#so dorian pulls his head to his shoulder to give him something to lean on and wraps an arm around his back

[attractthecrows]

the thought of the evening is about NIGHTMARES WHOOOO

[dating-eveeything]

could you please do a dorian fic? Maybe angsty, since he seems to only want friendship, even tho trap dorian mentions being interested in fwb? (Like maybe the mc is interested in love but woukd take anything they can get with him) Or smth else, maybe end in comfort, its up to you, i just havent seen any fics of him!!

Ty 🫶

Can't go through with it

Summary: During a heated encounter with Trap Dorian, you try your best to be respectful of all the other Dorian's boundaries

Featuring: Dorian (specifically Trap Dorian, but others are mentioned)

Fic type: slight angst(?), slight lime (making out, some grinding) in the beginning, and comfort in the end

No specific pronouns used, no use of y/n

Thank you for being my first request <3

He kept you pushed against the wall, hand gently caressing your torso as yours rest on his bare shoulders. The heated kisses he's offering you are nothing but pleasurable, if your quiet moans were anything to go by. Both of your bodies were running hot as his crotch grinded on yours, one of his hands holding your leg up against him to get better access. It was hot, he was hot.

But there was a nagging issue in the back of your head, one not even this impromptu make out session could stop you from thinking about. And Trap Dorian could somehow tell, somehow feel how slightly unfocused you were. "Hey," he mutters, raising his hand from your torso to your face "you alright?" His tone was nothing but sweet as he asked.

With a shake of your head you pull your hands off of him and shake your leg free from his grip, now back to standing with both. He still had you trapped on the wall, but seeing how you were letting yourself go from him he takes a small step back to give you more space to breathe. "What's wrong sweetheart?" Your eyes made contact with his, and for a second you wanted to ignore it all and go back to making out with him; it would be easier that way wouldn't it?

"it's just..." You begin, looking off to the side, leaning into his palm "I don't think it's right." Trap Dorian raises a brow in confusion "What's not right? Did I do something wrong? Cross a boundary by accident?" His question hit too close to home, yet somehow missed the door. "It's not you crossing boundaries. Dorian, it's me who did" the shameful look on your face makes Trap Dorian's heart burn, his hand coming up so he can cup your face with both and make you look at him.

"what do you mean?" His black eyes searching for the answer he somehow doesn't know.

"The other Dorian's..." You begin, hearing his breath hitch for just a moment, "they don't want this. I can't... I can't do this knowing you're all sort of like- I don't know, a hive mind or something." There's a pause, the air so thick you felt like you were going to choke on it before Trap Dorian starts laughing.

His laughing reverberates onto you, his hands shaking and bringing your face along for the ride. "A hivemind? Is that what people think of us as?" He asks between huffs and some chuckles. It's obvious he's trying to calm down from the surprise gigglefest. "I don't know! You guys all know the same stuff somehow, what am I supposed to assume??" You press, trying to keep the conversation serious while also hiding your embarrassment.

"Oh, sweetheart" Trap Dorian pressing his hands closer to your face, almost squishing your cheeks together in the process ",I'm touched you care so much about the others feelings." And you think that's where he'll stop, that he'll try and continue the make out without any other comment, but he continues. "We do sort of.. Share our thoughts- well, not really. We all just sort of... Know? But we are, sort of, different people." His explanation is confusing and he knows it, shrugging a few times as it's really hard for him to explain it. "I want this, want you, but if you really don't want to- in fear of making the others uncomfortable somehow, I won't force you." He leans his forehead on yours, eyes closing to revel in your warmth, feeling your breath stutter across his face. "Shame too, you're a real good kisser." He whispers that last part, getting a quiet laugh out of you followed by a 'thanks' just barely audible.

The two of you sort of stay like that, leaning foreheads together and simply enjoying the others presence and hold.

[the-void-via]

Coming Home To Your Comfort Blanket

Fluff headcannons/drabble, Mateo Manta (Date Everything!) x reader

Heart divider by @enchanthing , Mateo divider by me!

It was hard finding a new job after getting basically laid off and experiencing a whirlwind of affection and friendship around your own house, with your surprise gift of the Dateviators.

But if things haven't gone that way, you never would've met the absolute love of your life, Mateo.

The personification of your favorite lap blanket, he turned out to be the sweetest man you'd ever met. It was no wonder you'd fallen head over heels for him.

He was almost lonely whenever you went to work after you got your new job, but the inanimals kept him company while you were away

You came home stressed, a lot

And it hurt him to see you that way, so he had an idea for the next time you came home

"Mateo?" Your voice rang out in the foyer, slipping off your coat and hanging it up on the coat rack. You said a quick hello to Dorian as he closed and locked the door behind you, trudging into the living room where your beloved normally was.

"Huh...baby?" You call out again, wandering into the kitchen to see Freddy talking to–

"Betty?" You tilt your head. "I don't wanna sound mean, but, what are you doing down here?"

She turned to you and gave you a soft smile, while Freddy gave you a toothy grin.

"It's alright, sweetie," She chuckled. "Mateo just asked me to watch in inanimals for a while, so I was talking to Freddy for what they eat."

You blink, somewhat surprised. Mateo never wanted to leave his little friends alone, but now he asked Betty to watch over them for a while?

"Oh," You mumbled, rubbing your sore neck. "Well- where is he now?"

"He should be upstairs in the bedroom," Betty twirled a lock of her hair on her finger. "He was gathering a lot of blankets, but he wouldn't tell me why."

"It's gotta be something for you, cool kid," Freddy beamed, patting your shoulder firmly, yet gently. "You've been working super hard lately, it's about time you took a rest."

You sigh a little bit and nod, bidding them goodbye before turning away and trudging upstairs, yawning and running your hand though your hair.

You enter the bedroom to find Mateo setting out blankets and pillows on your bed, too absorbed in his work to notice you entering the room. Until he goes to grab more pillows from the closet to put out, spotting you as he turns around. He suddenly smiles, quickly moving to set down the pillows and nearly run towards you, enveloping you in a soft hug.

"Welcome home, sweetheart," He hums, leaning back to press a kiss to your cheek. "I must've lost track of time, I wasn't ready yet."

You smile softly and tilt your head at the blankets and pillows pilled up on your bed. "What's all this for?" You blink. "Oh- it's not like, an anniversary or something? I-I must've forgotten, been too busy-"

"No, no, nothing like that," Mateo gently cuts you off, gently taking your hands in his. "I just...wanted to give you a little break." He chuckled softly. "You've been working really hard, and according to Betty, you haven't slept well recently."

Your face flushes a little. Damn you, Betty.

"O-oh. Well- I-" You try to speak, but Mateo cuts you off again.

"You need to relax and get some sleep," He says softly, nuzzling his face against your cheek. "You don't have work tomorrow, right? You can afford to get some rest, mi vida."

Your eyebrows furrow, "But- I-"

"Please?" He pulls you into a hug again. "With me? Just for a little while?"

Your hands scramble to grab onto his back, and you let out a soft sigh as you melt into his embrace. His arms tighten just slighrly around you, nuzzling his face into your neck.

He could tell he won you over.

"Alright," You finally sighed out. "I'll lay down and take a nap with you."

"Perfect," Mateo leaned back and kissed your forehead, then grabbed your hands and gently led you over to your bed. "Lay down, I'll go close the door."

You stretched and laid down on the bed, watching Mateo close all the doors and turn the lights off. He smiled as he turned back to you, climbing into bed with you.

You both laid down on your sides, and Mateo practically wrapped you up in blankets, afterwards wrapping his arms around you.

"I love you," He whispered to you, one hand petting your hair. "Sleep well, mi vida."

"Love you too..." You mumbled out before you closed your eyes, drifting off to the sound of Mateo's heartbeat in your ears.

Tags: @fleeting-starshower @blak-ie @blackcat2907 @drowning-in-cabbages @veiled-luminosity @kyl13sm1l3y @darkluminosity @tremendoustragedybard (lmk if you wanna be tagged or not when I post about my oc's!)

[yeonzzzn]

anything & everything: psh

a break the chain series: four / seven

pairing: sunghoon x afab!reader word count: 1.7k

synopsis: you and sunghoon enjoy some much needed alone time outside the castle while you doubt your magic abilities.

genre: established relationship, vampire!sunghoon, witch!reader

warnings: some swearing, hoonie being cute, reader has long hair and facial piercings.

prt 1: vampires bleeding | prt 2: you complete me

☾ heeseung(1) | jake(2) | jungwon(3) | sunghoon(4) | sunoo(5) | niki(6) | jay(7) ☽

“What are you doing, hex girl?” 

You sigh, whipping your head around to face your mate, your long braided hair falling from over your shoulder to your back, “What does it look like I am doing, bloodsucker?” 

Sunghoon smirked, tilting his head to the side, “Looks like you’re playing with your magic toys.” 

You roll your eyes and face back in the other direction, “Cannot believe I am bonded to you for life.” 

Sunghoon now knelt behind you, his arms wrapping around you over your biceps and chest, his chest pressed tightly to your back and he squeezed you. 

You couldn’t fight the small that was now on your lips. Even when this vampire annoys the shit out of you, you love him dearly and you wouldn’t pick a different person to be mated with.

He pressed a kiss to your temple, “You going to tell me what you are doing outside in this field alone?” Sunghoon stretched out his legs at your sides, shifting his arms to wrap around your waist, leaning his chin on your left shoulder, eyeing your magic items in front of you. 

You leaned back into him, “Jake asked me and __ to see if we couldn’t find something to prolong his mate's and Archer’s life.” 

Sunghoon nodded, completely understanding where his best friend was coming from. Sunghoon was grateful his mate had magical abilities to help give them forever and it sucked that Jake had to deal with the stress of finding more time for her. 

“How is it going?” he asked. 

You shrugged, “It’s going. That’s for sure.” 

“Difficult?” Sunghoon was worried, not just for his best friend but also for his mate and her sibling. Archer might not be officially in the pack, but he’s family nevertheless. 

You shrug again, “Not so much as difficult, there’s multiple different spells that could be used, it’s just a matter of finding the right one. Which I was in the middle of doing before you interrupted.” 

Sunghoon nuzzled his nose in your neck, “You love me, deal with it,” he pressed a few kisses to your neck, “I couldn’t find you in the castle, so I followed your scent out here.” 

You turned your face towards him, lifted your hand to his jaw, and pulled him into a kiss, “Missed me that much?” 

Sunghoon chucked against your lips, giving you a couple more kisses before dropping his face back to your shoulder, squeezing you tightly, “Always miss you when you aren’t at my side.” 

Which was true. Sunghoon will never forget the pain and emptiness he felt when Dorian took you away from him. The two of you were still freshly mated and weren’t given that time together. He never wanted to feel that pain again and would always freak out if you weren’t in eye shot. 

Sunghoon pushed the thought aside, looking back down at the magical items in front of you. Your book of spells and journal sat open with notes scribbled all over the pages. A few herbs and flowers to your left and crystals to the right. Sunghoon squinted at the crystals, fixated on a yellow one that looked as if it were filled with electricity. 

“Is that…?” he whispered, reaching over and picking up the crystal, a shock was sent to his fingertips, quickly dropped it back to the grass, “What the fuck?!” 

“Hey!” you snapped, quickly picking up the crystal and examining it, “Don’t break this!” you let out an exhale, thankful the crystal was unharmed. 

“It shocked me!” Sunghoon snarled, wrapping his arm back around your waist. 

“Such a baby,” you teased. 

“How come it’s not shocking you?” 

“Because my magic is covering it, therefore I can touch it, obviously,” Sunghoon pinched your side, calling you a brat, “But it’s filled with __’s electricity.” 

Sunghoon sighed, “Is it because of her episodes?” 

You nodded, setting the crystal back to the grass, “Jungwon asked me for help, so I’ve been out here trying to find a way to help her too.” 

After Jungwon’s mate was on the verge of death and came back with her newfound gift, she’s been having random spurts of energy and sending out shock waves without being able to control it. Nearly electrocuted poor Wonnie in his sleep the other night. Before that she was accidentally shooting out sparks and set fire to the training room, scaring Sunghoon to death since he was standing right beside her. 

Heeseung, Jay, and Jungwon came up to you the night after the final episode, asking for a way to conceal her power a bit, just until she can learn to control the small bit she has now. You accepted, obviously. Anything and everything to help out the pack. The poor girl felt terrible for the problems she had caused, but it was not her fault. She was blessed with an enormous amount of power. Heeseung and Jay kept doing checkups on her daily to make sure she was feeling okay with half her power being taken. 

You thought this crystal would do the trick on containing it, and so far it’s held up. It’s easily breakable, just in case some bat-shit crazy things happen and she needs that power. Thankfully, nothing has happened yet and she’s doing fantastic at her training. It still must have been such a shock (lol) to her and Jungwon to see she was given a gift. It doesn’t happen often with vampires who were made. 

Sunghoon leaned his head against yours, pulling you as close as possible to his chest, “I’m proud of you for how much you’ve been helping out everyone.” 

You looked up at him, “Of course! This pack has been nothing but kind to me since the beginning. I’d do anything and everything for you thirteen.” 

Sunghoon smiled at you. The summer wind picked up, blowing both of your hair in all directions. Sunghoon closed his eyes and lifted his chin up, enjoying the summer sun and wind against his skin, “After everything you’ve been through, BECAUSE of us, I am still forever grateful you popped into my small world when you did.” 

You sigh, leaning forward and gathering up your things, “I just hope my magic is enough.” 

Sunghoon looks back down at you with concern, quickly standing up and now kneeling in front of you, both hands cupping your face, “YN, what does that mean?” 

You stared into his coca eyes, “What if my magic isn’t enough? What if I can’t help make __ and Archer live forever and Jake loses her? What if I can’t help __ with her new power? What if I can’t help any of you…” 

Sunghoon could see where your brain was headed. You were scared to lose the pack like how you lost your coven. Sunghoon wished he could take that pain away from you, but unfortunately, he’s just a vampire, so he has to use his words. 

“Stop thinking that way,” he whispered, tracing his thumb over the scar covering your left eye, pulling your head down to kiss where the scar reaches up your forehead, brushing his fingers over your eyebrow piercing and down to your jaw then neck, “You’re more than enough, always were and always would be,” he lifted your face back up, brushing his nose over yours, “This whole pack adores you, and you’ve already done so much to protect us all, don’t get caught up in your head, we will protect you just as much as you will protect us. They love you, I love you.” 

Tears filled your eyes as you pulled him to you, embracing his lips against yours, “I love you too, so very much.”

Sunghoon pushed you backward onto the grass, gently laying his body on top of yours and kissing you more with a massive smile on his face. Sometimes Sunghoon sits and wonders why he hated you at first, mostly when he had no reason to. Maybe it was the stress and frustration of having to move out of the city, to be on the run. Vampires and witches don’t get along, but you fit in perfectly fine. You fit into his heart like the perfect puzzle piece. You belong here with him. You made living forever bearable and so worth it. 

Sunghoon finally released your lips from his, brushing your bangs out of your face, “Just think once this is all over and Lilly is dealt with, we can go back to our cabin.” 

You smiled up at him, “I can’t wait.” 

Sunghoon leaned down to kiss you again, but quickly stopped, his eyes focused. 

You furrow your brows, “Hoon?” 

Sunghoon stared into your eyes, he clearly was hearing something that you couldn’t, “Something is wro—“ 

An explosion on the other side of the castle, sirens now blaring across the grounds. 

“WHERE IS EVERYONE?! ARE YOU ALL OKAY!?” Heeseung screamed down the pack bond, “ANSWER ME!!!” 

One by one the pack members talked at once down the bond, a sure enough sign that all chaos just broke out. 

Sunghoon pulled you and him up using his vampire speed, “They need us,” he said, quickly scooping up your magic items and placing them in the bag you brought, slinging it over your shoulder, “Heeseung needs you to tend to the injured.” 

You gripped his hands, “Where are you going to go?” 

Sunghoon gripped your hands back, “I’m meeting the guys where the explosion happened.”

He let go of your hands, ready to take off, “SUNGHOON!” you called after him, he stopped and turned to look at you. 

“Please be careful, I can’t lose you.” 

He smiles, “You won’t. You’re stuck with me, hex girl.” 

Then he was gone in a flash. You quickly ran up to the castle, seeing Sunoo’s mate already waiting for you at the door, quickly waving you in. 

You took a deep breath in, reminding yourself once this war was over you and your mate could return to the cabin. You thought back to your first winter together, watching him ice skate on your frozen pond, smiling to yourself at the memory, praying to be able to see it soon. 

You followed the elf down the hall, the smells of fires, burnt skin and screams filled the castle. The memories of when Dorian set your town and coven up in flames came flushing back. You clenched your shirt, trying to steady out your breathing. 

You could do this. You have a family to protect. They need you. You need them. 

With a shake of your head, you push the bad memories out, “I won’t let anyone suffer,” you grumble, “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep my family safe. Anything and everything.”

—perm taglist: @alvojake @ikeuverse @woniebae @shawnyle @kangnina @jwnghyuns @in-somnias-world @zyvlxqht @aaa-sia @wonniethepoo @addictedtohobi @eneiyri @skzenhalove @fakeuwus @cherry-park @vousty @ladyartemesia @criminalyun @cmoundiamante @enhaverse713586 @wondipity @lhsvibez @jaeyunq @rikizm @kaykay11sworld @pockettwinzz @vixialuvs @seunghancore @enha-cafe @ohdeerhee @sunpov @zeeloveshee @hxxsxxng @moonrisearies @brownsugarbaybee @nshmrarki

—tags: @jwnghyuns @en-happiness @aileeeeeeeeeeeee @honeybunnee @jaklvbub

[shadowdaddies]

King's Queen

Dorian Havilliard x Reader

based on this ask

Summary: Dorian's mother makes her opinions on your relationship clear. You make your own opinions known. (angst → smut → fluff)

Warnings: smut below the cut, phantom hands/light bondage, minors dni

Wiping your hands nervously on the skirts of your dress, you gave Dorian’s mother a shy smile, reaching your hand towards hers to shake. “It’s lovely to finally meet you, Georgina.” 

Piercing green eyes appraised you, lip twisting disdainfully at your outstretched hand as her back straightened. She spoke in a delicate voice that betrayed the vitriol of her words. “How informal of you,” she noted glancing between you and Dorian. “I do still hold the title of Queen, if you were unaware. You may also refer to me as ‘Lady Havilliard’.” 

With a flip of her long auburn hair, Georgina strolled towards her seat at the dining table, leaving you to awkwardly lower your hand to your side. Dorian quickly took your hand, pressing a kiss to your knuckles as he gave you a reassuring smile and guided you towards the table. 

You took your seat, glancing down the table to where Georgina sat next to Dorian’s brother, Hollin, cutting his steak for him as the woman doted on her younger son, hardly sparing either you or Dorian a glance. After pushing around the mashed potatoes on your plate for an insufferable amount of time, you mustered the courage to try speaking to Georgina again. 

With a deep breath, you plastered on a practiced, pleasant smile and turned towards where the queen sat. “Lady Havilliard, Dorian has told me that you quite enjoy the mountains. I’ve heard your home there is quite lovely - I can only imagine, if it holds a fraction of the beauty with which you’ve decorated this castle.” 

Her cold gaze flicked to you, her own fork dropping to her plate with a clatter. “Yes, it is a lovely home,” she acknowledged before quickly turning back to Hollin. Lifting her wine glass to her lips, Georgina murmured so quietly that it was hardly detectable, even with your fae hearing. “Much nicer than a fae servant is accustomed to, I’m sure.” The insults continued, Georgina continuing her verbal assault as you struggled through the meal.

The effects of her words weighing heavier and heavier, your hand moved to Dorian’s thigh, squeezing for comfort. His sapphire eyes focused on you, hand moving to rub the back of yours in an assuring manner as you hurriedly finished your meal. Quietly bidding Georgina and Hollin a good night, you dashed out of the room as quickly as you could.

You moved at an exceptionally fast pace, stopping when Dorian grabbed your wrist, twirling you around to see his concerned gaze. Noting the barely held-in tears in your eyes, Dorian pulled you into the nearest room. Eagerly crossing the drawing room, you took a seat on the plush velvet sofa, burying your face in your hands. 

Dorian crouched in front of you, rubbing soothing circles on your thighs. “My love, are you alright? I know my mother is unpleasant, and I am so sorry for that.” 

You shook your head, leaning back against the seat as a wry chuckle left your lips. “It wasn’t only that she was so stiff and dismissive. You should have heard the things she said about me when she knew that you couldn’t hear. I am nothing but a fae servant, I only care for you for your title, I am not worthy of you.” Voice breaking at those last words, your shoulders shook as you began to cry into Dorian’s shoulder.

He held you for a long moment, letting you process your emotions before he placed a kiss to your head. “Are you going to be alright?” Sniffling, you nodded, and Dorian stood.

“I have something to take care of, but I will meet you in our bedroom,” he promised, giving a soft kiss to your lips before the both of you departed in different directions. 

As you meandered back to your room, your head began to ache from all the tears you had spilled this evening. With a sigh of resignation, you turned back towards the kitchens in search of some water. The familiar shrill voice of Georgina Havilliard pricked your ears, and you rolled your eyes as you continued walking - until a deep, irritated voice rose louder. 

Recognizing Dorian as the other person speaking, you quietly tiptoed towards the conversation, listening as you moved through the hallway. Rage boiled through you as you registered Georgina’s words coming from the cracked door up ahead. “I am not indifferent towards you, Dorian. I have given up on you. You are a consistent disappointment, and this common woman... pardon, fae - she spoke the word, dripping with disdain - is the perfect example of your poor choices. You are nothing as I hoped you would be.” 

You could not bear to hear any more of her venom, nearly bursting the solid wood door off of its hinges as you burst into the room, halting Dorian and Georgina where they stood. Your eyes burned with fury as you turned towards the woman, barely maintaining the leash you held on your fae instincts which called on you to rip her to shreds. 

Not bothering with pleasantries, you spoke in a voice you’d reserved for the worst of your enemies. “You may speak however you wish about me, but if I hear you belittle Dorian like that again, I will cut out your tongue. It is a miracle that your King is the exceptional man that he is, having come from you. It would be wise of you to recognize that.”

The air was heavy in the room, a long moment passing as Georgina shriveled under your intense gaze. With a sniffle, the woman raised her head, courageously lifting her green eyes to you as she spoke. “I will bear that in mind.”

With a smile, you nodded, once more wishing her a pleasant evening as you took Dorian’s hand and guided him out the door and towards your bedroom. Closing the door behind you, you turned to see Dorian’s sapphire eyes wide in shock as he stared at you. “Are you okay?” you whispered, becoming increasingly worried that you might have frightened him with your actions.

Dorian surprised you, his lips curving into a mischievous smile as he turned you around. Black hair hung in his eyes as Dorian towered over you, arms caging you in as he backed you against the wall. “That was the most spectacular... sexiest thing anyone has ever done for me,” he purred, leaning in as he dragged his nose up your neck.

His teeth found your earlobe, a moan leaving your lips as he tugged before moving back to your neck, slowly kissing his way down to your throat. “Dorian,” you whispered, arms wrapping around him as you begged his body closer to yours. 

Dorian tsk’d at you, a wicked smirk gracing his lips as invisible hands gripped your wrists, pinning them above your head. You were trapped against the wall, desperately writhing as you begged Dorian to come closer. Instead, he stepped away, stroking his chin as he admired you on display like a work of art. 

Slowly, so slowly, Dorian walked back forwards, dragging one finger down your throat to your sternum, the peak of your breasts exposed in the gown you had donned for the evening. As if another set of hands worked behind you, the laces of the dress were undone, Dorian easily sliding the fabric off of you until it fell to the floor. 

“Gods, you are beautiful,” he murmured, his hand still idly tracing your body as you panted under his teasing touch. 

“Please, Dorian. Touch me,” you begged. Dorian let out a low groan, his eyes darkening as his control snapped. He surged forward, one hand wrapping around the back of your neck as he tilted your head to kiss you deeply, tongue thrusting and swiping along the roof of your mouth as his other hand moved lower down your stomach.

Arching your hips into his touch, you whimpered when his fingers ghosted over your soaked core before he pulled away. You gasped, your anger lasting only a moment before the shadow hands released you, Dorian throwing you over his shoulder. 

Dorian landed a playful smack to your bare ass, earning a yelp from you before he tossed you onto the bed, shadow hands returning to spread your arms and legs for him. You huffed in frustration, your arousal nearly painful as you begged again. “Dorian, I need you inside me, please.”

Unbuttoning his shirt, Dorian leaned down, kissing his way up your thighs before settling to hover over your heat. “I promise to make love to you tonight, but first I intend to worship you, thoroughly, my Queen.”

The moan that left you at his words quickly turned to a gasp as Dorian gripped your thighs, sucking harshly on your clit before thrusting his tongue into your core. He groaned at the taste, moving to flick his tongue against your clit as he brought a finger to curl inside of you. 

Back arching as much as the invisible restraints would allow, you reached your high with a scream that you wee certain echoed through the castle. 

Dorian quickly rid himself of his pants, lining up his hard length at your entrance as you nodded, granting him permission to push in. Jaw dropping in a silent moan at the pleasure, you felt Dorian’s head fall against your shoulder as he settled fully inside of you. 

Phantom hands vanished, allowing you to pull Dorian into a searing kiss, wrapping your legs around his waist as you encouraged him to move. He rocked into you slowly but precisely, intentionally hitting a perfect angle that dragged out both your pleasure. Overcome by the gentleness of the moment, you whispered “I love you,” through silver lined eyes.

Dorian kissed you fiercely, pulling back to press kisses on every part of your face, whispering “I love you”s with each touch. With a shudder, he finished inside of you, rolling to the side as he held you close. 

You pushed the hair from Dorian’s eyes, admiring his beauty as you sighed in contentment. “I cannot believe how lucky I am to have a man like you in my life,” you murmured, snuggling into his warm chest.

Dorian wrapped an arm around you, pulling you close and pressed a kiss to your hair. “I am the lucky one, my love.”

[converse-luke]

Get gentle prompted beach!

16

Have something from the early days of their relationship beach!

16. Kisses on the crown of their head

There aren't usually a pair of feet sticking out from behind Dorian's reading chair. Dorian quietly shuts his book, venturing into his reading nook. He's not sure what he was expecting, certainly not the Inquisitor… Cyrrith sleeping in a nest of pillows. There's a book open on his chest, one of Cyrrith's hands on top of it.

Dorian lets out a soft chuckle. He sets his own book down, reaching to take whatever book Cyrrith is reading. When he's starting to pull it away golden eyes slide open. Cyrrith sleepily blinks up at him. "What are you doing?" Cyrrith's voice is deeper from sleep.

"Saving this poor books spine. What are you doing?"

Cyrrith relinquishes his hold on the book. "Hiding."

Dorian raises a brow at him. "Hiding?"

Cyrrith suddenly looks away from Dorian. "They expect an awful lot of me. There's not a lot of time to actually be me." There's a panging recognition in his chest at Cyrrith's statement. The days he spent hiding in the library or the linen closets to avoid his parents. Hiding in the city when he got older. Cyrrith looks up at him again. "Are going to rat me out?"

"No," Dorian breathes out, still a little stunned. He nudges Cyrrith's legs with his foot. "Tuck those in, it's how I spotted you." Cyrrith gives him this tired but relieved smile, tucking his legs up. Dorian takes the blanket that rests on the back of his chair and spreads it over Cyrrith. There's something in Cyrrith's eyes that he can't quite name. "Are you alright Cyrrith?"

There's a relieved slump to Cyrrith's shoulders. "Am I a bad Inquisitor if I say I'm quite exhausted?"

Dorian gives him a soft smile, "I don't think so." It's far too forward for… whatever they are, but Dorian leans forward and presses a kiss to the crown of Cyrrith's head. "Get some rest. I'll keep watch." Dorian's cheeks burn at the starry eyed look that Cyrrith gives him. He settles in his chair, opening the book he was initially set on.

He has no idea when Cyrrith falls back asleep, only that when he glances over he looks like a cat languishing in a sun spot. The rays filter through the window pane and make his golden hair shine. He looks peaceful. Dorian turns the page of his book, not even looking up when Cassandra starts walking by. "You, do you know where the Inquisitor is?"

"I haven't the foggiest idea of where he could be," he lies smoothly. When she stomps away Dorian smirks, turning to the next page.

[harmonyrae]

Power Couple

CHAPTER 6 - Burning Love

One more day. One more day until you meet with Sylus. It’s not that you’re nervous, but your stomach is definitely flipping every time you think about it. You flip through the pages of the contact in front of you, reviewing the changes before sending it to the client. You need their signature before tomorrow. While you’re just changing their delivery date to allow for Sylus’ search for his mystery protocore, you’re worried it will put more strain on the relationship you’ve fought to repair over this past month. 

“Boss?” Dorian’s voice is muffled behind your office door. 

“Come in!” Dorian turns the door knob gently and lets himself in. His expression tense as he approaches your desk.

“I’ve reviewed the blueprints for the house and my team has a plan and route ready if you give the signal.” His matter-of-fact tone is so different to his usual sarcastic demeanor. 

“Thank you. And the team knows what exactly?” You turn your gaze back to the contract.

“Contracted for security of a high-level client. They’re not asking any questions.”

“Good. I’ve finished the contract and I need it delivered as soon as possible.” Dorian approaches the desk and swipes the contract away. If it wasn’t clear that he was frustrated before, it is very clear now. 

“Okay, what? What is it?” You lean back in your chair and cross your legs. Dorian turns on his heel to face you.

“Why are you doing this? Working with Sylus? Meeting with him? Helping him? Having dinner with him? And why is that a part of the deal? It makes no sense and it sounds like…” You stop him in his tracks.

“Dorian, my deal with Sylus will keep the peace. It gives us time to plan. I know this deal won’t keep us safe forever, but it’ll be worth it. You trust me, right?” Dorian sighs.

“Of course I do. I just… I don’t understand why this is the play?” You stand and approach him. His bright green eyes stare down at you. 

“I have questions that only Sylus seems to have answers to. Or rather clues to help me find the answers. You know better than anyone that my evol has always been unstable and my heart’s always been at the center of things. Something about this mystery protocore, it might hold the answers I’ve been looking for for years. I am taking a shot in the dark and I am asking you to trust me and have my back. Now can I depend on you or not?” You try to make your tone harsh, but when it comes to Dorian, you can’t be angry with him long. 

“I have your back. I always have. I’m just…” He places his hands on your shoulders. “This is dangerous. Sylus is dangerous. He whisked you away from base so fast I… How the hell did he even do that?” You smile up at him.

“I intend to figure that out. Trust me.” 

Dorian drops his hands to his sides before looking at the contract in his hand. He looks up at you with renewed confidence.

“I’ll get this to Vivaca Protocores. Yanus will sign, I’ll make sure of it.” He turns to leave, but you grab his arm and pull him into a hug.

“It’ll be okay. I promise.” You try to reassure him. Dorian is reluctant to hug you back. He finally relents and hugs you tightly. 

You’ve known Dorian since you were a kid. He volunteered to help you run Himitsu, even take on the title of “boss” to keep you safe. He gathered intel, made connections and risked his neck countless times to give you the chance to make Himitsu a powerhouse in the zone. You’ve been terrified he will get hurt or targeted. But there’s nothing you can do, he’s as stubborn as an ox. You’ve learned to stop trying to convince him. But you’ll be damned if you let him refuse your hug.

Dorian pats your head, pulling you back to the present. You pull away and cross your arms before looking up at him. He gives you a weak smile.

“I trust you. Just be careful.” With that, he leaves your office with the contract. 

You curl up in your office chair and pull the burner phone Sylus gave you from your desk drawer. You only use this phone to talk to Sylus. You open up your recent messages.

(Sylus) Good morning, kitten.  (Sylus) Are we still on for Saturday? (You) Yes, we are.  (Sylus) Perfect.  (Sylus) Cabernet or Malbec? (You) What? (Sylus) Cabernet or Malbec? Or maybe Merlot? (Sylus) You strike me as a Merlot kind of woman.  (You) And how did you reach that conclusion? (Sylus) While you can certainly enjoy something bold and savory…(Sylus) You appreciate a bit of sweetness. Am I right? (You) Hmm… (Sylus) Or maybe you like something with a bite to it? (You) Why not both? (Sylus) I like the way you think, kitten. I’ll talk to you soon.

You put the phone back in the drawer and slam it shut. You hug your knees to your chest. You place a hand to your cheek and feel the flush. What are you? Twelve? Why are you letting this man fluster you like this? He probably didn’t even mean to be suggestive. No, he definitely did. You remember how he spoke to you when you first met. He was practically striping you with his eyes - not that you weren’t doing the same to him…Why are you even thinking about this right now? You have a business to run. 

And then you hear a low buzz and a muffled song starts playing.

Lord Almighty Feel my temperature rising

Your eyes widen and you scramble to search your desk for the source of the sound.

Higher an’ higher It’s burning through to my soul

Then it hits you. You fling the drawer open.

Girl, girl, girl, girl You gonna set me on fire

The burner phone is ringing. Sylus’ name lights up the screen. He set a custom fucking ringtone. And it’s ELVIS FUCKING PRESLEY?? You grab the phone and you don’t have a moment to think or take a breath before swiping to answer.

“Hello??” You can’t hide your breathless and frantic tone. A low rumbling laugh greets you.

“Everything alright kitten?” Sylus has certainly caught on to how flustered you are. 

“Yeah, everything’s peachy. It’s perfect. What do you need Sylus?” You pinch the bridge of your nose trying to ease the headache building behind your eyes.

“Really? Perfect? Interesting.” Your eyes widen as you realize how you said that.

“No, I just meant, it was a surprise. I didn’t expect… It doesn’t matter.” You clap a hand over your mouth to try to top your word vomit.

“No no, please continue. I’m curious what you thought of my song choice.” You can hear the smile in voice.

“Elvis Presley is great. An icon. Great, amazing. Are you going to answer me now?” Not that you wanted him to hang up, but you just… you were floundering and Sylus could hear it. You were sure your cheeks were the brightest shade of pink.

“I told you I’d call the day before. Well, it’s the 19th isn’t it? I’m checking in.”

“Ahh, right. Well, I’m fine and I’ll see you tomorrow.” You hang up, drop the phone in the drawer, slam it shut and press your palms onto your desk in a huff. This man. What is it about him that gets under your skin? You barely even know him. 

Ding

The muffled ding of the phone in your desk brings you back to reality. You open the drawer slowly and open your messages. Sylus sent you a picture. You hesitate before opening it. Holding your breath. The picture is of Sylus with a bottle of wine. Specifically, a vintage bottle of Le Macchiole Messorio, a premium red wine that you know costs a fortune. Along with the picture is a short message.

(Sylus) I’ve had this before. It can be intense, but you can handle it.

You slam the door shut again, swallowing hard. He looked so fucking good in that picture. Smug, like you expected, but well dressed and the light reflecting in his eyes. The wine choice, how he described it… You definitely feel your temperature rising.

Tag List (comment if you wanna be added!): @trishiepo0

Chapter 1: https://shorturl.at/Bx95C Chapter 2: https://shorturl.at/3PwTi Chapter 3: https://shorturl.at/a7xnF Chapter 4: https://shorturl.at/fKYgX Chapter 5: https://shorturl.at/7YtTh

[tevivinter]

Happy Friday! I. LOVE. the 50 wordless ways to say I love you. How about "buying them something unrequested because it made you think of them" for Dorian and Lavellan?

thank you for the prompt!! for @dadrunkwriting 667 words

“I’ve been meaning to give you something.”

Marel glanced at Dorian, his voice breaking the peaceful silence that had settled between them. The library, dimly lit by the flickering glow of a nearby lamp, had been their private retreat for hours. They sat entwined on the oversized couch, their legs comfortably tangled.

Marel tilted his head, amber eyes glinting with curiosity. “What is it?”

“A small gift.” Dorian tapped Marel’s leg gently, signaling for him to shift. “I’d rather you see it for yourself.”

Marel untangled his legs from Dorian’s lap and let his feet touch the floor, the plush rug comfy against his skin. His brow furrowed slightly as the mage withdrew a small pouch from his pocket. The weight in Dorian’s hand hinted at something delicate, valuable, or perhaps both.

Marel accepted the pouch with the same careful reverence he might offer a fledgling bird. His fingertips brushed the fabric, as if trying to guess what was inside. “What’s the occasion?”

“I simply thought of you,” Dorian replied, leaning back against the couch, his lips curling into a faint smile. “Now, open it before I start sounding unbearably cheesy.”

A quiet chuckle escaped Marel as his expression softened. Then, he pulled at the drawstrings and blinked, genuine surprise flickering across his face as his gaze fell on the contents within.

Nestled within the pouch was an amulet. Marel lifted it with care, the pendant catching the faint lamplight as it swayed in the air. The bronze medallion was small enough to fit in his palm, its surface engraved with the visage of a dragon’s head.

Marel’s breath hitched. Once, he’d owned an amulet like this—except his had the silhouette of a halla’s head, a treasured gift from his sister. For several years, it had been his token of luck, until he’d lost it amidst the chaos of Haven’s fall. He’d shared the story with Dorian some time ago, never imagining that it would linger in his mind.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Marel glanced at Dorian, who watched him with quiet anticipation. “Do you remember what I told you? About the amulet that I lost?”

Dorian’s expression softened, his voice warm yet tinged with understanding. “How could I not? You were terribly heartbroken over it.” His gaze dropped to the medallion resting in Marel’s palm. “I bought this amulet from a merchant in Redcliffe. According to the rumors, it should bring protection to its wearer. Whether or not that’s true…I thought you might appreciate it.”

So he did remember. Not only that, but Dorian had chosen an incredibly thoughtful gift—one that had surely cost a small fortune. Marel closed his fingers around the amulet, the cool metal pressing into his palm as warmth bloomed in his chest. It was hard to find words to describe his gratitude.

And so Marel leaned forward, wrapping his arms firmly around Dorian’s waist. He rested his chin on the curve of Dorian’s shoulder, finding comfort in the way their bodies seemed to fit perfectly together. “Thank you, vhenan,” he murmured, his voice filled with affection. A smile touched his lips, brushing faintly against Dorian’s neck. “I’ll make sure not to lose this one.”

Dorian soon melted into the embrace, a tender smile gracing his features. His hands moved instinctively, one tracing circles against Marel’s back, the other resting lightly against the nape of his neck. “You’re welcome, amatus,” he replied, his voice low and soothing.

There was a moment of stillness as they held each other, and Dorian cherished every second of it. He could have stayed like this forever, rejoicing in the steady rhythm of Marel’s heartbeat against his own. The sudden thought of losing him sent a cold shiver racing down his spine. Without a word, Dorian’s arms tightened, his hold becoming just a fraction more desperate, as if sheer will alone could keep Marel safe.

For a moment, he silently wished that the trinket — simple as it was — might somehow protect the man he loved.

[tired-truffle]

Something's Gotta Give

A CullenxLavellan fic

Chapter Word Count: 4.3k

Part 59: This is Solas's Fault

"Are you praying again? How raw are your knees? How often will you repent?" - Unknown

Tag list: @thomrainierapologist (If you'd like to be added to the tag list, let me know!)

Masterlist

Whether in the middle of a crowded hall or the depths of the Brecilian forest, Ash would recognize Cullen’s voice anywhere. His tenor tone, soft and tired, called to her from the small Chantry built into the old fortress walls.

“Though all before me is shadow, yet shall the Maker be my guide. I shall not be left to wander the drifting roads of the Beyond.”

Sweetpea chirped at Ash as she wove around her ankles, eager to see Cullen. Ash wasn’t one to pass up an opportunity to see him either, and she stepped up to the open door that led to the pews and flickering candlelight. Her gaze immediately fell upon her beloved, kneeling at the altar. His head was bowed in quiet reverence, with his hands clasped tightly together in prayer.

“For there is no darkness in the Maker’s light and nothing He has wrought shall be lost.”

Leaning casually against the door frame, she folded her arms over her chest. Sweetpea trotted into the room ahead of Ash, her paws pattering on the stone floor. She sat herself by Cullen’s feet and her bright eyes watched him expectantly.

“You’re going to convert Pea to the Andrastian faith if you aren’t careful.”

Cullen glanced over his shoulder, a soft smile gracing his lips when he noticed the cat at his feet. Gloved hand or bare hand, Pea accepted his head scratches all the same, raising her butt in the air as she purred happily.

“I’m certain the Maker would appreciate her offerings more than I do.” Cullen scratched her chin before pushing himself up to his feet. Sweetpea leaving dead mice on the altar might only serve to aggravate Mother Giselle. It was for the best that she remained Dalish.

Lightning did not strike from the heavens when Ash stepped fully into the Chantry, and she took that as a sign that it was safe for her to continue.

“Praying for anything special?” she asked as she stopped less than a foot away from him, her chin tilted to meet his gaze.

“A prayer for those we have lost.” He clicked his tongue on the back of his teeth. “And those I am afraid to lose.”

“The fearsome Commander of the Inquisition, afraid? It’s difficult to picture,” she said, a light tease meant to uplift his spirits. He’d never cower away from danger, but he held his fear in his heart, in the furrow of his brows, his eyes shadowed with weariness and overflowing with worry.

He huffed, though unable to keep the hint of mirth at bay, and Ash grinned, pleased with herself. “How could I not be? We lose people every day and I…” He tugged at her heartstrings in time with the shake of his head. “Corypheus will retaliate. It’s only a matter of time. We must draw strength wherever we can.”

“We will,” she said, though how much strength they could draw would remain to be seen. If it wasn’t enough…a bridge couldn’t be crossed if they were chained to one side.

He pursed his lips, unconvinced. “When the time comes, you will be thrown into his path again, into the path of his Archdemon. Andraste preserve me, I must send you to face that which almost took you in Haven.”

“There’s nothing to worry about,” Ash said, sounding braver than she felt. “I have luck on my side, remember?”

The Archdemon couldn’t touch her when she wore his lucky coin as a necklace, right? A thin leather strap tied around the coin cut through Andraste’s face, but as she pulled it from her robes, the pendant was unmistakable. Bless Dorian for his suggestion, Ash had never been skilled at keeping track of her belongings. This way, she’d be much less likely to lose it.

“A necklace…” he trailed off, taking the coin in the palm of his hand, a smidgeon of worry dissipating from his creased forehead.

“Mhm,” she rocked on the balls of her feet, “so your luck can rest in my cleavage, where it belongs.”

A startled laugh slipped from his lips, his eyes crinkling with unimpeded happiness - if only for a moment. Making Cullen laugh was a simple joy, but Ash cherished it as if it were the air she breathed. He dropped the coin, letting it settle on her chest, and he trailed his fingers along her collarbone. From scarred skin to soft and back again, reverent, as though the statue of his goddess did not exist a mere few feet from them.

Ash placed her hand on his armour-covered chest, dropping her tone low and soft. “I’ll be alright. I won’t be alone.”

Flames suffused beneath her skin, Love reaching for his hand and prickling along his fingers. He didn’t pull away, his other hand coming to hold her hip, anchoring her to him.

“That’s less comforting than I’d hoped.” He sighed. “Has she had any more luck in deciphering the scroll?”

To have the answer he wanted would be a boon that not even his lucky coin could provide. She wished she could give him what he sought, the comfort of knowing exactly what she’d be facing without him there to ensure her safety.

“From what Love has been able to uncover, it’s a…summoning of sorts, but not for a pre-existing creature, necessarily. Its…” She sighed. “I don’t know, it’s difficult to articulate in a way that makes any sense. It demands a significant amount of energy and willpower, but beyond that, it’s unclear.”

Ash ghosted her fingers along his chest plate. The one he'd commissioned for her all those months ago had saved her life, or at least saved her the pain of further burns. Though it had to be repaired before it could be worn again, it had been restored by the time she was ready to rejoin her sister on missions. That chestplate would be donned when she faced the Archdemon for a second time. She’d be better prepared. Her arsenal would be fuller, her strategies sharper. She would not be caught off guard again.

His frown bordered on distress, and without a word, he pulled her in for a tight hug - like he could keep her safe in his arms forever, the outside world unable to reach them. The fur of his mantle tickled her nose, but she barely registered it, too preoccupied with holding back the trembling fear that slithered down her limbs - pretending it didn’t exist. To face that monster again…terror tugged at the primal, instinctive part of her that screamed at her to run.

“Whatever happens,” Cullen said, gravely with preemptive grief, “you will come back to me.”

“Rae is in more danger than I am.” Ash attempted to soothe his worry, but there was no calming the choppy, white-capped waves that crashed against her unease.

He pulled back slightly, his hand cupping her cheek. “That’s the problem. I know you would not hesitate to throw yourself in harm’s way if it means keeping her safe.”

His eyes darted to the burn scar on her cheek, following the line of warped flesh as it travelled down her neck and disappeared into her robes.

“Cullen, you don’t have to—“ she started, but he shook his head ruefully, cutting her off.

“Allow me this. To believe anything else would…I can’t.”

Her vhenan, ever the one to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders, weary and exhausted but marching forward relentlessly. She hoped that she lightened that heavy burden, even if just a little. Whether it was through a gentle touch, a kind word, or simply being there when he needed her most, she longed to be his refuge as he was for her.

Ash, allergic to seriousness when evading trepidation of her own, said, “If it would make you feel better you can fuck me against the statue of Andraste. Perhaps it could grant us some extra luck, like rubbing a rabbit's foot. Except I’d be rubbing your—”

A light pinch to her backside had her giggling, sacrilegious as she might be, he enjoyed her teasing. He leaned forward so his lips brushed her ear, knowing exactly what that did to her. “Don’t push your luck,” he growled.

And like the dutiful lover she was, she followed his command. For now.

"Fashionably late as always, my dear," Dorian said with a dramatic flourish, extending his arm to Ash.

She laughed, taking it with a matching flair. "It's not a proper entrance if they haven't been waiting for us."

The matching outfits she’d purchased adorned their bodies, each showing off their best assets, as they entered the Herald’s Rest arm in arm. The establishment was quieter than a typical night. Cabot had locked the doors after dinner, leaving only the inner circle to enjoy the evening. Sera had already claimed a corner table, feet propped up as she balanced precariously on two chair legs - Rae’s leg poised as though she’d meant to kick the legs out and had only stopped upon Ash and Dorian’s entrance. Ash was glad to see her sister present, having dragged herself out of her mournful cave of blankets and pillows to celebrate. Blackwall nursed his ale quietly beside her, while Cole watched everyone from his perch on the stairs.

The Iron Bull let out a low whistle from his seat by the fire. "Arriving late and showing off a matching amount of chest. That's commitment."

"What can I say?" Dorian preened, bumping her hip with his. "Great minds think alike, and great chests deserve to be displayed."

Varric chuckled, raising his tankard. “Don’t I know it.”

"The emerald suits you both," Cassandra admitted with surprising sincerity before quickly burying her face in her drink.

Solas was noticeably the only one absent, even Vivienne had joined, lounging in the corner with a book propped open in her lap and a glass of deep red wine in hand.

Cullen sat at the largest table with Josephine and Leliana, his armour on as it always was, but his mantle had been discarded - the fire keeping the room too warm for his Fereldan blood.

“We should commission something similar for all our members, don’t you think?” Leliana asked with a sly grin.

Josephine clapped her hands together. "Oh! Like a uniform but so much more stylish! The Inquisition could use a fashion upgrade."

"Over my dead body," Cullen grumbled, though his eyes never left Ash, a flush creeping up his neck.

She sauntered over, leaving Dorian to stalk towards Bull - like a rabbit sauntering up to a wolf - the slits in her robe revealing flashes of leg with each step. Without ceremony, she plopped herself onto Cullen's lap, draping an arm around his shoulders and leaning against his chest.

"Commander," she purred. A blush bloomed across Cullen's cheeks, spreading to the tips of his very biteable ears.

"Ashvalla," he managed, his voice strangled. "You look…lovely.”

Leliana snickered behind her hand, earning her a glare from Cullen, undercut by his bashful blush. His hands rested on her waist, almost unconsciously, and she lay her head on his shoulder to hide her smirk.

Sera cackled from across the tavern. "Look at Cully! Red as a nug's arse, he is!"

"Leave the poor man alone," Blackwall chided, though his eyes twinkled with amusement. "Not everyone enjoys being a spectacle."

Taking that mildly chaotic moment as an opportunity, Josephine stood, smoothing her ruffles with one hand while raising her glass with the other. With one hand, she smoothed the ruffles of her attire, ensuring every fold fell into perfect place. In the other hand, she lifted her glass high, its crystal surface catching the light.

"To the Inquisition," she began, her Antivan accent more pronounced after several glasses of wine. "To every soldier, scout, and friend who has brought us this far. We stand on the precipice of our hard-earned victory!"

"If we could only find the bastard," Blackwall grumbled, his dark beard failing to hide his smile.

"He'll turn up," Ash said, raising Cullen’s tankard that she’d absconded with. "He won’t be able to resist." She downed his drink in one go and resisted the urge to gage. Ferelden ale. Disgusting. No matter how many times she drank it, she could never grow accustomed to the pungent taste.

The night wore on, the tavern growing warmer with laughter and song. Maryden had been given the evening off, but that hadn't stopped Sera from producing a lute and playing it with surprising skill - if not accuracy. Even Vivienne had abandoned her book to join the larger group, sharing a surprisingly ribald story about a noble in Val Royeaux that had Josephine laughing heartily.

Ash remained perched on Cullen's lap, though his initial embarrassment had faded into a comfortable contentment, his arm now wrapped securely around her waist. He leaned forward occasionally to whisper observations in her ear, each one making her giggle or swat playfully at his shoulder.

Ash adjusted her position on Cullen's lap, smoothing the emerald fabric of her robe.

"Careful," he whispered against her ear, his breath warm and tinged with honeyed mead. "If you keep shifting like that, I might need to excuse myself."

Heat flushed Cullen's cheeks as Ash deliberately wriggled her hips in response. She delighted in the way his hands tightened possessively on her hips, the slight hitch in his breath that only she could hear.

"Would that be so terrible, Commander?" she whispered back, tracing the scar on his lip with her finger. A smouldering hunger burned in his eyes, slick pooling at the apex of her thighs. How many more drinks would it take for his restraint to slip, for him to succumb to the temptation and bite her finger around a crowd?

A crash from across the room interrupted their moment, drawing everyone's attention. Rae stood swaying, the remnants of a broken bottle at her feet, liquid spreading across the floorboards. Her cheeks were flushed a vibrant pink, eyes unfocused, and her laughter rang hollow as she waved off Bull's attempt to steady her.

"M'fine!" she insisted, words slurring together. "Jus' fucked up a little. Like always, right? Fuck-up Rae, can't even hold ‘er drink proper."

Ash straightened on Cullen's lap, her playful mood evaporating as she watched her sister reach for another bottle with unsteady hands. This was the third drink Rae had spilled, and Ash had been counting - this would make ten drinks total consumed. Far too many for someone who rarely indulged and was little more than a waif.

"Perhaps we should call it a night," Cassandra suggested gently, but Rae's face hardened.

"The night's young! We're celebrating!" Rae threw her arms wide, nearly toppling backward. "What's the point of bein’ Inquisitor if I can't get shit-faced with my friends?" Her smile was too wide, too forced, and didn't reach her eyes.

Ash exchanged a glance with Cullen, who nodded fractionally. She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before sliding off his lap.

"I think I need some air," Ash announced, moving toward her sister. "Care to join me, Rae?"

"Nope!" Rae popped the 'p' sound with exaggerated emphasis. "Air's cold. Drink's warm." She raised her newly acquired bottle in a mock toast before gulping half its contents.

Sera sprang up from her seat. "Oi! Just remembered I nicked somethin' special from Josephine's fancy wine cabinet." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Got it hidden in your quarters. The good stuff, yeah? Ambassador doesn't even know it's missing."

Josephine gasped, so convincingly that Ash couldn’t tell if she was simply playing along or genuinely startled. "You did what?"

"Nothing!" Sera sang, grabbing Rae's arm. "C'mon then. This piss-water's nothing compared. I got the bottle that costs more than my life, probably."

Rae's glazed eyes lit up with interest. "Expensive shit? Lead the way." She stumbled forward, nearly face-planting before Sera caught her.

"Might need a hand," Sera said, glancing at Ash. "Quizzy’s heavier than she looks."

Ash slipped under Rae's other arm. "I've got her."

Together they maneuvered Rae towards the door, her feet dragging as she mumbled about "fancy Orlesian bottles" and "drinking the rich under the table." The cool night air hit them as they stepped outside, making Rae shiver and lean more heavily against her companions.

"There's no wine, is there?" Ash whispered to Sera as they navigated the courtyard stairs.

"‘Course not," Sera snorted. "Even I know better than to nick shite from the Ambassador. But telling her to stop drinking wasn't working, was it? Needed somethin’ better to get her moving."

The journey to Rae's quarters was slow, interrupted by Rae's increasingly nonsensical commentary about the stars - "They're all.…large and pointy tonight" - and occasional stops when she needed to be sick. By the time they reached her room, Rae had grown quieter, her head lolling against Ash's shoulder.

"Where's the fancy wine?" she mumbled as they guided her to the bed. "You promised."

"Tomorrow," Sera said, helping Ash remove Rae's boots. "Can't appreciate the good stuff when you're already right sloshed, can you?"

Rae flopped back onto the mattress with a groan. "Don't feel so good."

"I'm shocked." Ash rolled her eyes, retrieving a basin and propping it on the pillow beside her. She gently brushed Rae's dishevelled hair from her forehead. "What were you thinking, drinking so much?"

"Wasn't," Rae whispered, eyes fluttering closed. "That's the point."

Ash sighed softly, adjusting the blankets and tucking them gently under Rae's chin. Her sister looked smaller somehow, vulnerable in a way she rarely allowed herself to be seen. She’d been looking like that a lot the past few days.

"I'll keep an eye on her," Sera said, already dragging a chair closer to the bed. "Not my first time watching over someone who's had too much. ‘Sides, I blame that prick for this one. Taking her elfy face tattoos and her happiness. He’ll get worse than lizards in his bedroll for what he’s done."

As did Ash, but she hesitated, her hand lingering on Rae's forehead. "Are you sure? She might be sick during the night."

"Pfft. Like that scares me." Sera plopped down in the chair and kicked her feet up on the edge of the bed. "I've got nowhere better to be. Rae's a good friend, even when she's being stupid."

At the sound of her name, Rae mumbled something unintelligible, turning onto her side and curling into herself. Sera leaned forward, adjusting the basin to ensure it was within reach.

"Go on then," she told Ash with a shooing motion. "Back to Commander Tight-Breeches. Poor man's probably still sitting there with his hands in his lap trying to hide his excitement."

"That's not—" Ash tried to protest to protect Cullen’s dignity, but Sera cut her off.

"I have eyes, you know. Now go. We're fine here. Promise I won't draw on her face." She paused, then added with a mischievous grin, "Much."

With a final, pursed-lip glance at her sister, Ash relented. "Send for me if anything happens. Anything at all."

"Yes, yes. Now get out of here before I change my mind."

Sera turned her back to Ash, and she descended the stairs from Rae's quarters, her festive mood evaporated. The sounds of continued revelry drifted from the tavern as she passed by, but held no appeal.

She quickened her pace towards Cullen's tower. The guards nodded respectfully as she passed, pretending not to notice the Inquisitor's sister sneaking to the Commander's quarters at this hour. Not that it was much of a secret anymore. If it ever had been.

She climbed the ladder to Cullen's loft, the familiar scent of leather and elderflower welcoming her before she'd even reached the top. When her head cleared the opening, she found him sitting on the edge of his bed, already stripped down to his smalls for the night, his armour neatly arranged on its stand. Sweetpea slept in a ball at the centre of the bed, her ears flicking the only signs she was aware of Ash’s arrival.

"That was quick," he said, looking up from the report in his hands. Always working, even after having imbibed - though not as much as he had the night of wicked grace. Only she got the honour of seeing him mostly naked this time.

"Sera's with her." Ash pulled herself fully into the room. "Probably won't remember much tomorrow."

Cullen set the report aside and held out his hand. "And you? Are you alright?"

She took his hand, allowing him to pull her onto his lap, where she belonged. "Just worried for her. All that shit with Solas really messed her up. I’ve never seen her so upset."

"She's lucky to have you," he said, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.

"Is she?" Ash sighed, leaning into his touch. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm any help at all. I can't protect her from everything, no matter how much I want to."

Cullen chuckled softly. "Now you know how I feel every time you walk into danger."

"That's different."

"Is it?" He cupped her cheek in his callused palm. "We both love someone who carries the weight of the world on their shoulders. And we both know we can't carry it for them, even if we wish we could."

Ash rested her head on his shoulder, the tension in her body slowly unwinding. "When did you get so wise, Commander?"

"I have my moments." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Though they're usually when I'm not distracted by you sitting on my lap in front of all our friends. When you left the teasing seemed like it would never end."

An impish smile crested atop her lips. "Is that why you left?"

Cullen's flush deepened, spreading down his neck and over his chest. He cleared his throat, eyes darting to the side as he shifted uncomfortably beneath her.

"Partly," he admitted, voice dropping to a husky whisper. "But also because I couldn't remain seated much longer without…" He paused, searching for delicate phrasing. "Without everyone noticing my, ah, enthusiasm for your attentions."

Ash burst into delighted laughter, placing a kiss against his jawline. "Commander, are you telling me you fled the tavern with an erection?"

"Maker's breath," he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Must you say it so loudly?"

"The walls are thick enough," she teased, running her fingers through his coarse smattering of chest hair. "Though perhaps not as thick as—"

He silenced her with a tender kiss, his lips pressing softly against hers. One hand tangled gently in her silky hair, feeling the strands slip through his fingers. When they broke apart, he was smiling even through his embarrassment.

"You are impossible," he said against her lips.

"And yet you love me."

"I do." His eyes softened. "Very much."

Sweetpea chose that exact moment to stretch, her petite body elongating until she appeared to double in size, each vertebrae popping into place. Her front paws extended gracefully, followed by a luxurious arching of her back, before she sprang off the bed with an indignant meow. Her fur shimmered in the moonlight, and her eyes, half-closed in annoyance, conveyed clearly that their conversation had interrupted her beauty sleep.

"Even the cat judges me," Cullen sighed, watching as Sweetpea found a new resting spot atop a pile of Ash’s discarded clothes from days earlier.

Ash nestled closer, breathing in his scent. Elderflower may yet become her favourite smell. If it wasn’t already. "She's just jealous. You're very comfortable."

A natural silence fell between them, Cullen’s hand rubbing up and down her back, leaning his cheek against the top of her head. After everything they had survived, everything that should have broken them but hadn’t, they’d stayed together - so close to that future they sought.

"Do you think she'll be alright?" Ash finally asked, her thoughts circling back to Rae.

"The Inquisitor is strong and stubborn, much like her sister. She'll find her way through this."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then we'll be there to help her." He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. "She isn’t alone."

He meant every word, and that terrified her more than she cared to admit. Because they couldn't always be there, could they? Haven had taught her that much. One wrong turn and everything could change.

She'd spent her entire life watching over Rae, fulfilling the promise she'd made to their mother. Being the shield, the protector, the one who made sure her little sister never faced the world's cruelties alone. But the world had gotten so much bigger than inter-clan squabbles. Now, there were demons and darkspawn, Venatori assassins and ancient magisters. Archdemons left scars that would never fully heal.

And there was Solas. The quiet apostate who'd slipped past all their defences and broken Rae's heart so thoroughly that she was drowning herself in cheap ale rather than facing the pain sober. What good was Ash's protection when the wounds came from within their own ranks?

The thought of facing the Archdemon never failed to make her shiver, memories of burning flesh and screams flashing behind her eyelids. But she'd face it a hundred times over if it meant keeping Rae safe. She'd burn and bleed and break if necessary. That's what big sisters did. What she'd always done. And she’d promised to live, so she would do that too.

Yet something in Cullen's words rang true. She couldn't shield Rae from everything - not heartbreak, not duty, not destiny. The Anchor had chosen Rae, not Ash. The world looked to the Inquisitor, not her sister. Some burdens couldn't be shared, no matter how desperately she wanted to carry them.

Perhaps true protection wasn't about preventing pain but being there to help pick up the pieces afterward. To hold hands through the darkness until dawn broke again. To remind someone they weren't alone.

Tomorrow, she would check on Rae, hold back her hair if she was sick, listen if she wanted to talk. And when the time came to face Corypheus and his dragon, she would stand beside her sister. Whatever support Rae required, Ash would gladly provide. 

Next Chapter

A/N: Only two more chapters!! I can hardly believe the main story will be over so soon :') But there will be more, I'll be plotting out Trespasser after this and then onto Veilguard (it will be set during VG, but not much of Rook's story will be involved). See you all next week for the final chapters!!

[acourtofquestions]

Kingdom of Ash Chapter 67

as I read live

Thank the gods. Even though they were the last beings Rowan wished to thank.

She rested a hand atop Goldryn's hilt, flame dancing at her fingers, seemingly into the red stone itself.

"It would take years," she observed, "to heal everyone infected by the Valg."

"Each of those soldiers has a family, friends who would want us to try."

"I know."

The chill wind whipped her hair across her face, blowing northward.

"Could Yrene heal them? Erawan and Maeve? I don't know why I didn't think of it."

"Is Erawan's body made by him, or stolen?

Is Maeve's?" Rowan shook his head. "They might be wholly different."

"I don't see how I can ask Yrene to do it.

Ask it of Chaol." Aelin swallowed. "To even put Yrene near Erawan or Maeve... I can't do it."

Rowan wouldn't be able to, either. Not for a thousand different reason.

"But is it a mistake to put Yrene's safety above that of this entire world?" Aelin mused, examining one of the enemy daggers she'd pilfered. An unusually fine blade, likely stolen in the first place.

"She's the greatest weapon we have, if the keys are not in play. Are we fools not to push to use it?"

It wasn't his choice, his call. But he could offer her a sounding board. "Will you be able to live with yourself if something happens to Yrene, to her unborn child?"

"No. But the rest of the world will live, at least. My guilt would be secondary to that."

"And if you don't push Yrene to try to destroy them, and Erawan or Maeve wins—what then?"

"There is still the Lock. There's still me."

Rowan swallowed. Saw the reason she'd needed to be away from the others, needed to walk.

"Yrene is a ray of hope for you. For us That you might not need to forge the Lock at all. You, or Dorian."

"The gods demand it."

"The gods can go to hell."

Aelin chucked away the dagger. "I hate this. I really do."

He slid an arm around her shoulders. It was all he could offer her.

Over—she'd said she wanted it to be over.

He'd do all he could to make it so.

Aelin leaned her head against his chest, and they stared across the cold lake in silence.

"Would you let me do it, if I were Yrene? If I were carrying our child?"

He failed to block out the image of that dream—of Aelin, heavily pregnant, their children around her. "I don't let you do anything."

She waved a hand. "You know what I mean."

He took a moment to answer. "No. Even if the world ended because of it, I couldn't bear it."

And with that Lock, he might very well have to make that decision, too.

Rowan ran his fingers over the claiming marks on her neck. "I told you that love was a weakness. It would be far easier if we all hated each other."

She snorted. "Give it a few weeks on the road with this army, in those mountains, and we might not be such pleasant allies anymore."

Rowan kissed the top of her head. "Gods help us."

Even with the hours of instruction on the journey back to this continent, Rowan and the others had not wholly mastered the language of the half-forgotten marks. But her mate remembered most—as if they'd been planted in his mind.

Aelin carefully studied the line of symbols across the page. Read through them a second time. "It's not what we're looking for." She pulled on her bottom lip. "It's a spell for opening a portal between locations-just in this world."

"Like what Maeve can do?" Borte asked.

Aelin shrugged. "Yes, but this is for close traveling. More like what Fenrys can do.

"Or had once been able to do, before Maeve had broken it from him.

Borte's mouth quirked to the side. "What's the point of it, then?"

"Entertaining people at parties?" Aelin handed the book back to Rowan.

Borte chuckled, and leaned back in her seat, toying with the end of a long braid. "Do you think the spell exists—to find an alternate way to seal the Wyrdgate?" The question was barely more than a whisper, and yet Rowan shot the girl a warning look. Borte just waved him off.

No. Elena would have told her, or Brannon,

if such a thing had existed Aelin ran a hand over the dry, ancient page, the symbols blurring. "It's worth a look, isn't it?"

Rowan indeed resumed his careful browsing and decoding. He'd sit here for hours, she knew. And if they found nothing, she knew he'd sit here and reread them all just to be sure.

A way out—an alternate path. For her, for Dorian. For whichever of them would pay the price to forge the Lock and seal the gate. A desperate, foolish hope.

Chaol found his father where he'd left him, seething in his study.

"You cannot give a single acre of this territory to the wild men," his father hissed as Chaol wheeled into the room and shut the door.

Chaol crossed his arms, not bothering took placating. "I can, and I will."

Chaol sighed, slumping back in his chair. A lifetime of this—that's what Dorian had laid upon him. As Hand, he'd have to deal with lords and rulers just like his father. If they survived. If Dorian survived, too. The thought was enough for Chaol to say, "Everyone in this war is making sacrifices. Most far, far greater than a few miles of land. Be grateful that's all we're asking of you."

"I hope Anielle burns to the ground. And you with it." A small, hateful smile. "That's all your brother said. My heir—that's how he feels about this place. If he will not protect Anielle, then what shall become of it without you?"

"She discovered the trunk. Right before we got word of Morath marching on us," his father said, his smile mocking and cold. "I should have burned them, of course, but something prompted me to save them instead. For this exact moment, I think."

The trunk was piled thick with letters. All written by his mother. To him. "How long," he said too quietly.

"From the day you left." His father's sneer lingered.

Years. Years of letters, from a mother he had not heard from, had believed hadn't wanted to speak to him, had yielded to his father's wishes.

"You let her believe I didn't write back," Chaol said, surprised to find his voice still calm "You never sent them, and let her believe I didn't write back."

"Watching you with that wife of yours only proves it. I'd think you'd bargain quite a bit to be able to read these letters."

Chaol only stared at him. Blinked once, as if it would quell the roaring in his head, his heart.

His mother had never forgotten him. Never.

Stopped writing to him.

Chaol smiled slightly.

"Keep the letters," he said, steering his chair back to the doors. "Now that she's left you, it might be your only way to remember her." He opened the study door and looked over his shoulder.

His father remained beside the trunk, stiff as a sword. "I don't make bargains with bastards, I’m certainly not starting with you."

Cain's people or they had been. Aelin decided not to mention him during their brief introduction. And Chaol, wisely, refrained from admitting that he'd killed the man.

Another lifetime. Another world.

Seated atop a fine Munigi horse Hasar had lent her, Aelin rode at the front of the company, as it marched from Anielle, Chaol on Farasha to her left, Rowan on his own Munigi horse to her right. Their companions were scattered behind, Lorcan healed enough to be riding, Elide beside him.

And behind them, snaking into the distance, the army of the khagan moved.

The khagan's armies had crossed every terrain, though. Mountains and deserts and seas.

They did not balk now.

So Aelin supposed she would not, either.

For whatever time she had left, until it was over.

This final push north, homeward

・・・

She smiled grimly at the looming mountains, at the army stretching away behind them

And just because she could, just because they were headed to Terrasen at last, Aelin unleashed a flicker of her power. Some of the standard-bearers behind them murmured in surprise, but Rowan only smiled.

Smiled with that fierce hope, that brutal determination that flared in her own heart, as she began to burn.

She let the flame encompass her, a golden glow that she knew could be spied even from the farthest lines of the army, from the city and keep they left behind. A beacon glowing bright in the shadows of the mountains, in the shadows of the forces that awaited them, Aelin lit the way north.

[herenya-writes]

Day 14: Castle

Arlaros watched the Inquisition soldiers drag the mayor of Crestwoood away. He didn’t know what would happen to him. He had sentenced him to exile from Ferelden; did that mean the Inquisition would carry him to the Orlais border and drop him there? His advisors seemed to expect him to know what to do, what to say, and what the consequences of everything he did and said were. But he didn’t. What gave him the right to sit in judgment over a person who had committed a crime ten years ago? His glowing hand? Why was this his job and not the king of Ferelden’s?

He leaned back and closed his eyes. The great hall was mostly empty today. Apparently the visiting nobles of Orlais didn’t care what happened to the mayor of a nowhere town in Ferelden. There were still Inquisition members and a few merchants, but for the moment Arlaros decided to ignore them and just sit there.

There was a headache building behind his eyes, one he knew wouldn’t be going away anytime soon. He was supposed to meet with his advisors in a little while to look over the war table and decide what their next moves would be. There was that issue of succession in Ledes he hadn’t had time to consider yet, and Josephine would probably want him to make a move on it soon. It was a position of minimal political importance, his advisors claimed, but having the successor in their pocket would be useful in the Orlesian court apparently. Once again, he didn’t understand what gave him the right to make these decisions, sitting on his throne like a king in a castle.

“My lord?”

His musing were interrupted by a timid voice, and he opened his eyes to see one of Leliana’s runners hovering at the foot of his throne. He held back a sigh.

“Yes?”

“Sister Nightingale wishes to speak with you. She said it was urgent.”

This time, Arlaros did sigh. “Thank you. Tell Leliana I’ll be there shortly.”

The messenger nodded and ran off toward Leliana’s tower. Arlaros stood from his throne—Creators, why did they give him a throne?—and made his way to the tower at a slower pace. The mostly-empty hall meant he wasn’t interrupted on his way over, although Varric did nod to him with something like sympathy in his eyes. Was it obvious how far in over his head he was?

He climbed the stairs to the library, taking a moment to breathe in the smell of books. They hadn’t had very many books in his clan, but he had always loved the smell of them. The Inquisition's library was larger than anything he had ever seen, and he had begun to take some comfort in being surrounded by books.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t linger. He forced himself to keep moving toward the second set of stairs. Before he could reach them, though, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He barely resisted the urge to jump and turned instead to see Dorian.

“Ah, my apologies for startling you,” he said, voice as smooth as silk. “I simply wanted to let you know I think you did the right thing. The mayor committed a horrible crime, but locking him up or sentencing him to death would only trap everyone in that moment. You’ve given him a chance to atone.”

Arlaros found himself at a loss for words. His thinking when he had sentenced the man had been along similar lines, but he had been so out of his depth. He had lived through the Blight, of course, but his clan had been mostly untouched, thankfully. He didn’t know the horrors the way Ferelden did. Still, he hadn’t been able to send the man to his death, and there didn’t seem to be a point in jailing him.

“Thank you,” he finally managed. “I’m glad to know someone approves.”

Dorian frowned at him. “Surely you have more people in your corner than just the mage from Tevinter.”

Arlaros shrugged. “Some of the others probably appreciate what I did. Solas, probably. Maybe Josephine. I haven’t exactly taken a poll.”

“Fair enough, I suppose. Well, none of us envy you. That throne looks terribly uncomfortable.”

Arlaros’s lips pulled into something that was almost a smile. “You’d think with all the money the Inquisition has spent on fixing Skyhold, they’d at least buy me a cushion,” he joked.

“It’s a disgrace, is what it is,” Dorian declared with the air of a man condemning an act of war. “Can’t have our Inquisitor’s lovely backside bruised by his own throne.”

That pulled an actual laugh out of Arlaros. Then, the caw of a crow echoed through the rotunda and he remembered why he was here. He schooled his face into something approaching neutrality and nodded to Dorian. “You’ll have to excuse me; I’m late for a meeting with Leliana.”

“I suppose that’s reason enough to leave my delightful company. Give our Sister Nightingale my regards.”

Arlaros promised he would and headed for the stairs, his mind already turning to other things. By the time he finished his conversation with Leliana, he had all but forgotten his exchange with Dorian. Until a week later, when a tasteful velvet cushion appeared on the throne.

[seeker-ophelia]

Love without trust is a river without water. 

~  Harbhajan Singh Yogi

It’s been an entire decade.

The Inquisitor is at the lighthouse.  

Give me solavellan meeting each other as The Dread Wolf and the Inquisitor.

Solas is dressed as The Dread Wolf. Full plate, sable shoulder, the whole 9 yards. His back is up, asshole; clenched. He is The Dread Wolf, and none will stand in his path. {Except for fucking Rook, apparently}

Our Inky has a beautiful cloak which artfully hides her magic prosthesis. She wears a silly tiara-type thing (FoR tHe iNqUiSiTioN, Josie had insisted), and has a thick leather vest, made by Dorian, “for fashion and protection,” he had explained when he had gifted it to her on her arrival in Minratheous.

They have their first “talk.” Bicker, then argue, then yell, the whole cadre side-eyeing Harding as if she has the cure to this madness.

She only shakes her head and keeps out of it, arms folded against her chest.

Emmerich though to interrupt them, once, but quickly resigned himself to melting back into his chair at their murderous glares.

Neve considered freezing them in an attempt to keep them from blows, but hesitated against magicking a “god.”

And then they storm out of opposite ends of the lighthouse.

Darvin: Well. That went well.

(It didn’t)

Give me solavellan meeting each other again on the other side of their own apotheosis.  

The Inquisitor storms out of the room, walking around the hallway that wraps around the back of the meeting room, tossing off her cloak and childishly throwing her stupid-bloody-tiara on top with a strangled cry.

So fucking stupid! She thinks. He’s so fucking stupid!

She rips her armguard off and throws it against the wall, running her fingers through her hair and pulling at the follicles.

He hasn’t changed at all.

Another strangled scream gets pushed down deep.

She turns, takes a few deep breaths, and then screams through her teeth again.

She can’t bloody breathe with this stupid-

She begins to rip at the buckles of the vest,

Fucking-

Might’ve torn something there.

Vest on.

The vest joins her other trappings on the floor of the lighthouse.

She inhales once, deeply, tipping her face up to the sky, and then releases it, heavily.

She needs fresh air.  

And stalks towards the door.

Give me solavellan, free of pretense and masks.

There is a balcony that wraps around the circumference of the lighthouse, and after the Dread Wolf had torn his armor from his body, he left the dusty confines of his room to seek what calm the clouds could offer him.

He needed it.

She was just the same as he remembered her. The exact same. The crows feet and feathered grey hairs meant nothing to the brightness that was her spirit. Her beautiful, magnificent, pure spirit.

He leaned on the railing and tipped his face to the sky.

The sound of a door slamming echoed though the air, and he turned his head.

He could cry at the beauty of her. Clad in simple soft leggings and worn-in boots, a soft jacket, not unlike what she used to wear around Skyhold, hugs her form. She hasn’t changed, not even one bit.

He sees her eyes widen when she notices him, and she takes a step. Towards him.  

He mirrors her.

Iron Bull could not have been more correct about her. Her face is so expressive, he can see everything. Shock, pain, anger, pain. So much pain. And anger again. A rage so deep he can smell it in the fade.

He didn’t think it possible, as she takes trepidatious steps towards him, his feet mimicking each one, but maybe she got more beautiful.

Her spine is straight. Her jaw is set with conviction. Her eyes bleed emotion. Anger, pain, sadness. Overwhelming sadness.

He reads and catalogues every emotion her eyes scream at him, until they stand nearly toe to toe.

His fingers twitch with the restrained urge to touch her face.

He forgot how much physically smaller than him she was.

His lips part.

An explosive spirit in such a tiny form.

Vhen’an.

A sharp cracking sound fills the air and his face is twisted violently to the side.

He makes no move to stop her.

He deserves it.

He deserves all the pain from all of the spirits in the fade for what he’s done to her.

A slap is only the beginning.

“That, is for Crestwood.”

She grits through her teeth.

“And this,”

She grabs the lapels of the simple linen shift he wears and shakes him.

“This is for the Winter Palace.”

He goes limp and lets her shake him in place.

Anger is so much better than pain. He would so much rather she be angry than sad.

He watches a shadow move through the emerald of her eyes.

“And this?”

She jerks him off-balance, he should have remembered her strength despite her size, and he stumbles into her, his wide eyes meeting her furious ones, and she growls.

“This is for me.”

Give me, “Is he still… the loving man who called me his heart?”

Did his eyes roll back in his head at the painful ecstasy of her lips over his?

He doesn’t know. And he doesn’t remember who moves first, but she is in his arms, her scent surrounding him, intoxicating him, the most powerful drug he has ever experienced, and his hands cannot move fast enough.

What’s changed?

They ask of her body.

Her chin, her neck, her shoulders, her back, her hips.

She moans when his teeth catch her lip.

The same?

Her tongue seeks his out.

So much the same, he breathes her, the same the same the same.

He drinks her breaths like a dying man in the wastes.

No.

Her hands paw at his chest.

The same, but, different.

She complains when his lips leave hers but an agreeable moan escapes her when his teeth find her ear.

She’s stronger.

His tongue lavs at the pulse point at her neck.

She’s stronger, despite me.

His teeth pause their perusal of her jaw.

She made herself stronger, in spite of me.

Their noses touch, and The Dread Wolf rests his forehead to hers.  

His voice is softer than a whisper.

“Ir abelas.”

“Don’t.”

His eyes blink open to drink in her fury.

“Ma vhen’an.”

“Don’t!”

She pushes him into the side of the lighthouse.

When did we move to here?

“Don’t you fucking dare.”

She shoves at him again.

Vhen’an.

“Fucking, stop this, Solas.”

She grabs his face in her hands and brings it down to hers.

He’s stunned by the emotion in her eyes. Overwhelmed by it.

“Solas.”

Give me, “Is she still… the woman who changed everything?”

“Solas.”

Your voice is a prayer, whispering echoes of millennia ago when others used to call for my patronage in the night.

And I have to close my eyes to brace against the tsunami of your pain.

“Stop doing this, Solas, please, dian josal.”

My hands hang limp at my sides.

“Dian josal o’em, Solas.”

Stop running from me, Solas.

“Ma vhen’an.”

“Stop calling me that when you don’t mean it.”

“I do mean it, I-”

Your voice is molten steel as you pull back to look me in the eyes.

“Love without trust is a river with no water.”

I blink.

“It is a sky with no sun.”

Your fingers feather my jaw.

“A fade with no spirit.”

I have forgotten how adept you are at disarming me. You would think an Ancient God would have more defenses, but I am speechless.

“I-”

You hastily press into me, cupping my face in your hands.

“Give me one true thing, Solas.”

How can I deny your prayers, when my purpose feels to be worshiping your will.

“I…”

Your eyes are filled with such hope it blinds me.

“I don’t know.”

You frown at first, but then understanding shadows your face.

“I don’t know.”

Something hot and wet rolls down my cheek, and your eyes widen.

“Ma vhen’an, I don’t know.”

Something violent and twisting clenches in my chest, and you gather me in your arms, cradling my head against your neck, my tears, hot and sticky, run down your jacket.

I have failed.

My purpose is corrupted.

How can wisdom not know.

Give me solavellan meeting each other the first time again after 10 years and realize that, yes, you are still my vhenan.

*Alexa, play “Try,” by Pink.

I sigh into your heaving chest, your arms are bound around me like the giant snakes that lurk in Saheron, but I can only smile.

Finally, something real.

“Solas, ma vhen’an’ara.”

Vhen’an’ara: Heart’s desire.

You shudder violently and fall to your knees.

“Solas, Solas, Solas.”

I follow you, cradling you against my chest, rocking you with the breeze.

“I do not know how to bow to you, ma vhen’an, but I will-”

I chuckle and force your face to mine.

“Bow? Solas,”

Your tears are salt on my lips.

“I do not crave your devotion. Only your love. And your trust.”

I feather my lips over your sweaty temple.

Your eyes are full of confusion.

“I do not know how, ma vhenan.”

I cannot help but smile.

“I do not expect you to, vhen’an.”

Your eyes clear.

“I do not know either.”

Your fingers are like iron bands around my wrists.

“What I’m asking is for you to try. Try with me.”

“Try with you.”

Solas should have meant heartbreak. There is no pride here, only confusion and pain.

“Try with me.”

My thumbs brush your cheeks.

“Not for me, or because of me, but with me.”

“Try with you.”

“I don’t want to be your better, or your underling. I want to be your partner.”

“Partner.”

“And make mistakes with me, vhen’an.”

“Mistakes.”

“And love me.”

“Vhen’an.”

“Try with me, Solas.”

“Try.”

“Ma'las 'a'melin ne ha'lam, Solas."

Your eyes search mine.

“You see too much.”

“I see as much as I need to see, ma sileal’an.”

Emma = mine (contracted to ma), sileal n. wisdom

“Try with you.”

“Yes, ma vhen’an.”

“I’ll try.”

I smile when you press your lips to mine.

…yes, you are still my vhenan.

#The Rook crew doesn’t understand why Lavellan is calling the Dread Wolf My Silly Ellen but they’re not raging at each other anymore so they shut up about it

I need a solavellan reunion, yes, but I also need solavellan meeting each other for the first time again.

It’s been an entire decade.

Give me solavellan not meeting each other as elvhen apostate and dalish hostage but as the Dread Wolf and the Inquisitor.

Give me solavellan meeting each other again on the other sides of their own apotheosis, free of pretense and masks.

Give me, “Is he still the man who hates tea, the curious man who wonders at the mundane beauties of life, the gentle man who supported a grieving spirit, the silly man who set his own coattails on fire, the loving man who called me his heart?”

Give me, “Is she still woman who surprised me at every turn, the strong woman who faced a would-be god so that others would be spared, the cunning woman who made an entire empire dance to her tune, the compassionate woman who would go out of her way to help the hurting, the open-minded woman who hadn’t scorned an outside view, the loving woman who vowed time and time again to protect me, the woman who changed everything?”

Give me solavellan meeting each other the first time again after 10 years and realize that, yes, you are still my vhenan.

[shadowdaddyazriel]

Four's A Party

summary: You meet Azriel, Ruhn Danaan, and Dorian Havilliard at a bar and have a night none of you will ever forget.

warnings: smut!!!! foursome, praise kink, mmmf, etc etc.

leave a comment if you enjoy ;)

The music in Rita’s was thrumming so loud I swore I could feel it vibrating through my veins. I swayed to the music, pulling my hair up off my neck to cool off. The song stopped and faded into something slower and I excused myself from my friends to head to the bathroom to have a second to catch my breath . 

I sigh, grabbing the door handle and swinging the door open wide. I gasp, staggering back a step as I nearly run smack into a hulking male figure in the doorway. He grabs my arms, steadying me. I look at his face then, and I really and truly could have disappeared. Of course I just walked in on the hottest man I’ve ever seen. 

“Well, hello,” he coos, his voice so deep I could practically hear it rumbling in his chest. Gods, as if he needed to be hotter. Looking up at him, my head tipped back to accommodate his height. He towered over me.

“Hi,” I managed to choke out.

“I think someone was in there,” he lets out a dark chuckle. “But you’re good now, baby.” He nods his head at me in salutation and moves around me. I spin, dumbfounded and staring after him. He looked back over his shoulder with a devilish grin and a wink. 

I sucked in a breath, quickly walking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind me. I clicked the lock into place, smoothing down my hair and taking a deep breath. I was so sick of my friends always having these risque adventures on nights out and just expecting me to be the celibate innocent friend. I looked in the mirror, giving myself a pep talk to do something ballsy for once. 

I turned and swung open the door, revealing the beautiful male I’d run into leaning against the wall beside the door smirking at me with a wicked look in his eyes. Almost like he was waiting for me to come out. And I just decided… I mean, fuck it. 

I grabbed the male by his shirt pulling him after me as I walk backwards into the bathroom giving him a smoldering suggestive look. He was grinning like the Cheshire cat. And gods, I wanted to taste that smile. 

The door banged shut behind us and the male clicked the lock into place. He towered over me again, surveying me with a wicked glimmer in his eyes. Those beautiful hazel eyes. 

“Hi again, princess.” He purrs. I swallow, bravery fading with every second he looked at me. I wanted to squirm under his glance, the intensity of it thrilling. I’m sure my cheeks were incredibly flushed.

Before I knew what he was doing, he gripped my waist, lifting me to sit on the sink, parting my legs to stand between them. His hands found the sides of my face, thumbs stroking in calming passes as he continued to stare into my eyes. 

And then smashes his mouth into mine. My back arches and I moan into his mouth as he kisses me with fervor. He bites my lower lip, tugging it between his teeth as his tongue caresses it. I went liquid under his touch, little bolts of electricity snaking down my spine and to my core. 

“Couldn’t even ask me my name first, could you, pretty girl?” he chuckles, hands sliding down my shoulders and beginning to roam my body. 

“What’s your name?” I say, placing my hands on his defined chest. 

“Azriel.”

“Hmmm. Hi, Azriel,” I said with a cheeky grin. 

He hummed, kissing me again and whispering against my lips, “Say that again, I liked it.”

“Azriel,” I whisper against his mouth and his mouth reclaims mine. 

“What’s yours, princess?” He asks, leaning back to look at me again, biting his lower lip. 

“You don’t need to know,” I say, raising my eyebrows in a challenge. He leans forward, lips claiming my neck, making me sigh into him, my body pliant. 

He pushes his hip against mine, my skirt hiking up to my hip bones. I can feel how hard he is through his jeans as he presses into me. I arch into him, groaning at the friction. 

My hands bury into his hair as he moves to pull my shirt over my head. His head dips down to pull my nipple into his mouth, tongue swirling around it. I was drenched, arching for him. Gods, this was an even better idea than I thought. I couldn’t even believe what was happening right now.

A loud banging on the door signals that someone has been waiting for a while now. My eyes go wide and he chuckles quietly at my expression. 

“Guess we’ll have to be quick then. Good thing you’re already soaking wet for me, huh?” He coos, his fingers pushing my underwear aside to run two fingers up my slit, the glide of me ripping a low growl from his pink lips. 

My hands grab his belt, quickly fumbling to get his pants off. He helps me, freeing himself. My eyes go wide at the sight of him, my throat going dry. He was perfect. I wanted- no, I needed him inside of me, filling me. He palmed his cock rubbing the tip along my entrance at an achingly slow pace. I claw at him, needing more. He chuckles, nipping my earlobe.

“Such a greedy little slut, aren’t you? Sneaking me into the bathroom, desperate for me to fill you,” he says, and within seconds he fills me completely, slamming all the way to the hilt. My body clenches around him in shock, and he lets out a heavy breath, eyes rolling back in his head.

“Can I move?” He groans, eyes closed and head tipped back slightly. And gods is he a sight to see. A greek god among men. 

“Fill me with you.” I moan, writhing against him in anticipation.”I want to feel you tomorrow and remember just how good you felt inside me.”

He thrusts into me again, both of us clinging to each other for dear life. The sound our connection makes is filthy, making me even wetter around the huge length of him. He fit me perfectly, and I never wanted this to stop. My nails dug into his arms as he continued to slide in and out of me, the feeling of him gliding against my walls almost too much to bear. I’d had sex, sure. But never sex that felt like this. 

“You feel so fucking good,” he moans, lips latching back onto mine as we sloppily kiss each other, both desperate to reach our respective climaxes. We breathe into each others mouths, foreheads pressed together as he fucks me like his life depends on it. 

I feel myself begin to throb around him, the increasing pleasure of it overwhelming. A tear leaked from the corner of my eye as he moves his hand between us to circle my clit. I grind against him, begging for the contact. 

“Are you gonna come for me, pretty girl? You gonna come on my cock?” He groans into my mouth, hands knotted in my hair. The smell of him was entirely intoxicating. I wanted to swallow him whole. 

His hand gripped my chin, pulling back to look into my eyes as I finally reach that euphoric peak, clenching around him and letting out a moan I’m sure the whole bar probably heard. 

He followed me over the edge, pumping into me at a continually messier speed, panting as he filled me with him. He paused inside me, leaning his forehead against mine as we both caught our breath. 

Slowly, he pulled out of me, jaw slack as he continued to breathe heavily, watching his cum spill out of me. He gently helped me clean myself up and pull my clothes back into place before grabbing my hand and leading me to the door. 

He unlocked it, swinging the door open to reveal two other tall males, arms crossed with shit-eating grins on both of their faces as they take in the two of us. 

“I was gonna give you shit for taking so long, but now I understand. I wouldn’t be in a rush either.” The one on the left says. He has long black hair with one side of his head shaved. He was absolutely covered in tattoos and piercings and looked like my bad boy fantasy come to life. 

“Wow, real nice, Ruhn.” Azriel says, running a hand through his hair and looking over at me nervously. 

“You are a delightful little thing,” the other one says, voice like deep silk. His crown of dark hair only made an even more stark contrast to his piercingly blue eyes. Cauldron boil me, these were three of the hottest men I’d ever seen in my entire life. How had I managed to stumble upon this? 

“I could say the same,” I say, one eyebrow cocking up as I looked back and forth between the three of them with a sly grin. 

“Consider me free real estate, sweetheart. I’m here for the taking,” The long haired one- Ruhn said. Azriel threw him an incredulous look.

“Can I not sample the whole menu?” I ask Azriel, running my fingers lightly down his arm. He shivers under my touch, looking at me like he doesn’t know what to make of me. And truthfully, I’m not sure I know what to make of myself right now.

“Scared she’ll like us more, Az?” The blue eyed male jokes with a wink at their friend. The dynamic here was most certainly flirty from all four parties. Oh gods. Four. Was I really about to walk myself into what I thought I was? This was all so out of character but I was so godsdamned turned on at the thought of these three males all over me.

“There’s enough of me to go around,” I say, skin nearly buzzing with the sexual tension passing between us all. 

“I mean, Dorian, your apartment is two blocks away. If you’re serious of course. Don’t feel pressured, please.” Azriel says, eyes slightly weary at the idea, as if he was scared I was going to be offended by them even asking. And in any normal situation, I probably would have been. But not with these three mouthwatering men surrounding me. 

“What? Are you scared, Azriel? I don’t bite unless you ask me to,” I wink at him, and Dorian lets out a shocked laugh as he surveys me, eyebrows raised in peaked curiosity. As if I was some creature he wanted to explore and mine for secrets. 

“I think I’ll like you better with a gag in your mouth,” he purrs, leaning in to lick a stripe up my neck. “So I would watch the attitude, pretty girl.” 

Now it’s my turn to act shocked. I was utterly throbbing at his words and the idea that these three males wanted me. “Let’s go then.”

The boys turned on their heels and headed for the exit with zero hesitation, directly to Dorian’s apartment.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“My filthy girl,” Azriel murmurs to me, pulling my hair up off my neck for better access. In front of me was Ruhn, on his knees and kissing my hip bones, slowly making his way to my most sensitive areas. 

All of us were entirely too clothed. I intended to remedy that issue.

“Take your clothes off. I want to see all of you,” I pant, locking eyes with each of them in request. With looks of devouring lust, they all happily obliged, each stripping entirely naked. And gods please have mercy, they were all just as well endowed as Azriel. 

“Your turn, princess,” a voice whispers into the ear on the opposite side of where Azriel sucked on my neck. Chills raced across my skin at the seduction in Dorian’s voice. He lifted my shirt over my head, revealing my laced bra underneath. 

“Somebody wanted to get fucked tonight, didn’t they?” Dorian grinned against my shoulder, fingers moving to smoothly unlatch my bra, sliding the straps down my shoulders and allowing the garment to slide to the floor. 

I felt Ruhn’s mouth cover my heat over my panties and my knees almost bucked out from under me. My hands grabbed onto his shoulder for support and he laughed against me, the sound a rumble that sent vibrations through my aching core. Ruhn stood then, picking me up and walking me over to the bed. I lay horizontally across the bed and all three males approach me like predators approaching prey. 

“Scoot up and let your head hang off the bed,” Dorian coaxed and I obliged. He rubbed my cheek in approval. “Now be a good girl and spread your legs for me.”

I let out a soft moan at his words. I slid my panties down my legs, throwing them across the room to where I suspected my clothes were. I laid my head back, looking up at Dorian who stood on the side of the bed, hips directly in front of my face. My eyes locked with his as I oh so slowly parted my legs, baring myself to them all. They all let out groans, moving in to be closer to me. 

Ruhn settled back between my legs, blowing air across my cunt, making me squirm for him. He then with no warning latched his hot, wet mouth to me and I let out a string of expletives that could make a sailor blush. His tongue parted me, expertly swirling my clit and humming against me. 

Azriel’s mouth lowers to my nipple, tongue swirling and teeth grazing. My back arched, and as soon as it did, Dorian placed the tip of his cock at my lips, silently commanding me to open my mouth for him. I did, tongue swirling his tip sensually as I did, and his hips bucked up into my mouth. My hands reached up to grip his thighs, encouraging him to fuck my face. 

He pauses for a moment to catch his breath, but that simply won’t do. I want him writhing and crying out for me. I swirl my tongue again, sucking on him. He involuntarily bucks into my mouth again and sighs in exasperation, giving up on trying to be gentle when that was clearly not what I was after.  

“Tap… tap my thigh if you need a break,” he pants, thrusting into my mouth. Upset at my attention being divided, Ruhn works me harder, tongue plunging in and out of my hole. He pulls back and pulls the flat of his tongue all the way up me in achingly slow passes. I grind my hips on his face, earning a moan of approval from him as he gripped my hips with force, pushing me harder into his mouth. 

I hear male groaning as I open my eyes, noticing Dorian’s arm reaching over me and to the side. He fisted Azriel’s cock, pumping him up and down as he fucked into my mouth. Holy. Fucking. Shit. The idea of the two of them working to pleasure each other made me want to turn molten. And Ruhn chuckles against me as he felt me throbbing against his face. 

“I think our dirty girl likes watching you pumping Az’s cock, Dor.” He grinned before reattaching his mouth to my core. 

“Yeah, pretty girl? You like watching him getting me off while I’m watching them eat your pretty cunt and fuck your throat?” Azriel purred, hands running down my stomach in exploration. Goosebumps covered my flesh and I sucked Dorian harder, dragging a feral groan from his lips. 

I came on Ruhn’s face, crying out as he rode me through my high. My noises cause Dorian to shake, his cum spilling down my throat as he shuddered in pleasure. 

Ruhn stood up and leaned over me, balancing on one arm. He brushed his thumb along my lower lip. “Think you can take all of us at once, sweetheart?”

I nod eagerly, making him give a ferocious grin. His thumb swiped a bit of Dorian’s cum from the corner of my mouth, raising it to his own lips and tasting it. He hummed at the taste. These men must share each other, and quite often to be this comfortable bedding a female together and engaging in mutual pleasure. The idea of it was so hot. 

Ruhn circled the bed until he was by my head. “Scoot back and get on your hands and knees, baby.” I obeyed, doing as he said. He climbed onto the bed in front of me on his knees, cock lined up with my mouth. I glided the flat of my tongue against the tip of him, looking up at him from under my lashes. His eyes turned dark with lust. 

I felt fingers at my entrance and turned to find Dorian and Azriel behind me. Dorian climbed onto the bed next to me, sliding his body underneath mine, my legs straddling his. He reached up, gently pulling my hips down onto his. We both moaned as my soaking cunt slid across his swollen cock. I rub myself against him, enjoying the glide and feel of my clit against him. He coaxed me, pulling my nipple into his mouth and biting down gently.

“That’s it. Good girl. Use my cock and get yourself off, baby. Come for me.” His words sent lighting bolts to my core, having me a throbbing panting mess in under a minute. I came again, this time so hard I thought I saw stars. Dorian lifted my hips again to line himself up with my entrance and sliding me down onto him with a growl. 

I felt Azriel’s fingers at my backside, gently pressing in one lubed finger, and then adding another, preparing me to take him and Dorian at the same time. Once he feels I’m properly worked up, he pushes into me with a groan I was certain could be heard down the street. 

The two of them fucked into me relentlessly, the feeling of them so full and so tight I couldn’t think straight. Ruhn rubbed the side of my face soothingly, allowing me to adjust to the feeling of Azriel and Dorian before pushing his cock back into my mouth, prompting me to suck him off. The four of us worked each other in tandem, the sounds filling the room utterly obscene, and only fueling my arousal. I felt Dorian and Azriel begin to twitch inside me, the two of them nearing climax at the same speed, which spurred mine onwards, gripping around them tighter as I groaned around Ruhn’s cock, the vibrations causing him to spill down my throat. 

We all slowly untangled from each other, collapsing in a messy pile trying to catch out breath. We were all so sweaty and exhausted. 

“So… same time next week?” We all laugh, nodding in agreeance.

[puftpasstea]

Matilda

Chapter 2

Read Chapter 1 here.

Harry was surprisingly easy to talk to. All my apprehension about going into an appointment unprepared had melted away as soon as we got into the rhythm of the conversation.

"I'm relatively new to all of this. 'researching for a character,' I mean. and acting, in general." He smiled meekly and leaned in a bit closer to me as he spoke, as if confessing a secret.

"Right. That's why you're signed with Marvel" I said unselfconsciously but immediately tried to walk it back, "I mean, that's what I've heard... I don't know."

He shook his head and chuckled. I watched his chest rise and fall and wondered how even his laugh could put me at ease.

"What I meant to say was that I could use all the help that I can get here. My last English class was at 16, so, it's not exactly all fresh in my mind."

"Well, why don't I take a look at the literary references that your character is making in the script and we can pull some materials from there?" I asked flipping through my notepad, looking for nothing in particular.

"Not sure about that." He leaned against the wall as he spoke. "I mean I'm not sure I'm allowed to share the script."

"Oh, yes, of course..." I felt my face turn red with embarrassment.

As if reading my mind, Harry spoke again, "Not that you're not a completely trustworthy stranger"

I laughed.

" Seriously, it's a great idea though! I'll just have to make sure I can show you everything first."

"In the meantime, maybe tell me about your favorite books and authors? Maybe I can give you some recommendations, or ways to incorporate them into your prep?"

His grin was wide and toothy. "okay, yes. Favorite authors? hmmm..." He gazed into the distance trying to recollect some names and titles.

"Emerson?"

I nodded. "Solid start, okay, what else?"

"Murakami-"

"hmm..."

"What's wrong with Murakami? Oh and Bukowski!"

His eyes widened at the hissing sound that I made in response.

"What? He's VERY expressive."

"And sexist."

"I like to think he's self-consciously making fun of typical masculine thinking by portraying it that way...."

"That's very sweet of you, Harry. Don't worry I won't hold it against you."

"Okay, fine, who are your favorites?"

"Oh, man. name a genre, or time period. Just overall? Mary Shelley, Oscar Wilde, Charlotte Bronte. I specialized in Shakespeare for a while. But-"

Turning to look at him, his smile and piercing green eyes caught me off-guard.

"wow, you're, like, a proper Matilda."

"Like from Roald Dahl you mean? well, no. I mean, I get paid to do this."

"And soon I'll be getting paid to pretend to do this." he smiled sheepishly.

As we walked past the bookshelves on our way back out, Harry slowed down and turned towards the "W" stacks, stopping there to browse.

"Can I help you find something?" I offered.

"Think I've got it," he reached to one of the top shelves to grab Oscar Wilde's The Picture Of Dorian Gray. In an effort to be helpful, and "do my job" I stood on my tiptoes attempting to reach upward and get it for him, but, since I'm significantly shorter than he is, I only stumbled and got in his way.

"I'm so sorry!" I gasped as my back bumped into his chest. The scent of his cologne as intoxicating as the feeling of his breath on the back of my neck. I could feel my heartbeat through my entire body.

"It's okay. You're alright?" He placed a hand on my shoulder to help steady me.

" I'm okay. Just short." I quickly scrambled out of his way, letting him get the book.

At the front desk, Harry and Fran made small talk while I attempted to scan the book out for him, talking twice as long with our entire interaction --complete with me almost knocking us both down-- replayed in my mind, causing me to misspell the book details repeatedly.

"It's all yours for the next 60 days." I slid the book across the table towards him.

"I'll let you know how I like it. And about sharing the script if possible!"

Harry was barely out the door before Fran had turned to me and said "so? he's handsome. tell me everything."

***

As the next three days went by, I found myself wondering, in spite of my attempts not to, if Harry would come in soon. Glancing at the door every time anybody walked into the library, wondering if Harry was enjoying Oscar Wilde, wondering if he'd share the details of his film-in-progress one day...it all felt childish. However, it also felt like a refreshing change from the usually thought spirals that ordinarily occupied my mind.

I'd moved out here for this job shortly before the nearly two-year global health hazard hit the world. Libraries, thanks to ebook access, and inter-library loan programs, were among the first to go online. Now that everything's back to normal, I find my social life non-existent. I have yet to get a chance to meet anybody or go anywhere which often makes me wonder if moving out here on my own was the right decision, if there's something wrong with me that makes me unapproachable or unfit for socialization. But every time my phone buzzes with a notification from my parents, I'm reminded that my isolated existence is still better than being around a family that makes me feel alone when I'm around them. What if I'm wrong though? What if I need to be more forgiving?

on the morning of the fourth day, unable to sleep and haunted by doubts about how I've chosen to live my life, I walked into work earlier than I needed to be there only to find Harry and Fran sharing breakfast and laughing loudly.

Harry had grabbed a chair and was sitting on the opposite end of the front desk with his back to the door. Luckily, he couldn't see the startled look on my face, nor could he see me smile and fix my hair using my reflection in the glass doors before I'd approached him.

"Matilda! You're here!" He smiled and reached over to the improvised breakfast buffet that he and Fran had set up to grab me a cup of coffee.

"Matilda?" Fran asked.

"It's a thing." Harry responded nonchalantly before turning back to me and asking "cream? sugar?"

"uhh, no, just black thanks...what's all this?" I gestured towards the food.

"Harry brought breakfast." Fran said, handing me a bagel. "You should eat. She never eats, you know."

I frowned and watched as Harry grabbed me a chair. " Here, sit. And do eat please. You're gonna need your strength. We have a lot of work to do." He leaned over and produced a stack of papers from his backpack.

I smiled at his use of "we."

"So, you're cleared to read the script" he patted the stack of pages before handing them to me. "But," he placed a folder on top of the script, "not before you sign some paperwork."

"Paperwork?"

"It just says that you promise not to disclose the details of the script or filming process to any media outlets, and that if you do, the production company has the right to sue you for all you're worth. That sort of thing."

"Ah. Standard stuff. It's not like I'll know much about filming anyway..." I said reaching for a pen from behind the counter to put my signature to these forms.

"well, that brings me to the next thing. How'd you like to work with us?"

"who's us?"

"Well, me. And the set designers. Tell us what sorts of books we should have in the background of certain scenes, at each character's home, that sort of thing. Would you be interested?"

[yeonzzzn]

✨capturing magic: park sunghoon

a vampires bleeding series: four / seven

pairing: sunghoon x afab!reader word count: 5.3k

synopsis: your witchy presence causes an uproar with sunghoon, him not enjoying the idea of you being anywhere near him. as you struggle to regain your strength and magic, the banter between you and sunghoon continue grow along with the pull of fate.

genre: strangers/enemies to lovers, vampire!sunghoon, photographer!sunghoon, witch!reader, angst, some fluff.

warnings: mentions of blood and death, swearing, y/n has long black hair and facial piercings, stubbornly cute sunghoon ♡

☾ jungwon(1) | jay(2) | jake(3) | sunghoon(4) | sunoo(5) | niki(6) | heeseung(7) ☽

“YOU BROUGHT BACK A WITCH?!” Sunghoon snapped, his jaw clenching tightly. 

“Yes!!” the dhampir snapped back, “We couldn’t leave her there to die!!” 

Sunghoon was filled with anger, blood boiling. 

“Let's all calm down…” Heeseung spoke up, placing a hand on Sunghoon’s shoulder.

Sunghoon slapped his hand away, “Hyung, that dhampir bringing this witch here will put us all in danger!!” 

“This witch is one of my best friends!” She yelled, “I wasn’t going to leave her, end of story!” 

Sunghoon scoffed, “Yeah, and if we all die it’ll be the damn dhampir’s fault.”

“Hey!” Jake yelled, getting in his best friend's face, “That damn dhampir is my mate, watch your words. She’s in our pack now.” 

The room fell silent. Sunghoon figured he would have connected with the dhampir, the tension between the two was too obvious. 

“And for the record,” Jake said, taking a step back away from Sunghoon, “I’m the one who said to bring the witch here. We need information once she wakes up.” 

Sunghoon looks away from his friend, looking at the witch lying unconscious on the couch. 

He knew Jake was right. In order to stop Dorian, they needed any information possible. 

Sunghoon releases a breath, “Fine, do what you want with the witch.” 

And with that, Sunghoon stormed off. 

—

“Easy does it,” Heeseung grabbed your hands, helping you sit up.

It’s been exactly a week since Dorian burned down your village and killed your coven. You were the only surviving member. 

Your heart ached for those you’ve lost, but you knew their souls were somewhere free from the cruelness of this world. 

Most of your burns have healed from your recovery spell, but you still ached with each movement, making it harder for you to move. On top of that, your right leg was broken. And no recovery spell could make that heal any faster. 

The vampires have shown you kindness for the most part. One in particular doesn’t care for you much. 

Once you were completely sat up, you thanked Heeseung. 

Jay knelt down beside you, looking at the bandages that covered your arms, slowly lifting them up to look at your skin. 

“We can probably remove the bandages,” He said, lifting more of the bandage up to get a better look at your skin, “The only thing is, there’s a lot of scarring.”

You nodded, “Recovery spells can only go so far.” 

Jay removed the bandages, relieving the scars. You didn’t realize how bad they actually were until you looked directly at them. 

Flashbacks to the fire came back, shaking you to the core. You dropped your head into your hands, begging for the thoughts to go away. 

“Y/N,” your best friend drops beside you, her hands set gently on your shoulders, “what’s wrong?” 

Her voice alone was enough to snap you out of it, you quickly looked up at her, giving a nod, “I am fine, the scars just…” 

She sighs, “It brought back the memories?” 

You nodded again.

A scoff happened from across the room. You immediately glared in its direction. 

Sunghoon leaned against the wall, arms crossed against his chest, his black hair falling against his eyes. 

“Got something to say, bloodsucker?” you hissed.

Sunghoon raised a brow, “You gonna put a hex on me or something, witch?” 

You gripped the blanket that covered your legs, “I just might!” 

He chuckled, pushing himself off the wall. He smiled just enough to show his sharpened fangs and cracked his knuckles. 

“Alright, that’s enough!” Jungwon snapped, looking between the two of you, “This situation isn’t ideal, but we all have one goal in common, so please for the love of everything put your differences to the side and shut the fuck up.” 

Sunghoon sighed, retracting his fangs. 

“Good boy, listen to your leader.” you gave him a wink. 

“Y/N,” Jungwon warned. 

You sighed and relaxed your body. You were powerless in your current situation. 

A pack of vampires and two humans were your only source of protection at the current moment. Your coven was destroyed. This is all you have right now. 

Sunghoon scoffed, then stormed out the door into the night. 

“Do you think you can make it up the stairs to bathe and sleep in a bed finally?” your dhampir friend asks, giving you a soft smile. 

You removed the blanket, and more burn scars trailed down your left leg, while the other was covered in a cast from your knee down. 

You pulled your shorts down, trying to hide the scars. 

“Hey,” Jay’s mate kneels beside your friend, her soft hands taking yours, “These scars are proof that you survived, don’t try to hide them.”

You wanted to protest, to shout that she doesn’t understand what it meant to survive after what you went through. 

But then you noticed the scars on her neck. It didn’t take long for you to recognize that those scars were caused by Dorian. That __ survived almost being killed by him. 

You forced a smile, “These scars don’t just show that I survived, they show what I also lost.” 

“Then you’ll carry them with you forever,” she gives you a soft smile, “It’ll be a reminder of what Dorian has done, and what will be done to get back at him.” 

She was right. You gave her a smile back with a nod. 

Jay pulled his mate up and to his chest, wrapping her in his arms, “__ always knows what to say.” 

Their bond pulled at each of them. Jungwon pulls __ to him and Jake pulls your friend to himself. Sunoo, Niki, and Heeseung had smiles watching their pack. 

You too had a smile. You could feel the bond they shared. Their vibes and how their energies matched. 

You looked at your friend and Jake. The way he held her so tightly and her head in the crease of his neck. 

Your heart danced for them. You knew how much losing her first mate did a number on her. But you truly believe Jake was meant to be hers completely. She just had to go through some bullshit shit first. 

Eventually, you had enough of the love birds, positioning yourself to stand up. 

Your recovery spell healed your broken leg enough that you were able to stand up straight and still walk…but just barely. 

Your half-blooded friend noticed your struggles, releasing herself from Jake to help you up the stairs and into the bathroom. 

The reflection you saw in the mirror haunted you, a burn scar covering your left eye and up the side of your forehead. The recovery magic healed it enough that it was a light pink. 

A sigh escaped your lips, as you turned and faced away from the mirror. 

You cleaned yourself up, washing away the couch bum life you had for the last week. 

You were so glad to finally be able to sleep in a bed. Archer was nice enough to run to the nearest supermarket to buy you extra clothes, bed sheets, and other witchy essentials to have here. 

Your new room was filled with plants and crystals and a few books that Jake was able to salvage from the fire. 

You tried to stay awake to read, but your eyes failed you. After not sleeping in a bed for over a week, it was way too comfortable. 

—

You stood in front of the mirror, pulling your long black hair behind you and into a braid. Your bangs pull out perfectly down the sides of your face. 

Your half-blooded friend brought you some jewelry to wear, which you were ecstatic about. 

Witches can’t go without jewelry, right?

You pull some rings onto your fingers, then dangle earrings into your ears. 

A perfectly black hooped nose ring suited your nose and a lace choker around your neck and a short silver bar on your eyebrow. 

You pulled a white cropped tank top over you and a black baggy pair of cargo pants and black boot, and black cast boot on your right leg to match. 

A beautiful light brown cardigan made the outfit even more perfect. 

You did a three-sixty in the mirror, finally feeling and looking like yourself. 

You stared at the scar on your eye. You traced your fingers over it, feeling the rough skin. 

Dropping your hand back at your side, you turn and walk away from the mirror. 

The kitchen was lively, and laughter from your new friends echoed up the stairs as you made your way down. 

Jay stood at the counter flipping pancakes and bacon, a bag of blood attached to his lips. 

The two humans stood behind Jay, begging him to hurry with breakfast and Jay tried his best to shoo them off. 

Jake sat with __ on the couch. She ate a bowl of cereal while Jake drank his own bag of blood. 

Sunoo, Jungwon, and Heeseung sat at the kitchen table with a map in front of them discussing the layout of the area. 

Niki also sat at the table, backpack in his lap, and sipping on a bag of blood as if it were a juice box. 

You giggled and walked over to the table, “You really are stuck in a seventeen-year-old body arentcha?” 

Niki rolled his eyes, “Unfortunately.” 

Heeseung checked his watch, “Off to school.” 

Niki groaned, throwing his head back against the wall, “This fucking sucks.” 

You softly smiled at the younger, “I’ll walk you out.” 

Niki stood up, throwing the backpack on. 

You went to the fridge, grabbing an apple and a bottle of water. The piles of blood bags filled the bottom shelf. 

Seeing the bags reminded you that one bloodsucker in particular was missing. 

“Where’s the idiot bloodsucker at?” you asked anyone who would give you an answer. 

Jake perked up, “That idiot bloodsucker has a name,” you shrugged your shoulders, and Jake sighed, “He’s outside doing his photography.” 

Your dhampir friend smiles at you, “Worried about him, Y/N?”

You narrowed your eyes, “He annoys me.” 

She smirked at you, “You look pretty.” 

You toss your braid over your shoulder, “Of course I do, part of being a witch is also being charming.” 

The vampires groan, which you expected. They might be being nice to you for the moment, but witches and vampires still don’t get along. 

You grabbed a blood bag along with your other items and closed the fridge. 

You patted Niki’s back, “Come on baby bro, let’s get you off to school.” 

—

Sunghoon sat up in a tree, camera in hand, and snapping photos of the open land. 

The morning sunrise hit the land perfectly. He changed a few filter and lens settings, finding the perfect combination. 

His mood changed once he heard the door to the house open, sensing Niki and you stepping out of the house. 

Sunghoon turned around, watching as you waved Niki off, him going into a full sprint and gone within seconds. 

You took a bite out of the apple in your hands, looking around until you made eye contact with him. 

Sunghoon glared before turning his attention back to his camera. 

“You lack a lot of manners bloodsucker, ya know that?” 

Sunghoon scoffed, looking down at you who was now underneath him. 

“Why do you care about my manners, hmm?” 

“Haven’t you heard? We have a common goal, gotta act like friends, don’t want Jungwon to snap our necks, right?” You loved teasing him. You loved how irritated you made him and how you knew exactly what to say to get under his skin. 

Deep down you really wanted to get along with all the vampires, Sunghoon was just the only one not budging. 

Sunghoon ignored you, his jaw clenched as he held the camera back up. 

You whistle at him, his eyebrow rising. 

Sunghoon was fixing to snap, “I know for a fact you didn’t just whistle at me like I am a dog.” 

“Look at me then.” You said. 

Sunghoon looked back at you, a warm smile on your face. 

You tossed the blood bag up to him, Sunghoon catching it. 

“You haven’t eaten yet, right?” 

All Sunghoon could do was stare at the bag, his tough exterior relaxing. 

“Thank you,” was all he could say. 

You smiled even brighter, taking another bite out of your apple. 

Sunghoon drank the blood as you finished off your apple and drank your water. 

“Can I see your work?” You asked, finally breaking the silence. 

Sunghoon glared at you again, “Why do you care?” 

You sigh, “Because believe it or not, we are kinda stuck with each other, soooo.” 

Sunghoon rolled his head, running a hand through his hair. 

He knew you were right. 

“You won’t put a hex on me if I come down, will ya hex girl?” 

You glared at him, “No you idiot!” 

Sunghoon smirked, “Sassy much, hex girl?” 

“Continue pushing my buttons and you’ll see, bloodsucker.” 

This small banter admittedly made Sunghoon happy. You were the first person to get under his skin and make it crawl, but returned every ounce of energy he gave out. 

Sunghoon flung himself down from the tree, waving you over. 

One by one, Sunghoon showed you all the photos he took this morning. 

“These are really beautiful, bloodsucker,” you said, patting his shoulder, “But it’s missing something.” 

Sunghoon once again glared at you, “Missing what, exactly?” 

You smile, pointing at yourself, “A model!” 

Sunghoon furrowed his brows at you, “I don’t need you in my photos hex girl, might put a curse on them.” 

You rolled your eyes, “Come on, just snap a few pictures.” 

Sunghoon wanted to protest, why should he take photos of his enemy? 

But with the way you looked right now, Sunghoon knew with the sunrise and open fields, you would be a perfect fit. 

He nodded, “Fine.” 

You smiled, skipping away from him. 

Sunghoon lifted his camera, snapping a few photos of you skipping. 

You stopped and quickly turned around, the biggest smile on your face. Sunghoon snapped that as a photo, his stomach doing flips. 

The way your lips curled as you smiled. How the sun brought out the color of your eyes. The way your hair fell and blew in the wind. 

Sunghoon stared at the photo. You were so beautiful. 

“Hey!” You snapped Sunghoon out of his trance, “Are you going to stare at the camera or tell me how to be a good model?” 

Sunghoon smiled, “Just…be you.” 

You thought about it, deciding to make a joke, “What if I do Wanda Maximoff poses? Like Scarlet Witch Style?”

Sunghoon blinked at you, “Can you actually do magic like that?” 

You glared at him, “No! I’m a witch, not a superhuman.”

Sunghoon glared back, “Well, I didn’t know what all you witches can do!” 

“Just think of us witches as hippies, just that we don’t smoke a shit ton of weed.” 

Sunghoon chuckled, his hand clenching his shirt from his laughter.

“What is so funny?” You tried to not laugh as well, but his laugh was contagious. 

“Just the way you explained witches,” Sunghoon took a deep breath, “I’ve only ever been in contact with witches who use darker magic, you’re the first who doesn’t.” 

You studied him and his smile, his natural fangs being present with his smile. 

You haven’t seen him smile at all since you met a week ago. 

You walked towards him, stopping directly in front of him. 

Sunghoon narrowed his eyes down at you, “What are you doing? Get away from me.” 

You sighed, “There’s that tough exterior.” 

You placed your hand on his cheek, he pulled away, but reached back for him, connecting your palm to his skin. 

Sunghoon’s heart was racing at your touch, his jaw locking together. 

You breathed in, “You have such a tough exterior, but are so caring and soft underneath it.” 

Sunghoon rolled his eyes, “Stop using your voodoo shit on me.” 

“Sunghoon.” 

It was the first time you actually called him by his name, and oh did it do numbers on him. 

He made eye contact with you, and immediately after, you backed away from him. 

Sunghoon knew why. There was a spark of electric energy that shot through the both of you, that small string slowly getting tied, but being still loose. 

He shook his head, not letting it tighten. 

“I’m going back to the house.” Sunghoon quickly turned and walked away, leaving you. 

You touched your chest, looking down at the ground. 

“What the fuck was that.” 

—

Sunghoon spent the rest of the day locked inside his room, flipping through the photos he had taken earlier that morning, stopping at the one of you. 

His heartstrings were being pulled. The moment of the string being attached to the both of you came back into his mind. 

“I can’t mate with a damn witch, it’s impossible,” he whispered to himself. 

But the more he looked at your photo, the more his heart called to you. 

He turned the camera off, set it on the bedside table, rolled over, and fell asleep. 

He woke up at the sound of footsteps walking down the hall. 

Sunghoon stretched, a yawn escaping his lips. 

He checked the time off his phone, rolling his eyes at the time. 

Sunghoon quickly got out of bed, sliding his sneakers on before walking out of his room, seeing the door to your bedroom was open. 

Sunghoon rolled his eyes, “What the hell is she doing?” 

He found you outside by the pond sitting on the ground. Glass bottles filled with herbs sat in front of you, and a small fire was lit to your right. 

“It’s three a.m.,” he yawned, “why the hell are you outside at three a.m.” 

You turned and smiled at him, “I’m doing witchy things.” 

Sunghoon scoffed, “I already figured that, hex girl. I’m asking what exactly you are doing.” 

You turned back to the herbs, slowly mixing them together and setting them into the fire. 

“Don’t you know the witching hour is three a.m.?” 

Sunghoon shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants, “Yes, isn’t that when your powers are at their strongest? Just like us on a new moon.”

“Exactly,” you sang, “My powers are only stronger for an hour, plus the protection barrier I put around the house was fading due to my injuries from the fire. I need to revamp my recovery spell as well, so these scars go away.” 

Sunghoon’s heart pulled towards you even more, you were sacrificing so much to protect everyone, to protect him when he does nothing but be an ass towards you. 

You stood up, brushing the dirt off your sweatpants, “The barrier on the house has been fixed, so yay!” 

Sunghoon nodded.

“But I ran out of herbal recovery leaves, so I need more of that to remove all these burn marks.” 

You started to walk away, only for Sunghoon to grab your arm.

You raised a brow at him, noticing how serious his face looked at you, “What?”

Sunghoon walked closer to you, tracing his fingers over the massive pink scar on your face, “You’re beautiful as you are,” his fingers moved over every inch of the scar, before moving down your cheek, his palm cupping your face, “You’re so beautiful, scars and all.” 

Your heart raced. He thought you were beautiful? You thought he hated you. But you couldn’t help but feel that tug to him, and notice his energy was matching that tug. 

“What is this feeling?” You asked, “This energy that’s flowing between us? It wasn’t there before today.” 

Sunghoon reached for your hand with his free hand, his eyes meeting yours, “It’s the string of fate.” 

You looked at him confused, “String of fate?” 

“When vampires meet their mates, a string of fate ties them together,” Sunghoon took a deep breath in, “And I think we might have a string of fate tying around us.” 

“Is that another way of saying we are soulmates?” You made a grossed-out face at him, which earned you a glare. 

“Don’t look at me like that hex girl, you act like it’s a choice.” 

“Is it not?” 

Sunghoon shook his head, “Trust me if it was, I wouldn’t be standing here right now.” 

“Must be spine-chilling knowing your string of fate is probably being tied to a witch.” you teased him. 

Sunghoon half smiled, biting his lower lip, “You know for someone who was the head witch of your coven and village, you sure don’t know a lot about vampires.” 

You rolled your eyes, finally pushing his hand from your face, “I was only recently appointed as head witch, it’s not something I wanted.” 

Sunghoon squeezed your hand, “It’s like Jungwon being our leader, I don’t think he thought he was fit enough.” 

“Jungwon is doing fanatic, better than I was.” 

“I bet you were fine—“

“If I were fine,” you took a deep breath in, “Then Dorian wouldn’t have found a way to break the barrier over my village and wouldn’t have burnt down to ashes and killed my whole coven.” 

Sunghoon pulled you to him, embracing you, “I am so sorry they didn’t get to you in time. The moment Dorian would have been near Jake we would have known, we would have been there in seconds and…” 

“And what, bloodsucker?” 

“I could have saved you and your coven.” 

You looked up at him, “You hate me, hate witches, why do that?” 

Sunghoon took a deep breath, pushing your long hair behind your ear, “I would have gone to protect Jake, he’s my best friend after all, but I would have met you sooner, and could have prevented what happened.” 

You stepped away from him, tears filling your eyes and not wanting him to see it. 

“I couldn’t have stopped what happened, but I can do something now to protect you and my pack.” 

You made eye contact with him, once again feeling that string of fate, it pulled your hearts together, you could feel and see the red energy wrap around the two of you, but you could also feel Sunghoon’s heart trying to reject it. 

“We can’t be mates, you won’t allow it.” 

Sunghoon rolled his eyes, “Stop using your voodoo on me.” 

you scoffed, “I’m not using voodoo! I am using my—“

“Just shut up and come over here and kiss me.” 

You stared at him, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

You chuckled, “What?” 

“Y/N,” your heart stopped at hearing how beautifully your name rolled off his tongue, “I am fighting to push out that string of fate. Anytime I’ve thought about who my mate would be, I never once pictured it would be you. Yet here you are in front of me. We are total opposites and two different types of creatures. And if you go back into that house and ignore this fate, then we will continue this back and forth. But if you come over here and kiss me, I swear I’ll be good to you.” 

God damn that string of fate and god damn this vampire. 

You rushed to him, standing on your tiptoes to reach his lips. His hands found your waist. The red energy of this fate tied you two into a knot. Bonding you as mates. 

“Goddammit, hex girl,” he whispered in between kisses.

“Goddamnit, bloodsucker,” you whispered back. 

Sunghoon sat against the tree, with you between his legs. Back against his chest and his arms wrapped around you. 

You leaned your head against his chin, watching as the sun slowly peaked over the horizon. 

“How long were you the head witch?” Sunghoon asked, taking your hands in his. 

You sighed, “Only two years, I was next in line but I didn’t want it.” 

“Why didn’t you?” Sunghoon was curious. Witches were something totally different than vampires, dhampirs, and even werewolves, their way of life was completely in the opposite direction. 

“I didn’t feel as if I was ready,” you leaned more into him, “I don’t have as many years on me as some of the other warlocks and witches in the village.” 

“And what time period are you from exactly?” Sunghoon teased. 

“I saw the Salem Witch Trials happen.” 

“Gosh you’re so old!” he teased you more, planting kisses on your cheek. 

“Oh shut up!” you shoved your back into his chest, “I can NOT believe I am stuck with you until the world ends.”

“Get used to it, sweetheart.” 

You both laughed and leaned more into each other. 

“Can I take a photo of us?” Sunghoon asked, “I want to capture this moment.” 

You nodded and he pulled his phone from his pocket. 

“No camera?” you teased. 

“Phone cameras work just as well.” 

You looked into the phone's camera and gasped, “Oh my god! I can see your reflection!” 

Sunghoon dropped his arm and rolled his eyes, “Shut up with your stupid ass jokes and take a nice photo with me, hex girl.”

You decided to stop teasing him and smiled into the camera. 

Sunghoon stared down at the photo of the two of you, the happiness he felt, he could see it written all over his face. 

“You know, I’ve never captured something as beautiful as you.” 

You looked up at him, “And I’ve never thought I’d have my own personal photographer to take model photos of me.”

“God you’re so annoying.”

Hand in hand, you followed Sunghoon back to the house. 

Everyone was awake and stopped everything they were doing in shock at the sight they were seeing. 

“Who would have thought,” Jake teased.

Sunghoon tried hard to fight back his smile, “Shut up.” 

Everyone laughed and joked along. 

You were happy. 

The moment you bonded with Sunghoon, you felt the same bond with the others, including your best friend and the humans in the pack. 

It wasn’t like your coven, but the bond was still there. You belonged somewhere again. 

You looked up at your mate, his smile working numbers on your heart. God you loved him so much already. 

But Sunghoon’s smile faded, and so did the other vampire's smiles. 

The room fell silent. The humans and you are both confused, clearly not being able to hear what they are hearing. 

“Something isn’t right,” Heeseung said quietly. 

“Sunghoon?” you take your hand in his.

He squeezed your hand tightly.

Before Sunghoon could open his mouth to speak, you sensed the other presence. 

You dropped your mate's hand, and slowly back away. 

You looked at your half-blooded friend, she was already looking at you. 

“Dorian...” you whispered, “He broke the protection barrier.” 

Sunghoon’s jaw clenched, “Guys what do we do?” 

Before any more could be said, you and __ were running towards the door.” 

“No no no!!” Sunghoon and Jake both yelled, grabbing ahold of you and her. 

“Jake, fucking let go of me!!” she screamed. 

You also fought off Sunghoon’s grip on your arm, “Let go of me!” you hissed. 

“I am not letting you go out there!” He snapped.

You managed to get out of his hold and were out the door. 

“Y/N!” Sunghoon yelled, going after you. 

__ released Jake’s grip and was following behind. 

Everyone else was right behind. 

Dorian stood at the edge of the pond, two women standing at his side, and a black portal opened behind him. 

You clenched your fist and you stood in front of him at a distance. 

“Dorian!” you hissed. 

“I see you survived being burned,” he laughed, “You unfortunately didn’t get the fate as your coven did.” 

“How dare you speak of them!” You took a step forward, only to be stopped by Sunghoon getting in front of you. 

Sunghoon glared down at Dorian, his rage hitting its peak. 

Dorian laughed, “Oh this is too good! Two enemies mated? This pack continues to surprise me.” He glances over at your best friend with Jake also at her side, “Ahh, nice to see you again, __. I also see you’ve mated again.” 

“Shut up!” the dhampir snapped, “Don’t you dare bring him up!! You murderer!!” 

Dorian’s laughter grew louder the more he made eye contact with each member of the pack. 

Jungwon and Jay have death grips on their mates. Their eyes narrowed and their jaws clenched.

“I would love to stay and chat up with you guys, but I only came for two of your mates, and that is all.” Dorian looked at the women at his sides, “Ladies will you do the honors?” 

The women both smiled and disappeared. 

Sunghoon’s eyes widened, those two weren’t like normal vampires. 

“He used magic..” you whispered, “He figured out how to read the spells he stole from my coven.” 

Dorian’s laughter filled the air and it only made Sunghoon rage even more. 

With one blink of an eye, one of the women was at Sunghoon’s side, and then she was gone. She reappeared back at Dorian’s side with you in front of her, a knife pressed against your neck, the sharp edge making a cut, a small stream of blood dripping down. 

The other woman reappeared with the dhampir at Dorian’s side. 

As if on command, Sunghoon and Jake both rushed forward. 

They weren’t thinking clearly. Their brains fogged and only had their sights on their mates. 

Heeseung made it in time to grab Sunghoon, pulling him back, and Sunoo for Jake. 

“GIVE HER BACK!!” Sunghoon screamed, “FUCKING GIVE HER BACK TO ME.” 

“Sunghoon calm down,” Heeseung shouted, “He’s going to kill them both if you take one more step.” 

Sunghoon stopped fighting Heeseung, but Sunoo struggled to keep Jake at bay, until Heeseung repeated the same words again, causing Jake to fall to his knees. 

“Good,” Dorian said, “Would have been a shame to kill your mates in front of you.” 

“What do you want with our pack members!?” Jungwon snapped a low growl leaving his lips when he yelled. 

“I have some unfinished business with them,” Dorian stared down at Jungwon’s mate, causing Jungwon to press __ even closer to him, “I have some unfinished business with all of you actually, but Y/N and this dhampir are more important. They have something I need.” 

Sunghoon went to take a step, just to be stopped by hearing your whimpers as the knife was pressed harder against your neck. 

“Now then,” Dorian turned and faced the portal, “We shall be taking our leave then.”

He stepped through the portal, the women slowly following behind him. 

Sunghoon and Jake tried fighting Heeseung and Sunoo again. 

Both scream out for their mates.

Sunghoon felt powerless as he watched you disappear through the portal, quickly closing up after you stepped through. 

The last thing you saw was the tears that filled Sunghoon’s eyes. 

Once you were gone, all Sunghoon could do was fall to his knees, his fingers dug into the dirt as he stared down. 

The sounds of Jake’s cries muffled out. 

No one ever told Sunghoon how it would feel to have your mate taken from you, to feel the distance of how far they were. The loneliness of them not being at your side. 

Sunghoon couldn’t hold in his rage as he let out a yell until his voice was gone and his throat sore. 

The last thing Sunghoon remembered was Heeseung pulling him off the ground and dragging him into the house. 

—

Everyone sat in silence the next morning. 

Jake sat in the corner of the living room, knees to his chest and head on his knees, tuning out the world. 

Sunghoon stared down at the photo of you he had taken with his camera. His hands shook. 

“Dorian is going to pay.” Sunghoon said, breaking the silence, “I am going to make him pay for the things he’s done and get my mate back.”

[azeretha]

pov: You are Fenrys's mate. 

Word count: 861

Every year there was a celebration of victory over Maeve and Erawan. Laughter, joy and light spread everywhere. Everyone across the continent was looking forward to something that had been missing for a long time. A better world. You sat on the ledge of the window and looked at your friend. Laughed. Honestly. After the years of suffering and darkness that attracted him, and the tears you cried together, he finally laughed with those sparks in his eyes. Your mate. Beautiful, strong, brave and wise, even though everyone thinks he's just a beautiful face.

You drank from the whiskey you took with you as a friend to make your time more enjoyable. You looked around you again. The Lorcans and Elidine's children ran around the hall. Two older boys and a younger girl who looked more like her father, as if she were willing to admit Elide. Manon was talking to Dorian in the corner of the room. Interesting that the chemistry that was between them during the war still did not disappear. And it was also clear to everyone that the little witch who would be born one day would be a fear of the world.

Lysandra, Aelin, Elide and Evangeline laughed at something and danced at the same time. You couldn't help but notice the boys spinning behind Evangeline. But Aedion always growled at them, and the young men always bowed their heads. Maybe one day, someone who does not bow their head will come and growl back. I would look at that.

You wanted to look at your beloved mate again, but he wasn't where he was. Only Rowan and Lorcan stood where he stood a few minutes ago, talking about something.

"What mischief are you thinking about?"

You just rolled your eyes when you saw Fenrys move you like a rag doll, so he could sit behind you. He rested his head on your shoulder and tilted his head so that you could only see his stupidly beautiful face. So you turn your head the other way to the window. "I'm thinking about what someone needs to make such a tasty whiskey."

"Really?" You can feel him breathing down your neck. He is very close to that damn neck.

"Hmm." It is so beautiful outside.

The idiot kissed your collarbone. "And what have you come up with, my love?" You want to stab him. An ass.

"Well ..." You won't have time to say anything because you feel like someone's pulling your clothes. You push Fenrys's head back and look at the wrecker.

In front of both of you is a small image of Lorcan. And she frowns as only Lorcan can and looks at Fenrys. "Dad and Uncle Ro tell you to go with your tools somewhere private. I have no idea what that means, but they said they would give me a cake for breakfast tomorrow if I came to say it. " And with that, little Lochan left. You looked in their direction, and they looked at you again, grinning from ear to ear. You rolled your eyes and looked at Fenrys. You thought he would look badly at those two bastards, but he was just looking at you. With such love and desire that it could destroy one ordinary individual. But he was not ordinary. It was Fenrys Moonbeam. Your mate. And so you opened the bridge that bound you. The bridge that sometimes stopped your heart from the feelings you felt across it. Thanks to whom you were connected with the best fae under the Sun.

"That little Lorcan will put the whole army in parade one day."

"I bet 10 coins, everyone will be afraid to ask for her hand." He told you back, still looking into your eyes. He crouched the fabric on the sides of your dress and leaned closer to you.

You covered his hand with one hand. "I bet 20 coins, she will be the nature of her mother and charm the strongest of them." That was your game. Betting. It was about winning. Even though it always ended more fiery, no matter who waited.

A smirk appeared on Fenrys's face. Those beautiful sinful lips. How many sins have you done with those lips? Still not enough.

"I bet 30 coins that ..." You didn't care what he wanted to say. You just kissed him. You didn't care who was watching. Let them think what they want. That was your specialty. Shit on what others think. And Fenrys didn't care either. The kiss returned to you with passion as always. You literally fought for who would win. Neither of you was able to lose, and neither of you ever backed off from the challenge.

However, breathing is important.

"Damn oxygen." You murmured on his lips as you pulled away and looked him in the eye. His pupils were dilated. "Shall we disappear until the small form of Lorcan reappears?"

"I've heard that the walls in this castle are especially favorable." He took whysky out of your hand and drank it for you. Then he took your hand and pulled you out of the room until you found the right wall.