#starts to give me a stomach ache like I'm lying about it. is that some internalized transphobia thing or something? I don't have any proble

[wowa-bublord]

anyone else feel sooo disconnected from their name but just can't be bothered to put in the effort to change it? LOL

[appocalipse]

see for yourself ⋆ sirius black

summary: after a party, you tell sirius how you ended things with the guy you've been seeing because he was a bit jealous of your friendship with him. sirius shows you that maybe he was right to be.

"You're in a good mood."

Sirius looks at you from his place on the floor and grins, wild and boyish. It makes your stomach do flips that you'd rather not think about too much, lest it leads to things you really shouldn't be thinking about.

"Must be your charming company," he says before looking back up at the ceiling, fingers laced behind his head.

He's laying spreadeagle on the hardwood floor, staring up at the slowly rotating fan and taking occasional swigs from an open bottle of Firewhisky beside him. Everyone but Remus, with whom Sirius shares the flat, had already gone home hours ago, leaving only you and Sirius behind in the living room.

You roll your eyes even though he can't see you doing it, setting your empty cup on the coffee table. You lean back against the sofa and fold one leg up under the other so you can turn to face him fully. "Remind me again why you're not sitting on furniture like a normal person?"

"It's more fun down here." He turns his head enough for you to catch his wolfish grin. "Care to join me?"

"Oh no," you laugh, shaking your head. "I should be getting home anyway. It's late."

Sirius frowns and pushes himself up into a sitting position. The look in his gray eyes is equal parts amusement and disappointment. "On a Friday night? Come on, love, we're barely tipsy. Besides, you still haven't told me what happened between you and that wanker you were seeing."

"There's nothing to tell," you shrug.

He scoffs as he crawls across the floor towards you. You bite the inside of your cheek when Sirius hoists himself onto the sofa beside you and pulls one leg up to his chest. There's a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth that doesn't seem quite as innocent as you'd like it to be.

"He looked pretty pissed off when he left," he says, twirling a long strand of your hair around his index finger. "What'd you say to him?"

"I didn't say anything. And we were together for barely three weeks. I was just...he wasn't the right guy, okay? Now shush."

You make a halfhearted attempt to turn away from him, but Sirius laughs softly and rests his head on your shoulder. "You don't say."

"Sirius."

"What? I'm glad you didn't waste any more time on that tosser. He would never have made you happy."

"How would you know?"

Sirius lifts his head and leans back far enough to look at you. His expression is one of smug self-confidence as he says, "Because I know everything."

"Everything, huh?"

"Everything."

You quirk an eyebrow. "Well then, what am I thinking right now?"

His eyes flick down to your lips for a brief moment before they find yours again, but it's enough for heat to rise in your cheeks. You could swear he starts to move closer before he blinks and turns away with a dry laugh, but by then you're not so sure anymore. "That you're bored of talking about this dolt."

The ache of disappointment in your chest must be almost palpable, because Sirius furrows his brow and asks, "Is everything alright?"

"Yup."

"You're lying."

"No, I'm not."

Sirius gives you a knowing look and shifts on the sofa to face you more fully. His knee knocks against yours. "Don't tell me you're hung up over that berk."

"Not in the slightest."

"Liar."

"I'm not," you insist. "Really."

"Did he break your heart or something? I'll break his arm."

You laugh, though you doubt Sirius is actually joking. "Nothing happened. He was just jealous. That's all."

He frowns, then narrows his eyes at you. "Jealous of who?"

"Oh, you know, the usual suspects," you say lightly, waving a hand as if to dismiss the topic completely. But when Sirius remains silent, you let out a slow breath and (as you usually do when it comes to him) give in. "You, mostly. He said some stuff, and I didn't take too kindly to it."

A wry smile spreads across Sirius' face. He looks delighted. "What'd he say about me?"

"Seriously?"

"Absolutely."

With a dramatic roll of your eyes, you rest your head back against the cushion behind you and say, "He thinks you, uh...you know, fancy me or something. That we spend too much time together. But I told him that he's crazy, obviously."

"Obviously."

The following silence bothers you.

You turn your head enough to see Sirius' face. He's staring back at you, an unreadable expression on his face. Then, after several moments of more tense silence, he whispers, "What if I do fancy you?"

"Sure you do," you mutter, rolling your eyes again.

Sirius places his palm on top of the hand resting between the two of you and brushes his thumb over your knuckles. "I could show you."

It takes a moment for you to register the offer.

"Did you drink more than I realized?"

"Just enough for the liquid courage to work."

Your tongue feels like sandpaper. "Sirius."

"Mmhm."

"Stop being ridiculous."

"Who says I'm being ridiculous?" he asks, bringing your hand to his lips and pressing a light kiss to your skin. "Maybe I'm madly in love with you. Have you considered that?"

You swallow, trying to ignore the way your stomach is doing somersaults. "This isn't funny, Padfoot."

"It's not supposed to be funny."

"But—"

He cuts you off by cupping your cheek and leaning in close enough for you to feel his warm breath on your lips. It smells of Firewhisky and mint. "Kiss me and see for yourself."

"You must be drunk."

"Only tipsy," he reminds you. "Or maybe a little drunk on you."

"You know, you're not half as funny as—mmph!"

He's kissing you. Sirius is kissing you, and dear sweet Merlin, you could swear that the world's tilting beneath you as his hands pull you closer. He hums contentedly when he feels you reciprocating, cradling your face between his palms as if to make sure that you won't go anywhere.

Not that you intend to.

It's the kind of kiss that steals your breath away. The kind of kiss you can lose yourself in without even realizing it, especially when one of his hands slides into your hair, and you moan involuntarily into his mouth.

Sirius laughs breathlessly against your lips as he eases you down onto your back. His fingers dance along your jawline before he curls them under your chin, tilting your head back and kissing his way down your throat.

"I think this went better than expected," he murmurs, pausing long enough to gently bite down on the sensitive spot where your neck meets your shoulder. You gasp.

Sirius sits up suddenly. His hair hangs in front of his face like a dark curtain and his eyes glitter with amusement when he pushes it back. Your pulse jumps when you see the slight redness of his lips and the hint of mischief on his face. "Don't tell me you're getting shy now."

"Shut up."

He leans down and kisses you again, groaning low in his throat as your hands slide up the broad expanse of his back. "I'm starting to think you fancy me, too," he whispers, words ghosting over your mouth.

"Yeah," you admit sheepishly, sliding your hands up and over his shoulders. "I may have been lying earlier. It's not that crazy."

"May have?"

"Fine, I did lie."

"I knew it."

He looks far too smug. Just this once, you don't really mind.

[luveline]

omg if u ever get the chance would you write a follow up for the eddie and shy!reader where they confess? 🥺🩵

first part (u don't have to read if u don't want to) fem!shy!reader and best friend eddie confess, 1.6k

You flick a piece of popcorn off of your knee and smack Eddie square in the cheek. His neck snaps to the side to stare at you, tongue in his cheek in indignation. 

"That how it is?" he asks. 

You smile mock-demurely. "I have no idea what you're talking about." 

It's too close to flirting to deny at this point, but Eddie doesn't ever seem to notice. You've been friends for so long that this slow decline into playfulness feels normal. 

Eddie digs for the rogue piece of popcorn on the couch cushion behind his shoulders and prepares to flick it back. You cover your face. 

"Hey! Cheating, put your hands down." 

"No, you'll flick popcorn at me." 

The popcorn hits you in the hand. You drop your hands, but quickly retreat into yourself on the bean bag in apprehension as he approaches, a devilish smile playing on his pretty mouth. "Eddie, please don't–" You groan as he drops his weight on top of you, kneeing the back of your thigh hard. "You fucking–" 

"Remember when we first met? You never would've cussed at me," he interrupts, boldly putting his hands on you, one at your neck and the other against your cheek. 

You wiggle under him. "Get off." 

He takes a handful of popcorn from the bucket by your side. It smells sweet like taffy, and a kernel falls from his palm onto your shirt as he eats it. You flick it at him. 

"You're aggressively aggressive," he says through chews.

"You're heavier than you look." 

"When we first met," he says, poking your cheek with his pinky, you assume so as not to get popcorn crumbs on you, "you could barely look me in the eye." 

"That's just 'cos you're scruffy." 

"Funny." 

Eddie wipes his hand in his shirt and grabs your face again. You go still at his touch, trying to maintain a facade of calm you don't feel. 

"This is nicer. I love when you get all shy," —his voice softens slowly, like a meandering river calmed— "your smile… you smile when you're nervous, you know that?" 

You tamp your expression into neutrality. "Do not." 

"But it's nicer now that you're not nervous all the time. You're not telling me things, but I can handle it." 

"I tell you things," you mumble.

Eddie locks eyes with you. He rubs your jaw with his knuckles teasingly, before climbing off of you with an apologetic pat to your knee. His positioning had been less than comfortable. You sit up with a sigh, leg and chest aching. 

"You tell me some things," he says. 

"I tell you pretty much everything." 

"Liar." He crosses his legs, sitting applesauce by the mantle. Sunlight coming in from the kitchen behind him has his hair like silver at the edges where it falls around his face, his arms tense where he holds his own elbows. 

"I'm not lying, you know anything worth knowing about me." 

It's hard to make out, but you can tell you've upset him. You aren't sure how, but he goes rigid, looking away from you and toward the TV. His side profile knocks the breath out of you, lashes long where they kiss the skin beneath his brows, his nose a strong line you'd like to reach out and trace. 

"Eddie–" 

"It's alright, I didn't mean anything by it." 

The bean bag groans as you kneel on the rug by Eddie's legs. You look around helplessly for aid, and when none comes you drag the popcorn toward you, eating a mouthful morosely. 

"I'm sorry for being weird, I just…" Eddie leans back on one arm and whines. "I think I'm getting my meriod." 

"That's not funny." 

He puts a hand on his stomach. "Do I look bloated to you?" 

"I don't know where to start with that one." 

Eddie falls onto his back. His act doesn't last very long, and after a few moments he's frowning at the TV again. You look down into the popcorn kernels, white and yellow and brown and fragrant when you give the tub a little shake. You push it away.

"Don't be sad, Eds. If there's something you want me to tell you, I'll tell you." 

You're aflame as you say it, because why the fuck would you say that? There's no way he'll want to know what you're afraid to tell him, he'll never ask, but still. It's like offering to jump into turbulent waters. 

"I just don't want you holding onto stuff, that's all. Kinda breaks my heart thinking you're a bag of secrets." 

"What if it's stuff you don't wanna hear?" you ask with a dry mouth.

"I always wanna hear it if it's coming from you. Can't promise I'll like it, but what, you think I'm gonna care?" 

"It's hard to say." 

He gestures for you to lay down with him. 

You set your shoulder by his and lay down cautiously. Your thigh bumps into his. A line of rings catches the light where his hand covers his ribs. 

"I don't want to tell you something about me and have you see me differently," you say slowly, each word strung to the other clumsily as you piece your sentence together. "I like how you treat me now." 

"What if I swear things won't change?" 

"I don't…" He sounds like he knows you like him. Impossible to describe, only that you know the truth, so he must know the truth too. "You can't, really. Promise me that." 

He turns his head to yours, his hair dragging gentle across your shoulder as he moves. You feel his gaze like a flame on your cheek. 

"I swear," he murmurs. "Nothing will change. Nothing you don't want to change." 

You turn toward him, heart in your mouth, meeting his baby brown eyes head on. You shift your head against the floor to take the weight of it off of your ear, your chin lifting subtly. 

This is going to rip your chest open. "I think I'm," —Eddie leans forward, he closes the gap, "in love–" 

You can't finish your sentence. Like a magnetic pull, Eddie fits his lips against the seam of your own and you close it, alarmed, not sure how to respond. He cuts your face softly and pushes up, encouraging you to kiss back. 

"Wait," you say, eyes painfully open. 

Eddie immediately moves away from you. "Sorry," he says, his eyes just as open, twice as wide, "was I not supposed– you're not talking about me?" 

"I'm in love with you," you say. 

"Yeah, I guessed?"

"I don't know why you're being cranky with me, we both know I won't be able to say it again." 

Your throat totally closes as he rubs your cheek, like there's dirt under his thumb. "I've been thinking about kissing you for months, sweetheart," he says. He looks like he might say more, but he leans in again. 

You sigh at his touching, his gentle kiss. He smiles into you, sitting up to kiss down with slightly more force. Eddie takes the lead, cradling your face in hands you've never felt so adoringly tender before. His hair starts to tip onto your cheek like strands of silk. 

"I think you'll be okay," he says, breaking the kiss to pant in breath. He rubs the tip of his nose into yours. 

"There's popcorn in my teeth, please don't kiss me again," you say quietly. 

"I love you. I don't care if we swap kernels for the next hour."

"Hour?" you ask, though you're thrumming with a strange anticipation. The reality hasn't dropped, but it's falling fast. 

"I've been waiting months," he reminds you, lips at your cheek as he needles his arms under your shoulders. He hugs you. "Aw, sweetheart. I've been seeing you try to tell me now for months, the whole time thinking I couldn't get any more obsessed with you." 

"You're obsessed with me? You knew?" you ask. 

"Don't freak out." 

"I'm gonna." 

"Okay, fine, freak out." 

You hug him, burying your nose in his hair. He's soft, and warm, and he's heavy where he leans on your chest, but it's perfect. You wonder if this is the precipice of forever now, if you get to have him in your arms like this all the time. You freak out. 

"You're in love with me?" you ask. 

"Sickeningly." 

"I think my face is on fire." 

Eddie peels back to look you over. "You're melting," he says agreeably. "But lucky you, your best friend gives the coolest kisses ever." 

"You're gonna make it worse." 

"Can I?" he asks. 

"I have popcorn in my teeth," you whine again. 

Eddie knows you better than anyone in the whole wide world. He demands you open your mouth for kernel extraction and you burst into squeamish giggles, squirming out from his arms and whacking your head on the seat of the couch. Eddie chases after you to start a wrestling match you can't win. He doesn't break his promise —the things you don't want to change stay the same. And the things you do want to change? They're perfect, even if it all tastes overwhelmingly of butter and toffee. 

-

i hope you enjoyed reading!!

[bitchimasnake-sss]

tryin' his best ft. roronoa zoro!

i am once again thinking about zoro as a clueless boyfriend, completely new to the dating scene. no imagine, just imagine with me 😳😳

[modern au; zoro is a martial artist]

dont talk to me, im too busy thinking about the roronoa zoro as a confused husband boyfriend🤭 like can you imagine? the greatest martial artist of all time, the beast, the demon, the lord of the underworld. and yet, when you say, "i'm so tired, babe", he stands in all his 5'11 ft glory and goes blank. blank.

roronoa zoro was the sweetest man alive but holy fucking shit he was such an idiot clueless. for the past few days or so, the man had witnessed first hand how tired you were. your eyes were puffy, face dull and spirit broken. all those meetings at work; the relentless late-night calls, stay-backs and what nots had left you a mere husk of the woman you usually were. and so, he had decided to try his best to make sure his failing actions could comfort you when his words couldn't. and that started the chronicles of roronoa zoro's day of fuck-ups.

💚 zoro can't cook for shit. he knows that, you know that and your neighbour sanji (who is a chef by profession) knows that too. and yet one of these mornings, while the dew still clung helplessly onto the green leaves, he had gotten up and slipped into the kitchen. his plan was to surprise you with some breakfast. nothing too extravagant, maybe some easy mix pancakes? but all those plans came burning down when you were awoken with a shrill crash. hair knotted, face puffy, shirt slipping off of your shoulders and the first thing you see in the morning is zoro standing with flour on his chest and on the floor. and there lay an upside down steel bowl on the floor at the edge of his feet. "zoro?" you mumbled sleepily, assessing the damage, "what are you even upto? it's seven on a sunday." "yn- uh, you go back to sleep-i'll deal with this mess." if he was trying to appear nonchalant, he was failing. his eyes were blown out, forehead creased, lips pursed as if he had committed the worst atrocity mankind had witnessed. in a way, he had. he knew it was a sunday. he also knew it was your only day off so you should have been sleeping in instead of picking after his dumbass in the kitchen. "zoro?" you asked again but he refused to say anything more. when you gave him a look of steel, the moss-head carefully avoided your gaze before sheepishly admitting, "sorry. i was trying to figure out how to make you some pancakes." your gaze softened, "were you? that's so sweet of you, zo." you walked towards him, careful as to not step on the mess. your casual touched dusted off the flour from his navy shirt that had he slept in. once you were satisfied with the state of the shirt, you had resorted to an honest smile, "come on, let's clean this up first, yeah?" "but you should sleep-" "babe- with all due respect- if i leave you to clean this, i think you will set the kitchen on fire"

💚 on his next attempt to cheer you up in the afternoon, he planned on giving you a massage. you both had been dating a good few months and he had certainly touched you in more ways than just hand-holding but... this was new. he had never really done this for anyone before and so, what if you hated it or he did it wrong? but the man had put all his wayward thoughts aside. maybe his hands could knead away the stress from your aching muscles where his words failed to comfort you? and so, the bed dipped next to you as he came and sat down. you were lying on your stomach, scrolling on your phone. his fingers lightly skimmed your back and you jolted involuntarily at the intrusive touch. looking back, you muttered, "zoro? baby?" "just um, try to relax okay?" his palm flattened against your back. he applied some force, moving his hands up and down against your tank top, kneading the flesh underneath. you seemed to melt under his earnest touches, allowing your muscles to go slack under him. dropping your phone on the bed, you carefully had tucked your head under your arms and then, you yelped, "zoRO-" "yeah?!" he stopped all movements, panicked at your sudden reaction. "it hurt." you gave him a pained look before sighing, "you put too much force, babe." "did i? sorry" he chewed on the inside of his cheek, "sorry, really. do you want me to try again?" you gave him a kind smile before tucking your head back in under your arms and stuffing your face against the pillow. "it's okay, i am just gonna lay down for a while okay?"

💚 as truly a last resort, he called up nami and told her his problem (all grumbling and shit). after the red-head had laughed for five minutes at the martial artist's inculpabilities, she finally decided to help. she pondered for a second, staring at the screen intensely before saying "i dunno? me and vivi usually get like our favourite take out and just re-watch a comfort movie. it's pretty cozy and an easy way to deal with the general stress of life, you know?" "should i do that?" zoro mumbled, resting his head against the headrest of his car. he sighed, "did she tell you anything else if it's been bothering her? other than work i mean?" "she didn't say it out loud but having you as a boyfriend must be a pain in the ass anyways." "has anyone told you you're a royal bitch?" the words were harsh but his lips were pressed into a easy smile. "hah, yeah they have. but anyways, aren't you her boyfriend?" nami snapped back although she sported a smile of her own, "shouldn't you know what you should be doing to cheer her up? honestly she doesn't deserve an idiot like you." "hey, i've had a rough day okay? lay off of me." zoro bit back. "fine, whatever. just surprise her. i am sure she'd like it."

💚 and so, roronoa zoro's final mission had begun. he had picked up your favourite food from the chinese restaurant that you always ordered from. he had picked up a huge bouquet of flowers. and he had picked up a chocolate cake as desert. on the ride back home, he had even thought about what movie you both would watch. yes. yes. there's no way he could fuck it up now. he was ready to do his best. he opened the door with a wobbling right hand while his left held onto all the things. the cake carton was perched on his fingers, the takeout on another two fingers, the bouquet tucked between his bicep and chest. he wouldn't lie. it was a struggle to get everything in in one trip (especially with his level of patience when it comes to small, annoying things like this.) but it was all for you, so, it had to be worth it. tumbling in, he set everything on the coffee table in front of your tv. and then, he walked into the bedroom where you lay sleeping in the same position he had left you in the afternoon. it had been over three hours and you hadn't stirred even one inch. god, how tired were you? slowly closing the door behind him, he stepped back into the living room.

💚 your eyes were hazy and throat unusually dry when you stepped into the living room. your muscles were somehow even more tired and you were sure your body, mind and soul were incapable of doing anything but curling up and falling asleep again. on instinct, you searched for your boyfriend. "zoro?" you squinted at the man in front of you as he was in the process of setting down food on the table. and looking around, you noticed the huge bouquet perched on the sofa. "hey-" he turned towards you wide-eyed as if you had caught him doing something wrong, "uh- hi? hey? you're up already?" "whatcha doing? what's that?" you mumbled as you walked over to him, still not processing reality. as you stared down at the table, you wondered aloud, "food?" he sighed, defeated, "yeah." your brain fog cleared up and you looked up at his blushing face wide-eyed, "wait! you bought me food?" you turned on your heel to look at the bouquet and picked it up, "and this?" rubbing the back of his neck, he looked away from you, "it was actually meant to be a surprise cause i thought you were sleeping. but-" "zoroo!!" you practically lunged at him. your hands closed in around him as you rested your head against his well-built chest. hearing his quickened heart-beat, you eased even more against his familiar, scorching skin. you buried your face even deeper against him, "thank you!" his fingers danced over your scalp. his husky voiced was accompanied by calculated strumming of his finger over your hair, "i am sorry, it was meant to be a surprise, really." you pulled away from him to look at him in disbelief, "why are you sorry?!" he swallowed thickly, eyes scattering away from yours, "because- i dunno, i suck as a boyfriend?" he winced at his admission but continued nonetheless, "i tried making you breakfast, ruined it. i tried giving you a massage, ruined that too. i tried to set up a surprise date and fucked that shit up too." "zo." your fingers are delicate against his cheek, bringing his eyes back to yours. you gave him a small smile, "you tried. for me. that's what matters." although a smile blossomed on his lips, he washed it away with another sigh, "you're just saying that 'cause you don't wanna admit i'm a fuck-up in the boyfriend category." you pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, "i am saying this because i love you. and you make me feel loved." "really?" you laughed, "i mean your massaging skills can use a bit of work but... yeah, other than that you're good. really." "i'm glad me being an idiot is endearing to you." he gave you a grin, "so, wanna eat? i'm kinda hungry." "yesss!!" you mirrored his smile. you paused for a second then wondered aloud, "you know what? i think i'm gonna call in sick tomorrow. we can hang out, just you and me." "oh, really?" he scrunched his nose up as if in deep thought, "then we gotta celebrate. you know there's cake in the fridge." "OMG I LOVE YOU!!" so, yeah, roronoa zoro might be kind of an idiot. but he was your idiot.

i wanna take domestic zoro and trap him in a bottle. i wanna just keep him like that. i really liked how this turned out lol. hope you guys did too <3

[bohbee]

Genshin x Pregnant reader.

Part 1.

Part 2

Part 3

(It will take a long time for the other parts to come out so bear with me PLEASE)

It will still be GN!

Characters: Venti, Diluc, Kaeya, Aether, Zhongli, Xiao, Childe.

Warnings: Pregnancy, throwing up, screaming, pain, fainting, water breaking, mentions of death (no dying), alcohol, tearing, unexpected second baby.

Notes: not proofread, okay some of these are WAY different than the others but I'm just gonna leave it like that.

PLEASE READ!!! You need to know this for the story!! VVV

Venti, Xiao, and Zhongli will have longer stories. Only because I really want to add the difficulty of their pregnancy.

In Ventis story, the reader is a demi-god, which causes the pregnancy to go softer than it would if they were a human. I also made it to where the pregnancy is affected by the archons power? Basically, the baby is like a tornado 💀.

In Xiaos, you were an old demi-god. After the war, you had placed down your role and settled down in Wangshu Inn. You and Xiao were close for a while and started dating for about 200 years, then you fell pregnant. You, being a demi-god, assisted your pregnancy, but his Karma SPED up the process. I have a belief that if a Yaksha had a kid during the war, it would take like a week cause the kid would be bred to immediately go to war? But now that everything is calm and you lengthen the process, it takes a little longer, and it's not a blood thirsty baby.

Zhonglis, in Zhongli, the reader, is an Adepti. Both you and Zhongli have been together for a LONG while. And, both of you consider Ganyu and Xiao to be your kids. When he took his "mortal" plane, the two of you forgot you could fall pregnant. So, the pregnancy was a scare.

Masterlist

Aether (please read the notes!)

You hobbled out of your room in Wangshu Inn, Xiao, quickly following behind your wobbling body. You had decided to 'settle down' in Liyue. There would be many times when Aether couldn't stay with you during your pregnancy, so he had asked his dear friend to watch over you while he was gone. Xiao was hesitant, but once he saw your state, he agreed.

Your belly was round. You were 7 months in your pregnancy, and it caused all kinds of aches and pains. Aethers baby had PLENTY of room in your expanded belly. You walked close to the balcony, Xiao watching your every move. "Xiaoo, come on, Aether will be here within the hour. Please just take a break." You huffed out at your friend. This man wouldn't leave your side at all. He shook his head yet again. "I was given a duty, and if anything were to happen to either of you within that hour, I'd be responsible."

You grumbled at his response, your baby kicking your stomach in protest to his words. "Even the baby agrees," you huffed. Your irises moved to look at the gorgeous scenery in front of the inn, only to spot your beautiful blonde husband and floating companion. "Oh my archons!! AETHER!" You shouted, catching the males attention, you jumped up slightly, causing Xiao to scold you as he grabbed your arm.

Aether sped up his pace, and soon enough, he was in front of you, kneeling and hugging your stomach. Pressing small kisses everywhere he cold. "How have they been? I hope they aren't kicking you too much." His sweet voice said, Paimon nodded quickly. Despite him only being gone for a short while, tears still weld up in your eyes. "Oh no, they haven't been doi -" your voice was cut off by the anemo yaksha, who disapproved of your statement. "They're lying. The baby consistently kicks them." His voice was serious, but his face held ever so faint smile as he watched the two of you. You giggled at Paimon, who started to scold your stomach. "Rude baby! You need to take care of (y/n)!"

After Paimons wrath, she followed Xiao to give you your space, and finally, the two of you alone together. Well, technically, three.

"I've missed you, love," you said, catching the attention of aethers' golden irises. He smiled at your words, "I've missed you so much more." He grabbed your face, landing a soft, delicate kiss on your lips. The both of you sat down and caught up on things.

~Two months later~

You were walking back from the bathroom, Xiao and Aether had gone to Liyue Harbor to grab some last-minute things for your pregnancy. Before you could sit down, a large snap was felt in your stomach, causing you to gasp as fuild leaked down your legs. "AETHERR!" You yelled. There's no way he could've heard you, but you didn't know what to do, so you paced grabbing a bunch of stuff. In a quick flash, Aether stood in front of you, both of you panicking.

~Small skip~

It had been two months since you had given birth to your kid, Aether was an amazing parent. It's almost as if he was meant to be one. Currently, Paimon was your kids' favorite toy. Whenever she would fly over them, they would reach out, trying to grab her cute cape. And you are now waiting to tell your husband that you're expecting another kid.

(Bonus: Xiao is the 'godparent' of your child(ren), he always watches over them. When the two of you named your youngest after him, he teared up a little.)

Childe (Tartaglia, Ajax)

Your hands shook as you held the paperwork that Baizhu had given you. Pregnant was written in bold letters. You sat the papers facing down on your table and rubbed your temples. You knew that Childe wanted a family, but neither of you wanted one now. Strong arms snaked around your abdomen, shocking you. "My love, what are you stressing about?" The freckled man asked as he placed soft kisses on your neck.

You stiffened at his touch, causing alarms to go off in his head. Never had you once done that before. He flipped you around and looked into your teary eyes for an answer. His hands rubbed up and down your arms reassuringly.

"I-" you stopped yourself, your eyes looking down. "I just wanna say, I am happy to do this with you, I just -" you sighed. "I need you to be there." More tears fell down your eyes. He was confused.

Were you trying to say he wasn't there in the relationship enough? He tried his best. He would do as much as he-.

His thoughts were interrupted by you shoving the papers in his arms. He looked down, and his thoughts immediately went towards death. But then his blue irises spotted it. His breath stayed in his chest as tears spilled from his eyes as well. "I'm gonna be a dad," he mumbled. He placed the papers down and tackled you into a hug. "IM GONNA BE A DAD!"

His dull eyes finally had light in them, this is what he had always wanted....

Your pregnancy was rough, even though you were only at four months. You were constantly sick. Always throwing up all of your food, and it made you weak. This terrified Childe, but you were trudging through it like a champ. Recently, you found out that you were expecting three kids, which caused the both of you to nearly faint. However, you were ready....

You walked into your living room with some celery sticks, Childe smiled at you. You were ready to pop any day now. You had pretty heavy contractions but nothing other than that. You wobbled over to sit, but you dropped your celery stick. When you bent over, you had thought you peed yourself, however... your water broke. Your eyes widened, and you stared at childe. "You pee yourself again?" He said jokingly. However, his deep smile went away. He surely misunderstood the situation. He stood up and grabbed your baby bag, rushing you out of the house.

Childe was the best father anyone could have asked for. All his experiences with his little siblings really worked well for the future. The two of you currently stood in the nursery room, watching all three of your kids sleep peacefully. Childe rubbed your shoulders. "Such a good parent, hm my love." he kissed your neck softly, complimenting you on your skills. "How about two more?" You blushed at his joke. However, his hands went to your waist as the kisses on your neck got sloppier. He wasn't joking...

(Bonus: Zhongli would visit once in a while. The kids all seemed to love him. He would hum old lullabies and tell old stories to help the kiddos sleep. When he found out you were pregnant again, he bonked Childe on the held and scolded him for hours.)

Diluc

You walked out of your room, your red-haired husband following you like a lost puppy. "Luc! I am okay, please. My love, I need you to worry about yourself as well." You turned your body to face your stubborn husband, your large belly softly pressing against his muscular abdomen. He huffed slightly, placing his large, warm hands on where your kid had laid. "I'm not just worrying about you, I'm also worrying about little Creya," you smiled warmly at the name, when Albedo told you guys that your baby was going to be a male. The two of you agreed to name it after his father Crepus and the oh so supportive Kaeya.

"I can't wait to tell Kaeya our babies name." You said as you kissed Diluc sweetly. "I was thinking we could tell him now? We already went to my father's grave and told him, mind as well tell the living one." A bittersweet smile formed on both of your lips. You jumped up and down, excitement flowing through your veins, "Oh dear! How should we tell him. My my this is so exciting." Your movements worried Diluc. However, he calmed down. "I have just the idea."

The two of you knocked on his door, the blue-haired male answered, his face holding a confused smile. "And what brings you here, awe, was it my nephew visiting? Hmmm??? I just know he's gonna be just like Uncle Kaeya." The younger brother smiled and ushered the two of you in.

"Well, it is about the baby." Your husband said calmly, handing him some dandelion wine. Kaeya nodded in anticipation. "Well, we found a name!...... actually we have for a while," you said, murmuring the last part. "Uh ow? And you didn't tell me?!" You reached out for Dilucs' hand, rubbing it reassuringly. "Brother..." He started. For some reason, Kaeya felt a bit of fear entering his chest.

"We decided to name him Creya Ragnvindr, after father and you." Dilucs voice cracked a little. Kaeya stood there in shock, a line of tears streaming down his face. In a sudden motion, he tackled his brother. It wasn't often the two of them got along. But that all changed when baby Creya came around.

~two weeks later~

"DILUCCC" Your agonizing shout could be heard. Your contractions were absolutely awful today. Your husband ran upstairs and into your room, and his eyes flickered to the wet floor. He rushed to your body, softly leading you downstairs. He had hired a midwife to deliver the baby, and he sent one of the maids to grab her. "Shhh, deep breaths, my love.... I know it hurts. I'm here. I'm here." He laid your body down on the makeshift bed that was downstairs. "Look at me, love, don't take your eyes off of me, dear."

His hands shook heavily, tears pouring from excitement and downright fear. He was scared that you were going to end up like his mother. However, you were strong, you had this down.

Diluc was a soft father. He would always spoil his sweet, red-haired baby. He would always bring him wherever he'd go unless, of course, it was somewhere unsafe. He was humming to Creya, his left hand slowly rocking him as his right continued to sort through papers.

(Bonus: Kaeya would practically try and steal your son. He'd be over all the time to take the "load" off of your guy's backs. However, he did it for himself. He was the world's proudest uncle.)

Kaeya

Kaeya walked into the house perfectly on time for dinner. Ever since the two of you had found out that you were pregnant, he didn't stay even a second later at work. He walked up to you and wrapped his arms around your body, seemingly charging his social battery. "Mmm, it smells delicious, my snowflake. How's our baby doing?" You smiled and hugged him softly, "I've missed you. Our little baby has been kicking me all day." Kaeyas face frowned, he knelt down to your large belly. "My my, abuse isn't funny, kiddo." He scolded your kid through your stomach.

"Diluc came by today. He gave us Virgin Dandelion Wine? I tried it, and I think it tastes the same." You placed the food on the plates and poured the pregnancy safe wine. "Hm, I think my brother is finally getting around. Also, go sit down. I got this." He led your body to the dining table. "Hey! I got it Kae!" Your husband only smirked and shook his head, "Absolutely not."

He placed the food down and sat beside you, a heavy kick hit your stomach again, causing you to grip the table in pain. The cryo user frowned once again, freezing his hand ever so slightly and placing it on your stomach. You hissed at first but eased into the coolness. Your baby seemed to love it as well. "I told you to stop kicking!" He whispered-shouted. His free hand picked up your fork and placed the food in your mouth, assisting you throughout the whole night.

~Two months later~

A large gasp fell from your chest as you quickly grasped your husband's shirt, your body slightly going to the ground. He whipped his head towards you and grabbed your body, "Okay, okay, let's go." he lifted your body and carefully ran to the Mondstat nurse.

Once the two of you settled down, your closest friends Jean, Diluc, and Venti rushed in. They all had different gifts. They were soon ushered out by the nurse. Kaeya stood by your side, whispering sweet things as the baby tore your insides out.

Kaeya was an amazing father. However, he was a troublemaker. He would always get your kid to do things they weren't supposed to, and you have to admit it was funny. Your husband had started to take fewer shifts so he could be there with you while raising your family. Currently, the two of you snuck in your baby to go see Lisa at the KOF library. "Awe, deary! They're so adorable." The woman exclaimed, softly tickling their stomach.

(Bonus: You and Kaeya had invited Diluc over for dinner. The three of you shared stories, both Kaeya and Diluc, using their visions to assist you if you were ever in need. "Diluc, I have a question, brother." Kaeya stated, "Diluc hummed in response. "Would you like to be their 'God' father?" Diluc practically choked on his food and looked at Kaeya with wide eyes. "I-" he hesitated. "Are you sure?" His pupils were dilated. "Then it's settled! God father, LuLu!" You exclaimed.)

Venti (Barbatos)

You woke up to Venti humming to your stomach quietly. "Hey Barb," you mumbled. His eyes shot up to face you, "Good morning, Blume!" His smile lit up the room, and his cold hands softly held your face as he peppered you with kisses. You groaned slightly, nausea hitting your body. You threw your legs off the bed, quickly getting up and rushing to the bathroom. Your head hovered over the toilet as you threw up, mostly dry heaving due to the lack of food in your system.

Venti was right behind you, his hands massaging your shoulders as he brought in a soft breeze to cool you down. He was always a happy go lucky person. However, he hated seeing you sick. "Barb pregnancy really sucks." You muttered. He frowned slightly, "I'm sorry, my Blume, if I knew -" You shut him up by hugging him "I am more than happy to go through this if it means we get to have a family."

He smiled and hugged you tighter, "Well then, let's get you some fresh air, we can go out to eat this morning!" He kissed your lips before swiftly moving down to your stomach, despite you not having a bump yet. Your symptoms were awful. That's what you get for having sex with an Archon, I guess.

The two of you made it to the restaurant. You ordered tea break pancakes and Mondstadt hashbrowns. Venti created a soft breeze, making sure the weather was completely perfect. As you ate the hash Browns, a small cramp shot through your stomach, your eyes widened, causing Venti

~Two months later~

It had only been such a short while since you fell pregnant, but at this point, you looked 7 months along. The whole pregnancy took a heavy toll on your body. You were constantly tired, aching, and most of all, emotional. Venti was supper happy. However, he was stressed out of his mind. It was really obvious that he had been scared to lose his lover. Whenever you would gasp, his heart would drop, thinking that your body finally gave out. He would always mutter an apology whenever you were in pain. It wasn't always like this, though. Sometimes, your baby would take a day off. Leaving you feeling completely rejuvenated, those days would mainly be spent going outside and having lots of fun with your husband.

~Five months along~

You gasped out, grabbing the table beside you. This gasp was different from all the other ones that have played in Barbs' ears. He quickly ran over to you. You opened your mouth to scream, but nothing came out. He started to panic, thinking that you were dying. However, when his foot stepped in a puddle, it all came crashing down. Venti helped you sit down before quickly running to the front door, yelling to get peoples attention. Pregnancy took nine months?! Why did your water break after five??

Doctors came rushing in, and the process began.

Hours had gone by, Venti was in the living room, tears streaming down his face as your agonizing screams could he heard from the bedroom. Diluc and Jean had ran as soon as they heard the noise, the two of them were the only ones to know of his true identity of course. They tried their best to comfort him, it was difficult seeing the never down bard lose his composure.

The screaming stopped, Barbatos's eyes widening, heart stopping. However, once the babies cries were heard, his heart pounded into his chest. He ran into the bedroom only to find you weakly holding onto your baby. He walked towards you, kissing your forehead. "I'm so sorry, Blume... how are you feeling?" He asked, his full attention on you. You smiled warmly. "It was worth it, bar-venti," you corrected yourself. "Look at them," your husband looked down at your child. They had your haircolor, with slightly glowing ends. His bright smile came back again, heavy winds swirling outside. "Love, might wanna calm down a bit." You giggled, causing him to get into touch with reality again. "It might just be impossible to do so."

Barbatos was a fun father. He would always bring your baby out on adventures and would sing and dance with them. He wanted another baby but would absolutely not put you through that again. However, when you told him you'd be completely fine with it, you guys tried for another. It was a success, luckily this kid was a LOT calmer than your first.

(Bonus: Jean smiled heavily as she held the tiny little human in her arms. She would always come over and assist the two of you whenever she wasn't slammed with her job. She truly loved both of your kids as if they were her own)

Xiao

His yellow eyes looked into yours in fear "(y/n)...." He whispered, his hands trembling as his eyes started to water. "I can't -" a sob broke through his chest, and your heart broke a little. Neither of you wanted a kid, but here you are, pregnant. "I can't lose you too!" He finally shouted. Tears were streaming down his face, sobs breaking out. You had never, ever seen him like this. It was frightening. "I- xiao, I'm sorry." Shameful tears left your eyes, your hand grabbing his softly. "Adepti can have kids, Yanfei and Ganyu are here, you know!" His breathing slowed, pure terror still in his eyes. "I have karma... I am a soul shattering yaksha! I'm not meant to have a child!" He shouted again, his hand gripped yours tightly. He wasn't intending on scaring you, he was just frightened of losing you.

Your sorrowful eyes brought him to slight reality, "If there's a way we can reverse this, then let's do -" Your words were cut off by Xiao hugging you tightly. "No, I can already see your love for this unborn child. Let's talk to Cloud Retainer before we make any rash decisions." He mumbled softly, his hands clutched onto your back as if you were to perish at any time.

The two of you came back from the Cloud Retainer. She had informed the two of you that because of him being a yaksha and you being an old demi-god that the pregnancy would be very fast. She also confirmed that the karma would in fact take a heavy toll on your body, but if the two of you were careful, then you both would be fine.

~Four weeks later~

Fast was an understament. your body was aching at all times. A very large bump was apparent on your body. Xiao had been with you at ALL. Not once did he let you move on your own. You were like a fragile glass, but now you were holding precious cargo. Verr Goldet had hired a nurse to stay there at all times, a congratulations gift sort of. So whenever the karma got too much the nurse would always be there to help.

Currently, you were lying on the bed, trying to do breathing exercises. "Xiao," you mumbled. He swiftly walked over to you. "What's the matter?" He asked. Worry filled his veins. "Could you hold me?" You asked, your voice quiet. "Are you su-" you huffed, cutting him off. "I don't care about the extra karma yiu grumpy adeptus. Your pregnant partner needs you to hold them!" You shouted softly. Despite the 'hostility' your tone, He softly smiled and crawled on the bed, holding your body close.

His movements stopped when you burst into tears, "wha-" he tried to say but a crackled sob interrupted him "I'm sorry for yelling Xiao!" You sobbed into his chest. Boy boy were these pregnancy emotions gonna kill him.

~Two weeks later~

Everyone had assumed that you were going to pop soon, and new faces showed up at the Wangshu Inn to assist the poor nurse during the pregnancy. Cloud Retainer, Zhongli, Aether, and Ganyu had all shown up to help you. It was very overwhelming for Verr, but she understood.

You were talking to Zhongli while Aether and Ganyu forced your husband to leave the inn. When suddenly a large abnormally painful snap charged into your stomach, a blood curdling scream erupted from your throat. Zhongli immediately grabbed your body, preventing you from falling, and he yelled your husband's name. The nurse and retainer ran inside. Xiao teleporting in the room while the other two ran towards the inn as fast as they possibly could.

Cloud Retainer and Ganyu were the only ones in the room. The nurse was even kicked out. Zhongli and Aether comforted the horrified Xiao as your torturous screams echoed off the wall. "They're going to die," Xiao muttered quietly, tears flowing down. "Hey! Don't say that you have some faith in them!" Aethers floating companion said. "Hate to agree with bestie paimon, but they're going to be fine. They need your support more than anything right now, " Aether said. Their words did slightly calm him down, but your never-ending screams even worried Zhongli. Whom saw you like his own child.

An hour went by, the screaming came to an end, and the Cloud Retainer left the room. Xiaos heart paced heavily, "did they -" his voice got caught in his throat. "They are both fine and waiting for you, but pl -"

Xiao didn't even let her finish before he ran into the room. His eyes landed on your body, holding your kid peacefully. A sigh of relief left his throat "Archons you're beautiful. Both of you, " he mumbled, his body dipped on the bed and carefully held you. "Hold your baby, Xiao," you said weakly. His hesitant hands grabbed his kid, and he softly hummed. His eyes were filled with adoration. "It's not so bad now, is it Xiao." He shook his head softly. "No, not at all."

Xiaos parenting was odd. Both of you hadn't really known what to do, but you still did your best. The baby grew around many people, Verr being the one who spoiled them the most. "Go to your father!" Your baby stood up and wobbled over to Xiao, their first ever steps being taken.

(Bonus: Zhongli walked into the room after everyone else had left. You whispered a small hello to him, "Look, baby! It's grandpa." You muttered softly, Zhonglis eyes lit up at the title you had given him. And when he first held the baby, he declared in his head he would destroy anyone who walked in his grandkids path.)

Zhongli

His hands rubbed your stomach. "Dear.... do you know what this means?" His honeycomb voice asked you, you shook your head slightly. "I-" you stopped, he grabbed your hand reassuringly. "I know it will be a hassle, but I want to try it if you're comfortable with that." You said, your eyes shifting to the floor. His ungloved hand grabbed your chin, moving your face to look at him.

"Sweetheart, I would wish nothing more. However, we do need to go see Cloud Retainer about this." You blushed heavily and nodded "Ah of course! Let me grab my stuff."

The two of you headed back from the mountain, "Wow," you mumbled. He unlocked the house and sat on the couch, pulling you on his lap. "I will be here every step of the way, my love." The process was going to practically ruin your body.

"Li, we need to tell Ganyu and Xi- uhm our adoptive son. We need as much help as we can get." You mumbled in his embrace, trying not to summon him just by mentioning his name. "I'll go get her, you call for him, is that okay with you?" You nodded, your Geo husband left the house, and you called for the anemo yaksha.

"Xiao!" You said carefully, the room filled with dark green, his body swarming through the room. "What happened?" He said alarmed, once he saw your calmness, he placed his pole arm down and sighed. "Hey, grump." You smiled, gaining a small scowl from him. You grabbed his arm and brought him to the office, sitting him in a chair. As if on cue, Ganyu bashfully walked through the front door, your husband following shortly after.

And now the four of you sat in the office, "So why did you call me here?" Xiao asked. The blue haired girl nodded nodded. "Did someone pass?" She said, slightly worried. "Quite the opposite matter of fact, my (y/n) would you do the honors."

You looked at him wide-eyed but then focused your attention on the two, now heavily confused shorties. "Zhongli and I are expecting a child..." You said slowly, Xiaos eyes widened in panic as Ganyus sparkled in admiration. "We talked to Cloud Retainer. The news isn't too amazing. She said that three months should go by and the baby will arrive..... (y/n) is an adepti, so it will hurt their body..." He continues on. Both Ganyu and Xiao now hold the same look. Worried with a twinge of curiosity for what is to come.

The conversation continued, and many questions were answered, but in the end, everyone stayed on the same note. Protect (y/n) and help them through the pregnancy. Xiao and Ganyu decided to move in for the time being, helping you while Zhongli was working."

~one month later~

It was awful. Your pregnancy was literally tearing your body apart. Not a day went by where the groans of agony didn't play through the old archons home. Currently, you lay on the floor, the coolness of the tile breaking your attention away from the kicks and punches that were going on in your stomach.

"Excuse me, (y/n)." Ganyu quietly said she was the sweetest always making sure you were okay. "Hmm?" You hummed at her softly, giving her a small but weak reassuring smile. "It's time to eat." She said softly, Xiao walked over, and the two of them helped you up. Your large belly moving in protest, caused you to grit your teeth in pain. Xiao grumbled something along the lines of the kid needing to behave.

The pregnancy made you crave Bamboo Shoot Soup and Cold Soba. However, you couldn't eat the soup due to the raw meat that was in the dish. So everyday you had Ganyus delicious Cold Soba. You sat in the chair at the dining table, slurping slightly at the dish, the two adepti staring down at you. "I swear to Morax, sit down." You grumbled at them. "Also eat some food!" They obeyed immediately, your parental instincts had already hit, and now you were scolding your two adoptive kids whenever they wouldn't rest.

Despite the long shifts The God of Contracts took, he would always spend more than enough time with you. As soon as he got home, he shuffled towards your delicate body. "My love, you're glowing." His deep voice said. He kissed your lips softly. His placed his hands on your stomach, and the moving immediately stopped in your womb. "Why do you get them to stop, but I can't!" You groaned, causing him to frown slightly. "Well, that just means you get to spend more time with me, my beloved"

The night went on, and Zhonglis hands softly send vibrations to your stomach. It was a small little quirk his abilities gave him. Your mind was finally at ease. As you slept the most peaceful sleep you've ever had.

~Three months in~

Everyone stood in the room, Xiao, Ganyu, Cloud Retainer, Shenhe, and most importantly, Zhongli. It was an overwhelming crowd, but your body needed as much assistance as it could get. The room was frigid, thanks to Ganyu and Shenhe, pregnancy caused your body to overheat and now that your due date was two days away, you were sweltering.

Everyone sat in different corners of the house. You wobbled around, your abnormally large abdomen making it hard to see. A large splash caught everyone's attention, a shrieking scream could be heard throughout all of Liyue, signaling that the birth had begun.

You were rushed in the nursery, everyone beside you, causing Ganyu to shout despite how out of character it was. Xiao and Shenhe backed up slightly and walked to a corner of the nursery, Shenhe slowly used her vision to cause the temperature to drop. Zhongli did everything he could for you. He held your soul gripping hands while you cried in pain.

The process was long and agonizing, but the soft coos of your baby had all been worth it. You finally smiled in relief until another spark of pain erupted through you. You threw your head back, it hurt so much, everyone's eyes shot towards your body. Xiao immediately running forward to you taking Zhonglis place as your husband helped your baby.

"There's another!" You yelled out, grabbing Xiao in pain, your body was sweating, and the pain coursing through your body became too much. With one last push your body gave out, fading you into a peaceful slumber.

~Outside POV~

Everyone stared at your limp body, Ganyu successfully pulled the child out and put her attention on them. Xiao panicked and checked for a pulse on your wrist, Zhongli right behind him, checking on your neck. Both of them sighed out in relief, causing the tense air to settle. "They most likely fainted from the pain. We're going to need to stay here for longer. Their body will he fragile." The retainer stated....

Zhongli was a devoted father. He immediately knew what to do, it's as if he had been a father his whole life. He would tell his two kids stories on his life, placing them in a restful sleep. He would always bring the babies with him whenever he would stroll around Liyue Harbor, the citizens would coo at the adorable sight. Currently, the four of you sat at the edge of the harbor and watched fireworks and lanters light up the sky. Your two babies looked up in awe, causing you to smile deeply. "Mortal life is truly worth it." Zhongli said while he stared lovingly at you. His lips captured yours softly. "My glowing beloved."

(Bonus: Xiao and Ganyu would visit ALL the time. Both of them would hang out with their younger siblings, teaching them things despite their young age. Ganyu would softly tell them about cautions and the beauty of life. Your oldest took after her very well. And Xiao would teach them about reality and recklessness. The youngest kid had kind of a rivalry going on with Xiao. It was very amusing to see.)

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

This is all so sorry for the mistakes and inconsistencies. There will probably be like 7 parts cause I am getting a bit burnt out >:p I hope all is well <3.

[messyhairedhazeleyeddude]

Ache // Yandere! Ticci Toby x

Fem! Reader {SMUT}

[Hello, this will be the first fic that I post. What I'm going to give you guys beforehand is some trigger warnings before we get on to it. Other than that, I hope you enjoy it and give me some feedback whenever you're done if you feel in the mood.]

TW // Violence, r@pe, and a whole lotta mention of murder as always.

𓌏 ☒ 𓌏 ☒ 𓌏 ☒ 𓌏 ☒ 𓌏 ☒ 𓌏 ☒ - First P.O.V

Every day, it started like this. Planted in my bed, tangled in my grey sheets, waiting for that one sliver of motivation to get out of my blankets. My room was a mess. Pieces of clothing scattered across the floor, piling up around my dresser, and hanging off of places I tossed them.

I stared over the rest of what I could see while trying to get rid of the bitter taste of soda left on my tongue from last night. The posters I've collected of my favorite bands clung onto the wall for dear life, fading away from how long they had been there. An empty Sprite can stood on my nightstand, left there after my body decided to have its third caffeine crash this week.

It was getting so warm where I was lying that I was starting to overheat, making me shuffle around to stay cold. That wasn't too hard because of how freezing my room was.

When I looked at my window, I noticed it was cracked open. If I didn't shut it soon, it would get worse. But minutes were melting into each other and I didn't want to get up. Why did I love to procrastinate so much? It shouldn't be this hard to move on with my day.

Silence filled every corner of my apartment, leaving me to peacefully rot. Was it selfish of me to be like this? That's what it felt like they were trying to say when I talked to relatives. But that's the reason why I prefer to be shut-in. I never had to hear that about myself. The world outside would remain indifferent. And hopefully, by the time I had to move, I was swallowed into the Earth below.

A sudden vibration of my phone startled me. I mumbled a barrage of curses and reached for it slowly, furrowing my brows and groaning. I could only pray that it wasn't him trying to contact me.

The last time he visited, I no longer felt safe outside. I would check behind me constantly, feeling as if his light brown eyes were glued to my back, and at any moment, he could come back and chop off my limbs until I was a headless torso. Remembering that he existed caused that horrible anxiety to spread goosebumps across my skin. I was shaking as I tried to unlock my phone.

Hundreds of notifications popped up that I had been ignoring, some of them messages from my mom, and the rest were emails. I almost accidentally clicked on one before I found the most recent. "Return library books today," it read. Fuck, I forgot today was the due date for those. Despite not wanting to, I had to get up. I did promise that if I had a reason to, I would.

I peeled myself from the comfort of my bed. My sheets clung to me like glue, trying to pull me back as if it were a bad idea. Fighting against it, I shivered at the sudden change in temperature and pulled down the bottoms of my shorts so they weren't wedged in between my ass.

After not walking for what felt like forever, I took my first steps, a soreness on my left thigh making me place a hand on my dresser for support. I looked down at a bruise from that encounter, biting my lip to distract myself from thinking about it. I need to take my pills or I'll get suicidal. So many things to do. So overwhelmed.

Encouraging myself in my head, I found the strength to go for the door. I opened it and turned down my hallway, going for the bathroom with quick and light steps.

Many pictures of family and portraits were loosely decorated on the wall, a pit in my stomach opened when I stared at them. I lingered on my dad and had to tear myself away from the picture before I felt the need to cry.

Stumbling into the bathroom, I flicked on the harsh yellow light and stood before the mirror, running a hand through my disheveled hair. I reached for the medicine cabinet, the hinges squeaking as I rummaged through it. I grabbed my medication and popped the bottle open, tossing out a tiny pill into my palm. I swallowed the bitter capsule and cringed as it slowly went down.

Turning my attention to the sink, I turned on the cold water and brought my mouth to the tap to take a sip. Then I splashed it on my face after I was done, relieved that the pill was no longer there. On the counter, I focused on the facewash I hadn't used in god knows how long. I missed the feeling of my face being clean. At least, I can't forget about it now.

I poured the runny liquid into my hands and rubbed them together, slapping it on my face and rubbing it in circles to get deep in my pores. It foamed up a bit and burned. If I'm going to be honest, I don't know if I'm supposed to be using this, but it works.

As I was splashing the water on my face again to clean it off, I opened my eyes to a man staring at me in the mirror, causing me to freeze. I could see the glisten of his goggles from here, that blue hood covering his messy hair, but it didn't contain enough around the edges. It was him. The man who attacked me and my dad a couple of days ago.

A scream clawed its way up my throat, but before the sound could escape, I reached for something. Grab anything to protect myself, that's all I needed to do. But before I could, the room blurred as I twisted, my hand grasping a razor for a split second.

I was torn away from it. I felt a hard impact on my back as I was slammed against the wall, the air forcing out of my lungs in a sharp gasp. I struggled to breathe, my hands grabbing onto his wrists while they dug into my neck.

He had me pinned against it and struggling to get any sort of noise out. Slowly, I was dragged up upward and lifted off of the ground. I choked, my vision was fading as his glare burned into mine. He's going to kill me. Just like he did to Dad. He's going to get away with it. I pulled my head back against the wall before lunging it forward to collide it with the serial killer's, his hands faltering their hold and dropping me from the force of it.

I collapsed to the floor and sputtered out several coughs, hunched up in a ball and desperately trying to regain the oxygen he took from me. My neck felt numb, the indents of his fingers bruising and stung like a bitch.

He crouched down to me. I closed my eyes and thought he would finish it right there. But when I suddenly felt his lips press against mine, they shot back open. Breathing heavily through my nose, I stared at his shut eyelids. I glanced down at his lashes, feeling his breath as he sighed. He relaxed into me for a split second before pulling away, lowering his voice to a rough whisper to introduce himself, "It's nice to meet you finally, {F/N}. The name's Tobias."

Struggling to get myself sitting up, I made it by resting on the wall and using my hands to keep me there. My chest rapidly went up and down as I watched his every move. He backed away a bit, but not enough to give me leverage. I repeated, "Tobias?" And his eyebrow quirked up like he was questioning my reaction.

"I can also go by Toby. Whatever you prefer. But I gave you my full name because I really like you, [F/N]," he added. I knitted my brows and shook my head, unable to understand what he was saying. He liked me? He just kissed me? What the fuck?

I pushed myself away from him and got back up, running for it and successfully escaping the bathroom. The front door was right in front of me, I barely got to reach for it before I felt a hand grab a fistful of my hair. No, I almost had it!

Strands of my hair were ripped out as I was yanked backward and thrown onto the couch, falling onto it and yelping in pain. Tears fell from my eyes and I clutched my head, grabbing the part that hurt the most. A headache was coming on and I couldn't help but rock myself to soothe it. I sobbed, "Leave me alone! Please, just leave me alone..." I twisted myself to let out the rest in the cushions, hearing him approach behind me.

After crying for a bit and nothing was happening to me, I hesitantly lifted myself to take a peek. Toby was sitting next to me, almost as if he was waiting patiently for me to finish. When he saw that I was staring at him, he patted his lap and said, "Here. Rest your pretty head and we can get to talking about this, sweetheart."

I was too scared of him to tell him no. It was the first time I felt pure terror from somebody. Like I would never be able to fight back with him. And I was right. I couldn't. The sad truth was that if my dad had fallen to this man, I'm sure I would live the same fate if I didn't listen. Dragging myself, I cringed while laying my head onto his leg, feeling his hand rest on my head and causing me to flinch. "Sh, sh, I'm not going to hurt you anymore. I told you, I really adore you, [F/N]," he reassured me. A part of me wanted to bite his leg to pieces, but if I went along with this until he fell asleep or left, then I could escape and possibly go to the police.

Deciding to go with it, I pretended to enjoy the warmth and snuggled into him. I wouldn't call it pretending actually, he was pretty warm. Toby hummed and it stayed like this for some time. He kept petting me, brushing my hair out of the way, soothing me from the chase earlier.

Eventually, he got bored of it and nudged me to sit back up. I tilted my head and asked, "What?" His hand went to rest on my lower back, applying pressure around it, pushing me forward until I was easing into sitting on him. A smile crossed his face at the compliance. He seemed intrigued by it.

"I didn't think you would give up this quick. I thought I was going to have to give you a couple more marks for memories," he sounded pleased as both of his arms wrapped around my waist. They were much bigger than mine, with a couple of veins etched up around them like vines, and faded scars littering everywhere on his skin. He had been doing this for years by the looks of it. There was no way in hell I was going to escape, huh?

Placing another kiss on my cheek, soft and gentle, his eyelashes brushed against me before he pulled away to speak again, "Do you know what I've been picturing every night to the thought of you, [F/N]?" His hands dropped lower to skim over my ass, lightly gripping, and dragging me toward him. My breath hitched. I didn't say a word.

Toby answered for me, "I've been picturing taking these off..." His fingers gripped around the waistband of my shorts and teased me about taking them off by pushing them down lightly. Continuing that, he said, "Have you to myself for a couple of hours..."

There were so many reasons why I should say no to him and why I shouldn't allow him to touch me like this. For one, he killed my father. He broke into my house and he was physically violent to me. I felt disgusting that he had gotten to this level too. But, I didn't stop him. I didn't say no and I didn't deny it. I looked into this killer's eyes and I leaned onto his chest, giving into what he wanted

When we kissed for the second time, I noticed how chapped his lips were, and opened my mouth a little to swipe my tongue across his bottom one. Toby tensed up. And without warning, I felt his tongue use the opportunity to have an exchange with mine. I gasped through my nose, the escalation getting worse and worse. A blush began to spread across my face.

He lifted me off of his lap to flip me onto the couch, putting both of his palms by either side of my head. I was back to being pinned underneath him. I don't know what was happening to me. Something was wrong with me, I was sick for this. I was sick... because I enjoyed this.

His sweater and shirt fell to the floor as we fought each other with kisses. His teeth bit into my lower lip and pulled it back while I moved to unbuckle his belt. I was giving in to this. I was really fucking the guy that took away everybody I loved in my life.

Barely in any clothes, we both took a moment to stare at each other, oddly feeling like he was admiring me from how he looked up and down my body. Toby took his time, pressing small pecks across my chest up to my neck, snaking his arms around to my back. He unclipped my bra and slipped it off of me. I wanted to cover myself, but I no longer wanted to move. I didn't have any motivation. There was nothing left to fight for.

The gloves and bandages around his fingers felt weird against my skin especially when he played with my chest. He squeezed one, bit the other, and once he heard a moan slip out of me, he stopped to let me process. He complimented me, his voice a bit raspy like he was fighting the urge to do something to me already, "You look even better so close like this, with how foggy those windows would get. It would make me want to break them and threaten you then and there."

I bit the inside of my cheek and he got closer, hooking onto my panties and pulling them down as a smirk spread on his face. My lack of response didn't concern him. He kept going despite that, throwing the thin fabric somewhere in the room before he looked up at me. His hair was in his face and the eyebags around his eyes told me he was more than dangerous. How many times has he done this?

Toby muttered seriously, breaking me out of the moment, "Who do you belong to?" I blankly gazed at him, watching as he stood up and slowly inched his boxers down. I can't speak. I can't tell him that. More scars appeared, his v-line making my eyes linger, and I got distracted. His dick was let out before I could respond.

My eyes widened and I tried to squeeze my legs shut, but he kept them apart as soon as they moved, holding both of my knees up to my shoulders. I was breathing super fast, my heart raced, and I was feeling the ache in between both of my legs. It was nothing compared to when he positioned himself and pushed the tip inside.

Digging my nails into his arms, I cried out in pain and threw my head back, looking up at his satisfied face. Toby groaned, a laugh following behind it, "You don't have to answer. I'll do it for you." He rammed most of what he could, grabbing both of my thighs so tightly that it was guaranteed to be bruised. I screamed out. He was too rough and too much for me to take like this. It hurt. It fucking ached. I was being drilled into the cushions.

Trying to handle it was impossible. He made it impossible for me. His hips connected as he went deeper, loud slaps coming from it, bouncing off and echoing. I didn't want to think about the neighbors hearing me lose my dignity like this. I didn't want to think about the fact my dad could be witnessing this. But it was starting to feel good. Really fucking good. My eyes rolled to the back of my head and after that, I didn't care anymore.

I wrapped my legs and arms around him, pulling him closer and savoring his dick carving into the parts I didn't know were there. Moaning, swearing, and muttering filled the room. We were getting lost in the bliss and saying whatever was on the mind. Or I was. His name left me a couple of times and so did encouragement, "More.. More, please, Toby!"

Flipping around again when he got a little tired, I gyrated my hips and sat on his lap so I could bounce, sliding up and down until I could feel my walls beginning to squeeze. I was close and this position wasn't helping. I held my breath and Toby took notice, pressing his forehead against mine.

"Let it out for me, baby. Don't be shy," he cooed, sweat dripping down his forehead like he was holding back his own. I bit the inside of my cheek and a desperate moan came out, "Fuuuuuck, cummm with! Please!"

He didn't listen to me and lifted me off of the couch with him, holding me up in the air while guiding me down onto his shaft. I went limp and drool fell down the side of my chin as I buried myself into the crook of his neck, biting it a little to vent out the overwhelming pleasure. Toby didn't let up until a couple of more minutes of fucking me passed and I was fucked out enough that my legs were shaking.

When he was about to cum himself, he set me back down, rushing up to my face to give me a facial. My mouth was open from panting and I caught a bit on my tongue, swallowing it when we were back to locking eyes. The rest landed on my nose, cheeks, and lips. He let out a loud groan as he unwinded, pulling away to see the display once he was done.

I lay there. Used. I lay there for him to stare at. Until he walked away for cleaning supplies. To think about what I was doing. To come back down and face the new reality I was in. I was his now and he was mine. And there was nothing I could do about it.

[pavlovianfuckery]

catch me if you can or whatever

MASTERLIST

linky for those AO3-ly inclined: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45256873

basically what it says in the title. make silly bets, get silly prizes, like creature-dick and the worst cardio session ever

2.8k of Dream when he fucking gets you under the cut :)

This is a nightmare. Your lungs are burning and your legs ache, but still, you run. If you had known that one childish impulse would get out of hand like this, you might have thought twice before teasing him the way you had.

It had started as something silly, trying to pry him away from his work for a few minutes, nothing more. A quip about him needing to lighten up hadn't been quite enough, so in the spur of the moment, you had simply snatched the book he'd been reading right out of his hands, absconding deeper into the library with a barely suppressed laugh. You hadn't expected him to chase you, though. Granted, it wasn't in any great hurry but pursue you he did, finally cornering you between the towering bookshelves.

"That was juvenile, even for you. Do I truly bore you so?" The way he'd chided you lacked any real heat though.

"Is it so terrible to want your attention for a few minutes? You have all the time in the world to work." Fiddling with the folds in his coat, you gently nipped at his bottom lip. "Surely you can do the rest later?" It was not much use though.

"As much as I'd like to indulge you, I cannot, not tonight. Although..." he'd paused, thinking for a moment, "if a chase is what you're after, why not make it something a bit more exciting than these childish antics in my library?"

"I'm listening."

"How about a small wager? If you can evade me until sun-up tomorrow, by any means you can imagine, you may ask me for anything you would like." That piqued your interest. He'd humour you from time to time, that wasn't uncommon in itself, but he was usually so serious.

"That doesn't sound so hard. What's the catch? With you, there is always one of those." Which was true, for all that he might have accommodated you in the past, he would usually find some way to be a bit of an ass about it. If you didn't know better, you might have mistaken him for a fae. Your scepticism seemed to amuse him.

"Should you fail, I will do with you as I will, whatever that might entail." That hadn't sounded bad at all, butterflies filling your stomach at the way he'd smiled at you, just a hint too sharp."It may not be as pleasant as what you might be imagining, I'm afraid. After all, what would be the point of this little game if you were simply planning to let me win?"

"I'll make you work for it, don't worry." The words had come out a lot more confident than you felt, but you weren't going to let him know that.

"Good. I will even give you a headstart." You'd started protesting about not needing him to do you any favours, but he'd simply covered your mouth with his, cutting you off. Judging by the way he had kissed you until your knees felt like jelly, he perhaps hadn't minded being pulled away from his work for a while, after all. When he finally let you up for air, you'd noticed that he'd stolen his book back.

"Hey!"

"I'll be waiting. Now, wake up."

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

In hindsight you're kicking yourself for agreeing, it had been so stupid. At first, you simply tried to hide, mostly to see what he would do. By any means you can think of, he had said, and being in the Dreaming made it easy to let your imagination run free. It seemed like as good a start as any, disguising yourself as a butterfly and joining one of the great swarms in the palace gardens, doing your best to blend in. Evidently, it was not as smart as you had thought, because he found you in barely any time at all.

"That's very clever, my love. You will have to do better than that, though." He paused, considering. "I did promise you a head start, did I not? Five minutes should be plenty, I believe."

Did he think you were that slow? Your dismay must have been apparent even in this form, a hint of a smile forming on his lips.

"Which is it going to be, my sweet? Are you going to waste time sulking, or are you going to run?"

You run. Or fly, rather. You're not quite sure what exactly you turned into this time other than "bird", but you're small and fast, and that's all that matters. In no time at all, Dream is nothing but a dark smudge against the grass, rapidly shrinking. The speed is exhilarating and for a moment you forget the bet, the silly little game, all of it. Not for long though. Silhouetted against the sky like this you make an easy target, so you dash for the only cover you can find.

In the Waking, it would be cold and wet and miserable, but not here. Here the clouds are warm, covering you like a soft blanket as you make for the nearby forest, the treetops barely visible through the mist like an untidy fence off in the distance. It's not too far, and if you hurry you will have enough hiding places to have a fighting chance, so you pick up the pace. And then something moves above you, dark wings parting the mist in great rolling waves. It's hard to see much, but you can tell that it's big, whatever it is.

"Is this the best you can do? I was expecting you to take this a bit more seriously." There is no way that it has been 5 minutes already, but before you can call him out for cheating, great talons are raking through the air. They miss you with barely an inch to spare, ruffling your tail feathers. He is seconds away from catching you and by the sound of it, you might get a bit more than you bargained for if you let him do that. You dive.

Despite the breakneck speed, he's all but nipping at your heels the entire way down, leaving you no choice but to hit the ground running. The grass is slippery with dew, turning your landing into a slide and making you lose your footing. Not for long though, strong hind legs and claws of your own giving you grip and a burst of speed as you launch yourself into the tall grass. A hare might not have been your first pick, but it's not like you had time to think. It makes gaining ground easy though, darting this way and that towards the treeline, narrowly evading the grasping talons.

You make it into the forest, the dense undergrowth giving you enough cover to shake him off. The thick layer of fallen leaves deadens every sound, and it takes you a few seconds to realize that he's not behind you anymore. In fact, you can't see or hear him at all. It's not likely that he would have given up that easily, but your legs feel like over-cooked noodles so you stop to catch your breath. Finally yourself again, you sit down heavily on a tree stump, lungs still heaving like bellows. Since this is all technically a dream, it feels deeply unfair that you get winded at all. You remind yourself to ask him about that later, but you suspect that running in your dreams does not count as cardio.

Dawn is still hours away, and you have no clue how you're going to make it until then. At this point, it feels like you might as well give up. You're pretty sure he wouldn't do anything too bad, and there is no way you can keep this pace up for much longer. The sound of a dead branch breaking nearby is loud, taking you by surprise.

At first, you're not entirely sure what you're looking at, except that it's not any kind of animal that you know. It's pale, with a starved look about it, all sinew and bone. Between the dark tufts of fur and the gangly, oddly proportioned limbs, it is entirely alien. Even the way it moves is unsettling as its antlered head swivels in your direction, its eyes fixed on you. Black eyes.

As it turns out, you do have the energy to keep running after all.

For a few fleeting seconds, you almost think he might let you go. But then he chases after you, more branches breaking. It's over in less than a minute. If you hadn't tripped it might have been one and a half, maybe even two. But soon, a clawed hand pushes you down onto the ground, leaving you splayed out like so much prey. Wriggling only makes him put more of his weight on you, claws pricking your skin.

"Be still." His voice is almost felt rather than heard, reminding you of gravel being ground underfoot and the bubbling of mud, nothing like his usual smooth velvet. There is a gibbering at the back of your mind, every base instinct telling you to flee, to get away by any means possible before you're eaten."Or would you deny me my prize?"

For a moment you consider it, calling it off. He hasn't held that against you in the past, and he wouldn't now. And despite appearances, you're pretty sure he wouldn't actually eat you. This close you can't help noticing the disconcerting amount of sharp-looking teeth though, so you take a deep breath to try and calm yourself.

"No." Your voice isn't quite as steady as you would have liked it to be but you reach out to touch him all the same. His skin is warm and dusted with fine, almost invisible hair. It's a strange, almost sticky feeling, and when he pulls away to move down your body, you half expect it to coat your fingers like moth scales. When he reaches the apex of your thighs he nuzzles there, drawing your scent deep into his lungs with a low rumbling sound.

The way he picks at your clothes with the tips of his claws is almost dainty, the fabric giving with little ripping sounds as he works your legs free, leaving you bare. When he spreads your lips to expose you to him it's with the gentlest touch, careful not to scratch you. Aside from his eyes, the way he works your clit is the only familiar thing tonight, teasing you until you can hardly stand it. When the tip of his tongue probes your entrance your eyes drift shut, anticipating what's to come.

"No, look at me." Once he's satisfied that you're watching he slides his tongue into you, inch by slick inch, not stopping until his teeth prick your skin. He could swallow your entire cunt whole like this, easily fitting all of it in his mouth with room to spare.

The movement of his tongue is a slow, undulating thing as he fucks you with it, drinking down every drop of your juices as he massages every sweet spot at once. It's a wholly new sensation and it's got you craving more of it, making you grab hold of his antlers to better grind yourself against him, but he just gives a low growl and splays one huge hand across your stomach, keeping you still as he feasts on you. Craning your neck you can only just glimpse his length, massive and ridged, the broad head already leaking and turning the dark fur between his legs sticky.

"Gods, Dream, you're not planning to fuck me with that?" He doesn't respond right away, so intent on devouring you, not stopping until you're trembling.

"Remember the agreement, my love. Do not refuse me now." His expression is harder to read like this, but the want in his voice is plain enough. Stroking your sides soothingly, his voice turns almost cajoling as he continues, "Turn over."

Perhaps against your better judgement, you do as he asks, your stomach fluttering with equal parts desire and trepidation. The smell of decaying leaves and trampled undergrowth is thick in your nose as he puts you on your hands and knees, face nearly touching the forest floor. It's hard to stay still as he starts slowly pushing inside, careful not to crush you under his weight as he mounts you. He makes it less than an inch before you tense, certain that he's going to split you in half somehow.

"Wait, I don't know if..."

"You can take me." He presses against you another fraction of an inch, not bothering to let you finish talking. "You will."

At first, it feels like he's demanding the impossible, but gradually you manage to relax. He takes his time working his way inside of you and when he finally bottoms out it's with a guttural sound, his breath ruffling your hair as he pants against the back of your neck. You half expect some form of "I told you so" but it never comes. Instead, you simply breathe together for a few moments as he gives you time to adjust.

When he moves it's so slowly, like he could break you somehow. When you don't, he gets bolder, pulling nearly all the way out and then thrusting back in, making sure you feel every ridge and bump. Every noise you make seems to egg him on until his teeth are at the back of your neck, not quite drawing blood.

He takes his time, holding you steady as he claims you utterly. Even when his teeth nick your skin he doesn't falter, probing at the cut with his tongue until saliva dribbles down your neck. Even the way he tightens his grip on you is entirely other, leaving you unable to do anything but wriggle in the dirt, black spots dancing across your vision.

"Dream, please!" Everything is pressure and a gasp is all you can manage. You can feel him swell inside of you in response to your pleading, and then one huge finger settles over your neglected clit, the claws a reminder of just how easily he could rip you apart like this.

In a way he does, rubbing at you until your release is so close that you can nearly taste it. Teetering right on the precipice, you're not sure if there is even room for you to come, he's got you stretched so wide. He's insistent though, trapping you between his hand and his cock, not letting you squirm away no matter how much you try.

In the end, he reaches his peak first, jaws locked like a steel trap around your neck as he spills deep inside of you. It feels as if it might never end as he pulses over and over until his release is running down your legs, black like tar. Even then he manages to keep up the slow, full strokes, refusing to stop until you hurtle over the edge.

When you finally do, it knocks the breath out of you, leaving you no air to even scream. The girth of him makes your cunt struggle to clench and as he fucks you through it, he very nearly gets pushed out. He doesn't let up until you almost collapse under his weight, utterly spent. Even as he lays you down on your side he doesn't withdraw, just pulls you close and curls in around you with a sound that while strange, sounds content enough. It's oddly cosy like this, his deep rumbling breaths against your back, and for a few moments neither of you says anything. As the light-headedness starts lifting and your heart stops pounding like you've run a marathon, you can't quite hold back a sigh.

"Something troubling you, my love?" Even distorted, the amusement in his voice is apparent.

"Were you ever going to give me a fair chance to win?" With the soreness setting in, it's difficult to keep some irritation out of your voice.

"Perhaps." This time he doesn't bother to disguise it, and you're grateful that you have your back turned so you don't have to see the smug expression on his face. "As I recall, you agreed to the terms."

"You cheated!" You emphasize the words with an elbow to where his stomach should be, though not very hard. It barely connects, and you're too worn out to stay annoyed. There is a crick in your neck and you wince, hoping it won't follow you into the waking world. "Next time, remind me not to interrupt while you're working."

At first, he doesn't respond and you think he might be having a coughing fit. For a second you wonder if an Endless can even get sick, or if something else is wrong. Then he nuzzles your neck and you realize that the dreadful noise is him laughing at you. Not very loudly, but still. By the time you wake up, you still haven't decided whether you should be annoyed at the cheek of him, or just be happy that you heard him laugh for the first time.

[soraisnotsleepy]

Enki Ankarian in... love?!?! (small drabble + headcanons) 🪱🪲

C/Ws: slight desc of sickly appearance AND NOT PROOF READ enjoy wonky yummy grammar because I do too

• I know, it's unbelievable that Enki, of all people, can fall in love!!! Despite his antisocial personality and hermit way of lifestyle, he is still capable of basic human emotions (yet he's bad at naming them or recognizing at all)

• For him to develop any kind of relationship, he must be bound to that person by circumstances (for e.g, being stuck in the dungeons of Fear and Hunger, like you're rn!!!). Since he's forced to spend time with you like this, he will unintentionally get used to your presence because, like, he has to. You were crucial to him, without your assistance dwelling deep into the dungeons would be a one way trip towards death itself

• Like this he bears with you. Thoughts of '"how are they" and "what are they thinking" will slowly creep into his rotten dark brain. You will soon find him more talkative and genuinely invested in whatever relates to you. He will ask more questions about you without you being the conversation's initiator

• Yet he will still try to keep distance between him and you. He's not used to any sort of affection or a relationship based on trust. Expect him to warm up to you and then distance himself again as soon as he realizes that he got too close

• Of course he'll start worrying about your well-being as well. Y'all need to go over to that dark mysterious corner? Enki will go first and keep you behind him. Nonono! You can't eat that rotten cabbage, eat this fresh carrot instead. Enki has eaten worse, this hopefully won't upset his stomach that much unlike yours. You're really tired and sleepy? Let's rest in this room with a bed. Take that bed instead, Enki's fine with leaning against the wall nearby

• Okay help I'm running out of ideas /srs,,,, BUT LEMME JUST THROW IN THIS:::

(y/n) barely could keep up with the dark priest. Their feet gave away, with each step their legs felt heavier and heavier. Yet they kept quiet. They couldn't afford to just rest here out of all places, too far away from the surface. In such a dark place filled with grotesque gore scent and soggy filthy ground. Despite all that, it couldn't keep their mind away from sleepiness and hunger.

*thud*

And (y/n) fell on the ground loud and hard. Enki immediately turned his head to his companion's direction and strictly asked:

"What's that all of a sudden?"

"Don't worry, I accidentally tripped," (y/n) answered as they desperately tried to get up.

It really looked pitiful. Their hands trembled and they barely could lift up their fragile frame. The priest huffed at their words (especially the "don't worry" part) and walked up to them to give them a lift.

"You're horrible at lying," Enki commented as (y/n) leaned against his shoulder.

They were completely pale, it was as if their body was deprived of blood. It didn't look like this before, well not that bad. Enki frowned his eyebrows.

"We're still not close to Ma'habre, don't you dare to die on me." and with those words you both walked around in search of a safe room.

The man's cold heart ached at his companion's sickly appearance. It was too much. He couldn't drag you to the ancient city in such a vulnerable state. You weren't just a meat shield like he thought at first, you were something more to him that he refused to say out loud in his head.

In this hell of a place, both dwellers were successful in finding a relatively safe place to rest. Enki placed (y/n) against the wall and proceeded to set up a bonfire. It was painfully cold, a single torch failed to keep anyone warm.

As the priest was trying to set up a fire, (y/n) finally found some strength to speak "We don't have to rest unless you need it... I can go on, it was nothing really,"

Enki sighed and said nothing. What he wanted to say he couldn't. Someone like him can't soften up. Someone like him can't succumb to 'lowly' human feelings and say words of comfort. Eventually the fire was set and he could rest alongside with you. Enki took his bag and found a piece of dried meat between books and various potions. Without a second thought, he offered it to (y/n):

"Eat,"

(y/n)'s eyes widened at this gesture. After five seconds of silence, they shook their head.

"But this is the last food we have. Let's at least split it-" (y/n) tried to reason with Enki, but he interrupted.

"No, just take it,"

Of course (y/n)'s stomach already felt like it was about to eat itself from inside out, yet they just couldn't bare with the thought of eating all it themselves.

"That's unreasonable," they tried to argue.

But Enki was unusually stubborn in this matter "I insist."

They were already at their brink of blacking out from starvation and exhaustion, so they agreed. And like this, (y/n) started eating while Enki flip through some ancient book of unknown origins to them. It felt so serene to be like this with him. Too serene, too cozy for the dungeons of Fear and Hunger. Too comfortable to the point that (y/n)'s eyes began to close by themselves. Enki noticed it (because he was occasionally throwing glances at you).

"Sleep, sleep. I'm not fatigued, I will keep an eye on our surroundings." The dark priest spoke as he continued to read his book.

(y/n) could swear that they saw his strict facial expression soften up a little bit. Or was it the lighting creating an illusion?

Thoughts of why Enki did what he did plagued (y/n). Was it purely to keep them alive so that it will secure him a somewhat safe travel to the ancient city? Or was it because he wasn't a cold hearted monster after all? With these thoughts, (y/n) finally closed their eyes and fell into a deep slumber. Their head landed on Enki's shoulder. The dark priest sighed and kept reading.

"And why do I even like you." He quietly mumbled to himself, not really meant for you to hear.

[allkordelia]

The Wedding

Today was the day. The day that was suppose to be the happiest day of mine and daemon's life, but now just feels like a another duty I must do. After the catastrophe that was laenor and rhaenyra's wedding, daemon insisted we get married right away, so here we are a month later.

I was in my chamber already dress in the traditional valyrian gown and head peice that was sent to me by daemon's brother, looking out of my wide window watching as the servants work, a feelinging of butterflies nestled in my stomach as I chew on my lip.

I don't know why I feel nervous, I shouldn't feel anything, I don't want to feel anything not after all I had to put up with daemon, not only was he persistent about the wedding but he had been constantly hovering over me like a dark cloud always raining on me. He wouldn't leave me alone. His way of showing me his here forever, everywhere I go, when I turn my head he is there, when I am coming out of my meeting he is right there waiting, even when I am taking a bath he stand there to watch like some creeper.

Gah, it's maddening, his maddening.

Morning. Noon. And night. He is there. I tried to talk to him but he wouldn't have it, I tried lying to him but he saw through it, I even started arguments to get him to leave me alone but he just fuck me and broods the next day. I'm starting to run out of ideas and about to result to murder, the man is too much I feel I am being suffocated.

"M'lady." I turn my head to look at Meleah near the door, I turn away from the window and give a small smile.

"How do I look?" I ask turning around so she could see the gown.

"Gorgeous." She said simply with a grin, I bow my head but not too much in fear that the head peice will to fall off like before and have take another hours to get back on my head.

"Thank you." She move to stand before me, she held out her hand making me put my hand into her palm.

"How are you feeling. Excited? Nervous?" She ask massaging the palm of my hand with her thumbs, I shrug my shoulders not sure.

"I guess, nervous." I look away from her and over to the tall mirror, ever since daemon propose all I could think about was wearing this and having the valyrian wedding that my mother and father had when they were our age. Now, after all that happen it feels not so exciting anymore.

"Rhaelle, I know things didn't work out in the way that you hope, but with a little time. I think whatever you and daemon are going through will work out." I look back at my friend and shook my head.

"No, it won't." She open her mouth to counter my words, "Rather not talk about this, meleah. I don't have the energy for it." I said pulling my hand away from her own and behind my back, she close her mouth and gave me a small frown.

"Sorry," I sigh before walking away back to the window to look out.

I wrap my arms around me, the sudden aching in my chest that I haven't felt since being with daemon has return, it feels like a empty but yet dull knife being stab in my heart and twisted ever so slightly.

Am I doing the right thing? Why do I feel like I am signing something away. Is it my freedom? My heart? What? What can it be? Think! Rhaelle. Why are you being weak. You promise yourself you never do this again, so why are you letting this happen again, your being pathetic. Your father was right. So, was otto. I am a child. A stupid thoughtless idiot who think they can do this but I can't do this I never-

"...how do you think daemon will feel seeing his brother here." I blink coming back to reality as everything looks blurry, I sniff realizing I was crying, I move to wipe at my eyes and turn to meleah.

"What?" I ask confuse.

"Daemon. Does he know you invited his brother,"

Oh, I forgot about that.

"No, I...I never mention it," Meleah at me closely.

"Do you want him here." She ask, I shrug, not really.

"He is family even after everything he done, and besides I couldn't just invite the queen and not the king." Meleah nod her head at the statement.

"What about your parents? Are they coming."

"To my father's dismay, yes." I gave a small smirk.

Atleast my mother had finally forgiven me, her letter of acceptance to the wedding and marriage seem the only thing that made all this a little more bearable.

"That's good. Did you and your mother rekindle?" I nod moving from the window again to lean against my armchair.

"She said, she needed some time to think and after a while she accepted my relations with daemon but she still does not like him." We chuckle before growing queit, I was looking down playing with a string in the gown before looking when meleah clear her throat gently.

"I know you don't want to hear it, but you and daemon are truely meant to be together, if you believe or not." I refrain from rolling my eyes.

"Is that what your god says?" I mock moving my arms to cross over each other.

"No, it is what lies beyond them and us that says it, yours and daemon bloodline holds great value to not only the targaryen dynasty but Velfrys as well."

I narrow my eyes at her in thought, mine and daemon bloodline are important. It sounds ridiculous but I didn't speak it knowing she just go on more about the greater beyond and what not.

"Whatever you say, meleah."

The red priestess gave me a look before we both face the door after hearing a knock to see meya and alora standing in the threshold with big grins.

"It's time, my queen." Alora said excited, I swallow my dismay and plastered on a smile and nod.

"I'll be right there." Both girls bow and close the door, I look at meleah and let out a deep breathe, "...let's pray my gods and yours, are feeling generous today, I don't want to deal with any nonsense the remainder of the day." I said walking to the door with meleah following behind.

"You know how the gods like their games my queen." I chuckle mockingly swinging the door opening and walking out.

"...oh, I know." I mutter walking down the hall with meleah and the girls in toe, "...I know too well." I said to myself.

—

The Great Temple of the Fourteen Flames was one of the biggest structures in Magonsæte, the second being the Black Citadel, it held the fourteen statues of all of the valyrian gods in each section of the temple.

Which is where I am. I stare up at the huge statue of the goddess of love and fertility, Meleys, my bottom lip was smeared with daemon's blood just as his with mine, in my hand I held a goblet filled with his blood. Our left hands tied together in red cloth to symbolize our union. The septa spoke words that sounded muffled in my ears as I turn my eyes away from the great beaty and down at the thick crimson blood of my soon to be husband, everyone was here, watching mine and daemon union be sealed. I couldn't bear to look over at the crowd of people standing around watching us, didn't want to see the looks of their faces as they judge me and mock me.

I let out an inaudible sigh turning my eyes to glance up at daemons, he stare at me with a small smile. His lilac eyes held emotions that I grown to ignore over the pass few days, love, adoration, care, sadness...I look away from his prying eyes and at the septa as he tells us to say our vows to one another. I breathe through my nose before letting it out through my mouth, I glance at daemon as he squeeze our tied hands.

"...one flesh, one heart, one soul..." We said unison, we stare deep into each others eyes as we spoke the words, "...now and forever." As we finish, the septa spoke, yet again my ears did not hear him as I gaze at daemon, telling by the way daemon look at me he wasn't listening either.

Should I give him another chance? Why must he stare at me with so much care after all he did to me, I wish he can admit that this marriage is just going to fall apart.

Maybe, one more chance wouldn't hurt, i thought.

"...rhaelle.." I snap my eyes up at daemon as he whisper my name, "...drink." his eyes glance at the cup in my hand before looking at me, I look down at the thick liquid, my hand hesitated to being it up to my lips before I bite my tongue to get myself to move.

I lift the cup to my lips and took a sip, I look at daemon as he did the same as he stare at me. I was the first to pull the goblet away from my lips with a soft look of disgust, thats nasty why would people do this it seems like an unnecessary sct to perform, the aftertaste left a salty bitterness in my throat making me shudder.

I heard daemon let a low chuckle, I look at him as he smile softly at my expression. I couldn't help but smile back at him with a little shake of my head, I saw the look of triumph in his eyes. I gave a eyeroll looking away.

The septa said a few more words before telling us to kiss, daemon lean down as I lean up to press our lips together, the sound of the crowd cheering made us break apart. I finally look over at the people as they cheer for us, my friends and family beaming looks as they clap, and alicnet happy smile along with viserys. My eyes landed over at rhaenyra and laenor as my brother wore a happy look his wife wore a look of disdain, I turn my eyes away from her as I look back at daemon, still looking st me with all those emotions.

Once our hands were untied and the goblets were taken away, I grab his face again pulling him into another kiss, this more deeper and more passionate. He let out a surpise sound as he move his hands to settle on my wrist as he kiss me back, the crowd roar again in celebration at the act, I pull away slightly from his lips making daemon stare at me daze with a goofy smile.

"I hate you and if you hurt me again, I'll cut off that thing between your legs when your asleep," Daemon look amuse by my threat before he start nodding his head slowly.

"Deal." I smile before pressing one more kiss to his lips.

—

Music fill the air as daemon and I along with our families sat at the table in the great hall, daemon and I no longer had our traditional valyrian attire on but change into a white gown and a black robes before coming to the hall, lords and ladies came up to us congratulating us in groups at a time, some from westeros others from other islands in the serpent isles. Even, house martell came to pay their respects to us, I didn't think they would come due to house targaryen and baratheon. As I finish mh talk with the prince of dorne, the next house to come to congratulate was house hightower to my utter surpise, I did not expect them to come as well but I guess they wish to see their neice and nephews.

"Lord Horbert and Lady Lynesse, such a pleasure you could make it." I smile.

"We couldn't miss this. We may not be family anymore but we still consider you as our friend, queen rhaelle. " Lord Hobert says with a smile, I hum.

"That is so thoughtful of you, lord hobert. Thank you," Hobert glance at his nephew with a look before he look back at me before bowing along with his wife before walking away, I look next to me at aeron as he wore a neutral look.

"What was that about?" I ask him making him look at me.

"Nothing of importance, mother. Just a few words exchange between father and I when I visited Oldtown." I nod before looking away from him, I know whatever he said to his father might explain why he wasn't here which means that corwyn would be upset.

"Do not worry, mother. Corwyn knows." I look back at my son as he gave me a assuring smile.

"As long as he does that's...good I guess." He smile before looking away from me to greet house meltalor, making me drop the topic and look at lord meltalor and lady meltalor.

When all the greetings and congratulations were done, the servants brought out food and once every one got a plate we ate. I was silent throught out dinner well everyone else talk, daemon as well only because he was sat next to his brother, which he still have yet to pull me aside about so I guess his not too mad about his brother being here. Once the plates were remove from the tables, xoro and marrio wall to the entire of the room announcing a present for me making me give a confounded smile. As they gave knowing looks at daemon before the hall's doors were opening to acrobats who flip in making the crowd 'oooh' as well as jugglers who was on shoulders of others juggling knives.

I squeeze daemon's hand before looking at him with a grin, he gave me a smile as he squeeze my hand back before I turn to watch show. I never felt so happy. It reminded me of when I was turning ten and one, and jaehaerys had fire dancers and jesters come, I wish they were here to see me. I clap along with the rest at the performance, once they clear out if the hall, a familiar valyriam melody started to play making me and daemon get up from our seats. It was time for the dragon dance.

Daemon held my hand as he lead me to the floor, I let go of his hand and face away from him so my back can be against his own. We dance slowly as we move our arms up and down like wings before stepping forward and turning around to face each other, daemon took my hand again and I put my hand on his shoulder as he move his other hand to my waist. We start to move together as one in the empty space.

"You look beautiful, ābrazȳrys." Daemon said with a wide grin. wife.

"Thank you, valzȳrys. You look dashing as well." I smile up at him. husband.

"I cannot wait for later on tonight," he whisper close to my ear, "...the best part of any wedding is having our bodies moulded together to finalize our union." I smile shaking my head.

"Only you would have your mind on that," he pull back a bit looking at me.

"You don't?"

"No. I want take this stupid corset off and go to bed, sex is the last thing on my mind," I giggle as daemon wore a small frown, "Do not be so sad, husband. If this night could end on a good note, I reconsider going to bed early." He press his lips against my crown before twirl me around unexpectedly making me giggle again before he move to dip me in his arms before bring me back up and burying his face in my hair.

"Your the best wife I ever had." I roll my eyes.

"Your an idiot."

"I'm your idiot." He mumble, as I laugh again as he spin us.

Before long, the song stop and another one begun making others join the floor, daemon and I soon pull apart as baelor and marra made their way towards us. I tried to refrain from smiling wide as baelor ask me to dance, I nodded as he grab my hand pulling me away, I look over at daemon as he held marra's hands as he start to hand with her. I look back at baelor as we start to dance, we move to enthuse about the entertainers.

After a dance with baelor, I share one with Aeron, he stood tall way taller than daemon. As we dance, I gush on him moving my hand to pinch at his cheek for time to time making him give me a playful glare before he finally couldn't take anymore and force corwyn to dance with me. It was quiet between us, except for the fact when he told I look nice in my gown, before he can walk away after we finish dancing, I gave him a quick peck on the cheek making look at me utterly surpise and embarrass, I could see the faint pinkness under his tan skin. He never seen him so speechless before rather than giving me a rude comment he just stalk away, I look around to see daemon and valaena laughing as they dance, I decided to go sit down. 

All this dancing was making my feet ach not like they haven't been before but this time it was throbbing, I can't wait for this pregnancy to be over with I am done carrying daemon's spawn. As I took a empty seat at an even more empty table, I took off my flats and start using my thumbs to deeply massage my foot. I didn't care if anyone was looking. I needed this release.

"Hello." I look and stop what I was doing as I look at my mother, "May I sit?" She motions to the empty chair in front of me, I nodded moving my feet from my lap and back to the floor before sliding my feet into my flat.

"It's nice to see you again, mother." I say moving my chair close making her look at me with a smile.

"It's good to see you too, my daughter." I let a small smile slip before glancing down to my lap, "...The wedding seems like a success," I nod my head.

"Yes, but I don't think it will last that long, I'm sure I saw aeron downing mead with some of the guards. I have no doubt they will start getting rowdy by midnight."

"Speaking of, how are my grandchildren." My mother ask.

"They are fine. Corwyn is set to go on his first voyage in a few days, and aeron and valaena have rekindle and set a date for their wedding." My mother look surpise.

"Three weddings in one year, it seems we are in the gods favor again." I nod in agreement, "...and soon enough a new member of the family will be here." I look at her with a smile, I told her days ago about my pregnancy, but of course my mother already knew when she say me at Driftmark. A mother always knows.

"I am counting the days," My mother laugh as I giggle.

"Have you thought of a name, yet?" She ask making me glance at with her with a knowing look.

"Daemon thinks it may be a boy, so he wish to call him aemon after your late lord father." A look of joy cross my mother's face at the news, "Only if you don't mind, mother." She shook her head.

"Of course I don't mind, it is nice to have my father's name live on through you...and daemon." She said daemon name a bit hesitant, I smile at her before thanking her, "You don't need to thank me, seeing now what your friend was talking about makes me believe that child will grow up to be great." I pinch my brows together with a puzzle look.

"What do you mean?"

"Your friend, meleah, told me I was so blinded by my hatred for the king that I didnt see the love that you and daemon bear for one another," I look at my mother surpise, "And seeing you and him on the floor, the way you two dance together. It was beautiful." I look away from her shy, the way she told it it was like she was seeing a mythical being for the first time.

"It was nothing...just dancing, mother." I look back at her as she shake her head.

"No, it wasn't, my sweet girl. It was more than dancing it was...it was as if your hearts were dancing together, as if your hearts were beating at the same time. That is not nothing." I blink at her astonish before looking over at the floor to see daemon talking to some lord, as if knowing I was looking at him, he turn his eyes to you and wink with a smile before going back to his conversation.

"I never want to admit it..." My mother says making me look back at her, "...but you two were meant to be together, to my chagrin, and you didn't deserve what I said to you." I gave my mother a look.

"You were angry. I know you said those thinks because you were worry about me, I still can't thank you enough for what you did for me."

"You being happy is enough for me, my love." My mother lean over to kiss my cheek making me squeeze her arm, she stood up making me follow, "I am so proud of you, rhaelle." I wrap my arms around her taking her by surpise, she recover and put her arms around my shoulder.

"Thank you, muña." She rub my back before I pull away.

She gave me one last kiss on my head before excusing herself to go find her husband, knowing my mother being gone for too long will make corlys get annoyed and come looking for her. I turn away from her when she walk into sea of people, I look for daemon walking the opposite way my mother went to look for my husband. When I saw him talking to lord strong, I made my way towards him but before I could get to him I was stop by a angry glare from white hair little girl.

"Princess." I say stopping in front of her as she block my way.

"Harlot." She replied in her red gown, I roll my eyes at her word.

"Excuse me, I need to get to my husband." I said politely even through I was glaring at her, she didn't move as she stare at mean with a tasteless look.

"I will never understand how he could chose a old hag like you over me, I think my uncle might be losing his eye sight." She mock before she took sip from her cup.

"Believe me, princess. Your uncle eye sight is very well but it seems like yours aren't by how you forgotten who your talking to."

"You mean a whore, no, I don't need my eyes to see what you really are." She gave a sweet smile making me glance around for someone to save me from wringing this brat's neck.

"Shouldn't you be with your husband, my brother," I ask looking over her head at daemon, he looks at me with a smile but hia face change when he saw rhaenyra.

"His busy with...someone." I look back at her before following her eyes to see laenor and marrio flirting I'm the corner making me shake my head.

"What about your lover? I heard you have taken a...new liking to your new sword, ser strong, no?" I look back at her making her give me a hard glare.

"He is just my friend." I gave her a look. 

"Ser Criston was just your friend, too. Until you drove him into madness, I heard."

"That man was already unhinged–"

"Yeah, after you made him fuck you." I gasp taking a step back when that brat threw her wine on me, I growl down at my now soak white gown.

"You little tart." I hiss.

"Whore!" She exclaim before she was push aside by daemon as he came to me.

"My love, are you okay..." he look at me as I nod, he face drop to an angry look as he face rhaenyra, "...what the hell is the matter with you." Daemon shout making people turn to look at us.

"She started it." Daemon growl deep in his chest making me grab his arm.

"Dae, forget about her, I'm fine. I just need to change." I said trying to get him to calm down.

"I want you out of this castle now." He demanded as he glare at rhaenyra, who look takennback by his tone.

"You can not be serious, uncle–"

"I am very serious. I want you out now or I can have the guards throw you out." I look as viaerys near wth a cane with alicent by his side to stand next to rhaenyra.

"What is the meaning of this? What has happen." He ask looking between us all.

"Daemon, is trying to throw me out." Viserys frown at his daughter before looking at his brother.

"Not trying. Going to. Your daughter threw wine in my wife's face." Viserys turn to his daughter in anger.

"Is this true, rhaenyra?" He ask, making rhaenyra scowl her father.

"She started it. She was questioning my virtue before I was with laenor." I roll her eyes, "...she should be punish for spreading such lies." The girl hiss, the end of viserys's cane snap against the floor angrily as he look at his daughter.

"No such thing will happen, you will apologize this instant, young lady." Rhaenyra look at her father in shock.

"Did you not hear a word I said, she started it–"

"I do not care. You are acting like a brat, and embarrassing me. Now apologize." Rhaenyra huff looking between her father and me and daemon before growling turning on her heels and stalking away, ser strong following after her like I expected.

"I am so sorry, rhaelle." I look at viserys, "I will deal with her when we return back to King's Landing." I nod with small smile.

"Thank you, king viserys." He bow his head at me before he walk away, alicent congratulated me and daemon making me smile at her before making me say quick thank you before she left after husband.

"What...happen to you." Aeron ask slurred leaning against valaena as his other arm was around corwyn.

"A little accident nothing to worry about." I said turning to them.

"I guess, your retiring for tonight." Valaena ask before elbowing her brother making him chuckle, I nod my head making aeron stand straight and yell. 

"BEDDING! TIME." Valaena shush him as he laugh and move his face to place in her shoulder, "...let's practice our own bedding, valaena. I can show what I learn in the whorehouse." Valaena slap her brother's hand away as it creep up her stomach making me glare at my son.

"The only thing your doing is going to bed, young man." I scolded him making him pout.

"But, mother, the night hasn't even begun yet." I shook my head before beckoning my knight, when they stood in front of me, I told them to take my son to bed making them give me a nod.

"Come on, my prince." One of them took him by the arm making him growl and call for valaena, the young girl gave an eye roll before wishing me a goodnight, before following after her brother.

"I'm going to go announce your retirement, sleep well mother." Corwyn says before leaving.

I look at daemon as he put his arms around me and lead us out of the hall, it didn't take us long before we got to my chamber. He help me out of my gown making me look at it sadly, I watch as daemon discard it on the armchair before coming back and undoing my corset.

"This is why you should have told me about inviting my brother, i could have prevented this." He says making me turn around in my nightgown.

"And how would you have prevented that, husband." I motion to the dress with my hand before looking at him.

"By not inviting them." I shook my head.

"They are family and besides did you see the look on her face when her father told her to apologize." I threw my head back and let out a laugh at how angry rhaenyra look, I move to my side of the bed and got under the covers, "One of the best highlights of tonight," I look at daemon as he strip and discard his clothes on the floor.

"I'm happy you had fun, even through the night ended in such a way." He smiles gettting into bed next to me, I gave a sly smile as he lay down on his back looking at me.

"Well, I was hoping to end the night with my husband fucking me into a stupor." Daemon gave me a look as I ran my index finger along his chest.

"Really?" I nodded my head before looking at him, he put his arm behind his head watching as I move on top of him lift my dress so it can pool around his nake waist.

"What kind of wife would I be if I didn't consummate with my husband." Daemon grins as he lift up off his back and kiss me, I moan into his mouth as he bite my botton lip before sliding his tongue into my mouth.

"I love you, rhaelle." He moves to place me on the bed, I look up at him as he lean on his knees to push down his breeches.

"I love you more, daemon." He chuckle before kicking his breeches off the bed so he can be fully nake.

"Impossible." He replied before leaning down to capture my lips again and move his hand to touch my legs and move his hand to trail up to cup my cunt making me gasp and moan. 

—

As moaning came from rhaelle and daemon's chamber, alora along with her sister, laenor, marrio, xoro, and meleah listen as husband and wife make love.

"Shame. All of you. Listening to aomething so private." Banneth said with a look of dismay as he watch the six people with their ears against the door.

"Shhh." Marrio and Alora hush banneth as they go back to listening.

"For once, I actually feel jealous of daemon." Marrio says before getting hit by laenor, "....what?" Laenor stop listening making marrio follow after as he consoles his new lover.

"I need to go. All these sounds are making me feel all gooey inside." Alora said pulling away with meya and meleah in toe.

"I should have tried harder flirting with daemon, if I knew he can make a woman sound like that." Xoro pull away with a grin.

Banneth roll his eyes that they crude comments.

"Who knew daemon was such a beast in the bedroom." Alora says looking at her sister and meleah.

"What does that mean?" The group turn to see marra and baelor coming towards them, making them all look at him with wide eyes.

"Nothing. What are you doing here, you should be in bed, little lord." Meya says walking up to him and marra keep them from coming any further.

"I wanted to see mother was okay, I heard rhaenyra threw wine on her." The boy said annoy at his older half sister.

"Your mother just went to bed, baelor. Maybe in the morning." Meleah said quickly as she came to stand next to meya, making baelor and marra give them odd looks.

"Why are all in front of her door, then?" The adults were silent as they try to come.up with an excuse.

"That's none of your concern, let's get you to bed." Banneth says walking towards them and putting his hands on baelor's shoulder guiding while marra was guided by meya and alora.

The other adults follow the others away from the sounds of love making coming from the queen's chamber.

@beggarsnotchoosey @cleverzonkwombatsludge @avidreader73 @green-lxght @spderm4nnnn @supermassiveblackhope @watercolorskyy @stargaryenx

[kaorikarma]

Let Your Soul Take Flight

Howard Phillips Lovecraft X Reader

"I'm... starving.."

"Aren't you always?" You tsked, having been caring for him for several days. From the moment you saw him, emotionless and uncaring in a pouring rain shower, you knew he would be difficult; but you hadn't expected just how deeply odd he was.

He hummed, gazing at a wall with what you could only hope was some sort of thoughts processing in his brain.

"Most of the time." His head turned to look at you at an eerie, inhuman swivel while he answered, eyes blank and wide. You shivered a bit, something you hoped he didn't notice.

"Ok, well, let's go for a round three on taking care of that today. Let's try a buffet this time. I can't afford $300 in fast food again." You sighed, noting his doe-eyed expression. He didn't really seem to care if he drained your wallet; hell, he didn't even seem to fully grasp the concept of monetary value.

Feeding him had been a monumentous task. It was first on your list, since he looked frighteningly gaunt and emaciated, but nothing seemed to fill his stomach.

He constantly complained of being hungry, tired, and itchy, though no amount of sleep, food, or anti-itch cream sated him. He just stared at you with those blank, dead eyes.

There was something about him that made you decide to keep trying. He didnt seem to understand anything about society, and you were strongly worried for his well-being otherwise. At first, you had suspected mental health issues, his eccentricities ever-present to a degree of naiveté, but after the several days you'd spent trying and failing to care for him, you began to suspect some inhumanity present in him. His odd movements, insatiable needs, the way you discovered late last night that the cause of his consistent itching was your gaze, he seemed to you too strange to be human.

You plopped down in the chair in front of your bed, which he had promptly taken over before you could direct him to your couch, complaining all the while that the linens were giving him a rash. Head in hand, you watched his brows furrow with unease as you looked him in the eyes.

"You said mostly. So.. what's kept you full in the past, stranger?" He paused for a second.

"Mm... Call me Lovecraft." The words floated lazily off his tongue. He hadn't graced you with his name yet, though he knew yours.

Your eyebrows shot up with amusement. "Well that's certainly a step in the right direction..., Lovecraft. You starting to trust me now?" You chuckled a bit as he seemed to look regretful of the admission, turning to look away from you.

"Ugh...Yuck. My stomach aches when you call me by that name."

You openly face-palmed, albeit playfully.

"If that's your name, what else should I call you?"

He seemed to think for a moment.

"...How..ard..? No.. that doesn't feel right either.. Perhaps you should go back to calling me 'stranger'." He finished, crossing his arms with a deep frown.

"Howard? Hmm.. a bit old-fashioned, but I think it suits you well--" He gave you such a look of incredulous disgust that you sat, slack-jawed; you couldn't recall a single time he seemed to feel so strongly about anything.

"Absolutely not.. It feels too weird... ugh... no..no..." You watched as he pulled the blankets of your freshly made bed over his head, quite literally hiding under the covers, writhing a bit, like he'd been physically wounded by your attempt to call him by name.

Sighing once again, you stood up to pull the covers off his slender frame, but found that he tugged stronger than you could pull your fleecy bed-spread from him.

You sat next to him, dramatically flopping backwards until you were lying next to him, on top of the still-tucked in edge of the bedding.

"So your name must be Howard Lovecraft, huh?"

He made some sort of hissing sound and withdrew further under the blankets, curling into an ill-proportioned, too-leggy ball of a gangly, tall man.

"But you don't like either of those."

No hiss. A good sign.

"What about a nickname?" You looked over at the lump under the covers; had there been no linen divider, your noses could almost touch.

You swore you heard a low grumble in his throat. Not particularly a pleased sound, but it wasn't an aggressive 'no'.

You put a wary hand on where you thought the back of his head would be, feeling his breath catch and his body shiver with the unexpected sensation. He didn't pull away, like you'd thought he would. This was the one of the first times you'd been this close to him, and the first time you'd touched him, even if indirectly, through thick cotton.

You admonished the feeling, letting all the possibly nicknames for 'Howard' run through your head.

"What about... Howie?" You whispered to the ball next to you.

He growled again, this time more than pleased.

Not a man of many words, but as you smiled, happy with with yourself for finding something he liked, he emerged from the blankets, navy hair mussed, but looking overall content with his new namesake.

He reached out an touched the base of your head curiously, as you had done to him, light smile gracing his face.

"Perhaps..is this... affection, you displayed to me?" He asked quizzically, voice soft and slow with all the wonder of a dreaming child.

The moment was gentle, you thought, but you were having trouble focusing on his words with the deep, freezing chill the emanated from his fingertips, making your skin prickle with goosebumps.

You took the icy plunge and braced yourself for discomfort as you embraced him quickly and tightly, head resting in the crook of his neck.

He seemed confused and surprised, arms still where they were a moment ago, helplessly curled around the air.

"Yes, Howie. This is affection."

When his arms finally came down to awkwardly squeeze you, you realized this was the first time you had given him attention in which he responded well; no shivers of discomfort or anxious expressions in sight. He seemed to actually enjoy the embrace, freezing cold and trying to keep your teeth from chattering as you were.

You weren't sure how you'd not realized he was this cold before. Though you'd been staying decently far away from him, you thought that he would eminate this raw polar cold from a distance, yet you'd not felt a single change in the air until you were in his arms.

Though he'd relaxed and began deepening the embrace himself now, you had to pull away out of sheer discomfort, briefly looking down to see your bare skin blue and purple-tinged where you'd touched him for too long.

You hoped he didn't notice, although he looked disoriented after you'd broken the hug off so suddenly, looking a bit upset and ready to cling to you again, so you changed the topic with a gentle smile.

"You didn't answer my question earlier. What's kept you full in the past?" You repeated, knowing he'd already blanked on the question from minutes earlier.

He blinked for a moment, thoughts slowly returning to your prior conversation.

"I've not been full since I was a child. I ate copious amounts of crabs and fish, until I was sated for a few hours." At least he was more open to your probing questions now.

"Wow, your parents must have thought you a real challenge, huh?"

He looked down at you from his high perch with an unnerving gaze, not at all kindly and curious as it was a moment ago.

"I was capable of feeding myself. My parents had nothing to do with it."

"Oh.. ok, then."

You looked down at your feet, shuffling to the other side of the room before he took your hand, unexpectedly. A chill ran through your body, but his touch was so soft and pleading for you to look back at him, you didn't pull away.

"Am I too cold?" He asked, observing the way your fingers reddened in his grasp.

"A bit," you laughed lightheartedly, through half-chattering teeth.

He dropped his hand, ruffling through an inner pocket of his coat until he pulled out thick, woolen gloves.

Pulling them on, he took your hand again.

"Better?" You barely felt the chill of his hands this time. Smiling, you nodded at him.

"Let's go get lunch, Howie."

He let out a low, quiet laugh, accompanied by a near-impercievable smile, that barely reached your ears.

Maybe the third time would be the charm.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Note: Can be taken as a (long-before) prequel to 'Primal'. I want most of my Lovecraft stories to follow the same essential plot and lore I set up, so they shouldn't have many differences unless it's a request.

Thanks for reading!

June 5th, 2023

-Kaori

[dudadragneel]

Hello guys! It's me!

How are you doing?

AFTER HALF A CENTURY...IM BACK WITH ANOTHER SICKFIC!

Now, this one was supposed to be a little drabble but I got a little carried away...

Anyways, enjoy!

Thinking about Hyunjin who has a really bad stomachache and he’s been crying on and off all day and can barely eat anything but once he feels a bit better he goes with reader to the library while she study’s in silence and he just kinda tries to distract himself with reading, but then he starts feeling nauseous and can’t really talk because yk you gotta be QUIET in a library. So he has to text her to tell her he feels like he’s going to vomit but she’s not quite getting the hint that he wants to leave so he has to be really blunt with her 😭. THEN she takes him outside and he just dry heaves, then she gives him water and he just throws up the water. but when they get in the car…oh that’s a WHOLE new situation and mess.

LIBRARY DATE

While you were on your midterms, Hyunjin was in a well-deserved rest period. However,  the poor boy's body was feeling the toll from the last promotion. His immune system wasn't doing that great and he ate something that didn't sit well with his stomach.

He woke up with a really bad stomach ache, it was a sharp pain around his middle, especially sharp in the pit of his stomach. The pain was so strong he actually started crying at some point.

- babe, it hurts!

- oh baby. I know it does. I gave you medicine, it will take some time for it to work. Do you want to eat some light soup? Or maybe a fruit?

- no...it feels horrible...I feel like I've eaten enough for the week.

- but you didn't eat anything. Not since last night.

-I know....but I just can't, it's hurting too much.

- oh Hyune...do you want me to rub your belly?

- yes...

You sat next to him at the edge of the bed where he was lying down and proceeded to rub his belly. He felt comfortable with your touch and closed his eyes to try and rest. In a few minutes, he managed to fall asleep.

You let him rest while you finished doing your chores at the house and prepared something light for him to eat in case he woke up feeling a little better.

A few hours later, he woke up feeling a little better, the pain was barely there and he was actually feeling a bit hungry.

You had prepared some light snacks for him, as you thought that would sit better than soup.

- Hey sleepyhead.

- Hey babe.

He said going towards you like a little kid for a hug.

You hugged him as he buried his face on your shoulders and spoke softly.

- Are you feeling better?

- Yeah...a little....

- Do you want to eat something?

- Yeah...

- Come on.

You said as you grabbed his hand and walked to the table. You served him the snacks you were preparing before in hopes he'd be able to get at least a little bite in.

- You don't have to eat everything. Just pick what you think your stomach will agree with.

- Woah! Thank you, honey.

You just smiled as you sat in front of him while he ate. You kept scrolling through your phone and chatting with him.

- Hyune

- Hm?

- I'm thinking about going to the library to study later. Are you gonna be ok alone?

- Can I accompany you?

- are you sure? Are you feeling better?

- Yeah. I think going out of the house might help me feel less stressed.

- Okay then. Why don't you finish eating and while you digest your food, I'll take a shower and get ready?

- ok!

He did as you told him, he sat on the couch and patiently waited while you showered and gathered your stuff.

The local library wasn't that big but it was beautiful and cozy and definitely helped you feel more concentrated to study.

You found a free table, sat down, and organized your things, you put on your earphones to help you concentrate more. Hyunjin just sat in front of you, completely in love seeing you so focused. He loved seeing how passionate you were about the things you did, even if it was just sitting down and studying.

He couldn't really keep on using his phone so he decided to look for a book about art to read while you studied.

At first, he was entertained, almost like a toddler, he managed to learn about some other painting techniques and he was happy that this outing turned out to be productive for him as well.

But then things started to go south. As he was reading, the stomachache from earlier was starting to turn into full nausea.

And unfortunate to him because, ironically, he picked a book that had tons of Van Gogh's paintings in it, and all that swirling werent helping at all.

He brought a hand to his stomach and gently pressed on it because even though he felt nauseous, the pain from earlier was still lingering around.

He tried to stay focused on the book but the more he tried to read or look at the pictures the more his stomach twisted. He placed the book on the table, closed his eyes took and deep breath in, and exhaled, trying to keep the nausea at bay.

He kept bringing his hand to his stomach and fidgeting on the chair, most to catch your attention, but you were basically in another dimension of full focus, and he didn't really want to use his phone and risk feeling even worse.

But the nausea was growing stronger, so he had no other option. He got his phone and texted you, but the contents of the message weren't shown so you just shrugged it off as him trying to distract you.

He sent a few more texts, but you didn't even bother looking up, part of you wanted to show him that you could stay focused even when he incorporated a toddler to annoy you. But little did you know the distress he was in.

He set down his phone and lay his head on his arms, but the nausea was reaching its peak. He could feel the little he had eaten earlier sloshing around and his mouth started pooling with saliva. He started to swallow convulsively but things just weren't working.

He felt something rushing up his chest and a foul taste in his mouth, he was gonna throw up and there was nothing more he could do to avoid it. And you still hadn't read his texts. He didn't want to talk, first because you were in a library and it was really quiet, and second because he was afraid that if he opened his mouth he'd throw up right then and there, but he had no other choice. He needed to get out of there.

He abruptly put down your book and if you weren't in a library, you would've yelled at him.

You looked straight at him but before you could even get angry, he took his only chance.

- I'm gonna throw up.

He said as quietly as possible but still urgent. Apparently, just admitting that he was gonna be sick, made his stomach contract and he was quick to cover his mouth to surpass a gag.

- Shit.

You said standing up and getting to his side. You just grabbed his arm and wrapped your arm around him as you guided him out, his body already bending over as his stomach contracted again.

Unfortunately for him, some people noticed the sudden commotion.

For some reason, the bathroom wasn't near the room you were in, so you just took him outside in the yard.

He bent over, hands on his knees for support while you kept on holding his arm and rubbing his back.

He spat out the thick saliva that had filled his mouth as you two were walking out of the room.

He felt awful, saliva kept filling his mouth over and over again and he just kept spitting it out. But the nausea was still there and it was strong.

He tried straightening his back for a bit to see if he would feel any different, but it just made his stomach flip again.

He bent over one more time and began gagging again, you could feel him tensing up under your touch with every gag but nothing but saliva came out. You felt horrible and could only hope people would just pass by and not notice him.

- Hyune? May I try something?

He just nodded. You massaged his stomach with a bit of pressure to see if you could stimulate it somehow to help him get whatever was making him feel bad out. But it didn't work, he just kept dry heaving.

- I-I feel awful...my stomach is churning and flipping but nothing is coming up...

- Oh baby...Why don't you try drinking some water? Maybe trying to get something in will help you throw up. Don't take small sips, just try to drink as you normally would.

You handed him your bottle of water and he drank it just as you said.

He drank almost half a bottle and he could feel his stomach revolting inside him. He bent over again and gagged a few times before his stomach contracted a little more and brought up all the water he had just drank but nothing else.

You kept rubbing his back as he proceeded to throw up water and thick saliva. In a few minutes, he was left dry heaving again. You gave him some water to rinse his mouth and then wiped it.

- Babe? Why don't we sit down for a bit?

- Hmm...

You guided him to a nearby tree and helped him sit down.

- How are you feeling?

- Sick...

- Okay. Let's go home. I'll go grab our stuff.

- I'm sorry...I'm sorry for interrupting your study...

- Don't apologize...I should be the one apologizing for not noticing sooner... Just wait here, I'll be right back.

He lay his back on the tree and tilted his head back with his eyes closed. He took deep breaths and tried to pay attention to his breathing or the sound of the leaves rustling with the wind, anything that could distract him from nausea in his stomach.

You grabbed your stuff and apologized for the sudden commotion and left to get the sick boy waiting by the tree.

- Come on, let's go. Can you stand?

- Can you help me?

- Of course.

You positioned your arms beneath his while he held you for support, and helped him to his feet. You stood like that for a while, with a firm grip on him, to make sure he wasn't feeling faint before heading to the car.

- Do you prefer to roll down your window or the AC?

- The AC...I'm afraid that any smell will enter the car if the windows are open.

- Okay. Babe, tell me if you feel like throwing up, okay? So I can at least try to pull over.

- Okay.

The first 30 minutes of the ride were okay. He kept his eyes closed while you held his hand, thank God for automatic cars. You kept quiet the whole time because you didn't want to overwhelm him.

But then, the worst happened. Traffic. For some reason, traffic stopped. And you felt desperate because you wanted to get home fast, so Hyunjin could rest.

- Shit! There must've been an accident or the traffic lights are broken...you okay?

He just nodded and closed his eyes again. You knew he wasn't okay, he was far from being okay. Traffic felt like it was moving one centimeter at a time.

He was okay at first because the car wasn't moving but the realization that he'd be stuck in a car for god knows how long while feeling sick made everything worse.

The nausea which was somewhat controlled, increased ten times. He squeezed his eyes and let out a shaky sigh while his hands gripped his thighs and the door handle with such force his knuckles turned white. He tried taking deep breaths but the sudden movement of the car made his stomach jolt. He felt something coming up his throat and started to swallow convulsively. There's no chance in hell he was gonna throw up inside the car, he had already ruined your study day and now he was going to soil your car with vomit? No chance.

You were too focused on the road, trying to understand what was causing the traffic jam, so you didn't notice him fidgeting by your side.

He managed to swallow it back but it was a useless effort. As soon as it went down it shot back up, hot foul tasting liquid hitting the back of his throat. He gagged and quickly brought his hands to his mouth, fearing the worst.

The gag snapped you back into the reality of the car.

- Hyune? You okay?

He barely made eye contact with you when his stomach jolted one more time, making him gag once more. But this time, vomit gushed out, slipping through his fingers, and soiling both him and your car.

- Oh my god! Hyune!

His stomach didn't give him time to think before contracting again and sending even more pale vomit up, once again escaping through his fingers.

You were shocked with the situation unfolding before your eyes so it took a few seconds for you to react.

You quickly reached for the glove box and found a little towel you always kept with you, considering how he had gotten sick in the car before.

- Oh babe! Don't worry.

You placed it on his lap and told him to open his hands and let the vomit fall on the towel, while you drove a little more. Once you stopped again, you looked for a plastic bag inside your stuff so that Hyunjin could throw up everything making him feel bad.

- Here. Use this.

- S-sorry...I'm s-sorry...

- Don't apologize. It's not your fault you're sick.

He closed his eyes as he gagged again, this time inside the bag, liquid coming out and hitting the back making a sickening sound. You could only rub his back and mutter some words while you drove.

- Oh baby, just let everything out.

He burped another wave, followed by another one making him bend forward a little and you could feel him tensing up under your hand.

- Just get everything out.

He gagged a few times until he threw up again, vomit mixing with the liquid inside the bag. The car was starting to smell and you both wanted to get out of there.

Thankfully, the traffic jam stopped and you as fast as you legally could to get home.

Arriving there, you went straight to Hyunjin's door to help him.

- Here. Let me get rid of this.

You threw away the bag filled with vomit and turned your full attention to him, who was sitting inside the car facing you.

- We're home, baby. Let's go. Can you stand?

- I don't kno-

He was cut off by a sudden gag that sent up more vomit making him bend forward and you barely escaped from soiling your shoes. You shifted to his side and rubbed his back as he vomited again.

- Here. Rinse your mouth and let's go up. You need to take a shower.

He rinsed his mouth and you helped him up, wrapping your hands around him and carefully heading to the elevator.

Arriving home, you went directly to the bathroom with Hyunjin. You helped him out of his soiled clothes and tossed them in the dirty laundry basket.

- You don't need to stay here...

- Hyune, we've been dating for quite some time now...you don't need to be embarrassed. I just don't want to risk you fainting in the shower. But I'll turn around if that will make you feel more comfortable.

- Thank you...sorry...

- it's okay, honey.

Thankfully the shower ended without any accidents, despite him dry heaving over the rain for a brief moment.

You helped him change clothes and then got the bed ready for him to sleep.

You embraced him in a tight hug and kissed the top of his head. And that was the last straw. He started to cry and sob and buried his face in your shoulder.

- Honey? Baby? Why are you crying?

You said with a cute voice and almost crying yourself.

- I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...

- it's okay, baby! Stop apologizing.

- but...I ruined your day...you couldn't study because of me, your car is completely dirty...I'm sorry

He said breaking down even more.

- Oh baby! There's nothing to apologize for. You were sick! It's not your fault! You didn't ruin my day! Stop worrying about that! Hyune, I love you! I'd never, not once, think that you ruined my day.

You said as you cupped his face in your hands and wiped his tears away.

- promise me you'll stop feeling guilty about it.

- I- I promise...

He said pouting. You kissed him and then embraced him again as you two lay in bed.

- How are you feeling?

- Still a little nauseous...

- Wait here a little bit, let me grab a bucket just in case.

You grabbed the bucket at light speed and went back to bed. You cuddled him and started rubbing his belly. He sunk under your touch and within minutes, the poor tired boy was fast asleep.

You changed your approach and kept stroking his hair until you fell asleep as well.

The night went on without any other incidents, the poor boy had his energy completely drained after everything that happened and you couldn't be more grateful that he managed to sleep like a rock until midday.

[wyn-n-tonic]

TAKE-O-VER — CHAPTER FIVE: CHANGE

Word Count: 2k+ Warnings (in general): Voyeurism. Stalking. Kidnap. Human rights violations out the ass, really. Author's Note: Um... hi and thank you for being so incredibly patient and kind for the almost two years that it has taken me between chapters of this. I really appreciate the nice words people have left me about this, the promise that they're not being pressure-y. I had a lot happen and this was one of the stories I set to the side because it felt like it took too much mental energy from me to continue it while I was not in a good place. I'm much better now (at least I think I am) and I don't know... I just started writing a scene out yesterday and I was like, 'Wait, this can't go in Frizzy or Flash.... oh shit, this is Gen's story." So... surprise! And thanks again for reading!

MASTERLIST | SERIES MASTERLIST

Is this it?

She can’t help thinking that every time she looks at her phone, at the blank screen and the barely answered texts.

Is this why he didn’t want to come here? Why he insisted that he stay? Is he leaving her? Is it done?

All their years set aside so that he can… what? Go back to the FBI? Run off with a new lover? Give her everything of Gen’s? Touch some new girl with a perfectly waxed pussy the way he touched her at the beginning of it all? Even there near what she’s denying herself is the end, he never changed. He’s only changed now. He’s different now. 

She even had a friend drop by the gallery, put eyes on the man she hasn’t been able to pin down, only to find out that it was closed. Gen was asked if she wanted her to go further, go to the house, but the answer was a clear no. She’d give him this façade, this act. She’d take the small moments of attention, analyze them. She’d try to find him in the pieces and, then, when she goes home, she’ll confront him on all the parts that have been missing.

It’s been not even—or maybe just—two weeks now. Lonely in a big city. A big room, a big bed. A different kind of sadness than she ever thought she’d experience.

A dull ache in the pit of her stomach that could only be touched and soothed by a man so far away. 

On the morning she left, she thought it would just be distance.

Fifty-five hundred miles away likes her heart, in a place the art isn’t suffering but he certainly is. Lonely, cold and then hot with nothing but a lamp to cut through the dark and new knots in his back from the concrete he calls bed.

The other man, the mirror man—Dave—comes and goes. He brings food, asks questions—washes out the bucket Marcus calls a bathroom. Not that he has much going through his body right now, stress and lack of water drying him out. He did try to fight a few days in, got knocked back on his ass as quick as he could get up and stayed there as the other man broke a rib with a hard kick, told him he was lucky he didn’t do more.

Dave told Marcus that if he played nice, was a good boy, that this would all be over soon and he’d be back when Genevieve is. So long as he promises to never speak of this again.

He’s trying ways to get messages to her, wonders if she’s already figured it out. Dave won’t answer any question Marcus asks back so Marcus has taken to lying. If the other man has copped on, he hasn’t made a show of it. All he says is that she’s good.

She doesn’t suspect a thing.

But Marcus heard Dave address her as Genevieve on the phone and hoped she picked it up, too. Because Marcus hasn’t used her whole name since the day he said his vows.

Marcus also noticed that Dave calls her baby a lot and he does too but she’s not the biggest fan of it. She prefers honey or sweetheart or gorgeous. She prefers things that don’t make her feel small unless she wants to feel that. And she communicates what she wants but this man doesn’t know how to hear it.

The door slides open, footsteps fall, and he appears again with more food, some baby wipes and a change of clothes like that makes up for not having a shower in days.

“Are you any closer to the end of this so called plan?” Marcus asks. “Pretty sure I’m getting fucking bed sores down here.”

“I’ll be sure to bring you some ointment tomorrow,” the other man breathes out. “To answer your question, though, I don’t know. I can’t seem to pinpoint the motherfucker who’s supposed to be tracking me so, as long as that persists, so will you.”

“And this”—Marcus gestures vaguely to the air—“motherfucker who is tracking you… would he hurt my wife? To get to you, I mean.”

Dave shakes his head, his hair having grown out slightly, his beard cut in patches to do its best Marcus impression. “Robert wouldn’t hurt an innocent person, especially not somebody else’s wife. Especially not to get to me.”

“And I’m supposed to just trust you on that?”

“You don’t really have any other choice,” Dave says, the words coming out low and dangerous. “Robert would never hurt her to get to me because I don’t care about anybody but myself in this, she would just be an innocent person caught in the crossfire.”

“Would you hurt her?” Marcus asks, trying to breathe through the nerves as he awaits the answer he doesn’t know if he really wants. 

Dave stares at him, blinks a few times and finally says, “no. I don’t want to hurt anymore innocent people either.” 

“And what am I?”

He purses his lips and shrugs. “A tool.” 

A tool with a broken rib and clothes hanging off of his body from the weight he’s let go of already. He wants to know more, about how she is. Dave wants to tell him but he knows that would just give him a purpose to actually try and fight next time he gets the chance.

As Dave leaves, Marcus asks how the cat is and Dave laughs.

“Little orange fucker hisses at me every time he sees me but, don’t worry, I won’t hurt him. I’ve done a lot of fucked up shit but I’d never do that.”

“So you’d kill a woman and not a cat? Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Marcus asks.

“I've already told you,” Dave says and it’s the most real he’s sounded this whole time. “I'm tired of hurting people, I never meant to hurt ones that didn’t deserve it in the first place. War criminals, crooked politicians… whoever I was sent after, there was a reason for it. I just need to figure out a plan.”

Two weeks in and still figuring it out.

Three if you count the week of surveillance done on the man and his still blushing bride. 

Dave hasn’t told him any of the contents of her messages, how she’s seeming more and more worried with every new text that comes through and he doesn’t know how to… placate her. So he says nothing. Tacks on that he’s busy but never elaborates. He’s right, she’s fucking smart. But she also thinks that she’s done something wrong and maybe it’s not fair but he lets her believe that. Lets her get drunk and ramble at him through unanswered text messages that he’ll only share when he’s no longer around to have to look the other man in the eye. 

He’s started developing a conscience over this girl and her desperation to speak to the person she left when she got on that plane. He wonders if his own wife ever gets like this or if she’s tired from raising the two kids he’s left her with time and time again.

The conscience isn’t strong enough to not palm himself when those pictures come through. Little teases to entice him into response—dirty pictures of her tits and ass and body, sometimes covered and sometimes not. There are videos of just her face where she’s clearly touching herself and then there is the pornographic soundbites she sends while saying his name like some desperate little prayer. 

He wants to leave. He wants to unlock the man and move forward. This was never supposed to be more than a two week job. He was supposed to find Robert, get to the next step and be on his way. But his contacts are blown, his connections are gone. Everybody he reaches out to doesn’t get back to him, like he’s contagious and they can’t risk the exposure. Nobody new is coming up from the woodwork either.

So he stays in this house, pacing the open spaces of the house and the gallery, thinking and thinking and trying desperately not to think about the woman in the phone or the man in the cage. 

Or the wife he left on the other side of the country with preparation on how to live in his death. Real or fake.

Hours pass by each day, food and wine and paint spilled on the drop cloth and her overalls. She’s messy, giggly—broken hearted and showing it even if she feels like she doesn’t have a right to either. Gen tries to logic it all away, tell herself it’s fine. But every day, every unanswered text message, has the anti anxiety medication she pops like candy fighting a losing fucking battle.

“You look like shit,” the buyer says. “Did you phone fuck that beautiful man or did you ignore my advice?”

“I bought a vibrator on your credit card,” Gen responds, the rim of her glass tipping back through her wine stained lips yet again, “check your statements.”

“What did he do?” She asks, arms crossed. “You came here loving him, on top of the world. Why do you make these faces now? I haven’t seen you like this since the football player from Prague.”

“It wasn’t the football player from Prague, it was the guitarist from Lisbon.”

“Musicians,” the older woman tsks, “so moody, so hurtful. I know sweet Marcus isn’t hurting you like that man did.”

It’s not Marcus. At least, it doesn’t feel like him. She says as much through another drink from the wine glass. “I think this is just the longest I’ve been away from him since I met him, it’s daunting. I have no doubts about who I am without him, I’d just rather not be without him. Does that make sense?”

“That was me and my poor Ruben. May his soul rest in peace. I’ve not been able to take another lover since his passing, I live vicariously through you now.”

“We've been trying for a family,” Gen says. “More bad news came through not long before I left and he was so…” She trails off, hands reaching out as if she can pluck the words from the air. “…tender with me and gentle in the weeks leading up to me leaving. I’m trying to tell myself that maybe he’s pulling away to deal with his own feelings about it and I don’t doubt that he’s busy. We’re not young anymore either, we’re not midnight lovers who stay up until the sun kisses us goodnight. We’re old now, he needs sleep. I understand, I just…”

“Wish that you didn’t have to?” The buyer asks. “Understanding is not the same thing as acceptance, whatever feelings that is bringing up are what matters. You’re channeling it in a healthy way,” she says, laughing as Gen holds up the wine glass and gestures to two empty bottles. “This is France, two bottles for lunch is child’s play—amateur hour. Besides, I gave you the weak shit today—“

“I asked for it.”

“Let me act as though I’m helping, darling, please,” she insists. “Feel what you feel, act on it and speak on it. You can say you understand but that’s not the same thing as being okay with it. It can make sense and still fucking hurt,” she says, hands balled into fists and pressed into the middle of her chest. “I have never seen a man love anybody the way he loves you, a family or lack thereof, isn’t going to change that. He’s probably gone without a shower and eating the same thing every day.” 

But that’s what she’s afraid of. The withdrawal from her, the impulsive haircut, the not wanting to video chat. No response to the sexual messages at all. It’s like she got on a plane and the worst of his depression decided to rear its ugly head when she wasn’t there to help him fight it. It’s hard to pull him out of those episodes but it’s easier when she’s there and she can catch it. 

[hymn-of-muse]

A Haunted mind 5

[a haunted mind 5]

Chapter five. Tension.

one(link) - two(link) - three(link) - four(link)

wattpad(link) - quotev(link)

The air in the ship felt heavy, the smell of breakfast feeling like the only thing to ease the ache of anxiety as yet another pit started to form in catra's stomach.

She lingered in bed, knees to her chest and curled up on the mattress, while adora had gone ahead before her. 

The fight she had with glimmer last night as well as the nightmare and flashbacks of memories lingered in her mind and kept her body from moving towards the door of the room.

A lot of what she'd said last night just came out without any warning, without even thinking about it. She didn't even realize a large part of what she said was how she'd been feeling and it all spilled out like a bursted bottle screwed shut too tightly.

She felt melog nudge her hand and looked over her knees at it, giving the alien cat a gentle scratch behind the ear. "I'll join them later...not really hungry right now"

Melog let out a low "mrow" in protest, knowing she was lying. Just then as if confirming her companions suspicions, her stomach growled and started demanding the food she could smell through the ship. 

"Ugh okay, maybe I am hungry. But I can't just go out there after last night and act like nothing happened, how am I supposed to..." She gave a sigh and stretched out her legs, pushing herself off the bed. "Never mind. I'll just...get it over with." Her need for food overrides her anxiety around confrontation.

A quick outfit change later and catra headed out of her and adora's shared room with melog at her side. She walked down the hall and towards the cockpit of the ship where everyone had gathered.

A cheery voice rang out as the door slid open and closed behind her. "TINY PANCAKES!! These are so good!!!" Entrapta squealed before shoveling a couple small pancakes into her mouth.

Catra forced a smile as the purple haired princess turned and waved with a muffled greeting. "Hey ctra!" 

"Catra, hey, care for some pancakes?" Bow smiled, offering her a plate of normal looking pancakes. "Glimmer helped" he admitted with a shy shrug.

"Oh um...sure" she nodded, taking the plate and a fork and walking over to where adora sat against the wall eating her own plate of pancakes.

"You sure you can eat all that?" She chuckled at her girlfriend who was happily eating away at her pile.

"What? Sure I can! They're great!" Adora insisted as catra sat next to her, melog curling up at the both of their feet.

Catra's eyes shifted around the room, from adora's adorable glee as she ate, entraptas equally giddy mood as she ate more tiny pancakes when bow handed them to her, Hordaks refusal to try them at first only to give in for Entrapta and her smike, finally over to glimmer, who avoided eye contact and glanced away when catra looked over.

Her eyes then fell to her own plate. She'd normally just brush it off and feel at ease, but after everything that's happened and she could see the mix of a cold shoulder and guilt ridden silence from glimmer... The pit in her stomach seemed to boil her appetite away.

"Catra" for a second her mind flashed back to the scenes in her nightmares, fur standing on end and shoulders actively tensing up, but she relaxed when she registered it was actually adora, the other laying a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, it's nothing like the food I made yesterday, trust me, nothing's burnt or undercooked." She smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

Catra tried smiling back but adoras faltered when she say it didn't reach her eyes. "Still waking up from that nightmare, huh?" 

"Catra has nightmares?" Bows question and worried look made her tense up all over again, tail folding over her ankles.

"No, no. I'm fine, it's nothing" she insisted. Even glimmers short cast of a worried glance made her curl further in to herself. She didn't want pity. "I'm fine"

"Okay, okay" bow held up a hand, palm foreword, a plate in his other hand while he made his attempt at coming off friendly and non threatening. 

She hated this. Pity, sympathetic looks...it was bad enough she got worried looks from adora when she grew up used to adoras smiles and teasing to cheer her up.

This wasn't what she wanted, she didn't wanted to be given masks of sympathy. She didn't want to be treated like she was fragile and could blow up at any minute, she didn't want to be the danger.

The tension in the room got worse. They still hadn't mentioned last night, thankfully, but the room felt almost sufficatingly awkward. Suffocatingly...breathing..

Her chest was tight, she couldn't breathe. Why couldn't she breathe??

"Catra? You're shaking" adora said quietly, slipping her hand to catra's wrist, taking the untouched plate and cutlery and setting them aside with her own. "Catra it's okay" she whispered.

She shut her eyes tight as adora put their foreheads together, not wanting to see the concerned look in her girlfriends eyes and just wanting to hear the comforting tone in her voice.

"Breathe with me, catra" adora spoke softly as she counted the rhythm of their unmatched breathing, hers steady, catra's uneven and wavering, forced. "Just relax. Okay? In one...two...three...four..." Slowly but surely the pattern of their breathing matched up and catra's heartrate calmed with her.

"There you go, good job" adora pressed a kiss to catra's forehead and she opened her eyes to see that familiar warm smile again. Pride. "You're alright catra"

She the realized the silence in the room and felt embarrassed, avoiding looking anywhere but the floor. It was going to be a long, awkward day full of tension in the space ship...

tagging: @mariabrightmoon

reblogs are appreciated!

feel free to request more angst, fluff or whatever comes to mind!

be sure to check my pinned post!

[solyxa]

Back to School - Cove Holden

just a lil comfort piece about back to school blues, hope you enjoy! this is slightly self indulgent but we don't talk ab that

You were lying on the floor of your room, LEDs set to blue as you played your sad playlist to match your mood of sadness and anxiety due to the impending doom that was the upcoming school year. By upcoming, you meant “in less than 12 hours”. You should really be asleep by now, but you couldn't with anxiety and misery gnawing at your stomach. You glanced at your phone beside you. Picking it up, you decided to call Cove. Bothering him was the last thing you wanted to do, but you couldn’t help it. You wanted to see him, or at least hear his voice. You went into your favorite contacts and hit call on his. Despite the late hour, it only rang once before he picked up.

“Y/N?” His voice came through the phone soft and unsure as you heard some rustling from his end, he was probably in bed. You started to wonder if this was a bad idea.

“Yeah, it’s me.” That was all you could muster in response? You couldn’t even give him the reason that you called? This was definitely a mistake. Sure, Cove was your boyfriend but that didn’t mean he wanted to be bothered by you at ungodly hours of the night. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have called you so late. Goodnight.”

“Are you kidding? I’ve knocked on your window way later than this.” You heard him laugh a little. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for, really. What’s up?” You smiled softly as he spoke. Cove always had a way of making you feel better, being there for you no matter what. Thanks to his reassurance, you started to feel like calling him wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

“I guess I just… I don’t know… Wanted to hear your voice?” You nervously drew circles in the ground as you spoke.

“Oh, alright. Is everything okay?” He sounded worried, that was the last thing you wanted.

You knew there was no point in lying to him, so you answered honestly. “To be honest? Not really, but-”

Before you could finish your sentence, you were interrupted by rustling on Cove’s end, followed by his voice.

“I could come over, if that’d help?” His voice sounded slightly pleading, like he wanted nothing more than to be with you right now. You smiled a little, sharing the sentiment.

“That would be great, but you don't have to-”

“I'm on my way, okay? I'll see you in a bit.” With that, he hung up and you were left to lie on the floor and wallow some more.

In a few minutes, you heard a knock on your window. You didn't have to check to know who it was, you walked over and there was Cove, perched on a ledge with a slightly worried expression on his face, but he still smiled at you. You opened the window and stood awkwardly as he climbed inside. Once he was settled, he spoke.

“So… what's wrong? Can I help or-”

He was cut off by you practically bum rushing him with a hug. You just felt this aching need to be closer to him, to be in his arms. He let out a little squeak as you squeezed him before relaxing and wrapping his arms around you, resting his head on top of yours.

“Whatever it is, it'll be okay.”

Those simple words made your heart soar, and also made you feel ready to cry. He was just so caring. He didn't even know what was wrong, but he was ready to make it better. He was making it better.

You decided to let it all out. All of your worries and frustrations with the coming school year, your feelings of impending exhaustion, everything. Cove just held you as you vented and cried, rubbing your back soothingly and listening.

When he was sure you were done, he looked into your eyes and tried his best to reassure you.

“I understand that you're worried, and anxious and I wish I could make it better. But just know that no matter what, I'll be there. I'll be with you through everything, okay? Not that you even need me, you've gotten through so much all on your own. You're amazing and I promise you'll figure it out, we'll figure it out.”

You smiled as more tears rolled down your cheeks, Cove kissed them away. After you were done speaking and it was obvious that you were tired, he picked you up and put you in bed, tucking you in and climbing in beside you.

“I love you. Go to sleep now. I'll be here tomorrow, okay?”

Those are the last hushed words you hear before you drift off to sleep, with Cove cuddled into your side. He continues whispering sweet words of encouragement to you, and you think that maybe, just maybe, this school year won't be so bad.

[thinkingoflawrence]

Part 5 ~ Trapped in the Glass Cube

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—-

Word count: 908

Author’s note: Sorry for being gone for this long, k didn’t have motivation to continue this fanfic, but here is the next part!! The next chapters coming soon!

—

I found myself lying on a cold, hard surface, the memory of Y/N's warning echoing in my mind. As my senses sharpened, I became aware of a peculiar weight on my shoulders. I started panicking, trying to find a way to get it off...

I try reaching for my items in my pockets, which now are empty, I look over to a table... my things were on there. As panic floods my mind, I desperately attempt to break free from the glass box on my Head.

Suddenly, water started to fill the Cube, the panic filling my mind more than before, trying to avoid the water.

With more and more water filling the cube, it gets harder to breathe, Once again I reach into my pocket,

I feel a pen, immediately pulling it out of my pocket, my mind rushes to one solution.

Ramming the Pen in my throat, unscrewing the back of said pen and removing the ink cartridge to create a small air passage for me to breathe through. Finally being able to breathe gives me some sense of relief.

Some Time passes

As I regained consciousness, the sterile scent of the hospital room enveloped me, mingling with the sharp ache in my throat. Blinking away the grogginess, I tried to piece together what had happened. Fragments of memories flooded back — Y/N's warning, the suffocating panic in the glass cube, the desperate act with the pen.

The realization hit me like a sledgehammer. Where was Y/N? I remembered asking someone, my voice hoarse and strained. They took me to her room. Dread coiled in my stomach as I entered, only to be met with the sight of a blood-stained bed. A cold wave of sadness washed over me, the possibility of her death looming like a dark cloud...

Tears threatened to spill as I stood there, grappling with the unbearable weight of uncertainty. Was she alive? Was she safe?   The unanswered questions gnawed at my insides, leaving me hollow and raw. But amidst the despair, a flicker of determination ignited within me. I couldn't afford to give up hope, not yet. With trembling hands, I reached for Y/N's belongings, searching for any clue, any sign of her fate. Whatever it took, I would find her.

Sitting by Y/N's bed, the weight of uncertainty pressed down on me, the scene's of her getting injured replaying in my head: "Hello, Y/N." I turned to look at the doll, my eyes switching to Y/N

"And welcome to the world that you have long studied. Your Husband, Agent Strahm, will soon take the life of an innocent man.

Heed my warning, Y/N." As Y/N turned to me, I didn't know what will happen, "Your next move is critical." Then me holding her in my arms, blood covering her body...

My fingers fidgeting with my wedding band, a tangible reminder of the love and bond we shared. But now, it felt like a cruel mockery of what once was. Unable to bear the sight any longer, I turned my gaze to the blank wall, my mind consumed by a whirlwind of emotions. Anger, grief, and fear tangled together, threatening to consume me whole.

After some time, I heard the door open, and Detective Hoffman walked into the room. His presence was like a sudden chill, disrupting the solemn atmosphere that had settled over Y/N's hospital room.

"I'm sorry about Y/N," he offered, his voice strained with an awkward attempt at sympathy. I gave him a short glance before turning my attention back to Y/N's still form on the hospital bed.

Hoffman walked further into the room, his footsteps echoing softly against the sterile floors. "How did you walk out of that building?" he pressed, his tone tinged with curiosity and suspicion. I shot him a questioning look, silently urging him to explain himself.

"How did you?" I countered, my voice edged with bitterness. "On a gurney with a fucking hole in my throat!" My words hung heavy in the air, a stark reminder of the trauma I had endured.

I paused, struggling to contain the rising tide of anger within me. "And you..." I trailed off, my gaze scanning Hoffman's form from head to toe. "A couple of scratches, and a story about how your arm straps broke," I spat out, unable to conceal my disbelief.

My suspicions lingered like a shadow between us, casting doubt on Hoffman's every word and action.

As the tension thickened, I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms with pent-up frustration. Hoffman's eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of defensiveness crossing his features.

"Is this you theorizing again? 'Cause Jigsaw is dead," Hoffman interjected, his voice laced with thinly veiled irritation.

I shot him a glare, my frustration simmering just beneath the surface. "I'm not talking about him," I retorted, my tone sharp and accusatory. "I'm talking about you and your whole crooked department."

Hoffman's jaw tightened, a fleeting flicker of unease crossing his features before he countered," My department's gone, they're all dead. There's no one left."

"Besides you!" My response was swift and cutting, my eyes boring into Hoffman's with unyielding intensity.

The room seemed to crackle with the weight of our words, the air thick with suspicion and accusation. Each syllable hung in the air like a silent accusation, casting a pall over the already tense atmosphere....

[seducemefanficsandheadcanons]

As long as you want me here (Sam x Aron)

So, Aron is an OC I made, but she's really just me with a different name and some versions of her have a magical twist on her background. Here, she's me. I found out I likely have another condition, and after struggling with health for years, it's still hard. Each new problem, especially in a world designed for able bodied people, feels like an extra burden to carry. I'm grateful that I've been able to find out as early as I did, but that doesn't make it easy. I honestly wrote this to cope.

Set as if Aron didn't say I love him when Diana came. I plan to make many of these until Aron or Sam actually confess that they love each other, because the servant ending gives me the ick.

Trigger warning for angst related to health issues.

Aron sat in the passenger seat, her arms crossed and slouched over as she stared out of the window absentmindedly. She’d just been to the doctor and had just received another life altering diagnosis. She couldn’t catch a break, one issue after another. Would she ever just be healthy?

“You alright?” Sam asked, glancing at her. “You haven’t said anything since the appointment. Did something happen?”

Aron shrugged. “Nothing unusual.” she said. She wasn’t entirely lying. Developing new issues had become a regular occurrence for her, and it was at least once a year that she was seeking out a new specialist. Why had that become her normal?

The car ride was silent, but she could feel Sam’s gaze on her. She knew he was concerned, but his pity wouldn’t fix anything. She looked over and smiled at him. “Thanks for the ride.”

“No problem.” he said, shrugging as we pulled into the front yard. “Are you sure everythings alright?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Aron nodded and smiled. “Yeah, I’m good.”

They got inside and Aron immediately went to her room. Thankfully Damien was with Erik at work, so he wouldn’t hear her. She didn’t want to give him a headache from the volume of her thoughts. She changed into some dark blue spandex shorts and a large gray hoodie. She walked over to her full length mirror and frowned at her reflection, which looked like a ghost of herself.

Her stomach was bloated, accompanied with deep eyebags from the lack of sleep she was getting thanks to cramping and insomnia. Her dark purple hair was oily, but she didn’t have the energy to shower tonight. She groaned and climbed in her bed, pulling her fluffy blanket over her as she curled over herself and played some music on her phone.

She wasn’t sure when she’d started crying, but before she knew it she was shoving her face into her pillow, trying to muffle her sobs. Why couldn’t she have been normal? Why does her body always have to hurt? She wanted to make a life for herself, wanted to build a career, but now she couldn’t even bring herself to get out of bed. 

Every part of her ached, and it wasn’t only because of the countless health problems she’d been diagnosed with.

A knock on her door caught her attention, and immediately she wiped her face and held back anymore sobs. She tried to be quiet, hoping to give the illusion she’d fallen asleep with music played. 

“Doofus, can I come in?” Sam asked, his tone concerned and hesitant.

Aron didn’t answer at first, but she knew his presence would comfort her. She turned on her phone and paused the music before walking to the door. She wiped her face in an attempt to hide that she’d been crying, but her pale skin was bright pink and her eyes were puffy and wet with tears. Anyone who looked at her would know that she wasn’t okay.

Still, when she opened the door to Sam, she smiled softly at him. “What’s up?” She asked, feeling her chin wobble.

Sam’s eyebrows were furrowed and his shoulders were stiff. But as he took in her appearance, his gaze softened. “Hey…” he said, his tone gentle. “You wanna talk about it?”

Aron’s immediate thought was, if I wanted to talk about it, I wouldn’t be hiding in my room. But Sam was trying to be helpful, and he didn’t do anything to her to deserve an attitude. Instead she shrugged. “I’ll be fine, it’s just…” she tried to speak, but her voice began to break.

Sam gently placed a hand on her shoulder, and the pressure was light enough to bring her into his arms. She immediately sobbed against his chest, gripping his vest with her hands tightly. Sam stared down at her, his frown deepening as he wrapped his arms around her. 

Slowly, he led them to her bed. He sat against her headboard, letting her cry against him. When she finally began to calm down, she looked up at him and frowned. “I’m sorry.” she said, rubbing her eyes aggressively.

He lightly squeezed the arm around her waist. “Don’t apologize…” he said, his voice soft and gentle. “Do I need to go beat someone's ass?” he asked in utmost seriousness.

She giggled, making Sam smile. Her frown returned quickly though. “It’s just a lot right now.” she started, sitting up to curl over herself as she spoke.

“The doctor said I have a hormonal disorder, because apparently the shit that’s already wrong with me wasn’t enough.” she said, her tone more defeated than angry.

He frowned as he looked at her. “Is there anything they can use to treat it?”

Aron merely shrugged. “Yeah, but it isn’t gonna go away.”

She looked at him and smiled, but her eyes held exhaustion. “It’s fine, I mean, crying isn’t going to fix it either.” she said, wiping her face.

Sam nodded. “Do you want me to run you a bath or something?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

“I’m good…do you wanna watch a movie with me?” she asked, picking up the remote from her nightstand.

“Um…sure,” he said, shooting her that goofy grin that always made her heart flip in her chest.

Eventually, they watched the movie and cuddled up together. Aron could feel the pull of exhaustion, but she fought it to spend a bit more time with Sam. “Hey…thanks for coming to check on me. I appreciate it.”

He lightly squeezed his arms around her. “No problem…” he said, blushing. “Let me know if there's anything we can do to help, alright? Even if we can’t fix it, you shouldn’t have to be in pain or whatever. I’m sure that even if we can’t fix it, we can help the pain. Maybe the treatment will help too.” he mused.

She snuggled closer to him, sighing. “Maybe…thanks.”

He smiled softly. “I said it’s no problem, Doofus.”

She grinned up at him, blushing. “I know, but…you being here helped.” 

Sam turned bright red, but grinned back at her. He kissed her forehead and pulled her closer, pressing her head under his chin. “Then I’ll stay as long as you want me here.”

She yawned, her eyes growing heavy and the sleepiness being too strong to ignore. She felt Sam pull a blanket over them before whispering softly. “Goodnight, Doofus.”

“Night. Sam.” she said before drifting to sleep.