#the lil red guy who got bigger than a house

[martianbugsbunny]

Look at them

Baby Clifford & baby Snoopy

[heejamas]

nicest guy: 22. unspoken desires

word count: ~5.5k words + 7 screenshots

warnings: profanity, sexual jokes, weed consumption, alcohol consumption, jake and hoon hate each other, lil bit voyeurish (spoilers), very suggestive

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There’s something uniquely terrifying about being invited to a college party—especially when it’s at Yeonjun’s frat house. Not in the way horror movies are, where someone’s about to get stabbed by a masked lunatic. No, this is worse. This is the kind of terrifying that comes from knowing the night will definitely end in chaos, and somehow, you’ll be at the center of it.

more under the cut

The last time you set foot in Yeonjun’s chaotic palace of regrets and poor decisions, Sunghoon puked on your cousin—yes, your actual flesh-and-blood cousin who was just trying to enjoy a casual Friday night. The cops showed up ten minutes later, and you ended up hiding in a room with both Jake and Sunghoon. To top it off, your older brother almost got arrested because someone (and you’re not saying it was Woonhak, but let’s be real, it was Woonhak) thought it’d be funny to sneak into the party, got stuck in the bushes outside, and caused such a commotion that he got 2 million likes on TikTok sharing his story.

So yeah, when Jake—quarterback extraordinaire and human golden retriever—invited you to another party at Yeonjun’s, your first instinct was to laugh. Your second instinct was to say no, but Jake’s puppy eyes were criminally persuasive.

You caught that subtle hint of “I’ll literally implode if you don’t come.” Jake’s crush on you wasn’t exactly subtle. It was the kind of crush that was written all over his face every time he saw you, like he was auditioning for a rom-com where he was the lovable idiot and you were the girl who was way too good for him.

Then there was Sunghoon, who… well, let’s just say he was a different breed. If Jake was a golden retriever, Sunghoon was a cat. One of those sleek, arrogant ones that you desperately wanted to pet, even though you knew they’d probably claw your hand off. He’d be there too. Of course he would. The universe had a sick sense of humor like that.

Now you’re standing in front of your closet, trying to decide if you want to look hot enough to make Jake’s jaw drop, or just cool enough to get under Sunghoon’s skin.

So you decided to have some fun. At least.

When you finally arrive at Yeonjun’s, the bass from the music is already thudding so hard it feels like it’s trying to crack the pavement. Sunoo and Giselle, your best friends and loyal companions for this adventure, are walking on either side of you, both armed with energy that screams “let’s make tonight unforgettable.”

Inside, the party is already in full swing, and you’re immediately greeted by the familiar chaos: red solo cups everywhere, someone already trying to drunkenly rap along to the music, and Yeonjun himself standing on a table pretending to DJ. You scan the room until your eyes land on your brother, who’s laughing with none other than Sunghoon.

Great. Sunghoon. Just your luck.

Your brother waves you over, and as you approach, you realize the group is bigger than you expected. Sunghoon, of course, is there, but so is Jay, his roommate, along with Leehan and Taesan, who you recognize from the last party disaster.

“Y/n!” your brother calls, throwing an arm around your shoulder like he hasn’t seen you in years. “Finally, you’re here.”

You exchange greetings, but your eyes keep flickering to Sunghoon, who’s watching you with that unreadable expression he always has. He’s been acting weird around you lately, and you’re pretty sure you know why. He wants you back. He’s finally admitted it to himself, even if he’ll never say it out loud.

Still, he’s sticking close, hovering just enough to make his presence known. And as much as you’d like to ignore it, you can’t help but notice the way he’s looking at you, like you’re the only person in the room. It’s unsettling—and annoyingly flattering.

But you’ve got bigger problems. Like the fact that Jake is also here, and you need to go say hi to him. After all, he’s the one who invited you, and it would be rude not to. You excuse yourself from your brother’s group, promising to catch up later, and head toward the other side of the room where you spotted Jake. Jake, incredibly hot Jake.

Jake lights up when he sees you, his grin as bright and boyish as ever. “Y/n! You made it!”

“Of course I did,” you say, returning his smile. “I couldn’t miss the big victory party, could I?”

“Exactly,” Jake says, clearly thrilled that you’re here. “We totally crushed it last week, didn’t we? Sunghoon and I were unstoppable out there.”

“You were great,” you agree, though you can’t help but notice the slight tension in his voice when he mentions Sunghoon. The two of them may be incredible on the field, but off the field, their mutual dislike is impossible to ignore.

“Speaking of Sunghoon,” Jake says, glancing over your shoulder, “is he still glued to you, or did he finally give you some space?”

You turn to see Sunghoon not far away, leaning against a wall but very much keeping you in his line of sight. The look on his face when your eyes meet is enough to send a shiver down your spine. It’s almost like a challenge, daring you to ignore him.

“I asked both of you to be civil tonight,” you remind Jake with a raised eyebrow. “Can you at least try?”

Jake sighs dramatically but nods. “For you? Fine. But only because you asked nicely.”

Sunghoon leaned against the wall, his eyes fixed on you and Jake as if they were glued there by some invisible force. He hated this—hated how much he noticed the way Jake’s grin widened when you laughed, how easily you seemed to click with him. But mostly, he hated the way he couldn’t stop thinking about you.

There was something magnetic between you two, something that made it impossible for Sunghoon to keep his distance. He didn’t want to admit it at first, but lately, it was all he could think about. The way your smile made his chest tighten, the way your presence turned every room into something brighter, warmer. And it wasn’t just him—he knew Jake felt it too. He could see it in the way Jake looked at you, like you were the only thing that mattered in the world.

This wasn’t the first time he and Jake had been in this situation, though. A painful memory tugged at the edges of his mind, a memory he wished he could bury. Wonyoung. That name alone was enough to make his stomach twist. Back when he and Jake were friends—actual friends, not whatever tense truce they had now—they’d both fallen for Wonyoung. She’d played them both, lied to them, and left their friendship in ruins. But neither of them knew the full truth about what happened, not really. Sunghoon had tried to piece it together, but the whole thing still felt like a mess of half-truths and unanswered questions.

And now, here they were again, caught in a silent war over you.

He clenched his jaw, watching as Jake led you across the room to meet his friends. Sunghoon’s fists tightened at his sides, but he didn’t move. Not yet. He didn’t want to cause a scene, especially not here. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that history was about to repeat itself—and this time, it would be worse.

Jake, on the other hand, was living his best life. He couldn’t believe you were actually here, standing next to him, smiling like you weren’t the most gorgeous person in the room. He’d been planning this all week—trying to make sure everything was perfect, or at least as perfect as it could be at Yeonjun’s chaotic house party.

“Come on,” Jake said, his hand brushing yours as he guided you through the crowd. “Let’s find the guys."

When you reached their group, they greeted you like an old friend. Heeseung was the first to pull you into a quick hug, his usual warm grin lighting up his face. “Y/n! Finally. Jake’s been insufferable all week, you know. All, ‘Do you think she’ll come? What should I wear?’ It was tragic.”

“Shut up,” Jake groaned, rubbing the back of his neck while you laughed.

Beomgyu piped up next, his energy as chaotic as ever. “And don’t forget how he made us all run drills twice this week. ‘Gotta keep the momentum from the game,’” Beomgyu said, mimicking Jake’s voice. “It’s a party, not a press conference, dude.”

“You’re just mad I benched you last semester,” Jake shot back, smirking.

Beomgyu held up his hands in mock surrender. “Fair. But hey, at least now they know I’m not just a benchwarmer.”

“They should’ve known that the second you stepped on the field,” you said, giving him a small smile. “That last game? You killed it.”

Beomgyu’s grin widened. “Thanks, Y/n. At least someone here appreciates me.”

Soobin chimed in with a dry laugh. “Don’t let it go to your head, Beomgyu.”

The banter flowed easily, the group dynamic comfortable and familiar. But despite the lighthearted vibe, you couldn’t shake the feeling that something else was brewing. You’d caught Sunghoon watching you earlier, his gaze heavy, like he was trying to tell you something without words. And Jake—he was trying so hard to keep your attention, but there was an edge to him tonight, a tension that didn’t quite match his usual easygoing demeanor.

Later, Jake led you outside, away from the noise and chaos of the party. The cool night air wrapped around you as you stepped onto the deck, and for a moment, it felt like you could breathe again.

Jake leaned against the railing, his hands in his pockets as he looked over at you. “You’re having fun, right?”

“I am,” you said, smiling. “Your friends always make it easy.”

“They like you,” Jake said, his voice softer now. “I mean… who wouldn’t?”

The way he was looking at you made your stomach flip. There was something different about his expression—something serious, almost vulnerable. He took a step closer, the tension between you building with each passing second. The cool night air was a relief after the chaos inside, and you leaned against the railing, letting out a breath. Jake stood next to you, that signature lopsided grin playing on his lips.

“But they speak way too much,” he sighed. “Thought I’d never get you alone.”

You raised a brow. “Oh? That was your goal all along?”

He chuckled, tilting his head. “What can I say? Gotta take my chances.”

It was easy with Jake. The banter, the teasing—it never felt forced. And maybe that’s what made moments like this dangerous.

“Gotta admit,” he continued, eyes flicking to yours, “you look really good tonight.”

The way he said it, casual but undeniably flirty, sent a small thrill down your spine.

“You say that like I don’t always look good,” you shot back, smirking.

Jake laughed, bumping his shoulder against yours. “Okay, fair point.”

For a moment, the conversation lulled, but it wasn’t awkward. Just… charged. He was close, and you could tell he was waiting for something. A sign, maybe.

And then his expression shifted—just slightly, but enough for you to notice.

Before you could respond, the door to the backyard opened, and Sunghoon stepped out, his eyes immediately locking with yours. Jungwon was with him, even though he had no idea you were there with Jake. Sunghoon looked like he had something on his mind, but when he saw Jake next to you, his expression tightened.

Jungwon and Sunghoon approached you and Jake, their casual demeanor almost making you forget how tense things were between them. Sunghoon gave you a nod, his eyes briefly lingering on you before shifting to Jake. Jungwon seemed to sense the shift, giving a little shrug as he offered Sunghoon the joint. "Alright, no fights tonight, okay? Let's just keep it chill."

Sunghoon took the joint with a grin that barely concealed the edge in his voice. "Yeah, yeah, no promises," he said, his eyes locking onto Jake for a second too long. The message was clear: they were both trying to play nice, but it was only because you asked them to. And neither of them were doing it because they wanted to.

"Hey," Jungwon greeted with his usual friendly grin. "You two good?"

"Yeah," you answered, flashing a smile. "Just enjoying the fresh air."

Sunghoon didn’t say much, just a subtle tilt of his head as he looked at both of you. His eyes then shifted to the joint in his hand, a hint of a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips. "Want a hit?" Sunghoon asked, his voice smooth, offering it to you and Jake. The offer hung in the air, the tension between him and Jake as thick as the smoke curling around them.

Jake shot Sunghoon a glance, his posture stiffening for just a second. "Nah, we’re good," he said, quickly turning to you. "Right, Y/N?"

You shrugged, but the playful glint in your eye didn’t escape Sunghoon's notice. "I’m good," you replied, your voice light. "But thanks."

"Alright then," Sunghoon said, exhaling smoke and offering a small smile. He didn’t wait for any more responses before walking away, Jungwon falling into step beside him.

As they walked off, you noticed how Sunghoon’s gaze lingered on you with heat in his stare. It was like a challenge, and something in his eyes told you that he wasn’t done with this game yet.

The moment felt charged—electrified—but it broke when Jake cleared his throat, putting a hand gently on your arm. "Let’s head back inside," he suggested, his voice more urgent than usual. "We’re missing all the fun."

As you walked back into the party with Jake, the noise and chaos of Yeonjun's house party immediately swallowed you up. The beat of the music thudded in your chest, and the air was thick with laughter, chatter, and the scent of alcohol. Jake’s hand brushed against yours briefly, but when you reached the group of your friends, he gave you a quick nod, clearly excited to see them.

"Catch you later," he said, his grin easy and casual as he drifted off toward Heeseung and some of the others.

But just before he turned away, you caught a flash of irritation in his eyes. It was subtle, hidden under the mask of his usual charm, but you could tell. He hadn’t gotten his chance with you yet, and that was clearly bugging him. The thought of being brushed off for now didn’t sit well with him, but he wasn’t about to let it show. Not yet.

You could almost feel the weight of his unspoken frustration as he turned his back, but as he made his way through the crowd, his determination was clear. He wasn’t going to give up on you that easily.

You waved him off, letting him disappear into the crowd as you focused on Sunoo and Giselle, who were already waving you over.

"Finally managed to escape the chaos outside?" Sunoo teased, his usual grin spreading across his face. You joined them, enjoying the chat, but there was still a lingering sense of tension that you couldn’t shake off. You tried to push it aside, making the most of the time with your friends.

As Jake disappeared into the crowd, you didn’t think much of it. Instead, you turned back to your friends, a mischievous grin spreading across your face as you decided to let loose for a bit. The rest of the night carried on with drinks, laughter, and dancing. Sunoo and Giselle were already leading you in a ridiculous dance-off, and you were more than happy to oblige, tossing back shots and swaying to the beat as the music enveloped you.

For a while, you forgot all about the JakeHoon situation. The fun of the night kept you distracted, and you laughed harder than you had in a long time.

But as the night wore on, you couldn’t shake the feeling that something—or rather, someone—was missing. When you finally found yourself in a quieter spot near the bar, nursing another drink and chatting with Giselle, you felt a flicker of that familiar, magnetic pull again. You turned your head just in time to see Sunghoon walking back into the party, his expression unreadable, but his eyes immediately locking onto yours.

It was almost as if the room quieted when he stepped in, the noise fading in the background as you watched him glide through the crowd with that undeniable confidence. And when his eyes landed on you, that quiet intensity returned, making your heart skip a beat.

He’d been gone for a while, but now, Sunghoon was back—and it seemed like he was looking for something… or maybe someone.

His movements were smooth and effortless, cutting through the crowd like he owned the place. His eyes never strayed from you as he made his way over, and you couldn’t shake the feeling that he was walking toward you with purpose—like a predator closing in on its prey.

"Hey," Sunghoon said when he reached you, his tone playful, though his gaze was anything but lighthearted. He quickly nodded toward your friends. "You having fun?"

Sunoo grinned back, and Giselle raised an eyebrow, but before either of them could say anything, Sunghoon’s attention shifted solely to you. He leaned closer, just enough to make you feel the warmth of his body next to yours. "Looks like you’ve been enjoying yourself," he remarked, his voice low and easy, as if they’d known each other for much longer than just tonight. What's that supposed to mean?

You raised an eyebrow, trying to match his tone. "Wouldn’t you be too, if you weren't in my shoes?" you replied, voice teasing.

Sunghoon smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "I’m sure you’re used to all the attention by now," he said, giving you a once-over that made your skin prickle. His gaze lingered, and you felt that familiar tension building up between you two.

You chuckled softly, trying to play it off. "I don’t know. Seems like there’s always someone else trying to catch my eye."

Sunghoon’s lips twitched into a half-smirk. "Oh, I’m sure you can keep them waiting. Though," he leaned in a little closer, just enough to make you aware of his proximity, "I wouldn’t keep them waiting too long."

As you exchanged words, you felt a pair of eyes watching you from the corner of your vision. Glancing over, you caught a glimpse of Jake standing across the room, his eyes fixed on the two of you. He didn’t approach, but the tension in his stare was unmistakable.

Sunghoon noticed too, and a smirk tugged at his lips. He pulled back just slightly, his tone shifting. "You should get back to your boyfriend," he said, the words dripping with playful challenge. His gaze, however, was still locked on you, the heat in it not quite masked by the lighthearted remark.

After Sunghoon left, you kept talking with Sunoo and Giselle, trying to shake off the weirdness in the air. You didn’t need to be a mind reader to know Sunghoon’s eyes were on you the entire time. The guy had a way of looking at you like you were his next challenge, and you were starting to get a little tired of it. Or, well, maybe not tired, more like… intrigued?

You were at the bar, scanning the options for your next drink when you felt a familiar presence behind you. Without even having to look, you could feel the tension in the air—it was Jake. You half-turned and gave him a smile. He was leaning against the bar, looking at you like he was about to say something, but there was a little more intent in his gaze than you were used to.

"Hey," Jake said, eyes scanning you quickly, like he was checking for any signs of discomfort. "Everything good?"

"Yeah, just getting a drink," you replied, glancing around at the chaos of the party. It was busy, loud, and full of people—yet, it felt like the noise started to fade when he stood next to you.

Jake leaned in, his arm brushing against yours as he spoke. "Just don’t go overboard with the drinks, alright?" He flashed you a teasing smirk, but there was something softer underneath. "But if you do get a little too wild, don’t worry. I’ll take care of you. Just like you did for me last time."

You raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised by the shift in tone. "You really think I need someone to take care of me?" you teased, your lips curving into a smile.

He chuckled, clearly enjoying the banter. "Well, considering how you saved me from turning into a disaster last time, I figured I’d return the favor." His eyes glinted with a mischievous spark as he added, "But honestly, I’d rather just have you around and make sure you’re enjoying the night."

You smirked, a little flattered but still keeping up the playful attitude. "I’m a big girl, Jake. I think I can handle it."

Jake's grin widened, his eyes locking onto yours with that familiar intensity. He leaned in a bit closer, his voice lower now, almost like he was sharing a secret.

"I know you're a big girl," he said with a playful wink. "But that doesn't mean I can't look out for you. Besides, there's something about keeping you close that makes everything a lot more fun."

You could feel the heat of his words, and it made your heart race a little faster. His tone was smooth, almost dangerously charming. It wasn’t hard to tell that he was enjoying getting under your skin, pushing all the right buttons.

You leaned back against the bar, trying to play it cool. "I’m not sure if you’re trying to flirt with me or just make me feel like I’m about to be babysat, but it’s working either way."

Jake laughed softly, his eyes sparkling with that familiar cocky energy. "Maybe a little bit of both," he teased, then added with a smirk, "But hey, if you’d rather I just focus on keeping you entertained instead of worrying about your drinks, I’m all for that too."

You felt the tension between you two, a pull that only seemed to grow stronger with each word. The music of the party seemed to fade out completely as you locked eyes with him again.

"Alright, so what’s your plan then?" you asked, leaning in just slightly.

Jake took a slow step back, his grin never faltering. "How about I show you a quieter spot?" He raised an eyebrow as he glanced toward the stairs. "We can talk a little more. I promise it’s not as boring as it sounds."

You glanced toward the staircase for a moment, then back at him. A part of you was curious, but you weren’t sure if this was just another one of his playful moves—or something more.

"Lead the way," you said, trying to keep your voice casual, though there was a spark of excitement in your chest.

Jake’s smile was triumphant as he gestured toward the stairs. "This way, then."

As you followed him up the stairs, you couldn’t help but notice the way he moved, confident, almost like he knew exactly how to get under your skin. And as you reached the top of the stairs, you realized there was no backing out now—this was going to be one interesting night.

As you and Jake made your way up the stairs, you couldn’t help but notice Sunghoon standing a little further away, his eyes locked on you two. He looked… well, you couldn’t quite place it, but there was definitely something in his gaze. It wasn’t anger, but it wasn’t exactly admiration either. It was like a mix of confusion, jealousy, and, strangely enough, something else.

You could feel it, but you didn’t have time to linger on it too long. Jake's hand brushed yours as you reached the top of the stairs, and the tension between you two was almost unbearable.

Just as you stepped onto the landing, Jake glanced back, only to find Sunghoon still watching you. Their eyes for a split second, and it was almost like a silent exchange, like they were sizing each other up. Sunghoon took a slow sip from his drink, eyes narrowing slightly, almost as if he was giving Jake some kind of… permission.

Jake, on the other hand, didn’t seem fazed. As you passed a group of people laughing and chatting, you caught a glimpse of Heeseung entering a room with a girl. Jake didn’t recognize her at first, but the moment he saw her face, he remembered the girl's name. Ronnie. Heeseung's situationship. Jake lets out a quiet laugh, though he’s already turning his attention back to you.

Jake, still leading you down the quieter part of the hall, was all smiles as he glanced back at you. “So, what do you think? Pretty nice spot, huh?”

You took in the vibe of the hallway. It was quieter here, a little more private, but not entirely deserted. You could still hear some laughter and faint music from the main area of the party. "Yeah, definitely not the worst place to escape to."

Jake turned to face you, a teasing grin on his face. “Well, you know, I don’t just bring anyone up here.”

You smirked, not missing the implication. “I’m honored, then.”

The playful tension was thick between you two now, and you could tell Jake was trying to decide whether to make his move or not. His eyes flickered down to your lips for a moment, and you felt your heart skip a beat. His smirk turned into something more genuine, more real. He wasn’t just playing anymore—he was figuring out whether you were the kind of girl who would let him take the lead, or if you were going to make him work for it.

"You know," Jake says with that same cocky smile, "I’ve been thinking. You really know how to make everything more interesting than it should be. Not that I’m complaining, of course."

You raise an eyebrow, amused. "Oh? I thought I was just keeping things fun."

Jake chuckles, a little more softly this time. "Yeah, but I’m starting to think I might want to keep you to myself tonight. You know, less distractions."

His tone shifts just a little, something softer underneath the teasing. The air between you both feels a little heavier now, the kind of tension that makes your heart race.

As the playful banter continued, you both found yourselves moving a little closer, the tension building. And you both knew this moment was just about ready to hit a tipping point.

But before Jake could make any move, you noticed out of the corner of your eye—Sunghoon. He was still standing down the hall with Jay, but now, there was no mistaking the look on his face. It wasn’t just curiosity anymore. It was… something more. Jake noticed too, and his posture stiffened, though he didn’t acknowledge Sunghoon directly. He just kept his focus on you.

“You know,” Jake said, leaning in a bit more, “we’re not gonna get interrupted here. Not like back downstairs.”

You raised an eyebrow, a small smirk forming. "You sure?"

Jake chuckled softly, eyes glinting with a touch of amusement. "Definitely not."

And just like that, you both knew—you didn’t need to rush this, but the moment had definitely arrived. As the moment stretched on, you realized this was it. The game was on.

The moment lingered in the air like a breath held too long. You and Jake stood there, just inches apart, the weight of it all between you. The conversation had slowed, but not because there was nothing to say—it was because words didn’t feel necessary anymore.

Jake brushed a stray strand of your hair behind your ear, his fingers grazing your skin, sending a shiver down your spine. "You know, you're even more beautiful up close," he murmured, his voice low and smooth.

You smiled, the playful tension still hanging there. "Flattery, huh? Is that how you get girls?"

He grinned, his gaze shifting between your lips and your eyes. "If it works, yeah. But I think you're more than just… a pretty face."

He leaned in, just enough that you could feel his breath against your lips. Jake’s hand lingered on your chin, tilting your face just the right way, and you felt your heart race. His gaze was intense, but there was a softness in the way he looked at you, like he was waiting for permission, even though neither of you had said a word.

"Is this okay?" he asked softly, his voice barely a whisper, as if he needed you to say it aloud before he could take the next step.

You nodded, a slight smile tugging at your lips. "I think you know it is."

And just like that, his lips were on yours.

It wasn’t just a kiss. It was slow, deliberate, as if he was savoring the moment. He deepened the kiss, pulling you closer, his hands now at your waist, holding you tightly, as if the only thing that mattered in that moment was you and him.

His lips moved against yours with a steady pressure, coaxing you to lean into him. You let out a soft breath as the kiss deepened, and for a moment, everything else—the noise of the party, the other people in the house—disappeared entirely.

Jake’s lips were soft but demanding, his touch gentle but confident, and you couldn’t help but respond. His hand moved to the back of your neck, threading his fingers through your hair, and pulling you even closer, if that was even possible. The heat between you two was undeniable, and for once, everything around you felt irrelevant.

Your pulse quickened, your body instinctively reacting to his closeness. His lips were in perfect sync with yours, and the kiss became more urgent, more intense. You could feel his breath against your skin, the way his chest rose and fell with each breath, his heart racing just as fast as yours. His hand moved to your back, drawing you in so tightly you couldn’t tell where you ended and he began.

His lips left yours briefly, and you felt him press his forehead against yours, breathing heavily, the space between you two almost unbearable. His voice was barely a whisper, filled with heat. “You make it hard to stop,” he muttered, his fingers trailing down your back in slow, deliberate motions.

You smirked, your hand brushing against his chest. “You’re not exactly trying to stop.”

Jake chuckled darkly, his lips curving into a smile as he kissed you again, deeper this time. You couldn’t help but respond, your hands finding their way to his shoulders, feeling the strength beneath his clothes. The kiss was no longer just a kiss.

And then, from the corner of your eye, you felt it. Someone was watching.

Sunghoon.

From a distance, he stood there, his eyes fixed on the scene. He hadn’t moved, hadn’t said a word, but the way he watched felt almost too intense. Like he was studying the moment, feeling the tension simmering in his chest, but not knowing what to do with it. His hand tightened around his drink, and Jay, standing beside him, noticed the subtle shift.

“You good?” Jay asked, giving Sunghoon a side glance, confused by the way his friend seemed both intrigued and irritated.

Sunghoon didn’t respond at first, his gaze still locked on Jake and you. His jaw clenched slightly, and for the first time, Jay wondered if there was something more going on in Sunghoon’s head. It was a weird mix of jealousy and something else he couldn’t quite place. Sunghoon didn’t say anything—he just sipped his drink, eyes never leaving the couple.

Meanwhile, Jake, completely oblivious to the silent observer, was enjoying the kiss, the quiet power of the moment. He knew Sunghoon was watching, could feel his presence from the corner of his eye, but he didn’t care. If anything, it made the kiss feel even more thrilling, knowing that someone else—someone who hated him—was helpless to look away.

And when the kiss finally broke, you were both left breathless, eyes locked. The distance between you two had disappeared, and it wasn’t just a physical space. Something else had shifted, something far deeper.

“So,” Jake said, voice husky as he leaned his forehead against yours, “What now, princess?”

You smirked, already feeling the spark between you two. "Guess we wait and see."

But neither of you could deny that the game had just begun.

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author's note: I ADDED AN EASTER EGG YES I INSERTED MYSELF I DONT FUCKING CARE I WANTED TO BE INVOLVED AND NOW IM HEESEUNG'S SITUATIONSHIP THANK YOU. and sunghoon's voyeurish. i wish you all a jubilant evening

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[jommunism]

im still in my post-show-comedown period and cant sleep so time for a story :3

so, im in kaiju queers, we're a queercore punk band in denton, tx. i joined back in february of this year, taking the place of the former drummer

for this band, i bought a new-to-me drum set, a 2017 yamaha stage custom kit in cranberry red, and i LOVE them omg look at my pwetty dwumbz

its a 5 piece kit (pieces in drummer speak means drums, excludes cymbals/other pieces of kit), comprising a 20 inch kick, 14 inch snare, 10 and 12 inch rack toms, and a 14 inch floor tom. ive also carried over the 16 inch floor tom from my circa-2002 childhood pearl export kit for more boom

i also have a very odd cymbal configuration. from left to right, i have a set of 13 inch zildjian planet z hi-hats (cheap, brass beginner cymbals i got for $50 used), my childhood 18 inch sabian b8 crash/ride, a secondary hi-hat without a pedal using my childhood 14 inch sabian b8 hats, and a 20 inch b8 ride with a 12 inch b8pro splash mounted upside down on top of the ride

pic for reference

ANYWAY

in between practices/shows/etc my drums live in our frontwoman dana's house for convenience, we rehearse there and operate out of there on gig days, so while it makes practicing with the band far easier, it also means i dont have immediate access to my gear

however

it also means that my drums get used when im not around, like when dana jams with the rest of the band or with other musician friends

and on one such recent occasion, the former kaiju queers drummer (whos actually on the EP) was over jamming, using his kit, but when he packed up to leave, he took some of my kit with him

and then he put it in a friend's rehearsal space

so last week, i roll in for practice, and my hi-hat stand (with pedal) is gone, a cymbal stand is gone, my snare stand is gone, and the lil doohickey that goes into the kick drum and holds the rack tom and second hi-hat was gone too

but fuck it we ball, the show must go on, etc

so i had to improvise and make my already unconventional kit (there's a reason for all of it, promise!) even weirder

i used the one cymbal stand for the ride and splash like normal, and just went without a pedal hat (which was not pleasant), using the auxiliary contraption i built plugged directly into the kick

for toms, i used the smaller floor tom as a rack tom at times and as a double floor tom at others depending on the song

observe, shenanigans

this completely broke all my muscle memory for playing fills and other accent parts and i had to constantly adjust things and it never felt comfortable, but i managed

and at times it ended up making me more creative with improvising

oh and the kick kept sliding around on the carpet cuz the little rubber feetsies on the legs got pushed too far up and exposed the spikes which only grip by chewing into the floor

now for some band operational behind-the-scenes shit

when multiple bands are playing a show together, its rather common for one band's drummer to supply the core kit (kick, toms, sometimes a snare, stands/hardware) with each drummer swapping in their own cymbals and snare if desired

since i play such a weird and bigger than average kit (most drummers ive played with only use a 4 piece kit (one rack tom, one floor tom) with a handful using a second rack tom for a 5 piece)

i usually supply the drums for the show (called backlining)

but for last friday's show, i didnt have a full kit to bring, i had to use a backup snare stand (which is literally shaking itself apart) just to get thru rehearsal

so i had to play the backline drums from another band

and of course, that drummer uses a 4 piece kit, so i was having to adjust on the fly, on stage, during the show

i made it thru by bringing my own snare and larger floor tom along with the auxiliary hi-hat contraption, which made it not as bad as it could have been, but damn it was weird. that guy likes to keep his shit tuned LOW with almost like, flabby-loose heads on the toms, whereas i keep mine tuned up a bit higher, so my 16 inch floor tom (my lowest tuned not-a-kick drum) was dramatically higher pitch than his floor tom

and my muscle memory still was off, going for drums that werent there constantly

i got thru the show, but definitely wasnt my best work

for this past tuesdays practice, i still had to go without my normal set up, as the previous drummer still hadnt been back with my gear, so once again, had to improvise, using the smaller floor tom fully extended as a makeshift rack tom, and it went a little better

but i was so fuckin happy to see him roll up after practice that night with a trunk full of hardware

and for the show i just played a few hours ago, i was able to roll up and backline with my full 6 piece kit assembled how i like it :3

[aperfecta-rt]

messy sloppy "Fairies from Little Red" sketches (Little Red is a fanfic I wrote that was so wildly au and distant from any source material that I made it an original story) ramblin oc info below cut

Fairies are small feline bipedal creatures (usually two or two-and-a-half feet tall, tho they can get up to three!) They're similar to the average house cat in appearance but they generally have bigger ears and a "lion's tail". These guys are defo not drawn to scale

up at the top left having a sit is POPPY!! Arguably the main character of Little Red, tho his two older brothers are equally as "main". He's still a lil kid so he scrapes one and a half feet tall- a baby. His fur is all white, and he's missing his left eye and ear from what appears to be a burn scar

middle t-poser is Max (short for Maximum Power- name he picked himself) who is a BIG BEEFY BOY at juuust shy of 3 feet tall. He is very active and works out a lot. He's about as grown up as a 20 year old human would be, but he's still a silly goober that likes to climb trees (usually fails) and annoy his sister. He's got an orange tabby-ish pattern!

rightmost t-poser is Max's adopted sister Jade. I drew her with eyelashes bc I think she'd want me to draw her with eyelashes like that. She's a bit younger than Max and not quite an "adult" but she's pretty average sized- lil over 2 feet tall. She is not average in having long fur tho- most fairies don't. She doesn't like it bc she can't wear tight-fitting clothes or it smushes all her hair down, which is uncomfortable. She's into anime and likes to draw, currently in her emotionally withdrawn teenage phase. She's short-tempered but very kind and caring once she warms up. Her fur is mottled silver with a bit of a tabby pattern- it's very pretty and unique.

[iamvegorott]

My Boy Part 2 of 3

Family Bonding

Two weeks passed, and the ‘others’ Dark had mentioned to Yancy were now heading over for a gathering to meet him and catch up on what they missed during that time. They talked to each other almost daily, so two weeks was a long time for them. 

Yancy was relieved not to be the center of attention right away, able to hide with the food at first as he watched person after person enter the house and talk to the Ipliers and them amongst themselves. They were an interesting-looking group, and he was surprised to see two more children. There were also a lot of colors, plenty of green and blue and red and purple and-

“I’m gonna be sick,” Yancy said to himself. Everything here was already a lot, and he hadn’t even spoken to any of them. 

“Yancy, right?” A voice got Yancy to almost jump out of his skin. “Sorry, I’m Mare, and this is Blank.” A man who looked nearly identical to the one next to him gestured down to the child standing between him and a different man that looked like no one in the entire building. 

“Hi!” The child, Blank, greeted with a wave. He looked at Mare and headed off as soon as he saw Mare nod to him. 

“Phantom.” Mare’s double greeted as well and, just like Blank, took off into the crowd and seemed very comfortable as he gave a big grin and spoke with them.

“We’re not the best with introductions,” Mare said with a chuckle. “Wanted to get to you before you got swarmed, or we’d never get to say hi.”

“Are yous two brothers or somethin?” Yancy asked, gesturing back toward Phantom. He was still trying to get the whole ‘families’ thing and knew some saw others a certain way. 

“Twins,” Mare confirmed.

“Finally got somethin right with all of this,” Yancy said with a sigh, looking at the only one who hadn’t spoken yet and noticing how he was just looking at him with a tilt to his head. “Hi?” 

“Are you related to Dark? Not as an Iplier, but as something else?” The man let his questions fly free as if being addressed allowed the floodgates to open. “Do your tattoos have a specific meaning to them? Did you get to pick them, or were you created with them? Did-” He was stopped by Mare putting a hand over his mouth. 

“This is Mad. He’s curious.” Mare chuckled, and then it turned into a laugh when Mad tried to protest through his hand. “I’ll distract him so you don’t get too many questions at once.” He pulled Mad away and walked off with him, Mad seeming to curl up in a pout as they went. 

“Chase Brody, dad of the Septiceyes.” Yancy barely had time to take a breath before his hand was grabbed and shaken. “This lil’ guy here is Robbie.” The man with a hat let go of Yancy’s hand to gesture to the child clinging to his leg. Robbie just gave a little wave before hiding behind Chase. “I’ll talk to you more when the kiddo’s not around and tired. We’ve had a long day already.” Chase laughed and was gone as soon as he had arrived. 

“You’re an Iplier, alright.” 

“Thanks?” Yancy blinked, and there was another man in front of him. He had much longer hair than Chase and wearing a white cat mask. 

“Marvin, you’ll be hearing from us a lot more than you’d probably like.” Marvin had a giggle in his voice. “You’re stuck with all of us now.” He added with a wink before heading off. 

“All of yous move so-” Yancy didn’t get the sentence out when he turned and bumped into something that could have been a wall if he didn’t look up and seen a smiling face. 

“Hey there! I’m Jackieboyman, and everyone calls me Jackie!” The wall of a man greeted and took his hand to shake it as well, but he had much more strength behind it, enough to get Yancy to feel a little worried at just how strong Jackie likely was. 

“Jackieboyman?” Yancy repeated. Now that was a mouthful of a name. 

“Yep!” Jackie’s smile grew bigger, letting Yancy go as he got pulled away to talk with the others. 

“You must be getting very overwhelmed by now.” Yancy had noticed the other Septiceyes seemed to have a hint of an accent to their voice, an Irish one if he was correct, but this one stuck out with being a thick, German one.

“Just a little.” Yancy weakly chuckled, turning, and did not expect to see two men instead of just the one that spoke. One dressed in ‘doctor wear’ like Edward wore, and the other looked formal with a vest and button-up, his mustache reminding him of Wilford’s. 

“From what I have seen, you will only have one more of us to meet. I am Dr. Henrik Von Schneeplestein, the ‘good doctor’ of the Septiceyes, but I am able and willing to help you as needed.” Henrik explained.

“I’m Jameson Jackson. Feel free to call me JJ.” The other man said, or at least, Yancy assumed he had said it, but he didn’t see his mouth move. “I don’t have a physical means of talking, but I can communicate through telepathic means.” 

“What? But how-” Yancy stopped himself. After everything he’d seen already, this was pretty normal. Although, he wasn’t sure if that word was even fitting for anything related to all of this.  

“The longer you are with us, the more sense this will make. I will say some of us took a lot more time than others to fully…uh…embrace what is happening here.” Henrik gave a smile at the end of his sentence. 

“You’ll be seeing all of us a good bit, especially that one.” JJ pointed to the last person Yancy was to meet, and he giggled. 

“Make sure Dark can not hear you say that.” Henrik giggled as well as he and JJ walked off. 

“What were those two laughing about?” The final Septiceye said as he came up to Yancy. He had the signature green hair, but he had points to the tips of his ears, flecks of green in his blue eyes, and a thick scar across his neck.

“That I would be seein’ all of yous around a lot,” Yancy said, not lying but not including that last part as he noticed Dark was making his way over to the two of them. He was a little curious about the connection between this Septiceye and Dark, but the way Henrik and JJ were acting made him not want to know at the same time. 

“Fair warning.” The man laughed before he tilted his head, eyes going up and down Yancy before speaking again. “Have you killed anyone?” 

“I-” Yancy went stiff, having not expected that question, and he felt like his throat was closing up. 

“Normally, a first conversation starts with a greeting and your name, Anti,” Dark said as he was almost standing between the two. 

“Now, where’s the fun in that, Darky~?” Anti giggled, his entire vibe seeming to change in Dark’s presence. More playful in a way. 

“It’s called being polite.” Dark moved more, using his body to block Yancy from Anti’s view, his hands were behind his back, and he used one of them to wave Yancy off, silently letting him know he was good to leave. 

Yancy was more than willing to take that opportunity and got away from the loud chaos.

x~x~x 

Time went by, and eventually, Yancy was allowed to be involved in the work that the Ipliers did. Today’s ‘job’ was just the Ipliers, and Yancy was the lookout. Yancy didn’t know what was happening inside the building despite asking multiple times and only getting told to stay out there and ensure no one got into the building until they finished.  

Yancy wasn’t paying attention to anything, having grown bored of standing there and began softly humming. He was working on a new song and was stuck on a spot. Something about the rhythm of the words wasn’t matching. Off in his own world, he didn’t hear the men rushing out of the building. 

It wasn’t until he felt something hit the back of his head that he got brought back to the present. Yancy had five men on top of him, all throwing punches and kicks, knocking him down. He tried to fight back but soon had to give up and just try to protect vital parts of himself, arms going over his head and curling up to cover his stomach. 

“Yancy!” Dark’s voice stood out from the shouts and the roaring of blood in Yancy’s ears, and as soon as he got attacked, he was away from the men. 

“Got’cha!” Wilford pulled Yancy away, trying to use his body to block Yancy from seeing what Dark was doing, knowing that was what Dark would want him to do. But Yancy managed to look over Wilford’s shoulder and saw everything. 

He saw the bodies torn apart, the pure rage on Dark’s face, the aura of red covering the whole scene, and matching the mess of spilled blood. Dark tossed the torso of one of the men aside and was softly panting, more from trying to calm himself down than from exhaustion. After a deep breath, he turned and saw Yancy looking right at him, shoulders dropping and face changing to one of worry. Dark pulled a handkerchief from his blazer’s pocket and tried to clean some blood off his face as he went to Yancy and Wilford. 

“I’m sorry you had to see that. I’m normally not this messy about it, but…” Dark’s voice trailed off, actually not able to find more words. 

There was a long pause, the three of them just standing there in silence, and the longer the pause, the more worried Dark became. But then Yancy finally broke the silence with a loud;

“That was so cool!” 

x~x~x 

More time passed, and soon Yancy had found his flow with the Manor and amongst the others, finding himself befriending them all and getting close with some of them. Dark was the one that stood out the most. 

Right now, he and Yancy were in the kitchen, chopping away some vegetables for a stew the Ipliers planned to have for dinner that night. Dark was also quizzing Yancy, seeing if he could remember some of the diet restrictions from all three groups. 

“Yandere’s vegetarian. Bim likes rare meat, like really rare meat, and Mad will only eat chicken.” Yancy casually listed off, not struggling with that part at all. 

“Allergies?” Dark softly smiled as he asked, using his knife to slide the chopped carrots into the big pot between them. 

“Jackie don’t do dairy, and Blank and JJ don’t do nuts.” Yancy puffed his chest out a bit with pride. 

“What kind of nuts? They have different ones.” 

“Shit.” Yancy softly cursed, chest deflating as he thought. “Ain’t it that Blank’s only got a peanut problem, and JJ gets messed with all of them, but like Blank’s is bad if he gets it, and JJ’s reaction is pretty mild compared to him?” 

“Exactly.” Dark nodded and grabbed the next carrot for him to chop.

“Hell yeah! I told you I knew my stuff.” Yancy’s chest puffed right back out. 

“Anything else you can think of?”

“That yous and Wilford’s got one hell of a sweet tooth. Edward says that yous is worse than Wilford.” Yancy laughed when that got Dark to stop and sigh.

“I am not-”

“Yous put so much sugar in coffee, and yous always got sweets around yous. I bet there is some hidden chocolate in here within arms reach of yous.” Yancy started looking around, continuing his laughter. 

“Last time I checked, your sweet tooth is just as bad. You have more sugar than coffee in the morning. Makes my own look bitter.” Dark had a big, playful grin as he spoke.  

“That’s your fault. Yous did this to me.” Yancy scrunched his nose toward Dark, getting both of them to break out into a laugh. 

“Sorry to interrupt the fun, but ol’ Hosty is saying we’re getting a new guy tonight,” Wilford said, popping into the kitchen. 

“A new guy? Like, another Iplier?” Yancy asked. 

“Another Iplier,” Dark confirmed.

x~x~x 

Yancy stood toward the back of the room as the other Ipliers talked with each other, trying to come up with a guess of who the newest one would be. Some were a lot more realistic than others. Yancy was just hoping whoever the new person was, they’d have a less chaotic greeting than he did. 

Being told your parents weren’t your biological parents, and your mother tossed you through time to protect you from your father, who you still have no idea who he is. And now your ‘mother’ is a combination of two souls, and a demonic thing inside a dead person’s body was…something. 

“I got it!” Wilford rushed to the door to open it when there was a knock. 

“Well, this is interesting.” The man behind the door said with a chuckle, voice deep and matching the Iplier voice, but something about it was much smoother. He made his way to each Iplier, greeting them individually with a big smile and a tilt of his hat. Much more comfortable with meeting new people than Yancy was. “Hello there~” The man got to Yancy last, and his grin seemed to grow at the sight of him. He took Yancy’s hand and pressed a kiss to the knuckles. “Name’s Illinois. A pleasure to meet me.” He winked.

“I-I’m-I’m-” Yancy’s face went bright red, his heart fluttering from the gesture. “I’m Yancy.” He managed to eventually spit out, still trying to get his brain cells to work.

“Lovely name you have there.” Illinois pressed another kiss to Yancy’s hand before letting it go. 

“Th-Thanks.” Yancy knew what flirting was. A handful of the others had that type of personality, but, for some reason, Illinois directing it toward him made him forget how to function. 

“Let’s take you to your room.” Dark stepped over, seeming a bit annoyed. 

“My room? It seems like you were expecting me.” Illinois chuckled and followed Dark. Yancy ended up sticking with them, listening to Dark give off the same spiel he had given Yancy when he had arrived. 

When they got to Illinois’ door, Yancy noticed that the room was next to his own and pointed to it.

“We’re neighbors.” He commented.

“Oh~? I hope we’ll learn each other’s room very well.” Illinois winked again, and Yancy was a bright red mess once more. He couldn’t stop the little laugh that came out of him, and before he could think of something to say, Dark was between them.

“That’s enough,” Dark spoke harshly, glaring at Illinois and showing that he did not like him flirting with Yancy. 

“Ma!” Yancy said without thinking, getting all three of them to stop.

“Did…did you just call me ‘ma’?” Dark’s anger was gone in a blink, and his attention was all on Yancy.

“Maybe?” 

“That explains a lot,” Illinois said.  

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

Part 1: Link

Part 3: Link

[jonathanbiers]

connecting the two dots? I am looking 👀

this one's been on the backburner for quite a while and is mostly just some ideas written down at this point, but (if i ever get around to writing it with any degree of coherence or grammatically correct-ness) it's going to be a lil steddie/platonic stobin/platonic roddie thing wherein EVERYONE HAS THE WRONG IDEA. the dots are being connected, but they're the wrong dots all-around (i'm a slut for miscommunication okay) (also i got carried away explaining this idea so it's under a readmore fdjfsgfk)

it's well over a year since the whole upside-down ordeal and eddie's trying very hard not to let his crush on steve get bigger than it is because, well...robin and steve are obviously dating. they share clothes, steve is almost never seen without her, robin sleeps at steve's house more often than not. the barely-contained jealousy is there, and then there's also guilt because robin's one of his best friends now, too. he's jealous in both directions: jealous of robin because he thinks she's dating steve, jealous that he never gets to hang out with his new close friend robin one-on-one. he kind of thinks it's some "won't-let-my-gf-alone-with-another-guy" thing on steve's part, even if he doesn't get that vibe from him, he heard the rumors whispered in the halls about the nancy-jonathan situation, how everyone thought nancy was cheating on him. he doesn't want steve to think that's the case, so (after testing the waters by kind-of-subtly dropping the subject of queerness and watching for reactions) one day he blurts something about having a crush on a guy. (i'm a bi eddie truther but this would be mostly to reassure that he isn't trying to go after robin)

steve doesn't act surprised at all, but it's because he kind of got the feeling eddie was into guys, but here's where he's got it mixed up: he thinks eddie's into GARETH. because, aside from steve robin and dustin, corroded coffin is who eddie hangs around the most, and...eddie and gareth share clothes. eddie's not any more touchy with him than he is with anyone else, but he figured that was just them being lowkey. he noticed gareth was always the one who sat right next to him at lunch. when he and robin tag along to cc's practices, he notices eddie and gareth speak almost in some sort of code, like they're making inside jokes to each other that no one else understands, and eddie always looks away with his face red, so. those are the dots steve connected. it's not a surprise to him at all, but he is supportively resigned about it, because there it is. eddie confiding in them that he's with gareth without saying it outright. he can live with that even though it sucks.

robin's shocked, because even if she's not very good at noticing signs and flirting when it comes to herself, her pattern recognition is off the charts. (autistic robin supremacy) she thought they were dating already, and has been feeling guilty about third-wheeling, but steve always insists she come with him when he's hanging out with eddie, so she tags along. and it's not like they make it awkward with her there, so she's fine with it, she just figures that the nights steve doesn't spend with robin are spent with eddie. maybe they can't be together as often because eddie has to sneak around so wayne won't find out, she doesn't know, but the point is: these two dinguses aren't even fucking dating but she can TELL they like each other and she kind of wants to bonk their heads together.

it all gets sorted in the end, and robin stays their third wheel because that's their platonic soulmate now. idk the world needs more platonic roddie but that's just my opinion

[theladyofbloodshed]

Au ACOSF - Chapter 61

I started this fic in October and it is now longer than ACOSF! Thank you so much to everybody who has ever interacted with this fic. It means so so much to me!

@a-court-of-valkyries @sv0430 @mis-lil-red @nesquik-arccheron @emily-gsh @sunsetsofanemoia @swankii-art-teacher @moodymelanist @nestaarcher0n @my-fan-side @c-e-d-dreamer @nestaspegasus @champanheandluxxury @chosenfamily-valkyriequeens @lyzriel @dustjacketmusings @sugardoll22 @gwynethhberdara @embersofwildfire

Rather than return to Spring and face yet more questions about the state of her face from concerned servants – or even the high lord – Nesta had been taken to Cassian’s home in Illyria. He would retrieve clothes and Zasha from Tamlin’s Manor for the few days she would be visiting, as well as his own things, proudly proclaiming that he and Tamlin were no longer ready to brandish weapons on sight so he could go and get them.

Although Cassian hadn’t talked about it, Nesta assumed that meant staying with her in Spring was over and he’d cooled down enough to return to the Night Court. She tried not to dwell on it. Tried not to fret over how lonely she’d feel without him there when she returned back to that empty house.

The cabin had been stocked with food and both bedrooms had been prepared to give Nesta the option of not sharing the bed with him, but the house was too quiet with nobody else home. Nesta had snooped, perhaps hoping to catch a glimpse of his past; if she saw any trace of an ex-lover she’d swell with jealously and be angry that he had a life before she existed. But Nesta found nothing. No secret love letters, no trinkets from an ancestor, nothing to suggest Cassian even had a history. It was sad to think he knew nothing of his blood family. But Nesta supposed she had no heirlooms of her own to inherit; they had been taken when her family’s home had been seized. If her own face wasn’t the reflection of her mother’s, she doubt she’d remember it.

Helion would arrive tomorrow. They would ward both the Mask and the Harp then he also would join them for dinner in Velaris. Nesta hoped the attention would be on the High Lord of the Day Court rather than her for the meal. She was trying not to think about it. Trying not to think about anything that had happened in the last day.

Cassian had been insistent that he’d spend the day with her in Illyria – and only when she had snapped at him to go and see his family did he finally relent. He promised to be back before it got dark, as if she were his mother setting a curfew for him.

Heavy knuckles hammered on the front door. Nesta ignored it and continued washing her dishes from breakfast. They knocked again, playing an out of time rhythm on the panels.

Reluctantly, she pulled back the door, fully expecting it to be Cassian there to annoy her.

‘Shit. What happened to your face?’

Emerie stood frozen in the doorway and Balthazar had his fists raised to the door, ready to bang another tune.

‘A kelpie,’ she grumbled.

The two Illyrians blinked in shock.

‘This is when you’re supposed to say “you should see the other guy”,’ Balthazar said, throwing his voice to a deeper pitch.

‘I’m so sorry. I can’t get rid of him. He keeps turning up at my shop like a bad smell.’

The noise of outrage from Balthazar was the first thing that had brought a real laugh to Nesta. She doubled over, clutching her stomach at Emerie’s comment.

‘May we come in?’ Emerie shook the package in her hands, eyes twinkling. ‘Cassian popped by to say you were here – and we brought food.’

Of course, the mother hen would not be content in leaving her truly alone. Nesta invited the two – who jostled to squeeze through the doorway first – into Cassian’s home. Balthazar inspected it thoroughly, going as far opening the kitchen cabinets and running his finger along the top for dust.

‘I thought it would be bigger. Maybe the high lord isn’t paying him enough.’

‘Or Nesta’s spending all of his money,’ Emerie said with a wicked grin in her direction.

Nesta rolled her eyes. ‘I have my own money. But he did promise to take me shopping. Hopefully when my face doesn’t look like a cat has tried to eat me.’

‘It will heal,’ assured Emerie, reaching for her hand. ‘You’re alright?’

‘If I say no, will you promise not to ask any more questions?’ At Emerie’s nod, Nesta swallowed. ‘No. I’m not alright. And that’s the end of that.’

It was too beautiful to spend indoors, Emerie had declared when they were half-way into a drink in the kitchen. Her eyes had flitted endlessly out of the window to the rough hills behind the house. Nesta had to wonder if Emerie ever felt like a prisoner in her own home without anybody to escort her or keep her protected. Balthazar made a noise which Nesta assumed was agreement – but his mouth was filled with pastry and cream.

He swallowed and said, ‘Summer lasts for two days in Illyria so we need to seize it while we can.’

After much coaxing and the employment of persuasion tactics that would be more appropriate for a hostage negotiator, Emerie had convinced Nesta to leave the house. The contributing factor had been Balthazar declaring that he’d protect them both – and she and Emerie had cackled like witches. It was good to laugh. It was good to feel the sunshine on her skin too like the life she deserved was thawing out, ready to be seized.

They’d hiked a couple of miles over the hills towards a craggy cliff that overlooked a narrow lake. Even with a bright blue sky and blazing sun, a cool breeze still rippled through Illyria from the mountains.

‘I know where we are,’ she said suddenly, craning her neck behind her.

‘My plan of kidnapping thwarted,’ said Balthazar dryly.

Nesta had asked for them to show her somewhere quiet, away from the busy warcamp. She could usually contend with the slurs and insults of being a witch, but with her face still looking like a mace had been taken to it, she was not in the mood for the usual Illyrian males heckling her.

‘That’s the war monument over there.’

‘She’s observant, isn’t she?’ He said, nudging Emerie in the rib.

Nesta stuck her middle finger up at the male. His jaw dropped open and Emerie shrieked with laughter. A sudden pang of guilt rocked Nesta as she clutched a hand over her mouth.

‘I’m so sorry. I’ve never done that before. To anybody.’

Balthazar beat the ground with his fist. ‘The kingslayer swore at me.’ He grabbed Emerie’s arm and shook it in jubilation. ‘At me, Em, she swore at me.’

Emerie prised her arm back and gave him a shove. ‘I cannot believe nobody killed you in the Blood Rite. You would be first on my list.’

‘It’s an honour, ladies, that I’m viewed in such high regard by you both.’

The ground between them grew steadier, sturdier; they could prod and tease each other, never crossing the imaginary line. Nobody grew offended, nobody’s feathers were ruffled. It was nice to tease and taunt amongst friends without feeling like she was a vicious, horrid wretch. Neither of them had declared Nesta an unlovable monster who deserved to be in the Hewn City. The vulgar gesture had been forgotten about as Balthazar and Emerie bickered over who the better cook was out of the two of them.

‘We can head to the village, grab a few things from mine and have lunch back here?’ Balthazar suggested.

‘We literally just ate a whole box of cream cakes between us,’ Emerie said, eyebrows raised. ‘How can you still be hungry?’

Balthazar sucked in a breath. ‘There are friends in the village,’ he threw a pointed look to Nesta, ‘who will kill me if I don’t take our lovely witch to visit. I was trying to be subtle.’

Nesta felt her throat dry up. She couldn’t put her finger on why: whether it was that Balthazar had tried to surprise her with a trip to the village or because they would see her so battered and bruised. Or for another reason entirely: for the first time in her life, Nesta had friends. Friends who didn’t expect anything from her. There had been girls when she was younger – ones happy to leap-frog over each other for high social standings, ones who never thought twice about double-crossing to achieve their goals, but they hadn’t been friends. Even with Eris, Nesta was still wary of how he could spin their friendship to suit a goal. But it had never been that way with Emerie and Balthazar. She had never felt like she was burdening them. They never seemed as though they would tire of her company or were putting up with her because Cassian was paying them to.

‘Come on,’ Emerie said holding out a hand for her. ‘Lule will explode when she sees you. You’re all she talks about.’

***

It wasn’t banishment. That was what Cassian told himself for the twelfth time that day as he gazed out of the window at the Sidra. Nesta wanted him to spend time with his family. She wasn’t punishing him for not sleeping with her in the Hewn City. Whatever Rhys had said during their meeting had gone in one ear and out the other as he took out every memory from the last couple of weeks in Spring with her and examined them, smiling absently.

‘I wonder what Nesta is doing now.’

‘Fuck me,’ Azriel groaned, staring up at the ceiling.

Rhys let out a light chuckle. ‘You’ve said that three times now.’

‘I haven’t. Have I?’

Azriel rubbed his face with his scarred hands. ‘It’s bad enough that he can’t go one minute without thinking about Feyre. I can’t lose you to an Archeron too.’

‘I think you already have,’ Rhys winked.

Cassian let the words float by. This was a place he never thought he would reach with Nesta. At first, he was certain they would die on that battlefield together – then the strained distance had grown. Finally, after months of tender care, the bridge between their souls had stabilised. Nesta had needed to heal before she gave him a chance. There was still a lot of healing to do, Cassian knew that, but she was in a place where she was willing to let him help her, let him be her support to lean on.

Zasha rested his great, grey head in Cassian’s lap. His large hands stroked the dog’s silken ears. ‘He misses Nesta too.’

‘You’ve been apart for a few hours,’ Azriel protested, eyebrows shooting upwards.

‘Zasha hasn’t seen his mama since yesterday morning.’

‘M-Mama?’ The noise that grunted out Azriel was pure exasperation. ‘He’s a dog! Fuck me.’ A finger pointed at Rhys. ‘Even you weren’t this bad and they haven't even accepted the bond properly yet.’

Rhys said nothing, just cocked an ankle over his knees, amusement glittering in his violet eyes. ‘The Lord of Bloodshed reduced to a lovesick dog by Nesta Archeron. Do you remember when you first met? She was staring at you like she might try and gut you with her butter knife.’

‘She still looks at me like that. It’s what keeps us so passionate,’ he said, taking the dog’s jowls and flapping them in and out.

Azriel offered to winnow him to Illyria before he left for the mortal lands again. Cassian had to wonder when Azriel actually slept, certainly the shadows beneath his eyes suggested it was a rare occurrence.

When they reached the darkened cabin, Cassian tried not to let his fear grip him. It was growing dark outside, but golden light still leaked into the sky.

‘Maybe she’s already asleep,’ Az suggested, jerking his chin towards the darkened corridor.

A quick sweep of the house came up empty. His siphons pulsed a fiery red in response to the fear seizing his muscles. Already the regrets were racing through his mind. He shouldn’t have left her alone. He shouldn’t have spent so long in Velaris after dinner, cracking jokes at Rhys’ expense.

‘Maybe she’s at that shop.’

They dumped Zasha back at the cabin then traipsed across Windhaven. Emerie’s clothing shop was dark too with no signs of any life within the walls. Cassian raked a hand through his ebony hair, pulse quickening.

‘Cass,’ Az snapped, voice tugging him out of the spiral he was sending himself into. ‘You’d know if something happened, in here.’ Azriel placed a hand over his own heart. ‘Calm down. She is fine.’

But so much had happened to her. It had only been one day since a kelpie had nearly drowned and devoured her. His mind whirled, trying to grip something concrete to stop the spinning.

‘What about the blacksmith? He’s in the next village isn’t he?’

With haste, they flew over Windhaven, over the gorse and heather towards Balthazar’s village. A market trader who was loading the final few sacks of spices onto her cart gestured vaguely over the hill where the war monument stood. It felt like a lifetime ago that he’d flown Nesta there in the snow when she had finally agreed to speak to him.

At the edge of a lake, a small fire ringed with stones burnt. The sun was behind them, but Cassian could make out Nesta’s silhouette easily, sat against the tree – a fair distance from the water’s edge. She was the only one there without a set of wings. Azriel said he’d come to say hello before he departed, so the pair of them flew down the cliffs to join the group.

Balthazar squatted by the fire holding a stick with a sausage pierced on the end of it. Tucked against him, delighted by the fire was Lule, whose small hand grasped Balthazar’s. This male was proof that they weren’t all rotten in Illyria. He waved a hand in greeting.

Beside him, Azriel turned to stone. Cassian tracked his gaze to the female who stood in the shallows of the lake so the cool water reached past her ankles. Dark hair was plaited down her back. Azriel’s throat bobbed as he swallowed then he took a few steps forward.

Cassian let them have their moment – Azriel and his mother. From his reaction, Cassian knew this was the furthest Rovena had ever been from her home since free from the male that sired Az. Probably the only time in her laugh that she had ever stood in a lake or watched a sunset.

When Cassian approached his mate, she placed a finger over her lips then indicated to the slumbering child against her chest.

‘I’m sure Lorin uses me a pillow every time he sees me,’ she whispered, standing slowly to not rouse the boy from his sleep. Nesta lifted her head, awaiting a kiss from him. A hot rush of a satisfaction barrelled through him that this was their normal now, he’d return and she’d await a kiss from him. Her face had improved massively from the morning and there was a slight golden dusting from a day in the sunshine.

‘Rovena came,’ he murmured, nudging her towards the lake.

Rovena had her arm around Azriel’s back, her head resting against his shoulder as they both stood in the lake gazing out towards the sunset. The sight of it nearly buckled Cassian’s own knees. In a similar move, Nesta rested her head against his own arm, smiling up at him. Her smiles were so rare, but each one so lovely. He couldn’t resist kissing her forehead again.

‘Emerie has been hammering out a deal with Marsela all day about selling her and Rovena’s clothes in her store.’ She jerked her head towards the two females sat cross-legged on the ground. Emerie snapped a stick in her hands as they chatted then added it onto the fire. ‘Rovena just came with her, unannounced. We tried not to draw attention to it.’

‘That’s huge,’ Cassian said, a grin breaking over his face. ‘So, it has been a good day?’

‘A very good day,’ Nesta agreed, stroking a hand over Lorin’s dark head.

***

After a night of being thoroughly tended to by Cassian, Nesta’s legs still felt like jelly in the morning as she wobbled down the stairs. There had been a gentleness to his behaviour that she'd never seen him possess as his hands had massaged every part of her tenderly in the living room.

The cabin was isolated enough that neither had bothered to close any of the curtains when their gentle kissing in the armchair had turned more desperate. Neither of them had restrained their voices either. They hadn't even made it up the stairs before she was tugging at his shirt, lifting it over his head then Cassian had carried Nesta to the bed like she was a princess from a story and he was the hero.

In the kitchen, Cassian whistled to himself as a pan sizzled. Half of his hair had been tied back with a strip of leather and he’d wrapped a grey blanket around his waist to protect his modesty. There was no such thing as modesty when it came to that male. Nesta could not believe the things his body - those fingers - had managed to spill from her lips; just thinking of all the things he’d made her beg for whilst he bent over the bed had the heat soaring to the surface of the skin. Any sense of propriety had been abandoned in favour of a raw, animalistic possession of the other.

As if summoned, his head whipped towards the doorway. He narrowed his hazel eyes. ‘What are you thinking about, Nes? And more importantly – why are you fully clothed?’

Nesta brushed away that deep murmur in his voice before she lost herself in memories of the previous night. He had to be casting a spell on her because all sense of decency that she’d always maintained was lost entirely when she slept with Cassian. He'd had her screaming his name like a summons, begging for him to take her harder, faster - and he hadn't left her begging unfulfilled.

‘We have a day in Velaris, do we not?’ She said, forcing last night's wild behaviour away from her mind.

Cassian side-stepped a hopeful-looking Zasha and set two plates onto the rounded table. It was a heavy breakfast of eggs, sausages, bacon, and toast, but he had arranged hers in the shape of a face that Nesta couldn’t help but snort at.

‘We do. But the Hewn City first, if you can put up with it.’ Cassian nudged the plate towards her.

Gone was the beautifully warm day from yesterday and grey clouds had taken up residence instead. Nesta hoped it was not an omen of the day to come. She tried to compartmentalise everything: Helion, the Mask, the Harp, Velaris, the dinner. Each one was tucked into a separate box that she would examine alone rather than thinking of all those events together.

A large hand stilled her trembling one that clutched to a fork. ‘Nes, you alright?’

She said she would meet him half-way. Promised to try for all the times he had tried for her. Nesta swallowed. ‘I wondered if we could strike up a deal.’

On instinct, his eyes flittered to her covered arm in the exact position her tattoo from the bargain with Eris was.

‘Could Emerie come for dinner tonight too? She has nobody here. And I would…’

‘You’d feel better if she came?’ Cassian offered.

Nesta swallowed a bite of egg with a perfectly runny drizzle of yolk on top. ‘I need someone there tonight who will be on my side.’

‘I’m on your side,’ he protested, a note of hurt betraying his otherwise even tone.

‘Sometimes.’

A heavy air clung to the room as Cassian set his knife and fork down. It pushed down on Nesta’s shoulders. She shut her eyes and mumbled an apology for the word that had slipped out as barbed as she used to be. They were trying to move past it, trying to be better to each other.

‘There aren’t sides. It’s not you versus them. It won’t be like that. I promise. It won’t.’ Perhaps not so sure himself, Cassian shrugged one shoulder and resumed eating. ‘Of course Emerie can come.’

‘You don’t want to hear what I offer in exchange?’ Nesta coaxed, desperate to take the disappointment from her mate’s face. ‘I offered you a deal. In return for Emerie being my shield tonight, I would have agreed to whatever you wanted wherever you wanted it.’

Cassian’s head whipped up so fast from his plate, Nesta swore she heard his neck crack. He blinked. ‘Wherever as in… wherever. Like outside. If I wanted?’

‘Wherever,’ Nesta agreed. She held up a finger, ‘but since you have already agreed to Emerie’s visit I’m retracting the whatever part. We’ll save that for another time when I need to bargain with you again.’

‘Nesta Archeron, that is not fair.’

‘Shouldn’t have agreed so fast. It’s not my fault you’re so quick off the mark.’

Cassian slammed both hands down on the table making the dog jerk out of his sleep. ‘Rhys’ desk.’

‘Pardon?’

‘I’m fucking you on Rhys’ desk.’

Nesta screwed up her face in disgust. ‘You have the whole world at your disposal. There are hot springs in Illyria, for goodness sake, and your first thought is your high lord’s office?’

Scrubbing his face with his hands, Cassian hissed. ‘I need to think about this carefully.’

‘Well, when your downstairs brain has finished thinking, we ought to make our way to meet the others.’

Nesta watched from a window in the palace of moonstone as Helion arrived on a flying horse. She hadn’t wanted to be part of the welcoming committee – and surprisingly, Rhysand hadn’t pushed her to be involved. The Pegasus was utterly gorgeous; a black stallion with wings like scorched by the sun – and by the way Feyre was gazing at the beast, Nesta had no doubt there would be a painting of this beast soon enough.

The high lord dismounted, dark skin gleaming over the strong muscles of his thighs and legs, the golden sandals laced up around his calves. He was handsome. Beyond handsome. Helion carried no weapons – the only metal on him was the golden armband around one muscled bicep, fashioned after a snake, and the spiked golden crown atop his shoulder-length black hair.

The male greeted Rhysand first then Feyre, planting a kiss on her cheek. He leaned in towards Cassian, and for a heartbeat she thought he might be about to kiss the male too, but he merely made a comment that had Cassian sticking his middle finger up and Helion cracking up into booming laughter. That was who she’d learnt the gesture from then.

Nesta remained in the room with the Mask. Feyre has assured her that they would fill Helion in on the two items so Nesta did not need to recount the story again. She ensured she sat as far away from the Mask as she could, determined to prove to herself that its power held no sway over her.

Rhysand entered first, followed by the beautiful high lord of the Day Court. Helion offered a bow of his head, the epitome of courtly grace. ‘Lady Nesta.’

Nesta bobbed a curtsy in return. The high lord took her hands in his own, drawing them towards his muscled chest. ‘A pleasure to see you again.’

She surveyed him with her silver eyes for long enough that he shifted on his feet then frowned before pulling away from her assessing gaze. Cassian snorted from the doorway, rupturing the tension.

‘Where is the beautiful Morrigan? And the equally beautiful Azriel.’

‘Mor’s in Velaris. Az will be back later. We’ll be sure to position you between them at dinner,’ Rhys said with a wink.

The black velvet covering was taken off the Mask so that Helion could examine it. But as the ancient, beaten gold gleamed, Helion hissed. A cold, strange power filled the room, whispering like a chill breeze.

‘Cover that thing, Rhysand. I can’t stand it.’

For a long time, Helion taught Nesta how to ward the Mask and the Harp using her own blood. Fearing an audience might push her over the edge, Cassian had ushered everyone out - except Rhys. Nesta supposed it was his court, and to the male’s credit, he did not interrupt or interfere during Helion’s lessons. When it came to unlocking the wards, Nesta refused that ability. If either of the trove items called to her and she didn’t refuse, there had to be a blocker.

‘Show me, Helion. If we need the knowledge, I’ll show Nesta.’ Rhysand extended his fingers and Helion’s own laced within. Both pairs of eyes went vacant as they passed the knowledge silently.

Once both items had been warded by all three of them, Nesta’s chest loosened with relief. Helion, who she had discovered was extremely tactile, had her hand in his own again in the archway carved in the stone.

‘I must apologise Nesta, a long time ago you wrote in request of my libraries and I neglected to reply. I hope you can forgive me.’ His rich voice was like silk running over her bare body. ‘You must visit Day soon and you have full permission to explore every inch of my court.’

Her face heated without warning. She risked a glance towards the others where Cassian stood with his feet planted, staring at Helion as though he was imagining the best way to kill the male.

Nesta slipped her hand free. ‘Thank you. I shall take you up on the offer of exploring the libraries only.’

Velaris was not that bad, she could admit. The size of it had overwhelmed Nesta when they had first come here; she had never seen a city before and this one was utterly enormous. But she had been afraid then, trapped up in the House of Wind, and the sprawling city was full of fae she didn’t know how to feel around. The only parts Nesta saw after the war were the taverns – and most of those she only recognised under the cover of darkness.

Cassian had taken her into shop after shop to show off all the wonderful things his city had to offer like a proud child displaying items he had collected. When they sat at a little table outdoors by the Sidra River eating lunch, watching the world pass them by, she examined the various shop fronts. One was a grubby little thing, completely at odds with the gleaming glass and polished frames either side of it. She jolted when she realised it was a dank hole that she’d spent many evenings drinking straight spirits in. She wished she’d have found the sanctuary of a tea house rather than the unsavoury sorts in taverns; ones who were all too keen to take advantage of her.

They continued on through the remaining two market squares. Cassian strode through, hand locked in hers, proud to be seen with her. One square, the Palace of Hoof and Lead, was crammed with vendors selling meat, produce, prepared food, livestock, confections and spices. They stuffed brown paper bags with boiled sweets and sugar covered confectionaries for Lule and Lorin to gorge on.

‘Who is the third bag for?’

‘Um. Tamlin,’ Nesta lied, blood scorching in her cheeks.

‘It’s for you, isn’t it?’

‘We should buy a bone for Zasha,’ she said, zipping past him towards a butcher to change the topic. His deep, rich laugh followed her though, and with it came a feeling of warmth. Nesta had begun to realise now that Cassian’s laughter wasn’t always to mock her or rile her blood. That it came freely and often – and she quite enjoyed the sound of it.

It was when they reached the book shop that Nesta’s pupils dilated. She reminded Cassian of his bargain that he would be paying. He laughed again, saying he was wise to save his money all this time in a bank.

After an afternoon spent back in Illyria throwing a leather ball to the dog and lounging on the couch with one of her new books, the evening dawned. With it, came the good news that Amren had gone to visit Varian so would not be at the dinner.

They ambushed Emerie just as she was about to close her shop for the day with the news that she would be dining with the high lord and lady that evening. She’d taken one look between Nesta and Cassian then dragged the former into the shop by her sleeve.

‘Why have I got to go?’ She demanded, hands on her hips.

‘I’m not going alone.’

‘You have Cassian. I don’t know any of these people. They rule my home - sometimes.’ Emerie threw her tanned hands into the air, ‘I threw up on one of them, Nesta.’

‘Don’t you dare leave me. I’ll throw up if you’re not there.’

They hissed and squabbled out of ear shot until Cassian called through the door asking if they were ready.

‘Please,’ Nesta begged. ‘A kelpie nearly killed me a couple of days ago. What if I’d have died? You’d never have this opportunity.’

Emerie scrunched up her face incredulously. ‘You have spent too much time with Balthazar. Fine. Fine. You owe me for this. Big time.’

***

Cassian flew them all the way from Windhaven to Velaris without stopping for a rest with a female tucked under each arm. He made a comment about his impressive stamina which earned a disgruntled noise from both females. It was two against one; Nesta and Emerie had fused together, combining their strength to cackle at anything he said or did as if he were nothing more than a toad. Witches.

If Rhys or Feyre were shocked by Emerie’s appearance in their home, neither of them passed comment. Cassian would take the brunt of that for forgetting to give a prior warning. There was space at the long dining table in the river house though – but if there wasn’t then Cassian knew Nesta would have been delighted because it would have given them an escape.

Most of them were already seated; Rhys sat at the head, brow scrunched as he read a report that Lucien had handed to him. The red-haired male had dressed elegantly for the occasion and sat to the high lord’s right, watching his expression carefully. On the other side of Rhys, Mor rocked back in her chair with Helion already whispering in her ear and twirling a lock of her blonde hair around his finger. Azriel, stone faced beside them, practically sagged with relief when they entered and gestured to the spare one next to him. They found another chair for Emerie to accommodate her wings, so she and Nesta sat opposite them.

When the remaining Archerons entered, Elain’s eyes widened. There was a seat at the head of the table, opposite Rhysand, or a spare one between Nesta and Lucien. They all pretended they did not notice Elain’s hesitation, even as it bloomed to an awkward stalemate where she stood rooted to the floor.

‘I will sit by my big sister and the male with the best manners,’ said Feyre brightly, pushing Elain towards the other end of the room and taking the unwanted chair.

Elain smiled pleasantly as she took up the seat at the head of the table beside Cassian and Emerie - and Lucien displayed his polished manners by acting as if he had not felt the snub of his mate resolutely not wanting to sit by him. Feyre and Rhys spoke silently to each other until the pained quiet became noticeable. Even Helion had stopped pawing at Mor and sat with his hands folded in his lap.

‘And you didn’t want to come to this,’ Cassian said, gesturing towards Nesta and Emerie.

The laughter at the females’ expense broke the tension, and Nesta gave him a look that meant trouble, but the room had given a collective sigh of relief.

As they began on a starter of tomato and chilli soup, he was glad to see conversations trickle off around the table. Nesta was even questioning Feyre on her paintings and when she would see a Pegasus painting hanging on the wall. Elain, blushing furiously still from her social faux pas, made forced conversation with Emerie.

When the main course was brought out with a wave of Rhys’ magic, Nesta mouthed across the table to him, ‘One course down. Two to go.’

As the wine flowed around the table, the conversations grew easier. When the stoic shadowsinger started hiccupping, it had everybody around the table laughing. Cassian couldn’t help the swell of joy when he watched Nesta tip her head back in laughter. Her untamed laughter was the rarest jewel.

In a lull at their end of the table, they caught part of the conversation at the other end.

‘Eris is a snake,’ Lucien said, a glimmer of warning in his voice, ‘but even snakes can have their uses.’

Mor let out a snort as she filled her glass of wine to the brim. ‘The only good thing Eris Vanserra has ever done was not condemn me to a life shackled to him.’

Nesta’s fork clattered against her empty plate loudly.

‘Excuse me a moment.’

Her face had turned beetroot red – which was not missed by anybody in the room as she practically sprinted out of the doorway.

‘Is she alright?’ Feyre murmured, peering beyond the door frame though Nesta’s steps thundered up the stairs.

Cassian risked a glance to Emerie opposite him. ‘You or me?’

Emerie looked at the diners gathered and decided she’d rather face Nesta than be alone with her high lord and lady. ‘I’ll go.’

When Emerie’s steps faded up the stairs, Mor let out a laugh. ‘I still can’t believe she vomited on me at the Blood Rite party.’

‘I think she cannot either,’ Rhys said with a wink. ‘She’s not been able to look at you all night.’

Azriel narrowed his eyes at Nesta and Emerie when they returned to the dining room. Both of their faces were flushed as if caught in the middle of a scandal. They both walked awkwardly too, like trying to remember how to do it naturally. Pudding had been brought out while they were gone and they both seated themselves and stared down at the hot apple pie.

‘Are you two okay?’ Feyre asked, examining the stiff way they slid into their chairs, how neither female could look at each other.

‘We’re fine,’ Nesta squeaked, voice an octave higher than usual. Emerie nodded in agreement, guzzling a glass of wine.

Once the conversation started up again, Cassian couldn’t help but watch the two females opposite him. Azriel even nudged his knee and gave a questioning look. Nesta kept staring at her own plate, eyes as wide as saucers, unable to master her emotions. Every now and then her brow would scrunch up or the corner of her mouth would twitch and Emerie would snort with laughter – or one would kick the other under the table to stop it. Emerie was unable to look at anybody. Azriel had leaned over to ask a question about the dresses she planned to sell from Rovena, but Emerie had looked at the ceiling then to the cabinet behind his head rather than in Azriel’s eyes until she burst into giddy laughter that Nesta joined in with.

‘Are they alright?’ Az murmured in his ear as the group dispersed to one of the living rooms.

‘I have no idea.’

***

Nesta took a moment to try and compose herself in the dining room once the others shuffled off to a living room. She took a shaky breath and stared at the black Sidra that glittered under the streetlights as a way to ground herself. A soft scuffle behind her signalled movement, but it was too dainty for Cassian.

‘What part of “don’t react” did you not understand?’ Nesta blew out a breath and turned, expecting to see Emerie waiting for her. Morrigan, resplendent in red, stood paces away. Her long, blonde tresses fell in a wave down her back and she stepped forwards with enviable confidence.

‘Nesta.’

The smile faded as Nesta squared her jaw. ‘Morrigan.’

‘I thought we could talk,’ Mor suggested, waving her wrist so the door closed. Nesta could not help but feel as if it were a trap and readied her arsenal of vicious words - but she had dragged Emerie here, had promised herself she would try for Cassian’s sake so that he and his family did not drift further apart. She swallowed the insults and the venom then took a seat on a cushioned chair, hands placed on top of each other like a queen receiving a guest.

‘Things have changed with you and Cassian.’

Nesta wasn’t sure if it was a question or a statement. Tersely, she nodded her head.

‘We haven’t always seen eye to eye. You might be Cassian’s mate, but he is like a brother to me. I will protect him, Nesta, and I’ll always be on his side.’

Mor stood in a stance to remind Nesta why the soldiers whispered of the Morrigan during the war; that this female had slayed enemies for centuries. Nesta might have let it slide if she was in a charitable mood – but Nesta was not. She did not need a warning – and Cassian certainly didn’t need protection – but if that was the game that Morrigan wanted to play then Nesta sure as hell was going to win.

‘That’s fine. I have no intentions of hurting him, but I’d like to issue the same warning to you, Morrigan. You might be Eris’ mate, but he is like a brother to me.’

Going ghostly white, Mor recoiled until her back hit the wall. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

Nesta hummed in satisfaction then drummed her fingers on the arms of the chair awaiting Mor’s next move after her flat-out denial had failed.

‘He told you that?’ Mor whispered, hands trembling.

‘Only that he had a mate and he gave her everything she wanted. You gifted me the final piece of the puzzle: what you wanted was not him. And if he touched you, he claimed you. It’s why you can’t be near him, isn’t it? You’re afraid someone will scent the bond.’

When Mor said nothing, Nesta took that as a confession in itself. Too much wine had made Mor’s lips loose. Had gifted Nesta too much information.

‘He’s a horrible, wicked creature, Nesta.’

Nesta tutted. ‘Quite the contrary. He’s charming, intelligent, fantastic work-ethic. I lived with him, remember. I don’t know who fed you those lies to begin with, Morrigan, but they are false. The heart that beats in Eris' chest is worthy of love.’

When a tear leaked from Mor’s brown eyes, Nesta should have felt a stab of pity. Should have felt guilt that this female was so rattled by the revelation she’d been keeping to her chest for five hundred years. But Nesta did not.

‘He holds it above me at every opportunity. I didn't know until he found me in the woods. I felt it snap then. I'd heard he was cruel and twisted like Beron. He taunts me that he will tell my family.’

Nesta cocked an eye brow. ‘And why is that a bad thing?’

‘It’s Eris fucking Vanserra. I am nothing like him,’ she snarled.

‘No, I mean why is it so bad if your family know? If they love you, it shouldn’t matter to them who the Cauldron mated you with. Your family ought to love you unconditionally regardless. Oh, wait a moment, wasn’t it you who told my mate that I should be thrown in the Court of Nightmares?’

‘Nesta, please. Please. This is my secret to tell. Please do not tell them. Not even Cassian.’

‘I thought he was like your brother?’ Nesta said with a derisive laugh. She had to admit she was enjoying making Mor stew in her panic. But she was not a sadist. At least not today.

‘Fortunately for you, I happen to be very fond of Eris. Eris has kept your secret for five centuries, so I suppose I shall extend the courtesy. But keep his name out of your mouth. If you can’t say anything nice then don’t say anything at all. Are we quite clear? That goes for Eris – and for me.’

[shitty17]

Rating every Gordon Freeman

Half life 1 gordon

Beloved and classic. Cannot beat the original! You gotta respect your roots. The man who started it all. He’s a tough quiet little redhead with a fun little pony tail. Fascinating design choices lead him to be a regular blank slate character who you can still pick out of the mass of similar ones by his iconic goatee and glasses. The early 90s art did a good job of showing you “this isn’t a giant beast of a killer man, this is your 40 something geometry teacher in a microwave with a gun” and that set the WHOLE precedent for Gordon’s character for me. The glasses, goatee, and defined cheek lines that seemed to be in every half life model at the time age him a touch more than 27, but if you stare at him long enough you can believe it. Plus, not a lot of detail to glean from a low poly model anyhow. His expression shows him as cool, level headed, and focused. He’s so fucking ORANGE holy shit. This is our very first Gordon! The fucking sexy SNATCHED little waist and chicken neck give him extra points for being a shitty little skinny legend. The metal diaper and looking like he’s about to give me detention because I spoke too loud in class docks tho.

9/10 Beloved classic Gordon who’s flaws can easily be waved away with “it was our first try”, and yet also make him a fun original stand out character.

Half life 2 Gordon

He is no longer my pain in the ass highschool teacher, he is now my bitchy gay college TA who rolls his eyes when the professor says some dumb shit and looks WAY too much like House MD if you get too close. Props for consistencey, this really is just a dolled up version of low poly Gordon. Still got his heavy brow and aged face creases so he looks more like a 30 something dad than a 27 y/o scientist, but that can be blamed on all the stress. Hes got bigger prettier eyes now. He’s still remaining cool and focused, but he’s getting upset. He’s getting distracted. He’s had enough already. And yet, he still finds it in himself to keep going. The new HEV is a VERY sexy little upgrade, maintaining core features such as keeping that waist cinched, and supporting his skinny chicken neck. Finally got RID of that diaper and replaced it with a stylish yet flirty dragon underbelly scale set. It do kinda give the vibe that his dick out tho, which is both hilarious and also pretty ballsy, pun not intended. The colors are not so orange now, which is good! Balanced it out with a lot of grey. Makes him easier to look at, but a little easier to glaze over. Everyone from my generation will know Gordon Freeman by these images, they’re iconic. A good medium between “a regular guy” and “rough tough white mchandsome fps protagonist”. Hairs a lil more of a pretty chestnut brown and still got that nice warm red tone to it. I can’t tell if these images are so iconic that it’s seen as the norm, or if I’ve seen this guys face so much that I’m used to it by now, but he does give off “just kinda of a mediocre guy design wise”. I like that about him. Gordon Freeman just being a regular dude is huge and important to his character. He’s been upgraded to be sleeker and cooler and that’s got him serious traction amongst fans but he falls a bit more to the “generic badass” bin with this. Still, a lot to love.

8/10: Brilliant, iconic, handsome, sleek, and cool to look at, but making him easy to sell action figures of detracts from his character. An upgrade visually but has yet to convince me that he really is as cool as he looks.

Half-life: Alyx

Sweet holy mother of Jesus Christ our lord.

Like. Where do I start. Okay I’ll start with the obvious. He’s cute now. He’s super fucking cute now. He no longer looks like Walter white. He looks like a young man. He looks like a barista you would get at Starbucks who’s voice has deepened from 5 years of T and he tells you to “have a nice day :)” in the sweetest of tones and you really do have a nice day because of it. He’s got big ole peepers now. His old man wrinkles have smoothed out. He’s got noticable birthmarks and freckles. His cranium is regular sized now instead of cartoonishly massive, making his hairline look less like it’s receding.

But also? The most important part? Even when he looks angry, even when he puts back on the cool focused serious look? Even when he tries to put on his classic badass look? It’s not convincing anyone any more. We know now. We know this is just a young man in a HEV suit. He’s not indestructible, he’s scared. Look at him. He clings to these weapons because they’re the only thing stopping everything else in the world from killing him. His brows are furrowed not because he’s pissed with blind rage, but because he has to focus and think and be careful or else he will get dropped. He’s hurt. He has taken damage to his suit. He is not indestructible unstoppable badass or the idol of freedom he’s been made out to be, he’s been sold as. This is a man. This is your friend. He needs your help as much as you need his. This in particular reflects the plight of society nowadays. In 2020, we have less and less faith in our governments and ruling classes, and the only faith we have left is feeling vulnerable and asking for help. This Gordon is relatable. This Gordon shows pain. This Gordon needs his family as much as they need him. This Gordon is being pushed too far, but he still says he can take it. This Gordon is way more badass.

They fucking nailed it. They made a perfect Gordon Freeman. I straight up could look at this dude for hours. He’s so cute I need to give him a bowl of soup and a kiss.

10/10. Unreal.

Bonus!

10000/10 if you squint Lamarrs eyes can look like Gordon’s eyebrows.

[misselko]

LIONESS

Warnings: Angst, fluff, small violence

Words: 20.130

 

“Begin.”

Loud clashing of lances can be heard through Garreg Mach hallway.

The red-haired skirt chaser barely able to hear you said it when you rushed him. Sylvain knew that he should focus on his strikes.  He didn’t have time to be impressed at this small, petite girl that is jabbing her lance so fast against him. Devastatingly fast. And strikingly strong. ‘It is such a wonder how a small, petite body like hers held so much power’. That’s the last thing that passed his mind before (Y/N)’s lance has cracked so loudly against his that he thought it might snap. Beautiful, fierce, deadly (E/C) orbs that staring into his soul has captivated the Gautier heir and got him hard knock on his shin, felling him over.

“Whoa there! I yield. You do like it rough, don’t you, (Y/N)?” Sylvain raise his hands on the air with and winks seductively. Rolling your eyes, you put a light tap on his neck at his remarks.

“Though she be but little, she is fierce. (Y/N) is the youngest among us, but she is indeed a Lioness!” Dimitri claps over your third in a row winning for today. You beat Felix in sword and Dimitri in the lance spar.

“That’s what you get for skipping classes, Sylvain. And.. keep up with your solid techniques, excellent moves, and rapid quick footwork, (Y/N). That’s all for our combat class today,” said Professor.

“She’s a few inch shorter than me but she had effortlessly defeated Blue Lions’ strongest lancer and swordsman! That’s my favourite lil sis (Y/N) for you!! ” said Annette giddily. She hugs you in a death grip embrace and sings her silly song.

Everyone are so nice to you, to the point of spoiled rotten! Especially Ingrid and Mercie! They are like your big sisters, always offering their help to ride pegasi and give endless supplies of baked sweets that you love very much. Felix is kinda harsh and always eager to spar with you, but he’s the first person to get angry when someone bullies you because you are so small. So kind, almost feel like a big brother! Dimitri helps you with your late night studies and picking books in the higher shelves on the library a lot. Dedue and Ashe cook dinner together with you on your duty day.

They see (Y/N) as the sweet smol bean that has to be protected at all cost!

“Are you free tonight, Munchkin?” Care to join me to visit the town and get something to eat? I know this little restaurant that has nice dessert! My treat, of course! Think of it as a token of congratulations from me on your brilliance today!” Sylvain put his hand on your shoulder in a friendly gesture and wink seductively.

“Seteth will scold us for sure, Syl! This is the fourth or fifth time we went for a late dinner this week,” you pout at his invitation. “He won’t. I’ll walk you back before curfew as usual. Don’t want my Kitten to get  hurt on her way back. Night walk can be dangerous, you know.”

“Why you are being so nice to me, Syl... Your girls will be upset and kill me for sure.”

“Nah.. I don’t have any! It would be a shame to waste such a beautiful evening alone. Besides, I don’t want to let my Munchkin starved in her sleep! Not to mention that you just looked awfully cute with your cheeks stuffed.” You smacked his shin and rewarded with a loud yelp from him.  “Lead the way. And.. it’s not like I like it or something like that, you know! Don’t get any wrong ideas,” you hide your blush and took his huge hand in your tiny ones.

The food was delightful as usual and Sylvain stay true to his words about going back before the curfew.

As you both closed the large door’s that marked the dormitory, you were greeted by the crisp spring night. Warm wind passed over your forms, and crickets chirped in the night.

“While we’re at it, how about a little board games rematch at my quarters? I got a new strategy to show you, Syl!”

“Bring it on then, (Y/N)! Let’s bring some sweet buns as usual to snack on later as well, then.”

“It’s a deal!”

“I’d think playing it on the bed would be more comfortable than doing it on the floor. You might catch another cold and passed out like last month in my room. It scared the living daylights out of me! Nope, never trying that again.”

“It’s not fun being frail and get sick easily.” You sigh.

“No problem. Think of it as a good chance for me to get to carry you around in my arms. For our weddi-- Ouch!!” he faux a sad face melodramatically when you punch his hand away playfully. “You might be small and petite but these hands are a force to be reckoned with. You’re as strong as a lioness,” said the philanderer as he ruffled your hair affectionately.

 

It was such a beautiful night.

---

“Do you have a moment, Miss (Y/N)? I have something important to tell you regarding my research and your Crest. We can discuss it in more detailed manner in my research room,” Professor Hanneman ask you out of the blue after the afternoon battle strategy class.

 

“Crest? But I’m sure I don’t have any, Professor! It’s stated as clear as a day in my enrollment documents, isn’t it?”

 

“There’s a mistake, Miss (Y/N). And I sworn it on my name as the Father of Crestology, you do HAVE a Crest. A Major one at that! Congratulations! I have sent a letter to your family and inform other Professors and your House Leader regarding this matter. I have my suspicion about your Crests since I watch your  prowess at combat and when it activates, the timing, and the flash of....”

 

You are a bit shocked about this and decided to ignore this fact, having a hard time to process this shocking information. Your family and other members of Blue Lions will be very surprised of this information. Is it going to be a good thing or not? Professor Hanneman’s murmurs fell on your deaf ears as you politely excuse yourself out of his room. ‘It’ll be better to keep this as a secret to avoid unwanted attention nor unnecessary commotion’ you think to yourself.

---

Moons have passed. Then the night of the ball came. Urged by your curiosity, you are eager to wait for your true love at the Goddess Tower. You were hardly expecting to see Sylvain, of all people. The surprise at seeing each other was mutual. The both of you stood there for a moment, simply enjoying the scene before you. You wrapped your arms around yourself to stave off the chill that went down your spine, shuffling closer to the older man.

 

“Do you even believe the rumors about this place?” he asked as he lay his uniform coat over your shivering form. “My curiosity gets the best of me. But am glad to find you here, Syl.”

 

“Huh.” Sylvain went quiet, his face etched with contemplation. After he thought about it a little, he let out a huff of breath and frowned.

 

“Well, the person I’m interested in... is already here. You’re here alone. I’m here alone. I was thinking maybe....”

“Wait. Me?”

“Well, of course! We’re the only two people here, aren’t we? I keep thinking about it, and it just makes sense. My Crest and yours...”

“How did you...?”

“Dimitri told me. I have confirmed it with Professor Hanneman as well. A Major one, he said. So lucky.”

He looked down at you menacingly. Your eyes were averted away from his, looking away into the distance. “What do you mean? I’m still me, Syl.  Crest or no Crest.”

Despite your dismissive answer, something changed in his expression. He took his hands from behind his neck and stalked towards you. This wasn’t at all like the kind and flirty Sylvain you loved. He’s... different.

“You know what? I’m a bit jealous. The whole time you were growing up, you never knew you had a Crest. You were free. Nobody pretended to like you. I kind of hate you for that...” he slammed you hard against the wall behind you. Strangled pained noise came from you.

His knees rest on either side of your petite body and his arms cage your head, his much bigger hand grasp yours roughly. “All you’re worth to me is a little bit of fun. We’ve been having fun, haven’t we? I thought that you understood,” Sylvain’s face a mere inch from yours, glaring daggers at you. You can feel your tears begin welling, threatening to spill at his words.

 

“Is that really what you think of me? I thought... I was different. So… our friendship has just been for nothing?” you muttered quietly, holding back your sobs.

 

He scoffed. “Of course you are. You’re just some dumb noble looking for crest babies. You never meant anything to me.” His rejection was validation of your worst fear, that you were just like every other girl. Your friendship had all fallen apart and meant nothing for him.

 

“Playing around with girls is the most fun a guy can have. Besides, I don’t care what you think of me. I don’t intend to change how I live my life. I’m a good-for-nothing, if you haven’t noticed, but I’m still a noble with a Crest. That’s all anyone cares about. It’s best to avoid getting too serious with fools like me.” His expression darkens and unreadable. The carefree mask was long gone.

 

“My Crest bring me nothing but pain. I thought maybe...if I made someone else suffer, it might help me feel better.” His hand shot up and grabbed you by your throat. Sylvain held you in front of him, tightened his grip, choking you hard. His caramel eyes glowed dark with excitement.

 

“Unnnghhh......Syl....”

You tried to squirm away but he clamped his hand tighter, making it harder for you to breathe. Your legs felt weak and limp. The pain was too intense.

 

“You were a spoiled brat who should pay for that Crest. Maybe I’ll collect the debt.” His expression dark as he looked up at you.

 

Focusing yourself, you punch his jaw as hard as you can. To your surprise, a blinding flash of your Crest shows up when you smack him as hard as you can, making Sylvain flinch in pain, dropping you with a loud thud on the cold floor. You stumbled back and dropped to your knees. Gasping for air, you tried to rub the pain from your throat, doing your best to pick yourself up.

 

“Sylvain Jose Gautier!  I care not for your Crest nor title! It means nothing to me. I like.. no, love you because you are the strongest, kindest, funniest, and the most caring person that I know. Even you are such a skirt chaser, but you always very considerate and protective of me. I never felt this way before about someone. This is my first time but... This… This was a mistake. Sorry. I hope.. you find your own happiness someday,” you said, your voice is raspy from his deadly grip and your sadness. Tears were finally flowing freely from you.

 

Sylvain’s posture becoming rigid despite his feigned relaxed position. “H-hey,” Sylvain said, his voice softened somewhat. “Please, don’t cry. I’m sorry...”, he tried to pat your head, but you step back instinctively. The red head flinch and turned away when he saw angry purplish hue on your neck. Guilt began creeping on his conscience.

 

“I believe you. You’re not a bad person, Sylvain, no matter what anyone says. I care about you. Our friendship, dinners, late nights walk and banters... I cherished them a lot. Really, I do. I love you, Sylvain.” You couldn’t meet his eyes, couldn’t look at anything besides the floor. “That’s what I came to tell you, but... nevermind. Good night, Syl. I’ll see you tomorrow in class.”

 

“Did you mean that? (Y/N), wait!” He spoke with disbelief.

“Why would I lie?” you asked, hardly audible. “Goodbye, Syl.”

 

His pleas fell on deaf ears as you dash yourself as fast as possible from Goddess Tower, locking yourself inside your quarters, clutching to Sylvain’s uniform coat, while crying yourself to sleep.

---

That’s the last thing that you can remember from your Academy Days. Things were never the same since that night. You never talk to the playboy ever again since that incident. No more night walks or late board games. When you have to work together in weekly duty, there’s an unseen awkward distance and heavy tension between you two.

 

The notorious philanderer went back into his old ways, going around with a different girl each day. You often catch him glimpse at you with eyes full of remorse and sadness (mostly when he thinks you aren’t looking or noticing). Everyone in the Blue Lions noticed the changes between your relationship but being very considerate of your feelings and trying to not mention anything about it.

 

Your Father called you back home because of his grave illness in Pegasus Moon, insisting you to leave the Officers Academy behind. Blue Lions was taken aback and sad with your abrupt leave. Going back to your home in Fhirdiad, days flies in a blur motion into moons and years.

---

It’s been 5 years since you left your Academy days in Garreg Mach.

A bloody coup led by Cornelia causes Duke Rufus and Dimitri both to be apparently killed. Her  tyranny left Fhirdiad in poor state with poverty and famine. Holy Kingdom of Faerghus thrown into disarray condition with their Prince’s disappearance. The nation is plagued by civil strife and hardship.

 

With the vast majority of the former Kingdom lords having bent the knee to the overwhelming power of the Empire, all Blaiddyd territory, including the Kingdom capital, is ruled by those who are cooperating with the Empire, and is thus renamed the Faerghus Dukedom. Houses Fraldarius and Gautier were left to spearhead the resistance as the primary opponents of the Dukedom.

 

As the legitimate Marchioness of your major noble house in Blaiddyd territory after her Father’s passing, (Y/N) decided to keep on fighting against Empire until the bitter end, along with Houses of Fraldarius, Gautier, and Galatea. You keep maintain close relationships them, mostly with the neighbouring Houses, Fraldarius and Galatea. Whether it may be reinforcements soldiers to House Fraldarius or stock supplies to House Galatea, you are so much eager to give it all (sometimes by going there personally—much to your advisors’ dismay) to aid them.  Being always giving or adding the most relevant information about current war state developments made you overjoyed when you heard about the news of Dimitri’s plan to recapture Fhirdiad.

---

It’s been forever since your last time fighting on the battlefield. Reclaiming the capital is a daunting task with shortage of soldiers and resources. Rodrigue’s death is a devastating blow to Faerghus’ military strength and resources. Not to mention that House Gautier and Galatea has any resources to spare. With limited resource of your own House, you decided to prioritize evacuation of Faerghus’ citizens and helping Blue Lions to the utmost.

 

Dimitri marches for Fhirdiad, causing the oppressed citizens to revolt against Cornelia’s tyranny People are rebelling against Cornelia and Fhirdiad has turned into a gruesome battlefield. Fire was everywhere The sound of metals echoed loudly in your ears. Large Titanus crowded the streets and wreaking havoc upon buildings and citizens. With your sword in your hands, you leap and cut through Kingdom Soldiers that is preparing to activate Viskam turrets against Felix.

 

You pushed forward with great caution. When you are done helping a pair of elders and children under the rubbles to evacuate, you saw him. Sylvain. Fighting over a mage and a large Titanus all by himself. Did he get separated? He barely dodged a fireball when you strike down that mage.

 

“Munchki--!” He gasped, surprised to see you back.

“Watch out, Syl!”

You leap in front of him, parrying and slash back at the Titanus’ large appendages that is going to smash him. Sylvain cast a Ragnarok and taking down the golem-like creature with a loud explosion, sending flying debris everywhere. He gasped, grabbed your arm and pulled you out of the way. 

 

“Ugh... that hurts. Are you okay, Munchkin?” He was trapped under the rubbles and the first thing that he asked is your safety?

“W-why did you do that, Syl? You got hurt protecting me. Didn’t you want to kill me?”, you said as you helped him out from the rubble.  Fortunately he is okay aside from a few scratch and bruises.

 

“When I thought you were going to be killed for real, my reflexes kicked in. I reacted without thinking. It doesn’t mean I’ve stopped being jealous of you. But, come on, I can’t help looking up to you.” He look at you with eyes full of worry and sadness.

 

“Sylvain..... Well.. It’s been awhile, but as much as I want to chat with you, we have to help Professor and Dimitri first. Cornelia has brought us so many sufferings. Now’s the time to put an end to all of this. And... thank you, Syl.” He nods and push forward to throw his lance at a Pegasus Knight that is fighting against Ingrid.

 

“I will go to deactivate Titanus’ lever. I know its location and it will help everyone tremendously against that gigantic monster! I’ll open Fhirdiad’s secret passages within my House territory to help everyone to get better access to Cornelia. When I’m done with it, I’ll regroup with reinforcement soldiers from my House to evacuate more citizens on the east side of Royal Capital, then go to help Dimitri fighting against Cornelia. See you later, Syl. Please stay safe.” You bid your farewell and run through smaller alley path, doing your missions, leaving Sylvain astonished at your very thorough, detailed plans.

 

Without the Titanus, Cornelia only has archers as her backups. As you take the archers down with Felix and Annette, Professor and Dimitri are working together to close in on her and take her down. It was a gruesome battle, but thanks to everyone’s efforts, casualties were kept to minimum and reclaiming Fhirdiad is a big success after Cornelia has been defeated.

---

It may be spring, but the nights are quite chilly here in Fhirdiad. The people are rejoicing at the return of their King. After a hard won battle of reclaiming Royal Capital of Fhirdiad, celebratory feast shows no sign of stopping. Growing weary of the festivities, you decided to excuse yourself from the banquet at the castle balcony.

“Munchkin. Here you are. His Highness has been looking for you. He wanted to express his gratitude for your loyalty and huge help at reclaiming Fhirdiad.”

“Good evening, Syl. We just did our utmost to help. Fhirdiad’s  peace and safety of the Blue Lions is of the most important thing for me, after all.”

A moment of silence passed where both of you stayed still, just basking in the moonlight and enjoying each others’ presence for a while.

“I’m sorry. I really am.” You are taken aback when Sylvain bows his head deeply in front of you.

“I know I messed up really bad and it’s fair enough if you can’t find it in your heart to forgive me. My jealousy got the best of me and it has brought you so much harm. Most girls just want me for my title or my Crest, and when I thought that it was the same for you, I… I was the one who made a mistake. I’m sorry, truly I am.” Peeking at him from the corner of your eye, you could see the furrow of Sylvain’s brows, the frowning twist of his lips. It was a look you’d never seen on him. Regret and pain. He looks so vulnerable. Somehow, you didn’t doubt the apology.

“Please elaborate, Syl.”

“Since I bear a Crest, my parents made sure I was never left wanting. My older brother didn’t have one, and so when I was born, he was pushed aside. My mere existence stole everything from him. There’s so many people that want to get close to me because of my crest. Because of something I didn’t even want to be born with. I wish I could have cared as little about my Crest as you do yours...,” he grimaces, running a hand through his hair briskly. “Women smile at me for the same reason my parents adored me...and my brother wanted me dead. And I have to meet them all with a smile because I have a Crest.” Sylvain purses his lips.

 

“But you–you’ve never treated me differently. Always being there for me and understand me, and…and–I like you, (Y/N). No. I love you so much that it scared me. A lot,” he says, closing his eyes.

 

“You say that, but it doesn’t excuse the things you’ve done.” You didn’t want to look at him, didn’t want to let him see mixed expression you were making at  his sudden confession but you knew he was looking at you. Intently.

 

“I was devastated when you left Garreg Mach years ago. I lost you once and I won’t let it happen again. So.... what I’m saying is…” he hesitated and briefly appeared at a loss of words which is very unlike of him.

He hugs you closer very tightly it hurts, cradling you gently against his chest. This close, you can feel the rapid pace of his heart and his nervousness. “Can you give me a second chance?” Sylvain’s touch was awkward and clumsy.

“......I will. But first… Please let me go, Syl. You are crushing me.”

Sylvain paused, as if unsure. “Did you mean that?” Vulnerability colored his tone, softened it. “I’d like to be a man who deserves that. Who deserves you. Even if you want nothing to do with me, one day I will find a way to make it up to you, to earn your forgiveness. I promise.” His voice wasn’t strong with his infamous flirtatious bravado. It was sincere.

 

“You’re so much more than just your Crest or your status, Sylvain Jose Gautier.” Taking his much bigger hand in your tiny ones, you smiled and whisper it against his hand. “You are the most amazing, kind, strongest, and nice man for me. Your path is your own.  I love you just the way you are, Sylvain. Crest or no Crest.” His face turned dark red instantly redder than his hair at your words. Sylvain.exe has stopped working

“You are going to be the death of me, Munchkin!!” Sylvain yells frantically. You can see his ears flushed furious red. He can die happy now. Goddess Sothis please take his soul.

“Why you still call me Munchkin, Syl?” you asked much to your curiousity. “It’s been years but you barely grow a few inch! But y-Ouch!! He yelps when you jab at his stomach. “But you have... grown into a fine, smart, and beautiful woman.”

 

“Time hasn’t been so kind to me in these past years, Syl. After my Father’s passing, I have to succeed him. Being a Marchioness isn’t an easy task but I learned so much and am still learning.”

 

“My sincerest condolences for your loss. But... he must be very proud of you, Munchkin. You will be a great Marchioness. Strong, thorough, quick-witted, and lovely as a—”

“Flattery won’t get you anywhere, Mr. Gautier.” You rolled your eyes at him. The redhead laughs softly and embrace you in his arms.

 

“When this war is over, will you come with me to my homeland? It’s time for the first step in the right direction. I don’t want to marry a girl who wants to use me for my Crest or a girl who someone else chose for me. I want to marry someone I really care about. With you by my side, I’m excited to find out what this new way of life is all about. (Y/N), I’m serious. Marry me. I’d do anything for you. I’m done lying, especially to myself. I’m going to spend the rest of our lives together trying to make you happy. I promise.”

 

 “I’d like to.... introduce you to my parents. They’d love to have a new Gauti—Gyaahh!!!” He shrieked when you stomped your feet on him. “I’m so DONE with you, Syl!!” you said with exasperated look, looking away trying to hide the rising heat in your cheeks. ‘A future with Sylvain...’

 

There’s a pause when you catch his gaze and find something vulnerable there, something familiar. The flicker of hope, mirrored in your expression. It’s as if everything falls into place and clicks. Then his lips were on yours, soft and hesitant, so unlike his usual self. Your eyes fluttered shut, your lips moulding against his, as his hand came up to cup your cheek. It was all the confession you needed.

 

“I will, Syl. I promise.”

---

Bonus:

When Professor and the Blue Lions heard about your new relationship with Sylvain, they offer you heartfelt congratulations and throw a little dinner party. Dimitri is OVERJOYED and sobs a little when he saw you are radiating with so much happiness. Back then in your Academy days, he was the one who worry about you the most when Sylvain treated you poorly, after all. Ashe and Dedue throw a lavish dinner to celebrate (Y/N) and Sylvain’s relationship that evening. Mercedes and Annette provide everyone with tasty sweets and dessert. It was a heartwarming small party among Blue Lions members.

Sadly, Sylvain didn’t get to celebrate it together. Rumors had it that Felix and Ingrid has beaten him to a bloody pulp (with Professor’s EXCLUSIVE permission) because he made you their lovely sweet lil sis wept and hurt. Sylvain kept on mumbling something between “Don’t ever hitting another girl”, “RUIN his Lance of Ruin”, “Don’t ever taint her”, or “You’re finished”. Even the kind and benevolent Mercie turned her back and refuse to heal Sylvain. The Gautier heir almost went to hell that evening.

 

The poor, traumatized philanderer will changing his ways for the better for sure.

[meloswifeyyy]

Relationship Alphabet

A - Attitude

Who often has the worst Attitude ?

Well, you obviously. Most of the time because you are hungry or you and Melo just got out of an argument. Melo usually fucks the attitude out of you anywhere, anytime tho.

B - Baby

Who wants Babies the most - first ?

Melo. He often jokes about having kids or when you are having sex he would whisper in your ear  “You trynna have my babies?” or  “You boutta have my babies ” when he nuts in you. He says that he wants 3 or more. You only want 2. You arent rushing into it.

C - Crying 

Who Cries the most in the relationship ?

You. You often cry alone when you miss Melo when he is at away games for so long. Or when your BP triggers, Melo would comfort you. When watching sad movies, or when someone you love dies. Tears of joys appear here and there. Or when you get into arguments and Melo says something wrong or disrespectful out of madness.

D - Dates 

Who has the best Date spots ?

Melo. He would often take you to fancy restaurants in L.A or Miami, or wherever you guys went. Or take you shopping at an expensive place. He would do dates at home like watching movies, have you cook dinner because he cant cook for shit, or he would have a bath waiting on you. 

E - Eat 

Who Eats the most ?   

You. You know damn well you cant survive without food. Its the 2nd best thing that has ever happened to you besides life and Melo. Cant even survive a night. If you would wake up in the middle of the night and get hungry and go to kitchen and try to sneak some food without waking Melo up, he would hear it and go to the kitchen and scare you, picking you up over his shoulder with one arm, and with the other putting the food away carrying you back to the bed because its a little to early in the morning to be eating. 

F - Freak 

Who is the Freakiest ?  

Both of you. You being the only girl that can fuck Melo like you do, and being the only girl Melo is sexually, physically, and mentally attracted to no other girl can do it like you.10/10 in bed. Now Melo on the other hand is a demon in bed. His strokes, hitting your G - Spot constantly with you feeling it in your guts. His 9 inch is almost  always on hard when he is around you. And his tongue is crazy, going in and out and on the pearl AT THE SAME TIME. Crazy right. Spelling his name out on you. He loves when you scratch his back up or give him hickeys everywhere. 10000/10. Makeup sex is the best. 

G - Games 

Who wins the most games ?  

Melo. He would always dare you to a game of Call of Duty or Fortnite to see who would win first. And he would always win. When you would play a game of Uno you would often win and he would be mad the rest of the day due to his competitiveness. But any other game he would win.

H - Happy

Who is the Happiest in the relationship ?  

Both of you. You are always happy when you guys are around each other. Even when you guys just got done arguing you are still happy that he is in your presence. Melo on the other hand is always happy with you around him, he loves to cuddle with you. Its one of his favorite thing to do. He just loves that you are in his presence. You are his other half.

I - Irreplaceable

Who is the most Irreplaceable ?  

You would say Melo but Melo would say you. Melo knows how to deal with you more than anyone else does. He knows all your spots and what you like and dont like. He notices all of your flaws and sees the good and beautiful in them. He knows your body, mind, and soul. No man has a better or brighter or bigger smile than him. He always brightens the mood. You on the other hand are different. A big beautiful smile. You know how to deal with Melo when he is sad, looses a game. You can tell when he is lying or telling the truth just by looking through his eyes. You know how to make him happy. You are the best he has ever had.

J - Jaded 

Who gets the most Jaded after doing something ?

Melo. He usually gets really bored after sitting in the house all day. He really wants to leave the house and do something fun but usually its night time and you would be taking a nap or would be sleep. 

K - Kisses

Who gives the most kisses?

Melo. He is always so clingy and that comes with all the kisses in the world. He kisses you all over your face in your sleep, even when you are sleep he gives you kisses. He loves to kiss all over your body.

L - Love

Who fell in love the fastest?

Melo. He had always had a crush on you and everyone knew you were the one for him. You just didn’t know it until you two started dating. He’s always making sure you are good. He loves your hugs. He was the first one to say “I love you”. He want kids you to have all 10 of his kids.

M - Motivation

Who gives the most motivation?

You. When melo is going to a game and is not having a good feeling about it you motivate him to push through it and win for you. 9/10 he will win or get a lot of points for you.

N - Night Owl

Who is more of a Night Owl?

Both of you. Sometimes when his ADHD is on 10 you guys stay up and listen to music, play games, go on ig live, or just fuck for 7 hours straight. Sometimes you have to tell him to got to sleep or put him to sleep (😏) because he has a game tomorrow and needs all the rest and energy he can get. It also the same for you.

O - Oral Sex

Who gives Oral Sex the most?

Melo. Trust me, you give him head a lot and it’s amazing, 10/10. But melo loves giving you head. He loves to spell his name out on you. Loves to see the faces to make you scream and shout. Loves sharing your cream with you (🥲). He loves to climb under the blanket while you are sleep for some breakfast in bed. Maybe even dinner. His lips make it even better. So glad he don’t got them white genes in his lips (😋😭).

P - Perfect

Whos perfect?

Obviously, no ones perfect but God (🙏🏾). But in your eyes no one else is better for you except melo. You couldnt imagine living life without him. Cant imagine what anyones elses kids would look like with you but. No relationship is perfect. Melo sees you as perfect. Your body. Your style. Your personality. He absolutely loves your touch. He loves touch but for you loving your touch is an understatement. He couldnt imagine his kids with anyone else but you. Cant imagine getting married with anyone else. When you guys get into arguments and sleep in seperate rooms. You barely get sleep because all you can think about is each other. How perfect you guys are for one another.

Q - Q? (Cant find a word, Tell me one and ill edit it.)

R - Relate

What traits do you guys have a like each other?

A lot. Both of your favorite food is Chicken tacos. You both love a good game of Uno. You both love sex. Duhh. Both of you guy’s love language is touch. Love playing fortnite together. Love listening to music and taking drives together. Both love lil uzi (we pretending yall💀). Just in general you guys are very alike.

S - Sex

(No question for this one lol. Y’all already know how we is round hea nahhmeannn😭)

The sex. Omgggg. The first time you and melo had sex was. So amazing. Can’t ever forget that moment. Melo is always so horny. Morning sex is the best. Sometimes a little top at the red light can turn into a few rounds in back of the McDonalds parking lot. Lucky enough all his windows tinted as hell. Or in the Victoria’s Secret fitting rooms. You guys could be listening to Chris Brown and he would really take you down, fuck you back to sleep, switch up the tempo, or make you wet the bed (i’m laughing hard ash). The hickeys. The high sex. Drunk sex (drunnnnkkk in lovvveee). Car sex. Balcony sex. All over the house sex ( i got bars.) Mad sex and Make up sex. I could go on. Sex with me so amazinggggg. (i was listening to this song while writing this one💀😫😫😫)

T - Trips

Who likes taking trips internationally?

Melo. He love to take you and a yearly or even monthly vacay. Just you and him. Turks and Caicos. Bora Bora. Jamaica. Iceland. Japan. Africa. Anywhere where you can get away from the world. The different places. The hotels. Being able to fuck anywhere and everywhere. The pools. The different air. (united states ait is so boring). The new food. The animals. You guys love the new places. He loves to see you happy and with a smile on your face.

U - U (Cant find a word, Tell me one and ill edit it.)

V - V (Cant find a word, Tell me one and ill edit it again.)

W - Right the Wrongs

Who rights their wrongs after an argument?

Usually it would be you first. If you said something that was out of pocket or melo didnt like you woukd quickly apologize. He would forgive you and still cuddle and kiss you and stuff because thats what he does. Tease you. But he would ignore you until he actually forgave you in his head. Melo would apologize and give you some bomb ass d for and apology. Or make that cute face that you can’t resist.

X - (Can’t find a word for X. Give me a suggestion and i will edit it)

Y - Young

Who acts like a Young ass child?

Both of you actually. That’s what makes you love each other the most. The laughs and jokes, the tv shows, everything you could think of. It’s nothing wrong with it at all. Y’all are always gonna bust a joke out at the right time. Maybe sometimes even the wrong time. (damn, double homicide). You guys love laughing with each other.

Z - ZZZ

Who has the worst sleeping habits?

Probably Melo. If you scooted over him even a little bit, he would probably scoot back closer to you or pull you back over to him. And the only con of that is he snores a lot. (Why this nigga snore with his mouth open?🤨💀). Sometimes if he was awake and you werent he would kiss all over you. He loves to lay on your 🍒.

Y’all welcome. I haven’t pose the one of these in a minute. This took me a whole month and a half. I’m tired as hell. 💀

[soupbabe]

Shun Kaidou x Male! Reader HCs

Best boy best boy best boy!!! also may or may not sneak some Transguy!Kaidou in this too, hope that y'all don't mind!

Poor boy saw you for the first time and automatically thought you were the prettiest boy he ever saw, so when you introduced yourself to him he stammered like a fool for 2 minutes, then went on with the dramatic 'Jet Black Wings' introduction

You had to discreetly ask other students if you were allowed to play along with his hero delusion or if you had to break it to him that the Dark Reunion doesn't exist

You went a long with it just a tad, you couldn't fully shut him down because of the sad and discouraged look on his face when people made fun of him for it

I can imagine once Kaidou starts developing feelings for you, he was on edge and harsher (?) because in his mind you suddenly became an undercover villain the Dark Reunion sent to befriend him and then get rid of

Even though the reality of it was that he just never dealt with a genuine crush before and it scares him

Queue Saiki stepping in to set things straight because it did hurt you a bit to see Kaidou go on and claim that you're some evil enchanter dude out to get him and he started distancing himself away from you. Don't be mistaken, Kaidou definitely felt the effects of his own actions too. He apologized so many times once Saiki had to get involved because it weirded him out to see his friend classmate get so down because of a guy

Also Saiki was the one to clarify to Kaidou that what he was experiencing was a crush, unintentionally starting too many plans on how Kaidou will win you over and you'll become his boyfriend

Project "Make Y/N my super amazing and cute and handsome boyfriend" is a go!

It starts off with daily compliments, that usually has him hyping himself up with his Hero persona, then him absolutely losing his cool once he actually sees you

"Hey Y/N! You look handsome today!" Oh my god did his voice just crack. "Oh thanks, but are you sick or something? Your face is red."

Okay okay Plan A isn't going that well,,, onto Plan B: Impress him!

This meant that you were constantly being "saved" by The Jet Black Wings, even though the saving was just preventing you from going through minor inconveniences

I swear to God it's like a 6th sense this simp had. Hands are full and the door almost closed on you? Boom, here's Kaidou to save the day! Almost tripped on some litter on the ground on your way to school? Kaidou literally yelled + kicked at it and claimed that it was a trap planted by the Dark Reunion since they knew that you were close to him

You aren't that dumb, you had that suspicion that he had a crush on you so you decided to talk to him privately about it via a study session at your house

So when it was time to address his recent behavior, his brain hit the panic button because this wasn't supposed to happen. You weren't supposed to catch on this early. He waved his hands around, frantically apologizing if he made you uncomfortable and if you wanted to stay friends that's 100% okay with him a-

You had to shut him up with a lil kiss on the cheek and told him that you want him to be your boyfriend too.

Nice going Y/N, not even a minute into your new relationship and you're already sure you killed your bf

He got so red faced he passed out-

Considering how he reacted to a little kiss, y'all don't do pda at all unless you want to fluster him

Which doesn't take much, hold his hand on the way to school and he goes "Y/N!!SJSNSKKSBZJSNSHAJ" "Shun, how were you able to even pronounce that?" "It's one of the many secret abilities the Jet Black Wings has yet to show you, darling Y/N!"

You're his sidekick now, even if you don't fully commit to the hero bit. He'll ask you for back up when he's faced with a great foe

You better back him up. Mostly to be a good boyfriend. Secondly, if he's trying to stand up to someone bigger than him (which to be fair. Is literally everyone) there's a good chance you need to be on standby just in case we need a trip to the nurse's office

He likes to call you his Second in Command or he shows you hero name ideas for you in his notebook

He has a separate notebook for your Relationship btw and it's very cute

When you both hang out at Shun's house, it has to be under the excuse of it being for studying just because he hasn't come out as gay yet to his mom yet. He has a feeling that his mom would be okay with it. Like she accepted that her son was trans, but it still makes him nervous

Mama Kaidou already knows and doesn't mind you dating her son. His grades actually have gone up since the relationship started so she's happy and will mind her own business

Y'all actually do study in this at home sessions and it's actually kind of cute. Celebratory kisses when he does well in reviews and at the end y'all cuddle while he gets to ramble about his plans on defeating the Dark Reunion

Dating Shun also involves making sure he's doing okay and he's not pushing himself too hard despite him being a kick ass "superhero"

This mostly comes in when he gets dysphoric and wears his binder for too long

"Shun, it's necessary for you to take breaks. Wearing your binder for longer than you should will mess up your transition in the future." "But I'm okay! You forget I'm not a mere mortal I can handl-" "I'll let you wear my sweaters." "*👀* Okay!"

Days like those are just the both of you cuddling, him wearing your sweater/hoodie, and you giving Shun little remarks to make him feel better

His favorite is when you call him "my hero" or simply "handsome man"

Please run your fingers through his hair it makes him so happy

If you don't wanna wear his hoodies or if you can't, he'll gladly lend you his various rings and necklaces

"This ring was blessed by the gods for ultimate protection against enemies! I think it's the best for you to wear this when I'm not around to protect you."

It was one of those glow in the dark rings you get at arcades, but you couldn't break the proud smile on his face.

Also likes to gift you crystals too! It doesn't matter if they end up not being 100% real, you still put them proudly on your desk and Shun gets so overjoyed when he finds out they aren't just casted aside

He's so happy with you, he finally has someone who loves him and doesn't judge him on his hero complex and doesn't mind the awkward guy behind it too. He gives you many kisses when he is reminded of that and constantly reminds you how lucky he is to have you as his boyfriend <3

[knight-queen]

Black Wolves Saga Bloody Nightmare (Common Plot Part 1)

This game covers 200+ memories and but I were to translate them individually, it will take me forever which no way I want lmao. So I decided to make the whole game into parts, specially the common plot. Each parts hopefully ends with a red-splash thing. I know it may sound inconvenient  but I found it as a best option. The main thing I am worried is the selection things because they are so long and I hope God will help me to arrange the whole story smoothly <3

The sky is weeping. Weeping for grieving over the sorrowful event that is going to happen right away.

Large droplets of rain hit the ground. Some approaching sounds of footsteps mixed with such groaning rain could be heard from far away. Gradually, gradually.

The village which is more likely has sank inside the darkness has yet to notice the impending crisis.

???: ーー...It’s raining...brother.

???: ーー...Hmph. What is wrong, Rath? You are scared?

Rath: No, it’s not….It’s not like that...Brother, it’s raining awfully too much.

???: ーー...Raining? You are wrong, these are tears.

Rath: Tears? …...What do you mean?

???: God of the Weblin is crying. He is feeling sorrow for these humans after all.

Rath: Human...human...HUMAN...I hate them.

???: If so then kill them. Paint your heart with those emotions. Wolves do not need any heart inside them.

Looks like they appeared out of nowhere. Unscared of this rain, two human-looking persons were standing in the middle of the village.

One of them is tall figued. Another one is a young man still in the mid-way of becoming an adult.

Those are the eyes of fellows, ash colored beasts, the eyes which were shining like sparkles, like starving for flames and blood.

???: ーMove forward.

He commanded splitting a single word.

*Wolves howling sounds*

*Village was set to fire*

Female Resident 1: Heeeeehhh…!

Howling wolves are screaming as if they are proceeding by tearing through the rain.

As the people are uproaring in panic, the man’s smile inside the rain deepens.

A beautiful smile that one cannot overlook if the situation would allow you.

???: Kukukuh...Devour it all. These human’s blood, flesh andーーeverything.

Female Resident 1: KYAAAAAAAAAAA!! Wolves!? Why, what are they here....!!

Male Resident 1: Just run…!! Hurry and take our kids to….gh, kyaaa!!

???: ーIt’s pointless.

The howl of wolves that vibrates the dark night. Plus their accumulated screams rise one by one, and the echo disappears in an instant.

The sound that could be heard next was the pulling sound of something heavy. Pulling human bodies one after another.

*BG turns to an wolf eating flesh*

The next sound that could be heard was the chewing sounds of the wolves mixed with rain-water. Those wolves were slicing humans as if they were nothing more than baits.

Female resident 1: Kyaaaaayaaaaaaaaaa!! Stopp….ughuh….!!

*Blood splash*

An awkward chewing sound was resounded from all around by getting mixed with raining sound.

At the same time, the scent of blood which was not getting erased even with incessant rain spread around. It stirs up the instincts of the wolves as well.

???: Fufh...it has a very beautiful timbre. Human’s shierkings are the best comfort. I hope you will not mind letting me hear more. 

From the shadows of the wolves’ flock, someone stretched their hand by appealing for help.

Strengthless, yet that person was shivering and struggling like has gotten twitched.

???: Just die, shameless.

*Blood splash*

That person has stopped moving right away.

From human, to object. To alive, to dead. From a mass of protein, to a piece of flesh. 

All left now is the despicable sound of water that wolves are using to satisfy their hungry stomach, but that could be heard inside of darkness.

???: More, fill your stomach more. Eat them all….

The male’s heart gets filled with screams and frustration. Meanwhile, a villager seemed to run away in sight of that man.

That person is a villager. His destination will probably be the stable. His intention for now is to ask his neighbouring villagers to help him out by riding on a fast horse.

Once he manages to get on the horse, then wolves or something like that will be unable to interfere with him.

???: ...Guillan.

He muttered by calling that name.

Guillan: Hiyaaaaaa~! What’s up, Arles? Isn’t it just a waste of time to kill that ugly jackass?

Arles: ーIt is an order.

Guillan: Tch, how boorish. ...Well then I am gonna kill ‘em in boldly, ‘kay? Just watch me will yaaa’ー?

Along with sliced-through-wind sound, silver light breaks through the dark night. Then he immediately scratched off the man’s head who was trying to reach the horse-stable.

Resident 1: Guggh…!!

*blood splash*

Slashed fresh blood. But that immediately got mixed and soaked with rain and soil respectively.

*Shoots*

Guillan: I hit itー! Wooooooh! Oi, they’re seriously tiny sized fish. Guess it’s worth it to get more of ‘em still alive?

The headless villager trumple down to the ground with a thud. Right there was a flock of wolves. Soon enough, they could be seen devouring by chewing him. 

They slurp down the fresh blood as they apart the flesh. Gushed and overflowed red with rain droplets have become one and they both are ending up being mud. 

Guillan: Ahh, that guy is fukin’ ugly. Me the great don’t wanna see him, so gonna mess him up.

*Shoots*

Guillan: Hiyaaa! Cool, cool. Kindly just pass away, ugly humans. 

*Another shoot*

Guillan: Hiyahahahah! Now it becomes easier to eat, yah? Eat ‘em more, ‘cuz they are merely chunks of “meat” anyways, kay?

*Blood splash*

Guillan: Ooh, It’s damn boring for some reason. It’d be better if they would fight back more. Just hunting isn’t fun though?

Arles: ーShut up. It is my order.

Guillan: Oh goodness, I smash ‘em all just as you wished right? You knoooow, wolves sob if you don’t compliment them.

Arles: ...Alright. 

*Arles pats Guillan*

Guillan: Kukukuh...I like that side of yours. Oi, shall I butcher ‘em more?

*gets ready the spin-blade*

The young man called Guillan, at his fingertips, there is the dangerous weapon that reaped out the life of the villager is rotating making a humming sound.

It is a weapon called chakram, a weird weapon where one has to bag fingers into it and hurl at the distant target by being very concentrative. 

Every single part of it’s external is made out of blade, the users will get hurt if they make an error in holding that.

The perfect owner of that weapon, that young man, was really suited to using that.

*Shoots + Blood flash*

Guillan: Arlesーwhat ‘bout attacking a bigger place? As you can see, It’s been a while since this miny village’s gone hollow.

They aren’t even responding a thing. Darning borin’. They are fukin villagers after all. Seriously trash yeah?

More, more and more, let’s do somethin’ more entertainingー?

*Shoots again*

Guillan: Hiyaaa, hiyaaaaaa, hiyaaaaaaaaahーhhh!!! Blooood, blooood, blood-blood-blood-blood, gotta chop off everything wooo!

Although he seems to have lost his mind, at the same time, the Charkram shoot off from his fingertips and hunts the prey by spinning through the rain and wind. 

*Blood splash + stab sound*

Female Resident 1: KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAー!!

His attitude is potent, and his talent is that not only was he able to master a very difficult weapon, he mastered hunting a target very comfortably and easily. That skill of his is very well-known.

Arles: ...Fufh, you are right. We can begin to prey upon a larger city onward. We must make those humans...suffer, more suffer.

Kill more...we must kill them more. We must erase them entirely.

Guillan: Hiyahah! Sounds great...I can’t wait…

Among the wolves as they run, hunt and howl in the rain, those two’s conversations are like talkings between a child and his corresponding guardian.

Right after, Arles starts gazing on the other side.

Arles: ...What is Rath doing?

Guillan: Rath? Oh...you mean that rookie huh. Wasn’t he just hunting the foolish who were simply trynna escape over there. 

He doesn’t seem to like murder thing that much. Don’t really think he is your younger bro.

Arles: ...Rath is still immature. If he abandons his emotions, he should be able to kill humans. 

Guillan: Abandon emotions? He’d feel more at ease if he’d just do fun stuff and stop thinking about troublesome shits.

*Spins his Chakram*

Guillan: Hiyyaaah! ‘Kay then, I’m gonna rampage a lil’ more.

Arles: Do not let even a single one be alive. Kill everyone except wolves, seize the souls of everyone. Everyone.

Guillan: I’m down for itー! Bossー!

The scent of blood, as well as the screams and everything which is happening gets erased in the rain, doesn’t even reach anyone. 

Now this small village has turned into a hunting ground for wolves.

Arles: ...Rath.

Rath: ……

After shifting places with guillan, the young man has shown up as if he gets out from the dark.

Arles: What were you doing?

Rath: ...Nothing particular. I was killing them. Just as you told me.

Arles: Do not worry, Rath. Set on fire after the rain stops.

Rath: ...Yeah. I know, brother.

Arles: We are doing this in order to let it know what happened. We want the foolish subjects of Weblin to realize the existence of us, the wolves.

Take everything away, their houses, lands, and lives so that they cannot even think about coming to these places again.

Rath: ...Big brother, I know.

Arles: If you know then respond. The leader of this flock is me.

Rath: ...Yeah.

Arles: Rath, do not think about the points that much. Listen to your own insects inside you. Sound yourself more like “kill humans!”

Rath: ...I know, brother. I know!!

Arles: Say it, you will kill them.

Rath: I will kill. I will...kill humans.

Arles: Say it once more. It is an order.

Rath: ...Kill, kill, kill...kill. I will kill...kill...kill. I will kill, kill...kill, kill, kill, kill them.

I must kill them.

Arles: Rath, do not hesitate. You are not allowed to forget what they did to us. 

Rath: Kill, kill, kill, kill. Yeah...I will kill them.

Arles: Alright...time to go. Fire up.

A small nod, then the young man disappeared out of sight just like he faded away in the dark. 

Arles: ...Kukukuh.

The male chuckles as he is glaring at this hellish disaster.

Arles: Other races etc, just devour all of them. Wreck them out and get rid of everything.

Look, the God of Weblin. This is the beginning of the wolves’ revenge. If you say our race is cursed, then I dare you to curse more.

Kukukuh, hahahah, HAAHAAHHAHAHAH!

As the bloody-rain continues, the man who stood in the middle of this tragic place was the king of the wolves.

Weblin Kingdom

It is a small kingdom which is lying at a corner of the continent thronged with great powers.

Garibaldi family of the Cat species rules it. Surrounded by abundant and strict atmosphere, Weblin is undoubtedly standing as an solitary island on the continent.

While wearing armor called “Nature which prevents aggression”, this kingdom was flourishing as an independent civilization on the continent.

The one that holds domination power is the species called ‘Cats’.

In this world the species that exist are ー1) ’Cats’

2) Human

3) Wolves

4) And the rare species are ‘Rat’

5) Lion

6) Dog

7) Rabbit

When wolves and humans hand over the top of the Weblin to the Cats, the races living there including the rare ones were being dominated. 

Hundred of years passed after its founding, although there were clan’s barriers in it, Weblin was still a harmonious and splendid country which existed in a beautiful environment.

Exactly like this, until ten years ago. 

As the history progressed, Cats and other races of Weblin were producing a few number of frictions. 

Exploiting takes place right one after another. The relationship between the tribes finally began to be disputed. 

There was a rebellion that occurred ten years ago.

A wolf guard-knight who used to work for the Weblin kingdom had turned the sword towards one of the members of the royal family.

Cats who ruled Weblin, and the one who ruled on their top of that was the royal family Garibaldi.  Treasoning that family was a very heavy sin.

That guard-knight’s residence was disrupted and so after he was driven out from the country. However一the uproar still was not all over.

That uproar was not only between Wolves and Cats but involved in every other race.

一And thereupon, a big plague had assaulted the country.

A brutal death-disease called “Zodiva” 一 so called this disease by human and it was in trend. 

This may dye the sufferer’s skin into black color and may also end up completely spoiling the brain-tissues. And this unknown caused plague will eventually lead the affected individual into madness.

Wherein a rumour takes place which is “Wolves are the reasons behind the origin of this plague.” This rumour got spread across many regions in no time. 

The people of the villages and towns that wolves attacked were feared, that thoroughly-outbroken disease was the wolves’ curse.

And eventually that ‘Zodiva’ name becomes identified as ‘Madness-disease by Wolves.’

In order to sweep away the fear of such people, the Weblin Kingdom Garibaldi VI had announced a certain rule.

一 “Genociding Wolves Law”

“Behead the wolves who are the origin of the nation-wrecking disease.”

Balanced relationships between the clans that had been preserved for 100 years have decisively collapsed after coming this far.

The decree to protect yourself from the wolf species was warranted as a reason to hunt the wolf species behind anyone’s notices.

In the fear of Zodiva, the other clans started wildly joining in wolves-hunting and had decided to exterminate them. 

ーAnd ten years have passed since then.

Due to the dramatic decrease of wolves, the impact of Zodiva has also descended.

However, the wolves killing law that Garibaldi VI had published still continued to function without undo. 

The wolves species began to decrease so much as if it was an endangered species. 

By changing the wolves’ position to be preyed on, the cats became more and more absolute strength owners.

Weblin, unlike the outer places where the plague was not spreaded, is now belonging to cats…

ーIt was an absolute monarchy.

Place: Weblin Kingdom Castle一 Corridor

Auger: …?

Hm, I just heard a voice. As I was walking leisurely in the hallway, I stopped and brought up my ear to listen to something interesting or not.

(Hmmm? What kind of conversation would they possibly have in such a place like this.)

Waiting Maid 1: Hey tell me, did you two heard a rumour about a witch?

Waiting Maid 2: A witch?

Waiting Maid 3: Yeah, rumour about the witch of Charmessen (Beautiful Forest)? 

Waiting Maid 1: Oh yeah exactly. You know, it’s said that there’s a witch in the Charmessen forest.

Waiting Maid 2: Yes, I have heard about it a little. It was about like the witch from the Charmessen forest is cursing the Weblin by wielding a disaster, right? 

Waiting Maid 3: Exactly, as you see the northward village has been raided up and destroyed by the wolves recently.

Waiting Maid 2: Very miserable indeed… After eating and killing the people regardless of their gender and age, they even set the places on fire.

Waiting Maid 1: Yeah, I talked to a member of knighthood who was dispatched later on…

It was not cool to ask him but, he turned pale after saying it wasn’t something that humans could do.

Waiting Maid 3: Even a brave knight has averted his eyes, it means it was a terrible spectacle indeed…

Waiting Maid 1: Same goes for the impact on the wolves, I heard the witch is manipulating the wolves to attack everyone.

Waiting Maid 2: Eeh? But what the witch would possibly achieve by making the wolves attack down. 

Waiting Maid 3: You know, it’s something that I have heard though...because the witch wants to have an eternal life, she will need so many sacrificial victims. 

Waiting Maid 1: Then she is making the wolves hunt the villages or towns to get so many sacrificed people...I am scared now.

Waiting Maid 2: Talking about being scared...recently the Garibaldi Majesty IV keeps getting in weak condition. I am scared of what if something bad happens.

Waiting Maid 1: You’re right. Majesty’s condition just keeps getting frailed lately…

Waiting Maid 3: Raids by wolves, Zodiva, Witch and so many threatening stuff are going on. So I would like the Majesty to hang on there…

Waiting Maid 2: Rather, isn’t it okay to hand over the royal to His Highness Mejojo really quick?

Waiting Maid 1: Hush…! How can you handle it if it goes to others’ ears…!?

Waiting Maid 3: As she said, no matter how number one royal successor Lord Mejojo is, don’t say so confirmly that he is going to be the next heir. 

Expecting Garibaldi VI is going to pass out is something considered as the crime of treason you know?

Waiting Maid 2: ...R- right...kh. I am so sorry for being careless.

The silence that stares around for a while continues. The three of them are more likely to sweat over what they will do if somebody would hear their conversations.

Auger: (Seriously, you ought to be careful since you don’t know if somebody had a chance to hear you or not.)

That’s right. For example, just like this, there was a possibility that the twin brother of the next royal successor prince Mejojo Von Garibaldi has been taking a peek in your conversations. 

(Everyone likes gossiping about rumours afterall~ I also don’t hate it though)

I like it even more if it comes out handy for me.

Waiting Maid 1: That being said...It just pops up in my mind. The disagreements between the Garibaldi Majesty VI and his twin princess came out pretty much a fact.

Waiting Maid 2: Eh? No kidding?

Waiting Maid 3: Oh, I heard about that too. Let me go back umm...it was about Lady Eleanora and Rayrie, yeah?

Waiting Maid 2: Lady Eleanora and Rayrie…? Who are you talking about? Was there anybody with those names?

Waiting Maid 1: Ohh, you have moved here recently. Both Lady Eleanora and Rayrie are Majesty Garibaldi VI’s wives.

Waiting Maid 2: Oh yes, that’s why...I felt like I heard those names before.

But surely both of them had passed away right?

Waiting Maid 1: ...Yeah. It’s been many years since Lady Eleanora and Rayrie had passed away.

Waiting Maid 2: I see. Guess no matter how newcomer I am or other maidens, you are gonna know those names today or tomorrow.

If that is the case then...it means Majesty Garibaldi VI is very sorry.

Waiting Maid 1: Eh? Why’s that?

Waiting Maid 2: Because both of his wives have passed out pretty early, no?

Waiting Maid 1: ………

Waiting Maid 3: ………

Waiting Maid 2: Eh? What’s wrong with the two of you? Did I just...say something weird?

Waiting Maid 3: ...You say something weird or not, Err well...looks like you still don’t know yet, so I shall inform you about that.

Waiting Maid 2: E- eh?

Waiting Maid 1: Talking about Lady Eleanora and Reyrie are prohibited in the interior of the castle.  Even if you split them accidentally, you are gonna be dismissed.

Waiting Maid 2: Di- dismissed…?

Waiting Maid 3: Told you right? Lady Eleanora and Reyrie contents are the main reason for the bad patches between His Majesty and his princes.

Waiting Maid 2: Eeh? What does that mean?

Waiting Maid 1: Well you see…

Auger: (Looks like the time has arrived)

*Footsteps*

Waiting Maid 1: …!

Waiting Maid 2: …!

Waiting Maid 3: …!!

I purposely straightened my neck up and showed up from the place that I have silently been hiding.

The maidens who were blooming like a flower while ridiculously chattering a minute ago, are instantly turning into pale blue.

That’s not surprising either. Because the rumoured person that was being chased by these ladies’ curious minds has presented his appearance.

Auger: Hey there, what three of you were talking about? Would you please let me join too? I love those kinds of conversations.

With an intentional carefree and light voice, I asked if it would be okay to accompany them.

Obvious enough, they turn around their heads side to side with immense vigor. 

Waiting Maid 1: W- we are terribly sorry, your highness Auger...we are taking our leaves…!

Waiting Maid 2: Kindly excuse our silliness…!

Auger: Eeeh, aren’t you going a bit over? I had already heard every single word of what you just talked about. That being said, you also mentioned something like ‘you will get dismissed’, no?

Waiting Maid 1: N- not at all…! No way…! If I had misunderstood something...kh, I- I am begging your forgiveness…

Auger: Nope, now way I will pardon you right? You are gonna die here.

Waiting Maid 1: Hhhee…!!

*that maiden falls down*

Auger: So, what are you upto? Oh right, you also intended to say that yeaaa.

Waiting Maid 2: W- we are begging...your pardon...gh!

Auger: Oh jeez, do not let out that loud voice. It’s earsore. 

...I am a royal master musician. My ears are very sharp. And you can tell it clearly by looking at those ears, no? Or perhaps you humans can’t possibly get what I meant.

Look carefully, my ears are really great. I may end up hearing every single thing.

Waiting Maid 2: ...R- right.

Auger: That- is- why, if you talk about such things for a second time...I will kill you. 

Waiting Maid 3: ...hhhgh…!!

Auger: Your response, lil’ human girls?

Waiting Maid 3: A- alright!! Your highness Auger!!

Waiting Maid 2: W- we beg our excuse…!

While the three parties fairly raised their voices, the ladies got dismissed from that place in no time.

Auger: Looks like there're so many rumours spreading out...Fufu, rumours are pretty fun I guess…?

I slothly resumed to start wandering while giggling.

Although it has declined, the effect of Zodiva still has not reached zero.

The raids on the towns-villages by the wolves.

The same time when those situations got paired, other threatening rumours also got spread in a blink of an eye.

Auger: (Even the ‘father is passing out’ being a rumour...mhm, pretty interesting indeed)

I was able to hear something very amusing while loitering around looking for cool news.

I’m also telling this great news to my big brother.

I have to set it up since brother has a serious gaze. He may also not be gonna tease about it like me.

Let’s make it more interesting if that’s what the case is, okey?

[sweeethinny]

Wildflower

Summary: Lily thought she was doing okay, trying to believe that at the end of the path there would be a light, but the further she walked, the darker it got. Trapped in fear and in all those feelings that collapsed in her chest and made her feel smaller and smaller, Lily tried to save herself as she struggled to change the course of her story.

AO3 | FF.NET | PLAYLIST

Notes: This story was born out of a very strong desire of mine to write about good cheerleaders, and a friendlier atmosphere among the girls, and not that silly, unpleasant competition that we always see in books. Jily is the main couple, other couples will appear as the story progresses, but they are the main ones, and as much as Lily has been dating Snape at the beginning, this story is *NOT* a romance story between the two of them. This story is about Lily and James!

This story will talk about abusive relationships, but I promise it will have a happy ending.

------

| J. P |

The party was full, tumultuous as usual, the music loud, the side conversations making everything seem even more confusing, the drinks glasses never emptying in people's hands, and the more the night fell, the more it seemed that everyone was less caught up in the shyness of the beginning. Some freshmen were already dancing on the table, others challenged the seniors to a beer pong, and some tried their luck with the older ones.

James walked out of the living room and into the kitchen, already feeling very drunk, needing to shake his head so that the three redheads in the corner became just one, as well as trying to make sure his feet worked well enough for him not to trip over his own sneaker. The kitchen of the house seemed full of obstacles now, all the cabinets seemed to move like a video game, preventing him from continuing to walk normally, which made him even more confused as to where he had to go.

He shouldn't have accepted Sirius' stupid idea of ​​starting drinking before everyone else arrived, because now James could barely focus his vision and… Where were his glasses?

"Hi," he said, and his tongue felt bigger than his mouth. What was in that drink? ‘'Have you seen my glasses?'’ The red-haired girl seemed to be trying hard not to laugh, and James thought that if it weren't for her hair, the black outfit she was wearing would make him think she was part of the furniture and not a person .

"Hm…" She seemed to think, but James didn't understand why. Then her delicate hand reached up to touch his eyes, and he took a step back, startled, but instead of feeling her fingers, he felt nothing. "They're onyour face, but they're a little dirty."

"Thanks!" James sighed in relief, picking up his glasses to clean them; this time the redhead became five instead of one. Either he was really drunk, or he really needed to see an ophthalmologist. "You're very kind." He pointed to what he thought was the real girl.

'’Is this guy bothering you Lily?'’ A voice rang out loud behind James, he didn't know who it was but he knew the person wasn't as nice as the redhead, since he was pulled away from her and nearly knocked to the ground for his lack of balance. The person however didn't care. "Get away from her, you asshole."

"I wasn't doing anything." They were the same height, James could see that, and he had long black hair, almost matching Sirius'. But he knew he couldn't be him, because the voice wasn't the same, but also because the man in front of him was weaker and thinner than Black. "Hey!" James tried to defend himself as he was pushed again.

"Sev, stop it." The redhead pleaded, and this time her voice wasn't as cheerful as before, as if all of her happiness had suddenly been sucked away.

But before James could say anything, the man punched him in the face, and if it had been normal, he would have defended himself or maybe retaliated, but he was drunk, very drunk, so his body just fell back and James felt his head ache.

"Severus!" The redhead yelled, but James didn't remember much after that, because everything seemed like a jumble of thoughts and people were all blurs. At some point he remembers hearing Sirius' voice saying ''He's drunk, what the fuck do you have in your mind!?'' and, it seemed, a few minutes later he heard the redhead's voice saying ''He's bleeding.'' and it was the last thing James' drunk brain could understand.

| L. E |

"Why did you have to screw it up?!" Lily asked, annoyed and frustrated by all the drama. It was so tiring, always this fear that something would piss him off and he would completely lose his mind, and then Lily would have all those looks at her, a mixture of pity and judgment.

The party was supposed to be a different, relaxed time, they were supposed to have fun, have a drink, and Lily was finding it all good. Well, she had been in the kitchen since they arrived, but at least they were there so she couldn't complain.

She laughed when one of the freshmen climbed onto the table and nearly fell, or when she saw that boy come into the kitchen and looked more drunk than anyone else at the party, barely able to walk in a straight line, wondering where his glasses were. It was so fun to be surrounded by so much life, it was as if in that party there was no sadness and loneliness.

But he had to ruin all her happiness, like he always did.

'’Me? Are you going to blame me?’’ Snape yelled, even though he knew their friends were sleeping. Lily shook her head, too tired to fight, putting a hand to her temples to try to get her thoughts to sort themselves out in her mind. Take a deep breath, Lily, she thought, take a deep breath and count to ten.

"You're the one who punched him needlessly." Lily looked at him, trying to find in him that friend he'd once been, kind, lovely, who said he'd give the world to her. But now, Severus had turned into this man who seemed to have only two moods; completely angry or tame like a well-trained dog.

"He was touching you," he muttered, and anger seemed to burn in his black eyes. Which was reflected in the burning in Lily's chest.

‘’He wasn't touching me. He was drunk and wanted to know where his glasses were.” She said through clenched teeth, trying to take a few deep breaths before she exploded as usual, acting crazy and screaming whatever came to mind without a second thought. She needed to have more control of her feelings.

‘’Are you really dumb enough to believe that? He just wanted to fuck you.” Severus retaliated, and that made her take a step back into their small room, her calf touching the old sofa they had bought when they moved. Her eyes burned, tears of sadness and anger, mixtures that felt like sulfuric acid on her skin, but she wouldn't let them fall, not even one.

Severus seemed to realize the mistake he had made then, and his armor fell away, reverting to that tame dog.

"Lils, I didn't mean that." He sighed, as if he was the one tired of having to explain himself. It made her feel much smaller than before, making Lily think that maybe she could just disappear at any moment.

'’Forget it, I'm going to sleep'’ Lily tried to leave the room towards their bedroom but, as usual, Severus grabbed her arm and kept her there, his black eyes now seeming softer, as if all the anger had melted away and turned into sugar.

"I'm sorry, I just… I thought he was doing you something bad and I wanted to protect you." Severus kissed her, even though Lily hadn't shown she wanted it. "I love you so much and I would die before I let anyone hurt you," he whispered, his lips still too close to hers. '’Forgive me for this.'’

But she couldn't say anything, Lily just nodded because she was too tired to fight, and she already felt small and insufficient enough.

He just wanted to protect me, she thought, he loves me and he thought I was in danger, Lily mused, trying to make a rational part of her understand this once and for all.

[dastardlydandelion]

So...what kind of horror movie would you write featuring the Hargrove/ Mayfield family? (That you haven't written already lol)

oh boy, u may regret asking me this bc i am indecisive af and i can’t pick just one!

two that i'm actually writing are max as (g is for) ghostface killer in the abcs of neil’s death and also the max + tory nichols werewolf movie fic outlined here. also some more misc gorror junk bc i’m a demon and esp horny for susan wearing blood splatter. but more ideas commence below:

horror movie #1: another creature feature! awhile back @lucdarling sent me an ask abt max + billy hiding smth from susan and her like, playing along, pretending she doesn't know, and one of the scenarios that popped in my head was them keeping a baby bat as a pet. max finds it and she’s only like six or seven, and she thinks it’s going to turn into a vampire. so here is that scenario except horror edition: baby bat is actually a vampire type creature. not rly a vampire like, what’s prolly popping into ur head, like an undead human like dracula or smth, but like a bat monster that sucks blood.

billy being a lil older doesn’t actually think the bat is going to turn into a vampire. he makes fun of max for believing this, but he helps her take care of it anyway bc he thinks it’s cool. susan, like in the non-horror version, knows abt the bat but plays dumb bc she’s feeling a lot of guilt abt max’s difficulty adjusting to the blended fam (as of rn tho, neil has yet to reveal his abusive nature. the red flags are not yet red, more of a brownish maroon, and he is on his best behavior almost all the time, showering susan + max with affection and keeping the swears out of his mouth when he scolds billy in front of them) and knows the lil furry baby makes her happy. she tacitly cleans up after the bat whenever the kids miss a spot (bats poop a lot, dude) and distracts neil, deterring him from discovering it whenever he gets close.

baby bat gets rly big rly fast. and the older it gets, the more it starts to look monstrous. it still has bat features but it’s just like, different. its fangs grow suspiciously long, its hooks grow suspiciously long. its feet are elongated. a dorsal ridge emerges from its spine, spikes at first just flesh but soft fur rather like peach fuzz eventually sprouting. billy catches on that smth is strange abt this animal when it's as long as his forearm after two wks and still growing. he nearly shits a brick when the bat is clinging to his sweater one day and he steps in front of a mirror and only his reflection looks back at him— no bat.

max laughs at him all like, “stupid brother, ofc there’s no reflection. nosferatu is a vampire, vampires don’t have reflections.” 😂

susan catches a glimpse of the thing when nosferatu crawls out of the home max built it in her closet the same wk billy realizes it doesn’t have a reflection, and also almost shits a brick. she doesn’t know what it is, but it’s NOT a fucking bat. not a normal one, anyway! cue a comedy scene where she’s chasing it around the house with a butterfly net and it’s always one flap *ba dum tss* ahead of her, flying just out of reach. she suddenly regrets not getting rid of it sooner, scolding herself for ever allowing her daughter to keep a wild animal.

she can’t catch it. max comes home, susan tells her she needs to get rid of it. max cries, flips her the bird, refuses. billy tho…billy has mixed feelings. he loves nosferatu but he’s worried it’s going to get dangerous. he loves his dad and his dad is dangerous too. he’s stressed out enough, always on edge, knowing that one way or the other, neil is going to hurt him again. he’s already waiting for his dad to hurt him, he doesn’t need the added stress of waiting for nosferatu to hurt him too. and while max is 100% nosferatu’s favorite, it likes billy too. billy’s been handling it since it could fit in the palm of his hand, it trusts him much more than it trusts susan and doesn’t know any different when billy takes it out of the closet when max isn’t around.

billy frees nosferatu at an abandoned farm. there are always bats flying out of the old silo adjacent to the dilapidated barn. while he knows nosferatu isn’t a *normal* bat, it’s still bat like enough that he thinks it might make friends and be happy here…

yeah, that doesn’t stick. before long, nosferatu is feasting on that colony. leeches the blood out of a couple bats nightly. the number of bats increases with nosferatu’s size. meanwhile, max mourns her missing friend. she’s sullen af and won’t speak to susan at all. she thinks susan is the one who got rid of nosferatu. billy never fesses up and susan doesn’t contradict max’s assumption bc she wants the step-siblings to get along.

neil, meanwhile, is getting more comfortable. those maroon flags are slowly but surely brightening to scarlet. he starts sabotaging susan’s plans with her friends, trying to keep her around the house more and more, quietly but steadily eroding her relationships with other people. he’s getting more visibly aggressive when he disciplines billy. he curses him out with a virulent venom that dunks susan’s stomach in ice water and scares max so badly, she runs to susan and hides behind her even though she’s still so mad that susan got rid of her beloved baby vampire.

nosferatu’s appetite surpasses what the bat colony can offer. it’s like the size of a ten yr old human child now. fucker’s big. it doesn’t just have fangs on top, but tusks on bottom. it can’t go out in the sunlight anymore, the sun sears its flesh. it misses max a lot and before, it wasn’t strong enough to fly back to her house. but now it is. it’s extremely strong, actually.

so bc it's hungry, nosferatu grabs a snack along the way. some nameless rando, it swoops down and sucks dry. nourished and much happier, nosferatu makes its way back home. patiently waits outside of max’s bedroom in the moonlight, tapping its hook against the window until she wakes up. initially max is a lil startled— nosferatu looks so different, there’s a beat before she recognizes it— him?? yk, ig it’s male, the og nosferatu was a guy. sure, why not, nosferatu is a boy now.

once she realizes who it is, she is so! happy! max opens the window and embraces her friend. she isn’t freaked out by the blood on its fangs. she’s always known nosferatu is a vampire, albeit, she was thinking he’d look more like dracula than this bat-monster-thingy.

nosferatu moves back into max’s closet. it hangs upside-down from her rod by its weird, elongated feet. we get more shots of nosferatu sucking rando ppl dry at night, tho he remains gentle with max. when max drags billy in to show her he came back, nosferatu is less friendly with him. he’s not aggressive with billy, but he is standoffish. nosferatu’s thought process is somewhere between human and animal. he doesn’t quite cognitively understand that billy took him to the farm with the intent of getting rid of him, but he does understand that the last time he clung to billy, billy left him alone and never came back. max puts two and two together, and realizes it was billy who “stole” her friend. she yells at him a lot, he yells back, she then ices him out.

billy acts out bc he’s upset. runs away, thinks he’s going to find his mom…the cops find him first and call neil. neil is rly embarrassed and pissed abt the whole thing. he breaks down and beats billy in front of the mayfields for the first time. nosferatu smells the blood and it’s time for the main event! we love dead!neil, yes, we do.

nosferatu flies out the closet and right into the living room where billy’s bleeding and teary but biting his lip so they don’t actually fall. susan’s covering max’s eyes but so shocked and tbh, FRIGHTENED, she doesn’t move a muscle beyond that. neil’s got the belt raised, preparing to bring it down again, and nosferatu smashes right into him. neil stumbles, turns back to see this freaky monster looking thing. proceeds to whip the belt at nosferatu. tries to fight him off with the belt and it doesn’t accomplish much beyond pissing him off more— nosferatu, like most classic vampire types, has a healing factor!

max rips her mom’s hands off her face in time to see her pet sink its fangs into her stepdad’s throat. nosferatu sucks neil dry. billy’s a little dazed, not quite frightened. susan is just dead ass frozen, too scared to scream, even. nosferatu crawls over to billy and nudges at him, making sure he’s in once piece and forgiving him in the same go. max darts over and that snaps susan out of her stupor, but she isn’t as fast as our blood-sucking bat monster.

nosferatu stretches his wings out and with a truly impressive wingspan, hugs both of the kids. <3

horror movie #2: a haunting! this one opens with a bang. it’s a tragic horror, beware. we’re in hawkins post s3. billy died at starcourt mall. neil’s obvi had a longstanding abusive mindset and abusive behavior, but he rly takes his grief out on susan and max. mostly susan. she does her best to protect max however she can, whether that means shielding her w her body, sending her out of the house, getting neil’s goat to inspire his ire in max’s place, etc. but sue simply isn’t around all the time and when she isn’t, but max is, well. yk.

one day neil comes home early (bc he lost his job for a violent outburst, tbh) and discovers susan packing a suitcase.

sue fights hard. she rly does. but neil is bigger, heavier, crueler, and to boot, he caught her completely unawares. he kills her. and no, no it’s not some accidental thing where neil makes one bad move rage-blind. he strangles her with his belt. she’s clawing at his arms and making these horrible choked, trapped animal noises. thrashes and twists her body with everything she has trying to get him off but he’s so strong, his grip is unrelenting, and she's growing weaker, lightheaded with the lack of oxygen. strangulation can induce incontinence and when susan blacks out, her piss streams to the hardwood— neil hears that as much as he felt the clawing and heard the noises, even now he could stop, but he doesn’t. he just. doesn’t think his wife has the right to leave him, esp not after his son just did.

neil burns the body and the suitcase in the woods while max is at school. max has been spending as much time as she can (and often with sue’s prompting) outside of the house, so it actually takes her about two days to realize her mother isn’t around. neil tells a pretty convincing story about how susan abandoned them, voice saturated with apology and sorrow. he takes her out for a fancy dinner and promises he’s going to be a better father-- that being a better father is the least he can do now that her mother abandoned her and they are alone in their grief.

max doesn’t know what to think. she’s been preoccupied with her own grief and pain. she finds it hard to believe her mother would just leave her to neil’s wrath. she has a lot of hangups with susan and anger toward her for marrying neil and not getting them out sooner, but she’s also old enough to realize there would be risks involved with that. it’s hard to reconcile the memory of her mother just last wk pinning max to the wall to protect her from neil’s blows with her own bod just abruptly taking off without a word in the middle of the night. but hey, maybe that’s why susan left. maybe she got sick of protecting her, maybe the pain got to be too much and she turned tail.

but also…it’s early october now, abt three months after billy’s death but still fairly warm outside. yet neil is wearing long sleeves. neil never used to button his collared shirts all the way up, and yet. every collar is buttoned. also, mom’s car is still here. why would mom leave without her car?

that ceramic pelican she loved so much is still here too, on the mantle in the living room. it doesn’t seem like the kind of thing she would leave behind, she's had it since max was a baby.

max almost wants to believe neil because she’d rather her mother abandoned her than be dead somewhere, rotting in a storage locker or a hole in the ground. under the earth with the worms, just like billy. max has the worst feeling low in the pit of her gut. she thinks she knows the truth. she thinks abt going to hopper and hesitates bc she’s not sure she could handle it if he actually found smth. or what would happen to her if he did, where she would be sent, who she would end up with.

this movie would be more on the ambiguous end of things. an arthouse horror, if u will.

the days turn into wks and neil is crawling in his skin. the viewer isn’t sure if the shadows he’s seeing, always, always susan-shaped shadows, are of a ghostly nature or if he’s just hallucinating out of guilt. but the signs gradually point to the former— that smth paranormal is indeed going on. bc those scratches and bite marks susan left in his skin?

they do not heal. they do not get infected. they do not become necrotic. but they do not heal, either. days turn into wks and the wounds still look fresh, like she just left them moments ago. neil can’t wear light colors anymore because his wounds weep red into the fabric. he isn’t just seeing susan’s shadows either, he’s smelling her.

he washes his sheets and pillowcases a dozen times and the scent of her shampoo, her lotion, it’s like it’s woven into the fibers. he walks into the hallway and chokes on the aroma of susan’s perfume. he wonders if max is screwing with him, if max figured it out and she’s trying to torture him into a confession. one day he stomps off to max's bedroom, furious, adamant on confronting her. he grabs her doorknob, prepared to yank it open and then lets out a yelp, jerking his hand back with a sudden sharp pain.

it feels like a bee sting (which would be esp bad for this fucker in anything i write, bc i headcanon him as being allergic). but there’s no stinger. no injury. nothing. neil is freaked out enough that he backs down.

max, on the other hand, is getting gentler signs. when she turns the radio dial in the camaro, it’s somehow always her mom’s favorite songs that come thru the speakers. when she goes to pull clothes out of her drawers in the morning, she discovers that the things she’d just shoved inside in wrinkled balls are perfectly folded, neat as a pin, exactly like how susan always folded. susan was always fond of cardinals and suddenly max is seeing cardinals, pretty red cardinals, in just abt erry tree and shrub.

neil wakes up one night to his wife’s voice whispering “boo” right in his ear. he throws the covers off and discovers ashes in the bed. he doesn’t smell susan’s shampoo or lotion anymore, he smells the kerosine he’d poured all over her body.

his wounds still won’t heal. whenever he looks in the mirror, he catches a glimpse of susan walking past behind him, peering at him from her peripheral. he whips around, heart hammering, but there’s never any tangible person there.

max is almost certain her mother is dead at this point. neil’s been so bizarrely nice to her lately. she never believed in ghosts but her experiences with the upside-down broadened her perception of reality. she doesn’t know how else to explain the songs, the cardinals, the folded clothes. the way that these days, whenever she does feel fear toward neil, it just fades away. her fear melts like popsicles in the sun, immediately replaced by the sensation of a warm, maternal hug, as if arms she can’t see are trying to reassure her she truly doesn’t need to be afraid of him anymore.

in fact, max feels so unafraid of neil and brave, that one night she calls him out on it. he’s grizzled and unshaven in his recliner, beer in hand. she steps in front of the television he’s vacantly fixated on and folds her arms across her chest.

“you killed my mom, didn’t you?”

quick as a flash, neil leaps to his feet. he brings his arm back like he’s going to strike her and susan’s ceramic pelican on the mantle explodes into shards. the lights flicker, the television program cuts to snow with a static roar. every other knickknack on the mantle rattles and framed photos tumble off the wall.

neil very wisely lowers his hand. he slumps, boneless. he doesn’t say a word. max sees the answer in his eyes. it’s the dead of night and she snatches the camaro keys off the hook, marching out of the house, slamming the door behind her. it’s the dead of night and she doesn’t care. she’s going to blow past every stop sign and pound on the chief’s door until he opens up. and fuck, i just realized if this is post s3 he’s supposed to be in russia. shit. i don’t watch this show, but i know abt russia bc i DID watch the clips of that demogorgon that i rly hope isn’t stuck in captivity!! okay, but let’s pretend that didn’t happen?

it’s an au?? i mean, errything i write is always technically an au anyway, bc when i write stuff susan has an actual personality and billy isn’t *completely* abhorrent. okay, so it’s an au and mr. hopper didn’t blow up and un-blow up in russia. he’s still here. so max drives to his house.

she pounds on the door so hard this guy snaps outta bed, thinking someone’s trying to bust it down. she tells him neil confessed to killing her mom. it isn’t true, exactly, but he didn’t have to. so it’s a helluva grim drive back to cherry lane, this time in the cop car.

but when they go inside, chief prepared to arrest neil, no need. neil’s hanging from the belt he strangled susan with, shirtless for the first time since that night, erry seemingly fresh furrow and bite mark on full display. below his dangling feet is a map, the area he burned susan’s corpse in circled in red marker. did he kill himself or did the ghost do it?

up to u, we soundlessly cut to credits without a concrete answer to that question.

horror movie #3: crossover special! stranger things meets the chilling adventures of sabrina. sequel to that fic i wrote where susan makes out with lilith, queen of hell, and lilith kills neil for her. sue officially joins the church of lilith. bc in this ‘verse the church of lilith actually happens after caos s2 instead of the nonsense that was s3 and the inconceivably godawful migraine-inducing shit-fest that was s4.

killing neil was lilith’s only freebee. susan isn’t a witch, she’s a mortal, so in order to reap the other rewards of worshipping the one and only mother of demons, she has to fornicate with the witches and participate in the sacrifices!!!

this is, uh, well. it’s p much a porno, dude, sorry. 😅

this is just an excuse for susan to have sex with lilith, zelda, marie, hilda, big witch orgies + susan. witches bathing in the blood of their sacrifices, susan so nervous and timid but unable to deny her desire. the witch’s dressing her in their gothic garb.

how does the rest of the fam get it on this?

max joins the church too. she has more age-appropriate conduct with sabrina and the weird sisters, and what have you. just smooches and over-the-clothes groping, and whatnot, even tho the weird sisters, at least, would be interested in going further if given the opportunity.

billy dies in starcourt again, so he gets revived in the cain pit! hilda is the one who goes to him after bc she’s been in the cain pit many a time (i am still BIG side-eyeing zelda for repeatedly murdering her sister since childhood). hilda understands how jarring it can be to come back. suddenly alive!billy is freaking tf out but she brings him inside the mortuary, wraps him up in a big blanket burrito and they have a talk. hilda explains that he’s going to be okay and rubs his back while he tentatively sips the hot chocolate she made.

after billy’s calmed down, she brings max and susan in. max and susan can’t do as much magic as the caos witches— they’re mortals, after all, it’s not in their nature —but they’ve gained some abilities thru being in the church, following the rituals, and being carnally involved with the immortal witches. max happily shows him some of her new magic tricks.

horror movie #4: another crossover with caos. heavily inspired by creepshow episode s2e1, model kid (which i already v blatantly referenced in the last axe snafu update and i’m not ashamed, bc it’s a good series i love v much).

billy picks max up from the byers’ place rly late one night. it’s dark and the weather is bad and okay, yeh, he might be a little high. and a little concussed. he pissed neil off pretty bad the other day and okay, actually he’s defo concussed bc he doesn’t even remember what he did wrong!

needless to say, they take a wrong turn somewhere. they end up in greendale. at first max is pissed. she yells at him a lot! yells so loud hilda can hear them thru the walls of dr. cerberus’s comic shop/diner. she goes outside to see what all the fuss is abt, hilda never rly ignores youth in need. we love hilda, she deserved so much better…i’m getting distracted, okay, back to the story.

hilda ushers them inside. max is like, “ooh, comics? horror junk and comics? nvm, i’m not mad anymore.” she pats billy’s arm and wanders away to go check stuff out! hilda makes billy sit down. caos canon established that she’s psychic, at least when she wants to be. she smells the weed but she also sees his life, his trauma. billy doesn’t remember what he did to piss neil off or the abuse that followed, but hilda sees it clear as day.

he’s rude and cranky w her when she probes a little too much for his liking. hilda gently but firmly reprimands him and gets him a milkshake on this house. then she goes to check on max. she steers max to a v particular section of the shop, the one that sells model kits. now, max isn’t *huge* into model kits BUT they are p neat and she enjoys them well enough. more so when the weather is nasty and she can’t go outside. or when she needs smth to do with her hands (a trait she shares w susan) to distract herself and ease some of the anxiety when she hears her brother being beaten or her mother being shouted at.

max is actually rly impressed by the array of models. vintage ones and newer ones. monsters, slashers, final girls, tiny accessories like knives and bloodied heads. but when she gets to the paint-your-own shelf, her jaw drops to the floor.

there’s one that looks just like neil. unpainted, plain gray vinyl, but undoubtedly her stepdad. the expression on the five inch figurine is one frozen in fear.

“i think that one’s calling to you,” hilda prompts her, with the softest smile.

max blinks away her bewilderment altho she still can’t speak. she turns to hilda and turns her empty pockets inside out. hilda just waves her hand. she tells her it’s on the house. that it wouldn’t be fair if she gave billy smth on the house, but not max.

speaking of billy, when he finishes his milkshake, he’s suddenly totally sober and healed!! no more high buzzing in his blood. no more pounding headache or concussion fogging his mind. he doesn’t feel his bruises anymore, rolls his sleeve up, and realizes they simply aren’t there anymore. like they dissolved off his skin.

albeit it’s muttered under his breath, but billy does thank hilda. then he and max are on their way. max shows him the suspiciously familiar figurine in the box. this night cannot get weirder.

max knows what to do with the model kit. she does. she isn’t sure how she knows, but she does. she grapples with it for a long time. neil’s the closest thing she has to a dad these days. and things aren’t bad all the time, ofc.

sometimes neil gives max a ride when mom and billy aren’t available. sometimes he brings her ice cream entirely unprompted. neil’s the one who picks max up off the sidewalk when she wipes out super bad on her skateboard, carries her inside and then later to the car when her cut doesn’t stop bleeding and she ends up needing stitches.

but most of the time he sucks. she can’t rly be herself around him. he's indifferent to her interest at best, scornful at worst. he would hate all her friends. he scares the shit out of her when he’s angry. he doesn’t have a problem belittling her mother in front of her, tearing susan to shreds and making her out like she’s lower than dirt, the most worthless person on the planet. doesn’t have a problem beating billy in front of her or glaring at her with the promise that she’ll be next if she dares to voice her dissent.

max doesn’t always want to do what she knows she’s meant to do with the model. bc she's kind at heart and bc on the good days, she genuinely does have mixed feelings toward neil. never enough to hope he'll be better, he's proven he won't...but maybe enough to hope he won't get worse, either.

then comes the night neil breaks ribs. bad, like we’re talking, a-sharp-spear-of-broken-rib-punctures-billy’s-lung-and-he’s-coughing-up-blood-bad. that’s a trip to the emergency room. in the days that follow, at her next dnd meeting w the party, max places the fully and attentively painted model of her stepdad on the table. normally her pals would protest her derailing the intended game, but they can sense it, yk, that smth is different.

max takes over as dungeon master to the protest of no one, all other mouths sealed as if bewitched and spellbound. she narrators a scene where the demogorgon devours neil and uses the demogorgon piece and the model for demonstration.

when max returns home, neil is strewn across the house in gory chunks and torn wallpaper curls around massive claw marks.

[thelastspeecher]

Eggs and Pollywogs

This is the final ficlet I’ll be posting for my Nixie AU.  Not because I won’t write anything else for it or anything like that, but because I’m going to be focusing my writing attention for the Nixie AU into making a multichap!  I’m hoping to finish a couple of my WIPs before I start posting the Nixie AU multichap (which I’m titling “Amphibious Tendencies”), so it might be a little while.  But I’m excited to clean up and expand my lil ficlets and make it into a multichap.

But I was already working on this ficlet, and since the last one ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, I finished this up so that y’all could have some Quality Egg Content.  Enjoy.

—————————————————————————————— 

              Water splashed Stan’s face.  He sat up, spluttering.

              “Good.  Yer with us,” Fiddleford said flatly.  Stan wiped the water out of his eyes.  “Yer lil faintin’ spell made Angie cry.”

              “Fidds, that’s a lie!” Angie protested.

              “You cried.”

              “I have a lot of emotions right now,” Angie argued.  Stan got to his feet.  Angie reached for his hand.  She brushed her thumb across his fingers.  “You all right, darlin’?”

              “Yeah, I think- I think I am.”  Stan rubbed the back of his neck.  He swallowed.  “So, uh, the egg in the jar, it’s-”

              “Your offspring, yes,” Ford said.  At some point while Stan was passed out, Ford had obtained the jar and was looking intently at the egg floating within it. “Hmm.  I wonder if all nixie eggs are this cherry blossom color.”

              “Cherry blossom?  Ford, it’s fucking pink,” Stan said.

              “I was specifying the shade of pink.”

              “Whatever.”  Stan turned his attention back to Angie.  “Did you- did you lay it or something?”  Angie nodded. “That had to have sucked.”  Angie laughed softly.

              “It most certainly did.  I wouldn’t have disappeared fer so long fer no reason.”

              “I suspect that it should hatch in a handful of months,” Ford interjected.  “Shorter than the regular human gestation of nine months, but longer than the regular frog gestation of a month or two at most.”  Angie rolled her eyes.

              “I know how long it takes frog eggs to hatch, Stanford.  I’ve got a doctorate in herpetology.”

              “Thank god,” Stan muttered.  “We’re gonna need your expert smarts when the kid hatches.” He grimaced.  “My kid’s gonna hatch from an egg.”

              “I’m sorry,” Angie said quietly.

              “Why?”

              “Yer kid’s goin’ to hatch from an egg ‘cause I’m the mother.”

              “You being the mom is a good thing, Ang.  I’m glad I’m having a kid with you,” Stan said. Angie smiled.

              “Did you lay any others?” Ford asked.  Angie sighed.

              “No.  Just the one.”

              “Odd.  Water sprites like nixies tend to spawn.  Maybe you only laid one because it has a human for a father.  Or maybe because you aren’t a full-blooded nixie.”

              “Spawn,” Stan croaked, his voice cracking.

              “Okay, that’s it.”  Angie took the jar from Ford.

              “Hey!  I was examining that!”

              “‘That’ happens to be my child,” Angie snarled. “You can examine my baby when I say it’s okay.  And right now, my child, my boyfriend, and I are goin’ to find somewhere private. It’s darn difficult to have a serious conversation about us bein’ parents with ya interruptin’ every minute.”

-----

              Stan and Angie walked down the dock.  It was the middle of the day, so they weren’t alone at the lake, but they had decided it was still a better place to talk than the house.  They sat down at the end of the dock, their legs dangling over the edge.

              “Can I, uh, can I see the egg?” Stan asked quietly. Angie handed over the jar.  Stan removed the lid to look more closely at his unborn child.

              Not really unborn. She’s gonna hatch, so, unhatched, I guess.

              “Are you all right?” Angie asked, just as quiet as Stan.  Stan nodded.

              “Yeah.  I’m just, uh, trying to, y’know, come to terms with this.  I didn’t even know if I’d be able to have kids with you, since you’re a frog,” he said.  Angie chuckled softly.  “And now…now I’m gonna have a daughter.”

              “Wait.  Daughter?” Angie asked.

              “The egg’s pink.  It’s gonna be a girl,” Stan said, matter-of-fact.  Angie stared at him.  “You’ve heard of pink going with girls and blue going with boys before, right?”

              “I- yes, but I highly doubt that’ll translate in this way,” Angie said.

              “I’ve got a feeling about it.”

              “Hmm.”

              “My gut feelings are never wrong, Ang,” Stan said firmly.  “We’re gonna have a little girl.”

              “Well, there is a 50% chance yer right,” Angie said after a moment.  She reached for Stan’s hand and laced her fingers with his.  “Do ya have any idea what names ya like?”

              “Molly,” Stan said immediately.  Angie quirked a small smile.

              “Ya had that one locked and loaded.”

              “I’ve wanted to be a dad since I was a teenager. I’ve thought about what I wanna name my kids,” Stan said with a shrug.  Angie’s smile broadened.

              “I like Molly, too.  And if the lil one turns out to be a boy…”

              “It’s a girl.”

              “Ya don’t want to hear what I think we should name our son?” Angie asked.

              “I mean, it’s not necessary, but go for it.”

              “I was thinkin’ we could name him after you. Stan Junior.”

              “I- you- you wanna name your kid after me?” Stan croaked.  Angie leaned against him.

              “Our kid, darlin’.  Not mine.  Ours. Why wouldn’t he be named after his father?” she said tenderly.  Tears sprang to Stan’s eyes.  He brushed them away roughly.

              “Yeah,” he choked out.  “Yeah, that sounds- that sounds good.”  Angie stroked Stan’s cheek.  “I don’t think we should still be living with Fidds and Ford when the kid hatches.”

              “I reckon yer right ‘bout that.”  Angie’s eyes widened.  “Oh!  So, durin’ my time explorin’ the lake, I stumbled across somethin’ incredible.”

              “What?”

              “There’s some nice-lookin’ caves behind the falls. There’s plenty of room fer a full fam’ly to live there.  And there’s even some natural pools of water fer eggs or nixies to sleep in.”

              “Huh.”  Stan thought on that for a moment.  “We wouldn’t have to pay rent.”

              “Nope.”  Angie rubbed the back of her neck.  “I don’t know if it’s a good long-term solution, but I think it’s definitely a decent one fer right now.”

              “Yeah, and it’s better than living with our brothers…” Stan grinned at Angie.  “I think that we can live in a cave like frogs.”

              Angie beamed.

-----

              Stan watched anxiously as Ford removed the egg from its jar to examine it.  Every instinct he had was screaming to rip the egg out of Ford’s hands.  Ford gently set the egg into a bowl of water.

              “She’s getting very large,” Ford commented.  Angie rolled her eyes.

              “Really?  You, too?”

              “The egg is the color associated with femininity.”

              “Assignin’ pink ‘n blue to gender is a human construct, Stanford,” Angie said shortly.  She, Stan, and Ford were in the basement lab at the house, where Ford and Angie were making their regular observations tracking the egg’s development. Angie was the one who suggested that Ford track the egg’s development with her, an opportunity he jumped at.

              “I suppose we’ll find out when she hatches.” Ford carefully turned the egg over. Stan winced.  “You’ll need a larger jar to transport her soon.”  Angie sighed.

              “Here’s the thing.  I can’t find any bigger jars.  I think that this is the last time I’ll be able to bring the egg over.  From now on, it’ll have to stay in the cave pool.”

              “Nope!” a voice said.  Everyone looked over.  Fiddleford had arrived, carrying something.  He strode over to Angie.  “I whipped somethin’ up fer ya.”  He handed the item to Angie.  She looked it over doubtfully.

              “Uh, a tote bag?” Angie asked.  Fiddleford chuckled.

              “That’s just one of its uses.  It’s multi-functional, o’ course.”

              “Of course,” Stan muttered.  Fiddleford ignored him.

              “Think of it as a portable version of the tank I made fer ya.  When ya zip up the top, it’ll keep water in perfectly, without any spillin’.  Ya can carry it over yer shoulder, on yer back, or even on yer front.”  Angie looked up curiously.  Fiddleford beamed.  “That’s the best part, I think.  If ya wear it on yer front and tuck it under yer clothes, it’ll give the impression yer expectin’.”

              “That’s actually a great idea,” Stan said. “Angie and I have been getting a bit worried about people noticing we have a kid when she was never pregnant.” He waved a hand.  “Sure, adoption exists, but there’s no way the kid won’t have either my nose or Angie’s.  She’s gonna look like us.”

              “Thank you, Fidds,” Angie said.  She smiled.  “This really is great.”  Fiddleford’s smile broadened further.

              “Speaking of which traits your daughter is going to get…” Ford said slowly.  Fiddleford frowned.

              “What makes ya think the pollywog’s goin’ to be a girl?” he asked.  Angie sighed.

              “Stan and Ford are stuck on the egg bein’ pink.”

              “Stanford, that don’t mean jack.”

              “In my professional opinion-” Ford started, his voice rising.

              “What were ya goin’ to say about traits?” Angie interrupted.

              “I- ahem.”  Ford cleared his throat.  “I wonder which traits from which forms will pass down.”  Angie frowned thoughtfully.

              “Elaborate.”

              “In your native form, you are blonde, like Fiddleford,” Ford said, gesturing to Angie’s caramel-colored hair.  Stan rolled his eyes.

              “The guy who said my kid’s egg is ‘cherry blossom’ thinks Angie and Fiddleford have the same hair color,” he muttered.  Ford blinked.

              “They’re both blonde.”

              “Yeah, but in different ways.”

              “Stanford, ignore him,” Fiddleford said.  “Finish yer thought, please.”

              “Right.  As I was saying, Angie, you are blonde when in human form, but as a nixie, you have black hair.  I’m curious as to whether your daughter will have black hair or blonde hair as a human.”

              “Or brown hair,” Angie said.  Ford frowned.

              “Why would she have brown hair?” he asked. Stan cupped his hands around his mouth.

              “Dumbass, I’m the kid’s dad!” he shouted.

              “Ah.  Yes. Fair point.”  Ford looked at Stan with some concern.  “Are you all right?”

              “No, my genius brother is an idiot,” Stan retorted, crossing his arms.

              “Not-” Ford huffed.  “Your voice sounds…off.  Do you have a frog in your throat?”

              “That’s racist,” Angie mumbled.

              “I mean, I don’t have a frog in my throat right now,” Stan said.  Fiddleford and Angie turned beet red.  After a moment, Ford flushed as well.  Stan snickered.  “Nah, I think that I’m just getting used to living behind the waterfall.”

              “Why would that alter your voice?” Ford asked. Stan shrugged.

              “I mean, I haven’t been able to fully dry off since we moved there.  Don’t you get sick if you stay wet?”

              “Not necessarily,” Ford said.

              “He’s fine,” Angie said.  “Can we please finish lookin’ at the egg?  I’m eager to try this here bag Fidds made.”

              “Yes, of course.”  Ford and Angie turned their attention back to the egg.  Fiddleford joined them as well.  Stan leaned against the wall, deciding to observe from a distance. He uncrossed an arm to scratch his neck, unaware of the thin slime that briefly oozed from the itch.

-----

              “Stan!”  Stan looked up from his attempts to shave, using one of the cave pools as a mirror. Angie beamed broadly at him. “C’mere!”  Stan wiped his face clean, got up, and joined Angie at the pool she had designated for the egg.  “Look!”  She pointed at the egg.

              “Uh, what am I looking at?” Stan asked.

              “The lil pollywog is swimmin’ in the egg!” Angie gushed.  Stan sat down and leaned in to look closely at the egg.  His eyes widened.  Sure enough, the dark speck inside the egg was moving.  “I reckon it’s a bit like when someone pregnant first feels their baby kickin’.”

              “Yeah.”

              “I’d say that we’ve only got a couple months ‘fore the lil one hatches.”

              “Wow, that soon?”

              “Yep.”

              “Damn.”  Stan smiled as he watched the tadpole swimming around inside its egg.  “Holy Moses, I’m gonna be a dad soon,” he said quietly.  His eyes widened.  “I’m gonna be a dad, but I’m not married.”

              “Oh,” Angie said, sounding surprised.  “That’s right.  We ain’t married.”

              “We should probably do that at some point,” Stan said.  Angie laughed softly.  “What?”

              “I’m just imaginin’ my fam’ly gettin’ invitations to a wedding where they haven’t even heard of the groom ‘fore.”

              “Wait.”

              “Oh.  Oh no.” Stan and Angie stared at each other. “I never told my fam’ly ‘bout ya.”

              “We’ve been dating for months!  We’re gonna be parents soon!”

              “I- well-” Angie spluttered.  “Have you told yer fam’ly ‘bout me?” she shot back.

              “Touché.  But you talk to your family a lot more than I talk to mine.”

              “Yeah.”  Angie rubbed the back of her neck nervously.  “There’s just- a lot has happened very quickly.  We first met a lil over a year ago, ‘member?”

              “That was only a year ago?”

              “A bit more,” Angie corrected.

              “Still.”  Stan looked back at the egg.  “Damn. We moved fast.”

              “Apparently.”  Angie groaned, kneading her forehead.  “Oh, Lord. They’re all goin’ to blow their gaskets.”

              “Especially when you mention the kid,” Stan pointed out. Angie groaned louder.  “I wonder how easily we’ll be able to get the kid to look human…”  After a moment, Angie nodded.

              “Good point.  Maybe we wait to mention we have a child until that child can hide its gills.”

-----

              Stan scowled as he watched Lute stare at the egg. Angie had called her family to let them know she had a serious boyfriend about a month ago.  Earlier that week, her older brother, Lute, had showed up determined to find out Stan’s “intentions” with his younger sister. Before Stan knew what was happening, Lute had discovered Angie was a nixie, as well as the existence of the egg.

              And now, he’s in my home, gaping at my unhatched kid like it’s the star freak in a sideshow.  Stan cleared his throat.

              “All right, are you satisfied?” he asked tartly. Lute nodded, still staring at the egg. “Great.  Now-”

              “Is it s’pposed to be movin’?” Lute interrupted. Everyone looked over at the egg. Sure enough, it was rocking back and forth in the small pool.  Stan looked at Angie.  Her eyes were wide.  She quickly got into the pool with the egg.

              “Are you all right, honey?” she asked quietly, stroking the egg.  The egg rocked more violently as the tadpole pushed against the membrane.  Then, before their eyes, a tear formed.  “Oh my- oh my goodness.”  The tadpole slid out of the egg, into the water.  Stan fell to his knees by the side of the pool.

              “Holy shit,” he whispered.  Ford, Fiddleford, and Lute knelt as well.

              “I think we just watched our new niece or nephew get born,” Ford commented.  The freshly hatched tadpole, the size of a human newborn, was swimming happily around the pool.  Unlike Angie, whose nixie skin was green, the tadpole had mottled brown skin, and, like a regular tadpole, had a tail instead of legs.  “Angie, is your child male or female?”

              “I, uh, I’m not sure,” Angie said after a moment. She caught the tadpole with her arms, hugging it close.  “Determining sex of amphibians isn’t easy to do.”  Stan sat down and dangled his legs in the pool.

              “C’mere, Ang.”  Angie came over, still holding the tadpole.  Stan looked down at his child, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. Most of the tadpole’s features in nixie form were very similar to Angie’s.  There were a couple differences, namely that the tadpole’s nose looked like Angie’s human one, not her nixie one.  The only other difference aside from skin color, was the tadpole’s eye color.  Brown, not blue.  Stan smiled.

              The kid’s got my eyes.

              “Hey, kiddo,” Stan said quietly.  The tadpole looked up at him curiously.  “I might be a human, but I’m still your dad, got it?” The tadpole blinked.  “Good work, babe.  The kid’s just as gorgeous as you are.”  Angie chuckled softly.  Stan leaned over and kissed her.  The moment his lips touched Angie’s, a strange prickling sensation spread across Stan’s skin.

              “What in the-” Lute muttered.  Ford swore softly.  Stan broke off the kiss to look at their audience.

              “What, you’ve never seen a guy kiss his gal?” he demanded.  His eyes widened at the suddenly much lower pitch to his voice, as well as the change in tone.  Fiddleford and Lute’s jaws dropped.

              “Ya don’t sound like a smoker no more,” Lute said after a moment.  He gestured to Stan.  “Maybe it has somethin’ to do with whatever just happened to yer skin.”

              “My skin?”  Stan looked down at his hands.  His jaw dropped.  His skin was soft and slimy like Angie’s, mottled brown like their tadpole’s. “Uh…”

              “I warned you, Stanley,” Ford said.  Stan looked up at his twin.  To his surprise, Ford looked more amused than upset.  “I warned you that if you continued to interact with Angie in nixie form, you would become a magical creature yourself.”

              “That’s what just happened?” Lute asked.  “But he don’t look anything like Angie or the, uh, the pollywog!  His skin and voice changed, that’s all.”

              “Okay, I need to get a good look at myself,” Stan muttered.  Angie scooted away so that Stan could use the pool to look at his reflection.  Stan leaned over, staring at the water.  Like Lute had said, his features had remained the same, though his skin was now of the same texture as Angie and the tadpole. His face and the front of his body were a pale brown, with dark brown mottling around his sides.  “I look like the missing link between myself and Angie.” Angie snickered softly.

              “This is just an intermediate stage,” Ford said. “I have no doubts that you’ll soon complete your transformation into a nixie.”

              “Huh.”  Stan looked up at Angie.  “Guess you don’t get to hog all the fresh bait now.”

              “Pardon?” Lute asked.  Stan looked over his shoulder.

              “You’re still here?” he drawled.  Lute scowled.

              “Stan’s got a point,” Angie said.  “Would the three of you mind leaving us alone for some quality time with our little pollywog?”  Ford, Fiddleford, and Lute got up.

              “Ya best bring that lil one of ya over first thing tomorrow, okay?” Fiddleford instructed.  Stan waved a hand airily, noting absently that thin webbing stretched between his otherwise unchanged fingers.

              “Yeah, yeah.  Now, beat it.”  Their brothers left.  Stan looked at Angie.  He winked. “Hey, babe.”  Angie giggled.  Stan removed his clothes and slid into the pool with Angie.  Angie, still holding the tadpole, scooted over to be next to Stan.

              “Given your color and the little one’s color, I wonder if our kidlet might be a boy,” Angie said, stroking the tadpole.

              “Are you sure?”

              “No.  But it’s our best lead.  So until we have some other piece of evidence, should we call the kidlet our son?” Angie asked.  Stan grinned.

              “I’ve always wanted a son, so, I’m down for it.”

              “Hmm, or maybe you’re just happy because the name we came up with for a boy was Stan Junior,” Angie teased.  She kissed his cheek.  Stan felt another strange tingling, but this time, concentrated around his hands and feet.  He looked down at his hands.  They were now large and webbed like Angie’s.  “Whoops.”

              “Eh.  I’m gonna turn all nixie at some point,” Stan said with a shrug.  He looped an arm around Angie’s shoulders.  She leaned against him.  Stan stroked his son’s bald head.  “Junior, I’m glad you’re here,” he said quietly.  Angie smiled.

              “So am I.”

[the-most-slytherin-hufflepuff]

The Song of the Sea

Here ya go my peeps Chapter 3. Hope you enjoy it.

Masterlist

Remus stood in front of Lily’s door debating whether he should knock or run away. He was not looking forward to the interrogation, not that Lily had to try too hard to get the truth out of him. He had tried asking Sirius how he should explain the whole siren thing to her, but that had been about the most useless advice ever. Turns out Sirius doesn’t know how to ease a human into the siren thing because the only human he knew was Remus. 

“It’ll be fine, he said.” Remus muttered exasperatedly. “No Sirius it won’t be fine because Lily isn’t really fond of sirens.” 

He sighed defeatedly and knocked. His breath hitched when he heard footsteps approaching the door. He relaxed slightly when he saw it was just James, he still had a few seconds to figure out how he was going to explain everything. 

“You alright Re?” James asked. “You look like someone is about to torture you.” 

Remus laughed nervously, “I’m pretty sure I'm two seconds away from an interrogation.” 

James winced in sympathy, “Good luck”. 

“Thanks”, Remus said, “I’ll need it”. 

Remus entered  the house and went to the kitchen. Lily was sitting at the small table, feet propped up on another chair and an unreadable look on her face. “Hey Lils”. 

She turned to look at him, a small reassuring smile appearing on her face. “I’m not about to murder you Re. You can stop looking at me like a spooked goat.” 

“Yeah well”, Remus chuckled nervously, “I can’t help but think you’re about to question me about the other night.” 

She hummed, “well I am curious about that. I heard the singing Remus, and then you came back soaked from head to toe with a stupid smile on your face.” 

Remus made an indignant sound, “I did not have a stupid smile on my face.” 

“Remus”, she gave him an unimpressed look, “you looked like James did when we started dating. I know how stupid smiles look like.” 

Remus felt heat creep into his cheeks, “fine maybe. Maybe I was smiling.” 

“So”, she smirked at him, “what happened to get you smiling like a love struck fool?”  

“One, I am not love struck. And two, that’s a long story.” 

She pointed at him to sit in a chair across from her, “I don’t have any plans for the day.” 

Remus sat down. “Alright, I’ll tell you. But you have to promise you will let me finish before saying anything. Please.” 

Lily nodded. Remus took that as his cue to begin his tale. By the time he finished it had been about two hours and Lily had gone from confused, to angry, to intrigued. 

“Well, I can’t say I’m thrilled about the siren part.” She took a moment to collect her thoughts. “But as long as he doesn’t hurt you,” she shrugged, “he sounds nice.” 

“He is.” Remus stayed quiet for a while, giving Lily time to process. He had laid his head on his crossed arms, his eyes staring down at the wooden table. “Would you”, he lifted his head a little to look at her, “would you like to meet him?” 

“Sure”, she shrugged. Remus noticed the tension in her shoulders anyway. “When are you going to see him?”  

“I don’t know, tonight maybe. Maybe earlier. I should tell Sirius that you want to meet him.” 

She gave him a knowing look. Remus didn’t like it. “What’s that look for?” 

“Nothing.” She waved him off. “Don’t worry about it.” 

They both stood up and began walking towards the door. Lily hugged him goodbye. “Be careful Remus”, she whispered. 

“When am I not?” 

She hugged him tighter for a second longer before letting go, a worried look on her face. “Sirius isn’t Severus. I trust him”, Remus said, trying to reassure Lily.  

“I know. You’ve always been good at reading people Remus, I trust your judgement.” 

Remus pulled her in for another quick hug. “Come down to the beach at nightfall. We’re probably going to be in the cave at the edge of the bay” he said before leaving, oblivious to the worried look Lily gave him before going back into her house.

  He walked across the shoreline until he reached the cave’s entrance. He didn’t see Sirius inside. He tried to ignore the feeling of disappointment, walking to one of the bigger rocks and sitting down. The cold water reaching his ankles. 

He laid down, his eyes examining the stone roof of the cave. He stayed there for a bit, the peaceful atmosphere making him drowsy. He must have drifted off at some point. Next thing he knew he was being startled awake when something grabbed his ankle and dragged him into the water. 

He felt a pair of arms wrap around his torso and drag him out from under water. “Hi”, he recognized Sirius's voice. 

“You scared me.” Remus glared at Sirius, pointedly ignoring how close they were. “I’m convinced one of these days you’re just going to let me drown.” 

“I could never do that”, Sirius said, “I’d miss you too much.” 

Remus tried, and failed, to not blush. He let his face drop to Sirius’s shoulder with a groan. “Can you stop doing that?” 

“No. I like it when you blush.” Sirius tightens his arms around Remus. “It’s cute.” 

Remus sighed, “oh well, I tried. Now I shall die from embarrassment. Tell Lily I love her and that she was right.” 

“Right about what?” Remus didn’t seem to notice the nervous edge to Sirius’s tone 

He lifted his head from Sirius’s shoulder to look at him, “she used to say cute boys would be the death of me.” He paused, a feeling of satisfaction settling in his chest when he saw Sirius blush. “She was right. But she usually always is.”

“Speaking of Lily”, Sirius said, “did you tell her?” 

“What? Oh, yeah. She took it ok. At least, she isn’t coming here to commit arson so I think that’s a win.” Remus answered. Then he said in a softer tone, “She wants to meet you.” 

“And James?” 

“Oh I am not telling James until you have Lily’s approval.” 

“Why?” Sirius gave him a confused look, Remus thought he looked like a puppy seal. 

“Let’s just say Lils doesn’t have many reasons to trust sirens.” When the confused look remained Remus decided maybe he should explain a bit better. 

“A few years ago Lily met this guy, Severus.” He made note of the annoyed look that crossed Sirius’s face. “He told Lily they were friends and, well, one thing led to another. He almost killed her. She hasn’t gone in the water ever since and has no warm feelings for your kind, and neither does James for that matter.” 

“Of course they don't, Lily met quite possibly the worst being to ever roam the seas.” Sirius’s tone was bitter and annoyed. Remus thought  it sounded wrong.

Remus tried to change the subject. “Can you please put me back on relatively dry land?” 

Sirius smiled brightly. “Why would I do that?”, he asked with a teasing tone. 

“Because I’m getting cold and I, unlike you, can’t stay in the water for that long.” Actually it was because everytime he wanted to think about anything his mind reminded him about how nice it felt to be in Sirius’s arms. 

“You are a terrible liar Remus”, Sirius said with a smirk. Remus felt the heat on his cheeks, burying his head on Sirius’s shoulder again. “M’not lying”, Remus mumbled. 

Sirius decided to stop teasing Remus and took him closer to the rock he had been lying on so that he could get out of the water. Sirius got out and sat besides Remus, putting his head on the other man’s shoulder, a comfortable silence settling between them. Remus let his head fall on top of Sirius’s. He stared down at their reflection in the water. Sirius’s eyes were closed, his chest rising and falling evenly, the silver scales of his tail catching the light that filtered in from the falling sun. 

Some time later, after night had fallen, Remus heard someone come into the cave. He looked up from where he was braiding a piece of Sirius’s hair, he had moved to lay his head on Remus’s lap and had dozed off again. He saw Lily wearing a pair of pants and a shirt that probably belonged to James. 

She waved at him before looking at Sirius’s sleeping form and raising an eyebrow, giving Remus a look making him blush a little. “What?” he whispered.

She ignored his question in favor of asking her own, making sure to keep her voice low. “This him?”

“No Lily. I just have that many friends with tails instead of legs”, he replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm. 

She rolled her eyes at him, coming to sit besides her friend. “Why are your clothes wet?”

“This idiot woke me up by pulling me into the water”, he answered, yanking a strand of Sirius’s hair lightly. The man’s face twitched. He moved so that he could bury his face in Remus’s stomach before relaxing again. 

Remus looked down at him with a soft smile on his lips. “I don’t know how he can move like that and stay asleep. Literally sleeps like the dead.”

A smile tugged at Lily’s lips. “You said he woke you up earlier?” Remus nodded and turned to look at Lily. A silent conversation passed between them, they smirked at each other. Lily looked down at Sirius, he had a soft smile on his lips, she almost felt sorry for how he was going to wake up. Almost. 

Lily locked eyes with Remus. He nodded. Lily got up and kneeled in front of Sirius’s body, pushing him off of the rock and into the water. They heard Sirius gasp, his eyes flying open before he hit the water. 

He came up for air and scowled at Lily and Remus. Both of them were laughing too much to notice. 

“You think you’re funny huh?” Sirius said, grabbing Remus’s ankle and yanking him into the water. Lily’s laughter echoed around the cave walls. 

“You are such an arse”, Remus’s breathing was heavy but Sirius could still hear the laughter in his voice.  

“You’re the one who pushed me off.” Sirius crossed his arms and pouted at him. “I was comfortable.”

“I didn’t push you. Lily did.” Remus pointed at the red head. “It was her idea.” 

“You didn’t stop her.” 

Remus shrugged at him. “Sorry”. 

“You don’t sound even remotely sorry.” 

“Consider that pay back for almost drowning me twice.” 

Remus heard Lily fake gagging. He turned to look at her. “Anything you want to say, Lils?” 

“He’s more dramatic than James. I don’t think I need two of them in my life.” 

Remus groaned. “No. No. Absolutely not.” He looked at Sirius. “We are never letting you meet James”

“What? Why?” Sirius gave him a betrayed look. 

“Don’t take it personally”, Lily answered. “I don’t think the world could survive if we let you two meet. It’s for the greater good.” She gave him a solemn look. 

“Yeah the two of you would be absolutely insufferable together.” Remus rolled his eyes. “James is already a drama queen. He doesn’t need someone to encourage him.” 

“Oh come one Moony”, Sirius whined. “You don’t want me to meet your friends.” 

“Moony?” Lily gave him an amused look. 

Sirius flushed, “Yeah. You know like, Romulus and Remus were raised by wolves in the myths and Remus’s eyes look pretty at night and-”

“You’re rambling.” Lily was trying to contain her giggles. She was failing. She lost it when she looked at Remus who tried to hide his blush behind his hands before remembering that he needed to use his arms if he didn’t want to drown. 

“It’s not funny Lily.” 

“Yes it is.” She said between giggles. When she managed to calm down she got up and dusted off her pants. “I need to get going. I told James I was going to Natalie’s house.” 

Remus hummed, “you should probably go see her then.” He got out of the water so he could walk her back to the cave’s entrance. 

“Bye Sirius. Don’t hurt my brother and we won’t have any problems.” 

He smiled brightly at her, “I won’t.” 

Lily waited until they were far enough so that Remus wouldn’t hear her. “I like him. He’s good for you.” 

“Lily what-”

He didn’t get to finish. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and a hug and then was gone. Remus stood there for a second, a weird feeling settling over him. He shook it off and went back to where Sirius was looking at him with a nervous look. 

“Don't worry she likes you.” 

Sirius let out a breath. “Thank gods. I was so nervous.” 

Remus sat down on the ground and lowered himself into the water. Sirius gave him a suspicious look, “I thought you said you were cold earlier.”

“I was”, Remus wrapped his arms around Sirius, making him jump a little. “But now I’m not.” 

Sirius put his arms around him, he noticed how much shorter Remus was compared to him. He felt Remus hug him a little tighter and bury his face in his shoulder. A shiver ran down Sirius’s spine when he felt a soft sigh against his neck. Sirius let his head fall on Remus’s hair gently, the soft curls tickling his cheek. 

They stayed floating there for a minute content to just exist with each other. Remus lifted his head from Sirius’s shoulder and locked eyes with him. “Hey”, Remus whispered softly. 

“Hi” 

“You think my eyes are pretty at night?” Remus asked, glad he was the one making Sirius blush. 

“Yes.” The soft look in Sirius’s eyes made Remus melt a little. “To be fair, the first time I saw you you were sitting on the sand. I couldn’t see your eyes back then and I still thought you were beautiful.” 

Remus thought back to that first night he had heard the singing, the reason he had been at the beach the night he met Sirius around a week ago. “You tried to drown me.” Remus said in a teasing whisper, trying to control the blush that had taken over his face. 

“Maybe I wanted to keep you all to myself.” 

Remus’s breath hitched. “I can’t breathe under water.”

“Pity.” Sirius’s eyes drifted down to look at Remus’s lips. His eyes snapped up to meet Remus’s gaze, a silent question in his eyes. Remus nodded slightly. Sirius leaned in but stopped a breath away from Remus’s lips. 

Remus let out a shaky breath, his mouth had gone dry. He didn’t think about it. He just leaned in, closing the distance between them, his eyes fluttering shut. Sirius’s lips were softer then he had expected, he felt Sirius’s fingers tangling in his curls. He sighed, relaxing into the kiss.

They were both breathless by the time they broke the kiss, they were so close they were breathing the same air. Remus couldn’t think of anything that wasn’t Sirius. Sirius’s hands in his hair. Sirius’s soft lips. Sirius. “I think your eyes are pretty too.” 

Sirius chuckled lightly. Remus kissed him again, smiling into the kiss. 

“You’re going to be the death of me.” Sirius said. 

“I hope not”, Remus gave Sirius another short kiss, “I’d miss you too much.”