. here is part one of Kylo forgetting our anniversary.

“Hey.”

You sighed into the phone, slumped on the cool leather couch. The TV blaring before you, but you didn’t listen to what was on. It had been two weeks since you kicked Kylo out, the only communication shared were clipped texts and stale ‘Hi’s’ and ‘Byes’ when he needed to pick up clean clothes.

“Hi.”

Kylo took in a slow breath, you could practically feel the air hit your face. So close, yet so far, “Are you gonna be home today?”

“Yup.”

“Cool, I’ll be there at 12 during lunch. I have some shit to grab.”

You bit back sniffling, “Okay,” your voice cracked. “I’ll be here.”

———

You scrolled through your emails, waiting at the kitchen counter for him to show up. You'd applied for some jobs a few days ago if this was really the end of you two. You needed a job, there was no way you could afford living in the penthouse and at some point, Kylo would want it back.

It was in his name anyway, the only thing you really owned without his help was your laptop.

Fingers crossed you'd find something, you haven't worked in almost five years. You didn't need to with Kylo, and he urged you to not work. He wanted to take care of you, provide for you, help you in any way he could. But now, you were left high and dry, not even a single bank account in your name.

You swallowed back another round of tears, no.

No more tears, you'd get through this. You had family who would help, friends that supported you and wanted you to be happy. Even his mom, not that you'd stoop that low, was willing to help you.

It would be better to just cut all ties to him since there was a slim chance he would want to be back together.

You still weren't sure, you missed him. Terribly, barely sleeping because his presence was gone. Jumping towards your phone whenever it rang, hoping it was him on the other side calling to make it up to you.

But the man was stubborn, angry that you kicked him out.

Claiming that his accusations were valid, which wounded you further.

A light knock on the door drew you away from your wallowing, you took a shaky breath before whispering a faint, "it's open."

Kylo walked in slowly, dressed in his work clothes. A button-up, white, with his suit jacket and tight dress pants. His hair was getting longer, the harsh lighting of the kitchen showed a sheen of grease coating it.

And the bags, the bags under his eyes were darker than normal.

A part of you was smug over his appearance.

But the rest of you ached, fighting against your baser instinct to run towards him. So he could take you in his arms while you bathed him in kisses, mourning over the time spent apart.

"Hello," he nodded stiffly towards you. Not making eye contact as he shut the door. Kylo fiddled with the strap on his shoulder, his duffel bag hanging limp. Empty, ready to stuff more things inside before he ran away to whatever place he was staying.

"Hey," you croaked, eyes flitting back to your laptop. Biting your lip as you read through rejection after rejection, no one wanted you. The gaps in your resume were too long, your diploma meant nothing since you had zero experience.

Kylo's shoes scuffed the floor, sniffing loudly before he looked at you.

"I was going to grab some more things," he glanced towards the staircase, "All my stuff is at the dry cleaners right now, I've worn these pants two days in a row."

"That sucks."

He hummed, "Okay," backing away from you slowly. You watched him walk towards the stairs, back tense and straight. His hands were tucked into his pockets, something he did when he was nervous or uncomfortable.

You used to make him comfortable.

Now you just agitated him, even though it wasn't your fault you two were in this mess.

You stayed quiet as he rummaged around upstairs. Doors opening and closing, drawers slamming shut, you briefly heard swearing but you couldn't make it out. You hadn't thrown his stuff away, keeping everything organized. Right down to the hair products that he had left.

Color-coded and alphabetical by the sink.

His footsteps echoed to a stop, maybe he was considering kicking you out...

"Have you seen my black sweater?"

You stilled, his black sweater... "Nope."

A huff in annoyance, "The one that has the hole in the front, from when it got caught while we were in Niagra? It's not in the closet."

That's because I hid it, you thought. You'd been sleeping in it for the past week, it smelled like him and enveloped you like his arms used to. No way you were giving it back, call it a sacrifice of your relationship.

You listened to his slow descent to the kitchen, duffle now stuffed with clothes. He eyed you suspiciously, rolling his tongue along the inside of his cheek. Coming dangerously close to your seat, he angled himself behind you. A little to the left, but enough for him to spy on your computer screen.

"You're applying for jobs?"

You slapped your laptop shut, he didn't need to snoop.

"None of your business, Kylo."

He shrugged, looking up at the ceiling as he replied, "Might be good for you, to get out of the house."

"Mhm."

"You'll want to apply to multiple places," he stepped around you, opening the fridge for a brief glance inside. Spying one of his protein shakes that you hadn't thrown out, wasn't expired yet. Kylo cracked it open and took a small sip, "You won't be able to afford this place with entry-level salaries."

"Yes," you snapped at him, "I know that."

"Just trying to help, (Y/N)."

You climbed off your stool, moving away from him to curl on the couch. Already on the verge of tears, "You aren't helping, you're just being rude."

"Well, it's rude of you to steal my shit when we aren't together anymore."

That made the waterworks start, muffling your sniffles with your fluffy blanket. You tucked yourself away, desperate to disappear. Maybe when you woke up, everything would be back to normal, or you could wake up seven years earlier to avoid ever meeting him. Save yourself from the heartache that was tearing you apart from seam to seam.

You listened to the echo as he walked towards you. Huffing when he saw your shivering form, "I don't know why you're crying. I haven't been staying here for two weeks, we clearly aren't together."

"Whatever, Kylo," you whispered, voice breaking as you took in a wet breath, "Can you just leave?"

"Sure."

------

"I can't afford to stay there mom," you whimpered into the phone, you were stalling in your car. Parked in the garage of the apartment, you had been to an interview. Realizing the pitiful reality of your life, you had already begun to sell your designer clothes. Gucci purses, red bottoms, Tiffany earrings, Cartier bracelets, you name it. Anything that could help you create a bank account was sold off.

"Have you talked to him at all? Kylo wouldn't leave you high and dry, if anything he would pay for you to get an apartment."

"I don't want his help," you hissed.

A pause, "It would be humiliating to ask, I know he's expecting it. After the talk about jobs, he's just been waiting for me to cave and sacrifice my dignity."

"I'm just saying it wouldn't hurt to talk with him, I know you both have been avoiding it after the fight. It could bring you both some closure-or better yet-get you guys back together so I can get some grandbabies."

"Goodbye, mom."

You huffed as you hung up, slamming your head back into your headrest. Maybe you could sell the car, people would pay top dollar for a gold Porsche. But the title was in Kylo's name, birthday present, any money you'd earn would belong to him.

You pulled up your text thread, the last messages sent were from three days ago. He left you on read, you texted him goodnight after a few stale messages about your day and when he could come and move some furniture out. Kylo had gotten an apartment on the upper east side, right by his office. You checked the old Zillow listing, it was huge and ridiculously expensive.

Enough room for him and a new girlfriend, you were certain he was already fucking someone else. With how cruel he was with you, not even trying to make amends. Probably his secretary, she was always a slut. Showing off her tits to him, even when you came to visit. Kylo probably bent her over his desk the day after he left, just because he could.

You swallowed your pride, it was now or never.

Kylo, I think we need to talk.

Send.

Let's see how long it... oh?

What happened, I'm at work right now.

Quick, maybe he got the notification on his laptop.

Could I swing by the office?

Right now?

Yeah.

Typing...

I have a shareholder meeting at 2, make it quick.

You sped towards his work, determined to get there before he changed his mind and banned you from coming. You were shocked he even agreed, maybe he was having a rare good day.

Or forgot that you two were broken up.

After parking, you jogged into the building. No need to say hi to anyone, it was embarrassing enough to be the ex-girlfriend visiting. At least you were dressed up, people wouldn't think you were in the poor house, yet.

You smiled coldly at his secretary, not bothering to tell her what you were here for. Despite her stuttering about him having a meeting at 2, she was totally fucking him. There's no way she wasn't, a man like him can barely go a day without sticking his dick in something.

Whipping open the door, you were met with the uncomfortable silence that blanketed his office. Curtains were drawn, lights on the dimmest setting, the only noises were the door creaking and his fingers typing.

Like he was punishing the words, Kylo was good at breaking keyboards with his aggressive emailing.

You cleared your throat, watching as his eyes briefly flickered towards you before moving back to the screen. Okay, you walked slowly towards his desk. Pulling out a chair as quietly as possible, the leather squeaking when you sat.

Kylo let out a long sigh, leaning away from his screen. "What is it you want to talk about?"

With a harsh swallow, you fiddled with the hem of your skirt. Anything to avoid his penetrating gaze, "I just wanted to talk about, you know."

He blinked, face blank, "Use your words, please. I don't have time to fuck around, I have a business to run."

"I-I-I"

"Spit.it.Out."

"How come you never apologized?"

Silence.

Kylo's jaw clenched and unclenched, leaning back in his chair slowly. Staring directly at you, "This conversation?"

"Yes, I need to know."

"What good is it doing us now?"

"I don't know I just-"

"What are you hoping to gain from this?"

"Kylo-"

He huffed loudly, "I don't have to answer you anymore, we aren't together."

You slammed a fist on his desk, rattling a few pieces he had decorating it. Standing on your wobbling legs, "Listen to me, you can be an asshole all you fucking want but I deserve answers."

Kylo narrowed his eyes, standing slowly before you. His form towering, making you feel even smaller than you already felt. Crawling to his office for closure, and instead, he wanted to argue with you about the necessity of the conversation.

You watched his palms lay flat on the polished wood, crinkling papers he had strewn about.

"If you're here for money, just fucking say it."

"I am not here for-"

Now it was his turn to slam the desk, "Bullshit! You're here to fucking grovel because you don't know how to take care of yourself. Can't even get a second-rate job!"

"You're the one who insisted on taking care of me!"

"So you think it's okay to demand money when we aren't together? Selling off all the shit I bought you to pay the power bills?"

You gaped at him, "I would never."

"Shut up," Kylo spat, leaning further across to be nose to nose, "You forget that I have your email linked to my laptop. I can see every pathetic message about pawning what I worked for. What I provided you, fucking ungrateful."

"How dare you sneak through my email!?"

"It's not sneaking if I have the passwords, darling."

"You can't fucking do that," you pushed away, arms folded while you glanced around the room. All your pictures were gone, more proof that showed he was erasing your existence, "At least I'm not already fucking someone..."

"Excuse me?"

You spoke over your shoulder, "You heard me."

"Are you seriously accusing me of that," Kylo scoffed, "When that's what got us into this mess in the first place?"

You shrugged, "How long have you been fucking her, did you march to her place after I kicked you out?"

"(Y/N)."

"I'm a big girl, I can take it. Just tell me the truth, because there's no way you'd just abandon me if there wasn't someone else."

"(Y/N)."

You spun on your heel, snarling with a finger in his face, "How many women have you replaced me with? Huh? Or is it just your slut of a secretary-"

Kylo flipped his desk, everything crashing to the floor. You screamed as he began to throw items to the walls, tear books off the shelves, kicking his chairs to the ground. Anything he could get his hands on he attempted to tear apart.

"Enough!"

Heavy breaths.

"I'm not fucking anyone else! Are you fucking serious? All I've fucking done is work! Trying to just fucking move on but nooo," he faced you now, cheeks red and puffing. A few tracks of tears streaking towards his jaw, "You-you just have to be right, and have to be the victim of all this when it's both our fucking fault!"

Kylo paced away from you, running his fingers through his hair before crouching down to the floor. Cradling his face in his hands while he took in shaky breaths, "I fucking missed you, so much. It's all I thought about, but every fucking time I came back you ignored me."

"Kylo-"

"No, you fucking iced me out. I could barely speak to you and I wasn't going to do anything over text."

You succumbed to your tears, there was no way to hold them. Choking as you wiped away the floods, "I-I didn't m-mean to, you weren't talking to me Kylo. How was I supposed to r-react?"

Now he was crying, hiccuping in an attempt to steady his breathing and push through it like he always had. But he couldn't stop the tremor in his voice, "You could've told me you loved me or forgave me. Anything would've been better than this."

"Why do I have to be the one to apologize, I'm not the one who forgot our day and manhandled me in the tub! You were drunk, rude, and horrible to me, I deserved an apology."

"I know," he sniffed, "I tried to-the first few times I came back for clothes. But you hid from me."

You nodded slowly, pacing your way towards him. Unsure of how he'd react to you touching him, but you needed to be closer. You shuffled to his side, sliding your back against the gray wall to the floor.

"We've never been good at apologizing."

Kylo sat on the floor, mirroring you against the wall, "At least before, you didn't kick me out. Force me to crash on a couch, you know I don't fit on couches."

You chuckled softly, not wanting to smile at the visual.

"That's why our couch was custom," he laughed too, dull and humorless, "Because I kept sliding off."

"Yup."

Both of you swallowed, throats clicking in unison. Kylo shuffled in a more comfortable position, looking out at the clouded sky that peeked through the shades.

"For what it's worth, I am sorry."

A breath, "I never meant to miss our day, and I thought you were finished with me. I should've just spoken to you instead of drink, but that doesn't mean much now."

You hummed, "Thank you."

"I can write you a check," he sighed, "So you can get another place and still keep whatever's left of your collections."

"You don't-"

"I know I don't."

Kylo wrote you a check for half a million dollars, not looking at you when he ripped it from his checkbook. He mumbled about the bank may be needing to call him to confirm it, just have them call my office number.

Sending you off without another word.

------

Your new apartment was cute, small, perfect for you.

Light and airy, none of the fixtures were black or red. Hues of pink, coral, green, and blue danced around the rooms. Your couch was velvet, just because you wanted it to be. With an abundance of pillows and candles on every surface, you could fit them onto.

Your bed was a four-poster with a dreamy white canopy, soft and cloudlike bedding scrunched up from however you left them. No one was running around frantic to make the bed, or straighten the blinds, or draw the curtains, it was just yours.

The check was cashed with little fuss, you tried not to cry about it. You dropped off the old house keys at Kylos office, along with your car keys, there was no need to keep the Porsche. You weren't living that life anymore, you could buy your own car now! And it would be yours, it was too hard to drive the gift everywhere.

Kylo told you to keep the car when he found the keys, but you ignored his messages. He wouldn’t understand why you wouldn’t keep it, but that was his problem.

You sighed into your couch, looking at the TV nestled next to the bay window. Imagining where you could squish more houseplants… you already had an abundance but it wouldn’t hurt.

Your phone began to vibrate on the coffee table, startling you as you scrambled towards it. Oh, it was Kylo, odd.

“Hey?”

“Hey.”

“Uh,” you stood from the floor, scratching your cheek as you walked. “What’s up?”

He cleared his throat, “I saw you got a place, wanted to drop off a housewarming gift.”

Your face scrunched, balancing the phone between your face and shoulder. Popping a potato chip in your mouth, “Why would you do that?”

A sigh, “Can you just buzz me in? I brought wine…”

“Whatever.”

Kylo came in with a tight smile, dressed in some black joggers and a gray t-shirt. He looked like he just rolled out of bed, not his typical look on a weekday. He held up a brown paper bag, Whole Foods on the label.

"You went to Whole Foods?" you raised a concerned brow.

"Nope," he set the bag on your kitchen table, eying the plants and crystals that littered your living room. A few magazines were strewn around on the surface, "I had my secretary do it."

You glared at him, which he noticed before shaking his head rapidly, "New secretary-not the old one. His name is Brady, he's very nice."

Kylo stood with his hands in his pockets, glancing in every direction as you approached the bag. Humming when you began pulling out the goodies he had, as promised there was a bottle of wine. Your favorite, along with a set of glasses.

A clear purple tinge, almost vintage looking. Some of your favorite fruit, he blushed when you held them up to his eyes. Mumbling how you never had enough of them in the past, and it was their season.

Now you were blushing, finding some red velvet cupcakes. Packaged beautifully, and a small vase in the shape of a kitty. You placed it on the table, looking at it over and over. Biting your lip as you waited for something to happen.

"I like your place," Kylo croaked out, "It's very bright."

You chuckled, "You're just used to your eyes straining from all the red and black decor."

He hummed, walking down your hallway. Glancing indoors that were left open until he made it to your bedroom. You heard him groan when he saw the white sheets and canopy, Kylo whistled for you.

Obediently, you pranced towards him, taken aback when he was sprawled on your mattress. Facedown with his face in your pillow, groaning like he was trying to wake up from a good dream.

"I fucking forgot how good you smelled," he moaned out, looking over at you lazily, "What would I have to do to get you to make out with me in here?"

------

LOL, this was long, but I'll do a part three if you would enjoy the rest of their reunion.

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[teawaffles]

It Happened One Night: Chapter 1

T/N: Takes place after the Scandal in the British Empire arc (Chapters 17-23 of the manga).

Baker Street was full of people as usual. But in contrast to the hubbub, the entire street was enveloped in a vaguely unnatural, lonely atmosphere.

It looked like it was going to rain. That was what John H Watson thought as he walked down the street, gazing up at the heavily clouded sky.

“We should get back quickly, Sherlock.”

Saying that, he looked at the man beside him — Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock squinted and sniffed the air, as if trying to detect the smell of rain, and agreed with him.

“Right. And I also have some things here I don’t want to get drenched.”

Then Sherlock looked down at the items he was carrying. They each bore a large paper bag, stuffed to the brim with food and other sundry goods.

John furrowed his brows.

“Sherlock, haven’t you bought too many personal items? We’re even more broke than usual, you know,” he reminded.

But Sherlock wasn’t perturbed.

“They might be useless to you, John, but to me these are necessities of life. Please overlook this just once.”

“It’s no use, huh……”

It was better to avoid cigarettes at times like this, but John knew it was pointless to say that — hence instead of going on at length, he just gave a small sigh. Somehow, it felt like the bag in his arms had grown heavier.

As the two men walked on like this, they eventually drew near the flat where they lived. 221B Baker Street. This was the very place from which the great detective Sherlock Holmes, and his assistant, John H Watson, unravelled Britain’s mysteries.

However, they walked past their lodgings, not once slowing down. As they passed by, John glanced toward their flat.

There, remained the scars of appalling destruction. The building itself had retained its original structure, but the flat in which they’d lived had its windows all blown out; from what he could see through them, the walls and ceilings had been scorched to a miserable crisp.

They’d been unexpectedly drawn into the “Scandal of the British Empire” case, in which Sherlock had devised a bold strategy — blowing up their own apartment — in order to save Irene Adler.

They had achieved their goal, but at the cost of losing their home for the time being. As such, Sherlock and John, together with their landlady Miss Hudson, were staying in cheap accommodation a little ways from here until the apartment repairs were complete.

As they headed to their temporary lodgings, John’s shoulders drooped.

“Although all of us had agreed on it, in the end, it’s still tough to see the place you’ve gotten used to living in become like that.”

“Sorry about that. I had no other option back then.”

Sherlock kept his eyes forward as he apologised with sincerity. To that, John smiled gently.

“I don’t really mind — In any case, I’ve been put through many reckless situations like this before……. Oh—”

Right then, a drop of water splashed on his palm. Just as he registered that icy sensation, more raindrops came pouring down.

Sherlock looked at him.

“It arrived earlier than I thought.”

“Yeah, let’s run for it.”

Then, carrying their bags with both arms, the two men half-ran to their hotel.

When they arrived, they shook their heads slightly to rid the water from their hair, then walked past the front desk to their room.

After putting down their bags and opening the door, they found Miss Hudson standing in the doorway.

John tilted his head in confusion.

“Miss Hudson, what brings you here?”

As it would be improper for them to share a room with a lady, the two men chose to rent out a separate room despite the steep cost. Hence, John thought she would be in her own room now — why was she in theirs?

She smiled back awkwardly.

“Mr Mycroft’s here.”

“What?”

Instantly, Sherlock’s face morphed into one of displeasure. Without asking the details, he took up his shopping and walked into the room. Seated on a chair near the wall was his older brother Mycroft, looking out the window.

“……Damn you, Mycroft. Coming all the way to this hotel — what you do want?”

Distinctly uncomfortable dealing with his own elder brother, Sherlock spoke up first, his tone sour. But Mycroft simply turned to look at him, and responded without haste.

“That attitude again as always, Sherly. How about subverting my expectations sometimes and acting like a gentleman for once? Or rather, is it that you’re so frustrated by a case you forgot your manners?”

“Ugh……”

Mycroft looked around the cramped interior as he spoke, and the corners of Sherlock’s mouth twitched as he let out a groan. He didn’t regret blowing up their apartment itself, but hearing Mycroft’s calm, pointed comments forced him to remember his own helplessness back then.

“……Did you come all the way here just to make a fool of me?” he retorted, trying to defend himself. But Mycroft simply shrugged his shoulders in resignation, and got straight to the point.

“If you’re having trouble with accommodation, there’s a country house in the Cotswolds I can introduce you to.”

“……What’s this, all of a sudden?”

Country houses were often built by nobles and wealthy landowners as status symbols on their own land: it was ridiculous to suggest that someone would simply lend theirs out. Sherlock raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

“Isn’t it natural for an older brother to want to help his younger sibling in his time of need? Furthermore, although I’m sure they’d agreed to your plan, it pains me to think how Dr Watson and Miss Hudson have been caught up in it.”

“We don’t need your concern. We’ll do what we want, so just get the hell out of here.” Sherlock made a shooing motion with his hand, in a bid to chase Mycroft out, but was soon admonished by John, who’d entered the room afterward. John then calmly turned to Mycroft, seeming eager to listen.

“Do you mean that, you would be willing to lend us an apartment? Thank you very much for your offer — could you tell us more?”

Mycroft was smiling as he nodded.

“Actually, an acquaintance of mine — a noble — intends to stay in London for a week. They’re looking for someone to look after their mansion in the meantime, hence I thought it would align perfectly with your situation, Doctor.”

John nodded in understanding.

“I see. However, if that’s the case, why not ask their employees to stay behind?”

“From what I’d heard, they felt it would be a good opportunity to give their hardworking employees a vacation as well. Although if you aren’t able to accept, Doctor, they did say they would ask some of them to remain in the house……”

“In other words, if we were to take up the offer, then their employees would be able to take a break. Moreover, the three of us would be in charge of the mansion’s upkeep during our stay.”

“Not exactly,” Mycroft clarified, “They said you won’t have to concern yourselves with the maintenance and such. As long as it stays reasonably tidy, you are free to enjoy yourselves while keeping an eye on the house.”

It was a very generous offer, so generous it invited suspicion of an ulterior motive; however, since it came from Mycroft, perhaps it could be trusted. John wanted very much to accept — he couldn’t say he was entirely pleased with their current arrangement — but he knew his partner didn’t view it that simply.

As expected, Sherlock tutted in disapproval.

“This place suits us just fine: I don’t want to live in some boring mansion in the middle of nowhere. Anyway, I wouldn’t be able to take on clients when I’m away.”

Sherlock himself did harbour some guilt at making the two of them endure their present lifestyle, but following his brother’s opinion was simply anathema to him. As such, he couldn’t help but bite back in reply.

John understood that, but admonished him regardless.

“Sherlock, you shouldn’t talk to your own brother like that. Mr Mycroft was just looking out for us when he made that suggestion.”

“Pay no mind, Doctor. He’s been like this for a long time.”

Mycroft gave them a wide smile. Then, he directed a question to Miss Hudson, who had been keeping an eye on them from behind.

“We’ve heard what my little brother thinks, but how about you, Miss Hudson?”

“Eh? A-Ah~……”

Having suddenly been addressed, she responded in a faltering tone.

“Well, um…… To me, I think, it would certainly be helpful.”

In an effort to consider Sherlock’s feelings on the matter, she ended up replying in a roundabout way — but it was clear that she was in favour as well.

Mycroft turned to John.

“How about you, Doctor?”

For a moment, John was at a loss for words, but when he heard the floorboards creaking underneath his feet, he made up his mind. He looked at Sherlock as he nodded slowly.

“I think, that the country house might be more pleasant, compared to our current circumstances. Moreover, we could always receive clients via post.”

“…………”

Both of them had answered in the affirmative. Now, only Sherlock remained.

Despite the apparent obstacles being cleared, he still had his reservations. But eventually, Sherlock looked at the ceiling in resignation.

“Ah, bollocks. It would just be selfish of me to refuse at this point, now wouldn’t it? Alright. Please let us stay at that country house until the apartment is fixed.”

At that reply, Mycroft smiled in satisfaction, and Sherlock turned away to hide his frustration from those eyes.

The three of them drew up some agreements on their new living arrangements, and with that, until the flat at Baker Street was fixed, they would proceed to stay at a noble’s mansion out in the country.

Footnotes:

[1] The Cotswolds is a large hilly area to the northwest of London, further than Oxford and dotted with villages. (Wikipedia)

T/N: After the angst from the last story, I just remembered how much I love the Baker Street gang 😉

[the-avengers-ate-my-tongue]

Scars (Smut)

Scars

Summary: You hadn't seen Will ever since the day he left you to chase Hannibal in Florence, finding out after a while that he got married to someone else. But with the murders of the tooth fairy, Jack asked him to come back to help, and he couldn't stay away anymore, showing up for a visit. Will the old scars of your heart burst open in new wounds or heal completely?

Pairing: Will Graham x reader

Warnings: SMUT, angst, swearing, spoilers from season 3.

Word count: 3.381

A/n: this is the first smut I write in English, it's not my first language, so I hope it's alright. Any mistakes or anything, just let me know. This is another one with my boi Will, I just love him so much AAAAAA

As I read The Wuthering Heights for the hundredth time sitting in the living room, I heard someone ring the doorbell. I sighed, staring at the clock. It was still early. The person I was expecting would just come in, after all, Alana was a close friend and she knew she was allowed to do so. I raised an eyebrow. I wasn't expecting anybody else.

My dog, Sally, started to bark thunderously, sniffing under the door. I closed the book lethargicly, rolling my eyes as I got up the couch in a lazy mood, walking to the door and opening without asking who was outside, realizing perhaps too soon it was a mistake.

Will Graham stared at me, a light smile in his handsome face that didn't reach his eyes. I felt like something was twitching my stomach, and probably turned albescent. I hadn't seen him in over three years. Alana warned me he was back in town to work on the tooth fairy's case, but I didn't think he would stop by for a visit. Not after so long. 

"Good to see you, Y/n." He tried, obtaining no response of mine. "I… I was just around the neighborhood and I wanted to see you. It's been a while."

"Who gave you my address?" I retorted, probably sounding more hostile than I intended.  He stepped back, scratching the back of his neck, probably already regretting the impulsive idea. 

"Jack."

"Of course he did. What else did he tell you?"

"Was there anything else he should've told me?" I searched his face for any sign of emotions, but didn't get anything that could tell me what he was feeling. The old Will was someone I could always read, no matter what. After Hannibal came along, he just started to show less and less emotions, till his face became a cold mask, his deep eyes empty, opaque. I missed the sweet, caring Will. 

I was just standing there, silent. Sally found some space between my legs and managed to get out the house, launching at Will, wagging her tail and trying to get close enough of his ears so she could lick them. Will laughed lightly, crouching down to pet her. 

"Who's this?" He asked, scratching behind her ears. I crossed my arms, I gave everything to that dog, undying love, a bed, high quality food, and now she backstabs me. 

"That's Sally. She's a stray I took in one year and a half ago. Sally, sweetheart, come inside." I whistled once and she obeyed, running through my legs again. I sighed, stepping away from the door so he could come in. Maybe he wouldn't stay for long if I just let him in. He hesitated, but entered, passing through me. I could smell the air as he passed, he still used the same aftershave. That hurt even more, and I could feel my eyes watering a little. Why did he have to come? Why was he here? What does he want? 

I tried to hide it, opening the kitchen door so Sally could play in the backyard, then walking to the sideboard where I kept whisky.

"Would you like some?" I inquired, still not feeling safe enough to face him. "I'm pouring myself one."

"Sure. Please. Neat." He replied, and I could feel his eyes on me, watching every single movement I made. That made my hands tremble a bit, and I cursed in a whisper when I spilled a little bit of the drink. So fucking clumsy. 

I finally faced him when I felt my eyes get dryer, smiling lightly as I gave him the glass of whisky, neat. Our fingers touched a bit and I sat beside him, albeit a little far, taking a long sip of my glass. We stayed like that for a few minutes, two strangers that used to know each other, love each other. My eyes traveled through his face and I distinguished some new scars, probably from the great encounter with Hannibal Lecter and Mason Verger​ a few years ago. I remembered the way I used to kiss every single scar he had, I loved every part of Will, his scars were part of his story, part of who he was. 

He lowered his eyes for a moment, smiling as he saw the book standing on the coffee table.

"Is it still your favorite? Wuthering Heights." He grabbed the book, opening the first page. There was the name I didn't use anymore. Y/n Graham. He gave me that edition as a Christmas gift a long time ago, and I couldn't get rid of it, fantasizing that after such a long time, I could still feel Will's scent in it. 

"Undoubtedly. Every time I read it it's like the first. Except maybe now it's even more bitter." I avoided facing him, staring at the book, suddenly feeling pretty silly. He didn't ask. He knew why. 

"I suppose Heathcliff's still your favorite character."

"Now more than even, guess I finally understand his suffering." I regretted sounding so harsh, but it was said now. Will clenched his jaw.

"So you're saying I'm your Catherine?"

"I don't know. Am I?" I teased, hugging my body protectively. "Why are you here, Will? Why did you have to come? To torment me? You left three years ago after I begged you to stay, you just had to go after Hannibal, pursue your hunt. I allowed you to go, but I couldn't be there when you returned. I didn't even know you would return alive or if I would see a miserable Jack Crawford knocking on my door with grief in his face. I wouldn't bear it. So I left, but I kept expecting you to come find me if you ever got back. Then, Hannibal was finally arrested. I thought it was finally over, but you never came. You left again, and a while later I heard…"

My eyes traveled through his hands and I saw it. The wedding ring. That hurt so much I finally felt tears wetting my face, and dismissed them quickly with one hand.

"So it is true. You did get married." My voice sounded venomous, sharp as a knife. "Lucky girl. We didn't even get to that stage. Engagement was the maximum."

He was silent, allowing me to vent. As I haven't done that a lot with Alana already. His eyes were finally wet, finally some emotion on his face. That handsome face. That face I would never get tired of. I wanted to kiss them away, hold him and tell him everything would be okay, but it wouldn't. That teacup would never gather itself up again. We were two broken souls. 

"I thought you wouldn't want me anymore. I wasn't the man you once met, the man you fell for, I was no longer good for you, if I ever have been. Hannibal changed me in ways you could never understand, ways even I don't understand."

"Hannibal changed all of us. Like a poison ivy that found its way into our cores and grew roots there. I can still feel his damage inside me, like… A cancer. It spreads. It tastes like metal at the tip of my tongue. I saw his face in my dreams for a very long time after you left. I still see him sometimes, not necessarily in my dreams…" I stopped talking as he grabbed my hand, caressing the palm with his thumb. I realized how much I missed his hands. They were a little rough due to how much he worked with them, but it never bothered me. It was ridiculous how much he could still affect me with a single touch, a look. 

"I wanted to start over. Leave everything behind. I wanted to… Flee from that darkness that nested me. But it followed me, as it does wherever I go. I wanted someone pure, so it could contain it, or even diminish it. But you, Y/n… You never left my mind. I could never suppress you." He raised his hand, touching my cheek with cold, pale fingers. That touch made me close my eyes, his voice working like a balsam inside of me. I sighed, totally giving in. 

Will got closer, his lips touching mine with such delicacy. I touched his hair, grabbing some on the back of his neck, pulling it lightly. That made him release a low groan, as the kiss started to get deeper. I moved my body, wanting to stay as close to him as the laws of physics allowed, and when I felt his tongue touch mine, fireworks eclode from my chest, my heart beating as fast as a hummingbird's. 

I still loved him, of course I did. I never stopped. All the bitterness he left with his departure started to boil on my chest, becoming something else, something I couldn't figure out yet. His lips moved from mine to my neck, and I moaned a little louder, sinking my nails on his shoulders. One of his hands moved to my thigh and I allowed myself to lie down on the couch, pulling him with me. He lifted my leg and I embraced his waist with them, feelings mixtured inside my chest. That was wrong, he was a married man now. He had a wife waiting for him back home. 

But, for a moment while he stared at me, our foreheads glued together, I saw my Will in his eyes. I saw the Will I first met, the socially awkward man Alana introduced me years ago and couldn't even stare me in the eyes, the kind, caring man I once knew. One single tear fell from his eye, and I knew he was probably conflicted as well. I kissed it away, kissing his lips again, a deep, slow kiss that made my insides chiver. I needed him so much. Even if it was just one time. Just for today. I needed that kind of closure.

I unbottoned his shirt, sinking my fingers into the skin of his biceps. He threw it on the floor, going for my clothes, and I thanked myself mentally for a moment for wearing a dress. He'd seen it before, he'd taken it off many times. He lifted the piece of clothing above my head and I threw it away gladly, kissing his neck while opening his pants. He kicked off his shoes, doing the same with the pants and underwear as I took off my bra. He took a while to stare at my body, his pupils so dilated with lust his eyes were almost completely black.

"No one looks at me the way you do." I said, noticing I haven't heard that tone in my voice for a very long time. 

He pulled my panties off and rested his hips on mine, shutting his eyes as he slipped slowly inside of me. I let out a low gasp, trying to stabilize my breathing. Will hid his face on my neck and I could feel his hot breathing and the light scratches of his beard. Still slowly, he started to move inside me, thrusting back and forth. I bit my bottom lip as I tried to suppress a groan, and one of his hands grabbed my breast, his thumb stimulating the nipple. Will knew all my "buttons". Where to push, where to hold, so I could melt in his hands. 

He started to thrust faster and faster, and I could feel the familiar feeling growing at the bottom of my stomach. A few more minutes and I lifted my head up, shutting my eyes as the pleasure started to grow.

"No." Will said almost in a whisper, pulling my chin down. "Let me see your face. I need it." 

I stared at him while we both climaxed, a loud cry leaving my lips and Will's almost louder groan echoing through my ears. He dropped his body on mine, both of us covered in sweat and bodily fluids. We stayed that way until we could breathe normally again, his head on my chest and my fingers playing with his hair.

I wanted to say so many things. How much I loved him. How much I wanted him to stay. How much I've missed him. But he knew. He always knew. After that, we showered together to get rid of the sweat, and even then we couldn't stay away from each other. He hugged me while the water washed our body, kissing sometimes my lips, sometimes my forehead, my neck, my shoulder. I kissed every single one of his scars, as I used to do. I thought I'd seen tears on his face, but it might have been the water pouring from the shower. 

After we finished the shower, he got dressed and I put on a robe, my hair wetting the silk. Will took my face in his hands, kissing my lips with tenderness. I wanted to ask him to stay. He knew that. I wanted him to leave before I made a fool of myself.

He was still holding my face when the door suddenly opened and I pushed him away quickly.

Alana entered, looking from Will to me, and I knew I would get scolded later for that. She noticed, always cunning. 

"Well, just look what the cat dragged in." She said with sarcasm, the door still open. "Hi, Will. Long time no see."

"Alana." He said, seeming surprised. She didn't have time to answer, though. Her son, Morgan, entered the house accompanied by my little world.

"Mommy!" The dark haired child ran to me, bringing a smile to my face as I crouched down to hug him.

"My beautiful boy! Did you have fun at the zoo?" I asked, forgetting about Will's presence for a while. "I hope he wasn't too much trouble, Alana. Henry, did you behave?"

"Mommy, we saw a lion! He roared, and then we saw the giraffes, and the tiger…"

"Look at you dodging my question! Very canny." I laughed, hugging him again.

"He always behaves, you know that. He's a good kid." Alana answered, but she wasn't looking at me. She was staring directly at Will.

I looked at him. His eyes were on Henry, he seemed shocked, astonished. 

"I'll be on my way, then. I'll call you later." She said almost like a threat, making me smile.

"Okay. Bye, Morgan. Send my regards to Margot, Alana, and come to dinner at the end of the week."

"Will do. See you around, Will." She closed the door behind her, leaving me with the two people I loved the most. 

"Henry, this is Will. He's an old friend of mommy's. Won't you say hello?" I brought him closer to Will, and he got down on his knees, his eyes wet. 

"Hi, Henry." He greeted, smiling with joy. Real joy. I smiled back, caressing Henry's hair. "It's nice meeting you."

"Hi." He replied with shyness, hiding behind my body. That made me laugh lightly.

"Baby, why don't you go upstairs and draw a picture of that lion you saw? How about that?" I asked him, kissing the top of his head.

"Okay, mommy." He started to climb up the stairs as Will still stared at him, seeming amazed. 

"Is he… Is he…" Will tried to formulate his words, emotion breaking his voice.

"Yes. He's yours. Not difficult to notice, right? He looks just like you." I replied, wiping the tears away. "I found out I was pregnant a few days after you left. When you came back and Hannibal was arrested, I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want you to stick with me just because of the baby, so I just… Didn't. He was about a year old when I found out you got married. Alana is his godmother, she helped me so much. She and Margot. He's just a little younger than their son, Morgan, they're best friends. Henry's very smart. He's a joyful child. He's kind, caring to others. He reminds me of you all the time. He's my biggest accomplishment."

Will's face was blushed from crying, but he smiled through the tears, cleaning his face with the sleeve of his shirt.

"Mommy!" Henry called from the top of the stairs, crayons on his hands. "Can I show Hannibal the drawing?"

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I grimaced, feeling Will's gaze on me. He wasn't supposed to find out that way, I didn't even have the time to tell him slowly so I could try to explain what made no sense. 

"Ahn… Sure, honey. Sure. If you want. Now go to your room for a bit, okay? Mommy will see you in a minute, and then you can show me the drawing." I waited until he entered the room, hearing the door shut. I turned myself to Will.

"Did I hear it right? Hannibal?" Will raised his voice a little and I gestured him to keep his voice down. "Hannibal has seen the kid? You're taking him to see Hannibal?" 

"I know how it sounds, just let me explain…" I asked, noticing the change in his eyes. They were once again cold, but sharp. He was angry. 

"How do you explain this? Y/n? Have you lost your mind?"

"Yes! Yes, I fucking have! I lost my mind when you left, goddamnit!" I screamed, covering my mouth, hoping Henry would not come out of his bedroom. "Hannibal was the last link I had with you. So I sought comfort with the only one who would understand what was like to lose you. Because no one fucking did. Even Alana couldn't help me. So yes, I turned to Hannibal. Because he knows what's like to love you, to ache for you. And you don't get to judge me for that."

Will's eyes were wide, like he couldn't believe what I was saying. 

"Besides…" I sniffed, rubbing my face with my hands "Hannibal cares for him. I know it. And Henry just adores him, Will, you should see…"

"My God, listen to what you're saying, Y/n! Listen to yourself!" He grabbed my face with his hands a little roughly, making me hold his wrists. "He's a killer. He's a cold killer. Can't you see how dangerous it is?"

"Well, we're all fucking killers!" I pushed him away, breathing hard. "Or have you forgotten about it? The night we killed Randall Tier? You really think that wouldn't stain me? Or maybe you do, and that's why you married another woman, with all her purity, because you couldn't bear to see how much you and Hannibal have broken me!" 

He kept staring at me with that look in his eyes, the cold, sharp look that made me shiver. For a moment, I felt the danger of him trying to take my kid away. Would he even consider that? No. No one would take my child away from me. He was mine. 

"This was a bad idea, I should've never allowed you to come inside. Please, leave." I asked, pointing to the door.

He stayed put.

"Will, you better leave. Now. I'm warning you." I stepped away from him, but he pulled me closer, hugging me tightly. I hid my face in his chest, sobbing, hitting him weakly on the shoulders with my fists. "Just go, please. Just go."

"We'll figure it out. Everything will be fine." He kissed me for the last time, letting me go. I knew he would be back. He stared at me once more, and finally left, closing the door behind me. 

"Mommy, why are you crying?" I heard Henry's voice and turned to look at him coming down the stairs, kneeling to hug him. "Please mommy, don't cry!"

"It's okay, baby. Mommy is fine. Everything will be okay. How about a nice bath before we go see Hannibal, uh? Let's go."

"With bubbles?" He asked, clapping in joy. I smiled back to him, caressing his hair.

"With bubbles. Lots of bubbles." I kissed the top of his head and rushed him to the bathroom, an uneasy feeling pumping on my chest. I knew that wouldn't be the last time I saw Will. He would be back. Yes, he would. 

[rainydayhogwartsimagines]

aaaah I was wondering if I could request a draco x reader w/ social anxiety? draco being a fluffy boi 🥺

Oh my lord you guys are GETTING ADORABLE WITH THESE REQUESTS

You were so not a fan of being around people

Thank God you ended up in the most reclusive house

Slytherin

You always kept to yourself, you didn't really talk much

Large crowds scared you so you usually ate dinner in your room

No one really noticed you

The most anyone had conversated with you was the portraits on the walls because you'd sometimes sit on the benches

The ghosts also knew you by name too

Moaning Myrtle actually didn't hate your guts.

Well one day you were in a hurry and you accidentally ran into Draco.

"Ow-- Geez, watch where you're going!" He winced as the spine of one of your books hit him on his elbow

"S-S.. Sorry." You apologized, grabbing your books in a hurry and then running off.

Draco realized he had no idea who you were

"Goyle, who was that?" Draco asked.

"I'm not sure." Goyle shrugged.

"Crabbe?" "I don't know either."

So he started asking around and no one had conclusive answers.

Not even Fred and George seemed to know the hell you were.

One day Draco saw you walking.

"Hey, wait a minute." He said after one of your books fell.

You turned around and he handed it to you.

"What's your name?" He asked.

You were practically shaking and it worried him.

"Uh.. Uhm... I-I..." You swallowed and he frowned.

"Y-Y/n.. my name is Y/n." You said.

So there was the answer.

You looked down at your watch and grabbed the book before running.

He began to notice he actually had a lot of his classes with you.

He started trying to talk to you more and more and you usually would have panicked responses

One day he sat next to you in potions and you seemed very... Withdrawn

You weren't talking, you weren't showing any signs of communication

Draco was actually concerned.

He noticed you were gazed out and staring at your desk.

Then your head dropped a little like you were sleeping.

He tapped your shoulder and you just toppled over out of your seat

He caught you before you could actually hit the floor but he was really concerned

Basically: your body hadn't slept in a few days and you literally crashed.

You conked the fuck out.

Draco would always check on you while you were recovering in the medical wing.

You woke up confused and he was sitting there with a book just reading.

"...D-Draco?" You muttered.

He didn't say anything. He just pushed a jello cup to you and kept reading.

Draco was a lot more pushy with you though

"Have you eaten?" "Have you slept?" "When's the last time you drank water?"

You were confused on why he seemed to care but you still answered him.

He would notice you refuse to go to quidditch games or even walk into the great hall for dinner.

The house elves of the school knew you by name as well.

"Miss L/n, we made you some brownies for your passing of the exams" one of them told you.

You smiled and took them, thanking the house elf.

Draco was surprised that even the smallest creatures of the castle seemed to know you.

"Good Evening Y/n" Nearly Headless Nick would greet you in the halls

"Good Evening Sir Nicolas, enjoying your stroll?" You would greet back.

Draco was baffled and confused on how you had no problem with talking to these things but struggled to find words around actual people.

You noticed that he was of course following you around more

Especially since he would just take your books from you and start walking to your next class

So one night you were in the common room

You couldn't sleep so you just sat on the couch with the fire place going.

Draco is a night owl and found you.

"Y/n? What are you doing up, do you try to have another passing out incident?" Draco asked.

You sighed and just stared at the fire.

"what's wrong?" He asked sitting next to you.

"We go home in a few weeks." You muttered.

"Do you not want to go home?" Draco asked.

"Not if my step brothers are there." You muttered.

That was the first hint that something was not right to Draco

He looked at you and then had an idea.

"Wanna spend the summer with my family?" He asked.

You looked over. "You barely know me."

"Think of this as... A friendship investment?" He suggested.

"But--" "if that's an argument forming it's nonsense just say yes."

So you spent the summer at Draco's

Lucius noticed you retreat back but he didn't really comment on it

Narcissa actually got you to open up though

You'd sit in this day room like area with her and have tea

She learned all sorts of little things about you

You came from a wealthy family

Your dad was practically your best friend

Your stepmother was nice but your step brothers seemed to loathe you.

Draco began to notice his mother with you

How you would actually smile around her

You wouldn't stutter that much

Draco began spending time with you and Narcissa

He actually discovered you were very very sweet and VERY sarcastic

You loved to read and often read muggle books

According to you it's "interesting to find out what muggles can come up with when they don't know magic"

When you went back to school more people suddenly knew who you were

They'd just randomly greet you and it made you uncomfortable

Like really uncomfortable

Draco was with you most of the time and you'd actually hide behind him sometimes

He almost found it... Cute?

But the one student you finally seemed to open up to besides Draco was Neville

He understood you

He understood what it was like to live with anxiety

So he introduced you to another friend

Luna.

You and Luna were best friends, always smiling and sharing these small inside jokes

She was a year below you so you only saw her in your free time but Draco was glad you were trying to communicate

Hogsmeade was a thing

Draco kept close to you at all times and you seemed so weird a few days before the trip

You kept sniffing the air

"I smell snow." You'd say

"Y/n, snow is frozen water, it doesn't have a smell." He'd tell you.

"Ask Luna. I can smell snow." You'd tell him.

He thought it was bullshit but one night he saw you sneak out.

He followed you and you nearly had a heart attack.

"What are you doing!?" He whisper shouted.

"I can smell snow Draco, it's going to happen." You told him.

"Y/n, this is absolutely ridiculous--"

Guess what.

It snowed.

Draco was so confused but you were looking up at the night sky with this gorgeous smile as snowflakes fell onto you

He fell for you. Then and there

How could he not?

So you two snuck back to the common room, drinking hot cocoa and clinking your mugs together for the first snow fall of the winter.

Hogsmeade was amazing

Neville was happy to hang out with you

Though Draco was acting a tad... Odd

An unexpected friendship duo I didn't know I needed: Draco and Neville

Neville kind of pulled him to the side while you were sidetracked and looking at something and was like "Dude are you okay"

And Draco kind of told him about the first snow fall and Neville had this smile "Draco... You like her."

"Oh.... OH." Draco realized.

"What are you two talking about?" You asked curiously.

"QUIDDITCH!" they both lied.

"I've never been one for sports." You shrugged.

You, Neville and Draco would have days where you all sat in the library

There would be a break in the day where Draco had a class but you and Neville didn't

That was when you revealed "Neville, I think I like Draco" but you also made him swear to secrecy.

He was in this frustrated state.

HE WANTED YOU TWO TOGETHER GOD DAMNIT.

You ended up spending the summer with Neville, Luna and.... Draco

Neville's parents? SO FUCKING SWEET

Luna was so awesome to hang out with too.

You and Neville were like siblings and Draco enjoyed seeing you smile and laugh around them

So the fourth year starts

And you hate it even more because there are EVEN MORE STUDENTS NOW

You were surrounded by people 24/7 and you were NOT A FUCKING FAN MAN

But you found comfort in Fleur though.

She found you one day in the library and had to sit with you because it was too crowded.

She was so sweet to you

Like holy crap

New friend? Obtained

You watched the goblet of fire do it's thing

"Harry potter" was drawn and Draco seemed to twitch

You knew about some quidditch rivalry but never knew the extent of it

Draco just griped about how the boy effortlessly ended up in the public eye constantly.

You didn't seem to care though. Fleur was in the competition so you would cheer her on

You loved seeing your friend go out and kick some ass.

For the first time you were able to sit in the quidditch arena with a group and not feel absolutely terrified about being around people

You were however very much afraid of the dragon that was chasing Fluer

She made it though

Your group helped her with her egg and all of you seemed baffled on why it SCREAMED.

"It's making noise for a reason." Luna said looking at it

"But why?" Draco asked.

"Maybe we're not listening to it correctly?" Neville suggested.

"Hmm?" Fleur asked.

"Muffle the noise?" You asked seeing what Neville meant.

So she dunked it underwater

Somehow it got back to you that Harry was having trouble figuring out the purpose of the egg too.

You were the one that hinted on how to solve it.

After catching wind of this, Fred and George had to know who you were.

After all, you had an oddball group of friends

So they scared the crap out of you a few... Dozen times trying to get to know you

But because Fred and George aren't completely stupid they asked the portraits "how do we get to know her?"

They told them to be patient and sure enough they were in.

Fred and George both noticed you and Draco spending a lot of time together

You actually got the whole group into baking

Like you stressed baked during the trials for Fleur

So one day Draco decided to learn how to make cookies

And you two got into a flour fight and you were giggling the whole time

The two of you made cookies but Draco couldn't actually pick them up because he insisted his hands were dirty. So you were sitting on the counter and fed him one.

He smiled and looked at you, wiping off some excess chocolate on your face

You and him exchanged this look and he FINALLY kissed you.

You two finally started dating and Neville almost cried.

"I HAVE BEEN HIDING YOUR CRUSHES FOR ALMOST A YEAR AND I'VE BEEN GOING INSANE"

The second trial comes along and you're watching it with the group, Neville helping Harry with something so he could breathe underwater

You and Draco were sitting on the docks playing poker with jellybeans with the group

Everyone started coming back

Fleur was empty handed and she was panicked.

"Gabrielle-- she's down there I-I Co-couldn't

You knew who that girl was from the conversations you had and frowned.

"Neville do you have any of those things left" you asked.

Neville handed you gillyweed and you ate it, jumping in with no hesitation

Draco nearly jumped in after you but Fred assured him that if it took too long George and him would go get him

You came back up with Gabrielle though and were shivering the whole time

"IT IS FUCKING COLD." You shivered.

So you took that dance class and to everyone's surprise you actually could dance.

Though you were mumbling "One two three"

You still did quite well

Draco was smiling the entire time

"Hey Y/n... Would you like to go to the Yule ball?" He asked you.

That made you trip and fall onto him.

"Fuck-- sorry-- I am so sorry!" You apologized

"Love, if I weren't so used to this then this would be slightly alarming." Draco chuckled, helping you up.

You chuckled and sighed. "Yes." You nodded.

"Hmm?" "To the dance. Yes."

So Luna was the one who helped you that night

Neville went with Luna that year and it was fun for the whole group

They were all ✨classy✨

But you. You were stunning

When you came down the stairs Draco's eyes were huge

"Fred do you have sunglasses because my girlfriend's radiance is BLINDING ME."

He was dancing with you and he would whisper sweet little compliments in your ear.

For the first time in a crowd you weren't so scared anymore

The group loved seeing you so happy with Draco

They all snuck back to the Slytherin common room and you were all eating cookies when Snape found you all

"Hi professor... Cookie?" Fred offered

"... Insolent children"

Harry ending up winning and giving the money to Fred and George

Summer at the burrow and you finally meeting the rest of the Weasleys

Molly loving you

Molly loving Draco

MOLLY ADORING LUNA

Molly LOVING NEVILLE TOO

All of you laughing and having campfires during the night

Luna plays guitar?

Fred does too?

You all being kind of sad when you go back to school because it's Fred and George's last year.

You all spending as much time as possible together

Agreeing to work in the store after graduation as their "numbers gal"

Doing that after graduation

Draco also working at the store? Whaaa

Neville becoming a herbology professor

Luna becoming a caretaker of magical creatures and helping out with the shop too

Draco proposing to you one night after closing

Fred and George cracking out the champagne

And you telling them getting drunk in a building with things that can explode was a terrible plan

But you did it anyway

Nothing bad happened but still

You and Draco getting married that year and the whole group was nearly crying the entire time

Neville was the best man (again this is a duo I didn't know I needed until now)

Luna was the maid of honor

You had your son... Scorpius Fredrick Malfoy

Fred was crying the entire time holding the kid because he was "so smallll"

George saying "Of course he's small he's a baby moron... But he is cute"

[ffangirlingsince2001]

Nothing Alike: VII

Description: Geralt of Rivia has been tasked with taking out a fellow Witcher who has decided to settle down in a town. She has no intention of leaving and Geralt is forced to take matters into his own hands.

Geralt x Reader

Warnings: VIOLENCE, gore, smut, language, sadistic reader

MASTERLIST

She was silent for three days. Plotting and planning while the prison cart jostled her around like a sack of vengeful flour. Geralt tried to talk to her. He asked her if she was alright. She only ignored him, offering him the most persistent cold shoulder he had ever encountered.

The man dressed in the fancy suit also tried to talk to her. He apologized, he dragged her from the cart, and he threatened to cut off her fingers, but she never uttered a word. Even as the knife was held over statuesque fingers, she didn’t utter a word, the cogs in her mind only spin faster.

He didn’t actually cut off her fingers; it was more difficult to sell a slave when she didn’t have fingers. However, he didn’t hesitate to wrap his fingers around her throat until her lips turned blue and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Even then she didn’t speak, so, in a fit of rage, he threw her back into the cart and ordered them onwards.

On the fourth day they pulled into a town and she was sitting up straight, the mask of an exhausted, weak prisoner covering that of a bloodthirsty mastermind.

“It’s a wonderful morning, don’t you think?” she asked through trails of crocodile tears, Geralt was so surprised she was finally speaking that he was unable to answer before the cart came to a bumpy halt in the center of town.

He was surprised about the number of people milling around a slave trade but at the sight of their streets and the gnarl to their smiles, he realized this wasn’t just the black market, this was a black city. Slashed across every home was a stripe of red paint, marking their payment to those above them. And as they were unloaded from the cart, shackled, and bound he found the payment.

Children and women were shackled just the same as they were, heads hung low as a man in a hood brandished his whip through the sky. They all seemed to flinch in unison, waiting for the thin wire to meet its mark. He and Y/N were added to the line, but she didn’t seem at all worried. It hadn’t seemed to sink in that it was too late. Any plan she had was nothing more than a suicide mission.

“Don’t,” he whispered, hoping she would listen, begging whatever god was listening that she would heed his word. She didn’t react, but the smug pep in her step never faltered. She was practically skipping as they led them towards city hall.

She definitely hadn’t listened.

At the steps of the building, a man who he presumed was the auctioneer, was collecting weapons from the wealthy. It seemed this auction had problems with unhappy customers. He eyed the iron as he was pushed past, wishing that at least one had fallen into his hands.

Once inside the building there were at least a hundred more wealthy individuals, watching with apt fascination as the prizes of the day were led around the room. Each slave was positioned against the wall. A time for the buyers to shop around, see what was worth spending their money on. And it seemed Y/N was the most interesting thing they had seen in a while. A crowd quickly gathered around her. Geralt strained to hear what they were saying, even seeing her reaction would have been enough, but the crowd was too large and a man who apparently hated Witchers was standing in front of him.

“I’d only buy him to kill him,” he informed whoever was willing to listen. Geralt eyed the scrawny man and had to refrain from rolling his eyes. The only thing that man looked capable of doing was pouring himself a drink at the local tavern. “You hear me Witcher, I’m gonna kill you.”

Geralt rolled his eyes that time.

It wasn’t until half an hour later when the crack of the whip sounded, and the slaves were moved to the stage. Somehow Y/N had ended up at the end, the prize of the evening. She looked solemn and a soft crocodile tear was rolling down her cheek. She even sniffed to add to the whole charade. Frankly, it was more ridiculous than the man who had spent the last half hour threatening him.

He stared out into the crowd as the few dozen slaves before them were sold off. Children sold for more than adults, and women sold for more than men. Every time the gavel slammed against the oak podium the slave winced before being dragged off the stage and handed to their purchaser. Some children sobbed for their mothers and the men fought, but the women were always quiet, resigned to their fate.

And then it was his turn.

Geralt was shoved to the front of the stage and caught the eye of the man who had been speaking to him throughout the viewing. He was clearly itching to rid the world of a Witcher. The moment it was open his hand was in the air and Geralt of Rivia, the White Wolf, Butcher of Blavikan was sold for three gold pieces. It seemed witchers were not a popular purchase among the wealthy.

Truly, an insult to his life.

He was roughly dragged out of the room, but he wasn’t going to leave her behind, no matter how much she annoyed him. He struggled against the hold of the man leading him towards his buyer but something blunt caught him in the back of his head and he was on the ground, blood leaking from his scalp. The world grew dark and then there was nothing.

When Geralt awoke he was sure he was dead, and while that was inconvenient, he couldn’t help but chuckle about how mad the man who had bought him would be that he hadn’t been able to deed himself.

Hell was certainly not what he had expected, though he wasn’t sure he had really expected anything other than darkness. There was no fire and no brimstone; in fact, it was rather chilly. He was covered in blood, and he wasn’t entirely sure who it had once belonged to, it certainly wasn’t his, there was far too much of it. Hell seemed to be the same room he had been killed in, an annoying reminder that he had been bested by a clobber to the back of the head. The room stunk of death, and he wondered if it was his own corpse. He sniffed his arm, just to check.  

And then he heard what truly made it hell.

“Planning on getting up anytime soon?”

His head shot up, making the room spin, but the fact that his hell contained the Witcher he had made the mistake of latching to his belt made him question if mercy had ever existed.

She was covered in blood too, far more than he was. She was absolutely soaked, and he wondered if the blood in his hair was hers. The hell version of her had no similarity to the whimpering act she had been displaying moments before his life was cut short. She looked unnervingly smug, like she had won some wonderful prize. Maybe tormenting him was her prize.

And then he noticed the bodies.

One hundred bodies were spread across the floor, completely drained of blood, their wealthy white clothes no longer worth a cent. He swept his eyes across the carnage and then back to Y/N, and then to the auctioneer who he hadn’t noticed until now.

This wasn’t his hell; this was her heaven.

“I saved you one,” she announced, her voice snapping the silence in half. He only shook his head. It felt unnatural to speak hear, like he would be haunted if he dared to say anything in the presence of the once lively room. “Suit yourself,” she shrugged before turning towards the auctioneer who screamed beneath the gag she had once worn. She tossed the sword she had been holding to the ground and slunk forward, “More fun for me.”

Geralt looked away just as she dug her fingers into the auctioneer’s eyes. The screams were agonizing, echoing off the puddles of blood as he begged for mercy. That was all Geralt could make out through the terror, the word ‘please’. Had the sound not been so awful he would have laughed at the irony. After listening to the pleas of those he had sold, ignoring them with a grin, the last words the man would ever say were in perfect symmetry. And then with a gurgle he hit the floor, silent once more.

He allowed his eyes return to the Witcher as she stood in all her glory. She hopped down from the stage and wandered towards him, swinging the keys about her pinky finger. She unlocked his shackles and watched as he slipped around in the blood.

“Come on, you need a bath,” she informed him as she headed towards a door with minimal carnage.

“We need to leave.” She spun around, a dangerous glint in her eye.

“And why is that?”

“Someone will have alerted the authorities?”

“Who? The slaves I freed or one of the corpses? Or maybe you’re going to tell them?”

“You could have missed one,” he said ignoring her accusation.

“I didn’t.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Would you like to count the bodies? Because I did, before the auction as they groped me and gawked at my face while I stood on their pedestal, and then I counted them again as I removed their organs from their pompous chests. Now have you counted someone I might have missed, or are you going to join me for a bath? Even if you do leave now, you’re a walking target. Who are they going to suspect, the man covered in blood or the one who recently had a bath?” He didn’t respond, simply followed her up the stairs and into the small apartment above the auction house.

She stepped into the bathroom and smiled at had once been a wealthy man’s bath. The water had heated the water, tendrils of steam beckoning him forward. He watched as she shed her clothes. Even the skin beneath her clothes was stained crimson. Her dips and curves sunk into the water, instantly muddling it with her sins. She turned around, moaning at the feeling of warmth.

“You’re not scared, are you?”

“Of what?”

“Me.” It was a taunt, a ploy to get him in the water, and he knew it. It got him in the water, nonetheless. He quickly shed his clothes and joined her, sinking beneath the steaming surface. Beneath the water he opened his eyes and was met with equally golden eyes. Blood was drifting off the pair like the steam above them, swirling around like liquid rubies to match her treasure chest eyes. He quickly surfaced, the water burning his eyes, and watched as she scrubbed away what remained of her fun.

“How did you do it?” He didn’t want to know.

“When one of the men grabbed me, I stole the knife he had snuck in. The rest was as easy as gutting a pig. I let them buy me and the moment they removed the shackles, he was dead. No one noticed until the doors were locked, and then they were all mine. Each one of them begged for mercy and I only laughed, mercy for those who rape and pillage, certainly not if I’m the executioner.”

She seemed so pleased with herself, like she had eaten the best feast in her life, not killed a hundred men and women. He didn’t feel sorry for them, quite the opposite, but that didn’t change the fact she had killed them with a smile. He knew she had killed before but seeing her in action made it so much more real, so much more sinister.

“What happened to you?” he asked her softly and she quirked an eyebrow.

“Did you not hear me? I killed them, Geralt, they couldn’t have touched me if they tried.”

“No, not today. Before you could kill with a smile.” The smugness faltered.

“Some of us are just born this way.”

“Liar.”

“It’s none of your business.” She had the dangerous glint again, but this time it was directed at him. When he didn’t continue to pester it faded and she approached him slowly, still stained hands pulling her forward until she climbed into his lap. Something deep within him said he shouldn’t, but it died the moment she kissed him.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. Her fingers tanged themselves in his hair and a spare hand lined his length up with her entrance. She sank onto him without warning, the pair groaning in unison. She snapped her hips forward, lips still pressed to him as she fucked herself on his hard on. He bit her shoulder and she howled with delight, nails digging into his scalp.

The act was almost like a murder of its own. The pain and the release felt just as damaging as a knife wound. She was a banshee as his hands found her hips and slammed her against him. Water spilled across the floor as they rocked their own hurricane through the bath. He wasn’t sure when her orgasm ended and when the second began, but he did his best to match each peak of pleasure. It wasn’t until after the third that she slowed her angry pace. She nuzzled her face into his neck, hips still pushing forward with the help of his hands.

“You’d kill me with a smile,” she whispered, and he stuttered, but she kept the rhythm going. “If you could bring yourself to do it, you’d kill me and grin all the while.”

“Y/N-.”

“Don’t worry, you’re not the first.” The questions flooded his mind, but he remained silent as a soft moan filled his ears. She was close again and he joined her as her muscles tightened and then released with uncharacteristic softness. She pulled away, clearly not in the mood to say anything more. “We should head out soon.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m bored.” She’d had her brains fucked out and she was already bored. Typical. He climbed out of the bath after her and waited for her to return after the promise of clean clothes. They quietly dressed and then she led him down to the stables where Roach was waiting patiently. He climbed on and hauled her on after him.

And then they left it all behind.

Taglist: @stuckupstucky @aurora-sweet @holyhumorliteraturelight @dreams-of-sunlight-and-starfire @auds24

[guqin-and-flute]

In Your Hands [Peony to Lotus!Verse]

[@theleakypen​ *points accusingly* Look what you did! 😁]

[Second Chronological installment of the Peony to Lotus!Verse]

[First Installment] [Ao3 Series]

It starts small and slow, because Yanli asked and because A-Yao listens. It’s more delightful than she could have imagined, to shyly mention something and see it tucked away behind a smile. To have it come back later and set before her in reality. 

She isn’t truly used to receiving a great many gifts--A-Cheng and Xianxian are men of action, showing love in hugs and favors and tucking her into bed when she is too tired or sick to do so herself. (Now she has 3 people who would do this. Sweet boys. How lucky is she?) 

Usually, it’s her that brings the food they like, makes sure to tuck little notes into the folds of their clothes when they pack for a trip, brings back little knick knacks from the market that might make them smile. So, when she wakes alone in the crisp air of their bedroom and goes to do her hair for the day, she is startled to find a silver hair pin topped with a delicate metal lotus with tiny pink beads tucked in the petals that mirror the ones interspersed throughout the 2 trailing chains that dangle beneath it. There is no note, but it had been placed very obviously and precisely in the middle of her table. Yanli finds herself smiling as she picks it up and admires it, noting the fine, swirling engravings that etch down the stick itself. It’s a gift! For her! 

She, of course, slides it into her wound hair and finds herself holding her cheeks as she grins at herself in the mirror and  turns this way and that, watching the little chains sway with her movement, clicking gently. The flush on her face matches the beads. It’s a little silly, she tells herself, to be blushing over a gift like this. He’s my husband! I’m already married! 

There is still that giddy lightness in her chest that feels as though she will burst out laughing at any moment, like the morning sun has roosted in her heart.

Because it’s more than just the gift, of course. She and A-Yao had been chatting over tea one evening on the pavilion over the lake, listening to the night frogs and the fresh wind through the curtains and distant treetops. It had been very soon after their realization (their breakthrough, she privately considers it, the silly man, of course she cares for him, of course) and he had been watching her with warm eyes. “Jiang-furen,” he had said lightly, because it made her wrinkle her nose at the formality--and she had, and he had smiled. “Would you allow this one to court you?”

Oh. 

‘I think I would like to try,’ she had told him, and with such confidence, too. Loving. And here they were, at the trying part. Complication had swelled within her chest like a tide, wanting and fear and a sudden shyness. The thrill of flattery and being wanted; the fear of ruining this, too, somehow, by too demanding. Unworthy.

The fear that she would not be able to...feel the right way. She had never been in love, not even the giggling, girlish love her friends had spoken of as children, nor had she ever understood the longing whispers of her shimeis and shijies when they saw the young men unloading the boats, sweaty and gleaming in the sun. She had been confused when her mother had lectured her on the importance and the virtue of staying out of the beds of men. It had just never seemed as difficult as anyone made it out to be. She had been prepared for the duties of a wife and a mother when she had agreed to marriage--both times--and had not meant to shy from it. It was the way things were. And she did want a child--several of them, actually. 

And then had come A-Yao with his gentle understanding and his poor wounded heart and his telling her that she had no obligations and him, no expectations. And that secret part of her that had bound herself up tight in the waiting had breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.

Now, within the bounds of marriage, she was being asked. Is it what she wanted, of them, with him. It was real and present with no barriers, time or otherwise. And she didn’t know. Because he was sweet and kind and she did not want any part of him hurt.

It had almost been easier when there had been a straight path she had been bound to walk with no option of deviating. Inevitable. 

Oh, and she had been silent for too long, leaving him waiting and wondering. She had felt him go completely still across the table. Hurriedly, she moved her hand over to cover his, to quell any rising anger or misunderstanding, had opened her mouth to try to stumble through an explanation--

And his hand had covered hers. And he had waited. And she had loved him for it. His face was stiffer than she might like, his pleasant smile up, now, like armor against whatever he thought was going through her mind, but he allowed the time it took for her to gather this all up. “A-Yao…” she had begun and her throat had closed up and she had chastised herself for being a silly, stupid girl and making him wait, making him fear that she was saying no, because she wasn’t, she did want to try, for him, for her, because she could feel the first step in her heart of loving him in a way that was unlike A-Cheng and A-Xian, unlike her mother and father, but she couldn’t say exactly where or how far those steps would take her and she would never want to break a promise or get his hopes up and be unable to--unable to--

“A-Li,” he had said, polite shield of a smile disappearing, brow tucking into worry as her eyes filled with frustrated tears. “Have you...changed your mind?”

She shook her head quickly, mouth working and oh, why couldn’t she ever just speak? 

“Are...you sure? You don’t....”

Yanli nodded, just as vigorously and she sniffed, trying to stem whatever this was. “I’m...Of course….Yes, of course, you can, I’ll....”

Hurriedly, he had risen to kneel beside her, below her, both his hands on hers, now, where they rested on her knees, face open and almost scared. “A-Li,” his tone had been urgent. “What do you think I’m asking you?”

Finally, finally, she had choked her way through an explanation, an apology, a promise to try to do better, to try to fix whatever incomplete love she was offering and his fingers had tightened over her own. 

His voice had been rough. “I would never ask something of you that you’re not ready to give.”

“But...what if...I’m never ready?” she had managed in a watery whisper.

His answer had been as gentle as the breeze that brushed by them from across the lake, flickering the flames in the lanterns. “Then I will never ask.”

“Wouldn’t that be horribly selfish of me?” Her eyes had remained fastened on the rise and fall of his chest in his purple robes, unable to meet his gaze. She could hear her mother in her head, knew what she would say; yes. Selfish and childish and unrealistic. If Yanli could not cultivate, if she could not be strong or clever or useful, what on earth did she expect to be her duty to her family? Did she think she was special? Did she think that marriage was just easy for everyone? 

“Why would it be selfish?” 

When she gave a small, despairing laugh at what she assumed had been a joke, he had simply blinked at her. She had wiped her eyes. “Children, for one, A-Yao.”

Something distant had come over his eyes, the look he got when he was puzzling through a problem for A-Cheng on the spot and his tone was one of musing when he said,“If you wanted a child, I could get you a child.”

That laugh had burst from her in shock and some of the tightness in her chest lightened. “You’re as ridiculous as A-Xian. Is YaoYao 3, as well, with that sort of reasoning? Where do you think children come from? A roadside store?” Shaking her head, she had bopped the tip of his nose with the crook of her finger and tucked his already neat hair behind his shoulder, soothing herself, giving an excuse to be close to him.

He had smiled, slow and sleek, head tilting a little, saying, “Of course,” and nothing more. When he had simply waited patiently for her to stop fussing over his hair, she had taken his dear face in her hands and ran her thumbs over his cheeks.

“We’re here again,” she had noted and knew by the way his smile dimmed, slightly, and the softness that came back into his eyes that he, too, was thinking of their wedding night when they sat in this very same position; him at her feet, promising to take no more than what was offered; her holding him in fondness. She sighed and tilted her head in hopeless asking. “And what about a wife’s duty to her husband? The other part you’re promised.”

“Neither of our vows said any such thing. All I was promised was loyalty and support.” His voice had quieted further, and a tentative had hand lifted, and rested on her cheek, light as a moth’s wing. “Which you have given. I want to court A-Li because…” To her delight, his cheeks had pinkened slightly, and he looked young and sweet and oh, yes, she loved him as A-Yao--whatever that meant to her, she did. “Because I want to. I-I want to do it the right way, to please you, and bring you gifts and gain your favor. Because you deserve it.”

She had felt a warm curling in her throat, like tears, but not (loved! loved!) and she had smiled and hadn’t been able to help from leaning down and kissing his forehead, kissing the tip of his nose. Then, daringly, because she wanted to, she had brushed her lips over his and he had sat, hands carefully in his lap, still as a stone as she pressed them, warm and soft against hers. He smelled like the fragrant flower tea they had been drinking. “You already have my favor, ” she had murmured when she sat back from the chaste kiss, feeling her own face heat up as his had. Oh, as his was!

“If it…” he had started, almost staccato and slightly too loud, as if he had surprised himself and he pressed his lips together and made a face like he regretted it. But then he pushed out, almost in a rush. “If it makes you feel any better, I also wasn’t...looking forward to...that night. I...would have slept with you. If it was what you had required.” He took a breath and pressed his hands, chill in the night air, over the backs of hers on his face. “But, now, we can go as slowly or as far as only you desire. It is in your hands. I’m simply happy to have A-Li.”

Her heart felt as if it were the tail of some magnificent fish, fluttering and flashing around with a gleaming joy. She believed him. Knowing what she knew of his mother, of his father, and of how that rested in him like chains and blood and hurting, she believed every word. Safe. Safe to test, to try. To stop.

He was safety.

“One condition,” she had said, schooling her face to seriousness and warning so quickly, he must have known it was a jest. 

He, in turn, however, didn’t make light, and only smiled, dimpled and almost completely real. “Name it.”

“I can court you in turn.” 

At this, his face had dropped into blank startlement for a brief moment before a crooked little smile had hitched itself back on his face. That was real. She had been able to tell. “Of course,” he had agreed steadily. “Anything at all.”

And now, as she leaves their room with his first gift in her hair, she sees him down the walkway, slim and purposeful in his angling, talking to A-Xian about something. All at once, something mischievous and powerful skitters up from her stomach and down her arms like laughter and she straightens and glides like she was taught, a grin on her lips. A-Xian looks up first and grins back. Excitedly, he bounds up for her to stroke his cheek, which she does, still walking, still passing, and as she draws level, she gives a preening toss of her head, making the little beads of the pin click and flicks her eyes over.

A-Yao is watching her performance with eyebrows raised, eyes wide in surprised appreciation, fresh delight pressed behind his lips, making his whole face light. Like they are sharing a private joke. Like he thinks she’s beautiful and funny. His regard feels like lovely fingers combing through her hair and, beneath this silly posturing, she’s blushing all over again. “Husband,” she greets with exaggerated propriety, inclining her head. The chains sway in her peripheral vision.

He inclines his head back, smile wide and gracious. “Wife.”

She doesn’t break her stride, continuing her glide down the walkway, not looking back. She hears A-Xian say, “What the heck was that about?”

She is in earshot long enough to hear A-Yao laugh, quietly.