#there's a compliment understood in there somewhere and so I shall say Thank You !!!!!! but also you're putting a lot of faith in my process

[ratcandy]

do you have tips for writing eloquently?

I have started and scrapped and rewritten this post so many times because my confidence level is not working with me here sdhgkJSDGH

Well! Um! To be bluntly honest, I only write Zote's dialogue like that (assuming that is where this question stems from) because I read and reread his dialogue again and again over the course of a year back when I was writing CoGR!,,,

And then once you write like that for a year straight, it sort of becomes second nature to you hdgKHSKH

So if you've got a muse that you'd like to reference the word choice of, honestly, drenching yourself in their speaking mannerisms for a while can help you pick up on the subtleties of how they talk pretty well! Like genuinely! Just sit down and listen to fancy old english for a while, if that's what you're going for. Listen to it for hours and pick apart how things are said and why.

But um! Aside from that, the one big point of advice I can give is to not make it sound forced. The point of eloquence is that it's supposed to flow and feel natural. You can use as many fancy words and syntax as you want, but if it feels stilted and strange, the effect will be lost.

When it comes to the Big Fancy Words, so long as you're using them properly and not over-using them to the point of sounding pretentious (unless that is in-character), you should be fine! I would think, anyway!! I abuse the hell out of wordhippo to get my fancy words, for example. But I try not to fancy word too much, and I make sure those words make sense in how they're used and where. Because the last thing you want is for it to be super obvious you're taking from a thesaurus as you go.

Also, of course, a good rule of thumb: I double/triple-check every word I use to ensure I'm using it properly, even if I'm 99% certain I am. Because otherwise you look Real Silly for it. Check how it's supposed to be put into a sentence. Check the definition. Check alternate definitions to make sure you don't accidentally say something you don't mean!

(This is how I found out that saying "in of itself" is wrong, and it's actually "in and of itself." Which is fucked up and evil, yes, but grammar is bitchy and horrible! Something else I recommend coming to terms with if you're gonna abuse that grammar to sound prettier hgkjH)

I find the best way to check that something sounds natural is to read it out loud yourself. Can you follow along with what you're saying, or do you keep finding yourself tripping over the wording? If you have to read a sentence ten times before it sounds comprehensible, it might be time to modify that sentence a little hdgkJH

And if just reading it aloud doesn't help, try recording yourself reading it aloud. Then listen to yourself and see if it makes sense. A trick I found online to check for grammar/spelling mistakes is if you're using something like Microsoft Word, there's a "Read Aloud" option under the Review tab in which it will read what you've written back to you. You'll notice if something sounds funky pretty quickly when a text-to-speech is reading it ghkjshSDG

[Another quick tip: Rationalize how eloquent you want a scene described/dialogue spoken, and think about whether it fits. Or if it would sound better less eloquent. Genuinely, sometimes a character spitting out "fuck you" has a much harder hit than a long spiteful monologue! Especially if that character has been nothing but eloquent up until that point!]

Otherwise, um. Well! It really is just a lot of practicing. Which is the worst advice ever yes I know, but most people can't fling themselves effortlessly into writing immaculate prose. Which. I AM NOt clAIMING I DO. FOR ONE. Just putting that out there!! It takes getting the hang of. It takes noticing where you slip up and noting how to fix it. It takes a lot of reading other stuff/listening to how people talk to get a grasp on it.

At least For Me. That is what I Do. And I am just Sitting Here. I started CoGR when I was 16,

[finelinevogue]

I love your “little moments” series… I have a weak spot for dad!Harry💕 and I love the relationship between the family’s members 🤗 and I really hope u will continue to update it! And for this series I would like to request Harry doing the 73 questions interview for Vogue and his kids and wife make an appearance (u can choose if the kids are toddlers or teens) and they even answer some questions OR an Howard Stern interview where Harry is asked about his family,maybe the host makes like not so nice-low key shady comments on his wife and on Harry’s daughter coming out story. Ok I’ m done, so sorry ik it’s so long 😅 it’s just I love your series sooo muchhh 🥰🥰 ok I’m done love u have a good day 😘

i’d love to answer this one!! thank you so much for loving my little series💕this one’s for you and for the other request i got which i’m combing with this: “Harry is doing a interview on facetime when his kid crashes the interview.” so pls enjoy and yeah enjoy;

oli - 6, felix - 4, belle - 1

The day had finally arrived for Harry Styles to complete the 73 Questions with Vogue.

It had come to be the promo for ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ and his schedule was booked with interview after interview after interview, and it wasn’t ideal for this to all be happening months whilst also having to look after three meddling toddlers, one of whom had only recently turned 1 years old.

The house was chaos. Fun, but chaos. And it was also the setting of this interview.

“Alright you lot, this way.” You shoved your children along to your living room, giving Harry the space he needed with Joe Sabia - the interviewer.

“Thank you love, see you later.” He blew a kiss to you and returned his focus to Joe. This interview was the first of many and it was also a major marketing ploy. These types of interviews were so highly recommended for Harry to be involved in and Jeff had thought it was about time for him to do one.

Joe had arrived around 15 minutes ago, just to

run over the script and remind Harry of the pre-determined questions - which reminded him of the answers that you’d run through with him the night before. Now the cameras were set up, the mic people were all at stand-by and Joe was ready it was time to begin. The children had been so fascinated by all these new people, after not seeing anyone for months due to the coronavirus pandemic, which is why it took a lot of trouble to get them to shuffle away from their beloved dad.

A fake door knock arose.

“Harry Styles hello!”

“Hi!” Harry waved at the camera.

“I’m here to do the Vogue 73 Questions, shall we get to it?”

“Of course! Come in!” Harry welcomed Joe into the house and shut the door behind him, not trusting his little ones to not escape if they were running wild.

“Beautiful house! Is it your only one?”

“No, but it’s my only one in London.” Harry made a point of not exploiting how many houses he did have and where they were. In fact, you still didn’t know about the Island that he was currently investing in just for you. You were a huge conservation activist and so Harry thought you could spend your free time helping the fragile ecosystem on this island.

“Did you design it yourself?”

“Me and my wife built the plans, but we go the experts to finish it all off.”

“What’s your favourite room?”

“Um, probably the living room.”

“Why?”

“So many of my favourite memories have happened in there.”

“Could you give us some?”

Harry could give loads, but they were far too precious for him to just give away. The living room wasn’t even a massive room, it was quite quaint with a couple of sofas, a logwood fire and then rugs and paintings on the walls. It was a home within a home. It was where Felix had taken his first steps. It was where Oli had spoken his first words. It was where Belle had fallen over for the first time and given herself nasty carpet burn. It was where presents were opened at Christmas. It was where you and Harry had made love next to the fire. It was where Felix and Oli had had their first tiny argument. It was where you spent family nights. If your house was a map then that room marked X the spot.

It was treasure. Priceless.

“My favourite would probably be when my wife, Y/N, spilt red wine all over the new white carpet and then proceeded to throw white wine over the stain because she’d read somewhere that it helps to get rid of it.” Harry chuckled at the memory.

“Did it?”

“No, God no. The carpet’s grey now.”

Joe laughed, as did Harry.

“I have to say Harry, you’re looking very fashionable today who are you wearing?”

“Gucci.” He blushed, because he knew that everyone would’e known that without question. He was wearing a lilac silk shirt with his name embroidered on it - but really it was to symbolise your last name not his - with a white wife-beater shirt and white shorts. He looked rich.

“Shouldn’t have asked really? Is your wife as much a Gucci avid fan?”

“She hates anything expensive. I think she still wears the same jeans she was wearing at university!” He knew you’d hit him later for saying that.

“So she’s a hoarder?”

“God yeah. She keeps everything and anything.” Harry laughed in admiration.

“Has she always been?”

“Always. When we went on our first date, her bag was so full that she couldn’t find her purse and she was so embarrassed because she thought I would think she was taking advantage of who I was. Anyways I did end up paying that night, but she had actually, I don’t know how, sent me money for her portion of the bill. From that moment I knew it was going to be her.”

“Do you write songs about her?

“Every day.” He smiled at the thought of the one he’d written just this morning.

“Which one is your favourite about her?”

“I don’t know about favourite, but the one I hold closest to my heart is probably ‘Fine Line’.” Harry stopped there, not wanting to share the intimate details of why and Joe respected that.

“Do your children have a favourite song of yours?”

“They go crazy for Kiwi and Golden. Belle loves Treat People and Oli knows the dance to that one actually.”

“Did you choreograph the dance for TPWK?”

“Partially, but I had help from my friend Paul and Y/N helped too actually.”

Harry and Joe had now made it through the house, weaving in and out of rooms, until they had made it to the Garden. Unfortunately, you’d forgotten to shut the bifold doors to the living room and so as soon as Harry came into focus for your children they immediately ran for him. Oli and Felix could run quite well, but Belle was a lot slower. She was only learning how to walk and so she fell a lot, unless she was being supported by you or Harry. Oli reached his dad first and then Felix, to which Harry knelt down to embrace them in ‘super-dad’ hugs as he liked to call them.

“And who do we have here?” Joe asked.

“Trouble.” Harry replied in jest, but whispered something into his boys ears before backing away.

“Hello i’m Oli.” Oli waved proudly to the camera.

“Hi i’m Fix.” Feliz shied into his dads neck, embarrassed of himself. Harry kissed the back of his head and kept a hold oh him around his back for comfort.

“Fix?” Joe asked at the peculiar name.

“It’s Felix, but he can’t pronounce his own name for some reason so we just call him Fix now. Or Flix. Don’t we buddy?”

“Oh my! I’m so sorry about this!” You ran out in panic, knowing your one job was to keep the kids entertained and away from their dad. At least that was the original plan, but both Harry and Joe like this idea so much more. You were blushing red in embarrassment, picking up a fallen over Belle on your way over to everyone else. “So sorry.”

Belle became restless in your arms, reaching forward for her dad. She whined when she couldn’t quite reach and Harry immediately stood up to take his winging daughter from your arms. As he did, he leant into you and whispered in your ear whilst leaving it a warm kiss behind.

“You’re okay love. Don’t be sorry.”

“Hello Y/N!” Joe spoke.

“Hiya! How are you?”

“I’m great, and you?”

“Peachy.” You laughed, leaning down to collect Felix who was making grabby hands at you. Oli was quite happy standing next to both his parents, one of Harrys hands running through his tiny locks of hair.

“So now we have the family together, how do you feel to all be together?”

You looked to Harry smiled to find him smiling back already at you, knowing you both had a very similar answer. “It feels right. It feels like home.” You answered and Harry nodded in agreement, giving Belle a gentle rock in his arms.

“Are you okay with showing your children’s faces publicly?”

“No we’re not.”

“Looks like we have a hell of a lot of editing to do back at HQ.” Joe laughed, but completely understood the reasoning behind yours two decision. If needed, you could re-film scenes of this interview so that it didn’t include your children. Joe had done his best to keep the camera on you and Harry and luckily the children kept their faces buried in their parents necks anyways. “Is that going to be forever?”

“When they are old enough to decide whether they want to be in the spotlight then we’ll see.” Harry smiled, holding onto Belle tighter because all he wanted to do was keep her protected, and his, forever.

“You two seem like very good parents.” Joe spoke sincerely, and it made you swallow down a sob because it was always really lovely to hear such compliments - knowing you’d struggled with postnatal depression.

“Thank you Joe.” Harry nodded respectfully.

“Okay let’s carry on?”

The interview carried on until Harry had answered so many questions. He redid bits, due the children being too involved and he re-filmed answers to questions he found difficult to answer the first time around. He had such a great experience and was happy with the way that the day turned out.

[jiejie-eonni-onee-sama]

Amour à la française...

For the sweet @strudelcreme​ 🍨🥧🎀

I hope you’ll enjoy the story

In Dordogne, the Basterds had settled in an abandoned house to await orders for their next mission.

But for now, they were all enjoying the beautiful spring days and relaxing. 

Sitting on a stump, Aldo watched his team relax: Donny, Utivich, Zimmermann and Omar played cards while Sakowitz read a book in his corner. Hirschberg napped under an apple tree, Kagan smoked his cigarette while drawing in his notebook, and Hicox read the newspaper. As for Hugo and Wicki, they were chatting in their native language.

But someone was missing. Fortunately, she arrived!

"Here I am!"

Aldo turned his head and smiled as he saw (Y/N) (L/N), the only woman in the group, arrive. This young 21-year-old woman was recruited for her spying and code-breaking skills. 

If to the Allied secret service she was Agent (L/N), to her fellow soldiers she was (Y/N), their "little fairy."

They all fell in love with her pretty face and her adorable smile. And of course, all the Basterds loved to play the role of her servant knight.

Even Hugo, the most taciturn of the group, would smile in her presence!

But the one who had the biggest crush on the young woman was none other than Lieutenant Raine. Ever since (Y/N) joined their group, the former bootlegger had fallen under the spell of the young spy.

His men had noticed this and loved to tease him about it, especially Donny.

And they knew that (Y/N) was not insensitive to Aldo's charm. According to Utivich, they would make a charming couple if the Lieutenant could find the courage to admit his feelings.

In the meantime, Lieutenant Raine was making a pretence of courting the young woman, and that was fine.

Aldo smiled as the young woman greeted the other Basterds, even surprising Hicox with a kiss on the cheek.

She walked over to Raine and said:

"Here I am again, Lieutenant!"

"Please, (Y/N): I already told ya that ya could call me Aldo. When ya say Lieutenant, I feel like an old jackass!"

"But because ya're old!" shouted Donny, causing his comrades to howl with laughter.

"Shut up, Donowitz!" snapped Raine.

Fortunately for Donny, (Y/N) came to his defence.

"Don't take it the wrong way, Aldo: he was only joking!"

Aldo would have railed against his sergeant, but the pleading look in her eyes made him give in.

He grumbled:

"Well, that'll do for this time, Donowitz. But if ya do it again, ya'll be on night duty for the whole damn week! Do I make myself clear?"

The other Basterds just snickered: all it takes is for (Y/N) to make eyes at the obstinate Aldo Raine to give in.

A little later, the Basterds were eating their provisions around a campfire, chatting happily. While eating a piece of bread, Aldo did not take his eyes off (Y/N). He smiled fondly at the young woman joking with Omar and Hirschberg.

He would never admit it to his men, but he was in love with (Y/N) (L/N). Only, did she feel the same way about him, or did she only appreciate him as a friend? 

There was only one way to find out...

The next day.

"Are you sure this is necessary, Lieutenant? I mean, this meeting with French Resistance is a bit suspicious, no?"

"Since I'm telling you, Wicki. Anyway, the Krauts never come around here. Besides, who would suspect a pair in love to be members of the Resistance?"

"Why don't you just say that this mission story is just an excuse to have a date with Miss (Y/N)?" asked Hicox mockingly.

"Shut up, you rosbeef!" snarled Raine.

"He's not entirely wrong, Lieutenant. You'll have to admit that this story is very timely!"

"Stay out of it, Kagan!"

The voice of (Y/N) interrupted this bickering:

"I'm ready!"

As she walked out of the house, all eyes turned to the young woman. She was dressed in a flowery dress and wearing a white hat.

"Damn, girl! You look like an angel!" exclaimed Zimmermann.

"He's right: you are beautiful!" grinned Sakowitz.

"A real beauty queen!" smiled Hugo.

"My dear, you look stunning!" added Archie.

The young woman blushed with pleasure at so many compliments and thanked her companions before turning to Aldo:

"And you, Lieutenant: what do you think?"

"Waddaya want me to say? It's all been said before, doll!"

(Y/N) burst out laughing.

"Are you always this charming with the women you meet?"

The Lieutenant replied with a smirk:

"Nah, only for ya, (Y/N)!"

"If you say so... Well, I think it's time to go. Shall we go?"

"Sure! Well, guys, I'm counting on ya to watch the house! Got it?"

"YES, SIR!" replied the Basterds.

Satisfied, Aldo left for the city with (Y/N) on his arm.

Once their leader had left, Donny asked:

"Well, guys: I don't know about ya, but to me, this dating thing sounds like an excuse to have a quiet date with (Y/N)!"

"I would have been surprised if it wasn't. If you want my opinion, he is going to use this opportunity to confess everything to her!" remarked Wicki.

"What if we were to spy on them? That would be fun!" suggested Hirschberg.

"Why not? It will be a good occupation!" smiled Hicox.

"Let's go, then!" exclaimed Utivich.

They all rushed to the small town where the meeting with the French resistance fighters was supposed to take place. They managed to see Aldo and (Y/N) sitting on the terrace of a small café. 

They hid near a bush, right next to Aldo and (Y/N)'s table.

"Well, what would ya like to drink, princess?"

"Well, I'll have a grenadine. I know, it's not very original..."

"Don't worry about it. Don't feel obliged to order something ya don't like when you're with me! As for me, a good scotch won't hurt me!"

"I didn't know he was so gallant!" murmured Utivich.

"I think we're in for a surprise," replied Donny.

Aldo and (Y/N) sipped their drinks in silence before the young woman asked:

"Do you know how long it will be before we meet the French resistance fighters?"

At these words, the lieutenant became a little embarrassed:

"How can I explain this to ya? Well, let's say they won't come now... Nah, I'll be honest: that rendezvous thing was a fake!"

"What?" exclaimed the young spy, surprised.

"It's true: there is no meeting scheduled with the French Resistance."

"But then, why are we here?"

Aldo massaged the back of his neck, blushing a little.

"Well, how shall I put it? I wanted to find an excuse to spend time with ya... away from the others!"

"I knew it!" chuckled Hicox.

For her part, (Y/N) was surprised.

"You want to spend time with me? But why?"

"Because I want to get to know ya better, (Y/N). Ya've been on my team for a year and a half, and everyone else loves ya. But I don't know what ya like, if ya have a family, what your dreams are, and what ya want to do after the war is over!"

He sighed.

"Besides, I can see that you're more comfortable with the guys. When ya talk to me, I feel like you're distancing yourself! Do I scare ya?"

"No, not at all! It's just that you're my superior! So I have to show you some respect!" the young woman answered shyly.

"That's what bothers me, (Y/N): I don't want to be just yer superior anymore. I would like to be someone ya can trust..."

"But I've always trusted you!"

"I know, I know. But I wanted to say that I would like ya to see me as a friend..."

"Yeah! I say he'd like to be more than a friend!" sneered Hirschberg.

"Hush! I'd like to hear the rest of the conversation!" Sakowitz lectured him as he listened carefully.

Meanwhile, (Y/N) and Aldo continued to talk.

"I must admit I'm a bit surprised, Lieutenant..."

"Please, (Y/N): don't call me that anymore. I wish ya would call me by my first name!"

"All right, Aldo. I was saying that I don't understand why we came here: if not to meet resistance fighters, then what are we doing here?"

A little embarrassed, Aldo replied:

"If I chose to come here with ya, it's because I'd like to be able to tell ya some things without the others being there!"

"If only he knew..." quipped Hugo.

"And what do you want to tell me?" asked (Y/N), a little stressed.

"Where to start? First of all, we're all happy to have ya on the team. Your presence alone is enough to cheer us up, and that's great. Secondly... Well, it's not easy to say, but when you're around me, I feel different."

"What do you mean?"

"Whenever ya talk to me or stand next to me, I feel like I have butterflies in my gut. It's a strange feeling, but not unpleasant. And I haven't felt that way in years!"

The young woman smiles shyly.

"You sound like you're in love with me!"

Seeing Aldo's shifty look, (Y/N) understood.

"Wait... Is that so?"

He nodded.

"It's true, I admit it!"

At these words, the other Basterds were overexcited!

"Oh my gosh! He did it!"

"We noticed it, Donny!"

As for (Y/N), she was speechless: so Aldo Raine was in love with her! On the one hand, she was happy to know that the man she secretly loved felt the same way about her. But on the other hand, she was afraid of how the others would react: would they be happy to know that the only woman in the group was the girlfriend of their leader?

These two contradictory feelings were tugging at her mind, and she didn't know what to do.

On the other hand, Aldo was nervous: this silence from (Y/N) stressed him. Did she love him too? Or was he mistaken?

Suddenly he heard the young woman whisper:

"Can we talk about this somewhere else? I wouldn't want the other customers to hear us."

"Okay, let's go!"

The couple left the restaurant and headed for a small park, followed by the other Basterds.

After a few minutes of walking, Aldo and (Y/N) sat down in a shady corner, out of sight. The other Basterds hid behind some bushes and listened to the rest of the conversation.

There was a silence before (Y/N) asked:

"How long have you loved me?"

"Probably since day one. In any case, it does not just talk: I love ya, (Y/N). And I want to be able to survive this fucking war to stay with ya until I've got more air in my lungs! I want ya to be a part of my life if ya'll let me!"

"Well, what a romantic!" laughed Hugo, making his comrades laugh.

For his part, Aldo asked:

"And what do you think of me? Ya can be honest: if ya don't like me, I won't blame ya!"

Biting her lip, (Y/N) muttered:

"To tell the truth... I love you too, Aldo. But I don't know if it's a good thing to be together!"

"Why is that?"

"Well, for one thing, neither you nor I know if we'll make it out of this war alive. Secondly, I'm afraid that if we ever got together, the others might take it badly!"

"The others? Wait, is she talking about us?" asked Omar, surprised.

"Looks like it..." muttered Wicki.

Aldo was intrigued by this answer.

"And why would my guys take it the wrong way?"

"I wasn't thinking of your men in particular, but the other soldiers. But if you want to know, well, they might think I'm getting special treatment. And if anything happened to you, I know they would blame me for it. I couldn't live with the pain of losing you and the weight of my shame!"

Seeing the distress in the young spy's eyes, the American understood how afraid she was of losing everything.

Gently, Aldo put his hand on (Y/N)'s and said:

"Ya know, doll, I'm telling ya all this because I know we'll get out of this war alive. So don't worry about what other people think!"

He smiled:

"Besides, I'm glad to see that ya like me!"

"You are incorrigible!"

"That's what makes me so charming!"

Behind their hiding place, the Basterds were waiting for the outcome!

"Normally, this is when they kiss!" remarked Andy.

"The suspense is at its height, gentlemen!" whispered Hicox.

Aldo and (Y/N) seemed ready to take the plunge.

"I'mma going to speak seriously, (Y/N): it makes me happy to know that ya love me."

"And I'm happy to see that you like me!"

"I don't just only like ya if that makes ya feel better. I truly love ya!"

Leaning towards her, he asked:

"Can I kiss ya?"

"I've been waiting for this..." smiled (Y/N).

Pleased with the answer, Aldo closed the distance between their lips and kissed the young woman fiercely, who responded to the kiss with the same passion.

This moment was extraordinary... until they heard an enthusiastic voice!

"YEEHA! FINALLY!"

"Hirschberg, shut up!" roared the other Basterds.

Recognising the voice of his subordinate, Aldo leapt to his feet and stomped towards the bushes behind him. 

He pushed aside the branches and found that his men had followed him. 

Annoyed, he ordered sharply:

"Get outta there, right now!"

And under (Y/N)'s surprised eyes, all the Basterds came out of their hiding place.

"Are you all here?"

"Yeah, we didn't want to miss this!" joked Omar before freaking out at his lieutenant's glare.

The latter asked, trying not to get upset:

"May I ask what you're doing here instead of watching the camp?"

They all looked at each other embarrassed before Donny spoke up:

"Well, we all suspected that the whole dating thing was an excuse to have a date with (Y/N). Of course, we wanted to see how you would do..."

He started to giggle.

"And to say the least, you're very cheesy when you want to be!"

"Me, cheesy? Cut the crap, Donowitz!"

"Ooh, come on! Admit it, you're a real softie!" laughed Michael.

The laughter of her companions made (Y/N) want to laugh too, but she tried to calm it down:

"It's not very nice to make fun of your lieutenant, gentlemen. Especially at a time like this!"

"We'll say it's fair game, considering the times he loves to mess with us!" smiled Wicki mischievously.

"Anyway, if it makes you feel better (Y/N): we all accept your love affair with Lieutenant Raine. And if anyone finds anything wrong with it, let him come and tell us to our faces!" declared Utivich.

"Private Utivich is right, my dear: we will defend your honour, don't worry!" added Hicox.

"And if you can calm the lieutenant down, we won't say no!" laughed Hugo.

"Don't start now, Stiglitz! Well, now that ya all know about me and (Y/N), I can say my date is over! C’mon, everybody back to camp, and hurry!"

"Aye, aye, Sergeant Love!" sneered the Basterds.

"Silence!" grumbled Aldo.

On the way back, as the Basterds chatted happily, Aldo and (Y/N) walked behind them, their hands tightly bound.

Suddenly the American leaned over to the young woman and whispered:

"I almost forgot something!"

"What was it?"

"Well, since we're in France, I had to say it the right way: Je t’aime à la folie, (Y/N) (L/N)!"

Amused by this answer, (Y/N) turned to her lover and replied:

"In that case: Je t’aime aussi, Aldo Raine!"

As they headed into uncertain days, Aldo and (Y/N) were sure that, no matter what happened, they would be able to overcome anything as long as they were together...

Thanks for the reading!

I do hope you really enjoyed the story!

Can’t wait to read your reviews! 

Take care! 😘😍🥰🌹

[aestheticsuwu]

When Our Eyes Met

Robby Keene x Doug Rickenberger

A Huge thank you to @oceluna , for giving me the boost I needed to upload this new ship !

We are blessed for having this beautiful human (@oceluna ) being for giving us a part of their time to create wonderful LawRusso content and other ships !💖😊

( Binary Boyfriends + SamxMiguel + Lawrusso ) Part 3

.... ..... .....

He should've know having Sam and Demetri as friends would only cause him trouble . Now he's being forced on a date but he didn't even know who Hawk would set him up .

For all he knows Hawk would pick a random stranger , why did he think that life would go easy on him . He really can't catch a break , okay maybe he's exaggerating a little bit .

He thinks he's allowed to be dramatic , atleast they had already decided what Demetri was going to wear , black flannel shirt with a white shirt underneath and some skinny jeans .

Heading out to go home to change as well , but not before assuring Demetri that everything would turn out fine .  Hawk was in love with Demetri ass and well , vice versa .

....

He went to the kitchen to grab something to drink , his dad was there serving a cup of juice . Quickly going to cupboard and handing over the glass to his dad .

" Me and Daniel are going to watch a movie later , order some pizza wanna join . "

" I would love to dad but I got a date . "

" is she hot ? "

" Is actually a blind date . "

" She's blind ? " His dad had a funny look as he was confused , Dad L came in laughing along with  Robby .

" John the person isn't blind , it just means both people don't know what they look like . Robby be safe , i want the 3 of you back at 10  "

"you got it , dad . "

Hugging his Dad L , before leaving to go change .

Johnny makes sure the coast is clear before pining Daniel against the counter .

" Guess we're having the house to ourselves , I was thinking having you in nothing but my shirt -

" Laying down in bed , just waiting for you to join me "

" mhmm " The blonde puts his hand on Daniels ass , he really had the best ass . Daniel arms holds on to his neck , as he pulls him in more closer . He leans in to kiss him .

" for us to talk about our lovely deep  emotions . "

Daniel laughs at the face the blond has , he couldn't help it . He gives kiss on the cheek before leaving , with Johnny behind him .

" You really know how to kill a boner , Bambi.  "

..... ..... ...

One of the things he and his dad have in common was that they really didn't know how to receive compliments . Here he was blushing and not knowing what to say as Sam and Demetri kept talking .

" Damn Robby , lookin mighty fine !  . "

" So handsome   and those jeans , right  Demetri ? "

 " Agreed that ass is out of this world . "

" Shut up ! "

He quickly shouted as he got to the front seat , He quickly look one last time in the mirror of the car , while waiting for Sam and Demetri to get in . Pep talks were thrown , mainly for Demetri . Arriving , looking through the open glass window , they could see Hawks purple Mohawk , Miguels waving , and a taller boy .

" Hey guys " Miguel came over as the other two stayed back . He stood next to Demetri to reassure him everything was alright . It looked like hawk and his friend were fighting , until the two quickly came over .

" Everything okay ? " Demetri questioned Hawk , gosh Hawk wasn't subtle about his feelings for his best friend with that stare or gaze whatever you want to call it .

" Yeah , perfect ! Robby this is Doug Rickenberger , Doug this is Robby Keene shall we go in . "

They both incline their heads to each other for acknowledgment.  Doug was way taller than him and his broad shoulders didn't help Robbys height . He was wearing a Red shortsleve  shirt ,  black jeans and some vans . 

They were seated down, everyone was at the table with their individual date . The tables weren't together but enough distance where they all could hear each other . And it was awkward and quiet at first . Sam and Miguel tried to ease the moment , but it was clear him and Doug wish their were somewhere else but here .

It wasn't their first time seeing each other but their encounters were brief.  He had seen the tall boy with Hawk before . Once in awhile he would go to his dad dojo , Doug must've seen him those few times .

Also sometimes his Dad and Daniel would do classes together , but usually he would stick with Myagi-Do students .

Sam and Miguel were already in a relationship , so they were having a blast and it seemed Demetri and Hawk were hitting it off . So Here he was making small talk every time it got to quiet .

" so you like karate ? " He internally just cringed at himself but hey he was trying . He guess it wasn't that bad by the chuckle of  Doug

" Yeah , what's it like to have two dads - "

" There's no difference , their just parents . Just because their both dudes and i have a mom too "

" I was gonna say what's it like to have both parents that know karate . "

Guess he should've have left the other boy finish , it was just that some people still don't understand that times have changed .

" I'm sorry I got all defensive  on you . "

He gave Doug a small smile hoping the latter wouldn't notice how embarrassed he felt .

" Its alright , uhh do you play any other sports maybe soccer . "

Nodding to the question  but then realise he had to answer before the mood gets ruined again .

" uh yeah when I was little , haven't played recently actually . Do you ? "

" Yeah I'm on the soccer team . Maybe you should try out , I wouldn't mind having you on the team unless your not good as you are in karate . "

Doug finish with a teasing  smirk and a raised eyebrow waiting for the blonde to answer .

" I like to let you know that I was the best player on my team when I was a kid , well that's what my dad and Mom said but I withstand my point . "

Both burst out laughing , and once the waitress come with their food their both smiling at each other .

If felt kinda nice , it was awhile Robby hadn't laughed and gone out with someone that wasn't his friends or his parents .

...... ....... ........ Doug Pov

Doug was friends with Hawk since he joined cobra kai , they would hanged out in School.  After school he would go to the dojo or to soccer practice . 

Today he was free and had nothing to do , so he easily accepted Hawks idea . But he wasn't expecting said date to be a boy and son of his Sensei. 

He wasn't into guys ,but he didn't mind the idea of dating one but he's just never seem to find a guy he would date . Here he was standing in front of his date as Hawk introduces him .

Robby had green eyes and freckles across his cheeck and nose . Dark blond hair and a nice smile . He was short compared to his height , he wore a black shirt with blue jeans .

His brain came to a conclusion : Pretty boy

..... ...... ......

" Do you want get out of here ? "

" Like right now ? "

" Yeah "

The two couples were distracted as they both left the dinner . Grabbing a hoodie from their own car as quickly as they could . Who knows why but they started running without realising they were holding hands . Their laughter was left echoing behind them .

They stopped at the  skate park  as they got tired . There were few people skating there , he turned to look at Robby once he didn't feel his hand . He watched as he jogged back holding a skateboard .

" Do you know how to skate? "

Holding a skateboard felt unfamiliar to him , handing it back to Robby who was wearing a cheeky smile .

" No , I'm guessing you do . "

" I know a few things . "

He shouldve known by that cocky smile he was lying . He watched Robby do some amazing stuff , he even showed that one hand stand . Then it was his turn , he failed miserably all the times . He asked what was the secret , as he once again falls .

" Its all about  balance "

Robby looked up at him as he answered him .  He understood the answer , since Mr. Larusso  karate did involve balance .

Noticing they were standing close , face to face . Maybe it was the way the moon and street light illuminate the blondes face . Or the way he was smiling at him that he said those words .

" is there something on my face ? "

" Sorry it's just I never knew a boy could be as beautiful as you ... "

Seeing the surprise look and the addition of the blush contrasting his tan skin made his beat faster . God when did he become such a girl . His thoughts are interrupted when Robby quickly steps back ,  misstep and hurts his ankle .

.... ..... .. ...

Arriving at the dinner place he could see their friends waiting for them at their cars . Holdding on tight to Robby thighs for he wouldn't fall of his back . Chuckling as the boy groans in embarrassment as  the others start to come closer seeing their situation .

" Robby are you okay ? Where were you two , we were worried . ! "

" I'm alright Sam , Me and Doug went for a walk and I hurt my ankle , hence why Doug is giving me a piggyback ride . "

" Oh I thought you decided to climb him like a tree cause - "

" Demetri ! " Robby tightens his arms as he shouts to quiet his friend . walking to Sam's car he hears the blonde mumbling while his head nudging against his shoulder .

Meanwhile everyone were saying goodbye he helps Robby get in the car . As gently as he could , he was stopped when he was opening the door . The latter looked nervous as he looked at him while bitting his lip .

" I had a good time , we should do it sometime again if you want or not ? "

" Yeah definitely.  I will text you now that I have your number . "

He was already a sucker for that smile that showed off his dimples . Smiling , he leans in to give a kiss on the cheeck but Robby stops him as the blonde leans to give him a quick peck on the mouth .

" Bye ! "

" Bye . " Walking back he couldn't help but look back and wave at the blonde when he  catches his eye . shit , he was totally blushing now .

....... ...... ... Robby Pov .......

Sam and Demetri both entered asking questions if he was really fine or in pain . once he assured them that he was alright , Demetri took it as a sign to tease him .

" We want all the info , cause we totally saw you , you slutty marshmallow ! "

Sidenote : Part 3 of the triple date , hope you guys like it . Also what would the ship name be Roug or Dobby . I like Roug ! . Side mentions of Lawrusso because why not . This was supposed to be Apocalypse / Zombie au but this ^^ was made at the thought of a triple date with the binary boyfriends .

[chronicbatfictioner]

Exchanges and Compromises - Chapter 13

"Grayson? Are you awake?" the tiny little voice was unmistakably scared. The Court has trained Dick more than enough to recognize fear in a human being, and complimented on his natural ability to read people. If asked, he would say that children would be the easiest to read.

Except for Damian.

According to Jason, Damian has been trained by his mother and grandfather, and a plethora of trainers, to eventually take the mantle of the Demon Head from Ra's Al Ghul. His trainers, including Jason, have joked that it might take a while; because Ra's was believed to be an immortal. He has the magic fountain of youth called the Lazarus Pit that could even revive the dead and has been using it in the past 300+ years. Or so the lore said.

Behind Damian's back, Jason has also told them that both Ra's and Talia were decapitated and their heads were missing. The Lazarus Pit might be able to revive the dead, except it required the important organs of the body to be intact; e.g. head, heart, lungs, etc. Dick reckoned that the heads were removed exactly to prevent the use of the Lazarus Pit.

"You need something, buddy?" Dick replied.

"Not at the moment, thank you," Damian replied, taking a seat next to Dick's station next to the door. "I can't sleep." he admitted.

"Nervous for tomorrow?"

Tomorrow they were going to the Wayne Manor, through a convoluted route that Tim has come up in order to avoid detection by anyone who might want Damian to a. not meet his father or b. kill him to take full control of the League of Assassin. Yeah, neither scenario appealed to Dick, but the little voice in his head said that scenario b might be preferable than scenario a.

Dick never understood men who denied their children of their presence. He remembered his dad, a poor circus performer, who would even give small shows for kids who couldn't afford to watch the aerials - walking on his hands, random somersaults, teaching them how to somersault. He remembered Tim's crestfallen face when he couldn't go and watch Dick perform that day - albeit it turned out to be a little more beneficial for Tim in the long run. He remembered his dad telling him that "whatever little things you show those kids now would make them feel that they are loved and cared for, even if they don't have money. And they'll remember you forever."

"I do not understand nervousness," Damian replied plaintively.

"No, but your brain is giving you signals that make you anxious, you know? Like, you're wondering what's gonna happen tomorrow, and a thousand of scenarios would run to your head. That's... the chemical imbalance is called 'nervousness', I think." Dick explained. Jason has also warned him that Damian hated being treated like a child. Jason has been the only person other than his mother or grandfather who was 'allowed' to discipline him and tell him 'no'.

Still, adult body language and attitude notwithstanding, Dick could see and recognize the child Damian still was.

"Soo... when I couldn't sleep, my mother used to read to me. I mean, obviously I could read on my own by then. But there's just something... I dunno, maybe my subconsciousness just calmed down at the thought that she was there with me. Whatever would happen tomorrow, she would be there, too, to proverbially catch me when I fall, you know?

"I know it's... hard, that... you know that your mother is gone and all. But the thing is - like Tim has told Jason, whatever will happen tomorrow with your biological father, you'll still have a home with us." Dick said, eyeing Damian sideways to check if he was offended or not.

"I have a home with the League of Assassins," Damian stated haughtily. "Jason has informed me that there is a difference between underlings and friends. I gather what you are saying is that I shall have you as friends - as contemporaries - rather than an underling, as you all seem to revere to this Oracle person."

"See, Oracle is not really our... supervisor. Oracle is a really good friend who believes that we all could be good and showed us how. I..." Dick hesitated as he was about to say 'she' to designate Oracle. "When Bane killed off the Court of Owls and almost all of the Talons, I was lost. But then I remembered this person. Through the years of my training, this person had somehow remained in my memory. And the first time we've met was literally a few hours before it turned to be the worst day of my life, the day when my parents' were murdered. Before that, I was playing outside, performing tricks for the kids who couldn't get in the aerial shows. Oracle was there and told me that I was a 'good person' after I was done. I don't know how or why, but it stuck with me.

"I am a Talon, I am trained to kill those who hurt Gotham City. I have done so many despicable things that... I dunno, common people might simply see me as... as a vile person. A criminal psychopath. But not Oracle. Oracle and Tim opened their doors, asked me to join them to help them make Gotham better for the common people. Because they believed I'm a good man. I've been here for barely three months, and I'm enjoying myself. Sure, the fights were harder and viler than when I was Talon - especially since the criminals now seemed to have superpowers and no longer fear the sight of a Talon. But I do it because I know they count on me to make it work. And because I know that whatever will happen, I'm not alone. I won't be hiding in a nest somewhere alone, tending to my own wounds. I won't have to wonder where I'll get my next meal from, or if I'll have a warm place to hide in..."

Dick was really just rambling because it has been a long time since anyone would listen without judging or being wary of what his intentions were. But then he felt a weight on his side and looked. Damian was leaning on him, eyes closed. He twitched a little when Dick quieted down.

So Dick continued, "It's been a while... a good long while since anybody listened to me and not take my opinion as being counted. As a Talon, I was to do as told. The 'how' would be the only thing in my discretion. The who, where, and when, were all decided. The 'why' should never be asked. Here, my opinion counts - except on wearables. I don't know why.

"Therefore, Damian. Oracle is not the 'leader' of us. I'd rather see Oracle as our pillar of support. I know a lot of the Oracle to consider... them--"

"Her," Jason's voice suddenly corrected him. "We know she's a female, Dick. Don't worry. We're not interested in figuring out who she is, yet." he smirked. "Subliminal marketing, much?"

Dick chuckled. "More like a bedtime story for the real-life assassin-slash-heir youngster," he replied. "How long have you known?"

"Pretty much the first fifteen minutes after her projection showed up. Her reactions of yours and Tim's antics were kind of like--" Jason paused and swallowed. "Talia's when we did the same..."

"You cared for her," Dick concluded.

"She took me off the streets and give me a home and purpose. So yeah, I cared." Jason replied. "So how did Oracle became your personal muse?"

"She has... uhh... distinctive features that caught my eyes then, I guess. Can you imagine that? I was like, ten years old." Dick grinned. "Puberty pre-kicking, I guess. But I'd picked the right person, I think. Most of the Talons forgot who they were after the training. I still remember that I'm Dick Grayson, son of John and Mary; once one of the best family of aerialists in the world." he said. "Was it anything like that in the League's training? Do they want you to forget who you were?"

Jason snorted. "No, if anything, they want you to remember and remember how bad it could get if you're not there."

"Was it that bad for you?"

Jason shrugged. "I'd probably end up as a hooker by the end of that week if Talia didn't get me outta Crime Alley." he replied. "that, or dead, or jailed. Whichever got to me first."

"Oookay..." Dick looked at Damian, who was fast asleep. "Think he'll wake up if I move him?"

"Naah, I'll move him." Jason offered and picked up Damian easily. Damian stirred a little but settled his head on Jason's shoulder. "Thanks. I got the feeling that if this daddy stuff doesn't work out, he'll be adopting you," he added.

Dick snorted a soft laugh. "Yeah right..."

But regardless, he did spend the rest of the night wondering if Bruce Wayne would rise to the occasion, or sink to his playboy reputation. Even the Court never bothered to pay him much attention, largely due to his larger-than-life obnoxiousness. He wondered if Damian would indeed be better remaining there, at the Birds of Prey's lair.

His last thought before succumbing to sleep was, at least there's Jason, who seemed to be the voice of reason for Damian...

[scaredofchange]

My First Date with Mark Tuan - Mark Tuan x Reader

Pairing: Mark Tuan (GOT7) x Female!Reader                                                      

Summary: You’ve known Mark for quite some time, but never got to experience a real first date due to him working in another country. But, it’s all about to change as the love of your life asks you out for a beautiful romantic night.

(In my view, female!reader is a Caucasian woman from North America.)

Warnings: bit of swearing, otherwise it’s really just fluff

Wordcount: 3.6k

A/N: 1st person perspective; wrote this for my amazing best friend; hope you all enjoy it!

 ___________________________________________

           I was extremely nervous; my palms were sweating against my makeup brush, causing me to let out a dry chuckle. I was getting ready for an event I never thought would ever happen in my entire life: a date with Mark Tuan.

Yes, Mark fucking Tuan; the man of my dreams.

Mark and I had met through my best friend, Catherine, who was dating one of his best friends, Jinyoung. But, although it had clicked immediately between us, he had to go away for a few months due to work, so we never really got to our first date.

Therefore, it was a very good surprise when I received a call from him two days prior. It wasn’t an uncommon thing, we loved to talk for hours on the phone, but usually we would plan it in advance due to both our busy schedules. What was peculiar though was the way he initiated the conversation: his voice was low, unsure. When I asked if he was okay, he rushed to reassure me, but nothing had prepared me to the words that came out of his mouth seconds later: “I’m coming back for good in two days, wanna go out with me?”

My first reaction was to completely freeze: not a single word, and now that I think of it, breath, came out of my mouth. I was utterly baffled, sitting on my bed, still in my pyjamas, my hair greasy from the day before and Mark fucking Tuan was asking me on a date?

Of course, I blurted out a crazy ass yes and jumped to my feet like a schoolgirl. He had laughed from across the phone and said something in the lines of “I can’t wait to see you again”.

Two days later, I was sitting in front of my mirror in my bathroom, as my best friend, and roommate, was throwing a bunch of clothes on my bed in an angry fashion.

“You cannot, and I repeat cannot wear fucking jeans to a date with Mark, you hear me?” Catherine screamed at me from the other room.

I rolled my eyes at her comment.

“It’s just a date, I’m not meeting the Queen,” I let out grumpily while applying foundation on my face.

I heard a silence then saw her head pop up in the doorframe.

“You’re fucking kidding me, right?” she said with a raspy voice, “not the Queen? Of course! Much fucking better than that! The love of your life! Your one and only! Mark Tuan! Holy shit Y/N!” she kept shouting on and on as she disappeared from the frame and reappeared over and over again.

I laughed at her overreaction, but knew she was only being her old self. She eventually stopped babbling about and put some music on; as we were blasting some BTS, I finished my makeup and got back into my room.

It would’ve been horrifying to see my clothes scattered everywhere like that if it wasn’t that I couldn’t think about nothing else but Mark. Not that I wasn’t messy, but the way Catherine organized the whole thing like a psycho was borderline obsessive and scary.

“All right, so...” she started but my eyes focused on one of the outfits she had gotten out.

 “Jeans?” I squeaked with a smirk.

“Hey, hear me out: you’ll look super sexy in those dark ripped jeans and this top, okay? I have my reasons to think that your butt looks incredible in these...” my roommate devilishly smiled at me, her eyes filled with excitement.

I analyzed the outfit: dark ripped jeans, a silky burgundy top with sleeves and an amazing cleavage.

“So, get him with my boobs, right?” I kid while pointing the top with my chin.

“Well, if he’s anything like Jinyoung, he won’t really care, but hey, doesn’t hurt to try,” she stated, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

I snickered at her reply and proceeded to try on the outfit.

Like she had said, it was like the fabric had been made for me. It sculpted my curves perfectly and it almost immediately boosted my confidence.

My best friend kept talking and talking, throwing some jewelry at me, such as diverse chokers, but my thoughts were elsewhere. I silenced her out and focused my mind on what was about to happen in a few hours.

Mark had always been incredibly sweet to me; he was gentle and kind, he made me laugh throughout the worst days of the last few months and, and even though he wasn’t close to me, I felt like I could always rely on him.

I reminisced that one night when I was passed-out drunk in a Uber, coming back from a bar a friend from work had wanted to try out – not my usual thing – but I still went because both Cath and Mark had told me I would have fun: and I trusted them with my life, turns out they were right.

Tipsy from all the vodka cranberries I had drank, I remember dialing Mark’s number. For him, it was early afternoon, so when he answered he automatically inquired if something was wrong; since it wasn’t in my habits to call him this late (around 2 am).

“You okay?”

I chortled like a twelve-year-old girl prank calling her neighbours.

“Y/N? Are you all right? Should I call Cath?”

The worry in his voice stopped me dead. I tried to get back some composure and straightened my back.

“I-I’m...” I started, a hiccup interrupting me, “I’m fine.”

I could vividly see him roll his eyes in my head.

“Are you drunk?” he questioned; his tone a bit harsher than a few seconds before.

I nodded, but quickly realized the poor guy couldn’t see me.

“Yeah yeah,” I lazily mumbled, “I just missed you.”

“God, Y/N, I miss you too,” he admitted with a chuckle, “but you should definitely get some sleep now.”

“Can you stay with me until I...”

“Until you what? Y/N?”

“Until I’m home and I fall asleep?”

I had almost whispered the last sentence, but I heard him agree as clearly as day. Mark stayed on the line for the whole ride back to my apartment. Even when I got there and Catherine scooped me out of the Uber, he still talked to me and listened to my nonsense. The last thing I remember was crashing into my bed, mumbling things that must’ve sound like an alien dialect to Mark, but which sounded very familiar to Catherine, since it was in French ; we had taken classes together for years.

The next day, my best friend teased me for saying things such as “j’aimerais prendre un bain avec toi” and “ton odeur me manque” to Mark. I was absolutely shocked but incredibly happy that my drunk instincts had brought me back to my French classes; I didn’t know what I would’ve done if he had understood if even a word I had said.

Back to the D day, still thinking about these crazy moments, I was brought back to the moment when Catherine clapped her hands.

“All right, good to go!” she exclaimed with a wide smile.

“Is it time already?” I stuttered while trying to find my phone.

“Yep”

It was the only word she said as she handed me my iPhone, which I probably had forgotten somewhere.

“I’m nervous,” I admitted to my best friend.

“It’s normal Y/N, but you guys are meant to be and we both know it,” she tried to reassure me, “Plus...” she pointed my chest, “he won’t be able to resist you.”

We both openly laughed as I softly punched her arm and got up on my feet. We both walked to the kitchen, me on her tail.

“Did you brush your teeth?” she asked.

I nodded, and so on for the few other questions she threw at me; she was such a mom.

After waiting a good fifteen minutes, the clock hit 7 pm and a knock was finally heard on the door. I straightened my back, slid my cleavage down a bit and walked toward the entrance with confidence I did not have.

When I opened the door, I was awaited by the most beautiful view in the world: Mark was wearing a black jacket with a dark t-shirt under it, his black jeans were as ripped as mine and he wore some classic converse. His hair was back to a lighter brown and was falling on his forehead: the guy was breathtaking.

“Hey, Y/N,” he greeted me, a smile stretching on his luscious lips.

“Hey, Mark,” I replied in the same manner, my feet glued to the ground.

“You look amazing,” he complimented me without a second thought.

Before I could respond, he rapidly stopped me as he handed me a bouquet of flowers he had hidden behind his back: some sunflowers mixed with peach roses.

Blush crept on my cheeks and a strange and unusual feeling gripped my stomach; butterflies, aren’t they?

“Oh wow, you really didn’t have to,” I muttered, grabbing the beautiful gift.

“Of course I did,” he simply retorted with a smirk.

“Thank you”

He nodded and chortled at my shy expression.

“Lemme just take these...” I heard a murmur from behind me; Catherine extending her arm to grasp the bouquet.

Mark laughed seeing my best friend doing her best to help us move on to the first step of this date.

“Nice to see you, Cath” he said toward her.

She waved from afar and let out a “yeah, yeah, whatever...” with a hint of sarcasm.

“Shall we?” inquired Mark, his eyes glistering with an unknown glint.

“Yes, we shall.”

                                                            [***]

Mark had planned the whole evening out, but didn’t want to tell me a word about it. In his car, we were finally able to catch up without me being too flustered to talk. We spoke about his trip, how he had missed his friends, and how he was way too happy to be back home. He inquired about my work, my family and friends, just as if we hadn’t talked about it two days ago. But still, everything was perfect.

“Now, I know you’re not really into super fancy restaurants...” he let out, taking a right on an unfamiliar street.

“Yes...?”

He didn’t reply but simply pointed in front of him with his chin. We were on the other side of town. I had heard about this place, but had never visited: the International Food Market.

All around us were different small restaurants and booths; people of every colours, nationalities and ethnicities were walking around. The streets were decorated with warm lights and the smell was overbearing; I was already salivating as I hadn’t been able to eat all day.

Mark parked the car a bit further and we finally got out of the vehicle. I was astonished by my surroundings, so amazed that I didn’t notice Mark snapping a picture of me until he was fondly looking at his phone.

“Hey!”

“What?” he laughed, “You’re too cute, it’s not my fault.”

“Shut up...” I mumbled with a chortle.

“That’s definitely my new lockscreen...” he told himself, but I still heard him.

I tried to hide my smile with my hand, but he rapidly grabbed it instead, interlacing our fingers together.

“Don’t hide, you’re way too beautiful.”

“Am I dreaming or are you trying to flirt with me Mr. Tuan?” I kid, raising a playful eyebrow at him.

He hummed and placed his other hand on his chin, pensive.

“I guess you’ll have to wait and see...” he finally let out as he shrugged his shoulders.

I chuckled, but, soon enough was pulled into a slow pace toward the main street. All around me were people talking in different languages, exchanging with tourists and locals. I could smell the aromas of Mexico, as well as a quick draft from Italy, and a hint of Morocco. My eyes rapidly set on a pizza place and Mark was quick to notice it.

“You wanna try that one?” he asked.

“I don’t mind, I’m open to anything.”

He smirked.

“Okay, let’s get some pizza.”

I obeyed and followed him to the stand. He charmed his way through the waitress as quickly as one, two, three. She offered us a great deal of choices on the menu, attesting both our tastes. Eventually, Mark got a simple five cheese, pepperoni slice as I ordered pretty much the same thing, but with mushrooms and olives too.

It took around ten minutes to get served and during that time Mark pulled me in a warm side embrace and insisted on taking a few selfies.

“You’re so cheesy,” I blurted out between two pictures.

“Hey, don’t judge me because I want to remember every single moment of tonight.”

Perhaps it was the way he said those words, or maybe just their true meanings, but at that moment I could not stop staring at his profile. My eyes had softened and an enamored smirk had grown on my lips, but I couldn’t control any of it.

After a few seconds, he asked why I was looking at him that way: I wasn’t able to offer him a comprehensible reason, so I just mumbled my way out of it.

When we finally got our food, we found a nice spot next to the river down the street and sat down on a bench. The warm weather of July was just perfect for a night out.

We devoured our slices and both hummed in silence; it was exquisite. I was more than happy that we weren’t sitting in front of each other; then again, I had already seen him ate an entire plate of spaghetti in four bites as he had already seen me destroy a bag of Doritos.

“What’s next?” I inquired as I let my head fall on his shoulder a few minutes after we were done with our meal.

“I’m not sure I wanna move anymore...” he whispered more to himself than to me, but I couldn’t help but smile with all my teeth and burrow my face in the crook of his neck.

He lightly stroke the back of my head and for a second I swore I heard him take-in the scent of my shampoo, but I let it slide.

Eventually, after what seemed like an hour, we decided to move.

Mark held my hand the whole way to our next destination. It wasn’t that much of a surprise when I noticed an ice-cream parlour a few meters down the river. Mark went on and about, talking about why he had chosen this place, mostly because he knew I was a sucker for ice cream, but I was already half-running toward it to get ourselves a savoury dessert before he could even finish his sentence. My date opted for a classic, but huge, cookies and cream cone, as I jumped on the triple-chocolate one.

“No way you can eat all this food and still look like this,” I teased him as we were making our way back to the car.

“What is that suppose to mean?” he blurted out, half-confused half-shocked.

“Oh, come on!” I exclaimed back at him, outraged. “You know exactly what I mean!”

He faked not knowing what I was on about and shrugged his shoulders in an arrogant manner.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to tell me,” he pushed, his eyebrows wiggling up and down.

I burst out laughing and refused saying more, but Mark kept nudging and pushing for the following five minutes, driving me completely insane.

Even after finishing our cones, he just kept on going, nudging me like a child. I was about to explode, which was a pretty definite sign that his strategy was working.

“You’re hot, okay?! God! Stop it, please!” I blurted out, exhausted by his non-stop teasing.

He abruptly stopped; his mouth agape as he placed a hand on his heart.

“You think I’m hot?” he sarcastically let out in a high-pitch tone.

I tried my best not to laugh, but seeing him like that was the cherry on top. I snickered as he bore my gaze, completely into his role.

“Well you know, I’d return the compliment but...” he started, but I already knew that he was about to say something stupid, “but...but... my dear child, I’ve always seen you as my little sister you know? Like, totally platonic. Zero. Nada.”

“Oh, fuck you!” I insulted him, knowing he was messing with me by his fake offended behaviour and his sudden broken British accent.

As if we were synchronized, we both giggled until we couldn’t breathe; his arm grabbing my waist to pull me closer to him. When we finally came down from our insanity, we were standing alone by the edge of the river, surrounded by fairy lights, on a cozy Saturday night; name something more romantic, I bet you can’t.

His brown irises searched mine as if they detained the secrets of humanity; his eyelids softened while a light smirk stretched on his mouth. His skin was soft, his nose slightly crooked, and he had some light bridles on the corner of his eyes; in other words: everything about him was perfect.

“Now would be the time to ask you why you’re looking at me like that...” I said in a whisper, my body pulling closer to his like a magnet.

He didn’t reply just yet; No, instead, he analyzed my face as if he was trying to memorize every inch of it. His eyes laid on my cheeks, made their way to my chin, and came back to my eyes until they dropped to my lips.

I bit my lower one, not knowing why my body had that sudden urge, but just following it felt like it was exactly what I had to do.

I couldn’t help but squeeze closer to him, making myself as small as possible in his muscular arms. With his hands on my waist, he closed the tiny gap between us and for a moment, all I could think about what the warmth of his body rushing against mine through the thin fabric of his shirt. My own gaze was drifting from his face to his collarbones, then his chest, which was heaving up and down way too quickly.

I wondered if it was my heartbeat or his that was going crazy, or perhaps it was both.

“Y/N...” he said softly, his eyes still focused on my mouth.

I knew what he had in mind and the beautiful thing in all of that was: I had the same thought. I slightly tilted my head to the side as if I was inviting him to do it.

Without a word, but with a drop-dead gorgeous smirk, he slowly leaned forward.

His lips barely brushed mine at first, the sugary taste of our previously eaten ice cream still lingering on his mouth. But, within a few seconds, he came back with a rougher embrace. His biceps tightened around me as he slowly forced my mouth open. When our tongues collided, I felt a rush of heat climb up my whole body, stopping in my lower belly at first, but rapidly clawing its way to my heart.

My own arms locked around his neck, tip-toeing to squash my body on his, like we were just one. His kisses were soft, but filled with passion; they reminded me of a rainstorm on a sunny day, somewhat unexpected, but exactly what needed.

I carefully bit his bottom lip, inviting him to be a bit more brusque; not that I didn’t like the sweet pecks and loving strokes, but a part of me needed more, much more.

I felt his smile stretch over my mouth as he kissed me back, but with intensity he had never showed before; not only did his tongue made miracle to mine, but he placed one of his hands behind my neck, lightly pulling my hair.

Fervently, I returned the vehemence.

This was so good.

This was perfect.

Eventually, we both ran out of breath and had to slightly pull away from each other. I blushed under the ferocity in his irises and wondered if he had always felt like that about me.

I cleared my throat.

“What exactly had you planned for the rest of the night?” I questioned him in a whisper, my eyes full of anticipation.

“I forgot,” he kid, “I just wanna do this for the rest of my existence.”

I chuckled and shook my head.

“But...” he let out again, “I might have an idea.”

By the way he sounded, I knew he was testing the waters; there were no doubts that we both wanted to be with each other, but it was considerate of him to not be too blunt.

“And what’s that?” I replied, an apprehensive smirk on my lips.

“I mean, I still need to unpack, but... we could go back to my place. I have a pretty nice view over the city and-”

“Yes,” I abruptly interrupted him, “fuck yes.”

The smile he gave me was full of promises, feverish in the most sensual way and filled with desire.

It’s with a few more laughs, while holding each other’s hands, that we made our way back to his car. During the ride home, I texted my best friend, telling her I probably wouldn’t come back home that night, her only answer was a series of eggplants emojis, not that I could really blame her.

As I was snickered down on my phone and listened to the soft music on the radio, Mark’s hand slid over my thigh and squeezed it lightly. I looked back at him, a simpering smile plastered on my lips and, although I knew exactly that tonight would be perfect, I was more than happy to be able to share these incredible moments with a man like him. A man that saw me for who I was, a man that waited months to be with me, and more importantly, a man who made my heart flutter and spawned butterflies in my stomach.

The man of my dreams.

[milasartblog]

Winter holidays (part 4)

Today was one of the most exciting and beautiful day in human world - Christmas Day. All humans were preparing to such day, so much time spent on preparations. And now, they're ready to take time and enjoy Christmas.

The table was already set, as our crew were coming together to the kitchen.

Anoli: Did everyone wash their hands?

Nazeel: I did!

He shows his hands happily, waving them a bit.

Chris: Same!

Liya: All clean and ready~

Axel: I washed them too!

Lucifer: Why is everyone saying it? It's expected answer.

Anoli: Well, unlike some people, you and Liya could probably lie about it, so i had to check.

Lucifer: Still, it's pointless.

Nazeel: That's not true! In this way you let people know that you're safe and clean and-

Liya: How about we just enjoy Christmas and go and have a holiday dinner?~

Anoli: Agree with Liya.

Nazeel: Same!

He said happily as ran towards the living room where the table was set. Sona followed him, barking happily. Others joined soon too and everyone were taking their places. Anoli and Chris sat together on one side as Axel and Nazeel, leaving a place for Liya, sat on the other side. Lucifer of course took the middle place. The food on the table looked delicious, waiting for our crew. As everyone sat down, Lucifer was about to grab a slice, but Liya interrupted him.

Lucifer: Huh? What is it?

Liya: Before eating we should pray for a moment~

Lucifer: ....Why?

Liya: To thank God for such delicious food and that we're here together~

Lucifer: Liya, we're demons, we don't do such thing.

Liya: At least pay respect to Anoli and others. For now.

As Liya and Lucifer were talking, Chris whispered to Anoli.

Chris: Are you sure that everything is going to be alright? I don't like to admit, but Lucifer does has a point about it. I mean, about demons not praying and so.

Anoli: Don't worry, they don't have to if they don't want to. Plus, i'm sure Liya will handle it. She just want him to do it at least for being polite to others, like me, you, Axel and Nazeel.

Chris: I really hope so.

While Chris and Anoli chatted too, Nazeel was ready to pray. Axel took a glass of water to drink as looked at Nazeel and smiled.

Axel: Well, maybe it's better if we do like Nazeel? Just as a little tradition.

Everyone looked at Axel and then at Nazeel.

Anoli: I agree with Axel.

She smiled as put her hands together.

Lucifer: Well, if only as a tradition.

Liya: Agree~

She took her place next to Nazeel and together our crew started to pray. Of course Lucifer felt uncomfortable doing it, but he had to be respectful to others. After they finished, he felt a relieve.

Nazeel: Well, let's start?

Anoli: Yes, dear.

Nazeel: Yay!

He said happily as Anoli helped him to put some food on his plate. Everyone helped themselves and together too as they chatted and cheered. Everyone had fun and enjoyed time together. Even Sona who was secretly hiding under the table while Nazeel secretly gives food to him. Our demons also had some fun while Axel made sure that these two will not do something crazy.

Some hours passed, everyone were tired and ready to sleep. Well, almost everyone. Lucifer said that he had to come back to his world, to do some stuff. Nazeel was a bit upset by it, but understood that for Ruler of Hell there is no vacation. Chris was in Anoli's room with Axel, sleeping, and Liya was in her room, while Nazeel was in his room with Sona. Anoli meanwhile checked if everyone were asleep before coming back to Liya's room.

Anoli: Well, everyone is asleep, so it means he can calmly come to us.

She said with smile as checked Nazeel's room. He was sleeping peacefully as she smiled and came closer to him. Anoli fixed a bit his blanket as gave a goodnight forehead kiss and went back to Liya's room.

As the flat was covered in silence, a little sillouette appeared in the room. It was wearing red suit with red hat and dark boots. This figure carried a red bag and had a white beard. There was no mistake, it was definitely Santa Claus. Or was it?

Santa (Michael): Phew, i got just in time. This suit was not that easy to wear.

He said in low, almost whispering voice as looked around.

Santa (Michael): So this is where Anoli and young nephilim lives. Very nice. She did good choice on choosing a place to live. I hope that the one who searches for nephilim doesn't know about this place. Well, no time for it, let's put gifts under the tree and get back.

And with such words he went to Christmas tree and started to put gifts under it. As he finished, he took his bag and looked around again. Seemed like nobody heard him, and with a smile on his face he went back to heaven.

On the next day, everyone were still sleeping, unlike Nazeel who was starting to wake up. He looked at the clock, then at calendar and smiled brightly. It was time for opening gifts.

Nazeel: Momma! Mommy! Mr Axel! Mr Chris! Wake up!

He shouted happily as Sona woke up too and together they ran around the flat. First woke up Anoli and Chris, then Axel and Liya.

Anoli: What happened, dear?

She quickly changed her clothes as Liya did the same and they went out of the room.

Nazeel: Santa Claus came to us and brought gifts! Let's go and open them!

He said happily as grabbed Anoli and Liya's hands and ran towards Christmas tree.

Liya: Oh wow, no need to hurry, Nazeel~

Chris and Axel changed clothes too as went out of the room.

Chris: Why sudden shout?

Anoli: Nazeel is just happy that Santa Claus brought gifts to us.

Axel: Really? Awesome! Let's open them!

And everyone were at Christmas tree. First for opening gifts was Nazeel. When he opened his gift, his eyes sparkled from happiness.

Nazeel: This is the hoodie i saw in the store! But i thought that they all were sold out.

Liya: Well, seems like Santa Claus found the way to get one for you~

Chris: Congratulations, buddy!

He smiled as petted Nazeel's shoulder.

Anoli: Want to try it on?

Nazeel: Of course! I will be back in a minute!

And he ran quickly to his room. While he was changing clothes, Chris opened his gift. Inside there was a nice basket with some stuff for cooking and new recipe book.

Chris: Oh wow, this is awesome! I always thought to buy new stuff for kitchen! And new book with new recipes! I definitely know what i will do at home.

Anoli: That's amazing! I'm sure such gift will help you.

She smiled as Nazeel came back with his new hoodie. Everyone looked at him.

Axel: Wow, buddy, you look awesome!

Nazeel: I know, right? This hoodie is fantastic!

Anoli: You look wonderful, sweetie.

She smiled as stood up and petted Nazeel's head.

Liya: Now you're the coolest boy~ I'm sure classmates will be amazed too~

Nazeel: Yeah, and hopefully not too jealous.

He smiled with sweat.

Anoli: I'm sure they will not.

Chris: Well, i guess it's time for our guardians to open their gifts.

Anoli: You're right.

And Anoli opened her gift. Inside there was a nice orange winter hat with pompons and red hearts. She smiled so brightly.

Anoli: This is so adorable! I love it!

Chris: Glad to hear. Seems like Santa made good choice. Why won't you try it?

Anoli looked at Chris as put on a hat.

Anoli: It fits so well on me. Like it was made for me.

Nazeel: It suits you, momma! You look so pretty!

He said with smile as Anoli blushed a bit from such compliment while Chris showed a thumb up, showing the approve of it.

Anoli: You all are so sweet, thank you so much.

Chris: Always, Anoli.

Liya: Well, now it's your turn, Axel~

Axel: W-Why me?

Liya: I would like you to open first, i will be the last one~

Axel looked at Liya with confusion, but decided to do how she asked. As he opened his gift, he was astonished.

Axel: It's....it's what i think is?

Liya: Yes~ It's external hard drive~ Or whatever you call it~

She was close to Axel as he was still amazed. He couldn't believe his eyes.

Liya: I remember how much you complained about not having enough memory for work, so i asked Santa for such gift to you~

Liya got closer to Axel as nuzzled his cheek.

Liya: Merry Christmas, love~

Axel: Liya.....It's so sweet of you. Thank you

Hs smiled as hugged Liya. Chris and Anoli smiled too while Nazeel clapped from happiness.

Nazeel: You two are so cute together. Congratulations with gift, Mr Axel!

Axel: Thank you, buddy.

Liya: Hehe, indeed~ Now, where is my gift?~

Everyone were silent. They looked around, but no gift was visible. Only Axel was blushing for no reason. Liya noticed it.

Liya: Don't tell me-

Axel: W-Well, t-this gift was a bit n-not appropriate to be here, s-so-

Everyone were confused while Liya seemed like she guessed what gift could be and where could it be. Axel tried to look somewhere in order to stop blushing.

Liya:.....We have to check it~

She smirked as suddenly grabbed Axel's hand and ran to the door.

Axel: W-Wait, we didn't even-

Anoli: Liya!

Nazeel: Mommy, where are you going?

Liya: Don't worry, we will be back soon~ Just need to check something~

And together with Axel she flew to Axel's home. Chris, Anoli and Nazeel were astonished and silent for a moment.

Nazeel: What does mommy want to check?

Chris: I think it's something personal, don't mind it.

He said with smile ans sweat as petted Nazeel's shoulder.

Anoli: Yeah, i agree. Don't worry, she will be back.

Nazeel: I hope so.

Chris: Well, how about i make breakfast and together we can go for a walk?

Nazeel: I like the idea!

Anoli: Me too. But before it, where is So-

She couldn't finish her sentence as heard a happy bark behind her. Sona was holding a red fluffy ball that was packed as gift for him. Nazeel giggled as petted Sona.

Nazeel: Sona found his own gift from Santa.

Chris: Animals deserve gifts too. And good breakfast too. Shall we start?

Anoli and Nazeel: Sure!

And with the smile our trio started a new day with cooking together. Seemed like everyone got wonderful gifts this Christmas. Everyone did great job on it, even Michael. Hope they will all have fantastic Christmas day~

--------

And that's another part of winter holidays stories^^ Phew, this one took longer than i expected ^^" Some things changed several times, so please don't be surprised of this part being so long XD Still, i hope you will like it and Merry Christmas^^

Okaria et Feria belongs to @wildstarfan @jenny626 and @captainthane

Nazeel, Sona and Chris belong to @captainthane

Anoli, Liya, Axel and Lucifer belong to @wildstarfan and @milasartblog (both me)

[nicolasnelson]

Sebastian/MG fic - Mystery Never Breaks

Title: Mystery Never Breaks Relationship: Sebastian/Milton Greasley “MG” (Legacies) Additional Tags: Enemies to lovers Chapters: 1/? Words: 2,555

Summary: Sebastian tries to charm MG into helping him. It almost works.

[AO3 LINK]

“No, I am very real. And I need your help...”

MG couldn’t think clearly. Too many thoughts were crashing through his head at once. Sebastian was real. Lizzie wasn’t crazy. He’d made her think she was seeing things. And now his competition, who he should hate by definition, wanted his help. No freaking way.

“We can talk somewhere private if you are concerned that fellow over there will think you a madman,” Sebastian said, smirking.

“I don’t want to go anywhere with you!”

Wade stood up and glared at him, shoving his belongings into his bag.

“Sorry, West. I didn’t mean you. I meant my friend Lizzie. She did a spell to turn herself invisible. See?” He gestured vaguely at Sebastian, who wore an amused expression.

“Whatever. And how many times do I have to tell you, my name is Wade.” He stormed away from him.

MG turned to glare at Sebastian. “Look what you’ve done.”

“I believe that was entirely your fault,” Sebastian said, raising an eyebrow. “Now if you would show me to your quarters, we could avoid another such encounter.”

“Quarters? You know I’m not a servant, right?” MG said, highkey offended. “I’m a student here, just like everyone else.”

“Of course. My apologies. I should have said chambers instead. I merely meant the location in which you sleep.”

MG groaned. This guy was really starting to bug him. But he didn’t want rumors to spread that he was talking to himself, and the invisible Lizzie excuse wouldn’t hold up if she was mute too.

“Follow me.” He led Sebastian through the halls towards his dorm room.

The old-fashioned vampire’s eyes roved over the paintings on the walls, the candlesticks, everything, like he was studying this place, trying to memorize it. MG wondered if it would have been smarter to take Sebastian somewhere else. He didn’t know what his intentions were or how much he could do while he was invisible. Hopefully he was as harmless as Lizzie believed him to be…

They reached MG’s room. Sebastian glided in after him, and MG shut the door, clicking the lock shut.

“Why are you asking me for help?” MG demanded, crossing his arms.

“You are friends with Elizabeth, yes?”

“Well, I was before you decided to go out with her without mentioning she was the only person who could see you. You made her think she was hallucinating. Now she won’t even talk to me.” MG picked up his jacket draped over his desk chair and put it on, unable to bear looking at Sebastian for a moment longer.

“That was not my intention, I assure you. I thought we were quite alone all the times I spoke with her. I was not expecting a hooligan to be lurking in the trees.”

MG raised his eyebrows. “Oh, I’m the hooligan? That’s funny because I’m not the one who lied to her.”

“Deceived,” Sebastian corrected. “And it was not without reason. I only needed to get close to her, to gain her trust, so I could ask her for this favor.”

“The same favor you’re asking me now. Without getting close to me or gaining my trust. Can’t you see how that makes no sense?”

“Well, I am getting quite desperate. I have been trapped a long time, and I am eager to be free again.”

“That still doesn’t answer my question. Why me? Are you planning to use me to get close to Lizzie?”

“Ah.” Sebastian had this look on his face like he understood MG on a deep level. His mouth twisted into a sly smirk. “Elizabeth is indeed a charming woman, but I do not have my heart set on her. After all, there are many dance partners at a ball. Why spend your time dancing with only one?”

It felt like his eyes were boring into MG. He wasn’t sure what Sebastian meant, but it sounded a bit flirty. But, no, that was stupid. MG must be imagining things. It was that old world charm that made everything he said sound like a proposition.

“Okay then,” MG said. “But you could have asked literally anyone else at this school.”

“I made a connection with Lizzie. It broke, yes, but I thought I would do well to reach out to someone who knew of my existence. That way I would not be starting all over again.”

“Lizzie’s already blabbed about you to all her friends. Why didn’t you pick one of them?”

Sebastian grinned, looking quite pleased with himself. “I never had the pleasure of meeting her other friends, and rather than go with the unknown…”

“You went with the known?”

“Precisely. And I do not regret my choice. You are quite the specimen.”

“Can you stop talking about me like I’m some science project?”

“As the known variable, it seemed to be a fitting word to describe you, but I can see how it could be dehumanizing. I did not mean to offend you in the least. I could just as well have said you are quite the Adonis .”

MG gave him a funny look, unsure whether that was an insult or a compliment. Adonis was someone from Greek mythology, wasn’t it? MG couldn’t remember anything about him though.

Sebastian frowned, looking a little bit hurt. He seemed to be expecting some reaction from MG that he wasn’t getting. He smiled tensely and spoke again, laying on the charm even thicker this time. “Someone with your gorgeous mane and your fine-cut figure must be used to attention, yes? I am sure you are very popular with people around here.”

MG snorted. Was he making fun of him again? “I don’t see anyone lining up to be your friend. And it’s pretty dumb of you to ask for my help. I don’t know anything about you.”

“Forgive me. We have not been properly introduced. My name is Sebastian.”

“Yeah, I know that.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “And you are?”

“MG. Look, I still don’t know if you’re actually real, or if my head is just messing with me. You’re going to have to tell me more about yourself than just your name.”

“I am a vampire, as I’m sure Elizabeth has already told you. I was born in the fifteenth century. I led a simple life before being turned. My family became afraid of me and sought a way to hide me away. They succeeded, and I have been hidden for hundreds of years, locked away in a box somewhere, dessicated. I only seek an escape to this unending torment.”

MG gripped the edge of his desk to steady himself. That was a lot for him to process. He had been convinced he was imagining Sebastian, but he wasn’t sure his own mind could make this up.

“Hypothetically, if I were to help you, what would you need?”

“That depends,” Sebastian said, his gaze flicking to MG’s mouth. Or wait, that couldn’t be right… MG was definitely tripping. “What manner of creature are you?”

“I’m like you.”

“Ah, I thought you were a witch.” He looked disappointed for a moment, and MG could swear he saw him lick his lips. “Oh, yes, Elizabeth did say some of her closest friends were vampires. I take it that would include you.”

“You take it correct,” MG said, then shook his head. “Wait, that came out weird. I just mean, yes, I’m a vampire. And you’re a vampire, but your parents locked you in a box and starved you, so now you’re like extra dead or something like that.” He made a disgusted face, looking Sebastian up and down.

“Something like that,” Sebastian agreed, his voice lofty.  “I would need you to find my body in that box somewhere around here.” He waved vaguely. “And with some human blood, I shall be restored.”

“And where is this box?”

“That is for you to discover, my friend.” It was clear MG wasn’t getting any more answers out of him. Damn mysterious guy.

“You know broody vampires aren’t really popular anymore. It was great ten or twenty years ago, but now girls prefer vampires who are straightforward.”

“Have you considered that I might not be trying to impress a girl at the moment?” Sebastian lifted an eyebrow. “But I am curious to know what you would suggest in order to impress someone.”

MG didn’t really know what to say. “I don’t know what you should do. But you need to get with the times, bro.” He punched Sebastian’s shoulder, trying to act casual, even though he was lowkey freaking out at Sebastian’s comment.

Sebastian grabbed MG’s wrist and twisted it behind his back. Pretty fast for a vampire, and that was saying something. “I am not your brother,” he said between gritted teeth.

“No, that’s not what it means. It’s like saying ‘dude’ or ‘man.’ Like hey, man, let go of me.”

Sebastian released his grip. “Ah. So this ‘dude’ and ‘man’ are the modern day equivalent of ‘good sir’ then?”

MG rubbed at his arm. “Yeah, that sounds right. Wow, you are really strong for an invisible guy.”

Sebastian inclined his head. “Why thank you, bro.”

MG suppressed a laugh, covering his mouth with his hand.

“What? Did I use it incorrectly?”

“No, it just sounds weird to hear you say it with all the formal speech. Maybe hold off on the slang for now.”

Sebastian nodded, looking relieved. “That is perfectly agreeable for me.”

“How long were you a vampire before, you know, the box thing?” MG asked. “If it was for a long time, then you’re really creepy. You know Lizzie is only sixteen, right?”

Sebastian rubbed his chin, considering. “I was a rather new vampire. I would say I was only roaming freely for about a year before I was locked away. I was eighteen when I was first turned, so even with my year of roaming, I am still a teenager myself.”

His shoulders relaxed. “Well, that’s a relief.”

Sebastian walked around the room, studying all of MG’s belongings before settling on his video game system. He pressed every button except the one to turn it on. “This thing you want me to call you... Emgee. What does it mean?”

MG snorted. Sebastian said his name like it was some mystical title. “It’s my initials. Didn’t you have those in the fifteenth century?”

“Ah, yes, we signed many a letter with them. What is your first name, if I may ask?”

“Milton.” MG made a face.

Sebastian smiled, displaying all his teeth. It was honestly a bit dazzling. “Milton. That is a marvelous name. Why do you choose not to use it?”

MG shrugged. “It sounds so old-fashioned and ugly.”

“Quite the contrary. Your name is beautiful, Milton. I knew a lovely place in England that bore the name. But if being called by your name makes you uncomfortable, I shall endeavor to call you MG.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind too much.” And he really didn’t. It felt okay when Sebastian called him that. It would feel stranger for him to call him MG. “What about you? Do you have any nicknames?”

“Oh, yes, my friends call me Sebastian the Insatiable. Or they did…” His voice trailed off as his gaze shifted to the floor.

“That’s kinda long for a nickname,” MG pointed out, ignoring the fact that it was a terrible nickname. Who wanted to announce that they were hungry all the time? Or maybe it was a sex thing… No way was he calling Sebastian that. “Usually people pick something shorter. Like Seb, Sebby, or even Bash.”

“Bash. I quite like the sound of that. All right. You may call me Bash if you so desire.” Sebastian grinned at him.

MG itched his head. “Sorry, I, uh, I need to go clean my shoes. See you later, Bash.”

Sebastian gave him the most alluring smile and a wave. “Until next time, Milton. I shall fiddle with this interesting contraption some more.”

“Sure, just try not to break anything.”

“Got it,” Sebastian said, smiling. “When you return, we can work out the details of our arrangement.”

“There is no arrangement. I still haven’t decided if I’m helping you yet. Look, I’ll ask my friend Kaleb in the morning for advice. If he thinks we should help you, then we will.”

“Ah.” Sebastian’s fist closed around the remote, shattering the plastic. He dropped it to the floor. “Well, that might be a problem. I am not the best at waiting. You see, I have done far too much of it in my time.”

MG bit his lip. It was taking everything in him not to attack Sebastian. This guy was pinching his last nerve. “You better learn fast then. ‘Cause we’re doing things on my time.”

A nerve feathered in Sebastian’s chiseled jaw. “I have tried to be civil, but you make things very difficult,” he said, his voice strained. He looked two seconds away from tackling him to the ground. “Milton, you are insufferable.”

MG scoffed. “Yeah, well, you’re instandable.”

“That is not even a real word, is it?”

“Sure, it is. It means I can’t stand you.”

Sebastian rubbed his forehead. “Goodness, the English language has suffered greatly in my absence. And you do realize that insufferable means the exact same thing, don’t you?”

“Yeah, of course I knew that. That’s why I said what I said.”

Sebastian laughed, looking like he’d finally cracked some big mystery. “Oh, I see. You’re an idiot. No wonder you need the aid of your friend to decide whether to help me or not. You cannot make the decision for yourself.”

“That’s not true,” MG said, his tone biting. “I could make a decision myself. If I wanted to.”

Sebastian pursed his lips and shook his head. “I don’t believe you.”

“No, I see what you’re doing here. I’m going to let you trick me into agreeing to help you. Asking a friend for advice is the smart thing to do. It would be stupider--more stupid--for me not to.”

“Ah, not as dumb as I thought.” Sebastian closed the distance between them with one stride, getting right in MG’s face. “But not the sharpest knife in the drawer.” He smirked, wicked, teasing.

MG fought a strange mix of urges in his stomach. “I’m gonna go fix my shoe. When I get back, you better be gone. We’ll talk in the morning, okay? Otherwise I’m not helping you at all.”

Sebastian leveled him with a glare, his eyes cold and sharp. All the charm had gone out of him, and he just looked like a viper, poised to strike. “Well, you no longer have permission to call me Bash, you bloody turnip.”

MG rushed out of the room and slammed the door shut, hoping Sebastian wouldn’t follow him. When MG reached the bathroom, he closed the door behind him and leaned against the cool wood. He tried to shove down his feelings to where the sun don’t shine, but they kept clawing their way up as he remembered Sebastian’s brilliant smile, his subtle hint that he might be interested in someone other than Lizzie. How the hell did Sebastian manage to simultaneously infuriate him and allure him?

MG knew without a doubt this boy would be the second death of him.

[tiaragqueen]

Bee In Bonnet

✂ Pairing: Yandere! Kim Namjoon x Reader

✂ Word Count: 3,5k

✂ Trigger Warning: Mentions of sex and death, obsessiveness, manipulation, stupor

✂ This story is fictional and for amusement only. I don't believe any of the members would do this in real life. As always, thank you for reading and I hope you have a good day!

Do not re-upload my writing to another website or use it without my permission.

[Edited]

***

If you like my writing, please support me on ko-fi!

"Wise men say only fools rush in, but I can’t help falling in love with you. Shall I stay? Would it be a sin if I can’t help falling in love with you?" - Can’t Help Falling In Love [Elvis Presley]

          Namjoon knew what he felt was wrong.

          He knew he shouldn't have gotten close with you.

          No matter what angle you see it, no matter how many times you'd try to defend it, their relationship would and always be forbidden. Because this wasn't a fictional world where you can date your own boss.

          No, you weren't like that. You kept your relationship strictly business. Just like any other decent worker would do.

          He knew it. He acknowledged it. But that doesn't mean he liked it.

          Besides, it wasn’t as if he could automatically erase every sentiment that had bloomed on his chest. The very same sentiment that would eventually drive him into the pit of unquenchable desire.

          Jimin crouched on one knee before you, holding out an opened crimson velvet box. A silver ring – not too big and not too small, either – encrusted with little diamonds and a bigger one in the middle laid inside. You tried to laugh at the cheesiness of his proposal, knowing just how romantic Jimin could be, but joy overpowered any hilarity that you found from this situation. Tears rolled down your cheeks as you let him take your hand gently and put the ring on your ring finger.

          It fit, just like what you expected.

          Jimin had always been an attentive person. It was a trait that attracted you in the first place, and for him to buy the ring you were eyeing at the mall a few days ago warmed your chest.

          Your female colleagues cooed at the sentimental scene, shouting congratulations. Some even expressed their envy for being proposed by such a handsome man. The males were busy patting Jimin’s back like proud brothers they were – being familiar with him due to his frequent visit – and whispered innuendos on what to do during the honeymoon. Overwhelmed with the barrage of compliments and attention, you hid your glowing face on to his chest. Jimin giggled, stroking your hair with such loving eyes that made your nape reddened even more.

          Everyone was happy. Everyone was smiling. All, except one.

Namjoon stood in the threshold of his office, jaw stiff and hands clenched so tight the knuckles turned white. He hadn't expected to see this kind of thing during a break; the only time where he could meet and chat with you over a hearty lunch. Work has been very hectic lately, and he figured taking you out to that new café down the street would ease his stress.

          Yet, here he was, watching future husband and wife basking in the spotlight.

          It was terrible. How could that man be able to freely hug you with those disgusting limbs, while Namjoon had to resist his urge to even touch a single strand of your hair?

          Because he was respectful like that.

          And because he already knew you were taken.

          Namjoon hadn’t planned for this to happen. For his feelings to go out of control. You were smart and cute, yes. He liked cute things and people.

          But the more time you've spent together, the more time his opinion of you rose. Higher than any other woman he'd met before.

          You were unknowingly charming, hardworking, ambitious, and other positive adjectives he could think of. If anyone were to ask him to write a novel about you, he'd surely do it in a heartbeat. And possibly create a new one for your angelic appearance.

The cover would be your concentrated face because that was when you looked at the cutest. Not that your other expressions weren't cute either. It was simply his favorite amongst many photos he'd captured without your knowledge.

Well, everything you did enchant him anyway. Even your elated smile of finally being Jimin’s fiancée.

          Namjoon sighed, skulking back into the office. The hollow thud of the closing door echoed like a broken record in his ears.

          If only it was him that put the ring on your dainty finger and proudly stood beside you.

          If only it was him that you hugged.

          If only you loved him, he would surely give you everything. The world, the sky, the universe. Everything that you wanted, he would gladly give it to you.

          Except he couldn’t have you, could he? Because you already belonged to someone else. Someone other than him.

          And it hurt. It hurt not to be with the person you love, no matter how much you pray or wish to the stars.

          Why did fate have to be so cruel to him? Sure, he could have anything - anyone - in a flick of a finger, but why couldn't he have you? Was it wrong to love you? Was it wrong to want to make you happy?

But you were happy, weren't you? You were smiling brightly, brighter than he'd ever seen before, with Jimin. If Namjoon wished for your happiness, then he'd have to be prepared to see you in another man's arms. Because that's what true love is, right? If you can't have them, then you have to let them go so they can seek their own happiness somewhere, anywhere.

          Of course, he understood. He was famous for his intelligence, after all. But it didn't make the heartbreak any less painful.

          Namjoon glanced around the place. Despite the papers that scattered on his desk and a few items of furniture here and there, it was still empty. Funny that he had been working here for years, and yet it was the first time he'd felt this way.

          Sighing, he shuffled towards the rolling chair and plopped down. His body felt so, so heavy. Like someone had put the weight of the world on him. He unlocked his phone and stared down the bright screen. It displayed a selfie of you and him, standing in the snowy sidewalk. You looked cozy wearing that dark coat, wrapped in a red scarf. He remembered that he used to sling an arm over your shoulders, pretending that the scarf was a red thread of fate which connected the two of you.

          It was obviously a delusion, but Namjoon just wanted to enjoy the moment. The moment where he was the boyfriend protecting you from the cold, and you snuggling up to him like a cute girlfriend you would be.

          Oh, how wonderful it must be if that could become a reality.

          Namjoon frowned. Well, he supposed he could get rid of Jimin through an assassin. He didn't look particularly strong. In fact, he seemed rather... fragile. So it would be an easy job for Namjoon.

          No, he shook his head. If the news of Jimin's downfall ever reached your ears, you'd surely spiral down into depression. It was what most people tend to behave after the death of their loved ones. Namjoon refused to see you sad and, inevitably, lower your work standards.

          He needed to think of something nonlethal, yet enough to make you change your opinion on Jimin complete. But the question is, how? How could he think of anything unrelated to death, when his brain was already filled with Jimin's gruesome demise? What was the least painful route?

          Think, Namjoon, think!

          It was obviously easier said than done because hours after the proposal ended and his employees had long gone back to work he still hadn’t had an inkling of an idea. God, was it hard to think of anything less toxic...

          Glancing at the reminder that glued on to the wall beside him, an idea immediately popped on his head. Namjoon gasped before snickered, finding it amusing how he hadn’t thought of that before.

          The most used excuse in the business world. How silly of him to only finding it out now.

          He snatched his phone from the tabletop with the eagerness of a child about to receive their present and sent a short, yet detailed message to you. Pressing the send button, he rested his head against the cushioned backrest and hummed. Now all he had to do was carry out the second phase.

          A giggle pierced through the quiet evening. Namjoon reached out a hand to grab the air, pretending that it was you atop of him. Everything would go according to plan, he was sure of it. Otherwise, he wouldn't mind using his high intelligence for... unrighteous purposes.

          You came.

          Of course, you came. How could you relax after receiving such an emergency text from your boss? Not to mention, it was sent half an hour after you went home. As much as you wanted to spend more time with Jimin, you knew that it would have to wait. Besides, you were sure that this meeting whatsoever wouldn’t take so long. Hopefully.

          To be honest, you didn't know that you had a meeting tonight and even thought of refusing.

          But orders are orders, anyway. If you wanted to keep the job, then you have to obey your boss.

          You smoothed out the wrinkles on your maroon dress. It was the dress code because apparently the meeting was held in some fancy restaurant in the city. It wouldn’t be appropriate to wear formal clothes, although that was what you were planning before you read the postscript.

          Screw that. You didn't want to add other dirty clothes on to your already piling up laundry, but it was bound to happen soon. Might as well finish this quickly, so you could go back to cuddle Jimin in his full chubby glory.

          The dress was a gift from Jimin after your first date, along with a bouquet of red roses that had withered the next week. It was your favorite dress among others, for some reason. Thus, you resolved to only wear it for important matters.

          Although Namjoon wasn't aware with that fact, it didn't hinder him from smiling appreciatively at the sight of your amazing looks.

          Standing up from his seat, he approached your confused figure and held out a hand.

          “Good evening, [Name]. You look gorgeous, as always.” he greeted, exhibiting the persona of a gentleman. Namjoon kissed the back of your palm, letting his lips lingered against the soft skin. It smelled coconut, must be new body lotion. He had to buy it later.

          “Good evening, Sir,” you mumbled distractedly, paying no heed to the rather intimate gesture. Pursing your lips, you glanced around the empty restaurant. Where the heck was everybody? “Um, I thought it was supposed to be a meeting...?”

          “Indeed,” Namjoon nodded patiently as he pulled a chair for you to sit in. “A meeting of you and me.”

          He didn't mention that he had excluded this small detail from you, but you were still clueless it was almost endearing. Understandable; you must have read the text in a hurry.

          “... What?”

          Namjoon ignored your quiet inquiry and instead seated himself in front of you. Even such a simple action was so elegant in your eyes. You wondered if a graceful class existed in rich people's worlds because he might be mistaken for a butler due to his smooth movements and impeccable suit.

          Without wasting another time, Namjoon poured some red wine into one of the glasses. Your glass.

          “Here, drink it.”

          You reluctantly took the glass from his hand and took a wary sip. The cautious side of you kept telling that he might have adulterated the drink, even though you saw it with your own two eyes that he did nothing to warrant such suspicion.

          “Thank you...” you muttered. It tasted the same as other expensive wines you'd drunk before. Namjoon was too kind to do vicious things such as poisoning.

          Namjoon proceeded to ask you some questions - nothing too intrusive because he still respected your privacy; yet - and filled wine after wine in your glass until you were inebriated. You weren't aware of your own condition until you abruptly stood up and almost fell headfirst on to the table.

          Good thing Namjoon was there to save you, otherwise you'd go home with a huge bump on your forehead. Jimin would fuss over it like a mother hen he was, and you didn't think you could bear the onslaught of questions so late at night. Especially when you just wanted to hit the hay.

          Slurring a soft thank you under your breath, you attempted to leave but to no avail. Namjoon watched you struggling while still maintaining his grasp around your stomach. How could he release you when he already had you in your weakest and vulnerable moment?

          “You’re drunk,” he whispered huskily in your ear. His other hand twirled a lock of [h/c] hair that framed your darling profile. “I know a place where you can rest.”

          Somehow, the gesture managed to lull you into sleep. The world grew darker in each second as you nodded dumbly and blacked out on his arms.

          The next day, you woke up in an unfamiliar bed. Recalling the past, or at least the event that led to this situation, proved to be a challenge. You sat up against the headboard and massaged your head, hoping to assuage the headache for a little. It wasn't until memories from last night suddenly rushed in like a flood; the text, the meeting, the conversation, and the... loss of consciousness.

          Eyes widening at the size of a saucer, you ripped the blanket from your body only to discover a myriad of hickeys littering the skin. From the neck, chest, stomach, thighs, even legs. There was no area left uncovered, and you weren't sure what to fear more. The hickeys or the throbbing pain in your vagina.

          Tears welled in your eyes. What have you done? You promised to yourself that you would give your virginity after marriage, and now here you were. Laying naked on someone’s bed. Or more specifically, your boss'.

          This was infinitely worse than having a one-night stand with someone because the person you've slept with was the same one who you encountered nearly every day.

          What would your parents say later? No, what would Jimin say later? He had always been a possessive one; it took you almost half an hour just to convince him to let you go. Now, you had broken the promise you'd made both to yourself and him.

          You were such a terrible human being.

          A door opened to your left. Namjoon - the cause of your current mental breakdown and possibly more in the future - strolled inside, carrying a tray of steak and hot tea. You immediately pulled the blanket back on to your nude body, trying to retain what was left from your dignity.

          If you still had any, that is. You doubted its existence now.

          “Good morning, honey.”

          Honey? You gripped the seam of the white comforter, resisting the urge to lash out. How dare he called you with that nickname when you had no special relationship prior? No, that wasn't what angered you the most.

          It was the fact that he had tricked you into the so-called meeting. Or maybe you were the dumb one here. Either way, you were boiling.

          “Did you sleep well? I hope so. I have changed the bed and set the air conditioner so you would be more comfortable.”

          You frowned, finding it ridiculous the lengths he'd gone through just to satisfy you. As if. “What are you talking about?”

          Sighing, Namjoon put down the tray on the nightstand and started to crawl towards you.

          “S-sir?” Screw your nervousness. Why did you have to fucking stutter in front of the one person you were supposed to be brave towards? Now he knew just how much you began to fear him; his little smirk proved that to you. “What are you-?”

          A hand stopped you from falling backward from the bed. You stared wide-eyed into his darkened eyes, chest heaving at the thought of tumbling and possibly have a concussion. It was a rather unlikely scenario, but it still scared you nonetheless.

          The hand lingered on your back, before slithering lower to grasp your waist. You shivered at the coolness of his palm and put your hands on his broad chest to push him away.

          “Sir, I’m sorry but I have to go now. Jimin must be worried sick and I-”

          “Do you think he’d still accept you, after what you did with me?”

          You fell silent, hands slowly slid down and fell on his bent knees. Somehow, while you envisage Jimin's reaction, you hadn't thought that he would probably call off the engagement. A one-night stand, however accidental, is still a form of disloyalty.

          Simply put, you've indirectly cheated on him.

          Jimin might be understanding in some aspects, but nobody told you that he'd accept this betrayal. It was understandable if he chose to break things off. Still, you refused to see him leave and abandon of what could've been a happy ending; you loved him too much to let him go.

          “Bold of you to assume that he’d still love you after having sex with another man,” Namjoon mocked, his other hand went to pat your bare stomach. It churned at his touch, and there was nothing you desired more than taking a bath. Who knows, you might be able to cleanse some of his germs from your body.

          But of course, it wouldn't magically solve everything. You've slept with him, for goodness' sake!

          “... And carrying his sperm. You know what will happen right?”

          He did what-?

          “No...” The severity of the situation finally dawned on you as you shook your head frantically, hair whipping around. “No, no, no!”

          This must be a joke. It had to. There was no way you’d be pregnant with his baby. No way. Nuh-uh, you refused to believe it. This must be a dream; a nightmare.

God, how you wished you could just wake up and forget all of this ever happened. You couldn't stand another minute with this crazy man. You wanted to get out.

          But the door was behind him, and if you wanted to escape, then you had to face him first. After that- what? Running to the police station stark naked? What would people say later? They must think that you were a lunatic, while the true one was this CEO who somehow managed to impregnate you.

          What did you do in your past life to deserve this kind of reality?

          “You’ll get pregnant.” There goes that dreaded, absolute unnecessary answer. But it wasn't over yet. Namjoon was still hell-bent on shaming you even further as if this bombshell wasn't enough for you to digest.

          “I'm not!” you screamed, dismissing the fact that you literally shouted at your boss. Something that you used to not have the guts to do considering he could be quite intimidating if he wanted to.

          But now, you just couldn’t give less of a shit.

          “I’m not and I’ll never be! Jimin would still accept me cause he’s my fiancé! Now let me go, you freak!”

          Namjoon threw his head back and laughed. It was the kind of laughter that send chills down your spine. You never thought that you'd lived to see the day where he would finally lose his sanity. He'd always been the calm, composed one. So what caused him to snap?

          “Really?” He ignored your flailing limbs and gripped your waist, leaving indents of his nails on the skin. “Then how about you? Would you still accept him after what he did?”

          The struggling ceased as you frowned. “What the fuck do you mean?” He really needed to stop giving you confusing questions and be straightforward already.

          Namjoon reached out to take a remote from behind you and pushed the red button. It flickered on, conveniently displayed a piece of breaking news regarding the discovery of a young woman’s corpse in some nondescript apartment.

          "It was such a hassle to find the exact location. But with a bit of hard work, nothing can't be achieved."

          You ignored him in favor of watching Jimin thrashing about when the police took the body from the bathtub. A torrent of tears streamed down his cheeks as he begged them to touch her; to hold her for one more time. He looked desperate and heartbroken. Normally, the sight would've saddened you too.

          And now, you weren’t so sure anymore.

          “He might have proposed to you,” Namjoon murmured provocatively, kissing your jaw like a husband appreciating his wife's body. “But that doesn’t mean his heart fully belongs to you. You’re just another woman in his life, you know?”

          You bit your lower lip. It stung, you admitted, it stung because it was the truth. And there's nothing more painful than the truth being shoved on to your face, forcing you to accept it as though it's that easy.

          There was nothing left to say anyway. At this point, you didn’t know whether you should feel betrayed or ashamed. It was an agonizing mixture.

          “Do you know that girl? She is, and will always be his love. After all,” he inclined his head slightly and bit your earlobe. “Nobody forgets their first love, even if they want to.”

[badwolfwrites-sometimes]

Chapter 7

I liked that one Chibitalia scene too much.

By the lunch time, Feliciano was fairly certain of two things: this was by far his favourite book. And he finally understood why all that talk of it.

This book turned from a fluffy romantic story into the love of Feliciano's life.

'Otto walked impatiently to the servant rooms. Alice was currently working, cleaning some old storage rooms. He had a new job for her.

"Alice! I need to ask you a favour." He yelled, reaching the hall and waiting.

Soon enough, he spotted a redhaired girl in one of the blue dresses he bought her. "What is it, My Prince?" She asked, bouncing on her way to Otto.

Otto, as always, was as red as the halls whenever she used that nickname on him. "You're from Venice. I heard it's known for it's art. Do you think you could teach me how to paint?" He asked.

"Of course! Let me just finish my work and I'll meet you in the garden." She said and run off to quickly complete her work. She would be lying if she said she wasn't excited for this. Painting was her number one love after all. Right behind Otto.

He waited for her in the garden. The view of the flowers growing peacefully on the early spring morning made him feel a bit lonely. Otto wished for a certain someone to enjoy them with him. When will she finish her work?

He sat there sighing, unaware of anything but the flowers in front of him. Then he felt a pair of cold hands on his shoulders causing him to jump up in the air a bit. He turned around to see a giggling Alice. His Alice.

"Did I frighten you?" She asked, her giggling made her voice sound a bit more pitched than it normally was.

Otto blushed, still shocked from the scare attack. "Yes. Don't do that again, please. You almost sent me flying to the sun." He said.

Alice continued giggling. "I'm sorry. You wanted to learn how to paint, right?" She asked.

"Yes. I've set up some equipment nearby. Shall we go?" Otto asked, offering his hand.

"Yes!" Alice squeeled in excitement. This time she didn't accept Otto's hand offering and instead hurried off to wherever she guessed Otto could have set the equipment up.

"Um, Alice?" He said and she turned. "Not there." He said and pointed to the opposite direction. Whoops.

Alice walked back to his side and took his hand, embarrassed but smiling widely. Otto's hand offerings were always extremely cute.

They made their way to a small hill just above the garden. It seemed like the perfect place to paint. Flowers were in bloom and the grass beneath their feet shone slightly thanks to the sun shining the few drops of water remaining on it from the early morning rain. Early spring truly was in the air. All of it made Alice wish they could stay here forever.

Two wooden canvas boards grabbed her attention from the grass and flowers. From the looks of it, they appeared to be largely decorated, probably worth quite a sum of money. She would have to give Otto a lecture on that later again. Upon drawing closer, she spotted some brand new paintbrushes. And in a good quality as not a single hair was sticking out of the order. Two chairs were also there, ready for when the young couple needed some rest from their activity. Alice decided resting time was now and took a seat.

"So, what shall we be drawing?" She asked.

Otto blushed, already picturing a perfect painting in his head, but he did not dare say it out loud. Instead he blurted out. "I was thinking maybe some animals and flowers and, you know, spring stuff."

Alice smiled softly. "That sounds lovely. It's been quite a while since I've last painted anything so I might not make a great tutor, but you've chosen an excellent start."

Otto blushed at the compliment. "I believe you would be a great tutor. You can go ahead and remind yourself a bit if you want. We have all day at our hands." He smiled.

Alice nodded, taking one of the thicker brushes into her hand. She run her thumb across the hair on the brush. "Soft." She mumbled, opening a can of green paint, smelling it. It wasn't expired, that was certain.'

"Me." Feliciano laughed.

'Behind them stood two buckets. One with clean water and one empty. Alice assumed the empty one was for the dirty water. She looked around for the cups. "My Prince?" She asked.

Otto, who had previously just been standing and staring at every movement Alice was making, drowning in her delicateness with art, snapped back to reality. "Yes?" He asked, a bit too squeeky than his usual voice.

"Where are the cups?" She asked.

"Cups?" Otto stared in disbelief, there were obviously right-

Oh.

He forgot the cups.'

At this point Feliciano was dying from laughter. He related to everything in this chapter. Almost as if this Ludwig was writing about him.

'Blushing, Otto rushed off back to the castle, leaving Alice to her giggling fit. She must have made the very same mistake multiple times, but watching someone else make it was extremely hilarious to her. Soon, however, she calmed down and was swooning in the adorableness of the young prince right up to the moment he showed up, carrying two cups. His blood red face caused a reaction from her own, a light blush sweeping over it. Alice tried her best to mask it with her hands. Hopefully Otto can't see right through her.

"I-" Otto started, "got the cups."

"Thank you for your work, My Prince." Alice smiled, taking one cup, brushing her hand with Otto's slightly, enough for the dreaded colour red's return to their faces.

Otto accidentally dropped his cup and fell on his knees trying to pick it up, which resulted in another giggling fit from Alice. She offered her hand to him. The tables have turned.

Otto accepted her hand, squeezing it just a bit more harder, enough for him to absorb Alice's kind energy from that small hand of hers. And some of her warmth as well. Even when they were standing and facing each other, Otto still a bit taller than Alice, they didn't let go. These were the small moments they couldn't afford to enjoy while inside the palace walls. The dangers of Queen always lurking in the back of their minds. Right now they were free from it.

"I believe we should start, otherwise we'll miss the daylight." Alice was the first to break their small staring contest, walking towards the water filled bucket and filling her cup before returning to her seat.

Otto stood for a moment longer, blinking the moment they had away, cursing at the day for being too short. "If you say so." He said, before following Alice's suit and filling his cup, seating himself afterwards.

Alice dipped her paintbrush just a tiny bit before dipping it into the paint, her eyes focused on the grass before her as she took every small detail of it in her head. Seemingly without noticing, her hand moved towards the white canvas and, before you knew it, there was a green line going across it on the bottom half.

She smiled to herself, glad that she hasn't forgotten any of the wonderful feelings that were art. Alice repeated the process several times, making a rough sketch of how it was supposed to look before turning to face Otto.

Otto had been absorbing her movements up until the moment she stopped and faced him. Luckily for him, this time he wasn't blushing.

"Do you want to start?" She asked.

Otto nodded. Alice moved closer to him, taking his right hand which was holding the paintbrush. Adjusting it the way she saw fit, she continued holding Otto's hand from behind, guiding him towards the white canvas. If he hadn't known better, he would say he was growing a bit feverish, as everything around him started to spin.

Alice showed Otto a couple of movements to make for beginning, before letting go of his hand. "Try it." She said.

Otto dipped his brush into some water, careful not to take too much before dipping it in paint. He breathed in and out, closing his eyes and running the brush across the canvas. When he opened them, he was met with a slightly wobbly green line on the white background and a soft smile from Alice to encourage him to continue.

After a couple of more strokes, Alice deemed him ready enough to continue on his own and returned to her own painting. Otto still had a few troubles with little details, such as painting the rabbits foot, and Alice gladly helped him out. They were having fun in their own world, away from statuses and works, just two children painting outside. But soon, the sun begun setting. The day coming to an end.

Otto was working on some final details, the sun enough above horizon not to ruin his painting. He turned to Alice, needing her final judgement.

Snore.

Otto blinked at her. When had she fallen asleep? Sure, it's been a long day, but he didn't expect it to be that long. Still, the thought of waking her up was something he couldn't bring himself to do. It didn't even cross his mind. Instead, he got a better idea. The timing just perfect.

He turned his board to face Alice and pulled out a new canvas. The only reason he asked Alice to teach him how to paint was so he could paint her. Alice falling asleep was a perfect time to do it. And how lovely she would look with the sun shining those rosy cheeks and that lovely red hair. She truly looked like a princess to him. If he could, he would have married her on the spot.

He somehow managed to finish it before the sun set down completely, satisfied with results. Now he needed to wake his princess up. But before that, he had to hide the painting somewhere she won't look before he could gather some courage to show her. Otto sprinted towards the castle, hiding the painting behind the clothes in the closet. Hopefully Alice won't be needing anything from it. Or cleaning it anytime soon.

Making sure it was well hidden, Otto rushed back to Alice, glad to find her still asleep on her chair. She looked very comfortable sleeping there, it pained Otto a lot to wake her. But he had no other choice. He had to do it. However, one waking up kiss never hurt anyone.

Brushing away any hair that fell on her face, Otto slowly moved his head closer to hers. His lips met with Alice's forehead, slightly frightened of being seen and judged by anyone. Pulling back, he looked at her once again. What kind of a miracle did it take for this angel to walk on the same earth as him? What did he do that earned him just a glimpse of this sweetheart?

He closed his eyes again, allowing their foreheads to touch even just briefly. That was the moment Alice chose to wake up, accidentally bumping her forehead against Otto's.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow!" Otto grabbed his forehead. Who knew Alice had such strong head?

"Ow! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Alice panicked, seemingly quick to recover from the little accident as she was already checking on Otto.

"It's alright. I'm alright. Are you?" He asked, holding his forehead with one hand and Alice's cheek with other, attempting to calm her down.

Alice nodded. "I'm sorry." She said one more time. Otto shook his head that it was just an accident.

"It's already dark, I think we should head to the castle. You must be tired from sleeping in that chair." Otto smiled, pulling Alice up.

"I had a really nice dream so I do not mind. I'll clean up." She said, already grabbing the brushes and buckets.

"No, leave it to me. I brought it here, I should clean it up. Go get some proper sleep. Maybe tell me about the dream one day." Otto said, taking everything Alice grabbed into his hands. Alice nodded, knowing it was useless to argue against Otto once he had something set in his mind.

"If you say so, My Prince. Good night then." She bowed and run off.

"Good night, Liebe." Otto whispered, knowing full well Alice couldn't hear him. He got ready to work right away.'

"Aww! Those two are so cute! When am I gonna get such a nice relationship?" Feliciano giggled like a little girl. He knew the answer was when he got out of the house, but that was too much work. And besides, most people just weren't his type.

He made his way to the living room, deciding to get some snacks before continuing. There was no one to scare him this time luckily.

Lovino was on the couch, watching some Spanish telenovelas. He would never admit of doing this to anyone though, being famous for resenting any language that wasn't Italian. Luckily, Felicaino and Romeo were just his brothers. If they spoke a word of it, he knew when and how to kill them.

Romeo was still in college, the good little student he was. Or wasn't if he was hanging out with the ladies behind the college building. Either way, he wasn't home.

"They are still fighting?" Feliciano asked Lovino, but the latter was way into the series to answer the question. Or his phone, which he left on the little wall separating the dining room amd kitchen from the living room, as it was buzzing constantly. Probably Antonio.

Ignored by his brother, Feliciano set on doing what he originally wanted to do, get a snack. Rummaging through the fridge, he found some chocolate. Perfect. He was just about to head upstairs when Lovino's phone buzzed once again, the title of the annoying texter catching Feliciano's eyes.

Toni Amore.

With heart and tomato emojis.

Oh no. Was all that run through Feliciano's mind.

Breathe in.

He unlocked Lovino's phone, grateful to his brother for not setting it to make a sound once unlocked. He decided to read some of the messages. Just to make sure.

Breathe out.

There was no doubt. No doubt at all. It was the same Toni. Their family friend.

Breathe in.

No! No! No!

Breathe out.

That would mean only one thing. His brother was-

"What do you think you're doing, Feliciano?"

Oh no...

[lastbluetardis]

Chemical Potential (6/11)

Summary: Slightly homesick and stressed about her abysmal chemistry grade, Rose Tyler meets quirky James Smith, the boy who sits in front of her in their chemistry class. They become fast friends as James makes it his personal mission to help Rose get through the semester.

Ten x Rose University AU

This chapter: ~6000 words, light teen

Notes: This was written for the lovely @thegreenfairy13 as part of the @dwsecretsanta gift exchange.

AO3 | Ch1 | Ch2 | Ch3 | Ch4 | Ch5 | Ch6 | Ch7 | Ch8 | Ch9 | Ch10 | epilogue

Rose was looking forward to her sleepover with James all day. All of her classes seemed to drag by, impatient as she was for it to be four o’clock, the time James said he would meet her at the library.

Finally, hurrying to the library after her final class of the day ended, Rose spotted James’s figure slouched in a cushy chair near the front doors of the library, an open newspaper in front of him. She took a minute to admire him and the graceful curve of his body as he sat sideways in the chair with his legs slung over the armrest.

He hadn’t spotted her yet, so she snuck up behind him and breathed into his ear, “Guess who?”

He yelped far louder than was appropriate for a library, earning them both a sharp glare from the librarian on duty.

James sprang up from the seat, nearly tripping over his feet in the process. His cheeks were bright red, and Rose felt a little bad for startling him so badly.

“Rose!” he exclaimed, breathless. “Hi!”

“Hi,” she giggled. “Ready to go?”

“Yup, let me just…” He hastily folded up the newspaper, not even following the creases, before he shoved it into his bag.

“You performed your civic duty, I see,” she noted, spying the tiny “I Voted!” sticker on his jumper.

“Yep! Got to the polls right as they opened this morning. I’m glad, because rumor has it the lines are impossibly long now.”

He slung his bag over his shoulder, then touched her wrist briefly before he let his hands drop to his sides. It was an automatic response for Rose to thread their fingers together as they made their way outside.

“Isn’t it supposed to be cold by now?” Rose asked as they walked into the late afternoon sunshine and the unseasonable warmth. Across campus, some students were in t-shirts and shorts, or were carrying around jackets that had become unnecessary as the temperatures approached sixty.

“Well… climate change, y’know. The Earth is dying.”

“Very cheerful,” she muttered, reaching over to pinch his ribs.

He squirmed out of the touch, but didn’t relinquish her hand as they walked to his car.

James remembered the way to her apartment, and fifteen minutes later, he’d pulled up in front of her building.

“D’you… want to come up?” Rose asked awkwardly. “I might be a few minutes. I’m an idiot and didn’t pack an overnight bag yet.”

“You’re not an idiot,” he said softly, and while she’d meant it offhand, a piece of her heart fluttered at his immediate protest. “But sure. I’ll come up.”

He turned off his car and exited. He dug through his pockets for a quarter that he fed into the parking meter.

“Will fifteen minutes be long enough?” he asked, glancing at her.

She nodded, then guided him into her building and up the flights of stairs to her floor.

“It’s a bit small,” she said apologetically when she unlocked her front door. “But make yourself at home.”

She was all too aware of James’s roaming gaze as he drank in her flat. It was small, even for one person. Thankfully she didn’t have much stuff, so it wasn’t cluttered. There was a loveseat sofa and a dining table in the living room, but the table was so covered with her art supplies that she often ate her meals standing over the kitchen counter.

“Help yourself to whatever’s in the fridge,” she said as she made a beeline for her bedroom.

She pulled out a bag and stuffed a change of clothes and pajamas into it, then she moved to the bathroom. Her makeup was spread all across the countertop, and she collected them into her makeup bag, which she stuffed on top of her clothes. She then grabbed her shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, which she rolled into a towel. All of that she placed into her pack as well.

After making sure she had everything she would need for staying overnight somewhere, she joined James in the living room. He was towering over her table, and Rose was mortified to see him looking at the various pages of sketches littered across the surface. She knew there were several portraits of him among the pages.

He jumped when he heard her approaching, and his cheeks flamed red.

“I- I’m sorry,” he squeaked. “It was all right out there in the open. I didn’t mean to snoop. I just… You’re very good, Rose. They’re beautiful.”

Her sharp rebuke about invading her privacy died on her tongue. She knew he hadn’t meant anything by it, and if she hadn’t wanted anybody to see, she should’ve put them away. After all, it wasn’t as though she was unused to sharing her artwork; but she was unused to her artistic muse seeing the final results.

“Thanks,” she mumbled, accepting his compliment.

She decided not to draw any more attention to her drawings, on the off chance he somehow hadn’t seen the ones she’d done of him. Instead, she moved to the fridge for the unopened bottle of wine that had been there since her first week in the flat.

James frowned.

“How the hell…? The drinking age in America is twenty-one,” he blurted. “How did you even buy that?”

Rose raised an eyebrow at him, then said slowly, “Because I am twenty-one?”

He blinked. “What?” His voice went high, and he coughed to clear it.

“Yeah. I turned twenty-one last April,” she said. “I took a few years off school before deciding to try uni.”

James nodded, and his throat bobbed. “Good. That’s… good.”

Rose cocked her head. “Why’s that good?”

His cheeks burned redder and he stammered for a moment before saying, “Well, I wouldn’t want you to get into any trouble here on foreign soil is all.”

A lame excuse, and certainly not what he’d meant, but Rose didn’t push it.

“Shall we?” she said.

He nodded and reached for the wine, then guided her back to his car.

He drove them to the outskirts of town, to a small residential development. Quaint brick houses lined the streets, and a twinge of jealousy flared through Rose. But she pushed it down when she considered where James had gotten the money to afford a house: he’d probably inherited any money his parents had when they died.

“Home sweet home,” he said, pulling into the driveway of one of the smaller houses in the development. “Oh! Er… are you allergic to cats? I completely forgot.”

Rose shook her head. “I had a few cats when I was growing up.”

He looked relieved. “Great.”

She followed him into his house, and was immediately greeted by the happy, screaming meows of a black and gray tabby.

“This one’s Pippin,” he said, bending down to scratch the cat’s chin. “He’s a love bug. If he gets too annoying, I’ll shut him in my room.”

Pippin purred loudly, then turned to Rose and rubbed himself against her calves and feet.

A few moments later, a brown and tan tabby padded over to them. He wasn’t quite as affectionate as Pippin, but he sniffed Rose curiously then bumped his head into her shin before trotting back in the direction he came from.

“That one was Merry,” James said.

Rose stifled a grin. “Are Frodo and Sam in hiding?”

James giggled, looking pleased that she understood the reference.

“They live with my Aunt Sarah,” he said, toeing off his shoes by the front door. Rose followed suit, and was amused to see his socks had chemical structures printed all across them.

She followed James down the hall and to the kitchen, where Merry and Pippin were circling two of three empty bowls.

“Watch out for Gollum,” James warned. “He doesn’t take kindly to strangers. Or even to me, honestly. He’s a grumpy old man. I should’ve let him drown in the storm drain honestly. But I felt too sorry for the bastard.”

Rose turned at a growling meow, and saw a Siamese cat slinking further into his box on the cat tree.

“That whole tree is his,” James said, shaking his head. “He won’t let Merry or Pippin on it. I had to get them their own tree. And Gollum will sometimes even take over that one, the little shit.”

She watched James move around his kitchen, filling the three bowls with food. He gave Merry and Pippin each a full body stroke before letting them eat their dinner in peace.

“I’ll show you where you can put your stuff,” he said, beckoning with a tilt of his head before he strode down the hall.

He guided her to the first door on the right and stepped into the room. There was a large bookshelf completely covered with books, as well as a long bay window with cushions that looked like the perfect place to curl up for a few hours to read. Judging by the distinct scent of James that lingered in the room, she suspected he spent a lot of time reading here.

Against the opposite wall was a full-size bed.

“My aunt stays in this room when she comes to visit,” James said. “I put fresh sheets on. The loo is directly across the hall. And my bedroom is at the very end of the hall, should you need anything in the middle of the night.”

“Thank you,” Rose said, setting her bag onto the bed. “Your house is lovely.”

He smiled a little awkwardly, as though realizing the very different lifestyles they lived.

“Ready for pizza? Results probably won’t start coming in for another couple of hours. But we can put an order in a while and maybe play something? Do you like board games? Or we could play a card game? Whatever you want.”

Rose’s stomach flip-flopped, suddenly nervous that she was alone with James in his home, and that she would be spending the night here. Not nervous for her safety—never that—but nervous about the implications of it all. Did it mean the same thing to James as it did to her? What did it even mean to her? Was this just two mates hanging out together? Or was it… more?

“I’m fine with anything,” Rose said. “And yeah, let’s order the food now.”

James nodded, and together they walked back to the kitchen. Pippin had already finished his food, and was slinking closer to the cat tree and the full food bowl there.

“Oi, you know better,” James warned. “Do you want to get gutted?”

Pippin continued towards the food bowl though, and just when he was about to snitch a piece, Gollum let out a hiss and jumped on top of him.

“Stupid cat,” James grumbled.

Pippin rolled out from underneath Gollum, and trotted towards James, meowing rather pathetically. When James paid him no mind, he turned to Rose and rubbed against her calves.

“Does he like being picked up?” she asked.

“Mhm, oh yeah. I told you, he’s a total attention whore.”

Rose laughed, then she reached down to scoop the cat into her arms. He nuzzled close to her chest and purred loudly.

“Don’t let that mean ol’ kitty boss you around,” she cooed. “You’re an absolute sweetheart. Aren’t you such a beautiful boy?”

“Toppings?” James asked as he held his mobile to his ear.

“Cheese is fine,” Rose said.

He gave her a thumbs-up, then started speaking into the phone, placing an order for a large cheese pizza, a medium supreme pizza, an order of fries, mozzarella sticks, and two dozen chicken wings.

“It’ll get delivered in an hour,” he said, sliding his phone into his pocket.

“Are more people coming?” she asked. At his frown, she said, “You ordered a hell of a lot of food.”

The tips of his ears went pink.

“Er, well, I like a variety. And I’m starved. I haven’t eaten since breakfast.” He shrugged. “And in any case, I’ll have leftovers for dinner for the rest of the week. Mind if I open the wine?”

“That’s why I brought it,” she teased.

He stuck out his tongue, then rummaged through a drawer for a few noisy seconds before procuring a corkscrew.

“So,” James began as he worked on uncorking the wine bottle. “You’re twenty-one? What did you do between finishing up school and coming to uni?”

Rose nuzzled her nose into the soft fur of Pippin’s forehead, then bent down to set him on the floor. “It’s a long story.”

“Oh. Right, yeah, you don’t have to talk about it,” he said softly.

Rose nearly took the out he gave her. But he’d entrusted her with his grief and heartbreak over losing his family. Not that she felt she had to reciprocate and spill her own personal misfortunes, but he made her want to share with him. He made her want to give him every piece of herself, both the light and dark parts of her.

And maybe she was naive to have this much trust in someone she’d only known for a month, but maybe, just maybe, James was worth it.

“I left school when I was sixteen, after I finished my GCSE exams,” Rose said. James paused for just a moment, but then he continued working at the cork. “I was okay at school, in the subjects that interested me at least. But I was young and stupid and fell head-over-heels in love with my boyfriend.” James’s hands spasmed, and he dropped the corkscrew. “Jimmy. He was my first serious boyfriend. He was a year older than me and in a band. The band was decent enough, I suppose. They had a bunch of local gigs and had a self-made album out.

“Anyway, I thought he was the one.” Rose shrugged, her heart aching at how carefree those early days with Jimmy were. “He seemed to love me as much as I loved him. I didn’t hesitate when he asked me to move into a flat with him. It was a small flat, just one bedroom, but it was just the two of us, and it was ours, so it felt perfect.

“And we were happy. We really, really were. I’d quit school to help out with the bills, and I honestly didn’t mind it. School bored me, and I felt a lot better about myself to have a job and get paid and help out with the rent. My job wasn’t exciting—just working in a clothes shop—but it paid well, and I had steady hours.

“Jimmy’s band had been doing well, too. They’d gotten seen by some producer, and long story short, they were asked to sign a contract for their first real studio-produced album. Of course, all the guys jumped on board. I was so proud of them.

“But they began pulling long hours at the studio. Which was fine. They were busy. But there’d be weeks when I saw Jimmy for only an hour or two.” Rose’s voice died as she remembered the nights she’d go to bed alone, only to be woken up a few hours later by Jimmy’s wandering hands and lips. Sometimes she enjoyed their midnight romps, but other times, she wished he would let her sleep. She’d yelled at him the morning after that first night he’d ignored her wishes to keep sleeping. He’d yelled right back, eventually storming off. He’d called her a few hours later, apologizing and begging her to forgive him, promising that he wouldn’t do it again.

James was looking at her curiously, but without an ounce of pity. She could’ve kissed him for that kindness. He’d finished with the cork, which lay in a few mangled pieces on the counter, but his attention was fixed on her.

“We sort of… grew apart,” Rose said softly, skipping over the details of her deteriorating relationship. Living through them had hurt enough; she had no desire to recall them to memory if she could help it. “I was getting restless. I made decent money at my job, but I knew I didn’t want to be folding clothes for the rest of my life. But Jimmy… well, he thought I should be happy with what we had. And that I wouldn’t need to work once the album was finished, because he was gonna be a famous rock star.” Rose snorted and shook her head. “We got into it over me not wanting to be a trophy girl for him to parade around like a prize. And how I wanted to have a partner in a relationship. I didn’t want to be dependent on someone.”

Jimmy hadn’t taken well to that statement. He’d sneered at her that she was damn lucky to have what she did, and any other girl would be grateful to be in her shoes. But if she wasn’t happy, she could damn well leave and see how far she could get in life on her own.

That had been one of the cruelest thing Jimmy had said to her.

“Good for you,” James murmured.

Rose sighed. “Thanks. Jimmy didn’t think so, though.”

“He sounds like a bit of a wanker. Er, no offense.”

Rose snorted out a laugh despite the crack in her chest. “He kinda was. But I still hadn’t realized. I was still in love with him, and blind to anything he said or did. I figured he was stressed because of the album he was making.” She shrugged. “Anyways, he stopped coming home at a reasonable hour, and there’d be days when I didn’t see him. He and his band would go off partying with other up-and-coming musicians. He started drinking. A lot. His half of the rent went to booze and God knows whatever else. I made good money, but not enough to cover the full rent. We got into huge rows about it, but he always said we’d be fine when the album came out.

“This had been going on for a few months. We’d been together for over a year—which to me, seemed like forever. It was proof that he was the one and we’d grow old together and get our happy ending. I figured we were going through a bit of a rough patch, but everything would be fine when the record came out.

“Well, the album was released, and it was a local hit, but that was it.” Rose smiled wryly. “No fame and fortune for Jimmy Stone. But he still partied like a rock star, still spent all our rent money, and still stayed out ungodly late. He was never home on the weekends. And one day, he just never came back.”

Rose’s eyes burned as she remembered the helplessness of sitting around the flat, waiting for word from Jimmy. She didn’t know if he was performing in a nearby city, or dead in a ditch. Her calls and texts had gone largely unanswered.

“After two weeks, he called me to say he was moving in with this other girl.” Rose shook her head and rolled her eyes. “He’d been seeing her on the side for months. They were in love, apparently.”

Devastation pulled at James’s face. “Rose, I’m…”

She shrugged. “I was left with almost six-months back rent, and all the current utility payments. I called my mum, told her what happened, and asked if I could move home. And that was that. I released the flat, chatted with the landlady to explain the situation, and got myself on a payment plan to pay off the debt. She was really, really sweet about it.

“Mum was nice enough to not charge me anything when I first moved back. I chipped in with groceries when I could, but most of my pay went to the rent. I sent Jimmy a courtesy text, telling him I let go of the flat and to pick up his stuff, but other than that, I wanted nothing more to do with him.

“I worked for a year, then got restless, and went back for my A-levels. It took a bit longer than it should’ve but I was working as often as I could. I’d paid all my debts, but was utterly broke. I saved up all the money I could to pad my bank account and chip in with my mum’s bills. When my A-levels were finished, I started entertaining the idea of going to uni. Mum thought I should keep working. I had a good job, made good money, and if I stuck it out for a few more years, she thought I could probably get promoted through the shop.

“But I’d told Mum I didn’t want to work in a shop my whole life. Which she took offense to,” Rose added, pursing her lips at the remembered argument with her mother. “She worked in a shop her whole life, and she didn’t know why I didn’t think it was good enough. I said I wanted something different with my life. She still doesn’t really understand.

“I applied to universities, hoping to get some financial aid. I’d built up my bank account and didn’t want to deplete it, if I could help it. And this uni gave me the best offer, and I’d always wanted to see America, so here I am.”

Rose’s cheeks burned at exactly how much she divulged. Hearing the story aloud, listening to the way Jimmy had treated her… She was mortified and ashamed. What must James think of her? He probably thought she was the most naive, ridiculous girl who was an idiot to stay with someone who had treated her so awfully. Even her mother had been full of ‘I told you so’s when Rose had moved home.

But James… James was looking at her with the softest expression on his face. There was no judgement. No pity. Nothing but acceptance and sympathy.

God above, she loved him for that. For being here and letting her talk, and not sneering at her for her past mistakes.

He took a step towards her and opened his arms to enfold her in a hug. She went gladly and wrapped her arms around his waist, burrowing her nose into the fresh scent of his sweatshirt.

“I’m so sorry,” he murmured, resting his cheek on the top of her head. “I’m sorry Jimmy was a wanker. But you should be proud of yourself, Rose. So proud. Look at what you’ve done, eh? Look at what you’re doing. You pulled yourself out of a shit situation, and made a better life for yourself. You’re amazing, Rose Tyler.”

Rose smiled into his chest, and felt her eyes prickling at the warmth of his words and the utter conviction in his voice.

“Thanks for listening,” she whispered.

“Thank you for trusting me with your story,” he countered, giving her a tight squeeze. She could’ve sworn she felt his lips press against the top of her head, but it was too gentle and quick of a motion. Perhaps it had merely been a bump of his chin.

He released her and smiled softly down at her.

“Wine time?” he asked, jutting his chin to the bottle.

They took the wine to the living room, where a stack of board games and a deck of cards sat on the coffee table.

As they waited for their dinner, they played a few rounds of War.

When the food arrived, James scooped up Merry and Pippin and shut them away in his bedroom.

“They’re obnoxious around food,” he explained. “They’d be walking all over it, and Pippin would eat half of it, no matter if it made him sick for days. I sprinkled some catnip on their beds, so they should be stoned for the rest of the night.”

Rose chuckled and shook her head at him. He sat down on the floor with his back to the sofa, prompting her to sit beside him as he opened up all the bags and boxes of food.

“What do I owe you?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he replied. “I would’ve ordered this much food even if it was only meself tonight.”

Rose nodded. “Thank you for dinner.”

As they dug into the vast amounts of food, James flipped on a news station and taught her a few of his favorite board games.

Rose had never really played board games before, but she found she thoroughly enjoyed it. He introduced her to Risk, Settlers of Catan, and Pandemic, explaining to her his bastardized rules for two people versus the real rules when more players joined in the fun.

“I had game nights with my mum and dad every Friday,” James told her out of the blue when he moved his playing piece across the Pandemic board. “We would stay up ‘til almost midnight, sometimes playing one game for hours, and other times hopping between a few different games. After they died… I refused to play with my Aunt Sarah. It wasn’t the same with two people, y’know. And- and it hurt.

“But then one night, I’d gone to the kitchen and Sarah was playing Solitaire at the table by herself, and she asked if I wanted to play Rummy. Being the sulky fourteen-year-old I was, I grumbled for a few minutes, but eventually gave in. We only played one round, but it was the first time I’d played something in the five months I’d been living with her. We slowly made our own tradition of playing games. Not Friday nights, though. But special occasions, usually. Holidays, nights I couldn’t sleep—” James tilted his head to the TV, where news anchors were debating the odds of Clinton versus Trump winning the election— “election nights. It became a once-in-a-while thing for me and my aunt.”

Rose swallowed though the lump in her throat. Not knowing what to say, she just shifted closer to where he sat on the floor and rested her palm on his thigh. She felt his leg muscles tense, but before she could retract her hand, his covered hers and he said, “S’your turn.”

Even though it made eating and playing their game a bit harder, she kept her fingers twined with his.

As the night wore on and results started coming in, they called game night quits and instead moved to the sofa, where they continued laying into the wine. The bottle was nearly finished, and Rose’s face was hot as she got tipsier.

“How is it still too close to call?” James screeched at the TV. “How has Hillary not completely swept up all of the votes?”

“It’s only nine o’clock,” Rose said soothingly. “The entire west coast hasn’t closed their polls yet.”

“Hmm, true. California alone can probably steal this election for Hillary,” he mused. He reached out for the wine bottle and frowned when he saw it was empty. “Did we spill some?”

Rose giggled. “Nope. We drank the whole thing.”

“So that’s why the room is all wibbly-wobbly.”

“Wibbly-wobbly? Is that a technical term?”

“Oh, definitely,” he said, setting the bottle back on the coffee table. “I think I should switch to water now, though.”

“Yeah, you’re a bit wine-drunk.”

“Wine-drunk?!” he spluttered. “I am not!”

“Yeah you are,” she countered, sticking her tongue out at him.

He blew a raspberry back at her, then shuffled to the kitchen. When he came back, it was with a platter of biscuits and two glasses of water balanced in his hands.

“Found come chocolate chip cookies in my freezer,” he said, passing her a glass. He then carefully plopped back onto the sofa and set the plate of biscuits onto the table before them.

Rose grabbed one and nibbled slowly. They lapsed into an easy silence as they watched the news. She could feel the tension coming off of James as the time grew later and things were still too close to call.

“What if he actually wins?” James murmured quietly, frowning at the television.

Rose shrugged, not knowing what to say. Instead, she scooted nearer to him under the guise of wanting to grab the blanket that was draped behind him.

“Oh, sorry, is it too cold in here?” he asked.

“Nah, I’m fine,” she said. “A blanket will be enough. D’you need it too?”

His mouth worked for a moment, before he nodded slowly. Perhaps it was the alcohol giving her a boost of courage, but she pressed herself into James’s thigh and threw the blanket over their laps. His body was warm beside hers, and it took every ounce of strength to resist resting her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arm around his waist.

Instead, she mangled the blanket in her fingers and sat perfectly still as they watched the news anchor.

After a few minutes, when it was clear that James wasn’t uncomfortable with their close proximity, Rose let her muscles relax bit by bit. She no longer flinched away when their legs brushed against each other, and she stopped caring if she was half-nuzzled into his side.

Her heart thudded hollowly in her chest as she committed the feel of this moment to memory. She remembered when she and Jimmy would cuddle on the couch. Wrapping herself around the person she loved, leaving no space between their bodies, had been one of the best feelings in the world.

It felt even better to be pressed up to James. The smell and feel of him soothed her and left her aching for more.

She glanced up at him through her lashes—he was utterly entranced by the TV and had shoved half a biscuit into his mouth, making his cheeks bulge out. She watched his jaw work as he chewed, then the way his throat bobbed and flexed as he swallowed. He swiped his tongue across his lips and at the corners of his mouth, getting any lingering crumbs, and his bottom lip shined so invitingly. God, she’d never wanted to kiss him more than she did in this moment.

And really, what was the worst that could happen?

He could freak out and get upset or angry and I could ruin the closest friendship I’ve ever had and never see him again and as a result utterly fail chemistry and get kicked out of uni and have to move all the way back to London where I’m sure to never ever see or hear from him for the rest of my life.

Rose deflated at the tiny voice in her mind. Right. Of course. Stupid Rose. James was her friend. He was her friend who was helping her study for a class so she didn’t fail out of uni. That was it. That was all they could be.

Something deep in her chest cracked, cleaving an ache that left her cold and empty.

She let out a soft sigh and returned her attention to the TV rather than the beautiful boy sitting beside her.

Another hour passed, and as the clock neared midnight, the television finally heralded good news.

“Thank God!” James crowed when Hillary Clinton surpassed the necessary 270 electoral votes. “Blimey, there’s no reason this election should’ve been this close.”

Rose beamed, weak with relief at the outcome.

“Oh, Trump’s sure to go on a Twitter tantrum,” James chuckled. “Wanna see?”

He was already reaching for his mobile, and after tapping a few buttons, he leaned into Rose’s side and held the phone out in front of them. There were a series of Tweets proclaiming all sorts of awkward things about “Crooked Hillary” and “voter fraud” and general insults of the nation as a whole, specifically Democrats.

“What an arse,” Rose said, rolling her eyes. “Thank God that man-child isn’t going to be in charge of a nation.”

“Thank God indeed. Hopefully there are no universes where that imbecile got elected.” James scrunched up his face in an expression of disgust, but Rose cocked her head at him.

“No universes?”

“Have you heard of the theory of parallel universes?” he asked.

“No, but I’m pretty sure the name sort of implies what they are,” she teased, poking her tongue out as she grinned. He pouted, and she couldn’t contain her laughter. “Oh, all right. Tell me about parallel universes.”

James sniffed, but quickly got over his feigned offense.

“It’s the idea that there are an infinite number of worlds all stacked around each other, and that every decision we make branches off a new parallel world where maybe we made a different decision. Like maybe rather than eating a burger for dinner one night, you had the salad, but it was contaminated with E. coli and you had to go to the hospital, where you then met a someone who you befriended then fell in love with, and you go on to get married and have kids and you grow old together.” Rose marveled that he was able to say so many words all in one breath. “Well, there would be a parallel you who ate that burger instead of the salad and you didn’t get sick and you didn’t find your future husband and you’re still going on with your life.

“Therefore, there have got to be universes where Trump got elected president, or where the UK left Europe. Or…” He shuddered. “Or both.”

Rose shook her head at his daft, over-the-top reaction. But her heart stuttered and she couldn’t help but beam at him. He was just… so very James-ish in this moment that her whole body thrummed with love for him.

In an attempt to shove that thought to the side, Rose said, “So there’s probably a universe where I decided to not come to uni in the States?”

James went still beside her, but he nodded, a short, quick dip of his head. He looked so sad that she wrapped her arm around his and hugged it.

“For the record,” she whispered, “I’m very glad I’m living in this parallel world.”

His throat bobbed. After a moment, with a raspy voice, he said, “Yeah. Yeah, I’m glad I’m living in this parallel world, too.”

Kiss him kiss him kiss him kiss him. Rose ignored the little voice in her head and instead hugged his arm tighter. That little voice in her head grew louder as she felt his breathing go unsteady, his head ducking down towards hers. She peeked up at him, and saw his eyes were a shade darker than they’d been before. His tongue darted out to wet his lips, and his eyes flashed to her mouth too.

Oh God oh God oh God.

“Well, it’s late,” she blurted, panicking. “We should probably go to bed.”

“Yeah,” he mumbled, his voice flat. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Rose tossed the blankets off of herself and stood up from the sofa. She nearly ran from the room, but didn’t want James to think something was wrong, so she forced herself to move normally as she gathered up some of the dirty dishes and took them to the sink.

After a moment, she heard James following her.

She turned towards him as he walked into the kitchen. His eyes were shuttered, his face wary.

Shit.

“I had a really nice time tonight,” she said, wringing her hands in front of her. “Really. This is the most fun I’ve had in a while.” She chewed on her bottom lip and squeezed her fingers so hard that she popped her knuckles. Then, before she could even think, she skipped up to him, rocked up on her tiptoes, and brushed a kiss to his cheek. His skin was soft and warm, and his day-old stubble tickled deliciously, and god-fucking-dammit she was making it a thousand times harder for herself to not press herself closer and move her face a few inches to the side to catch his lips straight on.

It took everything she had to drop back onto her heels and take a step back.

“Thank you, James,” she said softly, her cheeks burning. “G’night.”

Then she fled the kitchen before he could even reply.

[edgeoffluffy]

Yule Ball Confidance

DISCLAIMER :

First fanfiction ever! Please don’t be harsh, you wise fanfic-accustomed Potterheads!

I’m French, English is not my mother tongue so excuse the possible weird turn of phrases and style. Not sorry about the pun in the title tho :P

Ok, so the idea here is that you’re a champion in the Tri-Wizard Tournament instead of Cedric. You’re in the same year as the Golden Trio, you hang out with them often. The age limit doesn’t exist but there is still the drama that Hogwarts has two champions instead of one. You managed to survive the first task, but it wasn’t brilliant. You are looking for the perfect date to make an impression at the Yule Ball and you think Neville could be just the one to do this. (The Neville here is Movie Neville, who slays ballroom dancing). This is kind of a fluffy Neville x Reader thing, but it’s not reaaally romantic. More like BFF/love weird limit. See what you want in it.

WELL AFTER ALL THAT, LET’S GET STARTED.

Ever since the first task, despite not achieving what you hoped, you were assaulted every day in the hallways by guys wanting to go to the Yule Ball with you. You were not familiar with all the fame, unlike Fleur who always had a procession of bewitched boys in her trail. You could have told them yes, but you wanted to go with a friend, someone you cared about.

You were waiting a special event to make your decision. Hagrid had warned you about the dance practice that Professor McGonagall was going to hold since you surprised him carrying around a giant gramophone. And finally, the day came.

You liked dancing. In the hallways, near the Black Lake, in the shower, in the girls’ dormitories in Gryffindor tower, which annoyed all the other girls because you are taking so much space. You knew you were somewhat good at it and you thought that busting the right moves at the Yule Ball in front of everyone could repair your confidence somewhat weakened by the first task. Damn you dragons! 

So, on the D day, in the large classroom where the Gryffindor were assembled, as McGonagall explained everyone about the Yule Ball and music started to play, you began your hunt. You were paired with George, which immediately invited you to dance with abounding suggestive eyebrow movements. He wasn’t so bad as you began quickly to waltz around the classroom while everybody stepped on each other’s toes. But you were looking for your target.

Since the beginning of the practice you noticed that Neville, of all people, had a fiery look in his eyes. A look that you only knew from when he was facing a particularly recalcitrant plant in herbology. For an unknown reason, he seemed more than motivated to learn dancing while the boys next to him stared at him with a mocking look.

Finally, you spotted him in the middle of the dancers. He was fighting dancing with a giggling Lavender who seemed quite nervous. The pair was struggling and did not look like they were having a very good time. As the song finished and the couples across the room facepalmed quietly and/or laughed at the general awkwardness of their first dance, you politely thanked George for the dance (to which he replied with a “M’lady” tipping an invisible hat). Neville was looking really disappointed. 

You discreetly approached him while McGonagall was scolding everyone for being exactly what she feared: a babbling bumbling band of baboons.“Hey Neville!” you whispered.

“Hey…” he replied, a defeated look on his face.“Care to dance with me on the approaching next public humiliation?”

“What?”

“The next song…”

“With me?”

“No, with the wall behind you silly!”

At this moment, the music started to play again, and everyone was begrudgingly going back to being less terrible. Deciding not to give him a choice, you took Neville by the arm and dragged him across the dancefloor. Once he returned to his senses, you began to dance to the upbeat waltz produced by the gramophone. While hesitant at first, Neville began to properly lead. As you gracefully travelled through the shocked faces of the other students, his face lightened considerably, like a child on a Christmas morning. 

You knew it somehow: Neville was really good at dancing. His unexpected skill was now revealed to all the students around you. Once the music stopped, a delighted professor McGonagall warmly complimented Neville who did not seem to fully realize what was happening to him. After everyone exited the classroom, you caught up with Neville, who seemed to remain on a cloud. 

“Neville!” you called. He turned around. 

“Yes?”

“Neville, do you know how amazing you were out there?”

“Apparently!” he said with a small laugh. “Would you go to the Yule Ball with me?” you asked in a smile. 

“Yes!” he replied, a delighted look on his face. 

Suddenly, a realization came upon him. 

“Wait. You’re a champion. Does this mean we’ll have to open the ball in front of everyone?” 

This damn lack of confidence. You had it too, you understood it. 

“Mayyyvbe?” you tempted. 

“Then I don’t think…” 

“NEVILLE!” you cut him off, more abruptly that you intended to. What must you make things akward ?

 “Nevillle, we just danced in front of everyone! I know we can do it!”.

He thought for a while. 

“Alright… Let’s go!” he complied. 

“YES! Thank you! It’s gonna be great!” you exclaimed, giving him a brief hug then leaving him immediately, excited to begin planning everything.

The afternoon before the ball, you have spent really fun times with the Gryffindor girls in the dormitory. Parvati was cute as a button, Hermione looked stunning, and you were not so bad yourself in your midnight blue gown and your wavy half up half down hairdo. In short terms, everyone was beautiful and very late. Once the finishing touches were perfect, you rushed down the stairs with the other girls in not the most graceful way, but you were soon in front of the Great Hall.

Neville was there, looking smart and somewhat lost in his thoughts, with Harry, Ron and Padma, as pretty as her twin. Krum was brooding in the corner. He lit up as soon as he saw Hermione approach. Before you had a chance to catch your breath, the champions were called to open the ball. You looked at Neville who instantly offered his arm, a nervous look on his face. “It’s our arena, our trial” you whispered to him. “But this time, we are the dragon. Let’s show them how it’s done”. A determined, unknown look grew on his face as you began to follow Harry, Parvati, Hermione and Krum. 

They were astonished whispers and a few mocking whistles as you travelled across the crowd with him and took your place on the dance floor. A beat before the music started, Neville looked at you right in the eyes.

The orchestra began to play, everything became kind of a blur. You remember gracefully dancing across the floor, twirling around like the other couples at first then introducing intricate figures flawlessly in your choreography. You were laughing from the excitement while Neville kept a determined but radiant look, a little smile, while leading you steadily. Out of the blue, the partners were switched as other pairs joined the dance. 

You were swaying with a suddenly shy Viktor Krum as Hermione giggled while dancing with Harry. You noticed that Fleur Delacour, of all people, had a troubled look on her face in front of Neville’s new-found confidence as he was making her whirl around. You then jived with a completely uncoordinated and off-beat Harry but having a great time. You saw Parvati living her best life while dancing a crazy rock with Neville. You also remember leading and being stepped on for two minutes straight by Roger Davies, Fleur’s date. 

The party continued as every student joined in. Time flew by as you were having the best time with Neville who never looked so happy since you knew him. You noticed Hermione rejoining Harry and Ron and their dates on the other side of the room. You saw Ron and Hermione fighting and Hermione leaving, as you predicted because you bet with the Gryffindor girls that Ron would be jealous of Krum. You decided to cowardly leave Neville to a horde of girls wanting to dance with him. 

You rejoined the boys, who seemed to think they had done their share of dancing. Parvati and Padma looked absolutely bored out of their minds. “Are you not ashamed?” you said to Harry and Ron, who did not seem to understand what you meant. A popular pop song began to play. You turned to the twins. “Ladies, shall we dance?” A grateful look appeared on the girls’ faces. “Yes please!”

You danced all night long. Memories pop up one by one. Fred and George dancing salsa with each other, then with you. Seamus and Dean having the worst dance-off in history with Durmstrang boys. Two Hufflepuff muggle-borns attempting what they called “the Dirty Dancing lift”, whatever that meant. They both crashed in a group of offended/hilarious Beauxbatons students. 

You didn’t know what time it was, but you were exhausted. A slow song began. As you were about to leave after saying good night to everyone, someone grabbed your wrist. It was a completely disheveled Neville. Without saying a word, he pulled you back on the less crowded dancefloor and began to slow dance with you. No complicated steps, no wild rhythm, just the two of you. Nonetheless, the heat began to rise in his cheeks and a little bit in yours.

“You know, my grandma always told me that a man should know how to do three things: fight, learn and dance”. He giggled. “I’m not really good at either fighting or learning even though I try so hard. Thank you for teaching me how to dance”. You shook you head. “I didn’t teach you a thing Neville. You had it in you the whole time. I only noticed it. You showed what you’ve got to the rest of us and you did it perfectly. I’m sure the fighting and the learning is somewhere in there!”

He sheepishly smiled. “You really think so?” You smiled back. “I’m persuaded of it. Thank you for a great night. I’m gonna steal that confidence of yours and nail the next task with it!” 

He laughed. “You? Lacking confidence?” You raised your eyes to the starred ceiling. “Of course! Surviving an encounter with a dragon doesn’t mean I’m not completely terrified of what is next!”

He stopped dancing for a bit, looking right at you. “I assure you you’re the most capable person in this tournament. You can win it if you want it”.

You were startled by his sudden seriousness. Not knowing what to say, you took him in your arms and hugged him. You were vulnerable for once and incredibly grateful, because that is what you needed. A friend, someone you cared about to believe in you, so you can believe in yourself again.

And that night, the two of you learned something about themselves from each other.

[the-writer-ofthe-fandoms]

Cherry Red Prt2 (Jasper Hale)

Pairing: Jasper Hale/ Reader Words: 2500+ Warning(s): implied smut, fluff A/N: This is a long one! I had many ideas along with good suggestions/requests for part 2 so i put them all together~ Enjoy! Part 1: ♥

   The day was here. A big day in your life that made you nervous and jittery.

   Your wedding day.

   After the whole incident with the Volturi and Renesmee, Jasper had proposed to you. It was sweet, he had all the vampires that were still around help plan the whole thing, even little Renesmee was in on it. Alice and Rose took you out shopping while Jasper had everyone else decorate the Cullen house with your favorite flowers. When you had gotten back your jaw had dropped at the sight and when he dropped to one leg, you pounced him saying yes.

   Currently Alice was doing your makeup, Rose was doing your hair while Esme and Bella got your dress and jewelry ready.  You kept fidgeting with your bathrobe, trying to stay as still as you can.

   "Almost done..." Alice muttered as she dragged red lipstick on your lips. "There! Now don't you mess up my masterpiece!"

   "I won't" You laugh.

   "Your hair is all done too." Rose smiled as she pulled you to your feet, giving you a hug.

   "Now you girls go and get ready, Bella and I can help with the dress." Esme held the dress while you stripped off the robe. She helped you into your beautiful, white cap-sleeved dress, unique and gorgeous lace patterns covered the skirt and top of the dress. After your future mother-in-law zipped the back, Bella carefully clipped the thin, medium length veil with a lace flower trim in your hair. The two led you to the mirror and you gasped at the sight of yourself.

   "You are so beautiful, dear." Esme smiled and squeezed your shoulders.

   "Your about to become apart of the family, how do you feel?" Bella asked.

   "Nervous. Definitely nervous." You nod, looking at the both of them. "A little scared too but excited."

   "I felt the same way at my wedding, (Y/N), everything will go smoothly. Just don't trip down the isle." She smiled as you gave her a playful glare. Alice and Rose came in after putting their dresses on and they made sure to compliment you and give hugs.

   "Edward, Emmett and Carlisle had to restrain Jasper from coming in here. He can feel your nervousness from outside." Alice giggled. "You are all set, ready?"

   "Over the top ready." You let out a shakey as they all lead you the door and to the hall. Carlisle stood there waiting to walk you down the isle while the four women left to join your friends and family sat.  

   "Your father would have been proud to walk you down the isle. I am honored to do so for him." Carlisle looped his arm with yours, his cold hand rested on yours. Your father had been killed in an accident before you moved to Forks seven years ago, Carlisle was your go to person to walk you down the isle for him.

   "Thank you Carlisle, for all this. You and your family are all so kind, treating me like I'm one of your own ever since the beginning."

   "Of course, you are not only Jasper's mate, but someone important to the family." He squeezed your hand right as the music started. Carlisle opened the door, leading you outside and down the isle, passing friends and family with Seth being the ring bearer (he was like a little brother to you, and he didn’t mind being the ring bearer despite his age) and Renesmee as the flower girl, both in front of you and Carlisle.

   Your eyes widen as your face heated up when you saw Jasper turn around to look at you. He was absolutely handsome with his golden-blonde hair slick back, dressed in a black suit. You stood at the arch where a priest and Jasper waited, staring at how drop-dead handsome he looked. Jasper gave you that side-ways smile that would make you weak at the knees.

   "Your cheeks are all red, Darling." He spoke with his southern-drawl. "You look gorgeous."

   "So do you, Jass." You smile as he took your hands into his. The priest started reading out the vows for you and Jasper to repeat. You weren't aware of your hands shaking until you felt a soothing wave of emotions calmed you down. You both repeated each vow with ease, staring at each other with love.

   "Do you, Jasper Hale, take (Y/N) (L/N) as your wedded wife to have and to hold, in sickness and in heath, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself solely unto her for as long as you both shall live?" The priest asked.

   "I do, with all my being." Jasper gave a little smirk at the last thing the priest said, give your hands a gentle squeeze.

   "Do you, (Y/N) (L/N), take Jasper Hale as your wedded husband to have and to hold, in sickness and in heath, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself solely unto his for as long as you both shall live?"

   "I...I do!" You grin as you knew what would happen next.  Seth came up and held the pillow that had your rings. You and Jasper swap rings before look back at the priest.

   ""With power invested in me by the State of Washington, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride!"

   With no hesitation, Japer pulled you into his body, slightly dipping you into a kiss. You've kissed him many times before but this kiss, this kiss felt special. Everyone clapped and cheered as you and Jasper pulled away, holding hands.

-

   You and Jasper spent the first half of your honeymoon in Paris, France. Thanks to the Cullen's having friends, they were able to pull some strings for you and Jasper to be able to walk through the Louvre after-hours. You took a night stroll under the lit up Eiffel tower, went to restaurants and tried new food, and Jass even got you a few alcoholic drinks; giving you a few human experiences before your 'turn' date.

   After Paris, you both boarded a plane to a surprise destination. After the plane ride and a walk through a very eccentric city until you reached a boat. You lean against Jaspers back as he drove the boat towards an oncoming island, growing larger as you both got closer. You knew this must be Isle Esme.

   "I hope you don't mind being here, sugar." He smirked as he help you off the small boat. "Few more things for you to experience while your still warm."

-

   Life on the island was amazing. Vast jungle, warm beautiful waterfalls, a great beach and an amazing house. Everything was pretty much perfect. It was the last few days of your honeymoon and you've done as many things as you could as a human. Except one thing.

   Sex.

   Jasper was out hunting whilst you stayed in the home, pacing in the bedroom while biting your lip, looking at the three sets of lingerie your sister-in-law's picked out.  You wanted to do this as a human, but you were nervous. You had complete trust in Jasper not to hurt you and you were taking precaution's, you were just too shy to ask him or to even initiate it. You weren't even sure if he would want to do this.

   You look at the lingerie sets once again, your eyes rolling at the deep red one. Thanks to that comment Jasper made about your 'cherry red blush', the Cullen's did not stop teasing you about it. You take the red lacey garment and decided it was now as a human or later as a vampire.  

   You changed into the lingerie and look at yourself in mirror, your face felt like fire. The red, babydoll lingerie fit you perfectly, the sheer lace cups and the sheer bodice complimented you perfectly, along with the thong that came with it. You sighed and put on a robe, you tied it and walked out to the wide living room. You look out one of the large windows, watching the sun dip along the ocean; Jasper would be back any second.

   With a blink of the eye, your husband walked in, his eyes back to their golden hue. He walked up to you with his charming smile, placing his hands on your hips as he kissed your lips tenderly.  

   "Hello sugar." He said but then furrowed his brows. "I can sense your nervous, what's wrong?"

   "Nothing really." You put on a fake smile for him.

   "Now I know that's a lie. You know I can sense emotions, right?"

   "Well, Jasper, I want to experience one more thing as a human. I'm just not sure how to go about this." You look him in the eyes and you can tell he was starting to feel what your feeling. His eyes traveled down your body, the corner of his mouth quirked up.

   "I see, ma'am." His pale hands untied the robe and let it fall off to the floor, taking in your appearance. Jasper didn't say anything, which made you feel embarrassed, maybe Jasper didn’t like what you picked. "Don't feel embarrassed, sugar."

   "Do... Do you like it?"

   "You look ravishing. Are you sure you want this?"  

   "Yes I do." Without any hesitation, Jasper swept you off your feet and in a blink of the eye, you were laying on your back with Jasper hovering over you.

   "If I hurt you at all-"

   "I trust you, Jas. You won't hurt me." You smile and place hand on his cheek. He gives a slight nod and lend forwards. His cool lips met yours in a sweet kiss, his hands traveled all over your body. His hands find themselves unclasping the lingerie top as you unbutton his shirt, discarding it somewhere across the room.

   "I love you so much, (Y/N)." He whispered into your ear, attacking your neck with kisses. His hands pulled your legs up to wrap around his hips as he practically ripped the thong off your body, leaving you totally exposed.  The vampire slips off his remaining clothes, leaving him and you nude. Your face heated up while you tried to cover your face

   "Jass!"

   "I'll miss those cherry red cheeks, darling." He chuckled, gentle pulling your hands away. He pulled your body close to his old one, positioning himself as you buried your warm face into his neck.

   The night was pure ecstasy.

-

   You and Jasper arrived back at the Cullens residence at the brink of dawn. Today was the day you were going to be turned into a vampire. Everyone was okay with you being turned and the wolves made an exception to the treaty, especially since the pack and Cullens grew closer. Rosalie was against it of course, and you understood why, but she told you she's glad you had a choice.

   Currently, you were laying down on the medical bed that Bella used. The only people in the room were Jasper and Carlisle, Jasper held onto your hand as Carlisle started the preparations. You were beyond nervous, but Jass made sure to send calming vibes your way which helped a lot.

   "Now this will be excruciatingly painful." Carlisle said gently as he sat next to you. "I would do this any other way but unfortunately I'll have to bite you."

   "I would do it myself, I'm just afraid to lose control." Jasper said as he petted your hair with his free hand.

   "Are you ready, (Y/N)?" You gulped but nodded at Carlisle question. He gave you a reassuring smile as he gently took hold of your arm. Without another moment, he sunk his glistening teeth into your flesh. A blood curdling scream left your throat as you felt the fire-like sensation run through your veins almost instantly. You writhe uncontrollably as the pain increased, Carlisle and Jasper had to hold down your thrash limbs.

   Screams erupted from your throat and tears streamed down your first, you kept begging them to stop the pain. This were fuzzing up your mind but you could make out Jasper yelling at his adoptive father to do something. You could tell Jasper could feel the pain you were feeling, he was trying desperately to calm you but the venom was too much.

   You looked into Jasper frighten eyes one last time until you blacked out from the pain.

-

   Your eyes snap open, but things were different. Everything was clearer than before, you noticed small details around you like dust floating in the air or the smallest droplet of water dribbling down a vase across the room. You sit up and look at your arms, noticing your skin was considerably paler and smooth. Your head perked at the sound of the bedroom door opening.

   "Hey, your awake." Jasper smiled. You smile too and get up to hug him, but you didn't realize how fast you would be going, causing you to crash into him. Luckily, he was able to embrace the crash and keep you both on your feet.

   "Holy shit..." You laughed and gripped onto his biceps.  

   "You'll learn to control that soon." He led you to the mirror at a normal sped, allowing you to take a look at yourself in their mirror. Your skin was completely flawless now, no small freckles, just smoothness but what really shocked you was your bright, vibrant red eyes.

   "Beautiful." Jas kissed your temple. "Your eyes are like cherries."

   "Don't forget I'm a stronger than you now Jasper."

   "Don't forget I used to fight newborns, Sugar." He smirked. You smiled playfully but think a sensation hit you, a very painful one.  You cover your throat as thirst started over coming you.

   "Looks like we need to take you out on your first hunt." You looked to the door way and saw Emmett leaning there with his arms crossed and the rest of the Cullen's behind him. "And after you hunt I'm going to wrestle you, test your newborn strength."

   "I'll look forward to it, Em." You smirk.

   "Alright you, Emmett. Let's leave them alone." Esme gave a knowing smile and they all left you and Jas alone.

   "I love you so much, Jasper. Forever and eternity." You face him and place your hands on his firm chest.

   "I love you too, Darling. Forever and eternity." He gave you a deep, passionate kiss before he took your hand, led you to the window. You smile at each other and take off running side by side.

   Side by side forever.

[gottalovetheletos]

Love without shame. Jared Series. Ch 6.

Authors note:  None. 

Warnings: smut-ish.

Word Count: 1,791.

Love without shame. Chapter 6. 

If you haven’t read it here’s : CHAPTER 5 

I woke to Jared’s beard tickling my neck and he nuzzled in giving me kisses. Planting them on what ever piece of skin was exposed to him. “Good morning” I sleepily kissed him. “Good morning beautiful” he whispered. “Do you want breakfast?” he asked. “NO thanks. I’m just gonna have a banana then go for a run, thank you though” “Okay, I’m gonna get something to eat then baby” I nodded. He kissed me on the tip of my nose and went downstairs. His pajama trousers were ridiculously low. I could see his V lines. I just wanted to run my tongue down them. I shook the thought out of my head and got dressed for my run. 

I walked downstairs and got myself a banana from the fruit bowl and joined Jared outside where he was eating his breakfast and messaging people about work. “Oh don’t forget we’re going to the tour party this evening” he announced to me. “What do you mean don’t forget. How can I forget if you didn’t tell me in the first place” I laughed. “It’s okay. I’ll get some money from my purse and buy something on my run on the way back” Luckily I passed a few clothing stores on my route. I finished my banana and watched Jared for a while. Getting up to sit on his lap and putting my hands around his neck. “I love you. You’re so perfect” I told him. He looked up from his phone. “ I love you too. You are perfect to me as well!” I smiled. “I’m off for my run, I’ll be back later” I kissed him. Before leaving I found my earphones, money and my phone. I closed the door behind me. I was about 20 minutes into my run and had 10 minutes left. I saw a beautiful little boutique and stepped inside. I was searching for the perfect dress for tonight. Something that I didn’t mind Jared ripping off of me. Towards the back of the store I found a perfect while lace dress. It was gorgeous and I knew I had some shoes at Jared’s well my new home that would go with it. I took the dress to the counter. “ very pretty this dress isn’t it?” asked the cashier. “Yeah, it’s gorgeous” “going out somewhere?” “Yup, my boyfriends friends are hosting a little gathering. I just want to look nice you know?” the cashier nodded her head. “That’ll be $84.99 please” I passed her $100 bill and received my change. I walked towards the door, opened it and carried on with my run. Well now it was just a walk. I was too busy thinking about how I was going to do my make up. 

 I’d arrived home and Jared called out. “Y/N is that you?” “Yeah babe why?” “Can you come here a minute?” I followed his voice into his bedroom. “I’ve got you a gift” he said handing me a gold box. I opened the box and inside were a pair of vibrating panties. “These are for tonight, we’re gonna have some fun” he insisted. ‘Now this is going to be fun’ I thought. “I’m going to keep this is my pocket and you’re going to keep that” he took the remote and pointed to the bullet in the panties. “In between you beautiful pussy. Every time you do something I find attractive I’m going to turn the vibration up just a little more until you’re a quivering mess begging me to cum, do you understand princess?”

 “Hmm, yes daddy” a smile made an appearance on my face. It was only 10 am. “Hey, I’m gonna have a shower then we can decide what were going to do today” I told him. Surprised he didn’t want to shower with me. But he had a little packing left to do so I totally understood. I took my time. I made sure to shave everything whist in the shower. In order to be prepared for tonight. After my shower I got dressed and found Jared. “Have you decided what you want to do?” I looked at him waiting for a response. “Yeah, I just want to spend it with you” his vague answer wasn’t good enough for me. “Yeah but doing what?” “let’s go out for lunch then come back here to get ready and try on your new panties”. he was so excited for the panties that I couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay. Sounds like a plan” We spent a couple of hours doing our own things in the house. I was still sorting through my boxes. My phone started ringing it startled me. “Hello?” it was the letting agency. They were ringing to say they’d had a few people to come and look at the apartment and a lovely couple wanted to rent it. I told her to go for it. They could move in when ever they wanted to. That put a big smile on my face. I’d sorted through a few boxes. It was now 1 pm, I walked through the house to find Jared at his desk. “Hey, did you wanna grab some lunch now?” “Hey beautiful. Yeah let me finish up here and I’ll join you” “Okay I’ll grab my purse” I also put my shoes on and was waiting by the door. Jared threw on some Gucci gear and we left. We decided on all vegan restaurant. Jared found it a while ago. It was hidden down some quiet street. We spent a couple of hours at the restaurant and after headed home. The party wasn’t until 11 PM we had plenty of time to get ready. I mean I need at least 3 hours to get ready. Plus an extra hour just to make sure I’m ready. so 4 hours. It was now 4 pm. Jared and I sat down and watched some documentary that he’d recorded and shared a bowl of popcorn. He was very attentive. Watching my every move. His eyes burning into me with lust. I could feel the want between us. But I wanted to wait until tonight. His hands were on mine and his thumb stroking mine. I was going to miss this. I still can’t believe he’s going to be gone for 4 months. I was happy for him and now I don’t have a job I can visit him if the rent was payed on time. I can only hope. While I was thinking about that, the letting agent phoned. She told me the new renters could move in tomorrow, if that was okay with me. They’d paid the £1000 deposit and had their first months rent of £2000. She was going to move the money straight into my bank account. We exchanged pleasantries and hung up. It was now 7 pm time for me to get ready. I dressed in my new white lacy dress and put on my makeup then finished with jewelry. 

“Mmm. You look beautiful. Did you put on those panties I bought you?” he cocked his eyebrow. “No, I’ll go and get them!” I replied. “Tell me when they’re on. We ca test them out” I nodded and went off to find them. I peeled them out of the box and slowly pulled them up and positioned the bullet. “They’re on” I called from the bedroom. “Come down here then baby” he called back. I started walking down the stairs and saw him standing at the bottom with a look of mischief on his face. He pushed the button and my legs gave way. “Uh fuck” I yelled. “That was powerful” I exclaimed. “That wasn’t even on full. It was only half way” he smiled. “Well, tonight’s going to be fun” I laughed nervously. “Shall we go?” he asked. “Yeah, let me get my purse”. “Did I tell you how beautiful you look?” “Yes you did, but compliments are always welcomed”. We walked to the cab that was picking us up and got in. Jared looked out the window. I was staring at him when I felt a low vibration between my thighs making me jerk forwards just as the cab driver was looking in the mirror. “Are you okay Miss?” he questioned. “Yeah, sorry back spasm”. Apparently this was going to have to be my excuse for the night. The vibration subsided. Thankfully. I could see Jared reflection in the window. He was smiling so hard. We arrived at the party and walked inside. The venue was gorgeous. It was set in a pent house with an amazing view. 

My eyes wandered across the room for any familiar faces. There among the crowd were Shannon an Tomo with Vicki. We joined them and suddenly another vibe was sent through my legs. Sending another jolt through my body. “Y/N, are you okay?” Shannon asked rubbing my back. “yeah, she’s got a little back pain that’s all” Jared answered for me. It stopped and he pulled me in. “You doing okay princess?” “Fuck, MmmHmm” I answered. The party was moving along nicely. I’d started making some conversation with members of the team and getting to know them. As Jared and I have only been together for 3 months, I hadn’t really made friends with anyone. But Jared thought now was a good time for me to start meeting his friends and team. He was also off making conversation. However I was always in his view. While I was talking to some people he kept pressing the button, sending me into a mess almost on the floor. “If you’ll excuse me I’m just going to see J”. I walked over to him feeling slightly embarrassed. “What are you doing? I’m trying to make friends” “and I’m trying to make you cum” he laughed. After a few hours I was on the edge. I stuck with Jared for the rest of the evening. We were on the dance floor, dancing together. He turned up the power, it was now on full and I could heard a faint buzzing. I wrapped my hands around his neck and buried my face in there too. His hands on my ass. I moaned into his. “Uhh, daddy please. I need to cum”. “Do it baby. Cum for daddy in public. In front of all of these people” My face was deeper in his neck as my moans escaped. I tried to keep it down but struggled. “We’re leaving. I’m going to tie you up and fuck you hard tonight” “Okay but first please can you stop the panties. I can’t hold myself up” I said breathlessly. “Yes princess. But when we get home. You’re going to be taking orders from me” he whispered.  

CHAPTER 7 

__________________________________________

Jared - Love without shame tags: @dance4angels

[ao-no-exorcistfanfiction]

King of Light Pt. 2

Requested by a ton of people

Pairing: Y/N and Lucifer

Read Pt. 1 Here!

“Would you care for anything else, my lady?” 

“No,” you answered stiffly. The servant nodded cordially and exited the grand dining room. You stared at the large plate of delicious food in front of you, then at the gorgeous man sitting across from you, but all you could feel was sick to your stomach. 

You’d been taken prisoner by the Illuminati, but more specifically, by the Commander-in-Chief, Lucifer. Then again, prisoner was a poor term for what you were. Despite being held there against your will, you were treated like a queen. After your first meeting with the Demon King, you had been escorted to a gorgeous master bedroom, which was now yours. In addition, you had been given a large, walk-in closet, already filled with high-end, designer clothes. You were served three gourmet meals a day that were delicious- when you could manage to get food down. A servant waited on you, 24/7.

Lucifer’s company was also something you couldn’t really complain about. You were left alone for most of the day, but he was always present during meals. Also, every evening after dinner, he would join you in the foyer for about an hour. Each night, he would try to start a conversation, but you always just remained silent, so he would preoccupy himself with a book. He never got angry; never raised his voice, never demanded that you speak to him, never pushed you to do anything.

You’d lost track of the days you’d been stuck there, but your best educated guess was probably about two weeks. You managed to choke down a few bites of food while Lucifer gazed at you steadily from across the table. Once you put your fork down, he stood and made his way to your side of the table. He held out a hand for you to take, but you ignored it, choosing to rise on your own.

You started as if to go to the foyer, but he placed a hand on your shoulder. You did your best not to flinch. 

“I would like to take you somewhere else, if that’s ok, Y/N.” His voice was very even. Your first instinct was to say no, but you couldn’t deny the fact that you were intrigued. Also, for some reason, despite everything that had happened, you trusted Lucifer. He appeared to be a man of his word, which was something you admired.

Not trusting your voice, you simply nodded. He smiled lightly, then pulled something out of his pocket. It was a blindfold. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “It’s a necessary precaution.” You nodded again, and he gently tied the fabric across your eyes. 

He softly took your hand and began leading you through the complex. The building was huge, you understood that from your first recon mission here. You only had access to certain parts of the building and whenever you traveled from one room to the other, your servant accompanied you. 

You had tried to run once, but you quickly got lost and found yourself going in circles. Lucifer found you a few hours later, sitting dejectedly on the floor and carried you back to your room. 

His hand was warm in yours and you found yourself not minding his company for once. You took many twists and turns through the complex and you heard a few doors opening and closing. Finally, a door clicked open and you felt a breeze on your face.

A breeze!

Your hand instantly came up and tore the blindfold off your face. Outside. You were outside! You stood atop a balcony that overlooked a dark forest. The night sky dazzled in front of you. Lucifer studied your expression, but said nothing. 

You couldn’t help yourself; you stepped to the edge and glanced over. The balcony overlooked a steep drop-off, so deep you couldn’t see just how far down it went. There was no way of an escape. But it was still outdoors, with fresh air and the open sky in front of you.

Finally, Lucifer spoke, “I wondered if you would enjoy our evenings together more, if they took place out here.” You glanced back at him, and you felt something twinge in your heart.

“Yes,” you said; some of the first words you had spoken to him during your captivity. “I would enjoy that greatly.”

——————————————————————————————-

From then on, your evenings with Lucifer became much more bearable. You always reprimanded yourself when you found yourself beginning to look forward to them. He has you here as his prisoner, you told yourself. Just because he treats you so nicely doesn’t mean anything.

But the evenings were really nice. You talked more now, about anything really- except your captivity and the Illuminati. You learned he had a taste for American and British literature. You mentioned your favorite author in passing and the next day, a large pile of their work appeared in the library. He even moved lunch onto the balcony as well, so you could see the sun again. These behaviors continued for another three weeks.

Whenever it rained, the nights moved back into the foyer, but those were few and far in between, so this particular night you were out on the balcony. Lucifer had set up a telescope and had a book of astronomy in front of him. You both gazed at the stars and he pointed out the constellations. 

As he glanced through the telescope, adjusting it as he went, you found yourself studying him. You had found him gorgeous upon first sight, but without his military facade, he seemed softer somehow. But still unbreakable. 

His green eyes flashed to yours and you let out the breath you didn’t know you’d been holding. “Look,” he gently guided you to the telescope, so you could see the stars.

You looked at the stars for hours until a servant came and summoned Lucifer to his work. The blindfold went back on until you stood in front of your room. 

“Goodnight, Y/N.” This was Lucifer’s usual farewell, but for the first time he didn’t instantly turn and walk away. This was the first time you had seen him look… Awkward? As awkward as a man like Lucifer could look. There was no better word for it.

“Are you happy here?” he finally spoke. This was bizarre, but you contemplated his question for a moment anyways.

“Can anyone be truly happy if they’re not free?”

He made as if to say something, but stopped. He remained silent, but very tentatively leaned forward. Your eyes widened as he placed a soft kiss to your forehead. Then he was gone. 

Your head was spinning. What was wrong with you? Was the Stockholm Syndrome getting to you? You couldn’t get your thoughts straight. You sighed and entered your room.

——————————————————————————————-

“A ball?” 

“Yes,” his lip quirked up at the corner. “For my colleagues.”

An Illuminati ball. Lovely. He had brought up the topic during breakfast.

“What does that have to do with me?”

“I would like you to accompany me.”

“So, you want me to be your date?”

“If that’s how you’d like to put it. Then, yes, I’d like you to be my date.”

“When is this ball?”

“Tonight.”

“If I say no, what will you do?”

“Nothing. You’ll just have to stand all by yourself in the corner the whole time.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad to me.”

“Would that be your preference to dancing with me?”

You were silent, then cracked a smile.

“No. No, it wouldn’t.”

——————————————————————————————-

You were dressed in the finest dress your closet had to offer. The color and shape complimented you perfectly, and even you had to admit to yourself, you looked amazing. 

Lucifer arrived at your door to escort you to the ballroom (this place was so huge it had a ballroom, you could hardly believe it), and you were satisfied to see his jaw drop slightly at the sight of you.

“Y/N,” he held out his arm for you to take. “You look exquisite.” He was dressed in the attire you had first seen him in; the teal military jacket with all the medals. He looked wonderful as well.

“Thank you. You don’t look too bad either.”

The ballroom was in a wing you’d never been in before, but Lucifer never brought up the blindfold, so you guessed it was ok. 

“Here.” From his suit pocket, he pulled out an ornate mask that complimented your dress well. “I believe I forgot to mention that this was a masquerade.”

You admired the beauty of the mask before you slipped it on. “What mask will you be wearing?” You thought back to that first time again and the large gold mask he had worn. 

“This one.” It was not the one you had pictured. It looked more like yours, except it matched the color of his jacket. He offered you his arm again. “Shall we?”

The ballroom was gorgeous. The marble floor gleamed, white pillars lined the center dance floor, and the ceiling arched high overhead. The crystal chandelier was the main focus of the room.

You were fashionably late; many lavishly dressed people had already commanded the dance floor, while more lined the sides, chatting amongst themselves. Everyone we passed stopped and nodded respectfully to Lucifer. Even with the mask, it was impossible to not recognize the Demon King.

A new piece began and Lucifer cleared his throat, “May I have this dance?” You looked at him, a small smile on your lips. In a joking manner, you curtsied low, letting your dress billow up around you. 

“You may.”

In that instant, he whisked you onto the dance floor. He was an excellent dancer; so good, you didn’t even think twice of your own abilities. He swirled you amongst the other dancers. People stared as you passed; it wasn’t hard to be fascinated by the demon and the beautiful girl. You felt weightless and carefree, two things you hadn’t felt in a long time. 

The piece came to a close, and you gradually came to a stop. He took your hand, bowed low at the waist, and kissed it. You couldn’t help the smile that came to your lips. 

“Everyone’s staring,” you commented. 

“How could they not? You look absolutely gorgeous.” His eyes were suddenly piercing. Your heart thumped erratically. 

Another piece started and his demeanor was suddenly less intense. “Shall we?” He glanced at the dance floor. 

Your only response was to take his hand again.

——————————————————————————————-

You and Lucifer dominated the dance floor most of the night. This was the most fun you'd had in ages. However, during one of the slower dances, a servant approached. 

He whispered something into Lucifer’s ear. He didn’t seem alarmed, but he did stand up straighter, and removed his hand from yours.

“My apologies, Y/N,” he was as cordial as ever. “There is something that demands my immediate attention. I will return soon. Please, enjoy the party.” He placed one more lingering kiss upon your hand and then he was gone.

Now that you were alone, you suddenly felt much more awkward. You edged around the dancers until you came to the far wall. You found a small chaise surrounded by potted plants to sit on out of the way of the festivities. You sighed and relaxed. In your corner, you had a view of the dance floor, but you were mostly concealed from everybody else.

Not long after you sat down, one of the plants next to you shook as if someone was touching it from the other side. You couldn’t see who it was, but that was when the talking started.

“I can’t believe he’s here with her.”

You stopped breathing as you felt your stomach turn to ice.

“He originally planned to kill her as soon as she stepped foot in headquarters, but now he’s parading her around like some sort of trophy!”

The voice was female, and you broke out into a cold sweat as another voice joined in. 

“If he hadn’t looked into her case file so much, he wouldn’t have become obsessed like he has.”

“She has the ability to take down this whole operation, but he won’t do anything because he thinks he’s in love with her!” 

“You and I both know he’s not. Although, I can see his point. If he can keep her here and mollify her, it might bring her to our side. Actually, I’m sure that’s exactly what he’s doing! Keeping his enemies closer!”

“Yeah… I guess you’re right.”

“It baffles me sometimes just how cunning Lucifer is.”

You’d been at war with yourself; trying to convince yourself that they couldn’t be talking about you, but as soon as his name passed her lips, you felt your world spin. Your stomach felt like it was about to eject itself from your body and your vision turned blurry around the edges.

You had to get out of here.

You got up and ran, not caring who saw. You fled from the ballroom into the hallway. You ran, not paying attention to where you were going, taking whichever turn you came across.

Finally, you ran out of breath and collapsed to your knees, trying to calm your heart. The sick feeling in your stomach wouldn’t go away, and that, plus your running, had made you break out in a sweat. Thankfully, there was a nice breeze coming down the hallway that cooled your skin.

Wait.

A breeze?

You stood, the sick feeling suddenly gone, and walked against the flow of air. You went straight, took a left, then a right, and then… There it was!

You ran until you stood at the center of your balcony. You gulped in the fresh air, hands clutching the cement railing. You turned around and glanced at the door, waiting for a guard to be right behind you, but no one came.

Once you ascertained that no one was there, you looked at the rest of the plain, gray stone building. Your prison. You had to get out of here. Away from him. As you gazed in despair, you noticed something you’d never noticed before. 

Ivy grew all over the building, fitting into every nook and cranny it could. The nearest strand was right next to the balcony. You approached it cautiously. Looking over the side, you noticed that it grew all the way down. You reached out, wrapping a hand around the thick vine. Then you gave a vicious tug, pulling down with all your might. The ivy didn’t even move an inch.

Before you could even think about what you were doing, you climbed over the railing. You gripped the ivy as hard as you could with both hands, then swung your legs over. You were suspended by just your arms, but you were officially out of the building. 

You gazed at the ivy in front of you, steeling yourself for the climb down when the atmosphere changed. You felt the breath leave you; you knew exactly who it was.

You turned your head slowly to look at Lucifer standing forlornly on the balcony. The pain in his eyes was excruciating, you could feel it like it was your own. You cursed yourself for feeling this way, and you struggled desperately to hate the man standing in front of you.

You held his gaze, and his lips parted slightly, his words barely a sigh on the wind. “Please, Y/N. Let me explain.”

You didn’t want to believe a single word he said. But yet at the same time, you wanted desperately to know what he had to say.

So what was it gonna be?

Climb back over and potentially never leave again?

Or to make your escape and never see Lucifer ever again?

[nacchiisai]

03 - The Tale

The last few days really made Kido exhausted.

 First, there was Mary’s accident. It unbelievably happened the others got very shocked. Like, there’s no way she could easily being kidnapped. As descendant of Medusa, she had a power to freeze people for a few minutes, so it’s nearly impossible to knock her out. But this time was different. Somehow she couldn’t use the power at that time.

 Because of that accident, Seto became… Different. Although they were living together for a long time, Kido never saw him act like that. He forced everyone to do night patrol, to the point to using weapons. She didn’t mind, actually, since their enemy looks like a tough one. But what disturbing her was the fact that Kano disguises himself as a yakuza to stole some dangerous items, including bombs, thanks to Seto’s order.

 What’s more, on the third night of their patrol, they met a mysterious group. Eight boys, half of them had red eyes. Just as the same as their enemy. At first she thought they’re all victims of August 15, but according to one of them (Kuro, as she remembered), they’re all vampires. What kind of vampires who hang out with ordinary human without killing them? She wasn’t sure. But she overheard one of them referred to the vampires as ‘Servamp’. Short term of Servant Vampire, maybe? Well, that’s new.

 And tonight, the vampire’s group leader, an ordinary human named Mahiru, offered them to stay overnight and work together the next day. Seems like their group had some business with their enemy too, a vampire called Tsubaki. Of course she accept the offer. The more the merrier, right?

 And now, here she was, lying on a futon next to Kisaragi. After the bath (they all had some nice time at the onsen), one of the vampire’s group, a tall guy called Tetsu, showed their room. Since it’s weekend, almost all room already filled (he bowed and apologize, amazed her), so she and Kisaragi shared one room while the boys should divided to two and shared rooms with the other boys. Well, she didn’t mind, actually…

 …If only Kano didn’t suddenly show up right next to her now.

 “Hello.” The bastard casually smiled. “Have some time?”

 “Kano, what the heck. It’s midnight, and you’re in girl’s room!” she hissed. “What are you doing?! Go back and sleep!”

 “Well, it’s not like I disturb anyone. Kisaragi’s already sleeping, and Seto and the others doesn’t even notice that I’m not there!”

 He’s right. Kisaragi’s already fell asleep even before her head touch the pillow. And Ene’s already sleeping too, to preserve their phone’s battery as she said. And there’s no sign of one of the boys showing up and drag Kano’s back. So, it’s nearly safe for them.

 …No, that’s not the problem here.

 “Anyway, want to go outside?” he said. “Today’s a nice night, and they said the fruit milk here’s delicious.”

 “Okay, first, we’re not patrolling tonight, and second, the canteen perhaps already closed, so no. Now go sleep.”

 “Who said it’s closed?” from his jacket, he pulled out two bottle of milk. “Come on.”

 “You’re really naughty, aren’t you?” she huffed. “Okay, then. But make sure no one would wake up!”

 “That’s why you have your power, right?” he smirked.

 Oh, right. Her Concealing Eyes. That’s why he’s so calm.

 She activated her power and stand up, carefully avoid touching something. Although she knew that Kisaragi’s a heavy sleeper, she didn’t want to take a risk waking up one of the boys.

 Carefully, she opened the window and go out with Kano, then close it. They climbed the roof (since it’s only had one floor, it’s quite easy to climb). Kano gave her share of milk, then drink his.

 “Hey, how could you sneak to our room, actually? I don’t see anything inside, so there’s no way you disguised as something, right?” she asked.

 “And that’s why I could easily become a vase without anyone noticing! And since they’re already sleepy, the chance they’ll spot what’s different in the room almost come to zero.”

 Well, as she recalled, she actually didn’t see any vase the first time they see the room. But when she’s ready to sleep, seems like there’s one vase near the door.

 “You’re a nice vase, then.” She took a sip from her milk. It’s nice, melon-flavored. “So, what’d you want?”

 “Nothing, actually!” He said that so cheerfully she decided to give him a nice kick. “Ouch!”

 “Then what’s the point?” she grumbled.

“Hey, don’t be like that~. Besides, today’s our day off! We should cherish this moment!”

“You… Where’d you learn something like that…”

“Oh come on. Life’s short, y’know! And since lately you seems quite tense, I think it’s nice to blow some steam off and relaxed.” He leaned his head to Kido’s shoulder, made her surprised a bit but decided not to hit him. “I miss those nice nights…”

Oh, so that was it. He just panicked and needed to calm down.

“Well, it’s been a long time since we did this kind of thing, so…” Kido couldn’t help but feels embarrassed.

“Yeah.”

 “But don’t sleep here. I don’t want us to caught a cold.”

 “Roger that, Leader~”

.

.

.

.

The next morning, they all had gathered at the boys’ room (the biggest room in the inn, it seems). Seems like they didn’t have enough sleep, since some of them almost dozing off while poor Mahiru snapped them back to reality. The small one, Misono, nearly fell and his face almost hit the table in front of him. Up until now, Kido always thought that vampires were nocturnal, but surprisingly they’re the most fresh-looking this morning… Except Kuro. His face almost as tired as Shintaro’s.

 “Come on guys, we don’t have enough time.” Mahiru’s eyes were red, seems like he almost didn’t sleep at all. “Wake up, will you.”

“Slee…py…” the small vampire, Hugh, mumbled. He dozed off and fell to Tetsu’s lap.

 “Uh, so… Can we start?” Kido asked, try to attract their attention. Failed, she used another option. “Kisaragi, a little help, maybe?”

 Unfortunately to her, she’s dozed off too.

 “Kisaragi!” she pinched her cheek, snapped her back to reality.

“Yikes! Coming, Mom!” Kisaragi yelped. “Oh, ah, eh, Leader! Okay, okay!” she closed her eyes to concentrating, and when it opened, it became red. The others turned their attention to her.

 “Thank you.” Kido said. “Sorry I use this method, but I need you all to focus right now.”

 “How…?” Lawless yelped.

 “Secret~” Kisaragi gave him a little smile.

 “That’s what we’ll tell you, exactly.” Kano said. “Hey Simple-Boy, you already read the book, right?”

 “Simple… Me?” Mahiru seemed irritated. “Yeah, I love anything simple, thank you very much. Anyway, I already read it. But too many things I don’t understand.”

 “Such as…?”

 “First, the requirement.” He opened the book on the table so everyone can see it. “Here was written ‘on August 15th the Dead shall rise’… What’s that mean?”

 “Exactly as it says,” Seto said. “I think it’s already simple enough.”

 “Seto, please. Well, that’s right. But only a chosen person who could come back to life.” Kido explained. “Such as, they should die with another person, the one they knew.”

 “Then?” Kuro said.

 “The one’s lucky enough to continue living will wake up, but having no memories about what happened while they’re dead. As for the other one… Let’s say they just disappear. No trace could be found. It’s as if something swallowed them.”

 At the same time, Mahiru dropped the book. His face looks pale.

 “Two person should die, at the same moment?” he asked. “In the exact date?”

 “Yeah.” Kido said defensively. What’s wrong with him?

 “Big Bro, you okay?” Tetsu asked.

 “Y, yeah, just surprised.” He cleared his throat. “Please… Continue.”

 “Well, at that time, the lucky person should noticed that his eyes changed to red.” She continued. “Maybe with a few symptoms of their power.”

 “Like…?”

 “Well, I woke up while the rescuer at the place, but no one see me until I touched them.” She said. “Kano scared his aunt since he suddenly looked like his late mother. Seto suddenly heard thoughts of anyone near him.”

 The guys seems to creeped out. She sighed.

 “Anyway, at the same time we opened our eyes, our ability should awaken too. Our eyes feels hotter, and when we saw the mirror, well, you already know.”

“…That sounds almost like fairytale.” Misono said. “With no miracles, just curses.”

 “We prefer not to think like that.” Kano smirked. “Let’s say we’re, ah, gifted.”

 “Fair enough.”

 A few seconds later, everyone began asking their questions.

 “Wait a second!” Licht said. “It’s almost like fairytale indeed, but is that possible?”

 “Oh, Licht, I can’t believe you’re such an idiot.” Lawless shake off his head. “What do you think of me? I’m a fairytale being too, y’know.”

 “No, you’re a demon and it’s a reality so shut up shit rat.”

 “What the--?!”

 “Hey, hey.” Kisaragi said. “Ever heard a tale of a lonely monster?”

 “Tale?” Lily asked.

 “Can I tell them, leader?” Kido nodded. “Well then! So, once upon a time, there lived a certain monster. She didn't know the reason why she’s born, she just existing, just like that. She knows human from a long time ago, let’s say, when we’re all living like animals. No one understood her unless a certain being. It gave her knowledge, teach everything to her.

 “On a certain day long after her birth, she traveled somewhere. It was a long journey, but worth it. She found a small piece of garden far beyond the forest, too far away from human beings who always torture her. She decided to build a place for her to rest, when suddenly a human appeared.

 “He looked scared at her at first, but then looked her in awe. He also complimented her too. The monster, already closing her heart, told him to go away, but he won’t, since he thought it’s unsafe for a little girl to live out there, alone. He said he would do anything for her, so she tried. She demanded him to build a home, hoping the boy would give up and leave. But no. He accepted the challenge.”

 The guys listened calmly.

 “Surprisingly, the boy succeeded. Amazed by his act, she welcomed him. Not long until they fell love to each other and have a beautiful daughter, with same trait as her mother.”

“Monster?” Hugh asked.

 “Well, nowadays we called them Medusa.” Kisaragi said. “The monster realized since he’s a normal human, of course he would age up and then die. She didn’t want that to happen. So with the help of a certain being, she made a new world. A world where they could live happily forever, just three of them.

 “Unbeknownst to her, it’s been years since she’s left her family to build the world. When she came back, she found out that her beloved man was already dead a long time ago. Saddened by this fact, she then choose to live in her own world, alone, forever.” Kisaragi ended her story. “And so, with that, the Heat Haze Day is begin!”

 “Oh my…” Lily swept his tear. “Such a sad story.”

 “Hey, don’t tell that…” Kuro said.

 “Yeah, after her leave, somehow on her birthday the door to her world will opened.” Kido said. “It’s on August 15th.”

 “Is that on purpose?”

“We don’t know.” Seto admit.

 “But what we found out later is, that the certain being was actually a wicked being who enjoyed toying with her and human’s life.” Kano said. “Maybe the door was opened at every exact date thanks to it.”

 “And we presume that he’s the one who helped the guy, Tsubaki whatever his name, to kidnap our friend.” Hibiya added.

 “Wait, how’d you know…?”

 “She’s the descendant of Medusa.” Kido said. “Maybe she has some special power, we don’t really know. All we know was that she could freeze other people for a few minutes, like we already told you yesterday.”

 “Actually, I know.” Kano said. “About why we’re here, that being, everything, but…”

 “But?”

 “Well, let’s save that for later!” he said cheerfully. “Man, I’m hungry!”

Kido smacked his head. “You idiot! Why you didn’t tell us beforehand?!”

 “I have my own reason!” he said. “I swear, if I told you long time ago, we might be dead by now! I’ll tell you all after we eat, I promise!”

 “You better be.” Kuro said. “And yeah, I’m hungry. Mahiru, want some chips…”

 “What, I’m not your mom, you lazy ass…”

 “Ah, the breakfast must’ve be ready now. I’ll go get it.” Tetsu said.

 “Then we’ll dismiss for now. We gather here again after we eat.” Kido stood up. She just walked out of the room when someone grabbed her hand.

 “Kido, a minute?” It’s Mahiru. “I, uhh, have something to tell you.”

 “And what is?” Kido asked.

 “Can we go somewhere else? I don’t want other people to hear.”

 “Uhh, okay. Let’s go to somewhere else, then.”

. 

 .

 .

They went to the backyard. Since it’s weekend, not too many people here. But she activated her ability, just in case.

 “So what is it?” Kido almost felt sorry for him. His face looks even paler than before. Well, he already found out something’s secret, so she couldn’t blame him

 “Uh, hearing your stories and facts back then, make me think…” he said. “That maybe… I’m one of the ability holder too.”