#the family you build can be so much sweeter. i hope if you see this and you relate

[mxfitmatrix]

There's something bittersweet about going no contact with my mom.

There are little things I want to say or share. Questions I want to ask, stories and recipies I have to ask others to get from her covertly (though I don't have much time with this one as it seems that she is truly burning every bridge in our family). It's the grieving and having to treat her like she's gone, knowing that we love about 15 minutes apart still and at any time I might just... see her.

Tonight I have to grapple with the knowledge that my grandfather has my art surrounding him in his home. He's been redecorating lately and my brother's girlfriend just told me that he has a room that's now practically all decorated by me. I know how much he loves me, or I hope I do. It feels so good to have one member of my family who hasn't let me down once, not truly. Not without him being heartbroken and never repeating his mistake when he knew he hurt me.

To have a shining example of being a good family member, and know that I can't even talk about his daughter. I can't be the one to tell him why I have to miss his birthday lunch but I would love to get him breakfast and hear about his week, because if she's there he will find out and I will not be a part of that mess.

But there will be a room in his home that he loves and cherishes, that shows the joy I can express to someone who treats me with the same love and respect. And she will walk im there, and recognize the signature in the corner.

[little-forest-goblin]

Soft touches, silent roads

Warnings: Smut MDNI 18+

Contains: oral (f and m receiving), p in v, dirty talk, light choking (very brief) praise, mostly soft dom five (There is a little roughness), face fucking, cum eating, creampie (i hate the word too), car sex, bad writing, grammatical errors

Synopsis: You and five were at graces birthday party. You and him haven’t seen each other in a long time so there is a lot of unspoken things between you and him especially the unspoken love and desire between you and him that was never addressed properly. (The events of the fourth season never occurred)

The birthday party was all out which was really sweet of Diego and Lila. The kids were having so much fun which was even sweeter. Lila’s family was very kind too. It was odd seeing the family after a long while. Especially poor Klaus who was a raging germaphobe and extremely sober. which the sober part isn’t a bad thing but the germaphobic tendencies is a little bit odd. No matter you’re just glad he is getting himself mostly together. Luther was what he called “A professional dancer” which obviously was not true but you know what…good for him. There was Allison worried and scared that everybody hated her. Viktor was kinda off to the side since he didn’t really want anything to do with any of us which you guess kinda makes sense after the shit we’ve been through. you cant blame him completely for not wanting anything to do with us but its nice to know he cares still to show up. Ben was sulking about just getting out of jail and about his “Business”. You really just hope he will get his shit together. Then lo and behold there was five. The one man you were nervous to talk to. The one that made your heart race and your face flush. You haven’t spoken to him in a long time. Life caught up to you, you were healing from trauma and getting your own shit together. That being said he was always on your mind no matter how hard you tried to push him or the thoughts away. It was always a haunting thought in the back of your mind. A space just for him that was rent free. You looked over to him and to your surprise you caught him looking at you. His own eyes went a little wide with nervousness and looked away sipping his beer and looked back into the ball-pit where luther tried to scare him and ben. You felt your face flush and you looked away.

After a ruined back and a piñata issue it was time for everyone to go home. Sadly your car was being the biggest asshole of the day cause it decided to break down the day before. You had to take a uber which was scary at this time of night. You walked out the doors and leaned against the wall of the building. You went onto your phone to look for an uber when five came out he saw you and came on over “Hey” you looked to him your face flushing as you saw those piercing green eyes “H-hey” he chuckled and leaned against the wall his arms crossed “What are you doing? Aren’t you gonna head home?” you sighed and shut pff your phone putting it in your pocket “My car broke down yesterday. The hunk of junk had to be a paid actor cause that was to perfectly timed.” he smiled “So what gives?” you sighed “Im getting an uber. It may not be the safest but i need to go home somehow.” he nodded. it was silent for a minute as he looked at you his eyes traveling down then up at your face again trying to stay calm but if you looked close you’d notice he swallowed a nervous lump in his throat. “You can ride with me” you look at him wide eyed “Wait what?” he looked at your eyes “Yeah you can ride with me. I don’t want you getting hurt or worse.” you bit your lip nervously “no no its okay i-“ five cut you off before you could say anything else “No i insist come on” he took your hand and gently led you to his car almost seeming eager. Your hand in his, skin against skin sent electricity through you and a shiver down your spine. You almost wanted to kick yourself cause it was such a simple touch. How the hell are you getting so worked up over such a simple god damn touch! is…is he getting worked up too? Is he feeling the same? You let him lead you to his car. He opens the passenger side for you “After you, princess” he smiled you chuckled and got into the car “My, what a gentleman!” he laughed and closed the door and got into the driver seat.

You and him have been driving for some time. At some point during the night drive home it began to rain. You looked to him his hands gripping the steering wheel. it was almost white knuckled how hard he was holding it. You swallowed as your eyes traveled over the veins in his hands. they were prominent and an indicator of what hid under his suit. you looked to his face his eyes slightly squinted to look out the glass windshield past the rain and slight fogging. his lips and nose those piercing green eyes and hair that made your insides flutter. You always were weak when it came to this man. he glanced to you and back to the road. “Whats with that look for?” you blushed lightly and looked back out the window “nothing.” the rain started to come down harder and tension built until the glass fogged up to much and the rain poured a little to hard. “Fuck it” he pulled into an empty lot and parked the car. you looked at him confused “woah hey wha-“ he unbuckled and turned to you “Don’t say it isn’t nothing. I don’t want it to be nothing. I know it isn’t nothing.” you looked him in his eyes. his eyes looked a little desperate almost pleading. You wanted to say it you knew it wasn’t nothing but something in you still wanted to deny from fear of scaring him away “Five i-its nothing i’m being honest” he shook his head “Don’t say that…it isn’t. Me and you have always beat around the bush. When i’m with you i cant help it but to beat around the bush cause i’m afraid to lose you. I don’t want to scare you away but god damn it y/n i cant do it any longer. Y/n i love you. You are in my mind no matter how much i try to push it away. I cant pretend that i don’t love you cause i do. Y/n i love you and i was too afraid to say it but now i’m not. i’ve gotten my shit together for the most part and me beating around the bush is not something i wanna do anymore.” you looked at him incredulously. He just professed his love to you. after so long of lingering stares and touches that lasted a little too long all coming to a sorta close. you swallowed “Five i have also loved you…i’ve loved you even as i kept distance for 6 years i was in love with you as we danced at the wedding at the end of the world i was in love with you as we saved the world in the 60’s and i have loved you before. I was also too afraid to say it.” he looked at you with eyes that held love and adoration. His face came closer to yours both of you so close his breath fanned across your face you swallowed and kept eye contact with him. he looked from your lips to your eyes “Y/n?” you kept your eyes locked with his “Yeah?” “can i kiss you?” you felt your breath hitch “God yes” he didn’t need to be told twice. His lips were on yours kissing desperately. his hands came to either side of your face holding you close. your hands came around his neck one along his back and one traveled into his hair giving a slight tug making him groan. He lightly bit at your bottom lip and tugged gently. you whimpered softly and he growled at that lovely sound you made. his hands went from either side of your face and at the top of your arms feeling the skin under your sleeves. his lips traveled from your lips to your jaw and to your neck. his kissed almost reverently until he started to nibble and suck to create a dark purple love bite. you let out shuddering breath and you licked your bottom lip wetting it a little “f-five…fuck” he detached his lips looking up at you with a hint of concern “You okay? does it feel okay?” you nodded “Feels good…so good…” his eyes darkened and growled softly “Such a good girl made just for me” he kissed and sucked your skin. after some time “I need you now baby please. Let me have you” he looked up at you with a hint of pleading but there was room for you to say no and back away but thats not happening “Yes”

you and him had got into the back seat. he swallowed as he gently pulled your shirt over your head. he let out a breath ans he was speechless for a minute. you got a little worried and self conscious thinking maybe he was changing his mind. your hands where going to go around your body to cover but his hands where quick but gentle to pull your hands away “no…no, don’t cover…you’re gorgeous i wanna see you, love” you felt relief flood through your body. you let him guide your hands away from your body. his hands pulled you closer and held you to him and kissed the side of your neck as he undid your bra letting your tits loose from the prison you call a bra. he growled a little “Fuck look at you. perfect pretty girl. can i touch them baby?” you nodded and he shook his head his hand traveled to the back of your neck pulling you closer “Ah ah baby i gotta hear you say it okay? use your words for me, hm?” you swallowed nervousness and excitement coursing through you “Y-yes…please touch me” he hummed in appreciation “Good girl” his hands came away the back of your neck and to your tits squeezing and kneading softly feeling there shape. he leaned down and kissed the top of one of your breasts and bit down and sucked pulling the skin in to make a love bite, marking you as his own. You moaned and blushed deeply. he soon pulled off and let go of your tits his hand traveling around your neck “Lie back in the seat for me baby. i gotta have a taste of you” you nodded. your cunt was soaked through your panties you could feel it the wet patch there was probably noticeable. He traveled down kissing down the valley of your breasts to your stomach all the way to the waistband. His fingers curled around the waistband looking up at you for permission. you nodded and he wasted no time pulling it down revealing the pretty black pair you on. his chuckle was mixed with a light growl “Oh baby did you wear these just for me?” you and him both knew that this was not planned before hand so no but god damn it were you gonna entertain it “Y-yeah…wore them just for you” he hummed in appreciation and kissed your clothed clit making you jump a little “Knew you would. You’re such a good girl. always so sweet” you blushed and let out a shuddered breath. his fingers curled around the bottom of your panties and pulled them down off your legs and let them join the pile on the floor. he wet his bottom lip as he stared “O-oh baby…this is what you’ve hidden from me for far to long?” he kissed you clit reverently sending a shock of pleasure before he started to really get to it. his tongue licking at your slit and up to your clit. his lips wrapped around your clit and focused his tongue and attention there. you moaned and shivered. your hand traveling into his hair looking down at him only causing you to get more worked up. “o-oh fuck five god damn it” your head fell back as you panted. he chuckled sending another shock of electricity “That good baby?” you nodded. your thighs shook and threatened to close around his head. before they could his hands wrapped around them. keeping them opened “Ah ah baby keep them nice and open for me, good girl” he devoured you like you where the most delicious meal and you felt that cord within you tighten and threaten to snap. your moans came out louder and he knew you where close. his thumb came to your clit and rubbed gentle circles while his tongue focused on your slit. you felt your orgasm crash down on you and he licked away your cum with eagerness “mmm sweet tasting girl. perfect for me” he came up for air panting. his chin had your slick down it. he wiped away at it and leaned down to kiss you. his tongue and your taste together was divine. you moaned softly. you felt his hard cock through his pants. you pulled back “let me help you…please?” your hand traveled to palm him and he let out a stuttering breath “Only if you really want to baby.” you looked him in his eyes “i want too…please let me” he smiled and kissed you one more time and sat up and let you move to in front of him in the backseat.

you and him had moved the front seat chairs up so you and him could have room. He let out a shuddering breath as you unbuckled him from his cloth prison. once his boxers were pulled down and away his cock was up against his stomach your eyes widened a little in surprise cause he was bigger then you expected. i guess what the world didn’t give him in height gave in length. he chuckled “surprised?” you nodded a little more eagerly then you wanted it to be “Yeah… i am actually. im not say i was expecting it to be small i just thought you’d be average or something” he chuckled and his hand came to your head pulling your hair back into a makeshift ponytail “Doll, im hurt! uou had no faith in me?” five feigned hurt with a mock pout. you chuckled “im sorry, baby. Let me make it up to you” your lips went to his head. he groaned “Fuuuck, doll.” your tongue flattened and you took more of him. his hand was in your hair helping you bob your head. he groaned and his head rolled back “just like that baby mhm so good your taking me so good” you whined and looked up at him. he looked down at you and his cock twitched “Fuck baby you cant look at me like that i’ll blow my load to fast” you giggled a little till he pushed your head down more and groaned. he face fucked you bobbing your head for you. “Fuck just like that doll flatten that pretty fucking tongue!” he growled his eyes dark and his pupils blown wide. “Thats it take it like the good sweet girl you are. Good girl” he moaned and his head fell back against the seat. his balls tightened he came down your throat. you went wide eyed swallowing it down. he pulled out panting. he looked down at you his hands untangling from your hair and tucked your hair behind your ear and away from your face “You okay baby?” you nodded wiping away tears “Yeah i’m okay.” he smiled and helped you onto his lap and kissed you softly. “I was a little rough baby i’m sorry” his thumbs gently swiped away any remaining tears.

After he let you calm down and get together holding you closely you laid on the backseat. you and him had let the backseats down. you looked up at him as he shrugged off his suit and vest undoing his tie and throwing it to the pile. he sat back a little looking at your naked splayed out body. his hand pumped his cock a few times “Fuck sweetheart your gorgeous.” he crawled over you lining his cock with your waiting entrance. you swallowed. “Five…can you hold me while we do this? i wanna be close to you” he looked up at you and smiled. his arms went around your body. one around your waist the other around your shoulders. he kissed your neck and slowly pushed in “f-fuck baby your tight” he pushed all the way in. your breath seemed to stop for a minute your lips parted in a silent moan. he stayed still letting you get used to him “Its okay baby just breathe” thats when you remember to breath breathing in then out letting your body relax. once fully relaxed he started to move in then out slow and sweet thrusts wanting to savor you and the feel of your walls squeezing his cock. soft moans and shudders of breath came from both of you. “God i love you y/n its been to long of us dragging this out. I should’ve told you before” you shook your head you arms around him and his back “Its not just your fault- ah -i..i should’ve said something too” you and him moaned as the pace picked up a little but stayed mostly slow and sweet. your hearts beat in sync with each other just as it is should. your pants filled the car and his groans filled your ears. the windows of the car fogged up and the soft patter of the rain against the car gave a soft atmosphere. “Fuck baby i wish i could stay buried inside you forever” he let you go a little but stayed close his pace not stopping. he lifted on of your legs to his shoulder to get a deeper angel. the head of his cock kissing your g-spot perfectly causing your moans to come out louder. he felt your walls start to tighten around him indicating how close you where his thrusts went faster “Its okay baby i got you i got you cum for me…cum with me, fuck your such a good girl cum with me” his moans came out louder with yours. his hands found yours and held them intertwining you and his fingers. the cord within your stomach snapped and as soon as he felt your walls tighten his cock twitched and he came with you his cum pouring inside you filling you up. He groaned and slowed his pace going slow to fuck you through it but not to overstimulate you. you and him panted, a thin layer of sweat glistening on your bodies. he looked down at you and smiled softly moving some of the hair from your face that stuck to you away “You okay baby?” you nodded “yeah…yeah I’m okay…are you?” he smiled and chuckled “More then okay.” you looked up at him admiring him for all he was. he noticed your look and leaned down and kissed you softly and you happily kissed back. he pulled out of you causing you both to whimper a little. he pulled off looking at you “Come on lets get redressed. If you wanna we can come to my place and we can get cleaned up and relax the rest of the night” you smiled “i like that idea”

So both of you got redressed after he found some wet wipes to clean you up a little. you helped each other get redressed and soon drove home where you and him took a proper shower (Might’ve had a little round two in there) and relaxed for the rest of night laid in bed in one of his sweaters and watched a cheesy rom-com while cuddling under the sheets till you fall asleep.

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Hey there guys! i hope you like it! its my first time writing a smut. I was nervous writing this sorry for any grammatical errors or if it seemed rushed (i hope it doesn’t). I love you and stay safe y’all ❤️ 😘

[noowayybroo]

That nameless fic - Part 2

People liked this fic! So thank you! It felt nice to write about happy Leon, and helping him (Like he helps all of us!) This fic is a lot softer and sweeter, and as requested, you and Leon get closer! And closer! Annnd then you date! This fic is real soft, really sweet, and that was really nice to write! I hope you like!

Characters: Leon Kennedy, GN!Reader

Warnings: Not NSFW. GN reader! :)) No mention of age but faint job and relationship to Leon suggestions. I struggle to keep the fic GN instead of saying "she, him etc" for you to make it more immersive, so it can get repetitive. Huge sorry. Some cuddle some kiss (v little at the end but be warned nevertheless)

It'd been a few weeks since you'd helped Leon out of his large predicament (to put it very lightly). Three weeks, to be exact. Three weeks of barely putting down your phone.

Well, come on.

How could you with a handsome, sweet blonde blowing it up all the time?

Daily, almost hourly, the two of you typed to each other about this-and-that. You spoke about work, about the weather. You talked about family and friends, gossiped about neighbours and told tall tales from every day life.

And Leon, on the other end, drank up each story and each word, becoming more and more enthralled by the letter. You weren't sure how he saw things. You'd never get into his mind, but to you, it felt as though you'd been good friends from birth.

The man appeared at your place of work just as consistently as he'd done before, cheering you on and heckling those who did not. He looked exhausted sometimes, and you'd wonder if he should be fast asleep rather than trudging over in the rain just for something small and random like a tub of ice cream, or once - a hand-powered fan. You'd not seen someone buy one of those since you started that job.

It was endearing, the way he checked on you and cheered you on, yet not once disrespected you or your space. He only found you during boring hours at work, and only when you weren't too busy for him.

Whilst his visits were short and sweet, he recently began banging on about a new job. Not for him, but for you. It was strange to see his face light up how it did whenever he spoke about it, as if he were certain that this would change your life in some way.

"There's this place-", he would begin, waving his arms around to try and hand signal the shapes of buildings and their locations, "It's near here! The pay, man, the pay is much better than here..." Leon seems bewitched as he stares off, spouting strangely enthusiastic words about a random store. You wonder who he's really trying to sell it to: you, himself, or the elderly lady towards the back of the store who's browsing loaves of bread.

He turns to you, excitement in his face. His eyes forced to squint by his beaming smile, his joy on just as full of a display as his teeth. "You could actually work normal hours!! Like any hours you want! But during the day! And they sell, like, everything! And the employee discount! Don't even get me started on-"

"Oh yeah, Mister Salesman?" you quip, raising a playful eyebrow towards your suddenly silent customer. You lean forward on the counter, propping yourself up on an elbow. "What's got you so obsessed with this place anyway?" Leon's brows furrow, contemplating a reply which doesn't come before you quiz, "And what's got you so excited about my career, too?"

Leon flushes a little, probably overheating from the gears you can hear turning away in his brain. For a while, there's silence, before Leon looks at you quite solemnly.

"Look… I know I haven't known you long, and I'm not trying to overstep, honestly, but it kills me seeing you work here. I know the pay isn't worth it, and the late nights…" his voice trails off somewhat pitifully as his eyes sink to just below yours. He's probably observing your eye-bags. The same ones that you're too tired to even try and hide. "I just want you to have a little more in life. You know?"

"Leon." you scoff, "You know they're not gonna take me, right? I'm here cuz I got nowhere else to be." you fix your posture and give a polite smile, greeting your actual customer as she approaches the till.

She's polite and in a fairly good mood, stepping forward as Leon moves to let her by. She thanks you, gives you and Leon a somewhat knowing look, and takes her leave, declared by the door chime. Meanwhile, Leon thinks carefully about what to say.

You wouldn't know this, of course, but he spent a lot of time thinking and planning, regarding you. To him, you were somewhat a saviour. You were becoming his best friend. You seemed to care relentlessly for him from day one, and honestly, he could not fathom why.

Perhaps he was biased.

Perhaps, you were some kind of angel.

Anyway, Leon in no way ever wanted to upset or insult you, so he was always considerate. It'd worked so far, he'd genuinely never upset you.

"You're wrong. While it's true that some people have to have jobs like that, because they can't find anywhere else... Not you." Leon leans in, gently taking one of your hands in his and squeezing softly so you look at him. He then continues to muse, "You're amazing, Y/N. You work so hard, and personality wise... Well, all I can say is you deserve better, and you can get better. You just have to try." Towards the end of his sentence, Leon's eyes drift away from yours. He seems awkward, but what he said really did mean something to you.

You stand together in silence for a while, until Leon shatters it like glass. "Please, just. go. Any time you can. It's on North Street, alright? Just go in, ask to speak to a manager. Say you're there for an interview and give them your name, they'll give you one. Alright?" You nod weakly in response and give Leon a small, grateful smile. Whilst he was a bit pushy and strangely confident, his pep-talk did put quite a spring in your step. You were going to do it. It'd be a good idea, and it would be great to get out of here.

He gathers some things, deciding to be courteous, and pays for them. "It's called Johnny's!", is the last you hear before Leon leaves for the night, wishing you well. A simple 'good luck and good night'.

The night passes quickly and uneventfully, a sweet taste left on your tongue. Eventually, you head home, arising at around 1pm, ready for that interview.

Oh God, an interview.

I mean: You hadn't booked anything... You didn't still have to go. But Leon. You remembered how excited he was, how enthusiastic. He was so sure you'd get that job. You had to at least try, just for him. You freshened up, put something nice on, wrote a small shopping list, and headed out for the day.

The day went well, you bought some home essentials before visiting that accursed store... For Leon. This was for Leon. Strong, be strong.

'Bing!'

Two wide glass doors slide open to allow you entry into the store.

"Hello, I'm uhm... I'm here for an interview?" The shop was huge, aisles and aisles packed with fresh food, toys, appliances and DIY supplies.

"An interview? Are you sure? Hang on... can I have your name?" There were at least five members of staff on duty, three of which alone manned the tills you stood at currently.

"My name? Oh, yeah, it's Y/N... It's alright if you weren't expecting me-" You notice just how much more wonderful this place looked, and deep down, you started to wish you could work here. You didn't just want this for Leon anymore.

"No no, it's no problem at all, honestly, Please let me just get a manager, alright?" No 'owner', not 'the manager', 'a manager'. There were so many people here, and not just employees - customers! Loads of them! People with carts, families, smiling people, kind people.

Oh! How much nicer it was here...

"Oh, hey, can I help you? Y/N, right?", a tall man stands before you on the other side of the counter. His hands are clasped together as he smiles in a genial manner, nodding his head slightly "You're here for an interview?" Oh man, he was already so nice. All of this was already so nice.

"Yeah! ...Yes, that would be great, I am... Please, yeah..." You fumble over your words, but the shop crowd seems un-phased. The first employee you addressed is already back to manning the tills, and the manager makes his way around the till to address you properly.

Oh no. You began to panic. It was so nice here. Everyone was so... sophisticated. They had their heads screwed on... but you? Some... sleepless 24/7 dweller? With your moods? With your attitude? There was no way you'd get this job.

It felt draining, petrifying, being led into a flush, stylish office looking room and sat down. The man before you was friendly, introducing himself as Jack before waiting patiently for you to catch your breath a little. He then asked you a few questions about your availability, your previous work experience, and your personality. Rather, whatever personality you'd have him believe you had. You focused a lot less on his questions about customer scenarios, and more on how his eyebrows and lips quirked when you knew you'd gotten the answers wrong.

And just like that, terrified and sweating more than you'd like to admit, you give Jack your name, your number, and are asked to await his call. You'd done something that day, you think, as you shake hands goodbye and make your way home, that you wouldn't have done in a good few years, and that was thanks to Leon.

Your feet feel heavy, your footfalls sharp as you march home, just so ready to collapse into your bed, or onto your couch. Maybe call Leon, maybe tell him you did what he'd asked. Maybe you'd laugh at how scared you'd been, maybe you'd cry at the fear of throwing away an opportunity you actually really wanted by not preparing.

Perhaps you'd get home, unlock your door, and look down to find a small envelope on the floor. And then, if that were the case, you'd place your bags down in the hallway, close the door, and bend to pick up the paper. And then, should you have done that, you might open it to find a card. A 'congratulations' card, from none other than Leon Kennedy. To you, it read:

Knew you could do it!

You just had to get out there, Y/N!

See what you're capable of?

Put in your notice!

I'll see you at your new job soon!

-Leon :)

Suspicious, to say the least. But he was correct - within a few days, Jack had called you back to confirm your new position, and your manager, with a surprisingly heavy heart had bid you goodbye. Of course, you called Leon. In fact, you interrogated him about the whole thing, but he remained utterly zip-lipped about the entire thing. Permanently. Like he'd trained for it. Really, it was impressive considering just how excitable and eager to share he usually was around you.

With your new job, Leon's visits only became more frequent, despite it being further from his home. He stayed for longer, bought more, and spent time with you on whichever of your lunchbreaks he could get to around work. You became closer as friends. Just friends, you told yourself. Sometimes, you'd get dinner together: restaurants, fast food, the lot. You'd get drinks and desserts: bubble tea, coffee, shakes, waffles - you name it. The excuse remained the same: "I'm curious, you're wanna try it, let's go together."

It often led to jokes between the two of you about how others must have thought you were both dating by now. Another excuse for you to both share warm, genuine laughs. You loved the way his eyes and nose scrunched up, the way he grinned. You liked hearing his loud giggles and laughs, the way he leaned back and threw his head, and the way he swept his fringe from his eyes to get a very good look at you whenever you spoke; an astounding contrast from the Leon you first met.

Sometimes, you'd catch films together or go for walks in parks. Whenever you suggested an interest in a place such as a shopping centre, a zoo or a landmark, he'd instantly plan a day out with you, just the two of you, going wherever you wanted. And you'd do the exact same for him. You were quickly introduced to his friends, and him to yours. Everyone got on without fault, it was truly meant to be.

His gifts, whilst stressfully frequent and undeserved, were always thought out. From hand-adorned items to homemade food and good deeds, he gave you wonders money could never buy, and was always extremely grateful for whatever you gifted him with in return, especially your time. Leon treasures you, and he won't let you forget it. He always tells you how much you mean to him, and after every time you meet in person, he texts you and thanks you for the day, wishing you'd get home safely.

That's not the only time he messages you though. Sometimes, you wake up to a 'good morning' or a 'thank you again for yesterday.' Sometimes it's well wishes for the day ahead, others he's sent you a meme or a post he thinks you'll like. You feel as though this man is your best friend, your soulmate even. But unfortunately, he wasn't yours. Specifically, you feel this for about the next 4 months.

Recently, Leon's begun to tell you when he sees someone he likes. He tells you all about them: how beautiful their body was, how lovely their face. He tells you how wonderful their voice made him feel, or how nervous he was to approach them. He asks for advice, and he thanks you a billion times, reminding you that if it weren't for you, he'd never have any of this. He wouldn't have the confidence, the power or the freedom to find true love, and it was thanks to you that he could get out there.

He could love and be loved, and it wouldn't be by you.

But that was okay.

It was bittersweet, sure, it was bittersweet, but Leon was your friend. You protected each other, you looked out for one another, and that meant wanting the other to be happy. You'd find someone, and whether he did or not, the only thing you could be was grateful that he'd be happy, and far away from his horrible past.

Strange, though, it never seemed to work out. Each interest, he'd have an excuse for. You couldn't recall how many times you'd heard the blonde nervously explain that he'd 'chickened out' or claim to have 'lost interest.' Leon once went as far to claim that he was too busy between you and work, but when that upset you and he realised it'd sounded entirely as unintended, he spent about 10 solid minutes apologising and babbling and another 15 with his tail between his legs.

You wonder if he's lying to please you. And then you wonder if he tells others about his time spent with you? Could it be that you matter more or less than those he crushes on? Or, do you mean more or less than his other friends?

Woah pal, stop right there. No more of those thoughts, damn.

You've got to focus right now! You're walking home with Leon after your 9-5, and he's eagerly telling you about his own day at work. It's an early summer evening, and everything seems to be in full bloom. The trees sway in soft winds, proving you both with graceful shade from the slow-setting sun. Leon's walking with you, risking looking like an idiot whilst he uses his umbrella to further shelter you from the heat as you exchange information about your day. You decide to take a detour through your local park.

"I'm glad I could get off work on time to walk with you today!", Leon sighs, aimlessly strolling alongside you, seeming to be trying to draw out the duration of your walk, "It's been such a shit week, but now we can just relax, right?? Feels good to catch up."

"Yeah, of course", you laugh, always seeming to be in a good mood when around him, especially watching him kick at the gravel below his feet as he keeps a hand in his pocket. He seems to be acting casual, while desperately fighting going home and parting ways. "Sorry I was a bit quiet earlier, just thinking. Also, busy day for me too."

"Oh? Thinking about what?", he pries, innocent and curious, but you're not at all in a position to be honest about that.

"Just work, nosey!" Leon grumbles at your response before chuckling. Then, he is promptly approached by a very excited dog, which jumps up at him, barks excitedly and lets him pet him before running over to you and then off to its owner. "Awwwww cutteeee" Leon coos, unintentionally putting on a very sweet pet voice as he watches the dog leave, slightly sad.

"You like dogs?" It was amusing, to say the least.

"Love them, love them so much, we used to have a doggie growing up, he was the best." Leon proceeds to tell you about the dog he used to have, including some memories of their times spent together.

"Oh really?... Hey Leon, if you were a dog, which-"

"Retriever. Golden retriever." He replies instantly, well, at least he was self aware.

Eventually, you and Leon each your home. Just as before, he seems reluctant to leave you. Doing your best to hide your joy, you invite him in. You're a lot less excited than you would have been say a few weeks or months ago, having somewhat come to terms with your platonic relationship. Leon, however, is not so good at hiding his excitement as he rushes inside and gets comfortable. He kicks off his shoes, jumps onto your couch and prepares to be pampered.

"Hey, what's gotten into you?" You laugh, disbelieving. "What do you know that I don't this time?" You trudge over to Leon slowly after removing your own shoes, an eyebrow raised. Your confused expression is met with his chill, enthused own.

"No.. uh, nothing I just wanted to chill. Wanna watch a film??" He does seem a little apologetic, to his credit.

"Yeah, alright, a film will do. Mister 'In my house', I will watch one of my films. Netflix?"

"And chill." He interjects, smoothly. What's gotten into this guy? To be fair, it'd been the first time in months he hadn't been able to see you in a few weeks due to work, so he was probably just interested in catching up.

You both get comfortable on the couch, quite close to each other, and chat the night away as you watch film after film. Until you get hungry, that is.

"Hey, uh, what'd you wanna do for dinner?" his voice rings out amongst the loud action scene you're mutually enthralled with. "I could get takeout, as a sorry for inviting myself in?"

"it's all good Leon... uhh... actually, I kinda have leftovers from yesterday. You mind?" You worry for a second that Leon won't want to eat your seconds, especially reheated. You'd completely understa-

"Sure! I'll go find it." Well, that was nice of him. Leon makes his way to the fridge after gently shaking you off from your comfy cuddling position. (It had developed overtime) and with your instruction, finds the food. Soon, he brings back a bowl of spaghetti each, and some popcorn for later, and you continue to enjoy your night.

You enjoy your night so much in fact that you end up falling asleep on the couch, in between Leon's legs. Originally, you'd been sitting there, entirely innocently. Upon waking up, however, you were laying against him, curled up on his chest with his arms wrapped firmly around you. The glowing digital clock by your TV told you it was late, as did Leon's soft purrs and heavy breaths just above you as he relaxed there with you in his arms.

He'd since turned off the TV, probably to allow you to sleep, and whilst it was too dark in the room to see him, you could feel the strong beat of his heart and the slow rise and fall of his chest, lifting and dropping you methodically as he rested there with you. You were unsure whether Leon was awake or asleep, but didn't move to check, for fear he may become spooked and change positions. That was probably your worst nightmare at this moment, because this was the first time you'd ever been this close and intimate with your good friend.

Was it really so bad? So disrespectful to like him?

How could you not like him when everything about him was so wonderful?

He was handsome and strong, kind and considerate. And he smelled... so good. You relax into him a little further, taking in his warmth, revelling in how his muscular arms held you as if they'd never let you go. Oh how you wished it could be true. You wanted him to hold you like this all the time, you wanted him to love you, to mean it. Each soft breath from his nose fanned your fringe, tickling you slightly as you let out a very small yawn and melted against him. Just like that, hands on his chest, head by his neck, you fell asleep again.

When you woke up and Leon was gone you couldn't help but wonder if it was all a dream. The most sad dream: a fake paradise. It was all you'd ever wanted, and Leon's absence in your awakening only proved it was merely a mirage. The plates from last night's dinner were gone, and as you came to you could hear the sounds of something frying coming from your kitchen. You could also hear Leon cursing to himself about where things were or any other mishaps that may have been occurring. Lazily, you opt to lay in.

After a while, soft padding sounds alert you to Leon tiptoeing over to you as if in a cartoon, eager to not wake you up or disturb you, but alas, you were awake. He curses himself again.

"Morning sleepy head" He coos, ducking down to your level as you lay on the couch to look you in the eyes "You feeling alright? I'm making breakfast!"

You nod groggily and rub your eyes, stretching as your voice cracks "Heyyy Leon... Thanks. you didn't have to... What are we having?"

"Sit up and find out!" He chirps, dashing back to the kitchen "I lied actually, I finished! It's ready! Give me a minute!" Once you've sat up and woken up a little, Leon brings you a plate of food. The portions are hearty but that's not his merit, it's your food! It's also delicious, if not a little... extra crispy. (We all know Leon is not a master chef) Together, you and Leon enjoy breakfast and you afterwards excuse yourself to get changed and ready for the day.

When you're back, Leon's washed up and is sitting on your couch looking quite serious. He sits you down to have a talk, and immediately you worry. You'd completely forgotten about last night, having written it off as a dream like an idiot. Could that be what he was about to speak about?

"Listen... Y/N", he begins. His voice is a soft whisper, yet it's assertive, and commands your attention. Once you nod and lock eyes, he continues. "About last night..." Oh no, this couldn't be good. "I woke up in the middle of the night, and I don't know if you did but-"

"I'm sorry Leon I didn't mean to fall asleep on you I'm really sorry-"

"Oh..." Leon hums and looks away thoughtfully for a while. What? Was that not what he was talking about? What the- "Alright, that's okay. I wanted to say actually that I was sorry if I made you uncomfortable... I wasn't sure if you were awake at any point but I didn't want to risk waking you so I thought it would be best if I left you." Your heart sinks a little at his words. How sweet of him.

You know what? You could tell him now, you could tell him how you feel... or how you did feel, and it'd be in the open, and then you guys could go back to being friends.

With Leon, at least, you never doubted that he would accept your emotions and stay friends.

"Actually Leon, I did wake up, yeah... I liked it, I really liked sleeping with you. It felt safe." Leon's baby blue eyes widen suddenly as he watches you. They almost shiver, he looks strangely emotional as he hunches over forward, listening intently to you and not once dividing his attention. "Leon... I have to be honest with you.. I think I liked it because I like you, you know... Like like, like... as in..." You trail off, feeling pathetic and instantly regretting your words, and this time, Leon doesn't instantly pipe up.

He just sort of sits there in silence... for a while.

"You're very special to me, Y/N."

Oh God. Here it comes, here's where he tells you that he sees you as a friend or sibling or whatever else.

"I think you mean more to me than anybody I've ever met does. I only met you about a year ago, and yet since then, I can't even begin to count all of the things you've done for me- the ways you've made me feel... But... were you... Were you talking about dating?" He's hesitant and wildly bashful, which you can't help but be worried by. In an ideal situation, he'd just tell you he loves you, and you'd, I don't know, get married or something.

"Leon... I'm sorry I said it, it's ok that you don't feel the same... Can we just stay friends please?" Your eyes drop to the floor beside Leon, unable to even look at any part of him. You feel guilty and awkward, and regret opening your mouth two minutes ago.

You also feel Leon's gentle, large hand cupping your cheek, slowly guiding you to look back up at his kind eyes and reassuring smile. "I feel the same. I love you, I just thought I had no chance with you, you know? And I wasn't ready, but now..." His other hand cups your face, and he stoops a little to look up into your eyes, giving himself to you, "I really really want you, and I'm ready to admit it."

There's a small silence as you feel your eyes well up. Leon notices and quickly melts, face softening as you bewitch him and he sighs, giggling "Ahhhhh, look at you! You're just so amazing..." he seems stunned, gazing on at you in awe. To him, you were all 8 natural wonders of the world and more, and he decided to prove it by getting a little cocky.

"Sooo... did you wanna date me?? Maybe get on my d-"

"Yes, Leon, Yes I do want to go out with you" you breathe, quickly cutting him off before he can take your beautiful moment to any kind of low. Perhaps that was his plan. As soon as he gets your confirmation, his smile crowds his reddened cheeks and he pulls you in for a soft, lingering kiss.

At first, he's shy, cupping your face tenderly as if afraid you'll leave, but as you wrap your arms around him and pull him close, he cuddles into you. You fuse together, relishing in the others' touch and warmth, smiling into the kiss you share before pulling away to further confess your love to one another.

What a start to the morning. It's 11am, Leon Kennedy is your boyfriend, and he's impatiently waiting outside your bedroom door for you to be ready. Ready for what? Ready for a whole day of being paraded around as his partner.

Aaaand then a whole week of it...

And then a whole month...

And so on.

Funny how time flies!

Hi! Sorry I come out with fics so rarely now! I'm kinda lazy! I don't intend to do another part for this fic! But that's just cuz I think others need one a bit more desperately! I hope you liked it I really do! No ideea where I was going (I'm saying that too much lately!) Anyway hope you enjoyed cute wholesome Leon! Sorry if it didn't go as you want! Please message to ask for stuff maybe! Thanks for reading I love you bye!

[purrfectwriting]

I saw you collecting posts and inspiration for a cyberpunk (?) story with the title / concept (?) Shifting Gears.

Since I know less about that than Compromised. How would Raina and Iskander's stories shift in that setting?

Hello!!

FIRSTLY, thank you so much for the ask this is so sweet!! ❤️❤️

and yes!!! it is a cyberpunk story!

For context, Shifting Gears is a cyberpunk story concept I came up with years ago, which starts off with the world descending into chaos. In the chaos, Pixie Technologies (a large conglomerate) offered jobs and shelter and food for anyone who needed it, only asking for their employees and anyone under the company to dedicate all their resources and lives to the company in return.

In the future, the world has stabilized largely and has a epicenter in Pixicity (where the headquarters of Pixie Technologies sits) which appears to be a utopia on the surface. Within however, there are people who see the faults of the company, with some moving away to the nearby city of Azaadi. Azaadi is known for being one of the few cities who were successfully able to fend off Pixie Technologies' move in with their new tech and houses, by making a deal to offer their crops, resources and minerals in exchange for Pixie Tech to leave their environment as is. In the plot idea I had, I envisioned one of the workers in Pixicity stumbling upon Azaadi and realizing there may be more to their life and the world than what Pixie Technologies has shown them.

For Raina and Iskander in this setting, hmmm, I can imagine Iskander being a resident of Azaadi as his family tends to live on the outskirts of the city so I can see that happening for this story as well! For Raina, I could see her being one of the citizens of Pixicity and being oblivious to the horrors underneath the city and then only realizing how awful it is when she loses her job.

I'd like to imagine in this setting, they both meet when Iskander goes to Pixicity to drop off resources and Raina meets him as she's the one assigned to make sure all the resources are in place and meet the company's requirements. I think it would take longer for them to get to know each other in this setting as rather than Iskander and Raina bring brought together for a purpose like in Compromised (bodyguard and princess). In this one, they would have to find each other on purpose which makes it sweeter in my opinion!

I hope this makes sense and I will answer your 2nd ask in a bit as well! THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH FOR ASKING, it was so fun delving back into Shifting Gears as I haven't thought about it beyond world building ideas, so this was lovely, thank you!!

[mimisempai]

Dreamling Masterlist

THE BEGINNING OF HOB AND DREAM

The beginning of something new 

Something new but not unknown

You are the reason I will always come back

A reality sweeter than the dream

My world is always brighter when you smile

You don't have to hide your tears anymore

You are the reason I don’t want to die

You are my strength

The music of your heart heals my aching soul 

You are enough

I don't want to wait a hundred years anymore

Let's build our happiness on the ashes of our bad memories

A new dawn

My heart blooms with the touch of your love 

 I don’t want to hide what you mean to me

You are not the sum of your mistakes

See big sister, I love and I am loved 

Missing you comes in waves and tonight I’m drowning

Let me hear your deepest needs 

You're not alone anymore

Every evidence of your presence is precious

You are my only safe place

Something of you on me

As long as the sun rises, there is hope

Unforgettable, that’s what we are

My sweet Lord

You scars tell me how beautiful you are

All you have to do is ask

The one who can read me like an open book

Let our love create new memories

Even in my dreams, I still miss you

We don't need to be perfect, we just need to be happy

As if you were wearing me on you

The day you were born was the first step towards my happiness

The taste of your lips

Worth all the waiting

All these little things

It feels like home

Look at yourself through my eyes and you'll know why I love you

In every form, I'll always want to save you

You’re the light in my darkest hours 

I want to grant all your secret desires

You have the heart of a poet 

Love notes written in your flesh

I miss you in ways that not even words can understand

My love for you blossoms every day

You are my favorite serendipity

Dear Hob

The destination doesn't matter if I'm traveling with you

The secret ingredient is always love

No trick, no treat, just love

Leaning on me does not make you weak

Help me to forget

Let my voice lull you to sleep

Even in your dreams, I will protect you

I want to see all of you

Mine to love and to protect

In my dreams I hear your call

Fragile

You only have to let your heart speak

It doesn't matter how we were, what matters is how we are.

My favorite kiss

My favorite moment of the day

Don't stop believing in yourself

It was always there

You are my only reality

Never alone again

You have the right to grieve

You're the only one I see

Everything is new and different with you

The happiness we deserve

I don’t want to say goodbye

No matter what, I’ll still choose you

Perfect for each other

All those words I didn't tell you

Absolute trust

Claimed

A new year full of promises

Home

Even in the smallest things

We’ve come full circle

Family Bliss

The music of our hearts

Intoxicated with you

Give me everything

Whatever it takes

I want it all

The one who knows me

The best part of the day

Let me carry some of your burden

You will always be my priority

Sweet Mornings

Healing kisses

So much to live for

Content

Proud of you

A picture of happiness

THE LIFE OF A RETIRED LORD OF DREAMS

MULTI-CHAPTER FANFICS

I wish you could stay a little longer 6/6 - Complete

Chap 1

Chap 2

Chap 3

Chap 4

Chap 5

Chap 6

If it's not love, then what is it? Ongoing

Chap 1

Chap 2

Chap 3

Chap 4

Meet me where the sky touches the sea 3/3 - Complete

Chap 1

Chap 2

Chap 3

DRABBLES

Irresistible

Just because you’re you 

The one who knows me

A nectar worthy of a god

Make a wish

I know you

A match in heaven

My oath

Sometimes it only takes a few words

Fire

Give

Thankful

Kind

Outside

Jump

Friendship

Love

Believe

Hope

Faith

Focus

Clean

Work

CHRISTMAS STORIES

Since I met you, life has been smooth skating.

It's already perfect if it's with you

I will always be there for you

With a little help from our friends

My Dreamling fics on AO3

[skania]

Thoughts on Tommy & Lizzie in S6 (Part 1)

Following this post on S5, a kind anon asked for my thoughts on Tommy & Lizzie in S6, so here it goes!

I ended up having way more to say than I thought, so instead of going through every TommyLizzie scene individually, I’ll try to group them into a few different categories.

This post will contain tons of images, and spoilers for the entirety of Season 5 and Season 6!

To begin, I’d say that while I found S5 very rewarding Tommy/Lizzie wise, if I had to sum S6 in one word, I’d probably pick “bittersweet”.

You see, the thing about Season 5 is that I deeply enjoyed seeing Tommy’s feelings for Lizzie creep-up on him. Tommy didn’t willingly embrace his feelings for Lizzie, he fought and denied them until he ran out of excuses. In that regard, it was incredibly satisfying to watch Tommy’s actions and reactions give him away throughout S5, unintentionally betraying the callousness that he tried to portray every time Lizzie got under his skin; every time he felt for her more than he was comfortable with.

When, by the end of Season 5, Lizzie has carved her rightful place by Tommy’s side and Tommy is swearing war on Mosley because he dared to speak badly to Lizzie, it’s rewarding. It feels earned.

And I think that’s the biggest difference between Season 5 and Season 6 to me, TommyLizzie-wise. Where Season 5 builds them up and delivers sweet pay-off, Season 6 practically exists only to bring them down.

And it’s bittersweet.

Take the first scene they share together, for example. The way Lizzie reacts to Tommy’s  attempt immediately reminded me of the way Tommy reacted to Arthur’s all the way back when. 

Lizzie is kinder than Tommy, sweeter, more open; but she’s tough as nails. More than that, she is a good learner. And you can see all the ways Lizzie has learnt little tricks from Tommy, specially those that help her guard her own heart. Like the way she tried to mask her hurt by talking business back in Season 5.

But these similarities stablish something that goes much deeper. 

Their phone-call in Season 1 is shot beautifully. While speaking to each other, they move as if they’re the same person. Tommy reaches of a cigarette, Lizzie lights it; both smoke it.

The way the scene is built is slow and deliberate and meant to show their synchronicity. It doesn’t matter that they’re in different places, they’re connected because their heart is in the same place. They want a future together with their kids. They’re practically an extension of each other, now.

Which comes with its downfalls, too, because whatever brings Tommy down will unavoidably bring Lizzie down as well.

It’s also ironic, because I feel like that single phone-call was their one moment of bliss throughout the entire season. Nothing is ever perfect with Tommy, so there’s a prostitute on Tommy’s bed; but much like Lizzie accepted this side of Tommy and struck a deal with him, us as the audience are prompted to ignore the blurry lady on the bed and focus on what actually matters, Tommy and Lizzie. Their family.

In any case, I feel like that call was their one genuine moment of bliss because after this, there are a multitude of shadows hanging over them.

Which takes me to...

The way they know each other

Tommy looks so happy to see his family. This is probably the happiest we see him since S1, as far as I remember. But it’s short lived because even when Lizzie and Tommy share a hug, Tommy is full of tension. He is bracing himself.

Lizzie isn’t the only one who has learnt to know Tommy like the back of her hand, Tommy knows Lizzie, too. And he knows that she isn’t going to be pleased with his one-sided decision to take Ruby to see a doctor before spending any sort of meaningful time with the kids.

But Tommy being Tommy, instead of discussing this with Lizzie beforehand, he just makes the decision and hopes she will play along. This is one of his recurrent mistakes, and it’s also ultimately his downfall with Lizzie, though I’ll get to this later.

We can see something similar in the scene they share at the hospital. It’s rather sad, because Tommy cares very little for himself but Lizzie cares so much about him. And Tommy quite literally doesn’t know how to deal with it.

That’s part of what’s irking her. Not only that he’s making a mountain out of a molehill, but that he’s driving himself nuts over it. That as usual, Tommy is finding ways to wreck himself. That instead of thinking of going on a holiday with his family and making memories with them, Tommy is turning Ruby’s cold into another battle to be fought.

This time, when Lizzie shares her exasperation and her concerns, Tommy reassures her. He reaches out, caresses her face, tells her that they’ll spend time together. Lizzie had asked him do you feel anything? and this was Tommy’s way to tell her that he does. His way of telling her that he feels for her, specifically.

But Lizzie’s tired, and turns the tables on him, reminding him of the way he has been making her feel.

Much like during the hug, Tommy immediately closes off after this. His attempt at placating Lizzie, at communicating with her, completely failed. Tommy’s frustrated and exasperated and he doesn’t try again. He knows he is at fault, but he’s keeping his eyes on this “last mission” they have to do. He figures he’ll have the time to make amends with Lizzie later.

He hasn’t yet realized that he is running out of time, in more ways than one.

The scene where he comes back home after “avenging” Ruby only to find Lizzie waiting for him is fantastic. The moment he enters the room, Lizzie tells him she knows where he’s been. Tommy sits down, wordlessly, because she is right. He hasn’t told her a thing, yet Lizzie still knows.

It’s S5′s bedroom scene all over again. Tommy would like nothing more than for Lizzie to not read him so well. For Lizzie to not see every deed he has done spelled all over his face. 

But the great thing here is that, it goes both ways. Lizzie has not said anything yet, but Tommy knows she doesn’t like what he did. Much like he knew Lizzie wouldn’t like him taking Ruby to that doctor in Episode 1.

So Tommy tries to change the subject, talks about Churchill, about wanting to help find a cure for Consumption. But Lizzie won’t have it. The saddest part is that despite her disappointment and her grief, Lizzie still worries for him.

When Tommy finally loses that cool façade of his, we get another parallel to Season 5. He admits to killing a woman and three man and says their bodies “will be thrown” aboard “a boat”, and that he’s stepping off that boat and into a different one.

The boat of his guilt, the boat of his crimes, of his misdeeds. We know this because this is what the boat represented in Season 5.

But Lizzie asks the right question.

She is concerned that he will cross a line that he won’t be able to come back from. And as per usual, Lizzie is ultimately right.

But before Tommy crosses that line, we get this scene.

They’re both hurt, both reeling from Ruby’s loss and coping in different ways. Lizzie exteriorizes her pain, Tommy buries it by overworking himself. But in this scene, they connect again. Lizzie realizes that Tommy’s kept the type-writer he gave her all these years, the one that irrevocably made Lizzie a part of the Peaky Blinders family.

She also sees the burnt chair and his mourning for Ruby. When she reaches out to touch him, hesitantly but also firmly, her touch means a lot of things at once.

And the poignant thing here is that Tommy understands it all without Lizzie needing to say a word.

He also adresses what Lizzie told him earlier, once again showing that Lizzie’s words always linger. They always reach him, even when he would rather them not to.

This scene is also important because it stablishes something else. It shows us that while they may have lost Ruby, both of them want to get through this together. 

When Tommy still had a choice, he chose to stay with Lizzie just like Lizzie chose to stay with him.

Which, of course, only makes everything that comes next more tragic. 

The Parallels

It’s such a great call-back, because it shows that was what true then is still true now. But it also contextualizes that first moment. The way Tommy trusted Lizzie with the combination to the safe in Season 3 was special. It did mean something. 

Then, there’s this.

Tommy only stops when Lizzie asks him to. Once again, Lizzie is able to clear his head from that “which needs clearing out”. The way he has enough presence of mind to apologize to her was also very meaningful.

He does the same thing in Episode 1, too - apologize to her after his outburst. And later in the finale, he asks Charlie to apologize to her in his stead.

It’s interesting, because hurting Lizzie is the last thing Tommy wants this season. But there’s a certain air of despondency to him, almost like he expects that whether he wants to or not, he is going to end up hurting her either way.

And sadly, he isn’t wrong. This parallel in particular is the perfect example of it. Despite his good intentions, Tommy sadly keeps failing her when she needs him the most.

Lizzie even brings this up when she finally leaves. 

It’s tragic.

The Curse

The way I cheered when Tommy said this aloud. That scene of Tommy hallucinating Grace in his office was one of my favorites in Season 5, because it’s the scene that spelled out Tommy’s love for Lizzie. It spelled out that he fears that he will bring her harm and just how much that weights on him. That it terrifies him to the point he has an episode.

And here, we finally get Tommy admitting this aloud. Not only that he feels that he is a curse, but that putting Lizzie through all of this is his biggest regret. 

Let that sink in. Tommy’s life is nothing but a run-on sentence of bad choices. He genuinely hardly made a good choice throughout the series, and even when he did, his choices always had a way of bringing people harm.

Yet, out of all of his regrets, hurting Lizzie is his biggest one. In all honesty, this is a bigger love declaration than him actually telling her he loves her lol

I also love how it’s ultimately Lizzie that helps define what Tommy’s curse actually entails.

He may not have any limitations, but there is a limit to how much the people around him will tolerate from him. And ultimately, it’s this that makes him lose Lizzie.

His Sickness

Tommy finding out that he is sick automatically takes away all of his hopes for the future, and pretty much every scene he shares with Lizzie after the revelation references this.

My favorite part though is the way Lizzie enters the scene right after Tommy asks the doctor how long he has before he “needs people around” who “love him very much”. 

It establishes that this particular phrase refers to her. She is the one who will suffer the most through Tommy’s condition, because she’s the one that has been picking him up for some time, now.

So, when Tommy says this to Arthur, he is absolutely talking about Lizzie. The way Tommy even changes the wording to “who may or may not love me” is really poignant, because Lizzie has left him by then.

And Tommy dreads that. He doesn’t want that for her, whether Lizzie loves him or not, because the doctor told him it won’t be pretty. Just like he tells Arthur, Tommy feels it would be cruel to Lizzie and to himself.

So of course, when Lizzie leaves him, Tommy doesn’t fight it. It isn’t only that he feels that he only brings her harm, but that he knows there is no future that he can offer her.

Tommy knows that if he were to tell Lizzie about his sickness, Lizzie would stay. She is kind that way, she loves him that much.

So, his way of honoring her - of loving her - is to let her go.

Charlie

He does the same thing with Charlie.

Despite how it pains him to part ways with his son, Tommy respects his choice and lets him go with Lizzie because he knows it’s what would be best for him.

He also knows it’s what would be best for Lizzie, because by now, Charlie is as hers as he is his.

In this season, we see Tommy ask Charlie to be there for Lizzie twice, and both times it’s when Tommy can’t be there for her himself. He wants Charlie to be what he couldn’t be, the best version of himself.

Okay, I think this post got way too image-heavy so I’ll split it in two to be safe. Specially because there’s a lot to say about the Diana and Mosley situation, not to mention Tommy/Lizzie’s last scenes lol

If anyone read this far, thank you for your time!

[usedpidemo]

Paper Rings (Kim Chaewon)

(This isn't a smut. Sorry in advance!)

————————————

“I love you, Kim Chaewon.”

You get on one knee right in front of me. From the pockets of your coat you present a blue box and reveal a diamond ring within. Your eyes sparkle and glimmer with the same bright glow as your crown jewel. This is the moment you’ve long waited for. Even before the words your heart wants to say, you can’t help but cry a waterfall.

“I can’t keep this to myself any longer. I want to spend the rest of my days with you. I want to love you all my life. I want you to bear my children and share in building a family together.” You take a deep breath. The tears won’t stop falling. Even so, your grin is as wide as your heart. “So…Kim Chaewon, will you marry me?”

“Yes,” I reply back as my eyes begin to weep too. My joy finally breaks open. “I’d love to be with you! Yes, yes, yes! Of course I want to marry you!”

Seeing the happiness on my face makes you bow and thank your god in gratitude. You grin at me, me at you. What a perfect day.

Then you rise to my level and wrap me the warmest embrace I’ve ever had. We’ve never felt any happier.

—————

Six months later…

I look down at my left hand and smile. Whenever I see the ring on my finger, my memories flash back to the day you proposed to me. Simply magical. The days can’t go by any quicker. Most of our time has been spent on pouring our love out. So many dates and intimate, passionate moments together. No one else. Just us.

We’ve kept this secret to ourselves, much how they’ve kept me out of the public eye. Soon, they’ll see me again.

Only our family and closest friends will see us together in marriage before then. There isn’t much left before I’m an idol again. Until then, we promise to relish the time we have.

“Hey Chaechae.” Your lovely voice snaps me back to reality. Watching me recollect makes you feel warm and causes you to smile. “You’ve got practice today, right?”

I nod. “Yeah, why?”

“I wasn’t sure if it was today or tomorrow. Just to make sure.”

“Oh, you’re such a forgetful man.” I playfully tap you on the shoulder. “Practice is today, silly. Remember when you almost forgot my birthday present until Minju reminded you?”

“Please don’t remind me about that.” You roll your eyes in response and let out a disgruntled groan. I laugh heartily at your priceless reaction. It’s these small moments of banter that make the connection much sweeter.

Then you take me by surprise when you wrap me from behind with your arms. Afterward, you press your forehead against mine with a gummy smile.

“I love you,” you mumble on my right cheek. I can feel it blush brightly.

“I love you too,” is my response. Then I turn my head towards you and meet your lips in a deep, fervent kiss. Most days, you’d start to play with the fabric of my shirt and end up in bed all of a sudden, but not today.

When you break the smooch, I see something strange. As you gently pull away, I find a sudden shift in the expression of your eyes. Are you hiding something from me? I hope not. Perhaps I’m just overly paranoid. Everything about our relationship has been going along smoothly. A little too much, in fact.

“We’ve got dance practice until 7 and vocals until 9, so I won’t be home until 10 at the very least,” I say as I hold your hands firmly. The small worry in your eyes persists, even as I give you a peck on the cheek.

“What’s wrong, baby?” I ask with concern.

“Nothing.” The taut inflection of your voice tells me the exact opposite, but I don’t know what exactly is going on.

“Are you sure?” I lightly brush your cheek with my thumb. “You can tell me everything, love.”

You shake your head. “N-not really. Just some family issues I have to worry about. This isn’t your concern.”

I look at the wall clock and looking at the time, I jolt up from my seat. It’s time for me to go. “See you later, babe.”

“Bye, dear.” You wave and slap me in the ass. This causes me to yelp and turn around in annoyance.

“Don’t do that!” The words come out of my mouth as if they were an automatic response. You chuckle and grin like a mischievous child.

“Sorry,” you manage to utter before you lose control of your laughter again. That face of yours deserves quite a hard smack in retaliation.

“Sure you are,” I reply sarcastically as I roll my eyes. Guess we’re both even. I turn around and leave for real this time.

—————

Once I arrive at the practice room, there’s no one in sight. Unusual, considering it’s practice day. I look around for a moment and after a round scouting around the empty space, the door opens. A familiar face enters and spots me with raised eyebrows.

“Chaewon? I wasn’t expecting you to show up today! Or anyone for that matter.”

“Sakura!” I run towards her then greet her with a bow and a friendly hug. “Where’s everyone?”

“Practice got called off today, did you not check the group chat? One of the members got sick.”

My eyes widen. I’m not really up to date on chats. But then I wonder, why is she here then?

“Oh? Then what are you doing here, then?” I ask my friend.

“Me? Just giving my friend a tour around the building.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Friend?”

She turns around and walks out of the practice room. I follow her and to my surprise, she’s holding hands with a man.

“My friend! Or should I say, boyfriend. Why don’t you say hi, Flor?” She points her hand towards me and he gives a quiet, but innocent wave.

“I didn’t know you had a boyfriend too!” I approach the two and offer my hand towards him for a handshake. He takes a moment to look at her, which she meets with a nod, then back to me before reciprocating. “How long have you been together?”

“About four months,” she says. “Your secret relationship inspired us to do the same, so we’d like to thank you for that.”

“Eh, that wasn’t really our idea. But congratulations!”

Sakura cups his chin then directs his face towards for a quick kiss. “We’re very excited for your marriage. Anyway, we’ll be going out tonight to watch a movie and have dinner at this rooftop restaurant. Apparently the waiting period for this is two months! You can go home early.”

We exchange another hug and wave goodbye to each other before I leave. Just before I drive home, I pull out my phone from my pocket and make a quick text. More time with you is always nice.

>Ssamu: Practice got called off today. I’ll be home soon <3

—————

No response. Now there’s clearly something unusual happening. You’d always text me if you go out, but the lights are on inside the house. It’s quiet. Eerily calm. The television’s always on whenever you’re home, but tonight it’s not. Sometimes a friend of yours would stop by, but the place’s mostly empty. No chatter, no rumble of whatever sports is on, it’s deadly silent. I sigh. I check my phone and take a long look at the photo of us as my lock screen.

As I enter the room, I call out your name. Again, nothing. The ceiling fan’s running and there’s plates on the dining table. Two of them. My fear starts to grow. It can’t be, right?

Then I hear a scream from upstairs. Someone yelling out your name. This is not a party game. Rather, a whine.

“Fuck! You’re so—” Suddenly I hear you scream. My eyes grow into saucers. I can feel my heart beat out my chest rapidly. Slowly I take cautious steps up the house. I want to believe this is just a dream. An elaborate lie. A nightmare. Dreams aren’t real, right?

As I approach the second floor, I take deep, heavy breaths. The groaning and moaning grows louder with each step. So does the creak of the bed. My mind recalls your expressions from earlier. The anxiousness in your eyes, the constant worrisome tone, the distant feelings you’ve had for a couple of weeks—it all makes sense now.

A brown, oak door has never looked so daunting.

With a shaky hand I reach for the door knob, then turn it slowly. It opens. I am greeted by my worst nightmare. The horror is real.

Jo Yuri tied up in bed with you on top of her.

Both of you turn to look at me with shocked, widened eyes and slacked jaws. All I can do is walk away and leave with tears streaming down my face and a huge lump on my throat.

I have to be strong. I can’t let you win. I won’t let you win.

—————

With a deep breath and renewed resolve, I walk into the store and approach the counter.

“What’s your return policy on engagement rings?”

(A/N: Read something like this years ago and suddenly remembered I haven't written something sad or angsty in a while. I also decided to switch up the POV because I thought it'd fit the suspense much better. Sorry to all the Chaewon's meow meows everywhere, haha!)

[americancowgirl19]

Who You Were, Are, and Will Be

Summary: You meet Jasper Hale and fall in love.

Warnings: fluff, angst

Reader: Gender Neutral Reader

Pairings: Jasper x Gender Neutral Reader

Word Count: 2,231

A/n: This is a request by @marilynmonroefanfics​ :Since I'm in a Twilight mood (sorry about it😜) I really really want a Jasper Hale x male reader. The male reader is Bella's younger brother, he doesn't talk a lot and is rather shy, understanding that the spotlight is always on his sister. He is Jasper's mate 'La tua cantante' and his blood is even sweeter and more attractive then Bella's (fuck that bitch). Bella doesn't really like her brother, she's not mean, she just ignores and gets annoyed by him. I was thinking that when Bella meets the Cullens, he goes with her and Edward, since Edward quite likes him. That sexy cowboy Jasper, is a gentleman and so sweet, and tries his best to behave. He also let's in accent come out more (Edward told him male reader liked it a lot), He he is quite protective of male reader and calls him sweet nicknames and stuff (darlin', I love that man's accent) Rosalie, even though she doesnt like to admit it, develops a cute relationship with him. You can build up to it of course, hope this is enough. Oh! And because male reader doesn't talk a lot, when he does talk people are shock sine it's like an angel😜... So, when I wrote this I had a male reader in mind but when I reread it I realized it could be gender neutral so everyone can enjoy. This is my second attempt at writing it but I hope you like it!

Masterlist

The day you officially met the Cullen family changed your life. You knew of the Cullen children from school but you had never actually met them save for Edward. Your sister, Bella, is quite infatuated with him.

A little bit into their relationship Edward invited her to his house. The invitation extended to you. You agreed because despite the fact that you rarely spoke you had an almost unquenchable curiosity. It's one of the only things you and your sister had in common.

You wanted to know about the Cullens. You knew they were vampires but you didn't know what was real and what was myth. You also wanted to see a particular Cullen sibling... Jasper.

You've seen Jasper at school. He kept to himself and never left his siblings. Despite never having even talked to him nor heard his voice you developed a bit of a crush on him. How couldn't you? In your opinion, he was far better looking than Edward and far more intriguing.

When you learned Edward could read your mind you remember blushing madly. He teased you about your crush on his brother and joked about how hurt he was that you thought Jasper was better than him. Above all the jesting he wanted to get the pair of you together. He never told you but Jasper was just as interested in you as you were of him.

When you weren't stealing glances at him during the school day he was watching you. He was slowly becoming obsessed with your scent and the need to know you. He fought his instincts. He didn't want to involve you in this life like Edward had done to Bella. He wanted you to live a normal life without him. He wanted you to stay safe.

He was convinced that no one around him was ever truly safe. He knew his siblings could protect themselves and knew Edward would look after Bella. But who would look after you? Who would protect you from himself if he attempted to get close to you? He didn't want to risk it no matter how tempting you were.

The two of you were at an impasse. You were too shy to approach him and he was too stubborn. Yet the both of you wanted to get to know the other more. Edward found the conflicting thoughts in both of your heads frustrating. Thus pushing him to invite you to tag along with him and Bella.

You road in the back seat as Edward took you both to his home. The closer you got the more anxious you became. You tried to calm down because you knew Jasper would be able to sense your anxiety. Edward had explained a little bit about his brother to you but not much. You wanted to find out about Jasper on your own but Edward told you what he thought was important for you to know going into the introduction.

The last thing you wanted was to make him uncomfortable. You didn't want to scare him away but you found it difficult to control your emotions.

"Just relax, he's going to love you," Edward said, opening your door at the same time he opened Bella's.

"It's incredible," Bella says, ignoring you as the three of you enter the house. Edward smiles taking her coat. You look around and silently agree with her. "It's so light and open, you know?"

"What'd you expect? Coffins, dungeons and moats?" He asks.

You briefly picture it and Edward laughs seeing the image in his mind.

"No, not the moats," Bella awkwardly jokes.

"Not the moats," Edward laughs.

You follow behind them. You take everything in at your own pace. The continue upstairs before heading into the kitchen.

"Bella, Y/n, we're making Italiano for you," A woman, you assume to be their mother, steps up.

"This is Esme, my mother for all intents and purposes," Edward explains.

"Given us the excuse to use the kitchen for the first time," Carlisle mentions.

"I hope you're hungry,"

"Yeah, absolutely," Bella nods. You nod as well.

"They already ate," Edward sells out. You send him a glare, mentally scolding him for being so rude. You flinch when Rosalie breaks a glass bowl and glares at the two of you.

"Perfect," Rose snaps.

"Well, it's just I-I know you guys don't eat," Bella tries to explain.

"Of course, it's very considerate of you," Esme smiles.

"Just ignore her, I do," Edward mutters which just further antagonizes Rosalie. It isn't until a few more awkward moments later that Jasper finally shows up with his sister Alice.

Alice instantly greets Bella while your eyes fall on Jasper. His eyes are locked with yours. Neither of you can find the strength to look away. You don't even notice the small smile tilting on your lips until he mimics it.

From there a slow, slightly rocky, relationship evolves. Jasper doesn't keep so much distance anymore. He talks and accepts your company more often.

You took longer to get comfortable. Jasper had to coax you out. Something he enjoyed doing. He loved flirting with you. He loved the blush on your cheeks and the shyness in your eyes. He was quickly falling in love with you, he just needed you to open up to him.

When you finally did just as he wanted, everything became better. You begin asking him every question that comes to mind. Some are silly but some are serious. He answers all of them with complete honesty. No matter how gruesome some details of his past are, he hides nothing from you.

You surprise him by how accepting you are. You take everything he throws at you in stride. By the end of the school year the two of you are attached to the hip. You're worse than Bella and Edward. There's rarely a room where one of you occupies it without the other.

The more you spent with him the more you spent with his family. As much as Jasper tried to keep you to himself, Alice wouldn't let him. Alice forced him to share you. He refused to let her take you from him completely.

Together, you both formed a strong relationship with the family. Jasper had been with the Cullens a long time but it wasn't until you arrived that he actively became a member of the clan.

Esme had actually thanked you for bringing him closer to the others. You helped strengthen the family. Something you sister was envious of but you didn't care. In fact, had it not been for her relationship with Edward, you wouldn't have talked to her since getting involved with Jasper.

Bella was never really a sister to you. The only think connecting you both was the fact that you came from the same parents and grew up in the same home. In reality, Alice and Rosalie were more your sisters than her.

While Alice enjoyed both of your companies, Rosalie simply preferred you. Your presence was more tolerable than your sisters. The two of you often gossiped while Emmett and Jasper bonded a few steps away.

Rosalie loved talking to you. Your mind was so intriguing. Not to mention she was obsessed with the sound of your voice. She wasn't the only one. You rarely talked outside of the family but when you did it was incredibly soothing and calming.

You didn't understand why the loved the sound of it so much. To you, Jasper had the best voice. You just loved how it would dip at certain times and how his accent would sometimes show through. You found it incredibly sexy. You wished he would never stop talking, especially to you.

As much as you loved him talking, you adored him whispering. You loved it when he held you close and whispered everything under the sun in your ear. Sometimes it would be a simple 'Good mornin' darlin'' or an 'evenin sweetheart' and sometimes he'd whisper 'You know what I wanna do when we're alone, darling?'. Oh, how you loved it when he spoke filthy things in your ear.

Your relationship abruptly changes on your sisters 18th birthday. Everything was going smoothly until she cuts her finger. Jasper looses himself for only a moment but that moment does plenty of damage.

The next thing that you know the Cullen's are leaving town. Jasper's leaving you. Edward left Bella as well but at least your sister got a goodbye. You got nothing but his absence.

Whereas Bella fell straight into depression you became angry. Your entire body was constantly filled with this rage. You didn't know what to do with it. You love Jasper with all of your heart and he just left without a word.

You didn't want to end up like Bella but you weren't much better. She gave into her sadness, you gave into your anger. You became a much different person. A person a lot of people were afraid of.

You got into fights. You’ve been suspended. You avoided you sister and mother while arguing with your father on an almost daily basis. It got to the point where your father began to actively avoid you while doting on your sister.

You grew tired of your life. You hated being angry all the time. You hated not having the loving family connection you used to get from the Cullens. You missed the Cullens and you hate who you’ve become without them.

One day, you snap. You pack you things and grab all the money you’ve saved. You steal the keys to Bella’s truck and leave Forks.

The time you spent with Jasper you learned a lot about the Cullens. It took you a while to pick up their trail but you found help. You made it to Alaska where the Denali coven were waiting for you.

Alice had called them. She told them everything. She had seen you decision to leave home to find Jasper. She knew you wouldn’t stop until you found him.

You were surprised with how close you became with the Alaskan coven in such a short amount of time. You were more confident and less shy than you had been when you met the Cullens. But you were also more tempered and cynical. 

They accepted you and fed you. You stayed with them for only a few weeks but they managed to earn a place in your heart. They send you toward the Cullen’s with some food, clothes and more money to get you to your family.

When you arrived to the new town they were staying in Alice found you at a gas station. You were filling up the truck when she approached you. Neither of you said anything at first. When you saw her all you wanted to do was hug her, so you did.

She held you tightly and apologized profusely in your ear. You didn’t want her apologies. You just wanted your family back. You wanted Jasper.

Alice told you she knew where he was. The pair of you got into the truck and she directed you to a college where Jasper had been taking classes at. Alice told you to wait in a certain area before leaving.

You just had to wait 15 more minutes before he showed up. He spotted you instantly and froze. You approached him, thankful that he didn’t run off.

“You just going to stand there?” You ask, standing in front of him. You notice how tense his body is. His hands are crushing the books he’s holding. You just wanted to soothe him. “Look, I came all this way and -” You don’t get to finish.

He frees a hand to wrap around the back of your neck. He pulls your lips to his. The familiar coolness of his body wraps around you. Your hands go to his chest and you lean into him.

“I love you,” He whispers. You smile pulling him into a hug.

“If you ever leave me again I’ll find a way to kill a vampire,” You promise. He grins and tightens his grip around you.

“You’re never leavin my sight, darlin,” He promises, kissing your shoulder before nuzzling into your neck.

As annoying as that promise turned out to be you were just glad Jasper didn’t push you away. You spent every waking and sleeping hour with him save for when he had to hunt. Neither of you could get enough of the other. You were far more insufferable than you had been before.

But neither of you were the same before the split. Jasper had gained more control over himself and became more possessive over you. It wasn’t a huge change on his end but you were convinced you were a completely different person compared to who he had fallen in love with.

You were more mature and serious. You had a confidence to accompany your quietness. You had a temper with your insecurities. You lashed out, you argued more but Jasper never left. He handled everything you threw at him because he loves you.

Every time those doubts crept into your mind he assured you of how much he loved you. Every time he would tell you that he loved who you were but he loves who you are more and he looks forward to loving who you will be in the future.

[huntergatherercreator]

Hello :) I was wondering if I could make a not so interesting request and I hope you don't mind 😅 So, like reader has kids with mob Tom Holland and you can decide the genders and number of kids they have and stuff and how would the whole family react to one of reader's friends constantly pursuing reader's love and when reader tells them that she's married and has kids, the lil shit is like "It's all right, just divorce them'' I have a feeling no one will be taking this lightly.....

Hey! I LOVED this idea!! I did switch it up to a co-worker because that's the first thing I thought of when I read this but I can definitely see him grudgingly having to put up with a childhood friend who just won't quit trying to make the reader see how in love with them they are. I feel like I need to write that too now....

Hope you're having a great day, take care and stay safe lovey 💜💜

----

Warnings: Some swearing, and super sleaze ball energy

1,389 words

“It’s just drinks,” you laughed as Tom buried his face into your neck with a sigh. You focused on the mirror, touching up your hair and smoothing over your outfit. It was just drinks but it was with your new work team. You’d all only met last week and you’d suggested a night out as a team building exercise. Nothing broke the new job nerves better than alcohol and bad karaoke.

Tweaking his curls you smiled as Tom reluctantly met your gaze in the mirror.

“You say that, but you’re not the one being left with the terrible two,” he grumbled.

You turned to cup his face, laughing at his small pout and chocolate puppy dog eyes.

“Is my big bad mob boss afraid of a couple teenagers?” you teased.

“I’m not afraid of them,” he growled. “I just don’t understand them. All I get are grunts and sighs from Thomas and with Katelyn its like she speaks a different language all together.” Hands wrapping around your waist he pulled you tight against him.

“Plus, you look too stunning to be let out without a chaperone. I think I need to come with you.” His hands wandered to your backside, fingers creeping down to lift the hem of your dress. “Or, you could stay home,” he purred seductively as he gripped the bare skin of your thighs.

As much as you didn’t want to you wriggled out of his grip. “We’ll have plenty of time for that when I get home.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” he winked.

A horn blared from outside and you cursed, you didn’t want to be late. Tom deftly swept you into your jacket and handed you your purse.

“Have a good time, darling,” he said as you kissed him on the cheek quickly. With an appalled huff, he reeled you in for a proper kiss, holding you captive until the taxi beeped their horn again.

“I won’t be late. Have fun,” you called over your shoulder as you hurried out the front door.

----

The bar was packed already and you were struggling to find your table when a heavy hand landed on the small of your back.

“It’s Y/N right?” Relieved you found yourself staring up at one of your new co-workers. Your brain faltered for a second before finding his name.

“Max?” He smiled in a cocky overconfident way before leaning in closer.

“You can call me whatever you like, sweetheart.” You grimaced a smile, subtly inching back from him as the stench of his cologne clouded around you.

“Where’s the team table?” you asked, pointedly turning away and scanning the room again.

“It’s in the back corner.” When you moved in the direction he’d indicated he caught your arm. “The table service is pretty slow, if you want a drink we can get one from the bar.”

“I’m happy to wait. I’m going to go re-introduce myself to everyone.” Breaking out of his hold you strode to the table, the prickling feeling of being watched crawling over you until you were swept into the embrace of your favourite work friend.

“I’m so glad you’re here! I was talking about our last project and this one here,” she hooked a thumb at one of the young interns, “doesn’t believe we wrote the whole presentation ourselves after tequila shots.”

You laughed at the memory. When it came to work you took it seriously, if you didn’t you wouldn’t have been promoted to executive and leading this new team. However, that didn’t mean you didn’t know how to have some fun.

You fell into an easy conversation with them both and others of the party drifted over sporadically to shake your hand and introduce themselves a bit more.

“We’ve already met but I’ll take five minutes with you over everyone else.” A voice said at your ear. You already knew from the overpowering smell of cologne it was Max. Now it was mixed with a strong dose of rum and turned your stomach. He lounged against the table in front of you.

“Tell me, who did you have to sleep with to get this job? And is there a sign up sheet?” he winked. Your skin crawled. Tight lipped you judged whether you could justify wasting a perfectly good drink by dumping it over his head. You cast a critical eye over him. As much as he was dressed like a man of business his suit was clearly off the rack. It was too small in the shoulders and had a slight polyester sheen to it. He could pretend all he liked but he hadn’t worked on a team this high up before. If he had he’d be better dressed.

“That’s funny, I was just about to ask how much your daddy had to spent to get you on the team.” His eyes flashed dangerously then he slowly grinned.

“You’re feisty. I like that.” His gaze shamelessly travelled over you. You refused to cross your arms over your chest under his lecherous stare. You’d dealt with worse, you reminded yourself.

“I need another drink.” You told him bluntly and walked off towards the bar. You reluctantly tamped down the urge to fire him. This was outside of business hours, you’d deal with it on Monday morning you told yourself. You just had to get through the rest of the night first.

You’d just reached the bar when his hand gripped at your waist and his fetid breath washed over your neck.

“Keep running away, I like a challenge. It’ll only make it sweeter when I have you writhing under-”

Spinning you shoved him away.

“I’m happily married,” you snapped in disgust.

He only leered at you. “That’s what divorce is for, sweetheart.” Your fingers tightened on your glass as you readied to throw the contents of it at him.

“Get your sleazy hands away from my mum!” You blinked in surprise as Katelyn elbowed her way through the crowd to jab a finger in Max’s face. “Yeah, I’m talking to you, you piece of shit.”

“Katelyn.” you tried to scold her but the weight of it was lost as you laughed.

“You heard her.” Tom’s voice was dangerously low as he stalked to stand beside you. “If you so much as breath in the direction of my wife again it’ll be the last time you do anything.” A cocky smile covered Max’s face until Thomas stopped behind him and dug his hands into his shoulders.

“You heard my dad. If you have any common sense you won’t mess with us.”

Max snorted, “You think I’m scared of you? I could steal your wife any day-”

“Mr Holland, I wasn’t expecting you tonight.” The flustered manager of the bar accompanied by two security guards faltered as he took in the scene. “Is there an issue here?”

“There is, this idiot is threatening me,” Max sneered.

The manager didn’t divert his attention away from Tom for a second.

“This man’s been harassing my wife, could you escort him out Eddie?” Tom asked the closest guard.

“Sure thing, boss.”

“Boss?” Max scoffed. “What did you do? Pay them off? How pathetic.”

“I called him boss because he owns the place.” Eddie scowled, grabbing a fistful of Max’s suit jacket. Mouth gaping his beady eyes flickered between you and Tom.

“Fuck,” he swore as the pin finally dropped. You were surprised it had taken him this long to work it out. There weren’t many Holland’s in town after all.

“In case it isn’t perfectly clear, you’re fired.” you snapped. You watched him get dragged away, the crowd parting like the sea to avoid him.

“What are you all doing here?” you asked as Katelyn wrapped you in a hug from behind.

“Eddie called dad,” Thomas said, as if it was obvious.

“You had him watching me?”

“I always have someone watching you. I need to know you’re safe when I’m not with you.” Pulling you into his arms he captured your mouth, hand possessively winding around the nape of your neck as he kissed you deeply.

“Ew!” Katelyn complained just as Thomas said, “I think I’ve lost my appetite.”

Laughing you pulled back to swat playfully at them both.

“You just made sure I’m forever stuck with your dad, get used to it,” you smiled.

[matan4il]

Hey!

I read your meta for the season finale and it was wonderful as always. Wondering if you have any buddie predictions for season 6 that you are willing to share??

Hi lovely Nonnie!

Thank you SO MUCH for the kind words, I’m so happy and honored that you read my meta and enjoy it! And I hope I don’t disappoint you if I tell you that I honestly don’t have predictions? It’s a part of how I try to keep my expectations low, so I won’t be disappointed by new eps: I just try to avoid thinking of what might be coming. Because 911 tends to wrap seasons up and not leave them on a cliffhanger, I think it can be so difficult to land on the right scenario in any case. Think of the peaceful, joyful way s3 wraps up with May’s graduation and how nothing in that prepared us for the intense direction they would take in s4, building us up for the shooting at its end. And yes, there were Buck’s leg injury in the s2 finale and of course the shooting itself, which were bound to have consequences, but even then... In 218, we knew there would be some aftermath for Buck's leg being crushed by the truck, but who could have foreseen the tsunami arc? Or the insanity of Eddie placing his thumb on that unbelievably vulnerable and intimate spot of Buck’s pulse point and telling him there’s no one in the world Eddie trust more in the world with his son? This show is unhinged.

Anyway, I do know one thing. I know no matter what, 911 will never stop caring about Buddie and their little family unit, and I know that somehow, even though it has already made us lose our minds multiple times over Buddifer and what a beautiful family they are, somehow they will manage to make the bond even deeper. How do I know that? Because that’s what this show keeps doing, IDK how, but it just keeps making these bonds deeper and sweeter.

Oh, but if I do have to point out more concrete things, I have to admit that I do expect Madney to come back to each other in s6 and I am looking forward to it. But I also think this means that as long as the show still deals with that romantic storyline, I don’t expect to see major breakthroughs with Buddie. A continued trend of making them closer and stronger, yes. But it makes sense that if in s6, they can use Madney for a slow burn reunion, then they won’t start making Buddie canon until when/after that arc is completed.

I hope this answer isn’t a complete let down! Have a wonderful day, hon! xoxox

(I got an influx of asks, I WILL answer all of them, but it might take a sec. If anyone wants to check whether I've already answered theirs or to read my replies, here's my ask tag. Thank you! xoxox)

[silverynight]

To build a nest

<------Previous

Part IV

They find two little children during their last mission, they quickly decide to take them to the butterfly estate while they wait for their parents. A crow lets them know they were alive and that they'd be escorted to the mansion to retrieve their pups.

Of course, Tanjirou is the one who actually takes care of them; Zenitsu has noticed that he's great with kids and he genuinely likes them.

He manages to calm them both down in seconds while the kakushi make sure they're not injured; the omega is constantly talking to both, telling them stories about himself and Nezuko when they were kids. He also runs his fingers through the little girl's hair and pats the boy's shoulder gently as he releases his omega calming scent.

Even though Zenitsu is just a beta he can tell the difference; Tanjirou smells so much sweeter now and his expression is so gentle as he looks at the kids like they were his own pups.

No wonder why the Pillars' hearts have gone crazy all morning; they have been watching the omega with the pups in his arms like he's the most beautiful thing in the world.

Zenitsu doesn't read minds but he is sure Rengoku is imagining Tanjirou carrying pups with yellow and red hair.

Sighing, the blond wonders why his friend is so oblivious to all the hashira's affection. Tanjirou has a gifted nose and yet he doesn't seem to notice that the alphas are very much ready to form a family with him.

At the moment their scents have turned into something more protective, especially around Tanjirou and the pups. When the children finally fall asleep in the omega's arms, the Pillars decide to get closer to them.

Zenitsu chuckles, thinking that the pups actually have no idea they have never been more safe in all their lives. No one could harm them right now.

"Do you want me to help you carry them?" The water hashira offers and Zenitsu rolls his eyes because that alpha clearly wants to show Tanjirou that he can be a good father.

"You're very kind, Tomioka-san!"

At the end Tanjirou agrees to give the kids to Rengoku and Tomioka while he sits in the middle of them as he releases his calming scent in case the pups wake up again.

The truth is that they look really good together, like a family, also is really fun to see the other hashira get a little bit jealous because of it.

"Would you like to have your own pups, Tanjirou?" Uzui asks probably what every single Pillar is dying to know.

"Yes!" The omega beams, making Tokito blush and stare at him adoringly (even though he's also an omega himself) "I want to have at least 6!"

Everyone seems to have loved the answer by the way their hearts seem to beat inside their chests.

In Zenitsu's opinion, this is getting ridiculous. He knows some of them are about to suggest Tanjirou that he should consider looking for someone (a few someones in fact) to mate, but they're interrupted by the arrival of the kids' parents.

Even though Tanjirou smiles when the children say goodbye to him and the parents thank him for taking care of their pups, his scent changes a lot when they're gone.

"What is it?" Shinazugawa is the first one to approach the omega, he looks like he's ready to kill whomever dared to make Tanjirou sad.

"I just miss them already," the omega mumbles, unconsciously leaning into the alpha's arms.

Zenitsu is almost in shock when he watches Shinazugawa soften before holding the omega gently in his arms. His alpha's scent has changed, is protective but calming at the same time.

"I'm sure you'll have your own pups soon, Tanjirou," Kocho tells him, trying to make him feel better.

"But I don't even have a mate..."

Zenitsu wants to facepalm himself. How could an omega be so oblivious?

"You could have a mate whenever you want, my boy!" Rengoku says, eyes glimmering with hope. "You just have to ask."

Tanjirou looks back at the alpha in confusion as the others hold their breaths, waiting.

If Zenitsu wasn't so afraid of the hashira, he'd step in the middle and explain to them that Tanjirou doesn't actually understand what they're trying to offer.

"I need to focus on finding a cure for Nezuko right now," Tanjirou finally says. "I can't think about pups at the moment."

Right there and then, Zenitsu decides that he fully approves of the Pillars because none of them look irritated or impatient, they stare back at the omega like they would wait as many years as he wants.

"We'll help you," Tomioka promises and Tanjirou smiles at him in response.

The omega's scent changes, it becomes more intense and more sweet. As Uzui manages to take Tanjirou in his arms (Shinazugawa looked like he was tempted to bite the other alpha for a second) Zenitsu realizes that even if his friend is not entirely aware of the Pillars feelings at the moment, the way his omega's scent changes whenever he's with them and the way he trusts them tells him that there's still hope.

***

Next---->

Patreon

[kamotoshi]

reminders [fushiguro tōji x reader]

pairing: fushiguro tōji x fem reader

genre: fluff

warnings: a bit of swearing; brief mentions of past trauma, manipulation, and financial instability/struggles

word count: 2.3k

overview: a sunset picnic reminds him to stop for a moment and remind his wife how he truly feels about her

note: just another fic to serve as evidence for my obsession with making big, beefy 2d men with tough exteriors completely soft for their significant others (wives especially)

“Aren’t we just the cutest couple ever?”

Tōji’s eyes move from the spread of food laid out across the patterned blanket beneath the two of you over to either side of him, where a few other couples and families have set up their picnic spots for the evening, then, to your phone. A glance at the screen displaying the timed photo you’d just spent the past five to ten minutes setting the scene for and perfecting brings a smirk to his face.

“Just the right amount of nauseating.”

“Like, to the point where people are a little envious, but they don’t think we’re being too over the top, right?”

“Right.”

You hum in understanding as you pop a piece of fruit into your mouth.

“But, I would say err on the side of caution and don’t post the super lovey-dovey ones. Actually, please don’t. That’s a request now.”

Your hand flies to your chest to match the look of feigned shock on your face at his words. He doesn’t miss how the diamond on your finger sparkles in the amber glow of the setting sun. The thought crosses his mind that he wants to buy you a bigger one when he has enough money to set aside—something that would shine just a bit brighter. Almost as brightly as that beautiful smile of yours he had the pleasure of seeing each day, if he was lucky.

“You mean… I can actually post a picture that I took with my notoriously elusive husband?”

With a nod, he shifts his gaze to the horizon—or whatever he can see of it peeking around the sides of each building—for a moment. “Just know it’ll probably end my job,” is his response given with a sigh, “Nobody’ll fear me after they see that I enjoy sunset picnics with my adorable wife, now, will they?”

“Or,” you offer with a grin, scooting closer to him so his arm can snake around your waist, “it could give you an advantage, people thinking you’re kinda sweet. Like, oh, he’s a cold-blooded killer who takes care of business, but he’s got a soft side, too. And then, bam! You swoop in and they’ll never even know what hit ‘em.” Sweeping a hand dramatically across the landscape in front of you, as if you want him to picture the scene in your head, you add, “Suddenly, you’re the talk of the town. Women want you. Men want to be you. Hell, they’d probably want you too.”

“And that’s the story of how I end up on the front covers of magazines, right?”

“Exactly. This is just the start of your success story, baby.” Tenderly, you place a hand on the side of his face to bring it closer to your lips. After pecking him on the cheek, you whisper, “Just try not to forget about me when you’re famous, okay?”

He turns to look directly at you, his eyebrow raised with incredulousness in an expression you’ve seen many times before. “You kidding me? I would never. Be famous, I mean.”

The teasing smack you land on his chest doesn’t deter him from leaning down towards you to press a kiss against your lips that you readily return in spite of your complaints at his devious comment. He relishes in the sweet taste lingering on his tongue when he pulls away, and the affection present in your half-lidded gaze brings a comforting warmth over him akin to the feeling of finally crawling into bed after a long day. In his moment of distraction, you’re able to sneak in another meeting of your lips before grabbing one of the snack boxes you’d meticulously crafted and dropping it into his lap.

“Since I’m nice, unlike you, I’ll still let you eat the food lovingly prepared by your loving wife.”

“C’mon, baby,” he murmurs, giving your thigh an appreciative squeeze, “You know I love you.”

“I mean, I hope you do. You did marry me, and stick with me all these years, after all, you weirdo.”

He chuckles and pats your leg before shifting his attention to the delicious food you’d put together for the two of you, and you settle down beside him after collecting your own. His free hand plants on the ground beside your opposite hip, closing the gap between you.

Each day that he gets to spend with you he’s thankful for. But there’s something different about those where the sight of the sun slowly descending toward the horizon is beautiful enough to draw both of you out of the house to sit and watch it. He can’t quite explain it, but everything about these days feels different. The harshness of the city seems to fade away for a bit. The air smells sweeter. His breaths come a bit more deeply. The absence of your body against his in some way is felt more intensely.

In between gazing ahead at the sunset—allowing his eyes to flicker to his meal, the kids zipping past every now and then on their bikes, or other passersby—he finds his attention being drawn back to you. Each feature of your face bathed in the golden light of the sun’s last rays brings an unexpected flutter to his heart. He’s never surprised by how gorgeous you are, but, still finds himself in awe of just how lucky he is each time he stops to take it all in.

Lucky that he gets to wake up next to you and see you in those quiet moments of the morning when your eyes are still struggling to focus and your cheek is stamped with each wrinkle of your pillowcase, but you look beautiful all the same. Lucky that the arms and legs he has draped around him until you both wake up sweaty in the middle of the night are yours. Lucky to be offered a refuge wherever you are. Lucky you’re one he promised to love for the rest of his life.

In the busyness of your days, sometimes things are assumed rather than said. He assumes the parting kiss he presses to your lips each time he leaves the house translates into a small, “I love you, I’ll be back soon.” Just like he assumes the way he pulls you onto his lap while you’re sitting together, watching a movie, sends a small message of, “I need you here, close to me.” Or the pause he takes to gaze into your eyes after your more passionate displays of affection means, “I love you more than I know how to say.”

He realizes, given the risky nature of his work, that thought alone isn’t enough, though. Maybe he’s too afraid of saying something that’ll curse you for his lips to form the words he’s thinking as often as they should, but if he was one to let his life be ruled by fear, he wouldn’t be sitting with you in the first place. He would’ve let his family wreak havoc on him for the entirety of his life, weighing it down with constant reminders of his failures. He would’ve let his fear of being vulnerable keep him from getting close enough to you to fall in love with you.

Yet, here he is, making relaxed conversation with you—his wife—as the two of you sit together beneath a sea of brilliant oranges, candied pinks, and the gentlest hues of lavender. With the way you use your steadily built and strongly maintained trust in him to speak so freely and be so vulnerable without fear of judgment, he feels it’s only fair that he shows his trust in you by doing the same. That he reminds you of his feelings rather than lets the implications behind his actions speak for him.

When he decides to mention it, most of the sky has lost its fire and quite a few of the other picknickers have packed up and returned home. But the two of you choose to remain out just a bit longer in the warmth of the summer night, bathed in the sound of cicadas chirping incessantly. “Hey babe?” he calls, giving your hand resting in his a gentle squeeze as his cheek drops to the blanket so he can look at you.

“Mm?” You shift onto your side and scoot closer to him, moving your interlaced hands to your chest, holding the back of his against your gently beating heart. On instinct, your other set of fingers find his face to brush a few strands of dark hair away from his eyes, and he presses feathery kisses to your palm.

Sighing against your skin, he asks, “Do I tell you I love you enough?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, you assure him, “I know you do.”

“Because I say it?”

You hum with uncertainty, fingers gliding from the scar at the side of his mouth down his neck, and to one of his broad shoulders. “More because I can see it in the way you look at me. But, then again, I also see you look at a really good meal the same way. Makes me kinda jealous sometimes,” is your answer given with a small, teasing smile, “Besides, I feel like I can safely assume that you’ve stayed with me all these years because you love me, right?”

“Of course,” he says, the strength in his voice contrasting the subtle, pained look behind his eyes, “But I don’t say it enough, do I?”

There’s a short pause before you murmur, “Not usually unless I say it first. But it tends to be more of a reflex for both of us, anyway. Like, ‘I’m heading out now, love you!’ or, ‘Goodnight, I love you,’ y’know?”

A gentle tug on your wrist pulls you towards him, until you’re propped up on both elbows, body leaning over his. Wrapping an arm around your waist brings your chests flush against one another and your faces mere centimeters apart. The way he’s regarding you as nothing else is as important as you are to him in this moment has you melting into the kiss he plants on your lips.

“You’re the love of my life.” Heat radiates from your chest all the way up to your face at his tenderly spoken words accompanied by his thumb skimming along your cheekbone. “And you deserve to hear me tell you how much I care about you more often because you’re the only person who’s made me feel deserving of love.”

The hand on your back slowly moves up and down, his fingers tracing along your spine. It was once deemed as a mindless behavior in your eyes, but after many years with him, you’ve come to learn that sometimes it’s a means of comforting himself or finding the courage to speak about something that’s been on his mind. To reassure him, you place a soft peck against the corner of his mouth and run your fingertips across his jaw.

He seems to find the strength he needs to speak the rest of his truth, since he continues, “I remember being terrified when I first realized how much I loved you. Because here I was, thinking I was only gonna marry someone as a way of erasing my connections to my family, and that falling in love would weaken me—make me easier to be manipulated—but you changed my mind. And I don’t think there’s a damn thing that could ever happen to make me wish I did things differently, even though we got married young, when we barely had enough money to our names to get ourselves through the week.”

A pang of somewhat bittersweet nostalgia ripples through you at the memories of sleeping on the floor, clinging to one another to keep warm during the cold, winter nights. Of how you’d both worked so tirelessly to make a living that sometimes all you’d do was cry into his shoulder when you got home. But soon, there was a couch. A bed. A table. A lamp that didn’t flicker. Then, a new place in a safer part of the city, filled with all the furniture and appliances you could need. Jobs that paid enough for the tears to subside.

The impulsiveness the two of you had displayed in your early twenties had gotten you into a lot of sometimes unbearable situations, but you wouldn’t have changed a thing had you somehow been granted the power to alter the past. While unpleasant, those events had helped the two of you get to where you are today, happier and more in love than ever.

“After all we’ve been through, and that you’ve stuck with me through, I at least owe it to you to remind you how much you mean to me instead of just assuming you know. Because you really do mean the world to me. So, this is me telling you that I love and appreciate you a lot more than I might feel capable of saying sometimes, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try.”

With that same, bright smile of yours that he adores, you take your weight off your elbows to wrap your arms around him while he gives your body a tight squeeze in return. “I love you so much, Tōji,” you hum, heart swelling with joy.

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

There’s a few moments of peaceful silence while the two of you remain wrapped up in a tight and much-needed embrace. Eventually, a deep exhale fans across your neck before he mentions, “That was pretty cheesy, huh?”

“Just a bit. But I promise not to tell anyone you’re secretly a bit of a sap, okay?” you comment, sending the two of you into a small fit of snickers. Your tone is more serious, however, when you mention, “It made me really happy to hear, though.”

“Good,” is his response as he moves his head so he can press his mouth to your temple. His next words are spoken quietly, as if just to himself, and nearly lost beneath the layers of environmental noise surrounding you, but you’re glad you hear them.

“That’s all that matters to me.”

[solomonish]

My Personal Simeon Fall AU Headcanons

These are within the same realm of this fic - and it is intended as a Simeon x MC universe! These HCs will focus on his time in the Devildom rather than why he fell, but maybe that information will come eventually...

*some things regarding this war I keep mentioning may not be entirely clear - still working on that! However, I’ll try not to put out too much contradicting information, hehe!

WARNING: some angst, brief mention/implication of torture. forcibly removed memories.

First Days

He came to the devildom in a blaze, much like the brothers did, hurtling down like a shooting star. At the core, encasing him as his wings charred to soot, was a brilliant light blue, rimmed by a dazzling white and platinum gold. At his impact site, parts of the dirt and stone have crystallized in the same colors. The site is still roped off for investigation.

He fell, acting as a white flag for both sides to signal the end of a war very few people knew was raging. The impact sent the last of his holy energy into the surrounding area, and demons near the sight complained of itching and general irritation for weeks after.

The only people at the site who looked into his eyes when he struggled to get up were you, Diavolo, Barbatos, Lucifer, and Solomon. A few curious Devildom citizens were scattered about, too, but Diavolo's authoritative vibe kept them too far to see anything.

Diavolo and Barbtos kept him in one room in the castle as he adjusted to the sudden demonic energy inside him and learned to contain his wrath. You were allowed to see him, but only if supervised by Barbatos or Diavolo in case Simeon tried to hurt you.

He was despondent most of the time, sitting curled up and stiff in the middle of the bed that looked untouched. He spent days without sleep, simmering with rage. You never found out if he bottled it up or if he destroyed the room but Barbatos put it back together before you appeared.

(You might not ever learn that some of the methods Diavolo and Barbatos used to bring his memories back were...extreme. They had no intentions of torture or pain, but they desperately wanted to get to them if they could. That’s where his anger was used up - as he screamed out in agony, either from the extraction method or the feeling of having lost everything yet not quite grasping what that meant.)

Satan suggested books and sent some of his personal collection that helped him gather himself when he was created. Diavolo and Barbatos tried to jog his memories, both for personal reasons and to get information on the Celestial realm, but that was exactly why they were gone. His memories had been magically extracted, but haste made him forget most everything instead of just sensitive information regarding the realm.

Eventually, he was free to roam the garden and some hallways, and when Diavolo and Barbatos concluded that regaining his memories was impossible, he was housed.

Power & Standing

He was a powerful angel, so he is a powerful demon, yet not quite as powerful as the brothers.

Simeon, for the majority of the war, was fighting on the side of the Celestial Realm, so he's generally disliked among the citizens of the Devildom. Our cast are all weary around him for multiple reasons - aside from Satan, Beel, Solomon, and MC (obviously).

He isn't an official member of any student council or governing body, nor does he really have a final say in anything, but he does frequently act as an advisor of sorts. He tends to work with Barbatos on that front, discussing in the background anything that might need discussed or worked on separate from the brothers.

Simeon is a wrath demon, though the change in his temper is hardly noticeable at first. He resembles Lucifer in how strict he is, mostly when he is in charge of something, and his anger that releases when he isn't listened to mimics Satan's.

If they are near each other and angry about the same thing, Satan and Simeon can actually feed off of the other's anger and boost their power. Satan does NOT need the boost, but you bet he brings chaos and destruction tenfold is he has it. For Simeon, though, it practically puts him on par with some of the brothers, if only for a short while.

Socially, he is generally ignored, and nobody runs away from him if he initiates conversation - but he doesn't. Simeon turns into a bit of a loner, a large chunk of his personality and memories gone and replaced with anger.

He's still learning how to deal with it.

His demon form consists of black deer-like antlers (not small but just small enough to avoid being entirely cumbersome) and long wings with bone-tipped feathers. His wings are almost always folded against his back and hanging low, the dangling feathers reminiscent of his angelic cloak with the golden charms. He does have a little black deer tail but doesn't like it being commented on.

(Don't worry about aerodynamics or which animal he represents, it's a magical universe its fine uwu)

General Information

He lives in modest home on the outskirts of the Devildom, somewhat close to the castle in case there's some type of emergency that needs to be taken care of but not so close he gets a super nice house and causes some social uproar. He has a small yard and a garden he tends to meticulously.

I imagine the house as a sort of townhouse (although not a for real townhouse because its it's own thing), two stories tall. The downstairs has a small living room, kitchen and bathroom while the entire upstairs is an open bedroom/office type deal. It gives off a gothic cottage type of vibe. No idea if this is helpful so maybe one day I'll build it in the sims.

He keeps his house tidy but has many bookshelves filled with equal parts books and knickknacks.

As stated before, he is a wrath demon, and because of his memories being almost entirely erased, he had a similar fall and adjustment period as Satan. Also, as a writer, he has an intrinsic appreciation for books. He and Satan get along the most out of all the brothers - the fact that Lucifer has mixed (mostly negative)(?) feelings about Simeon makes the deal sweeter for Satan.

Beel doesn’t dislike him, and while he doesn’t trust Simeon yet he’s willing to see if Simeon is on their side now considering none of his family got hurt. Solomon still trusts him though, but he does get a little downtrodden when he has memories that Simeon doesn’t.

When angry, Simeon smiles sweetly but his voice turns dead cold. Whereas Satan goes feral and seeks destruction like a bomb, Simeon feels more like a sniper rifle that needs careful aim and precision with just as devastating consequences. Shouting and immediate carnage are rare and only come after a severe transgression.

Otherwise, Simeon allows himself to be more playful than before. He doesn’t exactly have snide remarks, but he is an expert at stating the truth in a way that feels like a blade cutting through your confidence.

In true "flaunt what ya got without really making it seem purposeful" Simeon fashion, he wears button-down shirts that are almost entirely unbuttoned. They are always patterned and funky, and he wears them tucked into black pants. I'm thinking something like this (he also has patterns that are more "groovy" than vacation)

Will also occasionally sport a deep v like this

He still acts just as naive and confused if you bring up how exposed he is to him, so its best just to suffer in silence.

When making a pact with MC, he makes sure the mark covers a scar he left and doesn't remember from the war on your shoulder. It feels like a longer-lasting apology.

He still calls you "little lamb," but instead of smiling gently at you like a loving shepherd, his smiles look like a predator baring his fangs at his prey. In a sweet way. In a hot way.

What Does He Remember?

At first, nothing. Demonic instinct claws at him and he lashes out at everyone and everything.

He is still a nightmare with technology. Nobody knows if this is residual from how he was before, a result of his memories being taken, or just a trick.

Occasionally, he’ll remember an inside joke, but only halfway. You’ll say something you don’t realize is from before, and he’ll laugh, almost like an impulse. But then his laugh trails off and he gets contemplative, wondering what, exactly, was so funny about it.

The brightness of the Celestial Realm is hard to forget. The rainbow framing the palace and vast fields appear in dreams. He never remembers anything ‘important,’ but it’s enough to remind him that he was discarded.

The Celestial War hasn’t gone away, not in its entirety. There are certain things like battle strategies that he can’t for the life of him conjure up in his mind, but he remembers the bulk of it. It helps him realize why some of the brothers were/are so aloof towards him - nothing was ever as simple as he thought it once to be. Fighting a losing battle isn’t a choice you make when its for love - its simply the only path available.

(Apologies are so, so hard to dish out when you can’t remember most of your transgressions, though.)

He remembers Luke and will worry himself to inconsolable tears at night just thinking about him. Those thrown away don’t get the privilege of knowing what happens to their friends - and even if he did, Simeon wouldn't be so stupid as to put a target on Luke's back by proving that he was still important to him.

But he can only remember Luke's terrified, teary eyes when he realized Simeon was going to turn on the Celestial Realm in the middle of a war, and how he pleaded with Simeon not to. Luke asked what he would do all by himself, and Simeon hopes to his Father for only one thing - that he figured it out.

This is his sore spot. Nobody is allowed to be privy to these thoughts, not even you. But some days he comes to RAD looking worse for wear and you KNOW something is bothering him. He'll just never tell you what.

[m0srael]

haley!!

for your picrew drabble requests! if anything about these two inspires you! maybe a getting together fic? draco is not nearly as suave as he appears, especially when harry is involved 💜

Sun Burnt Summer (3.4k | T | Read on Ao3)

cori 💙💙 thank you for this excellent prompt! I think this no longer counts as a drabble because it got just a smidge out of control (sorry ?? !!), but the picrew you sent grabbed hold of an idea that I've been chewing on for a while and wouldn't let go. So--here's a little intro to a story I intend to build out much further soon! I hope you like it, friend! Read my other picrew drabbles here and send me an ask to prompt your own!

Six Weeks Ago

“Draco, darling, remember we’ve got dinner with the Parkinsons this evening so don’t—oh, Draco!”

The sound of his mother’s voice fades as he hurdles up the stairs to toss his shrunken suitcase onto his bed. His family has been coming to this vacation house every summer since he can remember, and this bedroom is like an archive of his childhood—the rock collection that he started when he was five occupies every window sill; a family of little toy dragons wanders haltingly around on a shelf, the charm work fading with age; the quidditch posters tacked to the ceiling with sticking charms hold fast, but they’re curling at the corners and yellowing with time.

He checks the loose floorboard under the bed—his stash is safe: two stale joints and half a pack of cigarettes, a lighter he nicked from one of his dad’s friends, a small bottle of cheap vodka, and a small stack of Muggle magazines filled with pictures of half-dressed men lifting weights or surfing or chopping wood.

He pulls out the cigarettes and lighter and stuffs them into the pocket of his leather jacket.

“Draco, please, we’ve only just arrived—“ Narcissa says, exasperated, as he thunders back down the stairs, his brand new Doc Marten boots thumping loudly on the marble floors.

“Be back later!” He shouts, dodging around his mother’s beseeching hands and ducking through the front door.

He lights one of the cigarettes, coughing roughly around the first inhale, as soon as he’s out of sight of the house’s big front windows. His heavy boots scuff against the rocky ground as he wanders down the middle of the narrow lane until it intersects the main road.

He strolls slowly, aimlessly, gazing out over the sprawling fields flush with colorful wildflowers as the cigarette burns down between his fingers. In the distance, he can see a small herd of cows grazing in a tight knot. The air is so much sweeter and cleaner here than in the city. He’s soon covered in a thin sheen of sweat, his jacket and boots inappropriate for the humid summer weather.

The silence is shattered by a faint rumbling sound that grows louder by the second. Draco leaps out of the way as a big, black motorbike comes hurtling around the bend behind him. There’s a boy on the back, hanging on to the driver’s waist. He turns as they pass Draco, bright green eyes sparkling behind round glasses and a large grin plastered on his freckled face.

“Sorry!” He shouts over the roar of the engine, throwing out a hand to wave at Draco, his face crinkling as he laughs. Draco starts to lift a hand in response, too startled to wave back properly, but the bike disappears down the hill as suddenly as it appeared.

Draco’s heart restarts gradually as the engine noise fades and the silence surrounds him again. He’s breathing hard like he’s been running, and his face is flushed and hot. It takes him a long time to regain his equilibrium.

He can’t get the boy’s smile out of his mind for the rest of the night, even as he replies politely to all of Mr. and Mrs. Parkinson’s questions about his performance at school, which N.E.W.T. courses he plans to take, and what he wants to do when he graduates. He smiles wanly back every time he catches Pansy’s shy gaze, but his thoughts are miles away on the side of a quiet road, the air thick with the dust kicked up by the back tire of a motorbike.

*

“Draco, are you listening to me?”

Draco startles. He wasn’t paying attention to his father at all, instead staring distractedly out of the sitting room window. There’s a green light flashing down in the village and he can’t help thinking it’s the same shade of green as the boy’s eyes. He clutches his glass of firewhisky closer to his chest. He hates the stuff, but he knows better than to say no when his father offers. It usually means they’re about to have a talk, man-to-man.

“Sit down, Draco, for Slytherin’s sake. I asked your opinion on Miss Parkinson.”

“What? Oh, um…” Draco blinks. He tries to remember one defining feature of the girl. She’s in his year at school, and he knows a lot about her—well, he knows a lot about her family, and especially their money—but he hasn’t the faintest idea what she’s actually like. He reckons that she’s pretty if you like that sort of thing, but they’ve never had a proper conversation. “She’s fine, I suppose. Bit quiet.”

“Yes, she’s an exceedingly polite young woman. She comes from good stock, good breeding. Her parents have raised her well. She’ll make an excellent wife.”

“Mm,” Draco hums, distracted by thoughts of freckles scattered over tan skin and laugh-deep dimples.

“For you, Draco.”

“Sorry?”

“She will make an excellent wife for you.”

Draco takes a too-large sip of his firewhisky and then chokes as it burns his throat. “Father, I’ve not even finished school yet, I can’t…it’s not…”

Lucius ignores his son. “Her family is quite pleased with you, also. Her father is prepared to sign the betrothal contract as soon as we work out the specifics of the dowry, I’m sure it won’t be long. End of the summer at the latest, I expect.”

Draco’s stomach drops and he feels nauseous. His parents have mentioned betrothals and weddings to him many times over the years, he knew in the back of his mind that one day he would be expected to marry a Pureblood witch, but it always felt like something planned for his future. His very distant future. “You’ve done well, son. I’m proud of you, Draco,” Lucius finishes softly.

Draco’s gaze snaps to his father’s face. His expression is as affectionate as Draco has ever seen it. I’m proud of you, Draco.

“Yes. Thank you, father,” he says, smiling despite the storm of feelings raging in his gut. He downs the rest of his firewhisky in one gulp.

*

Five Weeks Ago

“Draco, stop playing with your food,’ His mother snaps. They’re at the only nice restaurant in the village—his mother had insisted they go out to celebrate Draco’s birthday instead of staying in and letting the house elves cook. Draco hasn’t been able to eat a proper meal since his father dropped the betrothal bomb on him. He’s been shifting a roasted turnip back and forth across his plate for the better part of thirty minutes.

“Darling,” his mother says to his father as she flags down their waiter for more wine, “I’ve been thinking we ought to get Draco fitted for a new set of dress robes. The pair he’s got aren’t anywhere near appropriate for an engagement announcement.”

His father doesn’t have a chance to answer as another waiter comes over to clear away their empty plates. Draco scowls down at the lone turnip as though it’s the cause of his present unhappiness.

“May I take your plate, or am I interrupting an important conversation?”

Draco looks up, the sneer falling off his face as his gaze meets bright green eyes and a sugar-syrup smile. “I…what?”

The boy from the motorbike looks down at him, his smile growing more amused by the moment. His messy black curls are neatly combed and tucked behind his ears and he’s wearing a black apron over a neat, white button-down shirt.

“I don’t speak turnip, but I rather think that one would like to be put out of its misery.” The boy chuckles and his eyes crinkle at the corners. Draco looks down at the turnip as though seeing it for the first time, then back up at the boy. His smile is infectious, and Draco feels his own mouth turn up in a grin.

“I’m finished, thank you,” he says softly. The boy nods once and leaves with their dishes, his grin still firmly in place.

Draco starts walking to the village every day after that. He tells his parents—and himself—that he’s just going to read in the park in the middle of the town square. It’s just a coincidence that his favorite bench allows him an excellent view of the restaurant’s front door.

He sees the boy a handful of times through the front window of the restaurant, his open face and expressive hand gestures pulling Draco in as though he’s a part of the conversation. Draco catches himself smiling when the boy smiles, and looks around, embarrassed.

Another time he watches the boy drive up on the back of the motorbike and clamber off. The person on the front of the bike takes off their helmet, says a few words to the boy, and pulls him into a tight hug. They have long, wavy black hair like the boy’s and Draco thinks the two might be related.

One afternoon he watches the boy tumble out of the front door of the restaurant trailed by a pretty girl with short, red hair and a bright green cast on her left arm. They’re both laughing and talking quickly to one another.

He wonders if the red-haired girl is the boy’s girlfriend. His heart sinks, though it has no right to.

He tells himself to leave well enough alone, that it’s weird to be practically stalking a stranger he’s only talked to once in the context of their job, but he can’t bring himself to stay away. There’s just something about the boy, the way he looked at Draco made him feel warm from his head to his toes.

If spending every day at the park also gives Draco an excuse to avoid his parents and all talk of marriage, well, then all the better.

“Are you a weirdo?” a soft voice says right beside him one afternoon. He’s finally started on the book he’d been pretending to read for days and is finding it surprisingly engrossing. He startles and looks up to find the boy standing before him. He’s suppressing a small smile.

“Um. No?” Draco is unsure if he’s joking or not.

“Oh. Shame,” the boy says, lowering himself onto the bench. “I just thought that a person who goes on long walks down the middle of the road by themselves, wears black leather jackets in the middle of summer, and pretends to read so they can secretly watch people from afar must be pretty weird. S’pose I was wrong.”

Draco blushes. He didn’t realize the boy had noticed him watching the restaurant—he was sure he’d been subtle about it. The boy elbows him gently in the shoulder.

“I’m Harry.”

“Harry,” Draco breathes. “I—my name’s Draco.”

“S’nice to meet you Draco.” Harry says in a mock-serious voice. He extends a hand for Draco to shake.

His hand is soft and warm, and his short fingers grip Draco’s palm firmly. Draco trails the pad of his thumb over the back of Harry’s hand, holding on a little longer than is strictly necessary.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Harry.”

*

Three Weeks Ago

“Draco, you’ve got to come out of there at some point.”

Draco is hunched underneath a veritable fortress of beach umbrellas. He has a towel wrapped around his shoulders, over his long-sleeve t-shirt. His wide-brimmed straw hat casts his face in even deeper shadow.

“I certainly don’t have to do anything. In fact, on the list of things I don’t have to do, being burnt to an absolute crisp is at least in the top three.”

“Oh, that’s right I forgot—you’re a delicate, posh, porcelain flower who must be handled with utmost care—“

“I’ll handle you,” Draco growls, lunging up off the towel with his hands outstretched toward Harry. He halts at the very edge of the shade.

Harry dances backward in the sand, laughing. “Handle me, will you?” His smile turns wicked. “I might let you, if only you’d come out of your vampire den…” he shrugs and turns to jog away, casting a teasing glance back over his shoulder.

Draco blushes all the way to the tops of his ears and he feels light headed. He watches Harry go in wonder, the muscles of his smooth, bare back flexing as he moves. The tops of his slender shoulders are several shades darker than the rest of his skin and scattered with freckles, and his black hair shines golden in the sunlight. There’s a pair of dimples on Harry’s lower back, just above the waistband of his swim trunks, and Draco can’t seem to look away from them as Harry splashes into the ocean. He’s the most beautiful boy Draco has ever seen.

“Coward!” Harry calls as he falls backward into a small wave, the dark water swallowing him up.

Draco throws his towel down indignantly, then yanks his shirt over his head. He is a lot of things but a coward is not one of them. Ghostly pale, however, absolutely is. He tries to ignore the way the sun stings his sensitive skin as he stalks across the hot sand.

“Ah, fucking fuck it’s cold!” He hisses as the water splashes up around his thighs. He’s looking back longingly at his shade nest when his knees are knocked out from under him and he yelps.

Water rushes into his ears and he hears nothing but the whoosh of bubbles around his head, then everything goes quiet as he sinks down toward the sand. Harry’s arms slide around his chest from behind and for a moment, his legs wrap around Draco’s waist. His skin is hot against Draco’s, despite the cold ocean water. Draco thinks he could drift like this forever.

Draco lets himself be hauled back up by strong hands. He finds himself floating on his back, his head resting on Harry’s shoulder, Harry’s hands flat under his back. They shift—forward and back, up and down—with the motion of waves.

“There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Harry says against the soft skin of Draco’s shoulder.

Draco’s eyelids flutter closed and he lets his long limbs float freely around him like a starfish. He feels limitless as the boundaries of his body blur into the water around him, but so small at the same time—a miniscule speck drifting on the vast ocean anchored only by Harry’s hot hands and gentle words. He feels so light, unmoored from the responsibility and expectations that have been bearing down on him since the summer began. He thinks he might float away. He thinks that might be alright, if Harry floats with him.

He turns his head slightly, so his ear slots into the tender place behind Harry’s earlobe. He feels Harry swallow and curl his fingers into the flesh around Draco’s shoulder blades. “No, not so bad,” Draco sighs.

Harry only laughs a little while he applies a sunburn salve to Draco’s angry, red skin later that evening.

*

That Night

Draco casts a silencing charm on his boots before he slips his wand into them. He slithers out of his bedroom door and tiptoes as carefully as possible down the wide, marble staircase. The back patio door slips shut with a snick, and Draco leaps off the deck and into the soft grass.

When he pushes into the small clearing, he’s disoriented. The large, glowing bonfire casts everything in orange light and warm shadow, and he can’t make out anyone’s faces at first.

“You came!” Harry says happily, popping up seemingly out of nowhere. He slides his fingers between Draco’s and tugs him forward toward an open spot near the fire.

Draco flushes. Harry is a touchy person, always nudging Draco’s shoulder, tugging on his jacket sleeve, or ruffling his hair, but this feels different. More intimate. Draco holds on tight.

Harry pulls him down onto a low bench. “D’you want a s’more? I think there’s hotdogs going ‘round somewhere, or…Draco?”

Draco stares across the bonfire at Pansy, his supposed future wife, who is enthusiastically snogging the red-haired girl Draco had mistaken for Harry’s girlfriend. “What the fuck,” he breathes.

“What? What is it?” Harry peers around intently, searching for the source of Draco’s distress.

Draco takes one look at the worried expression on Harry’s face, glances back at Pansy and the red-haired girl who is now holding Pansy’s face with her partially cast-encased hand, and dissolves into giggles. He’s laughing so hard there are tears streaming from the corners of his eyes, and he’s clutching his stomach. Beside him, Harry starts to laugh too, though he looks a little like he thinks Draco’s gone ‘round the twist.

When he can finally breathe again, Draco stands up on the bench they’re seated on and cups his hands around his mouth. “Oi, Parkinson!” He shouts.

Pansy startles and looks up at him. Her eyes go very wide and she looks like a deer caught in headlights for a long moment, but as soon as she sees Draco’s broad grin, her face crumples into a half-hearted sneer. She sticks out a middle finger, and shouts back, “Get fucked, Malfoy!” before enthusiastically returning to her previous occupation.

“Have a lovely time, dear,” he calls as he drops back down beside Harry.

“Want to explain what that was all about?” Harry asks.

Draco laughs again. “That absolutely devious minx. I had no idea she had it in her. See that girl over there? The one with her tongue in your friend—”

“Ginny.”

“--your friend Ginny’s mouth? She’s my fiancee. Basically.”

Harry looks dumbfounded. His gaze bounces between the two girls and Draco for a few moments, before he says, “I think I’m going to need more than that.”

“We’re betrothed. Or, we will be as soon as our parents sign the betrothal contract at the end of the summer.” Draco sobers as the giddy joy of his discovery fades and the heavy reality of what he’s finally said out loud presses down on him. Harry still looks a little confused. “It’s a pureblood thing. Or a rich people thing. Or a rich, pureblood thing. I don’t…we don’t really have any say in the matter.”

All of a sudden he wants to curl up as small as he can and disappear. He looks across the fire again and wonders if Pansy feels the same sense of impending doom he’s been battling all summer. If Ginny has been as much of a distraction for her as Harry has been for him. When he meets Harry’s steady gaze again, his heart breaks a little.

He doesn’t even know if Harry shares his feelings. Harry is so warm and kind and friendly with everyone he knows, there’s no reason Draco should believe himself to be special. But sometimes, when Harry holds his gaze for just a beat longer than Draco expects or presses just a little bit closer to Draco’s side when they’re watching a movie, Draco can’t help but think Harry feels the same.

“Are you…do you…” Harry’s voice is small, and there’s a small crease between his eyebrows. “Congratulations.” He smiles, but it lacks all of its usual light.

The thank you is poised on the precipice of Draco’s lips, compelled there by years of etiquette training, but he pulls it back at the last moment. “I’m not. I don’t…” he says, instead, shaking his head gently.

“You don’t what?” Harry asks, his eyebrows raised and his lips parted.

“I-I don’t…want to.” Draco’s voice breaks. He’s only ever said this silently to himself, in the still darkness of his bedroom. He clears his throat and tries again. “I don’t want to marry her. I don’t know if I want to marry anybody, actually. I-I don’t even think I like girls!” The last part slips out entirely of its own volition, and Draco slaps a hand over his mouth.

Harry chuckles, then starts to laugh in earnest.

“Oh, fuck, I’m sorry—I…please forget I said that. Please, Harry, I don’t—” Draco is mortified.

Harry leans in quickly and presses a soft kiss to the corner of Draco’s mouth, stopping Draco’s spiral in its tracks.

“Oh,” Draco breathes.

“So. Where do we start?” Harry says against Draco’s cheek.

“W-what?”

“Hey, Gin!” Harry calls across the fire.

“Busy!” She calls back, not turning away from Pansy.

“Want to help me fuck up a pureblood betrothal ceremony?”

The grin on Ginny’s face is wild and wolfish. “Oh, hell yes.”

Pansy looks at Draco, eyes wide again. Draco just shrugs at her and pulls Harry closer.

[bump1nthen1ght]

Pack Tactics (Werewolf x Reader)

Pairing: Fem!Reader/Male!Werewolf

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Established Couple, Angst with a happy ending

Warnings: None

Word Count: 2896 words

Summary: You are in a wonderful relationship with your sweet partner, Gray. But this far into the relationship, you’ve yet to tell him you have no intentions ever of having kids. You can’t help but wonder, how will your child-loving werewolf boyfriend will react?

Request: I live for very specific comfort! No pressure if this doesn’t inspire you or if you just don’t want to write it obvi.... but could I have a f!reader x m!werewolf where the reader is 100% sure she doesn’t want to have kids ever never ever in any capacity and is worried about how her werewolf bf is going to react, worried she’ll be dumped or something (ya know cause idk I feel like werewolves are built with a breeding kink and like into the whole having a lot of pups) there can be smut if you want!! I love me some dramatic angst comfort :)))))))

A/N: Sorry this took so long y’all, school and stuff has been kicking my ass. But writing this sweet little fic has been a nice reprieve from my work. Hope you enjoy!

“Alright, I’ll get the chicken, the asparagus, and the pasta. You’ve got the wine and the dessert?”

“Sure thing.”

The two of you nod, Gray stepping away from the grocery cart before you call out to him.

“And not one of those huge tubs of ice cream.”

Gray emits a dramatic whine, pouting.

“But the big one is 25 cents cheaper than those little pints. It’s practically free!”

You furrow your brow and pat him on the shoulder.

“Not if we don’t finish them, they aren’t. Now go.” Gray rolls his eyes, clutching his heart and throwing his head back. You playfully push him, walking away with the grocery cart and towards the deli section. You can see the top of Gray’s wild brown hair as he moves into the next aisle, his 6’5” form towering over all the little old ladies who usually crowd the store.

You’re browsing the chicken, trying to decide between 2 breasts or a full rotisserie, when a familiar sound reaches you.

“Oh! If it isn’t ____.” You forcibly paint a smile, fingers automatically clenched around the stellafoam package as you turn to see your next door neighbor Mrs. Star. Her teased, bleached blonde hair teeters on top of her head, bobbing back and forth with the clack of her neon blue heels. While you can respect the 60-year old for digging her feet in and refusing to update her wardrobe from the 80’s, her pension for gossip is a little less admirable. “Shocked to see you out and about, what with that big ol boyfriend of yours.” She says, blue eyeshadow crinkling into a wink and nudging you with your elbow. You wheeze a bit, quickly covering it with a laugh. “Back in our honeymoon phase, Richard and I barely left the bedroom. And he was half-way balding back then, not the babe-a-rama you got going over there.” Mrs. Star’s laugh reaches a pitch almost too high for your human ears to pick up, maybe even giving Gray 2 aisles over a headache.

“Well, y’know, gotta keep our energy up.” You wince, immediately berating yourself for that comment. Mrs. Star throws her hand up in a “oh, you” gesture, letting out another half-whistle half-screeching chuckle.

“Oh I do, honey, I do.” She sends you another dramatic wink, which you return with a shaky smile. The corner of your cart bumps into hers as you begin walking along the meat aisle, trying to forcibly end this interaction. But Mrs. Star pulls off an impressive turn with her cart and strolls alongside you. She does little to hide her wandering eyes, trying to piece together any juicy info from your groceries. “So, are you two trying for kids yet?”

The wheels squeal to a sudden stop, forcing you to choke on your saliva as the shopping cart’s handle digs into your stomach. You keep your gaze locked on the frozen steaks  and turkeys, already way past the chicken you meant to grab.

“Uhhh, no. We’re not really in the phase of our relationship yet.”

Mrs. Star clicks her tongue, pressing her hand to her chest in a show of embarrassment. “I’m sorry, dearie. Old habits you see, whenever a new couple moves in together I assume they’re halfway to the wedding already. You young kids like to take it slow, huh?”

You nod, hastily grabbing a package of buffalo wings, hoping for an excuse to escape this conversation.

Mrs. Star continues to walk by you, her cart blocking off any convenient means to leave unless you significantly pick up her speed. Her eyes glance over the sweats sat in a display in the center of the aisle, humming a small tune.

The end of the aisle is approaching, you’re almost home free! You ready your feet to book it with an excuse, but Mrs. Star clears her throat and begins to speak.

“Now dearie, I don’t mean to pry-”

What do you call these last 3 minutes, Star?

“But I’d at least pop on a ring on that finger soon. Someday someone’s going to snatch that boy up like a piece of meat, saying all the right things. Men got all those suspicions about over-the-hill pregnancies, his eyes might start wandering. That’s how my first divorce went, so I should know.”

You pull your cart to a stop, breathe catching as you look at Mrs. Star, shocked. You can handle some inappropriate questions, but to question your boyfriend’s loyalty and insulting your relationship is crossing another line. Your brows furrow with a simmering anger, your cheeks heating up as you're ready to let loose.

“Well, Mrs. Star, if you must know I have the most wonderful boyfriend on this side of the planet, and unlike your deadbeat first husband, he’s as loyal as they can be.” Mrs. Star looks at you, eyes widened and right hand halfway to grab a pack of oreos. You huff, pushing your cart away from hers and towards the cash register. Right before you leave her sight, you turn back to her with a simpering smirk. “Have a great day, Mrs. Star!”

Your heart is heaving with anger, prepping a rant to Gray about the horrible interaction you just had. On the other side of the store, you spot Gray, his curly hair all tussled, holding a large Rosé and a package of ice cream sandwiches. Just the sight of his back calms you a bit, excited for some delicious food and late-night cuddles. You jog a little towards him, but slow down when you see him crouch down, looking at something hidden from your sight.

You turn your shopping cart slightly, trying to peer behind his massive form, and freeze.

Gray’s sticking out his tongue, pushing up his nose, and making many more silly gestures to a baby in a stroller. The baby laughs, it’s chubby cheeks bright red as Gray blows another raspberry, thrashing its arms up and down with joy. The dad is laughing at Gray’s antics, leaning down and patting his kid on the head.

Gray promptly stands up, sending another big smile to the kid, before waving goodbye. The six-month-old waves back, uncoordinated and decidedly adorable. Gray laughs, turning away and walking towards you.

Your feet feel cemented to the floor, heart down in your stomach.

He’s a natural, you think, nausea building up in your throat.

Gray was the oldest of eight, not a large number for a werewolf family. You adored them, and they you, but Gray had a way of dealing with his youngest siblings. Whether it was letting them climb all over him like a jungle gym, or attending imaginary tea parties, Gray was a pro. He was the guy to cram himself into a tiny chair at the kids table, eating tiny cookies and cracking jokes. ‘Dad’ seemed to be stamped into his very being, the cuddly werewolf with a love of children. He’s any mother-in-law’s dream.

But all those sweet things turn sour when you think about what Mrs. Star said. Gray, moving on without you.

Gray’s eyes light up when he sees your cart, jogging over and holding up the bottle of wine like a prize.

“Hey!” He says, quickly sliding an arm around your waist and giving you a peck on the cheek. “I got your favorite, and those delicious mint-chocolate sandwiches.”

His happy voice and comforting touch help abate whatever it is your feeling, but the way Gray’s brow furrows tells you your  discomfort is present in your eyes. “Is everything okay?” His large hand comes up and rubs your shoulder. You give him a shaky smile, fighting away negative thoughts with a bat.

“Yeah, let’s go home.”

---------

Wet fur presses up against your bare neck as you lazily stir the boiling water, Gray’s shifted muzzle now snug in the crook of your shoulder, the white flecks across his dark fur peeking into your periphery. Your free hand instinctively goes back to scratch between his ears, causing him to let out a satisfied huff, hot air blowing across your chest.

“That smells good baby.”

“It’s just salt and water Gray. The pasta’s barely al dente.”

Gray laughs, turning his head  slightly so he can press a small kiss onto your cheek.

“You could make even that taste delicious, ____”

You dramatically roll your eyes, pushing away his chin as he continues to peck and nip at your neck. After showering Gray always made sure to rub in some cherry-blossom leave-in conditioner into his fur. The artificial perfumes just lightly touch your senses, but the mental connection they have to Gray make them smell that much sweeter. You turn and give him a quick kiss on the lips, patting his shoulder once more.

“Do you mind setting the table? Maybe get started on those messy dishes?”

“No problem.” Gray mumbles, reluctantly pulling away from you and tugging up the towel that hangs loose on his hips. He barely needs to reach for your fancy plates on the top shelf, his chest muscles flexing and bicep taut. Even with his thick fur, you can see the bone of his clavicle which accentuates his long neck.

God, he’s so hot.

You think, smirking a bit as you continue stirring.

And all mine.

You hum, but the cheery mood you’re in quickly sours once you remember your conversation with Mrs. Star. That small seed of doubt seems to grow and leech from your chest.

2 years into this relationship and the two of you have only danced around the conversation of the future. You of course had agreed on living together, what your career paths looked like, even the potential of getting married in a couple years, but never kids. As two 20-somethings, you felt like you had all the time in the world.

But the thing was, you didn’t really need all the time in the world.

You didn't want kids. Even with your family or your neighbors needing that your opinion “might change some day,” you were confident in that decision. Not that you hated them, you just could never picture yourself being a mom. A fun aunt, maybe, but never a mom. It wasn’t even a point of contention in your own mind; The picture of you, your partner, and maybe a couple of pets thriving into your elders was bliss enough.

You sneak a glance to Gray, now clothed and back turned to you as he sets the table. He’s diligently folding the napkins into  fun shapes, a ritual he does every date night. From the hole in his jeans you can see his tail wagging, content as he hums to the low radio playing on the window sill.

A smile crawls onto your face, a small giggle escaping you as you watch Gray’s hips bob to the beat, silently mouthing the words. You snort as he does a dramatic little shoulder shift, Gray’s head whipping back towards the kitchen as you throw your hand over your mouth.

“What, don't you like my moves?” Gray says, shimmering his shoulders again, a large grin across his face.

“They could use some work, Kevin Bacon.” Gray clutches his chest, throwing his head back in mock pain.

“You wound me. After all these years, you would cut me so deep?”

“Sure would.” You turn back towards the simmering pasta, setting the wooden spoon on the rim and brushing your hands on your jeans. “Oof!” You squeak as you yanked away, Gray wrapping his arms around your waist, twirling you in a stumbling circle.

“And how ‘bout now, m’lady?” Gray simpers, eyebrow cocked. Your hands slap his chest as you laugh. He lets your feet back down on the floor, but keeps his arms locked around your waist. The two of you slow dance to the beat, and when the chorus hits, Gray gives his worst rendition possible. You bemoan and feign plugging your ears, but find yourself singing along anyway.

Everything about Gray is warm and bright, from his goofy grin to his excitable tail to his two left feet. He adds that pep of energy to your daily routine, pulling you out of an exhausting cycle for a quick jog to the beach or an episode of your favorite drama. Gray fills out all of those little spaces, makes them a little less gray.

Your head rests against his chest, feeling the fur through the fabric of his t-shirt as the two of you sway back and forth.

You want it to stay this way.

But that pestering weed squeezes your heart again, forcing images of Gray with a kid on his shoulders. Showing up to little-league football games with a big cooler and a “#1 dad” T-shirt. All those little moments, all without you.

You can’t fight the deep sigh, pressing your face even deeper into Gray.

Just let me have this. Just this moment, just for now.

-------

“Ugh, I think my stomach is going to explode from excess-pasta.”

Gray huffs, laying his head on your lap as the two of you slump onto the couch. His tail wags lazily, flickering back and forth as his legs swing over the coach's side, his long torso bunched up as he curls into you. The fur of his head is soft as you twist your fingers into it. “But I gotta say, what a way to go out.”

You giggle, losing your thoughts in his soft fur. Gray lets out another deep breath, nuzzling his face into your hand. You brush over his cheek with your  thumb, admiring the cheekbone you feel just underneath.

But that burning question refuses to leave your mind, and you ask it without even thinking.

“Do you want kids, Gray?”

Gray’s eye’s stay closes, his posture relaxed as he sinks into your massaging fingers.

“Hmmm, maybe. Never really thought too much about it. Why?”

Your throat dries up, mind reeling. It wasn’t even a definitive yes, but your heart is still reeling. Your fingers pause and Gray's eyes open. He shifts his head when he sees the look on your face, concerned. “Babe?”

You nod, eyes still wide, trying to fight off the inklings of a panic attack. Gray pushes himself up on his elbows, paw quickly coming to caress your cheek. “Baby, is everything alright?”

You find the energy to breathe, and suck in deeply. Your heart begins to slow down as you look into Gray’s yellow wolf eyes. You dig your cheek into his large palm, smelling the perfume of his conditioner.

“Yes, sorry, I just-” You pause, taking another deep breath. “I ran into Mrs. Star in the grocery store, and-I’m sorry I’m overthinking things.” You mutter, patting yourself  on the cheek as to snap yourself out of your mood. Grays other hand rubs the back of your neck.

“It’s okay, baby, I’m here. Did she say something?”

“No-Well, yes. It’s silly, typical Star things. She just brought up how ‘ought to get started having kids, and it just-” You let out a shaky sigh, pulling away Gray’s hand with your own and looking him straight in the eye. “I don’t want to have kids, ever.”

In Gray’s eyes, you expect to….something. Confusion, disappointment, maybe? But instead, all you see is relief. Gray rests his paw on your thigh, squeezing it.

“_____, is that what you’ve been worrying about?” You nod, throwing your eyes back down, but Gray tilts your chin towards him. “If you don’t want kids, we won’t have kids. Simple as that.”

Your eyes widen and you pull your face back.

“Seriously? But-what if-”

“____, I grew up with eight siblings. I’m going to have to deal with more nieces and nephews then I can count on my fingers and my toes, I think I can handle not having kids.”

A weight lifts off of your chest and you slump forward into Gray, pressing your forehead against his clavicles as you let out a long, relieved sigh. He laughs, patting your back and kissing the top of your head. “I’m sorry you had to deal with this all day, I didn’t even realize you were so upset.”

You slap his chest, letting out another frustrated sigh. With him? No, but yourself, and Mrs. Star, for stirring up nightmares for no damn good reason.

“It’s not your fault, it’s mine for being so paranoid.” You press your chin up, pouty lips admiring your boyfriend's face. “I’m sorry for freaking out. She really got me into my own head.”

“No apologies needed baby.” Gray says, giving you a small peck. You send him a cheesy smile, chasing after his lips with a couple of small kisses. A low rumble growls out from his chest as you nip at his jawline. Behind him, you hear his tail begin to hump on the floor.

“Hmm, does that mean you feel better?” You nod, pressing another kiss into his pulse point.

“Yes, thank you for letting me get that out.” Another kiss, now on his Adam’s apple.

“Welp,” Gray says, quickly adjusting himself. In another second, you yelp as he picks you up by your butt, legs quickly wrapping around his waist, “Let’s give Mrs. Star something to talk about, hmm?”

You throw your head back with a laugh, clinging tight to his chest as Gray blows a raspberry into your neck. “That good with you, my lady?”

You nod, giving him another kiss on the lips as he carries you off into the bedroom.

Yeah, you have it good.

[confused-as-all-hell]

Inner Circle

The bastard-born warriors, the Illyrian half-breed, the monster trapped in a beautiful body, the dreamer born into a court of nightmares … And the huntress with an artist’s soul.

The Inner Circle, bright and fierce and carefree. A dashed court of hope who met beneath the mask of moonlight, who refused to bow their heads, who wept into the cradle of their hands the first time they heard the word “family.”

Rhysand’s most trusted, the group of lethal warriors taking point at every battlefield. The same lethal warriors who lived together in a townhouse, arguing over the night’s dinner, setting up fortresses of pillows and blankets in the sitting room. 

The world saw them as monsters. 

The world didn’t see them cooking breakfast together, didn’t see Mor laughing with her feet propped against the table, or Cassian swearing brightly as he burned slices of toast, or Azriel and Feyre sipping their tea and grinning, or Amren whacking a laughing Rhys over the head with her dressing gown. The world didn’t see them taking care of each other, looking out for one another, protecting and defending their family.

Family. It’s still such a precious word.

Lovely Morrigan found a house of people who love her, who waited for her opinion on warfare and politics, who listened when she said “No, I don’t feel comfortable.”

Brilliant Cassian discovered his heritage didn’t matter to this group of snickering warriors in pajamas. He was still important, even if he was a bastard. He mattered.

Wonderful Feyre set down her knife for the first time within those walls, allowed her defenses to drop. She was loved, and it was a miracle, that love. She had friends who would never allow her to wander into the forest alone again.

Caring Azriel was accepted without thought, drawn into the tangle of snowball fights and laughter instantly, admired for his mind rather than his body. He returned to the light after so many years in the dark, dark, dark.

Fierce Amren was not only a monster when she was in the townhouse; she was a teacher, someone to learn from, an object of respect. She couldn’t hold back her grin the first time she received Solstice gifts.

Proud Rhysand was no High Lord amid the gales of laughter and teasing. He was a brother, the person to come to for quick healing or a last drink before bed, or sometimes a comfort when the terror won out. 

Rhys’s night was full of stars, each one named for a family member. His darkness was tangled in light. He lit the lamps at night, tended to the fires himself, chased every wisp of fear and hurt away.

They had only each other, a final blockade between Velaris and the worlds beyond. It was enough, they said. 

They protected each other, not just while sparring or hunting, but from the little dangers. Amren always dimmed the roaring fire when Azriel’s eyes grew too haunted. Rhys would began chattering loudly whenever idle talk of the Hewn City reached their ears outdoors.

When they were young, they swore an oath to put each other above the world.

And so they did.

Cassian stood before Feyre and told her it was okay, she could take her guilt out on him. He held her when she wept.

Rhys gave his own life for his family’s safety, his body and sanity and dignity, time and time again. 

Azriel positioned himself before his home, a final defense, and he would not move, not with those brilliant lights inside.

Feyre forgot her terror and hatred to save those who had shown her such kindness, who made her feel so loved.

Amren died willingly for the group of star-shine bright warriors who chose her gifts with such care and precision, who did not think her a beast.

Mor went up against the female who rent her brother into such misery, who had abused her High Lady for years. 

Not a monster, not at all. Just a sister trying to do her best.

When the Inner Circle said they would defend each other, this did not exclude a single soul. Any male or female who hurt them unforgivably was at fault. 

Rhys and Mor saw their family struggling, and they were furious. We loved them for their devotion; don’t you dare turn on it now.

“Family,” Cassian told Mor once, drizzling chocolate onto a stack of banana cakes, “odd, isn’t it? That those who do not share your blood might love you all the same? That they might protect you, die for you?”

She ruffled his hair, and he yelped. “You know I’ll always protect you,” she said with a wink. “Got to even the score some day.”

Mor always, always, always remembered Cas defending her from day one.

And so, when Nesta Archeron began to sling insults at him, ruin his pride, shred his trademark grin until it was thin and weak, Mor never forgave her. Nesta liked hurting people, thought it amusing, but Mor didn’t think it at all worthy of laughter when she watched the dregs of Cassian’s smile fall. Nobody was allowed to hurt her family, fucking no one.

When Feyre told Rhys of her sister’s neglect, the fury and rage that had settled within Nesta’s very bones, Rhys never really forgot that day’s thought. He tried to love Nes for Feyre’s sake, but every time he closed his eyes, he saw the tears pouring down his mate’s face, her misery at her sister’s constant hurt. 

When Amren fingered the jewels gifted to her for Solstice, she could only see Nesta standing in the doorway, snow turning her hair damp, the tentative smile on her High Lady’s face, the achingly eager bark of Cassian’s laughter. She cared for Nesta awfully, but you could care for someone and see their faults.

And Nesta Archeron had her faults.

She had her wonderful, golden moments, as well. Times when the gratitude on Rhys’s face was painstaking, days when Feyre’s grin of delight would light the darkest corners of the world, bare seconds when Cassian could hardly contain his giddy chuckles.

Nesta bent her knees, her head, apologized for her bitter comments and harsh treatment of the Inner Circle. She admitted she had been wrong, not in refusing to kiss their asses, but disdaining to offer them so much as a lukewarm glance. She did not apologize for her trauma, but for the cruelties she had dealt before the fact.

And they forgave her.

So, I would like to believe somewhere, Feyre is curled up at one end of the sofa, gesturing wildly with her hands as she tells a story to Cassian, who tries to get sips of tea into her mouth when she pauses for air. Amren sits primly in a hideous pink loveseat, ropes of ruby slung around her throat, flipping idly through a thick tome. On the carpet, Rhys and Azriel sprawl out, heads together like schoolboys, discussing the newest bit of information the latter’s shadows have hastened to report. Mor lounges on the other side of the couch, Nyx cradled in her arms and giggling, his chubby fingers grasping at a laughing Nesta’s dangling earrings. 

They all deserve their peace so much, and I so often cry thinking I will never know that love, that joy. But they do, so I will be happy for them, and I will defend them as I hope they would defend me.

Every last one of them has fucked up, and will do so again. 

Every last one is worthy of love, of warmth and kindness and respect.

I wholly believe they will build a gentler world, a sweeter world. One where Helion can winnow to their door with his face bright instead of miserable. One where Tarquin might send gifts for Nyx to their home instead of murder reports. One where Feyre will let Nyx play in the garden without a battalion of guards.

The Inner Circle isn’t perfect, but they love each other.

They aren’t monsters, just a group of dreamers who have never known reprieve from their nightmares.