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thetempleofthemasaigoddess · 10 months ago

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Gentleman caller

Sanji x reader. NSFW!!

This fic was inspired by Usopp visiting Kaya at her mansion at night. One Piece of course is not that sort of story, but... what if things were allowed to get a little more spicy?

TAGGING @holymusicalmothman @b7717 @mcereal @aamon47 Thanks for asking!!

*****

"Are you sure you don't want a glass of warm milk before you go to bed, miss?"

"I am sure, Kyla." you answer politely. The truth is you haven't drunk a glass of milk to help you fall asleep since you were ten (that is, almost half your life) but your governess keeps asking, every single night, and every single night you answer no; still, you know she does it out of worry and affection for you, which you sincerely appreciate "I think I'll go now; will you tell my father good-night for me, when he returns?"

Kyla promises she will, and returns to the kitchen to clean up after dinner, while you walk out of the villa's large dining room, cross a long corridor and climb the stairs to the upper floor, finally reaching your bedroom.

Except for Kyla in the kitchen you are alone, since the cook and the gardener, who do not reside in the villa, already left, and your father is as usual busy with a business dinner. You don't feel lonely exactly, since that state of affairs has been going on since your mother died when you were still too young to remember her, but it does feel a little weird to live in such a large place, no less than twelve bedrooms on the first floor alone and at least six other rooms that have been closed for years since you literally don't know how to occupy them, when it's only the two of you... a waste of space, even though you and your father often host parties and receive many guests.

And the most important of those visitors by far is going to arrive soon, a person your father has no idea has already visited so many times before...

You take off your shoes, and spend a few minutes in the en-suite bathroom refreshing yourself before closing the bedroom's door behind you. You sigh, happy and excited, as you let yourself fall on the bed, observing the room you have slept in since you were maybe six and that you will soon leave: the desk cluttered with paper models, scarps of fabric and sewing tools; the two mannequins wearing your latest creations, a green cocktail dress and a simpler but elegant light blue men's shirt; the bookstore full of sewing manuals, fashion catalogs and the biographies of your favourite designers; the large poster on a wall, depicting a famous, elegantly dressed model... and the glass door that, only a few minutes after you have retired to your room, starts being hit by tiny pebbles, picked from the garden below.

Your guest is here. You happily stand from the bed, glance quickly to the full length mirror on the wall to make sure your hair is combed and in order, and reach the glass door to quickly step onto the balcony.

Standing in the garden under you like a suitor ready to serenade you, more handsome than a fairy-tale hero and beaming as if about to see all his dreams come true, is him. The former assistant cook of your family, your best friend in the world, your...

"Sanji!" you call out to him, voice barely rising above a whisper as you wave your hand at him, a greeting he returns in kind, clearly happy to see you, hidden among the trunks of the centuries-old trees; the night is particularly dark, heavy clouds covering the crescent moon and most of the stars, but his smile is brighter than any other source of light.

"Are you alone?" Sanji asks urgently as he glances all around him; no one has reason to visit the garden at this hour and the balcony is oriented towards the back of the villa, far from the main entrance through which your father would come in, but you both know how imperative it is to keep your rendez-vous secrets.

"I am; my dad hasn't returned yet and Kyla is in the kitchen. You can come up."

When you decided you would meet in secret at night, five years ago, you had offered to find a rope for him to climb, but Sanji never needed it. Tonight, as usual, you look on as he nimbly climbs the tree closest to the villa's wall, clinging to the huge trunk and then to the largest branches until he's jumping above the balcony and directly in your arms.

You embrace each other, your profiles standing out against the light filtering from the room, and for a full minute neither feels the need to talk. Sanji's arms hold you close by the waist, his lips pressed against your temple in a chaste kiss; you lose yourself in his scent, the costly perfume you bought for him because you knew he liked but couldn't afford it and and that never fails to make you shiver, as you enjoy the sensation of his slim but strong body pressed against yours.

"Do you have it?" you ask after a while, pulling away just enough to look at him in the eyes; you thought about nothing else for days, more nervous than if it had been your own future career at stake "The answer from the school. Did you receive it?"

"I have."

"... and?!"

Sanji, as usual neatly dressed in one of the dark suits he wears at work, smiles at you, his fingers brushing against your face; a small backpack hangs from his shoulder. "Can we go inside before we talk?" he proposes "I have something for you as well."

Knowing he brought you a treat from the restaurant he works at makes you happy, but nothing beats the simple, pure pleasure of his company. Wordlessly you take his hand to lead him inside, leaving the now empty balcony behind.

*****

Your friendship with Sanji began exactly one decade ago; you were the only daughter of a powerful politician, living alone with him at the villa and whose pathological shyness had left her virtually friendless, him a newly orphaned boy your father had decided to hire as assistant to the cook, so that he could support himself. One afternoon, you visited the kitchen to ask for a snack, since you were starving and dinner was still hours away; the cook told you that he was sorry but your father, already then worried for your weight, had strictly forbidden him from feeding you between meals. You noticed Sanji, busy scrubbing a large pot in the sink, but he seemed so focused on his job you decided not to disturb him to introduce yourself.

You left, disappointed but unwilling to insist, out of respect for both your father and the cook who was just following orders, but a few minutes later, as you studied in the library, he joined you, a nervous smile on his face and a salami sandwich in his hands.

"Please don't tell anyone, especially not your dad." he told you as he put it in your hands "I hope you liked it, I put some mayonnaise on it because I saw the cook used it to prepare your school lunch yesterday."

You did (and still do) like mayonnaise on your sandwiches, and in that moment you were doubly astonished: that he heard your request for a snack even though he had looked so engrossed in the cookware to wash, and that he had decided to risk your father's wrath to help you, less than a week after being hired.

"Thank you, I... thank you so much! That was very kind of you." you told him, for once forgetting your shyness "My name is (name). What's yours?"

"I'm Sanji. And don't worry; I'm sure your dad means well, but no one should starve, especially not at our age. Don't tell anyone, ok? I know he forbade the cook from feeding you snacks, and i'm not supposed to visit the family's wing of the villa without a valid reason."

You obviously kept his secret, and from that day on, you and Sanji quickly became inseparable, spending together all your free time from school and work; he secretly fed you every time your father's concern about your weight made the cook limit your meals, and you used your allowance to buy him cooking books he studied to pursue his dream of becoming a famous chef. Apart from your father, you had never loved anyone like him; Sanji was the other half of your soul, an acerbic but steadfast feeling that made you sure you would never feel alone, as long as he were by your side, and you would not have left him for all the treasures, and the good food, in the world.

Your father, who was happy you had finally made a friend and didn't mind you had chosen the kitchen boy and not one of your school mates, who belonged to the city's most affluent and prominent families, never had anything against it... at least until you were both fourteen, when he suddenly decided it was inappropriate for the two of you to spend so much time together; as a sign of peace, he found Sanji a more prestigious job in a famous restaurant at the other side of the city. That, in your father's opinion, would have meant the end of your friendship, but it obviously didn't: and after all, with all the sandwiches and portions of dessert he had snuck you, hadn't your friendship been based on secrecy since the very beginning?

For five years Sanji has spent with you almost every evening he is free from the restaurant; he climbs the trees next to your balcony and you let him in, and sometimes you spend the whole night talking, or leave together to visit a bar or go dancing. Is it dangerous, should your father discover what you are up to? Undoubtedly so, especially since you know he only worries about you, whether it is about the food you eat or the places you visit in a large and dangerous city; but you are an adult, more than old enough to decide how to live your life, and Sanji is always ready to protect you when someone bothers you in a club, and he would never feed you something that could seriously endanger your health. You don't know why exactly your father has suddenly decided you mustn't be friends with him anymore, but you are determined not to lose him, especially now that your relationship has started evolving beyond mere friendship... and your own dreams risk separating you forever.

*****

"So? What did the school say?" you insist as Sanji closes the glass door behind the two of you; your heart is pounding, wishing with every fiber of your being you could change the decision the commission must have taken days ago "Did you get in?"

For years Sanji has dreamed of attending the most prestigious cooking school in the country, the Baratie Culinary Arts Academy in the capital; this year he has finally reached the required age to enroll, but the entrance examination, that your friend has taken two weeks ago, is notoriously difficult, especially for who, like Sanji, also has to apply for a scholarship. Your friend was meant to receive the results of his exam today, and you had decided you would also share your own secret with him... and then, hopefully, you would both have something to celebrate.

"I'll tell you in a minute."

"Sanji, please... I haven't thought about anything else all day!" you complain, fearing your friend's reticence is due to shame for his failure; Sanji, busy emptying his backpack on your desk, smiles, before rubbing the back of his head.

"The truth is... I haven't opened the letter yet." he admits "I hoped we could do it together... mainly because I don't have the courage to do it by myself."

There is nothing wrong with wanting a friend close when one is both scared and excited for something, but in that moment your heart breaks for Sanji: he has lost his parents, had to take care of himself since he was still a child, and while he has a good job and could try again next year, being refused admission to the Baratie would break his heart.

You wait patiently as Sanji quickly sets the table for the two of you: cutlery, napkins, glasses, a bottle of water and his latest effort in the kitchen: two portions of a delicious chocolate cake, bigger than what your father would allow you to eat but still relatively small, since your friend does care about your health.

"This looks delicious, Sanji!" you exclaim, as always happy to taste your friend's latest creations "But wait..."

You walk to the small fridge next to the door, almost hidden under a pile of scraps of fabric left over from your latest creation and that you will find a use for one day, and retrieve a small but expensive bottle of champagne that you have bought in the afternoon.

"I thought we could use it to celebrate; I have also taken two flutes from the kitchen." you explain.

"I still don't know if I got in, (name)."

"I'm sure you did. And if the chefs at the Baratie can't see, and taste, how extraordinarily talented you are, it's their loss." you point out "You wanna open it?"

A minute later you are sitting face to face at your desk, cake and champagne ready to be enjoyed, the white envelope Sanji took from his backpack in your hands.

"Shall I?" you ask softly; your friend, who has never looked so pale and so young, nods.

"Please."

You both hold your breath as you open the envelope and then unfold the single sheet of paper inside. You make sure Sanji cannot see your face as you read...

"So? What... what does it say?"

"Sanji, I'm so sorry..."

"Oh, God..." your friend, heartbroken, stares at you for a moment before slumping on his chair, face hidden in his hands "I can't believe it... I was so sure..."

"I'm sorry because you have some very difficult years ahead..."

"... what?"

"Of course. Nights spent studying, sharing a room with six other people, waking up extra-early to go to class... Really, I don't envy you..."

Finally you look at him, beaming, while Sanji's eyes grow bigger as he slowly catches the meaning of your words.

"You mean...?"

"You got in! And you got the scholarship as well. Oh, Sanji, I'm so proud of you! I knew you could do it!"

You stand and embrace, laughing with shared delight. "I can't believe it." Sanji murmurs, still as he looks at the admission letter, signed by Zeff, a famous chef who is the Baratie's headmaster "There were so many people at the exam, and at one point I was so nervous I spilled a bowl of vinaigrette on my apron..."

"As I said, an important school like the Baratie, with so many experienced chefs, couldn't not recognize your talent." you point out, happier than you remember ever being "Classes start in a month, you'll have to give your notice at the restaurant."

"Yeah..."

Sanji takes your hands in his, kissing them devotedly. "I could have never done it without you." he murmurs, with the sort of gaze and inflection that, years after your first kiss, still makes you shiver "All the books you have bought me... and it was you who convinced me to apply. I owe you so much, (name)."

"You would have done the same for me; and we both know the two of us are beyond this sort of talk. I am so happy for you, truly; I know you will become a great chef."

Sanji smiles, circling your waist with his arm as he uses his free hand to pick one of the flutes from the desk. "Shall we celebrate, then?"

"Actually..."

"Actually?"

"Actually, I also have something to tell you." you admit, a new, excited smile opening on your face "You know that important fashion school in the capital, the one many of my favourite designers attended?"

Fashion has always been your greatest passion; you have designed clothes since you were a child, and thanks to a family friend who owns a large tailor shop you have learnt the basics of the trade, how to cut fabric, sew and tailor an item of clothing. Your father, who approves of your interests, has offered to introduce you to some fashion designers his friends or associates are acquainted to, but you are determined to accept no recommendations and take no shortcuts; just like Sanji, and any person who has to work hard to realize their dreams, you will pursue your education, earn an apprenticeship at a fashion house, and in time, hopefully, open your own and make a name for yourself as a designer. It will take you years and fashion is a famously difficult field to break into, but you are determined to give your all, so that whatever the future may bring you will be free from regret, and live doing what you love.

"Of course; the Nefertari Vivi Fashion Institute." Sanji promptly answers; miss Vivi is one of your idols, a ground-breaking designer who has revolutionized the fashion world and then focused on teaching, establishing one of the best-reputed educational institutions of the field "So what?"

You smile, still excited almost a week after receiving your own letter, that you asked your father to open for you.

Sanji gapes. "You are kidding."

"I am not!"

Your friend laughs. "And you didn't tell me anything!" he exclaims, and you apologize, telling him you didn't want to disappoint both of them in the not unlikely event you were not admitted.

"But you were?"

You still can't believe it yourself. "I was! There was no exam; I only had to send miss Vivi some of my creations, and a few days ago I received the acceptance letter."

"(name), that's amazing!"

"I know! I can't wait to begin. I also apply for a scholarship, but unfortunately I didn't get it."

Sanji asks whether you plan on asking your father to pay for your classes, but you shake your head: you need to learn to take care of yourself, living alone once you'll move to the capital and earning money to support yourself. To this end, you have contacted a friend who lives in the capital and owns a bookstore: she has accepted to hire you, and you have sold your jewels to pay your tuition fees.

"(name), you didn't!" Sanji exclaims, flabbergasted "Those were your mom's things..."

"I know." you sigh, still feeling saddened and a bit guilty even though you know you did the right thing "But this is my future we are talking about, the opportunity to build a career, and a life for myself, without my father taking care of me or using my family's money to buy whatever I need or want. I want to earn my keep, Sanji; I want to prove I can take care of myself, and that I am more than a spoiled little girl."

Sanji softly points out that no one who knows you could ever think that; he smiles, his handsome face expressing a joy too great and deep for words, as he takes you in his arms once more. "So we are both moving to the capital to study." he mentions "And pursue our dreams. Which means we'll both be very busy..."

"... but we won't have to hide our relationship anymore." you happily finish for him, having already reflected on the matter; you plan on living in a student residence, since their rooms are cheaper than other types of accommodation, and guests are usually not admitted, but at least you will be able to meet in the open, having dates like any other couple instead of having to hide like a married man with his mistress, lest your father learns about your relationship "I can't wait! In a month we'll both be living in the capital, studying with the best in our fields, and nothing will stop us from being together. I... I don't think I've ever been so happy!"

"Me neither." Sanji agrees, one of the flutes in his hand once more "Shall we drink to our future? And then enjoy the cake?"

You agree, but you barely have had the time to clink your glasses together when a sudden noise reaches your ears: an unexpected, but otherwise innocuous noise, at least for who, unlike the two of you, has nothing to hide...

A soft but firm knocking on the door.

Sanji looks at you, suddenly tense; you turn your eyes to the door, wishing to be able to see beyond it. "Yes?"

"(name), it's dad. May I come in?"

The flute almost slips from Sanji's fingers; terrified as if a whole army were standing at the other side of the door, ready to barge in and tear both to pieces, you both nonetheless act quickly, having prepared for such an occurrence since your first nocturnal meeting. Your friend quickly retrieves the flutes and the champagne bottle, while you do the same with the cake plates and the other things placed on your desk; a moment later, Sanji has slipped under your bed, a dusty and uncomfortable hiding spot where nonetheless he'll be safe from your father.

I hope.

"(name)? Is everything all right?"

"Just a moment, dad! I'm coming!" you answer, hoping you sound less nervous, almost terrified, than you feel; you quickly glance all around you, making sure no trace of Sanji's presence is visible, and finally go open the door.

"Hello, dad. How was dinner?" you ask, approaching to kiss him on the cheek; even though he interrupted you and Sanji, you're happy he came to say good-night to you before retiring to his own bedroom.

"Pretty good, even though the lemon cake was not up the restaurant's usual standard. Are you ok?"

"Yes, of course; I was... preparing to go to bed." you answer vaguely, before something in your peripheral vision makes you tense; it is Sanji's backpack, placed where your friend had left it less than half an hour ago: on the bed, perfectly visible.

Shit. SHIT. Shitshitshitshit...

You move a step to the right, so as to prevent your father from noticing the backpack; it is not as compromising as if he had found Sanji's tie, or his shoes, but he could notice the backpack is a men's model, and inside he could find your friend's personal documents, five years after he had forbidden you from having further contact with him. Don't look at it. Don't see it. Please please please...!

Thank God your father, a clever and perceptive man, seems unconcerned with out-of-place objects in your room. "I was thinking tomorrow we could go buy a new suitcase for you; you need a large one, since you'll have to bring most of your things when you'll move to the capital. I hope you'll allow me to pay for that at least."

You smile, grateful for the offer and even more for the intention. "Of course, dad. Thank you."

He smiles, taking your hands in his. "I am so proud of you." he murmurs "I have always known you had a great talent for fashion, but being admitted to such a prestigious school... You'll become the greatest designer of your generation, I'm sure."

"Dad..."

"Please, let me be happy for you. You know I'm always there if you need something, right? I know you have found a job, and you are smart and mature enough to take care of yourself, but if you ever need money, or you want to come home, you can do it; no judgement. Oh, I wish your mom could see you..."

You bite your lip, suddenly unable to talk; a lump of emotion blocks your throat. You are happy, and grateful, that your father supports your desire to move to the capital and attend the Nefertari Institute, especially since he's so protective and you know he wished you would one day follow his footsteps and go into politics, and while you can't wait to start your classes and enjoy life in a big city, the thought of leaving him, and the house where you were born, fills you with sadness... and guilt.

"I... I will never thank you enough for everything you have done for me." you murmur, stepping closer to him to hug your father "And I'm sorry if... if I ever made it hard for you, especially after mom died. I love you very much, dad. I'll be back often to visit, I promise; and I'll miss you so much."

"I'll miss you too, my darling girl." your father answers; he's moved as well, but better than you at hiding it "But I'm so proud you're beginning your life in the world. And I hope you'll let me visit you as well."

"Of course! Every time you can."

"Good. Now, we should both go to sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

He kisses you on the forehead, and soon after he's closing the room's door behind him. You are still staring at it when, a minute later, Sanji joins you, resting his hands on your shoulders.

"Are you all right?" he asks softly; he has known you long enough to perceive what you are feeling, the love for your father and the guilt for the relationship you are carrying out behind his back, the efforts you are making to build a life for yourself away from his protective but constrictive influence and the way you'll miss him terribly and feel guilty for leaving as soon as you could.

"Yeah, just... I was just thinking."

You sigh, turning to face Sanji, desperately trying to return to the carefree joy of five minutes ago, and drive away the melancholia filling your heart. After all, it is normal for children to find their way in life away from their family, and your father is still young, dedicated to his job and career, and has many friends and a new partner he is very close to; he'll be all right, and whatever loneliness and melancholy he will feel, you know he will accept it.

"Your father is a good man." Sanji points out as you both retrieve your drinks and plates from the wardrobe you had hidden them in "He didn't even know me, but he gave me a job when I was alone in the world, and then he found me an even more prestigious one at the restaurant; every berry I ever earned I owe it to him. I'll never forget all the help he gave me."

You smile, happy to hear your friend talk well about your father. "You still have a good opinion of him even if he forbade us from being friends?"

"Well, I shouldn't resent him for that, since we never stopped seeing each other. And he only wanted to protect you, which I can understand."

You blink. "... sorry? What are you talking about?"

"Right, I... I never told you, did I?"

Sanji rubs the back of his neck, suddenly bashful. "You never wondered why your dad was suddenly against us being friends?"

You had. "Well... I thought it was because we weren't children anymore... and you a boy and I a girl..."

"Exactly, but... there was something else. When I was fourteen, I... I wrote you a letter; there was something important I needed to tell you, but I couldn't find the courage to do it in person. I left it on your pillow one day while you were in school, but your father found it... and read it."

You wait for Sanji to elaborate, but he seems focused on staring at the floor, avoiding your gaze. "It was... something inappropriate for a father to read...?"

"Nothing vulgar, if that is what you are wondering; but... it did say I wanted us to be more than friends, and this is what your father opposed, not that I was an orphan without money and prospectives, but because he thought you were too young for that sort of relationship. So... so he asked me to leave things between us as they were, and when I refused, he decided it was better to separate us, and he found me a job at the other side of town, forbidding me from contacting you again, at least until you were of age."

He looks at you, tense since he has no idea how you could react, but the truth is you don't know either. "He sent you away because he didn't want us to date?" you recapitulate in the end, flabbergasted "What would have been so wrong about that? Lots of girls get a boyfriend at fourteen, and he knew you, he knew you would treat me well..."

"Well, he's always been protective of you. Sorry, maybe I should have told you before..."

"It's ok." you reassure him, even though you are not completely sure of it yourself; you understand your father's reasons, and appreciate he didn't simply kick Sanji out in the street, but at the same time you can't believe all of it was to stop your best friend, a boy he knew posed no danger, from confessing his feelings "I... I'm so sorry, Sanji..."

"Well, it wasn't so bad; and as I said, I really don't have a reason to complain, since we did end up becoming more than friends. I felt guilty lying to your dad... but I couldn't give up on you."

He smiles, as he picks one of the flutes up from your desk again. "Now, can we please have a toast to our future?"

You do, happily enjoying your late-night snack; you delicately clink your glasses together before taking a sip, and then feed each other cake, your knees touching under the desk.

Silence has fallen on the room, and on the two of you, as usual when you are with Sanji a comfortable, peaceful silence that you don't feel the need to fill with small talk; you smile at each other, both happy and excited at the future opening in front of you... a future that you will face together as you have always done, finding strength and support in each other.

"Does chef Zeff teaches any class at the Baratie?" you ask after a while; you know the extent of Sanji's admiration for the principal of the cooking school, and it would be amazing for him to learn personally from his idol.

"Not for first-year students; but I heard that he sometimes gives one-on-one classes, if he finds a particularly talented pupil."

"... which means he'll leave all his other classes to tutor you exclusively, as soon as he tastes your True Bluefin sauté... or your salami sandwich."

Sanji smiles; he knows how much faith you have in his cooking abilities, and he never stops being grateful for it. "You're exagerrating."

"I'm not." you very seriously protest, as you clean your dish from any crumble of cake; you know watching your diet means taking care of your health, but you would happily eat three more! "A month and he'll let you skip a year or two, I promise."

"Well, if you are so sure..."

A few minutes later Sanji is putting the dirty plates and cutlery away in his backpack, while you observe the sky out of the glass door, leaning with one shoulder against the wall.

"Once we both live in the capital we won't have to hide anymore, but we'll be so busy with school..." you consider "I'm afraid we won't have a lot of time to spend together."

"Still, it will be an improvement from what we have now. And all the city's school dormitories are in the same campus, which means we can visit each other every time we want."

You nod, still pensive, and a moment later Sanji's arms are circling your waist, his chest pressed against your back.

"It's going to be all right." he murmurs, his lips brushing against the shell of your ear in a way that makes you shiver in such a pleasant way "We are going to be all right, I promise, no matter how busy we are."

"Oh, I know; believe me, I'm not doubting my feelings, or yours. We have waited for so long to be able to live our relationship in the open, and I can't wait to be able to see you every day, even for five minutes between classes or to cram together at night. It's just..."

You turn in his embrace, almost apologetic as you smile at him. "I feel so happy, as if all my dreams were coming true: attending a great school, not having to hide what we share. It is almost too good to be true; and I'm almost afraid to wake up and find out it really was just a dream."

Sanji is too kind to make fun of your fears; he considers them as he holds you close, equally aware that no matter how steadfast your feelings for each other are and even though both of you have rightfully earned admission in the schools of your dreams, you are both beginning a new chapter in life, and neither knows what future may have in store for you.

Still, it is pointless to worry about tomorrow, and Sanji decides that more than reassure you, he wants to make you forget your fears, even if just for a minute. "You know what I'm thinking about?" he asks after a minute, his tone pensive "That I've been here for at least thirty minutes, and I haven't kissed, or been kissed by, you, even once."

"Ah, that won't do."

"It really won't. So..."

He grins, happy to see you smile as well, and when he lifts your chin with his fingers you obediently close your eyes and offer him your mouth to kiss.

Almost three years have passed since your first time, in this very room, and kissing Sanji still makes your heart tremble; he is sweet but passionate, not aggressive but intense enough to leave no doubt about his feelings, and his intentions. You enjoy the feeling of his mouth on yours for a moment before kissing him back, Sanji's lips hot against yours; you feel him smile, his hands now holding you by the waist while yours gently caress his hair and neck.

"Gods, you taste so good..."

"It's the cake, Sanji."

"No, it's not. You are delicious, (name); absolutely... mesmerizing..."

You keep kissing for a while, as your hands start moving on each other's body; Sanji whispers your name, suddenly breathless, as your mouth descends towards his neck, at first gently pecking at the delicate skin of his throat, and then sucking hard enough to make him moan.

"(name)..." he murmurs again, and you smile, circling his hips with your arms; you nuzzle at his chest, the soft fabric of his shirt so familiar and comforting against your skin, and wish you could stay like this forever.

You feel Sanji's hands move on your hips and back, his fingers brushing against the hem of your skirt.

"I like this one." he murmurs in your ear; he is aware of the effect he has on you and exploits it mercilessly "Is it new?"

"Made it myself." you answer proudly; you had seen the skirt on a fashion magazine, and rather than buying it you had decided to see whether you could recreate it "Does it look good on me?"

"You look absolutely ravishing, my darling..."

And ravish is exactly what Sanji seems intent on doing; a minute later your back is pressed against the wall, with a very handsome, very amorous young chef intent on making you forget your very name.

Sanji's back and shoulder muscles are taut under your hands as they run all over his body, like a beautiful clay statue molded by your touch; you can feel his heart pounding against your chest, the tenseness in his body as he tries to restrain himself in order not to unsettle you, not to take more than what you would be ready to offer. Dear Sanji, you think fondly as you arch your back to press your chest against his and finally, finally feel his hands grab at your buttocks, don't you know at this point you don't even have to ask?

Sanji's jacket is the first item of clothing to go, falling on the closest chair after you helped him take it off; he returns the courtesy freeing you from the heavy sweater you wear, leaving you with a tight camisole, the different colour of your bra visible under it. He smiles, clearly appreciating the view, but a moment later his expression turns serious, almost reverent, as he gazes at you, almost as if he couldn't believe he's really holding you in his arms.

"I love you so much, you know that?" he murmurs, and no matter how many times he has already uttered those words, you know how deeply he means them, how utterly and hopelessly devoted he is to you and to what you hope to build together. To be the object of such an intense ardor is... humbling, since you're not quite sure you deserve it, and you could even feel guilty for it, if your feelings for Sanji were not equally deep and strong. You don't remember a day in which you didn't love him, ever since he risked your father's ire (and, consequently, the job he had just gotten) to feed you, there has always been a special place for him in your heart, a place no one else could ever occupy; Sanji is the other half of you, someone who you don't need in order to live but who you want to share your life with. Without him you could go on; but you know you'll never feel complete ever again.

And to express everything you feel -all the love, the joy that fills your heart when he's by your side and the hopes you cherish for your future together- you are unable to say more than...

"I love you too, Sanji."

... and that is more than a little frustrating.

You know what you share goes beyond physical attraction, but you can't deny it is flattering, and exciting, to know you can have that sort of effect on Sanji, a man attractive and charming enough he would have no troubles attracting a date; you sometimes think about the girls he meets at work, or the clients he could easily flirt with when he has to cover for a waiter at the restaurant, but you know he is being sincere when he swears you're the only one he cares about, and that he has never betrayed your trust. On the other hand, you are not good with words and Sanji doesn't care for expensive gifts, which makes you fear, sometimes, you could do more to prove how much you care for him, and how committed you are to your relationship; the truth is, you love him so much, a feeling deeper and more encompassing than anything you thought you would be able to feel, that you lack the words to express it, and any declaration, no matter how grandiose or romantic, would fall short of your actual feelings.

Then, you suddenly realize, maybe you shouldn't tell him; after all, like your father always says, actions do speak louder than words...

Sanji's stares, eyes wide open, as he sees you take off your camisole. A moment later, he hurries to unbutton your shirt, and you move to help him, and somehow, maybe because you're in a hurry or because your hands are shaking, you tear off a button.

"Oh, Gods..." you stutter, embarrassment filling you "I'm so sorry, I... I'll sew it back on, I promise..."

Sanji shakes his head, as if to say you needn't worry; he is a sight to behold, short of breath, his usually pale complexion turned pink with excitement - with lust. He looks at you, he looks at your hands still holding the two panels of his shirt, and orders:

"Tear it off."

"... what?"

"Rip it off me. (name), please, I want you to undress me."

"Are... are you sure?" you ask again; the idea is more than a little exciting, but the experienced seamstress and future fashion designer in you hesitates at the thought of ruining a perfectly serviceable item of clothing.

Sanji grins, desire and affection filling his brown eyes. "Yeah, sure; it's an old one. Please, darling..."

"As you wish..."

A sound of tearing and ripping fills the room, and a moment later Sanji's shirt, now missing every single of its buttons and irreparably damaged, lies on the floor, while he's naked from the waist up - and Gods, just looking at him is enough to make you forget any hesitancy you may have... including the ones regarding the presence of your father, in his bedroom at the other hand of the corridor.

He smiles, more than aware of the effect he's having on you, as he shamelessly stares back at your body. "Come here, my beauty." he invites you, and a moment later he has taken you in his arms once again, your hands moving on each other's newly exposed skin.

"Let's move to the bed." you propose in a whisper between kisses, and laugh softly as Sanji hurriedly picks you up, bridal style, to carry you and delicately lay you down on the light blue sheets of your bed. A minute to take off your shoes, and he has joined you; you are kissing again as he makes quick work of your bra's clasp, but Sanji stops to admire you, lying under him, and for a moment he seems unable to speak.

"You are so beautiful." he murmurs; he looks you in the eyes, to gauge your reaction and make sure he's not overstepping, before letting his hand brush against and then close around your breast "My (name)... I've waited for this moment since I was maybe twelve, you know?"

"You could have told me before."

"A gentleman never asks, he waits for the lady to offer."

You smile, shamelessly enjoying the sensuality of his touch, the delicious sensation of Sanji's warm hands caressing and stimulating and gently squeezing the warm flesh of your chest; he sees you jolt when the pad of his thumb finds your nipple, and smiles, and you smile with him.

"Well, this lady is offering." you point out a moment later; you want there to be no doubt or ambiguity about what you want "I want you, Sanji. Will you make love to me?"

Unexpectedly, and while you can see the desire in his eyes as he looks at you, he hesitates. "You know we don't have to do it." he softly points out "You don't... owe me anything; I don't want you to think this is something we need to do in order to make our relationship last, or since we have been together for a while..."

"I know. I... I just want to live this with you; I want you to be my first, as well the last. I want you, and I'm tired of hiding it."

"(name), I..."

"Sanji, please."

That last word, as well as the tone you utter it in, being begged to take you in his arms and make you scream, would make even the most dispassionate man forget himself, and Sanji is far from that. In a whisper, he asks you to lift your hips, and takes both your skirt and panties off; he licks his lips as he looks at you, as if anticipating what he is going to do to you, and delicately lifts your foot in his hands. His first kiss is placed on your ankle, and then the second at the bottom at your calf, and the third a bit above it, and then on your knee and on your thigh until Sanji is lying on the bed between your open legs, and the sensation of his tongue and hips doing magic on the most hidden part of you is so delicious, so lurid and at the same time heavenly, you have to press your hand to your mouth to keep yourself from screaming. You can feel the wave mounting inside you, and you couldn't stop it even if you wanted to, and a minute later your first real orgasm hits you, and you are shaking in Sanji's grasp as he licks you like a man starved, proud and excited by the pleasure he was able to give you.

Your eyes meet above your heaving chest; you are both smiling, breathless. "That was... amazing." you whisper, and Sanji grins as he reaches to kiss you once more, neither bothering about the taste.

"We have just started." he assures you "Will you help me with my clothes, darling?"

He stands from the bed to let you take his trousers off, smiling softly as he sees how your hands shake; a moment later he's finally naked, and you can't help gulping as you gently take his erection in your hand, heavy and hard. You swallow, and instinctively lower your face to it to lick the tip.

Sanji jumps. "Shit..."

"I'm sorry, I thought... that was ok..." you stammer, suddenly alarmed "Did I hurt you?"

"Hurt?" he repeats, completely breathless, as if he had never heard that word before "Quite... quite the opposite. I... (name), I..."

He can't find the words to describe what he wants, but thank God you know it already, and this is miles beyond what you had already experience in, but you must be naturally talented, or perhaps this is one of those things you simply know how to do. You keep Sanji's eyes in yours as you take his erection in your mouth, swallowing it almost to the base and using your lips, your tongue and even (cautiously) your teeth to give him pleasure; he moans, bucking his hips, his hands caressing your hair.

"God... you're so good, baby... you take me so well..."

Emboldened, you wish you could make him climax with your mouth, but Sanji asks you to stop after a while, smiling as he sees you pout. "As much as I love the feeling of your mouth, there is somewhere else I'd rather come." he tell you as he cleans your lips with his fingers "Let me take care of you."

A silent nod is the only answer you feel able to give, and the only one Sanji needed; your hand guides him back on the bed where, a slight and natural awkwardness covered by your kisses, Sanji lies above you, gently caressing your hair as he lifts your leg above his hips.

"I love you." you murmur; you feel barely able to breathe, but those words easily leave your lips, as natural as a breath "Sanji, let me be with you forever."

He smiles, pressing his forehead to yours; he isn't inside you yet, but the intimacy of that moment goes beyond what you could describe in words, the marvelous feeling of being one, a closeness born from love and passion and trust and empathy. You doubt you will ever feel anyone as close as Sanji is in that moment, and that makes you happy.

"Nothing and no one will ever come between us." he murmurs "I promise."

*****

You spend what feels like hours locked in an embrace, exchanging lazy but hot kisses as your hands explore each other's body. Your fondling makes Sanji grow turgid once more, and he has to use your pillow to suffocate his screaming (yes, screaming) as you do get to make him come in your mouth; he gets even a minute later when you both find out that you really enjoy your chest being sucked, which Sanji does until you are a moaning mess, begging for mercy, and he has to gift you your third orgasm, this time using his fingers, to make you calm down.

This night is perfect; this night feels as if it would never end. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and an hour before dawn, after he risked for the second time to fall asleep with his cheek pressed against your chest and your fingers in his hair, Sanji reluctantly abandons the warmth of your bed, and of your body, to get dressed. You both know it can't be helped; if your father discovered him in your bed, even now that you are an adult and about to go live on your own, the consequences would be catastrophic.

"Things will be different once we have moved to the capital." you reassure him as you pick up what is left of his shirt to throw it away "I want my dad to visit, but we can tell him we met again on campus and decided to date; he does like you, and he'll accept I am old enough to have a boyfriend."

"I hope he will." Sanji considers, as he ties his shoes; he hesitates for a moment, and then: "What if I wanted to tell him the truth?"

"You mean...?"

"About us, yes. I could have never given up on you, (name), but I didn't like lying to your father; I owe him so much, and I'd like give his blessing to our relationship. Don't you?"

Nothing would make you happier, even though, you must admit, the prospect of having to confess you have deliberately disobeyed him for five years is not pleasant; you love your father, and the last thing you have ever wanted was to disappoint him, even though there is no price you wouldn't have paid if it meant being with Sanji. You admire the fact your boyfriend wants to be honest with his benefactor, and you need - no, you want to be as brave as he is.

"Then we will tell him."

"Are you sure?"

"I am. It's not going to be pretty, and I know he'll be very angry, but he deserves the truth. We all do." you point out with a sigh; then, seeing Sanji is almost done getting dressed: "Wait..."

You stand as well, and walk to the mannequin wearing the men's shirt, an elegant light blue model with white collar and cuffs. You return to Sanji to offer him the shirt. "Here, wear this."

"... are you sure?"

"Of course, I had planned to give it to you to celebrate your admission to the Baratie. Try it on, let me see how it looks on you."

It looks great, even though it is perhaps more because of Sanji's good looks and physique than anything else; he carefully buttons it, and happily looks at himself in the full-length mirror. "My favourite tie will go perfectly with this."

"I know, why do you think I chose this colour?"

Naked as you are, you don't feel cold, especially as you feel Sanji's gaze lingering on your body as his brown eyes admire the flesh he has lost himself in just two hours ago, but that he's not yet sated by.

Soon, your smile tells him as you return the gaze, committing the beauty of his lithe but strong body to memory, as soon as we have moved to our dormitories, or as soon as my father has to leave for one of his work trips. I want you again too; I think I'll never stop wanting you.

As usual Sanji seems to understand you without the need for words, because he smiles once more and, as soon as he is done admiring himself in the mirror (which you cannot blame him for; the shirt does look amazing on him!) he takes your face in his hands to kiss you once more. "I am so happy." he murmurs "Happy we got to share this moment. I... I do want to be with you forever, but..."

"... but you are happy I was your first, and you mine. I know, Sanji; I feel the same."

You spend a precious minute like this, your foreheads touching, your fingers intertwined, as you breathe in each other's air and savour that new form of intimacy. In this moment, you are not afraid Sanji can doubt your feelings anymore; but in any case, you promise yourself, you'll still make sure he knows how much you love him, every day from now to eternity.

In the end, it's time for your boyfriend to go. He takes his backpack and insists you put your nightgown on, in case one of the neighbours looks out of their windows, before you accompany him on the balcony, where a last kiss sees him climb over the parapet and cautiously reach the tree's closest branches.

"Thanks for the cake! It was really delicious."

Sanji winks at you, mischievousness dancing in his eyes. "I think you thanked me enough already."

"Oh, you are so vulgar..."

Your laugh follows him as Sanji quickly climbs down the tree, finally reaching the ground safe and sound; he looks up at you and waves, and you wave back, and "I'll be back soon; I promise." he says, and you nod as he starts walking away, and remain where you are until Sanji has disappeared, hidden in the murmuring darkness surrounding the villa.

#One Piece #One Piece Live Action #OPLA #Sanji #Vinsmoke Sanji #Black Leg Sanji x reader l #Black Leg Sanji #Sanji x reader #Vinsmoke Sanji x reader #Black Leg Sanji x reader #Taz Skylar #Bellona's stuff #100 notes #200 notes

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satorusdiary · 1 year ago

Text

4:22’ pm - rin itoshi

4:22: hi rinnie

4:22: can you pick me up please, i went on the wrong train..😓

you didn’t expect a fast reply, which made you slump onto one of the benches nearby the train station. you were at-least a few miles away from home.

maybe you should’ve paid attention more towards the trains instead of rushingly getting on a random one that was close to leaving.. but it wasn’t your fault, the train had the number you were supposed to go on!

surprisingly you got a reply not even five minutes later.

rin ml 4:26: oh lord.

rin ml 4:26: send me your location, right now.

you sighed in relief. but, apart of you felt a bit terrified. you knew once you would get home you would get a long lecture from your boyfriend.

honestly seeing rin being pissed off was a mix of three things, scary, hot, and sexy. it was undeniable, even if it would leave him slightly red, you could not deny it.

4:27: (location)

4:27: don’t be maddd..

rin ml 4:28: y/n.

rin ml 4:28: oh my god.

4:28: IM SORRY :((

4:28: i swear i was on the right train!

rin ml 4:29: apperantly not.. you’re stupid.

rin ml 4:29: stay where you are, i’m omw now.

4:30: thank you sooo much rin<33

4:30: i love you.

rin ml 4:32: i love you more

rin ml 4:32: i’m still upset, don’t think you’re off the hook baby.

4:33: :((

“c’mon, let’s go.” your boyfriends sweet voice comes into your senses, slightly startling you as you were busy scrolling on your phone.

before you could say anything, his arm goes around your waist and almost drags you away from the station, making his way to his car.

even if you knew he was frustrated with you, you still smiled and kissed his cheek. you were grateful to have him. very grateful.

“thanks rinnie,” you muttered, hoping he would look back at you. which he did.

though he didn’t reply, he just shook his head and kissed your forehead in return; opening your side of the car so you would get in before getting in his side of the car.

“so, lemme guess. you mixed up the numbers?” your boyfriend side eyes you, turning on the car along with the heater.

your lips formed a thin line, pressing them together. he was right. you nodded your head and avoided eye contact.

“‘m sorry..” you replied, your voice barely a whisper.

rin sighs, shaking his head. you think he would give you the silent treatment, oh how you were so wrong.

he cups your chin with two fingers, forcing you to look up at him without avoiding eye contact. your eyes linger, looking at his orbs.

teal.

the eyes that held all the cold, and seriousness in the word. especially when it was on the field. yet he would never show that side with you.

because he loves you, he adores you. you’re always there when he needs you. there is never a time where he doesn’t see you at his games, cheering him on with everything you’ve got in you.

it’s cute.

he owes you everything. he knows you deserves the world. something as little as this situation isn’t something worth to be stressed out over.

“love, it’s okay.” he murmurs, interlocking his lips with the tip of your nose. he hopes it helps lighten the mood with you.

“next time, just wait for me to pick you up. kay?” he continues, cupping your cheek with one hand. you look up at him in shock. no lecture??

“you’re not gonna lecture me for this? woah!” you gasp, e/c orbs getting brighter.

he chuckles and shakes his head, turning away softly to get the engine of his car starting, not before checking if your seat belt was on.

like always, it’s not on. and you don’t even notice it, even when he groans.

that’s before he moves over to your side to put your seat belt on for you, making sure the strap wasn’t too tight.

“ohhh.. whoops!” you nervously scratch the back of your neck, smiling up at him.

“tch, idiot. i really am the reason to why you’re safe all the time.” a playful smirk appears on his lips, as he drives away from the train station.

you huff and roll your eyes, denying it over and over “no, only sometimes!” you affirmed, noticing how he looks at you with a sarcastic expression.

rin rose his eyebrows, giving you the ‘are ya sure?’ look.you sighed, knowing he was mostly right.

“okay, maybe most times..” he grins, taking your hand into his whilst he drives.

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sunandmhoon · 1 year ago

Text

Your lips my lips...

Genre: Comfort/Fluff/Mild-angst Pairing: Ni-Ki X Reader Summary: “You know what else I regret?” he finally spoke up. His eyes darting quickly to the countdown. 1 minute, It was now or never, he thought. w/c: 1473 MASTERLIST; OTHER WORKS A/N: hehe second story of the day!! I hope you like it ^^ -mari

In another world you would be happy. Maybe in that world you would be stood amongst the crowd in the Big Apple, adorning warm clothes, a scarf wrapped carefully around your neck–courtesy of your boyfriend, who just can’t help but bundle you up. Maybe in that world the count down would be for a new year. A new hopeful year full of new experiences, new beginnings, new worlds.

But you don’t live in that world.

In fact, the world you’re living in currently may not even be a world anymore after five minutes. The clothes that you’re adorning were not soft, nor comfortable. They were rough and heavy, but you had to wear them to survive. The scarf around your neck, covering your mouth was replaced with a mask to keep the smoke out. The countdown on the big building was not counting down to a new year, a new hope, a new beginning. It was counting down to an end.

In all your seventeen years on this earth, you never had a boyfriend. You never had the time to confess your love to the one you wanted, the one you trusted, your soulmate; Riki. Every moment spent felt like a race against time, cautiously hiding from any predators, always sleeping with one eye open.

Maybe the end of the world was more of a blessing than a curse. At least you won't be dealing with life like that right? It just all seemed unfair.

04:00 [1 minute down]

“What are you thinking about?” a voice interrupts your inner monologue. His eyes looked worried. It makes sense though, you thought, the world is ending.

“What is there to think about,” you laughed dryly. It was true, nothing can change in only five minutes. “We’re all gonna die. I think I’m just accepting it.” your eyes not moving from the countdown.

“That’s kind of depressing,” he chuckled lightly. That always amazed you about him, the way he made any situation brighter by simply being there. “I guess it’s true,” he adds, “But do you ever think that maybe, even if it's such a small chance, that maybe something or someone will save us?”

The hopeful tone in his voice almost made you believe him. But you’re past that. Believing.

“Nah, I don’t think so,” you shook your head, “that would be a miracle, and I don’t believe in those anymore.”

“Why not?” Oh Riki and your curious mind.

“Because,” you start, “Look at the situation we’re in right now. Even if the miracle happened, it won’t change the world.” you sighed. “Say, we got more time on this earth, we would still suffer either way.”

“I guess you’re right,” he nods. A part of your heart breaks at the sound of his voice losing its brightness, “I just wish I could have more time to do the things I’ve always wanted to do.”

03:45

“What are your regrets?” you asked, focusing your attention on him this time. You only had 3 minutes left on this earth so why not spend those last times admiring what could have been?

His jet black hair, overgrown and framing his face. Stray bangs are always moving untamed despite how many times he combs his hair back. The moles on his face, decorating it as if little chocolate chips on a cookie. His eyes, sharp and intimidating yet somehow always full of love and care. His lips….

“Well, that’s a loaded question,” this time he’s the one looking at the countdown. “Well, I wish I spent more time with my parents, maybe my siblings too. I wish I wasn’t such a bitch, you know,” he laughs. He looked at you, eyes focusing on yours. In his pupils, the image of regret, heartbreak and desperation.

“What else?”

“I also regret not being brave enough.” his eyes never left yours. Scanning and taking in your face as if he was carving it in his mind. “I regret being a coward. Not speaking up when I wanted to.”

“You’re not a coward, Riki,” you smiled softly, “you’re one of the bravest souls I’ve ever met. Look, we’re alive right now because of you.” you reached out for his hand. His soft, comforting hand. The hand that had held you on cold nights, fed you when you were sick, lifted you up when you fell, wiped your tears, tended to your injuries. His hand.

“No Y/N, I was a coward.” his eyebrows creased, guilt seeping through his veins, “you always stood up for me at school everytime someone said anything bad about me. Yet I never had the balls to stand up to those who talk shit about you.” his eyes looked so guilty and angry that you feared he was nearing tears, “I was so selfish that I put my popularity over you–my Best friend. And where’s that popularity now? In the fucking trash.”

“Hey,” you took your free hand and cradled his face, “We’re just kids, what did we know, hm?” you graced a small smile on your face in hopes that it would calm him down. “Sure, there’s so many things we could’ve done but, it’s all in the past now. What we can at least do is to think about all the good times.”

Your words left a silence in the air, a silence filled with silent wishes, longing looks, sad smiles. He had put his hand over where yours were on his face. He squeezed it three times, looking at your eyes, then your lips, then your eyes again.

You felt flustered under his strong gaze.

01:00

“You know what else I regret?” he finally spoke up. His eyes darting quickly to the countdown. 1 minute, It was now or never, he thought.

“Hm?”

“I was such a coward, I know I already said that,” he starts, “But It’s something I regret so deeply because it stopped me from telling the truth. Telling the people I love my true feelings. My mum, My dad, My sisters…” he took a deep breath. “You.”

Time stopped for you. The countdown was slowly ticking but for you it wasn't moving at all, the only thing in your mind right now was Riki, You and his words.

“Huh?”

“Yeah,” he squeezed your hand softly again, bringing it down from his face to his lap. Playing with your fingers, afraid of your eyes. “I feel so bad for telling you now, I’m sorry if its bothering you, but I can’t handle keeping it to myself anymore.”

“Riki…”

“It’s okay if you reject me,” he laughed dryly, “It’s not like anything will happen anyway. I just wanted to let you know.” his fingers worked softly against your hand as if it was a piece of glass. “I’ve loved you for the longest time. Everything you did, I always admired from the way you smile and even on your worst days. I don’t know how to sound poetic or deep around you because you make my mind go crazy, Y/N. It’s frustrating the way you make me feel, you know,” he smiled.

“Riki..” you took your hand from his fingers. This made him freeze. Had he crossed a line? Did you not like him back? His heart was already shattering in his chest when your fingers feathered his chin and lifted it up.

“I like you too,” you smiled, “for the longest time too.”

“We have such bad timing don’t we?” he smiled, the biggest grin you have ever seen. In the dark skies of the ending world, his eyes were the brightest thing to ever grace the planet. “We could have been a couple for all our life!” he whined playfully, hiding his face against your neck. “We could’ve,” you laughed back, “but let’s not waste our last time here, hm?” you took his head in your hands, bringing down his mask as he did yours.

“You’re so cute,” he pinched your cheek. You giggled as if the world was not ending. Because in your eyes, your world just started. It didn't matter that you were dying in a matter of seconds because at least you get to end it happily, in the arms of the one you love.

“Can i?” he looked at your lips, love flooding his eyes.

“Of course.”

10 9 8 7 6 5

In the other world, there would be fireworks as you kissed him. The clock would strike 12 and a new world would begin. In this world though, you don’t see anything but a bright light. Eyes closed, drunk in the feeling of his lips on yours. Lost in the feeling of his arms around you. The world may have just ended with you both with it.

You don't care though, you’re already in heaven in his arms.

3 2 1

boom.

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deusvervewrites · 9 months ago

Note

Start Again X Keys to the Kingdom:

Keychain: Start Again – High magic and moderate physical power, with the ability to reverse time within a ten meter radius for one minute. (Very long cooldown on this power. Like, at least four or five hours between uses.)

From the ashes of a world that never was, steps the unwitting herald of a new hope for a brighter future.

Well then. Though it'd probably be more like the Stop spells

#asks #start again au #keys to the kingdom au

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raaorqtpbpdy · 10 months ago

Text

Haunting With Dinosaurs (0)

Danny is summoned by a powerful occult practitioner named Victor Veloci, who wants him to bring dinosaurs back to life. It sounds absurd, but Danny is bound to him and cannot refuse, even though he can't actually bring dinosaurs back to life. Instead, he merges the ghosts of five dinosaurs with the bodies of the five human sacrifices Veloci used to summon him, restoring them to life as dinosaur halfas. And that's only the beginning.

Written for @crossoverdanuary Week, Day 4: Any Fandom Dino Squad | Element

Read it on AO3 also, Watch Dino Squad on Youtube it sucks (affectionate)

Danny is slightly aged up to be 18 and a recent high school graduate, also this is a ghost king Danny AU, and obviously Phantom Planet didn't happen, but other than that, no major changes have been made to DP lore in this fic.

As for Dino Squad, I've made some pretty significant changes, but they pretty much boil down to: This is a supernatural AU, so it won't have canon-typical Dino Squad made-up science. All other changes are explained in the actual fic as they come up.

I'm lowkey assuming that the majority of people who read this will not have seen Dino Squad, so I've made sure to describe all the DS elements a little more thoroughly than the DP elements so those of you who haven't seen Dino Squad can understand what's going on.

Prologue

Next Chapter

[Warning for death, coercive control, and semi-graphic violence]

Danny was getting real sick of summonings. He'd been warned that after he officially became the ghost king, more people would try to summon him, but if he'd known it would be this bad, he would have fought harder to abdicate the title.

At least back when he was just Danny Phantom, ghostly superhero, he would be summoned to girls' slumber parties right here in Amity Park. As the ghost king, he kept getting summoned by whack-jobs and cults on the other side of the world. Plus, whack-jobs and cults never wore skimpy pajamas or asked him to play truth or dare with them.

Being ghost king didn't have any perks.

Sometimes he could ignore a summons, if it was weak and he focused really hard on it, but not this time. This time, whoever was summoning him was powerful. The pull to answer was stronger than he'd ever felt before.

He could barely resist it long enough to rinse the toothpaste out of his mouth before he was forcibly torn through space and transformed into his ghost form, crown, ring, and all. Then he was floating in the center of a summoning circle.

Wherever he was now, it was dark, maybe a basement, or maybe a cave. He didn't hear any dripping water or echo, so probably a basement. The only light came from Danny himself and five dim, candles with green flames burning low. Normally that wouldn't bother Danny, who could see in the dark as if it was daylight, but something about this darkness was unnatural. Even he couldn't see through it.

It smelled like must and blood. So much blood he could taste it when he opened his mouth, and nearly gagged.

"Finally, I have you," a voice said. It was deep and slightly accented, although Danny couldn't place what it was. Almost British but not quite.

Danny swallowed and braced himself for the metallic taste in the air before he opened his mouth again to ask, "Who are you? Why did you summon me? And can you turn a light on?"

He squinted into the darkness, trying to make out the figure standing there The light he gave off revealed only silhouettes, but it looked like just one man, tall, with a dignified stance.

"I have spent centuries perfecting this ritual to summon you here and bind you to me," the man continued.

Then he spoke words in an ancient language. Not Latin. Older. Almost primeval.

Danny hissed as he felt a burning sensation wrap around his wrists. Through his gloves he could see a red glow circling them. It became brighter and hotter for a long minute, until finally, it faded.

"What is this?" Danny demanded harshly.

"A binding spell," the man responded, holding up his hand to show a faintly glowing red sigil on his palm. "You are now bound to me. You will come when I call; you will do my bidding. You belong to me, ghost king. You belong to Victor Veloci."

Danny backed away slowly, only to stop when he reached the edge of the summoning circle and hit a barrier.

The usual freaks never knew enough to actually keep him in the circle, let alone bind him to themselves. This guy was the real deal. He wasn't just another whack-job who got his hands on a summoning ritual; he actually knew what he was doing.

It had finally fully dawned on Danny that this was not his typical summoning. This was really, really bad.

"What do you want from me?" he asked, carefully keeping his voice steady.

"I want you to resurrect my friends," the man, Victor, said.

"You have friends?" Danny scoffed.

"I did." As he watched, Victor's eyes started to glow, amber with slitted pupils. Definitely not human. "And you're going to bring them back. All of them. So we can destroy humanity and return the world to the way it should be. When we were in our prime."

"Back when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, you mean?"

It was meant to be derisive, but Victor smiled, green light glinting off wickedly sharp teeth.

"Exactly."

One by one, the green candle flames finally burned out, and the oppressive, unnatural darkness faded away to regular darkness. Now that Danny could see again, all the cards were on the table. He knew where he was, what Victor looked like, and where that smell of blood was coming from.

A corpse laid on each of the five pentagram points. They looked like they were teenagers. A few years older than Danny had been when he'd gone ghost the first time. Probably still in high school, or they would have been if they weren't here, glassy-eyed and still sluggishly dipping blood.

Victor Veloci himself was a well-groomed man with long dark hair streaked with dark red. He wore a burgundy suit, and carried himself like a respectable businessman. If it weren't for the glowing yellow monster eyes, he could have had anyone fooled.

Danny was made to listen as Victor shared his story. It sounded ridiculous. A pair of velociraptors somehow surviving the extinction of the dinosaurs, developing immortality and the ability to transform into humans. But Victor clearly believed it. And after what he showed Danny, it was hard to deny.

He told Danny that, unlike the other velociraptor, he was always supernaturally gifted. He could see the ghosts of the other dinosaurs, even speak to them. They were angry. They wished to return. And he vowed to make that happen no matter how long it took.

"And now, finally, after millennia, I have you," Victor finished. "The king of death, bound to my will. Now, you will bring the dinosaurs back to life so that we may return the world to its rightful state."

"Yeah... that's not gonna happen," Danny said, less than apologetically.

"You must," Victor insisted.

He held up his palm and the sigil their glowed more brightly. At the same time, the marks around Danny's wrists glowed, but they didn't burn. If Danny were to hazard a guess, he'd say they could only make him do things he was actually capable of doing. So he wasn't in direct defiance of his new master's orders.

"Why isn't this working," Victor hissed.

"I didn't say I wouldn't do it, I said it's not gonna happen," Danny said. "I can bring people back from the dead, but I need blood, and flesh, and bone marrow. I need DNA. I can't bring back a ghost without anything remaining of their physical form, and I can't bring anything back from fossils either. Tough luck, man."

"So what can you do?" Victor growled.

Danny looked down at the mutilated teenagers beneath him.

"I can bring them back," he said.

"I don't care about them."

"I can bring them back and merge them with the ghosts of some of these dinosaurs you care so much about," he continued. "Sort of like an overshadowing situation. You know, possession kinda."

"Will they be able to take their true dino forms?"

"Sort of? They'll still be ghost dinos, but they'll be corporeal at least."

What Danny was proposing was basically bringing these teenagers back as halfas, except their ghost forms would be dinosaurs. Which, actually sounded pretty epic, honestly. He wasn't actually sure how, or even if it was going to work, but he had to do something for these kids, and he had to do it without directly defying this mad wizard. This was the best he could come up with.

"Your proposal is acceptable... for now," Victor said. "I shall call to the spirits of five dinosaurs for you to use."

He spoke again in that ancient language. Its guttural tones sending a shiver down Danny's spine. Ghost king or not, this stuff was creepy.

A moment later, a pteranodon swooped into the room, perching at the edge of the summoning circle.

Cautiously, Danny placed one hand on the pteranodon's beak, then knelt down to the nearest teen, a kid whose only recognizable feature at the moment was a bright green mohawk. It was hard to look at, so Danny closed his eyes. In his mind, he told the ghost to merge with the teen, ectoplasm mixing with blood as the teen healed and the dinosaur was locked inside them.

For a terrifying second, he just waited. If he'd been breathing, he would have held his breath.

Then, the teen started to breathe. They were still unconscious, but they were alive.

Danny sighed with relief.

"Did it work?" Victor asked.

"It worked," Danny confirmed. "I'm ready for the next one."

In truth, doing that just once had been pretty exhausting. Doing it five times would definitely push the limits of what Danny was capable of. He might even end up passing out and turning human again. And then where would he be? But it would be even more difficult the longer he let these kids rot. He had to try.

The next dinosaur Victor called was a stegosaurus, and Danny successfully merged it with a purple-haired boy wearing a shredded button-up and a tie. Then came the spinosaurus, which he merged with a redheaded girl in cargo pants. Then a T-Rex, which was terrifying, but merged with the boy in the bloodstained Letterman jacket without issue.

By the time the final dinosaur arrived—a styracosaurus, Veloci claimed, although it looked like a triceratops to Danny, not that he was a dino expert—Danny was exhausted. He wasn't sure if he would be able to pull it off one more time. Rather than using his authority to order the ghost, it felt more like begging this time. He was desperate. Almost completely drained of energy. If he didn't turn human after this it would be a miracle.

Much to his relief, he succeeded the fifth time too, merging the styracosaurus with the last teen, a large, African-American boy wearing a robotics club T-shirt.

Somehow, and it really must have been a miracle, Danny managed to stay in his ghost form.

"Alright, man, done," Danny said.

"I disagree," Victor denied. "There are millions of dinosaurs, and you're going to bring them all back."

"Not tonight I'm not," Danny argued. "I don't actually have unlimited power, you know. And doing this takes a lot out of me. It's gonna be a long time before I get enough energy back to do it again."

"How long? A century? Two?"

"Uh..."

Danny had been thinking more like a week, but this was a pleasant reminder that the man currently controlling him was apparently from prehistoric times.

"Yeah, maybe," Danny said, rather than correct him. "If we're lucky."

"I've waited this long," Victor said. "I promised. As long as it takes."

"Right just uh... don't kill anyone until I'm actually ready to resurrect them, okay?" Danny said. "The longer someone's been dead, the harder it is to bring them back."

"I make no promises," Victor replied. "You're dismissed for now, but don't go too far. I'll call you back when I need you."

He uttered one guttural word, and Danny felt the tense atmosphere around him break. Instinctively, he knew that he could now leave the circle, leave the basement, and he did. Though he swore to himself he'd come back to rescue those kids as soon as Victor left.

Until then, however, there was someone else he needed to find. According to Victor's story, there had been two velociraptors who survived extinction. And apparently, the other one lived in the same city.

#fic #dp #dp x dino squad #danny phantom #dino squad #dinosquad #crossover #dp crossover #crossover danuary week 2024 #crossover danuary week #haunting with dinosaurs #things i wrote #danny fenton #victor veloci

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glitterrosesnzz · 11 months ago

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can i ask for a sick venti? maybe he flies under the rain the first days he loose his gnosis and get a bad cold that makes him sneeze every five minutes?(what if his powers go crazy with the sickness?)

(sorry if it's long or bad write)

ps love you're work

(i kinda messed around with this prompt a lil cause i had a slightly different Venti idea driving me nuts.)

"You know, Barbatos-"

"It's Venti."

"Whatever, I very much thought you smarter than this, traveling here in such a downpour, what could have possibly made you think it was a good idea?"

"Considering this is coming from you, you must think this was extremely idioti- idi... hIH- H'ISHH-iew!!"

Venti doubled over from the force of the unexpected sneeze, anemo energy surging into the room like a gale force wind. Zhongli's shield protected him from the onslaught completely, but the same could not be said for the various furniture, books, and other items that were forcibly knocked over. It only took a few brief seconds for the wind to die down, and Venti sniffled sheepishly.

"Ah... sorry."

Zhongli let out a world-weary sigh.

"Be glad I had the foresight to place you in a room without any valuables." He said, "As it is... you should probably get settled in, as I doubt you will be leaving for a good while."

"Wh-what?" Venti, who had already bent down to pick up some stray books in an attempt to clean up, stood back up faster than he likely should of, if the brief stumbling that followed was any indication. "Surely, surely you can't be planning to keep me in here. You can't just trap the god of freedom, Morax."

"It's Zhongli."

"Whatever."

"...And yes, I can, in fact, trap the god of freedom." Zhongli said, choosing to ignore the way Venti stubbornly stuck his tongue out at him. "At the very least, I can keep you here until you are well enough to not be a property damage risk."

"Hey!! I'm not- not a risk." Venti sniffled, turning away briefly to rub at his nose before turning back to glare at Zhongli, who merely made a gesture at the mess of a room they were both standing in, causing Venti's face to flush with more than just the fever as he muttered, "I can- hIH-... can totally stifle them, you know."

"Oh, really?" Zhongli added a bit more reinforcement to his shield as Venti's breath hitched again. "And can you do so without revealing your identity?"

"T-totally- hh..hEH- H'NGKt-shiew!! HihH-H'NTCH-iew!! Hh-" Venti doubled over again, dropping the books he'd been holding as he used his hands to stifle. Zhongli simply stood there, watching as, unknown to Venti, his braids glowed and flared brighter with every hitching breath. "HihH'NGkT!! Hh- hEH'NNTcH-iew!!!"

Ah, and there went the wings.

Venti seemed to realize he had lost, his wings trembling as he lowered his hands slightly, breath continuing to hitch.

"Hh-hiH...hEH'ETSh-iew!! H'Tt-shiew!!! HihH'ISSHI-iew!!" The gale force winds returned, turning the room into an even greater mess than it already was. Venti sniffled miserably, pointedly avoiding looking at the look on Zhongli's face that could almost be described as smug.

"Now do you agree to stay here, for the time being?" Zhongli asked, as Venti shuddered, hiding his wings again.

"Yeah yeah, you've proved your point..."

#Gen/shin Imp/act #snz #snzfic #snz drabble #is Zhongli a tiny bit ooc in this?? maybe idk

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rainythealias · 2 years ago

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It’s A Start

The Flags were... strange, to say the least.

There was Pianoman, who Chuuya was pretty sure doesn't even how to play the piano. Lippmann was a famous actor who worked in the Port Mafia. Albatross was his obnoxious upstairs neighbor whose favorite hobbies were A: vehicles and B: making sure that the gravity user didn't get a wink of sleep. Doc was (surprisingly) a legitimate doctor, and Iceman who was actually pretty neat.

They were technically called the Young Bloods, a support group for members of the Port Mafia who were under twenty-five.

Right now, all six members were at Old World, their usual meeting place.

For being his seniors, some of them were quite irresponsible as he was being given booze, despite being four years under Japan's legal drinking age.

They were playing billiards, Chuuya being taught how to play by Lippmann.

"Okay, so you're supposed to hold the cue stick like this, then angle it and hit the white ball to knock your team's balls into the pockets..."

Albatross snickered, and Pianoman swatted him over the head with a rolled up pamphlet he found in his pocket. Rolling his eyes, Chuuya redirects his attention back to Lippmann's instructions.

Hours pass, bottles of alcohol empty, and the long summer night continues on as the sun goes away, everyone's coats and jackets discarded. Tonight was also unfortunately the night that Chuuya discovered that he was a lightweight, teetering back and forth after his second drink. Someone yelled over the general chaos of the ongoing billiards games that they should seriously all go home because it was nearly two in the morning. Chuuya looks at the clock, and discovered that whoever they were, they were rght.

He nods in agreement, looking around at the others. Everyone finishes up, and they're all walking together ten minutes later, Iceman carrying all the coats.

Chuuya trips on a stray pebble, and Pianoman catches him. Chuuya smiles, and breaks out into a tipsy giggle.

Before he knew it, everyone else was laughing as well, their laughter cutting through the gentle warm breeze and buzzing of insects, then Chuuya remembered that they were all walking because nobody could drive right now and he laughed some more, looking up at the star-spotted sky.

Tonight, they seemed to shine just a bit brighter.

The stars were beautiful. More beautiful now than ever. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was something else.

Whatever it was, something seemed to bloom inside of his chest. Something small.

A start.

The start of... a friendship?

Maybe the Flags weren't so bad after all.

The stars seem to smile down at him as he arrived to the apartment complex, entering his place, Albatross's feet thumping above him like the rhythmic hits of a drum.

Okay, Albatross was still pretty awful.

But the rest of them weren't.

(This work has also been posted on my AO3!)

#chuuya week 2023 #chuuyaweek23 #chuuya fanfic #bsd event #flags bsd #bsd iceman #bsd doc #bsd pianoman #bsd lippmann #bsd albatross #bsd chuuya #fanfic #ficlet

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fandomsbyladymelodrama · 7 months ago

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20 Questions for Fic Writers

I haven't been tagged in this one (yet) but I'm in a major procrastination mood this morning so answering tumblr questions is currently way more appealing than actual writing so let's do this XD

How many works do you have on AO3? 67 1/2 - the 1/2 is because I have a very little Obidala-ish thing which is currently sitting in my files waiting to be published when I find an extra minute (like right now, for instance, except that I'm doing a survey instead oops ;))

What's your total AO3 word count? Ummm...let's just say if I had a dollar for every word of fanfic I've ever written, my bank account would be very, very happy.

What fandoms do you write for? Mostly Game of Thrones. But my full fandoms list has 25 unique fandoms, some major, some minor, and some where the entire tag is owned by me.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos? Île Aux Ours, Jamais T'oublier, Sunrise on the Jade Sea, La Nuit Venait, The Heir of Riverrun which are all Jorleesi fics except for THOR, which I'm pleasantly surprised to find so high in the rankings (although to be fair there's Jorleesi in that one too :)). And just because I was curious, my top five excluding any Jorleesi content are: New World Symphony (Vicbourne - oh I loved them so, history be damned), Dreams and Dragonglass (Viserys x Alicent from HotD), A Girl, A Drowned Man (ahem, Jaime Lannister x Arya Stark - don't even ask XD), over time and tide and death leaping (Obidala4Ever <3), and Easily onward, thorough flowers and weed (Siegfried x Audrey from the new All Creatures Great & Small - S5 is our season friends, I can feel it)

Do you respond to comments? Yes, all of them (except for the obvious trolls). I heart my readers and have had such good times in the comment section <3 Speaking of which, I'm behind with replies again. Just know my inbox is glaring at me.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Ummm, that's a hard one because I usually reach for the fluff endings with both hands. But I suppose...right now it's got to be my Hunger Games fic, and she gained the willow tree. I mean, it's intensely angsty, even more so than the source material, and may remain that way forever (at least until I update it and fix what I broke lol)

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Almost all of my Jorleesi fics have unabashedly happy endings but I think Île Aux Ours edges out the others just because basically everyone (spoiler alert: except for Viserys, Rhaegar and the Night King) live! And all my ships survive! And House Mormont is flourishing! And the Seven Kingdoms are at peace for once! (at least until I write the sequel ;))

Do you get hate on fics? Only on the Game of Thrones fics, and relatively speaking, very, very rarely. It was slightly more common right at the end of Game of Thrones (people had feelings) but it's almost completely died off in recent years...which is a relief. Because trolls are easily ignored but they don't make anyone's day brighter.

Do you write smut? Again, rarely. But, ya know, sometimes things happen ;)

Do you write crossovers? Yes, but usually it's not what I would consider a true crossover. More me adapting one film/series to the setting/plot/characters of another. The only true crossover I've ever written is, I believe, this one: light goes the weather-wind and the feathered starling (where Tom Bombadil and Melisandre of Asshai meet up and make a trade - sometimes writing brains are weird)

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not to my knowledge?

Have you ever had a fic translated? Again, not that I know of? Although I had a reader request permission to translate a couple of my Jorleesi fics into Russian so that may have happened and I just never received a link from them.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Ohhhh, yesssssss. My forever partner-in-Jorleesi-crime is @salzrand <3 9 fics and counting :)

What's your all-time favorite ship? Based on my writing activity over the last 5-6 years, I think there's really only one correct answer here and it's the lobsters. A bear and his dragon-girl. A princess and her steadfast knight. They're perfect, they're dreamy. And forever inspiring. I cannot. But other than Jorleesi, I have to give top billing to Jane/Lisbon, Obi-Wan/Padme, Dickon/Mary, Jean Valjean/Fantine, Christy/Neil, Lexie/Mark because these are ships that have stayed with me for at least a decade or longer and are part of my DNA at this point.

What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Ugh. Don't talk to me about unfinished fics. They judge me with their Chapter 1/? eyes. They glare at me disapprovingly each time I log into AO3. And I know that there are a few that have been waiting on an update for a long, long time (and some of you have probably given up hope that I'll ever return to them), but never say never...at least until I'm dead XD

What are your writing strengths? I think I have a flair for writing scenery and believable multi-generational family dynamics. I also think I'm fairly good at fixing canon disappointments with some fun and unique twists (it's the soap opera training, I swear XD). I try to keep dialogue very natural, characterization at least partly canon-based and do a lot of research for my fics on time-period details, with mostly successful results...lol well, that's the hope anyway. And I think another strength that has made me successful in writing age-gap ships especially is that I can write character relationships in a way that might go beyond the whole attraction thing and touch on deeper connections (or something).

What are your writing weaknesses? Endings. Aren't they everyone's? Titles. And my pacing can be off sometimes. I think I get away with it in fic-writing for the most part but I have a few fics that aren't as "tight" as they could be. There are a few words/phrases that I rely on too much. And I'm sure I have a bunch of others that I'm unaware of.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I haven't done this much and I really don't venture outside French if I try it. I rely on friends who are native speakers to make sure I'm not saying anything off the wall.

First fandom you wrote for? Titanic 😍 I had to save Thomas Andrews. He looked so sad and despairing winding that clock at the end. I should have probably saved Leo too but let's just assume in my version, Kate scooched over let him share the door XD

Favorite fic you've written? Impossible to choose. I love them all. Okay, okay, Sunrise on the Jade Sea. But only because you're forcing me to answer <3

Tagging: @clarasimone @gettingovergreta @toas-tea @bridgr6 @crushermyheart @heatherfield <3 Or be like me and tag yourself ;)

#fic writing #tumblr survey #game of thrones #acgas 2020 #jorleesi #obidala #obi-wan x padme #siegfried x audrey #vicbourne #all my ships #i need to make a proper list at some point #tag games #procrastination #it's my middle name #okay actual writing time #but this was fun #<3

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fuckwhoeverpickedallthefunnyurls · 2 years ago

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Smiles

Each of the avengers has their individual, personal way to smile. (basically, how I think each of the avengers would smile. This idea randomly came into my head and I decided to write it down.)

Natasha: Natasha was trained and raised to be a spy, and she knows exactly how and when to smile in order to make people trust her. Her fake smile is usually meek, sly and flirty, perfect for getting valuable information out of horny men.

Her real smile doesn't actually differ much from her fake one, despite what other people might think. Her lips curve the same, her mouth crinkles upward, she raises her eyebrow and maybe tilts her head a little bit. But after knowing each other for so long, the other Avengers can tell easily the difference. Her real smile is more spontaneous, sometimes to the point where she seems surprised at herself, for example after Clint cracked a stupid joke or Tony pretends to be hurt at something she said. Her eyebrows raise a tiny bit and she might even bare a little bit of teeth. To an outsider, the difference might not be big, but people close to her can tell.

Steve: Steve has to kinds of smiles. The closed-mouth, polite momma's boy smile, and the smile that's more of a grin, usually accompanied with a snort and sometimes ending in a laughing fit so violent, that it almost throws him on the floor in laughter. Sometimes, when he's confused or unsure, he'll smile with a slightly opened mouth and one corner significantly more raised, accompanied by his eyebrows climbing up his forehead (which his friends deem to be adorable).

Bruce: Bruce's smiles can vary greatly. Usually, they're timid, corner-of-the-mouth-barely-raised, wary smiles, where you can never quite tell if he's genuine (well, if you're an outsider, at least.) or just too polite to say anything.

His laughs on the other hand, oh god, his laughs. They're an open-mouthed grin, usually accompanied by a little huffing sound and make the corners of his eyes crinkle, and if he's really, genuinely delighted, you will discover that he, in fact, has dimples, which, in addition to his small freckles and his floppy, curly hair makes him even cuter.

Tony: Of course, everyone knows it, the lopsided, almost flirty, smile-for-the-media grin. His actual smiles don't really wary much from that, probably because it's been inculcated into his head for decades, but you can still tell the difference, just by the way his eyes light up and his eyebrows raise and how the corners of his mouth involuntarily shoot up. It's also been reported that he has been caught snorting while laughing, but Stark denies any and all of these allegations to date.

Clint: Clint sucks at fake smiles. I mean, really sucks. Anyone who's known him for more than five minutes will be able to tell, and no spy training could ever change that. His lopsided, goofy grins are just way too familiar. The fake smiles with tight lips and the smile not reaching his eyes just look...wrong on him. But noone really minds, it's a fault that can be overlooked and he makes up for it with enough real smiles to seemingly fill the entire world with joy.

Thor: Thor doesn't know how to fake a smile. Like, he just doesn't know. It's an earth custom he wasn't familiar with until he visited, and it confuses him to this day, mainly because Asgardians use every particle of their being to communicate their feelings at all times. They're pretty vocal, at least the normal citizens. Under the royals, it's more common to lie and manipulate, but even that, Thor doesn't quite get. He just doesn't fit into that category. When he smiles, his smiles are genuine, which might be the reason why they're brighter than the sun itself and his laugh sounds more melodic than any choir on Asgard.

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mathslear · 2 days ago

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E-Learning for Kids: How Virtual Classrooms Can Boost Early Education?

In a world where toddlers can operate smartphones better than most adults (and still manage to hide the remote), it’s no wonder that E-Learning is becoming the new playground for young minds. Gone are the days when kids would just smear crayons on paper. Now, they’re crafting PowerPoints, sending emojis in Zoom classes, and mastering the mute button faster than we can say “virtual classrooms.”

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But seriously, how exactly is E-Learning boosting early education? And what magic are these virtual classrooms casting to keep kids engaged while keeping their socks on (mostly)? Let’s dive into this tech-savvy journey, where learning meets fun in ways you never imagined!

1. Learning in Pajamas – The Ultimate Comfort

Forget stiff uniforms and heavy backpacks—E-Learning lets kids attend school from their bedroom, kitchen, or even the couch. Learning in pajamas? Yes, please! No more chaotic mornings with missing shoes or mismatched socks (well, mostly). Imagine a world where “I forgot my homework” is replaced with “My Wi-Fi dropped!” But hey, learning should be fun, not stressful—and when kids are comfortable, they focus better!

2. Virtual Classrooms: The World’s Most Fun Video Call

Remember those endless work meetings that could’ve been emails? Well, kids are showing us how to turn video calls into something exciting! Virtual classrooms are more than just sitting in front of a screen—they’re interactive wonderlands. Teachers have leveled up, using cool tools like live quizzes, animated lessons, and digital flashcards. Who knew fractions could be more exciting than catching Pikachu?

And let’s not forget the chat box—where kids unleash their creativity with random emojis, typing ��hi” to everyone, and occasionally submitting their homework in the form of a cat GIF. It’s chaotic brilliance!

3. Personalized Learning Paths (A.K.A. “Mom, Look What I Can Do!”)

Unlike the traditional one-size-fits-all approach, E-Learning offers customized learning experiences for every kid. Whether your little genius excels in math or is a budding Picasso in art, virtual classrooms adapt to their pace and interests. One minute they’re learning numbers, and the next they’re coding their first game. This flexibility not only keeps them engaged but lets their unique talents shine brighter than their favorite animated characters.

4. Play and Learn: Where Fun Meets Education

Let’s face it—kids learn best when they’re having fun. And in the world of E-Learning, fun is the name of the game! With a click, they can explore space, travel back to the dinosaurs, or solve puzzles in a magical castle. Many virtual platforms use gamified lessons, where learning becomes an adventure. Who knew that teaching the alphabet could involve racing cars, singing animals, and occasional superhero cameos? (Bonus: they might teach YOU a few things about tech!)

5. Independence with a Side of Tech Savvy

Believe it or not, E-Learning teaches kids something beyond math and reading—it’s the fine art of becoming tech wizards. Need to troubleshoot a Zoom call? Your five-year-old’s got this! Logging into a new learning app? They’re already there. Not only do virtual classrooms foster academic growth, but they also instill digital skills that are sure to make them the future IT support of your household.

Plus, with self-paced lessons, kids become little bosses of their learning schedules. Who knew your toddler would be saying, “I’ll finish that math module after snack time”?

6. No More Lost Lunchboxes or Forgotten Homework

Parents, we know the struggle of those classic school mornings: “Where’s your lunchbox? Did you finish your homework? Why are you wearing one sock?” Well, E-Learning solves at least two of those problems. Kids no longer have to pack their bags (except for snack time, of course), and assignments can’t get lost in the abyss of a messy backpack. Virtual classrooms store everything neatly in the cloud—one place where nothing mysteriously disappears!

7. Parents, Rejoice!

Let’s not forget the secret heroes in all of this—parents. E-Learning gives parents a front-row seat to their kids’ education. No more waiting for Parent-Teacher Night to figure out what’s going on. Now you can be right there as your child aces a spelling test or (more likely) discovers that the mute button is off during a particularly creative dinosaur impression. You might even pick up a few math tricks along the way!

Final Thoughts: The New Playground of Learning

In this digital age, E-Learning is more than just a trend—it’s a revolution. Virtual classrooms are opening doors to a whole new way of learning, where comfort, fun, and engagement meet. Sure, it comes with its fair share of tech glitches, awkward mute moments, and the occasional snack break mid-lesson. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s a small price to pay for the endless opportunities it brings.

So, whether your little learner is rocking their PJs, tackling numbers like a mini Einstein, or typing emojis faster than you can blink, E-Learning is here to stay—and it’s making early education more exciting than ever!

Just don’t be surprised if they start asking for “extra screen time” to finish their assignments.

Originally Published at:https://supermaths.co.uk/e-learning-for-kids-how-virtual-classrooms-can-boost-early-education/

#E-Learning for Kids #Youtube

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sophiie2000 · 2 years ago

Note

Honestly any guy!! But I think one of the more cocky boys like Eisuke or Soryu would be cool headcanons ofc are never bad so honestly whatever you want! It’s you’re writing for you to enjoy! Thank you for considering love 💕

Ahh you are so lovely! 🥰

As I mentioned before this is the first request I have been sent, and I really enjoyed trying to think of an approach to your idea, so I just hope I've captured the essence of what you were hoping for! 🤗

Thank you so much, again, for thinking of asking me to do this!! 💕

***

Request: MC (reader) dies, and the guy is given the chance to relive that day again, on one condition, he has to give up all his riches.

Reader x Eisuke Ichinomiya

~ 1920 words

An overwhelming silence took hold of the dark, dreary suite. Eisuke haphazardly dropped his jacket onto the floor. The sound of the clock ticking as the seconds went by, mocked him. Signalling, despite his grief, time continues moving along.

He felt like he was drowning in a sea of pain and regret.

Picking up an empty crystal glass, and an expensive bottle of whisky, he slouched in the chair. Downing a couple of glasses, before running his hands roughly through his messy hair. The weak, strangled cry that left him was only witnessed by the moon outside.

He pounded his balled fists on the table, sending important documents and newspapers flying.

It had been a while since he had been alone in this suite. It had been a while since he felt so alone in the world. The man who had everything, could have whatever he desired, now felt like he had nothing at all.

For he did not have her.

Only a few hours earlier he had been surrounded by the hustle and bustle of another convention being held at the Tres Spades. Clinking of glasses. Champagne bottles popping. Chattering guests, laughing. These sounds all filled the boisterous party hall. The usual liveliness filling the air.

These conventions, set up to elicit potential business deals, drained Eisuke. They were so regular, they were boringly mechanical. At least, they used to be…

As the gentlemen in front of him continued to converse, promoting his finest sake, Eisuke couldn’t help but let his eyes drift to the smiling woman standing beside him.

Her delicate fingers clasped his arm, as her hand rested in its crook. The glistening ring adorning her finger caught the light of the chandelier above, making the diamond atop dazzle brighter. A natural smile graced her soft features, as she offered the man opposite, her undivided attention as he continued to ramble on about the new sake.

This woman. She captured and held Eisuke’s attention unlike any woman before. She had seemed so ordinary to him when they had first met. Yet now, she was a vital person in his life. A necessity. The one, and only thing, he could never live without.

Not now he had known her love.

She made social functions that little bit more entertaining. Her honest, unique reactions to whatever new venture a potential business partner promoted inspired him. Her surprise at the outlandish décor, despite how many times she may have seen it. Somehow, she still had not become accustomed to this life.

Still, this was all part of her charm. Something he loved, and cherished, more than anything else the world had to offer him.

Yet all it had taken was five minutes. Five short minutes for his happiness to be snatched from him.

Eisuke had been discussing a new venture with one of his usual business partners. They had been so enthralled in their discussion, Eisuke had failed to notice the individual lurking a few feet away. The hatred burning in their eyes as they stared holes into the hotel owners back.

But one person didn’t miss that stare. Y/n. No… she watched the man like a hawk. She saw each deliberate step he took as he approached her fiancé.

And she also spotted when something sharp and metallic caught the light as he suddenly increased his pace.

It all happened so very quickly.

One-minute y/n had been standing beside Eisuke, the next she was in front of him and holding her stomach.

Her body lurched forward. She gasped from the shock. A sharp pain burned through the fresh wound.

The first thing Eisuke noticed was the crimson stain forming on her white dress. The stain growing. Her hands covered in the sticky liquid that just kept pouring.

Blood.

So much blood.

Eisuke wrapped his arms around her delicate body. Holding his love close he tried to whisper words of encouragement. Telling her it would be ok. All while fastening his tie clumsily around the wound like a tourniquet.

He barely registered Soryu and Mamoru tackling the attacker to the ground behind them.

Y/n was bleeding. And Eisuke knew, the amount of blood she was losing was fatal.

Eisuke was stirred from his musings by the salty, wet sensation streaming down his cheeks. When was the last time he had cried? Really cried…

He couldn’t remember what he had said to the other auction managers after y/n lifeless body was pulled from his embrace.

But he would never forget how cold she had felt. How ashen her skin had looked. And he would never forget the last thing he said, before she closed her eyes one final time…

“Y/n, baby, I’ll find a way to save you. We will be together… I promise you y/n, I love you”

He wouldn’t forget the smile that aligned his loves bluish lips as his declaration of love tumbled so naturally from his own. Lips that hardly ever spoke the words she craved the most.

How he wished he had rewind button. One which would let him reset on today. Go back to a moment where she was in his arms. Safe. Alive. How he would save her this time.

He would do anything. Anything, to have that moment again and not fuck it up.

***

A week had passed. No one had seen Eisuke. He had locked himself away in his suite. Surrounded by y/n things. He couldn’t bring himself to part from any of them.

For if he did, then it would be true… she really would be gone.

Each moment since the others had forced him to let go of his lovers’ body, had been a blur. How did he get back to his suite? When did he get changed? Had he eaten? He did not know.

What he did know, was he had spent everything minute, of every hour, since praying to a God he did not believe in. Begging for his love to be reunited with him.

Trudging towards the kitchen, Eisuke spotted a crisp white envelope which had been slid under his door.

The neat calligraphy stood out on the white envelope. There was no sender. No return address. Eyeing the letter cautiously, Eisuke opened the envelope carefully.

‘If I told you, by giving up all of your riches, you could go back to the day your lover passed away, and reset. Would you do it?’

At first, Eisuke thought it was some sort of sick joke. Go back and do it all again? Sure, he had been praying for such a thing. But… impossible. That was the first thought he had.

But then he remembered all of the ‘impossible’ things that had occurred during his relationship with y/n. And he wondered… what if? What if it was true?

Well, it was obvious.

He’d give up everything. Everything if he could just have her.

***

Sweating, and breathing heavily Eisuke bolted up in bed. Another nightmare. These had been a regular occurrence since y/n was taken from him. 3:00, the digital clock beside his bed displayed the early hour.

When had he fallen asleep?

Yet suddenly, that wasn’t the most important question on his mind. The familiar sound of movement in the kitchen echoed through the suite. On slightly unsteady feet, Eisuke headed towards the kitchen to see who was rummaging around his cupboards at 3 A.M.

He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but the scene before him was definitely not one of them.

“Y/n?!” He gasped, as her familiar form stood beside the counter drinking a glass of ice-cold water.

“Oh sorry Eisuke, I didn’t mean to wake you!” She smiled ruefully.

Oh, how he had missed her smile. The cute dimples that formed on her cheeks, as she bashfully looked his way.

“Y-you didn’t” He stumbled over his words, rushing towards her and crushing her in a tight embrace.

The warm arms that surrounded him told him this was real. Her warmth, the smell of her freshly shampooed hair, the sound of her voice, and the taste of her lips as he kissed her with abandon. She was undeniably real.

“Oh Eisuke, you are sweating buckets! Are you ok?” Concern was laced through her voice, as those delicate fingers threaded through his damp hair.

Eisuke held her even more tightly. Inhaling her sweet scent. It helped calm him down immediately.

“Yes baby, I’m ok… it was just a nightmare. Come back to bed with me, I don’t remember giving you permission to leave” His usual cockiness filled his tone, but it barely masked the relief displayed in the way his eyes softened at her presence.

Her soft chuckle was like a symphony to his ears.

He had been given a chance to reset. He knew what he must do. He would not screw this up. He would make good on his promise, they were going to be together.

***

Clinking of glasses. Champagne bottles popping. Chattering guests, laughing. These sounds all filled the boisterous party hall. The usual liveliness filling the air.

Yet all fell silent when Eisuke Ichinomiya stepped onto the stage, ready to make his speech.

His eyes searched the crowd, meeting those of his love. The smile she showed him was all the ammunition he needed.

This was it.

He smiled back. The kindest, most genuine smile, he had ever shown at any of these functions. His heart was warm. Full.

She was all he needed. Of that, he was certain.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped towards the microphone. The band in the corner stopped their melody. The guests quietened down, ending their conversations. The hall fell silent.

“It has been a great honour to be the face of the Ichinomiya brand over the years. We have imagined, designed and created many ventures during my time leading the group. I have given my all to bring the best ventures to life. And to have had the ability to do so, has been both an honour and something I am incredibly proud of.”

His eyes remained fixed on y/n. Eyes which have held him captive since the day she came into his boring, lonely life. Eyes which now looked to him with confusion, yet awe.

“It is with a heavy heart, yet excitement, that I must inform you all today of my decision to step down from my role as CEO.”

Gasps. A chorus of gasps spread across the room. Expected. Of course, no one but he would understand this sudden decision.

“The future of the Ichinomiya group is bright. I look forward to seeing what they do in the future. However, as for me, I desire nothing more than to step away and settle down with my own family. I thank you for your understanding and support”

Ending his speech, Eisuke stepped down from the stage. With purposeful steps, he headed directly towards y/n.

“Eisuke?!” Her confusion was loud. Yet her happiness was undeniable.

Grasping her hand tightly in his, he led her from the hall. Her warm hand and soft, delicate fingers felt pleasant in his own. This warmth he cherished so much, he would not let go of.

His accomplishments or her? It had been a no brainer. The old, cold CEO hotelier would have chosen his riches. But she had thawed his cold, locked away heart. She had taught him to love.

And he would choose her. Every time. No matter what he had to lose.

For she alone, made him feel like the richest man alive.

#request #kissed by the baddest bidder fanfic #kbtbb fanfic #fanfic #voltage fanfic #voltage otome #love 365 #kbtbb eisuke #eisuke ichinomiya #kbtbb #voltage inc

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ze-land-fill · 28 days ago

Text

Breathe - A The Dragon Prince Oneshot

Warnings - None

Ships - Ezran and Callum (PLATONIC)

Type - Hurt/Comfort

Adittional Tags - Ezran-centric - Callum had ADHD - Ezran has anxiety - angst - crying - hurt/comfort -

Word count - 4,989

~ * ~

Summary “Now, Welcome our new king, who will reign in an era of peace and prosperity. And lead us all to greatness. King Ezran of Katolis!”

A few more steps, and he would be exactly where he needed to be. Next to Opeli, facing the crowd. The crowd…Oh God…it was massive. He could see people, crowded into the courtyard of Katolis Castle, and even more people, spilling out of the structure, onto the bridge and even in town. And Ezran froze.

Ezran is scared to be king, Callum finds him on coronation day.

~ * ~

“It's okay. I'll be alright.”

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Ezran held eye-contact with his mirror, straightening out his robes. However, it seemed no amount of straightening could ease his nerves. He gathered up his hair and tied it into a ‘presentable’ style. He met his eyes again in the mirror. He really did look like a king.

It hadn't been long since his 10th birthday. Almost a year had passed since the battle at the storm spire. Almost a year since his father had died. Almost a year since he gave up being king. Today was his coronation.

Opeli and his fathers’ old council had taken the weight off him for a year. They'd run the kingdom wonderfully, and for that, Ezran is forever grateful. However, it was time to step back into his duties. Now was not the time to be children. He'd met the Dragon Queen. He'd seen the hope, and the horrors of the battle. He knew that now, of all times, was the most important to push peace. To show his people that there can be peace between the Five Human Kingdoms, and Xadia. For that to happen, he knew he needed to be a leader, a king , for his people. Someone to look up to and think: ‘He is a brighter future’

This had all been a very convincing argument when he went before the Council to explain that he was ready.

Of course, that was then. Looking at himself now. His long, crimson robe, bejeweled overcoat, and tied up hair. He just felt heavy. His heart quickened. He didn't like this. He would be standing - speaking - in front of a million men and women, dressed so formally. Just months ago he was running around with Bait and Zym in the forest.

That calmed him. He missed Zym, he'd stayed with Zubeia after the battle. He visited sometimes, now that he was a stronger flier. Not as much as Ezran would have preferred, but he was with his mother. Where he belonged.

A low grunt came from Ezran’s feet. He smiled and looked down, to find Bait, looking right back at him. He picked him up, and lifted him so that they were face to face. “At least I still have you! Right bait?” Bait smiled his crooked smile and went on to glow a bright orange. Ezran's smile widened and he hugged him close. “Aww! Who's the best glowtoad in the world? You are, yes you are!”

A knock interrupted their cuddling. “Yes?” He called out. “Prince Ezran? The High Cleric says that they're ready for you.” The guard called from outside the door. “R-right! Just- um- ten more minutes please!” He hurriedly said. The guard simply replied; “Of course, Your Highness.” and walked away.

Ezran sighed heavily, and sat down onto his fathe- his bed. Bait spun around in his lap, before looking back up at him, his skin glowing grey. Ezran stroked his back and held him close. “I'm scared Bait…What if I mess up…or I lead us into danger. Or what if I make bad decisions, and the people of Katolis have to suffer because of them, and what if I can't make peace between the Five Kingdoms and Xadia?! Then what?! What if I-”

Bait grunted sadly, and Ezran was knocked out of his pessimistic rant. He blinked. His heart was beating quickly, and so were his breaths. ‘Stop it. Get it under control.’ he thought to himself. Bait grunted again, this time towards his desk, where there was a mess of notes, letters, books, quills, and everything else Ezran had so intently been focusing on in the past months. But Bait was gesturing to the wall behind it. Where the wall was adorned with many drawings. Sketches of Zym, comic panels of their journey. Detailed art of specific things and people. Ezran sighed again, sadly.

“You know how Callum's been. It hasn't been easy for him. You know... since Rayla left. I don't- want to force him…to do this for me.” Bait looked up at him with a sad look set on his face. “But, Hey! It's just one coronation, how bad could it possibly be…?” Ezran tries, as hard as he can, to sound convincing. He doesn't think Bait believes him. And all he does is circle himself and snuggle against Ezran’s robes.

Ezran tries to keep the tears in.

~ * ~

He meets Opeli and Soren at the doors. The great, big doors…with a million people standing below the balcony…was his coat on right? Had he fixed his hair enough? What if he forgot what to say?! Even though he had rehearsed. It could happen-

“I can practically hear you thinking too much.” Soren remarked, startling Ezran out of his thoughts. His sword rested at his side, his signature grin stretched across his face. It was comforting. Ezran just laughed nervously. “Nothings going to happen! You'll go out there, get the crown, give the speech. And…BAM! You're done!” Opeli shook her head in disapproval. Soren really did try to encourage the young prince. It didn't do much, but the effort was appreciated.

“Is Callum here yet?” Ezran asked. Trying to take his mind off his impending doom. Opeli and Soren shared a look, and a frown. “No, unfortunately, the high mage hasn't been seen all morning.” Opeli replied. Ezran nodded, and smiled sadly. “That's okay. I told him he didn't need to come today, if he didn't want to.”

Opeli nodded, and as a loud cheer escaped through the closed doors, she told Ezran it was time. She walked out, and began her speech. About King Harrow, The Battle of the Storm Spire, Ezran, so on and on.

With every word, however, Ezran’s breath quickened. ‘Calm down. Calm down. It's like Soren said. Walk out, get the crown, give the speech, wave a little, then back in again. So just. Calm. DOWN.’

“Now, Welcome our new king, who will reign in an era of peace and prosperity. And lead us all to greatness. King Ezran of Katolis!”

Wild cheers broke out as the double doors opened. Ezran stood still, for just a second, before he forced his legs to take a step. Then another. Then he was halfway across the balcony, and his eye caught the glinting of metal in sunlight.

A servant boy held the Crown in his hands. Ezran had come to Opeli, bearing his fathers’ sword, and requested it be turned into a crown. It was symbolic. A sword. A weapon . Something meant to split apart. Turned into something that gave him the ability and power to put things back together.

He couldn't- his lungs wouldn't work, his breath wouldn't go through him. All he could hear was his heartbeat. And all he felt was the horrible feeling of something cold and sharp climbing up his spine.

There were so many people- so many eyes- looking at him, expecting from him- his eyes darted around frantically. Nothing was clear anymore, everything was melting together, but everywhere he turned. There were people. Staring at him. Watching his every move. Every word-

And he couldn't take it.

He turned on his heel, and sprinted. Past the double doors, and confused guards, and shocked gasps. He ran through every twisting hallway. Every shortcut and open door. His vision didn't get better. But years of doing nothing but roaming these hallways alone had etched every pathway into his mind. There truly was no one who knew Katolis Castle better than Ezran.

He burst through the double doors of the throne room. The guards were all asked to stand nearby the new king, for safety. There was no one but Ezran, the throne, and the portraits of his ancestors along the walls.

He strode up to the throne. It sat empty. And he leaned against the wall in the space next to it, and slid down. He pulled his knees up to his chest and stared aimlessly at the doors.

He was breathing again, but he couldn't feel it. As if the air was there. But he couldn't feel it. Couldn't feel the heavy air meant to fill his lungs. What he could feel, however, was that horrible cold feeling, and his heart. Beating too fast. Too hard. It felt like it was in his throat. He glanced down at his hands. They were shaking. He pulled them into his chest. And his vision blurred again,

but this time. With salty tears.

~ * ~

He didn't know how long he sat there for. And in complete, brutal honesty, he didn't actually care that much. But he flinched when the doors burst open. Only to reveal Callum standing in the entrance, bait following close behind. He stood there for a minute, their eyes met, and in an instant Callum was at his side, kneeling down on the plush carpet next to him. Ezran tried his best to wipe at the tears, but they just kept coming. And he couldn't understand why .

“Ez? Ezran?! Ez, what happened?!” Callum, asked. Ezran shook his head in reply, unable to fully articulate an answer. Callum's voice sounded muffled, like he was standing far away. “Ez, c'mon, you have to tell me what's wron-”

And the voice got further and further. Until he couldn't hear it anymore. He couldn't hear anything. Except the thundering of his heart. He couldn't see anything but the blurred darkness of his eyelids. But what he feels. That's the scariest of all. Because he's feeling everything, and nothing, all at once.

His breath quickens, and it's uneven, he can feel his chest heaving, but not the air that's meant to fill them. His hands are shaking, but he can feel the fabric of his coat. He can't feel himself . Where has he gone, why is this happening this wasnt supposed to happen he tried so hard what's going on why is this happening why is thIS HAPPENING-

A sudden jolt forced him to open his eyes. Callum is holding onto his shoulders tightly, his mouth is moving, but words aren't coming out. Then they do.

“-ran?! Ez! Hey, look at me! Please look at me, okay!” He uses one hand to still hold onto Ezran, as if his little brother might float away if he lets go. He uses his other hand to motion to his own chest. And he holds his gaze with Ezran. Then he takes a breath. A long one, and holds it, then he let's it out again.

“Ez, I know it seems really hard, but just- look at me, okay! Breathe, Ez. Breathe in… Breathe out.” He makes the motion again. And Ezran takes a shallow breath, holds it in, and lets it out.

“Y-yeah! See, you're doing great Ez! Breathe in, breathe out.” He does it again, and again, and again. Every breath that Ezran takes, he takes with him.

And slowly, after several minutes. Ezrans breathing becomes even, his sobbing quietens down. And his tears stop streaming down his cheeks. But his eyes won't meet his brothers. And after a few more silent minutes, he says the only thing he trusts himself to say without crying.

“I- I'm sorry.”

Callum just stared at him, a bewildered look on his face. “Sorry? Sorry for what?” he asked, genuine confusion in his eyes.

“For the coronation. For the nerves. For this !” He gestured wildly with his arms at himself. Frustration laced into his voice.

Callum furrowed his brows. “Ez…None of this is your fault-” “But it is, Callum! It is!” He cried out, finally meeting his brother's gaze. “I shouldn't be feeling like this…Today's a happy day! A good day. A hopeful day… and- and my job was so simple! All I had to do, was walk onto the balcony, get the crown, say some words, wave, and come back. Easy! But instead, I'm here. Crying. And I don't even know why! I'm being pathetic! Just like they all said. Maybe Opeli was right… Maybe I'm not ready for this-”

Callum cuts him off with a hug. It was the first one since the morning of Callums birthday, several months ago. “Dont- don't say that sort of stuff! You are so much more than that, and- and I won't stop saying it to you until you believe it!” he tightens his grip on his little brother. And Ezran can't help himself, and he tries to resist it. Resist the urge. But he succumbs, and wraps his own arms around Callums back, clutching tightly at the fabric of his coat. His forehead pressed into his brother's shoulder, and his body shakes with sobs, as tears begin to seep through the blue fabric.

And- Gods, He’s missed this!

Missed the warmth of someone's arms wrapped around his little body. Whispering soft nothings into his ear, and wiping away his tears as they stream down his cheeks.

And he knows he's pathetic and weak for wanting it, for wanting this. But he knows it already. So does everyone else. What's the point in proving them wrong…

So he lets himself be held, be comforted. He lets himself fall and cry into someone else's shoulder. And for the first time in months…

He lets himself feel like a kid.

~ * ~

A soft grunt catches both boys off guard, and they lift their heads in unison to the grey glowtoad sat in front of them, a sorrowful expression on his face. Callum let out a laugh, and Ezran cracked up a smile while wiping his tears. He then reached out his arms and picked up Bait, pulling him close into his chest. He looked up at Callum, who was smiling to himself.

“Callum?” Callum hummed in reply.

“How did you know that I'd be here?”

He opens his eyes and taps his chin, like his deeply on thought, then he turns towards the doors and shrugs. “I was on my way to the balcony, 'cause’ I was, y'know, running late.” He grinned sheepishly. “Then I got there and Opeli looked really confused, and apparently you'd ran away. And then…I don't know, I just thought you might be here. So I grabbed Bait and ran here. Ezran smiled sadly.

“Sorry that I worried you.”

Callum opened his mouth to say something. Then he closed it. And then he opened it again.

“Why'd you start without me, though?” He had this funny pout. Not really upset, just there to draw out a smile. And it does. A little bit.

“I didn't want to rush you. I know you're still upset about Rayla…leaving. So I didn't want you to feel like you had to be there.” Callum flinched at the mention of Raylas name. Admittedly, he hasn't gotten completely over her. Yet . He'll be fine. Eventually . Besides, right now was about Ezran. “Ez…Sure, she ran away on my birthday and all, but…This is your coronation! Or, well, I guess…recoronation? Has that ever happened before? Is that a thing? Could you get recoronated a third tim- ack! I'm getting sidetracked!” Ezran giggled, it was amusing when this happened. His brother's mind was amazing. And how he could ask so much about something so little was a mystery Ezran had long given up on solving.

“The point is-” Callum gently grabbed Ezrans shoulders. “-This is your big day. And I wouldn't miss it even if the whole world was on fire!” He said it with such reassurance and determination in his eyes, that it took them both a minute to understand what he said. “Well, maybe not on fire. But, a storm could do. You know, like a thunderstorm, at least I can get rid of that one.” He smiled, then frowned. “As soon as I figure out a spell for it…”

He turns towards Ezran. “But nevermind that. I have a question for you.” Ezrans smile widened, “And what's this one about?” “Why are you in here in the first place?”

Ezrans smile falls, and he lowers his gaze. He shouldn't tell him. It'll just go to show how miserable he really is. How's he ever going to be a good king, if he keeps telling others about his problems?

For just a second, he glances up at Callum. And then he thinks. ‘But it's Callum, he'll never hurt me. Not on purpose. He's my brother. And…he trusts me. So I need to trust him too.’ So he does.

“I'm not…really sure. I just- I didn't want to be there. There were so many people. And everyone was staring. And cheering. And-” he places a hand on his chest. “-I couldn't feel my breathing. And then everything froze, and I couldn't see anything except all the eyes, and they were expecting so much. And- what if I failed as king! What if I make worse mistakes than Dad. Or I can't create peace! There's so much that could go wrong, and I don't know if I'm ready for it anym-”

“Hey!”

Callum tightened his grip on Ezrans shoulders, and started shaking him gently, but rapidly. “Snap out of it! That's my little brother you're talking about!” Ezran just looked at him silently, mouth hanging open from his unfinished ramble. Bait lay in his arms, grey still coloring his skin. Callum sighed heavily and lowered his head. “Ez, be honest with me, right now. Do you want to be king?” Ezran was about to answer. But he closed his mouth instead.

Did he? He was given the option of having a regent. He would be able to go back to being a kid. And playing with Zym, and exploring Xadia. But did he really want that?

“I need to be king right now.”

“That's not what I asked you. Do you want to?”

He was about to say no, but his mind shifted. What would happen if he did say no. Then what? They'd be right back where they were before Viren came to power. A cycle of blind justice and no peace. He didn't want that. He didn't want to become someone who left the lives of millions into the hands of anyone who was an enemy of the state. He didn't want pain. He wanted peace. He wouldn't get his childhood. But then again, he'd lost it anyway.

But…

He would be able to play with Zym, and explore the forests and go on journeys to Xadia. And spend time with Callum. And go on Jelly tart hoists with Bait. And just…

Be a child.

“I…think so…” It was uncertain. But there was truth to it. A part of him truly wanted to be king. To be a good king. But…

“I don't know if I'm ready…” He whispered it out. But as soon as he did. A sense of relief washed over him. He'd realized this a while ago, but being able to admit it to someone was different. It was…freeing. But relief only lasts so long, and Ezran didn't know what to expect with Callum. But whatever he was expecting, it was not whatever Callum did say.

“Then dont be.”

It was so simple. He said it so bluntly. As if it was the most obvious solution to ever have been discovered. As if every problem he had at that moment would disappear at the uttering of these words.

But the strangest thing of all.

He felt like it was true. And a part of him wondered if Callum had put a spell of some sorts on him. He felt a lightness in his chest. He didn't have to be ready . Then doubt reared its ugly head once again. And the lightness was replaced by a new kind of heaviness. Guilt .

“I need to be king, Callum.” He said, his voice was firm. Like the one his dad had used the last time they spoke. When he told them to go to the banther lodge.

Callum took a seat next to him, wedged between Ezran and the throne. Bait looked between the two princes. The grey glow faded into yellow. Callum turned to look at Ezran.

“Yeah, maybe you do. Or maybe you think you need to. But the point is…You don't have to be king alone .”

Ezran blinked in confusion. Callum smiled. “You know…Harro- Dad, had a council. They helped him with hard decisions, and stuff. But they also helped him when he didn't know what to do.” The young prince squinted his eyes. Obviously he knew. He'd been studying the laws and customs for months now. He'd had to work up the courage to consult the council. After Saleer's treason, and Virens coup, Ezran had been wary of the council's standing. The only person he truly trusted was Opeli. And maybe the thought of having people he didn't fully trust be his closest consultants was…terrifying at the least. He didn't want to mistrust them. He wanted them to know that they were a vital part of the kingdom. But he couldn't help the fear.

And Callum, practically reading his thoughts, replied. “He chose his council.” Ezran's brows furrowed. “I know?” he stated, or, maybe it was a question? Was Callum playing tricks on him?. Callum shook his head, smiling. “No, I mean- He chose his council!” He said again, as if saying it again would magically clarify what he meant. Another confused look from Ezran prompted him to explain. “You can make your own council too, you know.” Ezran is about to say something in objection. Then he stops, because. Well. That…wasn’t something he’d actually thought of. But…

“I don’t know everyone that well though…How am I supposed to choose a council?” Callum smiled again. “Anyone can be on the council.” Ezran stayed silent, so Callum continued. “Anyone you trust can be on the council. Friends, family, important people, and so on.”

Ezrans eyes widen in shock, he turns to look at the carpet under him.

He could do that. He could actually do that. He wouldn’t have to rule alone. Sure he would have to call some of the shots. He would have to make some difficult decisions alone. But, he didn't have to do that all the time, he wouldn’t be alone. He could have friends. That he trusted. And he wouldn’t be so alone. And then another thought.

He turned to look at Callum.

“...Will you be on my council, Callum…?”

“Of course!”

~ * ~

Bait grunted happily as Ezran carried him down the hall, Callum at his side. Both princes spoke animatedly about old adventures, friends, and what Ezran wanted to improve about Katolis.

“I want to fix the relationship between Katolis and Xadia.”

Callum nodded in understanding. But Ezran wasn’t finished.

“I know it’ll take time…But I know we’ll make it happen!”

He smiled a close-eyed smile at his older brother. And Callum blinked in surprise, but he smiled twice as bright. It had been a while since he’d seen his little brother smile so brightly. Since he’d seen him smile at all . It was lovely. It was a lovely smile. All teeth and crinkled eyes. Bright and hopeful.

Yeah…Callum smiled, but he knew it couldn’t compare to Ezran’s.

It didn’t falter as they met a frantic Opeli, at the great double doors. She was talking with a pair of guards. Or- Talking, is the wrong word. She was technically yelling, but her posture and her (almost superhuman) ability to keep herself composed, masked the reality of her words. She turned as the princes approached. Her face had a hard expression and her features said that she was annoyed. “There you both are.” Her words were cold, but her eyes had a glint, as if what she wanted to ask was, ‘Are you alright?’

Ezran nodded, and bowed his head, “I’m sorry for running away.”

Opeli’s features softened, and she placed a gentle hand on the young prince’s shoulder. “Nevermind that…Are you ready?”

He lifted his head and nodded. Opeli’s brows furrowed, as if to say; ‘Are you sure?’

Ezran smiled. He handed Bait to Callum, and pushed at the double doors.

~ * ~

He was met with a panicked Soren, along with Corvus, attempting to calm the restless crowd. They were asking about their king. Where was he? Why hadn’t he appeared? Had something happened?!

The whispers and shouts were all silenced as the doors opened for a second time, This time, with Prince Ezran at the front.

Soren turned around, and let out a sigh of relief. Opeli followed after Ezran, and finally Callum walked through the doors, with Bait in his arms. Soren took his place, on the far right of the balcony, Corvus took his on the far left. Opeli stood at the edge, and addressed the crowd once more. Ezran got closer and closer to the railing, and when he finally reached it. He stopped breathing.

Under him, stood the crowd. It seemed like they had multiplied. Every inch of the courtyard was flooded. Men, women, and children all looked up at him. His heart beat faster. There were the eyes again. A million pairs of eyes, all looking up at him. Waiting. All of them. Expectant. His hands slid off the railing, and he almost inched his way back. Back through the doors. Back through the halls. Back into the throne room. On the to-large throne. Under the portrait of his father. Into his corner, where no one could hurt him-

A playful breeze tickled his neck, the only part of him that wasn't covered in heavy velvet robes, or his unruly tied up hair. He turned a little, only to see Callum, holding his finger up, the same way he did when he cast a spell. He had a smile on his face. It reached his eyes, and Bait smiled with him.

And then he heard it

The cheers.

Then he saw them.

The children. All of them, barely visible from where he stood, but he could see them. Little beings. Bundles of light. All of them, exactly how he had been mere months ago. And he smiled back. Because, that. That was why he was doing this. The children in that crowd, amongst the million. They were the future. He was the future.

“...King Ezran, of Katolis!”

And Opeli took the crown from the hands of the servant boy. The crown. Made from his fathers’ sword. And now a crown. His crown. It was born a weapon, made to split apart. And Ezran had forged it, into a tool, made to bring together.

Ezran kneeled down, The same way his father had, 10 years before him. And Opeli, with her rare smile. Placed the crown on his head. The same way she had done, 10 years before.

And as he rose, a new weight on his head. And a new responsibility on his shoulders. So did the crowd. They cheered, as they had cheered, 10 years before.

Ezran opened his mouth, and took a deep breath. The speech he’d spent months writing, and re-writing. And fussing so much over. It was all gone. Now, he spoke from his heart.

“Hello…I am…Ezran…”

…Alright, maybe his heart was still a little nervous…

He took another breath, a deep one. His eyes flicked to the side, and Callum was there. Right there by his side, smiling at him, and nodding. He made that motion again, of breathing in and out.

So he did.

Breathe in, Breathe out.

“I am King Ezran. And I’ve been given a big responsibility. And…Honestly, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to fulfill this responsibility all alone.”

A chorus of gasps snaked through the crowd. Even Opeli looked a little panicked. But Ezran continued.

“But I’m not alone! I have amazing people around me, and…I know I’m young, but I know that we can achieve peace if we really try!”

Another breath

“I don’t want more bloodshed. I don't want more lives to be lost because of the mistakes of the past. My dad was a good King. But I want to be better. I know that if we work together, not just the Pentarchy, but the elves and dragons as well! Then we can achieve peace. It won’t be easy. I know… But I believe in us, and I believe that we can be better than our ancestors. Better than the past. And…We can be a brighter future!”

The crowd was silent. The anxious butterflies in his stomach fluttered wildly, and with each passing second, his resolve crumbled.

Then a cheer

Then a second

And a third

And before long, the whole crowd was cheering. Loud. Enthusiastic. Hopeful .

~ * ~

Ezran looked to his right, Callum looked right back at him. Smile, broad on his face, Bait, in his arms, smiling his toothy green. Opeli stood on his left, her rare smile, and the beautiful glint in her eyes, smiling right back at him as well. Corvus, and Soren stood at the prin- King's sides.

He let out a breath.

He wasn’t alone. He stared out, over the walls, the forest, and all the way past the border.

Rayla was out there too.

He wasn’t alone.

He closed his eyes.

He took one last deep breath.

When he opened his eyes again. There weren’t a million eyes staring at him anymore. There were a million ears instead. A million hands. A million hearts .

They were ready to listen . To help rebuild . They wanted peace .

And he wasn't ready. But he was here .

And he wasn’t alone.

~ * ~

Thanks for reading! :) ~ Remzy

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