#safeship fic

[solitaireships]

Stay Like This Forever

I've been thinking about Xianyun a lot, so I wanted to write this fic about aer! This one is a pretty important one for me, so I hope you like it! And it's got a bit of a surprise (or maybe not a surprise if you've been seeing some of my posts lol)

Rating: Gen

Genre: Fluff

Words: 1337 words

Divider by saradika

“Would you like some more tea?” Xianyun asks as ae pours herself another cup of her own.

“Please,” Andromeda replies, offering her almost empty teacup to aer. 

“One is always glad to fulfill your wishes, my love,” she says. Ae’s tea pours are always impressively steady, and she fills the cup up to just below the rim to be sure none of it will be spilled as ae returns it to Andromeda. 

“Thank you very much,” she says with a grateful nod.

Xianyun gives a pleased hum as she watches Andromeda take a sip of the floral tea. It’s one that ae had picked out the last time she went shopping with Ganyu— she said it reminded aer of the qingxin flowers that grow up by her adobe in Mount Aocang. 

Andromeda’s glad that Xianyun’s adjusted more to the human world. She’s sure that aer kids being nearby has helped with that, and Andromeda likes to think that she’s been able to help her get used to life as a human too. Xianyun always manages to find something to occupy her time, be it training with Shuyu or viewing all the wonders that ae can find in the city, but Andromeda's glad she still always finds time for her. 

She likes these tea dates the two of them have. They’ve become a regular part of their week. It’s not like the two of them don’t see each other often— Andromeda’s been living with Xianyun for well over two months now. But these tea dates are time that’s scheduled just for the two of them, with the windows of their kitchen open to let in the warm sea air as the purple and orange hues of twilight wash over them. It’s peaceful, the perfect reprieve from the rest of existence. 

No matter what the world throws at her, no matter how challenging her detective cases are, she always can count on tea with Xianyun to get her back on her feet. It’s relaxing to have time for just the two of them, and there’s something soothing about having Xianyun across the table from her, their legs brushing against each other as gentle reminders that ae’s just within reach. 

“I want to stay like this with you forever,” Andromeda says.

Xianyun gives her a smile, but she can see a hint of sadness in aer eyes. “One wishes that we could remain together for all of eternity as well. But one is also far too aware that humans’ time on this world is limited to be able to promise you that we would be able to have forever.”

“I know.”

Andromeda and Xianyun don’t talk much about the inevitability of Andromeda’s eventual death. She knows she probably won’t die anytime soon unless something terrible happens, but no human can hope to live nearly as long as an adeptus. Xianyun is thousands of years old, and she’s seen countless people meet their ends over the years. One day ae will see the same with Andromeda, and that’s a thought neither of them can stand to bear.

But right now, they’re together. Andromeda tries to keep her mind from wandering to the future, when she knows this line of thought is one that will only lead to her being hurt. 

Andromeda’s happy with Xianyun. She’s happier than she thought she could be. She always wanted to have a long term relationship, but it’s never something that felt attainable to her. She’d always been focused on other goals, trying to learn about her background and to establish herself in the world as a detective. She would have rather focused on mysteries than relationships, even if she did feel the sharp spike of loneliness from time to time. 

Falling for Xianyun was unexpected, but now Andromeda can’t imagine what life would be like without her. She likes having someone in her life she knows she can count on, and she likes getting to come home to curl up in bed with aer. It’s fun listening to Xianyun get excited as she talks about her inventions, going on for hours if not stopped about the intricacies of every piece and all of aer accomplishments. But she never comes off as thinking of aerself as being better than everyone else. Xianyun knows that she’s smart, and that ae’s better at inventing things than just about any human could be. But she always listens to Andromeda talk with the rapt attention of someone curious to learn, genuinely happy to hear everything she has to say, never for a second thinking ae knows more than her. 

Andromeda adores Xianyun. And she knows that they won’t be able to have forever, but maybe they can at least make a move towards that in theory. 

“Pretty bird,” Andromeda starts slowly, “do you want to get married?”

“Married?”

This is a rare time Andromeda’s ever seen Xianyun at a loss for words. She can’t blame aer— spur of the moment ideas like this are unlike her. But Andromeda’s more sure that she wants to marry Xianyun than she is anything else. 

“Yeah,” Andromeda says. “I’d like to marry you. So if you want to get married, I think we should.”

Xianyun is quiet for another moment. Andromeda brushes off the worry that her silence means ae isn’t interested far more easily than she would have just a couple of months ago. It’s incredible how much she’s been able to feel more comfortable in herself just from being with aer. She supposes it’s something to do with being able to feel safe in a relationship, something she’s rarely felt before. 

“One… one can admit, one had never considered the possibility of marriage,” Xianyun says after a moment. 

“That’s fine,” Andromeda says. They don’t have to get married yet or ever. The most important thing is that the two of them are together. Marriage wouldn’t change their relationship much— it would just be a further commitment to each other, a promise of being each other's forever. If Xianyun doesn’t want that, they don’t need it. 

Xianyun raises a slim finger before Andromeda can say more. “One had never considered the possibility of marriage before meeting you.”

“Oh.”

“Should you be interested in marriage as well, one would find the opportunity to call you one’s wife a high honor unlike any one has ever been given,” ae continues. 

Andromeda can’t help the smile that spreads across her face. She knows that she had been the one to suggest marriage, but knowing that Xianyun wants to get married too sends a warm feeling through her body, a comfort unlike anything else. 

Andromeda gets up from her seat at the table so quickly that she nearly trips over herself. If she and Xianyun are getting married, she wants to do this right. She doesn’t have an engagement ring picked out, so she takes one of the ones from her finger— a simple silver band with a light blue gemstone. She gets on one knee at Xianyun’s side, looking up at her with adoration. 

“Xianyun,” she says, “will you marry me?”

“There’s nothing that could make one happier,” ae replies. She offers her hand, allowing Andromeda to slide the ring onto aer finger. It doesn’t fit quite right, but Andromeda will find the time to make sure she finds the perfect ring for Xianyun. She deserves nothing but the best, even if for now they’ll have to settle for the sentiment. 

Xianyun wants to marry her. That’s the most important thing right now. Andromeda presses a quick kiss to the back of Xianyun’s hand. As she gets back to her feet, ae stands up, getting out of her seat. 

“I love you,” Andromeda says, taking a step closer to Xianyun so she can wrap her arms around aer waist. 

“One loves you too,” Xianyun replies, closing the distance with a soft kiss to Andromeda’s lips. 

She hopes there’ll be countless more kisses like this ahead of them. But first, they’ll need to set a wedding date.

[kynibyou]

just so you know, your f/o has a note in the notes app on their phone to keep track of all of the little things about you and of all the things you enjoy! they love adding to the note every time they learn something new about you 💗

[fitzselfships]

They always comfort me. Now it's my turn to comfort them <3

Proshippers/adjacent dni. 100000 shark attack 🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈 also Zooble self ship doubles dni

[mydictionary-yume]

A3! Event Story: A Year of Romance with You - Masterlist

(Contains very minor spoilers for A3! Act 12)

Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 | Ch 7 | Ch 8 | Ch 9 | Ch 10 | Ep

The dividers I use in these stories are from here!

[movedto-mrs-bluemarine]

So. That super blue moon last night huh

zhdfygji I STARTED THIS LIKE THIRTY MINUTES AGO!!! V HAPPY TO HAVE IT DONE IN ONE SITTING (IT'S ONLY 450 WORDS! gets shot) anyway who's hungry for JUPIDONNY

Divider credits!

It was an amazing sight, getting to sit outside of the Black Bull’s HQ on a crystal clear night, with none of Jupiter's beloved squad mates to interrupt the serene scene.

Behind the base, she was given the perfect position to see the full moon. No trees, no clouds, nothing to block its beauty, her gentle light shining down on the redhead, kissing her face so tenderly. It was nights like this that made Jupiter feel positively blessed for getting to experience it.

She closed her grey eyes, taking a deep breath of the pure night air, and let it back out. Her dulled ears didn't pick up on the sound of boots against the rocky walkway, and Jupiter wasn't aware of her company until her eyes opened again, being treated with a bloodred gaze. Gordon waited until her eyes were entirely open, black lips parting to speak as he slightly crouched down in front of her.

“Wonderful night, isn't it?”

Seeing her best friend, Jupiter gave him a goofy grin, acting like another new beam of light. “Yeah, it is!” She was interested to see him awake so late. Normally Gordon was very punctual with his sleep schedule, but she was excited that he was here, nonetheless.

She patted the ground, and Gordon quickly settled down next to her, knees pulled to his chest. He watched the sky with her. The moon kissed his pale skin, giving him an otherworldly glow. Jupiter wished she had the words to describe seeing him like this. To explain it the best she could, Gordon looked just plain pretty. Her attention was taken off the moon, now she was itching to read whatever words left his mouth next.

“It's incredible. I've never seen the moon shine so bright.” His soft voice didn't dare to even disrupt the air around him.

The redhead’s grind stretched even wider. “Me neither! I can't believe no one else wanted to stay out to watch it!” Jupiter's voice had the opposite effect.

But… maybe it was for the best that it was just the two of them. Jupiter allowed herself to be greedy, if just this once. Tonight, the moon would shine for just her and her Donny. “It's so pretty tonight…”

This time, Gordon looked away to watch her. The moon was highlighting the color of her eyes, looking like they were glowing in their sockets. They shone silver, sparkling in amazement at the beauty of nature. Nothing like he'd ever seen before.

“Yes… it is.” But Gordon wasn't sure if he was even thinking about nature when he said it.

Jupiter didn't get to see what he said that time, only hearing the soft, sweet murmur of his voice. An arm slipped around her shoulders, and she allowed him to softly pull her against his side, enjoying his warmth, letting it wrap around her like a comforting blanket, fighting away the crisp night air.

[needysweetheartoverdose]

SFW intimacy,,,

Combing someone's hair. Stroking their head. Kissing their shoulders. Massaging their neck. Helping clasp a necklace or zip a dress. Rubbing a thumb over knuckles. Holding hands in a way that your arms become intertwined. Brushing hair out of their eyes. Bumping against them lightly just to say "I'm here, I'm always here, I'll never leave"

SFW intimacy 💜💜💜

Pro/Comship/Neutral please DNI and don't copy. Respect my boundaries.

[anatomical-failure]

A love letter from Muriel to @tastee-slug-lovecorre !! Plain text below the cut!

Dear Slug,

There is a lot I could say to you. First thing I should probably say is I hope you’re good. You aren’t like me, you don’t fare as well in solitude. That’s okay, though. You have plenty of good friends to see when you come home, and me. I hope that fact is keeping you a little warmer at night.

I’ve noticed that since I met you, I have changed as well. I still get along fine on my own, but now when I am alone, my thoughts are consumed by when I will see you again. Thinking about you is pleasant, I don’t think I mind. Don’t tell anyone I said any of that, okay?

Sorry, I got off topic. I shouldn’t have wrote in ink. Um.

Anyway, something you should also know is that Inanna misses you, as well. She always lifts her head when I mention your name to her. So definitely make an effort to come to the hut when you get back to Vesuvia, okay?

I would also like to see you.

Words aren’t my strong suit, Slug. I think you know that by now. But I have an easier time writing them than I do saying them out loud. So, in case you haven’t heard it enough, my life is better with you in it. It’s uh.. cheesy. But it’s true. Eggs taste better when you cook them. That could just be you being a better cook, but it could also be that I’m more excited to eat when I eat next to you.

Again, don’t tell anyone that.

I hope you return from your adventures with lots of stories. I can’t say I have many, but I can tell you about the chickens. I enjoy listening to you talk, anyway. So I think that’s okay.

I think I’ll see you soon, so I won’t say goodbye. So that’s it.

-M

This is my half of an art trade with @tastee-slug-lovecorre !! This was such a pleasant experience! Muriel is so fun to write for, so I really hope I did him justice here! Their half of the trade is BEAUTIFUL so expect to see that over and over whenever I think about it …

Thank you Slug! I hope you enjoyed!

[theselfshippingwitch]

A commission of Ray and Violet I got from @roboraindrop!!! It's a picture of a scene from this story

and it's also my favorite thing i love it so much ray is so handsome

[circusgoth-dotcom]

Unnamed Halloween Fic

Ship: Svente Kramer x Mark Hoffman [Butcher's Market AU], Svente Kramer & Amanda Young (platonic)

Word Count: 706

Summary: I couldn't find the energy to draw Svente & Mark in the Halloween costumes mentioned in this fic, but I managed to attempt to write my thoughts regarding the situation between 12:30 and 1:10am. 👍 It's more of my "Fucked Up Gays" AU! Svente hasn't celebrated Halloween since John died, but a comment from Amanda spurs him into roping Mark into celebrating the holiday with him. CWs for questionable relationships, implied sex, smoking mentions, implied priest kink, brief food mention.

Tag List: @canongf

Svente had sent Mark to check in with Amanda’s progress in gleaning information about their next target, despite knowing Lawrence would’ve had an easier time with her. Mark was sure it was only because he had been the last person they talked to. The one they talked to the most, nowadays.

They met in a secluded but still public area, not far from a café. The conversation was formal until Amanda dropped, “So, are you going to dress up with Svente?”

Mark blinked. “Excuse me?”

She rolled her eyes. “Halloween’s next week, hasn’t he said anything to you?”

He scowled. “What makes you think I would dress up for Halloween? With him, no less?”

She silently handed him a manila folder. “There’s still a little more I think we should know, but I’ve got her routine and her habits down, suggestions for the trap…” The autumn wind pulled loose strands of dark hair into her eyes and she absently brushed them behind her ear. “John used to dress up with him. You know that. It’d make him happy.”

Mark was torn between how to respond. I’m not him and What do I have to do with Svente’s happiness? flashed in his mind. “Don’t come to Svente until you know all the facts,” was what he settled on before turning and walking off without another word. He went home, prepared to ignore the situation altogether, when his phone began to ring. By foresight, he knew who was calling. Dutifully, he answered.

“Home already?” Svente asked tiredly.

“It was a quick exchange. I told Amanda to get back to work,” he held the phone to his chest to exhale without comment, then put it back to his ear and opened the folder, flicking through Amanda’s notes, sketches, and photos.

“Are her notes not sufficient?”

“She told me herself that she needed more information. I took what she gave me.”

“Hold, she’s on the other line.”

Mark set down the phone and browsed the notes more thoroughly while he waited. Meanwhile, Amanda had called Svente to ask about his plans for Halloween.

“Are you going to dress up?” She asked, attempting a cheerful tone that turned bittersweet, “You and John were so sweet as doctor and nurse that one year…”

“I… hadn’t thought about it. Are you going to, Mandy?”

They could hear her blush through the phone, “Oh, yeah, but nothing with too much effort. Just your typical black cat. I’ll be handing out candy…”

A pause. “Why don’t you come to mine and do it? I’m sure I’ll need the company.”

“Oh! Sure!”

They finished their call and Svente went back to Mark. “Hoffman? Hoffman?”

He picked up. “What did she have to say?”

“Never mind that. Come over.”

Mark glanced at the clock. Often he visited under the cover of night, but it was barely afternoon. “Now?”

“As your mentor, it’s an order.”

“Don’t act so tough, Svente. I’ll be there.” Mark’s lip curled as he put them in their place.

~~~

It was only as they lay in bed after the fact that Svente brought up Halloween, though Mark didn’t realise it at first.

“You know, I’ve always had a thing for priests,” they admitted, observing their bedroom ceiling with glazed eyes. Mark looked over his shoulder, sitting on the edge of the bed and smoking a cigarette.

“Are you suggesting something?”

“Picture yourself in a clerical collar.”

Mark grimaced. “I don’t think that suits me…”

“Am I not devilish enough for you?”

He looked away. This was always the part of the cycle that made his stomach turn, the space between the middle and the end. He knew he’d look back on other things with desire later in the night. He felt Svente shift and knew they’d rolled onto their side to look at his back.

“Just one night,” he insisted. “Be the holyman to my sinner.”

“What night?” Mark asked after a decent pause.

“Halloween, of course. I haven’t celebrated since…”

He heard them suppress a nauseous sound and knew he wasn’t alone in his own twisted feelings.

~~~

It wasn’t long before Halloween came and he found himself a priest, with Svente in sparkly red devil’s garb beside him, offering him a chocolate-covered strawberry.

[solitaireships]

Something's Gotta Give

Hello everyone I am very in love with Boone and wrote a getting together fic <3

Rating: Teen

Genre: Fluff (kinda?)

Words: 1290 words

Divider by saradika

Content warnings: Non-fatal gun injuries (both previous and current), mention of alcohol/alcoholism, references to blood and death

Contrary to what Boone seems to think, Courier isn’t fragile. She freed New Vegas, helping to secure the Hoover Dam and repel the Legion’s troops. She survived getting shot in the head at point blank, with nothing to show for it but a scar on her forehead, chronic headaches, and a spotty memory of her past. A single bullet to her arm isn’t going to kill her. But with the way Boone fusses over the wound, you would think that he’s sure it will. 

He already managed to take the bullet out, drawing a pained hiss from her now as he splashes a bit of vodka over the injury to try to clean it.

“Christ, Boone,” she forces out through grit teeth.

“Stay still,” he instructs. 

Courier rolls her eyes, but does what he says. She doesn’t need him to do this, but there’s no point stopping him now. NCR troops would always tell her that she’s lucky to have a First Recon guy watching her back, but she doesn’t think they meant it like this.

She does appreciate his help, though. This isn’t the first time she’s been shot before, and she’s been hurt a lot worse than this. But still the sharp feeling of pain is there, and stimpaks help but can’t completely fix things. She’s not so stubborn that she’ll reject his care for her, even if she does wish he didn’t worry so much. 

Boone wraps her arm in a couple of bandages, frowning down at it from behind his sunglasses. He holds her arm in his hands, adjusting it to better care for her with a level of tenderness Courier’s never experienced before. It’s hard to watch him work this close to her, his mouth set in a concerned frown, and more careful than she thinks she’s ever seen him be even tending to his own injuries. 

Boone can be sweet. He’s good at hiding it, but Courier’s known him long enough to be able to pick up on it. It endeared him to her more than she ever could have thought it would, and as he treats her wounded arm she can’t help but savor the feeling of his hands on her. 

Courier hadn’t expected to fall for Boone when she first met him. She had thought he was good looking, with a tall, fat build, broad shoulders, and an obvious strength to him— but she had figured that would be nothing more than a passing attraction. She had bigger things to worry about that romance as she hunt down the stolen platinum chip, and she still does have more important things to worry about than her long standing crush. Especially with a man who was still grieving his wife when they first met. They kept each other at a distance, working well as a team but shying away from any of the emotional vulnerability that might’ve made them start developing feelings. 

But the Hoover Dam has been secured now, and now Courier’s the de facto leader of an independent New Vegas instead of just one of the couriers in the Mojave Express. Boone’s stopped drinking as much, and he’s started to move on from all the ghosts that lingered at his shoulders. He’s made his peace, and he’s taken to helping out caravans going to and from the city as he tries to find a new place for himself without his wife and without the NCR. 

Things are different now for both of them. And maybe that’s what makes it harder for Courier to ignore the thought of taking Boone out on a date or waking up in bed next to him. The way he tends to her wounds is heartbreakingly soft, and she doesn’t want him to take his calloused hands away from her. They’ve been close like this before when Courier’s woken up on the road cuddled up next to him, rolling towards him in her sleep, but this is different. This is an intentional contact, and it’s a man used to spilling blood using his hands to care for her injuries instead of pulling a trigger. 

Courier wants Boone. She knows she has for a while, even if she’s told herself she doesn’t. But the two of them are alone now, and they’re so close that her wants get the better of her as Boone finishes doing up her bandages.

“Can I kiss you?” Courier asks, her voice barely above a whisper. 

“I don’t know,” Boone says. “It’s— Carla.”

“Right.”

It’s been a while since Carla died, but Boone is still reeling from the loss. Courier can’t blame him. She can’t imagine how much it would hurt for her to lose her spouse, and especially not to the Legion. The closest she can imagine the feeling to being is the thought of losing Boone. 

If he’s not ready for this, Courier can respect that. If he’s never ready for this, she could accept that. But she knows she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself if she didn’t try. 

“I know I never met her, and I wish I could have. But I don’t think she would’ve wanted you to never love again,” Courier says. 

Boone looks at her for one long moment. She can’t tell what his expression is behind his sunglasses. But then he says, “She would have liked you.”

“I’m sure I would’ve liked her too,” she says.

Boone stands up, taking a seat next to Courier. They sit in silence for a moment, neither of them sure what move to make next. The only sound is the soft crackle of the fire they set up at the makeshift campsite, and that's not enough to distract her wandering mind.

If he’s not interested, Courier would understand. She’s good at ignoring her feelings. She can brush off the attraction she feels for him, and they can both act like this never happened. 

But she desperately wants this to work out. She wants it more than she’s wanted anything else. Maybe loneliness is finally getting to her, but she can't stop thinking about the possibility of a future for the two of them.

“Courier,” Boone says after a second.

She turns to look at him, and he reaches up with one hand to cup her cheek, guiding her closer so he can kiss her.

It’s short, and it catches Courier by surprise. But it’s soft, and it’s sweet, and it’s an answer to her wish to be as close as possible to Boone.

She quickly goes to kiss him again, this time more intensely, their mouths moving together. His lips are chapped and she can feel a bit of stubble growing in around his mouth, but she can’t bring herself to mind. Courier’s kissing Boone, and that’s all that matters.

When the two of them part, Courier asks, “Are you sure you want to do this? It’s fine if you’re not ready.”

“I’m ready,” he states. “We just might need to take things slow.”

“I’m okay with slow,” she says.

“And you need to heal.”

Courier scoffs. “A single bullet wound isn’t going to take me down.”

“Probably not,” Boone agrees. “But you shouldn’t be running off into the wasteland again for a while.”

She rolls her eyes.

“I could distract you with a date,” he says.

“Hmm. I guess that could keep me in the city for a while,” Courier says. 

She says it lightheartedly, but it is a thought that makes her want to stay in place for once. Wherever she stops couldn’t be too bad if Boone’s there with her. And she hopes that this date can turn into something more— something that will keep him by her side for as long as she can have him.

[libertys-lovers]

I keep forgetting that, like, it’s actually completely okay to change your Sona lore.

Like even if it’s been the same for years, you’re allowed to look at it randomly one day and go, “Eh! I don’t fuck with this anymore! Begone with you!”.

[platonic-qpr-selfshipping]

nvm im making the drabble idea a bit longer because I don't know how else to fight doubts of my f/o deserving better than making them comfort me about it lmao

[movedto-mrs-bluemarine]

MERMAID AU MERMAID AU!!! This is the first chap of a story so be on the lookout for the next update in fourteen years!! No warnings really except Wes is sick asff and Jay's half of the chapter talks in "creature". You'll get what I'm talking about soon

Lady with the Pearl Eye || Ch. 1

~ Angler!Wes x Mermaid!Jay Kay ~

Word count: 2.7K

What started as a simple late night cast for supper had slowly snowballed into something much, much more.

This is crazy.

Wes was dripping wet with icy cold sea water. His winter coat was shouldered off. People would call him a madman for dunking it in the ocean, the once pristine wool soaking in the salt, damaging it for sure. But he has a plan.

This is crazy.

His frozen hands shake as he pulls the sopping jacket over the bare shoulders of a blonde woman– a blonde thing. Whatever it was in front of him wasn't human. He wasn't sure if the winter air was playing tricks on his eyes. Ice threatened to pluck them from their sockets as the storm howled around him.

She looked human. She had human arms, they pulled the wet clothing closer to her body. Her skin was soft and kissed by the sun, glowing underneath the moonlight. Her bare chest was like that of a woman's. Wes' eyes trail down to her stomach. And that was where the similarities stop.

No legs, just a thriving extremity, sickly yellow with violent blue and pulsating rings, much like the ones in her hair. Despite her appearance, she was calm. She was silent and her clawed hands gripped at Wes' wet shirt once he collected the creature in his hands. Something inside him was drawn to this... Thing. She saved him from a watery grave. He realized after saving him from the ocean, she would have to return to the sea. To the icy cold water. Just the idea made him shiver. They didn't deserve that. He was only using some of his mind when he decided to bring the thing home, wrapping her in a water soaked jacket to keep her from drying out. He promised the silent creature warm waters. The extra body (and the extra water) weighed on his aching body heavily, but Wes persisted. He felt that his limbs had frozen after his refreshing dunk, they creaked and popped underneath him, but he ignored it until he reached home.It wasn't too far now. Since he moved to the beach-side town, he decided a place nearby would be best for fishing. guess he got what he wanted. Theft wasn't common around these parts, so Wes had no reason to lock his front door, which came in handy, because he was sure he'd accidentally drop something important if he needed to find his keys.

He barreled through his tiny living room, stumbling through his hallway and bedroom and into his attached bathroom. With all of his strength, he lowered the creature into the tub, putting in the plug and setting the water to an appropriate temp for them, not too hot, not too cold.

Finally, Wes was allowed to collapse to the floor, his back pressed against the sink while he caught his breath. His icy blue eyes watched the thing in his tub. She was interested in the running water, crawling over it's own tail to get it's face closer, until she was practically face-to-face against a waterfall.

A delighted shiver ran up her body once the warm water touched the base of her human spine. She suddenly made the first noise Wes had heard from her, startling him a bit once she trilled with joy.

This... is crazy, He agreed for the third and final time. But he already had the creature in his house, so, might as well get used to it.

Wes' body was suddenly wracked with a violent shudder of his own. He wrapped his arms around his body, pulling his knees close to his chest so he could rest his chin. His shirt was still wet, and very cold, and it stuck to his body uncomfortably. If he were alone, he would've stripped. He didn't want to make his guest uncomfortable. And his body aches too terribly to move anywhere. So he stayed on the floor, sick and cold.

Everything ached. There was a pulsing pain in his muscles, and a throbbing so violently behind his eyes he was afraid it would pop them out of his skull. Wes watched lazily from the crook of his arm, the lady-thing in his bathtub enjoying the water.

Mermaid, His brain shrieked. But that was impossible, He retorted back. And yet, here she was.

The blonde felt his staring, and stared back. Wes' head tilted to the side, and her's did the same. The wet hair in her face moved along with it, and allowed Wes to see the rest of her face. One eye, bright as the sea she rescued him from, the other eye was closed, staying that way even when she grew bored of their staring contest, and went back to tinkering with the shampoo bottle on the side of the tub.

"What are you?" Wes murmured. She didn't hear him, or ignored him. He unraveled from his little ball of pain, crawling on his hands and knees over to the tub lip. This caught her attention. She watched closely, allowing Wes' hand to touch the warm water, and dive lower near her tail. "You're not human. You're not a fish, either."

He wasn't sure why he was acting so impulsively. His sickness was poisoning his brain. He wanted desperately to touch her tail. If she was a mermaid, her tail wasn't anything like in the shows or books. It wasn't scaly, moreso fleshy.

His fingertips grazed near where her thighs would be. The touch to her sensitive tail made the creature twitch, and Wes quickly took back his hand, not wanting to upset them, and also being odded out by its texture.

"Not like any fish I've seen."

It was... Not fish-like at all. The texture was something more akin to flesh, but far more slick and squishy. "Kind of like some octopus species I've read about... You're not venomous, are you?"

The creature sniffed at Wes' hand. The act was uncanny to the man, seeing such a human face act so... Animalistic.

Her hand came out of the water, gently tracing his palm with her claws, before they came between his digits, clasping his hand with hers. Wes didn't say a thing, instead silently staring down at the woman.

She chitters some more, then her hand is replaced with her forehead. Despite the rest of his body still running cold from his deep swim in the ocean, his palm was warm. She cooed and rubbed her head against his open hand, reminding Wes a lot like a street cat he occasionally fed. It was... Cute. Not even the purring was missed, a small sound vibrated from her throat, just like the smaller animals were so known for.

He talks to the air, the creature in his hand obviously not interested in what he had to say, more than his open palm. "This is all... So much." Wes sighed, taking back his hand. The woman-thing slipped against the lip of the tub, trying to follow without success. The hand that once caressed her face pressed against his forehead, trying to calm the ache in his head that was suddenly twice as loud as before. He groaned in pain and pulled away. "I'm too tired for this."

He pulls his hand against the rest of his face until it settled over his mouth. She watched him curiously with a wide, innocent eye.

He was beginning to get the sinking realization of what's really happened tonight. He fell out of his boat, almost drowning in the sea. He was rescued by some woman of the ocean, but he was most definitely missing his bait and tackle, and his prized boat. He loved that boat...

And now he had this fish lady in his bathtub, and he was showing symptoms of a cold. Dear God.

"I can't stay like this," Wes groaned standing up with twin pops in his knees. "I need to get to bed. Uh..." He pointed a reluctant finger at his tub. "Just... Stay here, please?" The creature looked at him with a wide eye as Wes backed away from the bathtub. His shoulder hits against the doorframe, following with a stumble outside of the bathroom. He's able to shut the door itself before collapsing into bed.

He's still cold. His legs are shaking, wet, sticky clothes melting into his body like a second skin. It takes too much effort to peel it all off until he's down to his true bare body. It's all thrown to the floor in a sopping mess on the carpet. He'll carr about that tomorrow.

Wes doesn't like sleeping naked, but it's better than the alternative. Right now, he felt like he'd rather die than stand up and put on new clothes. His arms can barely bring him up against his pillows, his soft blanket encapsulating his aching body. The sheets and blanket aren't warm, but it feels like fire on his flesh, but he still continues to shake. His eyelids are too heavy to stay open, so lays in bed with his eyes closed, listening to the howling wind, inhuman chirps, and his own labored breathing for far too long before they help him drift off to sleep. His dreams are filled with fish swimming in golden skies and white clouds, spiraling blues swallowing him whole. And that night it's like his dreams and his sleep goes on for far too long.

The creature is left alone. The silence was deafening, only broken by the single, lonely drip that occasionally came from the empty waterfall. Though the warm bucket was nice, she missed the screaming song of the sea. She missed the deep blue blanket that wrapped around her entirely. It was replaced by a painful bright white, blistering sun so much more evil than the true yellow from outside. And it was so painfully silent.

Nights like this, with the howling sky, the creature liked to hide itself in a cave on land, not far from her pod in the ocean, just in crawling distance. The song of the sky sounded so beautiful climbing it's way through the holes in the cave ceiling. She could stay there for hours listening to it's song, even once her tail shriveled up , it took so much to leave the wonderful noise.

For the first time in her life, she'd never seen water so still. If she held her breath, she could watch the ripples in the water around her disappear, and leave her to her lonesome. She allowed herself to breathe to meet them again.

There wasn't much to do in this tiny sea. She felt extremely bored, a feeling she didn't expect to meet with again. She was sure once that land thing took her into it's arms, she would've been a goner, just like the others from her pod that were never seen again. But the moment It gave her their skin, soaked in the blood of her home, she wasn't sure what to think then. And It put her in this tiny ocean, and her body was kissed with the warmth she missed from so long ago. They held her hand. It wasn't much different from her own. But it was so naked. No claws to protect, no webbing to swim with. So similar, but so different.

Surely, a predator wouldn't be so kind.

The pair of things in front of her, mirroring on each side of the waterfall. She'd seen them before. The land folk used them to move their giant wooden whales. That's what It used before to make the waterfall start, then stop. How did they do it? The water was going cold. She missed it's warmth, she wanted it back so desperately, but as much as she pulled and wiggled the little contraptions, the tiny drops of water didn't stop, as her actions were all in vain.

The water was cold now.

During one of her silent fits, her ears picked up a new noise. Far away, like the call of a creature from the sky. But this came from her side, not above, from behind that wooden wall. It wasn't familiar at all, but she would acquaint it with the conversation between two whales. But it was speaking alone, no one to call back. So it continued to sing alone, almost deep enough for the creature to feel it in her bones.

Ah! Another body! Surely, it had to be the land folk from before.

Her body fought near desperately against the slippery walls of her man-made sea. Her claws were no help against the smooth silvery feeling of the bucket she was in. Triumphantly, the creature had made it halfway out, before a slip caused her to tumble outside of the bucket, onto the much colder beach floor below.

She'd been outside of the ocean before. She didn't enjoy how heavy her body felt without the gentle hand of the ocean to help carry her. Luckily, her arms were strong. She was able to carry herself across the room, and to the wooden wall. Something shiny caught her eye. She wanted it. It was stuck to the wall, and jiggled when she grabbed at it. A lucky twist allowed her to open the "wall", and she slipped against the floor again.

It opened to a brand new world. She was in here earlier before, for the blink of an eye. It was dark now, and that whale song from before was much louder, and much more painful on the ear. She slipped through the frame, despising the feeling of the fur underneath her, against her tail. She knew what she had to do, and her tail slipped off easily, laying in the door frame as she crawled away.

She hated "this" even more than the land's weight, her "land tails". They were so awkward, and so hard to use. They were supposed to let her move like the land folk, but it was so terribly tricky to do. It was hard enough to balance on three limbs, but two? Forget it. Although there was a way of moving with her now "four" limbs, it was quick, it was easy, and she liked to do it, and it didn't hurt as much as it did to crawl with her tail on.

She followed the noise, crawling onto something soft but firm. It didn't give away underneath her, and felt much more pleasant than the floor. As she expected from following the whale sounds, she found that land folk from before, asleep, making such terrible noises while it slept on it's back.

It's face was red, making even worse noises between the loud droning, as if choking on the same air it breathed. They were covered with the same softness she was standing on. Digging it up, she found the rest of it's body underneath, bare of the skin it was wearing before... That wasn't strange, though. She'd seen their kind strip of their flesh time and time again, much like how she could strip from her tail. They're supposed to do it before coming underwater, she's understood. But how come this one didn't? Maybe they die if they don't, which was what brought her to saving his life that night.

She dug up more of the softness... Oh, she'd seen that before. The males of her species had things similar to it. They must've been a male, too.

She also found warmth, warmth the thing didn't have before when they first met. It felt... Wonderful. She wanted it. So the creature fixed herself underneath the softness like he was, mirroring it's body. She buried herself underneath it, making sure it was fixed just like it was before she disrupted it. And she came closer to the land folk. He was much warmer now, but there was a soft tremble to his body. She clung to his body with hers. The warmth between them mixed, and subconsciously, the land folk melted against her, shuddering and sighing in his sleep. Her clawed hands were careful not to scare his delicate skin as she held him closer, enjoying his warmth and allowing him to do the same to her. Her body became heavy, not due to the weight of the dry world, but due to another reason, and the creature allowed herself to fall asleep next to him. As she drifted to another new, and exciting world, she found that the man next to her had stopped his dreadful whale call, thankfully.

[fitzselfships]

A quick little thing before I finish up a project I'm working on <3

[twinsandselfships]

Oks: My very first fic writing experience - a MilkyWay drabble! Even though I write better now, I still think fondly of this one shot. Hope you enjoy!

Summary Mondays can be exhausting, but at least Aster and Rufina have each other to talk to and ask for support.

Nobody likes Mondays. They make you say goodbye to weekends and say hello to work. Professor Kriv Kuzmich was the only person to enjoy Mondays, for this exact reason. One of such days he was substituting for professor Stargazer, who managed to get sick with sparkling rash right before his classes. That's why today the strict teacher was responsible for Stargazer's apprentice — a clumsy, nervous, but nevertheless diligent young man.

Since the morning, Aster has been running around various classrooms and offices on different floors, working like a dog. But he wasn't literally "running", since running around the Magical College is forbidden, even for graduate students and teachers. Therefore, the poor guy had to keep up with all the tasks of Kriv Kuzmich without breaking into a run. And worst of all, he still managed to stumble, slip, or drop scrolls and books from his hands.

While he was doing one of his many different chores, Aster was crossing paths with another grad student —  Rufina. She had better luck, since her supervisor wasn't as demanding. But even so, the young woman's back was hunching from the amount of work: the little kids need constant oversight and discipline. To Aster's surprise, his colleague always remained patient and calm when dealing with them (or, at the very least, tried to). Until this day he didn't really get a good look at how she teaches. Only now, as he was doing chores around the whole College, Aster noticed the young woman take a crying goblin girl aside during recess.

—What happened? There-there, it's alright, you can tell me, — Rufina spoke with a half-whisper, kneeling down to the little girl's level.

— The... The... Then I'll be a snitch! — tears started to flow like waterfalls from her small eyes.

— No, not at all! You poor thing. If someone offended you, tell me, — the young woman spoke in the most caring and soft tone that Aster has ever heard.

— B-but... What if they'll know it's me who told you...?

— So what! I'll take care of it, and they'll never upset you again.

— They won't? — the girl sniffed, her big ears twitched.

— I promise you that, —  Rufina smiled and patted the little kid on the head. — Whatever it is they told you is not true. And you wouldn't believe in something that isn't true, would you?

The goblin girl, still with watered eyes, shook her head slightly, looking at her teacher, Rufina spread out her arms, and the small student leapt into her embrace.

Aster didn't hear what Rufina whispered into the girl's ear, but he had a felling it was something along the lines of "Don't be afraid. Everything will be alright. I'm here". If the young man's heart wasn't already filled to the brim with warmth, it definitely melted right there and then. This observation surprised him.

As Rufina met eyes with Aster, a beaming smile appeared on her face, as if on it's own. The tan, shaggy young man, upon noticing this, smiled as well, but soon blushed, lifted his shoulders and looked away, as if trying to hide. The woman giggled softly, melted by the silly embarrassment of her childhood friend.

Finally though, this Monday came to an end. All the professors went away and left the grad students to clean up and get everything ready for Tuesday. Day was turning into evening and the sun was setting when the colleagues met in the orange-lit library — both were putting away today's textbooks and put new ones in their carts. Aster waved slightly to Rufina, and she hurried to break the empty silence.

— Hello! Oh, Aster, how I've missed you! — her voice was cheerful, but sluggish, like that of a princess who finally managed to escape from a dragon's nest after an hours-long chase. It seems that even she could barely stand on her feet. Aster knew, that if anyone else was in the library, his friend would straighten up and adjust her hair. But he, her childhood friend, was the only one here, and she wasn't embarrassed to show her tired side. On the contrary, in Rufina's presence, Aster tried to seem more dignified and confident than he really is, but always failed miserably. One day the young woman got tired of this act and asked the guy to be himself, because it was the real him that she liked. Since then, the young man stopped. Mostly.

— And h-hello to you, too! — Aster was stuttering, like he always was. — And I've missed you as well! You know, since that one recess I couldn't stop thinking about yooouuuuaaah, I mean, about that girl you had with the talk, oops, I mean... — now the guy's face turned red, and he was waving his hands around rapidly.

Rufina tilted her head to the side and arched an eyebrow, and then giggled.

— Ah, you're talking about that one. Oh, you can't imagine how much I dislike those who upset the little kids. In general, I don't like it when children are sad.

The woman's brows furrowed, her rather straight hair turned into fluffy feathers for just a moment.

— Oh, yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah! I agree! I mean, you are so thoughtful, — the tan man nodded happily. His light-blue eyes were shining like the Milky Way.

Now it was Rufina's turn to blush. Her cheeks turned pink and she brushed off the sudden compliment. In usual circumstances she would lightly hit her friend's shoulder, but right now it was easier to simply wave.

— Aw, come oooon, ha-ha! — she continued to put textbooks on the shelves, then stopped, her eyes staring at the wall for a couple of seconds. — Aster, um... No, forget it.

The female grad student wanted to ask about one of the phrases that slipped off of her fellow sufferer's tongue. "He... couldn't stop thinking about me?". The thought elated her, though she was scared to put it into words. Even more so, they both were very tired right now. Who knows, maybe she just imagined it, or Aster was just tongue-tied, this happens to him often.

The woman turned her head to her friend. He was looking intensely at the letters in his scroll that listed the necessary textbooks for tomorrow and adjusted his glasses, as if it was gonna help him see better. Rufina couldn't not notice her colleague's sluggishness in the lanky guy's movements, the heaviness in his bent thin legs. "And how does he keep on standing on them?"

She looked at Aster's face again, and just in time, because at that moment his eyes closed and he half-lied down on the cart. The grad student would have inevitably slid to the floor, had Rufina not caught him by the shoulders. The woman was seriously scared, but having managed to save her friend from the cold embrace of the floor, she breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't the first time she'd caught "Mr. Shooting Star" (as the female grad student nicknamed him for his clumsiness), but he hadn't fainted before. Despite how tall he was, Aster weighed like a handful of grapes for Rufina, so she easily carried the shaggy bespectacled man to the chair.

Having finished with the books from both her and Aster's lists, Rufina wiped the sweat from her forehead and moved the guy to his room in the tower, with the help of magic. She didn't want to wake her friend. He had suffered enough for the whole day, let him rest (in fairness, she was very tired too, but of the two of them, Rufina was still stronger both physically and mentally). The young woman looked at Aster. Rufina took off his glasses, put them in the case lying on the cluttered table and, before leaving, softly stroked the guy on the head, as she had done so earlier today to the goblin girl.

It's amazing that such a hard and exhausting day didn't end on such a bad note for both of them. And both grad students were mentally grateful to each other, and grateful that they have each other in their lifes.

dividers by @/cafekitsune

[theselfshippingwitch]

Ray x Violet - A Christmas Romance - Saturday, December 23rd

Ray reads the kids a bedtime story.

-

Ray had lit the fire in the fireplace and was sitting in the big comfy chair right across from it. The Christmas tree was all lit up and had all the handmade decorations the kids had made over the years. Calvin, now 5 years old, was sitting cross-legged in front of him, his red hair peaking out from under his Santa hat. George, who was three and almost four, was sitting on one of Ray's legs, the lights from the tree lighting up his cherubic cheeks and the highlights of his dark hair. And Sofia, who was only two years old, their first little girl, was sat on his other leg, her big brown eyes that reminded him so much of Violet's staring up at him from under soft brown ringlets.

Ray was wearing the Christmas sweater Violet loved seeing him in, the knitted red pattern stretched over his round tummy in a way she thought was oh-so-cute and cozy. She was carrying in her black cat, Estella, and her other black cat, Ligea, followed her. She put Estella down and she and Ligea snuggled up to the two dogs, Krypto and Rusty, who were sleeping by the fireplace. Violet sat down on the arm of the chair and wrapped her arm around the back of it. Ray began reading the book in his hands. "T'was the night before Christmas..."

The kids were soon fast asleep, and Ray and Violet tucked them into bed. Now, when Ray sat back down in his chair, it was Violet who sat in his lap. She kissed his cheek, and then his nose, and then his lips. She nestled into him.

"Merry Christmas, Ray."

"Merry Christmas, Violet."