#the folds are drawn and shaded so well

[team-frightfur]

Unstoppable, unshutuppable, jk you can block me. But Tumblr the site is Powerless.

I like how the grey on her shirt still has that faint cyan edge to it to add vibrancy + how well the blue and pink shadows go with her hair. Colour theory or something. Also, again, this'll sound weird but I especially like the shading on the hair at her neck and how warm and saturated it is. But I also super love how watercoloury the shading on her white shirt feels. Its so soft. She feels so pastel its beautiful. Finally, her blue background contrasts with the white/blond so well, while the shading of white/pink/blue on the blue part of her clothing also desaturates the blue so it doesn't blend in. Oh and of course her face is great too. Do you headcanon her as using makeup? Because she has some really luscious eyes and lips compared to the boys. it's pretty.

Anyway, the thing I like a lot about these is how they show off the diffs/strengths of Yugioh's style vs Yours. You still translated it really well, ofc, and I honestly think yours is better (even if too high effort for a weekly show.) Anyway, yugioh's anatomy is kinda cartoony and some of the shapes can get a lil out there. Plus, the hair is like knives. Your anatomy is more realistic and detailed (like how you translated Syo's weird little eyes and made them not weird). Also impressed by how you made Asukas nightmare of a pose work, too. The most amazing bit imo though is the hair. Yugioh hair doesn't really have strands or roots (unless ur a yuboy) so its really interesting to see how you rebuild it with recogniseable strands, crowns, roots and inclines. It not only makes it much softer and cuter, but means that you can shade with a lot less straight lines (which really nails the feeling of shading a fiber/thread/hair). Plus, the swirl of asukas hair (which isnt really possible in ygo's style) looks Incredible here!

Hnngh I love ur shading so much. Anyway. Amazing pics. Made my day.

redraws of their stills from Precious Time, Glory Days

[verrixstudios]

Last Tribe A Day run cycle was today so I decided to combine them all to show the differences!

ID under the cut

[ID: Seven sketchy animated run cycles, all of the original dragon tribes from Wings of Fire. They alternate sides as they go down, starting with the top one on the left and the second on the right, and so on. The background is a blank white. Each dragon has shaded limbs to help see the differences while in movement. The right wing is the darkest shade, followed by the left wing (closest to the screen), the the right legs are the lightest shaded. Descriptions are in order from top to bottom:

Mudwing: Drawn in a dark red. The thickest dragon by far, opening is mouth in a smile as its front legs hit the ground. Its large wings have four toes as if they were a third set of talons, which is used as another set of legs while running. The wings lift off after the back legs. The entire body bobs with its weight while it runs, lunging with its back legs. One of its back legs disappears while it runs (oopsies) and its large tail flicks with the run.

Skywing: Drawn in a darker red. Much skinnier dragon with longer limbs and larger wings. Its large wings remain slight open above its border, slightly bobbing as it moves. The body itself doesn’t move up and down, instead just twisting with movement of its limbs. Its tail is a little stiff, again just moving up and down. As it runs, one foot touches and leaves the ground at a time.

Icewing: Drawn in a dark blue. Its body and shape is ridgid, its head swooping up and down like it lunges with every time its front talons land. Again, its wings are used as a third pair of legs, however they are mostly used after the other limbs are mid-air. Its talons are visibly sharper, as well as its wings. Sharp spines on the back of its neck and end of its tail are visible as well, which bobs with the movement.

Seawing: Drawn in a dark blue. A thicker, long dragon with short but thick limbs and webbed frills along its spine and sternum. It’s thick tail continues the up and down curve it’s body makes with every move, flicking the end of the frills as it does. Its wings are semi open above its body, bobbing with the running movement and tilting up and down as its spine curves.

Sandwing: Drawn in a warm brown. Long limbs but thicker than skywing. All four feet lift of the air when they’re closest during the run, each foot hitting the ground one at a time. It’s barbed scorpion-like tail bobs up and down at the end. Its wings are folded and stuff near its shoulders, tilted diagonally. A solid frill lines its spine, biggest at the back of its neck and above the back legs.

Nightwing: Drawn in a dark purple grey, and by far the stiffest run cycle. Thick body with short but thinner legs than mudwings or seawings. Spikes line the spine all along its body, longest at the back of the neck and back of the body. Its wings are held stiffly and slightly folded over its body. Other than the legs and tail, most of the nightwing barely moves as it runs, and its legs hit the ground in pairs, front legs then back legs. They don’t even cross between each other at the closest part in the run. Its mouth opens and closes as it runs, not in any particular expression, I was just bored.

Rainwing: Drawn in a muted dark green. By far the bounciest run. It has a thin body and a head I accidentally drew a little big. It’s three-toed wings are used as a third pair of legs, used most right before it’s front legs hit the ground. Its front legs hit the ground at different time, however the back legs hit and leave together. Its tail is by far the longest, curled at the end and slightly unraveling as it flicks up and down. Beneath the curved horns is a frill with two connections that slight opens and closes with the movement. It’s grin also opens and closes with the movement.

END ID]

[ja3yun]

Guess Who?

puppy hybrid!jake x human!reader x puppy hybrid!sunghoon warnings: smut (mdni), unprotected sex, double pen, sensory deprivation (blindfold), oral (f.rec), fingering, knotting, spanking (slight), petnames (pup, baby, baby girl), poly relationship, includes mlm (kissing and humping), jakehoon are cute and hybrids obvs, not proofread, anything else lmk! w.c: 15.1k synopsis: for your 21st birthday, your two devoted puppy hybrid boyfriends decide to help you celebrate in a way only they know how. a/n: hi! i've been mia for nearly three weeks and i'm so sorry! ofc my return had to be for my baby @yzzyhee's birthday! love of my life, i really hope you like this and you have a great day :(( you make my life a million times better and i am so thankful you were born! i love you! p.s i will never make another hybrid fic again, this shit is hard. comments, reblogs, etc are all welcome!!

You unlock the door, the key clicking softly in the lock, and as it creaks open, a hushed murmur greets your ears.

“Shh, she’s coming!” 

“Shut up, she’ll hear you, you idiot!” 

Your brow furrows as you step into the flat, uncertainty settling in your chest. The room is blanketed in near-total darkness, an odd quiet stretching across the air. Faint shadows dance and flicker as if they’re alive, shifting ever so slightly in the blackness. You hesitate on the threshold, taking a breath- click - the lights burst into life, filling the space with a warm, glowing radiance.

The sight before you takes your breath away. The entire room has been transformed, dressed in delicate pink, black, and white ribbons that cascade from the ceiling in beautiful, sweeping spirals. They trail down walls and weave across the furniture, shimmering gently as they catch the light. A large banner stretches across the far wall, the letters in glittering gold spelling out ‘Happy 21st Birthday!’ in an elegant, swirling font. Balloons hover in the corner, two enormous numbers bobbing amid a sea of smaller ones, all in shades of blush, rose, and cream, softly swaying with each movement of air.

It feels like you’ve stepped into a dream, everything so perfectly curated and thoughtful, the air brimming with sweetness. A fond smile spreads across your face, but your attention is soon drawn to the two figures standing in the middle of the room.

Sunghoon and Jake, your two mischievous puppy hybrid boyfriends, are still bickering, their argument continuing even though you’re clearly in the room. They’re adorably oblivious to your presence, caught up in blaming each other for almost ruining the surprise.

“You were supposed to stay quiet!”

“Well, if you hadn’t stepped on that balloon-”

Their argument plays out like a well-rehearsed comedy act. Jake, with his floppy ears twitching in irritation, points accusingly at Sunghoon, whose pointier ears are now folded back in frustration. You watch with amused affection, knowing full well that this dynamic between them is part of the package. Sunghoon is the more serious of the two, precise and calculated, while Jake is more playful, his carefree nature often leading to these light-hearted clashes. The way their ears move is a telltale sign of their emotions, and you’ve come to love how expressive they are without even realising it.

You stifle a giggle and finally decide to make your presence known, clearing your throat. The sound cuts through their argument, both pairs of ears immediately perking up. Sunghoon’s ears shoot upright for a second before they fold back again in a mix of sheepishness and surprise, while Jake’s ears give an almost comical jump as he turns to face you with wide eyes.

“What’s all this?” you ask, your voice warm but teasing as you gesture to the room’s elaborate decorations. Despite your best effort to keep your tone light, you can’t help but feel touched by the effort they’ve put in.

You had told them not to make a big deal out of your birthday this year. You didn’t want any fuss; after all, you’ve always treated birthdays like any other day. A quiet dinner, maybe a movie, nothing more. But you should’ve known better. The boys are nothing if not loyal by nature, and deep down, they both knew that if you came home to no celebration, especially on your 21st birthday, you’d feel a pang of disappointment, even if you tried to hide it.

As soon as you left for uni this morning, they sprung into action. Skipping their own mid-morning classes, they rushed off to the store. It didn’t take long to find the perfect accessories out of your favourite colour scheme. After just over a year together, they knew you inside and out. They picked out everything meticulously, but what warms your heart the most is the extra effort they put into hand-making some of the decorations.

Sunghoon, ever the perfectionist, probably spent hours crafting the intricate paper flowers that now adorn the table, each one delicately folded with precision. Jake likely took charge of blowing up the balloons, glueing gems and bows to their otherwise minimalist surfaces, and arranging them in a way that screams pure enthusiasm. 

They wanted it to be perfect. They wanted you to feel special because, to them, you are special. The thoughtfulness behind every tiny detail, from the glittering banner to the colour of the ribbons, speaks volumes about how much they adore you.

Your mind begins to drift back to the very beginning, to the day you first met them at the university’s human-hybrid mixer. It had been a nerve-wracking event, designed to help bridge the gap between humans and hybrids, building a sense of community. You weren’t quite sure what to expect, but as soon as you walked into that room and laid eyes on them, something shifted inside you. It was instantaneous, like the world had clicked into place. You hadn’t even exchanged words before you felt the tug - something deep, raw, and undeniable pulling you towards them.

Hybrids, you have learned, can experience soul ties with humans. It’s a bond deeper than even the most romanticised ideas of soulmates, more visceral and primal. There’s no logical explanation for it, but once it happens, it’s unbreakable. That’s what had happened between the three of you. From the moment you met, there was no going back.

Sure enough, Sunghoon and Jake felt it too, that sense of loyalty, affection, and devotion that goes beyond anything they had ever experienced. Soul ties like this usually only happen between one hybrid and one human, yet they both felt that magnetic pull to your heart. The day after the mixer, they had sat down together, the atmosphere between them heavy with the weight of this newfound connection. It hadn’t been easy. The bond between them and you was so intense, neither of them wanted to lose the chance to be with you, but they couldn’t bring themselves to fight over you either.

They talked for hours that day, confessing how deeply they felt drawn to you. Neither wanted to step aside for the other, but at the same time, they couldn’t imagine you with just one of them. It wasn’t until the conversation led to you - when they thought about how you might feel - that the solution became clear. It wasn’t about competition or winning you over. It was about all three of you, together.

Being best friends, they always joked about being tied to one another too in some way, whether platonic or not. Their love for one another has been there ever since they first met, not a soul tie, but definitely something. That fact just made their decision final; both of them would have you.

When they finally brought the conversation to you, you’d been surprised, of course. The idea of being in a relationship with two people, much less two puppy hybrids, was a lot to process. But you couldn’t deny the pull. That inexplicable bond had wound itself around your heart, and no matter how much you tried to rationalise it, you felt it just as intensely as they did. Eventually, the apprehension faded, and you gave in to the inevitable.

And now, here you are, standing in the middle of your flat, staring at your boyfriends who have gone to great lengths to make your 21st birthday special. 

Jake is the first to make his move, skipping towards you with the kind of joyful energy that’s distinctly him. His wide, boyish grin grows even larger the closer he gets. He practically leaps into your arms, winding himself around you like an affectionate puppy, arms squeezing you tightly as though he might never let go.

“Happy birthday, Y/N!” he says, his voice filled with excitement, the words almost a little breathless from his eagerness.

You laugh, wrapping your arms around him just as tightly. With Jake, it’s always like this - his hugs are all-consuming, full of warmth and enthusiasm. His body presses against yours, not just with strength but with an earnestness that’s pure and unguarded. It feels like he’s trying to merge your two bodies together, as though the closeness could never be enough. He nuzzles into your neck, his breath hot against your skin, and you can feel the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathes you in, basking in the comfort of your touch.

Jake loves being affectionate, perhaps more than anything. He thrives on physical contact - the soft pressure of your hand against his, the way your fingers thread through his hair, or the way your bodies fit together when he wraps you up in one of his bone-crushing hugs. It’s as if every moment spent apart from you is too long, and when he finally has you in his arms, he can’t help but revel in the feeling of having you close.

His head rests against your shoulder, his floppy ears brushing your cheek as he buries his face into the crook of your neck. There’s a kind of vulnerability in how open he is, how unabashedly he shows his love for you. His body, though strong and lithe, feels almost like a blanket of warmth around you, cocooning you in his affections. He never holds back - whether it’s a kiss, a hug, or just the way he lingers close to you, as if you’re the only thing keeping him grounded.

Sunghoon approaches with a more measured pace, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he watches Jake all but smother you. There’s no rush in his steps - he’s content to let Jake have his moment. He’s always been the more reserved one, the quiet presence beside Jake’s exuberance. But that doesn’t mean he loves you any less; his affection is simply more silent, more subtle, yet just as deep.

When Sunghoon reaches you, he gives a light pet on your head, his touch gentle but firm. Then, with a soft breath, he leans down and places a feather-light kiss on your lips. It’s not hurried or overly eager, but the tenderness in it makes your heart flutter. “Happy birthday, baby,” he murmurs, his voice a little lower, intimate.

While Jake is excitable, Sunghoon’s affection is steadier, more controlled but just as sincere. He’s a border collie hybrid, after all, a little more relaxed than Jake’s golden retriever mix. Sunghoon’s affection comes through in smaller gestures - a brush of his fingers against your arm, a lingering glance, or a kiss placed gently on your forehead when no one’s looking. He’s not as overt as Jake, but the intensity of his love is undeniable, simmering just below the surface, waiting to be felt in those quieter moments.

You shift one of your arms from Jake’s back and lift it to scratch behind Sunghoon’s ear, knowing full well how much he enjoys it. His eyes close slightly, and a faint smile curves his lips as he leans into your touch, savouring the sensation.

“Thank you,” you say softly, looking between the two of them. “Both of you. But you really didn’t have to do all of this.”

Jake’s head lifts from your shoulder, his face full of adoration as he looks at you, his brows pulling together just enough to show how deeply he feels. “We wanted to,” he says earnestly, his voice softening in the way it does when he’s especially emotional. His floppy ears jitter a little as his eyes search yours, a mix of happiness and tenderness reflecting in them.

Standing beside him, Sunghoon nods in quiet agreement. There’s no need for him to say anything; you can feel his love just in the way he gazes at you, calm but unwavering. For him, the effort was never a chore - it was an expression of something deeper, something he couldn’t quite put into words but hoped you’d feel in every ribbon hung, every balloon tied, every delicate touch that went into creating this moment.

You can feel a tightness in your chest as their love surrounds you, almost tangible in the air between the three of you. Your heart swells with emotion, and for a second, you’re not sure what to say. What can you say to thank them for this? Words hardly seem enough to capture the overwhelming gratitude, the pure affection you feel for them both.

Reaching up to your face and breaking the hug, Jake brushes a loose strand of hair behind your ear, his fingertips lingering on your cheek, warm and gentle. His eyes, dark and soft, reflect his adoration for you. There’s a purity in Jake’s love - a kind of innocence that comes with his boundless energy and enthusiasm. He doesn’t need to hide it or temper it. His affection is full-force, all-consuming, and it’s impossible not to be swept up in it.

“We actually didn’t just want to,” Jake says after a moment, his voice still soft but tinged with that familiar playful sincerity. “We had to. You deserve it. You deserve more than this.”

There’s something in the way he says it that makes your breath catch in your throat. His tone is so earnest, his belief in what he’s saying so unwavering, that you feel your cheeks warm slightly under his gaze. Jake has always had this way of making you feel like you’re the most important person in the world - like he’s constantly in awe of the fact that you’re his.

“You know we couldn’t let today go by without doing something,” Sunghoon murmurs, his voice a little lower, more intimate. “It’s your 21st, after all.”

His hand moves to the small of your back, guiding you into a gentle embrace. Sunghoon’s touch is gentle but commanding, like he’s savouring each second of closeness. He doesn’t rush; he never does. Instead, he pulls you into his side slowly, his body warm against yours. 

For a moment, you’re caught between the two of them - Jake’s eager touch on one side, Sunghoon’s soft and subtle presence on the other - and it strikes you just how perfectly balanced everything feels. The way they complement each other is something you’ve come to love more than anything. 

You will never understand why more people don’t have a poly relationship like this. But then again, you three are special, connected by fate.

Pulling back slightly, you look at both of them, a smile tugging at your lips. “You guys are too much,” you say, shaking your head fondly. “But I’m not complaining.”

Jake’s grin stretches across his face, his eyes lighting up at your words. “Good!” he exclaims, wrapping his arm around your shoulders and pulling you in for another quick, excited squeeze. “Because there’s more!”

Sunghoon lets out a small chuckle beside you, shaking his head at Jake’s enthusiasm. “We may have gone a little overboard,” he admits, though there’s no hint of regret in his tone. If anything, he seems quietly pleased with how everything has turned out.

Jake steps back, his hand slipping into yours as he tugs you towards the centre of the room, where the table is set up. “Come on, we’ve got cake!”

Yanking you toward the table, Jake gestures you to a spot on the dining table where a heart-shaped cake sits proudly in the centre, stealing the spotlight among the delicate decorations. It’s adorned with soft pink frosting that traces a neat border around the edges, forming a perfect frame for the simple yet heartfelt message written in slightly uneven, hand-lettered icing: Happy 21st Birthday, Y/N. The pink lettering pops against the soft cream-coloured surface of the cake, and small cherries dot the edges, adding a bright touch of red. Around the base, tiny white pearls encircle the cake, giving it a touch of elegance.

Your smile widens as you take in the cake’s beauty. “This is so…” you begin, laughter bubbling up as you admire the thoughtful details. “You guys didn’t make this, did you?”

“Fuck no,” Jake laughs, eyes sparkling with mischief as he swipes a finger across the back of the cake, scooping up a dollop of frosting. He waves it playfully in front of your lips, teasing you with the sweet temptation. “We’re talented, but not this talented.”

Without missing a beat, you lean forward and suck the frosting off his finger, your tongue brushing against his skin. Jake’s ears twitch in excitement, his eyes widening, and his smile turns bashful, almost shy. His floppy ears, always so expressive, bounce with joy as he watches you enjoy the taste. The frosting is sweet, creamy, and delicate on your tongue, the perfect combination of sugary delight and subtle flavour. You nod in appreciation, your eyes flicking between Jake and Sunghoon.

“It’s amazing,” you say, licking the last bit of frosting off your lips. “Thank you.”

Sunghoon, who’s been watching the two of you with a soft, amused expression, steps forward. “We can have some after presents,” he says, his voice smooth and calm. He reaches behind the table, and your curiosity piques as he pulls out three carefully wrapped boxes, each one tied with a neat ribbon.

Your heart flutters with anticipation as you sit down, the three gifts now laid out in front of you. “You guys didn’t have to-”

“Stop saying that!” Jake interrupts with a laugh, his tail wagging in spirit if he had one. “Just open them!”

With a smile, you carefully tug the ribbon on the first box and peel back the wrapping paper. The box is sleek and black, and as you open it, a familiar scent hits you before you even see what’s inside. It’s the Prada perfume you’ve been eyeing at the store for weeks, the one you always stopped to test but never quite convinced yourself to splurge on. Your breath catches as you lift the bottle from the box, its elegant design glimmering in the light.

“You remembered,” you whisper, your fingers tracing the smooth glass.

Sunghoon smiles softly, his eyes meeting yours. “Of course we did. We noticed how you always looked at it, and we wanted to make sure you had it.”

“Plus it gives us an excuse you smell you,” Jake adds, already imagining all the ways he can attach his lips to your neck and wrists, engulfing his senses in your new scent. Jake loves to sniff you, to know every note of your aura, it’s intoxicating. He thinks your natural scent is the most delicious though.

You feel a warmth spread through your chest, touched by the thoughtfulness of their gesture. The aroma of the perfume lingers in the air as you place it back in the box, turning your attention to the second gift.

The next box is smaller, and when you open it, your heart skips a beat. It’s a mixtape, decorated with a simple hand-drawn label featuring little doodles of stars, hearts, and music notes. You can’t help but giggle softly as you look over the list of songs, recognising some of your favourite artists immediately - Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, and a mix of other singers you love.

“We put all your favourites on there,” Sunghoon says, his voice tinged with pride. “And a couple of new ones you might like, or songs that make us think of you.”

You run your fingers over the tape, your smile growing. “This is so sweet,” you say, glancing up at them. “I love it.”

The gift is thoughtful, so much time and effort to select every song, place them in order, and decorate the label. It’s gifts like these that make you feel understood and known, that it’s not just a gift someone bought because they had to get you a present, but a declaration of their adoration and understanding of you as a person. It’s cliche, sure, but you love it all the same and will cherish it for the rest of your life.

You don’t have the heart to tell them you don’t own a cassett player though...

But the third box is the one that truly tugs at your heartstrings. It’s a little larger than the others, and as you carefully untie the ribbon, your eyes land on the softest, fluffiest star-shaped plush toy you’ve ever seen. Its smile is embroidered in delicate stitches, and its squishy texture is irresistible. You can’t help but let out a soft pout as you hold it up, hugging it to your chest with a small pout of delight.

Jake grins, clearly pleased with your reaction, but before you can say anything, he nudges you lightly. “Wait, there’s more. Look inside the box.”

You place the plush aside, curiosity blooming as you peer back into the box. At the bottom, there’s a small envelope. You pull it out and open it, revealing a certificate. Your eyes widen as you read the words, the meaning sinking in.

This is to certify that the star, Vega, in the constellation of Lyra has been named in honour of Y/N L/N.

You look up at them in disbelief, your heart swelling with emotion. “You…you bought me a star?”

And not just any star, but Vega, one of the brightest stars in the night sky. It appears mostly in summer, which is exactly the season you all started dating, the same season in which you saw the beautiful star and marvelled at all its hope and wonder. It represented you, the puppies knew that, you shine brighter than anyone else in their life, and with the sun unable to purchase, Vega was the next best thing.

Jake nods, his eyes filled with excitement. “To show you that you’re always a part of our universe.”

Sunghoon steps closer, his hand resting on the small of your back. “We wanted something that would last forever, just like…well, just like us.”

Tears well in your eyes, not because of the star or the gifts, but because of the love behind them - the thought, the care, the intention to make you feel special in a way only they could. You’re at a loss for words, but your expression says it all. They’ve made you feel like the centre of the universe.

“Thank you,” you whisper, your voice thick with emotion as you look between them.

Jake pulls you into another tight hug while Sunghoon rests his hand on your back, the solid warmth of his presence grounding you in the moment. They’re everything to you, and today, they’ve made sure you know how much you mean to them.

Sunghoon moves closer, his hand steady on your back as his other gently cups your cheek, wiping away the tears that have slipped down without you even noticing. His touch is delicate, and the concern in his eyes makes your heart ache with tenderness. “You’re so precious to us, Y/N,” he says softly, his voice almost a whisper. “I know this might not be much, but I hope you like it.”

You let out a quiet scoff, the absurdity of his words catching you off guard. Not much? How could he possibly think that? This - all of this - was more than anything anyone had ever done for you. The decorations, the gifts, the thought they had put into every detail...It was overwhelming, in the best possible way. You shake your head, a mixture of disbelief and affection swirling within you.

“Not much?” you repeat, your voice thick with emotion. “Are you kidding? This is everything. More than I could have wanted.”

“Good,” Jake exclaims behind you, “Because we aren’t done yet.”

Jake's grin grows impossibly wider as he bounces on his heels, clearly unable to contain his excitement. You tilt your head at him, feigning curiosity. "What do you mean?" you ask, eyeing him playfully.

Leaning into your ear, Sunghoon’s low chuckle sends a shiver down your spine. His breath brushes the sensitive skin just below your earlobe, making your heart race a little faster. “Jake’s set up a few games for us to play. His idea, not mine," he murmurs, his lips grazing your ear in a way that feels both teasing and intimate. "I can’t take credit if you enjoy it,” he adds before nibbling at your earlobe, a subtle smirk playing on his lips. “But if you don’t, I’m definitely not taking the blame.”

His mischievous whisper ignites warmth in your chest, but before you can respond, Jake comes bounding back, arms full of props. He’s beaming, the kind of uncontainable energy that only comes from him in moments like this - utterly contagious.

“Okay!” Jake exclaims, barely containing his excitement. “So, you need to choose between one and three.” He hides the items behind his back, swaying his hips like an eager child waiting for you to pick. His whole body vibrates with anticipation, his floppy ears bouncing slightly as he waits, his grin impossibly wide. He’s so irresistibly adorable like this that you can’t help but laugh softly at his excitement.

You look up at the ceiling, pretending to think long and hard, your eyes dancing with playful mischief. The corners of your lips twitch as you hum dramatically, one finger resting on your chin. “Hmm... let’s go with one!” you announce, drawing the word out for effect.

Jake’s excitement explodes as he reveals his choice: two large, fuzzy fake tails in a variety of colours. Sunghoon’s immediate groan is deep and regretful, contrasting sharply with Jake’s pure glee.

“Not this one,” Sunghoon mutters under his breath, sounding utterly exasperated.

Curiosity piqued, you raise an eyebrow. “What is it?” you ask, looking between the two of them. Their polar opposite reactions have you intrigued.

“Pin the tail on the hybrid,” they answer in unison - Sunghoon’s voice low and filled with immediate regret, while Jake practically bounces with enthusiasm.

Jake clearly had a hand in creating this game and you can't help but laugh as the details slowly click into place. Since hybrids like Jake and Sunghoon, who are part of the newer generation, don’t have tails, Jake had come up with the idea of mimicking a playful, somewhat childish game like ‘Pin the Tail on the Donkey,’ but with a hybrid twist.

"Wait-" you laugh, holding your sides as the image fully forms in your mind, "Is it a butt plug or something?"

Both of them freeze, looking at you with wide eyes and a mixture of shock and disbelief.

"No!" Jake shakes his head so vigorously that his floppy ears bounce wildly. "Blindfolding you and having you wielding a metal butt plug doesn’t sound very safe." His lips twist in playful dismay, but he quickly regains his sunny disposition, his excitement bouncing back full force. “I’ve got little Velcro patches, see? We each take turns, and you try and pin it on us until you get one right.”

You’re still giggling, the absurdity of it all getting to you. “So, I’m pinning tails on you guys?”

“Yes…” Sunghoon groans again, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s...so embarrassing.” He sounds thoroughly defeated, but you know him too well by now. There’s no real annoyance behind his words - just that reluctant indulgence that comes when Jake’s happiness is at stake. And there’s something adorable about how much he’s willing to go along with Jake’s excitement, even if it isn’t to his taste.

Jake skips over to Sunghoon with unrestrained glee and, without any warning, gives Sunghoon’s backside a playful smack, placing the large Velcro circle right where it needs to go. “You’re first, Hoonie!” Jake declares with a mischievous grin, fluttering his lashes at the Border Collie.

Sunghoon sighs, resigned to his fate. “Great,” he mutters, shooting you a look that’s half annoyed, half amused as he walks over to the couch, using the armrest as an X on the ground.

Not wasting any time, Jake turns to you with the blindfold in his hand, eyes gleaming with joy. “Your turn, Y/N.” He steps closer, moving with a deliberate slowness that makes the air between you spark with a new kind of tension.

As he reaches up to gently tie the blindfold around your head, his fingers graze the nape of your neck, sending goosebumps down your spine. His movements are slow, almost sensual. You feel the softness of the fabric brush against your skin as he secures the blindfold, but it’s the way his lips hover close to your neck that really makes your breath catch.

Jake doesn’t stop there. He lets his lips trail a gentle kiss down the curve of your neck, his breath warm and teasing against your skin. “You look so good like this,” he murmurs softly, his voice dripping with playful affection. It’s a mix of excitement and something deeper - something that sends your pulse racing.

If there is one thing Jake loves to do, it’s send your mind in a tizzy. Behind all the fun and gleefulness of his nature, comes those dog-like sexual urges. He changes so rapidly that you get emotional whiplash, only adding to the tingles you feel all over your body. 

This also isn’t the first time he’s blindfolded you, so the memories of those nights with his cock pounding into you as you stare into darkness come flooding back, settling deep into your stomach.

His hands linger on your shoulders, fingers squeezing gently before he steps back, leaving you standing there, blindfolded and just a little breathless.

“You ready?” Jake’s voice is light, teasing, and you can almost hear the grin on his face as he spanks you, much like he did Sunghoon only a minute ago.

You nod, unable to suppress a smile. “Ready.”

With the blindfold in place, you hear Sunghoon shuffle awkwardly in front of you. “This is ridiculous,” he mutters, though there’s a faint hint of amusement in his voice. You can practically hear his smirk, even if you can’t see it.

Jake giggles in the background, clearly enjoying himself. “Alright, baby,” he says, guiding your hands toward one of the tails. “Let’s see how good your aim is.”

As you take a few tentative steps towards Sunghoon, your hand reaches out instinctively, fingers hovering just above his body, ready to feel for the perfect spot. But before you can make contact, Jake’s playful voice cuts through the air.

“No touching! That’s cheating!” he chides, chuckling behind you with a cheeser on his face.

Huffing, you concede to his rules, pulling your hand back and placing it behind your back. You focus harder now, relying on your instincts to guide you. You can hear Sunghoon shifting slightly, likely in quiet amusement at your predicament, but he remains silent, waiting.

With your free hand, you move the tail towards where you think his lower back is, feeling proud of your guess. You press the Velcro onto his body, releasing the fluffy tail with a satisfied nod.

Pulling off the blindfold, you blink a few times to adjust to the light. As your vision clears, you burst into laughter. The tail sits just above Sunghoon’s lower back, nowhere near where it should be. You glance at him, expecting him to grumble, but instead, he’s biting back a smirk, his lips twitching as he stares down at the misaligned tail.

Jake laughs from the side but is supportive, ever your cheerleader. “I think it was okay!” he chirps, always the optimist when it comes to you. To be fair, it was closer than you thought you’d manage.

“Me next!” Jake announces, barely giving you a moment to catch your breath. The game continues, full of light banter and laughter as you go back and forth between pinning tails on Jake and Sunghoon. Each time, you aim for the perfect spot but always fall just a little short, earning chuckles and teasing remarks from both of them.

Finally, after a few failed attempts, you manage to stick a tail exactly where it belongs. You cheer loudly, jumping up and down in triumph. “Knew I could get one!” you exclaim, spinning around in a small victory dance.

As you twirl in triumph, your victory cry still echoing in the air, you catch a glimpse of Jake and Sunghoon exchanging glances. Their smirks deepen, a silent exchange of thoughts that sends a ripple through the room. The laughter fades, and suddenly, the lighthearted atmosphere shifts. There’s a weight to the air now, something simmering beneath the surface. It makes your pulse quicken, a flicker of awareness spreading through you. You feel the intensity in how their eyes trace your movements, lingering a beat too long.

Sunghoon steps forward, his gaze sharp and unwavering, and for the first time in the game, his tone has lost its playful edge. "Put the blindfold back on," he says. His voice, once light and teasing, now carries a gravity that sends a shiver cascading down your spine. It's not a request - it's an instruction. The room seems to tighten around you, the shift in his voice enough to steal the breath from your lungs.

Your fingers tremble slightly as you reach for the blindfold. The fabric feels different this time as you slip it over your eyes, no longer just a tool for the game but something that heightens the tension. Darkness envelops you, and in the absence of sight, your other senses heighten. You feel the thudding of your heart in your chest, the way your breathing speeds up, shallow and anticipatory.

The room falls quiet - eerily so. The only sounds are soft footsteps and the faint rustling of fabric, too faint to locate. Without your sight, every shift in the air feels magnified, every sound sharper. The unmistakable sound of Velcro tearing apart makes you inhale sharply. You can picture it in your mind, the boys silently stripping the patches from their trousers, and though you can’t see, the tension thickens in your throat. You don’t know what they’re planning, but the unspoken intensity between you all leaves your skin prickling.

So you aren’t playing another round…

The moment you realise the game has shifted is when you feel their warmth surrounding you, enclosing you in a cocoon of sensation. Sunghoon's fingers find your waist, his touch firm yet teasing, while Jake's hands glide against your thighs, his fingers brushing against your skin with an excruciatingly slow reverence. The air feels thick, heady, charged with something that goes beyond playfulness, the space between you electric.

Sunghoon’s breath tickles your ear as he leans in, his voice dropping into a sultry murmur that sends shivers down your spine. "How about another game?" he asks, the dark edge in his tone making your knees tremble.

Your throat feels tight as you try to keep your voice steady. "Sure...what one?" you manage to whisper, though your breath is unsteady, betraying the fluttering anticipation in your chest.

"A guessing game," Sunghoon replies smoothly, and even blindfolded, you can sense the smirk on his lips. His fingers move to sweep your hair aside, gathering it loosely at the nape of your neck. His touch lingers there, sending warmth radiating through your skin.

Jake doesn’t miss the opportunity, his lips finding the tender skin of your jaw. He places soft, deliberate kisses, slow and torturous, trailing down to your collarbone. The warmth of his breath fans across your skin, each kiss building a slow, insistent heat that coils deep within you.

Your voice catches. "What...what kind of guessing game?" you ask, your words shaky, barely holding onto the thread of conversation as their touch unravels you.

"You have to guess which one of us is touching you," Sunghoon explains, his voice dripping with mischief as Jake begins to pull your t-shirt from your body, his lips back on your chest as he kisses gently along the top of your breast and down their valley. His lips pause just below your ribcage, his breath warm against your skin, but the heat building inside you is anything but halted. 

Your breath hitches. You can’t help but let out a soft gasp as Jake’s kisses become more insistent, his mouth grazing your skin, making it impossible to concentrate. His hands hover at the waistband of your trousers, fingertips skimming just above your hips, a teasing, electric touch that sends waves of pleasure through your core. Each kiss, each brush of his lips, sets your nerves alight, and you can barely think straight, let alone guess who’s doing what.

A weak laugh escapes you. "Well, that's obviously Jake," you joke, trying to keep up the banter, though your voice is shaky and thin, completely betraying the desire threading through every word. Jake’s lips move lower still, his kisses drawing along your stomach, each one leaving you more breathless than the last. You can feel his breath, warm and tantalising against your skin, and your heart pounds in response, your body humming with need.

Before you can register just how far Jake has taken you, Sunghoon’s hand cups your jaw, tilting your face toward him. His lips meet yours in a kiss so soft, so slow, it melts away any remaining thought. His touch is tender but commanding, pulling you deeper into the moment as his other hand weaves through your hair. The intensity of his kiss drowns out everything else, making you forget who is where, or even that there was a game at all.

When he finally breaks away, Sunghoon’s voice is thick with amusement, a smile lingering on his lips as he murmurs against yours, "It’s not going to be that easy, baby." His words hold a promise, his tone teasing, yet filled with something deeper, something that makes your pulse quicken. Even though you can’t see the mischievous glint in his eyes, you feel it in the way he pulls back just enough to leave you wanting more.

Then, without warning, Sunghoon pushes you gently onto the couch, the plush cushions sinking beneath you as you fall back. He looms over you, ears perked up into points, his presence commanding and filled with intent. The game is no longer just playful; it’s something much more serious now - something charged with tension and need.

“You need to guess correctly…or else,” Sunghoon’s voice is both teasing and dark, a quiet threat hidden beneath his words. It sends a shiver down your spine, the thrill of the unknown building between the three of you.

“Or else what?” you ask, trying to sound defiant but failing miserably as your voice comes out in little more than a breathless whisper. Your heartbeat pounds in your ears as you wait for the answer, your body buzzing with excitement and wonder.

Jake chuckles from below, his mouth hovering over your waist, his breath tickling your skin as he speaks. “Or else you don’t get to cum,” he says, his voice playful, but there’s a heat beneath his words that tells you you’re night is going to be a long and teasingly painful one.

But then again, that all depends on you and your guessing abilities. 

Sunghoon’s hands glide up your thighs, parting your legs gently as he leans in, his lips brushing the shell of your ear. “And trust me, baby, you’ll want to cum…” His breath fans across your skin, sending goosebumps erupting along your arms.

The combination of their teasing and your own mounting desire creates a cocktail of anticipation that leaves you dizzy. You’re torn between the thrill of the game and the very real yearning for release. You can feel the heat radiating from both of them, their excitement palpable as they prepare to test your ability to guess who is who.

“Okay,” you manage to whisper, trying to regain some semblance of control. “I’ll try.” You don’t want to give in too easily, but the way their touches make your body sing makes it increasingly difficult to think straight.

Jake giggles, the sound light and carefree despite the charged atmosphere. “Let’s see if you can guess who’s touching you,” he says, still hovering at your waist, the anticipation palpable in his tone. You can feel the warmth of his body radiating toward you, heightening your senses even more.

“Ready for a little practice before the real game begins?” Sunghoon asks, his voice low and seductive. You nod, your heart pounding as the thrill of the unknown rushes through you.

With both of them positioned strategically around you, you can barely keep track of where they are. The game begins with Sunghoon’s fingers trailing down your sides, exploring the curves of your body with a feather-light touch. It sends shivers racing down your spine, and you bite your lip to suppress a moan.

“Who’s this?” he asks, his voice smooth and sultry, urging you to focus.

“Sunghoon?” you guess, feeling the familiar warmth and the teasing nature of his touch.

“Correct,” he replies, a smirk evident in his tone. But before you can fully revel in your success, Jake’s hands slip around your waist, his fingers playing with the hem of your trousers, teasing you with a brush of his lips along your skin.

The golden retriever's long fingers undo your jeans button and pull them down, your hips lifting instinctively to help get them off, showcasing your eagerness to play their game. Jake discards them, tossing them so they hit a few of your birthday balloons scattered on the floor. 

Both of them stand towering over you as you sink into the couch, heart pounding with happiness and anticipation as you breathe out shakily. You hear them switch places a few times, circling one another in an attempt to trick you. But you know your puppy hybrids better than anyone in the world, and you certainly know how they both touch you.

This should be easy. A walk in the park.

Giving each other a look, Sunghoon and Jake both kneel down in front of you, smirks plastered on their faces and excitement evident in their growing members, concealed by their trousers. You can feel their eyes on you, drinking in the sight of you sprawled on the couch, your body reacting to the closeness of their touch. The heat between you all is palpable, and it sends a fresh wave of arousal coursing through your veins.

Without a word, they move in synchrony, their hands gently tugging at the waistband of your thong. One of them, most likely Jake from the playful way his fingers brush against your skin, hooks his fingers into the lace fabric and begins to pull it down. His touch is soft yet deliberate, teasing you with the slow pace as the fabric slides down your thighs.

You lift your hips, allowing them to fully strip you, your skin flushing with warmth as your body is exposed to their gaze. There’s a moment of stillness as the thong hits the floor, and you can feel both sets of eyes on you. 

Sunghoon’s hands are the first to make contact again, his palms gliding over your hips before settling on your thighs, spreading them apart gently but firmly. His movements are slow, measured, and you can feel his breath ghosting over your inner thighs, so close yet not close enough. Jake, on the other hand, remains at your waist, his lips brushing the sensitive skin of your stomach, teasing kisses trailing lower.

They seem to have fallen into a rhythm, taking turns with their touches, each one designed to make you squirm in anticipation. The contrast between Sunghoon’s steady, calculated touch and Jake’s more playful, teasing approach is driving you to the edge, the tension building with every second. You can easily guess who is who right now.

But how much longer?

Gripping your ankles, each of the puppies lifts a leg, placing it gently over one of their shoulders. Their bodies are now intertwined together, making this game more difficult; their voices and touches are all coming from one place, and with your mind set on a high of horny, clouds are forming your judgement.

With your legs draped over their broad shoulders, the pressure of their firm grips against your thighs and the heat of their breath makes it impossible to focus on anything but them. Each breath you take is shallow, and the room feels electric, thick with the tension they’ve woven into the air. You try to steady yourself, but your mind is already spinning, teetering between confusion and desire as they work in tandem.

The hybrid aspect of them is something you’ve become accustomed to in daily life - their heightened senses, and the way they move with an innate grace. But now, their abilities seem even further elevated, their touches more precise, almost animalistic. It’s like they’re hunting you, knowing exactly how to drive you wild without giving you what you crave.

The golden retriever hybrid, starts first, his tongue flicking out to give the lightest of touches to your clit. The sensation is maddening. It’s so gentle you almost don’t know it’s happening, but the effect it has on you is immediate. A ripple of heat shoots through you, making you squirm, but before you can even process the sensation, his mouth pulls away. Your legs twitch, instinctively trying to move closer to any of their mouths, but he keeps his distance, his hands gripping your thighs to keep you still.

Your breath catches as you feel the faintest brush of lips - no, teeth - against the sensitive skin of your inner thigh. Jake’s hybrid nature makes his bites more playful, but there’s a sharp edge to it that sends goosebumps over your skin. He grazes his teeth over your thigh before sinking in just enough to leave a mark. You gasp, the sting quickly replaced by warmth, and the pulsing heat of your growing arousal.

And then...they switch. You can’t see them, but you can feel the subtle differences in their movements, yet it’s hard to know who is touching you at any given moment. One of them trails their fingers down your side, slow and feather-light, sending shivers all the way down your spine. It’s the gentleness that throws you off. Jake is usually more eager, a little more frantic, but this touch...it’s deliberate, controlled. It must be Sunghoon, you think, but as the fingers curl around your waist, the next lick to your clit has you second-guessing everything.

"Unfair," you breathe out, your voice betraying your frustration. Their soft chuckles are the only response, and the way they both sound so amused makes your stomach tighten with anticipation. You think you hear Jake’s distinctive laugh, that bright, carefree sound, but then a warm breath against your stomach has your mind spinning again. You can’t keep track of who’s where, their movements seamless, like two wolves circling their prey.

Another agonisingly slow lick - Sunghoon, maybe? - and you buck your hips forward, trying to chase the sensation. Before you can go any further, teeth sink into your other thigh, another mark, another reminder of their strength. His soft, canine growl sends a thrill of excitement through you, but you’re torn between which sensation to focus on - the teasing bite or the flick of a tongue against your most sensitive spot.

Desperate for something to hold onto, your hand instinctively reaches down, fingers tangling in the nearest head of hair, but before you can fully grab hold, a hand swats yours away. “No touching,” Sunghoon commands, his voice low and controlled; it’s too easy if you feel their ears, both hybrids distinctive just by their shape alone. You drop your hands, frustrated but obedient, gripping the cushions beneath you instead as you moan out in helpless need.

They switch again, and now there’s no way to tell who is doing what. Jake’s usually sloppy enthusiasm and Sunghoon’s precise control blend together so seamlessly it feels like they’re working as one. The sensation of their tongues flicking against you is almost maddening. Slow, singular licks that keep you on the edge, but never quite tipping you over. It’s a maddening torment, like a slow burn just beneath your skin.

The heat between your legs grows unbearable as their tongues move with the same deliberate, precise motions, as if they know exactly how to keep you guessing. They’re hybrids, after all - capable of teasing you with both their human intelligence and their canine prowess. And they’re using every bit of that duality to toy with you, their mouths working in a rhythm that’s far too coordinated for your sanity.

A hand moves between your legs, and fingers slide into you slowly, drawing out a long, drawn-out moan from your lips. The stretch feels heavenly, but the pace is infuriating. One finger curls inside you, and your mind races. Sunghoon always moves like this, calculated, hitting the exact spot that makes you see stars. You gasp his name, “Sunghoon,” the word tumbling from your lips in a breathy moan.

The fingers pause for a moment before continuing, confirming your guess with a small squeeze on your thigh, but there’s no verbal answer. Instead, the teasing continues as Jake’s mouth returns to your clit, adding just enough pressure to keep you gasping, but not enough to let you cum.

The world around you fades, a haze settling over your mind as the pleasure intensifies. The rhythmic lapping of two tongues against your folds creates a symphony of sensations that overwhelms your senses. Both Jake and Sunghoon kiss your heat, growling into you as your juices melt along their tongues. It’s as if they’ve perfectly synced their movements, each flick and swirl of their tongues igniting a fire deep within you.

Jake’s mouth works expertly against your clit, the pressure alternating between firm and feather-light, sending shockwaves of bliss coursing through your body. You can barely keep track of who’s who anymore, their hybrid natures blurring the lines between their human dexterity and animalistic instincts. One moment, you feel the warmth of Sunghoon’s fingers curling deep inside you, stretching you, filling you in a way that makes your back arch and your breaths come out in desperate gasps. The next, Jake’s playful tongue sweeps over you, teasing and tantalising, each movement pushing you closer to the edge.

As more fingers sink into your heat, the delicious stretch turns into something euphoric, each thrust inside you mixing with the delightful flick of tongues around your clit. Your body responds instinctively, thrusting forward, seeking more as you become lost in the sensations they’re creating. It’s an exquisite torture, every nerve ending alight, every touch sending you spiralling deeper into a world of pleasure.

“Please,” you beg, the word slipping from your lips in a breathless whimper, but it’s swallowed by the sounds of their movements. You’re a mess of need and desire, the heat pooling in your core building to an unbearable level as they work you closer to the edge. It’s like they’re reading your body, understanding the ebb and flow of your pleasure better than you do yourself.

Sunghoon focuses on his fingers scissor inside you, curling just right, while Jake alternates between suckling and licking your clit, ensuring that every sensation is heightened. You can feel your climax tightening, like a coiled spring ready to snap, but just as you think you’re about to tumble over, they pull back slightly, slowing their pace to keep you hovering right on the brink.

“God, don’t stop!” you cry out, the frustration laced with desperation. They only chuckle, the sound low and teasing, as if relishing in your torment. It’s maddening, and yet, it sends another wave of heat coursing through you.

Then, with no warning, they both lean in closer, their mouths working in unison, each tongue exploring every inch of you. It’s as if they’ve forgotten all the rules of teasing and have decided to push you over the edge together. The sensation is overwhelming, the combination of their soft, wet tongues swirling around your sensitive core and the expert thrusts of Sunghoon’s fingers. You feel your body arching, trembling under their skilled ministrations as your mind starts to blur, the world outside slipping away completely.

“Y/N…guess, baby,” Sunghoon whispers, but it’s muffled by the rush of blood in your ears. You’re too far gone, too lost in the sensations to respond, too consumed by the need surging through you.

With every lap of their tongues, every curl of their fingers, they bring you closer and closer to that precipice. You can feel it building, a tight knot of pleasure coiling within you, and as they pick up their pace, the intensity increases, making your breaths come in short gasps. You’re teetering, just one more push away from falling over the edge into bliss, but they don’t give you that release just yet.

You feel Jake’s mouth pull back momentarily, but before you can process the loss, Sunghoon’s fingers plunge deeper, hitting that sweet spot that has you crying out his name again, louder this time. The sound reverberates off the walls, mixing with the cacophony of your heavy breathing and the wet sounds of their tongues.

“Come on, baby,” Jake urges, his voice low and sultry, but the words barely register as another wave of pleasure washes over you, leaving you breathless. You grip the cushions tightly, knuckles white with the effort to hold on, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult.

Jake’s mouth returns to your clit with a renewed fervour, his tongue swirling around it in that way only he knows how, your guess at the tip of your tongue. His lips seal around you, creating the perfect amount of pressure, sending jolts of pleasure shooting up your spine. It’s a feeling so familiar, yet it never loses its power to make your body melt under his touch.

Your back arches off the couch, a sharp cry escaping your lips. “Jake! Fuck, Jake,” you gasp, the words tumbling out as the sensations crash over you in waves and your final guess is made. Your hands have enough of grasping the cushions beside you and fly to his hair, his floppy ears weaving through your fingers as you tug harshly,, knuckles white, as you try to steady yourself against the overwhelming pleasure surging through your veins.

Growling and whimpering at your harsh pulls, Jake’s body vibrates. His pretty dog ears are sensitive, they love to be nibbled, pulled, and played with. It’s something you and Sunghoon do often, loving the way his voice cracks and chest shakes with happiness.

“Good girl,” Sunghoon murmurs, his voice low and approving, the sound deepening the haze of pleasure clouding your mind. He knows it’s technically both of them that have worked you to the edge, but it’s Jake’s expert tongue that is the finisher. He watches Jake devour you with a smirk, clearly enjoying the sight of you completely at their mercy. His hand slides to Jake’s head, his fingers gently scratching behind Jake’s ears, massaging the sensitive spot just right as you let go of your grip slightly. “You win this round, baby. Cum over Jake’s mouth whenever you want.”.

Jake lets out a soft, deep sound, almost like a purr, and the vibration travels through his tongue, sending shivers through your already trembling body. The added sensation is too much, your whole body responding to the combined stimulation. You can feel the low rumble of Jake’s contentment reverberating through you, the sound mixing with the intense pleasure he’s drawing from your clit.

Withdrawing his fingers from you to allow Jake easier access, Sunghoon licks them clean. His eyes roll to the back of his head as he tastes you, palming himself through his jeans. He knows Jake likes to lap you to completion, so he will always give him that privilege, but man does he wish he would be selfish for once and have you wash over his tongue

Your moans become louder, breathless, your body strung so tightly on the edge that it feels like you’re going to snap at any moment. Jake’s tongue flicks over your clit faster, his lips sucking gently but firmly, keeping you right at the edge. Sunghoon’s fingers in his hair encourage him, the gentle pats turning into slow, methodical scratches, making Jake purr even louder.

The combination of Jake’s relentless mouth and the teasing vibrations drives you wild. Your body quivers, and you gasp as your orgasm starts to build, your hips bucking towards Jake’s mouth, desperate for more. Every flick of his tongue, every hum from his purr sends you spiraling further into pleasure, and you know you’re right on the brink, just a breath away from falling over completely.

“Come on, baby. Let go,” Sunghoon coaxes softly, his tone dark and dripping with satisfaction, knowing full well how close you are.

That’s all it takes. Your body arches, your back lifting off the couch as you finally tumble over the edge. A broken cry rips from your throat as your orgasm crashes over you, waves of pleasure consuming you completely. Your vision blurs and your entire body quakes as the ecstasy pulses through your veins, overwhelming and all-encompassing.

The puppy's tongue slows but doesn’t stop, drawing out every last tremor from your body until you’re left a trembling mess beneath them. You slump back against the couch, chest heaving, your entire body alight with the lingering aftershocks of your release.

Pulling away slowly, Jake’s mouth leaves your sensitive core, but not without placing a few soft, lingering kisses on the inside of your thighs, trailing up toward your hip. His lips are gentle now, in contrast to the intensity of moments before, and each kiss is a tender reminder of the care and attention he’s always given you. Your body hums with the remnants of pleasure, still tingling in the aftermath of your climax.

His breath tickles your skin as he murmurs against your thigh, “The game isn’t over, baby.”

Before you can catch your breath or even respond, Sunghoon’s strong arms slip beneath you. In one smooth motion, he lifts you up, and your legs dangle in the air as he carries you, positioning you over the back of the couch. Your palms rest against the soft cushions, bracing yourself as your body arches naturally, wanting more of them. The fabric presses against your chest, heightening your awareness of every inch of your body. The blindfold remains secure much to your dismay, but you don’t grumble.

Guessing this should be easy, each of their cocks imprinted into your brain, both beautiful but so unique. Jake, who is thick and long, stands straight and always hits that sweet spot deep inside you. Whereas, Sunghoon is skinnier but curved to the right, always angling himself perfectly to drag along your sensitive walls.

Behind you, Jake and Sunghoon exchange a glance, their mischievous smiles fading slightly as the unspoken competition between them resumes. Unbeknownst to you, they square up for a quick, playful round of rock-paper-scissors. A soft sound of irritation escapes Sunghoon’s throat as Jake wins, his tongue sticking out in mock victory as he flashes a grin Sunghoon’s way.

Sunghoon’s furry ears pin back in annoyance, his eyes narrowing, but there’s no real anger in his expression - just begrudging respect for the outcome of their game. “Damn it,” he mutters under his breath so you can’t hear, stepping back to allow Jake to take his place behind you, even though you can practically feel his impatience radiating off him.

Jake wastes no time. His shirt is off in an instant, the muscles of his chest and arms flexing as he throws the fabric aside. The sight of his bare skin, glowing with a light sheen of sweat, makes Sunghoon swallow thickly. His trousers follow, hitting the floor with a soft thud, and you can sense the eagerness in the moves, positioning himself behind you.

Sunghoon, feeling the heat swirl in his blood follows suit, peeling off his clothes just as quickly, though, with an air of frustration, his eyes never leaving the curve of your body bent over the couch. He inches forward, watching intently as Jake prepares to claim you, waiting for his own turn with palpable hunger.

Jake runs his hands over your hips, sliding up your waist as he leans in, pressing a kiss to the small of your back. His warmth engulfs you, and you can feel the hard length of him pressing against you. The anticipation in the air thickens, and your body tingles in response, ready for whatever comes next.

Sliding his boxers down just enough, the golden hybrid’s cock springs free, his hand gripping around it and pumping in glee. He can’t wait to be inside of you. Although you might guess who it is right away, he is going to try and make it difficult, already planning to switch up his rhythm to trick you somehow. 

You feel the tip of a cock press against your aching hole, already desperately squeezing around nothing as you wait in anticipation. You hate waiting, you’ve never been a very patient person, particularly in situations like these, so the teasing from the hybrid behind you is making you mewl out in both frustration and want. It’s not like you can even see anything in front of you to help distract you, the blindfold doing it’s just a little too well.

Creeping up behind Jake, Sunghoon’s fingers dip into the boy’s boxers and pull them down, his body dipping down with them until his face is at Jake’s soft butt. Sunghoon wouldn’t call himself an ass man, he would take your tits over anything else, but something about his boyfriend’s ass just speaks to him, making him want to mark it and bite it. But before he can get too carried away, he has to remember that this is your birthday, and all of his attention should be on you.

That doesn’t mean he can’t have a little fun while you’re preoccupied.

With a smirk on his lips, he places gentle kisses on Jake’s right cheek, then the left, letting his mouth trail up Jake’s back and shoulders, enjoying the warmth of his boyfriend’s skin against his own. Jake turns his head slightly, confusion evident on his face as he tries to catch a glimpse of what Sunghoon is up to, but Sunghoon grips Jake’s hips firmly, preventing any further investigation.

“What are you doing?” Jake whispers, making sure you can’t sneakily figure out that it is in fact his cock two seconds away from pushing inside of you.

Shrugging, Sunghoon pecks the other puppy’s lips. “I’m having some fun…and I’m gonna help you out,” he whispers, the words flowing like silk, so soft that Jake might have missed them entirely if not for his canine senses catching every nuance. Yet, it leaves Jake puzzled, his expression a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

Tilting his head slightly, Jake silently asks for clarity, but Sunghoon nudges him forward with a few gentle fingers at the back of his head. “Focus on her. Make our girl feel extra good,” he instructs, a playful yet commanding tone lacing his voice. It’s not like Jake needs to be told twice, he loves burying himself inside of you, thrusting his hips until you’re a moaning, whimpering mess beneath him.

While they conspire about god knows what, you begin to slide back, pushing onto the cock, trying to devour it out of pure greed and impatience. But as quickly as you feel the delicious bell stretch your hole, it’s quickly taken away from you. It’s fucking infuriating, so much so that you huff out loud and groan.

“This isn’t fair. This is my birthday, y’know,” you point out matter-of-factly, hoping to remind them that today should be dedicated to you, to your pleasure. Surely your 21st birthday should revolve around indulgence, not this agonising denial of the simple pleasures you know both hybrids would willingly give you any other day.

Suddenly, you feel a sharp smack against your cheek, the force of it making your back arch, sending a sting shooting up your spine. “It is your birthday, so you should be grateful Jakey here came up with such a great game for us to play,” Sunghoon growls, his tone deep yet lacking malice. Instead, there’s an undercurrent of authority, a reminder that if you push too far, this delightful game could end before you’ve even begun to enjoy it. “Say thank you to Jake for setting this up for you, be grateful.”

As the sting from his slap dissipates, you feel a gentle hand soothing the reddened mark, an unmistakable touch that could only belong to Jake. He never liked when you received harsh marks unless they were pretty little hickeys; the tenderness he displays is a testament to his nurturing nature, balancing out Sunghoon’s authoritative presence. It’s why the three of you work so well as a couple.

With a playful pout, you huff out, “Fine, fine. Thank you, Jake.” The words slip out, albeit begrudgingly. You are thankful to him, to both of them. No one gives you this sort of effort and love like the the two boys who stand behind you. Plus, they wouldn’t be doing all of this if they knew you were going to hate it. They know fine well that this will be a new game you’ll play a lot more of.

Sunghoon’s assertiveness is a thrill for you, a dance of power and surrender. He’s not entirely dominant, but he definitely holds authority over both you and Jake. You relish this side of him, especially in moments like this, even if you grumble. There’s an undeniable thrill in being commanded, the excitement of receiving praise for your compliance.

As you settle back into the moment, still completely oblivious to who’s cock you are desperatley trying to seek the comfort of, Sunghoon’s hands glide along Jake’s body, guiding him back toward you. The heat radiating off both hybrids sends shivers down your spine, heightening the anticipation of what’s to come. 

Licking his plump lips, Jake pumps his cock a few times, lining it up at your entrance. Although it’s your celebration, the pup suddenly feels like it’s his own birthday, the throb of his cock exhibiting his excitement to be nestled inside your walls. So, without much warning, he slides into you, filling you up so beautifully.

You can’t even try and decipher who it is just yet, the satisfaction of your craving finally being fulfilled is clouding your judgement and your body is only screaming blissful a chain of ‘yes, yes, fuck yes’ into your mind. Moaning loudly, you push back as far as you can, begging with your body for him to stay there for a moment.

Complying, Jake waits until you have adjusted, though with Sunghoon’s fingers scissoring you open earlier, it doesn’t take long for the stretch to turn to comfort and ease. Your cunt is Jake’s favourite thing in the whole world - its taste, the way it moulds perfectly around him, and certainly the way it squeezes his cock. Being a hybrid comes with advantages, and his senses are immensely heightened. While you need a blindfold to be more attuned to your smell or hearing, Jake lives like that constantly. He can hear every breathless gasp coming from your lips as he drags his member along your canal, the ridges of your walls making him feel even better than if he were just human.

Jake starts slow, thrusting in and out of you with agonising deliberateness. He’s trying to catch you off guard, and you can tell by how foreign the movements are to you. None of them have ever fucked you like this before, making it harder to play their guessing game. You have to get this right. If you don’t, then you’ll be denied your release, and considering how perfect your first one was, you don’t want to miss out on multiple moments of euphoria.

Behind Jake, Sunghoon grips his hips tightly, guiding him in and out of you with a fervour that makes Jake groan with pleasure. He feels the pressure building with each thrust, the warmth of your body enveloping him, drawing him deeper into bliss. Each thrust is met with delicious friction, and each drawback is met with Sunghoon’s bulge dry humping him. He can’t help but revel in the sensation. The heat radiating off your skin is intoxicating, and he relishes the feeling of your slickness coating him as he moves.

You’re both utterly consumed by the rhythm, Jake’s mind swimming in a haze of pleasure. Each thrust sends a wave of warmth through his body, and he’s acutely aware of how tightly you’re gripping him, how perfectly you fit around him. The delicious squeeze of your walls makes him ache for more, each movement sending shocks of ecstasy radiating through him. He bites down on his lip to stifle a moan, his brow furrowing in concentration as he fights to maintain control while also surrendering to the pleasure washing over him.

As you move beneath him, your breaths quicken, and every sound you make fuels the fire within him. Your body shifts, pushing back against him, and the way you arch your back sends a rush of adrenaline through his veins. You’re a vision of pure ecstasy, and the sight alone is enough to drive him wild. He finds himself instinctively matching your movements, thrusting deeper with each push, allowing the waves of pleasure to wash over him.

Noticing Jake fall back into his typical frenzied rhythm, Sunghoon bites down on his neck, causing him to whine out, his ears jumping at the sudden sharp pain. “Follow my lead, don’t get carried away. We want this night to last, don’t we?” The dark-haired boy whispers into Jake’s ear, kissing down his neck to soothe the mark. 

Nodding, Jake nuzzles Sunghoon’s cheek in apology, his breath hitching slightly as he feels his boyfriend’s warmth radiating against him. He understands the importance of pacing; you’ve already cum once, and if they want this night to continue, you’ll need time between each orgasm to keep up with their animalistic sex drive. Jake feels a surge of determination to make sure you feel good, his instincts kicking in as he returns to a more measured rhythm, albeit with the primal undertone of urgency that he can’t fully shake off.

Sunghoon’s hands guide Jake’s hips, the pressure of his grip firm yet gentle, reminding him of the control they’re both meant to maintain. As Jake follows Sunghoon’s lead once again, he can’t help but relish the feeling of you wrapped around him, your body clenching as he pulls back before pushing in again. Each thrust brings with it a new wave of pleasure that sends ripples through his body. You feel perfect, and that thought alone is enough to push him to the brink of his own release.

As Sunghoon’s fingers trace the line of Jake’s spine, the hybrid feels the tension within him coil tighter, the electric connection between the three of you simmering with intensity. 

“Go on, baby girl. Guess.”

Not now. You mentally whine as you feel the coil in your stomach build and build. You’re so close and yet you have no fucking clue who’s cock is taking you to the stars. Jake is fast, a little sloppy in the best way but harsh, and Sunghoon is skilled and forceful, but with a sense of gentleness in the way he pulls back.

None of this is happening right now. It’s like the perfect balance of both. 

The way they work in tandem creates a delicious confusion, each of them pushing you toward the edge, yet holding you back just enough to keep you guessing. As your body begins to respond instinctively, you let the sensations wash over you, focusing on the bliss they’re creating together.

You take a few moments, your mind racing as you contemplate your guess, but suddenly the rhythm shifts. What was once a barrage of piercing thrusts transforms into quick, deliberate movements, each one aiming for that perfect spot inside you. The change catches you off guard, sending sparks of pleasure racing up your spine. It feels different, the thrusts more measured and calculated, as if both hybrids are working together to keep you on that tightrope between ecstasy and overwhelming bliss.

Sunghoon smirks as he adjusts his position, shifting behind Jake, holding him impossibly close. The connection between them feels primal, a bond of instinctual dominance as he continues to hump Jake’s ass, matching his movements and melding their bodies together as he joins in on your fun. 

A high pitched whine comes from Jake as he loses rhythm slightly to focus on his own pleasure. Sunghoon is doing most of the work now, using his gyrating hips to guide Jake inside of you at a fast pace. All the while, his hands find their way to your nub, the teasing touch igniting a fire deep within you.

With each rub, the confusion only deepens; the sensations blend into one intoxicating cocktail of pleasure. The fingers work in a back-and-forth motion like Sunghoon does, rather than the circular movements from Jake, drawing sharp gasps from your lips as you struggle to piece together the puzzle of your pleasure. The connection between the thrusts and fingers becomes a symphony of sensation that sends you spiralling.

And you take a wild, semi-educated guess.

“Sunghoon! It’s Sunghoon. Fuck, please let me cum.” The words tumble from your mouth in a desperate plea, and the moment you clamp down around the cock filling you, everything suddenly pulls away from you. It’s as if the universe pauses for a brief moment, the pleasure you were chasing slipping just out of reach. 

The abruptness of it leaves you gasping, the emptiness you feel is aching like no other pain you have ever felt before. The confusion of who was taking you to the stars swirls in your mind. It feels unfair, like a cruel twist of fate on your birthday. The room grows quiet except for you and Jake’s panting. Shit. You got it wrong. But you were sure those were Sunghoon’s fingers…and he was right behind you. 

Wasn’t he?

Turning to face the other hybrid, Jake looks at him with pain and frustration. He was so close to filling you up, giving you the greatest gift of all and yet he was denied it all so suddenly. 

His reaction makes Sunghoon laugh, his hand coming up to pet Jake’s disappointed ears. “I’m sorry, pup, she got it wrong. You made the rules, remember.” 

“Fuck the rules,” Jake pouts, his hand pumping his cock in a desperate rhythm to relieve the ache building within him. “I need to cum.”

“And you will, Jakey. As soon as she gets the next guess right, we’ll all be cumming.” Sunghoon’s voice drips with promise as he pecks his lips gently, easing Jake’s frustration but heightening the tension in your body. The prospect of getting it wrong again sends shivers of anxiety coursing through you. If you miss this chance, you’ll be left not only with blue balls for both hybrids but also with a very frustrated, very needy pup on your hands.

Jake nods in agreement, even if the simmering frustration lingers in his expression. He gently lifts you from your position over the couch, your body tingling with anticipation. The blindfold still obscures your vision, but Jake’s zephyr-like hands are hard to mistake. You feel them guide you, their warmth radiating around your waist. You sit on the couch and await further instructions. God you want to see them so bad, to touch them and cum all over them. That is what you want to wish for on your birthday.

The moment you’re seated, Sunghoon finally discards his boxers, leaving all of you naked and exposed, each member aching with desire and needing release. The air is thick with the scent of lust and heat, and you can feel the tension rising. Both of them sit at either side of you, hands flying to roam over your body. The sensation of skin against skin sends waves of excitement through your body as you shift slightly, feeling the soft cushions of the couch beneath you.

“We’ll make this one so easy for you, baby,” Jake smiles into your neck, nuzzling his nose into you as he lifts the aura of your scent. You smell like a mixture of him, Sunghoon and sex, his favourite combination. 

Sunghoon presses his chest to your back, kissing the other side of your nape. You’re so beautiful and he has been so patient with this night, but he’s losing his control. Border Collie hybrids are very good at self-restraint, yet, all of that resolve crumbles as soon as you are involved. You have a spell over him, call it a soulmate blanket or whatever, but he just knows that he cannot get enough of you.

Jake, ever playful and eager, has grown impatient, his hybrid instincts taking over any sense of restraint. With a low growl, he scoops you into his lap, his thick cock already leaking with precum as it slides teasingly between your folds. His touch is filled with both affection and hunger, and his excitement is palpable in every movement. His retriever nature means he’s always been a little less controllable, but that’s what you love about him.

With the position you’re in, there’s no way you could mistake which one will be inside your pussy and the other taking your other entrance.

At least, that’s what you thought.

When Jake finally pushes into you, a loud, blissful moan escapes him, his chest vibrating with a purr of contentment. His big hands grasp your waist, guiding you up and down his length with a rhythm that has you arching back in pleasure. Your head falls against his shoulder, your breath coming out in soft, needy gasps.

“Jake, please…” you beg, though you’re not even sure what you’re pleading for. The ache between your thighs is insistent, a sweet agony that makes you feel like you might unravel at any moment. Your clit pulses in desperate need, still unsatisfied from the previous teasing.

Through your blindfold, you feel Jake’s gentle pout even though you can’t see it. “My good girl,” he whispers, his hips thrusting up powerfully, driving himself deep into you. The combination of his praises and his cock pressing perfectly inside you has you trembling in his lap, each movement sending shockwaves through your body.

He captures your lips in a tender kiss, slow at first, teasing you by pulling away when you silently beg for more. The softness of his lips against yours creates a stark contrast to the intense heat building between you both, and soon, you’re lost in the intimacy of the moment, despite the raw need in your body.

Meanwhile, Sunghoon has been watching with adoration, his pointed ears twitching as he observes the two of you. He loved to see the two of his partners connect like this, the scenes so sweet despite the crude nature of your actions. But his cock is hard, throbbing with a need that matches his longing gaze and he refuses to sit in the sidelines much longer. He shifts closer, the heat from his body making your skin prickle in anticipation. He’s been waiting patiently, but now, his own desire overtakes him.

He moves behind you, hands gentle but firm as he guides his cock into position, the tip pressing against you in a way that takes you by surprise, your ass feeling empty despite the expectancy.

“Sunghoon - what are you…” You gasp, your breath hitching as the sensation of his cock pressing alongside Jake’s makes your heart race. The stretching of your cunt is intense, something new and overwhelming, as you feel Sunghoon’s length slowly filling you.

Fuck, it feels good, painful, delicious, and sadistic all at once. And you couldn’t be happier.

Jake’s hands tighten on your waist, holding you steady. “Shh, baby, it’s okay,” he reassures you, though his voice shakes with his own pleasure. The sensation of Sunghoon’s shaft rubbing against his inside you is sending him spiralling into ecstasy. He never imagined sharing you like this would feel so incredible, the friction between their cocks heightening every sensation.

As Sunghoon begins to thrust slowly, Jake’s hips instinctively buck in response, the three of you moving together in perfect harmony. The moans that spill from your lips, mixed with theirs, echo around the room, a symphony of pleasure that fills the space.

Sunghoon leans closer, his breath hot against your neck as his hands join Jake’s on your hips. Without a second thought he tilts his head and captures Jake’s mouth in a heated kiss, their tongues meeting in a dance of lust and affection over your body. The warmth of their connection sends a shiver down your spine, the intimate moment only heightening the heat between the three of you.

Growling into his mouth, Jake brings your hand to his ear, a signal you know all too well. You know exactly what he wants, so you grip his ears and tug harshly, making him open his mouth as he whimpers out and allowing Sunghoon deeper access, his tongue roaming freely around the oldests mouth.

The feeling of both of them inside you, their cocks pressing together as they fill you completely, makes your head spin. The fullness is beyond anything you’ve ever experienced, every thrust making you gasp and cling to Jake’s broad shoulders for support.

Jake’s lips leave Sunghoon’s, panting heavily as he gasps for air. But not for too long, as they hover just above yours again, his breath ragged. He chuckles softly, his voice tinged with amusement and lust. “Take a guess, baby,” he whispers, his lips brushing yours teasingly, “guess who is fucking you and then you can let go.”

Despite the overwhelming sensations, a breathy laugh escapes you, the humour of the moment breaking through the intensity. You look at him, eyes gleaming with love and desire. 

“Both of you,” you manage to whisper, your voice shaky but full of affection. “It’s both of you.”

Jake grins, his lips capturing yours in a messy, needy kiss, while Sunghoon’s low growl of satisfaction rumbles in your ear, his thrusts becoming deeper, more deliberate as he savours the way your body reacts.

The sensation of them both inside you, their movements perfectly synchronised, sends you spiralling closer and closer to the edge. Jake’s pace falters beneath you as his release nears, his grip on your hips tightening, his cock throbbing inside you.

“God, you feel so good,” he groans, his voice hoarse with need. “Just let go, love. You can.”

And that’s all it takes. With his words still hanging in the air, your body finally gives in, the pleasure that’s been building within you crashing down like a tidal wave. You cry out, your walls clenching tight around them both as you’re consumed by your orgasm, every nerve alight with white-hot pleasure. Your body trembles uncontrollably, lost in the intensity of the release.

Jake moans your name, his hips jerking as he finds his own release, filling you with his warmth as he groans into your mouth. His cock pulses inside you, the tip of his cock swelling as he knots, the sensation driving you even deeper into the haze of your climax.

Behind you, Sunghoon’s movements grow erratic, his hips slamming into you as he chases his own end. With a low, guttural howl, he thrusts one last time, his length pressing deep before he lets go, filling you completely as his own release takes him over. 

Both of their knots are pressed against one another, your walls being pushed and hole stretched to its limit. The pups whine and growl as they lock into you, shooting their load so deep inside of you that you feel your stomach swell slightly. Jake’s eyes roll back as Sunghoon’s cock throbs next to his, creating a natural vibration that he’s relishing in.

For a long moment, the three of you remain connected, your bodies trembling in the aftermath, the heat between you radiating in waves. Your breath comes in shallow pants, your body still trembling as the afterglow settles in. Sunghoon and Jake nuzzle their faces into your neck, rubbing their scent over you, claiming you as theirs.

Jake’s arms wrap around you, holding you close as you come down from the high. Sunghoon, still behind you, presses a soft kiss to your shoulder, his own breathing ragged but calming.

And then, with a tender touch, Sunghoon reaches up to the blindfold that’s been covering your eyes. Slowly, carefully, he unties it, the material slipping away to reveal the warm, golden light of the room and the two men who’ve made this birthday one you’ll never forget.

As your vision clears, you blink up at them both, feeling the love and affection in their gazes as they look back at you. Sunghoon smiles softly, his hybrid ears twitching as he leans in to kiss your cheek. “Happy birthday,” he whispers, his voice filled with warmth.

Jake, still holding you in his lap, grins down at you. “Best birthday ever, right?” he teases, his nose brushing against yours.

You can’t help but laugh, your heart full of affection for them both. “Definitely a top 5.”

Jake’s playful grin falters for a moment as something seems to click in his mind. His golden retriever ears twitch with excitement, standing upright as his tail wags behind him. His heart races, and his eyes widen with sudden realisation.

“We have one more gift,” he announces, voice bubbling with enthusiasm. His arms still hold you close, careful not to pull his knot from you, his hips shifting ever so slightly as he reaches around you with some effort. From behind, he produces a small, velvet-lined blue box, and your heart skips a beat.

You blink in surprise, watching him with curious eyes as he offers it to you, his expression soft but brimming with joy. “Open it,” Jake urges gently, his voice filled with excitement, and you can’t help but smile at his eagerness.

With trembling fingers, you take the box and slowly open the delicate lid, revealing the contents inside. Nestled within are three beautiful silver rings, each adorned with three tiny engraved hearts. Each ring is identical, except for the smallest detail—a single heart on each one is coloured in black. The simplicity of the design is stunning, and your heart swells at the sight of them, the meaning behind the gift slowly dawning on you.

You glance up, eyes wide with emotion, shifting between Jake and Sunghoon. “What… What’s this?” you ask softly, your voice barely above a whisper as the weight of the moment settles over you.

Jake’s smile softens as he nuzzles against your cheek. “Promise rings,” he murmurs. His voice is tender, carrying a depth of affection that makes your chest tighten. “One for each of us,” he explains, his hand gently brushing over yours, guiding your gaze back to the rings.

Sunghoon leans in closer, his fingers tracing the edge of the box, his hybrid ears flicking as he adds quietly, “A promise to always be together… no matter what.” His words are soft, but they carry a gravity that tugs at your heart, and his eyes shine with a sincerity that takes your breath away.

You look between them again, feeling the overwhelming love and warmth radiating from both of them, and tears prick at the corners of your eyes. The rings glisten in the soft light, a physical symbol of the bond you share. You can barely find the words, but the happiness on your face says everything.

“I… I don’t know what to say,” you breathe, voice shaky with emotion. But before you can find the words, Jake leans in, his lips capturing yours in a tender, lingering kiss, silencing any further thoughts.

Sunghoon, not to be left out, moves in as well, his lips brushing against yours from the other side, creating a perfect moment of intimacy between the three of you. The kiss is gentle, filled with love, as Jake and Sunghoon share this tender moment with you, the connection between all of you undeniable. Their hands hold you firmly, grounding you in the affection and promise they offer.

As the kiss deepens, the warmth between you grows, the rings in your hand a reminder of the unbreakable bond that now ties the three of you together. You’re all intertwined, hearts aligned, and the future filled with the promise of love, laughter, and unwavering devotion.

It’s a birthday you’ll never forget, not just because of the pleasure shared, but because of the love that wraps around you now, a love that will only grow stronger from here.

_____

perm taglist: @immortalvee @sunpov @heeseungspookie @strawberrysavi @monstanctiny21

@diorsyun @heexzbae @yzzyhee @baekhyunstruly @zeeloveshee

@haechonly @berryblog @no-mannerism @jaehoonii

@notevenheretbh1 @shawnyle @addictedtohobi @jiminie-08

@emberuby @nctislifue @lilyuwon @skzenhalove

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@star-hoon @heelee-01 @wonnienyang @alternativelix

[revasserium]

can i have one were zoro realises she does things bc of truama (like doesnt speak much etc)

hold me (still)

opla!zoro; 6,680 words; slow!!!!burn, fem!reader, ex-assassin!reader, straw hat!reader, general tragic backstory/trauma, fluff, hurt/comfort, bit of angst, emotionally constipated zoro, communication? what's that?, nami playing therapist bc she's the only one with 1 iota of emotional intelligence

summary: sometimes, stillness is a virtue, and others -- a tragedy. or, in which the straw hats pick up a new member and zoro is equally intrigued and weirded out by you.

a/n: well. you guys asked for slow burn and... the burn is so slow u gotta squint to see the smoke yall. but trust. the burn does get there! pls be patient!! and i tried to combine 2 dif reqs in this one fic :)

You are of the quiet sort. Just a shadow dancing in the periphery of their vision, and when they first met you, you’d told them it was your superpower, a soft, still smile slipping across your lips. Luffy had bought into it immediately, and the invitation was out his mouth before anyone could stop him.

“Come with us!”

“Oh…” your lips pressed into a thin line of consideration.

Zoro’s fingers itched towards his swords because something about you makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. But something else — something uncomfortable and strange, something very much like curiosity — seizes his chest and twists his stomach. Strange, he thinks, too strange.

“C’mon! It’ll be fun!”

And then, you’d smiled wider, and nodded, and that had been that.

It’s been three months since then, and you are still of the quiet sort, though it had receded a bit with time. What with Sanji’s gentle flirting and Usopp’s not-so-gentle stories and Nami’s bright, dry-humored companionship, you’d begun to “open up a bit”, so Luffy observed.

Zoro, for his part, has kept his distance. Because sometimes he still catches you at the bow of the ship, staring out across the midnight waters, still as a stone-carved statue. Still as a wooden beam — stiller, even.

“What’s with that?” he asks one day, strolling up to Nami as she traces a fine line over a new map she’s working on.

“Hm?” is her very eloquent response.

Zoro ticks his tongue against his teeth and casts his eyes about the ship, finding them drawn to the shape of you, up at the bow again, reading in the shade of the tangerine trees. Nothing moves except for the wind as it whisps through your hair and the slow scanning of your eyes as it skates across the page.

“New girl,” Zoro says, crossing his arms as Nami finally looks up at him and then off towards you.

“Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

Zoro lets out a puff of breath, unfolding his arms to glare at Nami. He finds her grinning a lopsided grin as she clicks shut her compass and puts down her pen. She leans a hip on the barrel she’d been drawing on and folds her own arms.

“Oh, you like her.”

“I’m weirded out by her. ‘S not the same thing,” Zoro snaps, but when he tries to leave, Nami blocks him with an arm and pins him with a sharp, leveling look.

“No, no, no — we’re gonna work this through.”

“No thanks, I’m good.”

“Uh-uh, you still owe me after that round of drinks the other night — remember when you bet you could drink more than me?”

Zoro narrows his eyes, “I did drink more than you.”

Nami’s grin is gleeful, “No, you didn’t. You had to be dragged back to your room after clogging up the toilet. Or do I need to show you the evidence —”

“Alright — fuck, fine. But really? This is what you’re gonna waste your favor on? You could’ve asked me to —” Zoro gestures around vaguely, “clean the bilge or something.”

Nami shrugs, looking almost too pleased, “Nope! This is what I wanna use my favor for. And, really, you think a bit of bilge water is gonna gross me out? C’mon.”

Zoro heaves a sigh and leans back against the main mast, closing his eyes.

“Fine then. Go.”

Nami sits back on the edge of the barrel.

“No, you go. Admit that you like the new girl.”

“I don’t.” He doesn’t open his eyes.

“I’ve seen you staring at her. We’ve all seen you staring at her.”

“What, that a crime now?”

Nami fights the urge to roll her eyes, “No, but I’ve never seen you try so hard to avoid someone before.”

Zoro lets out a bark of laughter, hard and mirthless, “Yeah, so that must mean I like her.”

Nami cocks her head, “It means you feel something towards her. And I’d suggest you figure it out.”

“And how’d you propose I do that?”

Nami once again waves in your direction, “Go. Talk. To her.”

Zoro lets out another breath, eyes scanning across the ship, anywhere but towards where you’re still sitting and reading, finger flipping a page in a perfect, smooth, singular motion.

And Zoro’s not blind. Blunt though he may be at times and careless as he is about most material things, he can still appreciate beauty when he sees it. And you — there’s no denying that you’re beautiful. Your strange stillness aside, when you do move, it’s with a dancer’s lissome grace, fluid lines, not a single movement wasted. When you smile, it seems to light you up from the inside, and your words, though soft, carries the well-worn weight of river stones, glittering beneath the clear, spring stream of your voice.

There’s a sharpness in your eyes, a straightness to your spine, a way of carrying yourself as if you’re afraid that one wrong move might shatter you and the entire world around you.

Sometimes when he sees you, he wonders at the hands that had sculpted you this way. He wonders at your life before they’d picked you up in Loguetown, when you’d oh-so-silently slipped up the execution platform and helped Luffy down, all the while staying free of Smoker’s watchful gaze.

The few times he’s seen you fight, he can’t help wondering if you’ve eaten some kind of devil fruit as well. No human could be so fast as that. Or be so quiet. But then again, he’d fought Kuro, and they’d seen stranger things. Still, he marvels at the way you flicker in and out of sight, slipping around the edges of battle like a dark, haunting thing, and men would drop like flies beneath your quick, quiet hands. With nary a sound or shout before their eyes roll back and their breathing is no more.

On the instances when Sanji had asked about your past, your eyes had gone misty and dark, unfocused. You’d gone still, freezing for so long that Usopp would cough just to fill the silence. And then slowly, ever so slowly, you’d turn back towards them with a small, sad smile and say:

“There’s… not much to talk about. I grew up somewhere far away, where if you didn’t keep quiet and still, bad things would happen to you. And then when those bad things happened, if you weren’t quick — the quickest of all, you’d die.”

Bad things, huh? Zoro thinks as he makes his way towards you, a hand resting on the hilt of his swords. He comes to a stop next to you and leans against one of the white planters, casually peering over your shoulder at the book in your hands.

For a long moment, neither of you move. Then, Zoro clears his throat and forces himself to speak.

“Is it good?”

It takes you a second, but eventually, you turn towards him.

“The book? Yeah, I suppose.”

“Not exactly a glowing review.”

You laugh, a soft, breathy little thing as you look back down at the page.

“It's about a girl who falls into an enchanted sleep, and a prince who wakes her up with a kiss.”

“Must’ve been one hell of a kiss.”

“Yes, and one hell of a prince.”

Zoro finds himself chuckling, his shoulders loosening as he takes another breath.

“And then what?” he asks.

“And then… he asks her to marry him.”

You run your fingers along the page, smoothing your palm over the ink and parchment. Zoro watches you, wondering, always wondering.

“What’s she say?” and it’s then that he notices his own voice, hushed and low, barely a whisper.

You look back up at him and smile a smile a sphynx would have been proud of.

“I don’t know. I haven’t gotten there yet.”

Zoro takes a breath, and the breath tastes distinctly different than all the breaths he’d taken before it. As if the world takes the breath with him, and some fundamental truth had shifted on the exhale.

The moment breaks, as moments are wont to do, when Sanji calls out for lunch and Zoro jerks out of his almost-reverie. You slowly close your book and rise to your feet, turning back to smile at him.

“C’mon, it’s lunchtime.”

Zoro nods and follows you into the kitchen, where Luffy and Usopp are already digging in, and Nami is pouring herself a drink. She spots the pair of you and catches Zoro’s eyes. A grin ticks at the edge of her lips but before she can say anything, you’re accosted by Sanji sweeping into a deep, flourishing bow, and ushering you towards the table, where he’d set your place in a manner fit for a princess.

“Where’s my setup?” Zoro asks as he drops into the seat next to you, cocking an eyebrow. Sanji shoots him an unimpressed look.

“I’m surprised you can use a fork and knife, moss-head. Just be grateful and eat up.”

Zoro scoffs but digs in nonetheless.

When next they dock, it’s on a rare, peaceful island — an island of light and books and learning, where the air smells of salt and ink and drying parchment, of unwritten words and untold stories. But it smells of a stillness too, and Zoro knows without having to ask that you’d like it here.

And you do.

He’s never seen you smile so much, never seen you so vibrant and full of life. You chat and laugh and read with a voracious hunger, and he finds himself drawn to this new, warm, moving side of you. He finds himself, more often than not, by your side, even when neither of you speak. And he basks in the comfort of the quiet that permeates the air when it’s just the two of you — him hanging in the hammock on deck, you reading by his side.

But now, there’s the soft tapping of your foot, the shuffle of pages when you flip forward to see what’s coming next, and of course the ever-present shush of the ocean as it washes against the Merry’s side.

The Log Pose needs two weeks to properly calibrate to the next island, so they’ve got time to kill.

On the fifth night, over dinner and drinks, Luffy asks the question that everyone’s been thinking since the day they’d all met you —

“So. Why’re you so still all the time? Not that it’s weird or anything — well, actually — it kind of is, but it doesn’t bother me. I’m just asking cause I'm curious!”

You look up from your half-finished wine but Zoro feels it happening, like the hush of a fan blade slicing through air, the gasp before a porcelain vase tips over and shatters. You stop. You stare. You’re frozen in every sense of the word. And he’s known you for long enough to know that you only go still as a reflex, only reach for it as a shield. Against what? He doesn’t quite know.

“It’s… something of a long story,” you say, your voice low and hoarse.

Luffy grins, smacking his lips as he sucks the meat off a chicken leg, “We’ve got tons of time! Right?” he looks around as if for validation, but everyone’s eyes are caught on you and your unnatural stillness.

Zoro shifts slightly in the seat next to you, opening his stance and turning towards you.

“Could do with a good story.”

Your eyes flash in his direction and he offers you the barest hint of a smile.

You relax, ever so slightly, drifting back in your seat, your glass cupped in the palms of your hands. And then, you begin to speak, your voice smooth and lilting, your words washing over them like the faint lull of the tides.

“When I was three, my father sold me for a barrel of beer.”

A dull clack echoes around the room and everyone turns to see Sanji hurriedly righting the thick stein he’s knocked over. Thankfully, it’d been empty.

“Sorry — I just — what?” he sounds furious but Usopp lays a hand across his arm and shakes his head.

You take a deep breath and continue, your voice oddly emotionless as you say, “The man who bought me took me to an island. It was… a dark place. A quiet place. I only learned its name after I escaped — an island called Elysium.”

Nami gasps before clapping her hands over her mouth.

“I’ve just — I’ve heard of that place before, but I thought… I thought it was just a made-up place.”

Luffy swallows hard, frowning, “What’s it like?”

Nami’s eyes flicker between you and Luffy, “Supposedly… it’s the home island for… for the most feared group of assassins in all the seas combined.”

Usopp’s eyebrows jerk up, “The most feared?”

A faint smile seeps across your lips like blood.

“Yes. The Shadows that Live.”

Everyone turns to look at you. Luffy picks up another drumstick.

“Whoa… cool name!”

Zoro hums, “I’ve heard of them before — but mostly, it was just an old wive’s tale about… shadow assassins who hunt in the dark. Mercenaries for hire. But… no one’s ever seen one before.”

“Because… once you see one, you’ll never live to tell the tale,” you say, your eyes now downcast and fixed on the glass in your hands.

“Then…” Usopp’s voice is soft, “What about… you?”

“I… I ran away.”

Silence greets you. But after a moment, Luffy spits out a bit of bone and uses it to pick at the space between his teeth, his eyes round.

“Wow! You must be pretty good to run away from an island full of shadow assassins!”

You almost laugh, his boundless trust hitting you like a punch to the stomach.

“So…” Sanji lets out a puff of silvery smoke, “the staying still thing… that’s just part of your training, yeah?”

You nod, “Something like that.”

Someday, you think, you’ll tell them about the hellscape that was Elysium island, of the long echoing halls, dark and still and silent. Of the mechanical beasts that hunted by sound and movement alone. Someday, you’ll let them know about the poisoned pomegranate seeds that they feed all the “recruits” to keep them hazy, of how you’d kept six of them suspended in your mouth and spat them all out when you’d finally made it far enough from the island to allow yourself to breathe.

“And… are these shadow assassins gonna come after us?” Nami asks, her voice careful and light.

You purse your lips, “I… I don’t know.”

Nami sighs, but a moment later, she moves to refill her drink with a slight shrug, “Well, just one more enemy to add to our growing list. Soon, we’re gonna have to post a sign-up sheet.”

At this, everyone laughs, and the tension snaps like a wounded spring.

Luffy burps loudly, patting his stomach, “I’m not worried — I mean, if you were able to run away from them once, that means you’re stronger than them, right?”

You pause, your hand hovering over the wine bottle. Zoro gently reaches over and refills your glass for you. You shift back into movement, casting him a small smile and taking a sip. The wine is cool and tangy as it hits the back of your throat. You breathe, and the world keeps spinning.

“I… I’m not sure — I’ve never fought… any of… them… before.”

“Guess we’ll find out if they try to come for you then — but you’ve got us now!” Luffy says, reaching for an apple and chomping into it, “ — Sho… you duon gotta wourry —” he licks his lips as he takes another huge bite before tossing the core towards the waste bin, “We’ve got your back!”

Nami makes a disgusted face, “Don’t talk with your mouth full, ugh.”

Sanji chuckles, tapping out his cigarette, “Yeah Luffy, mind your manners.” But his voice is full of laughter and you find yourself relaxing into the sway of the night, the swing of conversation. Beside you, Zoro refills his own glass and leans over to clink it against yours.

You turn, but he only raises his glass before taking a sip.

You mirror his movement, cradling the cup to your chest when you finish.

Later, he finds you by the tangerine trees, ghosting your fingers over their lush green leaves, dark enough to look black in the evening light.

“Hey.”

You turn, “Hi.”

Zoro sighs and looks out over the darkened waves, the moonlight refracted into a million shattered bits of sky.

“Luffy’s right, y’know.”

“What about?” you ask, joining him by the railings. The night air is cool and crisp. Behind you both, the island oozes with lamplight and laughter. Even from here, you can hear the joy, the peace that permeates the air here. It wouldn’t be a bad thing, you think, to stay here forever.

“If they come for you,” Zoro says, “we’ll have your back.”

You let out a small chuckle, looking down at your hands, “I know.”

“So,” he turns towards you, his earrings glinting in beneath the scimitar moon, “you don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

You lick your lips, and instinctively, you reach for the stillness. All the days and weeks and months with the people around you have softened you, and for that, you know you should be thankful. Still, old habits die hard, and you have to clench your fists and dig your nails into your own palms to keep from freezing completely.

You take a shivering breath and force it out again.

“Fear’s a hard habit to break.”

At this, Zoro grunts, though it sounds something like consent. The moment stretches, long and soft and taffy-sweet.

He turns back towards the sea, “Yeah,” he says, and then —

“But we can take it slow.”

You swallow hard, passed the broken shards of forgotten words lodged in your throat (you find that they all somehow taste like thank you), and you nod. Warmth tickles your cheeks and you wonder why he’s said we instead of you — and later, lying in your bed at night, staring at the moon-slatted ceiling, you wonder if he was really talking about fear or if it was something else entirely.

You don’t get a lick of sleep that night.

The next few days pass in a light, repetitive blur. You and Zoro are sent on a few short shopping trips in the city, and you’re glad for something to do that involves movement. Shocking how quickly the body adapts once the weight it’d been holding on to is lifted.

You are still quiet, and he, the same; but the silence has shifted around you, and whereas before it’d been solid and steady, it’s now thrumming and charged with some unspoken energy.

Neither of you are blind to it; nor, it seems, is the rest of the crew.

Sanji’s taken to openly teasing Zoro about being with you all the time, complaining loudly that he can’t get a word in edgewise because Zoro refuses to leave you alone. Nami keeps on trying to drag you out for “girl's day” shopping trips, hinting at all the cute clothes you could get and how “green really suits your skin tone, y’know?”

Luffy and Usopp for their part, both just grin whenever they see you together — Luffy stoked at the fact that you seem more happy and talkative, Usopp gleeful at the way Zoro always seems so much softer when he’s next to you.

You’ve taken to watching him when he trains, sitting in the shade of the tangerine trees, a cold drink in your hand as Zoro runs through his katas. You content yourself with watching him flow through the movements, one and then another, and then another after that. He contents himself with your presence, knowing that you’re here, feeling your eyes as they skate down the length of his back or the width of his shoulders.

It’s a peaceful sort of companionship, even if it is living on borrowed time.

When you all wave the little island goodbye, it’s with heavy hearts and tearful smiles. It had treated you well, and you think you’d miss it. But adventure is as adventure does — it calls, beckoning to those with wandering hearts to listen.

The first week back at sea is a strange one, full of a ringing nostalgia. As if you’re simultaneously coming home and leaving one at the same time. Everyone is a bit quiet, except for Luffy, of course, who literally bounces off the freshly waxed planks, humming to himself as he sits on top of the great ram’s figurehead.

“Is he ever still?” you ask one day, sometime in the second week.

To which Zoro makes a sound between a scoff and a laugh, “You’ve been here a while. What’d you think?”

You sigh softly and tear your eyes away from the bright, shivering ball of energy that is your captain towards the far horizon. A sliver of uncertainty twines through you and your breath slows. Zoro glances at you, now long since attuned to your subtle shifts in movement and stillness. He narrows his eyes.

“What is it?”

You shake yourself back into the moment, forcing a smile.

“Nothing. I think…” your words fade as the feeling twists in you again, knife-sharp and stinging. You clear your throat and reach up to brush away a strand of hair. Skin grazes skin as Zoro’s hand meets yours in the same gesture and you both freeze — hands held up, his finger caught against the bend of your cheekbone, your fingers curling over his.

Time slows, slackens around the pair of you, and the moment stays, suspended in space — garnet dark and perfect.

Neither of you dare to breathe. It’s then that you realize how close Zoro is — close enough for you to see the entire ocean reflected in his eyes: big and dark and so endless it nearly unmoors you. Close enough for you to feel the warmth of his skin; his body, emanating heat. You’d often wondered, in the long hours of watching him train, at the glistening copper of his skin and the light-kissed quality, if the sun himself favored Zoro as well.

Like this, it’s easy to believe that beneath his skin, there pulsed something like sunlight.

“Look! It’s an island! It’s an island!”

And just like that, the moment shatters. Time slips back into motion and you pull away from each other, breathless, with warm cheeks and thundering hearts, feeling somehow lightning-touched and static-ridden.

You take half a step back, reaching up to press a hand to your mouth as if to stop something from tumbling through. But what? You can’t really say.

Zoro tips back as well, whipping around to help Usopp and Sanji with the sails as Luffy continues to holler, waving his hat. On the horizon, you see it looming — the silhouette of an island. You lower your palm from your lips to your heart and wonder what kind of island it will be.

Deserted — seems to be the answer when you all make landfall. The island is quiet, but the occasional chirp and cricket staves off your nerves as you all wander cautiously about the beach, squinting into the dense forest that seems to encompass the whole of the island.

“Looks like a good place to camp for the night!” Luffy says, grinning as he plops down on the sand.

Sanji nods, dusting off his hands, “We’ll need some wood for a fire, but I reckon I can whip up some grilled fish from the fresh catch.”

You wrap your arms around yourself and look around, glancing back at the darkening horizon.

“Something the matter?” Zoro’s voice is soft as he helps you carry some of the camping supplies from the ship.

“No… yes… I —” you look up at him, pursing your lips, “I don’t know. I’ve just… this island is…”

Zoro looks around, his dark eyes scanning the thick swath of forest just beyond the beach, “Too quiet?”

You let out a tiny laugh, “Yeah, something like that.”

He nods, “Don’t worry, I’m — we’re here.”

And he leaves it at that, hoisting a stack of wood over his shoulders and going to help Nami with the fire. You watch him with a smile, wondering what on earth you’d done to deserve this level of caring, this magnitude of kindness. Soon, dinner is had and drinks are shared and laughter is spilled like so many silver coins over the white sand beach. The lull of the evening takes over you all, and before long, Luffy and Usopp are slumped over each other, snoring loudly.

You stare into the depths of the fire and try to tamp down the growing dread festering inside your bones. All those years of holding still, of breathing and listening and feeling — you shake yourself — no, not all stillness is a bad thing. Not all silences are made the same.

“You’re doing it again,” Zoro’s voice almost makes you jump. Instead, you turn, finding him next to you as he nurses a half-drunk bottle of wine in his hands. He doesn’t look at you, but there’s a loose grin hinged across his lips.

“Sorry,” you say, ducking your head, feeling a now familiar heat creep into your cheeks that has nothing to do with the dwindling bonfire.

“Don’t be,” Zoro takes another drink, “But I told you… you don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

“I know… and I’ve said before —”

“Fear’s a hard habit to break,” Zoro echoes back at you, finally glancing over and catching your eye.

You breathe out, looking down at your own hands, “Yeah… but I’m trying.”

You both fall silent, and for a while, the only sounds are the crackle of the dying flames, the shush of the ocean waves, and the occasional snores from the rest of your crew. It’s late — later than you realized.

“Do you… want me to grab a book for you?”

You smile, “No, I don’t think it’s bright enough.”

“I could restoke the fire.”

“No, it’s — it’s okay.”

“Alright.”

A bird coos the distance.

“Why don’t you tell me a story?” you ask, turning to look at Zoro proper, shifting till your body is facing him.

In the faint light, you can see the edge of his adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows.

“You’re asking the wrong guy — you should wait till the Great Captain Usopp’s awake.”

“Yeah, but I want to hear one from you.”

Zoro sighs, his eyes fixed on the last of the flickering flames. He takes another swig of wine before he starts to speak, his voice low and a bit stilted, but he pushes on. He tells you about his childhood, the village he’d trained in, the doujou in the middle of the wood, his friend who he’d never beat — not even once.

He tells you about he early mornings and the late nights, and how the world had seemed large enough to conquer.

“… And then… there came a morning when she didn’t show up… and sensei came and told me that there’d been an accident.”

His voice almost breaks then, and your eyes catch on the shining white hilt of the Wadou Ichimonji — his thumb pressing against the guard, running along it’s hard metal edge.

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

Zoro shrugs, “Don’t be.”

You nod, “Still.”

Zoro slates you a lopsided smirk, “So. Now you know my tragic backstory too.”

You laugh, leaning back to cast your eyes up towards the sky, “And you know mine — it’s almost like we’re friends or something.”

Zoro lets out a long breath, “Yeah… or something.”

There’s a tightness to his voice that makes your skin tingle and it takes everything you have not to look over at him, to try and see if he’s looking at you, watching you the way you’d imagined him to be. You fancy you can feel his gaze on your face, but you close your eyes instead.

You let yourself fall into the warm haze of sleep, and for a while you drift there, your mind sifting through shards of memories and slivers of sound, casting them against the backs of your eyelids as you slowly slide into the darkness of dreams.

You wake up to a gasping stillness — the silence pressing in on your eardrums like thumbs, the darkness around you so complete it’s almost a solid thing. You freeze, your breath hissing to a halt inside you. Then distantly, ever so distantly, you hear the sounds of battle — metal clashing against metal, the hard thud of boots against flesh. You shake your head and reach up to clap your hands over your ears and only then do your senses return to you, snapping back as if you’d been abruptly shunted back into your earthly body.

“Gum Gum — Pistol!”

“Seize her!”

You whip into movement, fast as a flash, dashing away, hoping against hope that it would draw your attackers far enough from your crewmates.

“No one… ever… leaves us…”

The voice is serpentine and susurrus, sinking into your skin like sharpened teeth, but before it can reach you, it’s cut short by a bright flash of silver.

You gasp, whirling around, reaching for the nearest pulse, instinct taking over as you sink your fingers into muscle and flesh. The rush of blood thrumming beneath your fingertips comes too easy, even as a familiar scent accosts you. A moment later, your hands are being pinned above you, and thick, rough bark is digging into your wrists as Zoro stands before you, a sword in one hand, the other holding you still.

His eyes are a little wild and a lot worried. There’s a ring of red rawness around his neck, thin trickles of blood trailing along his jugular, disappearing into the wide scoop neck of his shirt.

“Hey, look at me.”

You nearly whimper, struggling against him, fear still coursing through you like a drug but Zoro is strong enough to keep you held. Behind him, you can see the rest of the crew fending off several shadowy figures, Usopp waving a torch, screaming at the top of his lungs, Luffy whooping as he whacks another figure with his fist.

“Z-Zoro?”

“Yeah, it’s me — eyes up here.”

You swallow in a breath, and then another, and you feel the bright thrum of urgency leave you as your body slowly falls slack. And then you’re slipping, and he’s looping an arm around you to keep you upright.

“Th-they’re here — they —”

“They’re gone — we got rid of them — hey.”

Zoro takes you by the shoulders and gives you a gentle shake. Finally, your eyes catch on his and your gaze holds. You see yourself reflected in them, stark and terrified, but alive — somehow alive.

“They’re gone,” he says, his voice soft and low by your ear, his arm still wrapped around your middle. Shivers wrack your body as you bury your face in his shoulder. He smells of steel and skin and the metallic tang of blood. It’s then that you remember — the wounds on the sides of his neck. The marks in the shape of your hands —

You jerk back and feel a sticky wetness against your cheek.

“Zoro, I hurt you!”

At this, he scoffs, pulling back far enough to flash you a look.

“This is nothing. C’mon.”

He offers you a hand, and after a second you take it, letting him pull you to your feet. Wordlessly, he presses his palm to the small of your back, his arm extended to keep you steady as you both make your way back towards camp.

“Phew! That was a workout!” Luffy is saying just as you both reach the outskirts of the now-darkened bonfire. Sanji is pulling out a cigarette, striking a match, and first lighting the end before tossing it into the remains of the firewood, fanning it up into a slow flame.

Nami and Usopp both look a bit shaken, but none worse for the wear.

They all pivot to look at you.

You go still against Zoro’s side, uncertainty flooding through you. Faintly, you feel Zoro’s fingers as they press into the bend of your waist, solid and steady.

Then, Usopp coughs, “C’mon y’all — the Shadows that Live? Psh! More like — the Shadows that Fled, am I right? Yeah? Didya see the way I sent ‘em runnin’ with my brand new fire-powered explosion rounds?”

Nami chuckles and Sanji follows suit, shaking his head and letting out a thin wisp of smoke. Luffy’s grins at you, pumping a fist in the air, clapping his right shoulder.

“See? Told you we’d have your back! We are your crew, after all!”

Weakness seeps into your limbs as you nod, hot pin-pricks of tears itching at your lower lashes. You lower your head and rub at your eyes before looking back up again with a smile. Sanji grimaces as he looks over Zoro.

“Got something on your neck, mate.”

Zoro glares but you glance over and feel your stomach twist with guilt.

“Sorry… I can clean that up for you. They’re not deep but they do need to be bandaged up.”

Zoro wipes down his sword before sheathing it and motioning towards the ship. Behind you, you can hear Nami yawning and saying something about catching up on some more sleep and Sanji reassuring her about having the last watch anyway.

The kitchen is still dark, but the dusty dawn sweeps against the far horizon and neither of you bother to turn the lights on. You carefully set the first aid kit on the kitchen counter and collect the supplies as Zoro leans back against the edge and folds his arms. You work in near silence, reaching up to first wipe the thin threads of drying blood before tending to the tiny, crescent-shaped puncture wounds.

You press an alcohol-soaked cotton ball against one of them and feel Zoro wince.

“Sorry.”

“I’m fine.”

You bite your lips, “If this had been a bit deeper or a few inches over —”

“But it wasn’t. So it’s fine.”

You don’t look up at him but you can feel his eyes on you. Your movements are fluid and sure; you’d clearly done this before.

“Hey, look at me.”

You freeze, eyes slowly gliding up the planes and divots of his neck, slipping up the line of his jaw, so sharp it might’ve been turned on a diamond cutter’s lathe. Your breath hitches as you finally meet his eyes, and there’s a dark, knowing glint behind them that makes your stomach flip.

“I’m fine.”

And for the second time in a handful of hours, you’re caught by the realization of your closeness — only a breath of space between you. There’s a crimp at the corner of his mouth that looks dangerously like a smile and then you’re tipping forward, a thumb reaching up to trace the line of his bottom lip once —

The movement acts like a trigger, and suddenly, he is leaning in and the breath of space disappears.

For all your life of stillness, you thought you’d learned to appreciate the depths and widths of movement. But nothing could’ve prepared you for this — for the push and pull of lips on lips, for the force and friction of skin against skin. For the gasp and hiss, for the breath and kiss.

For the feeling of his large palm as it settles along the swallow’s-nest bend of your neck, the way his thumb runs along your jaw like tracing the guard of his beloved sword, tilting your mouth towards him. For the way your heart might flutter like a tiny, caged bird, or the way you might feel his heart thumping like a fist from his chest to yours.

For the way his voice rolls over your name like a ship at sea; for the way it would shake your body from your bones and leave you more liquid than solid in his arms. For how you never used to think your story would be a love story, but then you realize that every story is a love story if caught in the right moment, in the right light.

And here, breaking apart from Zoro, with a thick, stolen streak of lemon-yellow sunlight leaking in from the kitchen window — that’s exactly what it feels like.

“Oh,” is all you have the strength to say.

Zoro, in all his solid brilliance and quiet audacity, laughs.

You taste the smile on your own lips before you realize you’re smiling. But when you try to bury your face in his neck, he winces slightly as you brush his still-fresh wounds.

“Crap, I forgot about these.”

Zoro chuckles as you hurry to press a few small bandages to the wounds.

“It’s okay. So did I.”

You finish dressing his wounds in silence, though this silence is markedly different from every other silence that had ever existed between you. There’s ease and tension, both, and when you’re finally finished, Zoro takes both your hands in his.

“So…” you say, unsure suddenly of where to look.

Zoro’s laugh is just as soft, just as uncertain.

“So.”

You try to look out the window, but by now, the dawning sun is so bright that it temporarily blinds you and you jerk back. Zoro smiles, reaching up to run his thumbs along your closed eyelids before dropping them to hook around your wrists again.

“Do you… wanna talk about it?” he asks, quiet as always.

You purse your lips and let your lashes flutter open. You find him watching you. Heat crests up your shoulders and into your cheeks, and suddenly, the exhaustion of the night before saps at your limbs. You sigh.

“Right now? Not really.”

“Yeah, neither do I,” he says, sounding as relieved as you feel.

You bite your lips and cast your gaze shyly across his face, your bird-wing heartbeat still flapping in your chest. You fight the urge to go still, to reach for that shield that has always protected you before. Faintly, you feel Zoro’s thumbs tracing circles along the insides of your wrists.

“Can I ask for something else, though?”

“What is it?”

You reach up a finger, nudging one of his golden earrings. You don’t miss the way he shivers, or the way his breath quickens in his chest.

“Kiss me again.”

Zoro grins, tugging you towards him, leaning into the curve of your palm as he does.

And does.

And does again.

reqs are: temporarily closed

but feedback is much loved and appreciated!!!

[pomefioredove]

could you perchance do a part two to the yuu getting sold to the highest bidder? like how would that characters treat them if they actually get them? sorry if this doesnt make sence!! but thank uu!! ^_^

more than happy to! <3 I'm writing this as a follow up/pt. 2 to this post but if you'd like something different don't be shy! I love getting requests

parts 1 | 2 | 3 | kalim | bad ending

summary: joining their dorms + wearing the uniforms (for some). a proper ending to this type of post: short fics characters: trey, cater, leona, rook, idia, lilia, malleus additional info: yuu is gender neutral, rook is weird, both fem and masc french words are used during rook's part but reader is still gn, I need to replay book 2 to get leona's voice down, Idia being fun to write, maybe a little ooc

If you thought it was bad before, the news that Malleus intended to marry you made everything about twenty times more chaotic. Bids were upped to insurmountable sums, rumors were spread like the plague, fights were raging through campus as the deadline to donate approached. Even Crowley was starting to feel a little antsy, despite all of the brand new amenities he had already ordered for his office.

Finally, the day came. The announcement was held in the courtyard, where just about any student who had stakes in the matter had shirked whatever after-school responsibilities they had to gather. The prefect themselves was nowhere to be found, though only few noticed their absence.

"Maybe it'll be nice," you say to your direbeast companion, the both of you tucked away in a dark corner at Ramshackle.

"It'll definitely beat living in this dump. You think they got good food in Diasomnia?" Grim murmurs.

You grimace. "Uh... sure. I can't imagine they wouldn't, right?"

Crowley clears his throat, pulling a thin, delicate envelope out of his coat pocket while the crowd eagerly watches on. He takes his sweet time opening it, much to everyone's utter dismay, and when he finally withdraws the contents the entire courtyard falls quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

"And our winner is..."

Trey and Cater's Ending

"Cater Diamond and Trey Clover!"

Everyone stops dead and turns to the back of the crowd. There's a certain sense of unity that, for a brief moment, everyone can feel in the form of a single thought: Them, of all people?

Cater, ever the people-person, can already tell what's on everyone's minds. "What can I say? I run a mean social media campaign. I had some sick infographics,"

Trey can only smile and shrug at the growing disdain coming from the other students, most of which from his own housewarden, who is s currently turning a lovely shade of crimson.

"...Right. Well, the prefect will be ready for you shortly," Crowley says, folding the envelope and setting it back in his pocket. "I trust your housewarden will help you sort out the details."

Riddle looks more like he's about to start throttling them.

"Nah, it's cool. We got this," Cater smiles, though he's only half paying attention as he posts an update to Magicam. "The prefect is in great hands. Right, guys?"

Ace and Deuce shrug. Not the best outcome, not the worst, and either way it's still their friend coming to stay with them. Riddle is gritting his teeth so hard you could practically hear them grinding from Ramshackle.

"Was anyone going to tell me you two had pitched in, as well? Or was it a surprise?"

Trey smiles, almost nervously. "Well-"

"We were only giving the dorm a better chance. It's basic statistics- more Heartslabyul names in the hat, more of a chance one of us will be drawn, y'know?" Cater beams. "No disrespect, of course."

"None whatsoever," Riddle hisses back.

---

"And you're sure he's not really mad?" you ask, trailing behind the two third years.

It had been almost an hour since you'd updated your Magicam feed and read the announcement firsthand, but the shock is still wearing off.

Cater scoffs. "Whaaaat? No, he's totally cool about it,"

"Well. Now he is, anyway," Trey murmurs back. "But he certainly won't kick you out. As long as you're in the dorm uniform, you're one of us. He's just upset we went behind his back."

"...Understandable,"

Cater holds the door open for you, letting you inside to see a precariously placed mannequin with a dorm uniform in your size already on it. You hate to admit it, but it's lovely.

"Riddle had one ready. You know, just in case," Trey says, gesturing you forward. "And don't worry, we'll all be taking it easy on you while you adjust."

You run your fingers down the durable fabric. "Hm. Thanks,"

"You should get changed, I need a post to commemorate the moment," Cater says, beaming. "And I kindaaaa want to rub it in for everyone else who lost out on the best giveaway ever."

Leona's Ending

"Leona Kingscholar! Please... be responsible. Ruggie, I hope you'll keep an eye out for the prefect,"

Ruggie rolls his eyes but doesn't say anything. Leona, who had been absent-mindedly picking his teeth before the big announcement, flashes a big smirk to the audience while swaggering to the front of it.

"Well, well. Look who's come in first place, after all. What, didn't think I'd bother to try?"

Vil grimaces, crossing his arms. "Is there a point to this?"

"Obviously. I'm showing off," he rolls his eyes. "I guess I'll be seeing the rest of you lot around my territory a lot more, then?"

He snickers and then disappears back inside the building. Ruggie can only shrug at the disgruntled crowd before tailing after him.

---

"Well, that felt nice," Leona sighs, stretching out on one of the lounge chairs. "Pity that I couldn't see the lizard's reaction, but I'm sure we'll get to that eventually."

You're sitting at the table across from him, playing cards with a very invested Ruggie. You raise an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Malleus," Ruggie mutters, shuffling his cards around in his hand.

"It's never a party without him, right? He was probably off cowering somewhere with his tail behind his legs," Leona chuckles, picking his teeth again. "But everyone else's faces just about made up for it."

"Whatever," Ruggie grumbles. "I'm all in."

Though you're not exactly invested in the game anymore. You set down your cards, much to Ruggie's dismay, and stand over Leona with your hands on your hips.

"I hope you know that I won't be one of your errand runners for you. I've done enough of that with Crowley,"

He pauses, sharp eyes scanning you over. "You certainly know how to rain on someone's parade,"

"This is not a parade. This is my sanity we're talking about,"

"Tch. And what're you gonna do? Run away?" Leona rolls his eyes. "Hide in the jungle? Maybe you can take Ruggie with you and make it a party!"

"Hey, leave me out of this," the aforementioned says, shuffling the deck.

You stand your ground, though you don't know what else to say. Eventually, Leona sighs.

"Fine. I won't make you do anything you don't want to if you're just going to whine about it,"

He pauses, and a small smirk crosses his face. "But you'll at least have to wear the uniform. I need the satisfaction of seeing the look on everyone else's faces."

You smile triumphantly, and sit back down across from Ruggie for another round while Leona watches on, pretending not to care about the game.

It could be better, but it could also be worse.

Plus, something about that smile of his let on more than just a little self-satisfaction.

This could definitely be interesting...

Rook's Ending

"...Ah. Rook Hunt!" Crowley says, folding the paper back in his pocket and leaning down to whisper to Azul in the front row. "Tell the prefect I said good luck."

At the heart of the crowd, Vil turns to Rook, hands on his hips. "Rook..."

"Ah, magnifique! How happy I am, my heart could weep for joy!" he says, completely ignoring whatever disappointed comment Vil was about to unleash. "I must run to my prize at once, there's not a moment to lose!"

Vil grimaces as Rook bounds off into the school, moving so swiftly that he cuts through the crowd of confused (and mildly concerned) students like an arrow.

As always, Rook is genuine with his words- he truly feels as if his own heart is about to leap out of his chest and race him towards Ramshackle.

What a chance, what an opportunity! Not only to be close to someone he has his own private fan club for, but to truly, finally possess beauty in physical form. He would display you on a shelf if it were feasible.

The idea so overwhelms him with joy that you barely had time to ask what was going on before you suddenly found yourself sitting beside him in the Pomefiore lounge as he smooths out the crinkles in your new uniform.

He murmurs under his breath, kneeling before you while inspecting the uniform. "Magnifique, joli, belle, quelle beauté, une rose parfaite..."

...Leaving you in a torn state of embarrassment and shyness. You look across the room to Vil for help, and he rolls his eyes.

"I coulda get used 'ta this!" Grim shouts, lounging on a nearby silk pillow with a mouthfull of pâté. Two freshman are tediously brushing his fur with the nicest set of combs you've ever seen.

"Comfortable?" You ask, only a little sarcastic.

"Uh-huh! Ya know, when I found out the winner was Rook, of all people, I was a little worried. But this is way nicer than collecting dust in Ramshackle!"

You couldn't have said it better yourself.

Rook smiles. "Tsk, tsk. I would never let anyone harm a single hair on your precious head,"

The question is directed to Grim, but he looks straight at you when he says it. "Like a delicate porcelain doll, I will handle you with the utmost care,"

You're not exactly sure what you had been envisioning- maybe he'd release you on a remote island and hunt you for sport?- but this had far exceeded any of your expectations.

Though his gaze is as unsettling as ever, and any hopes of personal space are gone out the ornate glass windows, his usual guarded demeanor had softened just the tiniest bit.

It was unnerving. But nice, in a way.

"Mon trickster, this is just the beginning for us. We have many shining days ahead, and I plan on spending every beautiful breath of them with you. Do you hunt?"

"Oh, sevens," Vil murmurs.

Unfortunately for Vil, Rook's smile is contagious and you can't help encouraging him. Just this once. "Not usually, no,"

"A merveilleuse opportunity! I will teach you all I have learned, then. Ah, this reminds me of a poem I wrote for this exact occasion!"

He may or may not be watching you sleep tonight. Hopefully you're the kind of person who can live with that.

Idia's Ending

LOL. Normies.

Look at them, crowding around like a bunch of sheep. As if anyone has a real chance. SMH.

I knew it was pointless to begin with, but getting into Crowley's banking account and seeing the bids... now I feel lame for even trying at all.

That money could've gone to some new parts. I've been itching to build another PC...

The door flies open, slamming against the wall behind it so loudly that even if Idia wasn't completely absorbed in watching the announcement on his biggest monitor, he would've jumped anyway.

He whirls around in his chair, wide-eyed and shaking like a prey animal, expecting to see some high level boss or classic horror game antag waiting for him.

Instead, it's Ortho. "Idy! You'll never believe-"

"Geez, Ortho, you nearly killed me. And I don't have any extra lives this time," Idia says, spinning back around to face his screen. "Something wrong?"

"Actually, I have some really great news! Wanna guess what it is?"

Idia grumbles, powering off his computer. "Nah, not in the mood,"

Ortho's brow furrows as he catches a fleeting glimpse of the camera feed playing over his brother's screen before it flickers to black. "You've been watching the announcement on the courtyard cam footage?"

"No! I mean- well, I was just curious," Idia says. "I watched for like two minutes. Who even cares about this thing, anyway?"

"Well-"

"I mean, it was a game over from the start. Taking on the highest level bosses at our school with my measly stats? Forget it,"

"But Idia-"

"Who even cares where the prefect ends up, anyway? I doubt they'd wanna be trapped in a basement like this for all eternity,"

"Idia!" Ortho shouts, loud enough to shake his brother from his ensuing pity party. Idia can only stare as he moves to the side, revealing a rather surprised looking you, dressed in the dorm uniform, behind him.

"Idia, you won!"

And then he dies.

That's what he thinks, anyway. Really, Idia goes into a state of complete shock and blacks out so hard that, for a moment, the blinding light shining through his eyelids feels like the light at the end of the tunnel.

"Is he okay?" you ask, tentatively watching as Ortho clicks off the small light he'd been shining in his brother's eyes.

"He's displaying symptoms of a panic attack. Don't worry, he gets them quite frequently,"

A distant groaning pulls the both of you back into the present moment and you watch Idia slowly rise.

"His heart rate has steadied to 70 BPM," Ortho says. You raise an eyebrow. "That's normal. Idia, can you hear us?"

He takes a long moment to respond.

"This isn't real. I'm sleep-deprived from my last speed run and now I'm hallucinating. There's no way,"

You look between the two brothers. This hasn't exactly gotten off to a stellar start.

"Your vitals are normal, although you're lacking Vitamin C. Might I suggest having a fruit cup while we talk?" Ortho asks. Idia shakes his head. "Yuu? Snack?"

"I could go for something,"

Ortho hovers out of the room, leaving the two of you alone. You're too nervous (or is he too nervous?) to ask to sit, so you stand over him while he practically rocks back and forth. His face is so red and hot with embarrassment you could cook an egg on it.

"Um..."

He mumbles back. "Just pretend I'm not here. IK you probably wanted one of those epic SSR students to pull you, I don't blame you for being disappointed,"

He talks so fast and quiet it's hard to make out what he's saying... but you get the gist of it.

"Hey, don't put words in my mouth. This is a hell of a lot better than it could have been,"

He seems to genuinely consider your words for a moment before you're interrupted by Ortho coming back with snacks.

Idia is back on high alert the second he's returned. "This doesn't make sense. I got into Crowley's online bank info and saw all the bids, I wasn't even close to the top five. How?"

"Oh, easy!" Ortho chirps. "I simply rewired funds from Crowley's bank account to up your offer!"

"You... took money out of his account and sent it back to him?"

"Clever," you murmur.

Idia grumbles. "I guess that's not technically stealing... fine. But why? I thought I told you not to bother!"

"My user intel indicates that the prefect is very popular amongst the student body. Their top three descriptors are helpful, kind, and friendly! I thought you two might be able to practice your social skills together... Perhaps you could show them around the dorm as a starting point?"

You turn around to look at Idia, who's sheet-white. Nonetheless... he sighs and stands, muttering a quick "Let's get this over with,"

You watch, as still as stone, as he stops in the doorway and turns to look at you from over his shoulder, his face and hair a pleasant shade of pink.

"Well? Are you coming?"

Lilia's Ending

"And our winner... is... hm. I don't even remember seeing this one in the pile," Crowley grumbles, scratching his head under his hat. "Um, Lilia Vanrouge!"

Silver is the first to look at him. "Fa-Lilia, I thought we talked about this,"

Lilia, currently hovering in the shade of one of the courtyard's signature apple trees, simply shrugs. As if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"Oh, we did. I really thought about what you said, about the prefect's freedom, and I decided that you're right! But how could I guarantee their safety from everyone else?"

Silver groans (which turns into a yawn) and Lilia puts on his best cute look as everyone else in the audience turns to him.

Crowley clears his throat. "The prefect will be ready for your-"

"Oh, no need! Thank you, though," he says, and then disappears into the building.

---

You've been distracting yourself by counting cobwebs for far too long, as evident by your headache and the taste of dust on your tongue.

You turn to look at Grim. "Should be over by now. I'm surprised I haven't heard anything yet,"

"Surprised, you say?"

No matter how many times he does that, you're never quite prepared.

You jump, nearly hitting your head against the table you'd been taking refuge under. Grim yowls, clawing into your sleeve (and just barely missing the tender flesh on your arm, thank goodness), and you both stare at the fae ahead of you.

Lilia is sitting on the table, hanging his head upside down and staring right at you. Grim mumbles.

"Don't even tell me. I'm out!"

Lilia waves him goodbye as he makes a swift exit, and then turns back to you.

"I have a secret. Wanna guess?"

You're a little curious (aren't you always when it comes to him?) but that isn't enough to overpower your rising dread.

"No,"

"Aw. Really? I'm sure you'll like it,"

"Definitely not, then,"

He slinks off the table and lies on the floor, cupping his face in his palms and kicking his legs back and forth.

It would be amusing if you weren't so sure of what he's about to say.

"Well, despite your best efforts, I'm not surprised at all. But Malleus couldn't even come here to get me himself?" you sigh.

Lilia tilts his head to the side. "Now, why would he do that?"

There's something written within the margins of his tone that makes your eyes lower at him. Something he's keeping from you.

"...Well... he did win, didn't he?"

"Oh, my. You were hoping for Malleus to win? Now I'm sure we both feel silly,"

You raise an eyebrow. "Hoping is... a strong word. But I was expecting it, yes. So he didn't win?"

"No, dear, Malleus is not the winner,"

"Then... who is?"

Lilia gives you a sweet, self-satisfied grin, his fangs glinting. "You're looking at him,"

Ah.

If there's one thing Lilia Vanrouge is good at, it's surprising you. No matter how stoic you act, no matter how clever you are, he always manages to catch you off guard.

This might take the cake, though.

"I didn't even know-"

"No. Initially, I wasn't going to. But Silver and I... we had a long talk about valuing your freedom and independence, and thus I so valiantly threw myself into the flames to save you from becoming someone's slave," he pauses to smile. "Chivalrous, yes?"

"...Charming," you mutter. "But what was that thing about-"

"Oh, yes. Don't worry, you'll be treated as any other student at Diasomnia. In fact, I'm sure we already have some uniforms in your size!"

"This is... quite the turn of events,"

"Ah, isn't it? I haven't felt this elated in... well... a long time," he grins. "Come along, now. I plan on treating you to a hearty welcome dinner!"

You can only grimace at that.

Malleus' Ending

During all of the confusion, the fighting, the rumors that shook the school, no one, again, had remembered to invite Malleus Draconia to the announcement.

Not that it mattered. Not this time.

One knock at Ramshackle's creaky door and you were suddenly in the depths of the forest around the school, admiring a crumbled stone structure.

"What was it?" you ask, turning to your walking companion.

Malleus smiles slightly. "I believe it was a wall. Fascinating, no? Since you have inhabited Ramshackle, I come here when I want to be alone,"

Ah, right. You'd almost forgotten that you'd made a home out of his ruins of preference.

Ramshackle was in a much better state than this, though. At least you had four walls and a roof over your head.

"Are you alone a lot these days?" you ask, rather absent-mindedly for such a heavy topic.

You're well aware of the answer already. No, of course not. Malleus is constantly surrounded, whether that be his friends, personal guard, mentors...

"Yes,"

Oh.

"I'm... sorry to hear that," it's all you can think to say.

Fae don't seem to know the conventions of human small talk. Or maybe that's just him. Not that you mind. "What about Silver, and Sebek, and Lilia...?"

"Fine companions," he crosses his arms. "I owe them a debt of gratitude. But being physically surrounded does not amount to closeness."

Oddly profound.

You can't help but relate, thinking back to everyone you know. Even with good intentions, they're still out there, bartering over your life.

"I'm glad you came and got me," you say, breaking the tense silence. "I was afraid you'd gone to that... announcement thing."

He raises an eyebrow. "The what?"

"...Never mind. I guess my point was that I've been feeling a little lonely lately, myself,"

Malleus is quiet for a moment, staring directly ahead at the mess of stones and moss that once made up a sturdy wall. Now crumbled, scattered across the ground.

And the, he smiles.

"Well, there is a solution to this trouble of ours. But I'd need your consent,"

What exactly is he getting at? You raise an eyebrow. "Go on,"

"I've been so preoccupied with the formalities that I haven't had the chance to ask you properly, yet. Lilia suggested I might have more success this way,"

He pauses, and then smiles. "I would like us to marry. Does this agree with you?"

You thought you might be stunned. Speechless, even. But the answer comes so naturally.

"Yes, it does,"

[textmel8r]

[ DRABBLE ] 𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒 ! ( fourth installment ) in which you are forced to plan a corporate event with your office enemy .

୨୧˚ part; one. two. three. four. five. six. seven. eight. nine. ten. eleven.

୨୧˚ incl; kento nanami

୨୧˚ cw; smut (?) , dub-con , alcohol consumption , profanity

( flashback; ) Wreaths and holly plants decked the usually barren, white walls of the seventh floor office level, and soft Christmas music looped on the overhead speaker in attempts to induce a jolly spirit. Colleagues conversed, discussing plans for December break over plastic cups of spiked cider. Everyone seemed in high morale; even Gakuganji, who donned a cheaply made Santa suit, still wrinkled from its time being folded in a package. Your first ever office party was about as much as you expected–not the worst time, but certainly not the best time, either. It didn’t help that you were still technically the “newbie” despite having been a member of the company for a few months at that point. Man, it was hard to make friends in an office full of stoic suits.

You remain near a far wall, slumped against the oversized copy machine with a drink in hand. Nobody had even appreciated your dress; a modest crimson thing with white, cottony trims to mimic Old Saint Nick. Figures. You pout into your cup, knocking back a heavy swig.

“Woah-ho, you sure went all out.”

The dialogue was unexpected and you sputter on a swallow of liquor, startled. A preemptive hand pats your back, something like a mother trying to burp a newborn. You swallow your spit at last, recollect yourself, and whip your head up to follow the source of the voice that nearly killed you. There stood a man tall and spindly in his stature with the most beautifully long, goldish hair drawn back into a ponytail. He is dressed down, wearing a simple pair of dark jeans and a sweater in favor of the suits nearly everyone else sported. 

“You shouldn’t sneak up on ladies,” comes your meager reply. Your free hand smooths down the skirt of your dress, and you clear your throat. “You scared the shit out of me.”

The man smiles apologetically. “Ah, I noticed. My bad.”

“It’s okay. Just… just don’t do it again.”

“Roger that.” He has his own drink, and you manage to catch a glimpse of it over the rim of the solo cup. It’s a dark, murky color, much more amberish than the cider that was being served. “I haven’t seen your face around before, it made me curious.”

“I secured a position here during spring.” Now that you think about it, he was unfamiliar to you as well. You would have definitely remembered that ponytail. “Are you–I mean, do you work in this building?”

He shakes his head. “Nah, they got me holed up in the Shibuya location,” he winks, leaning in. “I make it a habit to come to all the office parties, though. I can’t resist a little holiday cheer.” Two bony knuckles move to brush delicately against the trim of your dress. “I’m Haruta Shigemo, and you’re…?”

“Not interested.” 

Shigemo juts his bottom lip out. “C’mon, don’t be like that. I can’t know your name?”

Holding an index finger to your chin, you pretend to think about it. “What will you give me in return?”

A smirk worms its way onto Shigemo’s thin lips. He angles his hip toward you and pulls up the hem of his knitted sweater, gesturing to the uncanny flask half sticking out of his jeans’ pocket. “I brought good stuff,” he sings quietly, away from prying ears, and suddenly you understand the reason for his drink being a couple shades too dark. “And I’m good at sharing.”

Yeah, maybe it wasn’t the wisest decision to accept unknown liquor from a virtual stranger, you should’ve really considered all of the possible outcomes to this situation. You’d already had a little over two cups of warmed cider, rotating on the axis between tipsy and full on drunkenness. Your foggy brain didn’t care much to think about how some of this so-called “good stuff” would only lead to an inevitable, total inebriation. Or, a less likely but just as concerning scenario, Shigemo’s flask could be chock full of poison. Either way, you were itching to turn a less-than-okay party experience into a fun one.

“Y/n L/n,” you said finally, and Shigemo looks pleased. Strategically as to not give away the secret, he stood before you and widened his shoulders to create a makeshift cover while he poured a solid few glugs from flask to your cup. Immediately, the booze reeks of something strong like industrial glass cleaner. Your nose wrinkles as the stench singes the hair from your nostrils. “Smells fucking rancid.”

“Maybe you’re just not used to top shelf liquor?” Was that a dig? You’ll show him that you’re plenty accustomed with expensive booze (you’re not. not at all).

So you drank it. The taste of piss mixed with vinegar nearly made you retch, but after your second glass and an assload of determination, it started to taste… good? Maybe this Shigemo guy wasn’t too bad. The rest of the night was a blur of silly dancing to dumb Christmas songs, ugly laughing at the horse calendars pinned to the wall, and… well, the bathroom.

“We shouldn’t be doing this.” Your tone was breathy, a cross between giggly and pure apprehension. There in the men’s restrooms, you were perched up on the sink counter. That festive dress was slipped up around your hips by two slender, greedy hands, and a tiny waist worked between your thighs. Shigemo kissed you into silence.

“Why not?” He kisses you again, fumbling with his belt buckle. He’s nipping down your neck, whispering, “The risk is so fucking hot.”

And oh goodness, was he a man on a mission. Tearing the collar of your dress down beneath your breasts, fingering holes into your sheer stockings, stuffing a fist inside your panties… You were in no state of coherence to stop him.

Had it not been a professional obligation on his part to attend this year’s Christmas party, Nanami finds himself fantasizing about all the ways he’d much rather be spending this brisk winter evening. Probably soaking in his tub, nursing a glass of red wine and working on that book he’d been putting off thanks to the ungodly amount of work on his plate as of late. Then, he’d exercise those cooking skills he seldom had time to use and prepare a meal that had much more to offer than these feeble, sugary snacks at this party. Seriously? Cookies and cake? They were adults for goodness sake.

The floor was stuffy and claustrophobia-inducing. Everywhere he turned, Nanami was accidentally bumping somebody with his shoulder or his elbow or some other limb he lost track of. And the conversations were abysmal. Nanami has always been good with his words—he had to be in a profession like this—but Christ, talking to his zombies-for-coworkers was a worse fate than death itself. They drone on about office assignments, about deadlines and paperwork with no hint of light behind their eyes. Is that what he looks like to others? A worrisome thought, that Nanami was just as much of a slave to the corporate world as they were.

The deep train of thought is cut off before it spirals when red catches his eye. A dress red as rubies sticks out like a sore thumb among the sea of blacks and blues and grays of suits. You’re dressed in a silly get up, like those Mrs. Claus actresses in the malls that take pictures with children. Y/n L/n, Nanami recalls your name. He knows you, the newest employee in the office. He’s had very few chances to speak with you, and when he did it mostly consisted of him relaying orders from Mr. Gakuganji. But even in those brief instances, Nanami saw it plain as day: you were different. The first lively fool he’d seen in a while, eyes still glinting with the prospects of optimism and naive hope for the future. Foolish indeed, but he couldn’t bring himself to hate it. You were a breath of fresh air, but Nanami knew that it was only a matter of time before you were beaten and battered into another mindless cog in the corporation's machine.

A strange urge bloomed within the hollows of the man's chest; an urge that told him to initiate communication with you. Perhaps just a "hello" at the very least, seeing as you were his direct subordinate. It was the polite thing to do, right? Or maybe that was just a weak excuse he convinced himself of because Nanami didn't want to admit that you intrigued him in every sense of the word. You would provide an interesting back and forth, something Nanami desperately craved in the throes of this tedious party.

Golden eyes scanned the room. But no matter how long and meticulous he stared into the mass of bodies, Nanami could not locate the shade of red that had incited this search to begin with. There was a muted pit of disappointment the settled heavy in his stomach when he came to the realization that you simply were gone. He didn't doubt the probability that you ditched, no, he'd commend you for doing something he could not. Nanami sighs under his breath, lets his shoulders droop, and takes the last swig of his drink (water of course, the spiked cider was much too sweet for his tastes) before maneuvering through the crowd towards the bathroom. A five minute breather alone in a stall sounded like Heaven on Earth.

He shouldered through the metallic door, eyes closed, fingers tugging the knot of his too-tight tie as he stepped inside the restrooms. Only the sound of a feminine gasp was what pried his heavy eyelids open.

All three bodies froze: Nanami by the entrance with a slack jaw and wide eyes, a man he vaguely recalls from the Shibuya district stood between a pair of opened legs with his jeans tugged down to mid-thigh, and you. You, with your stupidly red dress in disarray, the neckline dipped below your bare breasts and the lower hem bunched up around the curve of your waistline. There you were, sitting up on the sink completely exposed... God, that bastard's hand was still buried down the front of your panties.

As if time suddenly unfroze, said bastard rips his hands away from your most delicate parts in favor of pulling his jeans back up. Nanami blinks once before cocking his head to the side at the unnatural speed of light, focusing on the faux plant in the corner, the uneven tiles beneath his dress shoes, the cracks in the eggshell paint on the wall... anything besides your indecent self.

"Whoops, would ya' look at that?" Shibuya fucker laughs halfheartedly as he fumbles with the button on his jeans, flustered and giggly. "Guess we got a little carried away there, my bad man!" He slinks towards the door, towards Nanami, but pauses. "Hey, you're Nanami Kento, right?"

"Yes." It's a cold response. Nanami doesn't look to the other man, instead he keeps his eyes trained down as to not get another eyeful of you.

"Aha right! Well," Shibuya fucker sweatdrops, clasping a hand over Nanami's shoulder. "Let's keep this a secret from the higher ups?"

The elder grimaces. "Please don't touch me."

The hand is ripped away. Shibuya fucker shows his palms in sort of a defensive stance as more anxious chuckles erupt from his throat. "Good seeing you, then!" And with that, he slips out of the bathroom leaving you high and dry. The prick didn't even bother to stay and help you get recollected.

"I'm decent." You sound meek, a tone Nanami has yet to hear from you thus far. It sounds small. Humiliated. "You... you can look now."

So he does, only to regret it. There you are, hopped off the sink and standing before him in a pitiful display. Your slender neck was tainted with love marks, darkened bruises bit into flesh with little artistry. Your stockings were shredded carelessly, bits of plumpness squishing through the holes. Your hair was mussed, forehead sweaty, lipstick smeared and... why was Nanami so irritated by the sight?

"What..." He starts, trying to find the words. "What is the matter with you?"

You gawk. "Nothing."

"Nothing." Nanami scoffs, hands pressed to his hips. "How careless could you possibly be? Fucking at a work event? I mean, for fuck's sake Y/n."

"I'm sorry, okay?" Your words are clipped. As if you have any right to catch an attitude with him right now.

"Sorry doesn't change the fact that you..." His sentence trails off into a tiny, frustrated growl scratching from the back of his tongue. The man takes his nose bridge between his thumb and forefinger. "The door was unlocked. Anyone could've walked in and saw you like that!" Exposed. Bare. Vulnerable.

"I don't know what else you want to hear other than sorry." Nanami doesn't miss the microscopic vocal crack in the word sorry. You hug yourself tight, forearms crossed over your chest. Your shoulders stutter, and your lips are sucked between your teeth to hide the wobble in them. "I'm... sorry."

You dress strap hangs off your shoulder. Nanami can't peel his gaze away from the strip of fabric. He takes a slow step in, gauging your reaction to it. You don't show any signs of discomfort, so he advances closer. The red strap is dainty against his rough fingers, so he cautions himself to be extra gentle when slipping it back up into place.

"Thanks," you sniffle.

He shushes you. Nanami isn't done yet, far from it. You still look disheveled and sad and weepy and he can't fucking stomach it for some ungodly reason. So he gets to work, first wetting a paper towel in the bathroom sink—the same one you'd been getting groped on a mere few minutes prior—and gingerly swipes away the smeared makeup from your kiss-swollen lips. Then, he's taking it upon himself to straighten out your hair. You let him stroke down your baby hairs without pushback, limply letting him rearrange your appearance as if you were some sort of life sized doll.

Nanami steps back to admire his work. The evidence of foreplay was nearly gone, save for the dreadful state of your stockings and those ugly teeth-shaped indents down the side of your neck. “Take those stockings off before you leave the bathroom,” he utters. “They look…” Slutty is the word that comes to mind first, but he’d never say it aloud. So he leaves it at that.

You’re looking at him with an unreadable expression. If anything, Nanami discerns a little concern in the way your brows turn upwards. “Are you going to tell anyone about this?”

He wants to oh so bad. To be the lame tattletale and snitch to Mr. Gakuganji because fraternization is wrong, and fraternization in the workplace is double wrong. “I should report you,” there’s a pregnant pause, “but I won’t.”

Why? He asks himself.

You seemed to have read his thoughts. “Why?”

Nanami doesn’t have an answer to that. Where is this slice of mercy coming from? All he knows for certain is that staring at the trembling woman in front of him any longer will have him blow a fuse. “Go home, Y/n.” It’s the last thing he offers before turning on his heel and walking back out into the Christmas function, swallowing down each and every confusing feeling swirling around his brain.

likes and reblogs are appreciated !

tags . • @justbelljust @amnmich @ti-mame @silkija @maddietries @vyntagei @ebrysteria @aesukuni

[bunnys-kisses]

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ leave my brother alone, mister wolff - toto. w ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

maybe you were a saint in disguise. if toto wolff wanted a piece of a verstappen, then you'd happily give yourself over. seduce the older man into not pestering your brother anymore. the age gap would be an jaw drop, but you hoped that mister wolff liked the taste of such sweet flesh. give up your virginity as a form of currency. and while you thought that the task would be hard. toto wolff was more than happy to sink his cock into your pretty folds. your pussy took him so well, and what started as an agreement soon became a frequent affair.

toto liked when you dressed more innocent, soft pastels looked nice against your skin tone. softer shades of make up made you look almost doe-like. he liked when you struggled to take him both in your pussy and your throat, made him get an ego boost when something so small and fragile tried to take him to the root. he had watched your sputter and cough when trying to deep throat him, your pussy grow tender for days after he laid waste to your cunt. letting his pearly cum ooze out of you as a reminder that you were verstappen in last name, but you had enough of wolff dna in you as well. toto liked you in delicate things, to rely on him. maybe it was the possessive old man in him talking, but he liked when you needed help. those large hands on your thighs as he rolled up your stockings, knowing full well that he'd be ripping them off at the end of the day. he liked how you fit in his arms, his words hung in your mind like stars. he liked that he kept you dumb at times, fucking you to the point where words meant nothing and all hat mattered was the wash of pleasure. he knew what he was doing, fucking you next to unconsciousness. hard for verstappen's little sister to get out from under his thumb if she couldn't stand on her own two legs. but this was all in the name of diverting toto's attention, you didn't realize that being the focus of a man like him could be almost terrifying.

it didn't help that you were drawn to him like a moth to a flame. the flickering heat and the danger of being ensnared by him left a throb between your legs. by the time monaco came around, you couldn't even get yourself off anymore. you were left overstimulated but with no relief. no toy was like toto, and you sulked all the way to the monaco grand prix to let toto fuck you after hours in red bull's garage. letting him claim you over top of your brother's car. his dirty words in your ear, how dare you let yourself get into this situation. what would you family think? you were supposed to be a proper woman, not a dirty slut. and you could only respond with pathetic little moans. even if it was true, you were at least toto's slut. his big hands on your back as you knee facing the wall, you should've known better then to get too friendly. you wouldn't want your dear max to find out what you've been up to. toto told you that your brother spoke highly of you, little did he know. little did he know that the expensive things you now owned were paid for by a much older man.

he promised you everything. he'd leave your brother alone, let the driver make his own decisions. toto groped at your breasts, bruising the tender skin. his promises got more depraved as your time together grew, he was gonna fill that sweet belly of yours. telling you that he's getting older and it was high time the head principal of mercedes had a few kids. and you'd take such good care of them, right? those promises made you a little afraid, you hadn't finished your program in school. but there was little to be done when you were pressed under his large frame. your hands held behind your back while his bare cock got very familiar with your cunt. you kept meaning to go to the nearest store to get emergency contraception, but before you could sneak out of his bedroom, you were often greeted with another round which shoved all the cum into the farthest part of your pussy. it was a worrying anxiety you tried to ignore, but it would catch up eventually.

it took an entire season but toto wolff was sated, the beast in him could rest. while it wasn't a contract with the three time world champion, he had something a little better. winning was great, but having something sweet to indulge in after every race was something different. while in recent months you hadn't bee accompanying him, he had many photos and videos to keep himself busy in the days apart. because in his home in monaco, there was a cute little verstappen with a slight roundness to her middle. he knew you'd be rubbing your back in irritation over how your son thought it was okay to kick at your ribs. he couldn't tell you the exact date that he got you pregnant, but he had an idea. regardless he was proud of how you carried his child. toto once loudly made a joke within ear shot of max that you were most likely more austrian than dutch by that point, which made the driver's ears burn. he didn't need to hear about his sister like that. but if toto had his way, your brother would be well aware about how the older man takes care of you.

while your little seduction trick failed as toto was coming up with a new contract to propose to max. you found comfort in being toto's sweet little wife now that you were going to have a son over the off-season. <3

a/n: *looks with disrespect*

[qwimblenorrisstan]

Candles and Cuddles | Azriel x Reader

Summary: You take Azriel to get a personal wax mold of your hands intertwined, and after overcoming insecurity, settle into each other’s warm embrace.

Word Count: ~ 1.3k

Warnings: Mentions of past injuries, scars, insecurities, fluff, nothing bad.

A/N: Really liked writing this, hope you enjoy it <3

Requests are open!

You had originally gotten the idea when you’d seen all sorts of cute pictures of couples getting wax molds and melts of them holding hands in a heart shape or fingers interlocked. It was, in your opinion, positively adorable, and so you decided to drag your mate along with you for this particular adventure.

“What, pray tell, are we looking for?”

Azriel’s deep voice, calm and gleaming with curiosity, spoke softly. His head was tilted slightly to the side as you walked excitedly down the bustling streets of Velaris, your soft hand holding his larger, scarred one and pulling him gently along.

The children played in the streets, vendors calling out their prices as some roamed the streets with baskets of fresh products or supplies to try or test, hopefully, to lure in some customers. It was a warm evening, a cool breeze blowing through that lifted the autumn leaves to stir around your feet, only to settle in piles before being further blown away, or gathered into piles as the children jumped into them.

“It’s a surprise, Az, you’ll know when we get there!”

You said, being drawn into the direction of one street corner by the warm light coming from the building, only to find exactly what you were looking for with a quiet sound of triumph.

A small smile graced Azriel’s face as he peered down at you curiously, studying your happy smile and the twinkle in your eyes, one that spoke of joy, and an innocence he would gladly protect with his life.

“You’re going to love this, it’s so cute.”

You said, eagerly entering the store hand in hand with him. He ducked to avoid the top of the doorframe, wings folding in tightly to not disrupt anything inside of the small business. His shadows curiously observed and watched, taking in information on the surroundings on instinct.

There was a small desk at the front with a woman who he assumed was running the main operation, and to the left of it in another open room were pots full of different colored melted max, with a few other people already dipping a dry white base into it to make their own custom candle. It looked..intriguing, he would admit. He was ashamed that he’d never come to see all these small thriving businesses in Velaris.

“Come on!”

You said, bursting at the seams with excitement as you paid the woman up front and eagerly pulled him along to the wax room. He’d been so caught up in thinking he’d missed your entire conversation with the other female. Oops.

He patiently followed along, until you were both standing in front of a blue wax pot, a deep, rich blue like the siphons he had. Blue was a nice color. Maybe even his favorite.

“See? We dip our hands in together, and it makes a wax outline we can keep.”

You explained, beaming up at him. He returned the smile, a warm one spreading across his lips as he intertwined his hand with yours.

“I understand, love.”

He replied, waiting for you to begin moving first before submerging both of their hands in the melted wax, letting it sit a bit before pulling it out and dipping it again, and that went on for a few more layers until both of your hands were covered in a thick layer of blue dried wax, about the consistency of a babybell cheese wrapper.

A worker came over and helped you both get the wax off of your hands, leaving the mold of your hands together before the worker spoke up. It was a male with short brown hair and ghoulish skin, and distinctly Fae eyes in a shade of chocolate brown. Maybe a mix between a ghoul and Fae? The shadows seemed to think so as well.

“We could use the wax mold to make a quick concrete markup?”

He offered, at which you eagerly nodded.

“I’d love that, how long would it take?”

You asked, at which the worker simply waved a hand.

“Not long, only like, five minutes. We got a new concrete mix, the stuff works like magic! I wouldn’t be surprised if there isn’t some sort of enchantment on it…”

The worker went on, before seeming to realize he was rambling and giving a little chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I’ll have it ready for you in five, just take a seat somewhere.”

He said, gesturing to some of the seats in the small business area, before walking off to the back room with you and Azriel’s wax mold in hand. You both went and sat down next to each other, and he tried to pull you on his lap. You gave him a look. He only smirked.

“What? Shouldn’t we save space for any other potential weary customers?”

He asked with a playful tone, still smirking, at which you laughed and shook your head in fond exasperation, finally sighing and sliding onto his lap.

A few minutes later, the worker returned, the wax mold gone, but with concrete of you and Azriel’s hands intertwined together. He smiled and gave it to you, and after paying a bit extra for the stone structure.

After walking back home, and a short flight, you triumphantly set the stone structure on your favorite bookshelf in a space with good visibility.

“Don’t you love it?”

You asked Azriel with a happy grin, leaning back into him. He nodded, but when you glanced back at him, you saw a hint of worry and hesitation in his gaze. You turned to face him, wondering what was wrong. Had you done something to upset him? Had the wax made his sensitive, scarred hands start aching?

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

You asked, one hand sliding up to his cheek to move his face so he was looking down at you. He hesitated before speaking. That was odd. He never hesitated much, if ever.

“You don’t think my hand looks a bit…out of place? With all the..scarring against your smooth skin?”

His now tentative and quiet voice asked, eyes studying the structure with a meticulous gaze, picking apart every minor detailing of his winding burn scars the wax mold had picked up, and the contrast of it against your smooth, soft skin. You pulled his gaze back to yours, taking his hands in yours.

“No. Not at all. Your hands are perfect just the way they are, and they look perfect in mine, and they belong there. If you ever start talking about them like that again, I’m revoking hand privileges for a week.”

He raised a brow because of the last statement but seemed a bit comforted by your statement, going to pull his hands away, but you wouldn’t let him, instead going to kiss every inch of his scarred hands until he was a blushing mess, his shadows looking more purple than usual as they crossed and danced around you in an embrace.

“Alright, love.”

He murmured, a small smile gracing his lips as he began gently pulling you towards the bed, a sign that he wanted to go to bed. You laughed softly, relenting as you pulled your bra off from under your loose shirt, tossing it onto the floor as you crawled into bed.

Azriel shimmied out of his leathers and crawled into bed wearing only his boxers, settling under the blankets before wrapping his arms and wings around you in a cocooning embrace, his head in the hollow of your neck, deeply inhaling your scent as he allowed himself to relax.

“Goodnight, Azzie, love you.”

You murmured, already sleepy. He smiled against your skin, shadows dancing before gently settling around you and him, before closing his eyes and replying.

“Goodnight, love.”

[luveline]

hey! sorry if you’ve done this already, please ignore. pls could i request hotch with reader who’s recovering from a (major) surgery? thank you 🫶

“Is it hideous?” 

“Yes,” Hotch says, though he doesn’t look at the bandage nor the wound. “You’ll be marred forever, likely.” His hand cups your cheek, and his thumb draws teeny lines across the apple of it. “Unsightly.” 

You laugh into yourself and let your eyes close under the pleasure of his small touch. The hospital room is quiet, private even, though that’s soon to change. You’ve been informed of another visitor who will need to share your room in an hour. Visiting hours will be over shortly afterwards. 

“Are they sure I can’t come home?” you ask. 

“They need to do so much,” he says unhappily. 

“I don’t want to be alone when it gets worse again.” 

Hotch speaks softly. “It might not get worse again. But if the pain is too much, I’ll stay. They won’t be able to force me out.” 

“You’ll abuse your power.”

“Only for you,” he says sincerely. His kiss says as much, so gentle and slow to your chapped lips. It’s as chaste as they come but you’d needed it. Your shoulders relax as he sits up again. “I know you feel off kilter, you’re going to, because this isn’t a small thing to recover from, but I’m not going anywhere you can’t reach me if you need me.” He tucks your blanket back over your chest, but he’s sitting on it, and it doesn’t have much give. “Will this be enough? I’ll bring the nurses a fleece tonight after I’ve gone to give to you. This isn’t going to be warm enough.” 

“I feel too hot.” 

He feels along your forehead softly. “You feel perfectly normal. Don’t worry.” 

Your chance of infection is high. Surgical infection especially. You won’t know you’re sick until your vitals tank, and then it gets dangerous. 

Hotch frowns at you. He, as always, how tiresome, looks handsome. His hair has grown unkempt to his standards but perfect to yours, dark strands falling down over his forehead. His eyes are darker, shadowed by the lack of light, shades down and the privacy curtain still drawn. You can’t tell his pupil from the iris, not where his gaze is pointed. 

“Don’t forget,” he says. “Drinks in the drawer so you can reach them. Your chapstick is in with your glasses. There are face wipes if you start to feel the need for them–”

“I won’t forget.”

His hand smooths down to your neck. “The chocolate is in the top drawer too.” His fingertips draw lazy circles into your neck, brushing against the rumpled neck of your pyjama top with every revolution. “Your phone is charged, and there’s a charging bank–”

“In the top drawer,” you finish for him. “Thank you, Aaron, I promise I know.” 

He folds when you call him by his first name. His frown falls away, his eyes softer and lighter as he lifts his head to the frail shaft of light coming in through the curtain. He’d take your breath away if you weren’t feeling as shockingly frail as you are. 

“You’re doing so well.” He clasps your shoulder. “A few more days and you’ll be home. We’ll both be feeling better, and Jack will fall to pieces in sympathy and keep you company in bed all day.” 

“What about you?” 

“Me too, obviously,” he says quietly. “Move over, honey. I’ll start now.” 

You shuffle over one centimetre at a time and he doesn’t rush you. Eventually, there’s room for the two of you to squeeze in shoulder to shoulder, where he takes your arm into a careful hold and hugs it to his chest, his lips to your cheek. 

“You okay?” he asks. “Out of ten.” 

“Five. And a half.” He kisses your eyebrow. “Seven,” you correct. 

He kisses you again, but you’re feeling shitty from the surgery and seven is as high as you can go.

[anantaru]

hi hello so imagine how good lyney is with his fingers, being a magician n all 🤤

cw. fingering, fem! reader

the dark shades of your fondling, craving bodies were sticking together, prettily drawn out within shadows inside the small backstage area, the dim room crowded with utensils and boxes.

and a drizzle of light suddenly pours into the humidity, right beside your frames, uncovering a glimpse of what was happening right now, golden, glowing slivers of light striping across your bare skin.

lyney's slender hands slide over your trembling body, taking your sinful reactions hostage, turning them exactly into his favor and how he wanted them to be. first, there's your naked thighs, parted and glistening with your slick, legs properly wrapped around his narrow hips.

meanwhile, a cold haze of air begins to fall on top of you, a shiver running through your core when he hooks his skilled fingers on top of your wet folds, holding his breath and rubbing the slick on your clit while drawing his pointer finger forward, swiftly enough into the tightness of your hole.

you see, he knows how it's done, how to have your heaves and whines become shallow against his lips— in contrast, his smooth mouth was pulled up into a euphoric smirk, the precious sight alone making your toes curl inwards when he sends the first out of many following jolts of pleasure straight to your spine, crushing his fingers inside.

it doesn't take seconds and you're breathless already, desperately attempting to close your legs if it weren't for his hips keeping them apart, a subtle outline of his erected cock evolving on his tight pants.

it's immediate and precise when he fucks his fingers inside, lets you suckle them in while your pussy twists around them, another well established jolt and his digits go deeper, sharp knuckles pulling on your walls with your liquids sticking up his hand, oozing down his wrist until fully coated.

you hold yourself onto him, and you know he's about to tease the living hell out of you, sneakily trailing his fingertips up the wetness of your cunt, curving his fingers inside— once, twice, bumping at your sweet spots, the most desirable places that had you chant his name alongside praises. and yes, it's evident, you feel like a hot mess, fucked out and fatigued, while you sense how your slick comes out of you, trapping his fingers inside, aiding him in rushing himself in faster and better, until your hips were fucking back into him and meeting his rhythm half way.

"darling?" he suddenly asks, imitating innocence, his hands going still for a bit, and by now— three of his fingers were concealed by your walls.

fuck, this bloody smirk of his, ever so wonderful, ever so rich, "you're too loud, you know."

a strong gulp, one that was taking lead of your body makes you realize the situation you found yourself in as a flash of aimless embarrassment fires through your veins and limbs, almost blood-curdling, turning your pulse quicker when you realize that lyney's performance wasn't over yet ..

.. visitors were still excitedly waiting and cheering for him to return and finish his magic tricks.

©2023 anantaru do not repost, copy, translate, modify

[swanscript]

in which you're aegon's legally-wedded and never-bedded wife - who cares so little for him that even he's noticed.

It is the hour of the bat, deep into the velvety night, and you'd had it all planned out. Your sheets are fresh. You've bathed in lavender scented water, and spent half the day drying your hair carefully by the fireside so it won't become ruffled. You've just slipped on a rose-coloured robe of the finest Dornish silk, and wriggled delightedly into bed when it happens.

The door to your bedchambers explodes open, and Aegon staggers in, roaring a drunken sea shanty.

Oh, how you hate men.

"So hey, the bonny sailors go

To Sothoryos with a rising 'ho'!"

"Aegon," you start, pushing yourself up on your pillows with the air of someone explaining something to a very stupid child. "It's late. I'm tired."

Aegon stops dead when he sees you, sitting prettily in his bed with your arms folded in bemusement. You don't think he expected to see you here. You often sleep in a different room, and when sharing his bedchambers you make it a point to keep him firmly on the other side of the mattress.

Aegon and you both know the castle staff whispers rumours of your strange and sex-less relationship. You don't care.

Aegon might, but you've decided not to care about him either. He's aware of your cold indifference - which is why he's so surprised to see you here.

"....well," he says, swaying where he stands. "If it isn't...my frigid lady-wife. Here to ice me out again?"

You don't rise to the bait. "I'm here to sleep. You're welcome to do the same."

"Oh, I'm welcome, am I? Welcome in my own bed?" Aegon hiccoughs, slowly undoing the clasps on his velvet jerkin. He lets it thud to the floor (you can bet a hundred gold dragons he'll trip over it first thing tomorrow) and begins to traipse your way. "Am I permitted to finally lay a finger on my lawful wife, or will she only let me hold her hand for appearance's sake at banquets?"

Hackles rising, you bite back at once. "Am I permitted to have a husband who doesn't fuck a different whore every night? Who doesn't reek of of alcohol? Am I permitted to not be abandoned each day for taverns and brothels? Am I permitted to sleep or must I take your leave for that too, lord-husband?"

If Aegon were sober, he might have a scalding remark in response. But the ale has filled his mind with mush, and all he can do is scowl and sulk. It doesn't please you to see him so miserable. Your heart isn't in the fight either.

Your husband thuds onto the bed with a heavy sigh, narrowly missing squashing you.

"...help me with the clasp then, if nothing else," he mutters, pointing at his bejeweled belt buckle.

Sighing, you concede, reaching forward and undoing the cool metal. It clicks apart under your deft hand, and you steal a glance up at your supposed husband.

Months of marriage, and the times when you've ever really looked at him are few and far in between. After a disasterous bedding ceremony and so many days of neglect, the two of you have learnt to not acknowledge each other's presence. As a result, Aegon's face never fails to stand out as unique to you.

Soft cloud of wispy silver hair. Eyes of pale amethyst. The classic Targaryen look - striking colour palette, ghostly shades of old Valayria. The hint of feminine features from his mother softens him. He looks lost now, his pouty mouth softly sagging with defeat. A little verbal joust with you has leeched all the revelry out of him. Right, now, soundly beaten as he is, Aegon is difficult to despise.

You tug the belt out of its loops and he mutters his slurred gratitudes.

"Can you do the rest on your own?"

He grunts in affirmative. You retreat back to your side. Both of you feel the invisible wall being drawn up between once more.

You know, when you really think about it, you suppose Aegon is a handsome man. When he's not drunk. Or bothering you just before you sleep with sappy, obnoxious questions.

"Do you love me?"

You stop in the middle of adjusting your coverlet. "What?"

Aegon is looking at you with not a hint of a joke in his eyes. He repeats the impossible possibility. "Do you love me?"

In daylight, you would have sneered at his question and swept off in a swirl of silk skirts to resume your royal day. Now, with moonshine softening the need for sharp exteriors, you decide to humour his question. No one is around to use your words against you, at least. You feel your guard lift an inch.

"Love you?" you ponder, leaning back against your richly embroidered pillows. "...I think I would be...distressed, if you died. But love you- I don't even like you." You glance his way, contemplating. "Yet."

Aegon looks at you with doubtful lilac eyes. "So there's hope?"

"Don't be too optimistic."

His face, already miserable with the weight of alcohol and fractured familial relationships, turns slightly more sour. You're not foolish. Aegon's agonies don't have much to do with you. His mother, hell-bent on making him king, and his brother, hell-bent on undermining and embarrassing him at every opportunity are his chief worries. You've never seeked to hurt him politically. But you've always remained distant, watching him carefully like a narrow-eyed cat and hissing if he gets too close. There's only so much your pride can allow after being man-handled into a strategic marriage so roughly.

But right now, weak and addled as he is, you can afford some kindness.

"Don't look so down, Aegon," you say softly. "Perhaps I'm Dorne. Eternally un-won by Targaryens."

The gentleness works - Aegon unticks like a clam and lets words come pouring out.

"I keep thinking... really feeling as though you would prefer my brother Aemond over me. Or that he would like you, at the very least. And that grasping bastard, Jacaerys." A flash of anger splits Aegon's face. "I see how he moons over you across the dinner table. Like he'd like you lay you out on his dinner plate and take bites out your skin. Take what's mine. My wife, by law if not by her own will. Mine. My skin. My soft, soft skin. I should kill him. Cunt."

Weak, you think, watching his messy torrent of emotions. Your father would have flayed you living for such risky honesty in a world so tightly controlled by reputation. Always say less than necessary. Never trust anyone, ever.

As it is, you carefully file this new information away in your head. Aemond desiring you in a marriage seems in line with his ambitious nature - your family's legendary wealth would serve him well. You doubt he cares for you as a person.

And Jacaerys.... you've seen him ogling at you a couple of times when you're really dressed to the nines, but you doubt it's anything worth thinking about. Men have always watched you in that hungry way. You have genetics to thank for that, nothing more. It doesn't aid you, ultimately.

Aegon is still muttering away darkly. "I should kill him. Cut off his riding chains so he goes screaming into the sea the next time he mounts his dragon. I think that'll fix him-"

"Don't think," you interrupt, rolling your eyes. "You're not particularly excellent at it, from what I've heard. I heard you thought Sir Arryk was a particularly buxom woman from behind."

Aegon sniffs. "An engraved band in his hair. What was he prettying up for, the flagstones in the corridors? I don't fancy a preening peacock guarding me."

"See, Aegon, you're lying again. And it's unneeded and strange. You were only drunk and made a wine-swayed misjudgement," you say wearily. "And you don't think he's a peacock. You think you're a peacock. You've been matching your socks with your shoes since the day I knew you."

Aegon laughs, soft and bitter.

"If you know me so well, why do you pretend your dislike is only from distance? ...you hate me because you know me. You've always...always hated me."

In sulking speech, Aegon has slowly tipped in your direction, his head inches from yours. He's too drunk and too non-commital to rearrange himself. You allow his hair to touch your silk sleeve. Pink fabric, his ash white hair fanning across it.

Then, without even really thinking or caring, you sigh and pull him onto your chest to hold him there like a babe.

"I've already said, I don't hate you."

Aegon is too drunk to jab or pull back. He lays there. You run fingers through his hair, smoothening the scattered strands into place, sorting his thoughts into neat furrows. Sleepy tears spread a wet spot onto your robe. You allow it, even through fuzzled bafflement at such weakness. What does he want, to suck on your teat? He's older than you, yet you're centuries harder. Aegon - too soft a boy for his over-reaching mother - falls asleep in barely sated turmoil, on your chest like a barely grown child.

You allow it.

[misswynters]

Off Screen Story

Ewan Mitchell x fem!reader

[a/n: feeding my own agenda lol

[note | pls don’t just like, but also reblog & give me feedback. i don’t want to get shadowbanned

The sun set on the horizon, casting a warm, golden glow over the set of House of the Dragon. Filming had wrapped up for the day, and the cast and crew were beginning to disperse. Ewan Mitchell, who played the brooding and intense Aemond Targaryen, walked off the set with a sense of satisfaction. He was eager to catch up with his co-star and longtime girlfriend, who played his on-screen wife, Lady ___ Velaryon.

"Hey," Ewan called out as he spotted you by the catering table, pouring yourself a cup of tea. You turned, a bright smile lighting up your face as you saw him.

"Hey yourself," you replied, setting the teapot down. "How was your day?"

Ewan shrugged, a playful grin on his lips. "Same old. Aemond broods, Aemond schemes, Aemond rides a dragon. You know the drill."

You laughed, the sound like music to his ears. "Well, you do it so well. I think you were born to play this role."

"And you were born to play Lady Velaryon," he retorted, stepping closer and wrapping an arm around your waist. "I mean, who else could pull off being both fierce and elegant?"

You leaned into his embrace, feeling the familiar warmth and comfort that only Ewan could provide. "Flattery will get you everywhere, Mitchell."

He chuckled, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. "I aim to please."

The two of you found a quiet corner on set, away from the bustling crew, and sat down on a pair of folding chairs. You sipped your tea while Ewan stretched out his long legs, looking relaxed and content.

"Do you remember our first scene together on The Last Kingdom with Phia and all them?" you asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

Ewan's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Of course. How could I forget? You nearly knocked me out with that wooden sword."

You blushed at the memory. "Hey, that was an accident! I was just really into the character."

"And I was really into dodging your swings," he teased, earning a playful swat on the arm from you.

"But seriously," you continued, your tone softening, "I think that's when I knew I liked you. You didn't get mad or frustrated. You just laughed it off and helped me get it right."

Ewan's expression turned tender, his gaze locking with yours. "Well, I think I knew I liked you from the moment I saw you. You were so passionate, so dedicated. It was hard not to be drawn to you."

You smiled, feeling a rush of affection for the man beside you. "We've come a long way since then, haven't we?" He nodded, his thumb brushing gently over the back of your hand. "Yeah, we have. And now here we are, playing husband and wife. Life has a funny way of working out."

The two of you sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching the sun dip below the horizon. The sky turned a deep shade of purple, stars beginning to twinkle overhead. It was moments like these that reminded you how lucky you were to have found each other, both on and off-screen.

"I was thinking," Ewan said suddenly, breaking the silence. "Maybe we should do something special this weekend. Just the two of us."

You raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? What do you have in mind?"

He shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eye. "How about a little getaway? We could rent a cabin in the countryside, away from all the chaos. Just relax, enjoy each other's company."

The idea sounded perfect, and you felt a surge of excitement at the thought. "That sounds amazing, Ewan. I could definitely use a break."

"Great," he said, leaning in to kiss you softly. "I'll make the arrangements. We'll leave Friday evening."

You kissed him back, feeling a sense of contentment settle over you. "I can't wait."

Friday evening arrived faster than expected. Ewan had managed to keep the details of the trip a secret, only telling you to pack for a weekend away. You trusted him completely, knowing that whatever he had planned would be perfect.

As you drove through the countryside, the city fading into the distance, you felt a sense of peace wash over you. Ewan had chosen a scenic route, the landscape dotted with rolling hills and quaint villages. The cabin he had rented was nestled in a secluded spot, surrounded by lush trees and a sparkling lake.

"This is beautiful," you breathed as you stepped out of the car, taking in the serene surroundings.

Ewan grinned, looking pleased with himself. "I thought you might like it."

The cabin was cozy and charming, with a rustic yet modern feel. Ewan carried your bags inside, setting them down in the master bedroom. You followed, taking in the warm, inviting decor.

"Thank you for this," you said, wrapping your arms around him from behind. "It's exactly what I needed."

He turned in your embrace, his arms encircling your waist. "Anything for you."

The two of you spent the evening relaxing by the fireplace, talking and laughing as you reminisced about your time on The Last Kingdom and the early days of your relationship. It was easy to forget about the pressures of filming and the outside world when you were with Ewan. He had a way of making you feel cherished and loved, no matter what.

As the night wore on, you found yourself curled up in his arms, feeling utterly content. The fire crackled softly, casting a warm glow over the room. You tilted your head up to look at him, your heart swelling with love.

"Do you ever think about the future?" you asked softly.

Ewan's expression grew thoughtful as he brushed a strand of hair from your face. "All the time. Especially when it comes to us."

You smiled, feeling a sense of warmth spread through you. "What do you see?"

He took a deep breath, his eyes locking with yours. "I see us, happy and together. I see more getaways but always with each other. I see a life filled with love and laughter."

Tears welled up in your eyes as you listened to his words, feeling a profound sense of connection and understanding. "I see the same thing. I can't imagine my life without you." He leaned in, pressing a tender kiss to your lips.

The weekend passed in a blissful blur of lazy mornings, long walks, and intimate moments. You felt closer to Ewan than ever before, the bond between you growing stronger with each passing day. It was a reminder of why you had fallen in love with him in the first place, and why you knew you would always choose him, time and time again.

As you drove back to the city on Sunday evening, you felt a sense of calm and contentment settle over you. The weekend had been exactly what you needed, a chance to reconnect and recharge. You knew that whatever challenges lay ahead, you would face them together, as a team.

Ewan reached over and took your hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you for this weekend. It was perfect."

You squeezed his hand back, smiling at him. "No, thank you. For everything."

He grinned, his eyes twinkling with affection. "I love you."

"I love you too," you replied, feeling the truth of those words resonate deep within you.

A few days later, you and Ewan were scheduled for a joint interview to promote House of the Dragon. The two of you arrived at the studio, hands intertwined, your chemistry palpable. The interviewer, a seasoned journalist named Claire, greeted you warmly.

"Welcome, Ewan, and ___. It's great to have you here," Claire said, smiling brightly as she motioned for you to sit down.

"Thank you for having us," you replied, settling into the plush chair beside Ewan. He gave your hand a reassuring squeeze before letting go.

The cameras rolled, and Claire began with the usual questions about the show, your characters, and the experience of working on such a high-profile project. You and Ewan answered with ease, your natural camaraderie shining through.

"There's been a lot of buzz about the chemistry between your characters on the show," Claire noted, leaning forward. "Do you think that has anything to do with your real-life relationship?"

You exchanged a quick glance with Ewan, both of you smiling. "I think it definitely helps," Ewan said, his gaze softening as he looked at you. "We have a deep connection off-screen, and that translates into our performances."

You nodded in agreement. "It's easier to convey those intense emotions when you genuinely care about the person you're acting with. Plus, we trust each other completely, which makes taking risks in our scenes a lot easier."

Claire's eyes twinkled with interest. "Can you share any fun or memorable moments from the set?"

You laughed, recalling a particular incident. "Well, there was this one time during a battle scene where Ewan got so into character that he accidentally knocked over a prop tree. It was hilarious because he just stood there, looking so apologetic while everyone else was trying to stay in character."

Ewan chuckled, shaking his head. "I swear, that tree came out of nowhere."

The interview continued, with Claire asking more personal questions about your relationship. "How do you balance your professional and personal lives, especially when working together on such demanding projects?"

"It's all about communication and support," you explained. "We make sure to set aside time for ourselves, away from the set, to just relax and be a normal couple. And we always have each other's backs, no matter what."

Ewan nodded, his hand finding yours once more. "Exactly. It's not always easy, but it's worth it. We're each other's biggest fans and strongest support system."

Claire smiled, clearly charmed by your dynamic. "It's wonderful to see such a strong bond between you two. Lastly, what can fans expect from your characters in the upcoming episodes?"

You shared a knowing look with Ewan before answering. "Without giving too much away, I can say that there are some intense and emotional scenes coming up. Our characters face a lot of challenges, but they also have moments of deep connection and understanding. It's going to be a rollercoaster ride."

Ewan nodded in agreement. "Definitely. There are some twists and turns that will surprise everyone. It's been an incredible journey, and we're excited for fans to see what's next."

As the interview wrapped up, Claire thanked you both for your time. "It's been a pleasure talking with you. Your chemistry is truly off the charts, both on and off-screen."

"Thank you," you said, feeling a warm flush of happiness. "It's been great chatting with you too."

Ewan leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to your temple. "We'll see you at the premiere," he added with a grin.

As you left the studio hand in hand, you felt a sense of fulfillment. The interview had gone perfectly, showcasing not only your professional work but also the deep bond you shared. With Ewan by your side, both in your career and your personal life, you knew you could face anything that came your way.

taglist: @benjicotblckwood

[catfern]

she will destroy you.

pairing: abby anderson x afab!reader

music: crack baby or bag of bones ( or anything from puberty 2 ) - mitski

word count: 3.3k (i'm exhausted)

summary: rumours are swirling, fighting their way through your front door. you hope to keep your work and private life separate, but your proximity with your boss threatens to catch up with you.

warnings: mean!toxic!abby, cheating, porn with a LOT of plot, swearing, tipsy sex, fingering, oral (r!receiving), zero ( i mean ZERO ) aftercare, angst-ish

an: a quick intermission from cowboy!ellie because LORD. i read one page from one book abt a butch teacher yearning for the headmaster's wife and suddenly I NEED AFFAIRS!! I NEED YEARNING!! I NEED SECRECY!! and who better to do that with than a rlly mean ceo!abby who has a PhD in fucking bitches.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“Shit.”

A line of scarlet trickles onto the warm printer paper and settles. You drop your paperwork on an unknown desk and suck your finger, hissing through your teeth at the sting. Your phone buzzes impatiently in the back pocket of your work pants, and you fumble with your non-bleeding fingers to pull it out.

we’ll talk abt this when u get home

see u after ur party i guess

A shit fucking day.

You hall back to your desk, defeat slumping heavy on your shoulders. The Office makes an effort not to stare as you walk by, low whispers hot on your feet like coals in a firewalk. You pretend very poorly not to see the half-lidded, secretive looks shared between your old work friends by the water cooler. Water off a duck’s back, your mom used to say in a nonchalant way when you cried to her about mean girls at school. Not that you ever really knew what that meant.

You were never really thankful to be shut off from the rest of the cubicles, until now. A fortress of frosted glass and a heavy door, your desk was the secluded gateway to a place dreaded. Just you and The Boss, which you guess didn’t help the flying tongues of the old, bored fucks in accounting, but it kept people away. Away from you, with their knowing looks and unknowing laughs.

You huff, settling into your uncomfortable desk chair and digging out a small first aid kit your dad bought you when you first started. Pulling the seal off the small tin, you eye its contents. Disinfectant, thermometer, some loose aspirin and bandaids. You whine lightly as you wrap one tightly around your ring finger, feeling it throb and pulse, like a complaint. Get over yourself, you tell your body.

A sharp - ahem - breaks through your mumbling silence. She’s never sick, she never coughs. It’s a bodiless beckoning, a call into the wild, it’s the wordless agreement you have with her. You pick up your notebook, and the nearest working pen, and shuffle quickly through the open door into her office.

The opaque shades are drawn, the natural light greying and dying on the dark, decaying herringbone floor. 

Abby is bathed in the orange light of her desk lamp. With impeccable, almost effortless posture, she’s resting her forearms on her desk, one hand scratching notes into her diary, the other distractedly tapping on the leather top. You follow the shadows that the folds in her dress shirt create, your eyes falling on the contour of her body. 

You know she frequents a few gyms. You’re the one who schedules late night international calls around her evening runs, and her weights sessions, and her triweekly spin class. But now, the results of her efforts are on display, tightly wrapped in expensive cotton, perfectly tailored, down to the very last stitch, to her existence. You swallow an uncomfortable feeling when she deigns to meet your eye.

She looks you over in the way she always does, an uncaring, but judgemental once-over, like an army sergeant inspecting a uniform. she hones in on the bandaid,

“Workplace injury?”

Her voice has the warmth of a dying cigarette, rolling like well-spoken honey off her lips. You almost feel ashamed, your finger so offensive to her you could chop it off. You almost feel like you wouldn’t even mind. You start picking at the ends of the bandaid with your thumb.

“Paper cut.” Your voice is always so out of place here. An echo of something that does not belong. She nods her head, ever so slightly, as if she understood.

“Don’t think you can go claiming compensation for that.” It’s a joke you’re not allowed to laugh at. You smile lightly instead. It’s short-lived, “I need you to correct some seating arrangements for tonight.”

Yes, of course. No problem. In wordless agreement, Abby starts listing off adjustments, complaints and warnings from guests about not being seated next to their five ex-husbands, or their whining step-children, or ex-business partners fallen from grace. your pen fingers begin to ache as the whole process draws out.

“And I’m going to need you seated at my table, to keep track of my evening itinerary.”

Uncertainty quickly sows its seeds in your stomach. The unopened messages from your girlfriend burn their way through pocket, searing at your legs like a brand on cattle. Everyone knows, everyone will know. Every detail of your life will be laid bare, and you’ll be tried publicly and without mercy. Your bandaid begins to unravel as you rub anxiously at the glue underneath.

You need to do something, something to get things back under control.

“Actually,” You start, unsure. Abby meets your eye quickly, without hesitation, “I don’t think I’ll be able to make it tonight.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” It’s quick, and condescending. Undercutting any sudden courage you may have had, she meets your eye and stares you down, pinning you under ice, almost imploring you to feel terrified. And then she looks away, busy packing away the seating chart, and you wonder if she even looked at you at all.

She stands, and you try to meet her, your hands clutching your notebook.

“Your attendance tonight is mandatory.” She says it slowly, harshly, like it’s hard for you to understand. Her eyes chase quickly over your outfit, “It’s a black tie event.”

You’re left alone in a dark office, hyperventilating.

The apartment is empty and cold when you arrive home. 7 unanswered texts to your girlfriend tell you she doesn’t want you near her, but she isn’t packed. You expect her to come home, hopefully in the hour you have before you have to go again, and you contemplate just blowing the gala off to wait.

Abby’s voice is sharp in your head, a familiar dedication wringing your body. You can’t leave her. She needs you there.

You put off the conversation with your girlfriend into the furthest parts of your mind, allowing yourself to be swallowed in the minor decisions of clothes and hair and accessories. It’s not until you’re throwing your shoes on, and three times you think you hear her keys in the door, that you give up.

The phone rings 5 times before going to voicemail.

Hey. Listen. I know we said we weren’t going to talk until we were face to face but..

Whatever Maria told you wasn’t true, okay? I promise-I fucking promise you, nothings happened. Baby, okay? People are fucking bored, and I love you, so so much. I’ve gotta go to this one thing tonight - i tried to get out of it i swear -, and i’ll come home and we can talk, and we can fix this. Okay? Jus-Just, gimme some time to explain. Okay. I love you. Bye.

Echoes of quiet chatter uncomfortably ebb and flow off the walls of the ballroom. Too many people. Shoes scuff the cheap marble as the rich make their rounds, with light touches and reused laughter. They all hate each other.

Abby is a familiar sight. Wearing the same thing she has all day, she looks staggering. Hands just breaching her suit pockets, comfortably falling at her side, her hair in a calculated braid, designed to make her look approachable. 

 The air here agrees with her, her smile wide and effortless. You know she’s come straight from a meeting, and you suppose that adds to her charm. The Working Woman, a success story. Her rich friends, who spend their inheritances on shares and indoor tennis courts, lap it up. She’s a foreign object, something unfamiliar and wild.

You don’t interrupt, skimming the sidelines to get to your table. You can feel her glance, without substance, before returning to her conversation. Your event planner ( a shitty flip notebook that fits in every small clutch you own ) sits on the tablecloth at your seat, and you wait. Eyeing the glasses at the placemats next you, you can tell a few drinks has been shared, raking your eyes over Abby’s looser disposition.

She’s happy, and charming. She’s been drinking bourbon. Mint, with ice and syrup, the way you serve it to her in her office, when the occasion calls for celebration. 

Her conversation finishes, her soft hands bidding gentle, kind goodbyes to the couple as they move on. She’s a friend to the people that matter.

“I expected you here before me.”

She doesn’t bother to look at you as she sits, instead fixing her napkin to her lap. You watch as the veins in her neck rise and fall as she talks, “Doesn’t matter now. Run me through everything.”

Right, fuck. You open your notebook and run your fingers over the scratchy writing. Your days leading up to this were spent copying details from obscure emails, tidbits you thought Abby needed to remember. Late nights at the office, life abandoned, deciphering biographies and 2 hour youtube deep dives. You can watch yourself fall asleep from the future, your handwriting slipping, long and longer strokes, spelling dissolving, long words abandoned. your pen fell to the floor, and you slept at your desk. Twenty missed calls. You argued when you came home in the morning.

“The Ambassador is arriving around 8:00pm with his new wife, also named Rebecca. Oh, Old Rebecca emailed asking why she didn’t receive an invitation.”

She’s slowly sipping at another whiskey, a different cocktail she ordered just as you’d arrived. The orange peel brushes her nose as she tilts the glass, her jaw tightens as she swallows, “Tell her the venue was at capacity. Send some flowers.”

It continues like this for a bit. Quiet and attentive, she listens to what you have to say, as her eyes follow the crowd. You too, spy people that you know, a few slimy execs that share a whisper and a boisterous laugh as they look your way. You order gin.

Soon enough, Abby checks her watch. An inexpensive, vintage piece of leather and quartz. She excuses herself with a measure of politeness. It’s time for an hour of speeches that don’t matter, before you’re finally allowed to eat. You sigh.

A quiet buzz rips through the growing silence. You open your clutch and hide your phone under the silk tablecloth, away from the disapproving elderly eyes.

i told u to leave me alone

jesus christ

A pit in your stomach. Dark, pressing, ever present. Your saliva is heavy in your mouth, and you feel like shrinking away. Luckily, the waiter isn’t far. Drinks are discounted for the company staff.

Finally, speeches finish. Abby looked nice on the stage, effervescent under the lights. Her hair catches warm light nicely in the strands.

The food comes, but people disregard it for shallow conversations. Plates are taken away full, apart from slim, polite pickings. Your table orders more drinks, and syrupy laughter echoes as anecdotes about private schools and hedge funds are shared. You don’t belong here. Your body becomes unsteady, restless. Your legs shaking, a hand finds you thigh in the veiled secrecy of the table cloth.

Abby’s not looking at you, too engaged in tipsy conversation to draw attention. A nice gesture, but it’s not. It’s wordless agreement. Her thumb traces the outside of your thigh mindlessly, her jaw clenching as she feels your gaze.

You hesitate.

What else did you have to do? Apart from go home and wait for an argument.

You let her touch you a little longer, soft, ghostly. It’s kind, unmistakably. You let yourself revel in it, in her uncommon affection, before excusing yourself to the bathroom.

Abby follows not long after. She’s confident, her position charismatic, not unlike the other times she finds a drink, and then goes to find you. She doesn’t stop, so sure that you’ll follow her trail as you’ve done so often before. But you hesitate, again.

She turns back to you, a look on her face that’s hard to decipher. You stumble in your reasoning.

“It’s just-, my girlfrien-“

“Are you coming? Or not?”

Your palms itch, you swallow.

What kind of sick sacrifice. Unfair to have both, some would say, but some don’t know you. How wicked it is to taste both fruit and have to choose the sweeter. Fuck. The drinks settle in your stomach.

Your girlfriend wasn’t coming home tonight anyway, not really.

She’s leading you up the stairs, hands flush to her body. You grip the cold handrail to hold you steady. She’s already steps ahead, the appropriate distance. 

A quiet corner doesn’t need to be found. She’s been here before. You’ve been here before. The holy emptiness of the second floor is an accustomed comfort.

She’s quick and calculated, despite the mix of drinks on her breath. One hand pushing you to the wall, the other finding the zipper for your dress. It falls off you like it never belonged to you, kicked away and piled into a corner, forgotten.

Gripping you like you’d run away, she palms your tits and presses crescent moons into your hips. She holds her head away from you, watching you down her nose as you squirm. Abby has always remained detached, carefully groomed a distance between you that now feels too sacred to break. You long to feel her kiss you, to feel her intimately, to run your hands along her arms and feel every curve, every outline. You’ve needed to touch her since the moment you met her. Craved it.

Abby is disrespectful, impatient. She cups your pussy, still hidden in slick panties, letting the rough ball of her palm grind against your clit. It sets you on fire, and she chases it with a hand on your mouth to keep you quiet.

“Get rid of them.”

You strip fast, in a very unflattering way, you’re certain, and throw your underwear close to the ghost of your dress. She moves against you again, her hand softer as it wraps around your lips and cheeks. You look at her, hoping to see that softness echoed on her face, but her eyes are elsewhere, too focused on the movement your tits make as she holds you against the wall. 

Painstakingly, her fingers slide inside you, her hand pressing down on your mouth as you moan around the feeling of her, the intoxication. Your hands lock and unlock, your nails digging at scratching at the wood boards on the wall as you try to balance yourself.

Merciless. She rocks into you, letting you fall into step with her, find her pace, a relentless one. You feel her melting into your core, her fingers curling and stretching your walls as she pounds into you, again, again, again. You sound pathetic, behind the mask of her hand, whining as she leaves, and nearly screaming when she returns.

Abby watches as your face contorts around her fingers, feels you wrap around her. If she feels even a fraction of what she gives you, you wouldn't know. Her eyes remain unkind, left at a distance, but her breathing is staggered. short, laboured. she looks over you, you feel it, feel as her eyelashes rise as she rakes over your body.

You need it to be desire in her eyes. You need her to starve. To crave, like you do. Desperation.

Her hand moves from your mouth, your whimpering breath filling the room fast, the quiet broken. Her pace slows, and you almost rest on her fingers, left to wonder what she’s playing at. Instead, it comes down on your shoulder, still warm and wet with your breath, and she pushes you down onto her fingers, deep, deep. you feel her at the very centre of yourself, your eyes wide as the pressure builds inside you, her fingernails leaving a trail, evidence of her in your walls. She lets your ragged moans echo, hurt and pleasure. It’s an unkind end to things.

You don’t want to let it to end. You can’t.

The distance is broken. You reach out and grasp flesh, firm under your nails. You’re still riding the ecstasy pulse, the heat in your pussy, and Abby lets you stay, holding onto her as if you would fade otherwise. Your cheeks are almost touching, her breath hot on your ear, you hear her for the first time, raspy groans as you squeeze around her. She’s been holding back.

Damn it all.

“Everybody knows. Please. Please, fuck me like you know you should.”

You meet her gaze. Everything is foreign now. Her skin feels different to how you had imagined it. Softer. Her eyes are more uncertain, more than you’d ever seen before. Hesitance.

“Fuck it.”

Whiskey, and a sip of your gin, and tobacco. You didn’t even know she smoked, but you taste it on her like its the only thing she ever did. The smell of pine came in a wave as she moved, hooking her hands under your legs and hoisting you up. For months, you’ve yearned for her to kiss you, begged for it even. And now, her lips are rough, and bloody, and everywhere. Ghosts tracing your neck, unkind, stinging, exhilarating. 

She moves you to the floor without fuss, holding herself over you, your legs spread around her. She’s smiling, and you become so sure that there’s something not quite right with this side of Abby. You’re quickly aware that you’ve landed in hostile territory, vulnerable, needy.

She usually didn’t like it when you begged.

Her tongue is like the rapture on your clit, spitting fire through your veins, in your nerves. You feel it creep up in your body, twisting and tightening through you like something invasive, moans and prayers dripping from your lips that only push her. her name a curse, fallen on your body. You feel her laugh against your slick walls and it jolts you.

Abby, suddenly so aware of you, so kind, so attentive, shifts her posture, “Oh, you’re so needy.” A hand grabs your face, pulling it up from the floor in a dead lull. Her name rolls off your pretty lips once more, “What? You beg for me, and now you can’t take me?” Her tone is mocking, “Which is it? Hm?”

A cacophony. You, you, you. Your head foggy, unsure of what she wants to hear, you beg for again, telling her you can it take it. I can, please, abby.

Her laugh is cruel, mocking as her mouth finds you again, sending cold vibrations up your legs. Slut echoes against your clit.

Inside of you, she feels like a god. Her fingers stretching your walls, pressing deep against your centre at an excruciating pace, and her tongue lazily laps up all that you give her. 

“Fuck! Fu-uck, fuck!”

It’s clear to Abby that the caution she so carefully designed was useless now. People knew, and fuck it if they knew. Fuck it if they heard you dripping on her fingers, calling out her name. Fuck it if they stop the music, and turn to listen - fucking perverts - because it’s her. And you’re the one begging for her.

Stars creep in through the haze in your vision, and Abby’s trying to ask you something harsh, but you don’t hear it. You’re tethered to the feeling of her fingers, your whole body knotting around her like a planet in orbit of the sun. 

You’d burn if she wanted you to, happily.

You’re so fucking tight around her fingers, your legs shaking and a vicious call ripping through your body. Her Name.

The warmth from your body is too much, and the cool of the floor is lulling, soothing, as you collapse. Abby’s fingers leave you empty, incomplete. You whine as she leaves you, your walls tightening around the absence of her. She wipes your cotton slick on your leg.

She stands, and rolls her shoulders. Fixes the few hairs that fall out of place. Guiltless.

“Get dressed, before someone sees you.”

[rotworld]

2: Spare Parts

art by @exorbitantsqueakingnoises

it seems like you end up stuck next to the same unsettling doll maker every year you attend the sheralothian festival of the arts. if you didn't know any better—if you didn't know him so well—you might assume it was just coincidence.

original work. suggestive but not explicit; contains extremely ambiguous consent, implied/briefly mentioned gore, dollification, fantasy plague.

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It’s no easy feat to reach Laurel Grove from the capital. The road is rough and pitted, hateful to wagon wheels. It twists through the mountains and descends into the treacherous fog of the Mistwalk Valley. Bandits, emboldened by newly thawed trade negotiations and a glut of incautious, overencumbered merchants, stalk the spaces between the trees. From caravan to campsite, a flock of apprentices have zealously guarded your crates of precious cargo. You’re tired, all of you, eager for beds, blankets and a proper meal, but also restless with anticipation. At the Sheralothian Festival of the Arts, you’ll make more money for your workshop in a few days than you will for the rest of the year, attracting new patrons and securing new contracts. 

The first of your apprentices to spot the sparkle of magic hollers in unabashed delight. The tapestry is a seamless weave of physical and metaphysical components, a shimmery material that blooms with sweet-smelling flowers in the daylight and sparkles luminescent beneath the moon. These adornments wrap around the trunks of trees and dangle from the canopy in thin ribbons, forming a path that guides you across bridges formed of mossy, gargantuan tree trunks and through leaf-canopy shaded streets. Laurel Grove, the Evergreen City, gradually unfolds all around you, not carved into the forest but melding with it.

One of your apprentices rushes off to secure a room at Fiora Falls, an inn tucked behind a waterfall. Another finds boarding for the horses. The rest follow you to the meadow fairgrounds where a ring of tents, stalls and tables has sprung up in a wide circle. You are late arrivals, having traveled further than most. Your fellow artists and craftsmen are happy to see you, exchanging embraces and well-wishes. A space has been saved for you not far from the meadow’s entrance. The apprentices get the crates open, setting up shelves, tables and a canopy. The display on your left belongs to Veta, a woodcarver from the south. She has amber eyes and thickly muscled arms littered with old scars. She waves when she sees you. On your right—

“There, there, darling. Don’t be nervous.” 

You freeze. All of your joy and excitement withers and dies because on your right is Medraut. 

You consider leaving. You shouldn’t. Can’t, really. But the thought occurs to you. Packing up, turning around, and making the long journey home without a single sale. You take a deep breath and let it out slowly. No. He won’t ruin this for you. You focus on helping the apprentices, unpacking fresh flowers, minerals and round jars packed full of colorful dust. Your pigments are the finest in Sheralothia. They’re on temple ceilings and canvases hung in palace halls, staining the palettes of the world’s most renowned painters.

Greta, one of the newer apprentices, glances around in awe at the works of leatherworkers, glassblowers and luthiers from distant lands. Inevitably, her gaze is drawn to Medraut and his eclectic display: heavy tomes. Bows and ribbons. Syringes. Small bowls of cosmetic pigments. Cloudy vials of condensed magic in both smooth liquid and thick ichor. Sewing kits. Everything is arranged around a life-size doll at the front and center, sitting stiffly upright with stocking-clad legs dangling off the edge of the table. It’s undeniably beautiful. Dressed in an asymmetric frilly ensemble, its dainty hands are folded one over the other in its lap, nails neatly trimmed and painted. It has a listless expression, lips pursed and painted orchid purple, neither smiling nor frowning. Glassy lavender eyes are accentuated by long lashes and dabs of glittering blush on the cheeks, half-lidded gaze staring at nothing in particular. 

“Hush now,” Medraut murmurs. He tucks a stray lock of hair back into place, looping it behind the shell of the doll’s ear. He caresses its face with the back of his hand in slow, soft strokes, the way one touches a lover. “Yes, I know. You dislike the spotlight. But you’re perfect.”

“Greta,” you say sternly. She flinches, scurrying back to your side with a sheepish expression. “Guests will be arriving at any moment and we’re not finished setting up. Let’s not get distracted just yet.” 

“Of course!” she stammers. You offer a smile to reassure her when she rejoins the other apprentices, sifting through pigments and materials to find the most eye-catching objects worthy of display. She’s soon drawn into a gossip huddle with the others, voices lowered, nervous glances thrown around. You don’t stop them. Better she hears it now, however twisted by hearsay and urban legend, than later. You try to focus on preparing for the start of the festival but you keep stealing glimpses at the neighboring tables. 

Medraut is deceptively delicate-looking, willowy with bony fingers and slender wrists. He’s cut his hair since the last time you saw him. Shoulder-length now, no longer spilling halfway down his back. He still favors the lavish fashions of the nobility; white silk, billowing sleeves, an obsidian brooch affixed to a lace jabot. Everything he does is graceful and deliberate, from the simple act of movement to the precise way he handles the goods arranged in front of him. He keeps returning to the doll, fussing over it, smoothing out creases in its clothing and refluffing drooping bows. Each time, his hand lingers. A squeeze of the shoulder. A stroke of the hair. A slow slide of the palm against the hollow of the throat, unabashed lust in his eyes.

Not unlike the doll, there is an uncanny, ageless quality to his features, a lack of anything that could easily identify him as young or old. That’s just how it is with mages. He could be thirty or three hundred. There’s no way to tell just by looking. You hear the apprentices discussing it. Trading rumors and throwing out guesses. His portrait hangs in the Hall of Gratitude in Twillisp Castle, his smile forever enshrined along with the other advisors King Kirgar maintained during his reign several centuries ago.

“You’re pulling my leg!” Greta hisses. “He can’t be that old!”

The others insist, “He might be even older.”

“He’s from Ithyr, you know. Some of the oldest mages in the world live there.” 

“Lived, anyway.” 

“Oh,” Greta says, her eyes wide. “Ithyr? To the west? Isn’t that where…” 

“Yes. I think that’s why he’s…like that.” 

You share a table. Tall, long and draped with black cloth, this flimsy barrier is all that stands between the two of you. Medraut has already placed a few odds and ends on the side closest to him. Combs and hairbrushes. Perfume bottles. An assortment of scalpels in different sizes, spread out on a velvet cloth. You gather a few of the larger, more inelegant minerals you haven’t had the chance to cut and grind into fine powder, lining them up down the center of the table. You try to do this quietly but Medraut turns the moment you place the first stone. He approaches the table, his smile widening. 

“Medraut,” you greet him curtly.

“My dear friend,” he says, the same sensual murmur he spoke into the doll’s ear rolling off his tongue. The slow, undisguised wandering of his gaze up and down your body makes you uneasy. His eyes are stark silver in pools of black sclera like twin moons, the pupils somewhat misshapen; common in survivors of arcanapox. “It seems I have the pleasure of your company again this year.”

You hum in acknowledgement. “I wonder how that keeps happening.” 

He tilts his head, glancing at something behind you. You step to the side to block his line of sight and he chuckles softly. “Hm. Bloodshot eyes. Unsteady gait. Shaky hands. You work your poor apprentices hard but you work yourself hardest of all. Would you like to sit down? I brought a chair.” 

You place the last stone more heavily than you need to, slamming it down at the end of the table. “You don’t cross this line,” you tell him. “You stay on your side and I stay on mine.” 

“Now, now. There’s no need for all that. But if it will put your mind at ease…” He shrugs, leaning against his half of the table with his arms crossed in front of his chest. “Really, do you think so poorly of me? Your apprentices are precious, but I’d never steal one away. No matter how lovely they’d look in something other than those dreary robes and aprons you’re all so fond of.” 

“I’m glad to hear that,” you say, utterly unconvinced. 

The slow trickle of the festival’s first guests thankfully diverts his attention. Medraut’s display draws in many curious onlookers and he’s all too happy to explain the history of Ithyrian dollmaking. He comes out from behind the table to stand beside the doll, demonstrating its posable limbs with gentle, coaxing touches. You shouldn’t watch. You have plenty to do. But you keep looking. Keep glancing over and finding him increasingly shameless. Running his hands through the doll’s hair. Stroking its arm. Kneeling once to tighten the laces of its boots and sliding his palm up and down the curve of one long, ball-jointed leg. Up and down. Up and down. Slipping beneath the fluttering edge of its skirt…

You get a few potential customers, too, excitedly chattering patrons of the arts looking for fresh new pigments to supply their preferred painters. A few recognize you from previous years. One particularly discerning man asks if a particular jar of dark dust is used in the creation of “mourning blue,” a rich color becoming increasingly popular in the frescoes of the capital. You’re still not accustomed to being recognized like this, approached with awe and praise. Your whole world is the workshop, turning rocks and plants into colors worthy of royal portraits. 

One of your apprentices demonstrates a technique with mortar and pestle, dropping a fistful of flower petals into the bowl. The others stand towards the back and whisper amongst themselves, furtive glances aimed at Medraut. 

“How bad was it?” 

“Oh, it was dreadful. Haven’t you seen The Death of the Deathless?”

“Gods, that awful thing? I couldn’t bear to look at it!”

“Shhh!”

Silence. You can feel them staring at your back for a moment before the whispers start again, even quieter now.

“It’s true. Our teacher was there when it happened. They apprenticed in Ithyr.”

“They were there? How did they survive?” 

“Arcanapox only kills mages. Still, it makes us pretty sick, too. That’s why they have that tremor in their hands."

“Of all things, they painted that?”

“When you see something so awful, you make sense of it however you can.” 

“Eyes like hot wax. Eugh.” 

“But that was a long time ago, wasn’t it?”

“Mages don’t handle death well. It’s too strange to them.”

“So that’s why…?” 

“Yes, to help them grieve.”

“No, that’s just how it started. What they do now, it’s…well, it’s certainly not the same.”  

A finely dressed man in a striped, high-collared doublet approaches Medraut’s table with a broad smile. They know each other. Medraut’s face lights up and they greet each other with half-bows, left hands flicking to the side as though to cast a minor spell; a mage greeting. They speak in hushed but excited tones and you should not be eavesdropping, should not care what they have to say to each other. You rearrange the pigments, sorting them alphabetically. You can’t help yourself. You glance over at them again.

The doll is staring at you.

You nearly drop the jar you’re holding, fumbling with the lid. It hasn’t moved at all except for its head, turned towards you. You swallow nervously, bending to pick up the lid of the jar. The doll’s eyes lower, then follow you back up when you stand. You look away, heart pounding. 

“How long did it take?” you hear the man ask, sounding awed.

Medraut laughs softly. “Quite some time, but I enjoy the process. This one especially.” 

You look at the dirt beneath your feet. The dangling tablecloth. The line of stones. Medraut’s beautiful hand sliding beneath the doll’s arm. Cupping its elbow. Stroking its wrist with his thumb. Sliding their palms together, lacing his fingers with its stiff ones. His face is flushed and his smile is the sort born of fevered delirium, a man dreaming of something impossibly sweet. 

“He’s stunning. Simply breathtaking. And the eyes…”

“A fresh set,” Medraut assures him. “I used the portrait you left with me for reference. A perfect match, isn’t it?”

“Yes. This is everything we wanted and more, Medraut. I can’t thank you enough.” The other man grasps the doll’s hand and brings it to his lips, kissing each finger reverently. “Everything is as it always should have been.”

“As it will forever be,” Medraut says, quiet and solemn. For a moment, neither of them speak. They bow their heads, eyes shut tightly as though willing away an unpleasant memory. Medraut snaps out of it first. He clears his throat, his smile returning. “Let me bring you the case.” 

‘The case’ is a large, wheeled box with a handle at the top. The exterior is polished leather, while the inside is ruched white velvet. Like a display case, you think. Like a bed. Like a coffin. Medraut picks up the doll like it weighs nothing and carefully sets it inside, arranging it on its side in a fetal curl. Stray ribbons and folds of fabric are tucked in. One last kiss is pressed to its forehead. The case closes, zipped and latched and locked shut with a key Medraut passes to the man. You can’t look away as he leaves, watching the case rattle through the dirt and grass and far away, vanishing beyond the meadow. You think about it all day. You’ll probably have nightmares about it.

Sunset signals the end of the festival’s first day. You’re exhausted, eager to get off your feet. When did you eat last? You dismissed the apprentices for lunch in turns and they offered to bring you something. Offered, but you said no. Too frazzled by all the people to eat, all the talking you had to do. A sudden wave of dizziness sends you stumbling, careening right into your own display.

Strong, beautiful hands catch you. You are held against silk ruffles. A warm chest. A quickening heartbeat. Medraut lowers you gently to the ground, cradling your head in his lap. The world is blurry but you can tell he isn’t smiling anymore. He wipes the sweat from your brow.

“Teacher!” You hear Greta and the others, your apprentices frantic and wailing. Medraut keeps them at a distance, barks at them not to crowd around you. You rarely hear him so sharp-tongued and terse. He tells them where to find a healer, sends them off for food and water. You breathe shakily, feeling worse than you realized. Medraut shushes you, his thumb catching a tear at the corner of your eye.

“My dear friend,” he whispers. 

“Put me down.” You try to squirm away from him but you don’t get far. Medraut turns you over, burying your face against his shirt. “Medraut, I’m serious.” 

“You need me,” he says. His voice quivers slightly. “You need me, and you long to be cared for. Treated like a precious, delicate thing. Here I am, my dearest one. Let me take care of you for just a moment.” He rubs your back, pressing his fingertips into muscles you didn’t realize were sore. You don’t mean to relax against him. You want to fight, to push him away, but he hums an old song you haven’t heard in decades and you remember damp summer evenings in Ithyr. The hiss of the ocean and the caw of seabirds. The chalky scent of magic pigment, the way it fizzled on your fingers. Stargazing on your back in a field, your hand joined with another. How you looked at the sky but he only looked at you, spellbound. 

“Do they still hurt?” you ask him. 

“My eyes?” he says. You nod weakly. “No, dear. Not for a long time.” He strokes your head, gentle, sliding pets that make you feel like young and impulsive again. “I wish you would come to Ithyr again. Stay this time. Do you remember that seat in the bay window? You would sit there for hours with your canvas, watching the tide come and go. You would sit there, so very still.” You shake your head and it’s a lie. Denial and avoidance. Of course you remember. “I want to see you there again,” Medraut whispers, stroking along your spine. “In the sunrise. In the moonlight. As you always should have been, forever.” 

That’s how they find you when the apprentices return, still in Medraut’s embrace. Curled up like a sick child crying for relief, wrinkling his shirt with your grasping hands. Only when the healer comes do you manage to pull yourself away. Medraut lets go of you slowly, one finger at a time. You assure him repeatedly you’ll be fine, you’ll be fine, you’ll be fine. You see him helping your apprentices pack up the pigments, their looks of wary acceptance, leaving his own section abandoned. There is a large box underneath one of his tables. A leather case, shut tight but unlatched. Empty, then. No doll inside. His personal mage seal is stamped on the side. 

It’s the same one he brings every time, year after year. Empty, save for desperate dreams and wishes that this time will be different than all the others. That you will finally say yes.

[weirdkpopgirl]

Simple Pleasures | Jeno Imagine #13

Title: Simple Pleasures

Genre: Fluff...lots of it lol

Warning: mildly suggestive towards the end

Word Count: 835

Author's Note: Again, I apologize for how long it's taken me to update on here. College has been keeping me pretty busy this month (and I will continue to, I'm afraid). But I managed to write this little scenario over the past few days. I also have a new Haechan fic that I plan on posting in the near future. So please look forward to that! Thank you for reading ^ ^

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Quiet evenings have always been your favorite. As the sun dipped below the horizon and the moon rose to take its place, the day’s dishes were neatly stacked in the dishwasher, ready for their nightly cycle. Freshly folded laundry was tucked away in the dresser and closets, organized for the week ahead. After a soothing shower washed away the weariness of the day, you let your hair air-dry. Now, two hours later, it’s finally dry as you lean back in the swivel chair at your desk. 

You didn’t need to touch the long hair cascading over your shoulders to know how silky smooth it was. Freshly washed hair was one of those simple pleasures you’d grown to appreciate as you matured into a young adult. And as it turned out, your husband Jeno seemed to love it even more.

The soft creak of the door caught your attention, and you turned your head to see him quietly step inside. Even though he’d just come home from work, the sight of his oversized hoodie with a print of a white cat and black sweatpants told you he had already freshened up at the company. According to him, it saved more time for you. Not that you complained otherwise.

With just a foot in the room, his eyes were immediately drawn to your hair. A familiar warmth spreads through your chest, though he’s done every time, without fail. Jeno was always affectionate— he’d find any excuse to hold you, kiss you, or simply be close. But there was something about your freshly washed hair that made him borderline obsessed.

“Hey babe,” His deep voice was soft, laced with that playful tone he often used when he was about to be extra clingy. 

Though the compliment made your cheeks flush with warmth, it didn’t stop you from getting up and walking over with open arms. “Hey Honey,” you said back.

As soon as he was within reach, your arms naturally slipped around his waist. His strong arms wrapped around you in return, pulling you into his chest. Your shoulders relaxed as you melted into his embrace, feeling his nose gently nuzzle against the top of your head. One sniff was all it took to bring a smile to his face.

“You smell amazing,” he mumbled, his voice muffled as he buried his face deeper into your hair.

His voice was muffled as he buried his face deeper into your hair, making you giggle. “Thanks, you always say that.”

It still surprised you sometimes, remembering how Jeno didn’t like the scent of red ginseng before you got married. But after moving in together, it grew on him quickly. He’d often say he liked the fragrance far more than the taste of the Korean root.

“Only because it’s true,” he said with a confident grin.

Shaking your head with a chuckle, you pulled back just enough to meet his gleeful gaze. A shiver ran down your spine as his fingers gently threaded through your hair, brushing against the nape of your neck.

Trying not to let his touch be too distracting, you hummed. “Well if you love the scent so much, maybe you can join me in the shower next time.”

The tone in your voice was innocent, which perhaps made the playful glint in Jeno’s eyes spark even more mischievous. His lips curled into a knowing smile.

“Oh?” his voice dropped, sending your heart racing. “You want me to shower with you, babe?”

Your face turned a deeper shade of red as you realized how your suggestion sounded to him. “T-that’s not what I meant!” you stammered, stepping back in an attempt to escape his arms.

But Jeno held you firmly in place, clearly enjoying your flustered reaction a little too much. 

“Mm-hmm, sure. But now that you’ve mentioned it, I’m not exactly against the idea,” he teased, though you caught a hint of sincerity in his words.

The you from those first few months of marriage would have shied away in this moment. Honestly, you could say the same about Jeno and he’d agree. But two years of marriage had made you two a little more bolder.

Glancing up at him, you leaned in a little closer so that your noses brushed against one another. “Maybe…I don’t hate it either.”

The way your voice lowered in a soft murmur, made Jeno’s heart pound even louder than yours. His eyes darkened slightly and he leaned in to press a tender kiss to your lips. 

“Well then,” he whispered against your mouth, “I’ll hold you to that next time, babe.”

The feeling of his lips left this lingering heat, a silent promise of the many kisses yet to come that night, and forever really. As your lips met again, you couldn’t help but smile while his fingers tangled in your hair even more, making your heart feel light and full.

Among all of your simple pleasures, freshly washed hair held a close second, but Lee Jeno was undeniably your favorite.

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previous masterlist -> current masterlist

[ceilidho]

prompt: Soap being a funny, goofy flirt with his barista whenever he's on leave back home….super cocky and charming, then a couple months go by …. and he comes back sort of rougher around the edges after Las Almas. less trusting. a bit meaner when he talks to her….. [soap/reader] 2.5k; nsfw (on ao3)

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“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”

He’s back again. It’s not a usual occurrence, but when it happens your heart kicks into overdrive. He appears like clockwork every couple of months, and then back to back over a quick succession of days. Like he’s in town one week and then gone the next. 

You look up from where you’re organizing the muffins in the display case to find him grinning down at you from the other side. His hair is freshly shorn on both sides, the stripe of hair down the middle likely barely long enough for him to work his thick fingers through it. He’s got a cocksure grin spread across his lips. A fresh cut over his right eyebrow, a butterfly bandage over it. 

“Hi John,” you say. It’s almost a struggle to say the words. Your hands shake a bit where they’re extended out amongst the pastries, fingers pressing into a carrot muffin a bit too hard. It dents beneath your fingers. You pull them out, rest the tongs behind you on the countertop. 

“Hi kitty cat,” he purrs, folding his arms over the pastry case, leaning as close to you as he can. If it were anyone else, you might be tempted to scold them for smudging the glass. It’s you that’ll have to clean that up later. “Not Johnny anymore? Have I been gone for too long?”

Charm like butter spread thick over freshly toasted sourdough, already melting into the bread, dripping onto the plate between the pockets of air. You know he could ruin you if he wanted to, if you let him in. 

You know it won’t be long until you fold. He hasn’t been subtle about it. “Sorry, Johnny, we’re all out of scones.”

“Aw, that’s how you apologize for tossing up my morning?”

You twiddle your thumbs. “Sorry.”

“‘Have to do better than tha’, kitty cat,” Johnny says, lips drawn into a faux pout that has your heart skittering in your chest like it’s been let loose from the stables for once. “I was waiting for those scones for near a month."

“We have cream buns,” you offer. He snorts.

“Not in the mood for anything cream filled just yet.” 

There isn’t a shade of red deep enough to describe your face. “Pardon?”

“Ye fancy going for a bevvy tonight?” Johnny asks instead, evading the question.

You probably look as gobsmacked as you feel. It’s not like you haven’t been asked out on dates before, but Johnny is leagues away from any of the men you’ve dated. He’s cockier, back straight and chest out, flaunting the muscles strapped across his chest and arms. You think it’s reasonable that you’ve chalked his flirting up to habit, something he does with everyone; whatever distance you’ve put between yourself and your inevitable nervous breakdown has been built on assuring yourself that Johnny surely didn’t mean for you to take his flirting seriously.

Apparently, you were wrong. 

“You want to take me out?” you ask, sounding a bit dumb. 

“‘Course I do.” He cocks an eyebrow, leveling you with an obvious look. “Haven’t been shy about it; s’a bit tough when I’m all over the place these days, but I’m in town for the next two weeks, so we’ve got some time. When you getting off today, kitty cat?” 

Johnny leans farther over the countertop, towering over you now that you aren’t standing on the raised platform by the pastry case. Palms spread wide over the granite; when your eyes flit down, you can’t help the way they’re drawn to the dark, livid tattoos crawling up his forearms. Dark ink like they’re new trophies on his skin. 

His attention is always like the sun; your whole body burns under his gaze. There’s something about being stared at so intensely, blue eyes raking down the front of you, that makes you unsure. 

He buys a croissant instead, tenner pressed gently into the palm of your hand. You're tempted to deflect, tell him you aren't interested.

“Seven,” you whisper instead, hands shaking when you hand him his change. 

His hand closes around yours, callused fingers rough against your skin. “Got it. Pick you up seven sharp.”

When he leaves, you barely hear the jingle behind him, the blood pounding in your ears. You have a date. 

Your chest is tight for hours, thinking about your date later that evening. He picks you up after your shift, just as you’re locking up; you thought you’d have a couple minutes to head back to your apartment and freshen up, but you find him waiting outside the coffee shop for you, clad in a black hoodie and the same jeans as earlier. 

He’s as slick and gentlemanly as you might’ve anticipated, walking you to the pub with a hand nestled against your low back. You talk for what seems like hours tucked away in the corner. Johnny makes good conversation, but sometimes it feels a bit like an interrogation. He’s talkative, but there’s a faint edge underlying everything he does; he makes you wait for him at your table while he orders for the two of you at the bar, taking the seat facing you so you’re ensconced in his shadow, hidden from anyone else in the pub.

He insists on walking you back to your place, boots splattering through the puddles accumulating between the cobblestones. He makes sure you walk on the dry side. Every light you pass under sweeps across his face in a golden arc, illuminating the corner edge of his jawline, the plush spread of his lips, the furl of his ear like a nautilus shell. Brows that slope over deep set eyes. 

When he leaves you off at the door, Johnny’s hand curls in the hairs at the back of your neck and tugs you up for a kiss that goes scorching hot. Fingers tangled in your hair, other hand coming up to cup your cheek, holding you in place. You feel trapped, helpless against the onslaught of him; a hot tongue flicks into your mouth and he groans, making your head spin. You feel it resonate through you. 

“Johnny—” you mumble when he pulls away for a second, cut off when he leans back in to suckle at your bottom lip. His beard is bristly against the soft skin around your mouth. 

You feel him smirk against your lips. He nips at the lower one. “I’ll see ya tomorrow, a’right, kitty cat?”

Johnny only looks the slightest bit disheveled when he pulls away. A thumb traces your lower lip. He briefly looks regretful, like he wants to bend down again for another one—you feel the intention when he presses his thumb ever so slightly past your lips—but then he pulls back, walking backwards down the street away from you. A hand raised in goodbye.

Then the next day, he’s gone. Vanished into thin air. You glance up whenever the wind chimes over the door jingle, but it’s never him, always someone with a different hat, a different face. 

You thought he promised you two weeks this time. Your chest collapses when the door opens and someone else walks in. Apparently he spoke too soon. 

Two days go by; you’re fighting the desperation to know. It oddly never crosses your mind to think that he’s ghosting you. Maybe it should. You hardly know him outside of the brief interactions you have every other month when he’s back from wherever he works (and you know that it’s all top secret, hush hush, you’ve seen the military tattoos and kept your questions to yourself), but it doesn’t feel—and you think this with no small degree of irony—like something he’d do. 

On the walk home, you often catch yourself looking for the familiar shape of him. Wandering past the shops closing up for the night, people piling into the bars, raucous voices tumbling up into the smoky sky; you stand on your tiptoes on the other side of the street and peer in, looking for the broad shape of his back. 

You never spot him. There is a cold gap in your life that goes unfilled. It smarts at the root of you; you didn’t think you could miss Johnny. You thought you could feel a twinge of regret every now and then for not indulging his flirting a bit more, but you had honestly shelved him higher than you could reach in your desires. Until he took you out and listened to you ramble on, listened deeply with his attention rapt, his cheek pressed into his fist as he leaned against the table towards you. Until he whisked you safely back home and held you in place while he sipped kisses from your mouth until your lips were swollen. 

It’s months later when you hear it. 

“Hi kitty.”

Your blood goes hot at the sound of his voice. When you whip around, Johnny’s on the other side of the counter like he never left. Black shirt that clings to the curve of his biceps, old jeans with fades around the knees and thighs stretched around his thighs. 

When you meet his eyes, they seem charged, steadier than usual. Flat lips turned up just at the corner, one side only. Johnny’s not usually so still, so grounded on his feet; there’s usually a frenetic undercurrent to him, like catching a live wire. You don’t know what he’s like out in the real world, but in your world he looks like he paces and runs to work himself free of all the extra energy. Maybe other forms of cardio.

“Johnny, you’re—” You catch yourself before the words tumble out, before you make it known that you’ve been tossing and turning late at night wondering where he went. Blue eyes sparkle like they hear it anyway, the faint note of desperation seeping into your voice like a hoarseness. 

“Fancy going for a bevvy tonight?” he asks you again. Less of a question this time. 

You feel pulled to him on a string. He doesn’t leave you in peace this time. He waits you out, sits at a table in the coffee shop facing you. Customers you’ve known for years seem entranced by him, and how could they not? They don’t make them like him often—tall and blue eyed, roguish; ruggedly handsome when the mood strikes. Pretty boy until he turns the full weight of his stare on you and you’re forced to contend with the fact that he is, in fact, all man. 

Your amity turns to enmity when someone stares at him for too long. Placated only because Johnny never so much as turns their way. 

Dinner is a long, drawn out affair. His conversation is rougher than usual, punctuated by bouts of silence. His eyes are murky waters. Something’s changed, you think, salad speared on your fork, hovering just in front of your mouth, studying him. Something happened in the months that he was away. Whatever it was, it’s left Johnny a bit more calculating, less trusting. He sits facing the door this time, eyes flicking up whenever it opens on the other side of the restaurant. 

“Sorry, angel, don’t have it in me to be sweet and gentle anymore,” Johnny says when he walks you to your doorstep. “‘Fraid it’s gonna be rough for you from now on.” 

His words make you tremble. 

The kiss at your doorstep doesn’t end there this time. Maybe this is all an extension of that moment months ago, the natural endpoint. You were never going to end up anywhere else but flat on your back under him.

“Pure gaggin' fer it, aren’t ya, kitty?”

Johnny’s voice is rough, barely a rumble over the sound of your own keening. Your whole body slides up the bed every time he ruts into you, thick cock spearing you open. Your hands slip over his shoulders where a layer of sweat has built up; your bodies slide together like you’ve been at it for hours, rather than just the thirty minutes since Johnny bodied his way into your place and made you guide him to the bedroom, shucking his clothes the whole way there.

“No, I would’ve—” You gasp on a particularly rough thrust, teeth clenching together, “—I would’ve w-waited. Oh god, oh god.”

“Haud yer' wheesht, bonnie, quit whining,” he grunts. “Dinnae act like you weren’t asking for a big cock in this cunt. Could hear her purring behind the counter. Needed it for months, didn’t ya?”

You knew this was in him somehow, this penchant for dirty talk. He’s always moved like it was in him. You feel swept away by it, scorching under his hands and tongue and dick. Tightly wound. Only capable of holding on, one hand clenched now in the lowest part of his mohawk while he ducks his head to suck your nipple into his mouth. When he gives it a mean bite, you squirm and cry out.

“Never thought you were s-serious,” you admit, whimpering when he nips again at the tender spot there. 

Johnny draws back onto his haunches, still deep in you. There are scars across his chest that you didn’t notice before. New skin frosted over, deep gouges across his arms; what you think looks like a bullet wound. Your eyes go wide. It’s impossible to think what he must have been through.

He looms over you, hand coming up to curl delicately around your throat. Just enough to let you know that he’s there, that he’s got you right where he wants. Johnny smiles wide, wicked, white teeth stark in the darkness of your room. 

“Oh, I’m very serious, kitty,” he laughs, deep and throaty. He thrusts languidly into your heat now, drawing it out. 

He makes a show of it when he comes, fingers tightening around your neck. Your breath hitches in your throat. It strikes you in the moment that you let him in bare, trusted him despite months of absence and no real excuse for it. When he pulls out, you feel it leak from you. Frustration boils under your skin because you haven’t come yet; you feel almost betrayed, a whiplash reaction that has tears welling up in your ears. 

“Don’t worry,” Johnny coos at the sight of your pinched face, “you’ll get yours, bonnie. Gonna treat this kitty real nice.”

You struggle against his hold when he forces your legs wide and slots himself between them, making his way down the bed. He tongues deep into your cunt to lick his own spend out. Your thoughts dribble out of you, head empty; there’s nothing left in you except bone-deep exhaustion and the feel of his bearded cheeks scraping against your inner thighs. 

You flinch like you’ve been shocked when he sucks at your clit, hypersensitive. He laughs when you do, doubling his efforts. His hot mouth on the place where he still drips from you might make you lose it completely. The most wounded sound bubbles out of you. Your hand trembles in his hair, torn between pulling his mouth closer and pushing him away. 

He doesn’t relent until you’ve come twice, your face flush with blood. When his tongue flicks over your clit again, it’s for the pleasure of seeing your legs spasm. 

“Johnny, please—can’t anymore,” you beg, trying to press your foot against his shoulder to push him away. 

His chin glistens with your juices. When he runs his tongue across his bottom lip, plump and swollen, you drag in a harsh breath. Maybe you could go again.

“Kitty, I’ve had a rough couple weeks,” he says, voice light but for where it descends into a memory, deep and dark. “Just let me eat your cunt and we’ll talk about everything later, okay?”

Your fingers tingle like they’ve fallen asleep in his hair. When you give in, it feels inevitable.