#so i was on bed rest from a severe anemia

[taexual]

I'm so in love with this couple holy crap, you're truly one of the greatest writers I have seen so far

I really can't get enough of this, I adoooore this series, and their story, the characters, your writing as a whole and omg I could keep going for hourssss (but srs, I can, if you're not uncomfortable with receiving praise, I gladly will pull out the list of some of my favorite moments and phrases so far, just say the word)

it's like 🥺 they are my babies, born, raised, polished, and released into the world 🥺 and you tell me you're welcoming them with as much love as i am 🥺 i love you so much 🥺

tell me everything, my love, i will cherish it my whole life 🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍

[j0kers-light]

Hi chaos! I hope you’re having a good day!

I saw your headcanons post for joker x reader who struggles with anemia & loved it so, so much! It’s always lovely when we get to see our favorite characters caring for us in little ways like that, especially when it comes to our daily struggles that often go largely ignored by society. I was wondering if you’d be willing to do a joker x f!reader with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome sometime? And as always, no pressure at all <3

— 🌹

Welcome my sweet 🌹anon!!

You ask, and I deliver! I had to do some extensive research with my mom to make sure I was accurate with this request! I learned so much via articles and short documentaries! Shoutout to my chronic pain sufferers! Chaos acknowledges you and I loves you!!

If anything doesn't sound right let me know 🌹 anon so I can correct it! I hope you enjoy! There are several sub-types of the disease but we'll focus on hEDS for this head canon 🖤✨

Since your disorder is rare and hereditary, there isn't any known treatment or any medical studies/research done to cure the illness. There isn't even a test done to diagnose its so vastly ignored! 😡😡

Society turns a blind eye to _EDS, simply chalking it up to hypermobility and being non-life threatening. WRONG.

hEDS is life threatening and sources fail to address the lifelong chronic pain and other debilitating issues that the rare disease causes. There are 13 sub types with their own crippling ailments.

Joker would hardly notice anything wrong until you go and hurt yourself, which is rather easy due to your fragile skin and joints.

Your body doesn't heal well after injury so bruises linger, scars are permanent, and dislocations are a common occurrence. Yay to pain. 🙃✨

Growing up, it was cool to show off your double joints and overly flexible body but as your age hit the double digits, you noticed the complications of your parlor tricks pretty quickly.

Muscle weakness was the first indicator followed by scarier issues like weak blood vessels and potential organ ruptures. Chronic pain is a reality that you have to endure since your body fails to function properly.

Life grinds to a halt when you have a flare up and Joker arches an eyebrow when you stay in bed for days at a time and work remotely.

Just moving is an impossible feat and your body punishes you for defying its demands for rest. You still have to live your life! Somehow.

Joker tries to crack jokes but you roll your eyes and ignore him. You’re just not in the mood.

He doesn't understand how you can go from practicing yoga in the sunroom to being bedridden in the same hour so he assumes you're faking being sick and that thought makes you cry.

Knowing that your lover believes that you are acting, hurts more than your aching joints and Joker immediately notices when your mental health begins to decline.

Now he's worried. When you can, you do as much as you're able, never knowing when your body will betray you and confine you to bed. Every moment is precious and Joker will never understand that.

Life returns back to "normal" but Joker demands answers. He's still in shock.

Weren't you on death's door just yesterday? Now you're returning to work, laughing and smiling, as if nothing is wrong. He doesn’t know what to think.

So he disappears to search the internet and after hours of clicking away, he's just as confused as when he started. (I feel you J..)

Joker refuses to believe there is nothing he can do to help his Bunny. This hEDS can't keep you down forever. Right? 👀

Why aren't there any studies, or any institutions pledging to find a cure for this?! Does he have to kidnap a doctor or two to get the ball rolling?

Joker remembers he does have a doctor on his payroll. He calls up Sarai and bombards her with the same questions he typed into Google.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY BUNNY?🧑‍💻

Sarai doesn't give him much else to go on except keeping you comfortable, well medicated if you take any, and to continue your physical therapy but not too much exercise as to aggravate your joints.

Great... so he's back to square one!

Joker hears you groan from the next room and goes to check on his poor Bunny. He would find a way to make you feel better himself.

You had dozed off for a long quick nap and woke up to the sound of something falling over in the bathroom.

It still hurt to move but at least it wasn’t agonizing anymore. This current pain level you could tolerate.

You were willing yourself to toss the covers back when Joker appeared in the doorway looking rather sheepish.

“Hey doll. Uhh are ya feeling up to move?” He scanned you over as if he could gauge your pain tolerance by sight. Your small smile gave him some hope.

“Mmm. I gotta get up and fix something to eat.” You were weak and probably dehydrated from lying in bed all day, but that was to be expected.

Joker watched you swing a leg over and rushed to your side. “I uh.. ran a bath. If ya want. A Reddit post mentioned ah.. hoT water being helpful.”

It didn’t dawn on you just what Joker was saying. All you heard was the latter part of his sentence. “You have a Reddit account?”

He smacked his lips while helping you slowly walk towards the en-suite bath. To your surprise, the bath was waiting for you with a rolling cart next to it, hopefully with something to snack on.

You were speechless. “J… you did all this for me?”

He looked away and you got the impression that he was blushing. He still had his clown makeup on so you couldn’t tell for sure.

“Thank you J. I mean it.” He helped you sit on the nearby wooden bench after you kissed his cheek. “Um. I can undress myself.. if you need to—ah! Okay! You’re seriously doing this.”

Joker started with your socks and worked his way up until not a single thread of fabric was left on your body. You felt so exposed sitting there nude while Joker dipped his hand into the bath water.

It was hot enough to be medicinal but not scalding. He snapped his fingers and dashed over to the storage area to grab your bag of epsom salt before dumping a few cups in.

You got to see a rare softer side of Joker hard at work. No one would believe you if you reported this. The Joker, Gotham City’s worst nightmare, was preparing you a bath with the greatest care.

“All-right-yyy ya ready pretty girl?” Joker’s voice snapped you out of your daydream. He playfully flicked some water at you to get your attention.

You couldn’t flinch away and huffed your displeasure.

“I couldn’t resist, Bunny. Now in ya go! Hold onto my shoulders, yeah?” He picked you up as if you were made of glass and gently lowered you into the bath. “Easy doll, I know it’s hot. Just relax.”

Joker shushed any whimpers you made and held you steady underneath the water. For the next few unbearable moments, Joker was right there whispering sweet nothings to calm you down.

Finally you relaxed with a deep sigh, “This is perfect.”

“Good. If ya want, you can rest a bit. I’ll keep you.. well you know.. from drowning. But ya do need to eat something first. Here.” He dried his hand off and fed you a [insert favorite snack].

You felt like royalty and Joker had no issue helping you adjust to the role. He fed you piece by piece, offering you sips of water in between while holding your hand and rubbing soothing circles on your skin with his thumb.

The contact warmed your heart. Joker may not know much about your medical condition, but he would always be there to support you.

You couldn’t ask for a better partner.

[lucifers-little-light]

Oh shit!

After waiting for several minutes without any sign of Alastor waking, Lucifer makes a decision. Muttering under his breath about stubborn demons and impossible secrets, he scoops Alastor up again, his mind set.

Lucifer: *quietly, to the unconscious Alastor* You may hate me for this, but better a little resentment than neglecting your health. Besides, who else in Hell could ensure you’re looked after properly?

With that, he makes his way out of the hotel via portal and arrives at the Pride Ring Hospital. Arriving at the dimly lit entrance, he breezes past the reception desk, his presence commanding enough to prevent any questions. The nurses stare, some recognizing and Lucifer, but wisely decide not to ask why Hell’s King is here and carrying a sinner demon no less.

Lucifer: *to a nurse* I need a private room and your most discreet doctor. I expect absolute confidentiality in this matter. Do I make myself clear?

The nurse nods hastily, scrambling to comply as Lucifer follows her down a hallway to a secluded room. He lays Alastor on the bed, watching him for any signs of consciousness. After a few minutes, a doctor arrives, bowing his head slightly in deference to Lucifer.

Doctor: *nervously* Lord Lucifer… what seems to be the issue?

Lucifer: *gesturing to Alastor* He's been overexerting himself—ignoring his health, from the looks of it. And from what I can tell, there's a��� unique complication here. *He lowers his voice, careful to keep the information guarded.* I suspect he may be carrying… a child.

The doctor’s eyes widen, but he maintains his composure, nodding as he steps closer to examine Alastor.

Doctor: Understood, sir. I’ll run the necessary tests, and… ensure his privacy.

As the doctor begins his work, Lucifer steps back, watching intently, his expression unreadable. He crosses his arms, a mixture of irritation and protectiveness simmering just beneath the surface. Alastor’s stubbornness had led him here, but Lucifer couldn’t deny a strange, grudging respect for the Radio Demon’s tenacity.

As the doctor conducts his examination, a series of tests reveal Alastor’s troubling condition: anemia, fatigue, dehydration, and dangerously low magic reserves. His overall health seems stretched thin, as though he’s been pushing himself far past his limits. The doctor frowns as he reads the preliminary results, his concern deepening with each line.

Finally, the ultrasound reveals the unmistakable evidence: Alastor is, indeed, pregnant. The tiny figure on the monitor shows a small but distinct form, nestled and growing inside him. The doctor estimates the pregnancy at roughly four weeks, barely noticeable but undeniably present.

Doctor: *looking up at Lucifer with a cautious expression* Lord Lucifer… I’ve confirmed it. Alastor is carrying a child—about four weeks along.

Lucifer’s eyes widen briefly, though he quickly schools his expression back to calm neutrality. There it is—irrefutable proof, staring him in the face.

Doctor: *hesitating before adding* And, with your permission, I conducted a DNA test using the patient’s blood. The results show that the child… it’s yours.

Lucifer takes a moment to absorb the news. His jaw tightens, and for a split second, his emotions flicker—pride, surprise, and perhaps even a sliver of guilt.

He looks down at Alastor, still unconscious on the hospital bed, his face paler than usual but somehow serene in his sleep. Lucifer's fingers curl into a fist as he contemplates his next move. He knows Alastor will be furious with him for bringing him here, for conducting these tests without his consent—but at this moment, he prioritizes Alastor’s wellbeing over his pride.

Doctor: *gathering his notes* Lord Lucifer, given this sinner’s current state—his anemia, fatigue, and especially his magic depletion—I would strongly advise he rest and take immediate steps to replenish his health. The baby will continue to draw on his magic and physical resources, so he’ll need more care than a typical… case.

Lucifer: *nodding slowly* I understand. I’ll ensure he gets what he needs." *pauses, a glint of determination in his eyes* But I’ll need you to keep this completely confidential. Not a word of this leaves the room, understood?

Doctor: Of course, sir. And we’ll keep him here on IVs for hydration and blood.

Lucifer takes a long breath, looking at Alastor with genuine concern. He realizes that hiding this from the rest of the hotel might be an impossible feat—especially with Alastor’s well-known penchant for independence and stubborn pride. But if he’s to ensure the safety of his child, and of Alastor, he’ll have to handle this carefully.

Lucifer: *to himself, voice low* Seems you’ve gotten yourself tangled up in a little miracle, Alastor. And whether you like it or not… I’m not letting you face this alone.

[oneshotnewbie]

Is there a tiny little chance that you will update <Missing for a Decade> soon? I absolutely love this idea, and I would love to read more of it!! <33

Supergirl - Missing for a Decade Part 5

Trigger Warning: This one-shot includes the topic of abduction and mentions of abuse. These plots are presented. If this triggers you too easily or you just can´t handle those subjects, I urge you NOT to read this work. I am NOT embellishing this topic under any circumstance. Read at your own risk.

Authors Note: Here you have a new chapter ♥ I'm going to edit the older chapters again since I don't like them and they seem a bit inconsistent when I look at this current chapter

ᕚ---ᕘ

"You came to talk to me about your sister and niece before you take them home?" the older gentleman asked, clearing his throat and turning completely to the women who had entered his office. "Yes,"

"I have treated more than hundred kidnapping victims, but none like your sister. Despite her captivity, she is open to other people and hardly scared which fascinates me. She is very strong," The doctor folded the remaining files on his desk and clasped his hands on the table in front of his torso, fingers locked tightly together. "You know, every victim presents a new challenge and it is like reading a map of battered bodies that have been unjustly violated"

Both Alex and Kara interestingly pulled a chair from the corner and listened to the doctor go into more details about your health, the various tests and examinations that they did on you.

"She is chronically underweight, physically atrophied. She has anemia, vitamin D and iron deficiencies, and some skin lesions and inflammation from the lack of natural light." he unbuttons the cuffs of his shirt sleeves and rolled them up. "Y/n Danvers shows signs of severe violence over the last few years. Broken bones that healed incorrectly and scars all over her body"

The grey-haired hesitates with another answer and bows his head down, wanting to give Kara and Alex a moment to digest the information. The office is suddenly quieter than it was at the beginning of the conversation. "What about Gracie?"

The man in front of them started to smile and looked at the two older Danvers with glittering eyes. "Despite the circumstances, your sister did a good job. Grace Danvers is a bright little girl with particularly good language skills despite her young age"

"Any signs of injury? Does she have bruises or healed broken bones?

He shook his head violently and took away all their fears with immediate effect. "No, she is a perfectly healthy girl. No vitamin deficiencies or signs of violence. No evidence of past fractures or other medical conditions. If I did not know better, I would say that her mother endured all of the abuse to protect her daughter"

The Danvers sisters nodded in unison and thanked your doctor for treating you so lavishly. Kara put one foot in front of the other as she left the office and waited for Alex to join in step. Together they walked back to your hospital room while going over the details of the injuries you had sustained in their minds.

ᕚ---ᕘ

A week had passed in which you slowly regained your strength in the hospital, slowly got used to your sisters around you and were able to get closer with them. While you were still adjusting to your new, free life, your little daughter explored everything she could get her hands on; running around the hospital with either Kara or Alex always by her side, having her aunts wrapped around her little finger since day one.

You stood nervously with your back to one of your older siblings, staring longingly out the window while your bony hand rested on the pane of glass. A sinister life stretched out behind it; a life you no longer knew. "I do not know if I am ready yet.." you replied to Kara, who sat on your bed and waited for you to take the first step outside. The first step to freedom and into a new life.

"There will never be a perfect moment, sweetheart. Nobody wants to imagine what you went through, but Alex and I will be by your side and support you. No matter how long it takes"

You nodded, saw her soft smile in the reflection and turned to her. The blonde extended her hand. You walked the last few inches that separated you, grabbed her hand so she could pull you into her arms. "Grace is already at the car with Alex and Maggie, trying out the new Nemo seat we bought for her"

You laughed briefly at the thought of how long and in how many stores the redhead must had been, desperate to find a car seat with your daughters favorite fish on it. She had wished for this one and, at the tender age of four, had already threatened not to sit in anything else but this one.

"We can go as soon as you are ready," softly, she kissed your dry and straggly hair, wrapped her arms tightly around you and savored the closeness she had missed so badly. You too snuggled up to her chest like a cat, took a deep breath of her perfume, which she still wore after all these years and let the moment sink in.

Kara´s heartbeat accelerated in your ears and her grip on you became tighter. A slight tremor emanated her body and her swallowing became stronger and heavier.

The sadness that overcame her was like an old friend who had accompanied her on the journey over the past few years. Not intrusive, but always in the foreground; always aiming to get her attention and cause deep pain where your love and closeness once found its place.

It stroked her hair every time she walked into your old room, whispered softly in her ear as in silent moments, she slid down the wall and broke down crying. Never leaving her side and always staying with her. The crushing feeling of never seeing you again, never hearing your footsteps creaking on the floor and never catching the sound of your voice ever again.

Your disappearance painted her world gray, pouring concrete over the once colorful rainbows of your being. You were the biggest concern between all the others. Your sisters were worn down by this eternal struggle - the circle of cause and effect, crime and punishment, guilt and innocence, victim and perpetrator. She had not stopped fighting this fight, but she wished she could.

And now she could finally feel the sun and see the colors again, the warmth she longed for and the soft melody of your voice that returned. "I have missed you so much," she said carefully, rocking you gently in her arms. Kara did not want to let go of you, she had been longingly waiting for this moment for too long.

"After all these years, have you stopped looking for me?"

"Yes, we did," she whispered into your hair, the pain in her voice clearly audible as salty tears strayed onto them. The blonde rested her trembling chin on the top of your head, gently stroking your shoulder while her other hand nervously played with your fingers. It was not until she composed herself that she pulled away from you just inches to look into your eyes. "We all spread out across National City and knocked on every door. We questioned alleged witnesses. But nobody had seen you or knew where you were."

Tears rolled quietly down your face, which Kara caught with the soft pads of her thumbs. Although you had asked the question yourself, your stomach still cramped completely when receiving the given information. Your family had fought through the struggle of your disappearance and given themselves up in the process. They had long since lost hope.

"I am sorry I caused you such pain," you looked at your hands and waved them around as if seeing them for the first time before closing your eyes for a brief moment. Shortly after, you opened them up again and stared at your sister with blank eyes. Kara´s on the other hand were blood red and swam behind thick glasses.

She quickly fell to the ground and knelt in front of you. Her warm hands were placed on your cheeks, her thumbs inevitably caressing them. "You are not to blame for what happened to you and you are not guilty for surviving it. Sure, we suffered pain because we thought we lost you forever, but you know what outweighs that pain?"

You shook your head and cocked it to the side, her hand now clasped between your shoulder and ear. She smiled at you briefly and pulled you to the front so your face was buried in her shoulder. "You are back and our hearts are whole again. You are so strong, a fighter and fought your way through everything that came your way. You do not have to be sorry. It. is. not. your. fault."

[catmansquad]

The Thirst (P2)

Part 1     Part 3

You recall being led back to Miguel’s penthouse; it was expansive, the home of someone very rich and decorated with the tokens of someone well-travelled. Guided through the moonlit streets by his arm across your shoulders. His smile was gentle, his eyes were kind, he was so very warm to the touch. You had melted into his touch, as he peppered sweet kisses to your skin, humming pleasingly. Then, you had taken his hand and he had pulled you close, that broad chest and strong muscles firm at your back, his arm across your chest in a gently embrace as his other hand took your wrist in some form of a lover’s embrace, like he was feeling your racing pulse under his touch, more kisses, on your cheek, along your jaw, to your neck and then….

Then you’d… He’d… Memory became hazy past that moment, there had been the sense of sensual delight, a moment where pain and pleasure escalated into utter bliss and your next clear memory was of waking, weak and weary, wrapped in silken sheets of a king-sized bed. He must have truly been an amazing lover for nothing but those sweet sensations to cling to you, bone deep. When you finally found the strength in your limbs to pull yourself free, you found him in his spotless kitchen, gloomy with all the blinds still drawn and his eyes hidden by tinted glasses. Likely, he was just hungover, yet that sense of endless vitality and eternal calm remained about him. A romantic gentleman kind enough to make you breakfast, to help you get your strength back after the night’s ordeal.

Miguel was not bothered by these so called “hunters” in their attempt to gather more to their cause. There had been others, there would be more. Acting out in any way would only fan the flames of their fervor. The only reason for their presence in the city were the spontaneous Fledgling explosion recently. So many newly Turned, overconfident, hungry, no control of their newfound thirst leaving a trail of bodies that needed to be cleaned away. If he found the one or the group who were responsible for these mass Turnings, he would send them into death himself. Too much mess, too much attention and the mortals became nervous. All in all, he could wait. This new band of would-be hunters were, like all the rest, mortal. They would wither and crumble, like all else in the world. He would remain, he always did.

In the daylight, the streets were far safer, yet your journey home would not be uneventful. Not several streets away did a small crowd gather in a local park, to where a figure stood atop a bench, calling out to the assembled.

‘… I tell you, brothers and sisters! There are monsters among us! Beasts who wear the skins of men! I know there are those of you who know of what I speak! How many of you have felt their presence? How many of you have suffered for it! Anemia! Missing time! Hours of our lives stolen from us! There are people who vanish in dark alleys, are they devoured by the very shadows?! No! We are but prey! We are the sheep who do not know the wolves are among us! Open your eyes! Read our words! We. Must. Fight. Them! Or all is lost…’

Their tirade fell into a gradual calm once again, one or two people applauded, the rest broke into murmurs.

‘Hobie, please…’

At their beckoning, their aide stepped forwards, cradling a stack of leaflets in his arms and strode amidst the crowd, handing them out one by one. Eventually, he came to you, leaving the cream-coloured leaflet held out for you to take.

‘Please… It ain’t madness. It’s truth.’ His voice was low.

‘I met one of ‘em… Once. Nearly sucked me dry like a capri-sun… Barely escaped with me life...’

As if to prove his point, he softly pulled down the collar of his shirt, revealing the twin, jagged scars that trailed from what looked like healed puncture marks. His eyes looked you over, and you didn’t realise your hand had been on your own neck until you snapped back to yourself and took the leaflet from him. There were no marks, not even the hint of a wound upon your skin. Nothing untoward had happened between Miguel and you; it had just been sex. Right…?

‘It’s like they do somethin’ to the brain… Makes you forget. Some people just remember it as… a fun night, or a brutal assault in a dark alley…’

‘Hobie!’ The leader called out for him again, and he gave a sad smile as you took the leaflet.

‘You know where to find us, all in there.’

As he weaved back through the crowd, you stared down at the leaflet; the caricature of a masked beast with sharp teeth.

“BEASTS AMONG US”. – A Warning by Avis Hardinger.

‘Is this seat taken…?’

You looked up from the leaflet, the coffee cooling on the table, and a stunned smile graced your face at the sight of Miguel, leaning one hand on the back of the chair opposite you, fingers drumming, almost squinting at you behind his sunglasses.

‘Miguel! No, it’s free…’ You had just considered inviting your friend out, if their hangover was any better, but now all thoughts fled your mind, replaced solely with Miguel’s presence as he sat down opposite you. As fine and fancy as the night before, ringed fingers entwined as he peered over the top of you at them.

‘How are you doing…? Achy? Sleepy?’

‘I feel better now, thanks.’ Your smile matched his own, but he concealed the full breath of it behind his hands. Curious, you slid the leaflet across the table before him.

‘What do you… What do you think of this?’

He hummed thoughtfully, hands parting as he picked it up, skimming over it before placing it back down with an amused laugh.

‘Surely, you don’t believe this? Heh… These are the same people who claim their grandmothers get abducted by UFOs to Jupiter every night. “Help, aliens stole my memory and my pet canary!”’

He chuckled softly again, leaving you utterly enchanted with him, even in the midday sun, the shadows seemed to cling tighter to him.

‘I’ve heard about that Avis Hardinger. None of them good…’

He slid the leaflet back across to you, fingers entwined as he peered at you over them again. You couldn’t quite pull your attention from just how handsome Miguel was- it was like your mind was on auto-pilot. Even people who passed by were stealing little glances.

Miguel knew his power had only grown with age; he was no longer that smug, hungry Fledgling who believed himself to be at the top of the world. Well… Maybe some part of that self still lingered inside him. It would probably explain why he, at five-hundred years of undying experience, was currently sat across with a mortal he’d fed on, the softest touches of his charms keeping their attention solely on him. This was how it always started, the inevitable descent into yet another romantic mishap. He could entertain a fun date, indeed…

‘Having said that…’ Behind his hands, he let his tongue lick along one of his fangs, smirking. Your attention was rapt on him.

‘They’re having a meeting tonight. Did you want to go along…? Just for a laugh…’

It was time to see what this scared huddle of mortals would do to consider themselves “hunters”.

When you saw Hobie next, he was greeting people with a gentle smile, a procession of people into the meeting hall made out of a community center. Beside him, the pale, tall form of Avis Hardinger watched, eyes flitting among people.

‘Hey!’ Hobie took your hands, shaking them softly, greeting you at the doorway filled with silver crucifixes hanging from strings.

‘Glad you came! Go in and take a seat.’

‘Hobie, w-what is all that?’ You glance up at the crucifixes, feeling Avis’ paranoid eyes on you briefly before he turned away. Hobie’s smile became clever, and he winked.

‘My idea! Great, innit? See, the beasts can’t stand silver and powerful faith, so why not combine the two! Gotta make sure there’s no… unwelcome guests, y’know? Go in, get settled… Avis gets… impatient easily- man needs to chill…’

You watched Miguel casually brush the silver crucifixes aside, in no mood to simply duck under them, and gave your hand a reassuring squeeze.

‘Hobie!’ Avis’ voice barked from inside the hall and you watched the man in question roll his eyes.

‘Yes, boss?’

‘The incense!!’

‘Sure, the incense… Sure you can find a fuckin’ match if you took yer head outta yer ass… Tosser.’

He cleared his throat after his mutterings, forcing that pleased smile back on his face.

‘We’ve got juice if you’re thirsty!’

Only half the many chairs had been filled, by people of all walks of life, but you sat softly beside Miguel, in the back row, leaning into his warmth as he rested with long legs stretched out, lazy, at ease, a man with all the time in the world. His eyes glinted, dark brown as he looked to you.

‘Sorry this is an awful first date…’

He reached one hand to cup your jaw, stroking a thumb across your cheek, voice a low whisper.

‘I promise to take you somewhere fancy…’

You blushed under his touch, heart thundering.

‘I… I uh… Don’t think I’d have anything classy enough for the places you’ve got in mind, Miguel…’

His smile did not falter, his eyes crinkled with delight.

‘Then we’ll have to go shopping for something that is…’

You swallowed the thick lump in your throat as his eyebrows wiggled briefly. You were fairly sure he was going to spoil you rotten if you allowed him to. You watched Miguel bring a hand to his mouth, covering as he coughed, then doubled up into a brief wheeze, and the spell was broken.

‘Miguel?’

‘… ‘m fine… Must be the incense…’ He waved a hand across his nose, like he was trying waft the smell away. You turned in your seat, squirming to see the several sets of lit incense sticks that curled into the air, filling the room with a cloying, sweet scent. Silence settled as Avis stepped up to the podium, hands raised.

‘My friends! Brothers and sisters! Thank you for coming. At least here, huddled together in our sanctuary, we can rest assured that we are safe. We will begin with our notes from out last meeting…’

Avis speech nearly bored you to sleep, several times you found yourself nearly drifting onto Miguel’s chest, feeling his hand stroke softly across your back. Through heavy eyelids, you scanned the room, a few people were listening intently, the rest were sneakily on their phones, and even behind Avis, Hobie had put earbuds in and was now quietly rocking out, miming an air guitar. He brought a soft smile to your face, watching him. You woke up properly as you heard Miguel cough again, his chest jolting.

‘…But now, we have the home advantage!’ Avis slammed a hand onto the podium, and everyone sat upright to attention.

‘Through the combination of science and esoteric rituals, we finally have a means to combat this threat, not just ward against them as we cower in our homes!’

You were torn between listening to Avis and watching in concern as Miguel hunched over, desperately trying to clear out his chest. You patted his broad back reassuringly.

‘… Behold! We have created an airborne toxin- please, calm yourselves, my friends… The very incense sticks you see alight before you are no mere mood setter, they are our weapon against these bloodthirsty beasts! To us, they are utterly harmless, also quite nice to enjoy- I am rather proud of that…’

Miguel’s wheezing coughing became worse, and you swore the hand he coughed into was being speckled with red.

‘The stolen blood in their abominable bodies rebels at our sacred incense. No more are we their cattle. From this night on, we let them know that we…. We….’

People were beginning to turn to look at you both, you soothingly tried to rub Miguel’s back as his suffering continued, only half paying attention. But Avis’ words had found their purchase in your mind.

‘… Oh dear god…’ Avis’ voice was haunted, from the podium, he pointed a trembling finger across the room. Your hand stilled on Miguel’s back and lifted away, slowly rising from your seat, the inevitable could not be ignored. Realising something was happening, Hobie stopped his silent jam and pulled out his earbuds, head tilted in confusion as Avis let the moment build to a conclusion among the terrified, whispering citizens giving you both a wide berth.

‘… My friends…. There is a beast among us…’

Miguel drew a deep, shuddering breath and lifted his head up; eyes blazing crimson, lower face smeared with the blood that coated his hand. You backed away as Avis stepped from the podium, some citizens began to scream, already running for the fire exit.

‘… Well now…’ Miguel rasped, one hand gripping the folding chair in front of him as he resisted the urge to succumb to another coughing fit.

‘… Finally, something interesting.’

With a snarl, and one hand alone, he threw the chair across the room with frightening force, crashing into the incense burner, and carrying it to the far wall to shatter through a window.

‘It stinks in here…’

His sharp, terrifying eyes looked to you, and the memory of the other night rushed back in full- not of blissful sex, but of a ferocious embrace, his teeth in your neck; devouring you, enrapturing you, then soothing that pain with a gentle lick, the wounds healing in one firm stroke of the tongue-

You felt something crash into you, Hobie bolted past you towards the doors, and you were sure you heard him muttering “fuck this!” back to back under his breath. His gaze lingered on you, teeth gritted in an annoyed snarl, those fangs, the smeared blood, those blazing eyes- he looked monstrous, so different from the charming, handsome man you had sat beside only moments ago.

‘You may want to leave. Or close your eyes. This may get… Unpleasan- STAY THERE, AVIS!’

His gaze snapped to the cowering figure, voice escalating into a low roar that froze the man to the spot with terror. The chill night air blew away the cloying sweetness, and shocked some sense back into you. Stumbling away from him, you headed out into the night, fleeing with everyone else.

Back in control of his faculties, Miguel rested his hands in his coat pockets, hiding the worst of his nature as he stepped in long strides to where Avis stood trembling in his skin, rooted by fear and willpower both.

‘So, would be Hunter… I think that you have had the worst luck tonight. Were I in a more charitable mood, I would simply wipe your memory, or perhaps convince you to take a long walk into the Thames. Alas, I think a more necessary punishment is in order for you…’

The shorter, skinnier man whimpered, eyes flitting over him, glancing to the exit repeatedly, yet he could not will his body into action.

‘Although I will say thank you, for actually managing to give my somewhat banal existence a new, exciting twist. I’m afraid you just had the misfortune of having absolutely no idea of who you’re fucking with.’

He stopped close to the trembling man, glancing at his watch, just to watch the second hand tick by.

‘I am not just “a beast”. I am a very old, very ill-tempered Vampire, and you have just ruined my chances with someone I cared for…’

He grinned, slowly running his tongue over those fangs, nose wrinkling at the scents from the mortal. Terrified indeed.

‘Ugh… I think I have toyed with you enough for tonight, Avis. So…’

He reached out and grabbed the front of Avis’ shirt, well away his claws were out and biting through the cloth and scratching skin.

‘…. I do really hate having to deal with rampaging Fledglings, and I did swear a long time ago I wouldn’t subject anyone else to this curse, but I think you need to be taught a lesson.’

He saw Avis’ eyes widen, another terrified whimper, perhaps a plea that never emerged.

He stepped close enough to whisper into his ear.

‘… Brace yourself, Avis… You’re about to enter a nightmare you can never wake up from….’

[mariatesstruther]

Have you talked about any headcanons of Tommy finding out maria is chronically ill for the first time 👀 I need more of this au

i have!!! i believe in my first post about maria having severe iron deficiency anemia i hc that for a long time in jackson it’s a secret only she and her father and maybe jackson’s doctor knows, because she’s private about needing additional help and has already worked incredibly hsrd to get the people of jackson to see her as capable as she is. being a black woman is one thing, but being a black woman with chronic fatigue and a tendency towards fainting spells is an entirely different playing field she doesn’t yet want to navigate

so she keeps it to herself. she hides her fatigue and cold feet and joint pain, until on bad days she can’t. sometimes her father notices and immediately makes up an excuse for them to go home; he often covers for her by saying he’s tired asking her to take him to go lay down. maria’s father is in his 80s, the oldest in jackson and the oldest man many of the kids born in jackson have ever met, so no one questions when he needs rest, or a day off, or even an entire string off days to himself—residents assume he’s being taken care of by his daughter, when really it’s the other way around. hank makes sure maria spends as much time as possible bundled up in her bed, warm water packs wrapped around her hands and feet with the comfiest towels jackson has. he asks dina’s older sister talia to bring them extra eggs and red meat with their meals—as maria’s best friend, she’s worked out at this point who really needs them, but respects maria’s privacy and space to do it without question

i think in this time where she’s trying to keep it private, tommy definitely notices something is up with her health wise that she’s not being forthcoming about. because he’s slowly but surely falling in love with her, he pays extra attention: he sees how she wears gloves on days even when the temperature goes up into the 60s, about once a month she seems to get a cold so intense she nearly dies, and about the same time during dinner every night, all the energy seems to drain out of her in one giant whoosh, leaving her barely able to talk to anyone but talia or her father (or, on days where God decides to bless tommy, him too) as she picks at what’s left of her food. eating wise too, she seems to need a lot of meats and grains: any seasons where jackson is limited on them, her energy seems to wane greatly. and he recognizes enough signs of chronic pain on her from joel, who always seemed to be tryin to hide winces and hold back groans, too. within six month of being in jackson he knows for sure that something is up, but he also knows it’s none of his business and maria could still kick his ass if she wanted to, so. he doesn’t ask

until the dreaded day she faints into his arms. (this next part is from my og iron deficient maria post, also under chronically ill maria au tag): after her father dies, no one in jackson besides talia and her doctor is left to know about her deficiency, because she doesn’t want to tell anyone. she’s not used to nor comfortable with people besides her dad caring and worrying about her, so she doesn’t expect anyone to want to know. she doesn’t think it’s useful information for the community, so why not just keep it to herself, right? wrong. tommy and jackson residents definitely find out because, one day while it’s a little too hot out she just, like, FULL ON faints while tommy’s repair group was working on a weak part of the wall. tommy catches her before she fell because he’s right there flirting with her, and everyone is like??????? YO???? MARIA??????? SOMEBODY GET THE MEDIC WTF??? everyone is freaking iut, including buckley, who is barking up a storm and whining and has to be comforted by talia while he attempted to lick at maria’s face

she wakes up a few seconds after and is just like “sorry yall :) happens sometimes” and everyone is like WHAT THE FUCK. MARIA. tommy and her bestie talia (dina’s older sis) very pointedly do not leave her side for like two days. buckley starts following her around for like two weeks straight until he deems that she’s Okay According To Buckley, Very Much Not Going To Faint. from then on tommy, talia, and the rest of jackson start paying a lot closer attention to their favorite local government gal

so so so much love to u @bearrycool

[cpunkwitch]

Describing the feeling - anemia

being descriptive about what its like standing up and generally functioning with my severe anemic body.

i dont just stand up too quickly and lose my balance for a second, i dont just stand up and immediately sit down because the room started spinning.

when i stand up my vision goes hazy around the edges, a black vector around my vision creeps in, my VSS makes my vision look even more like a 1980's video recording, my head gets fuzzy and light, my vision shrinks to a small spot as the rest is blocked out by the dark, my body threatens to black out, drop passed out right where i am. i get nauseous and exhausted like i just saw something that grossed me out so bad it made me sick, i go pale and my face gets hot at the same time.

it only lasts a few minutes maybe, but its still scary and slows me down. i can pass out without even realizing it sometimes, without this kind of warning. i'll feel sick and pass out or i'll be fine and still suddenly wake up in a new position or entirely different room and someone will tell me they moved me.

my energy is constantly drained, leaving me breathless at even the most minimal of movements like a short flight of stars or just getting out of bed. all i can manage leaving the house is a brisk walk without my cane. i feel like i had taken a 5 hour hike when its still only 11am and im just getting over starting my day.

im always too tired to do many tasks, go places, i find myself taking a nap if it werent for coffee.

this would of course happen less if i was able to take my supplements more often, if i could eat enough food containing the needed iron more regularly/consistently. but theres complications with that too.

i get constant pounding headaches for several reasons and on days where my anemia literally makes me bedridden i am often laying there waiting on the medication i was able to take to finally kick in and calm the raging ache burning and rattling inside my head.

anemia is not just standing up and feeling dizzy or falling over, its chronic fatigue placing a hand on your shoulder, shaking you around and putting a white noise filter over your eyes before pushing you down to let you catch your breath. its feeling like a vampire stole half your entire body's amount of blood without even touching you. its being even more tired and slowed down after a nurse takes your blood more than you usually are and more than most people are for a longer amount of time, sitting there for almost 5 minutes or so with an orange juice box in your hand before you can get yourself to stand up and leave her office.

i originally got my cane to help with the dizzy spells and constant unbalance and exhaustion i felt, to help me walk up and down stairs easier and keep me from walking to fast and steady my pace more. then i realized how bad my back was and noticed how lessened my back pain was with it and i was even happier to have gotten my cane.

every day i think about how all my life i've missed out because ive been too tired to do something or go somewhere. every day i fear falling over, collapsing and passing out and it happens too frequently for me to say im okay any day.

i miss the days i used to have energy when i was much younger, i miss the days i didnt have to fear falling over, i miss the times i was able to do more with my body.

doesnt mean i live in constant misery, im just learning to live with it. this is my life, its a constant battle and struggle, but i make do, i push myself as far as my body lets me without letting myself overdo it too much.

knowing this, you can probably imagine how scared i often am about summer. i get uneasy and close to passing out if i just take a shower with the water too hot, the heat of summer does so much worse.

in summer my vision goes white, no matter how much water i drink the world goes brighter and brighter, i nearly passed out on the road once. i get heat stroke fairly often, even wearing light clothing and having a cold cloth on the back of my neck isnt enough at times. in summer im like a dried up plant, dehydrated and overheated, somehow hanging on while looking and feeling like im one step through death's door.

anemia's a dick guys, i never realized how serious it was for me when i first got diagnosed, but i learned. the hard way unfortunately, but i learned about it nonetheless.

[ID: banner reading "This blog is protected by De Rolo family and co." in all caps. It has an orange cloud background. On the left is the De Rolo coat of arms and on the right is the symbol of Vox Machina]

[bleaksqueak]

Lmao ffffff. Some personal stuff (nothing serious or severe, just fist shaking) so I'll put it under a cut.

I went to bed early to try and rest up and recoup from the Stressapalooza marathon and I've barely been awake, but my body is already screaming "MORE SLEEP". At the very least, I think it's also partially because my body's decided it doesn't need blood, and I'm having a fun little anemia crash at the same time. It's 3 am, so I could just see if a nap works. It's just so frustrating because I have things I want to do. STOP BEING STUPID, BRAINBODY. LET ME DRAW MY BONUS OMAKE PAGE. LET ME CHAT. LET ME DO MORE THAN SET UP A LAYOUT. LET ME COMIT NUMEROUS CRIMES. Going to transfer my brain into a cool robot body if you don't behave.

[dissociacrip]

i kinda hate this because 1. health anxiety and not knowing what this means for me 2. as julia armfield said (especially with health anxiety) there is a simultaneous conflicting satisfaction and dread when it's confirmed that something is in fact wrong with you 3. the surgery i just had didn't come with any definitive diagnosis just my organs being weird but then my gyn thinking something autoimmune is going on with my legs and 4. the fact i was unconscious for a few hours having stuff pumped in me/stuck in me while not being conscious for it comes with a primal feeling of terror even if that's literally just how surgery works when you have a history of violated bodily autonomy & dissociative problems to boot

like okay it's "only" mild findings, maybe the worst of it being the bulging disc with annular fissuring, but i've been losing my tolerance for sitting the past few years increasingly leaving me with being in bed as the most comfortable mode of existence and today the fucking base of my spine and my left lower back are burning and sore today triggered by me leaning forward while sitting i guess and weird feelings in my legs while i'm literally on an opioid medication for surgery recovery, i don't know which of the abnormal findings is doing what or if they're all fucking me from different directions, and i don't know what a diminished T1 bone marrow signal would even mean in my case because i'm not anemic now+i don't think my anemia was ever that severe+it's associated with AS which would maybe be related to what going on with my legs but i don't fit the profile of AS back pain where rest makes it worse and exercise makes it better

like it's both "i told you so" in terms of my physical situation getting worse over the past few years and "i don't want it, please take it back" and also not knowing what tf the neurosurgeon/his PA are going to say about the MRI until like 2 weeks from now

it may not even be that serious aside from the fact my legs have hurt so bad when walking it felt like i had a torn meniscus (which doesn't randomly swap legs) and i have days where i can hardly stand sitting (hardy har har)

also the cocktail of meds i'm currently on isn't helping me think straight lol

[spawnofthedivine]

one of our best friends (online) is convinced we r chronically ill and disabled which. certainly makes sense. but its very awkward to imagine. we see posts being aggressive towards physically abled people all the time and we always considered ourselves abled (despite.. many different things saying otherwise) so its just. awkward. to imagine ourselves on the other side of the argument. feels like we're lying but we r most certainly not. (the same thing happened when we realized we were trans)

under the read more is talking about our symptoms and experiences w being (potentially) physically disabled i guess ?? :P

some days we are okay and with only minor incidents. the others, however, are SHIT. we can go from walking around the house and jumping around just fine to laying on the floor unable to get up properly within seconds. we get pretty severe joint pain at times + maybe mild POTS and also likely to get ddd (degenerative disk disease) at a point (if we dont already have it).

our back? constant pain. if we havent strained it and its been a few weeks then its just mild and Okay to deal with unless we move it wrong, otherwise we can barely get out of bed. and we strain it pretty damn often.

our knees/legs get the worst of the joint pain. it actually makes us unable to strand or even move them, plus its enough pain to cause a headache. it usually keeps up from walking, moving, thinking clearly, etc. and it happens most often at night/late afternoon. it sets in VERY fast (within about 10-20 minutes its at the max amount of pain) and doesnt leave for a while (around 12 hours). this isnt too often (around 1-2 times a month at its worst severity, the less severe times is just when we stand too long (more than 10 minutes at a time)) but its often enough to bother us significantly.

our headaches are pretty frequent, usually 3-4 times a week now. fucking sucks but 3-4 ibuprofen and an aleve if its really bad gets rid of it (most of the time. sometimes it doesnt go away until the next day, sometimes the pain meds dont even do anything !!!! wtf)

and oh fuck dont even get me STARTED on the dizziness, almost blacking out every single time we stand, our knees giving out when we stand a few times a day if we sit/lay down for too long (more than 30 minutes). this shit is daily and constant. and no, its not iron deficiency. we dont have any types of anemia and all our vitamins/vitals are good.

i think i get the "your tests came back all fine, nothing is wrong!" thing now. good god yeah i get it. we believed it for SO LONG but now it's just.... yeah bro theres something thats wrong can u just NOT ignore our obvious problems.

we have weird blood pressure shit (reminiscent of POTS !!!!!!) and same w our heartrate (its mostly at 110-120 at rest) but our doctors look at it and say we're perfectly fine and that its healthy.

anyways. yeah. we r losing our minds. whyyyyy us. WHY

[mr-leach]

I'm sorry but WHAT

Oh, they don't carry diseases, so it should be fine to let poor renters just have to deal with them, eh??

I'm not even gonna touch the inhumane notion that having to constantly live with pests doesn't affect mental health cause that's just. That's not even a debate. That's not debatable. It fucking does.

But it's fine as long as they don't carry anything??? They think disease is the only way these pests can ruin your life??? Are they fucking serious???

Guys I am currently recovering from having lived with a bed bug infestation that my building's landlord refused to take seriously and treat effectively for at least 3 years (the whole time I have been living here pretty much!!) and I need people to understand. It's death by 1000 bites. It's the rusty spoon execution. It's the fucking sloth death from Seven.

Even if you're not getting bit enough to lose a lot of blood. Even if you don't develop anemia. And yes, even if there's no significant threat of disease being spread through bed bug bites. Your immune system has to fight every single time something foreign enters your body, no matter how small, and has to then replenish itself.

For 3 years my body was fighting off a dozen or more daily new infections caused by bites. A constant stream of energy had to be set aside just for my immune system and healing tiny little bug bites. In February this year is when my body started to literally shut down because it took so much out of me over so much time. I literally thought I had narcolepsy but no my immune system has been overworked constantly this entire time. Catching covid 3 times and having to have surgery also did not help but honestly I wonder how much my depressed immune system factored into me getting into the triple crown club.

It's been over a month since I was able to get the city to finally pressure the building owner into doing enough to get rid of our infestation, and I still have places on my skin that have not fully healed yet. I will likely carry the scars I have all over my body for the rest of my life. And here in Toronto the city was actually on my side. I seriously can't imagine what the people of Hamilton have had to go through.

The absolutely horrific levels of apathy, the severe lack of compassion one has to have... I don't care how detached from the situation these bureaucratic decision makers are, there is NO excuse for trying to justify allowing human beings to have to live in such conditions. This is violence. This is abuse. This is neglect. Landlords, LTBs, city bylaw officers, anyone who doesn't think it's important to protect people from these kinds of horrid living conditions...there's a reason people characterize you as evil or soulless. Wake the fuck up.

“The cockroach and bedbug infestations in Tammy Brown's Hamilton apartment have all but destroyed her life, she says.

Roaches have taken over her fridge and stove, contaminating her food and making it impossible to cook for her two adult daughters, one of whom lives with a disability, and her four-year-old grandson……Brown has called the city four times in under a year, begging for it to order the landlord at 221 Melvin Ave. to fix the pest problems.

She said neither public health nor bylaw has ever responded……There's a reason she hasn't heard back. The City of Hamilton isn't enforcing its own pest control rules — and hasn't for over four years, staff told CBC Hamilton……. according to public health manager, there's little evidence to suggest rats, cockroaches and bedbugs carry pathological diseases, and the idea that residents could experience negative mental health impacts is a "novel, developing notion"…”

[reidgraygubler]

hot cocoa and cuddles part two (spencer reid/reader)

Title:  hot cocoa & cuddles (part 2) Request: no Couple: Spencer Reid/Gender Neutral!Reader  Category: fluff Content Warning: swearing (if any), mentions of a case/s, mentions of illnesses, tbh idk what else to tag Word Count: 2,348 Summary: the team returns back to maryland/dc after the case in alaska. reader discovers they still can’t warm up, even after everything they do. spencer tries to help out, again A/N: the long awaited part 2 of hot cocoa and cuddles. this is for the people who want to read part two and those who were looking forward to it… o.o thanks for all the love and support! Check out my masterlist! 

part one

{***}{***}{***}

I pulled my sweater cardigan tighter around my body and shivered slightly. I pulled my hands away from my sweater and wrapped them around my hot mug, which was just hot tea. My eyes de-focused on the desktop in front of me. Anything Penelope and Aaron were saying went in one ear and out the other.

“You okay there, Honeybee?” Derek asked, looking over at me. I shivered and looked over at him. All eyes were on me as I tried to make myself not shake from my freezing-ness. “We’ve said your name like 6 times.”

“We’ve been home for 2 weeks and I am still freezing,” I spoke through clenched teeth. I wrapped my hands around my mug, which was slowly getting colder. “I have done literally everything to keep warm, and I’m still freezing.” I shook my head. 

“Maybe you should get a cat,” Emily spoke up. I looked over at her and furrowed my eyebrows. “Sergio keeps me pretty warm at night.” She smiled at me. I laughed lightly and shook my head.

“My apartment doesn’t allow pets,” I mumbled and stared at the table. I shrugged and shook my head. “I guess I just live in this constant state of forever being cold.” I frowned.

“Maybe you should get your blood check. You could have low iron,” Spencer spoke up, tapping his fingers on the tabletop. I looked over at him and shook my head. “Being cold can be a symptom of low iron… You could be anemic... hypothyroidism is always a possibility,” he continued on his ramble/.

“Hey, Spence?" I asked as I looked at him, my hands wrapping tighter around my mug, which at this point was starting to get lukewarm. 

“Yeah." He looked over at me with a smile. 

“I don’t think I need you to tell me of my impending doom because I’m cold. I went to Alaska, not a hospital filled with a bunch of sickly people,” I whispered. Spencer lifted his finger to retort but failed when I shot him a glare. 

“Get a boyfriend.” JJ smiled at me. I looked at her, trying to hide my smile but clearly failing. “Like your own personal space heater in bed. Body heat is a wonderful thing,” she mused as she flipped her file open. I shook my head as I glanced at Spencer. 

“Yeah, I’ll look into getting a boyfriend or my own personal space heater. Although, I’m not entirely sure if my apartment will allow those,” I pouted. JJ laughed and shook her head.

“Hey, Honeybee, I’m always free if you need a personal space heater.” Derek smirked at me. I laughed harder than I should have and looked at him.

“You seriously expect me to sleep in the same bed as you, Derek Morgan?” I cackled and shook my head. Spencer shifted in his seat and kept his eyes down on the file in front of him. 

“You shared a bed with Pretty Boy over there.” Derek nodded to my friend beside me. I tensed up slightly and glared at him.

“Better him than you, to be honest.” I flashed him a teasing smile. 

“Guys, let’s get back on the task at hand. Garcia,” Aaron spoke up as he looked back at Penelope. I stifled my laughter as I looked back at Derek. He grumbled something under his breath as he looked back at his file. 

{***}{***}{***}

I swear my heater was up so high (or as high as my bill would allow), I had my fluffiest and coziest pair of socks on, and at least 3 different sized hoodies on… The Alaska case was several weeks ago, I’ve been home ever since then… So why am I as cold as I am? And why can’t I warm up? Maybe I should take Derek up on his offer. Though, I think that’d be a whole new line I’d cross. Hard pass, thank you very much.

I should be asleep right now. 1:30 in the morning and I was sitting in bed with a hot water bottle pressed to my body. Something is wrong and I don’t know what. Crap, what if Spencer was right? What if I do have low iron or anemia? Or that hydro… Hypothyroidism, whatever that could be… I should ask him what that means. I wonder if he would be willing to be my personal space heater again. I mean, I know I kept him warm every bit as he kept me warm when we were in Alaska. And, he knows I’ve been cold. Listen, I’m just trying to rationalize wanting to cuddle Spencer Reid. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t stopped thinking about that. And, I wouldn’t be upset if it happened again.

“Screw this,” I muttered as I climbed out of bed with a blanket around my body. I shook my head as I muttered profanities under my breath. My body shook as I walked towards the front door of my apartment. I slipped my shoes on and left the house, freezing as I left my warm home. 

And then I found myself standing just outside of Spencer’s apartment. Better him over Derek, I kept repeating to myself. I have a better relationship with him than Derek. Derek is more of an older brother to me. Spencer... I don’t know what he is to me. But he definitely isn't an older brother...

“Just… knock,” I whispered as I brought my fist to the door. It’s nearly two in the morning. I hope he wasn’t asleep. Although, knowing Spencer he was probably awake, reading over some old files. 

“What… What are you doing here?” Spencer’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. I blinked before staring at him. He was wearing a black t-shirt and red and black checkered pj pants. Though his hair was messy and disheveled, he was definitely not asleep.  

“Just… Just coming to see how you’re doing,” I lied and shrugged. Spencer looked at me, raising an eyebrow. It was clear he wasn’t so sure of my answer. But to be fair, I wasn’t sure about my answer either.

“What’s really going on?” he asked, stepping to the side, silently inviting me in. I looked around his apartment and took a deep breath. His home always smelled like cinnamon and spice. I probably enjoyed it too much. Although, it made me feel warm… Which I was okay with. Answering Spencer’s question didn’t even cross my mind until I turned back and looked at him. “Is everything okay?” he asked again once I was facing him. I took a deep breath as I tugged on the ends of my sleeves.

“Uh, I was just… I was just thinking about the Alaska trip.” I wrinkled my nose as I looked anywhere but Spencer’s face. I was only mildly embarrassed that I was here… asking Spencer if he would want to cuddle with me… because I’m so cold. Man, I’m happy Spencer isn’t the teasing type. Not that he’d tease me about this. I know that anyone else would though… 

“What about the Alaska trip?” Spencer looked at me, his tone telling me he was very wary about my statement. I looked at the ground and shrugged.

“Just something you said, I guess,” I started as I looked at him, “Well, something you said earlier today,” I shrugged as I looked back down at the ground. I really wanted my blanket and hot water bottle. Even though I was warmer in his apartment, I was still cold. “Could I really be sick? Is that why I’m so cold?” I asked, folding my arms over my chest as I looked back at him. A shiver worked its way down my body and all the way to the tips of my toes and fingers. 

“Come on, I’m gonna make you hot chocolate, and then we’re gonna go lay in my bed, under the covers.” He held a hand out for me to take. I stared at it for a moment before carefully resting my hand in his. He clasped his fingers around mine before leading me to his kitchen.

“You didn’t answer my questions, Spencer. You know more than anyone that avoiding a question means your keeping something from someone.” I watched as he made two large mugs of hot cocoa.  

He still didn’t answer my questions as we walked towards his bedroom. And, in fact, he was silent up until I was sitting beside him on the bed, holding my mug of hot chocolate close to my body. Even though I was now in a warmer home, with a hot drink, several blankets, and the warmest person I know (despite his sometimes icy hands), I was still very cold. So, I looked over at him, watching as he flipped through the pages of his book.

“Are you going to answer my questions?” I asked, reaching over and placing my mug on the side table. Spencer looked over at me with a raised brow, slightly closing his book. “Am I actually dying?” I asked, feeling a certain fear grow in my tone. 

“You’re not dying,” he said as he folded the corner of the page in his book before closing it. I watched as he set it on his side table. 

“You don’t sound very convincing.” I shrugged, pulling one of my several blankets tighter around me. Spencer looked over at me and raised an eyebrow. He carefully gestured for me to move closer to him, and when I hesitated, he pulled me closer to him.

“You’re not dying. You’re not sick. You’re just cold. Everyone knows you’re probably the one who gets cold the most. Even when we were in Florida, you were cold,” Spencer said as he kept his arms around my body, holding me close to his. His body temperature was definitely warming me up, just like it had a few weeks prior.

“Hey! That’s because the stupid officers had the A/C on 65! It was freezing!” I moved away from him and looked at his face. I could feel a giggly smile grow on my face as I kept my eyes on him. “You giving me your sweater was like a gift from God.” I looked down at him. 

“I think that’s the fourth sweater that’s gone missing?” He copied my smile before laughing. I looked away from him, trying to play innocent. “And the only common denominator is you.” Spencer poked my nose before he pulled me back closer to him. I rolled my eyes before curling back into his side. The goosebumps that were once on my arms and exposed skin, were now fading away the longer I stayed beside Spencer.

“If it makes you feel any better, they were quite warm.” I smiled. I left out the part that I enjoyed that they smelled like him. “And, I’ll return them washed,” I added, again leaving out that I’ll be sad that they won’t hold his scent. 

“If they weren’t my favorite sweaters, I would say keep them. But I’m rather fond of two of those.” Spencer looked down at me with a warm smile. I laughed.

“Thanks for letting me in. I know it’s late. I promise I won’t make this a habit,” I laughed as I looked out onto the blankets in front of me. Part of me wondered what temperature Spencer had his furnace on, and how it was so warm. Mostly because my furnace was on pretty high and it was still like an icebox in my apartment. 

“It’s okay, really. You should work on getting a portable heater for your house and desk just so they warm up faster,” Spencer suggested.

I almost, very nearly, said “But then that’d mean I can’t come over anymore,” But I didn’t. So, I just stayed silent.

“Like Garcia said, your own personal space heater,” Spencer laughed. Though, I cringed, remembering what Derek had said.

“Yeah? Or I could just get a Derek Morgan.”

“Who would want him as a boyfriend,” he scoffed, sounding mildly hurt with my joke. I looked up at him with furrowed brows before sitting upright. 

“I never said I wanted him as my boyfriend. I was joking that he said he could be my space heater or a boyfriend. I was saying… What I meant was I could get a boyfriend instead. Because, you know…. Cuddling is a good way to-” 

“What if it was me,” he asked, cutting me off so swiftly. I had to look at him to make sure he actually said what he said, because he was so quiet and he said it so fast, I almost wasn’t sure.

“You want…” I furrowed my eyebrows, again, as I stared at him. Spencer was looking down at the blankets, probably wondering to himself if he actually said what he said. “Spencer, if you wanted to ask me out all you had to do was ask.” Okay, I was definitely warming up a lot faster now, feeling my blood rush from a sudden secondhand embarrassment that I didn’t really want to feel.

“It’s a lot more than that,” he muttered as he looked at me. I furrowed my eyebrows before reaching a hand up to his face. I carefully guided him so he was looking right at me. 

“It really isn’t… Like, ask me a question, any question.” I smiled, feeling my fingertips warm up under the warmth of his skin.

“Can I kiss you,” he asked, his voice very soft. I smiled before nodding, feeling a newfound excitement flood my body. Spencer lifted his hands and cupped my face, warming my cheeks instantly, before leaning closer to me. 

As his lips connected with mine, I finally felt warm for the first time in weeks. His arms holding me close to his body, like he became my own personal space heater, again. I could sense that he knew I was warming up because when he pulled away from me and looked down at me, he was smiling.

“I’d be okay if I made a habit of this.” Spencer nodded as he carefully ran a hand through my hair. I couldn’t help but laugh again.

“Good.” I smiled before pressing my lips to his for a moment, “Because I could too.”

if you want to be a part of a taglist or have any comments about this one shot, let me know here

[royallyprincesslilly]

Title: Crown For Two {3}

Henry Cavill AU x OFC Xari Thornton AU

Warning: Plot, Mild Cursing, Cheesy Christmas Themes, Slow Burn, Tease, PLENTY OF WORDS

Words: 7.2k

Summary: Xari Thornton is a travel photographer with a blog and social media that garners some heavy-duty traffic. People tune in to see where she is and what she’s doing there, all in hopes of either living vicariously through her or to plan their next vacation.  

Her slogan; “Traveling the path to the most off-beaten places, so you don’t have to.”  

Her next stop on her four destination travel itinerary of “Places You May Never Have Heard Of” is Sandvell, a small European country. When her plane makes an impromptu stop due to bad weather, she has no idea where she is. It feels like she’s stepped inside of a snow globe and back in time in a modern way. It leaves her fascinated.

This bad weather forces her to stay at an Inn, The Beaux, for the night. Rather than letting the hours tick by in her room, she explores and meets the friendly locals. While taking photographs, one local in particular captures her lens with eyes as blue as the ocean and a jaw that was chiseled from stone. They strike up conversation during their time drinking at one of the local bars, Ickles. Once they separate, she gets herself into a harrowing situation.  

As soon as she awakens, she realizes she’s not in some fever dream, but a palace and the owner of the palace is none other than the local she met before with the piercing blue eyes, His Royal Highness Henry Wellington Leopold Danglishton, First of his name, Crown Prince of Brexendor.

Note: All right, all right people, the ride continues. I really, really hope you enjoy this. As a reminder, it’s going to be fast-paced a bit, and I am gonna overload you with pictures because why the hell not, it’s a Christmas Fic. 😁 Feel free to come by and tell me what you guys think.

As always, thank you all for reading, I appreciate each and every one of you.

If you enjoyed this, please, LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG!!! ❤️❤️

***Loosely Edited/Proofread***

***Slightly Interactive***

Previous Chapters: {1} | {2} | 

Chapter Three

-Y/N-

When you opened your eyes again, your head felt a lot different. It wasn’t spinning. It didn’t feel congested, heavy, or muddled. You saw everything with clear eyes, alert eyes. Glancing around the room, you took in your surroundings like it was your first time, though you were sure it wasn’t. Closing your eyes, you tried to remember everything that had happened. You remembered walking through the streets, taking pictures, and even watching the locals go about their business. You also remembered going into a bar and drinking that god awful drink.

 When you remembered seeing Henry’s face, you couldn’t help but smile. Your conversation played over and over in your head and how easy it was to talk to one another. Even his smile and goofy laugh had you snuggling deeper into the plush bedding. He was definitely attractive. All of a sudden, the accident flashed into mind. You’d been struggling with the wind and the snow and couldn’t see not even two inches in front of you. The pain of being hit was absent. It was like it happened so fast that you were out cold before your pain receptors could adequately translate it.

 You bolted up as the words “prince” and “your highness” echoed in your head.

 “Shit, he’s a prince.”

You rubbed your forehead, then pinched the bridge of your nose. Of course he is, you thought. Why would you meet some normal person in this clear fairytale country? Leaning against the headboard, you chewed your bottom lip, beginning to wonder about several other things. One of them was your exchange in the bar. He clearly knew who he was. You were not naïve when it came to the attention of men. There was evident flirting going on.

 “Was he trying to charm me into being some royal conquest?”

 Before you could think on the topic any further, there was a knock at the door. You sat up straighter while trying to figure out the right way to sit. You lied back casually but decided that was too casual. You then straightened your back and took note of how your breasts were accentuated thanks to the proper posture.

 “Too much,” you whispered, slouching again.

 The knock came again.

 “Ma’am?”

 Shaking your head, you sighed and said, forget it. You had no idea how to answer, so you said the first thing to come to mind.

 “You may enter.” You didn’t know why you decided to add an uppity British accent. Slapping your hand to your head, you shook it, already tired of your own shenanigans.

When you looked, it was the doctor you’d seen the night before.

 “Good morning, ma’am.”

 You gave him a polite smile as he approached with his black doctor’s bag.

 “How are you feeling today. Better, I hope.”

 “Much, thank you.”

 He nodded, then placed his bag on the bedside table.

 “How did you sleep? Any pain?”

 “No—well, not severe pain. I’m just mainly sore.”

 Dr. Alfonsi. nodded. “You can take aspirin for those aches. They should subside in another few days, as will the bruises.”

 You nodded again.

 “May I begin my examination?”

 Giving him a demure smile as permission, he approached and began doing all the things a doctor would at the beginning of any appointment. He took your blood pressure, checked your reflexes and your temperature. He examined your eyes, listened to your heart, followed along with your pulse and respiration, all the while taking diligent notes on his phone that he held in the breast pocket of his white coat.

 Ten or so minutes later, he closed his bag and then brought over one of the chairs in the room. Once he sat, he softly clapped his hands together.

 “And that is that. I am pleased your vitals are appearing better and better. Are you feeling the return of your strength?”

 “Not really,” you confessed.

 “As I explained yesterday, I had concerns from the results of a few blood tests I did. Did you know that you have several vitamin deficiencies?”

 Your eyebrows quirked. “Uh—n—no. I didn’t. What do you mean?”

 “Well, in an effort to provide a most comprehensive recovery plan for you, as I do with every patient I see in the royal family and elsewhere. I ran a full panel of tests and came back with several alarming finds. You have a deficiency of vitamin B12, Vitamins D, and E, you’re severely low in Iron and Folate. Have you ever been diagnosed with Anemia?”

 Your head swarmed with all the words and letters he’d just flung at you.

 “Uh—no. I don’t think so.”

 “I am diagnosing it now.”

 You watched his mouth move as he explained the dangers of the deficiencies and listed the symptoms one would expect, which all coincided with what you’d felt on and off for some time. The explanation seemed to go on and on. With every word Dr. Alfonsi. spoke, your breathing sped more and more. He must have seen the terror on your face because he reached out and took your hand.

 “It’s all right, dear. Though it is not as soon as I would have liked, we caught it. we now know that there is a serious problem.”

 “I—I didn’t know. I mean, I guess I’ve been busy these last few months and on the go, but—I never--,” you trailed off.

 “Calm down. It’s easy to fall behind on our health, but it is important we catch up. In order to do that, you’re going to have to make some changes.”

 “What kind of changes?”

 “Lifestyle and occupational. You’re going to need to change your diet, incorporate the therapies and medicines I will be prescribing, as well as taking it significantly easier than I suspect you have in the past,” Dr. Alfonsi explained.

 “Taking it easy? What exactly does that mean?”

 “Well, I mild cases I’ve seen in my years, I’ve recommended a month of strict relaxation along with what I’ve said before. That meant decreased hours at work, perhaps a sabbatical, bed rest until the patient begins to regain strength to prevent chances of falling and bone breakage.”

 “Bed rest?”

 “Yes, and that’s just for mild cases. Your case, I’m afraid, is a lot more serious. While I recommended it for others, for you, I would have to insist.”

 You sat up, giving him a look that said he was crazy.

 “I can’t go on bed rest. That’s not just decreased hours; that is complete incapacitation,” you protested.

 “I can understand your alarm, but that is how serious your situation is, ma’am.”

 “God, please stop calling me ma’am. My name is Xari.”

 “Ms. Xari,” he corrected.

 Several moments passed in silence. You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. Yeah, you hadn’t gone to the doctor in almost two years and didn’t take multivitamins and oftentimes forgot to eat, but you worked out, ate your greens—sometimes, and experienced plenty of holistic activities throughout the world. You had no idea you were in this bad shape.

 “Do you understand what I am saying, Ms. Xari? If you do not make drastic changes for the foreseeable future, you may not see the blooming of spring flowers.”

 Your jaw dropped. He was laying on pretty thick, but it was working. You were alarmed. Sighing, you rubbed your forehead.

 “What exactly do you suggest then?”

 “What you’re doing now, bed rest. I will communicate with the staff your dietary needs for the coming weeks as well as instructions for your medication--.”

 “Wait, hold up. What? You don’t mean for me to stay here, do you?”

 Dr. Alfonsi looked at you as if you were missing a few screws.

 “Yes.”

You flung your hands out. “Nope. Absolutely not. I can’t stay here.”

 “Why not? I am more than sure the prince would allow you to remain here until you are fully recovered, especially seeing it was his highness’ royal car that hit you for us to discover your ailments.”

 “No. I can’t stay here. I don’t—I’m a stranger to these people. I am—there’s no way. I can’t ask him or anyone here to wait on me.”

 Dr. Alfonsi smiled. “I understand your apprehension, believe me, I do, but it is unnecessary. I have known the prince since he was a child. He is a kind man and would never dare turn someone who is in need and sick away. You will be safe here.”

 Hearing how highly he spoke of his prince piqued your curiosity. It could have been one of those things where one’s subjects loved them so dearly they had not one bad word to say about them, or one’s subjects fears them so much that they didn’t dare utter one negative thing about them. You wondered which was the real story. Perhaps a little in the middle, you thought.

 Sighing, you leaned your head on the headboard, still adamant you didn’t want to stay here.

 “I have a life to get back to. I’ve already been here for two days too long.”

 “Two days?”

 The question in his voice had your head snapping to him. You cautiously opened your mouth to speak. “Yes,” you squeaked.

 “No. I’m afraid it’s been more than two days. It’s been a week since you’ve been here, Ms. Xari.”

 Your eyes bugged, and you instantly began searching for your phone.

 “What are you looking for?”

 “My things. Where are my things? My phone?”

 Dr. Alfonsi looked around the room then walked to a large wardrobe before he came back with your purse. You unintentionally snatched it from him, digging through it for the desired object. Once you had it, you discovered it was dead.

 “Fuck.”

 You began trying to get off the bed, but as soon as you stood, you dropped back to the bed, your legs unable to hold you.

 “I would caution against doing too much too soon. I’m impressed you were able to attempt an escape once. I doubt you’d be successful a second time.”

 “I need my charger. Where are my things? I’ve been off the grid for a week. I have family, people who will worry. I need—need--.”

 Your chest pounded so fast you could barely catch your breath. As you struggled to get a full breath, you began to panic. Dr. Alfonsi was to you on the other side of the bed in seconds, checking your pulse and instructing you to breathe slowly and deeply. You would if you could and wished you could shout that to him. Before you knew it, darkness was all you saw.

 ~~~~~~~~

When you opened your eyes, you were again tucked in the bed, but you were now hooked up to an IV. You took a deep breath and noted the heaviness that resided in your chest. Groaning, you slowly sat up. Once rested against the headboard, you remembered your mission. Your phone. Kicking off the covers, you used the rolling IV rod as if it were a cane and stood on wobbly legs. After a full minute, you began moving though every step you took felt like you’d fall to the floor.

 What should have taken you seconds took minutes. The steps proved to be more challenging to maneuver with the IV stand. You searched the room, but you didn’t see your luggage. That was when you saw your phone plugged into a charger on the nightstand to the left of the bed. You wobbled toward it then quickly unlocked it. Feeling yourself shake even more, you used the wall as your brace as you scrolled through. You saw the bounty of missed calls, unanswered messages, and emails of alarm. As expected, everyone was worried to death about you.

 “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

 You found your sister’s number and dialed it. It didn’t ring; instead, it went to voicemail. Your frustration was evident as you knocked over the small glass figurine on the bedside table. You ignored the shattered pieces and grabbed the IV pole, ready to walk out of the room in search of your things. Once you opened the door, your jaw dropped, seeing another luxurious room similar to the bedroom but decked in different colors.

 You took one then two steps, and your knees gave out. Before you tumbled to the floor, you heard a shriek and your name being shouted; then you were in someone’s arms. You looked up into blue eyes that were framed by long lashes and thick eyebrows.

 “Are you all right?”

 You snorted. “We have got to stop meeting like this,” you teased with a soft smile. It was a smile Henry returned.

“I cannot make any promises.”

 Henry then lifted you into his strong arms and carried you where you’d just come from. As he held you, you couldn’t help but glance over the side of his face that was perfectly in view. If you thought his jaw was chiseled to perfection before, now—you were certain there was not even one flaw about it. When he placed you back in the bed, he hovered over you for a few seconds. They were seconds that felt like minutes, especially with the intensity you saw in his eyes.

 “Xari.”

 Tearing your eyes from his, you glanced to your left to see Anika, your sister.

 “Nika!”

 She leaped onto the bed and scurried across to you, then threw her arms around you.

 “Oh my god. What’re you doing here!? How’d you get here?”

 “I’ve been so worried! I’m so glad you’re okay.”

 Relief filled you, and you found yourself relaxing a little more.

 “I don’t get it. How are you?”

 Anika pulled back with a wide smile on her face. She looked up, bringing your eyes to the man who still stood beside the bed. His arms were crossed across his chest, and a soft smile decorated his lips.

 “Him. He’s how I’m here.”

 You were still confused, and you knew your expression showed it.

 “I couldn’t reach you. I called and called and no answer. A few days ago, I got a call back, and it was the prince,” Anika began giving you a wide-eyed look when she said, “prince.”

 “Henry, please, I insist.”

 Anika smiled and actually giggled before she continued. “Henry. He explained everything and kept me in the loop with your condition. Because of that damn storm, I couldn’t get here. He ended up sending the royal jet for me once the storm passed enough to bring me here, so you’d have someone with you.”

 Wow, you thought, letting all she’d said register. He’d done a lot. You slipped your eyes to him and found them on you.

 “He’s been very kind, Ri,” Anika added.

 You were speechless. What were you supposed to say? Clearing your throat, you said the first thing you thought of.

 “Thank you.”

 Henry nodded and held your gaze. “It was done for you alone and with you in mind.”

 Well, shit, you thought, unable to take your eyes off of his. After a few moments, you heard Anika clear her throat, and it was Henry who looked away first.

 “Right. I was bringing your sister here for you to see. Now that you have her, I will give the staff instructions to see whatever the two of you will need for your stay.”

 “Uh—about that. It won’t be necessary,” you piped up.

 “Excuse me?”

 His intimidating aura increased, making you feel like a disobedient little whose daddy was about to punish her. At that comparison, you had a quick thought about whether or not he was a vanilla prince or one with plenty of shades of grey. Straightening your back, you held your head higher.

 “While I appreciate all you’ve done for me thus far, it won’t be necessary for you or your staff to fuss over my sister or me any longer. We’ll be leaving.”

 Henry cocked his head to the right, then tightly clenched his jaw.

 “Is that right?”

 “Why are we leaving?”

 Ignoring Anika’s question, you decided not to look away from Henry feeling a challenge in how he looked at you.

 “According to Dr. Alfonsi, you’re in no shape to be going anywhere.” He nodded to your IV pole for emphasis.

 “I will stay at the inn that is in town or a hotel.”

 “Nonsense. It was my fault you were hurt, and my responsibility to rectify the damage and harm I have caused.”

 “He’s right, Xari. It’s his fault, and you should let him accrue the expenses,” Anika voiced.

 “Nika!”

 “What! He’s a prince, Ri. He got it,” she replied a little under her breath but still loud enough for him to hear.

 “I must agree with Lady Anika.”

 Anika snorted and laughed. “I’m definitely not a lady.”

 Henry smirked at her then quickly looked back to you. “I must insist you remain here. At least until Dr. Alfonsi has given you the seal of good health. I am afraid if you were to go anywhere, something would happen to you, and I would not be able to forgive myself.”

 You studied him for a few moments, taking in the expression on his face as well as the tight clench of his jaws. Your eyes moved down to his still folded arms and the muscles that bulged because of his stance. He was definitely overwhelming like this, and though you hated to feel like a bother, you suspected that here was the best place for now. Glancing to Anika, she gave you a stern eye that said, “just give in already.”

 Rolling your eyes, you nodded. “Fine, but only until I’m well enough.”

 “If that is your wish, just know you are welcomed here for however long you wish.”

 “My goodness, such a gentleman. They sure breed them differently here, huh sis.”

 Henry smiled, then glanced at Anika. “Everything is different here in Brexendor.”

 “I bet,” Anika finished.

 “Since it is settled, I will proceed to advise the staff. Dr. Alfonsi has already given several strict dietary orders as well as health orders. If there is anything you require do not hesitate to speak it. Lady Anika, I have already instructed a bedroom be prepared for you, but I will instruct it be as close to your sister as possible.”

 “Thank you.”

 He nodded, then looked back at you. “I sincerely hope you feel better soon.”

 “Are you leaving?”

 “Unfortunately, yes. I am afraid I have quite a lot to do today. By all means, though, feel free to go where you please. My home is yours, ladies.”

 With that, he curtly bowed his head then walked toward the door. Before he walked out, he stopped.

 “Oh, Xari, try not to escape again. I cannot guarantee I will always be there to catch you.”

 You saw the hint of a smile on his lips and instantly knew he was teasing you.

 “Somehow, your highness, I suspect you will magically appear at the mere hint of a faint.”

 He chuckled to himself then walked out, closing the doors behind him. Once alone, Anika wasted no time.

 “Holy fucking shit, he is hot as fuck!”

 You snorted and laughed as you relaxed into the bed.

 “Wonderful censor you have there, Nika.”

 “Fuck censor.”

 “Well, that last time I said fuck here, I was looked at like I was the most uncouth Neanderthal. I suggest you keep your fucks to a minimum.”

 Anika bounced you. “Will you be able to keep your fucks to a minimum?”

 “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

 Anika rolled her eyes. “Whatever! The air hasn’t even gotten a chance to come back down from the sweltering levels your guys’ flirting raised it to.”

 Your jaw dropped. “Excuse me! There was no flirting.”

 “Yes, there was, and it was not on your side alone. He was flirting with you too. What in the world is going on? I need the whole story without even the smallest detail left out.”

 You sighed then proceeded to tell her the whole sordid tale. As instructed, you didn’t leave anything out. You even told her about that exchange between you and Henry before you walked out of the bar. At the end of story time, Anika had a huge grin on her face.

 “What are you grinning at?”

 “You. Leave it to you to get whisked away by a prince and have him fall; for you in record time.”

 “No, no, no. Falling? Nika, you’re imagining things. He hasn’t fallen for anyone. He’s a prince, for crying out loud. They don’t fall for anyone, let alone some commoner. Have you never watched The Crown?”

 Anika snorted and dropped to the bed at your feet.

 “First of all, The Crown is whack. Second of all, this is not England. This place is fantastic. It’s like some Hallmark country where everything is beautiful, quaint, and perfect. You smiled and bit your bottom lip, agreeing fully.

 “Third, I was sitting right here, listening to your banter. I think he could totally fall for you if he hasn’t already.”

 You rolled your eyes, ignoring everything she was saying. Anika loved to play matchmaker, though you hated every time she did it.

 “You’re practically in his bed. We just have to get you there.”

 You rolled your eyes again, shocked at how quickly she’d gotten there. “Okay, down, girl. According to this doctor, I’m falling apart, Nika. Any bed I’ll be in for a while is this one.”

 “Well, now you have me here to encourage you to lap up the luxury and hospitality of his highness the prince of Brexendor. Get the fuck outta here!”

 The two of you laughed loudly. This situation you’d found yourself into was the most ridiculous one either of you could have ever begun to imagine.

 A few hours later, you found yourself alone while Anika settled in her room. Another knock sounded at your door. Being unable to open it yourself, you instructed them to come in. Once the doors opened in walked a beautiful girl about your age with long black hair and features similar to Henry’s. In your head, you suspected she was a family member. She smiled sweetly as she approached you. When she was by your bedside, she dropped onto the mattress.

 “Hi.”

 You returned her warm smile. “Hi.”

 “My god, you are beautiful.”

 You snorted, then pinched your lips together, trying to suppress your laugh. She was insane. You looked the worst you’d ever looked.

 “You’re being kind. I haven’t showered in a week and only today got to comb my hair. You’re being very, very kind.”

 She giggled but still looked genuine.

 “I’m Jemma,” she said, holding her hand out to you. Once you took it, and instantly noted how soft they were.

 “It’s nice to meet you.”

 “I have been trying to get here to introduce myself, but Henry told me to stay away so you could acclimate. Otherwise, I would have been here much sooner.”

 You smiled and assured her it was fine.

 “How are you doing?”

 You shrugged. “I guess I’m okay.”

 She didn’t look convinced and took you in for a few moments. “I’m sure my brother has brought all the best doctors for your care and has thought of everything that would ensure your comfort. With that treatment, I expect you to make a full recovery in no time.”

 “Brother.”

 “Yes. Please tell me you did not think I was his girlfriend or something of the sort.”

 She looked disgusted, which made you laugh.

 “No. I suspected a family member. So you’re a princess.”

 Jemma rolled her eyes as she sighed out as if she was already tired of the conversation.

 “Yes, but I promise it is not nearly as glamourous as you’re thinking. The only nice thing about it is the diamonds, everything else, eh.”

 You smiled, already liking her. she gave off an air that said she didn’t take herself seriously and even liked to have a bit of fun more times than not.

 “The staff is all abuzz with news that you will be residing with us for the next few weeks. Henry has told them to cater to your every whim, and because it came from him, everyone is in a tizzy over it, prepping to ensure you are at your most comfortable,” Jemma explained.

 “What. No, that’s not what I want at all. They don’t have to go all out.”

 “It’s okay.”

 “No. then everyone will think I’m some prissy thing who likes to be waited on when that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

 Jemma took you for a little while, then took your hand and squeezed it gently.

 “Not to worry, Xari. I assure you no one will think that.”

 You sighed then tried to forget it because it was too late to change whether or not they thought it. You were sure everyone was already whispering about you and Anika, the two Americans who’d somehow found their way into the palace.

 “Also, we are not as gossip centered as other monarchies. I promise,” Jemma added, raising her hand as if to swear it.

 When she sensed you relaxed, she proceeded to ask a plethora of questions about you, ranging from where you were from to what you did and the all-important if you were single. You felt like you were on a modern-day “Who Wants to be Friends With a Princess” tv show. With every fact, you revealed she revealed a similar one and so on. After an hour, you found that you had plenty in common, something that was shocking for you.

 When Anika came back, the party really stated. Your laughter picked up, as did the stories that Jemma revealed about royal life. Those stories prompted Anika to tell stories of life as a commoner in America as she called it. The only thing was her stories we mainly all about partying, dating, and men. With each story, Jemma’s eyes widened, and you felt like slowly Anika would end up corrupting her.

 “Nika, stop. You’re going to have her on an episode of Princesses Gone Wild,” you joked, which had both of them in stitches on your bed.

 “I will have you know that I am not some innocent wallflower. I know things,” Jemma countered.

 You couldn’t help but laugh loudly. Just the way she said that told you she didn’t know very many things. That was when Jemma proceeded to list the names of the men she’d dated, a list of three men. Anika was the one to ask the nature of these relationships, to which Jemma said she knew in great detail the kind of underwear each man wore. You lost it right then and there, dropping onto the bed in a fit of laughter.

 Exhaustion caught you off guard, dampening the mood of the night. Jemma assured you that she’d keep Anika company and show her around to give you time to take a nap. After thanking her, the two women walked out of your room, leaving you to silence. Once the door closed, it opened again. this time it was the woman named Audrina.

 “Good evening, ma’am. Is there anything I can bring you?”

 “No. I’m all right.”

 She nodded, then closed the door leaving you again. You quickly drifted off to sleep.

  ~~~~~

 -Henry-

He’d never met anyone quite as beautiful as you. he remembered when you’d walked into the bar and sat down beside him like you were right where you were supposed to be. You had no idea that the bar was empty because it was closed for him to be there, had no idea that he was not some ordinary citizen. He liked being a no one, especially if it meant he could sit there with you all night. He remembered wanting just that. If his phone hadn’t run, if he’d had more time, he probably would have tried to hold your hand. If he’d had more time, he would have gotten himself into an even bigger predicament than he was now—attracted to a woman he knew better than to touch.

 Slowly he looked over the features of your face and took in each detail. He pressed the elements of your face to his memory so he could call on them when he was alone, buried in work. A sigh escaped him as a lite feeling filled him. It was an unfamiliar one. He wanted to touch you. It was an urge that was so strong he almost couldn’t overpower it—almost. He balled his fist and sat back in the settee beside your bed, trying to ignore the feelings that washed over him.

 “Remember yourself,” he whispered before he looked back to the work he’d brought with him when he’d decided to pay you a quick visit.

 This quick visit was an hour ago. When he found you asleep, he should have turned around and left, but he couldn’t. He intended to sit here for a few minutes, ten tops, but he still had yet to tear himself away. He mustered what was left of his control and focused on the screen before him and tried to write his speech for the new world bank’s upcoming opening.

 This was one of his father’s pet projects, and he was filled with pride to see it to fruition, but also it made him miss the man more. Sighing, he closed his eyes and began rubbing his temples. Every time he thought of his father in the last few months, it brought him added stress. It was this stress that prevented him from sleeping longer than four hours a night.

 “Christ,” he whispered.

 “Are you all right?”

 Jerking his head up, he saw you awake with your head still atop the pillow. You looked like a dream, or perhaps his best nightmare.

 “I am sorry. Was I too loud?”

 “No. I um—just happened to open my eyes.”

 You slowly sat up, allowing the blanket to fall from your chest to your lap. As you adjusted yourself, he moved his laptop to the other side of the settee.

 “You didn’t answer me, though. Are you all right?”

 A smile tugged at his lips, but he fought it. “Me? Should it not be me be asking you that?”

 “Can’t we ask each other?”

 He studied you for a few moments, then nodded. “I am fine.”

 “Liar.”

 His jaw dropped, half shocked you would go there. There weren’t many people in his life that would dare.

 “I take it no one calls his highness a liar,” you teased.

 “You take it right. Maybe Jemma or my mother on occasion and a few of my friends but not many.”

 You smiled, then shrugged. “I call em’ like I see em.’”

 He crossed his arms and leaned back. “Pray tell, what gave me away to make you insult me so?”

 Your smile widened before you sucked your bottom lip into your mouth, bringing his eyes right there. He adjusted in the seat he sat and waited for you to continue.

 “Your eyes are red, under your eyes puffy, and one doesn’t just say Christ to say Christ.”

 You had him there. He pushed his fist under his chin and continued to watch you.

 “So you are implying I look bad.”

 You smirked then, and he picked up the change in the air.

 “I mean, I’m sure I look the same as you. So take comfort in that.”

 A chuckle escaped him. “So that is a yes; I do look bad.”

 You looked at him but didn’t answer.

 “I will take that as a yes on my part. however, regarding you, you look far from bad.”

 You snorted then laughed, and it was the most shockingly endearing sound. It wasn’t a laugh he would hear from others in his company. Their laughs would be all dignified, but yours was genuine. It was also downright terrifying, but he preferred it.

 “Now I know you’re a liar. I look absolutely disgusting. I can’t believe I’m going to tell you this, but I haven't showered in a week.”

 He pinched his lips, hiding his smile. You looked so uncomfortable admitting that.

 “Oh my.” He placed his hand over his mouth as if the fact mortified him.

 You pinched your lips.

 “Please tell me you have at least brushed your teeth.”

 “Today was the first day in just as much time.”

 Again he put his hand over his mouth and widened his eyes for emphasis. “Appalling.”

 You snorted again, and the delightful laugh came back. This time the laugh looked to encompass your entire being, and you glowed. When your laughter subsided, you dabbed at your eyes as you tried to catch your breath. He held out his handkerchief to you. When you took it, you used it to replace your fingers.

 “Thank you.”

 When you finished, you inspected the fabric, then looked at him.

 “You must like your women disgusting to still be here.”

 He shrugged.

 “How are you feeling?”

 “After that nap, I’m feeling well.”

 That made him happy.

 “Are you feeling well enough for some dinner?”

 “Uh—I was told I’m to stay in bed.”

 “Yes, Dr. Alfonsi has informed me and the staff as well. That is why--,” he began before walking across the room to the door.

 Once he opened it, the staff rolled in three carts filled with platters, trays, and bowls of plenty. Once the carts were parked, he thanked the staff and let them see themselves out.

 “Dinner is served.”

 The look on your face said you didn’t know what to say, so he uncovered the treys finding the menu items he’d chosen for the meal.

 “I was not sure what you liked, so I had them bring all of it.”

 He took up a plate and brought it to you. It took a few moments for you to take it, but you did. That was when he went back for his to sit back on the settee.

 “Also, do not feel as if you have to eat ladylike for me,” he began.

 You took up your fork and shoved an overflowing fork full of mashed potatoes into your mouth, letting a small glob rest at the side of your mouth.

 “What was that, your highness?”

 That was all it took for his attraction to turn to yearning.

 The two of you ate in silence for the most part. He asked you questions to get to know you better, and every new piece of information he found out only made him like you more and more. When you spoke about your career, he heard the passion in your voice, and it spoke to something in him. It had been a long time since he’d been around anyone who was genuinely passionate about the things they enjoyed. It stirred something in him, something he wasn’t quite ready to uncover.

 “I am sorry that I did not tell you once we met who I was.”

 You paused with your fork in your mouth.

 “It’s okay. To be real, why would you reveal to a stranger your secret identity. That’s like Clark Kent walking around in his incognito glasses with an S on his chest. It defeats the purpose.”

 “Clark Kent. Superman.”

 “Yes, one of my favorite superheroes.”

 A soft smile spread across his face before he nodded.

 “What’s yours? Wonder Woman?”

 He scoffed, then shook his head as he stood and approached the carts, ready for dessert. It wasn’t the Strawberry Cheesecake he truly desired, but it would have to do. When he returned to his seat, he placed your plate in front of you and sat.

 “It’s Wonder Woman, huh, or maybe Poison Ivy, ooh, Catwoman.”

 He sat there patiently, letting you list them off. He couldn’t help but wonder why those were chosen.

 “Before I answer, can I ask why you chose them?”

 He saw the mischievous glint twinkle in your eye as your lips quirked up into a smirk.

 “Oh, this, I must hear.”

 “No reason. They’re just seen as the most desirable by fanboy standards,” you responded while rolling with your eyes.

 He suppressed a chuckle to put a piece of the cheesecake into his mouth.

 “So?”

 “None of those.”

 “Oh, please do enlighten me,” you quipped.

 Resting the fork on the side of the dish, he responded. “Nubia and Storm.”

 He sat there and thoroughly enjoyed watching the emotions wash over your face. Shock was the first, then disbelief, and finally awe. Now you sat there assessing him as if you thought he was pranking you. He was not. You opened your mouth to say something, and he stopped you before you did.

 “I suggest you do not repeat it. I assure you I am not.”

 Your eyes darkened right at the moment you sucked your bottom lip back into your mouth. Losing his train of thought and head for control, he put another piece of the cake into his mouth, licking the back of the fork. Your eyes lowered to his mouth and your teeth sunk into that delectable bottom lip. If he were a weaker man, he would have tossed the plate he held to the side and been on you in under five seconds, but he was not a weak man. As future King, weakness had no place in the monarchy.

 Weakness was not an option until he saw you put the fork in your mouth to mirror his actions, only your tongue swirled around the teeth of the fork in a way that made his pants instantly too tight. Christ, help him.

 He cleared his throat and changed his position on the couch to one that would hide your effect.

“Interesting. I didn’t expect those,” you stuttered.

 “What did—what did you expect?”

 You shrugged and toyed with the fork against your lips. “Something else, but I’m pleasantly surprised.”

 Your eyes met again, and the temptation he felt was somehow more than he’d ever felt. He wanted you. He’d wanted you since you cursed about how disgusting the drink was at the bar. The only thing was, this want had shifted.

 “I am happy it is pleasantly.”

 Again your eyes lingered, and he wanted nothing more than to give in to the heavy cloud of temptation that filled the room.

 “What’re you working on?”

 He cleared his throat again and straightened himself. “Uh—a speech. One of my father’s projects premiers in a few days, the first since his um—” he cleared his throat again. “Since his passing, and I am going to be the one to cut the ribbon on it.”

 “Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss.”

 Keeping his eyes turned downward, he nodded. The sincerity in your voice touched him. “Thank you.”

 The silence between you stretched for a few seconds before you spoke again.

 “What’s wrong with it?”

 “The speech, um—I do not know. It just does not feel right.”

 “Want me to take a look?”

 “Do you have an aptness for speeches?”

 You placed your place to the side and adjusted your posture.

 “Not speeches in general. I do have a knack for words. I’ve spent the last few years writing about the places I’ve gone in such a way that makes people want to go there themselves. I might know a little something, something.”

 He smiled, put the plate beside him, and leaned forward to hand you his laptop. He watched as you read through the few paragraphs he’d already written and wondered what you thought of it. Every lift of your brow or nibble of your lip had him more and more curious as to the thoughts in your head. After a few minutes, you nodded.

 “This isn’t bad. You sound like you’re on a good roll.”

 “No critique?”

 “How about you leave me with it for a day or two, and I’ll have some notes. Or, you could give it to your royal speechwriter.”

 He chuckled. “What makes you think I have one of those?”

 You rolled your eyes and smiled. “Hello, this is a monarchy. I am sure the monarchy employs people to make sure their dear prince is always PC.”

 You were right.

 “I think I would rather leave it with you,” he replied, making you smile in the process.

 “Okay. I’ll knock your socks off then.”

 “You already have,” he said, standing to take your plate.

 He tried to arrange the empty plates, dishes, and classes on the carts in a way that wouldn’t have them falling once they were moved.

 “Is there anything else I can get for you?”

 He turned in time to see you wobbling toward him, clutching the IV pole with one hand and a plate with the other. He saw your knees buckle and wrapped you in his arms, taking you to the bed in the process. With you underneath him, he couldn't deny how right this felt. Your breathing was heavy, your eyes bright and chest heaving. The way you were looking at him made his next move the only possible one.

 He brought his lips toward yours but right before he claimed them, he hesitated. The tiny sliver of space between your lips made it easy to feel the literal electricity that sparked between you. He was so close, but so far, and he wanted to get closer. The fact that you didn’t look as if you objected to this made his blood bubble with desire even more than it had hours ago when he first walked in.

 “I apologize,” he whispered before he pulled away from you with whatever ounce of strength he had remaining. He stood before you then held his hands out to you.

 “Let me help you.”

 You placed your hands in his letting him hoist you up. He wrapped his arm around your waist and helped you back to the side of the bed you’d been this entire time.  When he eased you down, he spread the blanket over you and assured you were comfortable. Being sure to keep his eyes away from yours, he turned to his things and gathered them.

 “I will let you get some rest. If Dr. Alfonsi found out I were here preventing that, he would give me a stern talk.”

 “Thank you for this,” you said.

 He took his laptop from your bed and nodded. “I will email it to you.”

 “You have my email?”

 “I am head of this country; I have multiple resources at my disposal,” he replied, smirking at you. Your smile said you fully understood his meaning and knew he was teasing. You understood him. Yet another thing to like about you, he thought. He quickly averted his eyes then gave you a slight head bow.

 “Good night, Xari.”

 “Good night, your highness.”

  He walked toward the door and poked his head out to instruct the waiting staff to remove the carts. The walk back to his room was filled with several stops as he thought to go back, but when he realized he couldn’t, he carried on his way. He’d never been filled with so many conflicting wants and thoughts before, and he suspected as the coming weeks stretched, this would be just the tip of the iceberg.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[missmentelle]

Tips for low energy days?

Well, it depends. How often do you have low energy days? And what counts as a low energy day for you? Is it a day where you can still go through the motions of work/school/social interaction but you just don’t have the energy to do more than the minimum? Or is it a day where you don’t have the energy to feed yourself or get out of bed? Because those are two very different ball games. 

I would start to get concerned about “low energy days” if:

they are happening often, or you tend to have several in a row

they leave you unable to fulfill basic tasks, like going to work or school

they are negatively affecting your grades or job performance

they are negatively affecting your relationships

you don’t have the energy to tend to your basic needs, like feeding yourself a simple meal or getting out of bed

they are accompanied by low mood, sadness, or feelings of numbness

they are accompanied by suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming yourself 

you find yourself crying or feeling guilty for no reason 

you either lose your appetite or binge-eat during those days

you find yourself struggling with feelings of worthlessness

you feel restless and agitated, even though you have low energy 

you are oversleeping (sleeping more than 9-10 hours in a day)

you’re having a hard time sleeping 

you have difficulty concentrating or remembering things 

you feel physically cold, even in a warm room

you’ve been experiencing unexplained weight gain

If you find you are having a lot of low-energy days, that your low-energy days are accompanied by other symptoms or that your low-energy days are starting to impact your life, it’s important to speak to a professional and check to see if there is an underlying cause here. 

There are a lot of medical conditions that can cause fatigue or low energy - things like anemia, hypothyroidism, chronic fatigue syndrome, sleep apnea, diabetes or narcolepsy - and it’s very important to get checked out to see if there could be an untreated medical condition causing your symptoms. My constant low-energy days turned out to be hypothyroidism; getting my fatigue checked out was what led me to getting the treatment I needed. Fatigue and low energy can also be a symptom of a mental illness like depression or anxiety, and it’s equally important to get checked out so that you can get proper treatment and resources. 

Sometimes, though, we all just have “blah” days where we can go through the motions, but don’t really have the energy to do more than that. We can drag ourselves to work or school, but we just kind of phone it in, and we don’t have the energy to empty that overflowing trash can or make anything more complex than a microwaved burrito for dinner. These happen to everyone; most of us work too many hours per week and don’t get the rest and relaxation time we need. We’re not robots, and sometimes our bodies and brains just tell us they need a break. 

When that happens, I think the only thing you can really do is listen to your body. You can only fight your low-energy state for so long before you totally burn out. Try to set aside some time for physical and mental rest - take a break from the news, change into some comfy pants, order some takeout and curl up on the couch to watch a mindless sitcom. Go for a walk, ask your friends to text you memes, cuddle with your pet. Take a sick day if you can, just to rest and recharge. I know that taking time to rest may be easier said than done for a lot of people, but it’s important to try to block out any time that you can. 

I think the pandemic has caused a lot of people to have more low-energy days than they normally would - it’s incredibly stressful to be living through a major global event like this, where the future is uncertain and there’s a constant barrage of bad news that we’re all expected to pay attention to. Be extra gentle with yourself. Again, I know it’s easier said than done, but try to establish a basic routine and tend to your basic needs. Eat food. Go for walks. Go to bed at a regular time. Take the pressure off yourself to be productive, and set aside more time for rest. If you need to take shortcuts with your housework and spend more time reading mystery novels in bed, that’s okay.  Best of luck to you! MM

[rwby-sk]

WIP First draft teaser --- Modern Au Fic

Jaune hurried to catch up with the rest of Doctor Oobleck’s students. Three years of medical school and they were finally making rounds in the surgery wing and he didn’t want to miss a moment of it.

Oobleck led them up and down the sterile hallways. Each student was given the opportunity to take lead on one of the patients the doctor was checking in on.

Jaune’s turn finally came when they entered the last room on the floor. A tall woman, maybe only a few years older than he was, was laying in the bed. Her deep red hair and green eyes stood out in the otherwise beige room. She looked up at the students with a happy smile.

Doctor Oobleck cleared his throat.

Jaune had to take a moment to remember to grab the patient’s record. “Patient: Pyrrha Nikos.” The other students got quiet, but Jaune didn’t know why. “Post-op after surgically repairing the patient’s ruptured calcaneal tendon. History of hemophilia and severe anemia. So, extended observation was suggested. She should be able to go home in the morning.”

Doctor Oobleck nodded along. “Very good Mr. Arc.”

“My body just doesn’t absorb the iron I put in it. I’m like a human magnet, I’m afraid.”  Pyrrha added as Jaune replaced her file.

He turned to follow Doctor Oobleck ushering out the other students. “Well, I’ll be sure to keep you away from the MRI machine, then.”

She giggled and thanked him.

When they left the room, Doctor Oobleck faced the group again. “Very well, that’s it for rounds today. Return to your studies. And please remember mister Arc, not to flirt with the patients.”

“But I wasn’t trying- ” Jaune started to explain but the Doctor had already begun to leave.

Weiss nudged his shoulder. “Do you know who that was?”

Jaune stared at her blankly. “I havn’t the faintest idea.”

“Pyrrha Nikos is ranked first in the country for boxing and fencing! She’s won four Olympic medals?”

Jaune shook his head.

Weiss got more frustrated. “She’s on the cover of every box of Pumpkin Pete’s breakfast cereal!”

“That’s her! Oh, I love those!”

Weiss huffed as she started to head back to the main entrance. “You’re such a dolt. Sometimes I wonder how you even got into a program like this at all.”

Jaune chuckled, trying to hide how nervous the statement made him. He followed her out: collected his things from the locker room, changed out of his scrubs, and headed home.

It had already been late evening. But by the time his bus route got him home, it was well past midnight. Jaune had gotten used to sleeping on the bus without getting carsick. It was the only way to catch up on his sleep. The cloudy night had broken into a light rain while he had been out.

He thanked the driver and got off just a block from his apartment. It wasn’t the most modern part of vale, but it was cheap. And he couldn’t afford much after tuition. He pulled his hood over his head and hurried home.

Jaune dragged himself into the elevator, clicked the button for the fifth floor, and let himself slump against the wall.

Just as the doors were about to close, the tip of an umbrella jammed its way inside. Jaune stood up straighter as one of his neighbors entered the elevator with him.

He didn’t need to see her to know who it would be. He only ever saw one other person around at this time of night. He knew her name from the apartment’s buzzer intercom list, Neo Politan. He didn’t know what she did for a living, or much of anything about her, other than she lived just a few doors down from him. She never spoke at all. But she was polite enough.

Neo rushed into the elevator carrying a heavy backpack. She dropped it on the ground and stretched her back. Even in high heels, she barely came up to Jaune’s shoulders.

She nodded at him.

He returned the gesture.

When the elevator finally stopped, Jaune wished her a good night and they split up towards their apartments.

[blackcherrykiss]

BLOOD BOUNDARIES - Enhypen OT7 Fanfic (ch.10)

[CH.1] [CH.2] [CH.3] [CH.4] [CH.5] [CH.6] [CH.7][CH.8][CH.9] previous chapters [CH.11] next chapter (unavailable on tumblr but avaliable on wattpad!)

"You'll give me your blood in exchange for theirs."

You could feel his earnest breath against the left side of your neck when he spoke. The proximity was causing you to hold your breath tightly. "Sunghoon please..." You just barely breathed out,  fearing anything you said would be the death of you.

"Afraid my love? I'm not going to hurt you unless you let me in." You felt Sunghoon's soft lower lip stroke up your neck until it met your ear, "I'll give you time to think." He pulled away to caress your face with a feathery touch as the sky grew darker and darker.

...

You rested the following day with no intentions of going to classes. You got your dormmates to tell the office about the severe headache you had; too weak to attend that day. To your surprise, one of the nurses at the school had knocked at your dorm to do a brief check-up and ensure you weren't lying.

"You must be Y/N! Sweetie, how are you feeling?" A slim young woman came in with a medium briefcase of supplies.

"It's nothing too serious right now, it's just a slight headache, I think you brought a bit much..." You held your pounding head while staring at the excessive equipment she had in hand.

"Oh, all of this? It's a standard to bring it just in case." The nurse said with a Southern Irish accent, "Now sit down, I'll take your temperature first."

You sat down on your own bed and watched as she took out a pink thermometer and put it under your arm. You yawned while waiting, getting a closer look at the woman. She had naturally fawn-blonde hair that flowed down in delicate curls. Healthy skin that was rosy at the cheekbones.

"Hun, your temperature is just slightly over normal. Is it just today you've been having headaches?" The nurse said while waving around the stick that read 38.1°C.

"I get them from time... Rarely though, I think I've been stressed lately that's all..."

"Perhaps you have low iron? Are you sure no other symptoms and potential causes?"

"Lack of sleep." You admitted, "And probably low iron... My mom has so I must too..."

"I see hun... Many girls call in sick and it's usually related to their menstrual cycles. But recently I find there is some sort of common cold going around. Yesterday this young boy fainted and when I took his temperature he had a seriously high fever." The nurse said while beginning to sterilize the thermometer with some rubbing alcohol.

"He did?!" You blurted out unintentionally, your voice making an embarrassing crack, "Sorry... He's just my friend, I was there when he fainted. Do you mind me asking how Jungwon is doing?"

"Not too well... He seems very sick but... Whenever I try phoning his parents regarding a checkup with a doctor or a record of his medical history, nobody ever picks up." The nurse looked upset and frustrated that she couldn't do much for him.

Little did the nurse know Jungwon didn't even have parents... 'Heeseung would be his guardian at best' you thought. "Oh, that's terrible..."  You felt yourself tense up knowing the reason for Jungwon's illness.

"Well, if you have no other questions I guess I will be on my way. Your name was y/n right?" She said while scratching a couple of words on a small pad of paper.

"That's correct."

"y/n... That name sounds familiar... Perhaps you are friends with Kyungeun?" The nurse put her pen and paper down on your nightstand.

"You know Kyungeun?" You rubbed the back of your neck.

"Of course! I visit her often. She's mentioned your name from time to time." She gave a healthy smile before getting up to leave, "She loves you to bits!"

You were touched Kyungeun would mention that to the nurse, it made you feel a little better knowing that.

"I'll get going now then, hun!" The nurse grabbed her case and exited your dorm after you thanked her.

When you went back to your bed you noticed the nurse had left her pad of paper. Taking the paper to go and run after her, you squint to read what was actually written on it. The paper just had blue ink notes in some wavy font about your condition and personal information. When you lifted the notepad up, you noticed a paper fell from the stack. Bending down with just your back, you saw Kyungeun's medical information swirled on the front.

"Anemia?" You read aloud before a  semi-aggressive knock was heard from behind your dorm door. You quickly stuffed the paper where it was originally attached, feeling guilty you saw what you should not have. "I was just about to chase you down!" You began speaking before the door was even completely open.

You saw the young nurse once again with a troubled face, "I'm so sorry, I'm so disorganized! Thanks, darling!" She looked relieved as you handed over the stuff she had left behind. You smiled to cover up the actual shock that shot through your veins after seeing Kyungeun's records.

Anaemia is a low blood condition and knowing Kyungeun had it still surprised you. Were you really trying to deny that Sunghoon drinks Kyungeun's blood?

...

You napped the rest of the day, catching up on the sleep you had missed over the past week. The throbbing in your head gladly helped you fall asleep in an instant, but your wishes of having a quiet sleep would not come true.

-

You found yourself in a fever dream, scenes flickering in your mind at the speed of light. You saw Jungwon's complexion glitter against a deep velvet as he drove his fangs deep into a prominent vein. The vein however on his own wrist; drinking his own blood. The amber-red liquid began streaming down his chin and into an empty wine glass in large opaque droplets. The imagery of the blood in a wine glass was one you had never thought you would see, especially in a dream. The blood was much thicker in consistency compared to alcohol and it made your stomach churn with absolute sickness as Sunoo picked up the glass to swish it around as the adults do with classic red wine. Sunoo then bit down on the heel of his palm, planting a deep bite mark. He began squeezing his hand tightly to release more blood into the glass. When the glass had filled midway, Sunoo chugged it down.  

-

"Y/N?!" You felt Nana shake both of your shoulders, waking you back conscious. You twitched while sitting up from your bed, "You're sweating like crazy. I got scared seeing your distressed face..."

"Fever dream... It's whatever..."  Surprisingly your headache hurt a lot less even after the vividly strange dream had seemingly interrupted your off day. The problem was now your stomach that felt awful over the constant blood being displayed in your head, "I think I'll be fine to go to school tomorrow after I sleep on it tonight, my headache has become a mild stomach"

"More rest? You probably just need to get up and out of your bed, it's too warm and stuffy plus you've barely moved the entire day." Nana nagged. To which you agreed, you were getting unbearably hot which might've been the trigger to the fever dream.

"Yeah, I'll go for a walk..." You stared down at your sheets while thinking about what the strange dream meant. Why did Sunoo drink Jungwon's blood? And can vampires drink each other's blood? You immediately thought of the book you had left in the woods the previous night, perhaps there were answers in it. You were just too horrified that day to pick up the book and take it with you. But it seemed it might be of use to you now.

"Have you eaten yet? Hyesun and Dahee are at the dining hall right now and I just came to check up on you."

"No, I haven't eaten the whole day... But I think I might vomit if I eat..." You fastened your eyes shut at the recollection of what you had seen, "Just go without me, I'll go for a walk in the meantime." You said with the means to go off into the forest and find that damned book.

...

You feel refreshed, with the clean autumn breeze gusting your hair back, and out of your face. It was around the time most people ate an early meal, so you weren't surprised to see few pairs of people in the courtyards. Students seemed to be taking it nice and slow under the calm weather, one on one conversations and cloud watching on the wood benches.

You strut along the same path you had gone down the other day, your mary jane shoes getting wet from a puddle on the way. The woods had looked a lot less intimidating during the early evening compared to after sunset. You just had to ensure you were taking the path Sunghoon had led you down and you'd find the book, right? It would be a quick and simple job.

But after taking the seemingly correct path, you found yourself getting more unfamiliar with where you walked. Regardless of where you ended up, the place was a lot more peaceful and pretty than your first impression of it. You skipped along, turning your journey into a leisurely hike now. The sun heavily coated one particular part of the forest, creating a mystic olive glow onto the dried grass. The section of forest, in particular, had fewer trees with a giant rock in the centre of it.  As you approached the area, you noticed someone far in the distance laying on the rock, basking in the sunlight with skin so white it looked teal under the reflection of the trees. The young boy didn't have your school's uniform but instead, a rust coloured flannel and some tatteredly torn jeans with cuts all over them. You were willing to just leave the delinquent alone, turn back and give up. That is until you noticed the boy reading.

As you came into a four-metre radius to get a better look at if the book he possessed was the one you were searching for, the boy sat up to gaze dead on at you. You probably looked worse than a deer in the headlights, surprised at his alertness. "Who are you?" The ash haired boy asked before you could.

"I'm looking for a book I dropped around here the other day." You bore your eyes at his hands.

"This wouldn't be it, would it?" The young stranger stood up to scoop the book off the rock so you could see it clearly. He was a lot taller than how he appeared while lying on his back.

"I'm pretty sure it is my book... May I have it back?" You asked politely after noticing the colour of the backing was identical to the one you picked up from the library.

"What's it to you?" He raised a brow while swirling his tongue around the inside of his cheek.

"It might answer some questions I have..." You bit your tongue as to whether or not the boy in front of you was among the vampire pack. It seemed his hesitation to give the book back was telling you undermining something.

"Ahh, so it's you who they talk about?" He nodded to himself, "Heard you were some clever girl who would eventually figure out our little secret." He dozed off into the distance at some withering pine trees. It was clear he was associated with the bunch by now, no surprises there.

"Sunghoon t-told me the other day you were all vampires... He was the one who took the book in the first place and used it to bait me here."

"Then why did you leave the book?"

"Got too shocked and sick, just wanted to escape the place after he told me you were all vampires. Thought I was going to die." You began to sweat. Recalling the situation made you realize you were in the same position once again; alone with a vampire in the woods far away from people.

"Alright? So you have questions about us that you think this silly book will answer? Why ask a book when you could ask the vampire right in front of you." He faced his palms up on either side of him.

You stood astonished by his response. Instead of forcibly taking your blood he was offering some useful information to you, "You mean you're not going to kill me?"

"I considered it... Until I found out who you were." He commented with a hint of disappointment. "Luckily you've caught me at the right time, so ask away."

"Found out who I was? What do you mean?"

"Who knows what kind of shit I'll hear from the guys if they found out I got a lick of your blood." He shut down your further questions about the matter, "Now ask the questions."

Looking around as if you were about to tell a secret, you dived right into the ideas you were given from your dreams, "Can vampires drink their own blood?" You gulped remembering Jungwon drawing blood from himself.

"They can... It helps with blood cravings but it tastes very bitter. Next." He said, treating the conversation as some speed round questionnaire.

"Okay...? Can vampires drink each other's blood?" The last scene of your dream coming to mind of Sunoo taking a swig of the wine glass filled with his blood mixed with Jungwon's.

"Who have you seen doing that? Sunoo? Jaeyun?"

"No one, it was just a dream!? Sunoo and Jaeyun actually do that?" It seemed weird hearing Sunoo's name being directly suggested. It was as if your dream was a potential reflection of reality. How could that be?

"Drinking other vampires blood tastes better than drinking your own blood but it's not often we do that." The boy tapped his head to think.

"So then what occasion would you drink each other's blood?"

"Usually when we can't get ahold of human blood. Survival purposes in short. Put it this way, drinking your own blood won't make you stronger because you're not getting any new nutrients. Drinking other vampire's blood will fulfil that it's just not as vital as half-humans or better yet, full human blood."

"Half-humans?! They exist?"

"Yeah, their blood tastes a lot better than full vampire blood but it's definitely not better than full human blood. Pretty sure Sunghoon feeds off some half-blooded girl, not that I can remember her name."