#they give you a small amount of joy and that high and the moment they gave they leave

[janedudleyy]

I wake up and read My Lady Jane is canceled? What kind of shit is this? I am so tired of this cancelation trend.

[selenezq]

🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞MDNI🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞

After a long wait, (thanks depression) my fic where Alastor rails you in a sundress is finally here.

Alastor x Reader

Reader is AFAB

CW: dub con, stalking, rough sex, explicit content, porn no plot, plot where, plot who

Sundress Summer

It was a hot, but not unpleasantly so day in hell. 

The perfect time for wearing a sundress to the picnic Charlie had organized for the bonding exercise of the day. The first thing you noticed as you came to the end of the well-maintained stone walkway was the large red and white checkered tablecloths which covered two sizeable wooden picnic tables to your right. The pleasant breeze caused the edges of the fabric to flutter against the sides of the tables. 

A massive spread of food covered both surface areas; it was more than they could all eat truly but it was clear Charlie had tried her best to create another memorable experience for her guests. You smiled from ear to ear with joy at the sight of all your friends together enjoying a day at the park. Husk and Angel Dust were seated on one of the benches lining the massive spread, the spider demon trying his best to get Husk to eat the grape he was attempting to feed him. 

"C'mon, just let me feed ya one." Angel whined at the former overlord pushing the piece of fruit towards him. 

"Cut that shit out, I can feed myself." Husk growled gruffly, as he swatted half-heartedly at Angel's hand before relenting. "Just one, and then leave it alone alright?"

Husk took a surveying glance around to ensure no one was watching the two of them. You quickly looked in the opposite direction to your left, faining interest in a passing butterfly so as not to intrude on their moment. You tried your best to hide a delighted smile. 

With a resigned sigh, Husk let Angel gently feed him a lone grape. "Ah yeah, you like that in ya mouth daddy?" Angel says salaciously with a flirtatious grin. 

"Fucking hell, you just had to go and make it weird didn't you," Husk scolded, before giving the tall demon a small shove. You did your best to hold in a laugh, ensuring not to make eye contact with the duo. Your ocular muscles searched for the rest of the group, coming to a stop when you spotted Charlie, excitedly pointing to something in the distance. 

"Ohmygosh Vaggie look!!" She exclaimed excitedly, her words strung all together in exuberance. "I can't believe this Infernenta plant is flowering!" Charlie said before skipping joyfully over towards the flowering bush. 

She skipped joyfully over towards the flowering bush, her girlfriend watching with a loving expression. Eyes which were usually fierce and full of rage softened before she followed after Charlie. “Yeah, that’s really cool babe.” She said, her voice beginning to fade as she walked further away from you. 

You smiled fondly as you watched them go—the two of them were very sweet together. Niffty quickly took over your vision as she dashed around, pulling your attention away from the two lovebirds. She held her needle high in the air with her little hand; she was on the hunt, chasing a particularly large bug. 

With a small shudder, you turned around and headed towards an opening in the woods, determined to explore. The thoughts in your busy mind dwelled on the members of your unorthodox group of friends until it occurred to you that had not yet seen Alastor. You wondered what he could be up to—though he rarely joined in on bonding activities. 

You pondered deeply on how glad you were to have met them all as your feet took you down a slightly overgrown path, large weeds sprouting between the cracks on the deteriorated stone passage. Lost in your internal musing, you failed to notice a pair of glowing red eyes watching you from the distance; the hunter was tracking your every move. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Radio Demon watched you from the shadows, hidden behind massive amounts of lush, green, foliage. It was a position most familiar to him from his time alive, hiding from plain sight while he waited for the perfect moment to approach his prey. He watched you with an ill-intended gaze, as the short patterned material of your sundress highlighted the beautiful curves of your body. An unfamiliar feeling of desire coursed through him as he feasted his eyes on the sight of you wandering, helplessly alone. You were completely unaware of the danger that lurked behind you—the perfect, irresistible prey. 

Alastor was more than well-adjusted to the way the others at the hotel viewed his presence. He was infamous for the danger he posed, but you seemed content to naively ignore the threat he posed. Perhaps that was why he now found himself obsessed with you, needing to be constantly closer to you. No amount of effort could dissuade his need to be close to you; any amount of distance was simply unacceptable. The very lack of your presence had become most intolerable, to the point he found himself stalking you through the shadows, unable to look away from your gentle form. 

At first, these feelings had angered him. Alastor had tried his best to make you fear him, unused to all of the new sensations you evoked in him. Popping up from the shadows, scaring you when you were alone in the dimmed hallways of the hotel. You had always laughed in response, slapping his chest playfully as you laughed at his joke and were it anyone he would skin them alive for the unwanted touch. He found it most irritating when you would pull away as if your hand should ever be anywhere but on him. 

He started going out of his way to touch you—to make you uncomfortable. It was certainly not because he craved the feeling of your soft, warm, skin under his hand. It became a game he’d play, a way to see how far he could go, how long you would let his hand linger on you. Could he rouse a blush to those beautiful cheeks of yours? Somehow, he rather felt as though he might be losing the game you weren’t even aware you were playing. 

Many nights he spent time thinking about how your soft, shiny, hair would feel when he pulled your head back, locks wound around his claws. What noises your sweet, little, lips might let slip, the sight of your kind eyes widening. 

Would you let him ruin you if he tried? 

The question consumed him as he brought himself back to the sight of his beautiful prey: you. His eyes focused on your radiant presence while your face lit up in delight. You had stumbled upon a beautiful abandoned structure. It appeared this was once a grand gazebo, but time had eroded the marble away. Faint cracks could be seen amongst the vines and foliage that almost concealed it completely from view. 

He watched as you were unable to resist the urge to explore, pushing aside some of the greenery covering the entrance. You stepped inside, your graceful form illuminated by slivers of Heaven’s light, shining like sunlight through the thick canopy surrounding the structure. 

You were almost completely obstructed from the view of anyone who might come along and it sent a shiver down his back—what a delightful thought, to always have you to himself. 

He stalked forward slowly, careful to remain quiet so you would not ruin his little game too early. Hunting for sport was second nature to the demon; hiding amidst the shadows was something Alastor had become quite familiar with. The sight of you blissfully unaware of the potential danger you were in was almost too much to bare; he needed to start the next round of his manipulative little game lest you broke him before he got the chance to break you. 

He materialized behind you, his form becoming more corporeal until he was a solid mass that you bumped into when you took a step back. You let out a most exquisite scream of fear as he startled you and a wide, malicious grin spread across his face. You turned quickly to face him, and he watched as your facial expression melted into relief. He was unsure how he felt about the sensation bubbling in his stomach—he brought you ease. Alastor lived to strike fear into the hearts of others, but he could make an exception—just this once.  

"Oh, it's just you. That's such a relief." You said with a genuine smile. 

"My, my... You are quite a sight for sore eyes. I could just eat you up." Alastor almost purred, his voice thick with his usual filter. Static popped in the air as he stepped closer to you; after such a long hunt, he was so close to getting what he wanted.

"You mean me?" You squeaked in disbelief, insecurity seeping through your voice.

"See here, exactly how fetching I find you, darling." Alastor told you, before grabbing your wrist. 

He guided your soft palm to the hardness barely contained by his trousers, a true test to see how far he could push you. How much you would allow him to greedily take? Would this be the time he finally pushed you too far and you realized the peril you were in, being the object of his dark fascination? 

He watched hungrily as your eyes widened in surprise, a pretty pink tongue darting out to wet your lips. 

“This is all for me?” You asked, voice laced in awe and he wanted to consume you. 

You were a curious creature, a difficult prey to understand. You never gave him the responses he was expecting, and yet always gave him a response he enjoyed. Rather than flee from the evident danger you found yourself in, you seemed quite pleased at his forward and lewd actions—what a foolish girl. 

“Well of course my dear, who else would it be for?” Alastor teased, his voice full of amusement as he gestured to the empty overgrown gazebo. He brought a clawed hand down to cover your own, his large hand dwarfing your much smaller one as he pressed your hand closer to the tent in his pants. He let out a strangled groan at the much-needed contact, his usual composure falling apart every minute he spent in your presence. “The things you do to me, pet. This is all for you, because of you.” 

He thrust his hips up into your touch, chasing your nimble fingers before he allowed himself to regain control of himself. He melted away into the shadows with a quick use of his powers and the warm tension of having him pressed against you was gone. It was amusing to him how evident you made it that you were desperate for his touch. A menacing laugh echoed around the gazebo as he slid up from the pool of shadows at your feet behind you, shoving you back into the siding of the shelter. You fell briefly, your sundress bunching around your hips exposing your cunt and the tiny piece of fabric that covered it from view. 

You were an absolute vision, he noted. He was addicted to this version of you, vulnerable and needy for him and him alone. Slowly, painstakingly slowly, Alastor brought his much larger hand to rest on your leg. His rough scarred skin pressed against your much softer skin, and you shivered against him beautifully. He wondered how long he could stand to do this to you, playing with you simply because he knew you’d let him—could he finally make you snap?

He teasingly brought his hand up your thigh, ghosting a finger along your clothed slit. He swallowed a hungry growl as a fresh round of wetness gushed into your panties at even the faintest touch. Every single stroke, every touch, was methodical and planned—he wanted to watch you come undone. He held himself with tension, holding himself back from ruining you completely. 

You lifted your hips just enough, wordlessly signalling to him just how eager you were. It broke the hold he had over himself, the shred of control he kept in place to protect you. He shredded the flimsy undergarment, letting it drop by your feet as an unusable scrap of fabric. His fingers traced harsh, heavy circles around your swollen clit and it was pure bliss to watch as you threw your head back, releasing a muffled cry of bliss. 

He plunged a dexterous finger into you without warning. A ragged, desperate moan escaped your lips and he watched as your face seemed to glow a bright scarlet in humiliation. He curled his finger inside of you, watching as your body shook for him but it wasn’t enough. He needed to drive his cock deep inside you, to feel your pussy clench around him while you moaned just like that. Despite the fact you should be ashamed, you rutted against him and it was enough to drive the best of men mad—and Alastor was not the best of men by a long shot. 

He pulled his finger out of you, bringing it to his mouth before licking it clean. He swiftly undid his belt, before moving to pull the zipper on his pants down. The sound reverberated in the small hidden gazebo and he watched as you dripped in anticipation for him—he hadn’t hungered like this in centuries. He tugged his trousers down around his firm thighs and his massive cock sprung free. You let out a small whimper as you looked at his cock, a mixture of anticipation and fear shining in your eyes. 

“I can assure you, darling, that it will fit. You’re going to take every single inch of me.” Alastor commanded; the incredulous look in your eyes only spurring him on. 

He watched as your pussy clenched desperately with need around empty air, and his rock-hard cock glistened with precum. You were a marvel to behold. 

“Alastor, please, don’t make me wait any longer. I—I need you.” You admitted with a plea, a blush dusting across your face from the sound of your own needy voice. 

He pushed you further back against the siding of the forgotten structure you had found yourselves in, your back hit the siding with a soft thud. He lifted your leg up to wrap it around his waist as he slotted himself against your dripping pussy, rubbing the swollen head of his member between your folds, before he pushed to be inside of you. 

He moved slowly, inch by inch until his considerable length was seated within you. Your warm walls gripped him tightly and he let out a shaky groan. An aggressive buzz, filled with fizzles and pops, filled the air as he made himself wait, letting you adjust to his large size. His eyes glowed as he gazed down at you fondly. “You’re such a good girl, taking all of me so well. You’re mine now.” He growled possessively, a hand coming up to grip your waist. “Say it, tell me who you belong to.” 

There was a manic edge to his words, a need for you to understand that he owned you. 

“You. I belong to you, Alastor!” You cried out in pleasure, without hesitation, and he picked up his pace in response. You were such a good girl; you knew exactly where you belonged. His hips slammed his cock in and out of you, chasing your delightful cries and screams. 

The final strand of control within him snapped as he looked upon your debauched form. His antlers grew high and heavy above his head, his eyes becoming dials as he lost himself in his desire for you. His cock swelled within you, so large that he feared he might just break you. You released a soft whimper as he felt the head of his cock bumping into your cervix, but rather than push him away, you clawed at him to bring him closer—you were perfection. 

“I never imagined I’d feel so complete being inside you like this, darling.” Alastor confessed, lost in the throes of ecstasy. He brought a hand up, lavishing his attention on your clit as he picked up the pace. He felt your body begin to shake and he knew it wouldn’t be long, he felt you coming undone with every stroke of his digits, every thrust of his colossal member was bringing you closer to the edge. 

“Alastor, don’t stop! I’m getting close!” You pleaded desperately. 

Immediately at your words, he stopped completely. He rested his fingers on your throbbing clit, his dick painfully still inside of your tight heat. You let out a frustrated sob, a lone tear welling up in your eyes and he leaned forward to lick it off your cheek. The sight of you, a desperate and quivering mess was enough to move even the staunchest of sadists. 

“Please, please, please.” You begged, all sense of dignity lost. A tear fell down your cheek and he relished the moment of triumph in his twisted game. The sight of you crying and desperate beneath him brought him a degenerative sense of glee—he needed to make you cry more in the future. “Alastor, I’ve dreamed of this so often! I need to—please let—if I could just cum!” 

“Hmm, I should like to think to think a bright young girl such as yourself could articulate that better, my dear.” He replied, a sadistic smile stretching across his face as he leered down at you. 

“You’re being so cruel.” You cried out, voice dripping with desperation and it fed the hunger deep within him. He had no witty retort to return to your cries—he wanted you to beg. “Please, I’m begging you—I’ve touched myself thinking of you so many times. I never even dreamed you would return my desire. I can’t—I need you to move—to fuck me silly until I cum around your giant cock—please.”

You pleaded sweetly, your voice dripping with desperation and need for him that brought him immense joy and good girls got rewarded. 

“Your pleas are music to my ears pet, I suppose they’ve earned you a reward. You’re so pretty when you beg.” He asserted before resuming his brutal pace. Beautiful euphoric tears fell down your cheeks, painting them so prettily, as he fucked into you. He felt you tighten around him, and in a direct constant to his rough pace, he brought his other hand up to gently cradle your face. He pressed his lips to yours, moaning as your soft lips parted to allow his tongue to explore your mouth. He laid claim to every inch of you he touched. 

“Alastor!” You cried into his mouth, your orgasm crashing over you like a tidal wave. You collapsed into him, allowing him to support your weight as he continued to fuck into your quivering body. Your cunt clenched deliciously around him as you rocked your hips backwards, chasing the friction he provided desperately. The sight of you so thoroughly debauched combined with the sensation of your walls gripping him tightly sent him over the edge. He shot thick ropes of cum inside of you as he finished with a loud groan, breaking away from the kiss.

The sound of your combined panting and heavy breathing filled the otherwise silent air, and he rested his head in the crook of your neck. “Ma biche, that was even better than I could have possibly imagined.” He praised, mumbling the words into your neck. You both lay intertwined for a while, neither wanting to break the silence and end the moment.

“We should find the others before they find us, but I’d love to do this again.” You said, and he could hear the desperate plea in your voice—good. 

“Of course we will do this again, you belong to me now.” He replied, matter-of-factly. 

He snapped his two fingers together, returning the two of you to your prior state of dress. The mess was gone as if it had never been there, though he loathed to return your undergarments to you. “Shall we, darling?” 

You shot him a contented smile as you linked your arm with his, allowing him to lead you back to where the rest of the group was still enjoying the picnic.

Tag list @cosmiccandydreamer @alastorthirsty @ari-hatake15

[beenbaanbuun]

stars w/ choi jongho

a lake in a forest is where you lie, the soft sand of the shore acting as your mattress, your boyfriend’s chest your pillow. the icy water laps tentatively as your toes, keeping you from slipping into a slumber from which you’re unsure that you’ll ever want to wake. why would you wish to go back to real life when falling asleep in your lovers arms is all you ever want to do?

his heart ticks away in his chest, pointlessly keeping the time like a grandfather clock in an abandoned house. you don’t need to know the time right now, the moon and the stars that hang high above your heads is enough to tell you that it’s late, and you should go inside. as you cast a glance up to jongho’s face, bathed in the silvery tendrils of the moon’s light, you couldn’t quite care less about what you should do. you want to stay here in this moment forever, and you’ll be damned if you let it slip from you so easily.

“i can feel you staring at me,” he hums, the hand that cups your head to his chest moving slightly to ruffle your hair. in any normal circumstance, you’d shove his hand away with a scoff, firing a snarky comment in his direction that would make his face light up in a pretty smile. the circumstances are anything but normal, though; you’d rather give up the sun than the feeling that currently spreads through your body like a wildfire.

“you’re just so beautiful,” your voice can barely be heard over the rustling of the leaves and the crackle of the sand beneath the soft swelling of the water. it’s almost like you’re afraid your voice will drown it all out, as if this is all a dream and talking too loud will wake you and pull you back to reality. silence is better than go back to your hectic life. you’d make this dream last forever if the universe would let you.

when he tilts his head in a way that lets him gaze upon you, you find the breath being stolen from your lungs. oh well, you tell yourself; it’s hard to care about something so insignificant as breathing when the most important thing in the world is looking upon you with the universe in his eyes. the stars in the sky have nothing on those endless pools of chocolate; they reflect the moonlight in a way that hypnotises you, and while you weren’t planning on looking away in the first place, now you feel certain that you can’t.

“i thought you wanted to stargaze,” his voice comes out in a playful purr, a small grin taking hold of his expression. you mirror it with a smile of your own, smaller and far gentler, but a smile nonetheless. it’s hard to keep it hidden when jongho’s joy is so infectious; with his gums peaking out from beneath his lip, his nose scrunched up so sweetly he looks… precious.

“you’re prettier than the stars,” you say. he hums in mock agreement and you realise that even his teasing is enough to make your body fill to the brim with fireworks. just the tiniest amount of attention from his is enough to make you feel like you’re falling in love over and over again, your heart tripping and stumbling each and every time he so much as looks in your direction. damn the butterflies, there’s a whole aviary inside of your stomach right now.

“if i’m prettier than the stars then you must be prettier than anything else the universe has to offer,” a careful finger brushes against your cheek bone, working its way up to your temple where it pushes a stray strand of hair to the side. your face scrunches up instinctively as it trails ticklishly against your skin to which jongho lets out a slight giggle. it harmonises with the sounds of the wilderness that surrounds you creating the perfect symphony. all music, past and future could only dream of sounding so perfect. “can i kiss you?” his smooth voice slotting right into that already perfect song, “i really want to kiss you right now.”

you nod; of course you do. all you ever want to do is kiss jongho. morning, afternoon, night, it’s all you ever think about. soft lips on yours, sturdy hands roaming your body, gentle tongue probing your mouth. from the moment he gave you a kiss for the first time, bending down as his hands tilted your head to the perfect angle, you spend all day dreaming of when another will come. whether it’s a chaste one before he heads to work in the morning, or a lazy one as he distracts you from whatever it is he’s burning on the stove. each of them is special and you want each of them infinitely.

and when he finally puts his lips to yours, everything seems to slot into place. you’re no longer worried about the real world; that doesn’t exist anymore. it’s just you and him and the stars as your only witness.

[sorcerous-caress]

Heyyy!! Could I request the companions taking care of a new baby + a toddler while their partner recovers?

Taking care of the kids while you recover

[Fluff, marriage, raising kids, nb!reader]

[Astarion, Wyll, Gale]

I'm not feeling the best rn so I did just three, i hope you enjoy anon.

Astarion

Seeing that this is your second baby together, he feels less out of his element now. He is more confident in his ability to care for this little bundle of joy with pointy ears cradled in his arms.

He almost doesn't recognise his own self these days. When did his sharp edges grow so soft? When did he become so tender, and when did his eyes become so round and happy?

When you proposed to him that day in the underdark, when you presented him with a modest ring that made him go speechless. He has seen many more glamorous ones, much more expensive ones, but somehow, this simple band with the most precious gem completely took his breath away.

That's how he ended here on this cozy couch with a silver haired toddler running around enthusiastically. Astarion calls them over to gently wipe some crumbs from their face, looking at their innocent adoring eyes.

They had your eyes, he couldn't help but squeeze their adorable cheeks and give them a kiss on the forehead like any dotting father would.

Him, a doting parent? That idea would've made him choke with laughter some years ago.

The ring glimers on his finger as he holds the newborn baby closer to his chest, humming a soothing melody in elvish for his second child. The first stared at him from the side with a pout.

His child was so obvious with their emotions that Astarion couldn't help but chuckle, "Jealously isn't a good look darling, come here." With that, he had another kid cuddling up to him and demanding a lullaby too.

Astarion obliged, relieved that his presence seemed enough for his children at the moment while you were recovering. Part of him was anxious about what if they only wanted you? What if they weren't as attached to him as he thought?

He was never happier to be proven wrong in his life.

Wyll

The sun shines brightly through the thin white curtains in the kitchen. Wyll is mixing together a baby formula on the counter, measuring the right amount on the spoon as he scoops away the extra powder from the top.

Adding the powder into the baby bottle, he gently shakes the warm bottle. The sound of light footsteps approach him in a failed attempt of stealth as a toy wooden sword is pressed against the back of his legs.

"Surrender!" A high voice calls from behind him, his very own kid with determination in their eyes as they press the dull edge of the sword more against Wyll's pants.

"Oh noble hero, may I know what crime am i being accused of before I surrender?" Wyll plays along, a smile painting his lips.

"The crime of!!" His child starts with confidence, "of...." trailing into uncertainty as their grip on the sword falters.

Wyll is patient as he lets them have the time to gather their thought. cleaning and wiping the counter down.

"Of not giving me food!"

"Didn't you just eat your breakfast after stealing my breakfast?" Wyll scooped up his child up in his arm, holding him with one hand while carrying the bottle with the other. His kid kicked their feet in the air as they dropped the wooden sword.

"But dad!! That was hours ago, I'm hungry."

"I clearly recall it being minutes ago."

Moving to the living room where his youngest laid peacefully sleeping in their small rocking bed, Wyll let go of his hold just as he sat on the couch.

Climbing into his lap, the most adorable brown puppy eyes looked up at him. "I want pancakes please" stretching on the end of the word, his kid whined.

With a defeated smile, Wyll agreed to it. Knowing you'd scold him for spoiling the kids too much if you were here right now, still he was weak against them. Somehow, his own kids were more persuasive than any devil this warlock has ever encountered before.

Gale

"There you go, all dry and clean" he said as he started to put on the baby bear onesie back on the giggling infant in front of him, their small hands gripping on Gale's beard with surprising strength as he zipped them up.

Yet the discomfort barely mattered to the wizard, he happily let them play with his face as he admired how adorable they looked in the fluffy animal custom. Smiling and giving their belly a soft kiss to make them laugh even louder.

The loud crash from outside the room barely phased him either as he kept coddling the infant, calling them endearing names and cradling them in his arms. "Papa's here, no need to fret."

"MR.DEKARIOS!" Tara's screech followed shortly after, "your presence is required immediately!"

Still too busy entranced by how adorable his child was, Gale took slow steps out of the room, contouring harmless light tricks to impress his youngest.

The sight that met him was one that would've probably given his younger self a heart attack no doubt, the countless torn pages of books thrown around the floor, the spilled ink and the crumbled magical scrolls.

But as the years went by, he found himself mellowing out much more. Very few things phased him by now, especially with how ironic life tended to be. The fates must be snickering right now. to give him a kid with wild magic in their veins, brimming with sorcery from such a young age.

You usually kept them in line, Gale was too guilty of being an enbaler as you've put it. It's not his fault he thought his kid was the coolest person in all the realms.

"Books are for losers!" Ah, there they stood, his own flesh and blood. Amidst the chaos of papers and magic, a potted plant.

A talking potted plant.

"Did your magic surge again?" Gale could only feel amusement as he leaned down to pick up his child, making sure to hold it far away from his other child so they don't nibble on the leaves of their sibling.

It seemed like both his cat and his child prefered to continue their argument. "Why, I have never heard such nonsense before! Mr.Dekarios, would you please get your spawn in line." Tara, his beloved elegant tressym, was flying around him in an attempt to smack the plant with her soft paws.

With a giggling wobbling infant on his right arm and a potted plant polymorphed kid on his left, Gale effortlessly casted the necessary incantations to reverse the polymorph while avoiding Tara's claws.

A poof of sparkling light filled the room as a full toddler replaced the potted plant, Tara blinded by the light, crashed into them and they all stumbled down onto stacks of torn papers.

The three of them buried under the pile, only the fluffy bear onsie wearing emerged unharmed on top.

[putellasawfc]

gingerbread competition!

leah williamson x reader

-

christmas music sounded from the bluetooth speaker that had been set up across the room, the familiar jingle of all i want for christmas is you by mariah carey filling the apartment you shared with your girlfriend of four years with a contagious level of christmas joy. the days had finally began to get chillier, the nights getting darker earlier and that’s all it took for you to get into the christmas spirit, which is why you had a variety of seasonal based activities ready for leah and yourself to partake in during the three day weekend you both had.

originally, you had really planned for tonight to be the night that you unpacked all the christmas decorations that you had stored in the loft and begin decorating your house. but after a long day of filming for different youtube videos and tiktok’s with the other arsenal girls, neither of you could be bothered with lugging down the boxes and bin bags that were filled to the brim with tinsel, baubles, stockings and lights. so instead, you went with the second best option. decorating a gingerbread house instead!

leah had been very scrooge about it at first, whining and wittering on about how there’s no point because it never stays up, even calling the whole thing a scam at one point but you had just tutted, claiming she just didn’t know how to build them properly.

“i do know how to build them! they’re just all flimsy, stay up for about five seconds and that’s it!” she defended herself, her brows furrowed in frustration as you stifled a laugh at how much offence she had taken to your previous statement.

“alright, alright. i believe you.” you teased, continuing to empty the gingerbread house kits you had picked up the day before. “i bet i can make mine look better than yours though.”

you knew the leah williamson could never back down from a challenge, her competitive streak was too high.

she scoffed, leaning forward with her elbows on the wooden table. “yeah right. sorry baby, but you have no chance.”

“well i actually have full confidence in my gingerbread house decorating abilities, so.” you said, dragging out the ‘o’ as you spread the different icings and sprinkles amongst the table, between the two of you. “why don’t we put a bet on it?”

“what kind of bet?” she eyed you, and you thought about it for a moment.

“whoever wins gets to choose an ugly christmas sweater that the loser has to wear to the next event we go to?” you suggested, that being the first thing that came to mind.

the blonde thought about it for a second, her gaze falling to the items on the table before she pursed her lips and slowly nodded, her blue eyes finding you again as she held out a hand in your direction.

“you have a deal.”

you grinned, wrapping your hand around her own and giving her a firm handshake. “may the best woman win.”

now, here you were almost twenty minutes later trying your best to apply the white icing onto the roof of your house that had miraculously managed to stay up for longer than fourty-five seconds, after you had generously coated the sides in too much icing. you would never admit it out loud, but leah was definitely right about the whole thing being flimsy. you had almost given up at one point in frustration after the house caved in on itself a sixth time.

“maybe we should’ve decorated cupcakes instead.” you mumbled, licking off some of the icing that had smudged on your thumb.

“i hate to say i told you so .. but.” the lioness captain huffed, “i definitely told you so.”

“when have you ever not enjoyed saying that?” you shot back, taking a quick glance towards her own house that had yet to be built, the woman deciding it would be better to decorate the pieces first and then stick them together after.

“i have my moments.”

you shook your head in amusement, finally satisfied with the amount of white, red and green icing that coated the house to mimic snow and tinsel. you moved to pick up a small bag of sprinkles that had already been opened by leah earlier, looking into the bag with furrowed brows.

“could’ve saved some for me babe.” you frowned, not even a quarter of the bag was full anymore.

“oops, my bad.” her tone was anything but apologetic, an amused smirk sat on her face and you elbowed her gently.

“you sabotaged me? that’s a yellow card!”

“i didn’t sabotage you! i just had to make my house look good, you wouldn’t understand.” she sent a playful look of concern to your creation and you gasped in mock offence.

“you’re so mean! my little house looks great.” you pouted, “would’ve looked even better if someone hadn’t used all sprinkles but … it’s okay i can still win without them.”

she scoffed at that, before the two of you fell into a comfortable silence, aside from the speaker that was still blasting out more christmas tunes as the night went on. you made do with the sprinkles you had left, carefully sticking them to the icing around your house, focusing on the outside of your roof to make it look like colourful christmas lights had been put up. you moved onto picking up different sweets, dotting them around the house wherever you thought looks best, just adding the finishing touches when a groan to the left of you caught your attention.

you raised a brow and looked over, not being able to help the smile that rose when you saw how much leah was struggling with putting the pieces together. she’d managed to get two to stick together, but then the other side would fall down, and then when she’d attempted to stick that side back together, another side would fall down, tangling her in a never ending cycle that was clearly annoying her with the way her brows touched and her jaw tensed.

“looks like your little sabotage was for nothing.” you chirped, revelling in the way it only made her more frustrated.

“shut up.”

you laughed, finally finishing the house before pushing it away slowly, relieved the whole ordeal was finally over. “ahhh, now i get to sit back and watch you struggle.”

“i’m breaking up with you.” she muttered under her breath, intense gaze not moving from her house.

“you’re not allowed.” you swiftly replied, leaning in closer to get a better look at the mess she was making. “maybe if you ask nicely, i could give you a hand.”

she didn’t reply at first, still attempting to finish the task herself, but when almost three minutes went by and she wasn’t getting any closer to completing it, she stomped her foot like a toddler throwing a tantrum and turned to you in annoyance.

“fine. help me.”

“uh, what was that?” you questioned, cupping your ear with your hand.

she rolled her eyes, throwing her head back in exasperation at your immaturity.

“please will you help me build my house?” she asked again, “before i throw it at a wall.”

you grinned, throwing an arm over your girlfriends shoulder and pulling her into your side, pressing a chaste kiss to her cheek before nodding. “i’d love to.”

it took a little bit of work, the pair of you bickering back and forth when leah had accused you of putting too much pressure on it and you accusing her of letting go too soon, but eventually, the both of you pulled your hands away cautiously, giving it a few seconds just to make sure before you gave eachother a double high five, pleased that it had finally stayed put.

pushing it back slowly as you had done to yours previously, you both sat back and admired your efforts on both houses.

“think it’s gonna be a pretty close one love.” leah said, pulling up her phone ready to snap a picture for her instagram story, where you had planned to put up a poll to see who’d win.

“hmm, maybe.” you hummed in agreement, “but i think my gumdrops on the roof might just help me win.”

she rolled her eyes once again, but this time with less irritation now that the hard part was done with. “yeah, yeah. if you say so.”

the defender took a quick snap, moving her phone to show you her screen when not even second later did leah’s house fall apart, one of the pieces even landing on the floor with a soft thud.

“you’re having a laugh.”

[paigeswrld]

Heart of Ice

Azriel x reader (sort of)

Angst (I think)

This is my first time ever writing so apologies if it's bad. I got very carried away on accident and it became much longer than intended. If anyone wants a part two maybe I will write one.

WC: 3.8k

Before Tamlin had barged into your home and destroyed your lives, you and Feyre had been inseparable. You were the second oldest, and felt a motherly responsibility for Feyre.  Elaine had Nesta, Feyre had you. That's how it always had been. You two hunted while the other two stayed inside, doing a small amount of household chores while you two were out.

But then Feyre was stolen from you and your heart was cleaved in two. She came back, and you had never felt such joy, except that joy didn't last. Feyre left almost as fast as she arrived. For love, she claimed. Love of the man that kidnapped her, forced her to live in the Spring court. Love that was worth more than her family, her sisters. What a load of shit. You knew that love between them wouldn't last, you told her as much before she left. When she did leave, she left without a single goodbye. The last words she said to you still ringing in your ears. How would you know what real love is, when no one's ever found you worthy of it? You knew what she was implying, that not even your own family loved you. Not even her. You swore you could feel your heart turn to ice as her words really sunk in.

You still hadn't forgiven her for it. Not when she showed up a second time, her new fae body and new fae male... males. She tried not to give it away, but you could see it on her face. She moved on to Rhysand, no longer in love with Tamlin. You couldn't help but say to her, after introductions had been made, I see you've moved on. What happened, Feyre? Tamlin no longer worthy of your love? She merely clenched her fists and gave a small, strained smile. You knew there was no going back, back to the way things used to be. So, as they explained what needed to be done, you kept quiet, let Nesta do the talking as she always does. That heart of ice only grew stronger with each visit.

---

When Hybern came to take you and your sisters away, you couldn't find it in yourself to fight back. You'd seen how strong they were, knew their magic would quickly subdue you should you try and fight it. So, you went willingly. Your sister Nesta screamed, clawed, bit. She did anything she could to get out of their grasps, to protect Elain. She begged you to take her, take Elain and run, she said. You didn't. Didn't feel like wasting your breath when it would take mere seconds for them to catch up, and surely make things worse for you all. You can still see the look of absolute betrayal on her face when all you did was walk towards Hybern's guards and put your wrists out for them to bind. You're not entirely sure she ever got over what you did, how easily you gave up. It was that moment, that final crack in the ice, that separated you and your sisters. The relationship between you and them truly destroyed.

---

Cool, calm, collected. That was how you appeared when they brought you in front of Feyre and the inner circle. That facade almost gave way when you saw Azriel hunched over, an arrow sticking out of him and blood dripping on the ground. Azriel, who had never given you the harsh glares like his brothers did, like everyone did. His soft smiles were the only hint of kindness you'd received in months. As you stood near the King of Hybern's throne, your eyes met hazel, and you could see the anguish in his eyes as he tried to move toward you, only to be pushed back by the arrow in his chest.

When it was your turn to enter the cauldron, after Elain, you simply put your hand up to stop the guards that attempted to grab you. Not wanting to give them the satisfaction, you walked right up to the cauldron. With your head held high, you climbed onto the lip of the cauldron, turned to the King and held his stare as you fell backwards into freezing darkness.

never in your life had you felt so, so cold. Freezing. Like the blood in your veins was turning solid. You opened your eyes and amidst the darkness was pale blue light emitting for your palms. As you looked around, small snowflakes seemed to drift through the darkness, and you put your finger out to touch one. As soon as you did, a blast of ice cold pain shot through you, from your finger straight through your arm into your heart, and you thought you might die. It was determination that got you to the top of the cauldron. You would not die at the hands of a Fae King, all because of a war you wanted nothing to do with. No, that was not how this was going to work. You grabbed the edges of the cauldron and pushed yourself up, out of the cauldron and onto the ground. It wasn't until you took a few breaths that you noticed it. The heightened senses made your whole body tingle, and as you looked up you could see everyone staring at you as if you were a foreign creature. You were, you supposed, but they way they were looking at you... You looked down, and around your feet were crystals of ice, a trail from where you had walked from the cauldron and as you looked at it, you could see the shards of ice where your hands had been as if they were ready to stab anyone who came too close.

The rest was a blur, Nesta went next, pointing at the King, Cassian's wings were shredded, Feyre went with Tamlin, and Mor winnowed us to what they called the House of Wind. Cassian and Azriel saw healers. Rhysand left, trying to calm down and not go after his mate. Mor showed us our rooms, Nesta demanded her and Elain share a suite, and you got a room down the hall from them. Nesta didn't say a single word to you as she guided Elain to their rooms and slammed the door. Still freezing, it wasn't until you got to your rooms, bathed in hot water, lit a fire, put on the warmest pajamas you could find, and lay under the mountain of covers that you finally let the tears fall.

---

Months passed by, the war was won and people were healing, yet you still couldn't bring yourself to do the same. Hel, even Nesta was better. Her and Cassian were happily mated, Feyre was a mother, Elain was finally starting to give poor Lucien the time of day, and you were... stuck. Stuck moping in your apartment, courtesy of the High lord and lady. Stuck feeling worthless, like you didn't belong. Nobody from the inner circle bothered to talk to you, and hadn't since you were made, save for Azriel, but you alway kept those conversations short, not having the energy for anything more. You'd tried to make friends, to find a family of your own, one that actually wanted you. But all of your efforts were futile, as all you felt was numb. Numb towards people, towards life in general. Everything felt exhausting, so you isolated yourself. Hardly ate, didn't talk to anyone, didn't leave the comfort of your small apartment, unless necessary of course. You spent your time as close to the fire as possible, or in the hottest bath you could get. You were always cold, and you were always numb. You'd been invited to the family dinners, but you never showed.

When Feyre was fully healed from birth, Rhysand stopped by, begging you to show up to dinner, claiming your sisters missed you. That Feyre wanted you to meet the baby. It was a lie. You knew it was. She didn't miss you, Rhysand just thought he knew what was best for her. They were better off without you, your miserable life, your ice cold heart. Unfortunately for you, Rhysand wouldn't leave. He came everyday knocking on your door and begging you to show. When you realized he wouldn't let up, you agreed. It was just one dinner, and after that, you would leave the court for good. You would no longer be their burden to bear, and you would leave them. Just as your sisters had left you.

That's how you found yourself in front of the River House, trying to muster up any feeling, excitement, nervousness, anger. Nothing. It seemed the ice around your heart was frozen so thick you couldn't find it in you to feel anything but that icy cold numbness. Would it be like this forever? With a deep breath, you knocked on the door. Almost too quickly, it opened and you were met face to face with the handsome shadowsinger.

His neutral expression was unnerving as he slowly looked you up and down. You could see the puzzled expression at the thick coat you wore, despite the warmer summer night. "Hello Y/N, I'm surprised you actually came."

"Rhysand promised to finally leave me alone if I showed up. So don't worry, you won't have to see me again after this."

His brows furrowed at your words, and he opened his mouth to say something before a quiet voice interrupted him.

"Y/N... You actually came." It was Elain, looking beautiful as ever in a soft blue gown. "Come, let's get you inside." She grabbed your arm as Azriel stepped to the side, his eyes never leaving your face.

She opened the coat closet, "You can put your coat in here-"

Cutting her off and stepping away from her you said, "I'll keep it on, thank you." You were still always cold, nothing enough to keep you warm. With a look of concern she grabbed your hand before quickly pulling back. "Your hand is freezing, are you feeling okay Y/N?"

You glanced at Azriel, who was watching you two even more intently, "Yes, I'm fine. I'm just cold from the walk here." She simply nodded her head as she led you toward the living room where the rest of the inner circle lounged.

The laughter stopped and all eyes were on you as you entered the room. You couldn't remember a time where you had felt more uncomfortable. It was Feyre who stood first, her eyes wide and she moved slowly towards you, as though you might strike her if she got too close. Out of the corner of your eye you could see Rhys watching you, almost daring you to make a wrong move and upset his mate. You simply stayed put, unsure of what to do.

It was her who made the first move, she said your name, hardly a whisper, before embracing you in a tight hug. It caught you so off guard you almost pushed her off of you. With your arms near her ribs you stilled, before slowly embracing her as well.

She whispered in your ear, "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry for everything. I should have come to you sooner, should have tried to make amends. I just- I didn't know what to say."

You let go of her and grabbed her hands in yours, noticing her slight flinch at your icy hands, "I'm sorry too, for everything. We don't need to worry about that right now though. I never really told you congratulations on your newest addition. How is the baby?" It was then that you realized how isolated you truly were, you didn't even know the gender of the baby, nor its name.

A smile started on her lips, "He's absolutely wonderful, come meet your nephew." She pulled you over to Rhysand who was holding a purple bundle, inside it was the child.

Rhysand looked up at you, "Y/N, meet Nyx." You couldn't help the small smile that formed on your lips as you looked down at him, then back up at the high lord. "He has your hair, your wings. Lets hope he doesn't get your cocky personality too." Rhysand cracked a smile and from behind you, you could hear a small chuckle from the shadowsinger.

Feyre looked at you again and you knew what she was going to ask before she said, "Would you like to hold him?" You didn't want to. You didn't want to get attached to a nephew you would likely never see again, should your plans to leave this court actually work.

Before you could protest, Rhysand was handing you the sleeping baby. You willed your heart to stay calm, to fight the icy panic that creeped in. This child, your beautiful baby nephew, would not grow up with you around, would not know you. You could feel your body getting colder by the second, despite your efforts to fight against it. It tingled your fingers and the tips of them began to frost. All too quickly the cold seeped through the swaddle, and Nyx began to cry. 

The next few moments seemed to happen in a blur. One moment you were handing Nyx to a worried Feyre and the next you were across the room, pinned to the wall by a snarling Rhysand.

He was practically spitting in your face as he asked you, "What did you do? What did you do to him Y/N?!"

It was then that you noticed that the room was freezing. His breath clouded in front of you, and there was frost on the windows. It even seemed a little darker in the room.

"I- I don't know. I didn't mean to do anything Rhysand I swear!" His eyes were wild, his chest puffing up and down while Nyx still cried in the background.

Nobody dared say a word as Rhys kept you pinned against the wall, so hard it was starting to hurt.

A hand clamped on Rhys' shoulder, but his eyes didn't leave your face.

"Rhys, it was an accident."

It was Azriel, trying to defend you. Trying to stop Rhysand from ripping your face off for harming his son. But Rhysand didn't so much as blink at Azriel as continued gripping your shoulders, the ache becoming more and more unbearable.

Until suddenly, he was pushed away from you. All you saw was a muscular back and spread wings as Azriel got in between you two, blocking you, protecting you, from the high lord's wrath.

"It was an accident, Rhys, she didn't know what she was doing."

Rhysand stepped closer to him, "Get out of my way Az."

"I will not move until you've come to your senses. Until I am sure you won't do something you'll regret."

Suddenly it made more sense now, why Azriel bothered to step in. He was trying to keep his High Lord safe, safe from himself. Not keep you safe. You felt foolish for even thinking you were worth saving right now.

The stare down between the two of them seemed to go on for hours until finally, Rhysand let out a sigh and agreed not to do anything rash. Azriel backed down, tucking in his wings, and stepped to the side, still close to you.

The others in the room seemed to hold their breath as Rhysand looked at you again. "I'm sorry, males get very protective over their children, especially those new to parenthood." You simply stared at him with a face of indifference, but on the inside all you wanted to do was leave. Leave this place and never come back. "I didn't realize you had powers, or that they were causing such issues. You should have told us. We could have helped."

It took everything in you not to snap. You could feel the room's temperature drop as ice cold rage overtook your body. Rage, the first emotion you've truly felt in months. You didn't register the crystals of ice forming around your feet, on the wall behind you. No, all you saw was the High Lord, his family, all one big happy family. They were your family first. Your sisters. Not his. But he talks to you as if you are a part of this family. Like they care about you. You know they don't. They left you. Left you to grieve your human self, left with powers you didn't know how to control, and they left you to figure out your new body on your own. They could help Nesta and Elain, but not you. Certainly not you, you were not worthy of that kind of love.

It took everything in you to not show how hard you were shaking, to keep your voice steady as you said, "Do not act like you care about me. Not when I have been on my own for months, while you guys were busy frolicking through Velaris with your mates," your practically spat out the last word. "I waited for months. Months I sat around hoping that my sisters would give me the time of day, to be there for me like I had always been for them. Instead they left me in the dust while they embraced their new family." You turned to Feyre and that moment, who hugged Nyx closer to her chest. "You left me Feyre. You left me and didn't look back. You haven't bothered to look back even as I followed right behind you." Tears threatened to spill and your voice cracked. You would not cry.

She looked at you with pain in her eyes, "Y/N I never meant for any of that. You are part of this family. You-"

You cut her off, "Don't. Don't act like you care. Like any of you care. You've made it clear where I stand amongst you all." You looked around the room, as everyone avoided eye contact. Even Nesta and Elain. "I apologize for ruining your night. I will leave now, get out of your hair. Goodnight everyone."

Feyre tried to follow you as you walked away, but you heard her mate stop her. There was another, heavier pair of steps that followed you through the house and out the door. You ignored them.

"Y/N."

You ignored the voice. Ignored the shadows weaving through your legs as you walked.

"Y/N."

Just keep walking.

"Y/N."

You finally turned to face the annoying shadowsinger. "What do you want?"

"It's late. Let me winnow you home."

You stared at his unreadable face. You didn't understand why he was offering to take you home. Why he cared. "Is Rhysand making you do this? Because if so you can go home. I don't want their help."

"Nobody is making me do anything. I'm doing this because I want to. I want to make sure you get home safe." He looks at you with such sincerity, you actually contemplate allowing to take you home.

"Fine. Only because I'm too tired to walk right now." He simply smirks at you and grabs your hand, and immediately you are enveloped in shadows.

He winnows you directly into your small apartment, and his eyes immediately fall to the few bags you started packing.

He turns to you, eyebrows furrowed, "Going on a trip?"

You can't bring yourself to meet his gaze as you mumble, "Something like that."

"Where are you going?"

You look at him then, the confusion still evident on his face. "I don't know yet. I was thinking maybe the Winter court. I thought there might be someone who could help me understand my powers."

He almost looks offended at your words as he tells you, "You don't need to go to the Winter court for that. I can help you."

"I wasn't planning on coming back. I was planning on leaving without anyone knowing, and never speaking to any of you again." It was a low blow, but you wanted him out of here. You wanted him to stop acting like he cared about you.

His resolve cracked then, his cool demeanor turning into anguish as he looked at you, "Why won't you let me help you? I've tried since the beginning to get you to open up, to talk to me. But you push me away. you push everyone away. Why do you do that?"

You didn't expect him to be so blunt. You blinked for a moment before putting together what you wanted to say, "Because I'm afraid. The one person I could count on, Feyre, she left me, and completely shattered my heart in the process. All three of my sisters stopped talking to me and found their own family, with each other, without me. And I'm afraid that if I let someone else in they'll leave me, just like everyone else did." You were crying now, but didn't bother to wipe away the tears that turned to frost on your face.

Azriel raised his hand then, and paused right before it touched your cheek, as if he were afraid to touch you. "I won't leave you Y/N. I will help you figure out your powers, I can help you adjust to this new life, but you have to let me in. I've been trying to help from the beginning, you just wouldn't let me. I promise, if you let me help you, I won't leave you."

You took a deep breath, closing your eyes and trying to work through your emotions. You wanted to trust him. You wanted so badly to have someone you could lean on, who could help you through all of this. But that didn't stop the doubt from creeping in. You did your best to shove it away, deep down inside you. Something made you drawn to Azriel, made you trust him more easily than you would others. So you opened your eyes, took another deep breath, and said, "Okay."

Nothing could describe the radiance of the smile that lit up his beautiful face at that single word. His eyes crinkled and he let out a small breath as he finally rested his hand upon your cheek, wiping away the frost. You two stared at each other for a moment as he smiled, and you couldn't help the small one that creeped up on your face as well.

He said nothing as he pulled you into a big hug, his arms wrapping around your shoulders and head as his wings wrapped around the both of you. It was then that you finally felt safe, like nothing could hurt you. It was as if the chill that had permanently settled in your body had lifted, and for once since you had become fae, you finally felt warm.

[redheadspark]

Universe

Summary - a few of Alec Rhysand's firsts. Part of the Ocean Eyes Series

Warnings - just fluff :)

Crawling

Alec was always a babe of observation, ever since he came into the world screaming and making his presence known in Velaris.  He loved knowing what was happening around him, his bright blue eyes always moving and gazing around.  You knew he inherited it from his father: always watching with silence.  It made you laugh to see almost the same look on your son’s face as his father’s own face when they were side by side, even giggling at one point as Azirel was holding Alec and they were watching Cassian and Rhysand banter with one another during one of your Inner Circle dinners that was held once a month.  You were hiding your laugh behind your smile, not wishing to ruin the moment of your mate and son showing the same judgemental face towards Cassian as he was trying to make the table laugh with an Illyrian camp story.  The only other person who caught on was Feyre, who was hiding her smile behind her wine glass.  

You were not even surprised when it came to Alec wishing to crawl.  When he wasn’t being held by Azriel or when he wasn’t on your hip, he was sitting upright and looking at everything around him in earnest.  Although you were never too far away from him while he was perched on a quilt that was a gift from Elaine, he was always observing everything.  Perhaps you could tell he wanted to be able to move around and be closer to you and Azriel, or he simply never wanted to miss out on what was happening with his family during gatherings, Alec was ready to move.

It finally happened one afternoon, you were gathering some lavender from the garden outside your house since it was now overgrowing.  Azriel was inside the house, going over last-minute spy information he got from Dawn Court.  He wanted to make the proper paperwork before giving it to Rhysand and Feyre, then making sure to devote the rest of his time to both yourself and Alec.  

You were humming, enjoying the small amount of sun you’d had for the first time in a week since it was still technically the rainy season in Night Court.  Clipping a few tall strands of lavender that were full and ready for use, you paused to look over at Alec who was only a foot or two way on his quilt, seeing him play with the wooden blocks that were his favorite toys.  You admired him, seeing how he was growing day by day before you could simply stop time itself.  One minute he was an infant swaddled in your arms, and now he was on his way to the toddler years.  Time was now a thief to you, a thief that you hated but at the same time, you savored the small moments. Like now, playing with the wooden blocks in his chubby fingers and babbling to himself to keep himself occupied while his mother was not too far away. 

“Honey, I’ll be ready to head out to the River House in about 10 minutes,” Azriel called out from inside the house, “Feyre wants to have you and Alec come along too.  Apparently, Nyx wants to see his cousin,” 

You had to laugh as you grabbed the clippers again and snipped a few more lavender strands to place in the basket.  You of course weren’t paying attention to your son, though you knew that he was alright in his spot and with his favorite blocks.  But you heard a new sound, apart from the soft breeze in the high trees behind your house and the bumble bee that was hovering near the lavender garden. It sounded like movement in the grass to which you paused to look.

Your eyes went wide at the sight: of Alec crawling over to you.

His eyes were on you, big and shining blue in the sun as his dark hair was pushed out of his sight, a gleeful grin on his face while his hands and knees were working overtime.  It was almost like a dream seeing him crawl to you, determination on his face as his eyes were zoned in on you.  A smile appeared on your face, an overwhelming sense of joy while you finally found your voice.

“Azriel!” You called, not wanting to sound concerned or panicked but wishing to get his attention.  You knelt down, placing the clippers down as you held out your hands for Alec, hearing him giggle as he was still crawling over towards you.  Although he wasn’t fast, you knew he was determined, and you were patient as you heard the back door open abruptly.

“What is it—“ Azriel fell silent after he saw Alec crawling toward you, a smile was now on his face too as Alec was so close to getting to you.  The determination on Alec’s face, let alone a hint of stubbornness that he got from his father, made your heart beyond full as he finally made it into your arms.  You Immediately engulfed him close, peppering his face with kisses as Alec squealed in delight.  Azriel’s own arms were around you from behind, the three of you enjoying this small moment together as a family.  

You hated time, but not in this moment with your son.

First Words

“Come on, Alec.  I know you wanna say your first words, come on!” Azriel urged his son, who simply grinned with a hint of saliva on his chin.  You had to laugh from your spot on the couch, thumbing through another page in the book you were currently reading thanks to Nesta.  Azriel was on the floor, back against the couch near your leg as Alec was perched in his lap.  With the rain coming through Velaris and making all of its residents stay inside, you and Azriel did not mind one bit.  With a roaring fire in the fireplace and a roast already cooking in the oven, it was the perfect day to have family time together.

Azriel made it his mission to make Alec say his first words, which amused you since you weren’t too worried about it yourself.  Alec would squeal, shriek, and babble to his heart’s desire when something amused or intrigued him.  He was no quiet babe, nor was he screaming constantly either.  But Alec made his voice heard constantly, a pleasant sound to your ears from morning to night.  Azriel could tell it was on the tip of his tongue that his son wanted to say his first word, and he would try and coax it out of him whenever he could.  Yet  Alec was still shy and reserved, an evident trait he inherited, and you knew he would talk when he was ready. 

“You can do it, buddy!” Azriel tried again, only seeing Alec smile at him with a gummy grin and giggle as his father rolled his eyes.  You had to swat his shoulder with your book as he looked at you.

“He’ll speak when he’s ready,” you reminded your mate, though Alec was still staring at you lovingly with his bright eyes while your mate was glaring at you, “No need to pressure him, sweetheart,”

“He’s so close to talking though,” Azriel commented as you giggled, leaning down to kiss Azriel’s forehead lovingly as he shoved your leg with his shoulder, “He’s a smart boy and I know he wishes to talk,”

“And he will, when he’s ready too.  I think he’s inherited his stubbornness from you,” you joked with him as you got up from the couch. Azriel rolled his eyes at you as you leaned down to kiss Alec on the head.  As you were moving away from the pair of them to head to the kitchen, a clap of thunder was heard near the mountain range.  The rain got louder, but it would never mask the soft sound heard from Azriel’s lap.

“Momma!”

You froze in your spot, hearing that singular word sound so light like a cloud, and cheerful, almost like bells.  Was it a trick that was playing in your mind?  Were you hallucinating? You had to turn around to the source of the voice, seeing Azriel too was frozen as Alec was still in his lap, but his gorgeous eyes were on you and you only.  He grinned, the spitting image of his father from the hair to his nose and cheeks, his hands were clasped together.

Alec said his first word.  He called out to you.  

“Did he….” You trailed off as Azriel was now smiling from ear to ear, laughing as Alec was reaching for you with his little fingers.  Your mind was reeling and your heart was about to burst out of your chest from the simple sound of your son calling your name, saying your name so easily as if it was natural to him.  

“That’s my boy,” Azriel breathed, trying to hold back his own tears as you finally rushed over to fall to your knees in front of your son.  He giggled as you held your hands to your son, almost like an offering of sorts as you found your voice.

“Say it again, baby.  Say it again, for me!” You urged him as Alec simply grinned.

“Momma!  Momma Momma!” He repeated it, you finally laughed with small tears in your eyes as you scooped up your son in your arms, swinging him around in your arms as he laughed and clung to you.  Your world seemed brighter and fuller, all simply from hearing your son call you “Momma”.  

Even before this moment, you knew you were his Momma, it was one of the best titles you would ever have and hold close to your heart.  But to hear him call you that, with his own unique voice that you would never forget for as long as you lived, it was another wave of love that seemed to overflow within you.

Once you finally stopped twirling your son, you saw the wave of happiness on his own face as you were kissing his cheeks and snuggling him close.  A new milestone was made, tucked away in your little home on a rainy day, with the two most important beings in your life, and you couldn’t be happier.  Nothing else could replace this feeling, this new core memory. 

This small bubble of happiness was suddenly destroyed by another clap of thunder that was closer now, making Alec lose his smile and shake in fear.   He hid in your neck, whimpering from the sudden sound as you held him close and rocked him.  He was no fan of thunder or loud noises, rightfully so, and to feel him press against you so close to feel safe made your heart break. 

“It’s okay, baby,” You cooed as he clung to your shirt and whimpered against your skin.  You rubbed his back with your knuckles, kissing his hair over and over while you were swaying in your spot and grinning against his hair, “It’s just noise, little one.  Nothing will hurt you, I promise.  Momma’s got you, I always got you,”

Azriel got up from his spot on the ground, holding both you and Alec close as you were still consoling your son in your arms.  You felt so much pride in your son, though he was still so new to the world and has yet to make his mark.  Not to you, he made a place in your heart with no sign of being moved out.  Not just from holding your son, but being held by your mate who was just as moved in the small moment in our little home.

You heard Alec once more, whimpering, “Momma,” against your neck as you sighed and grinned at the same time.  Looking away from Alec, your gaze went to Azriel who was smiling at you with tears in his eyes.  You both shared this small moment as Alec was feeling safe in your hold, Azriel kissing your cheeks with affection while his arms around you felt secure and intimate at the same time.    

You were Alec’s Momma, and you will always be his Momma until your last dying breath.

First Steps

“Any word from Spring Court?” Cassian asked as Azriel watched Rhysand roll his eyes and huff with a hint of annoyance. 

“You mean from Tamlin?” Rhysand countered back, to which Azriel and Cassian chuckled from their spots around the study at River House.  It was a warm summer day, Rhysand wishing to discuss some formalities with both Cassian and Azriel while their mates were catching up with one another out in the back garden.  All six of you were a tight-knit unit at this point, loving to enjoy each other’s company as much as you could when you had the time.  That also included Alec and Nyx, who formed a tight bond as cousins and loved having playdates together.  

So as you, Nesta, and Feyre were chatting outside in the garden and discussing future birthday plans for Nyx, the males were going over their own mundane topics while watching Nyx and Alec.  Both of them were playing in the study on a large rug, Alec watching his cousin walking back and forth with toys to share with him as Alec crawled after him in earnest.  

“He’s gotten smart with my advice and has stayed quiet.  As for Eris in Autumn Court, that joke of a Prince doesn’t know when to stay quiet and save his own face and reputation.  At least his father is gaining his reputation back amongst the other High Lords,” Rhysand explained.  

Azriel’s shadows flickered at the mention of Eris, Rhysand seeing the reaction and giving Azriel a knowing look as Azriel’s hazel eyes drifted out to the window, “The man is all talk and no bite, Azriel.”

“Not to me when he mentioned my mate and son,” Azriel replied in a cool tone, Cassian clasping his shoulder as Azriel kept his stare on the flowing river just outside the window.  He could still remember that meeting, hearing the sarcastic and sadistic tone in that fae’s voice.  He felt his whole demeanor shake and almost crumble into a thousand pieces once Eris mentioned his family, making it seem like it was some game to him.  Azriel never saw it as a game, not when the life of his family was now exposed and out in the world.

“Azriel,” Rhysand said his name, making the Shawdowsinger shift his eyes back to the High Lord, “Eris has enough common sense to understand the danger he is putting himself in when he said that.  He would have to not only go against the High Lord of Night Court but the only Shadowsinger in all of Pythian.  Eris is a fool, nothing more than that,”  

Azriel looked from him over to Nyx and Alec, who were chattering with each other and mostly making noises at each other with big smiles and laughter.  Ever since Eris mentioned his family, Azriel thought about the safety of his home and what he could do to make it better.  Night Court was already tightly secured and hadn’t had a breach of security for some time, not since before the war against Hybern.  The other Courts never dared to try anything against their home, and no humans even came close either.  

But still, the lingering thought of his family, his whole world, being taken from him or losing their lives because of him.  He made sure there was heightened security around their little home, always knew where you and Alec were at all times thanks to your connection through the bond and made his spy missions and jobs short to stay close by.  You knew that he was simply keeping his family close and safe, you weren’t going to argue with him when it came to that.  But you also knew that he would be consumed by the paranoia if it got too far.  Luckily you confided in your cousin, who made sure Azriel stayed sane. 

“Our sons are well protected,” Rhysand reassured Azriel as Alec was giggling at Nyx, “Their fathers and mothers are too powerful to let any harm come to them,”

“Along with their Aunt and Uncle,” Cassian hummed in agreement, Azriel looked at him and saw Cassian give him a short nod, “I’ll handle Eris on my own if he tries anything against our family,”

“Let’s leave him be for now, we have other things to talk about anyways,” Rhysand calmly steered the conversation out of bleakness and weary to a higher topic, “Your mate, my cousin, is due for a birthday pretty soon if I remembered correctly.  Around the same time as Summer Solstice, do you have any ideas?”

“A trip to the mountains,” Azriel explained, rolling his shoulders and letting the bitterness of Eris be released from his tension as he smiled at the mention of his mate, “I can tell taking her to the mountains brings her peace and quiet.  Thanks for letting us use your cabin, by the way,”

“Anytime you want to use it, you don’t have to ask,” Rhysand said with a softer smile, “And I think my cousin will like a birthday getaway.”

“Why don’t you let Nesta and I use your cabin again?” Cassian asked, almost in amusement but in curiosity as Rhysand threw a playful glare at the Commander.

“Because the last time I did that, I had to replace the furniture in the master bedroom, along with the tub that happened to be my favorite,” he cooly replied, though he chuckled as Cassian scoffed. Azriel still saw an underlying smirk on Cassian's face when Rhysand looked away.

“I'm also told to give you a subtle hint to not take your mate to the mountains until after her birthday,” Rhysand explained to Azriel as he gestured his head over to the door leading out of the room, “Apparently, Feyre and the girls are planning a surprise party for her at Rita’s, reserving the entire restaurant for the Inner Circle just for the occasion and for several hours that night,”  

“That’s mighty nice of them, I’ll be sure to remember that,” Azriel commented, then walking over to see Alec standing on his feet and holding himself up against the windowsill.  The sun shone through to lighten his face and his eyes, almost giving them the same shade of sapphires while he saw Azriel approach him.

“Dada!  Dada!” He called out, reaching out with one hand in his father’s direction as Azriel grinned.  Azriel loved hearing his son call out to him, babbling to him about his day when he would come home, or laughing when Azriel would tickle his sides or blow raspberries on his stomach. He was barely talking, saying a few words here and there but he mostly called for his mother and father. 

Azriel could tell in the way his son would hold himself up that he was ready to walk, finding his balance quickly and getting strong In his stance. Just like when Alec was learning to talk, you reminded Azriel to let your son take his time, even when Azriel was once again impatient and wished for his son to take the plunge and walk already.  He was already a speed crawler, amazing Azriel in how fast he would crawl all around the house, and Azriel would try and catch up with him every once in a while.  

If he was fast crawling, Azriel knew Alec was going to be a runner.

“Here, Uncle Az!  He likes this toy!” Nyx said to Azriel, walking over to hand him one of the stuffed toys.  Alec watched his three year old cousin give a toy to his father, his eyes wide as Azriel smiled at Nyxx.

“Thank you buddy,” Azriel said to Nyx, then he heard the small paddling of feet on the hardwood floor.  He looked, his eyes going wide and his mouth open in shock as Alec was walking, carefully and on wobbly feet, over to him.  His hands out to balance, yet his eyes were on Azriel as Rhysand and Cassian were watching as well.  No one wanted to move or break the tension that was there, but Alec was determined to get to his father, or perhaps to the toy in his hands as Azriel was watching in stunned silence.  

“Look at that…” Cassian said in a hum and a soft smile as Alec was now in front of his father, falling into his hold to grab the toy in his fingers.  Azriel hugged him tight, his stomach dropping at the sight of his son walking on his own.  More importantly, his son walking to him.  It felt like an out-of-body experience, Azriel scooping Alec to stand up and hug him close in his arms while Nyx clapped.

“He walked, see daddy?!  Alec can walk now!” Nyx asked Rhysand as Rhysand walked over to clasp Azriel on the shoulder. 

“It goes by fast, Az.  Before you know it, he’ll be flying with you in the sky,” Rhsyand informed him.  Azriel smiled, not realizing that he was on the verge of crying from seeing his son take his first steps.  No longer was he thinking about Eris, or of the potential target on the back of his family.  None of that was an issue at the moment, he only focused on the boy who was shoving the toy in his face and giggling at him.  This little being that had him wrapped around his lethal finger, that made him believe in an organic love just like his mother did, he was Azriel’s universe now.  

Azriel will protect his universe with everything in him.  

The End

Tagged - @valeridarkness @impossibelle @acourtofbatboydreams

[etherealising]

idk how request, I hope you understand ^^

could you do one about michael and baby having their cute moments but carmy misunderstanding everything?

english is not my first language, sorry 😭😭

in the arms of another

a/n: bestie i promise your english is just fine please don’t apologize. also i’m sending you all the internet kisses for this request because i’ve missed writing baby x mikey content so much!!! maybe not as cute as you may have wanted but i still hope you enjoy! 🫶🏽

warning(s): substance use | mention of drugs and alcohol | drunk/high reader | angst | undertone of sa (nothing too outta pocket, a non consensual kiss) | minimal editing |

wc: 4.3k (what can i say, i missed them)

You lost Carmy in the crowd mere moments after collecting your diploma, part of you couldn’t seem to care considering how rocky things became between the two of you but you were also a bit overwhelmed with the amount of your classmates who kept stopping to share in the success that was graduating high school.

Most of the people you stopped to take pictures with had rarely ever spoken to you during the 4 years you shared, considering the occasion you hadn’t minded the first couple of pictures you stopped for, but now you were ready to find your mom and the Berzattos and leave.

It was a few moments more before you heard the familiar drawl of Richie’s voice, he was always loud and you never appreciated that more than in this moment. You spun around a few times to try and spot him, finding the whole group of people standing a few ways off, Carmy had better luck than you did seeing as he was already standing there getting congratulations from every which way.

Smiling you began making your way through the other families apologizing along the way as accidentally bumped into people. Mikey was the first person to spot your approach, his eyes finding yours over Carmy’s head as he spoke to him. The wide smile took over your face instantaneously his own seeming to match yours, you picked up the pace trying to reach him as soon as possible.

Your hand raised in an excited wave, Mikey’s returning wave caused Carmy to turn as well a small smile growing on his face the closer you got to them, his hand raising in a shy wave as you approached. You hadn’t given Carmy a second glance as you brushed past him to leap into Mikey’s awaiting arms.

Carmy tried not to let the hurt show on his face as you ignored his presence, Mikey spun you around in his arms the sounds of your melodic laugh mixed with Mikey’s rough one felt like the only thing he could hear. He did his best to keep the smile on his face, ignoring the apologetic look Nat sent his way by bending down to pick up your cap that fell to the ground from all the excitement.

He hated to admit it but he understood the cold shoulder you were adamant on giving him. After that day at The Beef things were never the same, upon returning to Claire he’d tried his best to shut down whatever was transpiring between them but couldn’t allow himself to break two hearts in one day. And while he was doing his best to spare Claire’s feelings all it did was push you into the arms of his brother.

The more you distanced yourself from Carmy, the more time you spent with Mikey. Carmy tried to convince himself there was nothing untoward going on between the two of you but between the quiet laughter and the shared jokes he was beginning to feel paranoid. And now he stood there like a loser watching his best friend, the only person he ever wanted to share his joy with again, cling to his older brother like a lifeline.

You squealed as Mikey roughly set you back on the ground, hands falling to his biceps as you smiled at him. “Don’t tell me you shaved for a little graduation ceremony.” One of your hands settling against the slight stubble on his cheek.

Mikey’s response was mute to your ears as rough hands gripped your head, the smell of Richie’s cologne invaded your senses as he began plastering chaste kisses all over your face, one hand removing its grip as he raised a disposable camera to snap a picture of the two of you,

The sound of Nat’s annoyed sigh reached your ears as she shoved her way between you and Richie a look of disgust on her face at Richie’s overdramatic display of affection. “You grew up so fast Baby,” Her arms pulled you into a gentle hug against her chest the two of you rocking back and forth in each other’s arms before she pulled back the proud smile on her face telling you all you needed to know. “We need pictures though.” She gave a soft pat to your backside as you walked away to find your mom and aunt.

You gathered with your small family for pictures, wiping your mom's tears of joy as the three of you posed together. You did your best to hold your tears at bay, thankful your mom was still around to enjoy this moment with you. You felt a bit resigned as your aunt stepped out of frame after a few shots, watching silently as she motioned good-naturedly for Carmen to take her place.

Things between the two of you were the weirdest they’d ever been, with the whole prom debacle a few weeks ago you made it your mission to be alone with him as little as possible. He stepped towards you eyes everywhere but your face, the tension between the two of you was obvious but thankfully everyone ignored it in the same way you did.

It was hard to feel any resentment towards him as he tentatively reached up, his hands delicately fixing your dropped cap atop your head. You sent him a small smile before turning to face the camera, a genuine smile coming to your face.

Rounds of photos later, each with a different participant and you were almost begging to leave, but the sound of Donna’s voice rang through your ears. “Just Bear and Baby now! Our two high-school graduates where’d the fucking time go.”

You couldn’t say no to Donna, and even if you did it's not like you had a believable reason as to why you didn’t want to be pictured alone with Carmy. The two of you got in position next to each other, neither of you moving to bridge the space between the two of you, both deciding to don awkward poses holding up your diplomas.

“Oh c’mon act like you love each other!” The words were mumbled through a cigarette but you knew Donna expected more from the two of you.

A reluctant sigh left you as you stepped closer to Carmy arm brushing his. You looked in his direction for a moment rolling your eyes at the blush on his cheeks. You reached out forcefully handing him your diploma as you fixed his uneven stole. You locked eyes, your heart speeding up just by staring at him, of course, you were still hurt by his actions but you couldn’t deny the soft spot you’d always have for him.

The urge to caress his cheek surged through you, but instead, you carefully took your diploma from his grip. Your hand fell to wrap around his as a small sincere smile rose to your lips, “I’m proud of you Carm.” The words were softly spoken between the two of you, you sent him one last smile before turning back for the last few pictures.

The backyard of the Berzatto family household was overrun with disposable cups and plates scattered around the various folding tables. A surprise graduation party for you and Carmy took place there after the ceremony, though most everybody had cleared out by now the backyard relatively empty.

You stumbled your way to the backyard after seeing Hayden off, soft giggles escaping you every few minutes or so. You’d spent the party socializing mostly with The Beef family and friends, a few of Carmy’s family members, and neighbors who’d joined the celebration, Claire and Hayden joined the party after some time with their own families. The night was mostly spent explaining your plans for college a hundred times over to all the curious adults who’d offered various forms of unsolicited advice.

Richie had been your saving grace though as he’d offered you drinks sporadically throughout the night he reasons that you deserved to celebrate. He’d cut you off before things got too far lecturing you about how Mikey and your mom would kill him if he got you drunk. So you spent the remainder of your night slightly tipsy enjoying yourself more than you probably would have.

The poisonous liquid even opened you up to spending time around Carmy. You knew he’d had a drink of his own but you weren’t sure if he continued like you had. But what sent you over the edge was the joint Hayden brought that the two of you snuck away to smoke. You’d had your fair share of drinks but you’d never been high before, and while all it seemed to do at first was make you a giggly mess, you found that you now had trouble getting your limbs to work properly.

You made your way safely to the backyard by placing your hand on the gate and following its path, eyes glued to the dirt beneath your sandals incessant giggles leaving you. The path illuminated as you stepped through the garden gate. You spotted Mikey and Richie moving around the backyard trash bags in hand as they cleaned up.

“You guysss.” Even to your ears, your voice didn’t sound like your own, your words drawn out the tone more high pitched.

More giggles escaped you as you began trying to skip over to the older men, whatever control over your equilibrium completely gone as your legs gave out knees connecting with the dirt, hands doing little to stop your fall as your body met the ground.

You didn’t even bother lifting yourself, instead rolling over as full belly laughs wracked your body, the lack of oxygen to your brain extending your high. You could feel someone tugging at your arms trying to pull you off the ground, laughs worsening tenfold as you felt like a rag doll gravity keeping your dead weight on the ground as hands fought to pull you up.

“Hey c’mon get up.” At the sound of Mikey’s voice, you let out an excited squeal finally helping him.

Mikey stumbled as you energetically rose arms tightly wrapping around his neck, head leaning into his chest as you divulged into another spell of giggles. You allowed him to gently remove your arms from around his neck taking a step back to check you a whispered curse leaving him as he motioned for Richie.

You tuned their voices out hands moving to try and play with Mikey’s hair, the inky tendrils were mesmerizing under the fairy lights, and you pouted as Mikey kept dodging your assault.

“Why the fuck do you smell like weed?” Mikey’s question stole your attention, your eyes darting between him and Richie a sly smile gracing your face as you raised your index finger to your lips in a shushing motion before you began to lose your balance once more but the firm almost harsh grip on your bicep steadied you. “Are you fucking high right now? Was it that fuckin’ loser who’s always on your ass?”

You scoffed at Mikey a sneer taking over your features, “Are you?” The backyard was silent, Richie stood watching the scene play out uncomfortably before your laughter started up once again. You weren’t privy to the hurt that flashed across Mikey’s face before he led you to sit down, kneeling in front of you to check out your scrapped-up knees. You watched on in silence gently swaying back and forth as you hummed.

Carmy walked into the kitchen to find Richie rummaging around as he quietly cursed to himself, the sound of Carmy’s footsteps alerted him to his presence, “Yo where the fuck is the first aid kit?” The anger in Richie’s voice confused Carmy as he shrugged deciding to help him look.

“Dunno, what’d ya need it for?” Carmy couldn’t pretend to know how Donna organized everything in the house, the only thing he had free reign over was his bedroom.

Richie slammed a cabinet in frustration, “Baby’s fucking high, probably drunk too. I don’t know why she hangs around that stupid fucking kid he’s bad news.”

Carmy frowned, he remembered watching you wander off somewhere with Hayden but he couldn’t remember you coming back and maybe he got you high, but Richie was the one who allowed you to drink in the first place so the blame was equally his. “Is she okay, why do we need the first-aid kit? And why the fuck did you even let her drink in the first place.” Carmy’s head swam with negative thoughts.

Richie stopped his search hand coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose the last thing he needed was Carmy and his fucking teenage angst being misguided towards him. Richie knew he shouldn’t have allowed you to drink as much as you did, but he didn’t see a problem with it considering it was supervised, how the fuck was he supposed to know you’d run off and get high. Before Richie could give the youngest Berzatto a piece of his mind his phone began to ring, the chime he designated for Tiff rang through his ears. He let out a quiet sigh as he dug his phone out of his pocket.

“Find the fuckin’ first aid kit and take it outside to Mikey.” Carmy’s eyes followed the direction Richie pointed his hand in before walking off. Eyes landing on you and Mikey, the older man settled in front of you on bended knee hand carefully massaging into your calf as he looked over your knee, your head raised to the night sky a smile of bliss on your lips.

You gazed up at the sky wondering what it must feel like to be a star, a feeling of contentment washing over you the longer you stared up at them. After a while, your head lulled to the side before your eyes found Mikey body still kneeling in the dirt before you.

“Mikey,” you waited as he let out a soft hum, his fingers carefully digging the pebble out of the skin of your knee. “Will you dance with me?”

Mikey let out a sigh, his earlier annoyance washed away the longer he realized you were safe, that even though you were crossfaded you still had the mind to return to him. He rose, knees thankful to be out of the kneeling position as he held his hand out to you to indulge your desire.

You stood on shaky legs allowing the older man to guide you to the center of the backyard, the only thing you could do in your inebriated state was sway back and forth, the weightlessness of your body forcing Mikey to guide the both of you. All was quiet, your cheek found purchase on Mikey’s chest at some point, and the sound of his heartbeat lulled you into a sense of calmness.

The night air was warm as the two of you swayed for what felt like an eternity, your hands moved from their place around Mikey’s waist to tightly wrap around his neck, eyes finding his. “Why doesn’t Carmy love me the way I love him?”

Mikey frowned unsure of what to say, you still looked gone out of your mind. A smile still playing on your lips, but the question you asked him was the direct opposite of every feeling present on your face. “Baby,” a tired sigh left him. “You’re kids, you’ve got your whole life to figure this shit out.”

You laughed, nothing Mikey said was funny you just couldn’t stop the urge to laugh at every little thing. Your fingers began unconsciously playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, for as long as you’d known Mikey you hadn’t realized just how handsome he was. You knew he attracted plenty of people but you’d never given much thought to it until now, seeing his face glow under the fairy lights.

Mikey’s side profile lit up showing off his chiseled jaw, his eyes roaming the back door trying to figure out what the fuck was taking Richie so long to find the first-aid kit.

After minutes of searching, Carmy finally decided to grab the first-aid kit from the guest bathroom before returning to the kitchen. He stopped in his tracks just as he made it to the back door fingers tightly gripping the plastic in his hand as he watched you and Mikey in the center of the backyard, eyes wide heart beating rapidly in his chest.

Carmy’s eyes moved from Mikey’s hands on your waist, to your hands wrapped around his neck fingers in his freshly trimmed hair before his eyes landed on the way your lips seemed to find solace against the oldest Berzatto’s.

He couldn’t stand to look at the two of you any longer, his feet leading him back into the kitchen carelessly dropping the first-aid kit to the counter as his hands gripped the marble. His mind raced with all the ways he might have imagined what he had just seen. He did his best to ignore the sound of Richie’s voice as he finally returned, his grating Chicago accent asking about the stupid fucking first-aid kit before snatching it off the counter himself and moving to exit the house.

“Oh…shit.” Carmy had never thought in all his years of knowing Richie that the man was capable of whispering, but as he stood there trying to convince himself he’d made the whole scene up he knew it was null and void from Richie’s reaction alone.

Carmy moved back into the shadow of the kitchen as the back door opened, your quiet giggles filtering through his ears as you entered the house, a soft ‘goodnight Richie’ followed as you walked past him to head wherever you were going. Carmy watched you make your way to the stairs, his hands shaking as he tried to get a hold of his anger, the sight of you tripping up the stairs a catalyst for the damn that held his emotions back.

Without a second thought, he pushed past Richie making his way outside to find Mikey sitting down, head in his hands. “You robbing the fucking cradle now huh?” He ignored Richie’s plea to calm down not even wanting to be around either of these two fucking losers.

Mikey raised his head exhaustion clear on his face, “Go to bed Carmy.” His tone was dismissive as he stood from his position to continue his cleaning.

The casual way Mikey ignored him pissed Carmy off even more, “Why the fuck would you kiss her Mikey? What the fuck is your problem man!”

Carmy did his best to shrug off Richie’s touch as the man tried and failed to lead the riled-up teenager back inside, sure this was all some big misunderstanding. “I don’t have time for this, just get the fuck outta here.” Carmy could hear the growing frustration in his brother’s voice but the anger surging through him was fighting any logic his brain was pushing forth.

“You’re a piece of fucking shit Mikey, what the fuck you say to her huh? Sh-she wouldn’t just fucking kiss you, Mikey. Don’t pretend you fucking deserve her…I-I see the way you look at her don’t fucking lie to me.”

Carmy’s words had their intended effect whichever ones he wasn’t sure but he’d struck a cord in Mikey, that much was evident in the way he threw an empty beer bottle to the ground the loud shattering echoing through the quiet neighborhood. “And you do Carm?” A sardonic laugh left the vicious sneer on Mikey’s lips, “Give her a couple years Carm, who knows maybe she’ll decide I’m the better brother.”

Mikey knew the words were wrong the second they left his mouth and he didn’t need to hear Richie’s admonishing call of his name to realize it. Mikey didn’t see you as anything more than a little sister and he made sure you knew that as he gently pushed you away from him, breaking the kiss you initiated as soon as it started, he couldn’t be sure your inebriated mind understood at the moment, but he needed to make the boundaries between the two of you clear. Talking about you in the way he just did made him feel like the piece of shit Carmy was making him out to be, he was old enough to know not to disrespect you in the way he just did, but his younger brother's misdirected anger was the last thing he needed to hear, so Mikey hit him where it hurt a low moment of his he was sure to regret.

It all happened so fast the way Carmy took several quick steps forward, fist swinging out just as Richie wrapped his arms around him stopping his momentum before his fist could connect with Mikey’s face. Carmy struggled against Richie for a few moments before slumping against him defeat clear on his face. He shoved Richie away from him as he let him go, angry eyes blazing through Mikey’s figure.

“Fuck you, Mikey,” The quiet angry quip was punctuated by the glob of spit flying out of Carmy’s mouth and landing by Mikey’s shoe.

The last thing Carmy wanted to see as he stormed into his room was your figure in the middle of his floor, sundress pushed far too high up your legs displaying your panties as you sorted through the first-aid supplies scattered around you that you’d most likely found in his bathroom.

You looked like a fucking idiot sitting there focusing way too hard trying to read the ointment you’d picked up. Carmy’s irritated huff reached your ears a wide grin gracing your lips as you looked up to see him standing in the doorway. He rolled his eyes slamming the door behind him as he made his way fully into the room.

The loud noise had you stifling your giggles, “Someone’s mad.” The words were drawn out in a sing-song voice.

Carmy was doing his damndest to not blow up on you as he made his way to his dresser before pulling out a pair of your sweats you kept over for emergencies. He pulled the sweats out balling them up in his hand before harshly slamming the drawer and turning around and tossing them at your head, the bundle of cotton hitting you in the face and sending you into a fit of hysterics.

“Fucking cover yourself up.” The harsh tone of his voice caused you to roll your eyes quiet giggles still slipping past your lips as you reached for the sweats before putting on a deep voice and mocking him.

You stood up struggling to step into your sweats without losing your balance. You’d thought you had it this time but you were mistaken as the feeling of being on one leg sent you toppling over onto Carmy’s bed.

Carmy’s anger ebbed away into annoyance at the state you were in as he moved to help you stand before leading you to sit on his bed eyes dropping to your scraped-up knees only to realize that you’d done fuck all to clean them.

He ignored you as he gathered the necessary supplies and began to work on the scrapes on your right knee, doing his best to finish quickly so the both of you could get some sleep and pretend this night never happened.

“Carmy, you’re still my best friend…right?” You still sounded out of it as you asked the question, Carmy was resigned to ignoring you but then your soft voice began whispering his name incessantly.

“Sure Baby.” The irritation was obvious in his voice, and even more obvious in the way he harshly rubbed the alcohol pad against your wound, the movement causing you to wince. “Sorry.”

You sat still for a moment before your hands made their way to his grown-out hair, fingers wrapping around the curls that began to form at the ends. “I have a secret to tell you but you have to promise you won’t get mad.”

He gave a noncommittal hum hoping to finish patching you up before you spoke another word. The silence in the room gave Carmy hope that you’d fallen asleep but he was sorely mistaken as your quiet voice reached his ears. “I kissed Mikey. But…he didn’t like it.”

Carmy was surprised to hear the words leave your mouth, sure that the drugs and alcohol in your system would lead you to crack some stupid joke. He let go of your leg before leaning back on his haunches his eyebrows furrowed at your admission. “Why?” If this was true, if you kissed Mikey of your own volition he needed to understand why. And it also meant he probably owed his older brother some form of an apology.

He watched as your shoulders moved up and down in a lazy shrug that goofy smile still pulling at your lips, but the sheen in your eyes contradicted it, “I wanted to forget about you.” Your voice was hoarse with emotion as you answered hands moving from the curls of Carmy’s hair to gently grip his face in your scratched-up hands.

The two of you stared at each other, minutes ticking by as you drank each other in, Carmy’s confusion only growing as you began to giggle again, the noise juxtaposed by the new tears streaming down your cheeks.

“But I think I’ll remember you forever.”

a/n: please don’t take this as your sign to get experimental with drugs and alcohol, in no way am i endorsing that any of you go out and do this. please remember you are responsible for your own media consumption!!!

my first edible made me think i was the yellow power ranger, so please if you do, use recreational drugs safely and correctly!!!

[napakmahal]

Elegant like Emma D’Arcy

This may or may not be my personal love for aquiline noses and the fact I love that they chose to give Tadashi a more noticeable nose shape. 🤍

You and Tadashi we just having a well-deserved quiet night in. Finals were over and winter break had started. The seaters came out, and the books went away for four weeks. A little upsetting that San Fransokyo was not the place to go if you wanted to experience snow, all they got was rain and on occasion: hail. But the overly cold chill in the air and the light sprinkle of icey waters falling from the grey skies justified the cuddling. You were on your stomach, one leg was tossed over Tadashi’s torso with your face smushed against his chest. His laptop was resting on his nightstand, playing some crappy Christmas hallmark movie about the cliche big-city girl and flannel-wearing, small-town boy. There were so many of those with covers that looked nearly identical that neither of you could name the movie without looking at the title.

“Do you think there are really people like that?” You asked, your voice slightly mushed.

With a decent amount of vocal fry your boyfriend answered, “Like what?”

“People that would just straight up dip from their high-paying jobs and comfy lives just because they met someone.”

Shrugging as much as he could. “I’m sure of it. Plus it’s kind of romantic. No?”

“Pfft,” You scoffed. “I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure that counts as some form of self-sabotage.”

“What?” Tadashi smiled down at your head. “You wouldn’t quit a job or leave your city for me?”

“No way would you let me.”

That made them both laugh because it was true. Tadashi wanted nothing but the best for you, and leaving everything or any opportunity at all would cause a riff between you. He didn’t like the idea of being the guy that might have indirectly guilt-tripped you into not living to your full potential. Nor did he like the idea of you being miserable because you stayed or left. He is the embodiment of the scene where Jess from Gilmore Girls gets angry at Rory for dropping out of Yale.

“Why? Would you just give up everything just for me?” She raised her eyebrows up at him.

He had to think about that for a moment. Part of the reason you loved him so much was because of his dedication to the people he loved. It was his core moral that he’d carried with him for years on end. “Maybe not everything, but I’d compromise.”

It was almost hypocritical. Just the thought of you quitting or missing out on anything because of him made him want to punch a hole in the wall. Yet when it came to you or anyone else he held in high regard he made so much of an effort to make everyone happy. That’s true love by the way. Watching the happiness of someone you love and finding joy in it despite you maybe not being in the picture.

“That’s not fair.” You groaned into his chest.

The ringing and movement of his chest fluttered against the side of your head. “It is to me.”

“You suck.”

“You suck.”

“You both suck!” Hiro came crashing into the room. The dark circles under his eyes looked more like shopping bags and his skin had grown dry and cracked. He’d just finished taking a three-hour final with a written portion, a matching portion, and in an in-person experiment with stations.

“Hey dude,” Tadashi smiled at his older brother. “How’d it go?”

Instead of answering, Hiro just collapsed onto the floor and for a while, you thought he might have stopped breathing. That fear was soothed by the loud snores of a young teen boy who hadn’t gotten any proper sleep for almost two weeks straight.

“He might drop out after this.” You laughed.

Tadashi’s eyes sprung open like they were going to pop out of his head, “I don’t think so. After all, I did to get him in. No way, I’ll shoot him before he does.”

“Aww, but he’s so tired. “You fake pitied and pouted.

“He has three weeks to rest, he’ll be fine.”

For the next few minutes, the two of you went back to enjoying the heat of the other’s bodies, finding calm in the breathing noises between you two, and after a while, you’d start to tune the movie out. It’s not like it was that interesting anyway. The very generic-looking couple were having some kind of fight about her using him for some big corporation story. Didn’t make much sense and wasn’t that compelling in any way.

Out of boredom, you started drawing invisible shapes into your boyfriends skin with your fingers when you got to his neck and hear his jaw and face. Tadashi’s side profile is so beautiful, especially his nose. Tadashi had a very elegant aquiline nose, with the perfect nose bridge. It fit his face like no other.

You brought your finger up to his face and started grazing the top of his nose bridge, tracing the lines of his face. He’s ethereal.

“What are you doing, hon?” Tadashi pressed his face down and glared down trying to see his own nose.

“I’m admiring your nose.” You admitted, fully focused on the center of his face.

“I can see-er I can feel that. Why?”

You shrugged, “I don’t know. It’s just so pretty.”

“You think my nose is pretty?” He chuckled.

“Mhmm,” You hummed. “Like it suits you so well. Your nose makes you look so elegant. Like Emma D’Arcy.”

Tadashi grabbed your hand gently and pulled it away from his face. Instead, he brought your hand to his lips and started pecking kisses all over your palm, wrist, and parts of your forearms. “Thank you hun, I’m glad you find my nose so elegant.”

“You’re welcome, beautiful boy.” You craned your body forward to peck him on the lips.

Tadashi smiled down at you, “I love you.”

“I love you too, baby.”

[xiaq]

Steddie Time Travel Fixit: Pt. 6

Ao3 Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt. 3 Pt. 4 Pt. 5 Pt. 6 Pt. 7

Steve wears the Hellfire shirt.

He wears it half tucked in to a pair of tight distressed jeans with black lace-up shitkicker boots, both of which Eddie knows Steve has never worn to school before because he would have fucking remembered.

His hair is just as stupidly teased as usual, but paired with the rest of him it looks a whole lot less preppy and a whole lot more like he should have a cigarette tucked behind his ear and a leather jacket over his shoulder.

And Eddie knows that he should be focused on whatever the hell is happening with the kids and Hopper and the fact that Steve apparently has war flashbacks involving D&D characters but all that mystery falls to the wayside when the former reigning jock king is walking around the hallways like a living breathing wet dream in a shirt Eddie created.

Eddie is but a man.

Distractible.

Fallible.

Horny.

Steve catches him staring from down the hall and gives him a lazy two finger salute, grinning with the kind of ease that comes from being attractive and knowing it.

It should be infuriating.

It is not.

“Is this a dream?” Gareth says, drawing even with Eddie. “This has to be a dream, right? No way is Steve fucking Harrington wearing a Hellfire shirt.”

“I don’t know about you,” Eddie says faintly, “but if this was my dream he wouldn’t be wearing anything at all.”

“Oh, gross.”

“Look at him,” Eddie insists. Ever since that time at Jeff’s last year when the band was all high and Eddie got a little too honest, they’ve all sort of ignored the fact that Eddie is gay. They don’t ask him about girls and he doesn’t talk to them about guys. But this is…a special circumstance. 

And it’s fine. Because Eddie is not the only person looking. Everyone is looking—some with sneers or confusion but most with envy or probably equal amounts of the lust that Eddie is currently trying to subdue. Even the straightest guy in the world has to admit that Steve is—

“Yeah,” Gareth says. “I  mean no, still gross because it’s Harrington,  but yeah I can see how—no. Never mind. I’m going to class.” Gareth pauses. “Wait. Do you think he’s going to sit with us at lunch?”

He sits with them at lunch.

Eddie more or less sleepwalks through his morning classes and leaves History before the bell so he can get to the lunchroom first and he does not save Steve a seat. He has no expectations when he enters the cafeteria. No hopes related to the company he’ll keep while consuming his soggy PB&J. He just has a jacket that ends up on the seat next to him and when Jeff tries to move it he maybe glares at him a little.

When Steve moves the jacket so he can sit down, Eddie does not glare.

“Fucking figures,” Jeff mutters.

Eddie is never going to live this down and he doesn’t even care. 

“Nice shirt, big boy,” he says, because apparently Eddie’s mouth is just saying things.

Steve stills. For a moment, Eddie is reminded of the night before–of terror and gasped breathing. But then, just as quickly, he’s grinning at Eddie like some sort of sunshine creature, like joy incarnate, plucking at the tight fabric straining across his chest.

“I dunno, I don’t think I’m particularly big, it’s not my fault you gave me such a small size.”

“Well, beggars can’t be choosers,” Eddie retorts.“Everyone who signed up at the beginning of the year got one custom made,” he gestures to the guys as proof before drumming his fingers against Steve’s shoulder. “This’s one of mine and the most exercise I get is hauling amps and running from cops.”

Steve reaches over to wrap his hand around Eddie’s bicep and it’s Eddie’s turn to go still under the heat of his palm and the weight of his attention. Steve meets his eyes for a fleeting second before they flick down to his own fingers. Steve squeezes.

“You seem plenty fit to me.”

“Amps,” Eddie repeats. It’s a little breathless. It’s fine.

“Jesus christ,” Jeff mutters.

Steve’s hand is still on his arm when nearly half the basketball team approaches, detouring to stop on their way to their standard table. 

He wouldn’t say that a hush falls over the cafeteria but there are certainly a lot of eyes suddenly on their table. And not much talking.

“What the fuck, Harrington,” one of them––Eddie doesn’t know, nor does he care to know, his name––says. “You ditched us for the freaks?” He looks genuinely baffled, which Eddie has to admit is fair. “Is this some kind of joke? Does Munson have something on you?”

Steve leans away from the table, hand moving from Eddie’s arm to the back of his chair, he hitches his opposite elbow on the back of his own chair. He kicks one foot up to brace on the table leg.  It’s the stereotypical jock position: chest wide, staking a possessive claim, except Eddie isn’t a cheerleader.

“I don’t like what you’re implying,”  Steve says.

“Dude, whatever it is,” the guy’s eyes linger on Eddie in a way that Eddie really does not like, “we can take care of it.”

Steve sighs.

It’s long and loud and purposeful.

“Listen, I feel like maybe Hagan hasn’t held up his end of our bargain, so let me make this as clear as I can and we can all be mature about it. Ah––” he interrupts himself, raising his voice a little, “No, hey. Look at me. All of you.”  His tone is calm and level and patronizing in a way that Eddie knows would be infuriating if it was directed at him.

“I need you to understand,” he says slowly, making eye contact with each of them in turn, “That I’m not joking. I’m not posturing. If you touch Eddie, if you touch anyone at this table, you’re going to have a lot more to worry about than passing your driving test or making the starting lineup. There are people in the world with real problems and if you fuck with any of my new friends, you’re going join them.”

A couple scoff. Tommy, near the back, is distinctly silent. And without their usual ringleader, no one else volunteers to step forward as the aggressor.

“What happened to you, man?” One of the guys says instead.

Steve sighs again. It feels more genuine this time. “I grew up,” he says. “I recommend it.”

And then he just…waves them off, like he’s tired.

And they leave.

The group retreats to their own table in a wake of low murmurs, and everyone lets out a collective exhale.

Except for Steve, who is leaning into Eddie’s space again.

“You were weirdly quiet through that,” Steve murmurs, pushing Eddie’s hair over his shoulder so he can whisper in his ear. It’s an entitled gesture. The heat of his breath, fanned against Eddie’s neck, sends goosebumps down his arms.

“If I’m mouthy, it tends to just piss people off,” Eddie mutters back. “And I’m trying not to cause trouble for you seeing as you seem to create plenty for yourself.”

“Do what you want,” Steve says easily. “I know how to fight.”

Eddie tells his dick to calm the fuck down.

Now is not the time.

“Besides,” Steve whispers, even quieter, lips practically against Eddie’s ear, “I think I prefer you mouthy.”

Fuck.

This is flirting, right? It has to be flirting. 

He makes frantic eye contact with Jeff and––yeah, judging by the expression on Jeff’s face Eddie is not making shit up. Steve Harrington is hitting on him. In the school cafeteria. 

“Oh hey,” Steve says abruptly, turning to pull a Tupperware container out of his stuffed full backpack. “I made cookies last night if you guys want some.”

“Cookies?” Gareth says faintly.

“Yeah, peanut butter chocolate chip. The kids I babysit wanted some so I made a double batch to share. They’re good, I promise. And I substituted applesauce for some of the sugar and oil so they’re not as unhealthy as they could be––but don’t tell the kids that.”

He peels off the lid and Eddie is hit with the second-most heavenly smell he’s ever encountered. The first may or may not be Steve Harrington himself, who is now handing him one of the cookies. Eddie takes it wordlessly, watching as Steve stands to carry the container around to everyone else.

Gareth leans across the table so only Eddie can hear him. “How confused is your boner right now?” Gareth whispers.

Eddie suppresses a slightly hysterical whine. “Oh, are we talking about this? We don’t need to talk about this.”

“I think we’re going to have to if he keeps this shit up.”

“No,” Eddie says. “No, no. I’ll be fine. I just need to…get my head straight.”

“Good luck with that.” Gareth takes a bite of his cookie, “Oh, damn, these are good.”

Eddie eats his own cookie and tries not to moan about it.

He’s fine. Everything is fine. 

••••

Steve Harrington is good at D&D.

Eddie had been worried, at first, that Steve might not take things seriously. That he’d laugh at their silly voices or make fun of the guys who wear costumes or just…make it clear that he thought they were ridiculous. Childish.

Instead, he maybe takes things too seriously––asking detailed questions about terrain and weather patterns and doing so many perception checks that Jeff is about ready to strangle him an hour in, but his overly cautious approach uncovers more than one trap Eddie had set. Steve is excellent at strategy and disconcertingly good at organizing the party when there’s something to fight. Even more disconcerting, most of his strategies appear to involve martyrdom and it’s only through Eddie fudging his combat rolls a little that Steve’s character survives the night. 

He’s not perfect, of course. Steve’s math skills are abysmal and he constantly has to be reminded what his modifiers are, which Eddie does gently and without complaint, because he’d copied down Steve’s stats the night before and he doesn’t want Steve to be embarrassed. The guys will definitely never, ever, let him live it down, but he figures he’s already lost so much credibility with them at this point a little more won’t be the end of the world.

And Steve keeps smiling at him, so.

Worth it.

When Steve’s watch alarm goes off, a minute before 7pm, he makes a hasty exit for the bathroom, bag in hand, and the other guys decide he must have some sort of medication he has to take and he didn’t want to do it in front of them. Eddie doesn’t correct them, doesn’t know how he would even try to correct the assumption because he doesn’t actually understand what Steve is doing. But it does remind him that there is a Mystery afoot and Eddie really should be trying to figure out what the hell is going on instead of just…mooning over Harrington’s pretty face.

Then again, nothing is stopping him from doing both.

The guys warm to Steve by the end of the session, patting his back and calling goodbye as they exit the doors under the external halogen lights.

The night is quiet and cool and when Steve offers to drive Eddie home, Eddie can only say yes. Eddie slides into the passenger seat, tossing his backpack into the back, and decides to take the opportunity to snoop. He opens the glove compartment and pulls out the handful of cassettes inside.

“Oh,” Steve says, “wait, that’s not––”

There’s Dio and Metallica, Iron Maiden and Motorhead, and then the artists Eddie suspected all along: Madonna, A-ha, Donna Summer, ABBA, Journey, The Eagles and—oh.

Fleetwood Mac. With Landslide on the B side. 

It’s shiny and new. No scuffs on the case.

“Shit,” Steve mutters under his breath.

“When did you even have time to get this?” Eddie asks, baffled. And maybe he shouldn’t assume, maybe he’s completely off-base, but Steve looks like he’s been caught doing something illegal so he thinks the assumption is apt. “You left our place at like 10pm last night and you’ve been in school all day.”

“I have a free period before lunch. The record store is a five minute drive from campus.”

“But…why?”

“I don’t know,” Steve says, with the soft resignation of someone lying. It sounds more like, “I can’t tell you,” which makes Eddie want to shake him.

Eddie considers Steve’s shadowed face: his downturned mouth and his stupidly long eyelashes. He looks tired.

Eddie exhales. “Well, we’re listening to it.”

Steve doesn’t argue.

He doesn’t say anything else at all until they get to the trailer and he’s hurrying around to open Eddie’s door for him and get his bag from the backseat like Eddie is some girl he’s dropping off after a date.

“Oh wait,” he says, ducking back to grab his own bag. “I have—hold on, it’s—there we go.”

He emerges with another tupperware container in his hands, this one smaller than the one he passed around at lunch.

“I thought Wayne might want some,” he says shyly, eyes on the cookies in his hands. “As a thank you. For yesterday.”

Eddie is going to scream.

“That’s really nice. I’m sure he’ll love them, and if he doesn’t I’ll eat them because apparently you’ve been possessed by Betty Crocker’s ghost. Or—actually I don’t know if she’s dead or not. Or if she was a real person. Anyway, the point is that—“

Steve is smiling at him. Softly. Like he’d be happy to listen to Eddie ramble as long as he wants.

Eddie clears his throat. “Wayne should be home if you want to give them to him.”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll, uh, walk you in.”

So much screaming.

Steve does walk him in, hands over the cookies to a baffled-looking Wayne, and then touches Eddie’s hand—hardly a touch at all really, his first two fingers resting, briefly, on Eddie’s wrist, his thumb tucked just under the meat of Eddie’s palm, almost like he’s checking Eddie’s pulse.

“Goodnight,” he says.

Eddie doesn’t even know if he responds.

He’s still looking down at his wrist when Steve’s car engine starts and the headlights fan over the windows before everything goes dark and still outside.

“So,” Wayne says. “Is he…”

“What?” Eddie asks blankly.

 “...your sweetheart?”

That’s enough to break Eddie out of whatever trance he’d been in. “My–? Jesus. No. You know who you’re talking about, right?”

“I know what I’m seeing,” Wayne mutters. “Not sure I’m happy about it.”

Eddie’s stomach immediately goes sour. They’ve never actually discussed Eddie’s romantic preferences. Wayne knew. He had to know, considering the circumstances in which Wayne became Eddie’s guardian. But they’ve never said anything out loud to each other and Eddie was hoping to continue that tradition potentially for forever.

“Wait,” Wayne says, moving forward to squeeze his shoulder, “I didn’t mean––fuck, you know I’m no good at this shit. Come sit down.”

They move to the couch.

They sit.

Wayne digs the heels of his palms into his eyes.

“I don’t care who you’re sweet on or who you bring home, you hear me? As long as they treat you right and they don’t get you into trouble. But that Harrington boy… I get the feeling he’s trouble. And with his folks being who they are, I just want you to be careful. That boy has a history and I don’t know what it is, but I’d wager it isn’t pretty.”

“I don’t know what it is either,” Eddie murmurs. “He’s not––I don’t think he’s bad trouble, though. He’s trying to protect me. Us. At school. Even though it’s put a giant target on his back. He’s quit basketball and joined Hellfire and he’s. I don’t know. I like him.” It feels like a confession.

“I wonder how his Daddy feels about all that,” Wayne murmurs. “You ever seen him come to school hurt?”

Eddie considers. “I don’t know. Why?”

Wayne just looks at him.

“You think his parents––?”

“I think I know the kind of boy his father was. I can imagine the sort of man he turned into.”

Eddie feels chilled all the sudden. He gets up from the couch to close the open window above the sink. It doesn’t help. He rests his hands, fingers splayed, on the countertop. He taps his nails on the fornica.

Abuse wouldn’t explain the kids or the panic attack or why he suddenly seems obsessed with Eddie. But it would explain some things.

“I’m not going to start avoiding him,” Eddie says.

Wayne sighs. “I didn’t expect you would. Considering.”

Eddie doesn’t ask him to elaborate.

He holds up the container of cookies Wayne had abandoned on the counter, then carries them over to the couch when he nods. 

Wayne selects the largest one from the top. “Did he actually play your dragons game?”

Eddie nearly chokes on a laugh, helping himself to a cookie as well. “He did. Wasn’t half bad, either.”

Wayne takes a bite. His eyebrows go up. “Shit, did he make these?”

“He did,” Eddie says.

“Well. I suppose we can keep him around.”

Pt. 7

[bunji-enthusiast]

Hey ! How are you? I don’t know if you’re still taking requests, but I had a request for Lancelot (4koa). I’m obsessed with this character. Could you do a headcanon (or just a one-shot) about a jealous Lancelot? The reader receives a lot of attention because of their sunny personality or beauty. Thank you <3

of course, who wouldn't love this sassy blonde prince? He might be a little ooc in this writing though.

He finally had the time to actually, and truly spend it with you. Focusing on nothing else but you, nobody else and especially not object of legend despite what he hears throughout the lands of Britannia, which he had only been through before. So in assurance, he had personally made sure you knew that he was keeping his attention on you, for the day. Which you were in high spirits about, as there were many things of topics that you wanted to bring up in passing, but had never gotten time to do so as the both of you were very busy, on both ends really. So here and now in actuality was rather nice, that Lancelot had made sure that you were the sole focus for the day.

Lancelot had taken to a known, but not very busy path as he knew there weren't many whom had taken a liking to traveling such a path. Though what left him in a small moment of confusion is as to why they wouldn't want to take it. No matter.

He was here with you, "Im assuming from the look on your face, yer about to explode." Lancelot sang, breaking the silence as he jabbed you in the shoulder with a snarky grin. To some it may appear to be mean, but you knew it was only one of his many jesters. As someone like him, you'd have to have a good and long-running amounts of patience to truly converse the threads of which strayed along the walls he built. Even in better and earnest chances would you had an easier time if the two of you had met during the years of your childhood.

"Maybe?" Your voice trembled just for a slight moment, then you conceded to defeated as you nodded in agreement. Hearing him laugh, he languidly laced his fingers with yours. Gentle as can be, even despite the smolder of fire lit by a previous warrior in those eyes of his, that he was about kind. His face was washed over by his usual expression, with one that said about everything.

"Come on." He spoke, "I wanna hear it all."

"I am chatty you know?" You shot back, and the expression of disbelief he promptly gave you almost made your knees buckle with laughter. Watching as he shook his head in disagreement.

"If it was anyone else, I would've been long gone by now." Lancelot remarked, tilting his head. Marking a clear sign of honesty in those words of his, if you had heard him say the very same thing when you two had first met, you wouldn't have believed him. So finally, you relaxed yourself, sighing as you pulled yourself together. Instead of your giggly mess of a self previously taking residence.

"Okay! so..." You then began going off on a tangent; correlating the most interesting events, the enemies who held the most interest, a fresh new injury you got, and so on. Despite your sunshine personality and beauty, you could also be perceived as someone of a high danger level. Though it is rare, as you demeanor gives many a false impression of your ability to hold yourself in battle. Lancelot knew this much, far more than others, and so he felt for the poor souls that had to come cross swords with you in battle. Although he couldn't deny his immense pride for you, even if it was startling, he was always proud of you.

In immediate conquest, ripping away his joy of partaking in the good conversation you both had going. There was a crowd of fairies invading your space, singing praises and oohing at the face of your beauty. There were even a few that you both had recognized, so you made small-talk, oblivious to the pot of burdening feelings brewing within the knight of war.

Though you two had continued onward after sending the fairies on their way, you could tell there was something albeit off about Lancelot. Even with his more affectionate demeanor which he usually only displayed around you, he seemed slightly different.

"Lance," You muttered, "Are you okay?" You asked, your hand drifting over to his, seemingly shoved in the confines of his pocket. Lancelot's eyes shot up at the mention of the nickname, specifically reserved for him alone. He tilted his head, the shrug of his shoulders, oh you knew what he was feeling right now. But you weren't sure if you should push it at all, maybe you should let him come to terms with the feelings on his own, he seemed far more amiable to something like that.

"I'm good, don't need to worry about me." He finally said, making you sigh. But you decided to leave it alone like you thought about, wanting him to talk about it on his own, as due to experience, Lancelot is extremely and particularly hardheaded.

On the way back to the end of the road, you had found yourselves at the beginning of one of the many entrances into Liones. Startingly so, not even after a few moments, two minutes even that you had been stopped by two ladies that had wanted to make the time to tell you how wonderful and beautiful you are. Which had surprised Lancelot, as he had never once spoken with the pair before, but it had seemed you did from how closely you spoken with them. Taking their compliments in stride, which once again had dug into his gut. He didn't know why he was feeling this way, but it was at all today that he's come to learn how often you get complimented and the amount of attention you receive from many who's come across you.

Finally, once finally you had been done talking with them. Lancelot decided to speak, "I don't understand how you've gotten so popular." He chides, yet jokingly. You just shrugged with a weak chuckle, almost unsure of it yourself. But he could tell, he knew. Lancelot didn't really like it when someone had such an attention on you, and for him, he was supposed to give you such attention. He had and have wanted to dedicate today specifically for such a thing.

"Beats me." you blinked for a moment, having said such words. Receiving attention is not something you weren't used to, but something you quickly had become used to it anyway. One person, and one person alone you could handle it, and that was Lancelot.

You went back and forth with yourself within the confines of your mind, "Maybe it'll stop now?" You said with a small smile, tugging him along by the forearm, a gentle tug. "Come on, I know a really good restaurant!"

Lancelot's burdens are nothing short of easy, feelings in the matter as well. But mind over matter was the last thing he wanted right now, this was you, a source of light in the midst for all that it was of his struggles. Even as a knight of apocalypse, you still smiled at him all the same.

Despite his negative emotions, which are quite normal to feel as he's come to recognize, always wash away in the fate of your warmth.

[mehiwilldoitlater]

I need to know which men in Genshin are attracted to or LOVE thick thighs? ...(it occurred to me because sometimes I feel insecure because of how the remaining fat sticks out when wearing my long stockings)

Trust me, dear, you don't have to feel that way. And, in any case, it's your body! You can choose whatever you want with it and still be proud of it!)

Mondstadt:

Kaeya:To him, his love for thoughts doesn't come just from sexual intentions; it's more emotional than that. He didn't have enough love in his childhood, except for his years with Diluc and Crepus, and the idea of just giving up his defenses and laying his head on yours makes you think it's fresh water after the midday sun. Nothing warms his heart more than coming back home and finally getting to rest on your natural cuscion, enjoying a small chat with a glass of wine in his hand. He may have become a little devilish, maybe pinching here and there and giving them a small smack, but despite that, he just loves to enjoy that lovely moment.

Liyue:

Zhongli:Despite his elegant eloquence and his attitude, this man would literally take every opportunity to just rip off every possible fabric that covered your thoughts, only to enjoy the view of your skin. And, alongside that, he would gouge every eye that dared to stay a little longer on that part. The idea that this is the nearest part of your private area, that it is like a gate to his own heaven, thrills him with an amount of joy that nothing else can compare. He loves to bite, kiss, mark that as his own territory, and prove that only he can actually savor that small portion of you. High boots and loafing stockings are his favorites.

Inazuma:

Kazuha:Like Kaeya, Kazuha enjoys the possibility to relax with your thoughts, especially after a long walk. Is it reassuring and calming, and did you give him the chance to see the sky and your face, his two favorite views? He may or may not take the chance during the night to change his comfort with your tights, and maybe take a little more time to caress them to find any new details that he may have missed the last time.

Heizou:It's not his fault if those tights are a goddamn place to think when he's on a case! It's your fault that they're so comfortable and do nice! And they smell good, too. He'll even start to make some funny remarks and even touch them here and there. He doesn't even do it for any actual reason; it's just a habit for him.

Sumeru:

Cyno:Someone would just get struck by the view of an ass, but him? The muscles, the fact that those things could crush and yet be so soft and gentle—it's a funny comparison. And you can't escape his jokes if he's one, right?

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Ahh, I'm a bit nervous lol. First, I want to welcome you back! We appreciate your time and hard work! I want to make a romance request for Qin Shi Huang if possible! I'm not sure if you only write platonically for him or both, so here I go!

The scenario I had in mind is that Qin has an Empress S/O who is pregnant and has recently started her pregnancy cravings! It isn't anything weird she just has a high demand for sugary sweets! But high intake of sugar is not good in general and even more while pregnant, so her cravings are often not met, causing her to cause a fit and being moody. How would Qin handle his Empress's ongoing moodiness? A little bonus I want to add and can not live without is some good old harem drama! What if Qin's concubines deliberately give Y/N high amounts of sweets in secret (with sussy stuff put into it) in hopes of harming the baby? How would Qin react once found out?

My apologies if this is something uncomfortable to write about! I'm a bit nervous since I don't want to bombard you with a request as soon as you just started accepting them again! Once again, welcome back! Thank you for your hard work and time!

-Y/N, First Empress of Qin, was the first love of Qin Shi Huang, but to you, he was Ying Zheng, or just Zheng. You were the only person allowed to call him that, which infuriated the concubines of his harem to no end.

-You didn’t mind that he had a harem, it was normal for rulers, but you were the one and only empress and his first love.

-When you found out you were pregnant, Zheng let loose for a moment, as it was his first child, and ran through his palace screaming in joy, telling anyone who he ran into, be it a guard, a maid, the whole kingdom knew by the end of the day.

-Your pregnancy was mild compared to other women, at first, you only had mild morning sickness and were slightly anemic, but a healthy diet kept that in check.

-Once you entered your second trimester, when you started to show, that’s when your cravings started. They were small at first, apples, peaches, sweet fruit mainly, easily sated, but as you went on, you couldn’t get enough sweets, the portions you were given couldn’t placate you.

-Zheng had been your rock for your pregnancy, not even wanting to go to the women in his harem, he wanted to be with you as you were carrying his child.

-To be honest, you honestly believed he was more excited than you were. You knew he was going to be a good father.

-After your cravings started hitting you harder, you started to get moodier when the chefs wouldn’t give you any extra sweets, not even fruit, as they and the royal physician agreed that too many sweets were not good for you or the baby, even if you were going on long daily walks with your husband.

-Zheng did sneak you extra berries from time to time, but nothing big, as he didn’t want to risk your health or your baby’s health.

-You understood all of their reasons, and you knew it was important to be healthy, but you still were upset, pregnancy hormones making you extra emotional.

-You were surprised when Zheng was gone for the day, needed elsewhere, when the other concubines came to you, congratulating complimenting on your healthy glow and how well you looked, bringing gifts of silk and toys for your baby, and flowers and cream for your hands for you.

-You appreciated the gifts, accepting them all warmly and you were surprised when they presented you with presents of sweets, not fruit, but things like baked goods and prepared sweets.

-Your smile was bigger as you saw these gifts, thanking them warmly.

-You missed their own smiles, which were more vile and cunning, one speaking sweetly to you, how she had heard your cravings had been terribly bad for you, and they wanted to make you happy.

-One of their handmaidens prepared one of the desserts for you, bringing it to you, kneeling before you and you took the dessert from her.

-The royal physician was nearby, a bit annoyed to see you being given sweets, but he thought one wouldn’t be too bad.

-Everyone was stunned when your handmaiden gasped when you took a spoonful of the dessert, “My Empress!” she then slapped the dessert out of your hand, sending it to the floor.

-The concubines were instantly in an outrage, screaming at your handmaiden who instantly bowed lowed to you, “Forgive me my lady! That dessert had a type of grain that is dangerous for pregnant women!”

-Everyone instantly froze and you turned, your eyes sharp on the concubines, many who flinched as the physician approached, picking up the dessert and he quickly inspected it while your royal guards were nearby, awaiting your orders.

-The physician instantly gawked, “She’s right Empress Y/N! This is River Seed Wheat, it’s used to make very potent alcohol, and unprocessed, if ingested, can clog your belly and it would have killed your baby!!”

-You shoot up, shocking everyone, your handmaiden instantly by your side as you wobbled only for a moment, “Explain yourselves! You mean to poison your empress and kill the first child of the Emperor?!”

-The concubines were on their hands and knees, pleading their innocence.

-You turned to the physician, telling him to check everything they had brought before you turned to one of the guards, “Send a messenger to the Emperor and gather the rest of my guards.”

-The concubines couldn’t meet your piercing gaze, their heads low as the physician checked each and every dessert they had brought for you.

-Once his investigation completed shortly before your guards arrived, waiting for your orders, he turned and bowed to you, “My Empress, I have found unprocessed River Seed Wheat in every single one of these desserts, they were mixed in, prepared in advance, and not slipped in, like the Royal Concubines were claiming.”

-Your gaze was cold but before you could speak, Zheng ran in, “Y/N!” everyone but you bowed to him as he ran to you, one hand meeting your cheek, cupping it while the other spread across your belly, “The messenger said you had almost been poisoned, is this true?!”

-You nodded and looked to the royal physician who saluted his emperor, informing him what he had discovered in the desserts. Zheng had to be informed what River Seed Wheat was, but he was seething in rage once the explanation was done.

-He turned to you and your handmaiden first, speaking first to your handmaiden, “I thank you for saving my wife and our child. You shall be rewarded, ten sacks of rice for your family, and three bolts of silk of your choosing.” Your handmaiden was instantly in tears, bowing deeply, thanking him before he spoke, “Take Y/N away from here. You four go with her!” he spoke the last order to four of his own guards who instantly bowed and you were led out.

-The concubines were caned fifty times each, then stripped of their status, wealth, publicly shamed with the announcement of their crimes against the empress and the unborn heir, before be sent to a sea port town to become penal laborers for the rest of their days.

-You felt no remorse for them, as they tried to harm you and your child, but after the incident, your cravings went from sweet to sour, wanting only lemon slices.

-You gave birth to a handsome young prince four months later, as healthy as his father who was just as doting as he had been while you were pregnant.

[falseficus]

i think it’s actually fine to have 100000 hobbies that you’re not particularly good at. what you gain from something is related to the amount of time you put into it and often you won’t be able to make anything high-quality when you’re only a beginner at something, but you can make a lot of small gains by spreading your time across different projects. it’s kind of like investing skill points in a vidya game I mean like:

- 1 level in photography gives you a photographer’s eye and an ability to appreciate small details you wouldn’t otherwise

- 1 level in music gives you the ability to understand why you love the music you love

- 1 level in crochet gives you an appreciation for textile art and a vaguely better understanding of 3d space

- 1 level in birdwatching gives you random moments of joy when you’re outside and grants you perception of a fuller world

- and so on

perhaps it’s noble to be a perpetual beginner (amateur — lover).

I’ve invested most of my time in writing, so writing has become entangled with my personality; i would say it is the primary engine of my personal development. but all of the other things, the ones I love lightly and grant only sporadic attention, add important facets to my relationship with the world around me — even if they never result in what an outsider might call a worthwhile product

[salt-kat]

Tracer x f!reader, their trying to start a family, lena and reader r both in overwatch, they go to Mercy to do some checks and she says its a small chance reader can get pregnant due too previous injuries. Lena comes back from a long mission and reader tells her that the egg took. lena helps reader with morning sickness and pains, Tracers calm and collected until the doctors place the baby on readers chest.

I had to do some research for this ask lol! I tried to be accurate about it! It took me a while to write, due to how little I know about pregnancy and the amount I wrote. Hope you enjoy<3

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

Tracer With A Pregnant S/O✮

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

“I don’t think I’m ready,” you say to Lena, looking at the exam room doors, wanting to make a run for it. “You’re worrying too much, love; it’ll be okay." Lena gently holds your hand, waiting for Dr. Ziegler to make her appearance. As you look down, you hear the exam room door open. In walks Angela with a sad face. You look up at her grim expression, already dreading what she has to say. The doctor strides over to her chair, and she plops down with a huff, looking at her tablet. “I do have bad news,” Angela sighs, not wanting to break the news to two of her most trusted coworkers and, more importantly, her friends. Lena tightens her grip on your hand, trying to comfort you and herself. You both wait patiently for the news. “The likelihood of you getting pregnant is not high due to the past injuries you sustained during your mission to Europe a few months ago. I’m so sorry, I wanted this to be good for you two,” she says slowly, giving you and Lena time to process. Both Lena and your eyes start to water. “Is there any chance at all? All we want is one child,” your wife says, hoping that this news was just an awful prank. Dr. Ziegler looks down at her tablet to re-read her results. “Of course there’s a chance, Lena; it’s just going to take a lot of patience and hope,” Angela says, looking back up at you both. You look at your wife with a sad smile. “At least there's a possibility,” you say, trying to be optimistic. 

Two months after that dreadful appointment, your wife has to take leave. Lena didn’t want to leave you alone since you were going under IVF treatment, but sadly, she had to tend to her duties. Lena called, facetimed, and texted you every day, never once forgetting to keep in touch. After one of these checking-in calls from your wife, you noticed a notification on your phone. Your period tracker app sent a notification to you saying you were late. You open the app and realize you’ve been late for a week and a half. You get up from your bed, wondering if this could be it. You run to the bathroom and grab an unused test from under the cabinet. As you test yourself, you say a little prayer, hoping this could be it. No more negative tests; no more disappointed gazes from Lena. You sat the test over to the side, waiting for the results. You clean yourself up and pace your room. You stare at your phone, watching the time change. The time can’t seem to go any slower. The moment the timer rings, you’re rushing to grab that test that’ll determine your mood for weeks to come. You could feel yourself almost dropping the test in shock; it was positive. Your eyes started to water in relief and joy. Finally being able to bring a child into the world with the woman you loved the most. You were so excited to tell Lena. You were thinking of all the ways you could. Maybe a cake, or a card, or maybe throw a little party, but all those ideas didn’t feel personal enough. You settled on just handing her the test as a present. Knowing Lena was going to be home in a few days excited you. You couldn’t wait to show her. 

Three days later, you were scurrying in your kitchen, trying to cook a welcome home meal for your wife. As you finished plating the dishes, you heard the knob twist and the door shut with a thud. You quickly wipe your hands off on a nearby towel and head towards the front door. Lena looks tired but bursts into a smile at the sight of you. You looked absolutely glowing, just as beautiful as she left you. “Hi, love,” Lena says before you launch yourself into her arms. “I missed you so much,” you mumble into her shoulder as she squeezes you harder. “It sure smells good in here,” remarks Lena as she pulls back and pecks your cheek with a soft smile. “I did make you a small meal, just to welcome you back,” you say, grabbing her hand to lead her towards the set dining table. Lena stares at the meal and candles before her, wondering what she did to deserve such a lovely wife. “You shouldn’t have,” Tracer says softly. “But I wanted to, come on, sit before the food gets cold,” you remark as you playfully push Lena to her seat. She lets out a chuckle at your impatience. You grab the wine from the counter, pouring a small glass for your wife, knowing she needs it. “Thank you, dear,” Lena says appreciatively. Your meal went well: there was light conversation, good food, and a briefing on the crazy events from Lena’s mission. As Tracer sips her wine, letting her meal settle, she notices how you seem a bit nervous. “The wine is delicious; where did you get it?” Lena asks as she eyes your full glass while taking a sip. “Oh, just at the local supermarket,” you retort, trying not to seem suspicious. “You’ve barely touched yours,” Tracer retorts playfully. “I’m trying to drink more water,” you say, gripping your water glass to convince her. Tracer eyes you oddly but just shrugs. You can feel your nerves get worse as you sip your water and work up the courage to tell her. You decide to get it over with. “Lena, I have something for you,” you tell her as you grab the small present box from under your chair. “Oh, a present for me? I feel guilty now; I should've brought you something back,” Lena huffs with a pout. You giggle and pass over the small box to your wife. She shakes it jokingly, trying to figure out what you could’ve possibly gotten her. She opens the present and slowly peels back the tissue. Immediately, Lena’s eyes gloss over; she’s speechless for a moment. You watch her expression with excitement and anxiety. “How long have you known?” Lena mumbles. “About four days,” you retort. Lena immediately jumps up from her seat and tackles you with a hug. Instantly, she starts peppering kisses all over your face. “We’re going to be moms,” Lena excitedly yells, shaking you a bit. “Yes, we are. We’re going to be the best moms ever,” you say, giving your wife a gentle kiss. 

Five months into your pregnancy, and you’re ready for it to be over. Between the morning sickness, hormones, and pain, you want this baby out of you. Lena has been so good through this pregnancy that she’s taken more time off of work to help you. Lena is the cool and collected one; she helps ease your never-ending anxiety about your future and your baby. You had just found out you were having a little girl. Tracer couldn’t be more thrilled. She immediately started decorating the baby's room and telling everyone about her soon-to-be daughter. “What do you think about Leah?” Lena asks, looking over at you from her side of the bed. “Doesn’t that sound a bit too similar to yours?” You ask with a cheeky grin. "Nuh-uh,” Lena says, rolling her eyes with a pout. “What about Luna?” Lena asks hopefully. “That’s a little common, don’t you think? You retort, returning your gaze to your phone. “How about Lydia?” Lena exclaims, looking back at you from the baby names book she bought a few weeks ago. “You really have a thing for L names,” you claim. Lena sighs with a feeling of hopelessness about figuring out what to name your child. A few moments pass by before you softly say to your wife, “Lydia is a beautiful name." Lena breaks into a smile. She rolls closer to you and presses her face and hands onto your bump. “Do you hear that little one? Your name is Lydia,” Tracer says as you giggle at her antics. “I’m so ready to meet you, Lydia,” Lena says, placing a kiss on your bump and imagining the life you will have ahead of you three.

Soon enough, your wish came true. The day was here; your baby was going to enter the world. You had gone into labor during the night, waking Lena up in a panic. Grunting in pain, you whine about your water breaking. Lena immediately hops up and grabs the hospital bag for you. She’s calm and comforting. She helps you put on your shoes and leads you to the car. On the way to the hospital, Lena tries everything she can to help distract you from the pain. She talks you through breathing exercises and reassures you that it’ll be worth it in the end. As you make your way into the hospital, Lena keeps her hand on your back, supporting you as she checks you in. Seven grueling hours later, your baby was finally almost out. Your wife had stayed beside you the whole time, holding your hand, wiping the sweat off your brow, and giving you soft kisses as an affirmation. “One more push, and she should be out,” the doctor says as the nurses prepare for the oncoming baby. You push with all your might, grunting and gripping Lena’s hand so hard that you’re almost sure you’ve broken it. “You got this, love,” Tracer whispers as she rubs your knuckles with her hand. All of a sudden, you hear a sharp cry. “There she is,” the doctor says, passing the baby to the nurses for a moment to clean her up a bit. Your tears instantly change from pain to joy and love at seeing your child. The nurse puts the baby on top of your chest. “Hi, Lydia,” you softly say to your baby, trying to soothe her with tears in your eyes. You look over at your wife, wondering why she’s so quiet. Lena is sobbing, fully crying her eyes out. “Honey, you can touch her,” you say, encouraging Lena to meet her daughter. “She’s so beautiful,” Tracer whispers through her sobs. She’s so happy, she can hardly contain herself as she rubs the baby’s back. “Your mommy loves you so much,” you say to Lydia, cradling her small form. A nurse comes to pick up your newborn, needing to finish cleaning her off and taking her vitals. “We did it; we’re going to be moms,” Lena says, crying while holding onto you. “The best mom ever,” you joke as you give your wife a much-needed kiss.

[raksh-writes]

In diamonds and leather

Fandom: Kinnporsche the series (2022)

Pairing: VegasPete

Warnings/Tags: Sugar Baby/Sugar Daddy AU, older!Vegas, younger!Pete, businessman!Vegas, college student!Pete, Dom/sub

Been feeling a great need for a Sugar Baby/Sugar Daddy AU for VegasPete but since there doesn’t seem to be any and I’ve had this rattling around my brain for months, here’s a lil’ preview snippet. Might make it into an actual fic one day, who knows. For now, hope y’all will enjoy  this small thing 💗

.

At thirty years old, Vegas is pretty sure most would say he has it all.

Lucrative business in luxury markets earning him more than he could ever spend? Certainly. A sprawling penthouse at the top floor with the overview of the city some would kill for? Hm, yes, the view is nice, that he can admit. A wardrobe full of silk shirts, suits tailored to perfection, italian leather shoes and watches glinting gold in the light? He should probably get rid of half of them, to be honest. Expensive cars and sleek bikes he’s imported himself? Probably one too many than he should be keeping, but the speed and freedom they give him are one of the only joys Vegas still has left in life because:

What’s even the point?

His father is long dead and buried, no longer a whip of disgust and derision over Vegas’ back and bruised face, no longer sneering over every aspect of his life and chasing him from one deal to another until he barely had any time or will to live for himself. So long he’s lived under his father’s orders, so long he’s lived only to take care of his little brother, but now Gun is dead and Macau’s safe and happy in university, living on his own and surrounded by friends, and Vegas? With his thriving businesses, his expensive clothes, fast bikes and more money than he knows what to do with? Well...

At the end of the day, as he sits down in his favorite armchair after hours full of taking care of his various businesses, as he looks over the city, Vegas can’t help the questions creeping over his mind, relentless and bleak. What now? What’s the point? You have it all and you’re not doing anything with it. You should be ashamed of yourself. No drive, no ambition, not knowing what to do with yourself. How can you even look at yourself in the mirror? Pathetic. More often than not a note of his father’s sneer sneaking through the disembodied voice of his thoughts. And it’s the pitiful truth, unfortunately. 

Somewhere along the time of his newfound freedom, Vegas found a carved out void behind his ribs, echoing and endless in its numbness. No amount of too-fast bike rides, of throwing away money at random charities, of high-end balls and lucrative deals could ever even attempt to fill it, not even sex he used to find reprieve in proved successful.

Long gone are days when he went out to pick up random twinks at clubs with music loud enough to drown out his thoughts — they’re too loud now, setting his teeth on edge, the young things too eager and shallow, the sex barely a spark hot enough to do it for him. Even the times he decides to take a sub at one of the few BDSM places he sometimes visits leaves him feeling more hollow than fulfilled in the mornings. It barely scratches the itch that manages to rear its head from time to time — the need to see a pretty boy ruined under his palms. It’s nice, the moment it happens, but then the void howls behind his sternum and his jaw aches from the force he clenches it with, a traitorous whisper of what’s the point? bouncing inside his skull. Vegas doesn’t have the answer and the rope he’s threading is quickly coming to an abrupt end.

Then it comes, from the most unexpected place Vegas couldn’t have ever predicted.

An app. A simple message.

A struggling college student with big dreams and sunshine smile.

Soft-cheeked, with barely any experience and melting under Vegas’ hands like he’s been made for it, made for Vegas. For him and him only. And Vegas shouldn’t, he really shouldn’t.

It’s not about money, he could shower the pretty boy with far more than he’d ever need and still not make a dent in his account. It’s not about chemistry too, because to be frank, it actually sparks way too high and bright between them. And it’s not for the lack of time either  — at this point in his life, Vegas has more of it than he has responsibilities on most days. The thing is—

Vegas is not suited to take on a fresh sub. To train someone completely new to kink in the way he prefers his partners. He has no experience with that, always took on twinks either versed in the lifestyle or he’d disregard his more sadistic preferences for a night of simpler, rough sex. It’s been good enough, he tells himself, it was, but—

Pete looks up at him with his huge, teary eyes, mouth parted and bottom lip glistening under Vegas’ thumb and the long-slumbering beast in his chest awakens, uncurling in the void with teeth bared and bloodlust on its tongue. Vegas wants, and he wants so deeply and viciously it almost scares him well enough to refuse this pretty siren of a boy. Almost.

He looks at Pete on his knees and his brain stutters with countless images.

With Pete’s cupid-bow lips stretched over his cock. With Pete shackled to his bed and writhing in the binds while Vegas takes him again and again and again. Not letting him come or wringing out orgasm after orgasm until he's a crying, wrecked mess unable to even speak. With Pete in pretty lingerie and a rosy blush spread over the apple of his cheeks. With Pete’s brilliant smile peeking out from around a glass of champagne, a speck of chocolate on his lips. With Pete on the back of his bike or spread over the leather upholstery in one of his sports cars. With Pete spent and boneless and sated in his arms, warm and smiling and whispering his name like a prayer.

Vegas wants and, for the first time in years, his mind doesn’t poison his mind with the bleak whispers of what’s the point? Because this—

This might just be the whole entire point. Pete, happy and satisfied, in Vegas’ arms. Smiling like he means it.