#then he said go easy on them bc ‘that might be me one day!!!’

[cadaveerie]

cw: child abuse and non-sexual grooming

VEILGUARD SPOILERS (from lucanis' writing, a mission towards the ending and a little general)

About Lucanis and the Antivan Crows...

after finishing datv, I can finally say for sure that despite the fact that i find this game was overall fine, there are several things about it that have disappointed me. one of those things is about lucanis (and it's not even the only thing about lucanis that bothers me, but we'll leave that discussion for another time, because there's a lot to say about the writing).

in this game, Caterina Dellamorte (lucanis and illario's grandmother) is portrayed as a woman that's cold and demanding. not particularly nice, lucanis fully acknowledges that she's not exactly the loving type, and it's easy to assume things about her and about their relationship based on that... but for some reason it's never addressed that she abused lucanis when he was a child, by beating him and starving him. this is something that you can read in lucanis' story in tevinter nights, the wigmaker job, which was lucanis' introduction.

"Memories of sweat-filled days without food or water came unbidden Lucanis’s back tingled from where his grandmother’s cane had bruised his flesh for letting his guard down or fumbling his footwork. For years, he’d hated her. But his time as a Master taught Lucanis that Caterina’s cruelty was her way he was prepared for this life—that he survived."

I was waiting to finish the game before I said it, because I expected him to mention at some point but... no, nothing. I don't know if there's anything in a codex or something specific I missed, but even if that's the case, I expected it to be significant at all. it wasn't.

i'm not even going to get into what lucanis should feel about this. before the game came out i talked about some of my hopes for him based on the info we had about him, and imo there was not even half of that level of depth to his character. but i wouldnt have minded if the game went in another direction, or if lucanis simply just wasnt open to discuss it, or if he came to the conclusion that it was fine. i won't get into how "problematic" thinking that is, because i could understand that he tells himself that, and as a fucking assassin, i understand that he's come to terms with it because otherwise he probably wouldnt have survived in such a dangerous enviroment. i won't get into it bc as i said, i can understand it. my problem is that lucanis never says it. he never tells rook or anyone else that caterina abused him, or that the crows overall are very abusive and that they do this to children and break their minds basically in order to become emotionless living weapons. and if this is said in any banter, then i missed it in my 91h of gameplay, and i had lucanis in my party every single time we went outside. or it might be in a codex entry, idk. the point is that even if that's the case, that's not a great way to tell this info, especially when in the story theres no other way to learn anything like this about the crows. ppl that i talked to that didnt read tevinter nights didnt know this fact abt caterina and lucanis' past, they simply didnt cause how could they. I just wanted to say this because I think it's important to know if you like lucanis, or the antivan crows, and it's never even actually implied.

I also have many other issues with his writing, but the antivan crows are unfortunately also whitewashed. at least if you've played dragon age origins you know this, but our first antivan crow companion, zevran, talks about how he was taken as a child by the antivan crows. how he was literally bought by them as an orphan, and forced to become an assassin, and when he tries to flee, they attempt to murder him throughout the game. he even talks about how apparently some crows even made their members go through blood magic rituals to acquire abilities (SOUND FAMILIAR? IT'S LITERALLY WHAT ZARA DOES TO LUCANIS, ISN'T IT. HOW FUCKED UP). i think it's so disrespectful to dragon age's worldbuilding and so appalling that they simply... ignored all of this. I'm very upset that this was completely whitewashed. i wont get into it, but i assume they didn't show the crows being awful because, well... they have to be the good alternative for government in antiva. the bad guys are the antaam, and that's it. but one of the things i always loved about dragon age is how they treat these sort of political things. as i said, in origins the crows were more of an antagonistic figure, but at least it made them feel more real and serious. and people loved the crows like they were, fucked up assassins. in this game... idk, am i supposed to believe the assassin guys are nice? why hide the ugly? of course it's gonna be there, and it's ok. irl it happens a lot that oppressed people have to rely on groups that are less than ideal for their liberation, and a lot of times citizens are kinda ok w it bc no one else will stand up for them, so they have to work w what they have, and they're just relieved theres someone there for them. and it also shows that people are not perfect victims. if you're putting ppl in a corner, at some point ppl are rarely gonna care about being "good", and it's only human. and im not even gonna get into being an antivan crow rook because... sigh, it's more of the same. just disappointing. rook even mentions that theyre an orphan. and im pretty sure in the final mission about treviso, at least if you helped jacobus, he is like "i'll take in orphans and give them a chance". oh man, yeah. cool. please tell me how you'll raise them to be, im so curious to see how you won't groom children and abuse them into becoming mindless cold soldiers. that's fucking insane. this feels like fucking US army levels of propaganda and grooming. i love when we normalize child soldiers that's so fucking awesome i love this "woke" game when it's pro-military and anti-fucking-questioning-anything-a-military-force-does.

i even wondered if all of this has been retconned or simply ignored. i dont have a problem w retconning overall, and it's only natural it would happen in a franchise that's as old as DA, but the thing is... why would you do it. it literally just makes them flatter, it doesn't make any fucking sense.

so yes. im VERY disappointed in this game and the writing. this is one of the many things in the writing that disappointed me. the antivan crows are an organization that bring hope, and im perfectly fine with them being portrayed as "saviors", but im not ok with them conveniently not addressing any of their very bad issues. it's unrealistic. it's disrespectful to our intelligence, to dragon age fans and to dragon age origins. it's disrespectful to characters like zevran, who got into an insane war with them for a fucking reason. it's disrespectful to every antivan crow character to be honest. and im sorry, i dont even think this is insane to ask from them. like.... im literally just asking for consistency. they had it already, i dont understand why they did this. i had faith in them, but perhaps that's on me. im so heartbroken.

and i promise i actually think the game overall is ok. it was fun. definitely one of my least favorite games, if not my least favorite, but still. i appreciate it, and LOVED. LOVEEED some scenes. in fact, it might have at the very least one of my favorite scenes from the whole franchise. i think this game has very low points, and very high points, so it's hard to say what i think about it in few words.... but there are so many things like this in the writing, and it's just SO upsetting and disrespectful. im sorry. im truly sorry, you don't know how much i wanted to love this game and the writing. you have no idea. but i have self respect, and i don't lie to myself when i see something i dont like. it feels like they're whitewashing the crows cause we'd be too stupid to understand complex political issues. i thought this game was mature and could handle mature themes, but it doesnt seem like it's the case anymore. perhaps bioware is dead. i still want to believe they can come back from this but......... the post credit scene doesnt reassure me AT ALL. sigh. im just upset and sad. and as i said, this is only one of my many issues. i'll talk about the rest in the future, but im writing all of it down and i need time for that. i hope you understand that this comes from a place of genuine love. sorry i can't be happy about this game, but some of the stuff i see just ruins the rest for me.

edit: someone told me that apparently theres a banter when you go to dellamorte's villa and lucanis *implies* that he was beat by his grandmother (at least to another antivan crow rook). this whole post still stands though. i think that should have not been a banter that i (and im sure others) missed. and again, it also ties to how i think the crows as an organization and their methods were whitewashed. even if it's not particularly a lucanis problem, it could have been to some extent addressed by him.

[dreamescapeswriting]

Easy Like A Sunday morning ~ BC

WORD COUNT: 2.7K

GENRE: comfort for family drama, argument between couple, established relationships, angsty, with soft ending

PAIRING: Chan x GN !Reader

⤜Copyright: © DreamEscapesWriting - January 2024

⤜MASTERLIST

The sun beamed through the cracks in the bedroom blinds as you lay with your head on Chan's chest, your fingers running up and down his chest softly as the two of you lay there for what felt like forever. Sundays were always the best for the two of you, neither of you had to work which meant you could spend all day in bed if you felt like it, which nine times out of ten you always did.

You'd lay in bed, tangled in the sheets enjoying the warmth of a lazy Sunday morning, doing nothing but eat and laugh together as you shared moments you couldn't wait to tell your future kids about.

"I love lazy Sundays with you," You said with a giant smile, your hands drawing invisible patterns into Chan's bare chest as he smiled and let out a content sigh. 

There was nowhere else he'd rather be than with you, work had been stressful to him all week and this had been exactly what he needed to unwind from the chaos of his boss. The two of you needed this time together to just relax, sometimes it was the only thing you had to look forward to after a shitty time at work.

"Me too...No rush...No plans," He sighs happily as he stretches his legs in the bed making you giggle a little at him as he finally stopped and wrapped his arm around your waist, 

"Just us, TV and lots of food." He finished as you let out a giggle. The two of you would always cook for one another, taking turns every Sunday to see who would cook for the other and this week it had been you.

So you'd made you both some breakfast wraps which had gone down a treat with Chan who'd already had three from you.

"We should do this on Saturdays too," You mumbled, turning to lay with your chin resting on your boyfriend's chest and smiling a little. Saturdays were usually reserved for spending time with your family but after the big blowout you'd had with them yesterday you were hoping you'd limit your time with them as much as humanly possible.

"I thought you were always busy on Saturdays..." Chan trailed off a little trying not to seem as hurt as he was by never getting to spend the full weekend with you but it was confusing for him. The two of you had been together for almost five months now and you'd never been free on Saturdays and whenever he asked you about it, you'd brushed it off as nothing or told him you were working. 

"Turns out I might be free more often now," You smiled weakly and looked at Chan who appeared to be elsewhere in his own mind so you bit your lip and turned his head to look at you.

"I love you." You whispered before reaching across and kissing him softly. Chan's arms wrapped around you as he pulled you closer to him, his worries melting away as he shared a peaceful kiss with you. As you moved to straddle his lap something sounded downstairs and you stalled completely, your hands resting on Chan's bare chest and you frowned.

No one else had a key except for Chan - who was present and accounted for and...

"Shit!" You hissed out, rushing over to the end of the bed and throwing Chan's clothes in his direction, you looked at him to see him frowning at you.

"What?! Who is it?!" Chan sat bolt upright, panicking as you rushed to find your own clothes, you didn't have time to explain anything to him right now, all you needed to do was hurry up and get dressed before someone walked into your room.

"Yn, this would be a bad time to tell me you're secretly married with a husband." Chan chuckled lightly trying to make you talk to him but you shook your head at him, whimpering a little as you heard the front door slam shut.

"I'm not..I-I just- You need to go."

"What? Why?" The confusion was written across his face as he got dressed, grabbing his bag from your hands as you swallowed a lump that was in your throat.

"Yn! Get down here! We need to talk!" Your mother's voice screeched from down the stairs making your whole body tense up so hard you were afraid you were never gonna move again.

"Y-You need to get out of here before they see you," Your voice barely grew louder than a whisper but Chan heard you as he frowned,

"Why can't they see me?" Chan's voice came out in a whisper too and you cringed as you heard your brothers rumbling around in the kitchen,

"P-Please." Your shakey voice made Chan panic but he nodded his head, a little unsure as to where all of this was coming through.

The two of you had been going out long enough that you could easily meet one another's family, hell, you'd already met Chan's and they all adored you. Whenever Chan had asked about your family, you'd told him it was "complicated" and that you weren't that close but for them to walk into your home it seemed pretty close to him,

"Explain to me what's going on." He wasn't demanding but more concerned, your mother sounded pissed off and he wasn't going to leave you alone if you were worried about them.

"I will...later, I'll distract them and you can go out the front door." You looked out of the blinds to make sure none of them were waiting in the back and you made your way to the bedroom door, your heart racing rapidly inside of your chest.

"Yn," Chan whispered, his chest aching a little at the thought of you hiding him like he was some kind of dirty secret. All of your friends had met him, even your co-workers but you weren't introducing him to the people that mattered most and it pained him.

"I have to go. Please just leave." You barely gave him any chance to fight you on it before you walked out of the bedroom door and headed toward the living room.

"It's too late for you to still be in bed, you shouldn't sleep so much." Your mother's voice carried to the bedroom and Chan waited until he heard you shut the living room door before making a break for it.

The front door to your boyfriend's place creaked open as you stepped inside, your shoulders slumped as you let out an exasperated sigh and kicked off your shoes. You expected to see Chan waiting for you with open arms but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Chan?" You called out before walking further into the home but something felt completely off about it all. The living room felt uneasy and the air felt thick with tension as you noticed the dim lights and Chan sitting in a chair staring at you with a frustrated look on his face. 

The air felt heavy as if it was carrying the weight of all the unspoken words between you and Chan from earlier in the morning. 

"Chan-" You started but never got to finish, 

"We've been together for five months and you've never introduced me to your family." You knew the two of you were going to talk about this tonight but you were hoping you could do it within the comfort of your boyfriend's arms.

"Chan, it's complicated." You breathed out, dropping your bag onto the floor and taking in a deep breath. You'd been trying to figure out where to start with this all day but you still didn't know how or even where to begin.

"Complicated? What seems complicated because they all seemed pretty happy to swing by your place today." He grumbled at you, you looked down at the floor before switching your gaze back to Chan who was staring daggers at you.

"They weren't invited." You mumbled a little because they weren't. They weren't supposed to use the key unless there was an emergency and after the fight you'd had the previous day you figured they'd never wanna see you again anyway.

"They're family, they come whenever they want. My family is the same." Chan reminded you and you rolled your eyes a little. Chan's family were great, they came around but announced it first, and sometimes sent a quick text to prepare him but yours weren't like that.

"Yeah, well your family is different than mine." Your family were different than most, they would drop by unannounced or call you at work demanding you leave and go to them right away.

"How?" He arched a brow at you. All day he'd been left to stew in his own thoughts and he'd come to one conclusion about everything and that was that you were ashamed to be with him and that was why you hadn't introduced him yet.

"It's-"

"Complicated," You both said at the same time before Chan let out a loud scoff at you, shaking his head before sitting down in the chair. This felt like a losing battle every single time he brought up the subject of your family,

"We've talked about it all before and you always brush it off. I feel like a dirty little secret."

"You're not a secret, Chan...It's just-"

"Just what?!" He finally yelled, losing his patience with you as tears built in his eyes. He wasn't the type to cry in front of you but he was losing his will and needed to know if there was something wrong with him that you would hide part of yourself away from him.

"They're just...They're different," Tears began to well up in your eyes as you stared at him. Your family had been one of the main reasons you swore off dating for the longest time. You'd never wanted to have to introduce anyone to your family so long as you could have helped it. 

"Are you ashamed of me? Is that why we haven't been introduced?" He questioned, staring at you as you sniffled a little, you never wanted him to feel that way because of something you were doing. It had nothing to do with him and all to do with your family,

"No...Chan, it's not that," You sighed shaking your head.

"I just need some more time to figure out how to handle this." You explained, taking in deep breaths but Chan was through with waiting if it meant hiding behind closed doors and sneaking out of the house like he was a teenager.

"Time won't solve anything if we don't face it! We're supposed to be a team...Yn..." You stared at him as you felt the doubt hanging over you like a dark cloud.

You'd been taught never to depend on anyone else no matter what but Chan had been breaking that thought ever since the two of you had met. He'd been breaking every lesson your family had hammered into you over the years and you loved him for it.

"Let me in, Yn...Let me be there for you,"

"I need...time." Your voice cracked as Chan growled a little, standing up and staring at you.

"How much time do you need? Huh? This affecting our relationship and I can't just keep waiting around for you to be ready." Your eyes landed on his as you shook your head. It sounded like he was getting ready to break up with you and the whole point of hiding him from your family was to avoid that,

"Chan, please." You pleaded desperately with him, reaching out for his hands but he stepped further away from you, shaking his head.

"I love you, Chan, and I want to be with you just give me...a little time to figure things out with them." You begged, watching as Chan's eyes softened a little.

"I want to be with you too Yn but we can't keep avoiding it. It isn't fair on either of us." You sighed a little rubbing the bridge of your nose and nodding, you knew he was right but it didn't make you feel any better about all of this,

"We're not teenagers, I don't want to sneak around anymore." He finished and you looked up at him.

"My family are...They have certain beliefs." You told him plainly, sitting down on the edge of his sofa and trying to figure out the best way to approach all of this. It wasn't religion-based but your family believed that certain things had to be a certain way for families to be able to work and grow. It was safe to say you didn't share a lot of their beliefs since you'd done everything you could to get away from them ever since you were at a legal age to do so.

"They have a whole thing about dating, I'm not supposed to date anybody without them giving their approval," You scoffed a little and shook your head as you finally let it off your chest, a weight felt as though it was coming straight off you as well

"You know, it took me almost six years to convince them to let me move out."

"Let you?" Chan asked softly as he sat down on the chair, staring at you as he waited for you to elaborate on it some more,

"I wasn't allowed to work either, they stopped me working. Claiming I needed to be a homemaker for your future partner."

"But you weren't married to anyone..." Chan hoped you weren't since the two of you had been dating for so long and you laughed dryly and shook your head,

"No, but they had plans for me and I broke them down so I wouldn't have to fit in the mould that they had for me."

"Yn.." He whispered, sympathy leaking from his words as he moved to kneel on the spot in front of you, your eyes finding his as you finally let the damn break and you told him everything.

"Every Saturday is reserved for them. I have to go around there, and we talk about work and life at home it was the condition they had for letting me move out...That and no dating," You laughed dryly and Chan moved to sit beside you, holding your hand tightly. 

"I hadn't told them about us yet because I didn't want them to rush me back to their place...To shield me away and I certainly don't want them to judge you." You looked at him with tears running down your cheeks.

"I'm scared I'll lose you." Chan grabbed your hand in his and squeezed them softly. There was no way on this earth that he was ever going to let you go without a great fight,

"You're not going to lose me...Ever and you're certainly not going to face it alone, Yn. I'm here for you, no matter what." He told you and you smiled weakly, you wanted to believe him but if your family were set on something they weren't just going to back down from it.

"I appreciate it, Chan, but they're difficult." You told him as he gently wiped the tears from your cheeks and shook his head, he didn't care how difficult they were he was never going to let you go through any of it alone.

"Then we can stay hidden as long as you need but sooner or later you'll have to face them...I plan on making you my future spouse and spending forever with you." Your cheeks began to heat as you looked at him, 

"We're in this together, I love you." He whispered before kissing your forehead, your chest tightening a little as you nodded.,

"I love you too and I'll tell them...eventually. I just-"

"We'll tell them together whenever you're ready." He said, cutting you off and kissing your cheek softly. You thought about it and laughed a little, they were going to hate you introducing a man you'd already been dating for months.

"They won't like it."

"Then they'll have to get over it. If they try and take you from me they'll have a big fight on their hands." He winked at you before you cuddled into his chest, relaxing for the first time since that morning and letting out a small and happy sigh.

"Let's go upstairs and finish our lazy day." He told you before you kissed him softly and made your way toward the staircase.

"I'll be up, I'm going to order your favourite." He chuckled as he watched you happily jogging up the stairs to his bedroom.

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[rose-tinted-kalopsia]

≡;-꒰ 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐁 ꒱₊˚ ପ⊹ I  𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝑶𝒖𝒓𝒔

╰┈➤ ❝ caleb x afab!reader | smut nsfw 18+ mdni | kinktober '24 day 10

tags : porn with some plot, porn with feelings, newly-established relationship, oral fixation, nipple play, softdom!caleb, flat-chested!reader, slight insecurities about being flat-chested, silly bickering, drinking mention (but no one gets drunk), kissing and making out, body worship (ish?), masturbation (f), dry humping, use of pet names "pipsqueak" "baby" “princess”. lmk if i missed any tags !!

wc : 5.4k (whoops!)

an : i had a lot a loottt of fun with this and also i know this is super super overdue, but~ a req for @anxiousgoddest !! bc flat is justice <3 (tysm for waiting patiently !!!)

taglist : @interstellar-inn @pixelcafe-network @hunters-association @darlingdummycassandra @milkandstarlight @thoupenguinman @valyvinny @rafayelsheart @jellyroom2 @chemiru @ywnzn @pepprrmint @angel-jupiter @theanbitchless (SIGN UP HERE)

AO3 / KINKTOBER MASTERLIST / KO-FI JAR / COMMISSIONS

Wherein a game of truth or dare leads you to take the next step in your relationship, and Caleb proves to you just how much he loves you.

"And you have to give me the recipe! How could you have kept this from me the entire time?!"

Scrambled, frantic noises scattered around by the doorway, and you chuckled as you helped Tara gather and put her shoes on. It was a usual scene, and she was still rambling on like she often did. "It's not my recipe, Tara," you rolled your eyes playfully.

“Yeah, but, come on!! Hiding a whole master chef in your bedroom—”

“Tara!!!”

Despite the mortification clear in your eyes, beside you, Caleb rolled his eyes and let out a snort of laughter. “Yeah, yeah, alright, point taken,” he placed a hand over her shoulder. With a raised eyebrow, he shuffled her out. “Sor-ry, but a secret stays a secret! At least, hey, you can just come over next time, right?"

Effectively, it seemed to placate her curiosity just a little bit. Just enough.

You watched the sparkle in her eyes seemingly grow to be more obvious, as she clasped her hands together and said—"Oooh! An invite? I could never turn that down! That’s a promise, Caleb!"

And your eyes softened at the playful banter.

Tonight had been the first time that Caleb had officially met Tara and your other Hunter friends, and you appreciated how naturally he got along with them. He might have owed it to his easy going personality, you thought, but it meant a lot to you knowing he could be just as good friends with them as you were. For all that Caleb wasn't around as often as you wished he would be, the little mutual connections made you happy.

In fact, Tara was even the last one to leave your little gathering, having stayed back a little bit for a second helping of Caleb's cooking. You couldn't blame her, of course—you would’ve stayed back for it, too! But it was amusing to know that she had certainly taken to expressing her approval of your relationship with him, enough to playfully demand for his recipes. 

Because, in her words, "it's only right for the best friend to have access to them, too!"

The thought of it made you laugh.

Now, as night fell and she hurried to catch the last train home, you watched as she hopped out of your apartment with another cheerful wave. "Take care, Tara! See you tomorrow!"

Caleb shook his head as he watched her dash down the corridor of your apartment complex, and then softly closed the door.

For the first time that night, there was a peaceful blanket of momentary silence.

And then he turned to you, leaning against it.

"Sooooo," he began, grinning slyly.

You knew that look.

"Now, we have the place all to ourselves again... What're you up for?"

Grateful you were standing near the couch, you picked up a nearby pillow and threw it at his face. "Caleb!"

Naturally, he caught it with ease. "What!?" he laughed. "I didn't say anything, I didn’t even do anything! I was asking you what you wanna do!"

"Well, don't make that face then!"

You threatened to throw another pillow at him, holding it in your grasp. But Caleb only shook his head with a smile, and it was easy for him to stride over, grasp your hands above your head, and pry the pillow away from you. It was smooth, and there wasn't a single chance for you to resist as you allowed yourself to be enchanted by that look in his eyes. He stared at you like that for a moment, the soft smile on his face never leaving, his closeness still inevitably making your heart race.

And then he pulled away.

You watched him walk over to sit properly on the couch, and you wondered how he still had the audacity to pat the space beside him.

You made a face.

"C'mon," he sighed, rolling his eyes in slight amusement. "At least cuddle with me? We haven't had the day to ourselves yet, cut me some slack, pipsqueak."

In all honesty, you weren't opposed to the idea. It had been a tiring day, so full of socializing and work that relaxing in his arms was a proposal that was surely more than inviting. But your pride, always raised impossibly high in his presence, made it harder for you to give in. You were used to it, in a way. Having known him for nearly your entire life meant you've adapted to it all; the banter, the teasing, the playful competition you often had with each other... It was just odd to think otherwise.

Yet, over recent months, your relationship had progressed into something more.

Something that should have allowed you to submit to your own desires for more affection for him... Only to find out that old habits died hard.

Still, he opened his arms expectantly, and even you hadn't the heart to reject him like that.

Slowly, you walked over to settle beside him. It was natural, the way his arm draped around your shoulders, the way you would shift to lean against his chest. The smell of his cologne—one chosen deliberately, you noted, given that it was your favorite of his—provided a comfort that made you relax. And you wondered why you were really all that hesitant in the first place.

With a quiet sigh, you watched him reach over to take the remote from the table and then point it towards the TV.

"How about a movie?" he suggested.

And he looked down at you, his gaze gentle.

You figured, you could at least indulge him a little bit.

"Mmm... Maybe not a movie?" you started, softly.

"Tired? I get that. We can just go to bed if you—"

"No, that's not what I mean."

A silence followed.

You'd cut him off, but you looked away. You found that it was difficult to bring up the topic at all, even if you wanted to.

"Pipsqueak?"

This time, his voice was devoid of the usual teasing, softer than you were used to. He set the remote back down beside him, and used his hand to gently guide your chin upwards to look at him.

It was that look.

Warm, and gentle, and so full of adoration.

The look that would always give you butterflies.

A little pout formed on your lips.

"Don't look at me like that..."

In response, he laughed, moving ever so closely, lips only a few inches from yours. "Hm? Like what, pipsqueak?"

You weren't having whatever game of catch he was playing with you, and you clicked your tongue. With a quick, light kiss on his lips—basking for a moment in the shock that spread across his features—you turned back away and crossed your arms.

"Like... Whatever it is that you're doing!" you huffed. "You don't know half the thoughts I have in my head because of you!"

"Yeah? C'mon. Try me."

Another pillow thrown unsuccessfully at his face—one that he caught with frustrating ease—and another laugh escaped his lips. It was one that gave you more butterflies than you'd have liked to admit.

Yet, be it the fact that he'd known you for nearly his entire life, his expression softened again. As if he knew to stop teasing; as if he knew there was something you wanted to talk about.

"Hey. Talk to me, princess."

Princess.

Not pipsqueak, not even your name—a nickname he reserved for the softer, more intimate moments you shared. A nickname you've only ever heard so lovingly from his own lips… a nickname for you.

Your eyes closed.

"Just… I've been thinking," you started, quietly, slowly, as if gathering your thoughts. "I mean, I don't know if now is the time and place for it, I was just..."

When your voice trailed off, he was quick to place a reassuring hand over yours, the warmth of it a comfort that was enough to get you to continue.

You cleared your throat, and tried again.

"Could we... Go further, do you think?"

The silence that followed this time was deafening.

For a moment neither of you seemed to speak, and you couldn’t dare bring yourself to meet his gaze.

“... I’m sorry. Forget I brought that up. We can just cuddle and put on Howl’s Moving Castl—”

“Hey, no, we could.”

Caleb interrupted you before you could bother to do whatever damage control was even possible at that point, and your words remained stuck in your throat. You were hyper aware of his presence next to you, his arms wrapped around your shoulders, and in light of what you’d said, it almost seemed too much. The moment he brought his other hand to rest on your thigh, you nearly could have jumped. 

Perhaps your jumpiness was something he had sensed, too.

“Look at me?” he spoke softly, giving your thigh a gentle squeeze. One of reassurance; one that you recognized.

And when you did meet his gaze, he shook his head with a smile.

“We could, princess, but only if you reallyyy want to.”

There was a very slight teasing lilt to his voice that you could just barely make out, and his eyebrow raised.

Of course, Caleb was Caleb.

He knew you too well.

“Sooo?” he flicked your forehead. “What’s the holdup, pipsqueak? That’s what you said, but… Seems like you aren’t sure you want it, either. What’s got this on your mind today? Talk to me.”

Ah…

You smiled wryly at him, a sigh of what appeared to be defeat escaping your lips. And instead of answering immediately, you allowed yourself to fall back against him, eyes closing for a little moment.

“...It’s awkward, huh?” you mumbled.

He didn’t quite reply, but he let out a hum for you to continue.

“Just… This whole thing. Like, I’ll admit it, I think about it. A lot, actually. It’s just… I don’t know how to cross the line without feeling like I’m ruining things between us.”

“So… You think about it? Really? Does it get you all w—”

A pillow to his face.

That teasing grin you knew all too well was plastered back on for you to see, and the sound of his laughter filled the living room.

“That’s not the point!” you protested. “I said all that I did, and that’s what you focus on?!”

“I was kidding! I was kidding! I swear!”

Still laughing, he had enough decency to raise his hands into the air, allowing you a free, unobstructed hit with the pillow you still wielded.

Satisfactory enough.

Your shoulders relaxed, finding familiarity in your childish banter, and the pillow rested back on your lap.

“Okay, but real talk…” He settled back beside you, giving you a little nudge. “It’s not just you. I think about it, too. And I want it, so I think… we could ease into it, y’know? Doesn’t have to be all at once, we can take our time.”

“Yeah, but… how? We make out all the time, but it’s not like it’s all that easy to just… go from there…”

He thought for a moment.

A brief silence passed yet again, and you peered at him curiously, before he spoke again.

“How ‘bout… Truth or dare?”

When he met your gaze, his head tilted sideways. Naturally, there was a playfulness to his voice that was almost always just there, but the seriousness in the way he looked at you compelled you to believe he wasn’t joking.

“Truth or… dare?” you furrowed your brows.

He shrugged.

“Yeah, s’fine, right? We get to be honest with each other about what we feel on the topic, and, you know… there’s also the aspect of dares bein’ there, and all…”

He had a point.

But if you were going to be honest enough with whatever answers you were going to give, and if you were going to build the courage to do whatever dares you had to do…

You stood up, and Caleb watched you quizzically as you walked over to the kitchen to get a single bottle of soju from the fridge.

“Wh— Hey, c’mon! Really? Do you need that?! Aren’t we doing this sober?!”

You rolled your eyes at the astonished expression on his face, setting down two shot glasses and the bottle before resuming your position cross legged on the couch. Your trusty pillow was nestled neatly back over your lap. “Oh, whatever. Not like we drank anything today anyway, and before I drink, I’m giving you my consent. I do want this, I just, you know… need a little push, that’s all. I’m not about to get myself drunk, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

The doubt in his eyes seemed placated, and after a moment, he sighed and reached out to pour both of you a shot.

“Okay, alright, fine. Then… Rules?”

“Mmm… Three truths and three dares at a time. If you run out of truths, you have to do a dare next, and vice versa. Fair, right?”

You spoke before downing your first shot of alcohol, allowing yourself to savor the sensation with a momentary close of your eyes and a little sigh.

Across from you, you heard Caleb let out another one of his chuckles.

“Okay, okay… Fair's fair. Sooo… Since you drank just now, let's start with you. Truth or dare, princess?”

The question made you pause.

It was as if the reality had dawned on you, that you were really, truly doing this, and it took a moment before you could answer him—eyes fixed onto the pillow on your lap, a small frown on your face.

“Baby, if you don't want to pl—”

“Truth.”

At this point, you maybe regretted a little bit of the rule you’d imposed.

You reached out to pour another glass of alcohol, but Caleb’s hand shot out to grab your wrist.

He gave you a pointed look.

“Alright, c’mon. Drink later. You literally just had a shot. I’ll go easy on you, relax!” His hand gave you a little squeeze as if to prove a point, and then only after you had huffed and settled back in your seat did he give you your question.

“Okay… So what do you think of me?”

A simple enough question.

He was right; he did go easy on you.

But your frowned and crosses your arms, opening your mouth to speak—

“Like, really think of me, princess. C'mon, you know why we're playing this.”

The smirk that tugged on the corner of his lips proved that he knew exactly the type of answer you were about to give him, and you rolled your eyes.

Caleb was Caleb. He did, in fact, know you very well.

So you took a moment, mulling it over—because simple as the question was, the answer itself was far from it.

You thought many things about him.

That he was annoying.

That he was a tease.

That he could very easily get on your nerves, but that he could—just as easily—soothe them.

He was fun. Kind. Easygoing. Comforting.

He was reliable, dependable, protective, a little bit of a worrywart with you… But he was gentle. He was sweet. Loving, and caring—he knew you best. Every little tell, every little habit… Everything about you. And that was one of the reasons that you were drawn to him; always have been drawn to him.

You let out a slow breath.

Because you realized that at the root of all of these things… there was love. There was trust. 

“I think… I could trust you,” you mumbled. “I think that even if it's a little scary trying to navigate this whole relationship that we have right now… You've always been nothing but caring towards me. So, I trust you. I trust us. And—”

A wry smile played at your lips as you raised your eyes to look back at him.

“And I think you're handsome. Because I know you want me to say that, and, like, fuck it, fine. You're hot. It's true.”

“Oh, yeah? Do I make you feel ho—”

“Caleb!” You raised your pillow in warning, and he laughed, shaking his head.

“You’re so easy to rile up, pipsqueak. Geez… Never change.”

For good measure, you hit him again anyway, before crossing your arms once more and giving him a pointed look. “Truth or dare?”

“...Truth.”

His answer came after a period of silence. But this was a question you didn't need to think of.

“You said earlier that you've thought about this, too… What… What have you thought about?”

It seemed as if your question had come as a surprise to him, and you took delight in the way that his eyes had widened.

“Huh—well— Well, of this, right? Of… of you,” he said slowly. And he had every opportunity to take this question to goof around, but he averted his gaze, a slight action that gave you reassurance he was taking this just as seriously. “The most we've ever done was just… kiss. So, sometimes I think about other things. Like maybe how you'd look underneath all that, or the faces you'd make, the sounds you'd make, how you'd feel…”

There was somewhat of a bashfulness in the way that he spoke this time, not deliberately teasing you, but clearly wanting to give an honest answer. He ran his fingers through his hair, before he sighed. “Since we’re bein’ honest, I’ll also say I think about those a lot when you dress up a little. If you find me attractive, then it’s the same for me of you, y'know? But I've been tryin’ to wait it out ‘til you brought up the topic, so…”

Your cheeks grew warmer the more that he spoke, and with a huff, you, too, averted your gaze. “Geez, shut up…”

“You asked me that question!”

“Yeah, but I was just— you know…! I mean, I was curious how far your thoughts went!”

He scoffed. “Truth or dare, pipsqueak?”

“Truth!”

You answered really without thinking, and then immediately paled with the realization that you had one more truth left.

With a groan, you reached for the bottle. “Hold,” you muttered. You took a second to take your second shot, before motioning for Caleb to continue. “Hit me.”

This time, he smirked.

“When was the last time you touched yourself?”

Your jaw dropped.

“Wha—what?!”

“What, what! You asked me that, so of course I'll step it up!”

“You menace—” You shot him a glare, but it wasn't as if you were upset about it. Instead, with a bright red coloring the tips of your ears, you turned your head away.

“Two nights ago,” you mumbled. “Before you got home.”

“Whoa, so not too long ago, huh? Aww, princess… what were you thinking of?”

His words didn't at all help the flush that spread on your face.

“Wh—hey! No double-asking! Or triple-asking, for that matter!”

“But obviously it's me, right? Did you miss me that much, baby? Didn't know you got so needy in my absen—”

“Oh, shut up! Like, when was the last time you jerked off, anyway?!”

He smirked.

“No double-asking~”

You groaned as you kicked at him with your legs. “Fine! Truth or dare?”

“Dare.”

Caleb was a lot bolder than you.

There was little need for him to hide behind the ‘truth’ option, and it surprised you little to hear him, this time, choose otherwise.

Yet it was just as much of a test for you as it was for him.

Because what did you want from him?

You knew the answer to that, in a sense—you wanted a lot. But desire was a difficult thing to navigate. And just like it had been difficult for you to answer your first question in a way that was coherent, it was just as difficult for you to think of this. 

As you looked him over in thought, there was that nagging feeling within you that so desperately wished you wouldn’t be so awkward about it.

“I dare…” you fiddled with your hands, trying to search his eyes as if the answer would be written on there. “I dare you to make the first move.”

Your gaze fell back to your lap.

“And, truth,” you added, “because the truth is that I don't know how to, and I have to be a little pathetic and hide behind a game like this even though I can't bear to keep waiting any longer when I want you so goddamn badly, so—”

He wouldn't give you a chance to complete it.

Immediately, a pair of lips crashed onto yours, and your eyes widened. Words were immediately swallowed back into your throat. You felt yourself pushed back against the couch; his fingers found themselves in your hair, lips coaxing at yours to relax with him. This feeling… You knew it by heart. Familiar, while simultaneously not. Gentle, but at the same time… desperate. And for the first time that night, you really, truly realized, that this was something he wanted just as badly as you did.

Slowly, your arms snaked around his waist, breathing a little heavy when he pulled back.

“...That was your turn just now, right?” he mumbled. His forehead pressed against yours, hand moving from your hair down to cradle the side of your face. “So it's my turn again. Gimme another dare.”

Your breath hitched.

He was doing this on purpose.

Allowing you to ask of him what you wanted, allowing you to dictate the pace of this moment—because he knew that he would follow through with it.

It was you, after all.

And for all the times that you've felt loved, and cared for, and prized, with him…

You felt seen.

You looked into his eyes, all sunset-colored and real, full of warmth and kindness and all these things that you have always, always felt with him… You could melt like this. He wasn't teasing you this time. He was being genuine.

You wanted him to feel seen, too.

“What do you want?” you whispered back.

He let out a soft laugh through his nose.

“Nah, this isn't truth, pipsqueak. You're supposed to give me a dare, right?”

“But… What if I wanted you to act on your desires?” Your hand moved up his back to rest around his neck, leaning up slightly to nuzzle against his nose. “I know what you're doing. And it's working, by the way, so thanks. But… If you're okay with taking whatever dare I throw your way… Then I'm okay with whatever you decide to throw my way.”

“Baby…”

“We're still playing? Then I dare you to show me what you want from me.”

Slowly, he shook his head.

“Sure but… I don't want from you, princess. I want you. This isn't give or take. It's just…” He closed his eyes for a moment, letting out a soft sigh. “It's just me wanting to love you.”

He leaned in again, pulling you in for another kiss. It was a quicker one this time, but not any less tender and not any less sweet than his kisses usually were with you. He pulled back with a little pull on your lower lip, before shifting towards your jawline.

“Caleb…”

Tiny little fluttering kisses, and his head dipped, nuzzling against your neck.

“...Your shirt,” he mumbled. “It's your dare, right? Are we cool with taking this off?”

At his words, your cheeks flushed—suddenly, the realization that you had never gone this far felt more real than ever.

As if sensing your hesitation, his head lifted, and he looked at you carefully. “Too far? Wanna backtrack?”

You shook your head.

It was just like him to prioritize you still.

“No, just, mmh… You've never, you know… Seen me naked or anything before…” You reached out to run your hands through his hair.

“Shy?” he murmured.

“...Yeah. A little.”

“S’no need to be, pipsqueak. Hey, we were honest earlier, right? You're real beautiful. I already know that. I don't need to see what's underneath your clothes to believe it.”

“I know, I know… Just, I dunno… Be nice, or something? Ah… I think I'm just nervous.”

He smiled.

There was a tiny, light flick at your forehead, and he rolled his eyes playfully. “Did ya think I'd be mean?! Hey, c'mon. Is there something you're not telling me?”

It was your turn to smile, because hell.

He had proven time and time again how you couldn't possibly hide anything from him.

With a playful huff of indignance, you reached down to lift up your shirt, ever so slightly. “I'm not hiding anything. I was only… Well, it's just. It's not like… It's not like they're big, or anything. Not my favorite thing in the world to show off…”

He stopped you.

“You're worried I'll be turned off? I could never.”

“I know that! It was just a silly thought. Feels like guys tend to prefer it when we aren't flat-chested, so I was only—”

“Princess.”

“What?”

“So, I'm gonna take you up on your offer… And I'm going to, maybe, have my way with you just a little bit.”

You blinked.

“Huh? Where's this coming from?”

“Just—hey, there is nothing wrong with having a small chest, and hell if I'll have to prove it to you.”

“That's— that's not— It’s fine, you don’t need to—”

He tugged at your shirt, eyebrow raised as he began to lift it up. “Nuh-uh, I'm gonna spoil you today. You are going to lay back and be a little princess for me. Sound fair?”

It was near comical how insistent he was about it, and with another roll of your eyes, you raised your hands in mock surrender. “Geez! What, has this always been like, a fantasy of yours or something? Help yourself, I guess.”

Yet you couldn't keep the smile off your face.

In seconds, your shirt was lifted off of you, your bra following suit, both placed somewhere else on the couch. And his eyes raked over your figure.

“God… You're beautiful. Seriously. You've nothing to worry about, nothing at all.” His voice became lower, breathier. The sound of it was enough proof to you of what the sight of your breasts was doing to him. And the moment that his hands moved to hold them, your eyes followed the trail of his fingers, the sheer difference in size as he held you making you swallow thickly.

His touch was searing.

Despite the way that he would gently knead at your flesh, you couldn't help but squirm beneath him. Almost pathetically, you could see the way your nipples pebbled with the slightest touch, leaving nothing of your arousal to his imagination.

But you could tell that he was only just beginning.

A low, barely-audible groan could be heard from his throat.

And within the next few seconds, he edged closer and closer—his fingertip grazed ever so close to your nipples, but not quite touching. A tease, as he ever was, he would circle around and around, the sensation just barely there. And then he would move away. Back to holding you, massaging your little mounds, giving you a little squeeze.

When your eyes met, there was that damn smirk back on his face.

“Feeling good?”

He looked satisfied with himself, and he had every reason to be.

Your cheeks were bright red, lips parted. Every so often a wordless gasp would escape from your lips—maybe his fingers would get a little too close, the tingling feeling shooting straight through your core and having your body jump almost as if an involuntary response.

And then you felt it.

All the while maintaining eye-contact, you let out a whimper as he flicked the pad of his finger over your bud. 

“H-h—nn—!”

You could lose it.

Every little tease had you feeling more sensitive than you ever thought you could get, and yet, here he was; your nipples between his fingers, rolling it real slowly, feeling you up in a manner of both worship and playfulness that only he could truly pull off.

He tugged on them just a little bit to give you that jolt of pleasure, and you arched.

The sensation a welcome shock, your eyes widened.

“C-Caleb—?!”

“Hm? Oh… So y’like it like that, huh?”

He was fascinated.

He trained them to his touch, every rub, every pull, every slightest touch having you writhing beneath him.

“D'you think… Can you… cum like this?”

He didn't give you a second to answer.

It was as if he was insistent on making that happen. Immediately his warm lips were on your chest, burning through your flesh in a way that felt nearly all-encompassing; a heat higher than his touch, you felt almost as if he could devour you.

Yet aside from the pleasure, you could tell that this was more than that.

This was the extent of his desires, and the extent of his love.

The way he would fondle you with such adoration could have burned you, strong hands snaking down your body before holding you in place, tonguing over your nipples.

He licked, and sucked, and lapped, clearly never even wanting to pull away anymore, and the slick between your thighs was undeniable.

And again, for all the times that you've felt loved, and cared for, and prized, with him…

You felt seen.

That was what his love was like.

That even in the midst of something so lewd, with wet, embarrassing sucking noises filling the room… Somehow, some way, you felt loved.

To be loved is to be seen.

How odd, you thought, that in this moment you couldn't possibly think of a better way to describe the way he made you feel.

In this moment, all your moans and whimpers began to fall from your lips more freely, and you nearly choked at the feeling of him rutting against your thigh, the bulge in his pants more than obvious to you.

There was something so arousing about the fact that he'd gotten undeniably hard from this.

You couldn't help yourself anymore.

“Caleb… Cale—hng—Caleb—! F-feels good…!” 

Your hand snaked down, desperately pushing down your pants. Every suckle at your flesh spurred you on further, fingers dipping right into your head with a wet squelch, and he groaned.

Having resorted to leaving open-mouthed kisses and barely-contained licks all over your chest, his hips moved faster, rubbing against you, chasing a friction. Your hands matched the pace—thrusting in and out, your own eyes closed at the overwhelming pleasure you were feeling.

“Shit, holy shit, baby,” he hissed.

You caught his gaze travel down to the hand between your legs, panties pushed messily to the side as your sopping wet cunt took every thrust of self-pleasure.

In the next moment his lips were back on your perky, swollen little nub—

And you are gone.

It was so easy.

Your release crashed over with a cry from your throat, hips spasming, mouth held open, head thrown back in pure pleasure.

Caleb wouldn't stop.

There was an air of desperation in his movements, and your free hand flew to his hair, the other sliding your fingers out of your pussy to claw at the couch—”Caleb!” you cried again.

You tugged at his hair.

One last suck before he came, sticky mess ruining his sweatpants, seeping a little bit onto the skin of your thigh.

You groaned, falling back against the couch.

“You… My god… I can't believe you…!” you huffed. Your chest heaved, and your words, your tone, carried very little—if at all—genuine reprimand. He knew that, probably. Because instead of replying, his mouth was back on yours, stealing your breath away like it was so easy for him to do, before you felt him pull back.

This time, he sat up.

“You're fucking amazing,” he muttered.

He wiped a little bit of excess drool from his face, and shook his head. “Just—holy shit, princess. I don't think I can ever get enough of you.”

A pause.

You caught your breath, before reaching for the collar of his shirt and yanking him back down.

“Then don't.”

You weren't quite sure if it was the adrenaline from all of this, or the little bit of alcohol coursing in your veins, or just the fact that you had done this, that made you feel a little… bold.

Your eyes locked with his, taking in the bewilderment, the shocked silence.

You smiled.

“I said I trust you, right? Don't hold back, Caleb. I dare you not to.”

© rose-tinted-kalopsia. all rights reserved. do not: steal, copy, repost, reupload, modify, or claim any of my works as your own, regardless of credit given. absolutely do not use my works for AI training and other related purposes.

[storiesabouteli]

BitterSweet // Elijah Hewson X Reader.

requests: (1) pre-relationship!eli with an incrediblyyy oblivious and socially awkward girl that kinda avoided him bc he’s very charismatic and lowkey a fuckboy so she think he’s fucking with her 😭😭 and eli is tryna pursue her and making it obvious that he takes her really seriously + (2) i was just wondering if you could write an imagine where eli helps the reader with her anxiety / through an anxiety attack or something similar?

words: 3,6K

You had enjoyed the band; they were instrumentally solid, and their lyrics were captivating. Live, they were even better. Eli, drenched to the point that his hair was soaked, let out soft groans in between sung syllables. This was just the soundcheck, and though only a few fans were around, he was performing like it was the real thing.

“Think we can tweak it a bit more?” His voice pulled you back, a warning that you might be getting in over your head. Eli chuckled, eyes trailing over you from top to bottom with a slight smirk. You couldn’t tell if it was meant to intimidate, mock, or if he just found you pathetic.

“Of course,” you replied quietly, certain no one else heard. The walk over felt longer in your mind as the guys watched, and you reached for the guitar in his hands. His swift movement to pull the strap off revealed hints of muscle, all the pale skin and the brief brush of his arm, warm and damp with sweat, replayed in your mind.

“Will you be around?” His voice was deeper, smoother than when he sang, with a lazy edge that was almost too pleasant to listen to. You were getting paid for this entire experience. “It’s my job.” He raised his brows, that same confident grin tugging at his lips. You avoided direct eye contact, though you glanced at him from the corners of your eyes. You didn’t mean to sound so blunt. You were only here to set up the studio for their album recording—a short period, and soon enough, you wouldn’t see them again.

You liked them well enough, but Eli had that vibe of the guy who would’ve bullied you in high school. You thought you were past that. “I’ll be around,” you said more clearly, finally looking him in the eyes. He nodded, making a mental note of your face up close and the matching brand of your boots and his. Your delicate hand passed the guitar back to him, and he couldn’t resist; it was too easy.

“Thanks, pet. I’ll be needing you again soon.” Your gaze dropped quickly as you backed away. Josh overheard and laughed, while Eli turned a bit pink—no regrets, though. You knew guys like him. You’d worked with bands before, and you understood better than to let whatever that was get to you.

…

You only spoke when asked, keeping things strictly professional. Eli was openly watching you, blatantly, if honest. The producers asked you questions now and then, and you always responded, they’d nod and follow your advice right after. Eli already thought you were smart, which only made him more intrigued. You were focused, a little shy, content within your own bubble; he admired that. It was obvious you were fine like that, and he was bothering you, but he didn’t know any other way to approach you.

“Hey, uh…” he started, sitting across from you at lunch. Once again, you were alone, not in a bad way, just enjoying your break. “What’re you listening to?” You lifted one side of your headphones to hear him. He cleared his throat, needing to repeat the question before you could answer.

“It’s not the first time you ignore me like that, and I like it.” You had to bite your lip but still laughed, as if he were too much to believe.

“The Strokes,” you showed him your phone, sipping your Coke. You fidgeted with the strap of your white tank top, which happened to be just like the one he often wore—and was wearing now. Along with the boots, it was oddly charming.

“I love The Strokes, real teenage throwback. What are your favorites?” He smiled wide, a grin he hadn’t seen all day, feeling confident this was going well.

“See? We have so much in common,” he teased, even though, so far, it was just the band and clothes.

“I’m not a big fan,” you shrugged, “I think his voice is lazy and dragged out, not really my style, though the instrumental’s good.” His heart sank a little. You spoke so casually, completely unaware of the impact. Eli hadn’t found flirting so difficult before.

“All right,” he glanced around, watching you look at your empty plate instead of his eyes. “Did you enjoy yesterday? What did you think of the show?”

You briefly thought of the awkward moment adjusting his guitar with everyone watching and how he’d been appearing more and more on your social media—not him directly, but clips of him with fans. You’d even gained some random followers from being spotted with the band. Your feed was flooded with videos of him leaning close to a girl at the edge of the stage, his damp curls brushing her face. She’d clung to him, and he clearly loved the attention, even stopping post-show to chat and connect with everyone. It was an energy you didn’t have. You’d once wanted to be more like him but were now comfortable being reserved. He was just naturally good at it.

Then there was one photo—a girl holding his face in an intimate kiss—that made you pause. A fan captioned that Eli would make a perfect boyfriend, even if they weren’t together anymore. She was gorgeous, and he looked like he belonged with her. Him talking to you felt off, like he was doing it out of pity; you weren’t even on the same page.

“I really enjoyed it. You guys are very good.” You were honest, forcing a smile and pushing away your thoughts to show you meant it.

Eli wasn’t convinced of that. “Good to know. We’re close enough now to hang out and maybe share a cigarette or two.” You looked up at him, his hazel eyes gleaming, his freckles glowing with a hint of blush. He had that high-school-crush look, but it still didn’t make sense.

“Can’t you talk like a normal person?” In your mind, the question hadn’t sounded so hard.

“I don’t know; this way I get to keep talking to you, don’t I?” He raised his brows as looked away, noticing the rest of the band watching from another table. He could be over there, so why wasn’t he?

He dropped a crumpled napkin on the table and waited, saying he’d be persistent later when you just nodded, unsure what to expect. You were about to speak, and it was warming to see him actually paying attention, his caramel eyes fixed on you, his whole body focused—until he nudged the table, spilling half of the Coke onto your white top.

“Sorry,” his accent thickened, sending a jolt of anxiety through you. People glanced over, and Eli began wiping the spot, his hand brushing over the stain.

“It’s not helping,” you said, touching his shoulder. “Eli, it’s fine; you’re just making it worse.” Your firm tone made him stop, realizing you were right.

You crossed your arms over your chest, feeling a little embarrassed, and he quickly noticed. Without hesitation, he shrugged off his black button-down and handed it over for you to wear. It wasn’t like you could refuse; you still had the whole afternoon before you could head home and change.

“Sorry, like, the flirting’s intentional, yeah, but I wouldn’t ever mean to harm you.”

You fiddled with his shirt, playing with the buttons. It smelled nice. He was now in a tank top like yours, and you remembered mentioning how you liked his arms before to the voices inside your head.

You cleared the table, picking up his napkin too, and he watched as you tossed his number into the trash on your way out.

“These things happen, I guess,” he chuckled, getting the closest he’d come to a genuine smile from you. The lighthearted way you suggested he’d done it on purpose; if he’d known that smile would come out, he certainly would have.

“Don’t worry. I’ll give it back,” you reassured him, grateful he wasn’t phased by the incident, though disappointed the conversation had ended, even if it wasn’t going great. At least it was something, and he got to appreciate how well his shirt suited you the rest of the day.

“It’s yours now, ma’am.”

…

At home, you made yourself dinner, still wearing his shirt. Sure, you told yourself it was just because of the chill, but deep down, you knew you wanted his scent—cologne mixed with a hint of cigarettes—lingering around you. Despite your reluctance, you eventually washed and dried it to return it properly. As you lay down in bed, a wave of mental relief washed over you, savoring the solitude after spending nearly the whole day with them fine-tuning songs. You picked up your phone, intending to scroll until you drifted off, when an Instagram notification popped up. Opening it, you saw he’d followed you and even sent a message. You set your phone aside for a moment, feeling like he was physically there; somehow, it made no difference.

When you accepted the request and opened the DM, the first thing you saw was a picture: a can of Diet Coke spilling onto his jeans, captioned with, “Thinking of you.” You couldn’t help but laugh softly to yourself. Eli probably thought it was funny—maybe it was, in a way. “You there? Am I getting ignored online too?” It made you realize you'd left the chat open, staring blankly. “Sorry, was busy,” you replied, though you instantly regretted it, realizing you could've been friendlier.

The typing dots popped up again, followed by, “With something more important than me?” You had to admit, his shameless confidence was quite charming. “Washing your shirt to return it. Hopefully, you won’t try that again xx,” you replied, heart-reacting to the Coke photo he’d sent. You didn’t want him to think you were actually ignoring him. After a pause, just as you were about to drift off, his final message came through. It was a voice note, low tone, a little sleepy, smooth.

“Uh, don’t see the problem, you know? Got to talk to you, and now you’ll return my shirt with your scent on it. You’re making this hard for me.” You could practically hear him smiling through the words, and once again, you found yourself grinning into your blankets.

…

You know those days that just aren't good? Your eyes ached, and there was a sharp pain in your head. Before entering the studio, some girls in Inhaler shirts were gathered near the entrance. They greeted you, and you nodded back, answering a few quick questions about them. You were polite, so one of them handed you her number, asking if you could give it to Eli. You took the slip of paper—it seemed routine, as if he received these often. She was beautiful. Your mind wandered to the number of girls chasing after him, not just here, but everywhere.

"Bobby’s sick; they’re not coming in today." One of the producers announced, and you felt a bit guilty for being relieved. Today, you didn't want to see anyone. It was hard to explain—if you knew how to avoid it, you would. Your chest felt like it was being crushed, heart racing, the familiar grip of anxiety that you just couldn’t make stop. As you thought about leaving, it hit you that you'd have to pass by those girls outside and take the bus home alone. You also worried about the delay in recordings, though you didn’t think Bobby should be there if he was unwell.

"Uh, you here by yourself? We won’t be recording today; thought someone might’ve told you. I just needed to grab my stuff." Eli shook his lighter, a rescuer in disguise. You held a cigarette between your fingers, hoping it would distract you, but you were restless, tapping your boot on the floor and fumbling in your pocket for your own lighter to no avail. He didn’t seem to notice anything wrong—at least he didn’t show it. His curls were perfectly in place, his jacket pulled over his arms, and that familiar, inviting smile. He’d clearly spent some time talking outside.

You opened your mouth, numb lips struggling to hide how off you felt, but no words came. He stepped close, his rings catching the light, and you focused on how nice his hand looked—a random, sudden thought that made you frown slightly. "Let me help," he whispered, his minty breath brushing your face. With the cigarette at your lips, you kept patting your jeans for the lighter. This was the closest you’d ever been to Eli; his fringe touched your forehead, and you realized how easily you could rest your head on his shoulder if you just leaned in. He sparked the lighter, holding it to your cigarette, his scent dizzying. His hand brushed your shoulder, and you wanted more. His calm eyes took in your vacant look as his fingers traced down your arm. For the first time, you couldn’t look at anything but his steady gaze. His freckles seemed to judge you silently, wondering why you had no control over yourself.

Seeing you weren’t taking a drag, he pulled the cigarette from your lips and placed it in his. "You can hear me, right?" His thumb brushed your palm, and you focused on your breathing as your eyes began to water. Eli was patient, his calm presence grounding you as you tried to steady yourself. Holding your hand, he gently pressed it to his chest so you could feel his heartbeat—thankfully steady. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "Feel that, love?" Closing your eyes, still feeling overwhelmed, you listened to his words. "Just breathe with me. You’re not alone; it’s all gonna be fine." His voice was a balm, and slowly, it started to sink in.

"You’re doing great; you wouldn’t even need me here," he said softly, matching your small laugh with his own. Your knees gave way slightly, and he held you by the waist, you were closer than ever before. "We can just sit here until you’re alright, yeah?" You nodded, sinking to the floor beside him, surrounded by a few guitars. You toyed with the rings on his fingers, finding it a welcome distraction, and he didn’t mind. Exhausted, as you always seemed to feel, Eli noticed your tired, red eyes and pulled you against him. It was only his shoulder, but you let yourself lean in. He took a drag from the cigarette, ready to toss it aside to focus on you, but you took it from him, repeating his movements.

"So, that’s our first kiss," he murmured, his usual flirty tone and smug grin returning. He seemed proud. "What?" you muttered, throat sore, but he didn’t need to hear it; he saw it on your lips. His free hand slid along your back, keeping you close, wanting to distract you from your own mind. He was good at it.

"The cigarette’s a swap of saliva, right? That counts." You wrinkled your nose, thinking how typical it was for him to come up with something like that. You put out the cigarette, tossing the butt away. Nicotine didn’t help much, but it was something—it was human nature, and you understood that. He noticed your shy smile, his effect on you having its way. "Not funny, Eli. I don’t get why you do this," you murmured, exhaustion pulling your eyes closed, though you stayed nestled against his soft shoulder. He swallowed, realizing you weren’t playing a game; you were just oblivious.

"One of the fans outside even gave me her number to give to you." Your tone was gentle, though the crumpled paper in your hand suggested you had some opinion on it. "You think I’m just messing around with you?" He took your face in his hand, studying your troubled eyes. "Why would I do that? I wouldn’t flirt with you if I didn’t mean it. I don’t know how to be more obvious."

The firmness in his voice cut through like the edge of a blade. Now it was his turn to look at you like a puzzle piece he couldn’t quite figure out. You stared at him like he’d just spoken in another language, your brow furrowing in confusion. “Aren’t you? I mean… isn’t this just, like, a thing you do? Flirt with people for fun?” Oddly enough he was still comfortable, Eli could be anything but scary.

He looked at you, serious, shaking his head slightly, as if letting you slip through his fingers was out of the question.

Eli raised an eyebrow, his grin slipping. “Is that what you think of me?”

You fidgeted with the sleeve of his jacket, avoiding his gaze. “I don’t know. I mean, you’re… you know…” Your voice dropped as if admitting the truth was embarrassing. “You’re you.”

He leaned closer, his voice low but insistent. “And what if ‘me’ wants you? What if I’m serious ‘bout this?”

Your eyes shot up to his, wide and startled, but you quickly looked away. “You’re not.”

“Yeah, I am,” Eli said, his gaze more serious now, one of those looks you couldn’t avoid. “I don’t just flirt with everyone. I don’t chase people. But I’m chasing you. What’s it gonna take for you to get that?”

His chest had been racing, but it started to calm as he took in your parted lips and the tears lingering in your eyes. He knew he was overwhelming you at a tough moment, and he hated that. His fingertips traced the bridge of your nose, lightly outlining your soft lines, enjoying how close you allowed him to be. “Are you okay, little one?” he asked softly, the edge of his jacket brushing your cheek to wipe away the last of your tears.

“Yeah,” you replied, the incident finally slipping away as you looked back at him, unable to focus on anything else. His careful eyes, the freckles scattered like constellations, each carrying its own name that you gave them—it was hard to think of anything but them. “God, I must’ve been such an idiot, right?”

He chuckled, his laugh warm and steady against you. Then, he pressed a soft kiss to your forehead, gentle but grounding, repeating it a few times as if to anchor you. You rested your head against his chest, nestling your face there, feeling the safety of his warmth. Your arms wrapped around his waist, a quiet comfort settling in.

“You weren’t an idiot. If anything, I’ve been bugging you since I got here.” You murmured a soft agreement, and he laughed again.

“But it worked, didn’t it? What do you say?”

You hid yourself a bit more in his embrace, feeling good, as he held you close, content to be your shield.

…

There was a comfortable weight draped over you, not unpleasant in the slightest. Your legs were tangled up with his, and you could feel his breath against your shoulder, soon followed by a series of light kisses and playful bites. You laughed into him, accepting your fate, and hugged him tighter. “Good morning,” he murmured, his voice sounding even better with that just-woke-up rasp. You glanced around, fully taking in the scene. His hand rested on your waist, his touch warm, and he was amazing at reading you, always respecting your pace.

“No one’s here yet. I’m not about to get you in trouble.” You smiled back at him, genuinely relieved.

“So you’re gonna hide us from them, huh?” he teased. “Hurts my feelings a little, y’know?” You looked down at your feet, ready to counter him, but before you could, his face was close again. He pressed a soft, wet kiss to your cheek. His messy curls tickled you, and you ended up laughing.

“When I make you nervous like this…” he traced his thumb along your hands, which were colder than your hot cheeks. “Is it a bad thing? Does it bother you?”

You met his gaze, smiling with your lip caught between your teeth. “I like how you talk to me, Eli. I just… don’t know how to deal with it right away.”

He nodded, his smile warm. “Good. I like that—it’s cute how you don’t know what to do with yourself.”

So effortlessly, he pulled the same reaction from you as before. The two of you kept talking, stealing these quiet moments before anyone arrived. Eli picked up on your hesitance with him, knowing you thought he was too charismatic for someone like you. But he also made it clear he didn’t mind your quieter world; he’d be just as happy living in it if you’d have him there.

Later that day, you ended up with his jacket draped over your shoulders and his hand resting gently on your back. You got to listen Bobby complimented you, saying you were better at adjusting his bass than any of the past techs they’d worked with. The way he talked about you was similar to how Eli did, which made you suspect Eli had already mentioned you to them before, even without knowing you well yet. None of them questioned your sudden closeness with Eli, not even when he introduced you like they didn’t all already know who you were. They were welcoming, you felt at ease.

 Eli’s hand slipped from your waist slowly, your smile softening as he looked at you. He was enjoying the way things were going. “I’m gonna grab us some food,” he said, tilting your chin up and pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead. “And a Diet Coke too.”

 You grinned, your smile so wide it showed all your teeth. “Want me to come with you?” Before either of you could say more, Ryan appeared with a question about drum kits, and Eli could see in your eyes that you wanted to answer.

 “I’ll be right back, I promise, little one,” he chuckled, leaving you with them. Minutes later, Ryan mentioned, “It’s great that Eli managed to finally talk to you. We’ve been hoping to catch you since that project you worked on with Miles.”

 The statement was so casual that you raised your eyebrows, realizing it had been over two years since that project—quite some time if you thought about it. “You guys were looking for me?”

 Ryan nodded, as if it were obvious. “Actually, Elijah suggested it. He’s into the albums you worked on. It took a while—you’re not exactly easy to track down.” You laughed, looking at them, struck by how Eli had admired your work for much longer than you’d ever realized. You’d thought he was out of reach, yet he’d appreciated your work from the start.

 “Don’t break our boy’s heart, alright? We’d have to side with you then, but we’d rather not,” Josh added with a smirk, and you felt your face heat up just as Eli returned, grinning, with a Diet Coke and fries in hand.

 You figured maybe you could handle this, after all.

[a-dauntless-daffodil]

charlie stealing the wings off adam's corpse for herself and vaggie thinks that's hot AU, blame @a-cold-day-in-pentagram-city for this not me

the cannibals eat the rest of the first dude but dont wanna deal with plucking out feathers so charlie and vaggie scoop up all the wings left over from the dead angels in their front yard, shoving them in a side room of the new hotel

after a bit charlie's like "Should we.... send his wings BACK up there? For burial or something???" and vaggie's like "We could I guess." and charlie's already stroking the wings "Kinda pretty aren't they? When he's not wearing them anyway." which makes vaggie actually look at the wings charlie's petting and go "You know. They ARE kinda the same gold color as your hair...." and they both stare at the wings, and at each other,

and then charlie's in front of a full length mirror checking herself out as Vaggie holds the wings up behind her and they're giggling a little bc really this is so SO morbidly disrespectfully silly but DAMN does charlie look gooooooood with her mom's ex's fancy wings- in fact she looks so good and feels so smug about it that her and vaggie get a little distracted and

charlie drags her dad aside the next morning "Dad I need wings it's important don't ask why but can you please help please" and shapeshifer luicfer's delighted like "OH YOU ENJOY CHANGING YOUR LIVING FLESH VESSEL TOO?? GOSH GOLLY THIS IS ANOTHER PERFECT FATHER DAUGHTER BONDING MOMENT!!!" charlie stops him right there "Dad no I don't want to grow the wings myself there's already a specific pair I want" which has lucifer doing the supportive but confused "??? Okay char-char? What... what wings did you had in m-" charlie holds up the limp wings of her mom's ex / her girlfriend's shitty ex employer "These ones. Don't ask." - "Wh.. why those ones-" - "DAD PLEASE I SAID DON'T ASK."

he doesn't ask. he tries not to think about it either. after all it's a fun chaotic creation request from his daughter and tbh the idea of her having rubber ducky colored wings is very cuuuute to him so it's pretty easy not to think any further past it than that

until he sees a thrilled charlie on her way, leaping and almost crashing out the nearest window before her angel gf swoops in to catch her. seeing chaggie together reminds lucifer of him and lilith, like always, and he sighs in wistful happiness, like always- until he freezes in a cold terror, shaken to the core by the sudden knowledge that he might someday have to explain to his estrange wife why their daughter is flying around on the wings of the dead guy his wife rejected once and who sent murder angels down to kill their people every year for funsies

... on second thought, lilith might be the MOST excited about that of anyone. Or, almost anyone, if the emotionally scaring sounds of chaggie fliting mid air are anything to go by

[ldrfanatic]

Slytherin Boys as 1989 Songs

+ bonus! the slytherin boys as romance tropes

I decided to shake this one up a bit and do all happy love songs

here's 1989 (tv ofc); which taylor swift album should i do next?

(mattheo riddle, draco malfoy, theo nott, lorenzo berkshire)

slytherin boys masterlist works

mattheo riddle as I Know Places

best lyric(s) - "let them say what they want we won't here it" + "love's a fragile little flame it could burn out" + "just grab my hand and don't ever drop it"

trope - enemies to lovers :)

mattheo w a crush - in love, mattheo is somewhere in the middle between being sappy and just straight up insulting you. not like calling you ugly or anything but like "damn i didn't know it was possible to mess up such an easy spell" like kind of teasing. he's one of those guys that will be mean at first and then be like playfully mean and then finally, will start being nice to you but only sometimes. he just thinks you're adorable when you're angry.

mattheo as a boyfriend - now as a boyfriend, mattheo still teases the hell out of you but god forbid literally anyone else does bc he'll kill them. like actually. also the pair of you go through a little bit of a rough patch during the war and he keeps telling you that you have to stay way from him but secretly, he's really happy that you never actually listen to him because he doesn't know what he would do without you. he just kind of ignores all the whispers and hogwarts becomes your guys' like safe little happy love bubble.

draco malfoy as Out of the Woods

best lyric(s) - "the rest of the world was black and white, but we were in screaming color" + "when you started crying baby i did too, when the sun came up i was looking at you" + "I walked out I said 'i'm setting you free' but the monsters turned out to be just trees"

trope - everyone can see it except for you

draco w a crush - I think draco would be the kind of guy that actively avoided his crush. like if you were sitting in the very front of transfigurations, he was sitting in the absolute furthers corner in the back. If you were going on the hogsmeade trip, he was begging his friends would leave him to simmer in his affections for you. he's just so nervous and so certain you'll dislike him that he'd rather not talk to you at all. when he finally does work up the courage, he's extremely happy and like eternally grateful that you'd give him a chance.

draco as a boyfriend - i do think though that draco is not always the best at communicating just because he always wants everything to be so perfect and he doesn't want there to be anything that he says that could make you resent him so he'd rather not say anything at all. obv, this doesn't work out well for him cause like... communicating w you is so essential. y'all get into arguments fairly regularly but you always end up making up because he's always just creating those demons in his head and it's almost never that serious.

theodore nott as Suburban Legends

best lyric(s) - "you were so magnetic it was almost obnoxious" + "when you hold me, it holds me together and you kiss me in a way that's gonna screw me up forever" + "you'd be more than a chapter in my old diaries with the pages ripped out"

trope - hopeless romantic

theo w a crush - I think with a crush theo would be the kind of guy that just simps like a mf. like you need someone to carry your books, he's there, why would you even try to carry them yourself? just let him take care of it. or like, when you're not feeling well and you might need to spend a few days in the hospital wing, while you're sleeping theo sneaks in and leaves the notes for the classes you missed as well as your favorite sweets and flowers. (one time when michael corner made you cry, he beat the snot out of him and then the next day left this huge teddy bear outside your door with the note "y/n, that douchebag sucks. -tn")

theo as a boyfriend - theo's simp nature carries over when he's a bf so he's super freaking caring. he does literally everything for you. he'll brush your hair when you get out of the shower if you ask. or if you're like me and you have like thicker ethnic hair, he'll ask you to show him how to do your hair so that he can do it for you. he's also one of those guys that's like casually dominant. like hand on your lower back in a crowd, opening your doors, reaching up and grabbing things from the top shelf for you. naturally protective in the sense of like he always wants to sleep closest to the door in case something happens and like is also always making sure you eat and get enough water.

lorenzo berkshire as "Slut!"

lyric(s) - "and if i'm gonna be drunk, i might as well be drunk in love" + "and i break down then he's pulling me in. in a world of boys he's a gentleman" + "got love struck went straight to my head"

trope - friends to lovers

enzo w a crush - enzo is the kind of guy who's not afraid to be in love. he actually loves it. he loves having someone to compliment and shower in gifts and win over. where mattheo would tease you, draco would avoid you, and theo would lose himself in you, enzo is the guy who would bring you inexplicable joy and make sure you knew that it was him that was bringing you joy. not to say that he wouldn't do sweet gestures and such but he's the sort of guy that will make you his best friend and then make you fall in love with him.

enzo as a boyfriend - because of this, you and enzo are like those like childhood friends turned lovers type of thing. he just knows you so well and the love between you two comes so easily. he makes it his personal mission to make you smile at least once a day. as your boyfriend, he's just really playful. things like pillow fights and tickle fights. he's also that boyfriend that will do all those little stupid tiktok trends with you but like really energetically and not just like half-assed bc if it's gonna make you smile, he's going all in.

---

4.25.24

wc 1k

taglist @moonlightreader649 @svt-dk97 @thatdammchickennugget @helendeath @fandom-life-12 @bouquetolegoflowers @maryvibess

[plutokoo]

Maybe a bit weird but yandere big bad wolf jk and small sheep oc/yn?

pairing : yandere wolf jk x fem sheep hybrid reader

genre : smut, yandere

A/N : a quick smutty drabble rn because I'm writing a one shot for it and it's halfway done. I just need to do a quick dump bcs the one shot is kinda long and it's making me hit writers block 😭😭😭😭. this might not be the best tbh but I promise the one shot will be way better.

yandere wolf jk who's a perfectionist at uni never missing a class, always has a 4.0 GPA and never failed to made it in to the deans list.

and then one day he saw you, barging in to the class late mumbling sorry and sitting right in front of him,your scent covering his nose almost instantly,his ears tensing up as he grumble mate slightly under his breath.

he reached for you after class finished, hands grabbing your arm tightly, he leaned his face in, a wolfish grinned adorning his face as he greeted you

you who was timid,fearful and easily panicked,breathed out your name gently hands shaking from the sudden interaction. you can't help it of course it's in your nature to act that way :(

before he could ask you about how he's never seen you in the class before, you snatched your arms from him, legs stuttering to get out of the room as fast as you can, his scent was overwhelming, making your thoughts go hazy from fear.

jungkook frowned as your figure scrambled out, hands forming a fist as he make a silently vow to himself to get you again.

he met you again next on the campus hallway, hands barely holding on to the thick text books you carried as you sauntered around,trying to get into the professor office before bumping against some jock, your knees crashing on the hard tiles as the books fell from your grasp, gasp leaving your lips from the pain. the hallway turned silent, people watching you trying to gather books, you wanted to wailed from the attention you're receiving, your knees ached from the impact,blood oozing out from the cuts it received

jungkook immediately rushed up to you, shooing people away as he kneeled down, his hands quickly collect the books as he helped you stand up. he cooed at the fat tears that was sliding down your face, "its okay baby you're okay they're gone know" he fussed wiping your tears away

you sobbed,wiping your face at the sleeve of your sweater, the nickname he gave you went unnoticed as he continued to caressed your face.

"let me help you bring these and then we'll go to the infirmary to take care of your knees, okay?" he offered not giving you time to answer before he grabbed your hands,his other hand holding the books easily as he sauntered to the office

after that it was easy for jungkook to make you his,everyday he would take you out for coffee,sit beside you in class, and helped doing your assignments. he'd pamper you endlessly, slowly convincing you to sleep at his place instead because it was too dangerous for you to sleep alone and you who was dumb,naive and gullible believed everything he said.

he'd make you move to his apartment too, because it's such a hassle for his baby to be going back and forth at all and he doesn't like the thought of you being all alone so please move in with me baby, I don't like being apart from you :((((

jungkook Hates when you start talking or making friends with other people because you're his and only his to have, it's not hard to make you stop talking to these people of course, your timid nature making it easy for him to remove people from your life.

he'd tell you everyday, gaslighting you into thinking about how your friends view you as an easy target and how you will always be a Second choice to them, how you would easily get stampede if you keep hanging around with people other than him.

you'd believed everything he said, the thought of leaving the home you thought as a safe place become more and more distasteful making you switch all your classes to online instead, which ofcourse was jungkooks Idea.

jungkook loves to fuck you, he loves rubbing your wet pussy through your panties while you're sleeping, hips unconsciously humped against his hands as moans left your lips,his hands would move the panties sideways, thumbs slowly rubbing your clit, drawing 8 figures on it making you reach your qlimax, soft pants leaving your lips.

he'd fuck you on top of the kitchen counter, your front leaning on it, clit grazing against the counters corner everytime he thrust forward. cold marble pressing against your chest as jungkook pulled your hair back, his hand reaching down to pinch your nipple making you squeeze more around his cock

"aah...aah ple..please" you mewl hands rubbing your clit, desperate to reach your orgasm. jungkook grunts, his hands smacked you ass,groaning as he watched it jiggle "please what slut", he rasped hips bucking faster as he leaned down, lips sucking your necks making your eyes rolled back from the pleasure

"uh...ugh...cum please" you cried out, jungkook reached down hands smacking your pussy as he yanked your hair back "fuck..baby..cum" he choked, you wailed as you squirt against him,body trembling, eyes rolling back as your pussy pulsate againts his cock. "fuck fuck fuck" jungkook sobbed out as he reached his climax, filling your hole with so much cream it drips out.

he pulled out,wincing slightly before plugging his hand up your hole, preventing his cum from dripping down your hole "can't let this go to waste hm".

jungkook loves it when you got your heat he'd fuck you on every surface in the house. he'd fuck you on the couch when the movie's still playing,on the bathtub while letting the shower jet hits your clit , on the floor where he'd fuck you so hard you could barely from a sentence.

jungkook loves you so much he'd kill for you. he would easily get rid of anyone that he thinks might be a threat to your relationship.

he'd do anything for you as long as you don't leave his side,so don't even try to think about doing it it okay?.

[ideasarestuckinmyhead]

No bc imagine being Auron

And you meet this cute person. Then after a while you research everything about them. And then you realize you got a crush, your fucked bc you never really had one so you don't know if your doing the right signals.

Reading into every look that went your way. It's their like first week/month (idk timeline shit who cares) and you give them a task to get them comfortable working for the company.

You go to check up on them, the cute person might like someone else. Fuck. Still need to check up on their story of being sent the wrong file.

YOU SENT THEM THE WRONG FUCKING FILE??? Jesus fuck they think your probably a clutz now-.....Did they just call you nice?!,!? Holy fuck you might have a chance??

Their staying behind, this is your chance so u say you'll stay behind too. While waiting for the end of the day your wondering how the actual FUCK was ur shit not update??

They said it was fine and you began small talking, somehow your so open to them?? The word anal makes them laugh, their laugh is really cute. You ask them about the looks after work to stay with them bc maybe you can bond? Score it went really well and you two began talking.

Slowly, you put down your guard. Why is it so easy to be with them? Why is it kinda scary for it to be easy? Fuck what if they're only getting close bc of some enemy he has?

Barring your heart and soul to them, you ask if they want to stay or leave. Your giving them an out if they want it, their smart and connected dots people didn't know were there.

.....they chose to stay? Suddenly you feel really happy. That someone finally saw the real you, the you your stepfather had broken down and formed the way HE wanted. Your crying, they tell you it's okay.

You know it's okay, but hearing it from them one more time made it nice. Bringing them back to your oenthouse they look amazed at it. Making a Cribs joke and you entertain the idea, your having fun buy they don't need to know that.

You have a fun shower together and talk some more. You want to tell them things, but, knowledge is a double edged sword. You don't want the cute person you got attached to getting hurt. You promised to protect them and your going to do just that.

Showing your room your curious about their thoughts, they call you goth and you just sigh. Of course they'd say that, going into the bed you lay next to them and feel joy. This is something that you'd love to get use too.

Waking up there not there, your too sore for me to be a dream. Going to the living room you see decorations and in awe at how quickly they got it together. There's presents from Trish and you ask them if there was someone else.

Telling the cute person about her and smiling, showing your favorite cereal that has a cute deer on it. Then you ask if they were scared of his reaction to this. You say how your happy they did this, even telling them how they're basically a safe space for you.

They got you a present? Oh, how nice I wonder what....Cool so you gets a traumatic flashback. Shaking it off you thank them, then decided to eat the cereal and eatchteashy tv.

[naurimastaur]

Seeing them for the first time, again

Summary: losing a lung and your friends to wkcd meant Gally had a pretty shit year. What’s the harm however, in seeing a familiar face?

Pairing: Gally (maze runner) x nb!reader

A/N: this is so cringe but I’m so obsessed with him Idc if this flops with the dying tmr fandom// also this is my first attempt at angst so go easy on me

———————————————————————

“Hey everybody relax, we’re all on the same side here,” Gally called out amongst the chaos. The faces of his old friends turning towards him in apprehension. The familiarity of his voice momentarily pausing their act of rebellion, the concealment of his face enhancing their confusion.

“What do you mean, we’re all on the same side? Who the hell are you?” Thomas, ever the skeptic, interrogated.

Gally’s eyes weren’t focused on him however, for lingering in the back was the reason he joined the right arm to begin with; y/n. Wretched and messy but all in one piece, they stood in front of him.

It was like seeing them for the first time, all over again.

———————————————————————

Gally had heard the familiar siren of the box’s arrival. He wasn’t remotely interested most of the time on seeing who came up with it. On this day however Gally had overworked himself, and the idea of joyfully revelling in a greenie’s newfound terror seemed like a treat.

Towering over the box he spotted a figure hiding amongst the supplies, crouched like a caged animal, eyes wild and ferocious. He had to admit his curiosity was peaked, most greenies were crying at this point. This one however had looked at him in rage, a hand lingered behind their back.

“Where the hell am I?” They snarled, chest slightly heaving, the only real indicator of their fear.

“Your new home,” Gally had replied, a sarcastic smile on his face. His gaze never left the greenie, whose eyes had regarded each and every teen boy in front of them with predatory caution.

“Why can’t I remember anything?” They questioned, eyes never focused on one person.

“All part of the glade’s charm,” Gally said, before he had reached out an arm for them to take. His admiration controlled his limbs before his brain did.

The greenie considered his offer before they had hauled themselves up, and bolted towards the maze doors. Gally hadn’t bothered to run after them, leaving the job to someone who actually cared like Newt. He had however returned his gaze to the supplies, noticing one of the crates was missing a shard of wood, no doubt a fault of the greenie’s.

He had to admit he was enamoured from that point onwards.

———————————————————————

Now they stood adjacent, mirroring their first encounter. Y/n was looking at him with rekindled fury, this time paired with their tainted memories. Their gally had died back in the maze, physically and figuratively. This version was a stranger; a defying act against fate.

The fire within them was awakening once again, where it was quieted by the nature of the glade, it now burned with the raw desire for revenge.

Their wrath was overcoming their joy. For where their heart was aching for the comfort of Gally, for the ease of his embrace, the overbearing rage was all-consuming.

Wkcd had taken Gally, that much they were certain of. This was a trick, a taunting illusion created from the depths of their imagination and wkcd’s tampering. Their time confined within wkcd’s laboratories meant they were forever trapped in their own mind, never knowing for certain what was real.

What was real was that there was a time when Gally had been theirs, when his company mellowed their temper and gave them faith. But those feelings had died with him, things were different now. They were both different; no longer two sides of the same coin but two puzzle pieces that didn’t quite fit anymore.

( why did I write this cringe corny ass ending)

———————————————————————

A/n: might write a part 2 if I’m feeling silly. Also, why did I describe y/n so animalistic? Bc I’m so crazy and quirky and I can do what I want!!!! If you’d like to leave a request for any character for me to write, feel free I’m open to any! To my Weasley twin enthusiasts I will write them again don’t sweat it, I’m going through a phase<3

@thescrunkler despite you not being in a tmr phase, you’re getting tagged anyways x

[hazard-c-horror]

spawns in ur inbox with my hands politely folded. hello hazard-c-horror. it's been quite a few days now, and i've only Continued to fall down the dandy's world rabbit hole eihsihssh SO, since you're the only Other Person i know about that's Insane abt D.W *and* SAMS, i would like to throw Thoughts inspired by your SAMS x D.W au I've been having .D.

i was hella inspired by the character sheets you made for moon, eclipse, lunar, and solar, so. take some Thoughts for how sun, earth, and kc would work in the game digsgskqj

(btw- this disclaimer might be a bit silly- but idk if you already have Planned Out Stuff for these characters n their abilities n stuff, and i Apologize if you do- this isnt me trynna like take over your au or smtn, its just me being autistic dgsigaiya that being said, do with these ideas as you will, you have free reign over anything you do w them lmao)

Sun:

OKAY so yk how he can turn ppl into geese n stuff in canon? i feel like his transformation magic could actually be his ability. as a toon, he has the ability to turn either Himself or other toons into an object (like a soda can or chocolate bar) for 5-ish seconds. he could do this to Instantly de-agro any twisted's chasing either him or other toons, and the 5 second break could be just enough time for stamina to rebuild so even if the twisted does still spot the de-transformed toon again, they have more time/stamina to run and hide

THAT BEING SAID. his twisted form would be the exact Opposite of this- he'd be able to mask himself as an item and attack/agro onto any toon who'd try to pick him up. he'd be a lot like twisted rodger, just for items instead of capsules. and ofc there would be things making it obvious that the item wasn't trustworthy- like discoloration or added bits on it. if you have a keen eye, avoiding him is Easy :)

i have like a couple thoughts for his mastery item. first one that came to mind was a Cat Plush, which when equipped it has a “calming effect”, and ups your stealth up by around 10-ish percent, making it harder for twisted's to spot you. but then i also thought “haha Wine Bottle”, which i thought that (when close enough) it could instill the “confused” effect on nearby twisted's, and make it harder for them to see nearby toons. so both items would do the same thing, just go about it in different ways

Earth:

she deffo has an ability like tisha's or shelly's, where it helps out the other players instead of herself. im thinking she's able to heal others for one heart every two minutes. a basic ability, but bro methinks this game needs a healer besides teagen, who can only heal herself dosyohsshs the Easy way to go about it is that she can just.. go up to (aka Click) on another player to heal them, but she could also just have a “medical bag” on hand where she whips hella bandages out the wazoo and gives them to whoever needs em dishiaha

okay as a twisted this girl gives me MAD razzle and dazzle vibes in how she functions. but instead of sleeping, i can imagine her constantly Crying and remaining in one smalllll specific area, patrolling it, almost. she can be led away by Distractors (goob, pebble, ect), but once they've de-agroed her, she'll start slowly walking back to her patrol spot. the best way to deal with her is to have someone else agro her and lead her around while You fix the machine she's working on, or vice versa :) but you Can still beat her on a solo run, bc she has rather slow walk-speed when getting back to her patrol spot where you could beat her back to it after leading her away. it'd just be a Lot easier w multiple people digdihsah

and her item?? first thing that came to mind is a barbie doll. or just a “pink girl doll” bc. copyright sigsiszvah it would be an Active item (like the wrench or bottle of pop), where at the start of every round, she could place it down somewhere, and it makes noise, which leads the nearest twisted right to it. ofc we dont want it Too op, so once a twisted makes contact with it, its destroyed and returns back in earths inventory, ready to be used next round .D.

Killcode:

kc is a Complex one- i think this guy would have slow walk speed, but a fast run speed. so i think he'd be a good “distraction” character, like goob or pebble. HOWEVER. i think it'd be sick as *hell* if his ability, using his size, literally made it so that he could momentarily Pick Up Other Toons and carry them away from any twisted's chasing them. he'd prolly only be able to do so for 3-ish seconds, but it could be a saving grace for anyone out of stamina being chased .D.

now. as a Twisted. this👏man👏deserves👏lethal👏status👏 his name is LITERALLY KILLCODE i refuse to believe he cant one-shot a bitch sisgiaga due to him literally being a Being made to perfectly hunt/kill, i think how twisted kc would act is that he'd spawn in at the start of a new floor, a Sound Queue would play so that toons know he's on the floor. and now he's just.. somewhere. hiding. *waiting*. hes normally spawned behind corners or nearby machines, where its either easy to run into him or hard to avoid him. hes not Impossible to beat tho- i imagine he emimates a very quiet sound byte, so hes still avoidable on blackout floors, even if he's not visible. and that byte also helps on just normal floors too ofc. best way to deal with him is to listen to his sound queues and *be very aware of your surroundings*. cause if he spots someone, he is *hard* to lose, and hes lethal if he gets ya. once freed from his waiting spot, he's not going back to it. instead, he'll be moving around the map like a faster, but also Louder, dandy. Scary!!

aaand his item. i came up with a “soup ladel”. cause. heh. yk, because he volunteered in soup kitchens in canon? .D.? i think im Funny siosgiaa what it'd do is up the spawn rate of better Food/Drink items on every floor. think instead of soda cans spawning on floor 1, there's a higher/better chance for soda bottles to spawn instead .D.

. this is over 1K WORDS LONG OF AN ASK hazard im so sorry, im Unwell sigihgaisg okay now i go eep for tonight good nini honk shoo honk shoo

Why hello there. Longest inbox I’ve ever received

I love this a lot actually, and thank you for some ideas! Love the trinket ideas especially, will probably use them

I’m just be reading over this like 12 times, because I just love it

It’s also funny bc I had the same idea about Earths ability, so that’s nice. Great minds think alike

I don’t know if I’ll be incorporating Sun’s magic into this, but I did include Eclipse’s so I may use your idea. Bc I also don’t have any ideas for him at the moment

One unfortunate. KC will not be in this au, but I could make a non canon character sheet for him a Solar flare if people wish. Really like your ideas for him!

The soup ladle is my favorite for a trinket lol

In return of theses amazing ideas, I give you a sneak peek

[hiraya-rawr]

so i betrayed you, my love– (2/5)

Xiao Version || Childe Version || Thoma Version || Gorou Version || Ayato Version

synopsis !! Part 2 of “You Were The Enemy All Along” featuring the aftermath of betrayal and confrontation, with more depth to their stories! (Part 1 of each character was also included to make reading convenient.)

contains !! some character lore spoilers / a little violence / dialogue heavy in some scenes / reconciliation but also complicated relationships mending together / cameos of other characters! / might be easier to understand if you knew the lore of the characters 

notes !! This was commissioned by the wonderful @mh8 who allowed this to be posted in public for everyone to enjoy! and honestly childe scares me to write bc I've barely written anything for him but I tried to bring out his charm? idk 😭

CHILDE

wc !! 2.4k

The noisiest of them all. He doesn't understand at first, tries to deny it by making jokes. The prank is up, what are you still doing? It's only when your betrayal becomes painfully obvious does he allow himself to laugh. It's ironic to be surprised coming from his line of work. He should really be used to these things.

"If you're this desperate for a fight, you could have just said so," He laughs, "Though, I warn you comrade, I won't hold back this time." It's so easy to drown in the adrenaline of battle and if he doesn't think hard enough, it feels no different than any of your usual spars together. There's a battle crazed look in his eyes at the thought of not holding back with you, but it's odd how numb he feels as Foul Legacy takes over. 

Whether or not he wins the fight, the result remains the same; with him lying in the middle of the battlefield, mask still on, staring blankly upwards. He thinks of the abyss he fell into as a child, and briefly wonders when did it all go wrong.

— Before Him

You sighed in relief, a long day of training was finally coming to an end. Dottore was not an easy harbinger to be a rookie under; aside from the harsh training requirements of a Fatui Agent, you also had to deal with a lunatic scientist for a mentor. You were lucky enough to have the doctor more distracted on conducting his experiments rather than training fresh meat like you. 

You leaned against a wall. You were in an isolated, snowy village, a mile away from the nearest Fatui training ground. It existed quietly, the villagers were as cold as Snezhnaya in that barren wasteland. You knocked twice on the concrete behind you, then an additional four times, then once more.

“Agent (Name), report.” A voice muffles from behind the wall, a figure you can't see.

“Pulcinella adopted a strange boy. . . He's coded as Childe. They say he fell into the abyss. He's quite strong, we've only sparred once but I know there's something off with him.” 

“Hmm. A peculiar new recruit. I've heard from the other agents.” Muttered the figure of the shadows. He doesn't talk much. You know it's to keep identities hidden and to avoid letting you know too much lest you get caught and the information forced out of you (and believe me, the information will be forced out of you).

“You think he could rise in the ranks? Perhaps become a general or diplomat?” You question quietly.

“I think he could be the next Harbinger.”

A sharp intake of breath, surprised. A Harbinger. The next and possibly youngest one after so long.

“Continue your work. Do what you believe is best for our organization. Leave any files you found useful under the gap.” Were his last orders before hearing the footsteps walk away. Work was never easy; you dealt with loneliness most of the time. The only comfort was when an ill-reputed plan of the Fatui failed, knowing it was only possible through your contributions and warnings. For every plan you thwarted was a step closer to revealing your identity and getting killed for it.

Yes, you're prepared. You've been preparing for it ever since you joined the Fatui.

With a sigh, you went back to the training grounds. 

— With Him

There’s a reason why Diluc Ragnvindr survived the hunt by the Harbingers when he sought out revenge in Snezhnaya. That should have been the first red flag for Childe. You were transferred early under his platoon, just when he was solidifying his position as a Harbinger. You were the subordinate he sent out to represent the 11th and, having the approval of Dottore (The old geezer, what a wack. Should he really be trusting a mad scientist? Childe questions this everyday) he trusted you enough to do your job.

Yet, the winery-heir-slash-fatui-serial-murderer escaped Snezhnaya with the help of those damned underground pests they've been trying to get rid of. Honestly, Childe could care less about the guy— if anything, he was immensely excited to try and pick a fight with him! But it still hurt his pride that one of his early missions as a Harbinger didn't turn out well. He needed to prove himself to the Tsaritsa after all! If not to at least make Pulcinella proud.

Going back to you.

It was always him and you; you and him ever since you transferred; sparring blade against blade. It was easy to get along when you were one of the only trainees close to his age, even easier when you managed to keep up with him in everything, bloodlust and all. 

You were his match and he was yours, or so he believed.

“Say, why did Dottore transfer you anyway? Did you get kicked out, pissed him off somehow?” Childe once asked, boots scraping the ground as he dodges an attack from you flawlessly. Despite Dottore’s rather crazed way of managing his platoon, agents were given a handful of benefits for being under a high ranking Harbinger with a budget larger than the others (Experiments don't pay themselves, you know!).

You huff, a little tired from the onslaught of keeping him entertained in battle, “No, didn't he tell you? I requested for transfer.”

“Oh really? What, did the good looks of a new Harbinger catch your eye?” He teases, going on the offensive once more as he sprints to slash his blade. You block it with yours, trying to push him back with force. When he does pull back, getting pushed a few meters away as hir boots skid on snow, you scoff.

“Good looks? If that were the case, I would have transferred to–”

He immediately sprints ahead again, blade nearly catching you off guard as you block the attack.

“Aww come-” Slash. Block. “-on! Don't tell me you're not-” Kick. Jump. “-even a little bit enraptured by-” Hit. Block. “-me?” He huffs heavily, finally catching your eye as your blade stays on his, pushing each other back with all your strength.

“Hmp. Must you be so arrogant?” You strain out, matching his force before– “Maybe. . . maybe just a little bit.” You avert your gaze at the very moment he catches sunlight in your eyes. Childe pauses, his grip on the blade loosens momentarily at your admittance. You take the chance— kicking his stomach back with force as he skids across the training ground, the sword clattering on the ground.

“Does this mean I won?” You giggle, your weapon still in your hand as he looks at you from where he crouches, a smile on your face.

Maybe it's the butterflies that erupted in his stomach, but he laughs out loud. Childe wonders to himself; Is this the thrill of battle? Or something else? You tilt your head in confusion.

“As if! I haven't even gone all out yet!” He yells enthusiastically, “Agent (Ņ̸̛͕͔̏̓ͅa̶͍͊m̸̲̫̄͝ȩ̴̹̙̄̀ͅ.)”

Your smile tenses. Your heart beats. Pensively, you also wonder to yourself; Is this the success of a mission? Or . . . something else?

— After Him .

You should've known.

You should've known, you should've known, you should've known that the Fatui would never have let a betrayal such as yours go so easily. The past few months after him was spent laying low, hiding from daylight and any chance that you could be recognized. A large bounty was on your head and the Fatui weren't cheap by any means. The organization shielded you as much as they could but even you had missions you had to continue fulfilling. You’d gladly risk your life for the better good; after all, if you didn't, you wouldn't have went undercover in the Fatui anyway. 

But now, he was chasing you.

It's back to the snowy forests of Snezhnaya, sprinting and dodging all the tall pines in your way. You hear him gaining speed from behind you, hydro blades swishing as they cut through branches, unbothered to waste energy on dodging. Distantly, the sound of a Fatui gunner prepares his shot. You immediately switch directions, a pyro blast landing inches from where you once were. It’s followed by more blasts, each hitting a little closer to you until—

“Ah!”

It grazes your shoulder, blood escaping the wound and soaking your clothes. You don't stop running, adrenaline keeping you alive and conscious. Childe barks something out in Snezhnayan. You’re too distracted with running to understand what he said, but the Pyro Gunner stops shooting and soon enough you focus on escaping.

A clearing appears in your line of sight. A field of snow and endless white and—

Crash! You're knocked off your feet, landing on the snow. You feel him on your back as you quickly force him away, rolling to the side and kicking. It's a blur from there on— a flurry of kicks, punches, scratches, the snow around you forming the most unrecognizable snow angel.

Until his hydro blade was on your neck as he keeps you pinned underneath him. No amount of sparring could've prepared you for a battle to the death with a harbinger. Your breaths fog together with every exhale, the proximity feels bad for your heart but finally, you get a clear view of the face you haven't seen for months.

“I win,” He says, an ever-so-childish grin on his lips, “Any last words?”

It astounds you how casual he is, as if you weren't running for your life just moments ago. Sparring had always been his favorite game but this wasn't like the other times. You do as you were trained (by both the Fatui and your organization)— you keep your mouth shut. Last words are worthless in the face of the enemy, you’d rather bite your tongue off.

“Hmm. . . the (Ņ̸̛͕͔̏̓ͅa̶͍͊m̸̲̫̄͝ȩ̴̹̙̄̀ͅ) I know would have barked back some words. You would've scoffed.” Childe says, the blade pressing deeper onto your neck, drawing beads of blood to the surface. “Or was that some personality you made up? Was it fun for you?” 

Silence.

The smile falls off his face. Something darkens in his eyes. “Alright. You won't talk, that's okay. Anyone who would dedicate their lives living undercover naturally wouldn't respond. I can respect that.” He starts, the blade doesn't move an inch on your skin, the snow numbing more of your back, “But at least answer me this. Not for your organization, not for you. . . answer it for me; was I ever anything to you?”

Silence. Keep quiet.

Something unrecognizable crosses his face. There’s a smile on his lips, but his eyes are pained.

“You know,”  He whispers, leaning down closer to you. “Whenever we sparred, did you feel anything? Anything at all?” His face contorts to a mix of frustration, “Because I sure as hell knew I loved you. I can differentiate things, (Ņ̸̛͕͔̏̓ͅa̶͍͊m̸̲̫̄͝ȩ̴̹̙̄̀ͅ.)! I knew what was bloodlust, it wasn't just me being battle hungry. I’m not dumb! I knew— know I love you!”

As if wanting to hide from your gaze, he hides his face on the crook of your neck. Forehead to the snow, blade stilling on your skin. Despite how cold everything is, the warmth of him seems enough to coax you in.

“. . . At least tell me how much of it was real. Please.” He mumbles slowly. Did you mean to cause this much anguish? Did you have to go fall for someone like him? 

The words fall from your tongue before you could even catch them. The lack of hesitation, the urge to come clean; “Everything. . . everything was fake. Even my name. (Ņ̸̛͕͔̏̓ͅa̶͍͊m̸̲̫̄͝ȩ̴̹̙̄̀ͅ.). It's fake.”

He freezes over you, listening intently. Snow falls quietly into the ground, you wonder if you'll be buried in— caved to become timeless underneath the ice. Briefly, you think it would be fine if it happens if it's with Childe.

“I know it's hard to trust me, but please— loving you,” Pause. You feel tears well up in your eyes, blinding your vision of the descending snowflakes. “Loving you was real. Is real. It was the realest thing I had in that life under the Fatui. I’m so sorry, Childe, I’m really sorry. And I’m sorry we have to end like this.”

“You mean it?” He asks, hushed.

“Yes, yes, archons I mean it.”

“Then what's your real name?”

Your breath hitches, “(Name).”

“(Name).” He repeats.

The awareness of the metal on your throat becomes all too obvious. Breathing too hard would cause it to press more against your skin. You try to calm down, trying to accept the falling of the snow (the fall of you) as the end of your life nears and suddenly—

the blade is retrieved. You hear the shuffle of leather as it's placed back into its holder. Blinking, bewildered, you glanced up at him only to see his boyish grin.

“You honestly didn't think I'd kill you, right?”

Your mouth falls open. You want to hit him.

“You're going to let me go?”

“I mean, I did kind of let the traveler go back in Liyue.”

“The senior Harbingers reprimanded you for that!” You sit uo, hands flailing as you grab a handful of snow to throw at him. He lets it hit his stomach, laughing.

“It's fine, it's fine! The higher ups don't really care about me as much as they do the others anyway,” He shrugs nonchalantly, “It gives me a whole lot of leeway. If I say I don't want to kill you, they'll just nod along.”

You stare at him longer than you mean to, holding his cheery gaze as the snow continues to settle around you. How quiet and peaceful to exist with him in that space. 

“Is this really okay?” You ask and he falls silent with you.

He looks away to the white horizon, speaking in a softer voice, “Well, of course not. You still betrayed me, I still got hurt,” He inhales, “But you love me. I think that's all that really matters, no?”

Tears well up in your eyes. You can't bear to think how close you were to losing your life (losing him) and how easily he pushes your lifelong conflicts aside. So who cares if you played for the opposing organization? Who cares if you struggled with love and truth?

You've faked yourself for so long but Childe would still embrace you, lies and all.

“Come on, the snow must be cold.” He extends his hand, gesturing for you to take it, “Sooner or later the other scouts would be arriving. You should keep running east.”

“Ajax–” You start but he hushes you gently.

“We won't be seeing each other for a while. I don't know when we’d meet again but. . . you know, I’m sure it'll work out if it's us. So don't cry anymore, (Name).”

Stiffly, you nod. It was this moment that you tried to memorize everything about him— his eyes, his ginger hair, the way your name -your real name- falls off his tongue. You replay every sound he made to say such a name, just for the sake of remembering.

“Now go—” He pushes you to the direction, “Don't worry! I won't let them catch the love of my life!” He grins widely, hydro blades appearing in his hands once more as you nod towards him, tear stained smile in response. Your feet take you away, further and further away as you hear the familiar sounds of his blades against his own agents. Icy wind whipping against your face. You can't help the laugh that escapes you, surely the agents would think their blood-crazed superior is in another one of his impulsive moods. 

You pity them and envy them all the same.

~

notes !! thoma is up next, featuring some of our fav inazuma characters <3 ill edit it into a post once my finals settle down (currently cramming in a cafe) I hope you guys liked this one

childe // i really tried to fulfill that he's the more talkative of the bunch! and honestly with childe’s history of forgive and forget, i dont think it's a surprise that he’d easily forgive MC and brush everything under the rug. if anything, he kind of likes the complexity as far as i could tell! by the way, did you like the inclusion of “before him, with him, and after him”? i think it was a poem or a dedication in some book. I really like the thought of it since it's a good way to divide timelines. BY THE WAY do you like the parallels? In part 1, he was left on the snow looking up at the sky. Now in part 2, ur the one on the snow looking up at him :D

[ganondoodle]

Will Zelda abolish the monarchy in your TotK rewrite?

HM

she will not turn to the camera and say "i am abolishing monarchy" (since that needs to be said these days ..) but in a way its kinda meant to be like .. the opposite of the canon totk messaging?

like, fictional monarchy in itself isnt like the root of all evil, its the ideology that goes with it? i like fictional monarchy stuff and other races got them too so i wouldnt say its a clear -this is bad- thing

i do want to turn the whole idea of "hyrules royalty and its ruling is always good and just and anyone against it is automatically labeled as evil" upside down .. or more like, let it go further, rauru in the rewrite is .. similar to the canon one, thats kinda the point, hes the good and just king that wants to unite all nations in peace and wants to get rid of any "evil" be it monsters or someone threatening his 'peace'

but then you think about it, his idea of 'peace' is very specific, not everyone might want to be under his control, not everyone might have joined willingly and just bc theres someone opposing him does not have to mean they are some evil demon, all this talk might have been deliberate manipulation of history, he says hes invited a nation to join under his rule? he makes it sound like it was a nice offering like bringing a piece of cake to a neighbour, but it could be anything, he has those magical nuclear power pebbles, multiple, even just having them has an effect on others, he can say he would only use them for good, but that can be a lie, and more importantly, you dont know what his idea of 'good' is he can say he would never use it to hurt people, but what if he declares others to not BE people in his eyes he wants to bring about a world of light with no shadow to be found, rebuild a glorious kingdom of the past, there will be no shadow to hide in, there will be no place he is not, as he is the light, the king of light, and he knows whats best for all in his eternal, holy kingdom of light

.. most of this isnt even non-canon, it just gets presented as he says it, a one note fact, and you are supposed to agree- so really im just rewriting that part to be more overtly how it felt like to ME, and turnign the second half into opposing that bc hey, this might not be cool actually

im really jsut cranking raurus actions and ideals up just a tiny bit, and show more directly that its the behavoir of an imperialist king of all

so really its more like .. teaching her the lesson of how easy it is to fall into that line of thinking, how you need to consider .. maybe blindly following old traditions isnt always good, consider other perspectives, be careful bc she could have gone into that direction too (like she literally does in the canon totk end ..) and in a way she already has, but afterwards (in the rewrite) she can work against that, she could be rauru and has to decide and work against it

i know that isnt a clear answer, this whole idea is a little hmm to me bc TO ME canon totk already reads like that, and i want to work against it, bc in canon it goes unchallenged, and alot of people ... alot of people..., just go along with it seemingly not even beign able to see how its all suspicious-

in the end, i want it to be a careful but hopeful vibe of, zelda as a scientist, a historian, interested in alot of fields, being able to change something, a shift in perspective, like lady eboshi in princess monokoe saying at the end that they will start anew, now building good town- its not garanteed, zelda is still in a position of power, but she doesnt have to rebuild it like it was, people might still refer to her as princess and have high respect for her, but after being so deceived by rauru, being on the opposing side to almost the exact idea they once had, it has humbled them and can pave the way for a better future

ganondorfs spirit at the end moving on after finally being able to take out rauru, even if it meant to help out those hed see as being in the prime spot to become jsut like rauru, over the course of the second half all of them learning of each other, now more confident these younglings of a world thats long changed and not his anymore being able to build something better, and years after the ordeal theres news of a male gerudo having been born

(i know that idea goes agaisnt what made up his character for alot of the other games (though rewrite totk gan is still a different one from the old games), like his eternal problem of not being able to move on and refusing to die, and im sure theres lots of not the bestest thigns in my writing of it all too, but so far, its what i have been imagining, and unfortnately i am a sucker for those types of cliché endings-

it doesnt have to mean the next games would be going up against the gods or soemthing, though i do like that, but i felt like its a nice end for botws world, and much less uncomfortable than the canon totk end, theres no refounding of the kingdom, no swears of fealty, just young people working to rebuild the world into something better after it was almost wiped out, the kingdom already fell in botw, and the world kept on turning, i see no reason why it shouldnt be able to keep doing it)

[dreamescapeswriting]

Flirting With Fiction ~ BC

⤜WORD COUNT: 0.8K

⤜GENRE: Established relationship, cute, fluff, couples being cute, chan finding out the reader is reading smut

⤜PAIRING: Chan x GN!Reader

⤜Copyright: © DreamEscapesWriting - April 2024

⤜MASTERLIST

The sun dipped low, casting a warm, golden glow into Chan's living room as he and you lounged together on the couch, his arm wrapped around your shoulders as he lazily scrolled through his phone. It had been a day of lazy contentment, filled with shared laughter and easy conversation. But now, as the shadows lengthened, a curious silence fell between the two of you. Which was a little odd since you were usually the type to fill any kind of silence in the air. 

If there was one thing Chan knew about you it was that you hated when it was too quiet in the air and you needed to fill it. Chan glanced over at you, his brow furrowing in confusion at your uncharacteristic quietness. He worried something was wrong, maybe something had upset you or maybe he'd done it somehow. Panic built up inside of his chest and he swallowed the lump in his throat, putting his phone down.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked, nudging you gently with his elbow. "You've been unusually quiet." He added a soft chuckle on the end to let you know he wasn't being mean about it, Chan didn't want to upset you or make you feel judged for anything but he needed to know you were okay. You jumped slightly, tearing your gaze away from the book you were holding in your hands, you shut it instantly and smiled up at him. 

Whenever you opened a book the words danced before your eyes, and you could feel yourself slipping from reality. It was like a siren's call, luring you further into the depths of the world the book was created for you. Books were the one thing in your life that you had always used as an escape in life, the one place you choose to go to when things got tough, or just for fun. You'd read in front of Chan before but never got so lost in the pages as much as you had tonight. The book just had a grip on you, something you couldn't put down.

"Oh, um, nothing," you murmured, attempting to hide the title with a feeble attempt at nonchalance since Chan had already caught you acting suspicious about it.

Chan arched an eyebrow, his lips quirking into a mischievous grin as he leaned closer to peer at the book, you pulled it to your chest doing your best to hide it from him but it was too late, he'd already caught a glimpse of the title.

"Hmm, 'Forbidden Desires: A Tale of Passion'?" he read aloud, a teasing lilt to his voice, your body heating up as you heard it said in a suggestive way from your boyfriend. Within seconds the book was taken from your grasp and Chan flicked through the pages, his eyes landing on the different highlighted passages you'd done. All in different coloured highlighters, some sentences or paragraphs underlined with small written words next to them. 

"Now, what might you be doing with a book like that?" He chuckled softly and you felt your whole body tingle with embarrassment as you attempted to snatch the book away, but he lifted it from your grasp and smirked a little. Chan knew you liked to read but he never would have imagined you liked to read something so steamy and suggestive, 

"It's nothing," you insisted, though your protests were weak at best, Chan couldn't help but look through the pages as he kept the book out of your reach.

"Nothing, huh? You sure seemed pretty engrossed in it," he teased, his eyes dancing with amusement. His eyes moved back to the book as he read the passages highlighted in pink and instantly his cheeks began to turn red.

You huffed in mock annoyance, swatting at Chan's hand in a futile attempt to reclaim the book, he stared down at you and you bit down on your lip. 

"Fine, you caught me," You admitted with a sheepish grin. "But it's not like I'm reading it for any particular reason." You mumbled a little and Chan raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk playing at his lips. 

"Oh, really? So you just randomly decided to pick up a steamy romance novel?" You rolled her eyes, though there was a sparkle of amusement in your gaze. You picked up books all of the time, spice or no spice but this one just so happened to be one of the spicest books you'd ever had the pleasure of reading. 

"Okay, maybe I was looking for a little... escapism," you confessed, your cheeks burning up so hot you were sure you'd be able to cook on them at this point. Chan laughed, finally relenting and handing the book back to you. 

"Well, as long as it's keeping you entertained," he said, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and pulling you close, you settled back into a comfortable reading position, finding the page you'd been on since you hadn't had time to place a bookmark earlier. 

"But next time, maybe just tell me you need some alone time to indulge in your spicy reads." He whispers against your ear, his breath catching on your skin making you shiver.

"Or I can maybe help recreate any scenes you want, it's up to you," He added as you whimpered, snuggling closer to him,

"Deal," You agreed, feeling a warmth spread through you at the easy familiarity of your banter.

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[gurugirl]

just venting about personal bs ignore if you want lol

Seriously I just want to walk around my neighborhood with my dog and stop at the park, think about what's coming for the day, and listen to the morning birds chirp... BUT NO. Instead I'm peeking down the street and around corners and trees wondering if one of the 2 creeps that live in my area are gonna come out and try and hug me and talk to me and kiss me (yes - KISS - usually just the cheek but this morning the guy tried for my mouth after he hugged me and I had to push at him 😭).

I'm just venting right now but I'm so fed up. I'm so uncomfortable and I hate interacting early in the morning with most people, much less with creepy men who try to touch me and put their lips on me (hand, arm, cheek, neck...). And my geriatric dog just wants to sniff the base of the tree in peace but he feels my anxiety and then he's on guard and probably confused - it just sets the tone for the day in such a negative light.

This morning one of the men was driving by (I know his car and I know where he lives so I can attempt to avoid him), drove around to the other side of the park and got out of his car while I throwing away my dog's bag of shit (lol) and like wraps his arms around me from behind. Told me one day he's going to steal me away from my SO. I'M FUCKING SICK OF IT.

But what do I do? I laugh and push him away, try to focus on my dog and play it off as a joke, and then he pulls at me and asks me for a hug which I step away and then he calls me beautiful and whatever other names for me he's got (he calls me many things that would be flattering if my SO was saying it to me). Begs me for a hug so I relent and then he OPENS HIS MOUTH and goes at me for a kiss on my lips and I said NO and he laughed and thank god another woman came up with her dog and she stood there and then walked back with me toward my house (she didn't say anything but I know what she was doing and this is why I'm a girls girl y'all bc we need to stick together and protect each other).

The other guy I saw two days ago- he's not any better (he used to be so nice and I enjoyed talking to him but that changed when I called him 'my friend' one day and ever since then it's like he felt that was invitation to touch me and hug me). He pretended to be pointing at something next to me and brushed his fingers over my shirt to cop a feel of my boobs (he's done it before and pretends he's just moving his hands around but UUUUGHHHHHH). He also hugged me inappropriately and kissed my neck really quickly.

I've always been an easy target for men. I don't know why really. Men scare me most of the time. I don't feel safe around most of them (why do they feel like they have permission to touch me in any way at all?) and now I have to be on alert early in the morning when I take my dog out for his morning stroll. I'm just so done with it. My SO can't always go out with me for walks because he's working. I want to find that woman and ask her if she'd walk with me in the mornings. I might do that next time I see her but I always feel like I'm overreacting but today it just felt like way too much for me.

I don't know what to do. :(

[midnightsnyx]

girl at home | mat barzal | part 5

pairing: mat barzal x fem!reader summary: you’re eighteen when you find yourself pregnant after Mat leaves for hockey. nearly eight years later, Mat finds out about your daughter and you have to deal with the consequences of not telling him about her.

warnings: swearing, angst, food, fluff, not edited word count: 2.3k authors note: it's my bday tmw and i am going out of town for the weekend so i wanted to get this posted!! also, i have no idea how pr management works so i def got everything wrong so pls don't yell at me lol i feel like this chapter is just like a roller-coaster that went off the tracks and blew up and someones trying to put it back together with tape from the dollar store so im sorry but i hope yall like it anyway and don't hate me pls <3 send your thoughts or come yell at me about this story bc I LOVE hearing from you guys!! It feeds my writing soul. thank u all for the love on this story so far and lmk if you wanna be added to my taglist. also thinking about doing some smau for this fic and wondering if you guys have any ideas or suggestions?

if you asked to be added to the taglist and didn't get tagged it's cause you didn't show up when i searched for you! so shoot me a msg and we can figure it out. also if you want to be added or taken off the taglist please let me know <3

requests are open. masterpost masterlist taglist form ask box

You didn’t think the situation with Mat’s statement could get any worse. You were already being pestered by your mom, your friends and even other parents at the day camps Nora attended. Mostly everyone knew that it was true that Mat was her father at that point so the statement caused questions to rise. Ignoring everybody’s opinions about it was easy but six simple words from Nora were what broke you. 

“I thought Mat was my daddy,” she said softly while eating breakfast one morning. She had been quiet since the day before but it continued when she woke up the next morning. You thought maybe she was just moody and tired but it ended up being much more than that.

It took you a minute to answer, trying to figure out where she might have heard or been told that. It wasn’t that surprising that she might have gotten the impression that he was her dad considering how much time Mat had been spending with the two of you or she overheard a conversation. Kids are very perceptive but you couldn’t see how anyone would directly tell her about the public statement and you had been very careful about what you said around Nora and told everyone else to do the same. 

Apparently someone didn’t get the memo. 

You had two options. You could lie to Nora about what was going on or you could explain it in the best way you could to her. Lying to your daughter was the last thing you wanted to do but figuring out the easiest way to explain it so she would understand was hard. How were you supposed to explain that yes, Mat is her daddy but he was a fucking idiot and told the world that she’s not even though he said he wanted to be in her life. It would have been so simple to take the easy way out but it wouldn’t have been fair to Nora so after she finished her breakfast, you sat her down. 

“You’re feeling a little confused, huh?” you asked, watching her fiddle with a loose string on her sweater. 

She nodded, still not looking up at you and not offering her thoughts. It was a bit alarming because she was usually a chatterbox, even when she was upset about something. She would let you know exactly what was wrong. 

“Who told you Mat was your daddy?” 

She finally looked up at you, and the tears threatening to spill from her eyes made you both angry and upset. You were ready to find whoever told her and scream at them but her answer stunned you.

“I heard you talking to Jaxy,” she whispered. “I wasn’t trying to listen but I was coming out to get some water and you said that you were mad at Mat.” 

She didn’t elaborate on what else she may have heard which was unnerving because you probably said a lot of things about Mat that night when Jax came over to talk to you about it. You hoped she didn’t stay long enough for your breakdown where you had cried for thirty straight minutes. 

She sniffled, wiping a couple tears away. “I don’t understand.”

Your heart broke but you still struggled with how to explain everything to her. Telling her in the beginning was probably a better idea but you were so caught up in your own thoughts and feelings, you ignored the person who should have been your number one priority the entire time. 

“Mat is your daddy, baby,” you said. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

I’m sorry I kept you a secret.

“How come everyone is saying he’s not?” 

Mat should have been the one to answer this question because it was his doing, but you hadn’t spoken to him since the night he was at your apartment and the two of you argued. He had texted you the day after but you ignored it because you didn’t know what you would say when given the chance.

“Well, sometimes people make mistakes and Mat said something he shouldn’t have,” you explained, hoping it was enough and it seemed to be enough at first but then she hugged you tightly.

“I love you mama,” she said and before you could reply, she quietly asked, “Do you think Mat loves me?” 

“I’m sure he does,” you told her and it took everything in you not to cry. 

. . .

Liana: dinner at our place @ 6. bring nora and don’t be late!!!

You’re tempted to decline the request and just stay home but you’ve been promising Liana and Nadia that you would actually visit instead of dropping Nora off and leaving like you’ve been doing. Avoiding Mat is becoming increasingly difficult. It’s been two weeks since he released the statement and a week since your conversion with Nora. She’s been asking a lot of questions, ones that you didn’t plan on having to answer so soon. You expected her to be angry with you for not telling her but she took your confirmation that Mat’s her dad with ease. 

So it didn’t come as a surprise when her first question was whether Mat would be at the Barzal household for this dinner. You hadn’t bothered to ask Liana, mainly because you knew it would definitely impact your decision to agree to go. 

“Did you know that Zoe’s mom and dad aren’t together either?” She says during the drive to the Barzal’s. 

You do know this but you humor her. “Really?”

“Yup. Zoe said she spends weekends with her dad and stays with her mommy during the week,” she explains and then moves on to a different topic. You’re a little curious why she would talk about her friends’ living arrangements but when you finally pull into the driveway, your question is answered. 

“Do I have to stay at Mat’s on the weekend?” She asks and if you hadn’t already parked the car, you would have hit the brakes. 

“No,” you say a little too quickly and sharply because she frowns. 

“How come?”

You don’t answer her question right away, getting out of the car and walking around to the other side. She’s already unbuckling her seatbelt by the time you open the door and she’s still frowning. 

“Just no, Nora.”

“But Zoe does!”

You can’t explain custody agreements to a seven-year-old so you say the first excuse you can think of. 

“He doesn’t live here,” you say, taking her hand and begin walking towards the house. She’s dragging her feet, clearly not happy with your response. 

“Do I have to call him dad?” 

“No.”

“Why?”

“Just ‘cause,” you say, stopping at the door and turning to her. Her arms are crossed and she’s giving you the look that says she won’t let up until you give her an answer she wants.

“Do you want to call him dad?” 

She pauses, looking down at the ground and frowning. After a moment she shakes her head. 

“No, but Miss. Jones says you’re not supposed to call your mommy and daddy by their first names ‘cause it’s disrespectful.” 

“It’s not up to Miss. Jones,” you say gently. “This is new, and you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

After a moment, she mutters a quiet “okay,” and then: “do you think Nadia has ice-cream for dessert?”

“Guess we’ll have to go inside and ask,” you reply and raise your fist to knock on the door but it swings open before you can. Liana is waiting on the other side with a big smile on her face. Nora runs straight to her and giggles when the older girl picks her up and swings her around. 

“C’mon in,” Liana says, ushering you inside. So far there’s no sign of Mat so some of the tension leaves your body. After putting both yours and Nora’s shoes aside, you make your way to the kitchen. Nadia is puttering around, juggling a million things but she still smiles softly when she sees you. 

“Can I help with anything?” 

“You can keep me company,” she says and points to a chair. “Sit down and update me on what you’ve been up to.”

You know that you can’t argue with her so you sit and chat idly with her. She doesn’t bring up anything to do with Mat and you’re not sure what to think about it. You almost slip up and ask if he’s going to be here for dinner but decide not to. You haven’t seen him around since you arrived, so he’s probably out. Maybe with a girl. 

Not that you care, obviously. 

Mike eventually pokes his head in the kitchen to greet you and ask how you’ve been. He offers to set the table but Nadia shoos him out of the kitchen, rolling her eyes fondly. 

“Don’t get married, they’re nothing but trouble,” she jokes but there’s a smile on her face that lingers even after her husband leaves. You always admired their relationship, and were certain that you and Mat would be like it some day but it wasn’t in the cards. 

Soon, Nadia calls everyone to dinner. Nora immediately asks why Mat isn’t here and there’s an awkward silence until Liana breaks it.

“He’s busy,” she tells Nora and that must be enough because she just nods and starts eating dinner. Nothing else is said about Mat but just as you’re all finishing dessert, you hear the door open and close and there’s only one person you figure it will be.  

Mat walks into the dining room, clearly caught off guard by your presence. Nora hops off her chair and darts over to him, wrapping her arms around his legs and starts chatting excitedly. He’s trying to give her all his attention but his eyes keep flickering to you. 

When Nadia and Mike get up to start clearing the table and Liana asks Nora if she wants to go watch a movie, you realize that the three of them planned this. It’s almost like you’re kids again, fighting about something stupid and needing his parents to help fix the problem. 

Mat looks at you a little helplessly when the room clears and it’s just the two of you. There’s no way you can yell at him with his family and Nora in the next room and you realize that was also probably planned. 

“Can we talk?” he asks and you really don’t want to, but you realize that eventually you’re going to have to talk to him so you nod. You follow him out the back door and the two of you sit on the porch steps in silence until you finally break it.

“Why didn’t you come to me about what PR wanted to do? We could have figured out something together.”

He shrugs, looking at the ground. “I didn’t think to ask you about it. I just wanted to fix everything before it got complicated. I wasn’t thinking.” 

“Yeah, no shit,” you mutter. “That’s something you’re great at. You don’t think before you do anything.” 

You jump when he stands up suddenly and turns to face you. He’s angry but so are you.

“No, fuck that. You can’t just expect me to do everything right, when a month ago, all I had to worry about was hockey. I can’t be number one dad overnight! You didn’t even tell me about her for six years!” 

You’re a bit taken off guard by his sudden outburst but you can do anger too.

“That is the exact reason I didn’t tell you about her, Mat. Hockey is always going to come first in your life,” you snap. “And I didn’t ask you to be a number one dad, all I asked was that you be sure you wanted to be in her life before you committed to anything because this is exactly what I was worried about.” 

He falters a little, probably not expecting you to return the anger. 

“I didn’t want to post what they asked me to,” he says, sounding defeated. “But I didn’t know how to say no. When PR tells you to jump, you jump.”

You’ve no idea how public relations in hockey works, it’s possible that they would have posted the statement without asking Mat but you’re so damn angry. You’re angry but you don’t know who you’re even supposed to be mad at now. 

“You should have come to me,” you say again. “That’s how co-parenting works, you know.”

His mouth twitches. “That’s what we were doing?”

You can feel the anger slowly dissipating. Mat’s shoulders aren’t as tense and he plops back down on the steps so you sit next to him, letting your shoulders and knees knock against his.

“Well, you are her dad,” you admit. “And she is very concerned about her future living arrangements.”

He looks at you a little confused but there’s a small smile spreading across his face. 

“Does she know?”

“Yeah,” you tell him. “She’s smarter than you expect sometimes.”

“She gets that from you,” he says, poking your arm.

You roll your eyes fondly. “Well she had to get her brains from someone.”

He huffs but it sounds more like a laugh. You watch him look at the ground, brows furrowed and deep in thought.

“I fucked up, didn’t I?”

Here’s the thing that a lot of people don’t know about Mat: he doesn’t forgive himself easily. It’s something you learned the hard way when you were younger and dating. 

So you know he will beat himself up over this until you forgive him. 

“Yeah, but we both did.” You bump your knee against his until he looks up at you. “We can fix it, but we have to do it together.”

He holds out his pinky finger. ”Co-parenting, right?”  

You hook your finger around his and nod, letting yourself relax for the first time in weeks. It’s going to take time, hard work, and you’re both going to have to learn how to trust and communicate better again but you're sure you’ll get there.

“Together,” you agree.

tag list: @literatureluster @dasiysthings @barzyblogbabe @diary-of-jj @heatherawoowoo @fallinallincurls @topguncultleader @shadowsndaisies @lovinbarzal @whatthepuckisgoingon @alilstressyandlotdepressy @teapartydreams @keiva1000

[bigtreefest]

Chapter 5: Heaven + Back

From: Bigger Houses Series

Pairing: Mountain Ranger! Ari x Reader

Summary: Heaven isn’t even half as far as you’d thought it’d be. It’s barely out of town.

Word Count: 2,181

Content/Warnings: 18+ MINORS DNI, kissing, sundresses, size difference (applies to all readers bc Ari is just THAT HUGE), dry humping (imma call this technically smut), like sickeningly loving glances but don’t call it love, dancing, getting fed dinner

Author’s Note: I’ve never written anything sexual before, so go easy on me. Also, nothing gets me going like a man who treats his partner equally, taking care of certain things and not expecting anything in return, even though the relationship is full of equal exchanges. I hope this chapter shows a little bit of that back-and-forth. Likes, comments, reblogs, and asks are sooooo welcome and appreciated!!

Dividers by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

Below is the song which inspired this chapter. Kinda a sweet little flouncy tune.

< Prev | Series Masterlist | Next >

You and Ari had been officially dating for about two months now, but had agreed to take it slow for the sake of both of your hearts.

At this point, you were much more aware of the other’s schedule and trusted each other enough to share your locations, something he made sure of so you never had to stress over where he was like that one night. The one night that changed everything for him, for the better.

As you were getting off work, you looked down at your phone to see a text from Ari:

‘I’m picking you up at six. We’re going for a picnic. Rest is a surprise😘’

You smiled at the device in your hand. Ever since that night, he also made sure to tell you a general plan of the dates to ease your worries. Whether or not to eat before, what you might want to wear, could all be implied since he gave just enough detail without spoiling the whole plan.

Ari smiled down at his phone when he saw your reply:

‘I’ll be ready, see you then, Bear❤️’

Ari’s buddies at the ranger station took note of his dopey smile, the way he was always checking his phone unlike anything they’d seen in years of working together. Not even when he was dating his ex, Savannah, or as they all said amongst themselves, ‘the she-devil who must not be named,’ had he ever been this plugged-in.

She never cared to be around, and Ari never cared enough to check his phone for his messages while on the job, and that’s all they needed to know. You, however, they all really liked you. You had come by to surprise Ari during one of his later shifts, so only a few of them were around. Rachel and Max sat with Ari in the dim shack, lit mostly by the golden light that came through the blinds facing the west, a product of the sunset.

You knocked and came in, wearing a sundress and carrying a light dinner you had made using croissants you got from the bakery in town, along with a few baked goods for Ari and the other rangers. It was your day off, and another day of trying a new spot, so you’d figured it was as good a time as any to see where he worked and make a good impression on the closest things he had to friends besides Sammy.

You introduced yourself and sat with the three of them for dinner, everyone raving about the food and thanking you for the rare treat. When you got up to leave, Ari walked you out, giving a bear hug and kiss before he opened your car door and watched until you drove away.

He returned to the station to be greeted by two smirking faces as they chewed their desserts. “We like this one. Don’t mess it up.” Rachel quipped.

Ari went to sit back down at his desk, thinking about you in that sundress, unable to wait until the next time he could get you alone.

Ari was far from a home cook. All that his fridge really housed was enough to get by, but not enough to impress you, so Rachel helped him pick the best restaurant to get some takeout for your picnic date tonight. He’d cook for you someday, but he figured it was better to have enjoyable food now, while he was still learning. You didn’t deserve to be fed garbage.

He stopped by town to grab the meal before heading up the winding road to your place. You stepped out on the front porch in another one of your sundresses, hair down and sunglasses perched on your head to combat the evening light. You weren’t wearing a jacket, but this was by design. Maybe Ari could keep you warm. Little did you know, he had the same plan. He had purposely not said anything about needing one, excited for the chance to put you in a jacket of his own. It made him feral.

Ari walked up and greeted you with a peck, holding your hand to guide you back to the truck. Well, more like him holding out his pointer finger for you, with your smaller hand wrapped around it. You learned that first night after holding his hand that it was a little difficult to spread your fingers to accommodate for his large ones, so this was one of the solutions, besides holding hands without interlocking fingers, just as good of a fix.

He opened up the driver’s seat of his truck, knowing you would’ve slid as close to him as possible anyway, and grabbed your waist to help you get in as you jumped and slid, scooching over. Ari followed and held your hand once again as he drove.

“So where are we going?”

Ari glanced between you and the road with a smile. “Somewhere very special.”

He took a turn off the paved road and onto a dirt path, an access route that was part of the lesser-used hiking trails. Ari pulled past a creek, and through the evergreens, until he reached a rocky clearing, turning the truck around so the bed was facing a cliff.

He hopped out of the truck as you scooted to the edge of the bench, legs dangling over the side as Ari moved to stand between them. He rubbed your sides, leaning in and placing his forehead against your chest. He took a deep inhale, comforted by the scent of your perfume, but you could tell it was more than that. He was about to say something important, something that made him feel vulnerable. You ran your hands over his hair to comfort him, an attempt of telling him he could take his time, you would wait. His eyes raised to meet yours.

“This is my favorite place. I don’t think many people come out here, but it’s probably the best view you’ve ever seen. I used to run up to this spot just to get away from everything. Seeing town so small really put everything into perspective at a time where I was so fragile and everything was falling apart. I wanted to share it with you.”

You looked down at him, grateful that he trusted you with something he valued so much. “Thank you, Ari. Thank you for bringing me here.”

You leaned down and kissed him before he helped you down and led you to the edge of the cliff. He was right, it was a phenomenal view of the town below, framed by the rest of the mountains that created a valley for it to sit. A haze was falling down the mountainsides, covering everything in a light mist that caught the golden-pinkish hue the sun began to cast.

Ari opened up the truck bed, where you saw pillows and blankets wrapped up. He helped you in before joining, the two of you working together to lay them out before he pulled out the food through the back window of the truck.

You offered a hand, but he insisted on finishing the setup himself, pulling you across his lap and feeding you bites, alternating with his own.

As you finished up and Ari set the containers aside, you shifted to straddle his lap, your sundress draping over both of your legs like a puddle of fabric. From his point of view, he swore the setting sun formed a halo over your head. You looked angelic, and it was fitting, for the grace you always gave him. Sunday morning had nothing on you and the miracles your simple existence had done for Ari. He didn’t know he had needed saving, and that was just what you had done for him and then some.

Ari admired everything about you. It’s like there was magic in your eyes. For all he knew, this gravel road was a street of gold because you touched it. The only thing he hadn’t seen you do yet was turn water into wine. But to be fair, he hadn’t asked.

As you looked into his eyes, searching back and forth, you could see how deeply he was looking into your soul.

“Hey, Bear, what’s going on in your head?” You leaned in closer. He always looked at you with such deep care, but it was too soon to call it love, right? Maybe it was longing? Maybe it was trust, or appreciation? What was a word to describe all of those things together?

He looked up at you with the dopiest grin. “Just thinking about how amazing you are.”

His hands rubbed your back, slowly pulling you down closer to him until your lips met. Your fingers ran through his hair, nails scratching his scalp, causing him to moan into your mouth. This kiss which was soft and tender at first became needier. Ari’s hands moved to your hips and squeezed.

His grip pulled you forward, creating a delicious friction against your core. You could feel yourself growing wet through the thin fabric of your panties as he continued to guide you back and forth in his lap. You pushed yourself against him harder, feeling his erection grow through his jeans as you maintained a rhythm.

You finally pulled away from the kiss, gasping for air and tucking your face into his neck, leaving open-mouthed kisses on his sun-kissed skin. The salty taste of a thin layer of sweat hit your tongue, swirling with his familiar cologne and the surrounding pine, creating a comforting musk that was so him.

One of Ari’s hands moved to your cheek, guiding your head so you could look into his eyes again.

“Eyes on me, Duchess. You look so beautiful right now. You’ve gotta be an angel, this feels heavenly.” Ari panted between his words.

You began to move your hips furiously against his, whines leaving your mouth as you could feel yourself cresting towards a peak. You could tell Ari was getting close, too, his moans growing deeper and raspier as his fingertips dug into you.

“That’s it, baby. Just like that. I can feel how wet you are through my jeans. Don’t stop, please don’t stop.”

His eyes, his words, his body. They were all begging for release. The combination pulled you towards the edge as you felt a warmth flush over your entire body, your eyes squeezing shut, abs tensing, and pussy clenching around nothing. Ari’s strong hands kept you moving, riding out your high as he finished below you with a low grunt, your open mouths against each other, exchanging air.

When you opened your eyes again, you were met with Ari’s, half-lidded and hazy with satisfaction. You scooted back towards his knees to see a shared wet spot on his pants from both of your releases, but Ari wasn’t embarrassed or ashamed at all. He had just shared an intimate moment with his favorite person in his favorite place, and every second of bliss was worth the slight discomfort he was beginning to feel. You grabbed his hands and pulled him to sit up from his spot leaning back against the truck cab.

Ari could see the shiver that ran through your body now that the sun had set, taking the heat with it.

“I’m, uh, gonna change into some of the spare clothes. You want a jacket?”

He vaulted over the side of the truck bed, landing in the dirt with a soft crunch of the pebbles under his feet as he opened the back door.

“Yes please.” You had moved to the edge of the bed, looking out over the cliff at the lights that now glowed in the windows of homes and shops below. It was picturesque, almost like a model village.

You turned over your shoulder as you heard music start to play. Ari had turned on the radio, low on the dash, a familiar type of music coming through the speakers and open driver’s side doors. You could see he had changed pants as he reached out a hand toward you.

“Care for a dance?” You jumped down and joined him as he slipped a hoodie over your head and pulled you close. Once a couple songs has passed, Ari stopped swaying and pulled away, looking at you sheepishly.

“I kinda didn’t think this through, but I need to turn off the radio so I don’t kill the truck battery.” You laughed and nodded, heading back to push yourself up and sit on the edge of the tailgate.

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. As much as I love being out here with you, I’m sure being stranded bear bait is not a good look on me.”

Ari returned to you and scrunched his nose, leaning close. “Too late.” He whispered in your ear before playfully biting your neck and joining you up in the bed again. You giggled as he pulled you closer, the two of you eventually falling back, laying there and looking at the unobstructed sky full of stars.

Next >

Bonus A/N: How badly do you think a person needs a pinky toe? Because I would definitely cut mine off for a truck bed date with Ari.

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