#the bathrobe knights

[tortoisesshells]

can i get uhhh maximus brotherofsteel for bingo please?

Maximus My Beloved BrotherhoodOfSteel

[xaviesstarlight]

Laundry Day

Seeing pictures of Xavier as Dark Lumiere and/or wearing that black hat inspired me to write about MC seeing him in all black, because let’s face it, that is a good look.

Warnings: SFW kissing, the slightest bit suggestive

You are way behind on the laundry. Two weeks of nonstop battling wanderers left you exhausted at the end of each day to where you could do nothing but eat and sleep, so household chores kept being put off until later. So much later that you barely had anything left to wear in your closet. You decide when you finally have a day off to cross off everything on your to-do list, beginning with the overwhelming pile of laundry.

As soon as you get dressed, you throw a load of laundry into your washer and take another basket upstairs to Xavier’s apartment. He said the night before he also had a lot of laundry to do, but his wardrobe is much smaller than yours. You were welcome to add your clothes to his load to get everything done quicker. The two of you promised to begin your chores early today, so you could spend the afternoon together resting.

You knock on Xavier’s door and enter the apartment without waiting for him to answer. Shifting the basket onto your hip, you walk through the living room and hear cups clinging from the kitchen. “Xavier, I’m here,” you say as you pass the kitchen, heading straight for the washer. “Is the washer ready to go?”

Strong arms wrap around your shoulders from behind as soon as you set down the basket, pulling you into a hug. Xavier’s warmth envelops your body. You grin as you lean into his chest. “Good morning,” Xavier whispers against your ear. His teeth graze your earlobe before he trails kisses down your neck onto your shoulder.

“Good morning,” you breathe out in a daze. There is no way you can focus on the task at hand when he’s like this. You turn in his arms to give your boyfriend a proper good morning kiss when your knees weaken at the sight of him.

Xavier is wearing all black, and, good god, does the color suit him.

You feel the blood rushing to your cheeks as you take in Xavier’s appearance. The black t-shirt and pants perfectly contrast his silver hair and transform the man’s demeanor from the gentle neighbor you know and love to a powerful knight. As your eyes scan over Xavier’s arms, you can more easily see how toned his muscles are and the veins running down his forearms. Memories of the night you two shared in a hotel while performing a “sensory test” in black bathrobes rush into your mind.

You gulp as you quickly look back up to meet Xavier’s eyes, only to immediately look away out of embarrassment. He watches your reaction, cocking his head to the side.

“Is something wrong? Your face is so red.” Xavier lifts a hand to your cheek. His touch sends an electronic bolt through your body. “You didn’t get sick from overworking yourself, did you?”

Unable to compose your thoughts, you begin to stammer. “Nn…no, I’m just surprised. You’re wearing black. I’m not used to seeing you like this.”

“Well,” Xavier chuckles, “all of my usual clothes are in the wash. This is all I had left.” He suddenly frowns. “Do you not like me in black?”

Your heart drops. Xavier looks genuinely upset, like a kicked puppy. You don’t want him to think you don’t like the way he looks, especially when the truth is quite the opposite. “What? That’s not it!” You clear your throat avoiding his gaze again and say quietly, “You actually look really hot.”

“Is that so?” You peek up at Xavier to see him smiling. His sapphire eyes light up with mirth. Xavier gently tilts your chin up, so you’re forced to look at him. “So you like how I look in these old clothes?” Meekly nodding, Xavier steps closer to you until your back is against the wall. “Should I wear them more often?”

���Not in public. I don’t think I could handle it.” Xavier smirks before giving you a passionate kiss.

As he breaks away, his breath tickles your ear. “This is a good morning. By the way, I made you breakfast. Let’s go eat.”

Xavier turns and strolls to the kitchen like nothing had just happened. Your knees finally give, causing you to slide down the wall and let out a shaky breath. This is going to be a long day.

[ins4-tiable]

A Knight's Hymm

Knight! Levi Ackerman x Princess! reader

Levi being the first commoner captain, is quite sceptical of royalty. especially, you.

A/n: This a draft I couldn't bring myself to finish but I put my whole budussy into it so imma js post it.

You always smiled in a way that dulled the gold and jewels around you, A smile that covered your face and painted a pretty picture.

He couldn't stand it, No matter how much his head warned him of its falsehood, his heart couldn't help but flutter.

"Greedy wealthy pigs." 

He would mutter under his breath, even as they drafted him into the Royal Army, As captain no less. As he stood at attention at the mention of the king, his brows still furrowed in disgust.

They really should have known better than to put a man from the slums in such a high position.

Everyone else did. 

Everyone, but you. 

"Captian Levi! There you are!” You smiled. 

He couldn't help but loop himself, every time you flashed him that damned grin he couldn't stop himself from comparing you to gold.

"Your majesty." He acknowledged. 

You rolled your eyes.

"Must you be such a buzz kill?" You shook your head. 

Before he could answer, soft pampered hands had grabbed his; 

Thick and rough, littered with irreversible tales of the past, mostly the thick stubs where his middle and index fingers once were. 

He doubts it was an accident when you grabbed that hand

You covered his hand in yours, A cold and small item resting in his hands.

Your fingers dragged as they left. Neither of you mentioned it. 

Levi skeptically eyed his hand. A small, but heavy broach resting in the palm of his hand. 

“A formal invitation.” Your smile reached your eyes. “As my escort of course!" 

Levi furrowed his brows, his eyes snapping up to look at you

“…" He paused, giving you an unimpressed look "Invitation? Do I have much of a choice?” He snarked, eyeing you suspiciously. 

Your eyes seemed to crinkle.

" I always give you a choice. " You pause, glancing at the broch, Seemingly chuckling to yourself. " Think it over will you?"

You bowed your head slightly before you took your leave. 

It always made his skin crawl when you did that. He would rather you treat him like all the other nobles did. 

When you treated him like he was worth something his job got far harder.  

You ran your brush through your hair after meticulous work, the fresh feeling of newly washed hair enveloping your scalp. 

Your arms were quite sore, having only recently banned your maids from your chambers. But hard work receives fruitful rewards. 

You were sure it wasn't nearly as good as trained hands, but your heart swelled with pride. 

Your hair and skin were still damp as you slipped on your bathrobe. Nevertheless, you did not have time to fuss over the small details, you were sure Captain Levi would be arriving any-

The sound of a polite but firm knock harshly interrupted your thoughts. 

"I can always count on Captain Levi to mess with my plans." you chuckled to yourself. 

You begrudgingly made your way to your door. You expected him to take longer than he did to think about your proposal. 

Your door pulled open, fresh damp hair clinging to your face 

as your eyes glided to his

" Captain Levi." you hummed. A surprised look plastered on your face. Though, you doubt you fooled Levi.

 " It's quite late for visitors. Don't you think?" 

You could hear Levi's breath stop in his throat, and as quick as you heard it his brows snapped down in a furrow. 

"Your Highness!" He hissed, neck and ears flushing.

"What? It's to be expected that I would be bathing at these hours." You shrugged, shifting your weight to the right, motioning him inside. 

"no, I don't think that would be appropriate-"

"It must have been important for you to come to my chambers at this hour, so please." You insisted.

You could see his jaw visibly clench, Your eyes briefly flickering to the vein that gathered on his neck. 

The sound of his heavy footsteps dragged against the marble floor, Willing himself to move further into your chambers. He had hoped it was his sense of duty willing him to gather more information on you, but he knew that wasn't the case. 

He reluctantly took a seat, eyeing you with a glare. His brows furrowed in an almost permanent M. 

The sound of thick splashing filled the room as you filled both cups. A small smile on your lips, your eyes entirely focused on the cup before you. 

"Your Highness, I-" 

" I know you're a part of the rebellion." You began, cutting his speech off. "That's why you are here to deny my escort request. Right?" 

Your eyes flickered to his as you asked. 

His face was pulled taunt. Not letting a slip of emotion seep through his skin. He was already glaring at you, but this one was different.

It was cold. 

Your eyes locked to his, And in a moment a knife was at your neck. A steel-stained knife threaded at your throat. You didn't even blink, your facade of a smile still permanent on your lips. 

Your eyes glanced down at the knife. 

"The knife at my neck makes me think you want to kill me." You state, looking back up at him that cold look he wore at war glazed over his eyes. 

"Quit with the Bullshit." He spits, rising in his chair. "What do you want." 

"Me?" You ask, tilting your head to the side. "You're the one who put a knife to my neck. " Your brows furrowed and jaw slacked, painting a furiously offended look on your face. 

"You-" 

"I'm kidding." You say, a smirk replacing the frown you placed on your lips. "I'll speak when there is no longer a knife at my throat." 

Silence filled the room, Your eyes locked onto each other in a glare. 

Levi let out a sharp click of his tongue, reluctantly moving back down, slipping his knife back into its hiding spot. 

You take a long sip of your now lukewarm tea, humming disapprovingly before setting it back down with a click.

"That invitation is one for my wedding." 

"what-"

" And once I'm married I'll be no more than a living doll. " You sighed, your eyes stuck to the round edge of your cup. 

" They don't want me to exercise my right as a royal, so they sold me off to a pig." You sneered. " Since they threw me away the only thing left for me to do is to sell information to the rebellion."

A Thick solemn Silence Stuck in the air, constricting around Levi's throat. He couldn't speak. 

His hand gripped tightly to your round marble table. He could feel his heart tighten to a stop.

He glanced up at you, steeling himself.

"And how am I supposed to believe that? This could easily be a trick."

You sighed, standing up from your seat. Levi watched you in silence as you reached under your thick bedding. Pulling a bland or unremarkable box from under your bed.

The sounds of the soft patter of your feet echoed through the empty room, and with a swift flush you emptied the dull box onto the table.

Covering the table were altered royal documents.

"I've been keeping Erwin and the rebellion alive by altering information" You stated, " Without me, they'd be dead."

"You-"

" Even if you don't like me, don't let that stop you from helping the people!" You reason, a sudden passion filling your words. " I had planned on doing this myself.. but."

You stopped your words, your perfectly crafted mask beginning to crumble as your throat constricted at the thought of being sold off.

Levi paused as he watched true emotion seep through your face, You seemed to shine even brighter.

" Goddamn it." He hissed, 

You didn't get the chance to speak, as he quickly grabbed you by the back of the head, leading his lips to yours. 

Rough chapped lips pushed aggressively into you, his entire body leaning across the table to reach you, as a hand keeping your head steady while he kissed you. Kissed you as if he was in battle.

Your head was moving a mile per minute, and yet, not a single thought could process through you. But for some straight reason, you couldn't seem to stop yourself from wanting more.

You pushed back against him, running your tongue past his lips and into his awaiting mouth. You could feel his gasp against you, and tremble as he reciprocated the action. 

For someone who grabbed you so passionately, he sure wasn't prepared. 

Levi pulled away from you, A red face gazing up at you as his forehead pressed against yours. 

" They'll kill you," He said, breath heavy in his words and a worried tremble in his raspy tone. 

You paused at his words, letting out a breathy chuckle. 

" It's worth it." You smiled. 

His jaw clenched

"What? No! What the hell is wrong with you?" He asked, roughly grabbing you by the shoulders.

His brows furrowed far harder than ever, and his eyes filled with a thick passion that made your heart flutter.

"I finally get the chance to have you and you want to just die?" He exclaimed

"What-"

Levi kissed you again, a scared, Emotional kiss.

This has been sitting in my drafts for over a year so I'm releasing it to the world!

[fishfooddude]

The Aftermath

Carmy left- he just left? Where the heck was he? Was he even alive? Your anxiety almost gets the best of you.

The Bear MasterList

Directory

Part 2

MDNI 18+

You groaned as you stretched, trying to crack your back. You’d been cleaning all afternoon, Carmy was still MIA, and this was the one thing you knew would distract you enough not to storm into The Bear demanding to know where your husband had been last night. You hopped up on the counter and grabbed your phone from the charger. A knot formed in the back of your throat when you saw a text from Carmy displayed on your lock screen.

Sorry about last night, baby.

On my way home.

“Okay. Fuck you, Carmy. At least you’re alive.” you mumbled to yourself before hopping down from the counter and going down the hallway to your bedroom. You knew the two of you would have a screaming match when he got home; you rolled your eyes at the thought. He was usually predictable; this running away from home debacle threw you for a loop. Since the fighting was inevitable, you opted to take care of yourself a little bit at least, and an everything-shower seemed like the move.

Pregnancy was hard; you were in a constant state of nausea, you were exhausted, you had almost daily migraines toward the end, and, oh boy… hormones were interesting. You gained a decent amount of weight, but loved how you looked. Carrying Mia made every body insecurity you had vanish. You felt powerful as she grew in your womb, and the feelings were only amplified by the way Carmy would caress your stomach at night when he’d get home from work. He’d pepper kisses across your stomach and talk to Mia as he helped you rub shea butter in an attempt to prevent stretch marks. You laughed about it now as you stood in front of the bathroom mirror. Cellulite, stretch marks, loose skin, and a c-section scar decorated your body. All those insecurities you’d thought vanished returned as soon as you showered for the first time post-partum. You didn’t want anyone to see you, especially Carmy. 

You’d always been so secure in your relationship with Carmy. Something ignited within you when you saw him sitting at the bar by himself the night the two of you met. He was sexy and aloof. You had turned to your friend and told her, ‘I’m gonna marry that guy,’ and cocked your head in Carmy’s direction. She gave you a nod of approval, and you were off. He was shy and confused about why the prettiest girl in the bar would want to talk to some loner drinking a ginger ale instead of one of the guys coming up to her throughout the night. After months of casual hookups or late-night lounging around his apartment, Carmy found the courage to take you out on an actual date. After that, you declared he was your boyfriend. He admitted to being in love with you and was overjoyed when you returned the sentiment. Carmy was your knight in shining armor. You knew he was in your corner if you ever had a problem or needed to talk about something. It was you and him against the world, and it only amplified when he proposed to you. The two of you had a small wedding on the beach and decided to travel for a few months. When the two of you started dating, Carmy recounted tales from his time in culinary school- you were shocked that the man had lived in Frances for years but hadn’t explored the city beyond his campus or the restaurants he worked at. Exploring Europe together felt like a dream; it was everything you’d wanted to do with him. The two of you hadn’t planned on having kids, but after a couple of years of living as a married couple and buying your home, it felt like a natural progression to just ‘see what would happen’ if you got off of your birth control.

Now you stood in the shower while your mother took care of your baby and your bitch of a husband hid at work. You sighed and exited the shower, wrapping your hair in a towel and tying your bathrobe at the waist. You checked your phone to see no new messages from Carmy and that Natalie had left you on read.

As you blow-dried your hair, you couldn’t shake the thoughts of Carmy doing something dumb last night. You knew he’d never cheat on you, but the curiosity about where he’d gone was killing you. You took your time blowing out your hair and doing your skincare routine. As you brushed your teeth, you heard the front door open. “Hey… I’m home.” Carmy’s voice called through the house. Your stomach twisted at the sound. You took a deep breath and quickly put on deodorant before walking out of the bathroom in a pair of fresh pajamas. After contemplating jumping out the window to avoid this conversation from happening, you cautiously exited the bedroom. You went down the hallway to see Carmy washing his hands in the kitchen.

“Hey.” you grinned, rubbing your arm nervously. Carmy inhaled sharply before closing the distance between the two of you. He wrapped his arms around you tightly, feeling the stress of the day melt away as he took in the scent of your conditioner. “I’m sorry, baby. I shouldn’t have left like that,” he spoke into your hair. You sighed and hesitantly hugged him; he rubbed circles into your back and wished to go back in time and change what had happened. 

“Where were you? You’ve never done something like that before- I thought you were dead or something Carmy.” Carmy tucked your head under his chin and contemplated what he should say. He knew he’d have to come clean eventually but wanted to relish in this moment.

“I just drove around and went to work early.” he lied, hoping you’d not push it further. Natalie had ripped him a new one when he’d confessed the details of his indiscretion. She ranted about how she’d feel if Pete had treated her like that; she’d kick his ass to the curb. “You realize she’s gonna leave your ass, right? You absolutely can not sleep at my house- Carmen Anthony Berzatto, you’re no better than Dad.” before he could respond, Natalie threatened to kick his ass if he didn’t come clean to you about what happened. Carmy wanted to tell you, but being compared to his father was something he hadn’t expected Natalie to say. He didn’t know the guy that well, but he knew a little about the cheating. He didn’t have a second family or kids outside his marriage with Donna, but he saw the hurt it put her through and vowed never to be like the man. Now he stood in his kitchen holding his wife- the love of his fucking life, lying about his whereabouts from the night before. Yeah, he didn’t get past third base, but would he have gone all the way if he had gotten hard? Would you constitute this as cheating? Would you leave him and keep Mia from him? He pushed the thoughts back and pressed his nose into your hair. He took in the scent of your conditioner, just in case this was the last time.

You pulled away from the hug and nodded, “Okay. I trust you, but never do something like that again. You scared the crap out of me.” 

Carmy and you sat at the dining room table that night and talked about your insecurities postpartum and that while you were medically cleared to have sex, you were nervous about the actual act. He nodded, and you felt vindicated. You kissed his cheek and headed into the kitchen to order dinner. Carmy grinned and fished his phone out of his pocket. He deleted his text chain with Selena and quickly blocked her number before you came back to ask if he had any preferences for dinner. Carmy shook his head, “Whatever you want, baby.”

The two of you ate dinner in the living room and watched the newest cheesy romcom on Netflix. Carmy sat back and took in the moment. It was like when the two of you had started dating. You’d always had some kind of freelance video editing job or some other creative endeavor that gave you a good amount of flexibility in your schedule. No matter how late he’d get off, you were always down to come over, watch a movie, eat takeout, or whatever new recipe he was trying to perfect. You explained that quality time was your main language, so as long as you were together, you were happy doing whatever with him. 

As the movie continued, you’d put your head on Carmy’s chest and held onto his waist. He had an arm around your shoulder- he stunk of his usual kitchen smells and smoke, but there was another scent you couldn’t quite place. “I should probably shower if you wanna cuddle, baby.” he laughed as you pushed a hand under the hem of his T-shirt. Carmy had long forgotten about the hickey that decorated his collarbone. You hummed in disagreement, “Your BO is comforting Carm…” 

Carmy laughed and kissed the top of your head. Carmy tapped your shoulder as the movie ended, signaling he wanted to get off the couch: “I need a shower, baby.” He shifted in his seat, and you looked up at him. “Kiss me?” you asked, looking up at him through your lashes. Carmy swallowed and hurriedly nodded as he gently placed his lips on yours. You smiled into the kiss as the taste of tobacco and spearmint flooded your tastebuds. You removed your hand from under Carmy’s shirt and put it on his cheek. Carmy wasn’t sure where to put his hands. This felt like a 180 from the previous day, confusing and excited him.

You threw a leg over Carmy’s hips to straddle him as the kiss turned more passionate. Carmy’s hands found your hips; his touch felt like electricity shooting through your body in the best way. You pulled away from the kiss, gently pulling Carmy’s bottom lip between your teeth, eliciting a deep throaty moan from him. You ran your hands down Carmy’s chest. He closed his eyes, focusing on the sensation of your nails tickling his skin through the material of his shirt. “Still need me, baby?” you asked, leaning in to kiss Carmy’s jaw. “Still need to be inside of me?” you said as you trailed kisses up his jaw toward his earlobe. You felt his cock harden beneath you as you rolled your hips against him. Carmy’s grip on your hips tightened at the sensation, “Please, baby.” he whined. You giggled at his response and slowly swirled your tongue around Carmy’s earlobe before leaning back on his thighs. Carmy leaned back into the couch. His eyes were dark with lust as you reached for the hem of your shirt, quickly discarding it. 

Carmy’s eyes widened at the sight of your bare breasts, “Fuckin’ hell, baby.” he muttered. You bit your lip as Carmy stared at you, “Can-can I-” Carmy began to stutter before you cut him off by bringing one of his hands to your chest. “Fuck.” Carmy laughed as he snaked an arm around your waist to bring you closer. You giggled as Carmy massaged your breast in his large, calloused hand, “Baby- fuck, you’re so sexy.” 

You moaned softly as Carmy gently pushed you back onto the couch before trailing delicate kisses down your stomach to the top of your pajama shorts. As eager as he was to remove them, he still felt like he was dreaming. Your eyes met and you nodded, Carmy bit his lip holding back a groan. He swiftly yanked the soft cotton material down your legs to reveal your lack of panties. He smirked as he spread your legs wider and stared down at your core like a starved animal. 

“Carmy?” you asked softly, “Do you want me to stop?” he responded, hoping you would say ‘no.’ You shook your head, “Be gentle?” you whispered. Carmy nodded, “Of course, baby. Say, stop, and I will…” 

Carmy put your legs over his shoulders and nuzzled his face between your thighs, placing delicate kisses against your folds. Your legs shook as he ran his tongue up to your clit, “Mmm,” you hummed as he took your clit between his lips. “Oooh,” you moaned as Carmy slowly pushed his index finger into your entrance. Your reaction only fueled Carmy’s desire to please you. As your juices flooded his tastebuds, you bucked your hips up against his mouth, making him moan against your clit.

“I need you,” you whined, pulling at Carmy’s hair. Reluctantly, he pulled his mouth away from your heat. “What do you need me to do, baby?” Carmy teased. You giggled as he moved to hover above your body. You pulled at the hem of his T-shirt, wanting to feel his skin against yours. 

Carmy’s body tensed. You noticed the color drain from his face, the weight of his actions from the night prior finally hitting him. “Are you okay, Carmen?” you asked as you stopped pulling at his shirt. He nodded, “Yeah-h.” 

You didn’t believe him. “You’re being weird. I don’t care that you’re gross from work. I want you.” You looked into his eyes and could sense he was hiding something from you. “I’m not being weird,” he said defensively. You shook your head, pushed up at his chest, and sat up against the arm of the couch. “You literally left last night because I didn’t want to have sex- now I want you and you’re being fuckin’ weird. Take your clothees off and fuck me.” you demanded, Carmy swallowed and sat up on the couch. He shouldn’t have let it go this far, you rolled your eyes and yanked his shirt off. 

“What the fuck is that!” you screamed when you saw the dark purple hickey decorating his collar bone, Carmy stared at you nervously. “YOU FUCKIN’ LIAR!” you screamed louder pushing yourself off the couch picking up your T-shirt from the floor. 

“Baby, I swear—I didn’t—" Carmy explained as he scrambled to his feet as you walked down the hallway toward your bedroom. Your blood boiled at the thought of Carmy fucking another woman last night while he was ‘getting air,’ “YOU’RE A FUCKING LIAR GET THE FUCK OUT OF THIS HOUSE, I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD CARMEN!” you screamed at the top of your lungs as you glared at him as tears started to fall from your eyes. Carmy’s face regained color and softened in reaction to your screams. 

“Y/N, it was a mistake! We didn't have sex because I couldn’t get hard-” Carmy attempted to explain the situation, and you shook your head in response. “That’s fuckin’ bullshit! Get out!” you screamed through your tears.

Carmy dropped to his knees and reached out for your hand. You slapped it away and ignored his begs to hear him out and let him explain what had happened. “No. No. I don’t want to- that’s why you wanted to fuckin’ shower so bad, right?! Didn’t want to fuck your wife with your dirty fuckin’ cock you fucking liar!” you screamed as you attempted to pull your wedding ring off of your finger. When it wouldn’t budge, you screamed in frustration and slammed the bedroom door. 

Carmy fell back and brought his knees to his chest, the weight of his actions truly hitting him when you had tried to take off your wedding ring. He really had ruined his marriage. Carmy heard your sobs through the door as he got up, “Y/N- it was a mistake. I love you. I love you so fuckin’ much-” 

“GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE CARMEN! I FUCKING HATE YOU!”

~

Tag List

@namjoons-crabssss @sl-ut @thottae @cuddlehye @prurose @1184p @chaoticfanficfanx @ok-boke @literatureluster @bxtchopolis @americanprometheuss @buckystwilight @earth-elemental18 @thebearlily @siren-melodies @thel0v3hashira143 @innercreationflower @unpoqu1todetodo @thehouseofevangelista

Part 4

[thy-golden-knight]

Knightly lifestyle ideas

• Carry yourself with confidence, keep your head high and your steps firm

• Always carry a pocket knife in case of emergencies

• Whenever you see a person struggling with heavy bags, especially women and the elderly, make haste to offer help

• If they refuse help, do not press further. Respecting boundaries is essential

• Decadent fur rugs in your bedchamber

• Become passionate about a sport of your choosing, be it a historical one or not

• Your home is your fortress, hence any good knight should be able to perform basic repairs to keep his castle running

• Forgo the plastic: drink your water, wine and other beverages out of goblets and glassware

• Be an example to your younger siblings on how to treat other people with respect, dignity and kindness

• Treat hardships in thy life as quests to complete and dragons to slay

• Attend self-defense classes. Learn to take down opponents twice your size

• A signet ring with your family's crest / other personal symbol

• If you have a dog, train it extensively to make it your guardian and a faithful companion

• Assemble a private library full of classical masterpieces and epic poetry

• Gather up your courage and intervene if you see someone getting bullied

• Lush bathrobe in rich burgundy / navy / emerald with a golden thread

• Volunteer to be the mediator in your siblings' quarrels

• Know your way around fine dining, whether it's uncorking a bottle of champagne or using the right fork and knife

• Learn how to play a musical instrument like flute or guitar

• Study different schools of thought, religions and cultures. You might find them not so different from yours

• And overall whenever you see an opportunity to do good, take it at once. Knight's ultimate purpose is to serve, be of service to others, be it friends and loved ones or complete strangers

Part 2 here

[anonymous-dentist]

Or: Cellbit runs an alchemy shop with his family, and he's also the lost prince of the Gato Kingdom, but he isn't, but he really really isn't, you've gotta believe him, he isn't, really, he isn't, you've gotta-

For day seven of @smallchaoscryptid's Spiderbit Week - Royalty/Family

-

The day starts off normally:

Cellbit wakes up to find himself alone in bed, Roier having already gone to work downstairs in the store.

He lazes beneath the covers before hearing his son shouting in the other room. Grudgingly, he gets up, slides on his slippers and his bathrobe, and he goes to get Richarlyson settled with a new coloring book because, according to Richarlyson, Pepito ate the last one.

(Pepito did not eat the last one.)

Cellbit goes back into his bedroom to change, and then he goes to the wash basin in the hallway to brush his teeth and wash his face. He goes to the kitchen, shoves a singe slice of bread in his mouth for breakfast, tells the kids to behave, decides to live in ignorance and believe that they actually listened to him, and then, finally, he goes downstairs to help Roier with the shop.

That's when things get weird because, instead of the normal dozen or so customers they usually get in the mornings before things get busy, there are a handful of people in shiny armor with pointy swords, and there's a woman with cat ears leaning against the counter talking at an indifferent Roier.

Cellbit freezes on the stairs. Absently, his hands raise to his own ears, thankfully pinned down today with his alchemical goggles. He tends to have them out more days than not now, but. Well. Old habits die hard.

"I really don't know what you're talking about," Roier casually say. He isn't even looking at the woman, he's, instead, inspecting his nails- recently painted by Jaiden and absolutely adorable, just like he is. "But we do have a sale on luck potions if you wanna try one of those."

The woman's eyebrow twitches, and, for whatever reason, Cellbit doesn't think that she's here to buy something. Between the fine quality of her clothes and the literal knights with her and her entire aura, she just screams royalty, and that's a bad thing.

That's a really bad thing.

But Roier seems to have it under control, so, silently, Cellbit starts sneaking back up the stairs. If Roier needs him, he'll scream, and then Cellbit will rush down and kill everybody in the room and blame it on a sudden alchemical reaction gone wrong. Easy.

Except:

The door to the living quarters slams open and Pepito comes rushing out of it with tears streaming down his face.

"Apa!" he cries, leaping into Cellbit's arms and nearly sending him stumbling back down the stairs. "Richarlyson ate my crayons and now he's dying!"

(Richarlyson is not dying.)

Cellbit can practically smell the irritation coming off of Roier, even if he can't see him with his back turned to both him and the store and the really annoying royalty inside.

And, sure, Cellbit is annoyed, too, but he's also a father. So he just sighs and holds his son and lets him cry into his shoulder.

"Who's there?" one of the knights asks.

There's the sound of a sword being drawn, and then there's the sound of another sword being drawn and, really, is a peaceful retirement too much to ask for? Pac and Mike got one. Bad got one. Even Etoiles has some sort of retirement plan he's supposedly following between father-daughter dungeon-busting field trips.

The way Pepito is being held has him looking down the stairs and at the very rude people about to kill his parents, so Cellbit turns around so that Pepito is facing the door instead. He's always preferred looking danger in the face, anyway; it's much easier to be stabbed in the back than the front, after all.

Cellbit passively looks from one knight to another. He skips his eyes over the woman entirely. He catches Roier's eye, subtly rolls his own eyes, adjusts his hold on Pepito.

"Sorry," Cellbit says, "but my son is dying. I'll be right back."

"He's dead!" Pepito wails, ever-helpful. He's such a good kid.

The woman frowns. Cellbit doesn't think he likes her face. It's too... uncanny, like a doll come to life. Or, rather, like an image escaped from the mirror above the wash basin, and Cellbit does not like the implications of that, thanks.

As the knights start to advance, the woman holds up a hand to stop them.

"Hurry up," she says.

"Yeah," Roier agrees. "Tell Richas to die quicker, we have company."

Pepito screeches right into Cellbit's ear, making him wince very angrily in Roier's direction; all Roier does is wink and motion with his fingers for Cellbit to hurry up.

Cellbit quickly takes Pepito back into their living quarters and puts him down on the sofa.

Richarlyson is on the floor, very calm, very much not dying, and very much using Pepito's crayons in his own coloring book.

Pepito gasps, tears gone and replaced with wide, shocked eyes.

"But you ate them!" he exclaims.

Cellbit sighs, "Your brother is a magician, now can you two please behave for ten minutes while Roier and I deal with those people downstairs?"

Richarlyson's head perks up. "There are people downstairs?"

Cellbit nods. "Bad people, probably. If you hear glass breaking, you know what to do."

It's Richarlyson's turn to nod.

They have a plan. If things go down in the shop, Richarlyson and Pepito stay upstairs and hide until either Cellbit or Roier goes to get them. If the kids hear glass breaking, they are to escape out their bedroom window and climb down the tree outside and run to their Uncle Bad's house until Cellbit and Roier can get rid of the bad guys and save the day.

(Roier's words, not Cellbit's. Apparently, calling unruly customers or the police "the enemy" is bad. Go figure.)

Cellbit makes the kids both pinky promise him to follow the plan before letting out a long, stressed-out breath and starting back downstairs.

First, though, he dips into the kitchen and grabs his favorite butcher knife from off of the counter and tucks it into the custom-made sheath hidden beneath his jacket. Just in case.

Once downstairs, he's immediately manhandled by the knights until he's pushed up against the counter. Unfortunately, he isn't pushed behind the counter. But at least he can act as a shield... just in case.

On instinct, Cellbit reaches behind himself and takes Roier's hand. Roier takes it and squeezes gently, his thumb rubbing little circles into the skin by his thumb.

"Well," Cellbit says, looking from the knights to the woman, "you want something. What is it."

It isn't a question. It's more of a demand, really, and maybe he's stupid for demanding answers of royalty, but, like. Fuck the monarchy. What have they ever done for him?

The woman speaks: "We're looking for whichever one of you is Cellbit."

If they weren't already pinned down, Cellbit's ears would be flattening themselves to the top of his head. He bites back a hiss and instead just squeezes Roier's hand.

The woman continues with, "I'd like to bring him back with us to-"

"Yeah, okay," Roier casually says. "I'm Cellbit, hello."

Out of the corner of his eye, Cellbit can see Roier waving; he stifles a smile. He's so stupid...

Cellbit turns around and gasps dramatically. "Gatinho, no! You can't leave us!"

Roier bites his lip and looks away, turning his head to the side.

"But guapito," he says, dropping his voice an octave just for effect, "if I don't go, then... what about you and the children? They might-" (He moans and bows his head.) "-kill you. And then what would I do with myself?"

"Oh, don't worry!" the woman quickly says. "We won't hurt your family! That's why we're here, actually, to bring you and your family with us."

Cellbit ignores her. He reaches across the counter and cups Roier's cheek with his free hand, gently nudges his face until he raises his head and looks Cellbit in the eye; Roier's eyes are already wet with unshed tears, wow, he's good.

"But what will I do without you?" Cellbit demands, pitching his voice up just slightly. "Don't be stupid! I love you, pendejo!"

(They do this a lot, believe it or not. It drives Richarlyson crazy every time they do it because it somehow always ends up with them kissing until they're out of breath and shaky in the knees.)

"Não!" Roier cries. He squeezes his eyes shut and rips himself away from Cellbit entirely, staggering back and leaning against a display shelf full of anti-gravity potions. "Don't say that!"

"Say what?" Cellbit asks. "I love you!"

Roier screams and flinches against the case. "Não!"

Cellbit leans over the counter. "I love you."

Roier moans his time, his hands flying out wildly and grasping onto seemingly-random bottles on the shelf. "Não!!"

Cellbit extends a hand. "I. Love. You. Te amo, guapito."

One of the knights asks, "What the fuck is going on?"

And then the knights all start shouting as Roier opens his eyes and lunges to shove a potion into Cellbit's hands.

Cellbit grins and yanks the cork out of the bottle and chugs the potion and slams the empty bottle against the floor. It shatters, and he jumps.

"What the fuck?" the woman demands.

Cellbit twists mid-air and lands on the ceiling. He waves down at Roier, blows him a kiss, and takes off running for the back potion room. The door is closed, but the ventilation window above the door is open because he was supposed to be making potions right now. Silver linings.

He dives through the window, just barely managing to squirm through. He grunts, frowns, regrets getting this old, makes it through.

His goggles are nudged off of his head, though, leaving his ears on full display as he escapes into the potion room.

The woman gasps, "Get back here! Cellbit!"

But Roier just cheers, "Corre, gatinho!"

The potion room's door thuds and shakes in its hinges as the knights all slam against it. But, like, fuck those guys.

Cellbit runs down the length of the ceiling until he's reached the wall facing the alley behind the shop. He steps onto the wall, and then he runs down that until he's by the window. Again, ventilation, he should be working right now, but no, he can never know a moment of peace.

The potion starts running out just as Cellbit crawls through the window and lands on the shop's outside wall. He wrinkles his nose at the smell, but it's fine. Just trash, it's fine.

There's shouting from the front of the shop and the sounds of more bottles shattering. Roier sounds fine, though. He's even laughing, of course he is. He's badass, and Cellbit loves him, and Cellbit just wishes he was there to watch Roier swing his sword around like the sexy piece of shit he is.

The potion's effects wear off as Cellbit's feet touch the ground; two minutes, just as he'd made it to be.

He can see Richarlyson and Pepito running for it at the far end of the alley. Good, they actually followed directions for once.

Cellbit turns to run after them and get Bad's help, but he's stopped by a firm hand grabbing his shoulder from behind.

He snarls and pulls his knife out of his coat, spinning and slashing and just narrowly missing the woman's throat.

"Cellbit!" she shouts. "Calm down, it's just me!"

Cellbit responds by lunging at her with his teeth bared. He's been filing his teeth down for years, but he knows that he still cuts an intimidating figure when he's pissed enough.

The woman doesn't seem afraid, though. If anything, she just seems angry. And sad. Mostly angry.

She easily sidesteps his attack and yells, "It's me! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

Oh, that's cute. Royalty asking why someone would want to hurt them, that's funny. They have the self-awareness of a walnut, all of them.

"Stop shouting 'it's me'!" Cellbit snaps. "Why should I care who you are?"

The woman's face starts turning red from frustration. "Because I'm your sister!"

Oh, that's rich.

"I don't have a sister," Cellbit sneers.

He swipes at her. Of course he does, he doesn't have a sister. He didn't have a family before he and the others found Richarlyson, and he only has one now that he has his kids and his husband.

"Then why do we have the same ears?" the woman demands.

She ducks under his knife and sweeps his legs out from under him. He falls and hisses and growls and does all sorts of things that princes might do because he isn't royalty. He knows that for certain. His first memory was him eating the corpse of a soldier on an empty battlefield, and it's with that image in mind that he snaps his teeth at the woman's throat.

"Only the royal family of the Gato Kingdom is born with feline features," the woman snaps. "Idiot!"

"Fuck the Gato Kingdom," Cellbit spits. "Your war destroyed everything I had!"

The woman's eyes turn sad. "It destroyed everything I had, too. It took my family from me. My friends. My home. We're just now starting to rebuild, and-"

She shrieks as Cellbit manages to flip their positions so that she's the one being pinned to the ground.

"So you show up and try kidnapping someone to fill in for your lost prince?" he snarls. "You people haven't changed."

The woman's mouth thins into an angry line. "I'm not trying to kidnap you! I just want to bring you home!"

"I don't have a home! This is my home!"

"You really don't remember, do you?" she asks, voice low. She isn't even struggling any more, not really. "It's me, your sister. Bagi."

The name stings Cellbit's brain in a way he doesn't like.

"I don't know you," he firmly says. "You don't know me. Leave my family alone."

He stands, hands shaking, head spinning. He doesn't like this.

Roier calls his name from the front of the building.

Cellbit, sure that this Bagi won't do anything while she's busy crying, turns and starts running towards the store.

He doesn't make it three steps before getting thwacked in the back of the head with something large and heavy and metal.

"Sorry," Bagi flatly says.

As he falls to the ground, his knife falls from his hand and ends up just out of reach.

He lands on his stomach and immediately tries standing again.

But he's stopped by a foot on his back pressing him down.

"I'll be sure to bring your family with us," Bagi tells him. "I'm not here to hurt you."

"Could have fooled me," Cellbit mutters.

Darkness takes him at last as Bagi smacks him again with her weapon, and all Cellbit can think is that he hopes that the kids ended up making it to Bad's after all.

[superiorsturgeon]

Some Time Alone

Rusted Knight DILF Jaune: *removes his helmet and reveals his face to RWBY* Hey guys! 😁

RWBY: 😧

Ruby: Jaune! What happened to you?

Blake: How did you become the Rusted Knight?

Yang: Why do you look so…

Weiss: Mature~! 😍

Jaune: Well, it’s a long story. Let me tell it to you while we walk back to my house!

At Jaune’s house…

Jaune: …and I spent the next few decades waiting for you to arrive! 😁

Yang: You’re honestly a lot happier about all of this than I would’ve thought.

Jaune: Well, it’s been a long time to wait, but hey, at least I have Pyrrha here to keep me company, so I’m actually doing great! 🥰

RWBY: ?!

Ruby: Oh no…Jaune’s losing his mind…!

Weiss: He must be seeing things! Pyrrha died back at Beacon!

Blake: Poor Jaune…

Yang: Uh…Jaune, you know that Pyrrha’s not-

????: …Jaune? Are you coming to bed or not? I’m waiting~! 💕

Ruby: Who’s that?

Tarnished Spartan MILF Pyrrha: *steps out of bedroom in her bathrobe and pushes a gray-streaked lock of hair back* Jaune, who are you talking to-Oh! Hello again!

RWBY: 😱

Weiss: MATURE!! 😳

Jaune: 😊

[a-flaming-idiot]

Gotta adore when the MariChat relationships is just.

Chat Noir landing on Marinette's balcony: "Oh my dear lady~ Your handsome knight has arrived." Marinette in a bathrobe wielding a machete: "Get the fuck off my property!"

[melanirana]

On the topic of singer!reader x bartender!dca

I could not help but notice, their apartament has a balcony so hear me out:

Seranading under the balcony, climbing on the balcony, just any and all romantic and unnesesearly dramatic usage of balcony

What is your opinion?

Pretty sure you accepted a short little answer but here.

Have this instead.

Cw: suggestive towards the end

For a high-status club you expected more.

You are currently stuck in your flat due to no fault of your own. The door simply refuses to budge. You tried pushing, shoving and even throwing some of your own weight against it, but still nothing. You are completely stuck in your own flat.

Looks like you’ll be stuck here till the morning and some more time after that. Ringing the phone won't help, everyone is asleep. Even the street outside the building is empty, not a soul in sight.

The open balcony door lets cold winter air into your apartment, with shivering feet you grab your bathrobe to throw over your shoulders before going to close the door. The thick fake fur wraps around you and you let out a sigh as the robe warms your shivering form. For good measure, you slip into your most fluffiest pair of house shoes before heading for the balcony again.  

The soft light from inside illuminates the balcony in beautiful colors. When you step out onto the balcony you feel like you're in the middle of a stage play. One of those really romantic ones.

And this is the cliché romantic balcony scene where the two hopelessly in love protagonists, who can't show their love to each other because fate just won’t have it, confess their undying love for each other.

So cliché, so romantic, so dreamy and so up your alley.  

To that comes the bonus that you are just ever so helplessly stuck in a tour, even if it is your own apartment.

Now all you’re missing is a handsome knight.

And fate is kind to you, at last.

Out of the corner of your eye, you spy your handsome knight. Not dressed in his black suit but a simple white dress shirt, held up by suspenders. He emerges from the side of the building, probably just having thrown away some trash.

The blue nightcap on his head gently sways as he walks.

You lean over the railing of your balcony in the most coy position you can muster in this cold and wave your hand as if you were holding a handkerchief.    

“Oh, Oh hello you handsome man~” you sing-song down at him. Moon's face snaps up to you and a devious smile spreads across it.

“Well, look how here, up so late with nothing better to do than cat-call a poor by passer. ”Moon’s gravelly voice travels easily in the crisp winter air. Yur spine tingles at the sound of his voice.

“Do you think that lowly of me? I am hurt.” You rest your head on your hands as you smile down at the animatronic.

Moon turns to fully face you. “Maybe I could change my mind.” He crosses his arms. “If only someone were to think of something original and not repeating words of someone else.” Ahh~ the three of you and your little challenges, you’ll never grow tired of this.   

“Oh, but my dear nightlight I am afraid no words a truly mine.” You say in a dreamy voice. The little nickname seems to do its purpose, if the way Moon shifts his weight on his feet is anything to go off of.

“And don’t you think repeating can be something beautiful? After all, the moon stands high in the sky. Yet here you are outshining it with ease.” You are to sleep-deprived for shame, you are winning this challenge. And win you do.

Moons metal cheeks turn a hot orange before he turns his head away, you are pretty sure that if you stood right next to him the sound of his fans would be deafening.

You relish in the sight, but not for too long as a cold breeze whips past you and sends a shudder down your spine. Moon notices.

“Why are you outside? Shouldn’t you be asleep?” You can still see a hint of orange in his face.

“Well, you see. I’m kind of trapped. My door is somehow stuck and I can't get out, I have been trying to get it open but nothing works.” Another shudder runs through your body.

Moon thinks for a second, then a devilish smile crosses his face as he speaks.

“If I free you of your predicament, what is my reward?” The way you can hear the smile in his voice makes you weak.

“Anything you desire, my dear knight.” Now you’re the one with warm cheeks.

“Anything I desire you say.” His voice is as dangerous as it is delicious.  

“Anything you desire.” You confirm.

Moon scans the side of the building before he approaches it, and with an almost scary efficiency climbs it. You barely have time to blink before two large metal hands wrap around your balcony railing.

You take a step back in surprise, the speed at which Moon scales the building is almost frightening.

In one smooth motion, Moon lifts himself above the railing and climbs over it before coming to a stop right in front of you. His tall form casts a shadow over you. Your face grows hotter but not in an effort to fight the cold.

“I think I’ll take my prize now.” Moon purrs.

“You haven’t opened my door yet.” Your rebuke is weak even in your own ears.

“The climb was quite the effort.” Moon grins. ‘Sure it was’ you think to yourself.     

Gentle fingers grip your chin and angel your face upward so you look Moon in the eyes. He leans forward and plants a cool metal kiss on your forehead. You close your eyes and lean into the gentle affection.

When you don’t move to push him or lean away Moon continues. Moving down to kiss your reddened cheeks, plant kisses along your jawline before making his way down to the crock of your neck.    

Suddenly you don’t mind the door being shut for just a little bit longer.

did that answer you question? I like to think it did :}

[blakeswritingimagines]

The Proposal; Chapter Three, The Unexpected Connection.

Summary: Going to what seems to be a childhood dream for most except for the rich snobs, rude gossiping ladies, feeling out of place and awkward... until your knight in shining hockey man arrives.

Warnings: Reader being gossiped about and put down, Reader being out of place, Reader getting absolute princess treatment, Protective! Nico, Caring! Nico, Drinking but not drunk, Praise (given), Reader and Nico have a moment on the dance floor, Nico opening up to reader, Teasing! Nico, Cuddling.

Word Count: 7.0k

Pictures are from Pinterest

Part 1 - Part 2

You're in the bedroom, a mountain of fancy dresses and accessories thrown across your bed. You've never owned such expensive or glamorous clothes before, and the weight of them is almost overwhelming. "How am I supposed to pick just one?" you mutter to yourself, running your fingers over the silks and satins of the dresses. The jewelry is just as extravagant, the sparkling necklaces and earrings catching the light as you move through them.

You look at the clock - Nico had left a few hours ago to help with the last-minute preparations, leaving you alone to get ready. You'd tried to tell him you were perfectly capable of getting ready without his help, but he'd been insistent on providing everything you'd need for the party. Now, you're standing in the bedroom, still in your bathrobe, trying to figure out how to choose a dress and how to style your hair. You pick up one of the dresses, a silky garnet red number with a low back and a high slit up the leg. It's a stunning piece, and you can imagine the way it would cling to your curves and accentuate your figure. But as you hold it up against yourself in the mirror, you're struck by a wave of insecurity. "What was he thinking, buying this for me?" you murmur, feeling a pang of anxiety. It's too sexy, too attention-grabbing. You've never worn something like this before, and the thought of walking into a room filled with high-profile guests dressed like this is both thrilling and terrifying. "Damn it," you mutter, frustrated with yourself. "Why is it so hard to pick just one?" You look back at the red dress again, the silky fabric taunting you, daring you to put it on and feel like a movie star. "Screw it," you say out loud, your voice a mix of determination and anxiety. "I'm going to be there with some of the biggest stars in the city. If I'm going to be in the spotlight, I might as well go all out."

You quickly shed your bathrobe and step into the red dress, the silky fabric sliding over your skin like a lover's caress. Looking in the mirror, you have to admit - you look amazing. The dress fits like a glove, clinging to your curves in all the right places, the slit in the hem giving a tantalizing glimpse of your upper thigh. You try to calm your nerves as you step into the accompanying shoes, a pair of sparkling red heels that match the dress perfectly. Then, you turn your attention to your hair and makeup, trying to achieve that perfect balance of glamour and elegance. After what feels like hours of prep, you look at yourself in the mirror, proud of the work you've done. Your hair is styled to perfection, your makeup flawlessly applied. The red dress hangs from your body like a second skin, the jewels at your throat sparkling in the light. You look like a movie star, someone straight out of a Hollywood fantasy. Suddenly, there's a knock at the cabin door. Your heart lurches into your chest, your palms suddenly sweaty. You take a deep breath, trying to steady your racing heart as you walk towards the door. Opening it, you see a car waiting outside, the driver standing there with a professional smile. "Good evening, miss," he says, his gaze flickering over your outfit. "Mr. Hischier has arranged transportation for you to the party." Without waiting for a response, he opens the back door of the car for you, gesturing for you to step inside. Your heart skips a beat as you realize this is it - you're about to embark on this glittering adventure, into the world of high society and extravagance. Taking a deep breath, you step into the car, feeling both excited and slightly nauseous.

As the car pulls up to a grand, lavish location, your heart races in your chest. The building is enormous, its facade decked out in twinkling lights and garlands, the sounds of music and laughter spilling out into the night. A row of expensive cars lines the driveway, their headlights illuminating the valet parking as drivers help guests step out of the vehicles, their outfits just as fancy and extravagant as yours. You take another deep breath before getting out of the car, the cool night air hitting your face and causing a shiver to run down your spine. Straightening your dress and smoothing your hair, you take a few steps towards the entrance, your heart still pounding as the sound of music grows louder while you start to look for Nico. The interior of the building is just as grand as the exterior, its high ceilings decorated with sparkling chandeliers and lavish tapestries. The atmosphere is one of opulence and extravagance, and the people around you are all dressed to impress, their expensive suits and jewel-bedecked dresses only adding to the aura of glamour. You step further into the room, your gaze sweeping over the crowd searching for a familiar face. But everyone seems to blend together, all of them beautiful, well-off, and dripping in wealth. You feel a twinge of anxiety, a moment of doubt. What are you doing here, among these people? Just as you're starting to wonder if this might have been a mistake, someone touches your arm, making you jump slightly. You turn to see Nico standing there, a charming grin on his face that makes your heart skip a beat.

He's dressed in a tailored dark suit, the fabric hugging his lean frame perfectly. His hair is swept back from his face in a tidy but handsome style, and a hint of cologne drifts from him, something spicy and masculine that makes your head spin. "There you are, grumpy," he says, his gaze drinking in your appearance. "You look…" He trails off, his eyes widening as he takes in the full effect of your dress. "Wow. You look incredible." You can't help the flush of pleasure heating your belly that spreads at his words. Your heart flutters in your chest, a smile tugging at your lips. "You don't look so bad yourself," you manage to tease, your voice shakier than you would have liked. He grins at your compliment, his eyes sparkling. "I knew red would look good on you," he says, his gaze travelling over your body, taking in every curve and dip of the dress. You feel self-conscious for a moment, his gaze feels almost like a physical touch, igniting a fire under your skin. "Everyone seems to be… so wealthy," you murmur, looking around at the crowd again. Nico just shrugs, a careless grin on his face. "Yeah, these parties tend to attract a certain crowd," he says. "But don't worry, grumpy. You fit right in." He offers you his arm, a silent invitation. You hesitate for a moment, feeling once again out of your element. But then, with a deep breath, you slip your hand into the crook of his arm, feeling suddenly steadied by his presence. As you let him lead you through the crowd, people turn to look at you, their eyes lingering on your figure and your attire. You can feel their gazes like pinpricks on your skin, some curious, some envious. Some are outright staring, their mouths hanging open at the sight of you on Nico's arm. Nico seems to thrive on the attention, swaggering through the crowd with a confident grin on his face. He looks utterly comfortable, completely in his element. As you pass by a group of well-to-do women, you catch snippets of their hushed conversation, their voices sharp with jealousy.

"Is that Nico Hischier?" one of them murmurs. "Who's the girl he's with? She's gorgeous." Another one sniffs, her voice icy. "She looks out of place. Probably just some… puck bunny or something he picked up." The words sting, but before you can react or say something, Nico's arm tightens around yours, pulling you closer to him. His voice is gruff when he speaks, sending a thrill through you. "Ignore them, grumpy. They're just jealous." His proximity, his protective gesture, sends your heart racing, a flutter of feelings stirring deep within you. You nod mutely, trying to ignore the stares and whispers as he keeps leading you through the crowd. He guides you towards a bar, and with a quick nod to the bartender, you're handed a glass of champagne. He takes a glass for himself and turns back to you, a spark in his eyes as he takes a sip. "So," he says, his voice low and intimate. "How are you holding up, grumpy?" You take a sip of your drink, the bubbles refreshing in your mouth. "I'm… managing," you say, your voice soft and shaky. The noise of the party feels overwhelming, the voices and music buzzing and swirling in your ears. "I just feel… like a little out of my element, I guess." He chuckles, taking another sip of his champagne. "I had a feeling you might feel that way," he says, his gaze roaming over your expression, taking in your slight unease. "But trust me, you're doing great. You're handling it way better than I thought you would." The honest praise in his voice makes you feel a little better, a warm sense of pride swelling in your chest. "Thanks," you murmur, your voice growing slightly steadier. "I guess I just wasn't expecting everyone to be so… wealthy and fancy." He laughs again, an amused sound. "Yeah, these kinds of parties tend to be a bit…" he waves his hand, "flashy, shall we say." He drinks half the rest of his champagne, his gaze locking with yours. "But you're the one making an impression, grumpy. Everyone is staring at you, and I don't blame them."

His words make you feel flustered, your heart skipping a beat as he says the last part. "Are you sure they're just… staring at me out of admiration?" you ask, your voice filled with a mix of curiosity and insecurity. "I feel like they're also judging me." He hums, taking another sip of his drink. "Oh, they're definitely judging you," he says with a smirk. "But don't take it personally. These people judge everyone, even each other. It's this city. Everyone is so… competitive and image-focused." You nod, your eyes roaming over the crowd, taking in the perfect outfits, the perfectly styled hair, the perfectly coiffed smiles. It's intimidating, to say the least. You frown at his words, a pang of disappointment filling you. "So I'm really just a piece of eye candy for them?" you ask bluntly. He sighs, his expression shifting to something softer. "It's not that simple," he says, his voice gentle. "Sure, there are people here who would judge you just on what you're wearing. But then there are others who'd judge you for no reason at all. Like I said, this city can be harsh. But it's not always bad. And you haven't met the right people yet… besides me, of course." His tone is reassuring, and the corner of his mouth twitches into a half smile. "Besides, you're not just eye candy," he adds, his gaze flicking over your body again. His eyes linger on the slit of your dress, the curves of your legs, the smoothness of your skin. His look makes you feel exposed, like he's seeing something underneath your skin, like he's seeing the real you, the you that you've tried to keep hidden. Your heart begins to race, beating against your chest until you can hardly breathe. "Is that so?" you manage to croak out, your voice hoarse. "Then what am I supposed to be other than eye candy, then?" He chuckles again, the sound deep and warm. "Well, you're strong," he says, his voice lowering slightly, "and you're smart, and you're fearless. You're everything these people aren't." He takes a step closer, his body almost brushing against yours, his gaze locked on yours. "You're not just eye candy, you're something special. And they just can't handle that."

His words echo softly in your ears, the compliment sinking deep into your core. You feel a flutter of something in your chest, a swelling of warmth and something else you can't quite name. "I…" you begin, but your voice trails off, lost in the sight of his handsome face looming closer to yours. He leans in, his face now just inches from yours. "You're not gonna let some pompous and judgmental strangers in a fancy party ruin your night, are you, grumpy?" he whispers, his voice a low, intimate rumble. You swallow, your throat suddenly dry. You can feel the heat radiating off his body, the faint but intoxicating scent of his cologne mingling with the scent of your perfume. "No," you murmur, your voice a soft, breathless agreement. "I'm not going to let them." He smiles, the corners of his lips curling up into a sly, victorious smile. "Atta girl," he murmurs, his hand moving to touch your chin, tilting it up gently. "That's the attitude. Now, if you're not gonna let them get to you, you're gonna have fun, right?" You nod, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "Yeah," you reply, a hint of determination in your voice. "Yeah, I'm gonna have fun. I'm not gonna let these people bring me down. I'm gonna enjoy the night." The party is in full swing, the noise and music and laughter of the guests filling the air. You and Nico have been moving effortlessly through the crowd, stopping every now and then to chat with someone. He seems to have some sort of social pull, everyone seems to know him and greet him with familiar warmth. You're starting to feel a little more comfortable, even making a couple of light-hearted jokes and a few smiles here and there. But, you can't help but feel a bit of self-consciousness, especially with the way some of the other guests look you over, whispers following in your wake. As the strains of a slow tune waft through the air, Nico casually slips his hand into yours and tugs you closer. The gesture is subtle but intentional, guiding you onto the dancefloor without asking. He wraps his other arm around your waist, pulling your body against his. He gently rests his chin on your head, the height difference between you forcing you to look up at him.

The feel of his body against yours, the heat of his touch, the scent of his cologne in your nostrils all overwhelm you. You can feel the other couples, their eyes on you, and you hold your breath, expecting the judgmental whispers and the stares, but Nico seems to brush them off, his eyes glued to your face, a soft smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Relax, grumpy," he murmurs, his voice low. "Just focus on me." You try to relax, taking a deep breath and focusing on the feel of his hard muscles against your soft curves. His hand on your waist is firm yet gentle, grounding you in the moment and helping to distract you from the stares. He guides you in a slow, swaying motion, the song a soothing lullaby that seems to wrap around you in a bubble of privacy, just the two of you in the middle of a crowd of people. You can feel the slow rise and fall of his chest against your forehead. You're so close to him, your bodies almost molding together seamlessly, the heat and the scent of his skin surrounding you like a comforting cocoon. You can't help but notice how good he feels, how solid and strong he is, and how the way his hand rests on your back makes you feel both small and protected at the same time. You're silent for a moment, enjoying the moment, until Nico's low voice breaks through the silence. "You okay, grumpy?" he asks, his lips almost brushing against your ear. The gentle caress of his breath against your ear sends a shiver down your spine, and you nod, your voice catching in your throat. "Y-yeah," you stutter, your brain trying to come up with a more articulate response than a simple 'yeah'. "I'm… I'm fine. I'm okay. Just… trying to ignore all the eyes on us." He chuckles, his chest vibrating against your cheek. "Don't worry about them," he says, his voice firm but soothing. "They don't matter. What matters is you, me, and this song. And I'm not done with you yet." He pulls you even closer to him, your bodies now flush together, his free hand splayed over your lower back.

You're practically draped over him, your body pressed against his in a way that should be inappropriate, intimate even, and you can feel the heat from his skin seeping through the fabric of your dress. The slow music continues to swirl around you, the notes wrapping around the two of you like a warm, comforting embrace, and somehow the world around you feels like it's fading into the background, leaving only the two of you in this private bubble. His touch is so possessive yet gentle, it makes your heart race, your breath catch in your chest. You're acutely aware of his every movement as he starts to sway with you, his body moving in time with the music. You almost forget about the rest of the world, the only thing you're aware of is the feel of his hand on your back and the slow, steady beat of your heart. "You know," he murmurs, his lips brushing against your hair, "I haven't even thanked you properly for tonight." You blink up at him, your mind suddenly shifting gears. Thanks? What for? He's the one who invited you to this fancy party, who got you into this nice dress, who's dancing with you now. You don't deserve his thanks. But the warm smile on his face, the gentle look in his eyes make you want to argue. "For what?" you ask, your voice soft. He lifts an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth tugging into a half smile. "For going out of your comfort zone," he says, his thumb tracing idle circles on your back. "For being here, with me. You could have said no, stayed at the cabin, avoided all the judgmental eyes.. for me." Your heart stutters for a moment, his words igniting a warm flutter in your chest. He's right, you could have stayed at the cabin, but you didn't. You came, at his request, despite your anxiety over the environment. He's thanking you for trusting him enough to follow his lead. You raise an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at the corners of your lips. "So you're saying you have some influence over me?" you tease, your voice light and playful.

"Oh, absolutely," he replies, a smirk of his own curving his lips. His hand moves lower, now resting almost possessively on the small of your back. He pulls you even closer, his body now molding against yours seamlessly. "I wouldn't say I have control over you… just a fair bit of influence." He chuckles, leaning down to murmurs in your ear. "And I plan on using it wisely." His proximity sending a rush of warmth through you. You try to ignore the fluttering in your chest, but it's getting harder and harder to hide. His arm pulls you even tighter against him, his body now flush against yours. "Oh, and how are you planning on using it, exactly?" you ask, your voice now a mixture of curiosity and challenge. He smirks, his arms tightening around you, his muscles flexing. "Oh, I have some ideas, grumpy," he whispers, his voice low and gravelly. "But I think it'd be better to show you." With a fluid movement, he spins you slowly, his hold on you still firm and gentle. Now you're turned so you're looking straight at him, your body facing his. He leans in, his mouth hovering just millimeters away from yours, his breath fanning over your skin, his eyes fixated on yours. "Ready?" The proximity of his face to yours makes your body thrum with anticipation, your heart hammering against your ribcage like a trapped bird. You swallow, your throat dry, and your voice comes out a little hoarse. "Ready for what?" you manage to croak out, your eyes locked on his. A soft, amused chuckle escapes his lips, the sound sending a shiver down your spine. He's so close, your bodies almost pressed together, his hand still holding you possessively in place. "You're not playing dumb, are you?" he murmurs, his voice a low rumble. "You know damn well what I'm going to do." Your mind is spinning, trying to process his words, trying to figure out the implications of his statement. You want to deny it, to say something witty or sarcastic, but the heat in his gaze, the heat emanating from his body, the way his hold on you is so possessive and firm makes it hard to think, let alone speak. "But I…" you begin, your voice trailing off.

He leans in, his lips hovering just millimeters away from yours, his eyes locked on yours with an intensity that steals the breath from your lungs. For a moment, time seems to stand still, the sound of the music and the chatter of the crowd becoming a distant, background noise. Then, he moves, closing the gap between you in a single fluid motion, pressing his lips to yours. For a brief moment, your mind goes completely hazy, your body frozen in surprise. But then, the kiss deepens, the heat of his lips, the press of his body, sending a flurry of sensations through you. It's everything and nothing all at once. It's new, strange, exhilarating and slightly terrifying. The taste of his lips, the feel of his body pressed against yours, the heat pooling low in your stomach, all combine into a chaotic mix of sensations that blur your thoughts. Your mind goes blank for a split second, your body acting entirely on instinct, moving instinctively into the kiss, pressing closer against him, your arms coming up to rest on his shoulders, holding on to him like a lifeline. The kiss deepens further, his tongue seeking entry to your mouth, his arms around you like a steel trap, trapping you against his body. You can feel every inch of him, the hardness of his muscles, the heat radiating from his flesh, the press of his body against yours, igniting a fire in your core that spreads through your body like gasoline and matches. Your mind feels like it's spinning, your senses drowning in him and only him, his lips, his mouth, his body overwhelming every other thought, every other feeling, until you forget where you are, who you are. The kiss finally eases, pulling back after what feels like an eternity, their mouths parted slightly, their foreheads resting together against each other. The music and the chatter of the guests continue, but for a few moments, they seem distant, everything else fading into the background. His arms still hold you close, one hand splayed possessively over your lower back, the other resting lightly on the nape of your neck, his thumb moving in gentle, soothing circles against your skin. His face is mere inches away from yours, his eyes searching your face.

Your heart is still racing, your body still humming with aftershocks of the kiss. It feels surreal, like a dream, that moment frozen in time where nothing else matters except the feel of his body against yours, the sound of his heavy breathing, the scent of his skin. You can almost forget where you are, who you are, but his grip on you is so firm, so grounding, that you can't help but feel a strange sense of safety and comfort. Finally, he breaks the silence, his voice a low, gravelly murmur. "You alright there, grumpy?" he whispers, his lips almost brushing against your ear, the heat from his breath sending shudders down your spine. He's still holding you close, his grip strong yet gentle, his body still molded against yours, his hands like anchors keeping you grounded in the moment. You nod, your words coming out softer than you expected. "I'm…I'm okay," you murmur, the words slightly slurred by the lingering effects of the kiss. You're still reeling, your mind trying to process what just happened, but the feel of him holding you, the sound of his voice, the heat of his body against yours is helping you come back to reality, piece by piece. He lets out a low, soft laugh, his chest vibrating under your touch. "Just okay?" he teases, his grip on you loosening slightly, his thumb now tracing idle circles on your skin. "I think I can do better than that, grumpy." He leans in, his lips brushing against your earlobe, his breath warm against your skin. "Want me to try again?" A shiver runs down your spine at his words, his breath against your skin causing a jolt of heat to spread through your body. The kiss before was overwhelming, but the thought of another one, so soon, with him holding you so close, sends a rush of anticipation through you. You nod, the nod coming out as more of a whimper than you were expecting, your voice shaky. "Yes…" you whisper. He smiles, the smile growing wider, his hand moving to cup your chin, tilting your head back so you have to look up at him. "Good answer," he murmurs, his voice low and rough, his eyes still fixed on yours. "Now, relax, just let me do the work, alright?"

You and Nico make your way back to the rented cabin, the quiet surrounding you both an almost stark contrast to the party you had attended. The night has grown cooler, the air crisp and clear, the stars twinkling overhead. The moonlight spills through the trees, illuminating the trail, while the occasional night animals can be heard in the woods. As you walk, you remain close to him, a part of you still buzzing from earlier in the evening. The memory of the kiss, the feel of his body against yours, the weight of his hand on your lower back, it's all still vivid in your mind. He walks beside you in silence for a few moments, the only sound the crunching of the leaves underfoot. Finally, he speaks, his voice soft in the quiet night. "You enjoyed yourself, grumpy?" It's a casual question, but you can catch a hint of something more hidden beneath it, a curiosity, perhaps. You turn to look at him, trying to gauge his expression in the shadow of the night. There's a slight smirk on his lips, as if hinting that he already knows the answer, but he's just waiting for you to admit it. You pause for a moment, considering your answer.

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," you answer honestly, choosing your words carefully. You don't want to sound too impressed or over eager, but you don't want to pretend like you didn't enjoy yourself either. He hums thoughtfully, his eyes still fixed on your face. "Just 'not bad'?" there's a hint of a challenge to his tone, as if trying to draw more of a reaction from you. You give him a sidelong glance, a small smirk on your lips. "Don't push your luck, smart-ass," you reply, your tone a mix of feigned annoyance and amusement. He can see you're not buying his act of nonchalant indifference, and the smirk on his own lips deepens. "But I suppose it was 'somewhat enjoyable'… for a rich, snobby person party," you add, making sure to put enough emphasis on the 'somewhat' to imply it was, at best, a half-truth. He chuckles, a soft, low sound, the sound making your stomach do a small flutter. "You wound me, grumpy," he teases, his tone playful, but with a hint of an edge to it. "I'll have you know this party was for very classy, very important people." He pauses, then adds wryly, "I don't see what's so bad about wanting to enjoy the evening, especially with such an… interesting companion." You roll your eyes, a small scoff escaping your lips. "Interesting? Is that the best word you can use to describe me?" you ask, feigning annoyance yet again. Nico chuckles in response, clearly not buying your act. "Oh come on, grumpy," he drawls, his voice low and slightly mocking, "we both know you had a good time tonight. You don't have to pretend otherwise." You huff, your hands going to your hips in a haughty pose, but you can't help but let out a small laugh. This man is insufferable, yet somehow you can't help but find him charming. "I did not have a good time," you insist, trying to sound grumpy but failing. "The only good thing about it is that it's over."

He raises an eyebrow at your statement, a skeptical look in his eyes. "So, in short… you didn't have fun. You didn't like the people, you hated the food, the music was terrible…" he recites back to you, each word spoken slow and deliberately, clearly not buying your act of indifference. "The dancing… the kiss?" You look anywhere but him at the mention of the kiss, the memory of it still fresh in your mind. You shift uncomfortably, trying to act nonchalant. "The kiss was… unexpected, I'll give you that," you murmur, your eyes looking anywhere but his face. "But it wasn't the highlight of the evening." He laughs softly, enjoying your awkward attempts to sidestep the topic. He knows he's getting under your skin, and is taking great joy in it. "Unexpected, but… enjoyable?" he presses, his voice low and deep. "Come on, grumpy, you can't tell me you didn't enjoy the kiss. Didn't you like it?" Your body suddenly feeling warm as you recalled the warmth of his lips. The thought of admitting your enjoyment to his question causes your heart to skip a beat. You can see the hint of a smirk on his lips as you struggle to find an answer. "I… It was…" you blurt out, your voice betraying a hint of hesitation. "It was… fine." As they approach the cabin, the night growing colder around them, Nico notices the way you shiver slightly, your body reacting to the chill in the air. He glances down at you, his eyes taking in your slightly shivering form. Without a word, he shrugs off his light coat and drapes it over your shoulders, his movements swift and casual. "Can't have you freezing, can we?" A part of you wants to protest, to tell him you can handle the cold yourself, but the warmth of his coat enveloping you, the scent of his expensive cologne on the fabric, it's too hard to deny. You murmur a soft "Thank you" as you pull the coat snugly around yourself, the material warm and plush against your skin. He smiles at your murmured words, his eyes taking in the sight of you wearing his coat, a small sense of pride in the fact that you are now wearing something that is his. "You're welcome," he replies nonchalantly, as if it was a completely normal thing to do. "I just figured it was the least I could do to keep you warm."

You and Nico make your way into the cabin, the wooden walls enclosing you in a cozy bubble of warmth. The night's chill is kept outside, and the air inside is comfortable and warm. As the door shuts behind you with a soft click, Nico turns to you, his eyes taking in the sight of you, still wearing his coat. "So, sleepy, grumpy?" he teases, a hint of mockery in his voice. You roll your eyes, a small smile playing at the corners of your lips. "I could always make you sleep on the couch again, you know?" you reply sarcastically, your voice laced with feigned nonchalance. In truth, the idea of sharing a bed with him after tonight makes you slightly uneasy just as it did when it first happened, but you know you've got no other choice. His smile widens at your response, his eyes dancing with amusement. "Oh, trying to get rid of me so soon?" he drawls, his tone light and teasing. He walks over to the bed and sits down on the edge, patting the space next to him. "Come on, you know you don't actually have the heart." You hesitate, your eyes flickering over to his inviting form, still seated on the bed. Part of you wants to stand your ground, to make a snarky comment, but the other part, the part that is tired and weary, the part that just wants to get this over with, is winning. You huff out a resigned sigh and make your way over to the bed, sitting down on the edge, still leaving a small space between you two.

He notices the small space you leave between you, his smile growing a bit wider. He scoots over closer to you, his shoulder pressed against yours. "Comfy enough for you?" he asks, a hint of mockery in his voice, as if he already knows the answer. You resist the urge to scoot away, instead just giving a small, dismissive nod. "Just fine." The truth is, the warmth of your body a few inches from his is making you incredibly aware of his presence. You can feel his body heat, the subtle rise and fall of his chest with each breath. Your heart rate has picked up again, your thoughts racing. He notices the change in your breathing, the way your heart rate has picked up. He can sense your uneasiness, and a flicker of something almost like concern passes over his face, although his expression quickly hardens again, returning to the easy nonchalance he always seems to wear. He hesitates for a moment, a rare moment of genuinity on his face. "Can I say something?" You turn to look at him, your heart beating a bit faster, wondering what he'll say. "What is it?" you ask, trying to sound casual, as if you're not expecting anything serious. He hesitates again, searching for the right words. "I know we're not… close," he starts, his tone careful. "And we have our differences. But I just want to say… I had a good time at the party." He seems almost vulnerable, his voice softer than it's ever been. "I'm not used to… that kind of thing. Having fun, I mean. It was… nice, I'm used to faking a smile and hanging around the parties until I can leave… I can't remember the last time I actually enjoyed myself like I did tonight." Your eyes widen as he speaks, surprised by the unexpected honesty. You weren't expecting him to actually open up, to admit something so… genuine. The thought of him finding enjoyment in something that you didn't think was possible surprises you, yet it makes your heart swell a bit, in an odd way. "You… actually enjoyed yourself?" you find yourself asking, your voice soft. "Because of me?"

He shrugs, a small smile on his lips. "Yeah, because of you," he replies casually, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "You were… fun to be around. More fun than I thought. And you… you made me feel… I don't know. Not so alone, for a change." You're a bit taken aback by his honesty, by the truth in his words. You never thought that he would open up about something like this, especially to you. You're used to his snarky comments, his mocking tone, his nonchalant attitude, but this… this is entirely different. You don't know what to say, what to do, except to respond with a small, soft, "Oh." He chuckles in response, his eyes roaming over you, taking in your surprise. "Cat got your tongue, grumpy?" he teases, a hint of amusement in his voice. "You're usually so quick with a sarcastic remark." You huff in response, your usual snarkiness returning. "I'm just… processing," you reply, feeling a bit defensive against the teasing. "It's not often you let your guard down." He shrugs again, a cocky smirk on his lips. "Oh please, my guard isn't up all the time," he replies, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I just don't see any reason to constantly be on the defensive. It gets tiring. Besides, you bring out certain… feelings within me, ones I didn't think I was capable of." A small flutter in your stomach. It's odd, the way he can switch from being a sarcastic flirt to something softer, something more… genuine. You're not used to this side of him, not used to him being sincere. You try to cover your surprise with a scoff, a small scoff, "Whatever." You roll your eyes and turn over as you get under the covers to go to sleep. He watches you turn away from him, a small smirk still on his lips. He can sense your surprise, your defensiveness, your struggle to deal with his unexpected honesty. It's not often he lets himself show vulnerability like this, but something about you brings it out of him. He scoots closer to you, his body heat mingling with yours. For a moment, he considers holding you, pulling you close. But instead, he settles for gently poking your shoulder. "Hey, grumpy."

You huff, your eyes still closed, "What." You're used to his sarcastic remarks, his teasing comments, but somehow, this softer side of him is throwing you off, making you unsure of what to do. He grins at your response, your irritation only amusing him more. He pokes your shoulder a bit harder, "Not going to say goodnight to me?" he teases, his voice a bit mocking. You huff again, rolling your eyes at his teasing. Why does he have to be so unbearable? "Goodnight," you reply, doing your best to sound as irritated as possible. "Happy now?" He grins at your response, pleased with himself. He moves closer to you, his shoulder pressing against yours, his body heat mingling with yours in the cold night. "Almost," he replies, his voice filled with mock-satisfaction. You resist the urge to shiver as his body heat envelops you, your breath catching in your throat. You keep your eyes closed, trying to act as if his closeness doesn't affect you. "What else do you want, then?" you ask, your voice betraying a hint of annoyance. He smirks at your tone, enjoying the effect he has on you, even if you insist on hiding it. He leans in closer, his breath tickling your ear as he whispers, "I want you to turn over and face me." You stiffen at his words, your eyes opening in surprise. You hadn't expected him to request such a thing. You shift slightly, slowly turning over to face him, your eyes meeting his. He smiles as you finally turn to face him, his eyes taking in your expression, your eyes wide and slightly surprised. He scoots closer to you, his body pressed against yours, his chest rising and falling with each breath. "Much better," he murmurs, his hand coming up to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. You resist the urge to shiver again, his body heat and the closeness of his proximity making you feel inexplicably flustered. You huff, your usual snarkiness returning, "And what now?" you ask, your voice betraying a hint of nervousness.

He grins at your feigned nonchalance, his eyes roaming over your face, taking in your slightly flustered expression. He scoots closer, his body pressing against yours even more, their legs and arms touching in the limited space. "Now? Well, that depends on you," he replies, his voice low and smooth. "I could give you a million things I want, but I'll settle for one thing for now." You raise an eyebrow at his words, your curiosity piqued despite yourself. You're not used to him being so… blunt, so upfront about what he wants. "And what's that?" you ask, attempting to sound as neutral as possible. He grins at your question, his eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. He moves even closer, his chest pressing against yours, his breath hot against your cheek. "What I want right now, is this," he whispers, his hand taking one of your hands and placing it on his chest, right over his heart. His eyes locked on yours, his gaze intense. He moves closer still, his hand resting on your hip, his thumb drawing small circles on your skin. "I want you to stay awake a bit longer," he replies, his voice dropping even lower, the words almost a whisper. "No sleeping on me yet." You watch him, your heart fluttering at his proximity, the feel of his breath against your cheek, the weight of his hand on your hip, his thumb tracing circles on your skin. You try to keep a neutral expression, to hide the effect he's having on you, but it's getting harder and harder. "You really want me to stay awake, huh?" you murmur, your voice a mix of mockery and surprise. He laughs softly at your response, his hand moving from your hip to cup your chin, forcing you to maintain eye contact with him. "Of course I want you to stay awake," he replies, his voice a low murmur. "I don't want you drifting off to sleep just yet. I want to enjoy the rest of the night with you… just like this."

You shiver at his touch, your heart racing under his gaze. His words, his proximity, the feel of his hand on your chin, it's all making you increasingly flustered. "And why is that?" you ask, your voice slightly shaky, your feigned nonchalance fading. He grins at your reaction, enjoying the way he's affecting you. He moves closer, their bodies pressing even more against each other, his hand still holding your chin, his eyes locked on yours. He lowers his head, his lips hovering just inches from yours, his breath hot against your lips as he speaks. "Because right now," he whispers.

"I'm feeling… greedy."

[howlingday]

Yang Marsh

Blake: Isn't Spree Friday supposed to be about other people?

Yang: Winter is coming, Blake, and I am a sneaky little bee. Buzz buzz~!

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Blake: (Standing in a bathrobe)

Jaune: (The Rusted Knight, Walks out)

Yang: YOU SLEPT WITH THE RUSTED KNIGHT?!

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Ruby: Yang?

Yang: Yeah, Ruby?

Ruby: Blake says she wants you to stop trying to scar yourself.

Yang: It's just gonna be a little scar, Ruby. Tell Blake it's okay.

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Yang: Ruby, you are not going to have any part of a pop idol group!

Ruby: But Yang, all of our friends are doing it!

Yang: If all of our friends jumped off a bridge, would you do that, too?!

Ruby: it's not fair, Yang! Why can't I be a pop idol?!

Yang: Because I said so!

Ruby: Yang, Jaune said it'll make us a lot of lien! Like 10 million!

Yang: It's not about the lien, Ruby, now drop it!

Ruby: I don't understand! Just let me go do this one thing and-

Yang: NO! NOOOO! (Smashes window)

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Yang: You're saying you've never had a homosexual fantasy? Not that I have.

Weiss: You haven't?

Yang: No! I mean, well, they say everybody has one at some point, don't they?

Weiss: ...Well, I never wanted to have sex, but... I did have this one idea of, y'know... masturbating in front of another woman.

Yang: ...Y-Yeah, well, I mean, I don't think that's really gay, just... Is it?

Weiss: I-I don't think so.

Yang: ...Well, it IS a night for trying new things.

Weiss: Yes, I suppose so.

Yang: ...

Weiss: ...

Yang: ...Alright, I'll start.

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Ruby: Yang?! Yang, is that you?!

Yang: (???) Yes, it's me, Ruby!

Ruby: Where are you?!

Yang: It's me! Over here!

Yang: (Spiraling as a dragon) I'm a dragon~!

Ruby: What the hell are you doing, Yang?!

Yang: I'm flying free with my beautiful dragon powers~!

Ruby: Are you here to help me?!

Yang: I mean, I was gonna, but this is so much fun!

Ruby: Yang, you need to help me find my weapon and get us back to Remnant!

Yang: Dragons have no concerns for such things, Ruby! I'm going to go find some dragon dong~! (Leaves)

--------------------------------------------------

Yang: (Covering her nudity) Ruby! RUBY!

Ruby: (In bed) What?

Yang: Ruby, how do you tame a horse in LimeGraft?

Ruby: What?!

Yang: What is LimeGraft and how do you tame a horse in it?!

[hyukassubi]

☕ 19 | Grand Opening...

♡𓂃 Pairing -> (Former) Knight! Huening Kai x Seamstress! Reader

♡𓂃 Synopsis -> Growing up, you never believed in purpose, nor destiny. Simply following the path of life, becoming a royal seamstress didn't at all seem like a bad idea. Only thing is, it wasn't your idea.

Your best friend who just so happens to be the crowned prince knows what it's like to grow up having limited choices, and Prince Kang Taehyun doesn't want the same happening to you. The commander knight, in turn, has other plans for the future. After Huening Kai closes a profound chapter of his life, he seeks refuge from the chaos of his past, opting for a cozier lifestyle instead.

... And it just so seems that those plans wouldn't be fulfilled without you.

♡𓂃 Wc -> 1,528

“Huening Kai!”

“Kai Kamal Huening!”

“Kai!!!”

What was it? Who is it?

Was it another Dragon attack? Did the remaining knights accidentally burn themselves from an imprompted Barbeque again? Did Huening Kai forget to leave his plushies out of the washing?

Huening Kai rubbed his eyes awake, bedraggled, back… not at all sore because he wasn’t sleeping on a deflated air mattress under a thin yellow tent in the middle of nowhere, no.

He had awoken from his king sized bed, plushies providing him company and comfort. The sliver of light that had passed through the crack between the curtains, absorbed into his crystal suncatcher casting the barely decorated room into this mellow liveliness.

The banging from his left side only grew louder.

“Kai wake up!”

Huening Kai sighed.

He unlocked the bedroom door in his mint green pajamas and dragon slippers that had its own fuzzy tails and wings and hyper-realistic ruby eyeballs with seven centimeter eyelashes.

“Yeonjun…” Would you please stop knocking down my bedroom door this place costed me an arm and leg not to mention water bills and taxes.

Yeonjun, wet hair tucked in a pink hand towel, face covered in a thick balm of lavender facial scrub, wearing his most favoured pink bathrobe with the fuzzy ruffles at the sleeves and hem, went on to say in a rushed tone, “I know I know it’s super early I get it but Kai.”

“Hm?”

Soobin came out of no where, in that black business suit of his, running down the hall while fixing his tie, “We have customers. A lot of customers.”

What…

Oh!

…

Oh. Right, Huening Kai thought, still rubbing his eyes, It’s opening day.

Yeonjun grabbed Huening Kai in the most visceral literal sense while trailing behind Soobin. The trio spiraled down the steps, the restaurant empty but not at all quiet.

Chittering, it sounded at the front door… all the way to the village.

Huening Kai blinked.

The line up for customers started from the village all the way to his restaurant.

And the first few people at the door were his lethargic palace buddies, Taehyun and Beomgyu holding boxes of cookies, and your parents.

“Hello Kai,” your mother says, holding a wagon of boxes of cookies twice her height, “We thought we’d make a quick delivery for the opening day so we came as early as we could, right hon?” She turned to her husband, holding only a handful of floral banquets in his arms.

Because the rest came in boulder-sized sacks tied to both Taehyun and Beomgyu’s backs.

“Mhm! Picked out all the best flowers in my shop. We’re looking forward to eating some good food!”

“Mhm, katsudon is our favourite…” Your mother’s eyes trailed towards her husband’s, reminiscent in every sense of the word.

“Oh yes it is~” Your father sighs dreamily.

The customers behind them must’ve noticed the couple talking not to themselves but the glass walls… the people inside the glass walls.

Screaming and the tossing around of fansigns and aegyo heart eyes ensued.

Taehyun and Beomgyu’s eyes twitched, backs at a forty-five degree angle leaning forward, eyebags ablaze twitching internally screaming, ‘help us, please, let us out of our misery.’

Yeonjun and Soobin stared back at Huening Kai.

Soobin went, “… You’re the boss.”

Huening Kai didn’t need to think twice.

He walked towards the glass door with a great big smile, so big, so brave.

He flipped the ‘closed’ sign backwards, reading out, ‘Welcome to Kamal’s Katsudon!’

The flyers Taehyun had initially ordered the previous week to be given out to the entire village, the free cookies your mother baked for Huening Kai and his first handful of customers as well as the flower banquets your father had prepared both for the customers and to decorate the restaurant in, the grand opening of Kamal's Katsudon went smashingly.

And you were the marketing genius behind all of this, smirking to yourself when you watched from your room, the intense line-up of hungry customers trailing like a horde of ants straight into the restaurant. Well done to everyone, truly.

The stress you felt when working unwavered you. Typically.

… You stared out your window, the sun asleep, the line-up of customers completely gone by now. And so was your to-do list of Queen’s orders, all mostly done. Everything sewn together far earlier than its designated deadline.

You stared out your window, the to-do list, the window, the to-do list… the window…

Rubbing your darkening eyebags, you began the gruelling five minute walk to Kamal’s Katsudon.

And it was the prettiest thing ever.

A verdant row of puffy bushes nestled amongst the sidelines of the sandy-yellow dirt road, trees packed with thick fresh leaves and scaling trunks, a walk over a quietly frantic stream just up ahead, looming with a decent amount of fireflies and gray pebble stones.

Props to Soobin’s construction team for crafting such a mesmerizing soul-enriching five minute walk.

At the end of the road stood the restaurant, glowing, seriously radiating the warmest brightest light in the forest. It was only near the restaurant you realized how orange the tree leaves were, falling pitifully like snowflakes on a calm winter day, except the air wasn’t at all dry and crisp, it smelled of a mother’s kitchen on a sunday afternoon: fried chicken, curry, tea.

The full moon stood high, and judging by the window walls, it was… closing hours.

There you stood, gazing upon the now retired knight, in a kitchen apron, wiping down counters behind the countertop…

The doorbell rang for the thousandth time that day.

Yeonjun could feel his bones squishing down into cubic blocks.

Soobin didn’t give a flaming damn that Yeonjun had bunched up his wiping cloth against a curry-stained table. His eyes simply remained glued onto his intriguing mysterious book.

Huening Kai did, though, and so he straightened his shrimp back and says behind the counter, “Sorry, we’re clo- oh?” Huening Kai stops whatever he’s doing and races around the counter.

He recognizes this girl from anywhere.

The door closed behind her, the beauty in a black cloak releases her hoodie. “Surprise, surprise.“

Yeonjun slapped his dirtied cloth down.

Soobin snapped his book shut.

Everybody cheered, “Y/N!”

Huening Kai had ushered the both of you to a quiet corner of the restaurant, a seat against the window walls, away from everything else.

To save Yeonjun from dish washing duty, all you had ordered was a cup of barely tea.

Two cups of barely tea had landed on your table instead.

“You came…” Huening Kai says, taking a seat right infront of you, back twice as big as the chair. To say the man looked out of breath was an understatement. Huening Kai smells so terribly pungent of herbs and spices, apron stained, constantly breathing shallow breaths while wiping the sweat off his neck.

It was the look on his face, however, that evoked a different unotable feeling inside of you— lips slightly apart to take in breath after breath, creases around his eyes and the tight skin around his face.

It sort of kind of mirrored you on a busy day, just a couple hours ago, in fact. “Busy day, huh?”

“Tell me about it.” Huening Kai exasperatedly rolled his eyes which was, at the moment, the funniest thing ever coming from someone typically unwavered by anything. “Your parents really outdone themselves with the free rose and cookie giveaways, we’re all out of supplies for the next two months…”

“Whoa. Um.” Mission successfully failed? “Did you notify your supplier about the stock shortages?”

“Yeah.” Huening Kai casually notes, pointing at the back of his seat towards a designated spot in the restaurant, a mini shelf of storybooks and a big red bean bag perched next to it. “He’s right there.”

Soobin quietly flips to the next page of his book, sinking butt first deeper into the beanbag.

Huening Kai sighs deeply. “We’ll manage. Is everything okay on your side?”

“Hm?”

“Seamstress duties, I mean.”

“Oh. Oh yeah, everything’s alright. I just completed a couple errands today, actually.”

“Ahh…" Huening Kai shifts in his seat, staring out the window walls every once in a while which, you can't blame him, was a type of beauty you don't pass by every so often, "well, if you’re not too busy, I wanted to… ask if you’d like to join me tea plucking this weekend?” He straightens up. “For work. It’s for work, but it’s a relaxing type of work. I thought we could catch up because even though I’m not a knight anymore and I don't work under the royal family anymore I...”

“No, don’t worry about it Kai, I get it, we’re still friends, no question.”

“Yeah… Yeah, of course.”

“Mhm! Tea plucking does sound wonderful, by the way.”

Huening Kai’s eyes light up. “You think so?”

You did. You really did think it would be time well spent with Huening Kai after so so long. And… perhaps you could take a break from your own duties every once in a while…

Your mouth moved faster than your thoughts. “Yeah, I do. I’ll do anything as long as it’s with you.”

Previous | Masterlist | Next

♡𓂃A/N: SOOBIN AND YEONJUN CHAPTER WAHOOOOO EVRYBODY CHEER

♡𓂃Tags: @sweetheartsaku @imcringebutimfree @i-like-to-read-at-4am @pengningie @marloree @stormy1408 @blossommi

Reblog & review if you like my work !!

[ms-wm1]

Night In (Amy-Cule)(Fixed)

Same storyline of previous post, just went through and rewrote some parts, fixed grammar. Note to self, write fanfic at reasonable hours next time. Okay, done yapping. Hope you enjoy, Blazamy fans!

Calm. So very calm. The house was silent, and still. Calm. Not as though recent days had been hectic. More, lively. But with Surge off helping her friend Kit pack his things to prepare to move, Shadow off on some mission with the rest of Team Dark, and Katami(Trans Metal Sonic(read separate fic I wrote)) was over at Tails’ workshop to get fixed after an incident with the oven, which also needed to be fixed. The house has never been quite this devoid of activity. Currently, there is only two people in the house, Amy Rose, and her first love, Blaze the Cat.

Amy had come to such a realization rather late in the day, while she was lying in bed, getting ready for the night. She saw how empty the bed was when she noticed how much free space there was on it. It felt weird to her, having grown to appreciate how close they would all be come bedtime. Perfect for cuddles, and they would never get cold at night. She felt a tad lonely, that was until…

Blaze: “Hello Amy.”

Blaze entered the room, fresh from a shower. She was draped in her favorite bathrobe. Her hair hadn’t been tied up, and fell across her head in such a way, Amy needed to restrain herself from getting lost in the sight. 

Amy: “Hi Blazie!”

Blaze joined Amy on the bed, looking content.

B: “You look comfortable.”

Amy snuggled closer to Blaze.

A: “Yeah… gosh, it’s been a while since it’s been just the two of us here, huh?

B: “Mhm, … and I think I want to take full advantage of that.”

Amy felt her face flush, and before she could say a peep, Blaze pulled her into a cuddle. 

A: “Oh.”

B: “Is something wrong? I thought you enjoyed hugging.”

A: “I-I do, it’s just… forget it…”

B: “What? Is this not what you expected?”

A: “No… actually, it’s perfect…”

Amy nuzzled into Blaze’s embrace, exhaling deeply as she felt herself be engulfed in her love’s warmth.

A: “Are you gonna read tonight…?”

B: “… Oh, of course. Goodness, how could i forget?”

Blaze released Amy, the latter would move to cling to the former’s waist, taking in her piney-clean scent. Blaze reached onto the nightstand, and took a large book off it. 

This tradition started sometime before the polycule. It began when Amy had noticed how Blaze would always read a book before bed. It started with simple questions, then evolved into being cradled to slumber every night by her love’s soothing voice as she would regale them with fantasy tales of knights and kingdoms, dragons and great castles, and lively taverns where adventurers would gather and rejoice over a successful journey. The current story book she was reading was one of a love not meant to be, a lowly knight and the princess of a mighty kingdom had fallen madly in love with one another, and can only show their true affection in shadows.

B: “Now then… ahem,”Your majesty…”, the knight kneeled, the princess stood before her, and gently relinquished them of their helmet. “Please… none are here… I made sure of it.” The knight climbed to her feet, and took the princess’s dainty soft hands into her steel plates mitts. “Abigail… I have missed your gentle voice. Its beauty brings songbirds shame, as they know their cries and squawks could never match your simple melody…”, “Nataline…”. The princess helped her lover out of her chainmail, the heavy metal fell to the ground with a clang, the two having not a care for it. They spared the moment to embrace one another with their eyes, soaking in the beauty of their lover. The knight and her toned, broad, yet lanky figure. The princess and her thinner, fragile self. Before long, the two took to the princess’s quarters, scampering in the night, hidden under moonlight. “Abigail…”, “Nataline…”. The two would collapse upon the silken sheets and wool mattress, their hands roamed slowly, taking in every moment, every beautiful nook, cranny, and curve. They held tightly to one another till sunrise and after, their love for each other finally allowed to be shared, they found a greater solace in each other’s arms, silently praying the night would never end, that they could remain like this for all eternity and then some. But-…”

Blaze paused, when she heard Amy’s soft snoring, feeling her breath exhale onto her stomach. She smiled softly, her heart warming at the very sight. She made sure to fix her bookmark onto the appropriate page, and placed the novel back onto the nightstand. Blaze scooted onto her back, pulling her sleeping partner’s head onto her chest. With her love secured safely in her grasp, she allowed herself to drift off along with her. The room fell quiet, the only sound to be heard was crickets, and the shared gentle snores of embracing lovers.

The sun had returned in the sky as if it never left, a yellow glow filled the sky. Entangled under their blanket, the two  were awakening as the sun shone persistently through the window. 

B: “Good Morning…”

A: “mmmmmmmorning…”

Blaze chuckled softly at Amy’s drowsiness, giving her a soft peck on the forehead before beginning to get up.

A: “nnooooo… stay.”

The pink hedgehog clung tightly to her love’s waist.

B: “Amy…”

A: “five more minutes…?”

As much as she preferred getting up at a reasonable hour, Blaze couldn’t justify saying no to that face. She would lay back down and give Amy her five minutes, then another, then another.

[littlefankingdom]

~ Batman: White Knight

Bruce owning a pink fluffy bathrobe being canon (in this au) is perfect.

[heliosthegriffin]

Shadow Knight, and Magic Girls Vi

Chapter 6

Red yawned. "Sure is quiet tonight."

"I know, right?" Yellow answered.

White looked around. "The Grimm aren't very active tonight."

"I'm not sensing anything," Black muttered.

Crimson nodded. "Well, lets call it a night, then. Unless, you four want to go looking for the Shadow Knight?"

Blake grimaced. "I'd like to, but he's been quiet the last couple nights, I wonder what schemes he's up to?"

-----

Jaune grimaced as he was shot with a hose of cold water and soapy bubbles.

It was pass midnight, and they had not gone to get anything to eat, yet.

Instead they had taken him to a car-wash, to clean up Amber's car, and Jaune.

That said, Amber hadn't been lying, she knew how to get blood out of the seats.

He had been nervous about cops for a moment, but Melanie sent a text, and said they didn't need to worry.

Then they sent him through the drier, and a fluffy pink bathrobe was pushed into his hands. "There, we've had enough of your fine ass for now." Militia added.

Jaune slipped it on, then moaned happily, feeling warm and dry and clean.

For some reason Militia blushed, then got behind him and pushed him forward. "Come on, lets go get breakfast."

Jaune nodded. "Sounds good."

The five of them then went into a nearby dinner, unnoticing of the four boys staring in awe at Jaune in nothing but a bathrobe surrounded by hotties.

Cardin dropped his fork. "My life is a lie."

Dove looked at him. "Cardin?"

"All this damn time, I've been playing the wrong game. Alpha this, Chad that." He put his hands in his hands. "Badass, or whatever. I need whatever he's got." Cardin jerked a thumb at Jaune who was looking at the menu.

Then noticing how tired and drained he looked, and how relax and satisfied the girls looked.

Seeing that, they could only salute in honor, then left. Giving him a pat on the back as they left.

Jaune looked confused.

"What was that?" Vernal asked, drinking coffee.

"I don't know, but I think I just made amends with my former bullies." Jaune said uncertainly.

"You get bullied?" Vernal laughed. "Yeah, right. I've heard you earlier, what are they made of steel?"

"No, flesh and bone, but I did say former, this was over a year ago, and I made my stance known on bullying since then." He smirked. "I almost got expelled when I did that."

Vernal leaned back, smirking. "Sweet." She then looked at Jaune's chest. "You ever think about getting inked up? Scars are sexy and all, but so is ink." She pulled down her shirt slightly, showing where her sleeve ended near her chest, Jaune getting a nice view was just a coincident.

Jaune turned away, blushing. "Maybe."

"Just think on it, Tiger."

Jaune felt a shove on his shoulder. "Move over," Militia pushed on him, but struggled to even make him budge, until Jaune obliged, and found himself pinned in the middle of the booth.

Amber and Vernal on one side, Melanie and Militia on the other.

Breakfast in the middle.

Jaune made his choice.

The girls then bonded in fascination as they watch Jaune put away enough food to feed a family of body-builders.

Though, soon as they were all done eating, reality made itself known.

"So, what now?" Vernal asked, holding her mug.

"What do you mean?" Melanie added.

"You came to our house and-" Amber caught herself. "You know, we might have allied for the moment, but it doesn't change what happened."

Militia shrugged. "That's true." She picked at her omelette. "I don't feel like killing anybody right now, though."

"Not when you don't have any men backing you up?" Jaune added, looking at her omelette hungrily, which she quickly surrendered.

Melanie scoffed. "Like that would help, our boys are dead for nothing, we saw your handiwork, what you deal with, we'd have to call in support from some PMC's that owe us if we wanted to put you down."

Amber bowed her head. "I'll go back, live in a compound if that's what you two want, just let them leave."

"Junior's dead." Militia said flatly. "We're going to have to tell Big Bear, he's not going to be happy."

"I know. But, just consider,-"

"Amber, I heard what you said to Junior." Jaune said piercingly. "Why did you want to die?"

The table went silent.

"Jaune, please-"

"You tried to throw your life away, if that's the case, I found it, it's mine now." Jaune said, he poked her chest. "You're don't have the authority to do give it to them, so tell me, so I can help you."

Amber bowed under his gaze. "I can't stand it. Couldn't stand it anymore. I'm saving people who make other people's lives a living hell. How am I supposed to live with myself?"

Vernal shrunk in on herself, Jaune noted that but said nothing.

"I've spent my whole life wanting to help people, and now, due to my own choices, I'm obliged to make other's lives hell by proxy, I couldn't live with myself Jaune. I've always heard, rumors, I guess, that thinks attack people out there." She paused, she shook a little.

"I thought, if I went out, maybe I could do some good, If I got killed by one of those things, maybe, it'd keep someone else alive."

Smack.

Jaune stared at Vernal, she had slapped Amber right across the face. "What the hell, are you thinking?! What right do you have to give up your life? Jaune's right, you should be his, because you can't seem to think at all!"

Jaune blushed.

Phrasing.

"Just because, they're bad guys, doesn't make you a bad girl, sure, they do bad things, but does that stop normal doctors from saving criminals, either? No! You're just doing your job, and if you feel so bad, go volunteers some fucking hours, you damn idiot!" She pulled her into. "What do you think I'd do without you?" Jaune heard her whisper.

He heard Amber start to sob, without thinking, Jaune started rubbing circles in her back.

"Ok, that's nice, but there are pretty good guys who work with us, that you saved." Melanie said sharply. "What? Do you think everyone who works outside the law is just a puppy-eating monster? No, they're just people like you, me, or him. It just so happens, this might be best way to pay they're bills, or the only job they can get."

Amber looked at her. "I know that, but it doesn't make me feel any better!"

"Then shut up," Militia said coldly.

Vernal looked ready to start a brawl, but Jaune put a hand her shoulder.

"Blondies right, you don't have a right to your own life anymore, but it's not his, or yours, or hers. It's ours, it ceased to be your own when you signed on with us to get out of Mistral," She shifted her finger to Vernal. "And, her away from the Branwens, we risked our lives, and connections in Mistral to get you two here." Militia sighed taking a breath. "The least you could do is honor that."

Melanie took over. "Look, I'll admit it, Junior jumped the gun, he shouldn't have done what he did, and we should have tried to curb his anger, but it's too late for that." She took a drink of water, side-eyeing Jaune.

"We'll just have to live with ourselves then." Jaune said tiredly. "Look, I'm not sorry, not at all, I like living, but more than that, I like other people living happily." He drank his glass of water to the bottom. "So, how are we going to solve this? I'm not dying, and I'm not handing them over, this the starting lines on negotiating."

Melanie gave him a brave look. "You and what authority?"

Jaune sighed, then casually pushed her. Melanie and her sister went falling out of the booth.

From on the floor, she looked up at him. "Ok, point taken."

"You were sitting next to me," Jaune pointed out. "I could have done any number of things, but that was it."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever mister muscles." Militia said getting back in the booth.

Melanie sitting back down next to pink-robed boy, nodded. "Alright, but think about this from another point of view. They're homeless, you're a teenager, they have no job without us, or finances, and I doubt you have the means to support them."

Jaune nodded. "Yeah, that's true, but we could figure out something?"

"Look, we're the reason they even got into the Kingdom, without us, they'd have Kingdom Immigration forces breathing down they're necks. Even if you protect them from us, could you protect them from the taxman?"

"What if I marry them?" Jaune said idly, making them freeze up.

"First off, bigamy isn't legal in Vale anymore, second off, you're not of age, they're go to jail."

"Only if my parents don't consent, and they always want more grandchildren."

"That's true, but we're just talking about green-card marriage, getting them knocked up is a huge decision. Can you really afford to be a father, and do your heroing, Mr. Knight?" Melanie added more weight to her argument by the minute.

Jaune shrank.

"If you die, what then? They no longer have your protection, and the children grow up without a father. Your family has to take up the burden, and we are free to target-"

Jaune's hand ghost over her neck, barely stopping himself from snapping her neck. "You touch my family, fuck right or wrong, I will go to war with you. If I have literally tear myself apart to do so, I will, and I swear on my families name, I will leave you, your sister, your mother, father, and the rest of your gang nothing to be remember as but another bloody page in history, am I clear?"

Melanie stared into his eyes, and knew, in her soul, that he was telling her the truth.

"Yes." Jaune retracted his hand, but did not relax.

"Amber," He said calmly. "We're going to renegotiate the contract."

"What?"

The twins stared at him. "What?"

"Bring me to Big Bear, we're going to talk."

"Are you insane?" Militia asked.

"Probably, but, if he's going to find out his son's dead, it may as well come from the killers lips." He turned to look at the car. "And, if nothing else, I imagine he can wait to kill me a bit, if I give him some information."

Melanie leaned forward. "What could you have to offer him?"

Jaune smirked. "Well, you can't tell me, that you're not curious about those monsters, so, what makes you think you're boss wouldn't be either."

------

"Red." Black said ominously. "Where's my books?"

"Ju-just give me a little more time, please?" Red squeaked, hovering back from the eerie presence Black was giving off.

"Oh ho ho, you want more time? What will give me for it?" Black held her hand to her mouth.

Red stiffened. "Are you blackmailing me?"

Black looked at her like she was a idiot.

"Ok, more than you already are!" Red huffed. "At this rate just go ahead and tell them! It can't be any worse, than -, What- what is that in your hand?" Red held a shaking hand at to what Black held.

In her hand, a scroll, it was playing a video of Red. It was a compilation labeled, Magic Red Fails.

It was over two-hours long.

Part 1 of 10.

Red's eyes began to water. "Please, don't." She asked sadly.

"Red." Black said softly. "I'm not Yellow, or Ms. Purple, that won't work on."

"Dag-na-bit!" Red sort of swore.

"Wow, why don't really let me know how you feel?"

"I'm sorry, I just don't like being backed into a corner, alright?!" Red then sighed. "What are your demands, oh great and awesomey, Magic Girl Black?"

Black reached behind her, bringing out a list. Red read it, then kept reading it, then paled as the scroll started to unfurl further and further down till it hung in the air ten feet down from where it started.

It was only after hovering down half-way down the list, that Red realized she couldn't actually read anything on it, as it was just shifting illusionary words meant to take up empty space.

"Did-did you use your magic just for a joke?" Red said confused.

Black didn't blush, but hurriedly rolled up the paper. "I'll just forward it to you later. Don't disappoint me." Then flew away as fast as possible.

Red hung there in the air. "She can make jokes?" Stupefied. "I can tell no one. They will never believe me."

------

It was a generic office building, well-kept, but uninteresting, where the Xiong Family met. If one where to peer from the outside, they could never guess what was going on in the inside.

Jaune sat on the floor before a mountain of man, taller and broader than he was, with flowing grey and black mane of hair, and well-groomed beard.

His eyes were somewhat beady, but they're intense and focused.

Big Bear, Hei Xiong Sr. was dressed similar to Jaune in just a robe, but his was far more formal and expensive.

He was attended to by a dozen, pretty and young women, all barely dressed at all in short, thin silk dresses, and they all looked more than happy to be here with Big Bear.

With a gesture from the man's massive paw, one of them came over and poured them both a cup of some strong smelling fruity alcohol.

"Drink." The man said simply.

"No." Jaune responded.

"It's not poisoned."

"I don't drink. I'm not legal."

"Bufafafa!" The man bellowed, slapping the ground. The ground shook like a dump-truck hit the building. "You're a silly child. What are you? 18? 20?"

"17."

"When I was your age, I'd drink my own weight every night." Big Bear said reminiscing. "Though, I can't say I'm as wild as you are."

Jaune nodded. "I can't say many are." He looked at the drink. "I mean no offense, but I like to be clear as minded as possible, at all times."

Big Bear took his cup and drained in two gulps, his cup was the size of a mixing bowl. "That's not a slight is it?"

"Not at all, but considering I spend most nights on the streets fighting ... things, I try to not be drunk."

Big Bear chuckled. "Usually, it's the other way around, getting drunk most nights and then trying not to get into street fights, but it happens."

There was a pause, with only water trickling from a fountain in the back and the girls moving to fill the void.

"You killed my son," Big Bear said simply.

"I did."

"He was my only son."

"So he was."

"Drink." Big Bear said simply, pushing the cup to Jaune. "To his memory, oh, killer of my blood."

Jaune stared at cup, it was the same size as Big Bears.

Holding it, he held it out. "Cheers, to his memory."

Big Bear had his cup refilled, then met his cup. "To his life."

Jaune drank deeply from his cup, drinking till there was no more to drink. It burned going down, with a heavy musky taste, but it was also sweet and fruity.

"Not bad for a first timer." Big Bear said amused. "More?"

Jaune shrugged. "Why not?"

"Good." Big Bear said. "If you are to die tonight, die with warmth in your veins."

Jaune nodded. "If I am." He took another long drink after his cup refilled, he was starting to feel loose and warmer. He smiled, his eyes watery from the scent of the drink. "So, shall we get down to business."

Big Bear straighten himself out. "Yes." He said seriously. "You want to renegotiate for Ms. Autumn, and her friend? And, your own life, I suppose?"

"Preferably," Jaune said loosely, then smirked. "Or, if you wish, we could negotiate for yours?"

Big Bear blinked at him. "Daring aren't you?"

"Seven women, all with suppressors," He gestured to the scantily clad women, pointing out the hidden weapons on them. "All of them, aimed at me from the moment I enter this room, at least one might hit me, but not before, I can break your neck." Jaune laughed, the drink was getting to him. "Even if they do hit me, I'll make sure to take every one of you bastards with me." Jaune smiled, it was predatory.

Big Bear blinked again. He drank when he met with those that talk with him, to weaken the barriers between them, to lower inhibitions and make them expose they're truth.

He smiled, so this boy's truth was so bloodthirsty?

"Oh, you think you can take me?"

"Oh, definitely. You're bigger and stronger than me, maybe," Jaune sloshed his cup. "But, also bigger, slower, older, and ... and, well, I just have to break you neck once, right?" Jaune leaned back. "I mean even if I don't, you're what sixty? Seventy?"

"59," Big Bear added.

"Whoops, anyway, you're getting older, I don't have to kill you, if I hit you hard enough, you're not going to recover again. You're body is slowing down, and so is your healing. I break your leg, arm, ribs, it won't ever be back to 100%. Then what?"

Big Bear nodded. "Correct, but your point?"

"Might makes Right? I guess?" Jaune stretched. "Lets not play pretend, saying you got this far by being just a good business man and leader, though, I bet that helped, but you're such a big-mother fucker, that you could just throw most men out the door, if you get crippled, and you have no heir, then what?"

"I imagine, I'll be dethroned."

"Exactly, imagine if I kill you, then what? You're whole organization falls apart, decades of work gone in months, because every black-suited jackass here will be scurrying for the scraps you leave behind. No heir, no leader, then all your sub-bosses will think, 'My turn.' Wouldn't they? You don't get to the top by being a nice-guy, right?"

"You sure are threatening my life a lot, for a man here for peace talks." Big Bear said amused.

Jaune shrugged. "You're the one that made me lower my inhibitions, I know what drink does, doesn't make you do anything you wouldn't already do, it just makes you not think twice about it."

Big Bear smiled widely. "I love honesty, what I love about booze, always brings out the realness in people. Can't hide anything, much less anything to yourself." He then sighed. "I like you, boy. Shame though."

"Yeah, can't imagine you're just going to let me get away with everything." Jaune straighten up. "My deepest apologies for you loss." He kneeled till his head touched the floor. "I'd offer my life, but that will not make up for your pain."

Big Bear grunted.

"But, I can not offer you revenge, not yet, I have to give my demands."

"Which are?"

Jaune rose looking him in the eyes. "Move Ms. Autumn to an actually hospital, offer your continued protection to Vernal, do not hold any grudges towards the Malachite Sisters, harm my family, and finally," Jaune took a breath. "Please, do not let my work got unfinished."

Big Bear stared at him curiously.

Jaune stared him pupil to pupil. "The death of the monsters that hunt the night."

------

"So, how's the crush, White?" Yellow asked as they flew over the park.

"How's the black-eye?" White responded.

"What black-eye, - ah!" Yellow then crashed into a ice-berg hovering in mid-air, crashing through it.

White watched as Yellow then slammed through several trees in her fall. "Hmm, they saw vengeance is empty, but I don't know, this feels pretty cathartic." A fire ignited on the ground catching on the broken trees like tinder, as from the ground, as a luminously angry Yellow soared up at White, who gulped and flew away as fast as she could.

"Not as planned, not as planned!" She muttered, as she heard Yellow roared behind her.

------

Big Bear was silent.

"You aren't blind, or deaf." Jaune accused. "You can't possibly think I was solely responsible for all the deaths of your men, do you?" He points to his teeth. "Do you think I am the one who ripped them apart with my great fangs?" He curls his fingers. "Or, do you think I used my sharp, long claws to cut them apart?"

"I know of them." Big Bear said after a silence. "These are what you go out at night to combat, Shadow Knight?"

"For as long as I have been able, for as long as they've existed."

"Hmm, I did not realize you have lived step for step with all of mankind's history. That contradicts your statement of being only 17, who's the real, old man here?"

Jaune's eyes widened. "They go back that far? I thought that they only showed up last year..." He searched Big Bear's face for any lies. "You're telling the truth."

"Yes. How arrogant you are."

"That means-"

"Tales go back as far as the dawn of man, telling story of monsters in the dark, of to beware the night. Tell me, do think they are all fable?"

"No, not now." Jaune stared at him intensely. "Then what do you know?"

Big Bear breathed heavily, his breath still smelling of they're drink. "Not enough."

Jaune smiled bitterly. "Isn't that the truth."

"But, I do know what my own father had told me, what his father told him, my family is old boy, dating back to the founding of Haven herself." His eye suddenly looked much older. "To not go wandering into that dark night, less you find yourself consumed by it."

Jaune listened.

"When I was a boy, around your age, I had everything I could desire. Money. Women. Power. Influence. Friends to drink with. I was the master of my fate, and was set to inherit this seat before you, which I did, but that's a story for another day." He breathed out, he started to tremble. "I thought, I believed truly, that I was unstoppable." He brought his head up, staring at Jaune with haunted eyes. "I met something that was truly unstoppable."

----

White met Black mid-air, stared at each other, seeing panic in one's face and embarrassment in the other.

"We never saw each other." White said quickly, looking behind her for any sign of Yellow.

Black nodded. "Agreed." She saw what looked like a small yellow bonfire approaching from behind White. "Good Luck."

"Thanks, I'll need it!" Then they separated. "Wait! Where's Red? She might be my only hope to calm down her sis-, I mean Yellow."

Black then disappeared, saying nothing.

"Well, that's a lot of help, you are!"

-----

"I had decided one night, to return to my motherland one summer." Big Bear said. "To go back to Mistral, to see the place of my grandfather's birth." He paused, thinking, smiling. "I had been young and full of myself, it was as you said 'a big-mother fucker,' " He smiles pridefully. "I could knock out any man I saw, and have any women I put my gaze on. It did not matter that I was a stranger in a old, old land. I was King. I could not be toppled."

He took a deep drink, his cup empty, he dropped it. A girl came over with a bottle, but he wavered her away. "No, not a drop more for me," He looked at Jaune. "You?"

"Do you want to see me drunk?"

"Bufafafa!" He laughed. "No, I don't think I do, you're bad enough tipsy."

He paused. "Funny, how the Gods write our fate, I only had the one child, and no woman has ever approached me with a bastard." He looked sadly. "I would never turn away a woman, either. Yet..."

Jaune scanned the women around him. Not a single belly-bump on any of them. But, it was obvious to him they're relationship, Jaune could practically smell him on them.

"Excuse this old man his rambling," Big Bear bowed slightly, there was a genuine sorrow in his eyes. "Back to my tale. I was young once, and proud too, I thought I was a master of all I saw. Despite my arrogance, though, I made many good friends in my time in the Old Land. We fought together, drank together, laughed together, I thought I had found by comrades that I could take back with me to Vale. One that would be with for the rest of my life as I tore a bloody swathe through our fair city, till I reigned as her master."

He looked out into the cities night. "It was not to be."

"This was some thirty years ago, the last free years of my life," Big Bear turned to a woman. "Bring me some water, please." She obliged. "I wanted to leave my mark on Mistral before I left, to take my place as you see here."

Jaune looked at him. "You met them didn't you?"

"A big one. I had heard rumors, of something in the deep country of Mistral, where they still practice the old ways, away from our living, they're very spiritual people, powerful too." He looked Jaune over. "But, not like us, brutes. They're power is more subtle and focused."

Jaune looked at him curiously. "How so?"

"They're a slippery people, impossible to touch or sneak up on, and strong enough to slip a boulder in two." He looked at his hands. "If you haven't seen it, you wouldn't believe it."

Jaune thought back to firing point blank into that girl, and not even phasing her. "No, go on, I believe you.'

Big Bear looked at him, then blink. "You've fought one, haven't you?"

Jaune nodded. "If I can help it, I'd like to never do so again."

Big Bear thought for a second. "In this city. Recently," The great man sounded shaken. "It's related to all the property damage isn't?" The man put two and two together. "They're fight those monsters aren't they?"

"You've seen the streak of light at night, haven't you? They weren't meteor, or swamp gas. They're powerful, but they're uncontrollable, unskilled. They're still plenty of monsters that they miss, possibly because of how unskilled they are."

Big Bear breathed slowly. "Bufafa," He chuckled slowly. "You just keep destroying my world, don't you?"

"Not destroying, just making room."

"I had heard stories about people like that too, back in Haven, in the Old Land. Stories of girls of great power?" He looked at Jaune's face. "I see. Back to my tale." He took a drink of water, then smiled. "I got my ass handed to me on a platter by one of those people, it was awe-inspiring. I was so confident, and that lost spurred a fire in me that I never knew existed."

"I know the one." Jaune agreed.

"It made me stupid." Big Bear continued. "I had lost to a person that was half my size, and old. It was embarrassing beyond belief, all my comrades rushed him, they got the same fate. We were fools, he had come to warn us. He knew what we were out here for.

"He knew of the beast out there, generations of his family knew of it, and none had bested it, only survived. The Nuckaleeve."

-----

Red was still hovering in the air, when White flew and hid behind her. "Red! Red! Save me!"

"From what?"

"That!" She pointed at fire-storm approaching them.

"Oh." She patted White's shoulder. "Nice run, kid."

"This is not the time for jokes!"

"Ok, ok!" Red said, then flew at Yellow. "Yellow! Stop, bad Yellow! Bad!" She said with a finger pointing at her accusingly.

"What?! White started it!"

"Did she?"

"I mean ... kinda?"

Red looks at the burning park in the distance. "Sure, she did."

"Argh, fine. Maybe, I over-reacted, just a little bit?"

"Yellow."

"Fine! I'm sorry, White for messing with you."

"Thank you." White said haughtily.

"White." Red said.

"And, I'm sorry for giving in to your provacation."

"Good." Red said, she jerked a thumb at the ground. "Because, we got company!"

Hundreds of Grimm were charging towards them, following Yellow's path.

Yellow punched her hands together. "Good, I could use some stress relief!" She threw a glance at White. "Be glad it's not you."

White smirked. "Want to make a bet? I believe I can slay more Grimm than you can."

"Oh, it's on, my sister from another mister!"

"I'm in too!"

-----

"We chased after it anyway," Big Bear continued. "I called in every favor I could, I had something to prove. I wanted this thing dead, if I couldn't beat that old man, I was going to one up him, prove myself superior, then return home a champion."

Jaune looked at him sadly. "I see."

"I had made many friends during my stay in Haven, many with connections to powerful forces. Millions of Lien spent in one night. Tanks, APC's, Experimental Weapons powered by Dust, Guns, Rockets, Jets, hundreds of men. All led by one brass balled idiot."

Big Bear gestured to himself. "I have never had one moment in time I wanted to turn back more than that night." He moved his hand as if winding back a clock. "We were slaughtered, it wasn't a fight, not even close to one." He shook. "I don't even know I how I survived. I just woke up the next morning, my leg broken, and the remaining men pulling me out. They said nothing to me, but I knew they blamed me, they wanted to kill me. But, for whatever reason, they choose not to. They're are nights I wish they had."

"Your comrades?"

"Dead. Not even enough to bury. Miles of beautiful old country gone, but It wasn't scratched. It rampaged for days, and when we went to where that Old Man lived ... The village was flattened, and he was a not much more than twisted bone and skin. Horrible way to go, the Thing seemed like it had a personal hatred for him, we just pissed it off enough to make it act on it."

"Did ... Anyone?"

"Yes." Big Bear answered bluntly. "A little boy. The Grandson of the Man. I took him in, you know, took him back with me, along with two little infant girls, the daughters of the former heir of ... Well, that's not for you know." He stared at Jaune harshly. "I imagine you can guess."

"I can."

His eyes softened. "I fucked up. Not just on that, but on being a father." He said hatefully, but not to Jaune. "I spoiled him, gave him everything he could have ever wanted, thinking that would make up for taking away his family." He slammed his fist on the floor. "It made him a conceited little shit, who thought the world owed him everything."

Jaune breathed out. "Shit."

"Yes."

Silence reigned.

"What now?" Jaune asked.

"I don't know." He looked at Jaune, eyes uncertain. "I truly don't know. I can't let you go, but I don't blame you either. But, you are a good man, better than me." Big Bear reached into his robe, pulling out a pair of twin axes. "Blood demands blood."

Jaune stood up. "Blood demands blood, however, my demands?"

"Granted." Big Bear said softly. "On my words, for all the meaning it may have to you."

"Everything." He looked away. "Could... You tell my parents I love them?"

"I could."

"In my room, if you search, you'll find everything I have on the Monsters, all my records. How I fought them, how I won, what I know."

"Bow, child."

Jaune knelt.

"Hand out."

Jaune put his hand out.

One of the axes fell into his hand.

Blood dripped down from Big Bear's other hand.

"Cut your hand, boy."

Jaune looked up in confusion.

"As I say."

Jaune made a line across his hand.

"Hold it out."

Jaune did so.

Big Bear, Hei Xiong Sr. Grabbed Jaune's hand, they're blood mingling.

"From this day on, you are a member of the Xiong Clan. Welcome, my heir to the family."

Jaune froze, looking dumb-struck. "You don't want me dead?"

"A little bit, but as you say, I'm old, I have no heir, my men are power-hungry idiots. But you? You're young strong, brave, and most of all, smart. You're what the family needs." He looked down at him. "What is your name, boy? Mr. Shadow Knight, sound a bit too title like."

"Jaune, Jaune Arc."

"Arc?" He paused. "Interesting. Regardless. From this day on, to replace the blood you have spelt, you will take it's place. Rise, Jaune Arc Xiong, my son. For where I have failed, you shall succeed."

Jaune rose up awkwardly. "I still have parents,"

Big Bear shrugged. "Then just call me Uncle Xiong, nephew."

"I'm not a criminal."

Uncle Xiong looked at him like a fool. "No one said you had to be... Well, you already kinda of are. But, that doesn't mean I need you to be a criminal, I have plenty. No, I want you to be my sword in the dark. Against the monsters out there."

Jaune nodded. "That I can be."

Uncle Xiong smiled. "Good." Then he looked down. "Have you not been wearing pants this whole time?"

[pollenallergie]

Billisms

A couple of Billy Knight headcanons because I woke up two hours before my alarm was set to go off <3

If you love Billy, then you’ve also gotta love puzzles… because boy does that man love puzzles. Loves ‘em, loves ‘em, loves ‘em. Back when Jimmy kept him locked away in various hideouts, Billy really didn’t have much to do with all that time, so he kinda just did whatever he could find around the abandoned homes, buildings, and townhouses Jimmy confined him in. In one particular spot, a place in East Ham, there were heaps of puzzles left behind by the previous tenants. So, naturally, Billy took to solving those puzzles and, eventually, kind of grew to love puzzle-solving. <3

He also loves to knit. He started learning to knit while in the hospital because his therapist had recommended it to him as a way to keep his hands busy (one that doesn’t involve carving designs into wood, since the psychiatric hospital didn’t really have the tools for that). In the end, it proved to be quite effective. Plus, he also likes that it allows him to shower you with gifts, since he’s not usually able to actually buy you anything with his current lack of income. Granted, he can really only knit like three or four basic items: blankets, hats, etc. Not that you mind, you’ll take as many hats as he’s willing to make you. <3

Billy’s currently trying to get really good at knitting so that he can open his own etsy shop or something like that; anything to get him some money so that he can start helping with rent and groceries. Of course, you constantly reassure him that you’re totally fine with him not having a job, that you’re just glad to have him around, but, even so, he’d still like to be able to help you out. <3

Billy’s also astoundingly good at painting, sculpting, and drawing, in addition to wood-carving and knitting. Really, he’s just very creative. In fact, his mum used to call him her “little artist” back before she passed. <3

Billy’s oddly dexterous. In fact, he’s quite literally ambidextrous; which you’re incredibly envious of him for. He’ll often abruptly switch hands when writing just to see you scowl with jealousy, all the while something akin to awe twinkles in your eye. The way Billy sees it, he doesn’t have much going for him (you disagree wholeheartedly) and, therefore, also doesn’t have many ways to impress you. So, if being able to write legibly with both hands is the only thing that he can flaunt, then he’ll do so gladly and frequently. <3

Billy is a frequent bath-haver, he just loves baths, especially when you get in the tub with him. He loves being so close to you, feeling your soft skin against his, the relaxing warmth of the bath water, the vulnerability of partaking in such a private and personal activity with each other, and the domesticity of helping each other wash up. He even loves drying off with you after a bath, the two of you swaddled in your warm, matching bathrobes that your mum got you for christmas. Billy especially loves those times where you and him have at-home spa nights. He loves it when you two give each other facials and manicures (he even likes when you occasionally paint his nails for him, even though he usually has to take it off not long afterwards because you’re a bit sloppy and heavy handed with the nail polish). Billy also loves listening to relaxing music, drinking herbal tea or water with mint leaves in it, and snuggling up on the sofa together as you wait for your timers to go off so that you can wash the goopy masks off your face. <3

Billy hates shopping; the fluorescent lights in the stores make him dizzy, the music and the sounds of people chattering disorient him, and being surrounded by so many people makes him anxious. However, he finds that shopping is much more tolerable when he’s doing it with you. He loves that you let him hold your hand and let him remain close to you, he finds that your touch helps ground him during the overwhelming experience. Billy also finds it oddly reassuring that you hate going shopping almost as much as him and for the exact same reasons he does. Of course, he finds no joy in your mutual suffering, but it’s nice to know that he isn’t the only one who suffers from sensitive shoppers’ syndrome (your name for the fatigue, dizziness, and headache that you both often get while shopping). <3