#the sun is out and I haven’t slept yet

[uh-ohspaghettio]

So turns out you can make a lyric video to a hozier song using only supernatural fanfiction titles

I’ve lost my mind

[7s3ven]

NOBODY’S SON, NOBODY’S DAUGHTER. luke (pjo) pt 1

PART 1 > PART 2 > PART 3 > PART 4 (last pt)

( master list )

IN WHICH… Y/N L/N, after spending a decade at Camp Half-Blood, still remains unclaimed. Luckily, Luke is there to keep her company as her good friend. And to, perhaps, provide a bit more.

“I’m in the wind, you’re in the water. Nobody’s son, nobody’s daughter.”

( follows the show - kind of just a oneshot bc i’m bored )

Warnings : fighting, violence, a little too much of a description about injuries

—

Nobody had been this excited about a new kid since three years ago, when a H/C-haired girl showed up holding a Harpy’s head. The new arrival had slain a Minotaur, which Clarisse wasn’t too happy about. She was convinced he was a liar.

Y/N sat in the Hermes cabin, closely inspecting her empty juice box. She had waken up an hour ago yet her good friend, Luke, still woke up earlier. She always wondered where he went in the early morning. Perhaps to get some sword training in before the day started. He was, after all, the best swordsman in camp.

The rays of sun poured through the window, bathing the wooden floor in light. A few of the Hermes kids groaned, knowing Luke would burst through the doors any second and force them to get up. He always did when the sun rose.

As expected, Luke kicked the door open. “Good morning!” He exclaimed, as energetic as ever. “The new kid’s coming today so get up and start cleaning! I’m mainly talking to you guys.” Luke sent the group in the corner a stern look and added, “Y/N, you’re fine.” He pointed at her with his usual boyish grin.

Lately, Y/N had been sleeping in Luke’s bed while he slept on the floor. They took turns switching. Lying on the ground for more than a decade now wasn’t good for the back.

After all this time, Y/N was still unclaimed. It usually took a week or less. Y/N was a prime example of the Gods above ignoring their children.

“He’s the one who killed the Minotaur, right?” Y/N questioned as Luke collapsed onto his mattress, partly to annoy Y/N who was sitting on it. The H/C-haired girl scoffed and playfully rolled her eyes, yet she couldn’t contain the amused smile on her face.

“Yeah. He can join your little monster slaying group. Let’s hope he gets claimed because I can’t deal with a boy version of you.” Luke teasingly grinned while Y/N scoffed and slapped his shoulder.

“You love my company.” She uttered, rolling her eyes.

Luke’s friends snickered to themselves. “More like he loves you.” One whispered to another.

“What’s his name again?” Y/N asked, tilting her head to the side. “Was it… Tom?” Luke stared at her in disbelief before lightly snorting.

“You’re way off, Y/N. Stop thinking, you’ll hurt that tiny brain of your’s. Just do what you do best; sit still and look cute.” Luke ruffled her tidy hair, turning it into a bird’s nest again.

Y/N flung a pillow at him, and glowered at the Hermes boy. “I’m going to kick your ass in capture the flag.” She threatened, poking his shoulder. Clarisse, out of all people, was her best friend. So naturally, she teamed up with her.

“I wouldn’t be so sure, princess.” Luke lightly shoved her which caused Y/N to gasp in disbelief.

“Don’t push a lady, Luke!”

The other campers, already used to their antics, just chuckled. “Hey, love birds!” One of the unclaimed kids exclaimed. “Get a room!” With her smart she was, Y/N assumed she was Athena’s child.

Y/N and Luke liked to play a silly game where they guessed which camper belonged to which godly parent. It was fun. Luke was never wrong until the day he tried to guess Y/N’s.

A year ago, he guessed Aphrodite. His explanation? Because she was charming and she had a certain aura that followed her. And because she was pretty. That was the only time he was wrong because Y/N never ended up in a cabin.

“So, what do you think of the new kid? Which cabin?” Y/N asked as she and Luke walked outside. He shoved his hands into his pockets, laughing.

“Tough call. I haven’t even met him yet. Apollo, maybe?” Luke shrugged and frowned. “I’ll tell ya my guess when I see him.”

“I’m guessing… Poseidon.” Y/N uttered, earning a light snort from Luke.

“No way. Is that your confirmed guess? Being a child of Poseidon would mean being a forbidden child.”

The game had a few rules.

One. You can only take a single guess and once you confirm it, you can’t change it.

Two. You can’t ask the kid you’re talking about. Luke considers that cheating. You can only observe them.

Three. No asking Annabeth because she’s always right.

“I guess. It’s not like I ever win, right?” Y/N laughed, grinning at Luke. He stared at her for a moment before returning her bright smile.

“I know we don’t usually make bets, but if your guess turns out right, I’ll willingly give up in the next capture the flag game after he’s claimed.” Luke puffed out his chest, certain Y/N wouldn’t win.

“And if you win?” She asked, arching an eyebrow.

“You give me your strawberries.” Luke had an obsession with strawberries that everybody, even the gods above, knew about.

“You’re on, Luke.” Y/N held out her hand with her lips curved up into a teasing smirk.

“Good luck, princess. Looks like I’ll be taking all your strawberries.” Luke ran his tongue over his teeth, already being able to taste the sweet, red fruit in his mouth.

He walked off, playfully winking at Y/N. Clarisse, who saw the whole conversation go down, hurried over to Y/N. “Looks like you and lover boy have a bet going in.” She smirked, raising both her eyebrows. “You two are cute together.”

“Don’t mess with me, Clari. We’re just friends.” Y/N rolled her eyes at what her friend was suggesting. She had been friends with Luke for three years now and she had known him for even longer.

“Are you just friends… or you want to be more?” Clarisse leaned forward with that taunting glint in her beautiful eyes. Y/N groaned, shoving her away. Clarisse simply laughed. “Come on, princess.” She mocked.

“Oh, come on, Risse.” That was a horrid nickname given to Clarisse by an Apollo boy who seemed to be obsessed with her.

“Shut up!” Clarisse exclaimed, eyeing Y/N up and down in disgust as if she was the Apollo boy. “You know how I feel about him!”

“And you know how I feel about Luke.”

“Yeah… but do you?” Clarisse tilted her head to the side before her gaze flickered to something, or rather someone, behind Y/N. “The Minotaur kid is out.” She grumbled and sharply clicked her tongue.

“Great. I can see if my stupid guess was correct.” Y/N glanced over her shoulder, watching the boy walk beside Chiron. His hair was curled, much like Luke’s, and blond. Clarisse had wandered off in the midst of Y/N’s staring, but she didn’t mind.

Suddenly, the boy lifted his head. His eyes clashed with Y/N’s, and he almost jumped at how intensely she was staring at him. Y/N merely smiled before turning away.

“So, what do you think?” She asked Luke as they walked towards the Hermes cabin side by side, their shoulders brushing against each other.

“Hard to say for now.” Luke replied. Y/N looked at him and he stared back before the pair burst into quiet laughter. Just locking eyes could make two friends find anything hilarious.

“I assume you’ll take him under your wing? Good luck.” Y/N nudged him with her elbow, which seemed to be a normal gesture between them.

“Thanks, princess. See ya.”

Y/N turned around, almost crashing into a disoriented Percy Jackson. He seemed jumpy and panicked. Of course, how couldn’t he be? He had just unknowingly killed a monster and his mother had been taken.

“Hi. The first day is always rough. Don’t beat yourself up about it.” Y/N muttered to him before she passed by.

She didn’t stick around to hear Chiron announce him. She sighed, wandering aimlessly around the camp. She saw Clarisse talking to her siblings. Y/N had always wondered what it was like to have siblings you could relate to. What did it feel like to understand each other? To go through the same difficulties?

The Hermes cabin was comfortable and friendly enough but it wasn’t the same. She wanted to feel what a true family felt like, or at least was supposed to.

As Y/N had expected, Luke was the first to talk to Percy.

“I’m Luke.” He introduced himself to the boy after the rocky start to their conversation.

“Percy. Hey, uh, who was that girl before? The H/C-haired one?” He questioned, clearing his throat.

“Y/N. She’s nice most of the time the time but a pain in the ass during capture the flag.” Luke chuckled, shaking his head. “Nah. I’m just kidding. Don’t tell her I said that, though.”

“You guys seem close.” Percy uttered, remembering the way Luke looked at Y/N when they talked.

“Yeah. She’s my best friend. Unfortunately for me, her best friend is an aggressive Ares kid.” He grinned, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. “Feel free to lie down anywhere. Just don’t get too close to Y/N. If she’s having a monster dream, she kicks in her sleep.”

One of the campers across the cabin groaned. “I know how that feels. The bruise lasted for weeks!” The others burst into laughter while Percy hurriedly made a mental note.

Avoid the pretty girl when she sleeps.

Percy was lucky that Y/N, who lay on the floor a few feet away from him, wasn’t having one of her infamous nightmares. He couldn’t say the same for himself, though.

Percy sat up, panting and sweating. He looked around, realising where he was. Birds chirped in the distant and he could hear the faint sound of chatter through the wooden walls.

“You okay?” Luke asked.

“Super.” Percy sarcastically responded.

“We all have them here, you know.” Luke clicked his tongue and sighed. “Intense, reoccurring nightmares. That’s normal here. Take Y/N for example. When she first came here, no one wanted to get near her while she slept. Girl’s a bloody good kicker.”

Percy lightly chuckled while Luke smiled. “The daydreams and ADHA and dyslexia are normal too. Demigods just process reality differently than humans do. For the first time in your life, you’re just like everyone else.”

“So, are you also…” Percy trailed off, not wanting to sound rude to his first friend at camp.

Luke found his hesitation amusing. “Am I unclaimed? No. Hermes is my father.”

“And Y/N? Is her father also Hermes?”

Luke scrunched up his face like he had just eaten a sour lemon. “Oh, no. Heck no. Y/N’s unclaimed… still. She has been for a while.” The brunette pressed his lips into a thin line as he gazed at Y/N, who was laughing with Clarisse.

“Why hasn’t Aphrodite claimed her? I mean, she looks the part.”

“That’s what we’re all asking ourselves. We all thought she’d be Aphrodite’s kid.”

Boys and girls flocked towards Y/N like she was a muse. It was no secret that out of all the campers, Y/N stood out the most. There was something unique about her, how she always hung around the aggressive Ares kids like she wanted to be one of them.

She was a tough opponent but a little too soft for Ares’ liking.

Too gentle for Ares but too angry for Aphrodite. She was constantly stuck in the middle. It almost seemed like no god or goddess wanted her in their cabin because she had proved herself over and over again.

“How long has she been unclaimed?” Percy inquired. Kids before him had asked that very same question and every time, they were never ready for the answer.

“A decade.” Luke replied, “She’s been here for a decade. Last year, there was a stupid rumour going around that she was fully mortal but that doesn’t make sense. If she was, she wouldn’t be here in the first place.”

“Why so long?”

“Nobody knows.” Luke shrugged. He had wondered that too. And he could see how it was weighing down on Y/N. The unclaimed kid was what campers referred to her as. They used her as an example of what not to do.

“Will she ever get claimed?”

Luke hoped she would. For her sake. He knew how she felt about not having a related family of her own. For now, she was satisfied laughing over silly tales with the Hermes kids.

“So, where does she go during the day? She disappeared yesterday and today.” Percy tilted his head to the side, not being able to spot Y/N anymore. Luke paused. It was uncommon for him to not have an answer to everything.

“I… don’t know. I assume Clarisse and her go somewhere.”

“Probably swimming in the lake.” Grover said, overhearing the two’s conversation.

It was scorching during Summer at Camp Half-Blood. Most stayed in the shade while an occasional kid or two tended to the plants. So it would make sense that Y/N would go to a lake to cool off.

Luke left Percy in the company of Grover and made his way towards the Lake in the middle of the forest. As Grover guessed, he found Y/N and Clarisse and a few other Ares kids swimming in the water or sitting on the nearby rocks.

“Hey, Y/N, your lover boy is here!” One of them exclaimed. Y/N, from her spot in the middle of the lake, glared at him. She huffed before swimming over to Luke, easily heaving herself onto shore.

“Hey, Luke, ready to make your guess yet?” She asked, grinning up at him. “Or do you wanna swim?”

“My guess is definitely not Hephaestus.” Luke said as he sat down in front of Y/N. His gaze flickered to her new swimsuit. “New bathing suit?”

“Yeah. Miya got it for me.” Miya was a child of Aphrodite and favored Y/N quite a lot.

“Ah. No wonder it’s so…” Luke hesitated, “Revealing.” He tried to act like a gentleman but his cheeks flushed every time he even looked at Y/N.

“One more day until I kick your ass.” Y/N laughed as she sank back into the water, returning a moment later with her hair dripping wet and her face shining in the sunlight. She looked effortlessly angelic.

“Are you sure you’re ready to handle Y/N again, Luke? She almost beat you last time.” Clarisse snickered as she floated on her back.

Luke scoffed. “Keyword. Almost.” It was true that Y/N had almost beaten him in his own game of sword fighting but that was because she was becoming increasingly more distracting.

Gone was the shy and quiet kid who always trailed behind Clarisse. With every passing year, Y/N became more headstrong and, well, beautiful. That’s why it was so hard for Luke to keep his feelings to himself now. Even Clarisse could see through his facade.

“I’m ready to make my guess.” Luke finally announced, catching Y/N’s wavering attention. She arched an eyebrow, intrigued. “My guess… is Demeter. I met the kid and he seems gentle. A soft and kind soul.”

“Nice. I guess we’ll find out soon.” Y/N’s guess was nothing but a joke and she’d end up laughing if she was actually correct.

“Join me for a little swim?” Y/N asked, reaching out to tug on Luke’s shirt. He sighed while Y/N merely smiled. A moment later, he gave in. Luke lifted his shirt over his head while Y/N stared at him a little too shamelessly for her liking. Some of the Ares boys teasingly wolf-whistled which made Luke chuckle.

He jumped into the lake, practically tackling Y/N and taking her under with him. “Luke!” She yelled, hitting his shoulder when they resurfaced.

“Oh no. The married couple is fighting again.” Zyra, Clarisse’s half-sister, said. She and Clarisse shared a knowing grin.

“They’re so whipped.” Clarisse whispered, subtly swimming away to give the two more space.

It was the day Y/N had eagerly been waiting for. Perhaps her favourite day at Camp. Capture the flag day.

Clarisse handed Y/N a spear. “I got it fixed for you.” The brunette said. During the last game, Y/N’s spear had broken. She was forced to fight with half of it after that.

Y/N adjusted Clarisse’s armour, ensuring that it was tight enough before putting on her own helmet.

“You’re gonna love this.” She overhead Luke say to Percy as they passed by. “Camp-wide mock warfare. All glory to the victors. Annabeth’s the head counsellor. She’s led our team to three straight wins.”

Y/N looked away, giving Luke the perfect chance to gaze over at her. “Y/N and Clarisse lead the other team. Clarisse is rather… impulsive, though. Y/N’s come up with some good plans but Ares kids always go off the rails.”

“What’s the deal with you and Y/N anyway?” Percy suddenly switched the topic, much to Luke’s surprise. “I mean, you guys say you’re just friends but you’re always looking at each other. And talking. And you stare at her like she’s your world. Sometimes I wish I could look at someone like that.” Percy sighed while Luke was left speechless.

Luke cleared his throat and shook his head. “Let’s just… focus on the game.”

The conch shell blew. Y/N stood side Clarisse, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. “Heroes, it’s time.” Chiron announced. “The game begins. The first team to retrieve the opposing flag and return it across the river shall be the victor. As always, there will be no maiming and no killing. I trust these rules will be respected.”

He subtly glanced over at Clarisse and her cabin.

“Let the games begin.”

There was twenty minutes until the next conch shell, which meant game-on. Normally, Clarisse and Y/N would pair up and hunt through the woods for the first few hours. But Clarisse had a different idea this time.

“Good luck.” Y/N said to her friend, slinging her spear over her shoulder. Y/N split up with the rest of her team, taking with her small portion of campers.

“We follow Clarisse’s plan this time. We’re the last defense meaning that if the blue team manages to get through, we fight like our lives depend on it.” Y/N said as she gripped her spear tightly.

“What are going to do?” Someone else asked.

“I’m going to…. look around.”

Luke grunted as a sword piercing his upper arm. He easily disarmed his opponent and kicked them to the ground.

“We give up.” The red leader grumbled, wincing as their brushed their fingers over his cuts.

“I wanna move quick. Straight through the woods for their flag.” Luke uttered.

“Y/N and Clarisse hunt in those woods for the first few hours, you know that. They’ll cut us down.”

Luke grinned, shaking his head. “Annabeth has a plan for Clarisse. And Y/N, as always, is mine. Don’t worry about her.”

“Last time I didn’t worry about her, she almost chopped my head off. By accident!” Chris loudly exclaimed, shoving Luke. Unbeknownst to the pair, Y/N was watching from above in the trees, hidden by the thick leaves.

She skilfully hopped from branch to branch, sliding down in front of her teammates. “The blue team is coming. They got past the other defences. Get in position.” Y/N hid behind a thick tree branch, panting and listening carefully for the sound of Luke’s voice.

She heard a twig snap and peeked her head out slightly to see Luke, Chris, and the rest of their small team. Y/N looked up, signalling to her friends above that it was almost time.

The moment Luke, who was leading the pack, stepped right where Y/N wanted him, she revealed herself. “Now!” She shouted, raising her spear and striking Luke. He easily blocked her attack.

“Thought you could ambush us, princess? Nice try.” Luke chuckled, pushing Y/N back.

“I’d say that it worked just fine.” Y/N retorted, lunging at Luke again. She pinned him to a nearby tree, holding the blade of her spear to his throat.

Chris grabbed Y/N by her shirt, pulling her back. Luke swung his sword at her but Y/N simply ducked to avoid the blow.

She tried to run off to help her teammates but Luke blocked her path. “Where do you think you’re going?” He uttered, playfully furrowing his eyebrows.

Y/N scoffed, kicking his ankles. She pointed at spear at his chest, poking it ever so slightly. “Ready to give up, Luke?”

“In your dreams.” He rolled over, latching onto Y/N’s arm and pulling her down with him. Y/N yelped, quickly scrambling up before he could grab her again.

She looked around at her surroundings, finally understanding what Luke’s plan was. It was to keep Y/N away from her team so that Luke’s could take them down. That left Y/N solely alone, standing between the flag and the blue team.

She panted, glaring at Luke. “Bring it on, Luke.” She muttered, holding up her spear. Luke was the first to make a move. He jumped at her, swinging his blade. Y/N dodged it and blocked another attack from Chris.

She quickly lowered her head, tackling another Hermes kid. Y/N rolled across the floor, swiftly standing up. “You won’t be getting near that flag on my watch.” She kicked Luke and whacked Chris. One of the Athena girls launched herself at Y/N, gripping onto her leg.

Y/N shook her off but the girl’s weight caused her to topple over. The bits of debris grazed at her skin. Chris swung his sword, slashing at Y/N. The blade cut her lower arm and blood welled up from the slit.

Quietly groaning, Y/N heaved herself up. She lightly swayed, unbalanced and a little weak. “Like I said,” She murmured, “You aren’t getting that flag.”

Y/N blocked every attack and blow aimed her way but she was getting slow. She could barely lift her weapon fast enough to stop Luke from successfully landing a hit.

Everything was becoming too overwhelming as she struggled to keep up. It was all a fast blur filled with weapons violently clashing against each other and shouting.

Up above, thunder crashed and lightning flickered through the darkening sky. Rain poured down, drenching the campers.

The thunder got louder and the lightning brighter as the seconds passed until nobody could ignore it. A harsh flash of lightning hit a tree nearby, setting it alight.

“Y/N, watch out!” Luke shouted, reaching out. Strings of electricity rippled around Y/N as a burning tree branch fell towards her. Luke sprinted towards her, dropping his sword in the process. He tackled Y/N, shielding her from harm’s way.

She groaned as she hit her head, black dots swirling around in her vision. She felt numb and her head lolled to the side as she heard shouts of victory followed by gasps of surprise.

“Y/N L/N has been claimed by Zeus, the king of Gods and the God of thunder and ruler of the sky.”

[kamiversee]

➶-͙˚ ༘✶ 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙁*𝘾𝙆 𝙇𝙄𝙎𝙏

✧.* CHAPTER 45 || The Chilling Confession

[ { SYPNOSIS } ] ➤ A tale in which Gojo Satoru blackmails you into seducing a list of people to clear his debt. Sounds easy enough, right?

[ { CHAPTER CONTENT } ] ➤ language, fluff, dark themes, & semi-angst?

[ { WORD COUNT } ] ➤ 6.5k

[ { PAIRINGS } ] ➤ jjk men x f!reader. gojo x f!reader. geto x f!reader. toji x f!reader. choso x f!reader. sukuna x f!reader. nanami x f!reader.

[ [ chapters mlist } ]

——YOU DRIFTED OFF to sleep trying to figure out what it is you wanted to do. Maybe you’ll just figure it out as you go from this point on.

After all, it seems as though it’s time for your final arc to take place.

By that, it’s meant that it’s time for you to tell Gojo you’ve completed the list, have him pay you one last time, and then, per his promise, use his help (if needed) to get with Choso.

There’s been so many highs and lows since this entire thing started. So many memories lay locked within your clouded mind. Between the love, passion, anger, and confusion, you think it would be best to allow the rest to flow naturally.

Will you question Gojo? Maybe, maybe not. You haven’t decided yet. Either way, he’s already told you that he had no plans on revealing the truth to you until years later so, there really is no point in asking him anything, is there?

Sure, you’ll remain confused but, confusion may be better than frustration. At least, for right now.

.　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆ .　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

The warmth of the morning sun is what woke you up. Bright rays shined upon your face, making your eyes scrunch together just as they fluttered open.

The side of your face was pressed against a chest-- Nanami’s firm chest. Just as you woke up and angled your head up to his face, you noticed he was already awake, his eyes peering up at the ceiling. The blond seemed to deep in thought before you looked at him, your movement causing him to turn his attention to you.

A small smile was drawn across your lips, “Morning’.” You humed.

Nanami nods, “Good morning.” He replies, his voice deeper than the night prior due to the grogginess of slumber.

This sudden feeling of peace wrapped around you like a blanket as you thought to yourself for just a moment; you could get used to waking up like this.

“Sleep well?” Nanami asked.

His arm was around your waist and you didn’t bother trying to reposition yourself from laying halfway on top of him. “Yeah, you?” Your voice was just as soft as his and you wondered how the morning would play out.

He nodded again, “Slept’ fine.” Nanami says simply, “It’s nice feeling someone snuggling up against me in the middle of the night. It helped me rest.”

You chuckle, “Sorry if I was clingy in my sleep.” As you say that, you start moving to sit up.

The man shrugs, “I enjoyed it.”

One of your hands was against his chest as you sat up comfortably and Nanami’s grasp slid down to rest on your hip. You turned away from him for a moment, taking in the pleasant sight of his well-kept bedroom as the sunlight cascaded over the area.

Bright colors of the furniture made the light reflect and gave the entire room this beautiful golden hue. Truthfully, you could wake up here every day happily.

Nanami suddenly sighs, “Y’know… I’ve uh, I’ve never done this before.”

You blink and then turn your head to him, “This?”

“A one-night stand,” He clarifies.

Well, at least he knows this was a one-time thing…

You chuckle, “Typically, I’d be gone before you woke up.”

He hums, “Is that so?”

“Yeah,” You shrug, “There’s less attachment when you just up and leave.”

Nanami nods, “Less attachments,” He echoes, almost as if he were noting this down in his head. “Yeah, that’s where I’m having difficulty.”

You raise a brow, “One night with me and you’re already attached?”

He chuckles, “Not exactly. I’m just not used to having sex and then parting from someone completely.”

“I see,” You murmur, “Well,” Your gaze grows somber all of a sudden as you trail the tip of your fingers up along his chest, “You’ll forget about me sooner or later.”

Nanami scoffs, “I won’t.”

You meet his eyes, “And why not?”

“I told you,” His other hand goes to yours and he rests his palm on top of where you’d been tracing his skin, “You’re my first one-night stand.”

You tilt your head, “Give it a few years maybe? You’ll forget all about this.”

Nanami’s eyes are full of seriousness, “I may not be attached but it’ll be pretty hard to forget the woman who used her career to get into my pants…” 

Your eyes widen for a second, and then, you burst out laughing, “That’s my flirting tactic, sorry.”

Nanami smiles, “I’ve realized. Speaking of which,” He moves and sits up, “Did the sex give you the information you needed?”

You blink, “Uh…”

“I was supposed to show you how stressed I am,” Nanami recalls, smirking a bit, “Did I do that effectively?”

You flash a smile, “Yeah, you did that perfectly. This’ll totally help me get that job.”

He chuckles, “What is the job you’re looking to get again? You said it was something at our school?”

“Oh, it’s just an internship.” You say with a shrug.

“Right,” He nods, “Is this internship what you plan on doing forever or…?”

You laugh a bit. Something about this morning's conversation is making you oddly happier than expected, perhaps it was because you enjoyed discussing your future with someone, “No, of course not. It’s just all I can obtain right now,” You explain.

Nanami raises a brow, “So what’s your career goal?”

“Hmmm… Anything in therapy, I believe.” You explain simply.

He nods, “I could see you in that.”

His words make you smile all too hard, “Really?”

“Yes, of course,” Nanami replies quickly.

You giggle, “I’m glad someone can see me working in my dream field.”

“Mhm,” He hums, nodding a little, “Could’ see you as a sex therapist too.”

Your eyes widen, “A sex therapist? Me?”

“Yes you,” Nanami claims, a gentle scoff slipping past his lips, “I’m sure you’ve had enough experience to help others.”

“Did you just call me a whore again?” You ask, your tone flat.

He panics all over again, “N-No, I-”

You laugh at him, “I’m joking, relax. But it did seem like that was a fancy way to say I sleep around.”

“Well,” Nanami looks off to the side, raising a curious brow, “Do you?”

You grin, shamelessly accepting the truth of what you’ve done over the past few months, “I mean, my answer really depends on what you consider sleeping around.”

The man chuckles at your words, “I’ll take that as you telling me you don’t sleep around but you are very experienced.”

You shrug, “Yeah, something like that.”

“Right so,” Nanami lets out a yawn, bringing his fist up to his mouth for a moment to cover it. Then, he sighs, “Our whole interaction was, what exactly?”

You raise a brow, “Uh, for research purposes of course.”

He laughs a bit before moving to get out the bed, “Research purposes, she says.”

Your gaze follows him as he stretches his arms up over his head and then heads over to his bathroom, “It was for my study, remember?”

Nanami flicks on the bathroom light and then turns back to you, “For your study…” He repeats, clearly not believing you.

“Yup,” You hum with a smile as he then starts to approach you once more.

The man comes to the side of the bed you’re seated on and offers his hand to you, “So you’re telling me we had sex,” You take his hand and he helps you to get out of the bed and stand to your feet, “For your study?” He finishes.

You angle your head up to him and continue to smile innocently, “Yes sir.”

Nanami freezes for a moment, then he swallows, “First off, don’t call me that. Secondly, so you mean to tell me our entire interaction can be classified as… sex for business?”

He helps to walk you over to the bathroom, your hand held in his the entire time as you carefully take step after step. “I can’t call you sir? If you plan on being a CEO one day, you’ll have to get used to that, y’know…”

“It’s different when a woman like you says it,” Nanami claims. Meanwhile, you two make it to the bathroom and you move to lean against the counter as he goes to grab a spare toothbrush for you, “It hits my ears a bit differently.”

You scoff, “It turns you on, doesn’t it?”

Again, Nanami freezes. This time, he then clears his throat and finds a toothbrush, handing you the item afterward, “I didn’t say that…”

“You also didn’t say no,” You point out. “I mean, what’s gonna’ happen when you meet an attractive woman in business who calls you sir all day long?”

He shakes his head and rolls his eyes at you, “That won’t happen.”

You raise a brow, “Are you saying you don’t think there are attractive women in business?”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying at all. What I’m saying is I know how to keep my composure in a work setting so,” He looks at you, “No woman is going to distract me by using that honorific.”

“And what about outside of the workplace?” You ask, tipping your head to the side.

He gazes at you for a moment and then shrugs, turning away, “That’s a bit different.”

“Uhuh, sure it is,” You say with a scoff as you look at the mirror in front of you, taking in your reflection for a second, “Anyways, what was the second thing you said? Did you say we had sex for business?” You ask with a laugh.

Nanami nods, “Yes, sex for business.”

“That’s an interesting phrase to put to it but, y’know what, it works. Sex for business; an act in which one sleeps with someone with the intent of gaining information or possibly status,” You define in a joking manner.

Your words make the blond laugh as he starts putting toothpaste on his toothbrush, “Wonderful way to describe it.”

“I know right?” You chuckle, moving to follow suit.

The two of you then brush your teeth in comfortable silence, the air peaceful between you both. After which, Nanami offers to make you breakfast but you turn him down, quickly reminding him that this was supposed to operate as a one-night stand and you’ve already overstayed your welcome.

To which he agreed, knowing deep down that even if this was a one-night stand and the two of you were to never cross paths again, he’d never forget his time spent with you. Not only because he enjoyed your company but also because, just as he stated, you were the first woman he’d done this with so, the memory would stick.

That, and he truly did like talking to you. You were different than the women he spoke to in his field of study. A woman of psychology who used that information to seduce him; how was he to ever let that information go?

It was a bittersweet moment to take you home. Nanami couldn’t stop his gaze from lingering on your features for a moment longer than intended and any words you uttered to him stuck in his mind so strongly.

Especially the final short conversation you had with him. By that point, you were in his vehicle and already at your apartment when you had wished Nanami the best. Perhaps it was you reflecting what you wished you had onto him but you truly hoped that he’d find a woman deserving of him.

And if not that, then he’d end up with someone who didn’t have as nearly as much drama in their life as you did.

To which he responded with, “I appreciate that but, if I care about a woman enough, trust me when I say, no amount of drama will keep me from pursuing her.”

You laughed at that, “Yeah? Well, what if she was a whore?”

Nanami stared dead into your eyes and didn’t hesitate to respond to that, “If I care enough, perhaps I’d capitalize off that.”

“Capitalize off of the woman you like being a whore?” You ask curiously.

He shrugs, “That could help in business.”

Your brows knit together, “How so?”

“Women have the ability to climb their way up in corporate situations by sometimes sleeping their way up,” Nanami explains, “So if I found a woman that just so happened to be a whore and I truly cared for her, well…” He shrugs, “I guess what I’m trying to say is; her being a whore wouldn’t matter.”

“Hah.” You hum, “Interesting.”

“Yeah, but,” Nanami shrugs, “The chances of me finding a seductress in business is zero to none.”

“And why is that?” You ask, raising a brow.

He chuckles, “I’ll have risen to the top by the time I find one so, what good would she do me?”

You begin to move to exit the car, “I mean, you never know…”

He blinks, “Never know what?”

“She could threaten your position,” Was the last thing you said regarding that topic to him.

Nanami hadn’t considered that. So, something about that final conversation really stuck with him. Never would he forget the woman that you are.

“I guess we’ll see,” He hums to you.

You nod, “Mhm, maybe I’ll hear about it in the news as some big business-ey scandal,” You say teasingly.

Nanami shakes his head, rolling his eyes at your words, “Yeah right. Go on upstairs now.”

You laugh, “Bye Kento.”

He meets your eyes one last time, “Bye darling.”

With your heart fluttering at the nickname, you finally exit the car and shut the door behind you, giving the man one last wave before heading upstairs to your apartment. 

Unlike everyone else on the list, for some reason, Nanami just felt like one of the best interactions. From beginning to end, he gave you peace. Again, somewhere deep down inside you wished for a reality in which you could have prolonged the amount of time spent with him.

But even so, it was time to go back to your current reality-- the one in which you had a decision to make…

.　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆ .　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆ 

You decided to spend that weekend coming to peace with what it is you were going to do. You could question Gojo about the list but somewhere deep down inside, it was as though you didn’t want to know the truth.

The thought of Gojo being an asshole all along really does bother you. It brings a sting to your heart. Especially since you’d already settled on forgiving him, to undo all you’ve been through with the man by interrogating him all over again just seems like you’re running in a circle, a path of drama with no end.

And that’s the very thing you no longer have the energy to do anymore. With the list complete, you want to experience what you wished you had for the past few months-- freedom.

No more of the blackmail. Finally would you be able to do things on your own without the restrictions of having a man you’d need to seduce.

So, after the weekend, you decided to text Gojo. You told yourself you weren’t going to ask him anything but who knows how that would actually play out? Either way, when you texted Gojo, you told him you had a surprise for him, that surprise being the completion of the list.

Using the excuse of a surprise was the only reason you were able to see him. After all, Gojo was very firm on no contact during your break from him. But of course, when you text him saying you need to see him and there’s a surprise, he agrees to such an event with no hesitation.

Leading to now, a moment that mirrors months ago as you stand at his apartment door, knocking against the wood and awaiting someone to open the door for you. It takes about a minute but the door is soon opened for you and you’re met with the sight of Gojo Satoru.

Fresh out of the shower, shirtless, water dripping and sliding down his body from his wet head of hair, and beautiful love-struck gaze lighting up at the sight of you-- Gojo stands there with a hand on the door, welcoming you in.

He couldn’t even get a greeting out before you entered his apartment and threw your arms around him. Gojo’s breath hitches like always and he could feel his heart skipping a beat in reaction to feeling your warmth against him.

Then, as he hugged you back and kicked the apartment door shut, you shifted your head to meet his eyes, “Hi Satoru,” You greeted.

His entire world, past, present, and future, he found in you within that moment. That sweet voice of yours, uttering his name after so long, such a honeyed tone leaving the beauty that is your lips, along with those eyes of yours that just gazed up at him so naturally.

Gojo found no anger, no regret, and no unhappiness in your eyes for once. Typically, when you looked at him, you always had one of those emotions reflected in your irises but as you stood wrapped in his arms now, you finally looked at peace.

The white-haired man couldn’t help the big gushing smile that spreads across his face, his heart just throbbing in his chest-- holy fuck he was so stupidly in love with you. Just a hug and a call of his name and he was already struggling to breathe or think properly.

Gojo tips his head to the side and you experience butterflies with how much love drips from his words to you, “Hi sweetheart,” He says so very simply, his hands shifting to hold your waist, “Miss me?”

For a moment, you just forget all that he’s done to you. Which is exactly why you couldn’t stand seeing him. Always would his touches, his looks, and his voice make you blind to everything he’s done.

You nod, “A little bit,” The way your voice grazes his ears makes him want to kiss you more than anything. If perfection were a person, in Gojo’s love-blinded mind, it would be you.

“Yeah?” Gojo’s smile widens, “Never’ thought I’d see the day…”

“Me neither but,” You shrug, “You’re the only person who gets on my nerves juust right.”

Your hands slide down from around his neck and you settle them on his arms. His body was moist from his recent shower but you didn’t care, his skin was soft and he smelled so good.

Gojo bit his lower lip for a second, “Am I?”

“That’s not a good thing, Satoru.” You tell him with a scoff.

The feeling of his fingers tracing small circles into your waist as if the motion comforts him was hard to ignore. His touch was so light but you couldn’t help but notice it. “I think that makes me special,” Gojo says with a little shrug.

You roll your eyes, “Yeah, my special pain in the ass.” You huff out.

His eyes won’t leave your face for even a moment as he tilts his head again, “Your special pain in the ass?”

You freeze, having not realized what you said, and steadily drag your gaze back to him, “I just meant like…” For just a second, you lose your words as you make eye contact with him.

Maybe it was because you’d seen Gojo under a negative light for so long but damn were those ocean-blue eyes of his one of the most beautiful sights. You nearly got lost in said sight as you looked at him.

“Like what, love?” Gojo whispered, “I mean, you didn’t say anything wrong. I am your special pain in the ass.”

You chuckle lightly, still dazed by the eye contact, “That’s not true, you’re a pain in the ass to a lot of people.”

He smiles, “That’s not true, people just don’t like me…”

“Maybe because you’re a pain in the ass?” You point out.

“Nah, I think I’m pretty great,” Gojo jokes with a shrug.

“You’re an idiot,” You hum.

His sights dip down to your lips, the urge strong. “I already corrected you on this before, I’m your idiot.”

“That’s so cheesy,” You comment, shaking your head but smiling.

Gojo sighs out your name and you swear your heart just leaps over three beats as he grips onto your waist and pulls your body closer to his.

Batting your eyelashes at him and the sudden seriousness in his gaze, you smile sheepishly, “Hm?”

“I love you so much,” Gojo claims. The words roll off his tongue far too easily and hold way too much affection for you to ever doubt such a thing. Maybe he does love you but, even so, it’s a twisted way of love.

You’re smiling but you never really know how to respond to that, “Do you?”

“I do,” He says quickly, “I swear to you I do.”

Your hands go to his face suddenly and you cup his cheeks in your palm, feeling gentle drops of water flick down onto your skin from his wet hair, “I wish I could believe you,” You whisper to the man.

He frowns a little, “I’m sorry I haven’t expressed it enough-”

“No that’s the thing,” Your voice is so calm and gentle that he just shuts up when you open your mouth, feeling like he’s hanging off the edge of each syllable that leaves your throat, “You express it through words but how can I believe you love me when you don’t express it through actions, Satoru?”

“I…” Gojo trails off. He knows that with him the conversation will always end up going in this direction so, he’s not surprised by you asking such questions.

“Did you blackmail me because you love me?” You murmur, “Or, do you love me because you blackmailed me? Help me understand why your words don’t align with your actions.”

Your sudden question had him at a loss for words. What is he supposed to say to that? How does he explain himself to you without revealing the god-forsaken truth of it all?

Gojo swallows hard, “You know I can’t answer that, sweetheart.”

A soft smile graces your face and you nod, “Of course you can’t…”

“I wish I could,” He whispers.

“Stop wishing, Satoru,” God every time you say his name he swears he stops breathing, “It’s over now so you can tell me.”

The man blinks, “What do you mean it’s over? What’s over?”

“The list,” You whisper, “I finished it.”

Those pretty white eyelashes of his bat in disbelief, “Y-You, what?”

“Friday night, I went to that nightclub, met Nanami, did my thing, and then slept with him,” You explain casually as if you didn’t just drop the fact that you finished the list.

Gojo doesn’t know what to say for a second. He’s just staring at you in disbelief. Then, just when you think he may get upset that you finished the list, the most relieved expression takes over his handsome features. Gojo Satoru appears as though he’s more at peace about it than you.

“You… You did it,” He whispers out in shock, “W-Was this your surprise?”

You nod, grinning a bit, “Mhm, I would’ve texted or called but uh…” You glance off to the side, “I kinda… sorta… I w-wanted to see you,” You stumble out.

Gojo’s eyebrows raise and then he brings his hands up over your own, turning his head to the side a bit so that he can kiss your palm, “So you really did miss me?”

For some reason, you get embarrassed by that fact and heat rushes to your face, “N-No…”

Gojo chuckles, “It’s okay to miss me, sweetheart.” He tells you, smiling against your skin before pressing another kiss into you, “It’s not a crime, love.”

You bring your eyes to his actions, finding it adorable the way his face is mushed in your hands and how he peppers your palm with small pecks, “We both know it should be.”

“A crime for us to feel things for each other?” Gojo asks.

“You love me and I should hate you,” You explain, “The feelings we have for each other are forbidden.”

He scoffs and the look in his eyes is stern, “Ask me if I care about it being forbidden?”

“You should,” You hum, “Satoru, you blackmailed me into clearing your debt,” That he doesn’t even have, but you don’t add that bit on just yet.

“Well,” Gojo sighs heavily and then draws your hands off his face, leaning down to you a bit, “Sometimes, sacrifices need to be made in exchange for one’s happiness.”

“Are you telling me that all this was for the greater good?” You quiz as you raise a curious brow.

“Something like that, yeah,” He shrugs.

Of course, none of that makes sense to you but you don’t have it in you to argue. Gojo then looks down at your neck, his gift to you still sitting there prettily. He wonders for a moment if you ever take it off.

“Satoru,” You call, breaking him from his thoughts, “Since it’s all over… Can you uh-,”

“No,” He cuts off, “I already told you, I can’t and I won’t tell you everything until years later if you still even care by then.”

You groan a little, “I want to understand it though. How am I to just move on from this without ever knowing why it was done to begin with-”

“I told you why,” Gojo interrupts yet again. There goes that wall of his he puts up, but after learning that his debt with Nanami was a lie, you’re unsure if he’s serious or not when he says, “I was bored.”

You scoff, “All this, just because you were bored? You tormented me, a woman you claim to love, out of boredom?”

He swallows, hard, “Yeah.”

He’s lying. It’s so obvious that he is but even so, his words sting you nonetheless. If you ask him what you really want to and tell him what Nanami told you, you’ll probably get the truth but, that’s exactly what you’re afraid of.

Shaking your head at him, you sigh, “You are many things Gojo Satoru,” You whisper as you bring a hand to his face once more, caressing his skin and watching how he struggles not to melt to your touch, “A good liar is not one of them. A decent actor, maybe. But,” Your brows push together, “How long will you pretend to be a bad person when I know that’s not what you are?”

Gojo doesn’t know what to do with himself when you see right through him like this. So, instead, he chuckles, “Until it’s safe to tell you the truth.”

“Where’s the danger in the truth?” You ask carefully, searching his eyes for the honesty, “Hm?”

He doesn’t answer your question. Instead, he goes a different direction with his response.

“The person I am around you now,” Gojo’s words leave his lips slowly, as if he’s carefully piecing them together, “Is not the person who fell in love with you. A-And, that person, that version of me… he… he’s done some pretty fucked up shit. Sure, the list and the blackmail are bad but…” He looks away, “I’ve done worse.”

You blink, “I-”

“For you,” Gojo adds on, “I’ve done worse, for you.”

That claim holds so much weight to it. Hell, it leads you to quick assumptions that scare you to think about, “Satoru…”

“Yes, love?” He responds, his eyes on yours calmly.

“Did you…” You swallow, “Did you hurt someone by any chance?”

Gojo doesn’t reply.

You blink, trying to calm the chill his lack of response gives you, “You can tell me, y’know.”

“I can’t actually,” He corrects.

“Satoru, are you like, some kinda crazy obsessive yandere?” You say jokingly, laughing at your own question and trying to lighten the sudden tension.

He doesn’t laugh though, which is genuinely scary. “I’m not crazy,” Gojo utters, his voice low and dark, “And yandere is a bit of a stretch.”

“So…” Your hand steadily leaves his face and the soft touches between the two of you are severed, “What about obsessive?”

Gojo glances to the side for a moment, “Define obsessive to me.”

“Well, obsessive is the nature of an obsession and an obsession is the filling of the mind of someone continuously and intrusively, so much so that it becomes troubling,” You define flawlessly, “If I’m interpreting this correctly… Satoru are you saying you’re obsessed with me?”

“If that’s the definition then,” His gaze drags over to your face and swirled in with his look of pure love is in fact this darkened shade of an obsession, “Yes, yes I am obsessed with you.”

You nod, not exactly wrapping your head around the gravity of his claims, “Right… And if that’s the case, is this obsession of yours what led you to hurt someone?”

“I never said I hurt anyone.” He murmurs. His voice is chillingly calm.

Your nerves are rising and goosebumps are decorating your skin unknowingly, “You never said you didn’t.”

“Why’re you asking me all these questions anyway?” Gojo asks suddenly, chuckling a bit as he tries to redirect the conversation, “Shouldn’t you be out with Choso right now confessing your love to him-”

“Don’t change the subject, Satoru.” You say, your voice firm and this slight shake heard through your words, “You just told me you’re fucking obsessed with me like some kinda’ stalker and implied that you’ve hurt someone because of it.”

Oh? You were… upset? Gojo has this weird feeling in his chest as he realizes that. His true red flags were becoming more and more transparent as the seconds passed but never does he show the white one hidden behind him.

“I mean,” He shrugs, as if it was no big deal, “What do you want me to say?”

Your face twists up in aggravation, “How about the truth?”

“Can’t do that, sweetheart. I feel like a broken record repeating that to you-”

“So am I supposed to just take all the info you just gave me and be happy with that?”

“Yes, actually,” Gojo shrugs, “Yes, you are.”

And just like that, you’re set off nicely, “Right so now I know that not only are you a blackmailer, you also have a  screw loose which is why you blackmailed me in the first place because apparently, you don’t know the difference between love and a sick obsession.”

He laughs a bit, clearly not taking your emotions seriously, “That’s not-”

“And so, with this obsession of yours, you became so ridiculously infatuated with me and that’s what led to the creation of that list, right? Because you didn’t know how to talk to me like a sane human being, you took your obsession and used that to bring me down this dark path with you.”

“Sweetheart, I-”

“Now I’m in a position where I don’t know what to believe about you or who you are and I have to go the rest of my life not only not knowing the truth but also lying to Choso about this whole thing because there is absolutely no way he’ll still want to be with me if he finds out he was only ever a name on some list to check off.”

He just falls quiet, staring at your poor confused eyes. He really has taken you through a whirlwind of emotions, hasn’t he? It’s unfortunate that it had to be you in this position but, he knows he had no other choice.

“I mean,” Gojo’s voice is small now, “What did you think I meant when I said I'm sorry for loving you and that that’s what caused all this-”

“No, don’t give me that bullshit,” You spit out, “Love isn’t what caused this. You caused this, Satoru.”

“I…”

“You and this weird…” You take a step back from him suddenly, “Obsession.” The way you say that word lets him know you’re almost repulsed by hearing such a thing.

He sighs, “Sweets, listen-”

“Don’t.” You cut off, “Don’t call me that. D-Don’t call me anything.”

“Are you…” Gojo’s eyes narrow and he studies both your body language and your expression, “Does that information scare you?”

“What?” You scoff.

“Me being obsessed with you.” He clarifies.

Does he even hear himself right now? “You sound like a madman,” You say. Then, you take a deep breath and just shake all your thoughts away, “But, y’know what,” You throw your hands up in a shrug, “I’ll just pretend I never heard this.”

“I-”

“No, save it. I’ll just pretend I don’t know you’re absolutely fucking crazy a-and I’ll just uh, go confess my love to Choso,” You claim, nervously laughing at the whole thing.

Gojo’s confession to him being obsessed with you had driven you just about as crazy as him at this point. Any further with this conversation and you might actually lose your mind.

“So you do love him?” Gojo asks.

You simply shrug and scoff, turning to the nearby door, “I don’t know.”

Gojo moves and grabs a careful hold of your arm but it… it scares you. Genuine fear coursed through your veins and when you looked up at the white-haired man, for the first time ever, you were genuinely terrified.

“S-Satoru…” You whisper, voice trembling.

The man’s hold on you doesn’t let up and he steps closer to you, “Sweetheart, you know I’d never hurt you, right?”

God, he is really worrying you right now. “U-Uhm, yeah I think I know that b-but,” You glance down at his hand on your arm, “Can you let me go?”

Gojo does the opposite and pulls you closer to him, “Why are you looking at me like that?” He questions, his voice softening.

He must not have realized how intimidating he seemed right now. Perhaps you truly didn’t ever realize just how deep his love for you goes. “Like what?” You squeak out.

He tilts his head, “Like you’re… like you’re afraid of me.”

“Satoru,” Your voice is still shaky but you’re trying to keep yourself together, “An obsession like the one you have with me, i-it isn’t healthy.”

“Why not?” Gojo asks so innocently. He really didn’t understand the danger behind his own emotions.

“Because…” You stare back and forth between his left and right eyes, trying to calm yourself from being scared. It’s just Gojo, right? “Because, that, Satoru, that’s a crime.”

“To be obsessed with you is a crime?” He questions, innocence and ignorance reflected in his gaze.

You give him a little comforting smile, something about the situation is still unsettling but because it’s Gojo, it’s easier for you to just ignore the chill creeping up along your spine, “Just as loving me isn’t a crime, being obsessed with me is.”

Gojo blinks, “How?”

Your voice is so gentle with him that he honestly felt like a patient of therapy for a moment, “Because look at what it’s led to.”

He nods understandingly. Only you could ever be able to effectively explain the wrongs behind his emotions, “I see… But, I can’t just… stop this feeling.”

“I understand that,” You say, nodding a bit, “B-But, try uhm… try to control it, yeah?”

“Is that what you want me to do?” He asks.

Your brows furrow, “Satoru this isn’t for me, it’s for you.”

Gojo didn’t understand the concept behind that sentence. To him, he’s nothing more than a slave to you and whatever emotions you feel for him. From the moment you came to see him today, he felt his false persona chipping away up until he revealed to you his true feelings.

Gojo Satoru’s love for you did, in fact, run deeper than imagined. That’s part of the truth behind the situation and what he’s put you through but, he still can’t tell you everything. So, for now, you knowing this dark secret of his will have to do.

“Okay,” He hums.

You swallow and look down at his hand still on you, “Can uh… Can I go now?”

Gojo mimics you and looks down at his grasp. When had it grown so tight? Steadily, he loosens his grip on you and releases a sigh, he doesn’t even know what exactly came over him for a second, “Y-Yeah, sorry.”

You shrug, “It’s okay. Um, if or when I figure things out with Choso,” You look up at Gojo one last time, “I’ll let you know?”

“You’re not obligated to,” He hums.

You snicker, “I mean, you and I still have a journal to burn together so… We’ll have to see each other again regardless.”

Gojo raises a skeptical brow at you, “Why didn’t you bring it today?”

You freeze, “W-Well uhh…”

“You wanted an excuse to see me more than once, didn’t you?”

With a sheepish giggle, you nod, “Yeah, maybe.”

The man shakes his head and then his hands suddenly move to grab your face and pull you toward him again, “Sweetheart you can’t just say things like that and expect me not to lose my mind.”

You laugh at his dramatics, turning a blind eye to the major red flag he’s presenting through his obsession, “But it’s true, I could’ve brought it today but, I dunno’ I feel like the journal can be burned any day. It doesn’t have to be today.”

“Right…” Gojo hums.

You meet his eyes and he meets yours. Your faces are close to one another and it’s so obvious what he wants to do. “Satoru…” You whisper.

“Yes?” He replies.

“I know you wanna’ kiss me,” You tease.

“I do,” Gojo whines, he’s so desperate all of a sudden, “I really really want to.”

One more can’t hurt, right? A kiss to say bye, perhaps?

“Ask for it,” You whisper.

Gojo’s eyes lower, “Can I kiss you, my love?”

Yeah, in what world could you say no to that? You’re nodding before you even realize it, both of your eyes shutting gently as Gojo leans in and presses his lips to yours. As usual, a kiss from him is enough for you to blind yourself.

Who cares that he’s obsessed with you? How bad can that really be? Who cares that he blackmailed you, it’s over now, right? Everything’s going to be fine so who cares about any of that stuff anymore?

Gojo’s lips are soft, like always, against your own and his tongue is slow and tender to move into your mouth. He’s holding your face in his hands with zero intentions of letting you go and you simply melt into the loving feeling of his kisses.

If there’s one thing about this man you’ll never be able to get over…

It’s his kisses.

He can be obsessed with you, that’s fine.

You’re obsessed with the way he kisses you so, maybe… just maybe, Gojo was right that one night…

Maybe you and him are the same-- two broken people trying to figure out what to do with themselves and the emotions they experience.

In the end, what could go wrong?

GOJO SATORU ✔︎ 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺: 𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙮

GETO SUGURU ✔︎ 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺: 𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙮

TOJI FUSHIGURO ✔︎ 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺: 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙪𝙢

KAMO CHOSO ✔︎ 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺: 𝙎𝙚𝙢𝙞-𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙪𝙢 / 𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙮

ZEN'IN NAOYA ✔︎ 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺: 𝙀𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙮

ITADORI SUKUNA ✔︎ 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺: 𝙎𝙚𝙢𝙞-𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙮???

NANAMI KENTO ✔︎ 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺: 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙙

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tags;

@blognicole @suguruologist @luqueam @ivoryviness @sinaxalui @rxnnie18 @carlacujo @gods-landing @bitchysouljellyfish @miles4hour @sinaxalui @annananamin @heart-snow @kiyomizzx @hanuh @acehyacinth @mccookiemonster @tojis-ball-sack @cartwheel6869 @mariluvsusstuff @addie1010 @slammynics @actualz0mbie @hisbitchhh @kay-xle @cunttee3 @voids-universe @raininglovelyfire @itsbokutosjuicyass @peaceoutbritta @barbielani @gennaray @r3inae @kfmcykdy @camiihutt @tokina @curtin81937 @hopefullydecent @nameless-shade @ureuphoriasworld @forgetfulmachine @legbouk @lilliaannn @clementineee0-0 @divinelseraph @didibxx

[going-to-ikea-for-the-fries]

It's a Match! || poly!141 x Reader

[Chapter 23] || [Chapter 25]

Pairing: 141 x gn!Reader Words: 1.8K~ Summary: While overcoming recent heartbreak, you decide to join Tinder in search of a rebound. Your friends advise to just Swipe Right indiscriminately... What happens when 4 soldiers from the same squad match with you? a/n: just cute little moments w/ a lot of banter bc ofc

Chapter 24: Pokémon?

“So, yeah, now, even their Captain wants to…” You trail off awkwardly as you press your lips together, looking at the dropped jaws on the other side of the brunch table from you.

“Hun, I don’t- We might-” Leah starts as she stares at you, blinking away the surprise as she holds the utensils.

“Right?” Mia retorts as she stares at you. “The candle I lit for you worked too well, I reckon…”

“No, really, we girlbossed a bit too close to the sun… Manifested this too hard.” Leah adds, making Mia agree eagerly.

Your face warms up and you lower your head, taking a sip of your tea. You definitely shouldn’t be having this talk about your love and sex life inside this French bistro… but alas.

“Four? I mean… Four fwb would be understandable, you know?” Mia adds and Leah nods.

“But four boyfriends?” Leah adds. “And they’re all friends, and work together?”

“They’re not my boyfriends!” You retort as you say sharply, your face burning up a bit.

“Oh yeah? Are you seeing anyone else?” Leah retorts, ever the more logical of the three of you.

“No, but like, when would I have the time for that?” You retort and that earns chuckles from all three of you.

“Good point.” Leah concedes as she sips her own warm cappuccino.

“Regardless, they literally BEAT-” Mia lowers her voice when she realize she’s being too loud. “they beat Ethan’s arse for you.” She whisper shouts. “Fwbs don’t do that, boyfriends do!”

“Right!” Leah agrees and gestures at them. “They’re absolutely your boyfriends.” 

“I hate you both.” You retort and shake your head, amused, which causes all three of you to break into giggles.

“So, which one of them is, you know-” Mia asks in a mischievous tone just as you just ate a bit of omelette, causing your eyes to widen as you stare at her.

“I feel like I’m being mocked.” You quip.

Once again the two of them erupt with laughs. “I’m sorry, hun, but we’ve gotta live vicariously through you!” Leah says, Mia nodding in agreement.

“Nooo, you’re taking the piss out of me!” You reply with a chuckle.

“C’moooooon! Gossip with us! We barely see you nowadays!” Mia begs as she puts her hands together in pleading.

“Oh bloody hell…” You retort. “I don’t know-”

“Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease!” Mia begs.

“Alright! Gosh, I was going to say ‘I don’t know because I haven’t been with all of them yet’!” You reply.

“You haven’t?!” The girls say with a loud gasp that attracts loads of side-eye from the other patrons. You’re probably going to get kicked out soon.

“Will you shush?” You scold them, eyes widened and lips pressed together. “No, I haven’t.”

“You’ve got to!” Mia tells you.

“We’ll get there, we’re taking it slow.” You reply.

“Babes, they beat up your ex-” Leah tells you. “They’ve all slept over at some point, they pick you up from work every day, as long as they’re in town-” She continues to list, counting with her fingers.

“Right, you’re skipping through all the loops. There’s no ‘taking it slow’!” Mia adds. “Hop on those cocks, bloody hell!”

“MIA!” You scold her with a dropped jaw.

“Oh, don’t play coy now! You’ve got four boyfriends!” Leah retorts and narrows her eyes at you, sticking her tongue out now.

“Right, collecting them like trading cards.” Mia adds, causing the three of you to laugh again.

“They’re like Pokémon, you’ve just Gotta Catch’Em All!” Leah adds, causing you to cover your mouth to hide a snort of a laugh.

“Fuck you both, honestly!” You quip playfully. You missed them, missed the laughs they’ve provided you.

“No, but really now.” Leah says once you’ve all calmed down. “They make you really happy, we can see it.” She looks at you with a warm smile on her lips.

“They do.” You confirm with a sheepish nod and smile.

“I really hopes it works out between you and them.” Mia adds. “It’s so nice to see you smile this much!” Her tone is sincere and sweet.

“Thank you…” You say softly. “I hope so too.” You tell them.

“It better, or I’ll go after them with my pipe!” Mia warns, referencing an inside joke between the three of you, a piece of rusty pipe a repairman left behind at her flat after fixing her bathroom sink, which she now uses as her ‘signature weapon’.

“Right, you’re gonna pipe four soldiers?” You joke a bit, sarcastically.

“Oh no, hun, they’re the ones piping you!” Mia adds and you all lose it laughing again.

“So when are we going to meet them?” Leah teases.

-

You shouldn’t have been surprised that Kyle would answer your texts so quick.

You also shouldn’t have been surprised that he brought Johnny in tow.

And yet you were. 

You texted Kyle your location and in less than 20 minutes he was jogging up the pavement, Johnny hot on his heels. You could see them coming through the window.

“Bloody hell…” You mutter as you watch them turn to go through the front door of the café/bistro.

“What?” Leah asks and before you can say anything, they both turn to look at where you are, finding Kyle and Johnny strolling right in and in your direction, cute little smirks on their lips.

Your friends recognize them immediately, of course, you had shown plenty of pictures, especially when you had just matched them on Tinder… But seeing them in real life is always different.

Kyle’s pretty boy-ing as usual. White v-neck to show off his collar bones and defined chest, grey jeans, white Converse and a black denim jacket overtop of it. He has his cutest smile on, pretty lashes fluttering as he comes to stand by your side.

“Hi, lovie…” He greets you and leans down, kissing the top of your head, before turning to greet your friends. “Hey, I’m Kyle!” He says politely.

He barely has time to say anything else before Johnny, throws himself onto the free chair next to you, the last one at this table for four, his arms wrapping around your shoulders.

“Mo leannan, ye look so bonnie…” He says before gripping you around the jaw and stealing a direct, open-mouthed kiss from you. Your eyes widen the moment he does, causing you to carefully hold onto his beefy forearm, returning the kiss to the best of your (embarrassed) abilities.

Just as you’re pulling away, you can hear Kyle justifying the kiss to your flabbergasted friends. “Forgive ‘im, he was raised in a barn.” 

“Haud Yer Wheesht! I was not!” Johnny retorts as he turns to look at your friends. “Hi, I’m Johnny.” He adds as a greeting, a lopsided smirk on his face, as he reaches forward to… shake hands with your friends.

Johnny smells strongly of deodorant. That Lynx body spray shite he always sprays on himself. It’s not bad, but it’s strong… You’re only lucky the leather jacket he’s wearing conceals it a bit.

It’s an old thing, maybe a couple of decades’ old, the leather starting to wear out over the shoulders, and he’s paired it with a light blue hoodie, dark jeans and black combat boots.

“Was too.” Kyle retorts, a bit childishly as he comes to stand by your side, his hands caressing your bare arms in the t-shirt you’re wearing. “You three been having fun?” He asks you and your friends. Ever mature and considerate, he is.

Your friends are still just staring. Sure, they knew you haven’t been lying to them as you told them about your relationship with these men but it’s one thing to hear about it, the other to see it.

“Yep, we had fun, Gaz…” You say softly, catching the way Johnny’s just serving himself to the dessert you haven’t yet touched on your plate.

“You really were raised in a barn.” You tell him. “Don’t even ask permission to eat my food?” You scold him, which causes him to smirk again.

“Either I stuff my mouth with food or with you. And I’m still civilised enough to know the last one is frowned upon to do in public.” Johnny retorts, then his smile grows into an impish grin. “Unless you’re into some… kinky things.” He winks.

That causes you to sputter and look away, grumbling under your breath as his ever-present tendency to make dirty jokes.

“I like ‘im!” Mia announces suddenly as she stares at Johnny.

“I knew you would. You two think the same.” You tell her and shake your head. “Which is why I only asked Kyle to come.” You add and stare at Kyle with a cocked brow, as if questioning why he didn’t come along.

“He was on his knees begging to come. What was I supposed to do? Leave ‘im behind?” Kyle quips, a playful smirk on his lips.

“Was not!!!!” Johnny retorts. “I just figured out he was coming to see you and joined in!” He adds. “Plus, my feelings are hurt you didn’t want me to come!” He tells you with a fake pout.

“Oh, piss off, it’s not that I didn’t want you to come!” You say simply. “It’s just that you’re…”

“A dickhead.” Kyle finishes for you.

“NO!” You scold Kyle. “I was going to say ‘Intense’.”

“Intense? That feels like a euphemism for something bad, mo leannan!” The Scot tells you as he pops a macaron into his mouth.

“That’s ‘cause it is.” Kyle replies for you.

“It’s not- Kyle!”

“And your friends already like me, don’t ye?” Johnny turns his attention to the girls.

“Yes, we do!” Mia replies and nods. 

Leah still hasn’t shaken out of her stupor. “My God, there’s two of them.” She says as she looks back and forth between Mia and Johnny.

“I know… I know…” You soothe her in a playfully annoyed tone.

“So, Johnny, is it?” Mia quips and leans forward to whisper conspirationally. “Give it to us straight. How does it work?” She points vaguely at you and him and Kyle.

“Mia!” You scold her this time. “I thought we were past those topics?”

“‘Those’ topics?” Kyle asks as he lowers himself near you to listen in better. “And what topics would those be?” He adds, as if he’s not perfectly aware they mean you guys’ sex life.

“Oh my God, Kyle, not you too!” You whine as you look at him.

“Nae, it’s fine that they’re curious!” Johnny quips on the other side. “I’ll gladly tell ye all about it!”

“Johnny!” You scold him again, sounding ever the more exasperated.

“Oh, you wouldn’t have anythin’ to tell either way, you dickhead.” Kyle retorts. “I’m the only one that has all the tea to share.”

“KYLE!” You scold him too, your head going back and forth between the two men flanking you.

The banter continues, your friends seemingly absolutely engrossed in the two sergeants, the way they’re making you sweat, and almost begging for the side of the gossip you had swiftly evaded earlier in the brunch.

“God help me survive this-” You murmur to yourself, feeling crescently embarrassed as everyone on the table takes the piss out of you. “I hate you all… I should’ve just invited Simon…”

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

taglist (CLOSED! not adding anyone else, sorry!):

@daisychainsinknots , @bunnysdaydreams , @iite-cool , @lahniu , @pagesfalling , @tapioca-milktea1978 , @live-love-be-unique , @thelaisydazy , @littleghosthunter , @bossva , @emotion-no-hot-yes-hotel-trivago , @chamomiletealeaf , @ghosts-hoe , @kariiiel , @ltbarnes , @irregulardongyoung , @spacelia , @hayleybarnesx , @cod-z , @frescoisnotinthemilitary , @leeeenistop , @lucienbarkbark

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[itsmarsss]

a great thing [Miguel Diaz x Fem!Reader] (Cobra Kai)

(~from the vault~)

He left you a voicemail telling you he had news less than an hour before he was kicked down the second floor.

Word count 3,060

[ . . .]

Exhausted was the word.

For exactly two weeks and two days, you slept on the unbelievably uncomfortable couch in Miguel’s hospital room, adamant about doing so no matter what anyone told you.

And everyone tried to tell you something.

Carmen, Rosa, Sensei, Demetri, Hawk, Aisha (through phone), even Sam. Nothing made you budge: you were staying until he woke up and that was final.

You’d wake up in the morning, have lunch with Carmen and Rosa, talk to him in hopes that he could hear you, go home, take a shower, change, get back and repeat. Every single day.

Every day was harder.

Every friend that came to visit with that look on their face, every visit from Sensei, every time his mom would break down crying and beg for him to make it through, every prayer from his grandma, every one-sided conversation you’d have with him as he stayed unconscious. Everything was harder these days.

So yeah, you were exhausted.

Sometimes Hawk would bring you lunch for you to share, and he’d distract you with conversation that he’d occasionally include Miguel in with a “you hear that, man?” or something of the sort, which made you smile.

Or Demetri would bring you comic books to keep you entertained, staying a couple hours at a time and silently reading beside you to keep you company.

Aisha called every day to check in and Sam visited once in a while. Sensei Lawrence visited all the time, his mom and Yaya were obviously always there, even Daniel LaRusso visited once. But nothing really felt like real company when Miguel was there but not really there.

You’d been spending day after day without your best friend and you were starting to grow a sort of anger towards everyone and everything, replaying the fight over and over in your head and growing more and more irritated as the days went by. God help Robby Keene if he ever got face to face with you.

And then Miguel woke up.

After two entire weeks and almost everyone around you losing hope, he woke up, while you were asleep. You woke up scared, groggy, confused about all the noise: the loud beeping, the yells, the motioning, the sudden amount of people in the room, Carmen yelling Miguel’s name- oh no, was he… no, his mom wasn’t yelling out of despair. She was happy.

And you realized it: he was awake.

He was awake!

He was awake and trying to talk and god damn you couldn’t see a thing through the tears and it was like you were paralyzed, unable to move as you processed the situation, barely believing what was happening. This had to be a dream, it had to be, but it wasn’t!

The day after that, you slept in the hospital room yet again. In the same unbelievably uncomfortable couch, but you slept way, way more comfortably than the nights before. The usual ‘good night’ directed at him every night was met with a smile this time.

The day after that one, you went home. For the first time in two weeks and three days, you slept in a bed. Your two-week suspension was already done with, but you let yourself sleep well into the afternoon.

Everything that happened during the days after that was a blur, nothing short of a rollercoaster. You cried silently while Miguel and you watched as a doctor told his mom he would maybe never be able to walk again and you hugged Hawk tight when he told you he’d gathered money to help pay for the medical costs and you went back to sleeping on the couch in the cold hospital room after the surgery.

And then the day came. Miguel was finally out, and you couldn’t even believe it.

He deserved a great thing, for a change.

“Holy shit! You haven’t seen actual sunlight in so long! How’s it feel?”

“Yeah I kinda feel like a vampire,” he remarked, covering his eyes from the sun with his hands. Carmen and Rosa walked within a distance behind the two of you as you pushed his wheelchair forward.

“You know you don’t have to push me?”

“Yeah but it’s fun.”

“Not more fun than being the one riding the wheelchair.”

“Oh we’re bragging? Push yourself then.” You pretended to be mad and retrieved your hands from the handles, crossing your arms in front of your chest in fake indignation, and he turned the chair to face you, feigning offence.

“Wow I thought you’d go easier on me after everything!”

“I would never go easy on you.”

“Wait! I just had the best idea.”

“Okay?” You said as for him to go on, not entirely trusting him.

“Sit on my lap.”

“What?” You ignored the burning feeling on your cheeks, blaming it on weirdness of the proposition, not what he was telling you to do.

“Sit on my lap! If you’re so jealous I’ll take you with me.”

“No way.”

“Why?”

Yeah, why? “Because- because we’re so gonna fall!”

“No we’re not! Do you not trust me?”

“I don’t, actually!” You let out a laugh.

“Shut up!” He exclaimed, smiling that smile of his.

Yeah, that one. Could you really say no to that? “Oh, my God,” you muttered, but did as he said, carefully sitting yourself down on his thighs.

“Okay, ready?”

“No?”

“Wrong answer!” He pulled on the wheels fast, picking up speed, and you had to support yourself by wrapping your arms around his neck.

“Miggy! Don’t do that!” His mom yelled after you, and you both laughed, out of breath with the adrenaline, when he stopped.

You waited as Rosa and Carmen walked up to you, only noticing you were still on his lap when Rosa shot you a funny look.

[ . . . ]

“Oh my God, Carmen, this is so good!” You exclaimed as you ate, Miguel agreeing with you eagerly by nodding his head.

“Thank you, mija! I missed having dinner with my baby,” she added, smiling at Miguel.

“We’ve had dinner together every day since I woke up!”

“Not proper dinner at the table! Different things, Miggy.”

As dramatic as it sounds, you couldn’t help but think about how utterly alive Miguel made all three of you.

You finished the food quickly and took off to Miguel’s room. You both laid on his bed on opposite ends, both facing the ceiling, in a comfortable silence that came after about an hour of talking about random things.

You propped yourself up by your elbows to face him. “Do you want me to stay over?”

He tilted his head to look back at you. “What?”

“If you want me to. I know it’s your first night out and all-”

"Why wouldn’t I want you to?” He smiled, and you couldn’t fight a smile yourself.

Then there was a knock on the door. “Guys?”

“Yeah mom?”

“Can I come in?”

“Yeah!”

With that, Carmen opened the door immediately, smiling at the sight of the two of you. “Just making sure. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, mom,” he laughed. She’d been checking in way more often than usual, but Miguel understood. He always understood.

"Just asking,” she smiled. “Do you need me to take you home, sweetheart?” She asked you, and you turned to Miguel, sharing a look that silently told him ‘I’m not the one asking her!’

“Um can Y/N stay over tonight? Just tonight?”

“Yeah of course! Sweetheart you know you can always stay over. I’ll bring you some blankets, we can-”

“Anything’s fine! Really.”

“Oh honey I’m sorry you won’t be comfortable-”

“It’s alright, promise!” You reassured her, and she was back with about 5 blankets in no time, laying four on the floor right next to Miguel’s bed for you to lay on and handing the fifth to you for you to cover yourself with, along with a pillow too.

[. . .]

You were both stupidly tired-- and reasonably so- but neither of you could sleep. You tossed and turned around on your make-shift blanket mattress but just couldn’t seem to find a comfortable enough position, sighing in frustration at the empty tries.

“You okay?” Miguel spoke up in a whisper, scaring you. Wasn’t he asleep?

“Did I wake you up?”

“No. Was awake.”

“Can’t sleep either?”

“Is it the floor?”

“No, it’s fine-”

“You wanna come up here?”

“What?”

“I think there’s room for the two of us. I’m not that ripped, you know, I don’t take up that much space” he joked.

You chewed on your bottom lip, unsure if this was a good idea. "You sure?”

“Yeah it’s fine.”

As you went silent, deciding on what to actually do, you head Miguel shifting his body around to try and make room for you.

“Just- just climb up here.”

You got up and did as he said, struggling to make yourself fit in the bed with him. "This isn’t gonna work,” you commented.

“Yes it is, wait,” he moved your shoulders, turning your back to him, and scooted closer to the wall to make more space for you.

“Isn’t this uncomfortable for you? It’s gonna give you pressure sores.”

“How do you know about pressure sores?”

“I pay attention to what your doctors say!”

“Stop worrying!” You could hear him smiling as he whispered to you. “My legs are positioned right, if you wanna know so bad.”

“Fine. But you better not be lying.”

“Or what?”

“Or I’m… not gonna invite you to my ninth birthday party.”

“Okay that’s way too low even for you.”

“Yeah so I’d be careful.”

“Copy that.”

It was all peacefully quiet for no more than about twenty seconds before he started moving his arms around.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know where to-” he moved his arm around, settling on placing it around your waist, carefully. “Is this okay?”

You felt yourself inhale a sharp breath. It should be okay. Right? It should be completely and totally chill and fine and normal. “Yeah it’s fine.” You didn’t know if he had heard the hesitation in your voice, but he questioned you again.

“Is this weird?”

“What do you mean?”

“This? We’re kinda cuddling.”

“Why, is it weird for you? I- I can go back to the blankets-” you were already moving to stand up but he pulled you closer to his body by your waist.

“No! I- I mean- it’s not. I’m just asking. Cause I don't want you to be uncomfortable. This is fine.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

“Are you sure you’re not uncomfortable? You know you don’t have to lie right?”

“No, I'm not! I promise. This is… nice. Uh- you know what I mean.”

You didn’t, exactly. “Yeah.”

Silence again.

“Did you actually sleep on that couch every night?”

"Why are you thinking about that?"

"'Cause we're talking about being comfortable and that did not look comfortable."

You laughed. “Yeah it wasn't exactly the best sleep of my life."

“Was it better than my bedroom floor?”

You let out a loud laugh and elbowed his chest slightly. “Your mom was very nice for setting that up for me!”

“Hey don’t hit me! I just got out of the hospital!”

“Oh that’s very sweet of you to think I care.”

“Oh I know you care! ‘Cause someone slept in the hospital for two weeks for me.”

“Okay, okay, let’s get back to talking about your bedroom floor.”

“No take backs! You were worried about me.”

“Yeah no shit.” Your tone wasn't playful anymore.

He paused. “I’m sorry I scared you like that.”

“Dude, you’re the one who got pushed down the second floor. You don’t have to apologize.”

“Yeah,” he let out a weak laugh. “I guess.”

God, these silent pauses were getting unbearable. “What were you gonna tell me?”

“What?” He questioned, clearly confused.

“You left me a voicemail. Before- you know.”

“Yeah. Right.” Was his heart actually beating a little faster or were you imagining it?

“I know it’s probably something stupid that probably doesn’t matter now, that’s- that’s why I didn’t mention before but-”

“But?”

“It’s stupid.”

"You can tell me.”

“I uh. I replayed it a lot. While you were- you know.”

“You did?”

You couldn’t believe he sounded so surprised. Was it that surprising that you wanted to hear his voice again while was in a coma for weeks?

“I mean it was kind of the last thing you said to me before it happened. I didn’t actually talk to you that day so.” When he didn’t say anything, you tried to lighten up the mood, cursing yourself for bringing it down. “I’ve even got it memorized!”

“No you don’t,” he laughed.

“I do!”

“No way!”

“Do too!” You fake-gasped feigning being offended, turning around to face him- startling yourself for a half-second when you realized how close your face was to his, causing you to turn a bit more to lie on your back so you could face the ceiling instead of him, though he very much hadn’t let go of your waist in the process.

You once again set your mind elsewhere to avoid thinking about it too intently, clearing your throat dramatically before imitating the way he spoke.

“‘Um. Hey. Sorry I didn’t walk with you today. I’m not- I’m not ignoring you or anything. I just- I figured something really important out last night and I- I was gonna tell you like… 10 minutes ago but I didn’t- shit I have five more seconds anyway I’ll tell you at lunch bye-’ and then you got cut off.”

“Holy shit. I don’t even remember what I said word for word like that.”

“You had other things going on,” you joked, looking at him (though not turning your body to face him again yet) for a moment before averting your eyes to the ceiling again.

“You replayed it every day?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s cute.”

“Shut up. So… what is it? You made me wait for weeks, you need to tell me!"

He shifted a bit. “Uhhhh-”

“Come oooonn, you seemed excited about it!”

“Yeah but it’s not- it’s not that big of a deal.”

Now you’d gained back enough composure to actually turn your head to look at him. “You said it was really important!”

“I… didnt?” He tried.

You only quirked an eyebrow up at him. He sighed.

“Did you actually get back with Sam? Is that it?”

“What?”

“I mean Tory was obviously pretty pissed. And the same day barely half an hour before all that happens you tell me you’ve got big news?”

“I’m not back with Sam.”

“I’m not gonna judge you if you are! Well I am actually. Obviously. But not that bad!”

“I’m not with Sam!”

“So Tory really did all that for nothing?”

“I mean, kind of? I did break up with her the night before. Right before Sam found me. And then Sam kissed me and guess Tory saw it but- we didn’t- we didn’t get back together.”

“What was it you wanted to say then?”

Silence.

“Did you get yourself in something? Is it bad?”

“I- I’m in love with you.” He was so quiet you almost didn't hear him.

“I mean it seems-” wait. “what?”

He let go of your waist, pushing his body up so he could sit down, you doing the same. “I’m sorry. I didn’t- I wasn’t gonna tell you like this. That’s- pretty obvious, but- I even. I left sensei a voicemail about it too-”

Non-stopping rambling from his part, complete silence from yours.

“I- I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you like this and it’s- it’s fine if you don’t-”

“Shut up.”

“What?”

“Shut up. Just- for a second.”

“Oh- okay.” He stopped the rambling, but his widened stare kept itself trained on yours, as if trying to pry your thoughts out of your head through them.

You took a deep breath, trying to rationalize out loud what he’d just told you. “You’re in love with me. That’s what you were gonna tell me.”

“Yeah.”

“How do you know?"

He seemed taken aback by the question. It was understandable that it was not the first think he would've imagined you to say in return of his confession. “How do I- know? I guess. I guess Sam kissed me that day. And I tried to kiss her back to see if there was anything still there, but there… wasn’t. And I had like just broken up with Tory for that exact same reason. I was dating these girls I didn’t have feelings for and I couldn’t figure out why I didn’t have feelings for them.”

“'Cause you’re in love with me,” you said, more to yourself than to him.

“I mean- yeah. I’m sorry. I can- I can sleep on the couch if you want-”

That snapped you out of your trance-like confused state. “I’m not making you sleep on the couch, idiot!”

“But-”

“Are you sure? Like 100%?”

“Yeah, but-” It was impulsive, and you knew you probably should’ve said something before doing it, but what better way to show him you liked him back- as you’d just figured out yourself that very moment- than kissing him? So you did just that: you kissed him. In the dark, in his room, on his bed, with a million different problems to deal with, but that little moment, with him smiling against your lips, that was yours. A tiny little great thing in the middle of the chaos around you.

Yet another silence followed after you slowly pulled away from him, but this one was comfortable, content.

Miguel smiled at you. “So does this mean you like me back ooor?”

“Shut up,” you muttered, smiling too, before pulling him closer to you by the collar of his shirt and kissing him again. You could definitely, without a doubt, get used to this.

“We’ve been friends for years and we haven’t done this before?” He asked, out of breath, when you pulled away again and you laughed, feeling light as a feather.

“We should go to sleep, Diaz." You teased. "Your mom’s gonna get mad at me if you don’t sleep enough.”

“I am so in love with you.”

“Aw you have a crush on me? that’s embarrassing.”

“Shut up!”

"Yeah, yeah I'm in love with you too or whatever."

Maybe you deserved a great thing for a change too.

[ataraxiaspainting]

Just the Way I Am.

Yan Yuji x F Reader x Yan Sukuna.

Synopsis: Yuji is like the sun. His cursed half is like the moon. Both of them hurt you, but in different ways, but neither of them will stop. That mere fact, in the end, hurts you more than if only Sukuna was around because sometimes you think of terrible things. Terrible things like wishing Yuji, who used to always be your ray of sunshine, never existed at all or would die a slow and painful death.

Warnings: Yandere themes, manipulation, unhealthy relationships, violence, and a not-so-healthy dash of not SFW and misogyny (from our dear Sukuna of course).

Word Count: 850.

*~*~*~*

Yuji was not wearing the clothes he usually wore. Instead of his favorite outfit which consisted of a scarlet hoodie and black sweatpants, he simply wore his briefs, sitting on the couch opposite to the bed you had slept in since the night before, loudly eating some beef jerky you and he had gotten from the convenience store yesterday. All the noise was the reason you had woken up in the first place. Choosing not to voice it, though, you attempted to go back to bed. Perhaps that was the wrong decision though, because as soon as you closed your eyes and turned to face the wall, you felt long nails grip at your shoulder, sinking deep enough to almost make you bleed. It was foolish of you to do such a thing, you realize because Yuji only bought the jerky for Sukuna.

Before you could turn around to greet him, the pain went further into your flesh, making you wince.

“Who taught you to be so rude, huh?” The voice was as cold as it always has been, being as much more gruff than Yuji’s ever could be. “Answer me.”

His breath was smokey from the beef jerky but also smelled like rotting food, the instant ramen Yuji made along with a boiled egg he swore was not too old to eat. You try your best not to gag as you start stuttering out an apology.

“N-No one…”

“Oh really?” The voice changed to that of a mockery of something tranquil, something kind. Something like Yuji’s voice. But instead of begging you to stay the night while claiming it was too dark out for a girl to be walking to her dorm room alone, it was speaking to you like you had just done something you were too dumb to realize was stupid. You suppose, in a way, that that is what you had done. 

You forgot the very first rule Sukuna had told you to never disobey when you had woken up screaming at the sight of something that looked sort of like Yuji but did not act like him at all, and now you are in for yet another trip to hell itself. 

“I told you I didn’t want another brat. I already deal with one as it is.” He lets go, and out of instinct to not get hurt more than you already will today, you turn around to face him. He looks down at you, his arms crossed and shaking his head in a mix of amusement and disappointment. “You deal with him too. You know just how big of a pain in the ass he can be. ‘Oh, [First], let me carry you to my bed! Oh, [First], I’m sorry for hitting you when I thought you were cheating on me, please come back! Oh, [First], I’m not a pervert, but wear those shorts that show off your ass for me!’ Please, it’s all pathetic, isn’t it? He’s just as bad as me.”

Not wanting to get hurt even more, you agree by nodding your head faster than necessary, you think, because as a response Sukuna laughs so loud it hurts your ears.

“Tell me, just why haven’t you left him yet then, hm? Since you’re so eager to admit I am right.” 

Your answer is whispered low, though you already know Yuji can hear you, even when Sukuna takes his turn with the body they share. “Because of you. You’d… drag me back.”

“Good girl.” The customary compliments are merely a facade just like this one, no matter who is speaking. His resentment towards you remains intact. Soon, Yuji will also harbor the same fury, as he takes his rightful turn in that vessel they both inhabit. “You haven’t even been promoted to Grade 3 yet. Quite sad, wouldn’t you say? Not that a little girl like you should be a sorcerer to begin with.”

Once again, you nod your head.

“How would you ever hope to survive me, or even outrun me, the King of Curses?”

“I… I wouldn’t.”

Another praise that is just as empty as all the ones before it. With it, the walls of Yuji’s dorm feel even more like that of a prison’s, and this room feels even more small. If these walls could talk, they would tell you to run, or at least you would hope that they would.

“That’s right. So good.” Sukuna turns to face the only window in Yuji’s dorm. You look too. The sun is going down. Did you really sleep for that long? Not that you blame yourself, dealing with Yuji during the day could be considered a full-time job after all. “You fell asleep before I could get my turn. Now, how are you going to compensate me for that when it is fully night outside?”

As the sun descends like a sharp guillotine blade, you and Sukuna share a silent understanding of the inevitable. Your legs tremble at the impending doom, for both of you are well aware of the answer.

You’ll stay, won’t you?

[darksigns-exe]

the great escape - noah sebastian x f!reader

Pairing: Noah Sebastian x f!reader Warning: Swearing, oral sex (f receiving) Word Count: 1.5k Note: Based on two anon messages from last week's soft boy hours. Masterlist

Convincing Noah to take time off had been hard, but convincing him to actually go away for a while had been even harder. But you’re here now. Two hours away from home in a little town nestled into the mountains. You had sprung the idea on him not long after the band had announced the cancellations in Europe, just to get your boy away from all the chaos at home. A day later you’d packed him, your bags and the dog into your car and set off to a somewhat undisclosed location. You had told him that you wouldn’t be far from home, but your exact destination would remain a secret until you got there. Noah hadn’t been too excited about having to leave his laptop at home, but eventually he’d stopped pouting and instead turned to gazing out of the window at the constantly changing landscape. 

The cabin you had found was located a little ways away from the main part of the town. It was settled between large trees and a whole load of nothing. You’d be undisturbed for the most part. 

Even though you’ve only been here for two days, you’re sure that you could stay here forever. Your normally so structured and planned boyfriend is sleeping in late, rising only when he actually wants to, not when his schedule says he has to. And you’re glad that your plan has worked out. 

You can’t tell what time it is. The sun is already up, but nothing in your body tells you that it’s time to get up yet. Next to you, Noah is still dozing — somewhere between awake and asleep. He looks so peaceful, resting without having to worry about all of the things that needed to be done. 

Eventually, you feel his wandering hands drifting across the side of your body. He’s always touchy, but even more so in recent weeks. You’re lying on your side, mirroring his position. 

“How’d you sleep?” You ask softly. 

In return, you get a stifled yawn. He stretches through it, before he gives a content nod. 

“Haven’t slept this good in ages.”

“I told you needed some time away.” You tut.

Noah lets out a little huffed laugh, “I know. And I’m very thankful that you made me come out here.”

His fingers drift across your cheek, before they gently thread into your hair to pull you in for a kiss. 

“Don’t know what I can do to express just how thankful I am.” He whispers against your lips.

“I’m sure you’ll find something.”

He picks up on your playful tone so effortlessly. 

“I see how it is.” He shakes his head with false hurt, “You only want one thing, huh?”

Noah sits up. His hair is still tousled from sleep, sticking to his forehead in places, and you’re sure that he’s never looked better. This is for you only, no one else gets to see him like this. 

“Lie on your back for me, love?”

You know where this’ll go, and maybe you’re a bit too enthusiastic when you flip over. 

He’s between your thighs in no time. His hands drift up your thighs towards your hips. 

“My gorgeous girl.” he sighs, gazing down at your spread out body before him, “Gonna show you just how thankful I am for you.” 

The shirt you had borrowed last night had already ridden up your body, exposing your lower half almost entirely. Noah pushes it up the rest of the way, giving him access to your tummy. 

You move to take it off entirely, but he’s quick to shake his head. 

“Leave it. Love seeing you in my clothes.” He leans down to press a kiss to your sternum. 

He makes a slow descent down your body. You’re hyper focused on the brush of his lips against your skin. Your hands quickly find their way into his hair, urging him towards where you really want him. Not that this slow worship of your form isn’t good. The reverence in every gentle kiss is evident, but it also makes you burn with need for him. 

You swear that you hear him moan when his tongue first makes contact with your folds. Knowing that he gets as much out of this as you do, fills your head with even more fuzz. 

The soft sounds — that are even more muffled now that he’s buried himself against you like this — that fall from him spur you on, but you know that you’ll be in for a long ride. 

Noah is as diligent with this as he is with everything else he does, always dedicated to doing the very best he can. His hands rest against your waist, and you can’t stop yourself from entangling one of your hands with his. You give his hands a squeeze, prompting him to look up at you for a moment. The wide-eyed look on his face sends a shiver down your spine. 

He detaches himself from you just for a brief moment, and even then his lips quickly find the inside of your thigh. You find yourself mirroring the smile on his face. The space around you seems to narrow down until it’s just the two of you. His teeth graze against your skin, and you wince when he gives a more serious bite. Noah lets out a faint chuckle, before he dives back between your thighs. 

You let yourself get lost in the feeling of his lips and tongue and fingers on your body. The slow push and pull of pleasure drags you along like the tides of the ocean. 

It’s not long until you feel yourself falling apart for the first time. But you know that it won’t be the last time. Noah will stay here for as long as you let him. With the way he devotes himself to your pleasure, you’d think that he was praying to some long lost deity. He pulls one climax after the other from you. Your whole body shakes with it, trembling with every slow drag of his fingers inside of you. It’s torture in the best way imaginable. You’ve long lost control of the sounds that fall from your lips. In this complete surrender to his attention, you feel as connected to him as you have never felt before. 

Noah retains a tight grip on your hand as he lets you ride out your climax against his face. It’s then that the feeling suddenly becomes too much. You give a rough tug to his hair. At first, he makes no indication of wanting to move away, only when you pull again does he shift back. 

His lips and chin shine with your release, and you catch a glimpse of his tongue drifting across his bottom lip to get another taste. 

“Why’d you —”

“I love you, but it’s — it’s enough. It’s —” 

The pout on his face is quickly replaced by worry. He breaks into a self-satisfied smile when he realises that everything is fine. You toss the shirt he’d discarded when you’d crawled into bed last night towards him. Contrary to what you had expected him to do, he wipes the lower portion of his face with the fabric, before flopping down next to you. 

You fit yourself against him, content to enjoy a few more quiet moments. Surely, you’ve made enough noise to wake Goose up from her slumber. It won’t be long until she’ll come trotting up the stairs to demand her share of attention. 

She lasts another five minutes before you hear the tell-tale yawn. And sure enough, you’re soon greeted by a cold snout pressing against your leg. Your not so little any more rescue worms her way between the both of you, ultimately bringing your alone time to an end. But it’s fine, this is where you feel at home, where you feel safest. This is just for you.

You rest comfortably here for a good while longer, making idle conversation. You try your best to divide your attention between the two of them, knowing that they both have a tendency to get a little pouty when they feel neglected. 

Your conversation moves around your plans for the week, what you’ll have for dinner, perfectly normal and mundane things. For a moment, it feels as if this is all there is to the world. 

Just the three of you, comfortable in this little place, and you wonder if there’s a way you can stay here forever.

By the time your stay nears its end, you find yourself more and more reluctant to go back home. And you can tell that Noah feels similarly here. This is not a viable option, you’re both aware of it. You have duties and responsibilities back in the city. 

You’ve quickly settled into a routine of enjoying the last few rays of sun on the little porch in front of the cabin, and today is no different. You find yourself curled against him, your back to his chest, as you reevaluate the last few days. 

Noah’s the one who words the question first, but you can’t deny that your thought about it too. 

“Do you think we can convince her to sell it?” 

It’s a ludicrous plan. But then again, most of the things you do don’t really follow the expected path.

taglist:@deathblacksmoke @circle-with-me @sitkowski @ladyveronikawrites @baddestomens

[leonstoenailunderhisbed]

You’ve bewitched me, I wish to never be parted from you

Summary: A war lasting three years became heavy on the front lines. Many people died and lost their homes from the actions of one kingdom. But to end the war, both kingdoms agreed to seal an alliance through an arranged marriage. Caught in a loveless marriage with the crown prince, a whirlwind of emotions blasts through foreign land as you try to make your life in the enemy kingdom bearable.

Warnings: slow-burn. Leon is a piece of dick in the beginning. angst. smut. cunnilingus. mentions of pregnancy. arranged marriage. reader is a princess and Leon is the crown prince. enemies to lovers (i think?). inaccurate historical information. READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.

Word Count: 12,900

A/N: final chapter😖 I hope everyone likes the ending, pls don’t hate me if you haven’t reached the ending🙏🏼

[pt.1][pt.2]

“As our hands are held, if only you could stay beside me forever” — Snow Flower, Mika Nakashima

Leon slept deeply, holding you close to him, his body instinctively seeking warmth and comfort. It was the most peaceful sleep he had in a long time.

As dawn approached, the sun peeking through the windows, Leon’s eyes slowly opened. He looked down at you, your head resting on his chest, your arm draped across him. He took a moment to just be, enjoying the feeling of your body against his, the soft sound of your breathing. For the first time in his life, he didn’t feel lonely.

The sound of birds chirping could be heard from outside, the sunbeams shining through the windows, illuminating your skin. You had yet to wake up, feeling a bit exhausted from last night. Maybe you should sleep in today and leave today’s work for tomorrow.

So much happened, he went from hating you to having sex with you and admitting things to you that made your heart swell in a way you never thought it would.

His mind was racing with thoughts about what had happened between you two. He couldn’t believe the change that had occurred in his feelings for you. He had gone from hating you to loving you, from being cold and distant to opening up and being vulnerable.

As he watched the steady rise and fall of your breathing, he reached out and gently pushed a strand of hair out of your face. You shifted slightly on his chest, your cheek pressed against him when you felt him push your hair away from your face. Your lips were slightly parted as you breathed calmly.

The door opened of your shared chambers and a servant came in along with your maids but then they halted at the sight of you two. Their eyes, once again, wide with shock. They’ve never seen Leon be so affectionate, all they saw was Leon be mean and rude to you.

Leon's head snapped up to glare at the servants and your maids as they entered the room, their faces a picture of shock and surprise at the sight of him holding you.

They all quickly, and almost comically, hurried out the room. They’d have a gossip day about this later on for sure. Even though you were married, no one would’ve thought that you’d be together like this. He watched as they quickly scurried out of the room, no doubt already spreading rumors and gossip about what they had seen. It annoyed him, the fact that everyone was so surprised that he could show affection towards you. He let out a huff of annoyance before looking back down at you, his expression softening. He gently caressed your cheek, his touch light and tender.

He wasn’t a soft person, not publicly. Everyone saw him as the prince who was ambitious and wouldn’t be afraid to use whatever means to ensure he remained the heir of the throne. But with you, he seemed like a different person. He went from a cold and distant husband to affectionate and caring with you.

Leon's mind went back to the past, to the pain and loss he had experienced. He had blamed you and your kingdom for the death of his mother, blaming you for the pain he felt. But now, as he held you in his arms, he realized that he had been wrong. He had hated you to protect himself, to shield his heart from the hurt that he had gone through. But somehow, someway, you had broken through his walls and now, he was left with the realization that he had fallen in love with you.

The covers were over your naked bodies but the warmth coming from his body was more than enough to keep you warm even if the sun shined through the window. Leon continued to hold you close, relishing in the feeling of your body against his. But as the realization of his responsibilities for the day crept into his mind, he knew he couldn’t just stay in bed with you all day. He slowly extricated himself from your embrace, careful not to wake you. He sat up on the edge of the bed, taking a moment to just look at you, peaceful and tranquil in sleep.

As much as he wanted to stay, he knew he had to go. Duty called. A servant came through the door quietly to help Leon get dressed for the day, all while the servant kept his eyes on Leon and not on your still sleeping form.

“Your Highness,” the servant said in a quiet voice as to not wake me up, “The king wants to see you in his study,” he said with his head dipped down in respect. Leon’s father wanted to meet with him? That’s odd, they just had a meeting yesterday with your father. But, like always, he had to obey the king’s orders just like everyone else.

Leon nodded silently to the servant. He knew he had no choice but to heed his father's summons, no matter how much he didn't want to leave your side. He rose from the bed, the covers falling away and revealing his naked figure. Leon was unashamed, not even bothering to cover himself as he stood and let the servant help him get dressed.

He shot one last glance at you, still sleeping peacefully, before he left the room. The servant helped Leon get dressed before they both left the room, walking towards the king’s study room.

“Your Royal Highness, the crown prince is here,” said the servant as he held the door open for Leon. The king sat on his desk with papers roaming around.

“Ah, yes, yes, come,” the king said as he waved his hand for Leon to step in.

Leon stepped into the room, his heart heavy with a sense of dread. He had no idea what his father wanted to discuss, but something in his gut told him it wasn't good news. He approached the king's desk, his eyes locked with his father's, who looked up at him with a mixture of concern and authority.

"You summoned me, Father?" Leon inquired, his voice steady and controlled despite the unease he felt inside.

“Yes, I did, son,” he said as he looked up from the stack of papers to look at Leon, “Please, sit down,” he then glanced at a servant on the right, “bring some tea.”

The servant nodded and left the room to get what the king asked while the king looked over at Leon once more, “How are you this morning?” He asked, even though it seemed like just small talk. The king was an okay type of father. He was always busy with work to spend time with his family, hence why Leon was so close to his late mother. But now the king seemed to make an effort.

Leon nodded and made his way towards the chair across from the king's desk. He sat down, his back straight, his demeanor serious, but inside, he couldn't shake off the feeling of unease.

"I'm well," Leon answered, his voice steady, "And yourself, Father?"

The king hummed and nodded as he tidied around his desk, but not too much as the papers remained on his desk, “I’m well, thank you,” he replied. He leaned his elbows forward against the table, “The reason I called you here was because I need you to do something,” he finally revealed.

The king took the contract your father gave him and waved it around, “You see, after giving it much thought last night, I decided to do something. I did not appreciate the Coast Kingdom telling me about their daughter potentially being infertile.”

Leon's shoulders tensed at his father's words. He knew what was coming, he could feel it in the pit of his stomach.

"What is it you want me to do, Father?" he asked, his voice carefully controlled, betraying none of the anger he felt growing inside him.

The king put the contract back down on his desk as he continued, “I’ll send some men down there under the pretense of aid. There’s currently some pirates stealing from the coastal towns and the king has asked me for help. I want you to go down there not just to help but also to investigate this matter more.”

He leaned closer to whisper but only loud enough for Leon to hear, “I need you to find out if what he said was true. I can’t have a daughter in law who can’t give heirs,” he said quietly.

“I want you to report back to me after you’re done dealing with the pirates. It might take weeks or months, however long it takes, just get to the bottom of this,” the king said before he looked back down at his papers on his desk, the servant coming back with the tea.

“You’re dismissed,” he said to Leon as he picked up a tea cup and started to drink. Leon's jaw tightened even further as the king whispered his instructions. The thought of having to go down to the Coast Kingdom and investigate your fertility, all to appease his father's desire for heirs, made him feel nauseous.

"Yes, Father," Leon replied through gritted teeth, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He stood up, giving his father a nod. He turned and headed out of the study, his mind racing. How was he going to tell you about all this?

“By the way,” the king said right before Leon could leave the study, “you are to leave by the end of the week.”

“And it would be best if you kept this information to yourself,” the king added, “let your wife know that you’ll just be going for the sake of the pirate problem.”

Leon stopped in his tracks, his hand on the door handle. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm himself before turning back to face his father.

"Understood, Father," he said through gritted teeth.

He was tempted to protest, to argue that he should be honest with you about what he was really going down to do, but Leon knew it would be pointless. His father's words were orders, not suggestions. As Leon continued on with his day, you woke up a bit later than you usually would but it was a rest you deserved after last night.

You were sitting in the library, reading, when your maid suddenly came and approached you, “My lady, you have a visitor,” she said softly as she bowed her head. You turned your attention to her and furrowed your brows. You had a visitor? That was weird. You didn’t call for anyone today. You nodded at her and put your book back on the table and stood up, “Alright, let’s go then,” you muttered and followed your maid to the guest waiting room.

As you entered the guest waiting room, you saw a woman sitting on the couch. You’ve never seen her before, you curtsied to her and sat down on the couch across from her, “How may I help you?” you asked politely. The woman had a hint of judgment in her eyes and there was something about her that made you uneasy about her presence.

The woman, who sat ramrod straight on the couch, lifted her gaze to meet your eyes. Her eyes flicked over you, taking in your appearance with a judgmental gaze. She didn't speak for a moment, letting the silence stretch uncomfortably long. When she finally spoke, her voice was cold and calculating.

"My name is Lady Beatrice," she said, her tone laced with a hint of disdain, "And I've come to give you... some advice."

You furrowed your brow and stared at her confused, “Advice?” you repeated quietly. What could she possibly advise you with? You already had a court of ladies in waiting that helped you.

“Whatever do you mean, Lady Beatrice,” you continued politely, sitting straight and poised on the couch. Lady Beatrice's eyes narrowed as she looked at you, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Oh, it's nothing major, my dear," she said, her tone a little too sweet and saccharine, "I simply wanted to... offer some guidance to a young, inexperienced princess like yourself."

She leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs. Her eyes scanned your appearance again, her gaze critical and unashamed. Inexperienced? You were raised your whole life to be the future queen! Who does this woman think she is?

“With all due respect, Lady Beatrice,” you started, still in a polite tone, “I don’t need guidance. I have enough here in the palace.”

Part of you couldn’t help but feel like this is more than just guidance. Lady Beatrice chuckled softly, a smirk playing on her lips. Your denial didn't seem to faze her in the slightest.

"Nonsense," she said, waving her hand and brushing off your words, "I'm sure the palace teaches you the basics, but there are always... things left unsaid."

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, her gaze unwavering, "You're going to be queen one day, princess," she said, her tone dripping with condescension, "but you don't even know your place yet."

“Pardon me?” you said under your breath at her words. Who was this woman to tell you that you don’t know your place? You inhaled softly and stared at her with a more serious expression, “Lady Beatrice may I remind you that if you insult me I will have the guards escort you.”

Lady Beatrice's smirk widened into a sly grin as you warned her. She leaned back in her seat again, her eyes gleaming with mockery.

"Oh, how intimidating," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "The princess of the Coast Kingdom, threatening to have me escorted out by the guards. How terrifying."

She let out a laugh, a cold, heartless sound that sent a chill down your spine.

"You don't scare me, princess," she said, her tone almost patronizing. "And neither does your threat."

“What is it that you want, Lady Beatrice?” you asked politely with a serious face. You’d rather have her go straight to the point instead of getting under your skin. Lady Beatrice paused, her expression turning serious as she stared at you, sizing you up. Her eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of cunning in them.

"What I want," she said slowly, her voice dropping to a low murmur, "Is simple."

She leaned forward, her gaze unwavering.

"I want you away from Leon."

“Excuse me?” you abruptly said as you narrowed your eyes at her. Your tone firm and slightly angry. Who was she to call him without his title? And why did she want you away from your husband.

“That is an absurd request, Lady Beatrice,” you said firmly, “His Highness,” you purposefully corrected her, “is my husband. I can’t stay away from him.”

Lady Beatrice's smirk widened into a cruel sneer as you corrected her, her eyes narrowing at your words.

"Oh, princess," she said, her tone dripping with mockery, "Don't be so naive. You really believe that he loves you? That your precious Leon cares about you?"

She leaned closer, her eyes glittering with malice. "You're nothing but a pretty face he's been forced to marry for the sake of politics. He tolerates you, but that's all."

You furrowed your brow and parted your lips. No, she’s wrong. Leon made love to you last night. And the day before that you kissed and held hands. He’s turned a new leaf, right? But a part of you couldn’t help but lean into her words. It was a bit strange how he suddenly started to treat you nicely with no explanation. And maybe you were naive to believe he changed for the better.

“You’re wrong,” you muttered weakly, a turmoil of thoughts and emotions swinging in your head. Lady Beatrice smirked at the uncertainty on your face, sensing your turmoil. She leaned back in her seat, her gaze locked on you.

"Am I, princess?" she asked, her tone sweet yet malicious, "Take a closer look at your dear husband. Really look at him, and tell me I'm wrong."

She paused, watching your reaction, “He's not as kind and caring as you think. He's cold, calculated, and manipulative. He uses people to get what he wants. And you, princess? You're just another tool for him to use."

She was getting to me but you didn’t know, all you could think about were her words. It was true that Leon was ambitious but he was also calculated and strategic when it came to getting the things that he wants. And you knew that he wanted to be the heir of the throne. Was he using you, pretending to appease the king and everyone else around? Was he just playing with your feelings? You didn’t know. What’s to say that he’ll go back to treating you coldly once he gets the crown.

“You don’t know him,” you replied, trying to keep faith in Leon even though her words were like poison. Lady Beatrice chuckled coldly, her smirk growing wider.

"Oh, princess," she said, her tone patronizing, "I know him better than you could ever imagine. We grew up together, spent years in each other's company. I know his true nature, and how cunning he can be."

She leaned forward, her gaze intense, "And I'll let you in on a little secret, princess. He doesn't love you. He's never loved anyone in his life, except himself. You're just a tool to him, a pawn to be used in his grand game for the throne."

You were silent for a while, slowly letting her words settle in your mind. You needed some air to clear your head. You abruptly stood up from the couch as your gaze fell down on her.

“I don’t know who you think you are to come in here and say those mundane lies about my husband,” you said firmly, “I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

You left no room for debate, you clearly wanted her out and away. Lady Beatrice's smirk faded at your firmness, replaced with a cold expression. She slowly stood up, her eyes narrowed at you.

"Fine," she said through gritted teeth, "I'll leave. But mark my words, princess," she spat out the word princess like it was an insult, "You'll regret putting your trust in Leon. He'll crush you like a toy once he gets what he wants."

She turned and walked towards the door, throwing one last smirk over her shoulder before disappearing from the room. Your heart was hammering inside your chest once she left and you sat back down on the couch, puffing out some air as you thought about her words. All of this just made you more confused about Leon.

You sighed and got up after you gathered my thoughts. Then, you walked out of the room and continued with your duties; practice your dance in the ballroom, go to the library to learn from your teacher, deal with minor problems in the kitchens, and more miscellaneous tasks. But as you did your duties, her words lingered in your mind and you couldn’t help but hear her words every time you saw Leon in the halls by coincidence. Each time you saw him, Lady Beatrice's words echoed in your head; he doesn't love you. He's never loved anyone. The seed of doubt she had planted deep in your mind began to sprout, and no matter how hard you tried to push it away, it refused to leave.

It didn't help that his expression was cold and aloof each time you saw him. He didn't even bother to smile or greet you. What if she was right and you were just naive?

-

It was evening and Leon was training in the training grounds with his good friend Andrews. As they sparred, Andrews couldn’t help but spark a conversation, “So, Your Highness, I heard you’ll be joining us down at the docks in the Coast Kingdom.”

Andrews wasn’t aware that Leon also had another assignment aside from helping with the pirate issue. Leon effortlessly parried Andrews' attack, his blade meeting Andrews' sword with a clash of steel. He smiled faintly at his friend's words, his eyes never leaving the other man's stance.

"It's been too long since I've been in the heat of battle," Leon said, circling around Andrews, his feet moving nimbly, "I missed the adrenaline, the rush, the *thrill*."

He lunged, his sword aiming for Andrews' side, "Besides, I have another assignment while down there... a very important mission given by my father."

Andrews raised his brow but he knew that Leon wouldn’t say anything since it was probably secret, “How are things with the princess?” He suddenly asked as he dodged one of Leon’s attacks.

“I heard from some of the servants that you two woke up together in bed,” he said as he smirked and wiggled his eyebrows at Leon.

“I see my advice worked,” he said with a smug tone, “They don’t call me Cupid Andrews for nothing.”

Leon rolled his eyes, a smirk playing on his lips, "Careful, Andrews. Your ego's about to explode."

He ducked, narrowly avoiding a swing from Andrews' sword, "And you might want to keep your voice down. You never know who's listening."

He feinted to the left, before making a quick jab to the right, "But to answer your question, things with the princess are... fine."

Andrews knew things were more than just fine, Leon looked like a man in love. Totally smitten. Like a teenage boy.

“Hm,” Andrews said with a grin, “Yes, I’ve heard things were fine last night,” he wiggled his brows again. Not letting Leon know that some people heard the lovemaking that happened last night between you two.

“So, I take it you two are now on good terms?” He asked a bit more seriously. Leon scowled as Andrews winked and wiggled his eyebrows, knowing exactly what he was implying, "Keep it up, and I'll knock you on your ass this time."

But his expression softened slightly at Andrew's next question. He considered it for a moment, lowering his sword for a second.

"We... we've come to an understanding," he replied, his tone not fully believing his own words, "Our relationship is... better than before. She's not as annoying as she once was."

Andrews raised a brow and looked at Leon intrigued, “Ah, so the prince has followed my advice. I assume you don’t hate her now?” He asked. It was true. Leon didn’t hate you, the words he whispered to you, the confession of being each other’s, of your bodies becoming one under the passion you both enjoyed.

“So,” Andrews said as he stopped sparring and leaned against his sword as he stared at Leon, “How is she?”

Leon paused, his expression unreadable as he considered how to answer Andrews' question. He too lowered his sword, leaning against it as he thought. He sighed, his eyes flicking to the side before settling back on Andrews, "She... she's not what I expected."

He ran his free hand through his hair, "She's not like the other ladies at the palace. She's... fierce, stubborn, witty."

He paused again, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips, "And she's not afraid to speak her mind. I... I sort of like that about her."

“Sort of?” Andrews repeated with a small smirk on his face. Then he hummed, taking Leon’s words and analyzing his behavior.

“What else do you like about her?” He asked Leon. Andrews, being the wise man and loyal friend he is, knew that Leon’s emotions ran deeper than what he led on. He knew Leon had trouble opening up to new people but to hear that he was able to even be intimate with you, the wife he used to hate from his political marriage, was like being woken up with cold water. Leon was silent for a moment, his gaze focused on the ground as he mulled over Andrews' question. He fidgeted with his sword, his fingers tracing the handle as he tried to find a suitable answer.

"She's... kind," he finally said, his voice quiet, almost as if he was talking to himself, "She cares about the people, the kingdom. She's smart, smarter than I gave her credit for."

He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, "She's beautiful. Her smile, her eyes, her laugh..."

“What about her laugh?” Andrews asked, his expression softening as he stared at his friend, watching Leon’s nervous behavior. Leon chuckled faintly, his eyes still fixed on the ground as he spoke, "Her laugh... it's contagious. It's like a melody."

He glanced up at Andrews for a moment, a small smile on his lips, "Whenever she laughs, it brightens up the whole room. No matter how bad my day's been, just hearing her laugh makes it better."

He paused, running a hand through his hair again, "And it's like... like I can't help but smile too, whenever her laughter fills the room."

Andrews couldn’t help but smile softly at Leon, he really was in love with you while not knowing it.

“You like her,” Andrews said quietly, not a question but rather a statement. Leon was silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the ground as he wrestled with his thoughts. Andrews' words hung heavy in the air, and Leon knew there was no point in denying it. He took a deep breath, his expression resigned, "I... yes. I like her."

He looked up at Andrews, his expression conflicted, as if he was struggling to come to terms with his own feelings, "But... it's complicated. She's my wife, yes, but it was never supposed to be about feelings. We were only married to end the war."

Andrews sighed and stood up straight, sheathing his sword back on his waist as he stood in front of Leon.

“Your Highness,” he said a bit seriously, “just because it’s a political marriage doesn’t mean you can’t make it into a loving one. You are joined together now by forces beyond your control.”

Andrews looked down at Leon’s sword before he took it from his hands and examined it as he spoke, “You two ended the war, but there shouldn’t be an end to your feelings. If you like her, if you grow to love her, you know she’ll be yours because one day she’ll be your queen just as you’ll be her king,” he said as he gave Leon his sword back. Leon took his sword back, his grip on the handle firm. Andrews' words echoed in his mind, and he knew there was truth in them. He stared at the blade of his sword, his expression contemplative, "You make it sound so easy, Andrews," he said quietly, "But it's not. We come from different worlds. Her life as a princess is so different from mine. She's gentle and kind, while I'm cold and aloof."

He lifted his gaze to meet Andrews', "How could I ever hope to be the husband she deserves?"

He sighed and felt his face soften at Leon’s words, “There’s no point in hoping if you’re not trying,” he whispered to Leon.

“Get to know her better,” he encouraged, “take her out on a stroll, drink tea with her, make love to her, hold her close to you. Treat her as if she was the only woman in the world.”

“You two may have duties to produce an heir, but you know deep down that she’s much more than what her duties make her out to be,” he muttered. Leon was quiet for a moment, mulling over Andrews' words. He knew there was truth in them. He knew he couldn't continue to pretend that his feelings for you were non-existent.

He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair again, "You make it sound so simple," he repeated quietly, "But what if she doesn't feel the same way? What if all she sees me as is a duty, an obligation to sire an heir?"

Andrews chuckled softly and put his hand on Leon’s shoulder, “Mate,” he suddenly started to speak informally, “if she didn’t feel the same way, she wouldn’t have tried to win you over since the first day of your marriage.”

He let go of Leon’s shoulder and took a step back, “You gotta trust her. You told her some terrible things in the past and yet here she is, staying loyal to you.”

Leon's expression softened as Andrews reminded him of your loyalty. He knew you hadn't done anything to betray him, and your continued efforts to try to win him over, even when you had no reason to, showed that you were trying. He let out a deep sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly, "I suppose you're right," he mumbled, "But I just... I don't know how to proceed."

He ran his fingers through his hair again, "I'm not good at this, Andrews. I've never had to... woo a woman before. Not like this."

Andrews chuckled quietly and shook his head, “My lord, you’re already married. All there is to do is be there for her in every part of your life.”

“You don’t have to be good, you just have to be yourself,” he continued in a soft tone, “that’s what women like. Women…they like a guy who doesn’t pretend to be someone they’re not. Women are smart and very observant, don’t underestimate them.”

Andrews simply wanted to help his friend, title or not. But he may or may not be speaking from experience. Leon let out a soft scoff, "Be myself," he repeated, a hint of disbelief in his voice. "As if that's something to be proud of."

He leaned against his sword, a frown on his face, "I've never given any woman a reason to fall for me, Andrews. I'm cold, callous, aloof – everything a princess like her shouldn't want."

He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair again, "I fear I am too damaged to be anyone's knight in shining armor now."

Andrews could see the frown on Leon’s face and he couldn’t help but feel bad for him, Leon’s character was a complicated one but even Andrew understood him better than he understood himself.

“You may be damaged now but what are you doing to be the person she needs in the future?” He suddenly asked after a few seconds of silence.

“You can’t keep telling yourself you aren’t good enough for her if you haven’t tried,” he muttered seriously, “You must try with all you are. You can’t expect her to fall in love with you if you don’t put in the effort.”

Andrews' words hit Leon like daggers. He knew he had a point. He couldn't keep wallowing in self-pity and expect you to fall mindlessly in love with him if he didn't try to give you a reason to. He looked down at the ground, his expression contemplative, "You're right," he mumbled, "I have to try. I can't expect her to want to be with me if I don't give her a reason to."

He took a deep breath, his eyes meeting Andrews' again, "But where do I even start?"

“You’re already married, that’s a start,” Andrews muttered as he looked at Leon with a pensive expression.

“Start going up there. How you are in bed isn’t just enough. You need to be consistent and dependably good. You can’t just kiss her one day and ignore her the next, you need to show her how much you love her everyday,” he said, “even if it scares you. No one talks about how terrifying it is to serve your heart on a plate for the other to take.“

“Be the man she not only deserves but also needs. Protect her. Love her. Cherish her. Guide her. Just be there,” he continued, “time will do its thing and when the time comes, you’ll find yourself rewarded.”

Leon listened intently to Andrews' advice, his expression contemplative as he absorbed every word. He knew Andrews was right. He couldn't just expect you to fall in love with him if he only showed you affection when it suited him. He nodded slowly, a look of determination in his eyes, "I understand," he said quietly, "I have to be there for her, always. I have to prove that I'm worthy of her love."

He took a deep breath, the reality of the situation sinking in, "It won't be easy, but I'll do it. For her."

Andrews smiled at Leon’s determination, he brought his hand to his back and patted it, “There’s the crown prince I know,” he smirked playfully. Leon chuckled faintly at Andrews' playful remark, "Watch it," he muttered, a small smile on his lips, "I am still your prince."

“The crown prince I know wouldn’t give up, do it for her,” he muttered before he let go of him and started to walk away. He watched as Andrews walked away, his words echoing in his mind. "Right," he said quietly to himself, "For her."

“Don’t forget, we leave by the end of the week, who knows how long we’ll be away from this place,” he called out to him before he entered the knight’s quarters. Leon remained standing there for a few moments, his thoughts turning to the upcoming trip. How long would he be away from you? He wouldn't allow himself to admit it, but he already missed your presence.

-

Since it was nighttime, you were in your shared quarters contemplating Lady Beatrice’s words. What if Leon didn’t feel the same way you did? He did ignore you earlier today when you passed by him in the hall but what if he was busy thinking too much? Maybe you were judging him and not giving him enough credit. You sighed and laid down on your bed, staring up at the ceiling as the same turmoil remained in your thoughts. A war between opposites ideas: is he using you or does he love you?

As Leon stood there, contemplating Andrews' words, he couldn't help but wonder what you were doing at that moment. Were you also thinking of him, just as he was thinking of you, wondering if his feelings were mutual? He knew he had to do something, say something, before he left for the trip. With a newfound determination, he turned and started walking towards your shared quarters.

Maybe Lady Beatrice was right and Leon didn’t feel the same way you felt about him, maybe he didn’t change and is only pretending so the king can be satisfied with him. You sat up and blew out the candle from your side of the bed before you laid back down and pulled the covers over your body as you closed your eyes. Leon stepped into the bedroom quietly, his heart pounding in his chest. He could see your sleeping form in the dim moonlight, and a sense of protectiveness washed over him.

He walked over to the bed and sat down gently on the edge of the mattress, his eyes fixed on your face. He took a few moments to just watch you, the steady rise and fall of your chest as you slept, the soft expression on your peaceful face. He reached out to brush a stray strand of hair from your face, his fingers barely touching your skin, as if he was scared to wake you.

Leon let out a soft sight, feeling a pang of sadness in his chest. Here he was, ready to confess his feelings and make amends, and yet you were asleep, blissfully unaware of his turmoil. He watched you for a few more moments, his heart heavy. He wanted to shake you awake, to tell you how he felt, but he didn't want to disturb your sleep either. With another sigh, he leaned down and placed a light kiss on your forehead, whispering so quietly that it was almost inaudible, "Sweet dreams, my love."

-

The next day it was as if the roles were reversed, instead of him ignoring you, it was you ignoring him. Lady Beatrice got to you and you started to believe her words. So for the sake of your heart, you ignored him throughout the day. As Leon noticed you deliberately avoiding him throughout the day, he felt a growing sense of dismay in his chest. He didn't understand what he had done wrong, and your avoidance was making him even more confused and frustrated. He tried to approach you several times, but you always found an excuse to slip away from him, and he didn't want to force himself upon you.

Even if you kept avoiding him, you may or may not have done something for him. One day, you overheard the knights talk about their journey to your kingdom and how they needed to help fight off some pirates with the help of Leon. You felt guilty for ignoring him so you went to your shared room and started to sneak through his things.

When he returned to their shared quarters that evening, he found you sneaking through his things. He walked into the room quietly, seeing you going through his belongings, he cleared his throat to announce his presence. Your heart nearly jumped out of your chest when he cleared his throat, you quickly turned around to look at him with wide eyes.

“My lord,” you whispered and curtsied to him. Leon's expression was unreadable as he looked at you, his eyes narrowing slightly. He could see the guilt on your face and the way you avoided looking at him. It was clear that you'd been avoiding him all day. He took a few steps closer to you, his gaze flicking down to the bags behind you. He knew you'd been going through his things, and he had a pretty good idea what you were doing.

"And what, pray tell, are you doing going through my belongings?" he asked, his voice cold. You heard his cold voice and it only added to your belief that he didn’t love you back. Which broke your heart a bit but you hid it deep beneath your feelings.

“I was just making sure you got everything for your trip,” you muttered and glanced up at him. It wasn’t a complete lie, you did want to make sure he was all set and ready for his trip to your kingdom. Leon's expression softened slightly at your words. He knew that you were doing this because you cared about him, even if you had been avoiding him. He could see the concern in your eyes, even if you were trying to hide it.

But the fact that you had been avoiding him still gnawed at him. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the bed, his gaze fixed on you.

"Is that all?" he asked gruffly, "You've been avoiding me all day, and now you're suddenly concerned about my packing?"

You bit the inside of your lip, it wasn’t his fault that you were avoiding him. You were naive and manipulated by Lady Beatrice.

“They said you were going to be away for a long time,” you whispered, noticing his annoyance and gruff tone. His journey could last weeks, maybe even months. Then, a servant came through the door, “We are ready for departure, my lord.”

Leon's expression remained gruff as he heard the servant's words. His gaze wandered over you, studying your face intently. It was clear that he was still hurt and confused by your behavior. But duty called, and he couldn't put it off any longer. He was hurt by your avoidance and you were hurt by the lies of a woman who claimed to know Leon better than you do. He knew it was time to start their journey, but he couldn't shake the feeling of irritation towards you. He glanced down at his bags and then back up at you, "I see," he said slowly, "You only care because I'll be gone for a while."

You were speechless, your mouth agape as you furrowed your brow and looked at him, “No, that’s not—“

But you quickly stopped yourself, remembering the words of the woman. He doesn’t love you. You’re only a pawn in his game for the throne. Instead you opted for something else, you glanced down at the floor as you spoke, “Have a safe trip.”

Leon heard the change in your tone as you avoided directly responding to him. It only served to deepen his confusion and hurt. He nodded, his jaw clenched, "I will," he said shortly, his voice cold. He picked up his bags and started moving towards the door, but he stopped and looked back at you, his eyes locking with yours. He wanted to say something, but the words stuck in his throat. He wanted to tell you that he loved you, that he didn't understand why you were acting this way. But instead, he just said nothing. As the servants came to carry his bags out the door and outside, you went over to the window to watch him get inside the carriage.

Your heart ached, you still loved him very much and you felt guilty for avoiding him. But what if Lady Beatrice was right? What if you were a fool?

Leon climbed into the carriage, his eyes fixed on the ground, his thoughts filled with confusion and hurt. He could feel your gaze on him as he got into the carriage, and it made his heart pang. As the carriage started moving, he looked up and saw you watching him from the window. He held your gaze for a few moments, his expression conflicted and his heart heavy. He then looked away and sat back in his seat, the carriage rolling down the cobbled street, taking him away from you.

-

After a few day’s travel, Leon and the other knights had arrived at the Coast Kingdom’s docks where the ships were. Leon had two missions. One: help fight against the pirates. Two: get to the bottom of the alleged claims of my infertility as per requested by his father. A servant showed him to his bedchamber, where he slept near the docks in a less expensive room. Leon unpacked his things, neatly folding his clothes and laying them out on the bed. As he reached the bottom of the bag, he found something that caught his eye—a hair ribbon. It was one of your hair ribbons meant to be tied to his sword.

He picked it up and held it in his hands, recognizing the fabric. It was yours. He ran his fingers over the ribbon, a pang of sadness hitting him. He wondered why you had put it in his bag. Was it a gesture of love, or just a token to remember you by? He couldn’t be sure, but the sight of it only made him miss you more.

Back at the castle you remained alone and melancholy, missing him terribly as you sat by the window and hoped everyday for his return. That was until you thought about sending him letters. And so, every day you’d write him a letter and have it delivered to him. But you noticed after the third day since his departure that he hasn’t replied.

Unbeknownst to you that the letters would get lost in the mail due to the storm near the seas of the docks where Leon was. They were currently on a ship fighting pirates in the middle of a rainstorm. Rain poured down harshly, soaking everything in its wake and blurring everyone’s vision every few seconds as the ship swayed. Leon, soaked to the bone, was fighting off pirates on the ship. The storm had made the seas choppy, and the ship heaved and groaned under the strain.

"Keep your guard up!" he shouted above the howling wind and rain, his sword cutting through the air. But his mind was elsewhere. He found himself thinking of you, wondering if you were alright back home. He silently longed for a letter from you, a sign that you missed him just as much as he missed you. Days turned into weeks as he fought the pirates and figured out the fertility issues. Turns out it really was just based on a woman’s health and since I was a relatively healthy woman, a doctor told Leon that everything should be fine should I bear his child.

When a few weeks started to pass, you started to feel more tired than ever. You’d wake up later than usual and feel yourself longing for him. You felt bad for treating him coldly and avoiding him. Guess distance does make the heart grow fonder.

“My lord,” a knight said as Leon and the knights were in the cabin where they were staying. It was nighttime and the storm was long gone. Everyone was tired after a long day of fighting the pirates away in success, “when can we go home? I miss my bed.”

“Don’t you miss your family?” Another one spoke as he looked at the knight with a raised brow while the other shrugged his shoulders, “Hey, when you have kids, you take every chance you get to take a break.”

"Ha! True that," chimed in another knight, "My little ones run me ragged all day long, especially the younger ones".

Another knight spoke up, "And the women too, huh? They keep nagging day and night."

Leon had been mostly silent, listening to the knights talk amongst themselves, lost in thought about you. The conversation steered towards returning home, and a pang of longing hit him. He missed you too, more than he cared to admit. Andrews was part of the knight squad that got sent to help with the pirate issue, so in his nature, he saw Leon all silent. He moved over to sit next to Leon. He then looked down at Leon’s sword, noticing a ribbon tied to it which resulted in Andrews letting out a soft chuckle, “She gave that to you?” Andrews asked as he pointed to the ribbon.

The ribbon, wet from the storm, was tied tightly to his sword to ensure it wouldn’t fall off during battle. Leon glanced down at the ribbon tied to his sword, his thoughts immediately turning to you. He ran his fingers over the fabric, feeling its dampness from the storm.

"Yeah, she did," he responded, his voice soft, "She snuck it into my bags before I left."

He paused for a moment, his gaze fixated on the ribbon. Seeing it reminded him of you and made him yearn for your touch. Andrews chuckled, “Sneaky princess, that one,” he muttered softly, only lightly teasing Leon.

“I knew she had a bit of rebellion in her,” he said, “I didn’t always buy the whole proper princess, I guess you really rubbed off on her,” he chuckled again. But upon seeing Leon’s fixation on the ribbon, he knew what he was feeling, “You miss her, don’t you,” Andrews muttered quietly so only Leon could hear. Leon's gaze remained fixed on the ribbon, his fingers gently touching the fabric. Andrew's subtle tease made him smile faintly.

"Yeah, I do," he admitted quietly, his voice just above a whisper, "More than I care to admit."

He looked up at Andrews, his expression a mix of longing and guilt. "I didn't appreciate her as much as I should have before I left," he continued, his voice growing somber, "I just hope she doesn't think I don't care."

“Why do you say that?” He asked, Andrews didn’t know how we left things before Leon left. "Before I left," Leon began, his voice low and heavy, "We weren't on the best terms. There was a misunderstanding and I think I hurt her, even if she didn't show it."

He looked down at the ribbon again, tracing his fingers over the damp fabric. His brow furrowed in thought, and he sighed quietly.

"She was avoiding me before I left, and I don't know why. It's been eating at me this whole time," he admitted, his tone tinged with sadness and frustration. Andrews sighed and looked at the ribbon as Leon’s finger started to trace over it, “You really think she’d be heartless enough to think you don’t care about her after a small argument?”

“She gave you that ribbon, she clearly loves you,” Andrews said. He was a bit frustrated that everything between you and Leon seemed to be troublesome when love was supposed to be comforting.

“When a lady gives her ribbon to a man, it’s a declaration of love,” he muttered to Leon, “she knew you were going to be far away and she gave you her favor.”

Andrews chuckled quietly, “Gods, you really are bad at wooing a woman,” he teased Leon. Leon's cheeks burned at Andrews' words. He knew his friend was right, that the ribbon was a symbol of love and affection. But he couldn't shake the feeling of guilt and insecurity that gnawed at him.

"I know," he admitted, his voice tinged with embarrassment, "I just... I'm not good at expressing my feelings. And now that I'm so far away, I feel helpless. I can't fix things, I can't show her that I care."

He let out a weary sigh, his shoulders slumping heavily. Andrews’ eyes widened just a bit at Leon’s helplessness, “Woah—woah—woah,” he said as he watched Leon’s shoulders slump.

“You think it’s over?” He muttered to Leon, “You think that just by being away from her ruins your chances of making her feel loved and happy? Are you insane?!”

He took Leon by shoulders and shook him as if to put some sense into him, “When we go back home, you are going to take that woman out on an outing—I don’t care if you take a stroll with her in the gardens or drink tea—you will make time for her. Clear your schedule and give her your undivided attention. And then, you’re going to make sweet love to her that night, don’t matter if you’re tired after the first round—don’t stop until she’s satisfied,” He said firmly, almost authoritatively. Leon's eyes widened at Andrews' impassioned speech, his surprise quickly turning into a mix of embarrassment and determination. His cheeks flushed and his mind raced at the thought of taking you out, spending time with you, making love to you. But there was one thing he couldn't shake off.

"But what if she's still avoiding me?" he asked, his voice tinged with vulnerability, "What if she doesn't want to see me?"

He internally groaned at Leon’s insecurity and shook him firmly one more time, “Your Highness, with all due respect, it doesn’t matter.”

“You really think she will still avoid you after weeks of not seeing you? Poor princess is probably sleeping alone in your bed for Christ’s sake!” He shook him again, “And if she doesn’t want to see you then too bad for her because that won’t fly with you.”

“Dress nicely, wear her favorite fragrance on you, bring her flowers—prove to her you are worthy of being seen by her,” he said before he let go of Leon. Leon nodded silently, absorbing the words of his friend. He knew Andrews was right, of course he was. He just needed a push in the right direction.

"You're right," he muttered, determination slowly filling his voice, "When I get back, I'll do just that. I'll court her like she deserves, and show her how much I care. I won't let anything get in the way."

He looked up at Andrews with a small smile, his shoulders pulled back again, his usual confidence returning. Andrews nodded and patted Leon’s shoulder before he leaned back against his chair, resting his hands behind his head as he closed his eyes.

“And fuck her real good,” Andrews muttered with a sly grin, “Or how I like to call it,” he said as he opened his eyes and turned to face Leon, “Love her until she can’t walk, Andrews style.”

Leon's blush deepened at Andrews' advice, but a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He let out a quiet chuckle.

"I think I can handle that," he responded, a hint of cocky confidence back in his tone. He looked back down at the ribbon tied to his sword, running his fingers over the silken fabric one more time.

"Thanks, Andrews," he murmured, "For the kick in the ass I needed."

Andrews softened and shrugged nonchalantly, “No problem,” he muttered and looked at Leon as he ran his fingers over the ribbon. There were a few seconds of silence that took over the two, “I could’ve definitely said more about the Andrews style though,” he said cheekily. He was only trying to cheer Leon up. They were good friends, Andrews being older and wiser by a few years but it didn’t matter as they got along pretty well. Leon rolled his eyes at Andrews' comment, his smile growing wider, "Oh, gods forbid you talk about your "style" for too long."

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. The easy banter with his friend was a welcome distraction from his constant worry about you, his wife, back home.

"Just focus on your own love life," he teased back, "Or lack thereof, I should say."

Andrews scoffed in feigned offense, “Excuse me, Your Highness, but I’ve got plenty of love to give.”

“Have you seen the cuties in this kingdom?” He muttered, forgetting for a hot minute about Leon’s married life, “I saw a babe down the street when I was out patrolling the docks. She was so into me,” he spoke with a smug tone.

“Her eyes said everything, she looked at me as if I was the only man ever,” he continued. Leon shook his head with humor, "You're incorrigible, Andrews," he said, his tone fond. "Always chasing after the next fair maiden."

He chuckled again but couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. He couldn't remember the last time a woman looked at him with such interest, except for you of course.

"You should settle," he advised, "Find a nice girl, someone who can keep up with your... energetic spirit."

Andrew sighed and shrugged his shoulders, “Who wants an old man like me, eh?”

He smiled, though it was a bitter one, “No girl wants to settle with a man like me,” he continued, “and being a knight makes me too busy.”

Andrews was a bit old but society deemed him too old for settling and forming a family. He may be joking on the outside but deep down, Andrews also wanted to get married and have kids. Leon's expression softened, seeing the bittersweet look on Andrews' face.

"Hey, don't talk like that," he chided gently, "You're not too old for love. And being a knight might keep you busy sometimes, but that's not a bad thing."

He paused for a moment, an idea forming in his mind.

"In fact," he said slowly, "I might know someone who could use a knight in shining armor."

Andrews raised a brow and looked at Leon, “Are you trying to take my title as Cupid Andrews?” He quipped. But he was intrigued by Leon’s suggestion. He knew someone that might be for him? Who knew the future king could play matchmaker.

“You do?” He muttered, “and who is this someone?”

Leon chuckled at Andrews' joke, but his expression quickly turned more serious. He knew this person would be a good match for his friend.

"There's a lady-in-waiting in the palace," he began, "A young woman named Victoria."

He held up a hand to stop Andrews from interrupting, "Hear me out. She's sweet, she's smart, and she has a sharp wit. She might just be the perfect match for you."

“A lady-in-waiting named Victoria? Doesn’t she work for the princess?” He asked Leon with a bit of skepticism. But Andrews couldn’t help but feel intrigued. Victoria was one of your ladies-in-waiting. Leon’s seen her a few times whenever she’d come help you get ready in the morning.

“I don’t think I’ve seen her in the castle before,” he muttered as he tried to think hard. Andrews barely even steps foot inside the castle so he barely knows the staff that works inside. Andrews sighed before he nodded, “Alright then, I’d like to meet her.”

Leon nodded, satisfied that Andrews was at least receptive to the idea.

"Good," he replied with a small smile. "I'll arrange for you two to meet when we return."

He looked out the window, the dark sky signaling it was late and he should get some rest.

"For now, we should both get some sleep," he said, standing up from his chair, "We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

Leon chuckled softly at Andrews' teasing use of “Your Highness.”

"You'd do well to remember that title in the future," he replied with a smirk, "Now go get some rest."

He watched as Andrews walked away, then made his way to his own bed for the night. As he settled down, his thoughts once again turned to you. He yearned to see you, to hold you in his arms and tell you how much he loved you. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.

-

The next morning everyone was set to go back home. Leon rode the carriage as they trekked through the Coast Kingdom, nearing the West Kingdom that was their rightful home. You sat by the window until you saw a familiar carriage near the palace. Your eyes widened slightly and you ran out of your shared chambers in your night dress that reached your ankles. You didn’t care about putting on your slippers, you only wanted to see Leon.

So, you ran down the halls and stairs barefooted until you made it to the entrance of the palace where you impatiently waited for Leon’s carriage. Leon had been dozing off in the carriage, still tired from the journey, when a sudden commotion outside jolted him awake. He looked out the window just in time to see you running up to the entrance of the palace. He quickly told the driver to stop the carriage, and as soon as the door was opened, Leon jumped out and rushed over to you.

You ran as fast as you could, not caring if it’s unladylike to basically be out in your nightwear without shoes. When Leon was close enough, you basically jumped and threw your body at him. Leon caught you in his arms effortlessly, crushing your body against him. He wrapped his arms around you tightly, holding you close, almost possessively. Your arms wrapped tightly around his neck as you stuffed your face on the crook of his neck, your body pressed tightly against his, “I’m sorry,” you whispered against his skin and you cried on his skin, “I’m sorry, please forgive me,” you practically begged. He could feel your tears against his skin, and your whispered plea for forgiveness broke his heart.

"Shhh..." he whispered in your ear, his voice gentle and soothing, "There's nothing to apologize for, my love."

He pulled back slightly, just far enough to look down at you, his hands coming up to cup your face and wipe away your tears with his thumbs.

“I wrote to you,” you said in between sobs as your hands gently wrapped around his wrists, “Everyday I sent you a letter but you never sent one back.”

“I thought you hated me, that you were mad at me and that you were ignoring me,” you continued crying and speaking, your breathing hard as you tried to breathe but you were crying so much.

“I didn’t mean to avoid you. I was scared. I thought that you didn’t love me and that you were just using me and–and I’m so incredibly sorry for doubting you. I should’ve trusted you over Lady Beatrice’s words, I should’ve been better, I didn’t mean to make you angry,” you sobbed uncontrollably and gasped heavily, “I should’ve been better and told you how I felt. I hid my feelings from you and I’m so sorry, I don't want you to be away from me again.”

Leon's heart ached as he watched you sobbing and trying to catch your breath, your words tumbling out between your tears.

"No, no, my love," he whispered, his thumbs still gently wiping away your tears, "Never think I could hate you, or not love you. You are the very beat of my heart."

He pulled you closer, wrapping his arms tightly around you once again, holding you close against his chest.

"Don't apologize," he murmured, his voice tender, "You have nothing to be sorry for. I was worried, yes, but never mad at you."

You rested your hands flat on his chest as you pushed him back just a little to look up at him, “I think I love you,” you whispered. Your heart beating fast, your tears rolling down your face, your emotions were all over the place but you knew you loved Leon.

That’s what it was all along. Love. You love Leon. Always have.

“I love you,” you repeated once again in a whisper, your voice was quiet as you cried, “I have loved you since the first day of this marriage. I loved you even when you hated me,” the words spilled out of you as you cried, the raw emotion laced in your voice was genuine, “I wish to never be away from you. I want to be by your side more than just king and queen, more than husband and wife. I wish to be truly yours, to touch your soul.”

Leon listened, his expression growing more and more tender as you spoke. Your heartfelt words touched his soul, and he felt his own emotions swelling in his chest.

"My sweet love," he said softly, his hands coming up to gently cup your face again, "You have always been mine. From the moment our hands were tied together by fate, you became the other half of my soul."

His thumbs brushed over your wet cheeks, wiping away your tears, "And tonight, I pledge to you that I will never leave your side again. We are one now, truly and completely."

You cried once more but out of relief and joy, your hands pulled him back to you and you stuffed your face in his chest. His clothes got wet from your tears but it didn’t matter right now. Right now what mattered was that after months of confusing emotions, you finally found out the truth. That you loved him and he loved you. You felt silly for ever doubting him.

Leon held you tightly in his arms again, letting you cry against his chest as he stroked your hair soothingly. All that mattered was you, the woman he loves, with him again. He buried his face in your hair, inhaling your scent. The past few months had been hell for him, thinking you hated him, that you didn't trust him. But now, with your confession, all his doubts faded away.

"Oh, my love, my sweet love," he whispered against your hair, "I love you, I love you so much."

You cried some more as you stood outside the entrance of the castle in each other’s embrace. After a while, you had calmed down and heard a servant walk over you two.

“You Highnesses,” the servant said addressing both of you, “Your bags have been carried to your chambers,” she said as she dipped her head towards Leon before she turned to you, “My lady, let’s get you inside. Your feet might get injured,” you looked down at your feet and chuckled quietly, still coming down from crying. You sniffled and nodded, wiping your face with your hands, “Yes,” you muttered. The servant then began to walk back inside.

Leon looked down at your bare feet, feeling a protective instinct, he picked you up in his arms, holding you against his chest as if you weighed nothing, and began to follow the servant inside. Your eyes widened a bit and you quickly wrapped your arms around his shoulders as he picked you up princess style, but it made your heart skip a beat. He gently pressed a kiss to your temple, his eyes filled with a mix of love and possessiveness.

"I should've never let you run out here barefooted," he murmured in your ear. Your cheeks flushed a bit red, “I was excited to see you,” you mumbled a real excuse. You truly did want to see him, hence why you were in your nightgown.

As he started to walk inside the castle, the servant stopped right outside your room and opened the door for Leon to bring you inside. Then, the servant closed the door and left, giving you some privacy. Leon carried you into the room and set you down on the bed, his hands sliding down to your hips to keep you steadied against him. He looked down at you, his eyes roaming over your form, taking in the sight of you in your nightgown, your hair loose and messy, your cheeks flushed. He crouched down in front of you, his hands still holding your hips, his thumbs tracing small circles on your skin through the thin fabric.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me," he said, his voice low and gravelly.

“No,” you whispered, “I don’t.”

You looked ethereal, like a vision from a dream as you laid on the bed with your nightgown slowly riding up from his thumbs tracing small circles, your hair was messy and your eyes were red from crying. Leon chuckled at your clueless response, his eyes darkening as his gaze roamed over your form, taking in every small detail, every small movement.

"You are an innocent incarnate," he said, his voice low and husky, his thumbs still tracing small circles on your skin, going slightly further up your hips, pushing the nightgown further up.

"And you have no idea of the effect you have on me," he continued, "The things you make me want to do to you."

The nightgown slid up your thighs, exposing your bare legs to him. His words were like magic because you felt myself wanting him like that one night you shared. To feel him inside again and show you he loves you. You wanted him to ravish you, to feast on you, to make love to you. Like how Andrews said, to make love to you until you can’t walk. It didn’t matter if Leon got tired, you’d go all night until it was engraved in your head that Leon loved you.

You were naked under your nightgown so you felt flustered. You parted your legs just enough for him as he was crouched between them. When Leon noticed you parting your legs for him, his eyes darkened even further, his fingers slowly tracing the inside of your thighs, caressing your soft skin.

"Naughty little princess," he murmured, his voice low and rough, "Did you forget to wear something underneath that nightgown?"

He moved closer between your legs, his breath fanning against your already wet cunt, his hands moving up further, pushing the nightgown up to your waist.

“No,” you answered in a whisper, “I always go to bed like this.”

Your nightgown scrunched around your waist, revealing your bare lower half to him. His hands remained on your thighs as his face was between your legs. Leon swallowed at your confession, feeling a sense of possessiveness wash over him, knowing nobody else had ever seen you like this except for him. He leaned in closer, his hands tightening their grip on your thighs.

"Then you really are a naughty princess," he murmured, "Wearing something so revealing, just for me to see."

His head dipped down, his lips brushing along the inside of your thigh, his tongue darting out to taste your delicious exposed folds. You closed your eyes tightly shut and let out a shuddered gasp, your hands gripped the bedsheets as his tongue darted out to lick your slit.

“Leon,” you whispered quietly in a breathy tone, feeling good with his tongue. Leon inhaled deeply, drinking in the sweet, addictive taste of you on his tongue. He could feel your body tense beneath his touch, your gasp like music to his ears.

"You are the sweetest thing I've ever tasted," he murmured against your inner thigh, his words husky and low, "I could devour you."

His hands moved up, his fingers digging into the flesh of your thighs as he pushed your legs further apart, giving himself more access to your core. Gasps and breathless moans escaped your lips as he kept tasting you. He devoured you like a starved man and you were his full course meal. Your grip on the bed sheets was tight, your knuckles were turning white and you felt yourself become breathless.

Your eyes were closed tightly shut as you rolled my head back against the pillows of your big canopy bed.Leon couldn't get enough of you. Feeling your sweet taste on his tongue, hearing your soft noises, your gasps and moans all made him want to lose all his control.

He wanted you, all of you. He wanted to mark you, to possess you, to make you his completely.

His lips and tongue continue to work their magic, exploring every inch of your core, tasting and devouring you with a hunger that only grew stronger with every passing second. His tongue flicked at your clit before it entered you and started to taste you from the inside, making his cock throb in his trousers.

One of your hands suddenly moved to grip the top of his head, his hair tangled in between your fingers as you pulled him closer to you. Leon let out a guttural moan against your core as you pulled his head closer, his tongue delving deeper, tasting you, devouring you with a fervor.

Your moans were starting to become short and breathless and a familiar coil in your abdomen started to grow tight as you neared your orgasm. He could feel your body tense and he knew you were close. He continued his assault on your core, his lips and tongue working in perfect unison, pushing you over to taste your sweet cum on his lips.

But when you opened your eyes and saw Leon in between your legs, it was like an explosion, your thighs closed tightly around his face as you writhed against him. The band snapped and you came on his face. He licked his lips, savoring the taste of you, his tongue still darting out to lap up every drop.

You were left panting and your grip on his hair loosened as you closed your eyes and tried to catch your breath.

"You taste so good," he murmured, lifting his head to look up at you, his chin glistening with your juices. He moved up, his body resting between your legs, his chest hovering over yours. He leaned down, his lips gently trailing along your jaw, up to your ear.

“Want more,” you whispered as you felt his lips on you, “I want to try and conceive again.”

It wasn’t out of duty, not anymore. It was a request from the bottom of your heart. You wanted him and you wanted him to know that shamelessly. Leon let out a low growl, the sound filled with desire and possessiveness, as he heard your whispered words.

"You want me," he said, his lips moving back down to your neck, gently nipping at your skin, "You want me to give you children, to make you a mother."

His hands rested on either side of your hips, his fingers digging into your skin, "Are you sure you can handle it, my love? Can you handle me, night after night after night?"

You nodded and tilted your head to the side to give him more space for his lips, “Yes,” you confidently replied in a breathless whisper, “Let me be the mother of your children as well as the queen of your kingdom.”

Your hands wrapped around his head, gently tugging at his blonde hair, “I’ll take that and more. Every night and every day until we’ve made our family.”

You pulled him back and made eye contact with him, your eyes full of not just lust but also love. Real love, “I beg nothing more but to be happy with you,” you whispered tenderly as your hands cupped his face. Leon paused, his eyes locking with yours, his heart swelling with an overwhelming sense of love and desire for you at your words.

"You are my love, my wife, my queen," he said, his hands coming up to cup your face, "And by the gods, I will make you the mother of my children, and I will make you the happiest woman who's ever walked this earth."

He leaned down, his lips meeting yours in a deep, passionate kiss, his arms wrapping around your body and hauling you up against his chest, as if to pull you even closer. For the rest of the night it was full of lovemaking. Maybe he did follow Andrews’ advice as he didn’t stop until both of you were tired. He took his time, making sure you were loved and taken care of despite him filling you up with his seed multiple times.

By the time morning came up, you were once again wrapped in each other’s arms naked under the covers. You clung close to him like a koala, not wanting to let him go as you slept in the morning.

-

Preparations were being made months ahead of the coronation, in which Leon asked you to help him with. There were days where he cleared his schedule just to be with you. He devoted himself to you; listening to you talk when you’d walk along the garden, he took you out to picnics with your favorite foods, he would even be as sneaky as pulling you to a room and makeout with you in the middle of the day. That man was attached and so madly in love with you that he refused to not be by you.

“Good news, Your Highness,” a doctor said as he turned to look at Leon who had been waiting on the foot of the bed. Recently, you’ve been experiencing sickness and nausea so, Leon being the protective husband he is, called in for a doctor to check on you.

“She is not sick but rather…” he said as he looked at both you and Leon, “it would seem that she is with child.”

Leon’s eyes widened and he was rigid still for a moment before he looked at you and hugged you tightly, not caring that the doctor saw him be so affectionate to you, “Thank you,” he whispered in your ear. You hugged him back just as tightly, feeling so happy that you were finally going to start a family with him.

On the day of the coronation, you and Leon knelt before the king who held the crown for Leon, “It is within my power to bestow to you, my son, the responsibility and duties of your rightful kingdom. I declare you king,” he said as he put the crown on Leon’s head, the crown fitting him and matching his extravagant outfit fitting for a king.

“And to you,” he said as he turned to you with a crown on his hands, a smaller one but it was the queen’s crown, “I am honored to bestow to you the powers of a dutiful queen, whom is to stand next to the king and aid him endlessly,” he then laid the crown on your head, the piece of jewelry proving to be heavy but you carried it with pride.

You and Leon stood up, staring at your now loyal subjects. He turned to glance at you, his hand finding yours and intertwining his fingers as he held your hand in a tight but tender grip.

That evening was the celebratory dinner, where everyone was invited, including Andrews accompanied by Victoria. He followed Leon’s advice and settled down, proving that even despite finding love at a later age, one could still find someone they were meant to be with.

It was the era of peace as marked down in the history books, what began as a rivalry between a married couple turned into a loving marriage where you and Leon were inseparable. He never once stopped loving you, even after having your first child, he wanted more and more. He just couldn’t get enough of you. Leon also changed some rules, he demanded that you join important meetings as you were now queen, reminding the lords and counts that you were more than just a wife. You were his equal.

The people of the West Kingdom called it the New Era of Peace. In which your legacy wouldn’t be forgotten for the sacrifices made for not just the war but also to the love of your life.

The End.

[parkerslatte]

Finding Home || Part Four

Azriel x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 3.5k

Warnings: homelessness

Summary: Azriel admits to Y/N that he doesn’t want to rush the tasks and he is shown a glimpse of her good faith.

Finding Home Masterlist

A Court of Thorns and Roses Masterlist

•••

For the second morning in a row, Azriel awoke on Y/N’s couch. His neck was positioned at a weird angle and his wings held a dull ache. But he couldn’t be happier. The scent from the kitchen wafted over to him as he opened his eyes. Quiet humming came from the kitchen that seemed to awaken his shadows, they rose around him before slithering their way into the kitchen. Despite his still tired disposition, Azriel followed. 

What he was greeted to was the sight of Y/N spinning around her kitchen as she prepared a breakfast that could rival anything the House of Wind could create. Azriel couldn’t understand how she had the time for this, it was still early in the–

“Good morning, Azriel,” Y/N greeted. “Or should I say good afternoon? You have slept the whole day away.”

Azriel’s eyes widened. He was not sure when he had ever slept past six in the morning. Seven was considered a lie in for him. But as Azriel looked out of the large bay window, the sun was high in the sky. Despite it being winter, it looked pleasant outside. 

“I’m making some lunch, if you want any,” Y/N said, serving some food onto a plate. “But for you, it would be considered breakfast?” Her teasing tone forced Azriel to send a playful glare her way.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” Azriel questioned as Y/N passed a plate of food to him.

Y/N shrugged. “You looked peaceful and I didn’t want to interrupt that.”

“I don’t normally sleep past seven,” Azriel stated.

“I could tell,” Y/N remarked. “Those bags under your eyes were clear of that.”

Y/N placed her plate down on the countertop. Azriel watched as she walked forward and gently placed her hands on his upper arms. At that simple touch, Azriel felt some of the tension in his body fade. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“Look,” Y/N said and spun him around to face a small mirror on her wall. “The bags are not completely gone, but they have faded. When was the last time you had a decent sleep?”

“Too long,” Azriel said, his gaze fixated on his reflection. 

Before now, he had not realised how tired he was. If it were a typical day for him, he would wake and immediately begin training, not giving his body a chance to catch up to his exhaustion. He hadn’t felt this well-rested in a long time.

“If I knew how tired you were, I would have let you sleep in my bed, not on the couch, that could not have been comfortable for your wings,” Y/N said, sitting down at the small dining table in the bay window, perfectly fit for two people.

“I wouldn’t have allowed it,” Azriel said. “I am simply taking advantage of the situation I have found myself in.”

Y/N raised an eyebrow. “And what would that be?”

Azriel let out a quiet laugh. “Well I get free food for starters.”

“You’ll pay me back,” Y/N stated.

“And how would you want me to pay you back?” Azriel questioned.

Y/N shrugged. “I haven’t decided yet, but I’ll let you know when I do.”

Azriel raised the fork to his mouth and took a bit of the food. He hummed in appreciation, closing his eyes and appreciating the various flavours that burst into his mouth. 

“What is this?” Azriel asked.

“Another recipe my father used to make me,” Y/N said. “I only make it on special occasions.”

“And this is a special occasion?” Azriel asked.

“Yes,” Y/N stated. “Because you have ticked another thing from the list.”

Azriel’s eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t think I have. We have only ticked off two? Coffee and dinner.”

Y/N sighed. “Honestly, Azriel, have you even read the list?”

In complete honesty, Azriel hadn’t. He had skimmed a couple of the tasks but hadn’t read beyond the first few properly. 

Y/N took his silence as his answer. “Number twenty-six, lie in.”

“That is seriously a task,” Azriel asked. 

Y/N held the list in her hand, Azriel having no idea where she had plucked it from. “Yes,” she said. “Have a look.”

Y/N thrust the list into Azriel’s hand and he focused on it. There it was, number twenty six. Something within Azriel was not too pleased. Three tasks down and it had barely been twenty four hours. Rhys had given him three months to complete all thirty tasks and if he continued to keep them up at the rate he was, he would have them done in not even two weeks. Too quickly for his liking. 

From the meeting with Rhys to now, Azriel had changed his outlook on the tasks. He wanted to do them. And he was enjoying himself immensely. The height of elation he had reached over the past twenty-four hours had been higher than he had reached in the past five years. And one of the main reasons was the female sitting across the small circular table. 

“Three down!” Y/N exclaimed.

Azriel forced a smile on his face, he hoped that it was convincing, but from the way Y/N’s face seemed to fall, it definitely wasn’t.

“What’s wrong?” Y/N asked, she placed her hand on the table and Azriel noticed her hesitation as she inched it closer. His hand rested not far from hers and he only wished that she would place it on top of his. The feeling of a caring touch was all Azriel craved. 

But his wish did not come true as Y/N slowly inched her hand closer to herself and settled it back in her lap. Azriel couldn’t help the disappointment that washed over him. 

“I just…think we are going through these tasks fast,” Azriel admitted.

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” Y/N asked. “You didn’t seem too thrilled when you were given them. I thought getting them done and out of the way would cheer you up a bit.” Azriel furrowed his eyebrows. “From the looks of things, it's doing the opposite.”

The words Azriel wanted to articulate were on the tip of his tongue but he couldn’t get them out. How do you tell someone you just met that you have had more fun with them in twenty-four hours than the past few years with your family? If she took those words the wrong way, then there was that slim possibility that he would scare her away and Azriel would be back where he started, wallowing in misery. 

Instead Azriel opted for a simpler reason. “I enjoy spending time with you.”

Y/N’s face lit up and Azriel felt something within him stir. He was the one who had put that expression on her face. 

“Well that is good, because I really enjoy spending time with you too,” Y/N replied. 

There was something about that ‘really’ that brought out a wide smile on his face. Y/N seemed to mimic it as she leant her head on her hand.

���And I really enjoy when you smile like that,” Y/N said. “It suits you.”

Azriel continued to smile.

***

Despite the nippy weather, Y/N had suggested the two take a walk. After Azriel’s confession of wanting to slow down the tasks, they decided that the task ordering Azriel to take a walk, didn’t count. Their walk was just two friends spending time together, not completing mini missions. 

Y/N was once again wrapped up in her coat, scarf and gloves. Azriel laughed at her as she piled them on before leaving the apartment. Y/N only glared at him before stepping out to face the cold. 

The two walked side by side in silence, but Azriel felt no pressure to fill it. Simply being in Y/N’s presence was enough to keep him content. Any shop they passed, Y/N would sometimes point something out in the window she liked. There was something about that expression on her face that made Azriel want to immediately walk in and buy it, but he knew that Y/N would only march back in and return it in front of him. 

“Oh,” Y/N said, her hand shooting out to stop Azriel in his tracks. 

Azriel was immediately on alert. His shadows span out and scanned the area. “What is it?”

Y/N, noticing immediately his changed demeanour, rolled her eyes. “It is nothing bad, you oversized bat. I can just smell pastries.”

Azriel relaxed as he reeled his shadows back in. As he did so they gently caressed Y/N’s calves. If she noticed she didn’t say anything so Azriel didn’t mention it. 

“Come on,” Y/N said, linking her arm through Azriel’s. 

When the two made it to the bakery, Y/N went in while Azriel waited outside. It was packed and he didn’t want to crowd the space even more with his wings. And some of the questioning looks he was given made him refrain from even trying to enter. 

As he leaned against the wall waiting for Y/N, he felt a tap against his mental shields. He sighed before lowering them.

I trust you have started on the tasks, Rhys questioned.

What would you do if I haven’t? Azriel questioned.

Nothing, I suppose, Rhys said. Despite what you might think, Azriel, these tasks are meant to help you. You haven’t been yourself in quite a while. We thought you could do something that wasn’t court related. Give you a break.

I was fine doing my duties, Azriel said.

Azriel heard Rhys sigh. Look, Az. All of us are worried about you. We just want to help.

Azriel didn’t respond for a while but he could tell that Rhys was still in his mind. He made sure that he didn’t accidentally reveal anything about Y/N. He didn’t want his family to know about her. At least not yet. 

I have made a start on the tasks, Azriel replied.

Are you enjoying them? Rhys asked.

I–

Azriel stopped as Y/N walked out of the bakery and to Azriel. 

I need to go, Azriel replied. I will talk to you later.I

With that, Azriel slammed his shields back up, blocking Rhys out. As Y/N approached him, he smiled at her in greeting. 

“I know you said you didn’t want anything, but I bought you a few things anyway,” Y/N said, peering into the paper bag. “And I was thinking we can go back to my apartment and relax for a while. Of course it doesn’t need to be crossed off the list but it is quite cold out and the thought of sitting back and relaxing sounds nice.”

Azriel nodded. “I might need to go back to my apartment for a change of clothes.”

“Of course,” Y/N replied. “We can go there now, if you want. You can collect some other stuff as well if you want to spend the night again.”

Azriel’s expression softened. “I’d like that.”

Y/N linked her arm with his once again. “Then let’s go.”

As Azriel led her to his own apartment, he was hyper aware of her arm linked through his. Of course she had done it before but Azriel hadn’t even realised at that point something he had been lacking a lot in recent years. Physical touch. Every time Y/N reached out to him, all he wanted to do was link her arm through his, take her hand or just simply brush his fingers against hers. 

As the pair closed in on Azriel’s apartment, he could feel his heart begin to race. What would Y/N think of his apartment? There was not anything embarrassing in there, in fact it was very bare. No personal decoration other than a painting Feyre had gifted him several years ago and a few things he had picked up over the centuries he had been alive. Nothing screamed home about his apartment. 

“Do you want me to wait out here?” Y/N asked.

“And let you freeze to death?” Azriel teased as he fished the unused key from his pocket. 

As they stepped inside, even Azriel was surprised at how bare everything looked. For two nights he had been used to Y/N’s apartment and her cosy decorations and furniture. He was too bland for his liking. Even the curtains were firmly shut. 

“I will only be a second,” Azriel said and entered his bedroom. 

His bedroom was not any better. The bed was still unmade from the last time he had used it, the only indicator of someone living here. He quickly fished for a small bag under his bed and shoved some clothes within it. He gave his bedroom one final look before exiting. When he entered the living area, he found it now filled with light. 

“There,” Y/N said. “Now it doesn’t feel so cold here.”

She stood by the curtains and the soft light shining from behind her made her look ethereal. Even her just standing within his bare apartment made it feel more like a home. 

“Ready to go?” Y/N asked, interrupting Azriel from his thoughts.

“Oh,” Azriel said. He raised the small bag he was holding. “Yes I am.”

“Then let's go,” Y/N said.

They stepped back out into the cold and Y/N immediately inked her arm with his and pulled him away in the opposite direction they had come in. “Let’s walk by the river, it's a nicer route.”

Azriel allowed her to guide him without argument. 

As they walked by the river the wind seemed to pick up and a drizzle of rain began to fall. It was cold but Azriel could handle it with ease, but Y/N was shivering and it was beginning to shake Azriel’s arm. Azriel extended his wing like he had the night they met to try and block out some of the cold but it seemed useless as the rain was coming in from the wrong direction.  

“I’m okay,” Y/N said. “But perhaps coming this way was a mistake.”

Azriel laughed quietly and pulled Y/N closer to his side. “Perhaps it was.”

As the two walked next to the river, a faint voice called; “Anything will help.”

Y/N stopped in her tracks and turned to the source of the voice. An older fae woman and a child were huddled in a small gap between two buildings, the blanket covering them was covered in holes and did nothing to protect them from the cold. Azriel tried to reach out to Y/N as she stepped away from him, still shivering. 

“Can I help you?” Y/N asked, crouching down next to the woman and child. 

The child was shivering in the older fae’s lap, lips blue. 

“Any spare change would help us or any food you have to offer,” the older fae woman said weakly. 

“Of course!” Y/N said and immediately offered the bag full of pastries. “Take them all, you need them more than me.”

“I couldn’t possibly take them all,” the older fae said. “This is simply too much.”

Y/N’s expression softened. “Of course you can. Please, I insist.”

The fae woman took the bag with hesitation as if she were afraid Y/N would take back her offer and walk away. The fae took the bag with shaking hands. Azriel looked from the fae to the child in her lap, looking close to death. His heart dropped.

“I don’t have much more to offer than the clothes on my back, so…” Y/N unwrapped the scarf from her neck and wrapped it around the fae woman’s. She then proceeded to take her gloves off and place them by the child. Finally she shrugged her thick warm coat off and draped it over the child. 

“I can’t allow you to give us your clothes!” the fae exclaimed.

Y/N gently grasped the fae’s shivering hands. “Of course you can, this blanket is not doing much in keeping your from the cold.”

“But–”

“Please, take it,” Y/N said and let go of the woman’s hands.

As she stood back up, Azriel could tell how much she was fighting the urge to shiver in front of the woman and child. The rain had began to come down heavier and The exposed alley did nothing to shield the two from it. 

Without thinking, Azriel fished his key out of his pocket. “Here,” he offered. “It is a key to an apartment around the corner. Stay there as long as you wish. I can drop by and bring some food for you in the morning.”

The older fae finally looked up to Azriel and her eyes widened, realising who he was. She looked down at her lap. “I couldn’t possibly take you up on that offer.”

“You can and you will,” Azriel said firmly. “This rain might be the beginning of a storm and I do not want the two of you out here, especially when your child is as sick as he is.”

“My grandchild,” the older fae corrected. “My daughter passed away recently.”

“More of a reason for you to get your grandson to safety,” Azriel said and placed the key on the ground next to the woman. “I am leaving my key here. If you decide not to go, that is your decision but I would highly suggest it. The rain will only get heavier from here.”

The older fae bowed her head. “Thank you both for your great kindness. Not many others have even offered us a passing glance.”

Y/N stepped forward. “I hope the two of you will stay safe.”

“We will, thanks to your kindness,” the older fae said.

Azriel and Y/N both nodded before stepping away from the woman. As they walked further down the street, Azriel turned and saw the woman walking down the street, the child wearing Y/N’s coat.

“L-l-let’s get back to m-my apartment,” Y/N said, shivering a lot now. 

Azriel’s eyes widened as he noticed the long dress she wore had soaked through and was clinging to her body. His hands immediately found themselves on her upper arms and rubbed them, trying to keep her warm. 

Y/N tilted her head to look up at him and smiled. “If you were trying to keep me warm, the first thing you would ask me to do is take off my clothes. These wet ones are only making me colder.”

Azriel blushed as she tried to avoid eye contact with her, but his eyes seemed to feel a magnetic pull toward hers. He couldn’t look away.

“Now is not the time for jokes,” Azriel said.

“But I love making you flustered, you look cute,” Y/N teased.

Azriel’s blush only deepened. 

The street was now empty and the only sound was the rain hitting the cobblestone street. Y/N shivered so much that Azriel pulled her body closer to his. “Do you trust me?” his voice was soft and quiet. He hadn’t intended it to come out that way.

“What?”

“Do you trust me?” Azriel asked again, his grip tightening on her waist.

“Of course I do,” Y/N replied, not a hint of teasing in her tone. 

Azriel trailed his hands slowly down her arms, before they came to her hands. There was a part of him that wanted to pull away but he forced himself to rid that thought from his mind. He lifted them so her arms were wrapped around his neck. Y/N’s breath hitched. Their position was quite intimate, Azriel would admit. But he couldn’t pull away. 

With one quick swoop, Azriel lifted Y/N into his arms and her grip tightened on him. “I will ask again, do you trust me”?

“Yes,” Y/N said, her voice slightly breathless. “Azriel, I trust you.”

A small smile toyed on Azriel’s lips. “Good.”

It was all he said before shooting into the air.

Taglist:

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[mikkomacko]

Thinking about a rare lazy day with mob Nico! I just love him so much and how you right him. It’s perfect!!

A/n: aww thank you so much!! You have no idea how happy it makes to me to share him with y’all 🫶

————————————————————————

The room is still dark and cool when you blink your eyes open, thrown off by how long you’ve felt like you slept. You don’t know if it’s been days or hours, what time it is at all since Nico’s alarm hasn’t gone off yet. But the sun is peeking around the curtains, brights lines of sunshine.

You’re even more confused when Nico groans, shifting closer to you and tucking his nose into your hairline. He slides heavy leg over yours, the skin of his thigh hot against yours.

Focusing your bleary eyes, you realize he’s still peacefully sleeping next to you. You can’t see his face this close, but you can make out the rhythmic rise and fall of his bare chest, the devil horn pendant that hangs off to the side, resting on the inside of his bicep.

“Nico,” you whisper, pulling back from his slightly, just enough to see his face. His eyebrows furrow, nose scrunching and he smacks his lips a couple times before settling back into the pillow.

He looks so cute with his cheek all smooshed like that, pillow lines on his skin and messy, dark hair on his forehead. You gently push his hair back, feeling bad for waking him.

“Nico baby, it’s late.”

He grumbles, rolling further into the pillow and tightening his hold on your hip. “Sleep,” he mumbles, the word barely audible through his raspy voice and the fabric of the pillowcase.

“You don’t-“

One eye flutters open, glossy and hazy as he focuses on you. “Shh, cuddle with me. Staying home today.”

He closes his eyes again, rolling onto his back and opening his shoulders invitingly. Giddy, you snuggle into his warm skin, throwing a leg over his and grinning when he rests his hand in the curve of your knee. Your fingers find his chain, tickling the warm metal and you close your eyes.

Nico sighs contently, the action lifting your head that lay on his chest. You hear his heartbeat even out again, and then you’re dozing off with him.

Hours later you wake up to him still sleeping, light snores coming from his parted lips. He must have gotten hot because he’s shoved the blankets down to his thighs and has a foot hanging over the edge of the mattress.

Laughing to yourself, you slip out from under the covers and head to the bathroom down the hall, not wanting to wake him. After freshening up you step into Nico’s slides and click the collar around the dog, letting him out into the backyard.

You stand at the edge of the patio, squinting into the mid-day sun as the dog prattles around the backyard.

“There you are,” comes from behind you, and you turn to find Nico in the open doorframe. He’s in just his briefs still, hair on the right side of his head sticking up as if he’d stuck his finger in a light socket.

“We messed up his routine,” you explain, having slept in so late you’re surprised the dog didn’t jump onto the bed to wake you both at 8 am.

Rolling his eyes, Nico walks out to the patio. “He’ll live,” he grumbles, voice rough and heavy with sleep. His hand reaches out for you, slips around your waist and pulls you into him. “I however won’t if I don’t get my good morning kiss.”

“You haven’t brushed your teeth.”

He grunts, puffy eyes trained on your lips.

Giggling, you rise onto your toes to kiss him. It’s a short and sweet kiss, but it’s enough for Nico who just smiles when you settle back onto your heels.

“Mmm good morning, baby.” He murmurs.

“More like good afternoon.”

[camilaxmartin]

I love Carmilla too

Carmilla in a secret relationship and shes planning on an official introduction but when she does they already know the person she's with (didn't know they were in a relationship) and know them pretty well so they ease up on the 'you hurt her and your dead' talk. They have a good laugh about Carmilla being nervous

Not sure if I explained it well but hopefully you got the idea but you can take it anywhere you like

sweet little secret

navigation // rules // masterlist

summary: telling the ‘world’ about your relationship with carmilla:) fem!overlord!reader

warnings: some cursing probably maybe suggestive themes?, straight up fluff tho

note: i made it like a relationship but they haven’t established it? sorry for that but it just happened😭 also i had my fun with the “hurt her and you’re dead” i hope you don’t mind it:) i made rosie and velvette our besties here cause,,, duh (it came out much more sweet than i imagined? help??)

requests: open!!

it was supposedly another one of those mornings when carmilla would wake up first, realise you’ve spent the night at her place and immediately freak out, waking you up and telling you to sneak out of hers, and her daughters home. it was a tradition at this point, happening about three times a week.

yet, this morning carmilla wasn’t the one to wake up first.

your eyes flutter slightly at the light of the sun coming through the window making sure not to let you go back to sleep. you, unwillingly, opened your eyes and groaned not wanting to wake up. just as you’ve come more to your senses you felt something fluffy stroke your face. you moved your head to the side and noticed carmilla peacefully sleeping next to you, small smile on her face, as her hair was the thing touching your face. a smile crawled up onto your face as you kept looking down at her. you moved one of your hands to her face and gently stroked it, pushing any of her hair out of the way. carmilla immediately opened her eyes at the first touch like a trained assassin. she looked a bit scared at first but when her eyes allowed her to finally notice it was you, her expression softened and she yawned sitting up.

“you slept well, cariño?” she asked yawning again, her eyes softly closing along. you chuckled looking at her as you sat up as well.

“yeah, i assume you did too?” you asked with a small smile as carmilla playfully rolled her eyes at you.

“i did” she nodded her head and one of her hands found yours, twirling her fingers with yours.

“i’m surprised you’re still not yelling at me to get out” you laughed, squeezing her hand as you mention the normal morning you two share when you sleep at her place. she rolled her eyes again but less playful this time as she squeezed your hand and kept on her grip.

“i’ve been thinking about it, actually” she said as she kept looking at your face. “maybe… we could stop that kind of mornings?” she asked as she softly looked away, not in a sheepish way but in a more relaxed one. you tilted your head slightly not being prepared for a question like that as your smile widened.

“what do you mean?” you asked wanting to understand her properly. she chuckled at your words and her eyes came back to you.

“i mean-“ she started and moved closer to you, the covers still on top of you both. “we could tell odette and clara about our… thing?” she explained as she got onto your lap, the amount of affection rare from her, as she put her other hand, the one that wasn’t holding yours, onto one of your cheeks cupping it softly as she stared into your eyes excitedly.

“ye- of course. if that’s what you want” you said surprised she actually wanted to do that. you two hadn’t really established anything that was happening between you two before. of course, you liked her and she definitely felt something for you as well but it never seemed that you needed to talk about it. it wasn’t a secrets as well i mean- when you think about it, it kinda was but only when it came to it! carmilla never really spoke with anyone about you and if one of your friends asked if you had something going on you just answered with a simple “yes” not getting into more heavy details. your smile widened even more seeing her excited look.

“it is what i want” she said stroking your cheek with her fingers, the weight of her slowly making itself present as she kept sitting on your lap.

“is there any particular reason for it?” you asked as you cuddled up more into her hand, closing your eyes and waiting for her response. she chuckled at your question and shook her head slightly.

“not really” she said and sighed, something more definitely hiding behind her words. you opened your eyes to look at her and smiled still feeling her hand.

“then we’ll do it” you shrugged and squeezed her hand still linked with yours. she smiled even more at you and got off of your lap, getting off of the bed as well. your eyes followed her as she walked towards her huge wardrobe and opened it looking for something to wear while she was only in her underwear from spending the night with you. your eyes roamed her body uncontrollably as you just laid there with a smile of your own.

“i’ll give you one of my shirts” she said bending over in the wardrobe looking through some of her clothes. you looked away from her with a grin as you closed your eyes laying in her bed.

you didn’t have a bad relationship with odette or clara, it was more of a… professional thing if you could say. they knew you, of course, by being an overlord and buying a lot of stuff from their company and you, of course, knew them as kids of your loved one. but still telling them you’re practically dating their mother and fucking her a few times a week (which they definitely had heard by now) was something that was unconsciously making your anxiety rise up. you let out a deep breath just laying there deep in your thoughts. you heard carmilla shuffling around the clothes and just the sound of her in the room with you, calmed your nerves a bit. you opened your eyes and saw your ‘girlfriend’ walking over to you with an old shirt and shorts in her hands and a huge smile on her face, her eyes glowing more than usually.

“here you go, mi corazón” she said handing you the clothes. you sat up again taking them from her and yawning as she chuckled looking at you lovingly.

“i’m going to make breakfast for the girls and you so come down anytime you want” she said while walking to the door and smiling one last time at you. “can’t wait to see you actually be there with us” she huffed with a laugh and then closed the door behind her, leaving you all alone with your thoughts, giving you some privacy to change. it’s not like she has already seen you naked a hundred times before, no.

as you changed into your picked out outfit and finally got out of bed you walked beside a mirror carmilla had in her room and fixed your hair a little to look more… presentable. it was literally nothing just a breakfast with them but it still made you anxious. you took a deep breath and finally got out of the room closing the door behind you. the whole house was quiet due to its size and the small amount of people living in it. you tried calming your mind a bit as you started humming a tune while walking down the long corridor moving towards the stairs. you jumped a few times in excitement as well, finally going down the stairs and admiring everything you saw while walking. you heard the sound of oil sizzling on the pan and moved towards it to finally find the kitchen.

as you walked in you saw carmilla cooking something and a set up table ready for four people. you smiled seeing that and swiftly moved to walk behind carmilla and wrap your hands around her waist. she chuckled obviously noticing your presence a lot earlier as she moved from left to right preparing the food.

“mi amor, we want to tell them not demonstrate it” she chuckled but made no effort in pushing you off. you smiled putting your head on her shoulder and closing your eyes, smelling the delicious smell of whatever she was making.

“i know but they’re not here yet, are they?” you asked with a chuckle of your own as she rolled her eyes at you. she moved her hand up to take out the plates and added another ingredient to her cooking.

“right” she said finally after a moment of silence as she started stirring that something in her pan.

suddenly the two of you heard a quiet gasp from the entering of the kitchen. you immediately took your hands away from carmilla and awkwardly moved away from her, looking sheepishly at the person who was standing at the door. odette started at the two of you more confused than shocked as she fixed her glasses so they wouldn’t fall off of her face. you waved to her slightly as carmilla suddenly started focusing so hard on her cooking. odette tilted her head looking at you and not waving back as she was definitely studying you.

“really mom?” she asked as she walked over the table and sat down in one of the chairs still looking at you but now also at her mother’s back. carmilla chuckled not answering her and you sighed then walked over to the table as well, choosing a spot across the girl. she moved her eyes to you and then to carmilla almost immediately.

before anything else could happened clara walked into the kitchen with her phone in her hand groaning and not even establishing your presence. she sat next to odette and shoved her phone into her face showing her something.

“how dared he?! they were a perfect fit!” she whined rolling her eyes and taking her phone away from her sister. she looked at something on it as her eyes slowly moved to you and they widened. she put the phone down at the table and smiled at you excitement floating from her face. you smiled at her awkwardly as well, as your eyebrows went a bit up at her excitement. “is this what i think it is?” she asked giving her sister a side eye. odette just nodded slightly and went back to staring at their mother’s back. “finally!” clara squeaked and put both of her elbows on the table, putting her head in her hands, starring at you.

“finally?” you asked surprised, starring at her back as she just chuckled at your question.

she definitely wanted to respond but carmilla walked over to the table with prepared food and put it down exactly at the middle of the table, sitting down in a chair next to you. she let out a deep sigh looking at her two daughters and then glancing for a second at you.

“girls” she started and her hand immediately grabbed yours under the table. you gave it a gentle squeeze, something inside telling you that this was gonna go a lot better than you expected. “as you know y/n…” she continued and cleared her throat, was she getting nervous? “her and i are…” she added and looked away from them just straight up starring at the food she brought there a second ago.

“together?” asked odette looking at carmilla with a stoic expression. satan, this girl was impossible to read.

“sneaking around every wednesday?” clara brought up suddenly and all of you looked at her. “what! it’s true!” she laughed and rolled her eyes playfully as odette shook her head at her.

“we know” odette continued looking at her mother now giving her a small smile. carmilla looked at the both of them a bit surprised but also relieved that, if they actually knew, it didn’t bother them. “but we’re confused on why you didn’t tell us sooner” she added and clara nodded her head at that. you chuckled softly, squeezing carmilla’s hand again.

“i…” carmilla started but closed her mouth not knowing what to say as she just chuckled and shook her head. “i guess i assumed it would be more of a problem” she added and let go of your hand, reaching out to take some food for herself. clara and odette shared a look after which they both started laughing. you reached out to grab the food as well, looking at them.

“it’s not” clara said with a smile and reached out for the food after you. “we actually hoped it’d be y/n and not some random ass demon” she said putting some food for her sister as well.

“i’m glad you like me then” you said with a smile, eating up your food and melting at the taste of it in your mouth. odette smiled and looked at you more relaxed now.

“of course we do” she said and started eating her food also. “we see how happy you make our mom and what’s more there to wish for?” she asked and grabbed the tea pot to pour herself a glass of tea. clara nodded along to her words.

carmilla looked at them with literal love pouring out of her eyes as she ate her food. “i’m so glad, girls” she said and they both smiled seeing her face. clara then chuckled and looked at you playfully again.

“but” said odette and all three of you looked at her, clara knowing exactly what she was going to say next. “don’t hurt her, y/n. i know you probably have no intention of doing so but…” she shrugged and took a sip from her glass. “know it’s gonna be us two after you as well if you hurt her” she finished her sentence and you chuckled nervously, starting to actually wonder what the two of them would do if you managed to somehow hurt carmilla. the silence took over for a moment as all of you concentrated on eating the breakfast.

“so…” clara started and began playing with her fork. odette looked at her with wide eyes.

“clara, don’t-“ odette started as well but it was too late and she couldn’t stop clara’s next words.

“do you like… love her?” she asked looking at you acting like a typical teenager in a movie. odette rolled her eyes and continued eating as carmilla chuckled rolling her eyes and giving you a glance as she awaited for you response as well. clara smirked looking at you intensely.

“yeah” you said after a moment with a deep sigh. “i think i do” you added and took a sip from your glass as the three of them started at you suddenly.

“i told you!” clara squeaked to her sister, hitting her arm a bit. “you owe me twenty bucks!” she added and laughed going back to her food. carmilla raised an eyebrow at them but didn’t say a thing as odette rolled her eyes still eating.

“you two made a bet or something?” you asked, curiosity getting the best of you. odette rolled her eyes again as clara giggled nodding her head.

“you can say that” she continued on giggling as carmilla shook her head knowing it’s better not to go down that road, knowing damn well her daughters were never up for good.

“in any case…” carmilla started and grabbed your hand that was laying on the table now, fully exposed. “i hope you will love her as much as i do” she said and chuckled seeing the excited look on clara’s face as odette just smiled at her words. only after a while you realised she admitted to loving you back.

“maybe not as much” clara laughed and carmilla rolled her eyes playfully, as odette kicked her sister’s leg under the table. “what! i’m just stating the truth! again!”

after a few weeks of you living at the carmine’s house and literally becoming another mom to odette and clara, carmilla decided she wanted to make your relationship fully official. at first she was sceptical to the idea of other overlords knowing about you two but at the same time it made her blood boil that she couldn’t grab your hand whenever she wanted without brining any suspicion to herself. so, she decided to make it official. did she tell you about this? of course not!

today was the day of another one of those boring and long ass meetings with other overlords. nothing special was happening actually, just a monthly catch up on what they’re doing and what they should be doing.

you groaned looking at your calendar and noticing that it is today. you stumbled out of yours and carmilla’s bed, walking over to your shared wardrobe to pick out a fitting outfit for today. carmilla was nowhere to be found as she was probably already in her office or in the meeting room preparing for it all. same goes for her daughters.

you picked a casual yet presentable outfit and decided to go to her office and wait for other overlords there, not wanting to be alone in this huge mansion.

~

as you walked into her office, she smiled at you from her desk and stopped doing whatever she was doing at that moment.

“mi vida, you’re here early” she said standing up from her chair and walking over to you, capturing you in her arms. you hugged her back and nodded your head.

“yeah, i didn’t have much to do so i decided to come here” you smiled as she let you go and went back to her desk signing some papers. you walked over to the chairs before her desk and sat in one of them. she hummed at your words.

“they should be here in not so long any way” she said staring blankly at the papers she was signing like it was her second nature at this point. you sighed and started playing with your fingers not having much to do here either.

~

everyone was there already and they’ve taken they places in the room waiting for the meeting to start. carmilla was fixing her lipstick in a mirror, in her office after sharing a rather passionate kiss with you just a while ago. you sat there smiling dumbly as always after she kissed you. carmilla looked at you and chuckled seeing your state.

“i’m still taking away your breath after all this time?” she asked chuckling as she stopped applying her makeup. you just nodded your head and her smile widened at that.

carmilla sighed as she closed the mirror and walked over to you, grabbing you by the hand and making you stand up. you looked at her a bit confused and this time she laughed.

“let’s go, they’re all here probably” she said dragging you by the hand to the door.

“you’re probably right” you mumbled and let her drag you, preparing for her to drop your hand as you reached the door, but to your surprise, she didn’t.

your eyebrows squinted together as you watched carmilla opening the door to the meeting room while still holding your hand. you wanted to wiggle away from her, but her grasp was too strong for you to do so, so you just watched the whole situation not understanding a single thing happening.

as she finally opened the door and slowly walked into the room, still holding your hand, you felt your face softly blushing noticing all the stares from all of the overlords. carmilla walked up to the middle of the table, her usual standing spot, and cleared her throat getting all of the attention from the rest as if they haven’t already been staring at you two. you stood there as shocked as all the other overlords looking at her confused.

“overlords-” she started and her thumb began slowly stroking your hand as she continued. “-i wanted to share with you all, that me and y/n are together” she said and your jaw literally dropped as you noticed a few giggles from rosie and carmilla’s daughters. “we don’t expect to make a big deal out of this, so with this information let’s just continue our usual meeting” she said and let go of your hand walking over to the chair you were normally sitting in and pulling it out for you. you, still fully confused and surprised, walked over to the chair and sat down, trying to stop your face from blushing. carmilla looked at you and softly chuckled, getting on with the actual reason of that meeting.

~

after about an hour or so, the meeting was over and all the overlords started to leave the room except for rosie and velvette who came up to you immediately.

“you’re together?!” asked excitedly rosie, grabbing both of your hands and squeezing them a whole lot. you laughed at her reaction and nodded your head.

“it seems so” you said and rosie giggled at your response.

“can’t believe you didn’t tell me! i always thought you two belonged together” she said and it was true, even before the relationship with carmilla she was always nudging you about how the two of you are literally made up for each other.

“yeah, well-“ you started but velvette interrupted you with a smirk on her face.

“you’re into milfs huh?” she asked scrolling on her phone and you rolled your eyes at her as rosie let go of your hands and looked at velvette as well with disappointment in her eyes.

“apparently” you laughed and gave velvette a soft nudge at the arm. she chuckled and put her phone into her pocket.

“no but really-“ she started and walked over to you even closer. “how is she in bed? those hands must be amazing due to the size eh?” she asked and you blushed at her question but tired to maintain your normal expression.

“she is- well… i suppose it is something for me and me only to know” you chuckled and velvette rolled her eyes taking out her phone again.

“you’re no fun” she said shaking her head obviously not being satisfied with your answer. you laughed and rosie smiled at you.

“i’m so glad you’re happy” said rosie as she put her hand on your shoulder. you smiled to her putting your own hand onto hers.

“i really am, she makes me happy” rosie giggled at your words and squeezed your shoulder.

~

after a moment all of the overlords actually left the room and it was only you and carmilla left. her daughters got back to their work as well. carmilla walked up to you and wrapped her hands around your waist hugging you softly.

“did i surprise you today, mi cariño?” she asked, whispering into your ear. you smiled at her and turned around in her arms.

“you did” you chuckled wrapping your hands around her neck. she smiled and closed her eyes.

“i decided i want to make them know about us” she said and sighed opening her eyes and looking down at you, giving you a look full of admiration. “that you’re mine and none of them can do anything about it” she chuckled and moved her head closer to yours, touching your nose with hers. you chuckled at that and tightened the grip around her neck just a bit.

“i don’t think they’d even try it. i mean…” you laughed and carmilla rolled her eyes playfully, yet fully agreeing with you.

“i needed to let them know that if anything ever happens to you, they’ll have to deal with me” she said and moved her head so her lips connected with yours not leaving you a chance to answer.

carmilla gripped your waist tighter as she kissed you, closing her eyes, definitely wanting to do that for a while now. you smiled softly into the kiss, closing your eyes as well and letting her fully embrace it. she moved you even closer to her body by your waist and swiftly slipped her tongue inside your mouth, playing with your own, making you moan and grip her neck with your fingers. she groaned softly at the feeling and leaned away, your foreheads now touching. she smiled at you opening her eyes, as you did too, and just sighed looking you deep in the eyes, love literally pouring out of hers.

“i love you like nothing else in this world mi vida, you are my heaven in hell”

[7s3ven]

okay I feel like you would be the perfect person to write this request! Obviously you don’t have to write it if you don’t want to :)it and idea for a Luke castellan x reader (and spoilers for the books/series if you haven’t read the books or know the plot!)

Is there anyway you’d be interesting in writing a Luke x reader where they’re a daughter of Poseidon fic where he betray the reader and like poisons them instead of percy but reader and Luke where in a relationship??? Idk mad woman by Taylor’s swift like opening lyrics give off that sort of vibe sorry if this makes no sense 😭

THE WAY I GASPED AND SHOUTED "THAT'S EVIL". Nahhh, poor Y/N. I feel so bad for the suffering I'm going to put her through...

( master list )

POISON AND TOXIN. luke (pjo)

IN WHICH... Luke commits the unthinkable and Y/N no longer wants any part in his life. Unfortunately for her, Luke isn’t ready to let her go.

"I'm takin' my time, takin' my time. 'Cause you took everything from me. Watchin' you climb, watchin' you climb over people like me."

Warnings : spoilers, details will differ (I haven’t read the books in ages), obsessive love, yandere! luke, kidnapping, angst, betrayal, toxic relationship, mentions of sex, manipulation, y/n + luke know they’re toxic but they can’t stay away from each other

—

The last few days without Percy had been uneventful to say the most. Y/N groaned as she slowly sat up, clutching her aching head. The pain was pounding against her skull, causing her to quietly scoff. She groggily reached for a bottle of pills beside her bed, taking one to relieve the pressure.

The harsh light from the sun seared into the room and she groaned, squinting her eyes to protect them.

“Another late night, Y/N?” Harmon, a boy from the Apollo cabin, called out as she exited her cabin to breathe in the morning air. He jogged over to a swaying Y/N.

“Yeah. It doesn’t feel right without Percy.” Y/N groaned, running a hand through her untidy hair. She probably looked like a mess right now but with all the thoughts rushing through her mind, she didn’t care.

It felt wrong without Percy. All those years alone had done some damage on her and it had been exciting to have someone new in her cabin, for a little while at least. While Percy occupied the bed in the corner of the dusty room, Y/N’s nightmares came to a temporary halt. She was happy for the time being, her dreams filled with pretty flowers and romantic settings instead of chilling monsters and bony hands threatening to drag her to the bottom of the ocean.

“How’s Luke?” Harmon questioned, causing Y/N to heave an annoyed sigh. She rolled her E/C sighed, scowling.

“As distant as ever.” She sneered. She lifted her head, making eye contact with the one person they were talking about. Y/N held strong eye contact with Luke before glancing back to Harmon, smiling at him. “Have you had breakfast yet?” She questioned, tilting her head to the side. “Do you know if there’s any food left?”

“There might be. You woke up pretty late.” Harmon grinned.

“I will see you later, then. I have to make myself look presentable and not like a raccoon that just crawled out of a garbage can.” Y/N laughed at her own joke as she waltzed back into her cabin, kicking the door closed. She hummed under her breath as she pulled the crop top she slept in off, replacing it with her bra and the bright orange shirt she hated so much.

She quietly yelped when her door creaked open, thinking it was someone else. She felt a little relieved when it was only Luke. He stood there in all his glory, arms folded over his chest and a look on his face that suggested he wasn't happy at all. "What was that?" He questioned, sitting down on Y/N's bed as she looked at him in confusion.

"Uh... what?" She asked, her eyebrows furrowing. Luke scoffed at her perplexed face, not believing it for a second.

"You were flirting with that Apollo boy. You're my girlfriend, not his." Luke snapped, anger glazing over his usual kind eyes. Y/N was taken aback, staring at him with her red-tinted lips parted in surprise.

"I wasn't... what? Luke, I wasn't flirting with Harmon. He's my friend." Y/N resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she slid on a pair of pants. She could feel Luke's gaze watching her every move and wandering over her waist.

What had become of Luke? She was at camp before he even arrived and she was the one to show him around, introducing the boy to the perilous life of a demigod. Ever since that damned quest, he had been acting different. More closed-off, more secretive with someone he once shared everything with, and he let his temper get the best of him; always shouting at people and letting his anger flare up like he was Clarisse.

Annabeth could sense the change too.

"What's with you, Luke? You used to be fine with me talking to Harmon." Y/N took a careful step towards her boyfriend, not wanting to upset him even more.

"That was before he started staring at you like you were the only girl he could ever date." Luke jeered as he deeply frowned. Y/N smoothened out her messy bedsheets before taking a seat next to him.

She stared at him, not really knowing what to reply with. Her breath shuddered as she shrugged. "I guess I could... talk to him less?" She muttered, causing Luke's face to light up. He instantly smiled, pulling Y/N into a tight embrace.

"I love you." He whispered, pressing a light kiss to the side of her neck. Y/N blinked a few times, thickly gulping.

"I... I love you too, Luke." His hands felt like blistering metal on her bare arms but she couldn't find the courage to pull away, in fear he'd hurt her or leave her. Luke had never hit her, thankfully, but his words sometimes pierced her soul and he left her crying under her sheets, wondering what she had done wrong.

"I'll see you after archery, alright?" Luke ended the hug.

Y/N stared at him in confusion. "But... I thought you were teaching the newbies archery and I'd be showing someone else around?" She spluttered.

"Nah. I changed your job. Newcomer's a boy and I don't want him to get any ideas." Luke grinned and Y/N couldn't say no to his charming face. He passionately kissed her, cupping her face in his large hands to pull her closer.

"I should get going, Luke." Y/N breathed but he tugged her back.

"You can afford to leave them for a few minutes." He whispered, dragging Y/N onto his lap. She couldn't stop her cheeks from flushing bright red despite his hands harshly digging into her skin and his grip being so tight that she couldn't squirm away, even if she wanted to. Luke had no interest in whatever the new kid was saying. He kept babbling on and eventually, Luke managed to tune out his voice. The pair ended up in the arena and the boy, whose name was Gil, nudged Luke.

"Who's that?" Gil questioned, pointing at Y/N. Luke clenched his jaw and harshly cleared his throat. He placed his hands on Gil's shoulders, squeezing him tighter than needed.

"Y/N L/N." He muttered. "Pretty little thing, ain't she? She's great with archery. May as well be Apollo's daughter with that skill." Gil didn't notice the dark look in Luke's eyes, too preoccupied with craning his neck to catch another longing glimpse of Y/N. Luke cleared his throat, "The tour's over. I trust you'll be able to find the Hermes cabin by yourself?"

Gil mindlessly nodded.

Luke walked over to Y/N, tapping her on the shoulder. He kissed her cheek, making sure Gil saw his not-so-subtle advances. "What was that for?" She asked as she turned to Luke. The young demigods groaned at the sight of a couple and Y/N quietly laughed, effortlessly shushing them.

"I think you've had enough practice for today. Come back tomorrow, same time." Y/N said to the children, ushering them away. Luke slung an arm around her shoulder as they walked side by side.

"You have to stop attracting attention from other guys." Luke uttered to break the peaceful silence.

"What?" Y/N lightly gasped, offended. She glowered at Luke, quietly scoffing. "Oh, so it's my fault now?"

Luke shrugged, pressing his lips into an annoyed thin line. "I'm just saying. You wear low-waisted pants and a shirt that's too small." Y/N should have punched him for that comment but she was sure that Luke could do a lot worse to her pretty face.

"My clothes are not an invitation." Y/N quickly snapped.

"When did you start disrespectfully talking back?"

"It's hardly disrespectful, Luke. I'm simply standing up for myself. I do not condone your jealous behavior and troublesome remarks." Y/N harshly poked his chest, almost angrily baring her teeth at him. "Talk to me when you regain your senses. It's not my damn fault that you feel so threatened by other boys that you start blaming me."

Luke ran his tongue over his teeth as he watched Y/N storm off. He bit the inside of his cheek before huffing in frustration. Y/N would forgive him for his harsh and cold words in no time, she always did. Especially when he'd sneak into her cabin at night with her permission and press her hips deep into her squeaky mattress.

Y/N went to lunch furious and still fuming. A part of her wanted to wear an over-sized shirt to please Luke while the other refused to back down. What gave him the right to dictate her life while he could do whatever he wanted simply because of his gender?

Y/N was even angrier to see Luke standing at the Aphrodite table, entertaining the giggling girls who he knew had a thing for him. She gripped her fork tightly and jumped when someone slid into the seat next to her.

“Is he your boyfriend?” Y/N recognised him as the Gil boy, or whatever his name was. She raised her eyebrows as her lips curled into a slight sneer.

“Do I… know you?” She asked, “Only Poseidon kids are allowed to sit here and until my brother is back, nobody but me should be here.”

Gil quickly stood up, his knees hitting the table. “Sorry. I didn’t realise. I’ll, uh, go back to the Hermes table. Sorry, again.” He ran off while Y/N sighed. She picked at her half-eaten food before deciding she was no longer hungry. It was a rash decision but as soon as she reached the wildly dancing fire, she threw her food and plate in. Her father wouldn’t be too pleased but he could live with it.

Luke’s sharp gaze followed Y/N as she left the cheerful atmosphere. He quietly chuckled and smirked. If there was one thing that he knew about Y/N, it was that she didn’t handle jealousy too well either.

He left the Aphrodite table without an excuse, not caring about the girls drunk with love. “Hey, Y/N, honey, did that Gil kid upset you? I understand that he’s a little annoying but I can talk to him if you want.” Luke clasped his hands around her wrist, forcing her to stop walking so quickly.

“It’s not his fault!” Y/N exclaimed, spinning around. Her eyes were red and the tears welling up in her eyes shone in the dim sun. “It’s yours, Luke! You treat me like I’m some… some girl who worships the ground you walk on! Well, I don’t! I have some self-respect left. And if you want to flirt with other girls then that’s fine by me. But make sure you break up with me first because I’m not putting up with any of your bullshit.”

Luke chuckled, “Harsh words, don’t you think?” He almost jumped when Y/N let out a scream.

“You never take me seriously! All you do is play around and then you get mad at me for factors I can’t control! Yet you always brush me off when I’m trying to resolve things. You isolate me from my friends so I’m easier to mess with! Well, are you done now? Have you had enough fun?!”

“I’m not manipulating you. You’re crazy to think that. I love you, Y/N.”

“No! That’s not true! That’s a lie!” Y/N pulled at the end of her hair, “You fell in love with the idea of me! You’re in love with your version of me that lives inside your head! And then you get mad at me because I make a mistake and your Y/N isn’t supposed to make mistakes!But I’m not like her, Luke! You have pushed me too far and when I finally break, suddenly I’m the crazy one?! You always call me crazy. So guess what, maybe I am insane!” Y/N heavily panted as tears spilled over her hot cheeks, cascading down and temporarily staining her shirt. She had always been a kind soul but there was one particular flaw Y/N hated; her habit of crying whenever she was mad.

“If you won’t end our relationship then I will. We’re over, Luke. I’ve had enough of your jealousy and if you can’t accept that I have guy friends then maybe you need to think twice before attacking me.” Y/N reached up, grasping the necklace she had made Luke that hung around his neck, and yanking it off.

Luke watched in despair as the colourful beads dropped one by one to the floor, rolling under the green blades of grass. “Are you crazy?” He muttered, looking up. “You can’t leave me… I’m all you have.” He clutched his shirt, balling up the fabric, and he took long strides towards Y/N. “I made you into who you are. I created you from nothing. Before me, you were only a girl half-decent at archery. Now, you’re a prodigy. You would’ve been lost without my guidance and you have the guts to break up with me?!”

Y/N didn’t flinch, even when Luke’s voice pierced her sensitive ears. “It’s like you said, Luke. I am crazy. Breakups happen so deal with it.” She threw the remaining beads and the leather string at him before walking away, most likely to stay in the cool comforts of her cabin until Annabeth and Percy returned.

Luke could barely contain his rage and he hurriedly kneeled down to collect the beads, or at least the ones he could find.

Each bead and charm seemed to bring back a different memory of them arguing or fighting over a pointless topic. Luke sighed as he leaned his head back, knowing he had made a mistake.

But if there was one thing Luke Castellan refused to do, it was give up. So he stared at Y/N all throughout dinner. And even when Y/N made it clear that the sight of him made her sick, he still knocked on her door at night.

“Y/N.” He called out, impatiently tapping his foot against the old wood. “I’m sorry. Okay? Is that what you want to hear? I’m ready to talk everything out. I’m calm now.”

Those were the exact words he had uttered to Y/N last week, promising he would change but he never did. Y/N had learned her lesson from that, refusing to open the door and going as far as locking it.

“Y/N. You’re being unreasonable.” Luke grumbled as he desperately tried to open the door, barging into it with his shoulder. He heard Y/N laugh.

“That’s ironic considering you’re trying to break my door down.” She spoke over the hooting owls and buzzing cicadas. “You always promise you’ll change but you never do. Don’t you think it’s time to stop making empty promises?”

Luke could hear her voice waver and he felt a small pang of guilt, knowing he was the reason behind her agonising sorrow.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered, not only to Y/N but to everybody he was about to hurt, even to his father who was the most wretched man in this world. He repeated his sentence, leaning his head against the door. It suddenly swung open and Luke almost crashed into Y/N whom was still gripping the door knob.

She quietly sighed, her gaze immediately spotting his mournful eyes and his lips pulled into a guiltily frown. Y/N hesitated before stepping aside.

“This is your last chance, Luke.” She mumbled but he knew she was lying. She loved him far too much to devoid herself of his charming face.

Luke smiled as he brushed past Y/N. She could never resist him, after all. In a way, Luke pitied her for being so forgiving and sick with love because she and Percy were in the most danger out of everybody, even if they couldn’t see it yet.

The day Percy returned was the day Luke decided to be a hopeless romantic. He took an unsuspecting Y/N into the woods, twirling her around a few times because she always liked dancing.

While Y/N was distracted by the babbling brook and dipping her hand in the cool water, Luke clasped his hands behind his back. He was thinking of what to do next, let Y/N to fend for herself or he could struggle to protect her.

But sacrificing so much for a mere girl seemed pointless, even if Luke was developing strong feelings for Y/N. He quickly clicked his fingers, catching Y/N’s attention. She glanced over her shoulder, her joyful smiling fading as she laid eyes on the huge pit scorpion.

She scrambled back while Luke watched her pathetic attempt at escaping.

“I wouldn’t.” He uttered, “Pit scorpions can jump fifteen feet and slice right through your clothes. You’ll be dead in sixty seconds. But, of course, you already knew that because you love reading about these creatures. That’s why you look so frightened.”

Y/N looked at Luke, searching for any kindness in his eyes to offer her mercy. There was none. His eyes were like a void, empty and dark and lacking any human emotions.

He looked nothing like her Luke who she had met on his first day of camp, scared, annoyed, and baffled at what had become of his dead friend Thalia.

“It’s a shame I have to end our relationship here. I was starting to enjoy your presence, but giving up all my hard work for you is hardly beneficial.”

“What?” Y/N spluttered, trying to kick the scorpion away. She only made it angrier and it clapped his claws at her, ignoring Luke altogether. The scorpion’s tail was raised in hostility and Y/N held back a loud shudder of fear, knowing Luke was thriving off her terror. “Luke… what are you talking about?”

He laughed as if she were an idiot. She felt like one for trusting him despite how much he hurt her. “You don’t get it, do you? I want revenge. On my father and on the gods who have forsaken their children! They don’t give a shit about us. They never did. To them, we’re just some nitwits who are stupid enough to suck up to them. I was the one who stole the bolt, Y/N. Not Hades. And I was the one who sent that hellhound after Percy.”

“Luke, I trusted you.” Y/N thickly gulped.

“A fatal mistake.”

“No. That’s our parents you’re talking about, Luke. And you wouldn’t try and kill Percy… would you? Not my brother. You know how much he means to me.” Y/N’s eyesight turned glassy as she furrowed her eyebrows.

It all made sense now. His sour mood and his bitter attitude. All those nights she spent crying over his glass sharp words. Y/N felt foolish for not noticing what he was doing, but she was far too preoccupied with saving her relationship with Luke at the time.

“What did you think I’d say to that? Join you?” Y/N huffed.

Luke’s eyes flickered to the large bug that was only getting more furious as the seconds ticked by. “Does a scorpion sting when fighting back?” He simply questioned.

Y/N’s hardened gaze bored into his soul as she answered. “They strike to kill… and you know I will too.”

Yes, Luke knew that. Y/N was an exceptional fighter with strategic moves rivalling Annabeth’s. Every carefully planned attack she dealt was like instant death. Luke knew if she had a weapon then she wouldn’t hesitate to land a blow. But he also knew she cared for him far too much to stab his chest. If he had a better weapon, would he do the same? Or spare her?

“It’s a shame you won’t join me… I know you won’t. You and your brother are too alike.” Luke let out a low hum, “I guess we’ve both changed. You used to be hungry for power. I remember you would train until the sunset with your bow and arrow, always wanting to be the best. You’d skip meals, even if you were starving, and I’d have to beg and cry for you to eat. Maybe if my father didn’t give me that quest then we would’ve been fine.”

Luke stared at Y/N for a moment before a grin broke across his face. He stepped over the furious scorpion, pressing a strong kiss to Y/N’s lips. It felt on acid on her skin, itchy and burning and painful.

“A part of me hopes you’ll survive this.” He whispered, “So you can live to see another day. I’ll create the perfect world for you… you’ll see. You’ll love me again even if I have to force the words down your throat.”

Something slipped into her pocket but Y/N’s mind was on the pit scorpion. She flinched as the it climbed up her shoe, snapping its pinchers again.

“Luke.” She breathed as he began to walk away. “Luke. Don’t leave me here! Luke!” She screeched. She would have continued screaming, even if her voice gave up and her vocal cords tore, if it meant she could spend one more day with the warm and loving Luke that she once knew.

The scorpion drove its tail into her leg and she shrieked in pain. She kicked the creature off and desperately searched around for a weapon. She found a small dagger in her pocket, realising that’s what Luke must’ve given to her.

Y/N sliced the scorpion, panting as the world become a confused hazed. She stabbed the creature over and over again until it was nothing but a gruesome corpse of a once terrifying bug.

Y/N limped towards the water but she stumbled, falling to her knees. The toxin was spreading through her blood quickly. She desperately reached out a hand for the creek water, knowing it could possibly heal her. Making it in time to camp would be impossible with her blurring eyesight and inability to walk properly. She’d have to drag her stung leg behind her.

Y/N clawed her way towards the water before her body gave in to the poison. Her limbs grew numb and they refused to move.

Y/N heard the loud noise of bushes rustling and Percy burst into the clearing, Annabeth and a few Apollo kids following close behind.

“Y/N!” He shouted, his voice deafened by the ringing in her ears. She felt dizzy and the world spun in slow-motion as the Apollo healers turned Y/N on her back. Percy kneeled beside her, holding her hand tightly.

“She’s been stung. We don’t have much time. Feed her the nectar.”

Black dots swarmed around in her vision. She could see Annabeth yelling at her but she heard no voices as she let her head loll to the side and she finally succumbed to sleep, not knowing if she would wake up again.

Y/N stirred as the harsh light peeked through the thin curtains of the infirmary. She lightly groaned, shifting around to get more comfortable. Her senses were slowly coming back and she could finally hear again.

“Y/N?” Percy was at her side in an instant. She smiled up at him.

“He really stole the bolt… didn’t he?” She whispered. Percy slowly nodded.

“Yeah…”

Luke’s betrayal would be hard to endure for both the Poseidon siblings and Annabeth. He was beloved by most of the camp and he threw it all away for one pitiful shot at glory.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. I know you loved him.” Percy’s grip on her hand tightened.

A small laugh slipped past Y/N’s lips. “I guess I did… but he didn’t love me back. Or maybe he did and I simply wasn’t enough…”

Luke’s love had ever been pure or innocent. There was always a catch to it. He was obsessive with her, constantly ensuring that no other guys talked to Y/N. At least, not the ones that posed a threat.

A part of Y/N would always miss Luke but she could feel relief wash over her body because she no longer had to endure his lashing-out anger and sadness anymore.

She had escaped his cruel clutches and until they met again, most likely on a battlefield with their swords pressed up against each other’s throats, she could live in peace.

However, happiness never lasted long for demigods. “Get some rest.” Percy uttered as he stepped out of the infirmity. It was late at night and the last Apollo kid had just finished her daily rounds at checking the patients.

Y/N quietly sighed as she leaned her head back, her eyelids fluttering closed. The floorboards creaked but she paid it no mind. All the cabins squeaked, even the Aphrodite one.

Y/N felt drowsy under the influence of the medicine she had been given and she fell asleep in no time. Her long awaited rest didn’t last for long, though, when she awoke with a loud gasp.

She was outside. In a shallow river. Her clothes stuck to her body and she spat out a mouthful of water. Y/N shivered, rubbing her arms as a sorry attempt to generate warmth.

From the shore, she heard a familiar laugh. It pierced her soul and Y/N stiffened, her breath trembling. Luke sat not even a meter away, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. He saw her petrified face and it fuelled a sadistic need inside of him.

“I changed my mind, sweetheart.” Those words from him felt like poison to Y/N. “I got permission to keep you around as long as you don’t get into trouble.”

Luke inched forward and Y/N tilted away, trying to scramble rearward. Her back hit a large rock and she quivered, realising she was trapped between a boulder and Luke. Her former lover was approaching her quickly and she didn’t have time to react before he was kneeled in front of her, not caring how his clothes got soaked.

He gently grasped Y/N’s chin, an action that contrasted his aggressive approach back at camp. He tilted her head up so that she was forced to stare at him and sent her another sickeningly sweet smile.

“Did you miss me, sweetheart?” He whispered in her ear. His hands felt gross on her skin but her body refused to move. She knew she wouldn’t get far with her injured leg and weakened body. “Because I missed you terribly.”

His lips captured Y/N’s in a long kiss and for millisecond, she forgot all his wrongdoings. She almost melted before she came back to her senses.

As Luke pulled away, Y/N sank further into the river like it would save her from whatever callous and vicious act Luke was going to perform.

Her whole body shook, and not just from the cold, as she found herself cornered in Luke’s suffocating embrace once again after fighting so long to get out.

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[bunnivez]

Episode 1… A Crazy Night

The rays of sun peeking through the curtains hit your warm skin. Peace— is what you felt. Your mind was completely out of the world forgetting about everything; reality.

The smell of some expensive cologne filled in your senses— wait.. expensive cologne?

Your eyes shot wide open only to get jump scared by the person sleeping peacefully besides you, their face facing yours.

Who..?

Long Lashes, white hair, purple tattoos, piercings… Is she naked?

“What the fuck..” you quietly said before sitting, were you this sore before?

‘Wait… WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES!?’ you quickly panicked at the realization that not only were you in the same bed as a stranger—but you both are fucking NAKED. THIS PLACE ISN’T EVEN YOUR PLACE.

“Hmm. You awake now?” You heard the woman groan. Startled you looked down at her once again with wide eyes. There she was, a hand ran through her hair putting it back as she opened her eye revealing a pretty blue.

You felt your heart stop at the realization. The relation that this wasn’t just a woman you most likely slept with, but Zoya …. WHAT.

“WAIT… You are…” You went pale as your eyes didn’t leave hers.

“Yeah? Do you not remember me or somethin’?” She teased with a smirk.

What even happened last night?

…

It was late and you went out to go clubbing with your friends. Not only that but your favorite band The Legion were playing there tonight! It wasn’t too rare for them to perform in clubs, and during those times the clubs would end up packed. Even to the point that others can’t even enter due to how full it is. Luckily for you, your friends managed to be one of the ones to enter first meaning you got first row as well!

Zoya, the lead singer of The Legion was your favorite member. She had a beautiful voice, was skilled with the guitar, absolutely attractive and hot, what girl wouldn’t fall for her?

Throughout the whole performance your eyes were glued on her. Taking in the sight of her exposed muscles, the sweat dripping down her forehead, the way her fingers pressed on the guitar’s strings, the way her lips moved.

And strangely enough— you’d notice the quick glances she gave you.

…

“Are you alright?” Zoya asked and you quickly snapped out of your thoughts. “Y-yeah” you replied and quickly got up in search for your clothes which were scattered on the floor. You felt her eyes look at you while you tried to put your clothes back on, but no words were exchanged between you two. What were you supposed to even say? ‘Thank you for the lovely time last night even though I don’t remember shit! ’.

Until the silence was finally broken, “Hey.. Want me to drive you back home?” “Um… No i’m okay.” “Please. At least let me get you an uber or something.”

Things were already too awkward, her driving you back home? Might as well die. Yet walking your way back home alone not knowing exactly where you are isn’t the smartest choice either.

“.. Alright, thank you.”

‿͞‿͞‿͞‿͞‿͞ ୨୧ ‿͞‿͞‿͞‿͞‿͞

She guided you outside the hotel, again, no words were spoken between the two of you. But she was even nice enough to open the car’s door for you and close it before saying goodbye and “have a nice day”.

What else was there to say?

“Where to, miss?” The driver asked looking at you through the mirror. Once you gave them your adress the car started.

You remembered you haven’t checked your phone earlier, so when you turned it on you find it filled with so many messages and missed calls from your friends from last night— some from earlier around 5:00.

After finally arriving home, you took a shower, changed into some clean clothes and sat on the couch the whole day watching movies, doing a bit of cleaning, cooking something— anything to get your mind off of her.

Yet despite your efforts nothing seemed to work. It’s not like you slept with some random girl— no, this is Zoya. Bai Yi and K.K weren’t joking; if anyone saw you and Zoya leaving the hotel together there will be reports and pictures taken by the paparazzi all over the internet; something that has been done before with other girls that have been seen with Zoya.

Another thing that occupied your mind was; how did it all happen?

…

The concert ended, people were starting to leave, some stayed to call for a ride, others trying to get autographs from The Legion. You weren’t drunk, just had a few drinks but you were fine along with your friends… Surprisingly Bai Yi didn’t get too drunk.

“Guys ima use the restroom, are you coming?” You asked, Bai Yi and K.K shook their heads, “Nah, i’m good. I will try to get an *hic* autograph from The Legion for ya!” Bai Yi winked.

K.K sighed as she looked at a sleeping Deren snoring loudly taking up the whole couch “It was a bad idea bring her. We should’ve taken Che with us instead.

“You know he would decline in a second.” You laughed, “Anyway I will come back in a bit.”

“Don’t take too long! I don’t want to stay for too long with these two, especially since Chelsea left early.” You heard K.K exclaim.

Oh yeah, Chelsea did leave pretty early; she said something about how she promised one of her sugar babies a night together or something along those linee.

Quickly you opened the restroom door and looked at yourself in the mirror, fixing your hair and makeup a bit before you heard something else enter, and much to your surprise when you looked at the person through the mirror you saw her— and she was staring at you.

“Hey, tonight was hella crowded huh?” She smiled at you as if she has met you before. She was so much more attractive up close, you couldn’t get your eyes off of her, you even forgot how to breath because holy shit— THIS IS ZOYA TALKING TO YOU RIGHT NOW.

“U-um, yeah haha, there was so many people that came to watch you guys.”

Zoya started washing her hands which gave you the opportunity to take a peek, her fingers were long, nails painted black, she wore those chunky silver rings—

“Hm. I think I have seen you in some of my previous concerts.” Zoya suddenly spoke.

You quickly looked away to the side flustered and surprised that she even noticed you, “Yeah! I am a very big fan. I try to attend to every concert you guys hold, I’m surprised you noticed.”

She chuckled “Well it’s kinda hard not to notice a pretty girl like you.”

Did she.. just call you pretty!? OHDSHABAHAJAHAJ GAUSHWTAJAGAUWGWHSBGSHSVWSHAJjsywj

“Me? Pssshh, nah.” You rolled your eyes yet you couldn’t help but smile like an idiot at the compliment.

Once she finished washing her hands she turned around to look at you properly; getting a bit closer even, “Nah, I’m being for real. You’re very pretty— almost couldn’t take my eyes off you back there.” she smirked. “I even wanted to go and talk to you and stuff.”

“Oh? Then could it be that you came here because I was too?” You joked. Zoya shook her head and smiled, “No, that was just pure luck. I didn’t expect you to be here honestly.”

You hummed and stood there awkwardly. You were nervous that is no doubt, but who the heck wouldn’t? Especially in the presence of one of your favorite artists.

“Mind joining me for a drink? I’ll pay.”

You accepted the offer. The rest of the night went smoothly, some fans that stayed asked Zoya for autographs or pictures, but her attention was all on you. That night you learned many things about her. She liked her liquor strong, had a high alcohol tolerance, wasn’t good at driving but is great with motorcycles, loves her band and see’s the members as her own family.

You both talked like you’ve been friends for a long time, like this wasn’t Zoya from your favorite band, but just Zoya. Before you knew it, you both kissed, and soon you were in her bed; and on that moment you forgot about everything, like your friends, telling them you left, you were only focused on her.

The way her lips felt against your own, the way her hands roamed across your body, touching— grabbing you everywhere. The way she made you scream her name, arch your back, scratch her back with your nails. It all felt heavenly.

Suddenly nothing mattered, not even the consequences, not even the fact that you two didn’t know each other well, that she didn’t even know your damn name.

…

Oh fuck.

No you really did it this time (Y/n).

“Holy shit.” You groaned and buried your face on the pillow.

Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.

You did fucking sleep with her…

Oh god you’re now one of the girls she has slept with, why!? Why would you do that knowing it would be a terrible mistake.

After cursing yourself for some time you decided the best thing to do at the moment is sleep, rest your mind, get your head off of things.

‿͞‿͞‿͞‿͞‿͞ ୨୧ ‿͞‿͞‿͞‿͞‿͞

You woke up to the sound of your phone ringing. With a groan you turned around and reached for your phone, squinting your eyes due to the light of the screen as you tried to read the message Bai Yi left you along with a missed call— then she called you again.

You answered..

You: Whats up?

Bai Yi: HAVE YOU CHECKED THE NEWS YET!?

You: What do you mean? I just woke up.

Bai Yi: GIRL YOU’RE EVERYWHERE, THEY FOUND OUT ABOUT YOU AND ZOYA.

You: *sits up quickly* WHAT!?

Bai Yi: Someone saw you and Zoya leave the hotel she was staying at TOGETHER, they took pictures and people are now making rumors that maybe you two might be in a secret relationship or just another nightstand.

You: You’re joking, bro this is actually not funny—

Bai Yi: I’m not, here, i’ll even send you a damn report that has been published not too long ago.

And much to your horror, she truly wasn’t joking. The link she sent leaded to a news report and there you were with Zoya, her helping you get inside the uber with words in bold that read “Lead singer of the band The Legion has been found with a mysterious woman”.

You: What. The . Fuck.

Tag List: @uzumakioden , @kairorow , @bumbercar , @aesculapi , @anashouto , @watashiwaglr38 , @almond11milk

Comment on this post if you wish to be on the tag list for this series! This way you’ll be easily notified for when other episodes are released.

[otterlyinluv]

Only Mortals Catch the Sniffles

Summary: You decided to go shopping while it was raining. But you forgot your umbrella. So of course you end up getting sick (you have a really poor immune system, don’t you?). What’s unexpected is who exactly decides to take care of you and what discoveries it leads to.

Pairing: Darkiplier x DA!Reader

Tags: sfw, the flu, argument and misunderstanding (gets resolved), proximity, tension

A/N: I have almost no time to write. (Who would’ve said I’d be reading lots in a linguistic course—) But hopefully you’ll enjoy this little thing I’ve been cooking up for quite a while now ^^

Word Count: 4.5k

——

You rummaged through the cupboard to find some of your favorite snacks but were met with empty space instead. You sighed and shook your head. Your secret stash of snacks has been disappearing at a suspiciously fast pace, so it was safe to assume someone was eating it. But eating all of it without notice? You’d have to have a stern word when you found the culprit. If at all.

This shortage has happened multiple times already. At first, you let it slide, but it was really beginning to get on your nerves. Scratch the beginning. You were mad. You were going to get your snack. Now.

Breathing slowly to clear your head a little, you decided to go for a late-night shopping run while you were at it. After all, there were some other things you wanted to buy, along with the snack. And then you’d catch whoever had been stealing them.

You walked down the corridor and noticed the time on the grandfather clock. You winced. If you wanted to go shopping you needed to get ready and fast.

You grabbed everything without thinking too much about the details. Your phone, purse, and a shopping bag and bolted for the door. You managed to faintly hear something Google was trying to say, but you had no time to listen. Off to the shop it was.

—

By the time you returned, it was pouring. And you hadn't brought an umbrella.

The door opened with a creak, and you stepped in, clothes dripping with water all over the carpet.

Out of the corner of your vision, Google raised an eyebrow before coughing silently: “I did attempt to tell you the forecast was saying it would rain.”

You pushed your wet hair out of your face. “Yeah. I don’t think that'll help now.”

“Well, if you had given me admin privileges, I would have been able to contact you even while you were away—“

You walked away irritated, not bothering to hear his ‘Giving me admin privileges is the solution to all your problems’ speech.

While sprinting to your room, you almost crashed into someone, but you were able to steady yourself and not make his suit wet. Suit. Only one man would wear a suit well into the evening.

Darkiplier eyed your very much drenched form from head to toe. Before you could say anything, he spoke, no visible emotion on his face. “Your clothes are wet.” It sounded as if he was merely making an observation.

A scoff escaped your lips. “Haven’t noticed.”

“Did Google not tell you about the weather?”

He who stayed mostly cooped up in his office most of the time had the audacity to lecture you for going out when it was raining?!

“Well, obviously I didn’t have the time to get an umbrella!” You threw your hands around, irritated, and stormed off into your room.

—

You woke up still tired. Your throat felt dry. You swallowed. Sharp stabbing pain. You groaned and turned around to check the time. You slept for 10 hours?!

The sun was already high in the sky, an unusual sight for an early bird like you. Weird, but you supposed it was better to get started for the day, you said to yourself, trying to sit up. Emphasis on trying.

You clutched the side of your head to dull the throbbing pain that emerged from your movement and flopped back onto your pillow. Well, this was a problem. Everyone would start wondering where you were sooner or later since you routinely woke up first.

The pain was almost enough for you to consider just staying in bed. And yet you couldn’t do that.

You’ve never allowed yourself to rest even while tired or under the weather. The work helped you focus on other things. Without it, your mind started to wander into territories it shouldn’t. Like those recurring dreams of a strange mansion or a poker game with people you didn't recognize… and it was doing it again. Which is exactly why you needed to get back to work.

You weren’t able to attempt to get out of bed again when your door handle swung open violently, almost slamming into the wall. There was almost no time to register the urgent steps stop as Wilford put his hands on your shoulders and began shaking you.

“Oh, my word, we thought you died!”

Wilford was a mess. Eyes shot wide, clothes untucked, hair unkempt, like he was running around and forgot to fix himself up.

“Wilford…” you said lethargically, Wilford’s shaking making your hoarse voice sound even quieter.

“Illinois said he hadn’t seen you at breakfast, so I thought you must have eaten already, but when I went to check, you weren't at your office and you’re always at your office, so we all thought you got kidnapped…” he continued ranting, almost like he was stuck in panic mode with no regards to the fact that you were actually safe and sound in your bed.

“Wilford, I’m fine!” you yelled as loudly as you could muster, which was not much but it seemed to break the loop he was in. He stopped shaking you. “I’m just not feeling well, that’s all…”

“Oh…” he said softly, slowly pulling his arms away.

His eyebrows scrunched up in almost a comical fashion. “You’re sick,” he stated, as if for some sort of confirmation.

“I’m not that sick—”

“But you never get sick.” He shook his head, looking positively baffled.

“Again, I’m not that sick. Just woke up a little later than usual, nothing to be worried about…”

“You are ill?” you heard his voice before you saw him appear. Darkiplier was standing in your doorway. Who knows for how long. His face looked neutral, except for the smallest furrow of his eyebrows.

You sighed, exasperated. This was too much to deal with in your current state. Which was not that bad, mind you. Besides, how and why was Darkiplier even in your room? Wilford, you could understand. You were acquaintances—friends even, but it was different with Darkiplier.

Sure, you had mutual respect, but your relationship had always been on the more formal side, seeing as you were one of the few people he could rely on to complete the tasks you agreed on. But he would have never struck you as a person to be worried about someone’s physical state.

“I am fine. It’s just a cold. Nothing I can’t handle—“

He interrupted you before you could finish your sentence.

“A cold? A cold that leaves you unable to get out of your room until noon? Is just a cold the reason you are left bedridden and shivering despite being underneath a duvet?” He walked until he was near your bed. There was a cold sort of fury hidden behind his eyes.

That irked you. Of course he never cared about your well-being. He only cared about how the search for Mark continued. And no matter who helped him along the way, as long as he got his revenge, nothing else mattered.

You weren’t able to yell, but your gruff voice was teeming with anger. “Well, I’m sorry I had the gall to fall ill. But not all of us have the ability to work for days on end. Some of us are human!”

You hadn’t meant to say that last sentence. Pain flashed in his eyes. You’ve always had a suspicion that he used to be human. At least at some point in time. You got your confirmation now. You would’ve regretted saying it any other time, but not now. Not now when you finally found out the thing he cared about most was your productivity.

“I think you should leave,” you said coldly.

You’ve honestly forgotten Wilford was also in the room as he hasn’t butted into your conversation like he usually did. Darkiplier’s face was stunned, maybe even regretful, but he did nothing, as Wilford took him by the shoulder and led him away from your room.

As they left, you turned to the wall and closed your eyes. Tired from the emotional exchange and your current sickness, slumber soon overtook you.

—

You woke up still tired, your mouth dry as if you hadn’t drank water in forever. Which, you hadn’t. Your stomach ached, but you highly doubted you could muster up enough strength to make yourself something. Another grumble of your stomach convinced you otherwise.

You looked around for a bathrobe to put on over your pajamas when your eyes got caught on your bedside table. There, lay a tray with a plate full of chicken noodle soup along with a spoon.

Did someone…. make you food? You have eaten along with some of them, such as breakfasts with Illinois or Yancy, and sometimes Wilford liked to join you for lunch. Then there were the late dinners in Darkiplier's office. But this? You weren't used to that. You leaned over and put the tray on your lap, careful not to spill anything.

You wondered who would do such a thoughtful thing for you. It looked homemade, so that ruled Yancy out. He approached you a few weeks ago if you could re-teach him some simple recipes since he's been in prison for so long that he's forgotten how to cook.

You were familiar with Illinois’ cooking skills, but you doubted he would find the time to make you soup. He’s always joked that he can’t give anyone special treatment or else they’d fall in love with him.

And Darkiplier… you threw that thought away before you could even start thinking about it properly. As if he’d be all nice to you after treating you no less than an expendable employee.

Wilford, you couldn’t be sure about. You’ve seen him cook occasionally, not soup, but he seemed to have both skill and like you enough to be so considerate.

Satisfied with your thought process, you set to eating the surprisingly still warm soup that you deduced Wilford had made for you.

After about twenty minutes, you already having finished your soup and cuddled up facing the wall to sleep the cold off some more, a quiet click of the door handle filled the silence of your room. Soft tentative steps tapped on the floor, seemingly so as not to wake you up.

You turned around.

“Hey Wil, thanks for the soup…” You trailed off when you realized the one who entered your room was, in fact, not Wilford but a rather startled Darkiplier. You have never seen him with that much exposed emotion. He was frozen reaching for the empty plate, his eyes slightly wide, as if he got caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to. It, however, didn’t last long. He promptly straightened his back, wiping imaginary dust from his jacket, his expression back to being deadpan as usual.

“Why are you taking that plate?” You eyed him warily. Was he here to chastise you for not working? Or perhaps—

“Because I made the soup. I figured you’d have finished it by now.” He moved to pick the tray up.

“You made the soup? You made me soup?” you blurted out before you could really think about what you were saying.

“You’ve seen me cook,” he said in the most matter-of-fact voice.

“Well, yes, but…” You sat up and tried to gather your thoughts. It all lead down to just one thing. “Why?”

“You are ill. You need rest and warm food. So I made you soup. Is that enough of a reason for you?” There was a hint of humor in his voice, his expression mostly unchanged, except for the faintest sparkle in his eyes.

You were absolutely baffled. He gets angry at you for getting sick and not working and then makes you soup?

He seemed to notice your irritation increasing and opened his mouth to speak. You crossed your arms and leaned on the pillow.

“Listen. I know a plate of soup isn’t enough to make up for what I had said. And I didn’t just make the soup to make amends. I want you to get better. I know what’s done is done but you need to know the truth.” He looked away momentarily as if he had to find strength to continue. “I wasn’t angry with you for not being able to work. I was angry… with myself.”

“What?”

He sighed, looking away.

“What I had said and the way that I had said it was harsh. There is no excuse for it. I was just…” He took a deep breath and shook his head absentmindedly. “I was worried. When you didn't show up in the morning. I thought something had happened. That maybe you had left or perhaps needed some time off. You work too hard all the time. And I did not want to intrude even if I was worried. A part of me was glad you finally decided to take some time for yourself. But when I was passing by and heard Wil say you were ill…” He looked off to the side for a moment.

“I have never seen you ill. Ever. So I said things without thinking them over. And for what it's worth, I am sorry.”

Your eyebrows only scrunched up more. Many emotions of increasingly more confusing variations started bubbling up in your brain. You didn’t say a thing. Just kept looking at him as if that would help you comprehend what exactly he had just said.

He sighed.

“Do with that what you will. But believe me when I say, I am being completely sincere that I truly hope you do get better.” With that, he grabbed the tray with the plate and left your room.

A part of you wanted to say something. To tell him to come back. But you couldn’t will your tongue to move. And not because you were sick.

With a closing of the door, you were left alone once again. This time, with many more things to think about.

—

Evening rolled around faster than you expected it to. You spent most of the time sleeping. You even felt good enough to make some light dinner for yourself. It seemed none of the residents were up to their usual antics of annoying you today. Lovingly, of course, but you had thought when they came to know you weren’t dying, they’d come to visit you. But that didn’t seem to be the case as no-one has been in your room since your… exchange with Darkiplier.

But as all sickness goes, it gets worse in the evening. And so you were lying in your bed, as lethargic as ever, unable to even sleep.

Your door creaked, the sound so quiet you wouldn’t have been able to hear it if you hadn’t been lying in dead silence.

Darkiplier opened the door and looked over into the room. Your eyes met. And even through your hazy state, it felt like you locked eyes just a second too long. Not like any other time.

“I... came to check up on you.” He looked away, cutting the silence.

“That's awfully nice of you.” You weren’t really thinking about what you were saying. It seemed to a side effect of your illness. Or maybe you weren’t so guarded with him anymore.

His eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. It looked oddly adorable.

“Are you feeling alright?”

You didn't know if he meant healthwise or your current state of mind, and you didn’t care.

“Absolutely.”

He walked over closer, right up to your bed. You watched him curiously, a bit more attentive even despite your heavy mood.

“No fever or anything of the sorts?”

You scoffed lightly. “No, nothing of the sort. Really, I’m fine. Never been better. See?”

You moved to sit up when he gently grabbed your shoulders and pushed you back onto the pillow.

Breathing became a foreign concept. Even your sickness existed only in the back of your mind. Your body was faintly pressed against the plush of your pillow, yet everything paled in comparison to all but one sensation.

Him.

So close.

And yet not close enough.

His hands on your shoulders were secure and just a bit insistent. But not necessarily painful.

“Don’t get up, you need to rest,” he said firmly but softly just the same.

Your eyebrows raised. He leaned closer. And closer. You closed your eyes.

The touch of his lips on your forehead was feather light.

After seconds which seemed like hours, he pulled away just a little, deep in thought. “Your forehead isn’t warm so it seems like you really don't have a fever…”

It sounded like an inner monologue or a passing thought, but your brain froze from the moment he kissed your forehead. It was so soft you weren’t sure you weren’t actually having a fever dream. Your eyes moved on their own accord, studying his face. His eyes caught yours. You have never seen him from this close. Your mouth was slightly open as a shallow shaky breath escaped it. It was as if the Earth itself stopped spinning and all you could feel were his eyes. Staring. Pensive. As if he himself was also frozen.

“You… you shouldn’t be so close to me,” you said quietly, almost indiscernibly. Your mouth was dry. A few seconds passed. Silence. Just him and you. And his eyes. Oh, those dark eyes. They went deeper than you thought. Like they were their own little galaxies. Did he even hear what you said? Did he—.

“Why?” His voice was quiet, similarly to yours, with a slight purr that you’d never heard from him. You could feel his chest rise and fall, dangerously close to your own. Your heart was beating so quickly that you wondered if he could feel it. A shiver ran up your spine. Your brain desperately searched for an excuse. But did you really want him to stop?

“I’ll get you sick,” you tried. Oddly enough, you weren’t feeling all that unwell at the moment. You were, however, feeling something else you couldn’t describe. And his closeness only heightened the tingling in your stomach.

“I’m not human. I can’t get sick,” he said without missing a beat, almost matter-of-factly.

Curses, he’s always been good at quick responses. But— Hang on. How would you know such a thing about him? You’ve spent some time together, yes but… Not enough to know an obscure detail like that.

“But you were.” The words left your lips almost by themselves. And yet, something in you knows that it’s the truth. Somehow, someway you feel he used to be something else before this.

His face darkened, his expression shifting to the all too familiar one you knew from working together late into the night.

“I… used to,” he admitted. You had to keep your mouth from falling open. This was the clearest confirmation of their past you’ve gotten out of any of the residents of this mansion. And to get it from Darkiplier first… If anybody told you a few days ago that such a thing would happen, you would’ve laughed straight into their face. But now… Him sharing something vulnerable with you felt strangely familiar. Like it happened before.

“I can see that brilliant mind of yours working. But whatever questions you want to ask, save them. There is time and place for such conversation and this is not it.” This was his way of saying no to talking about this topic. Rather tactfully from how you’ve seen him snap at Google when he is genuinely angry for a sensible reason. There was, however, something in the sentence that you could use to gauge him. You could consider yourself fairly well-versed in a few things in life but for Darkiplier to call you brilliant? And with such casualty. Like he has already said it before. But he hasn’t. There had to be something more behind it.

“’Brilliant mind’?” you repeated his words inquisitively.

His eyebrows furrowed apprehensively and you knew then you struck gold. He pulled back from leaning over you but you followed suit, sitting up on your bed.

“Forget it,” he said, his voice clipped.

“No.” You surprised yourself by how fast you replied. And it seemed to have the same effect on Darkiplier since he didn’t move from the spot. Encouraged by this, you continued: “… No. Why did you say that?”

“I…” There it was—he hesitated. You waited with bated breath for him to reveal whatever it was he kept trying to hide. You knew it was something that weighed heavy on his soul.

“It is none of your concern,” he said after a few tense seconds of your waiting. Ever the diplomat. Was he a politician in his past life or what?

“Considering the fact that you said something about me, I think it very much concerns me.”

“Look, you are ill and there are things that are beyond your understanding—”

“Then tell me something I can know.” That was it. Your last ditch effort to get to know something more. More about this man who went from only a colleague to someone who has actually, and much to your surprise, proved to care for you. As much as a man with seemingly so little external emotion such as Darkiplier was. But only seemingly. You have seen him smile before this even if it was scarce. But now you could finally admit — it did suit him.

Darkiplier looked at you, brows furrowed, seeming almost perplexed. “You truly wish to know more about me?” he asked, to which you nodded quickly before he could change his mind and decide to leave right then and there.

He sighed.

Then begrudgingly sat back down on your bed.

Bingo.

You made yourself more comfortable, propping your back on the wall behind you. It felt like a child getting ready to hear a bedtime story. Darkiplier raised an eyebrow and let out a soft breath through his nose, the corner of his mouth raising almost imperceptibly.

He looked to the side thoughtfully for a few moments before turning back to you.

“I don’t have to breathe.”

Well, that was unexpected. You thought he would talk about his life experiences or the people that he met. Then again, you should have known better than to think he would actually tell you anything about his past or elaborate on the whole “brilliant mind” comment. Nonetheless, this new information was quite intriguing.

“What do you mean you don't have to breathe?”

”It’s… more of a habit than anything physiologically needed.”

“But— your chest raises and falls so regularly...” you said, more musing out loud than actually meaning to share any information.

“Do you watch me?” he asked. If you didn’t know him well, you’d think he’s irritated, his tone slightly accusatory. But when you looked at him, there was that familiar tug of the corner of his lips. He was playing. He didn’t sport that look often but he pulled it off quite well.

Apparently, you had drifted off again because his lopsided smirk had only gotten wider and he was closer than before.

“Do I have the privilege of your presence now?”

He was close. Really close. Like when he kissed your forehead to check for a fever kind of close. Your heartbeat picked up, and you could only hope he couldn't hear it. Heartbeat... does he have one? You must have spoken out loud because a thoughtful look spread across his features.

“I’m not too sure myself. Want to check?”

Did he really mean to say that? You blinked. His expression hasn’t changed. So he did.

You placed your hand on his chest matter-of-factly. That’s all it was. A checkup. You weren’t doing anything weird. It’s not like you felt his dichromatic aura bristle slightly at your touch before returning to a faint buzz, albeit a bit louder than a few moments ago. With him wearing only a dress shirt, you could feel his skin and the lack of a heartbeat.

“You know I’m only letting you feel me up like this because you’re ill.”

“Stop being cheeky.” You clicked your tongue in irritation when he disrupted your concentration. There was a faint huff of laughter before you refocused on what lay beneath your palm.

“There’s nothing,” you said quietly.

“You won’t be able to feel it like this.” And with that, you found your hand pressed even closer to his ribcage, covered by his. You felt his chest rise and fall more deeply, almost like you’d feel a regular person breathe. That’s when you felt it. A faint heartbeat right under your fingertips.

Badump badump

Even with his palm on top of yours being extremely distracting, it was clearly discernible. Orderly. A sign of life where there really wasn’t one.

His hand lifted from yours but you kept it there, utterly entranced by aseathe sensation of his heartbeat. He didn’t comment on it and spoke up, his tone softer than you’ve ever heard him be.

“There has to be oxygen for it to beat strongly. And that happens when I breathe more. Not that I need to per se, it’s more of a habit.”

“How is that even possible? How can you function without air?”

“There are no... rules for the amalgamation that I have become.”

That was one genuine bit of emotion you’ve seen him express. Frustration maybe? You’d have thought Darkiplier had come to terms with what he had turned into but it seems time can’t heal all wounds.

“I have been... this way for a very very long time. And yet I don’t know the constraints of myself.”

You hummed in understanding, mind racing with thoughts of what exactly he can and can’t do, absent-mindedly tracing the buttons of his shirt.

You felt his heart speed up, his chest jerking in as air hit your fingers. Your eyes flicked back up to his face.

Burning heat. Molten lava and blistering cold of his aura. His eyes searched yours for something. You weren’t sure what. Maybe he—The cracking of a mirror...

The intensity of his gaze made your hand twitch back, your whole body freezing up.

After a few seconds, he exhaled and smiled softly, bittersweet yet understanding, tender even — have you ever seen him smiling like that? — and tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear.

“Rest. You need it.” He stood up and headed towards the door. Just when he was about to reach the door handle, you called out:

“Dark?”

He turned around, a look akin to hope in his eyes.

“Yes?”

“Will you… make me soup again?”

The tender smile was there again, devoid of all previous bittersweetness.

“Of course. Anytime, darling.”

It was only when he left that you realized, you called him ‘Dark’ instead of Darkiplier. And that Dark apparently resorts to pet names.

——

Fun fact I wanted to write it but could not manage to insert anywhere: Dark was the one who told the others not to disturb the reader :)) Oh and either Wilford or Yancy is stealing your snacks. Which one do you think it is?

Also, if anyone wants to be part of a taglist for future fics, let me know :)

[anemptypuddingcup]

contains consensual somnophilia & sleep fucking- I mean fully asleep reader.

It was a long night of fully frustrated and tired crewmates after a hot day in the sun. Night time wasn’t any better as it grew more humid during the night, making you feel sticky as hell.

You slept heavily and soundly with your precious yet frustrated boyfriend Luffy, who was sweating heavily beside you. As much as he wanted to sleep, he couldn’t due to the thick and heavy heat clouding up the area. He slowly sits up and turns to you who was sleeping on your back while facing upwards.

Luffy smiled softly as he watched your delicate body lie there still and sleep. Your breasts moving as your chest heaved with every inhale and exhale you took. He slowly crawls over to your body before hovering over you, a bit of his sweat falling off of his body and into yours. “Lookat ya…so pretty when ya sleep like that…” Luffy whispers to your sleeping body.

He wraps his strong yet rough fingers around your panties tightly before tearing them off you as he grew hard from staring at your sleeping body. He stares at your soaking cunt before moaning in awe and in arousal. “So fuckin’ cute…fuck ya makin’ me s’needy for ya..” He breathed as he palms his cock through his joggers.

Pulling his cock out, he presses it against your warmth, making you flinch and shiver from the sensitivity. A little mewl leaves you as he begins to grind his bare cock against your cunt. “Mhh~ Fuckin’ shit~ Fuck this feels s’good~” Luffy curses under his breathe.

Pressing the tip of his cock against your hole, a low groan leaves him as he slides himself inside of you, making you moan out softly. He smirks before exhaling heavily, his hands gripping your thighs tightly before he pushes your legs up to your chest. He doesn’t bother to wait much longer as he shoves himself inside of you, a loud shaky moan leaving your lips as you’d slept.

Luffy ruts his hips into yours, his cock already pounding at your g-spot and giving it deep kisses. “S’fuckin’ tight~ M’dick making ya feel good isn’t it?” Luffy breathes heavily while he fucked you as a rough and fast pace, your moans unconsciously growing louder as you felt the pleasure within’ your sleep.

Luffy presses his face deep into your neck before he stretches and wraps his arms around your body tightly, bundling you up to keep you in place. He groans deeply in your ear as fucked your cunt so good within your sleep, his hips repeatedly yet quickly rutting into yours like a dog having it’s rut.

“Ya pussy feels s’fuckin’ good babyyy~ I-I can’t fuckin’ take it!~” Luffy whimpers as his brows furrowed, his cock going deeper inside of your cunt as you mewl out from the pleasure of him now repeatedly kissing your cervix. He’s surprised that you haven’t woken up yet from such a fast pace, usually he would’ve woken you up by now.

“My baby, fuck babyyy~ Jus’ fuckin’ wake uppp~” Luffy whines desperately before he moves his head from your neck. He lifts your shirt and latches his mouth to your nipple, sucking and slightly biting your nipple which makes you arch your back in pleasure. “A-Ahn~ Nghh~” You moan out shakily as your ears catch the sound of the headboard hitting the wall. The mattress squeaked as Luffy fucked you hard, desperately trying to wake you up.

Luffy grits his teeth as he feels himself wanting to cum inside of your pretty pussy. A pretty creamy ring began to form at the base of his cock as he watch your walls flutter around his length. Seeing him enter and exit your cunt so sloppily turned him on even more.

He goes at an inhumane pace, finally feeling himself ready to coat your gummy walls. A loud moan leaves you as your toes curl, the feeling of his cock churning up your insides wonderfully as you drool out onto your pillow.

Luffy breathes heavily before he gasps out, rolling his hips a few more times before he finally shoots ropes of cum deep into your pussy. “Ah!~ AH!~ FUCK M’FUCKIN’ CUMMIN’~” Luffy bite down onto your shirt as he cums deep inside of you, a loud groan leaving his throat as he slowly fucks his seed deep into you.

“Oh fuck…Ahhh~” A heavy gasp leaves him before he unravels his arms from your waist and pulls out of you. His cum coats his cock as he pulls out of your creamy hole, strings of thick cum connected from his cock to your cunt. He stares back down at you while you slept there undisturbed yet pent up.

“Ya didn’t cum didja…? My baby didn’t cum did she..?” Luffy pouts as he stares down at you. He moves down to your pussy and keeps your thighs spread open before he trails his tongue against your swollen clit. He presses smooches against your clit before fully swirling his tongue against your pulsating pearl.

He teases your creamy cum-filled entrance before plunging two digits deep inside of you. A lengthy whine leaves your lips as you squirmed under his lips. The feeling of his fingers stretching deep inside of you as his fingers curls up and nudges your g-spot.

“Cmon baby~ Cmon babyyyy~” Luffy cooed as he tried his best to pull an orgasm from you. You whimper out before your legs unconsciously flails around, the heavenly feeling of his fingers and tougue against your body. A heavy gasp leaves you as you squirm around frantically, your orgasm hitting you hard and sudden Ike a brick.

“MMGH!~ OH FUCK! OOH FUCK!~” You groan out loudly before biting your lower lip hard as you finally squirt onto Luffy’s tongue, the orgasm waking you up from your deep slumber. Your eyes rolls up as the orgasm hits you hard and you arch your back while Luffy giggles against your cunt.

“Yeahh, There ya fuckin’ go, squirt on m’tongue baby~” Luffy repeatedly swirls his tongue around your clit to ride out your high as he pulls his cum covered fingers from your cunt. “Oh goddd~ Oh my fuckin’ goddd~” You whimper out as you grind your hips against Luffy’s tongue, your hands gripping your pillow tightly.

You whined before you breathe out heavily, your body falling weak from the orgasm. “Luffyyy~ L-Luffyyy~” You moan out Luffy’s name and he presses a final kiss to your clit before lifting his head. He removes his lips from your cunt, a string of saliva connecting from his lips to your clit. “Shhh~ S’alright. I know it felt good to ya..” Crawling up to you, he wraps his arms around you and pulls you close to his chest, a little giggle leaving him.

“Shishishi~ Ya finally woke up…Did it feel good?” He asked, peppers sweet kisses along your temple. You whimper before nodding, a big yawn leaving your lips. “So pretty! God ya so fuckin’ cute baby~ Especially when you squirt like that~” He teases you, his stamina obviously not lowered at all.

“Don’t provoke me Lu, I want to sleep.” You whined before laying comfortably against his chest. He chuckles before holding you tightly. “Fine fine! Tomorrow mornin’ then?” He asked, looking down at you. You nodded as you slowly closed your eyes, falling asleep.

Luffy smiles softly before snuggling against you, holding you tight against him before he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

[badomensgoodomens]

RIFFS AND REGRETS - NOAH SEBASTIAN

oc name used: arabella

warnings: mention of sex?? throwing up??

unedited btw

summary: lol u dont get one keep reading.

The pounding on the bus door was enough to drag my sorry ass out of bed. I should NOT have drank that much. “Bella!!!” the pounding was repetitive. “Sorry! Sorry! Geez. i didn't even have a bra on.” My drummer, leo, stood infront of me with the hangover holy grail. coffee. 

I rub my face, god i slept in my makeup. He hands me an iced latte, in which i accept gratefully. We were currently parked in the bus sector of good things festival, approximately two days before it kicked off. I knew he was here, engraved into the back of my fucking skull. I just wonder if they were still together. 

I was talking about noah of course, the topic of him having haunted my dreams the past 4 years. Silhouettes of Silence (SOS) kicked off after we stopped being friends, which im sure  was a real slap in the face for him. I do briefly remember the events leading up to the pure distaste and hurt i feel towards the man, but i could honestly go on forever. 

I was snapped out of thought as leo repeatedly snapped in front of my face. “Get your shit together you haven’t even seen him yet” he says, raising an eyebrow at me. “Wheres lucy and gene?” i ask, glancing around the poorly furnished bus. “Probably hooking up somewhere." “I ought to fire those two one of these days.” 

With a sigh, i get up from my position on the leather couch. “Cmon, we gotta go set up our merch tent.” much to my absolute dismay, we were opposite none other than the bad omens merch tent. I just avoid eye contact. I loiter near pierce the veils tent, danielle had babysat me my entire childhood so we were close. 

“Silhouettes of silence, huh?” i heard a voice behind me. I could recognise that little shit anywhere. “Folio!!” i turn on my heels, running towards him. I hug him tightly, even after all this time he still smells and feels the same. “Ive missed you, man.” he says, pulling away. I shrug awkwardly, “hah… sorry. Kind of skipped town after everything went down. Im proud of you, you look well.” i say, shifting awkwardly on my feet. “Same to you bella, you look better.” he says with that stupid smile. “We should hang out some time.” i say, smiling at him. “Mhm, bring back our thrifting adventures.’ he says, glancing back to his tent. “Hey i gotta go, catch you later yeah?” he says, disappearing before i can even say anything. 

“That was an absolute disaster.” i gesture to danielle, who had appeared next to me. “Eh, id say it wasn’t too bad. If the rest of em are like that, this’ll be a breeze for you.” she responds. “Just wish it wasn’t like this.” i say. She hums, before stepping back to return to her organising. I take a deep breath, it was day one and i was already exhausted. I manage to leg it back to the bus without another unnecessary encounter with an omen boy, but at what cost. 

I step inside the dark tour bus to be met with the sound of moans and skin slapping. 

Oh my god. 

“Abstinence in the tour bus they said. Itll be fun being in a band they said” 

—--------------------------

Another day of rehearsals and setting up, pre show day nerves hitting me hard. I go for a walk after the suns set, just minding my own business. It was late, and quiet. Moments like this really kept me alive. My bassist and guitarist were immature, i feel like im going no where with my life, im still caught up on a GUY- oh god theres somebody behind me. 

“You look like shit.” 

“Oh my fucking GOD jolly you scared the shit out of me you creep.” i hiss, turning around. He just laughs, walking alongside me. “Its like 11pm, why are you out here walking alone?” he asks. “Thinking.” i mutter, looking down at my feet. “Fuck. i cannot see.” he mumbles, turning his phone flash on. 

We do a lap of the festival grounds, just catching up a bit. “You look different.” jolly says abruptly. I stop walking, now confused. “Sorry?” “its just.. I dont know. Youve lost weight, dyed your hair, started a band, covered yourself in tattoos its just.. Weird. You definitely look more.. You.” he says. I ponder for a moment. “Geez youre observant.” 

We finish our lap off, before going our separate ways to our buses. “Soo… seen him yet? Leo asks, sprawled out on a leather couch with some chips. “No… not yet atleast. But i'm gradually ticking off his bandmates.” i respond, sitting down next to him to steal a chip. “They were your friends too, bella.” he says, his voice softening on me. “Dont get all sappy on me” i say, shoving him. He laughs.

—--------------------------------------------

Showtime. 

I  could actually throw up. 

I stand infront of the shitty bathroom mirror, some comfy flares and a hoodie on for now. I take deep breaths before warming up my voice.

Everyone gathers for soundcheck. 

“Hi yes im in my slippers, uhhh someone give me a song to sing.” 

“Floral and fading!!!” 

“My voice doesn’t go thaaaat high!!” 

Its about 3pm now, ive already pregamed some drinks and some artists have even started. Leo is curling my hair, while i cake on some makeup. “Im so not ready for this.” i say, setting my face. “You’ll do perfectly fine, warm your voice up.” he says, poking my side. 

I stand backstage, cracking my knuckles. Something I usually do out of pure fear. I rock on the balls of my feet, zoning the fuck out. “You got this.” Lucy says, standing in front of me. I just nod, anxiety swirling in my stomach. “You’re on in 10.” the stage manager says, walking behind me. I sigh, rubbing my face. “Im gonna shit myself” i choke out a laugh. 

I finally get my shit together and step out onto the main stage. Our song ‘urban legends’ blares through the plethora of speakers, my stage presence is bipolar compared to me naturally. I’m confident on stage, not in real life. 

Passion seeps through my voice as i perform our debut album, ‘echoes of silence’ the crowd is ecstatic, feeling the vibe. I transition into our newer songs, whom have grown popular on tiktok. Its exhausting really, but i love the adrenaline. 

As our set closes, i stalk past all the sea of backstage members, catching the eye of the one man id been trying to avoid. I don’t have time to care though, i can hear leo walking behind me, trying to get my attention. Fuck. i need a bucket. 

I run into the backstage bathrooms, throwing up. Gene and lucy hold my hair back. My ears are ringing and i feel queasy.

The last thing i hear before i black out is

“Is she okay?”

_____________________________

credits to whoever came up with 'abstinence in the tour bus' i read it somewhere and think of it religiously lol.