#this is my first fic be nice please

[mingis-orangejuice]

How do the OG love interests react to you with Sylus?

*a/n: Hi guys this is my first headcanon so please be nice :) In this none of them are officially dating MC but it's pretty obvious that they all have feelings for her. Also, it takes place at a work event for MC and I know technically in the main story there's no way Sylus would be allowed into a hunter’s association event, but I couldn't think of any other type of event where they would all happen to be at the same time. Either way, this is just for fun so it doesn't really need to make sense.

Genres/Warnings: fem!reader, nothing to really worry about, this is just some good old-fashioned fluff/crack. Some jealousy tho

An award ceremony was coming up at Unicorns to award the best hunters at the company, You were surprised when Captain Jenna told you that you’d been nominated for a few categories like most wanderers eliminated in a single mission and even Hunter of the Year, but since you were a rookie hunter you didn't think you’d win any of them, still, it was nice to be included, especially since you were one of the only rookies to be nominated.

That evening you got a call from Sylus congratulating you on your nominations. 

“How did you even know I’d been nominated” you asked. 

“Mephisto informed me,” he said with a small chuckle

“Oh so you have him monitoring me at work now?” you questioned, slightly annoyed.

“He was simply in Linkon doing some business for me, is it my fault that he happened to pass by your office on the way back to the base?” Sylus sarcastically asked, you could almost hear the smirk in his voice.

“Anyways, I wanted to ask you, have you decided on what you’re going to wear to the award ceremony yet? 

“Yeah, why?” you were suspicious of his sudden interest in your fashion choices.

“Good, come over to the base I want to see it,” he said flatly

“Why?” you were even more suspicious of his motives now. 

“Well, we’ll need to match if I'm going to be on the arm of the Hunter of the Year right?” *click*

Sylus didn’t even wait for you to reply and just hung up, almost like he knew you’d come over anyway so he didn’t need confirmation. He was right. Somehow he had not-so-subtly invited himself to your award show as your plus-one.

As you walk into the banquet hall, arms linked, you see a familiar face in the crowd…

Zayne: 

-Zayne would be a little bothered but would hide it by asking Sylus a million questions. about how he knows you, when he met you and how long have you and him been friends.

-He would make sure to emphasize the word “Friends” to know for sure if you two were dating

-his logic is if you and Sylus are dating, one of you would correct him, but if you are indeed just friends you wouldn’t say anything.

-to his relief, you  didn't correct him

-Sylus would sense the fact that Zayne probably has some type of close relationship with you too so he’d pull you a little closer by your waist as he proceeds to ask Zayne his own series of questions about how he knows you.

-Zayne would be satisfied after the conversation and excuse himself to go find his seat.

-even tho he was relieved that you weren’t dating Sylus he’d still glance over at you every few minutes because he couldn’t put his finger on it but he has a hunch that Sylus might be bad news and he wants to make sure you’re safe.

-Sylus would keep his hand on your waist the whole night because even tho you didn’t notice Zayne’s glances Sylus sure did.

-Overall while Zayne wouldn’t like the fact that you came to the ceremony with another man (especially since you didn’t even think to invite him) he’d respect your choices and leave you be (mostly)

Rafayel:

-He’d be the most openly bothered by it.

-the second he sees you walk in he runs up to you, ready to playfully scold you for not inviting him and that he had to find out about the event from Thomas, so he thought he’d invite himself. He told the person at the door that he was your plus one (he also slipped them a $100 bill)

-as he ran up to you his smile faded as he saw your arm linked with another man that wasn’t him

-oh so this is why you didn’t invite him

- He would greet you with a long hug hoping to make Sylus Jealous 

-he would instantly turn on his best customer service voice when greeting Sylus to try and hide how hurt he is that you invited some random guy instead of him

- but that would quickly fade once Sylus starts answering his long list of questions he just has to ask to make sure this random not important guy that you invited instead of him was worthy of being your plus one.

-Rafayel takes every answer as a challenge to try and one-up Sylus

-if Sylus mentioned that he took you to a fancy Italian restaurant in Linkon City last week, Rafayel would mention how he took you to a real Italian restaurant in Italy last month, (or at least how he wanted to but you were busy with work and couldn’t just drop everything and join him in Italy)

-if Sylus said he bought you the dress that you’re wearing, Rafayel would remind you of the time he bought you a cute mermaid-themed hoodie which is actually your favourite and you use it all the time, therefor it’s more important than a dress that you’ll only wear once

-while Rafayel was getting worked up trying to keep up with Sylus. Sylus kept his calm demeanour the whole conversation, he noticed that the calmer he was the more annoyed Rafayel would get and he found it amusing. 

-Rafayel would constantly text you throughout the night to check on you even though you were sitting only 1 table away.

-Sylus took note of this and would purposefully do things like put his arm around your shoulder or wipe the food off your lips to get Rafayel to frantically text you making sure you’re ok, and ask if you want to switch seats and come sit next to him where you won't have a random guy constantly touching you.

-overall he will be suuuuper jealous and will make it very obvious (even though in his mind he thinks he was being subtle) 

Xavier:

-I think he’d be extremely bothered but he'd be way better at hiding it than Rafayel

-like the others he’d also have a few questions for him about what his relationship with you is but he would very casually drop them into a normal conversation

-he, much like the others stared at you the whole night, but only just to make sure you were ok, definitely not because he was jealous or anything. You’re his co-worker and friend so he feels responsible if anything happens to you.

-he would try and do a background check on him during the event on his hunter's watch but nothing came up, since Sylus obviously didn’t tell Xavier who he really was. 

-this made Xavier even more worried, who is MC really sitting with, how is she so calm and why would he give him fake info, just what is he trying to hide? 

-he was so focused on staring at you and Sylus that he didn't even notice that he downed 3 full plates of finger foods, every time the waiters would pass by he would unconsciously grab the plates out of their hands and bitterly eat while staring, almost like he’s in a trance.

-once you guys get to the apartment building and the adrenalin wears off he’ll notice that his stomach is in so much pain from all the food he unknowingly ate while staring at you and Sylus.

-he nearly collapses in the elevator on the way to your apartments, so you decide to invite yourself over to his and take care of him

- he may be in tons of pain right now but at least he gets you all to himself 

*Please do not reupload anywhere this is my original work

[amogus-real-not-clickbait]

part 1 of a little comic / art sequence that i've been working on! :D it's part tribute, part experimenting with brushes n colors and trying new thingz :]

| 1 | 2 | 3 | ... |

and thus continues my endless quest of spreading the carrot fics like a plague! if you've seen my art floating around you probs already figured that this au holds a very special place in my heart, forever and always!!

if you haven't heard of it, it's a fic series by @crowned-ladybug called carrot soup!! it made me wish i could speak colors and i need more people to share my struggle xd

go check it out if you're into sweet voice lore and qpr level gayness and just wanna feel warm and soft and warm (hurt/comfort my beloved) <333 there are some heavier themes cos everyone's traumatized but they're working through it! be sure to check the tags and stay safe! <3

[squirshal]

Kinktober Day 1: Mutual Masturbation ~ Tim Drake

It started off innocent enough. You and Tim were watching a movie, cuddled up against each other under the soft blankets. It was a lazy night, Bruce made Tim take a night off since he was overworking himself too much. Neither of you were paying too much attention to the movie, instead just relishing in one another’s company. Tim’s hand was on your waist, and your head was on his chest. You were about to doze off when you noticed his hand slowly moving down to your thigh.

“Is this okay?” He asks, quietly.

“Yes. Please, keep going.” You say, not caring if you seem too eager. He just chuckles, throwing the blankets to the side. The movie is completely forgotten as Tim starts palming himself slightly through his pants.

Tim’s hand eventually makes it to your waistband, and he looks up to you again, silently asking for consent. You nod, and lift your hips so he can take your sleep shorts off. He takes your shorts off, leaving you in just your panties. He pauses, looking up to you and smiling. “You always look so cute, Love. Thank you for letting me do this for you.” 

Before you can respond he starts caressing up and down your slit, rubbing your clit through the cotton. It’s not enough for you though, and you raise your hips again as a silent plea for more pressure. Tim laughs, and gives you the pleasure you crave. His other hand slips under his own pants, and he is languidly stroking himself at the sight of you biting your lip and moving your hips in time with his teasing. 

“Fuck, baby, you’re so easy to tease…” He groans, running a finger over your panties that are obviously getting more wet. You whine biting your lip, only getting more aroused by his lewd words. 

Without thinking, you slip your hand under his boxers, taking over his movements. He hisses and throws his head back with a curse escaping his lips. 

“Princess…” He mumbles, his own hand finally slipping under your panties. He just savors the feeling of you being so wet for him as he strokes up and down your slit. He doesn’t go in, and you whine in protest.

“What do you want, Darling? Use your words.” Tim teases, smiling at your reaction. 

“You’re the worst, Drake.” You mumble, pulling your own hand away from him. His hips instinctually chases your hand, still seeking his own pleasure. You slip off your panties and dip a finger in, amazed at your own wetness. You add a second finger, scissoring yourself a bit before pulling out and spreading your fingers, showing how wet you were. Tim groans, and you realize that he discarded his own pants and boxers, and is stroking himself to the sight of you. 

You smile, reaching back over and stroke him, spreading your wetness on him. His breath hitches, and he holds back a whine.

“What do you want, Drake? Use your words.” You mimic, teasing him. He hisses and he thrusts up into your hand, his own going back down to your core. He slides his finger in, biting his lip at how you clench around him. With every thrust of his finger, his palm rubs your clit deliciously. You’ve never been someone who’s very vocal during times like these, but you can’t hold back a moan at the new rhythm. You match the speed of your strokes to the rhythm of his thrusts. You both have done this enough times that Tim doesn’t need to search to find the spot that makes you see stars. You move your hips against him, gasping when he adds another finger with no warning. You speed up your strokes, brushing your thumb over the tip of his weeping cock with every stroke. He moans, jerking up into your hand. 

“Fuck, Baby, keep doing that…” He groans, speeding up his fingers inside you. You reach down with your free hand, frantically rubbing at your clit. 

“What are you thinking about, Princess? Are you thinking about me wrecking your pussy with just my fingers? Huh? Do you like how that sounds? Are you gonna come with my fingers in your tight little pussy?” Tim rambles, his hand speeding up as his thighs tense. “You gonna come? Come for me. I want to see you come. Come on, baby. Come.” 

Your toes curl, and you’re seeing stars. You’ve always loved how Tim rambles when he’s close, and it doesn’t help that you’ve always thought his hands were attractive. He has the hand-eye coordination of a surgeon, and he always knows exactly what to do to get you worked up. He’s analytical, and it feels like each time the two of you do anything, the next time he’s better. He’s memorized what you do when you’re on the edge of orgasm, what to do to keep you on that edge for as long as he desires, and how to make you fall over the edge before you even know what’s happening. 

“Oh, Tim, I’m gonna—” You moan as your orgasm moves over you in waves. Tim groans at the sight, his own orgasm crashing over him. Spurts of cum gush onto your thumb, and you can’t help but lick your hand clean out of instinct. Tim groans at the sight, hiding his face in his elbow. 

“I ruined the movie night, didn’t I?” 

“I think you made it better. Round two?”

“Babe, I appreciate the eagerness, but I need to recover.” 

“Will you be recovered enough by the time you’re done eating me out?” 

“Oh, don't tempt me, baby.”

[thekittyokat]

you ever just have a lot, a LOT of feelings all at once about a character and not even remotely enough words or brainpower to FORM the words to describe everything you're feeling. so it feels like you may explode. yeah

[stark-stiel]

I watched venom 3 twice and I couldn’t stop thinking about them so have this little sketch that i might render if i end up feeling it 🤗

[sunsetsandsunshine]

HIII!! I saw that requests are open soo i wanna make one LMAO

Could i request a lee!Lloyd and ler!Kai fic from lego ninjago? I think that Lloyd seeing Kai as his older brother is absolutely adorable and i need some content with them. No pressure tho! Please and ty!<3

~ 𝚆𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚢-𝚠𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚢, 𝚎𝚐𝚐𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚢 (𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚊…) ~

❤️💚 𝙵𝚒𝚌 𝚛𝚎𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢: 𝙰𝚗𝚘𝚗 𝙽𝚘𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚎 ❤️💚

·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚𝙴𝙴𝙴𝙴𝙴 𝙷𝙸 𝙽𝙾𝙽𝙽𝙸𝙴 💓💗💕💝!!! 𝚂𝙾 𝚐𝚕𝚊𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚍𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚙 𝚋𝚢 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚢 𝙵𝙸𝚁𝚂𝚃 𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙹𝙰𝙶𝙾 𝙵𝙸𝙲 👏🏾🥳🎉‼️ 𝚆𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑…𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚘𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚍𝚞𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚎 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚜, 𝚠𝚎 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔 🥲👍🏾. 𝙺𝚊𝚒 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙻𝚕𝚘𝚢𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛’𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚒𝚍𝚌 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝙱𝚁𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝚂 𝙱𝚁𝙾!!! 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝚆𝙸𝚃𝙷 𝙽𝚈𝙰 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝙸𝚁 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚁𝙶𝙱 𝚂𝙸𝙱𝚂⁉️⁉️⁉️ 𝙰𝙷𝙷𝙷 𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚂 𝚂𝙷𝙾𝚆 𝙼𝙰𝙽— 𝚒𝚝’𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚜𝚙 𝚒𝚝’𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚗𝚘𝚠…˚*• ̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*＊·̩̩̥͙

𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: 𝙵𝚕𝚞𝚏𝚏

𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜: 𝟹,𝟷𝟷𝟿

𝙻𝚎𝚎: 𝙻𝚕𝚘𝚢𝚍 🐉💚

𝙻𝚎��: 𝙺𝚊𝚒 🔥❤️

𝚂𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢: 𝙻𝚕𝚘𝚢𝚍 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚞𝚙 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔𝚏𝚊𝚜𝚝— 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚒𝚛𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚞𝚜𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚍 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝙺𝚊𝚒 𝚒𝚜, 𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚍…𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚈 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚍.

(𝙰/𝙽: 𝙳𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚋𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚐𝚞𝚢! 𝙶𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚏𝚕𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚔/𝙽𝚂𝙵𝚆 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚜 𝙳𝙽𝙸!!!)

𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: 𝚃𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚌𝚞𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗. 𝙸𝚏 𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚢𝚙𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚊𝚢, 𝙸 𝚑𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚕𝚢 𝚜𝚞𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚘𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚒𝚌 🫶🏾! 

𝚂𝙿𝙾𝙸𝙻𝙴𝚁𝚂 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙹𝙰𝙶𝙾 𝚂𝙴𝙰𝚂𝙾𝙽 𝟻‼️‼️‼️

𝚃𝚊𝚐𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚙𝚙𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝙽𝚒𝚗𝚓𝚊𝚐𝚘 𝚋𝚌 𝚠𝙴 𝙰𝚁𝙴 𝙱𝙴𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚅𝙴𝙳, 𝙼𝙰𝙽:

@skyloladoodles @ziipzeepzop-eez @sunny-117

@saturnzskyzz @an0ma1y-th3d0ma1y @luigiisawesome

@what-youd-expect @berrymilkwithsugar

＊*• ̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚𝙹𝚞𝚖𝚙 𝚞𝚙, 𝚔𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔, 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚙 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚏𝚏 🥸🫶🏾˚*•✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙

“Has anyone seen Lloyd come out of his room yet?” Kai asked as he finished styling his hair, walking into the kitchen where his siblings were eating breakfast. 

Call him a drama queen all you want, but he literally could not do a single thing unless his hair was completely styled for the morning.  

Which really just consisted of him putting ungodly amounts of hair gel on it to make it look spiky but shh…you didn’t hear that from me. 

“Nope.” Jay replied nonchalantly as he stuffed his face with the pancakes Zane happily cooked. Cole gagged internally at his brother’s absolutely grotesque way of eating, rolling his eyes and turning his attention to the real and ideal breakfast meal…

…Chocolate cake.

The Earth ninja snarfed down the delectable 'dessert' (you can eat cake anytime and anywhere— so is it really a dessert?) down his throat, making sure to leave no crumb left on the plate. 

Kai shivered at the two ninja’s…unique way of eating, sitting down next to Nya as he rested his cheek on his palm. “It’s…like, eight in the morning. Lloyd would usually be up by now...”

“It is currently nine in the morning.” Zane calmly corrected.

“My point still stands nonetheless!” The hothead shouted. 

“Maybe he just wants to sleep in.” The Lightning ninja suggested with a full mouth, “Remember how late we used to sleep in when we just started training to become ninja(s)?”

Nya huffed out a laugh, sipping her tea quietly, “Me and Master Wu would have to pour water on all of you guys just to wake you up…”

“Good times...” The freckled face teen remarked as he chugged his orange juice. The fire ninja cringed at the action, looking at his slightly older brother in complete disgust, “You are going to actually chokeif you keep eating and drinking like that...” The red cladded ninja commented. 

Jay rolled his eyes at the other’s remark, “Oh pleeease. The universe loves me way too much for that.”

“What universe are you referring to? Because it definitely isn’t this one.” The Water ninja giggled.

“Yeah…that sounded waaaaaay better in my head...” The Lightning ninja giggled back.

Cole and Kai shared an amused knowing glance at each other as they saw the two blue cladded ninja’s laughing with each other. The Ice ninja finished making the remainder of the pancakes, putting them onto a plate and putting said plate in the middle of the table.

“If you’re concerned about Lloyd’s irregular time in bed, perhaps you should maybe check up on him?” Zane suggested as he sat down at the table, giving the red themed ninja a soft smile. 

“Yeah…you’re right, man. I’ll be right back.” The spiky brown haired teen said as he got up from the table, shaking his head fondly as he heard a random fight between Cole and Jay start to break out. 

Now…you’re probably wondering why Kai is so worried in the first place since he isn’t known to be a huge worrywart. If he was being completely honest, that was usually Zane and Cole’s job. But you did not hear that from him. 

If there was anything Kai was best known for, it was probably being awesome, hot, brave…aaaand we’re getting off track here. But you see his point. 

It’s been a couple months since the whole…possession thing. And let’s just say the awesome, hot, and brave Kai everyone once knew and loved was on edge. 

If he could bring Morro back to life, kill him, bring him back to life and kill him again about a million times…he would definitely do so in a heartbeat. 

And in all honesty? During the months of recovery…it was honestly heartbreaking to let what happened settle in fully. Some parts of Kai still didn’t want to believe the events that had happened within the past few months had…well, happened. 

His little brother was possessed, forced to fight his family and friends, forced to fight the fucking fucker that possessed him and many more things Kai doesn’t even want to think about right now.

So…yeah. The red themed ninja was rightfully worried for his little brother. 

The amber eyed teen ran an anxious hand through his hair, exhaling loudly as he knocked on the closed door belonging to bedroom him and his sibling’s shared. 

No answer.

The red cladded teen knocked a tad bit louder the second time around but there was still no answer heard from the other side. The brown haired ninja opened the door slightly, peeking and looking around to find his little brother…fast asleep on his bed.

Kai snorted at the sight, his worry washing away as he sat on the edge of the youngest ninja’s bed, ruffling his hair ever so slightly, “Lloyd~! Wakey wakey, little bro!”

The blonde slowly turned his head to his big brother, his face morphing to any icy glare as the brunette tried to stifle a giggle at the sight. “Why do I have to see your face this early in the morning…?” Lloyd grumbled.

“Hey!” The amber eyed ninja squawked, “I’ll have you know seeing this bag of handsomeness any day is a blessing. You should feel lucky you get to see this beauty constantly.” 

“Ughhhh…why couldn’t you have come with Nya or something? That would’ve at least evened out the ugliness.” The youngest said, his small tired smile widening as he saw his brother’s clearly offended expression.  

“Okay…wow. My bad for coming in to check up on you.” The brunette exclaimed as he rested the back of his head on the Green ninja’s back. The hazel eyed teen groaned at the action, sinking deeper into his pillow.

“Dude, come onnnnn. Get out of bed, it’s time to start the day.“ The eldest said. 

“But it’s so earlyyyyyy…” The younger whined, sinking deeper into the blankets and stuffed animals he had on his bed. 

Kai raised a brow, “It’s nine in the morning.”

“Yeah! That’s early. Now let me get my oh-so precious beauty sleep. I need to recover from seeing your hideousness.” The blonde said sassily as he started to drift back to sleep.

Kai quickly shook his brother awake, not letting the kid in green pajamas visit the land of dreams quite yet. “Lloydie…I have no problem with you sleeping in, but at least get some breakfast in your system first.”

“Fuck breakfast.” The Green ninja murmured. 

The Fire ninja audibly gasped at the curse, trying his absolute best to not cry from proudness. 

That little green ball of snot was starting to act like him more and more everyday! 

…And Kai doesn’t know whether he should be happy about that or concerned for the near future.

“Wha— young man! We do not use such vulgar language in this household!” The hothead scolded, (even though he was very much proud).

“Who taught you to speak like that anyway?!” The elder huffed.

“Uh…you?” The youngest said blatantly.

“…I did?”

“Uh…yeah?”

The brunette rolled his eyes, crossing his arms, “Oh, whatever. Just don’t repeat those kinds of words in front of your Uncle, got it?”

“Mhm.” The younger said uninterested.

“But anyways…I want you to get up and eat. Come on. Up and at 'em.” The spiky haired teen said as he tried to lift the other up from the bed, but the younger stayed exactly where he was.

Kai groaned, getting up from the bed as he glared at his brother, “You can be really fucking stubborn when you want to be, y'know that?” 

“I get it from you.” Lloyd deadpanned as he closed his eyes to go back to sleep.

“That’s why it’s so annoying.” The spiky haired teen huffed, his eyes slightly widening as an idea popped into his head.

A very mean idea but an idea nonetheless. 

“Lloydie-loo~!!” The elder sang in a sweet-song voice…a voice the youngest knew far too well. The Green ninja opened his eyes once more, looking at the other skeptically. “What is it now?” The blondie asked. 

“If you don’t get up…I think a certain someone is gonna come and get you~!” The brunette grinned, “Do you know who that special certain someone is~?” 

The hazel eyed teen sighed at the question, personally not in the mood for guessing games but doing it for the sake of entertaining his older brother, “Uh…pfft— I dunno…? Zane maybe?”

“As much as I’d love to see Zane ramble about how having breakfast is a very vital start to your day…that’s not who I’m talking about.” The amber eyed teen snickered. 

“Master Wu?” Lloyd tried again.

“Nope!” The spiky haired ninja grinned, adding extra flair to the simple word by adding a pop sound to the 'p' at the end. 

“Alright…I’m at a loss. Who is coming to quote on quote 'get me?'” The blonde teenager asked, doing quotation marks with his fingers. The red themed ninja grinned evilly at the oh-so innocent question his brother asked, sitting on the edge of the bed again. “I’ll give you a hint. He’s a monster and his first name rhymes with pickle.”

The Green ninja’s eyes widened, “…you wouldn’t dare.”

“Wanna bet~?” Kai chuckled as he inched closer to the smaller teenager, wiggling his fingers teasingly. 

“Ihi’m gohonna kick yohou if you gehet ahany closer! I-Ihi’m seheherious!!!” The blondie giggly threatened which Kai couldn’t help but coo to. The fire ninja knew damn well his baby brother was a literal god and could beat him and the rest of their siblings up any day. But if you removed that true fact from the equation, the Green ninja was just a little kid at heart.

A very ticklish little kid at heart. 

The smaller teen internally screamed as his brother was inching closer and closer towards him. Without thinking, the blonde kicked his foot towards the other’s face, expecting a screech of pain from his big brother but was only met with a low and deeply terrifying chuckle.

The elder had effortlessly grabbed the kid’s ankle, smugly looking at his little brother, “Awe…is this for me~?” 

“N-Noho! Noho ihit’s not! Gihive meehee my foot b-bahack!” Lloyd giggled, trying to pull his ankle out of the other’s grip.

“But you literally just handed it to me!” The hothead snorted, trying his absolute best not to gush about his baby brother’s complete and utter adorableness. 

The older made dramatic groaning noises, holding the top of his head with his free hand, “Oh no! L-Lloyd! I think…I think I’m transforming…!” 

“N-Noho you’re not, yohohou bihig dork!”

“Yuh huh. Same thing happened last week.” Kai stated, doing weird and unusual cult-like movements with his head before landing his eyes on his brother; soft (yet petrified) hazel eyes meeting a determined amber. 

The younger broke eye contact, lying back on his bed as he covered his face with a pillow, giggling in anticipation. 

The figure in front of him that he just made eye contact with was not the big brother he knew and loved…

That was The Tickle Monster. And that fiend would not stop until he got what he wanted.

“Awe~! Are you hiding your face from me~?” The brunette grinned, using one finger to glide against Lloyd’s foot. The blonde squeaked at the mean yet soft sensation, his grip on the pillow tighteneing as he refused to laugh. 

He was not going to give The Tick— I mean…Kai that satisfaction. 

No way, José.

The fire ninja sat on the bed, pretending to hum in thought before he scratched his fingers alongside the other’s med arch. The youngest ninja let out a squawk, his plan about not laughing literally flyingout the window as loud squeals and giggles poured out of his mouth. 

“Oho~! That’s a good spot, huh~?” The spiky haired teen teased, clearly amused that his brother was able to cave in so soon. 

“N-NohOHO! N-NAHAT aha goohOOD spahat!” The hazel eyed ninja denied, shaking his head as he desperately tried to retreive his foot. “Ohhhh no you don’t, mister. You gave this to me, remember? No take-backsies.” 

“IHI DIHID nahAT gihive myhy foHOOT toohoo YOHOU!” Lloyd squealed, trying to kick his big brother with his free leg. Kai tutted in disaproval, releasing the green pajama wearing kid’s foot before sitting on his ankles, scribbling all over both of his feet. “Fine. Is this better?” The elder asked inocently.

The younger teen squealed, “Nahat beHEHETTER AHAT AHAHAHALL!!” 

“Not better~? Not even a liiiiittle bit~?” The other asked as he tickled underneath the blondie’s toes. “EEEHEE— squeak! NAHAHA! NAHAT BETTER!!”

The taller teenager chuckled, getting up from the kid’s ankles before sitting in his waist, digging his hands into Lloyd’s underarms. The hazel eyed ninja immediately shot his arms down at the action, hugging his middles and shaking his head back and forth whilst cackling like a mad man. 

In a result to all the movement, the pillow the blonde was once holding fell down to the floor, revealing the face of a very giggly Green ninja. 

“Awe~! There you are~! Hi, baby bro~!” The Fire ninja cooed, his smug smirk widening because he knew the smaller ninja well enough to know that he wanted to make a smart remark to Kai’s comment sooooo bad. 

But due to the current circumstances, the blonde knew it was in his best interest not to.

“K-KAHAHAI!” Lloyd whined through his laughs.

“Kai? Who’s Kai?” The spiky haired teen asked, turning his head to look around the room in search for this…'Kai' indivual. “IHIHAT’S— squeak! GEHET— squeak— oHO myhy gahASH! KAHAI!!!” Lloyd howled, laughing harder as the tickles in his underarms switched from scribbles to kneading in a matter of seconds. 

“I don’t know who this awesome, hot and brave Kai person is…but The Tickle Monster will make sure to tell you if he sees him.” The red cladded ninja mused. 

The green cladded teen squealed loudly, squirming as best he could in the position he was in as Kai just chuckled fondly at the action displaying below him, “Awe…is someone a squirmy wormy~? Does it tickle, Lloydie~?” 

“S-STAHAP!” 

“Stop~? Why should I stop, hm? Is it because you’re flustered~? Or is it because it tickles so much~? Or is it a combination of the two?” The brunette smugly teased, laughing softly as he saw a small blush appear on the other’s face. “JUhust geHET squeak YOHOUR hahands AHA— squeal OHOUT!” 

“But I caaaan’t!” Kai dramatically whined, “Your keeping them trapped with your big, stroooong muscles. Looks like those work-outs with Cole really came to use, huh?” Lloyd turned to his side, curling in on himself and letting out a soft snort as he continued to laugh to his hearts content. 

Kai cooed at him for probably the millionth time in an hour, trying not to tear up at the sight.

Why did his brother have to be so damn cute?!

“Why are you turning away from The Tickle Monster, Lloydie~?”

“STAHAP CAHAHALLING YOURSELF TH-THAHAT!”

“Stop calling myself what, Greenie? I’m just stating a fact.” Kai mused, poking his younger brother’s sides repetitively, “I like stating facts. For example…here’s a fact! You’re veryyyyy tickle tickle ticklish.” The brunette smiled as he gave the blonde a small kiss on the forehead (A platonic kiss. A PLATONIC KISS), ceasing his tickle attack for just a moment or two. 

The hazel eyed teen let out a small squeal at the kiss, crossing his arms as he looked to the side, “Cahan squeak yohou gehehet squeak ohoff squeal meehee now?”

The red themed ninja only shook his head, crossing his arms disapprovingly, “But Lloydie-loo! I’m not done quite yet! The Tickle Monster is hungry…!” He whined. 

The younger raised a brow in confusion, “Dihidn’t you juhust cohome frohom breakfast?”  

“But I’m not hungry for breakfast…I’m hungry for dessert~!” The taller teen grinned, gently grabbing the youngest ninja’s wrists and pinning them on top of his head. The blondie’s eyed widened as big as saucers, twisting and turning like a Fun-sized Twizzler. 

“Kahai— KaHAHAI!! NONONOHO— squeak DON’T YOU DAHARE IHI WIHILL EHEND YOHOU!!!” Lloyd screamed, immediatley trying to get off of the bed. 

As the younger kicked, protested and yelled, he soon came to realize he was trying to bargain with Kai. 

Once the Fire ninja had his mind set on something…it would literally take God himself to make him change his mind.

The amber eyed teen blew the most freaking ticklish raspberry Lloyd had ever felt right on his stomach, making the youngest scream in laughter, happy tears blurring his vision as he weakly squirmed in the hold.

“Ommmm nom nom nom~!” Kai teased as he switched from raspberries to nibbles.

“STAHAP! STAHAP squeak STAHAP STAHAP!!! YOHOU FREHEAKING— hic NAHAH!! NOHO hic NOHOISES!!” The Green ninja cackled loudly, his legs practically bouncing on the mattress due to how much he was squirming. The younger teen was absolutely losing his mind, just being able to lay on his bed and laugh his little heart out.

“But The Tickle Monster is hungry, little bro! And your tummy seems like an excellent feast, don’t you think?”

“NOHO— hic NAHAHA!! I CAHAN’T! I CAHAN’T squeal KAHAI squeal STAHAP IHIT!!” The blondie cried.

“You can’t what~?” The elder snorted in amusement. 

“I-IHIT squeal TIHIHICKLES!!!”

“If you can’t handle being tickled, you shouldn’t be so damn ticklish then.” The spiky haired ninja said simply, blowing another raspberry where Lloyd’s side met his lowest rib.

The smallest ninja threw his head back, his squeals, squeaks and laughs being so loud and high-pitched it could shatter actual glass. “AAAHAHA— squeak O-OKAHAHAY! OKAHAHAHAY! AHALRIGHT! IHI’M squeal UHUP! IHI’M hic UHUP!!!”

“So…does that mean you’re gonna come eat breakfast with me and the rest of our siblings~?” Kai giggled.

“Y-YAHA— snrk YEHES YEHEHES hic JUHUST squeal PLEHEASE!!!” The hazel eyed ninja squawked. The red cladded ninja stopped his tickling onslaught targeted towards his brother, lying down next to him as the blonde caught his breath.

The Green ninja wiped happy tears from his eyes due to being in complete hysterics not even a couple seconds ago. The smaller teen attempted glaring at his older brother, but found it so fucking hard to do due (haha do due…) to the fact Kai was smiling at him so…fondly.  

“Yohou’re ohohofficially thehe wohorst bihig brohother ever…” Lloyd grumbled as be crossed his arms playfully over his chest. 

“Psh— you know you love me, bud.” The brunette smiled, getting off of the bed as the blonde followed. “Alright. Come on, you little shit...let’s get some breakfast down your throat before the others make a search party for us.” Kai chuckled, ruffling Lloyd’s hair as the younger giggled, both of them walking out of the shared bedroom and into the hallway, towards the kitchen. 

·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚𝙵𝙸𝙽˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙ 

(𝙿.𝚂.: 𝙸𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚒𝚌, 𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐!!!)

[kit-screams-into-the-future]

looking for fics be so fine like yes. premise is interesting. word count is lengthy. vibing with the prose on the blurb. and then you spot the glaring doc/marty tag on the top and it's like oh never mind. abort mission ig.

[lucithornz]

Power Play

Lestappen Rated E Tags: Mafia AU, dark, power imbalance, top Charles, kidnapping, smut

Summary:

Max is captured by the Italian mafia and has to negotiate his own release with an old friend.

Gift for the @f1-fic-secret-santa collection. Check out other works in the collection from some amazing authors <3

Complete at 5.5k words!

[tenderwatches]

Lies we tell ourselves

Ch. 5 - Defiance

Though Viktor sleeps well, perhaps better than he has in months, he’s still weary when he wakes. Golden light creeps into his new room, and reality sets in like a paradox in an otherwise mundane dream; the sensation is at once ordinary and disarming.

He is back in Piltover.

The council wants him working on Hextech again.

He’s argued with Jayce Talis.

Now, he’s making his way slowly around his former partner’s lab, taking everything in as if he’s on a tour. This lab is bigger than the one they'd previously shared (it has a second story with enclosed rooms and a loft, which Viktor finds excessive even without considering the below-ground forge). Along the far wall, boxes bearing various mercantile clan insignia line the shelves—evidence of funding that extends well beyond the Kirammans' patronage.

Jayce seems to have forgotten altogether that Viktor had arrived yesterday and has taken to staring at him, as if trying to determine why he’s here. Sky Young (he recalls writing her a letter of recommendation and is pleased to see Jayce has taken her on) and a young man she introduces as ‘Thomas’ (clearly of Piltovan stock, by the way he stares at Viktor like a wide-eyed doe) have set about in a valiant crusade to carve out a space for Viktor amongst the chaos of papers and instruments.

The flurry of movement finally breaks Jayce's stupor. He retreats to his workstation, where he begins cramming papers into a drawer. A key appears from his sleeve just long enough to turn the lock before vanishing back beneath his cuff.

Of course, Jayce would have lab assistants fretting over the mess Viktor knows damn well he made. He only just contains the urge to roll his eyes, especially when Jayce has the audacity to lean against the back of his chair in a poor attempt to look casual. “What, uh. What are you doing here?”

Maybe Jayce really has forgotten all of yesterday. “I wanted to talk to you about your work.”  Read the rest on Ao3!

[diazheartsbuckley]

Tease Tidbit Tuesday ✨

So this snippet comes from a fic that I started based on the one-liner, ‘stop teasing me and just do it!’ that @devirnis sent me (thank you 😘).

It has reached nearly 4k and I haven’t even gotten to the one-liner yet lol

“You okay?” Tommy asks him, warm hand on his lower back and Buck turns around to face him, realizing how close they are and he inadvertently glances down at Tommy’s lips.

“Yeah, just a little… warm” Buck clears his throat because Tommy’s hand is still on his naked skin and Tommy hums, nodding a little in understanding.

“Well, to be fair, it’s close to a hundred degrees. But I’m assuming that’s not why?” Tommy questions and Eddie walks into the kitchen, coming from the bathroom and sees how Tommy is touching Buck. And he should be jealous but instead, he’s turned on.

“N-no” Buck stammers and glances at Eddie, who gives him a nod of approval. Well, it’s more directed at Tommy and Buck swallows dryly but he doesn’t have time to realize what’s happening before Tommy’s lips are on his in an instant. Without breaking the kiss, Tommy reaches behind Buck, placing his beer on the counter and he frees his other hand that soon connects with Buck’s other hip.

The control in Tommy’s movements and the confidence is enough for Buck to almost melt underneath his touch and when he backs away, Eddie is beside them, watching carefully.

Tommy steps aside, allowing Eddie to kiss his boyfriend the same way that he just has. With his hands on Buck’s hips, Eddie finds his body heating up by the second. But then Tommy presses up against him, which pushes Buck up against the counter and there’s not an inch of space between either of them.

Buck feels the weight of the two pressing against him and he has to do everything in his power to not crumble on the spot.

Tagged by @inell and @exhuastedpigeon 💕

Np tagging 💕 (lmk if you want to be added or removed)

@watchyourbuck, @wikiangela, @tizniz, @cal-daisies-and-briars, @daffi-990, @dangerpronebuddie, @bidisasterevankinard, @kitteneddiediaz, @actualalligator, @honestlydarkprincess, @giddyupbuck, @jeeyuns, @wildlife4life, @thewolvesof1998, @thekristen999, @underwaterninja13, @bucksbignaturals, @bucks-daddy-issues, @namjroon, @slightlyobsessedwitheverything, @loveyouanyway, @spotsandsocks, @hippolotamus, @epicbuddieficrecs, @rainbow-nerdss, @monsterrae1, @jesuisici33, @steadfastsaturnsrings, @diazsdimples, @ronordmann

[fourtyforever]

happy holidays!! I am soooo excited to share with you my fic for @f1-fic-secret-santa this year!!!!

opening night — 7k, E

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake the feeling of stepping into a role that wasn’t meant for him, that he wasn’t good enough for. His legs weren’t long enough, his turns not as effortless as Max’s, his jumps not as breathtakingly grand as Lewis’s. He didn’t have the stage presence like Daniel, and he wasn’t a perfectionist like George, nor could he skate by on his handsomeness like Charles or Carlos. It was just him, his adequate technique, and his lackluster pirouettes against the titular role of the entire ballet.

Or: it's opening night and Lando is freaking out about being cast as the Nutcracker Prince. If only there was some not-so-unrequited crush around to make him feel better about the whole thing...

I was assigned the amazing @leafitoutmate in the secret santa and was so thrilled to get to write this fic as a gift!! I have always thought that f1 drama reminded me a lot of being in ballet so I’ve been just waiting for the opportunity to put those two together. hope you all enjoy, and happy holidays!!! 🥳🎄

[bumblebeedrizzzle]

Original art by ug0nba on Twitter (X)

I was so inspired by this art and decided to write a little fic because I haven’t seen many for this fandom! I’ve been thinking about posting this for weeks… I’m really happy with it and I hope it makes you smile too! This is my first published fic, so please be nice to me!（╹◡╹）

Warning: This is a tickle fic, if you’re not into that then please keep scrolling, thank you!! ✌🏻 It is SFW tho!

Fandom: Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun!

Reblogs are totally fine and appreciated but please don’t repost! Thank youuuuu! (*´꒳`*)

Can you tell that I was heavily influenced by my favorite ship, Iruazz?

Asmodeus was feeling a little distracted. He’d invited Iruma over today so that just the two of them could hang out. It was great hanging out as a trio with Clara, but sometimes he wanted one on one time. The day had been going well, but then Asmodeus found himself very fixated on something: Iruma’s ears. They were so small and round and cute!! How had he not noticed this before?!

At first, he’d tried not to stare. But then Iruma had swept his hair back into a little ponytail and now he found himself transfixed. Small, round, cute. Small, round, cute. small. round. cute. He was pretty sure he’d missed the last few things Iruma had said, but he couldn’t help himself.

Entranced, he found himself leaning forward, his fingers reaching without his permission —

“Eep!”

Well that certainly got Asmodeus’ attention. He looked down and realized that he had pinched the top of Iruma’s right ear, thereby causing the aforementioned boy to squeal. Oh devils was that cute…

“I-Iruma-sama! My sincerest apologies! I did not mean to startle you. It’s just, I’ve never noticed how round and cu - I mean small your ears are! I might have gotten a little carried away. Again, my apologies.”

“O-oh, it’s okay Azz-kun,” Iruma said with a sheepish smile. “It just tickled a little is all”

Ticklish. Iruma-sama is ticklish. His brain overloaded. Iruma-sama was so cute so cute so devi-cute!!!! Play it cool, Asmodeus.

“Oh, I see. Yes, that makes sense.” How was that playing it cool?!

…

After a few moments, he tentatively asked:

“If I am more careful, w-would it be okay for me to touch them again? I-if it’s not weird, Iruma-sama I just noticed that our ears are so different and —”

“It’s okay Azz-kun, go ahead!” Iruma beamed.

Oh devils this boy was going to be the death of him.

“R-right, h-here I go”

He leaned forward again, focused intently on his task. Truly, Iruma-sama’s ears were like nothing he had ever seen. He made a point to be more gentle this time, which he hoped would help. After a few moments though, he noticed that Iruma’s ear was slowly turning red. Without thinking, he blew softly on it, hoping to cool it down. That was the reason it had turned such an adorable shade of red, right? He was dimly aware of some light chuckles and Iruma squirming. When he looked at Iruma-sama’s face, it too was turning a light shade of red.

Oh. Right. Oh devils. He should stop now, he should really stop —

Chomp.

“Wah! Azz-kun?!”

Yeah, he definitely wasn’t going to be able to stop. You know what they say about demons and desires and all that.

He continued nibbling on Iruma’s ear, now with the sounds of light giggles coming from nearby.

“A-Azz-kun? Are you ehehe d-done looking at my ears haha??”

Iruma was met with more vigorous nibbles.

“I-is this a normal wahahay t-to lohohook at s-someone’s ears?? I-it tihihihckles Azz-kun!” the giggles were getting harder to stop.

Asmodeus was long gone. Not in a wicked phase sort of way though. Actually, he wasn’t worried about his wicked phase coming around for a long while now, not with this adorable stress reliever in his hands. But all common sense had gone out the window the second he’d gently chomped down on Iruma’s ear. It was so soft!! And Iruma-sama’s giggles had to be in the top 3 cutest things he’d ever heard. He wanted to hear more; he couldn’t possibly stop now. His fingers appeared to agree as well, as they started fluttering lightly over Iruma’s neck, eliciting even more giggles from the boy.

“A-Azz-kun, hehehehell to Azz-kun! Y-you’re tihihihickling me! P-please! Aha!”

His squirming was getting more deliberate now as any self-control for Azz’s curiosity was losing to the overwhelming ticklish feelings on his neck and ear. He tried looking up towards Azz, but the demon let out a slight growl and continued his shenanigans. Iruma was left to helplessly giggle and hope for a break. He tried holding out for a while longer, but eventually pleaded:

“H-hehehehello?? I-I d-dohohon’t know hohohow much mohohore I can tahahahake, A-Azz-kun!” and with that he gently pushed his hands against the demon’s chest for the first time. That seemed to register.

“I-Iruma-sama?” he blinked.

“A-Azz-kun hehehey. S-sorry i-it just hehe tickled a lot and I couldn’t, “ he blushed more, “My ears are really sensitive.”

Asmodeus looked down with a mix of remorse and disappointment. His whole face was bright red, all the way to the tips of his pointy ears. When he finally met Iruma’s eyes, they were pleading.

“Could I tickle you a little more? P-please? Iruma-sama?”

Ba-dump. Oh devils. That face. Those eyes. That word. He never could say no when people said please. Well… maybe it wasn’t so bad to laugh a little. And Azz-kun had stopped when he’d truly asked.

“U-Um, s-sure. I-if you want, I-I guess. I-I suppose I c-could try to lahast a little longer” he said with a blush. Could his face get any hotter?? What had he just agreed to?

Asmodeus didn’t need to hear anything more. He pulled Iruma back into his chest and went straight for his left ear, receiving a fresh round of giggles in return.

“W-wahaha! I-I wasn’t ready! Hehe this is eheheven wohohohorse. Y-yohohour f-fangs tihihihihickle sohoho muhuhuch!!”

Asmodeus wrapped an arm around Iruma’s waist to keep him from squirming away. With his free hand, he scribbled the back of Iruma’s neck, enjoying the fresh round of hysterics and pleading. When he’d had his fill there, his hand roamed down to Iruma’s shoulder blades. Much to his delight, this produced a new response:

“EEP! Ahaha!! W-wait haha I-I’ve n-never beheheen tihickled thehehere. Ehehehe!! A-Azz-kun!! Ahahaha!!”

Iruma-sama really isn't helping himself calling my name like that. He stopped nibbling for a moment to say:

“I-Iruma-sama, if you want me to stop, then y-you’ll have to stop being so cute”

There was a pause. Well, it was official, Iruma’s face could get even hotter. But before he could think about what had just been said too much, the tickling resumed.

“C-cute?! I-I’m nohohot!! W-whahahat w-waiaiait w-what dohoho you mehehean?? Ahahaha g-go somewhere ehehelse p-please!!”

Asmodeus chuckled, sending reverberations into Iruma’s ear. He shivered.

“I suppose you are right as always, Iruma-sama. You will never not be cute. Silly me. I suppose you’ll be stuck like this forever then.”

“Wahahahahaha!!” was all Iruma could say in response. He had covered his face with his hands. Teasing, he’s teasing me! That makes it so much worse.

Iruma had erupted into full-blown laughter now, and sensing that he needed a change of pace, Asmodeus started scribbling up and down the boy’s sides with both hands. Above the desperate pleas and squirming he whispered into Iruma’s right ear,

“Don’t even think of escaping, Iruma-sama. I’m not finished with you yet.”

Iruma figured if he could melt into a puddle, he would. His pleas became incoherent babbles as he wondered what in hell had gotten into Asmodeus today. He wondered if maybe he should have been more careful. After all, this was a demon tickling him. Who knew how torturous it would be? Was this how tickling always went in the demon realm?

　　　　　　 ・・・・・・・・・

Ribs. Sides. Back. Tummy. Ears. Neck. Collarbones. All Iruma could do was laugh as Asmodeus played him like a violin. He reached new octaves when he felt black-tipped fingers slip into his armpits — and he redoubled his efforts to scramble away.

“Yahahahaha nahahahahaha A-Azz-kuhuhuhuhun p-plehehehehease c-can’t t-tahahahahake ihihihit!!!!”

“Surely you can take it, Iruma-sama. I know you can because you are magnificent in every way. Even your laughter is magnificent — “

“S-stohohohop t-teheheheheasing mehehehehehe!! Nahahahahahaha!!”

“ — you are truly worth following, I am proud to be your friend.”

“Ahahahahahaha A-A-Ahahahahzzzz!!!!! H-happy tohohoho behehehe your frihehehend too, b-but ahahaha ihihit tihihihihihickles sohohoho bahahahahad!!”

“There is a simple explanation for that, Iruma-sama. You are the best at everything, of course. So you are also the best at being ticklish!”

“B-behehest at beheheing tihihihihicklihihish?!? Ihihis thahahat eheheven a gohohohohod thihihing??”

“Of course it is! Allow me to demonstrate, using a technique I learned from our Torture class —”

Torture?! thought Iruma. Oh devil, this was it, Azz-kun had figured out that he was a human and trying to torture it out of him —

Suddenly, Asmodeus reached down and kneaded his thumbs into Iruma’s hips.

“Ah —,” Iruma sucked in a breath. “GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHH!!!!!!”

Iruma’s nerve-endings jolted and his whole body spasmed. If he’d been taller, he might have smacked his head into Asmodeus’ chin. But as it was, Iruma was quite small, so he slammed his head back into the demon’s chest instead. He continued to scream incoherently.

“AHAHAHAHAYAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!!! NAHAHAHAAHAHAH H-HEHEHEHEHELP MEHEHEHEHEHE S-SOMEBOHOHOHOHOHODY HEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Oh but Iruma-sama, you gave the tickle monster permission,” Asmodeus purred. “No one is coming to save you now.”

Iruma was much too busy with flailing and laughing to reply. He could barely think of anything except how much it tickled. What had they been doing before this? How long had it been? Was Azz-kun torturing him for real or just being playful? Such thoughts were long gone. His nerves were singing and he was trying to keep up.

“WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA AZKHXJAHVIKAHVDX YAHAHAHAAHA”

The thing that finally brought Asmodeus out of his reverie was when Iruma’s laughter went silent. He knew the boy was stilling laughing, since he could feel the reverberations, but the room had gone silent. Then it really registered what that meant, and he quickly stopped. The boy kept laughing even after, slowly dying down into giggles. Asmodeus was too afraid to face him, so he wrapped both arms around Iruma and pulled him close to his chest.

“I am sorry, Iruma-sama. It seems I let my feelings get the better of me. I will need to continue training to make sure that i-it does… not happen again… please forgive me.”

There were a few moments of silence. Iruma’s heartbeat was still trying to return to a normal pace.

“Actually,” Iruma said, “it was… kind of fun….” he finished quietly. The tops of his ears were blazing red.

“I’ve never had a proper tickle fight with a friend, er well, it wasn’t much of a fight, but you know what I mean…”

“Y-you’ve never been tickled before?!” Asmodeus exclaimed.

“Well, maybe a couple times. But they aren’t super fond memories for me.” he paused. “But today was different. It wasn’t so bad in the beginning when you were being gentle. Then you started tickling harder and I definitely panicked a little, but honestly Azz-kun, it wasn’t so bad after all! Not being able to do anything but laugh turned out to be surprisingly relaxing. And, I feel safe… with you.” Iruma turned and looked up at him with a blinding smile.

Asmodeus’ heart soared and he found himself blushing and grinning uncontrollably. Iruma-sama is just so wonderful and thoughtful. He always knows just what to say to me.

“I-Iruma-sama, thank you!! I am so grateful for your trust!!” he beamed. “D-does this mean that…?!” he asked excitedly.

Iruma chuckled at his friend’s enthusiasm.

“Yeah, just remember to be gentle with me! And stop when I ask” he responded with a small grin.

“Of course, Iruma-sama!!!”

“And next time I want to be able to get you back!!” he said playfully.

“Absolutely! I will wait in anticipation, Iruma-sama!”

Asmodeus was sure he had never felt so happy and lucky in all his life.

[noproofread]

A little Luffy fluff

I've never written fanfic on tumblr before so pls bear with me. Also I'm so used to writing smut but I started this one and it was just so fluffy i didnt wanna taint it so maybe there'll be a part 2, who knows.

Word count: 1,425

Nothing but cute fluff, first kiss, feelings, all the soft stuff

‘Luffy!” you shout, spotting your captain in a restaurant. You have only been on this island for 15 minutes and already Luffy found a place to eat. He turns to face you “Hey Y/N!” Luffy says, crumbs of food spilling out of his mouth as he grins at you.

“You gotta try these potatoes! They’re so good!” The young captain shouts, making you giggle. “I believe you. We have to go to the ship though, Nami sent me to get you” you state, taking a seat next to him. He doesn’t look at you, too focused on scarfing down the hot food while he can. “Hmmm but I’m eating right now.” A whine comes out of Luffy. “We’ll just go back when you finish then” you smile at him. You won’t admit it to the rest of the crew but you developed a little crush on your captain in the time you’ve spent with the Straw Hats.

He had come into your village and beat up some guys that were giving you trouble as you were going back home from shopping for gardening supplies. He asked you to join the crew, per Nami’s request, as she saw the way you tended to the garden. She wanted someone who knew what they were doing when it came to green life, especially for her tangerine trees. You graciously accepted the invitation, mostly because of the young rubber pirate that helped you.

You were good at hiding your feelings for the most part. Nobody questioned your unwavering loyalty to the group of pirates you had only known for a couple of weeks. Nor did they notice all the times you stared at Luffy, studying his face. Appreciating the way he always smiled even when faced with scary situations. Nobody saw the way you blushed whenever he complimented the way the lawn on the Sunny looked.

You never expected him to feel the same way towards you so you never did anything about your feelings. After all, this is the future King of the Pirates. The man that will find the one piece. You were perfectly content just being close to him as his friend. Perfectly okay with simply admiring him from afar.

“Aaahh I’m all done now! Ready to go back to the ship then?” Luffy’s words snapped you out of your thoughts. You nodded at him and got up from your seat. “We have to hurry though, Nami says there’s going to be a storm soon and I don’t wanna get caught in the rain.” Without thinking, you grab Luffy’s hand and start heading back to the Sunny. Luffy looks down at your hand, confused but he allows it.

As you approach the ship, Luffy speaks. “Hey Y/N, what’s with this hand holding thing anyway?” He looks at you and grins. That signature wide grin he always has on his face. “Not that I mind, just curious.”

“Oh! I uh… I hadn’t noticed haha” You pull your hand away, hoping you didn’t sound nervous. Luffy shrugs it off and jumps up on the ship. You climb your way up and see Nami “See! I found him” you tell her. She smiles and looks at Luffy “Don’t run off without telling us! We almost left you until Y/N pointed out you weren’t on the ship” She nods disapprovingly at him and chuckles lightly. “NAMI-SWAAANN” you hear Sanji yell from the kitchen “Please oh PLEASE taste this tangerine tart I made just for you.” Nami rolls her eyes and walks towards the kitchen, leaving you and Luffy alone as the sun starts to set.

You are standing a little close to Luffy, who looks towards you. You notice a faint blush on his cheeks briefly before his voice cuts through your thoughts again. “Hey, why do you always make my face feel warm?” He smiles.

“What?” You stand shocked, looking at Luffy. “I don’t know, I just feel warm whenever you’re close to me. It’s weird.” Your eyes widen at Luffy’s sudden confession. “Good weird or bad weird?” you ask.

“I… I’m not sure. I honestly don’t know what to think about it.” The blush on Luffy’s cheeks deepens slightly. “I think it’s good though.” You smile to yourself and let out a sigh “That’s good…” You say softly. Looking out at the blue water past the ship, you make your way towards the railing. You feel your heart flutter at Luffy’s words. He catches up to you and looks at you, slightly confused. “Why is it good?” he smiles. “Just… I would never want to make you feel bad weird," your gaze still looking at the crashing waves. “Haha! Well you sure don’t make me feel bad weird so you’re good!” Luffy says, looking at your face as a small blush forms. “What about me? Do I ever make you feel… weird?” He leans against the railing of the Sunny, right next to you. You feel the air change as you process his question.

“Yeah… good weird too” You laugh, avoiding his gaze as you try to ignore the feeling of your heart dropping to your stomach. You can feel Luffy’s eyes on you, you wonder if he can see the blush on your face. If he can sense your nervousness. You feel a warm sensation on your hand and look down to see Luffy’s on top of yours. You look at him and he smiles “I mean… you are something else Y/N.” You feel your face grow hotter and you bite your lip. “Haha… So are you. Captain Luffy… Future King of the Pirates.” You look down once again, trying to focus on the sound of the waves to ease up the tension. It doesn’t work.

“Can I maybe… I don’t know…” Luffy says awkwardly, as his voice trails off. You look at him and notice the deep pink hue that washes over his face. His eyes meet yours and you see them trail down to your lips. You feel your stomach do a flip as you realize what he is thinking. “C-Can you maybe… what?” You speak but your voice is barely a whisper. Luffy leans in closer to you. “Maybe…” His voice is soft and low.

“I… I think I want to…” He continues to hold your hand as he inches closer to your face. Your brain cannot process what’s happening “You… you want to…?” You echo his words as you hear your heart pounding in your chest. He looks back up into your eyes “You… you don’t mind… do you?” Luffy asks quietly, his face is so close you feel his breath on your lips. You can’t find the voice to speak anymore and you simply shake your head no. Everything feels like it’s happening in slow motion. You can’t hear the crashing of the waves anymore, or the sound of your crew mates’ banter. You have never felt more present and yet so far away. Luffy’s hand is still on yours as he leans in further. You close your eyes and notice your shallow breathing. You feel his lips press against yours. They’re soft and light. It was only a quick second but it was enough to make you gasp.

You open your eyes to see Luffy smile. His face is a deep shade of red and you assume yours also is. You bite your lip to hold back an impulse, but it fails. You grab Luffy’s face once again and kiss him. You feel him relax into the kiss, which is already longer than the previous one. Your heart is racing as you feel Luffy cup your cheek with his hand. As you both pull away you’re both breathing heavily. “That…” Luffy begins but his words trail off. “I don’t know what to say…” You simply smile and bite your lip. “What do you feel, Luffy?” You finally find it within you to speak. “It’s.. It’s hard to describe um..” He begins. You see his eyes scan your face, trying to find the words.

“It’s like a strange sensation in my mind and my body… I feel um… I feel like these warm tingles and it’s hard to think sometimes.” He speaks softly. You simply smile and pull him in for a hug. He gasps at the sudden embrace and soon you feel his arms wrap around you. You can hear his heart beating in his chest. You close your eyes and sigh, feeling yourself be present in this moment. A moment you really never thought would happen.

[loonsloon]

@rosekillermicrofic may 9 – blood – 722 words cw: blood and injuries, but nothing explicit

It was their usual Friday night.

Barty is standing in front of the mirror in their dingy, dimly lit bathroom. The only source of light—being the yellow lightbulb that keeps flickering above his head every few seconds—is making his beaten-up face seem worse than it already is. Creating a shadow across what he's pretty sure is his broken nose. There is also a bruise forming high on his left cheekbone, which hurts a bit to the touch, and a gash on his other one. It's not that deep, but Barty's all hot and sweaty, causing it to bleed a bit more than it should.

The blood is dripping all over the floor, and the sink is filled with bloody cotton balls and tissues—a visual representation of Barty's failed attempt to stop the bleeding.

From the corner of his eye, he can see Evan leaning across the doorframe, watching him with a scowl.

''Are you just going to stand there looking all pretty, or are you going to give me some help?'' Barty asks, tossing yet another cotton ball into the sink.

Evan makes a show off rolling his eyes, and it takes him a few moments to peel himself off the doorframe and reach Barty in a total of three strides. With his left hand, he grips Barty's jaw and tilts it towards the light to inspect the gash.

''How many more times will I have to clean your face after you make an idiot out of yourself?''

Barty knows Evan is not really mad at him, maybe slighty annoyed. And no, it’s not the first time they’ve found themselves in the same position in which Evan tends to his wounds. It happened so many times it became a tradition at this point.

It seemed like Barty's only purpose for going out was to bring home a reminder—a souvenir if you will—that takes the form of a bruise, bloody wound or even a broken bone. Only for Evan to collect it with gentle hands and tend to it with soft kisses.

''I'm pretty sure, this will be the last time'', Barty hisses through pain as Evan just started dabbing alcohol on his cheek.

''You say this every time Barty, and yet you manage to come home in an even worse condition.''

And it's true, Barty won't deny that. It only takes a few shots of cheap tequila and a few drags of Evan's joint for Barty to push the wrong buttons of a random person that he chose to bother on that particular night out. And he feeds off of it. Making a bet with himself on how long it would take before the guy in question snaps and turns his fists on him. Somehow, he almost always loses. This time he was pretty much sure the guy won't actually indulge him, and you could say that he was taken by surprise, as he really wasn't expecting his ass to be handed to him on a silver platter.

''This time is different, I won't do it again, promise,'' Barty almost pouts, and this makes Evan tilt his head to the side with a playful glint in his eyes. A knowing smirk forming in the corners of his mouth.

''What makes it different this time?''

''I think this guy finally beat some sense into me, I mean, look at my face,'' Barty looks at himself in the mirror, and Evan follows his gaze to analyse his beaten-up features. There’s a certain expression on his face as their eyes meet, that Barty can't quite figure out.

The bleeding has finally stopped, and Evan makes a hum sound as he returns his attention to rubbing some kind of ointment on Barty's cheek.

''Well, you do look like you've been mauled by a bear, and I'm pretty sure your nose is broken,'' Evan finishes his tending and turns around to wash his hands in the sink. He doesn’t bother to throw out the blood-painted cotton balls, leaving the job for Barty.

''I know, but you should see the other guy,'' Barty smirks, and this causes Evan to lift his head from the sink to examine his own blood-free reflection. A smug look on his face is quickly replaced by a forced gasp,

"What makes you say that Barty? I look great!''

[starnervefan]

Some people have asked me how Detective Fear and Thief Joy's first meeting would go, so here goes...

----

Detective Fear AU: Fear and the Thief

(about 2,000~ words)

His lungs were burning by the time he made it up the stairs. He huffed and puffed, leaning against the guard rail to steady himself. As he caught his breath, his lips curled into a smug smile. The thief had nowhere to run now. She was cornered.

He burst through the door and onto the roof, training his revolver on the shadowy figure. "All right!" he called out. "Put your h…ha…."

The words died in his throat as the thief pulled back her hood, exposing glowing, golden skin and a crop of short, shimmery blue hair. She wiped the back of her gloved hand across her forehead and checked her belt. Only then did she turn her head in his direction, her blue eyes wide and startled. And what beautiful eyes, like great pools of sapphire, filled with an entire galaxy of stars…

Fear and the thief stared each other down for several long moments. No sound could be heard but the brisk September wind sighing between the skyscrapers, and the far-off sounds of traffic, many floors below. A siren wailed in the distance.

Fear slowly lowered his gun, almost involuntarily. Threatening this blue-eyed beauty with violence suddenly seemed a tad extreme. At a glance, she seemed so sweet and pure, her skin's glow casting an angel's halo around her exposed head and neck. Surely somebody this lovely couldn't possibly be bad?

In his line of work, he had come into contact with all manner of criminals. Even the women, beautiful though they may have been, had an air of hostility or cruelty to them. But Fear couldn't detect even the slightest hint of malice in the thief's face or posture. She warily fixed him with her wide, innocent eyes, clearly on guard for his next move. Perhaps he could talk her down? He cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

"I… I… um."

His tongue refused to cooperate, tripping over itself as he stammered incoherently. The thief furrowed her brows and cocked her head to one side, scrutinizing him thoughtfully. Fear felt his face begin to heat up beneath her appraising stare. Well, it would have been a good idea, if I could actually talk…

A slow smile crossed the thief's pixie-like face, her lids lowering. She ran a hand through her sapphire locks and struck a pose, resting a palm on her cocked hip. Fear suddenly felt exposed as she looked him up and down. "Well, hi there, Inspector Cutie," she purred.

Fear glanced behind him uncertainly while trying to keep one eye trained on the glowing beauty before him.

"Yeah, I'm talkin' to you, handsome." The thief sauntered toward him, flaring her hips with each step. She grasped him by the tie and slowly smoothed it down. Fear sucked in a breath, his spine tingling at her feather-like touch. "Tell me, what's your name?"

"I-it's… I… buh..." Fear could only stammer and sputter, the heat beneath his collar quickly becoming unbearable.

"'Fear', huh?" Even the simple way she said his name sent his head spinning.

He frowned suddenly, his focus snapping to attention. "Wait. H… how did you…?"

The thief held up Fear's police badge with a smug grin. "It's on this."

Fear gaped. He hadn't even noticed her swipe it from his coat pocket. "H-hey, g-give that back!" he squeaked, with as much authority as the crack in his voice allowed. He made a grab for it, but the thief giggled and held it out of reach, taking a few steps backward.

"Well, since I know your name, I'll tell you mine," she offered. "It's Joy. Master Thief Joy. My card." She produced a small piece of cardboard from seemingly nowhere and flashed him a glimpse of flowery text surrounded by sparkle and flower patterns.

"Um…" was about all he could think to say in response. Why does a thief need a business card? he wondered.

She thrust the card at him and he took it, perusing the text. You have been hoodwinked by Master Thief Joy! Have a stupendous day!

"That's my calling card," she explained, as she examined something in her hand. "Hey, is this your girlfriend? Oh, I'm so jealous - she's very pretty…"

"Huh?!" Fear's head snapped upright. Joy was now holding his wallet, going through his personal family photos. His face reddened in frustration. "G-give me that!" he demanded.

He made an impressive lunge toward her and this time, managed to knock the wallet out of her grasp. Coins tinkled as they bounced to the asphalt and papers flew everywhere. Fear desperately scrabbled to collect all his paper money before the chill breeze blew it away. When he stood, puffing and panting, Joy still held onto the photograph she'd been looking at. She held it up casually.

"Your girlfriend?" she prompted, as if nothing had happened and they were having a perfectly normal rooftop conversation.

"N-no, th-that's my mom," Fear grumbled, red in the face as he hastily stuffed his cash and belongings back into the cramped confines of his wallet. "And hand it over!"

To his surprise, Joy obliged. "You two look very close. That's so sweet!" she cooed, clasping her hands together.

Fear drew back from her, squinting. "This is… this is a trick, isn't it? Y-you're just… t-trying to c-confuse me, or… or something."

"Is it working?" she asked, batting her lashes disarmingly.

Fear frowned at her. She'd just openly admitted to… whatever it was she was doing. He should be angry, but the twisting sensations in his stomach and the giddy, lightheaded dizziness that had started the moment he'd seen her face had him thoroughly distracted as he fought to keep a clear head.

His heart skipped a beat as he suddenly realized that his hands were empty. He patted himself down and looked around absent-mindedly. While he'd been fumbling around with his wallet, where had he put…?

With an awful premonition, he slowly turned his head to the thief, who, sure enough, held something black and shiny in her sticky fingers, turning it over and examining it thoughtfully.

His heart stopped. He broke out in a cold sweat as his life flashed before his eyes. He hadn't even noticed her swipe his revolver. He was a goner now for sure! He put his hands up and prepared to plead for his life…

… but instead of shooting him, she grasped it by the muzzle and handed it back to him, grip first. His hands shook with adrenaline as he buried it safely in its holster. Joy inclined her head to the gun.

"Ya know, those things are awful dangerous. Somebody could get hurt," she smiled innocently.

Fear took deep breaths to try and calm himself, almost hyperventilating. "N-n-nobody has to get hurt," he heard himself saying. He tried to reason with the thief: "L-listen, uh, w-would you maybe consider returning that diamond?" He pointed shakily at the pouch on her belt, where something glinted from within.

"Oh, this?" Joy looked down as if noticing the pouch for the first time. "Sorry, no can do."

"Then, uh…" He coughed apologetically. "I'm afraid you're going to have to come with me."

"As entertaining as that sounds, no." She smirked at him incredulously. "Are you saying you'd actually let me go if I gave it back?"

"Uh, well, I don't… actually have the authority to do that… I mean, we have a laundry list of your offenses… but I could talk to people, explain the situation," he offered.

Joy looked at him oddly for a moment, before a wide grin slowly spread across her face. She placed her hands on her hips. "Okay, 'fess up, Inspector. Why are you being so nice to me? Do you like me or something?" she teased.

"H…huh?" Fear found himself beginning to blush once more. "I… b-but I'm just… t-trying to do my job…"

"None of you police-types have ever actually given me a choice in the matter before," Joy mused. "It's always, 'You're coming with me' or 'Come out with your hands up'. But you…" Her eyes lit up, practically sparkling with delight. "Here you are, treating me like an actual person! You must be the sweetest detective I've ever met."

Fear couldn't help it. His face split into a silly grin before he could stop it. He quickly slapped his hand against his face and turned to try and hide how flustered he was, but his palm couldn't stop the spout of goofy giggling that escaped his lungs.

Joy laughed lightly in return. "Oh, you're a cute one, Mr. Detective. I think I'll keep my eye on you."

Fear fidgeted, wringing his tie in his hands and trying to fight down his bashful grin. "S-so… um… any chance of you… uh… cooperating with me? I-I'll m-make sure they treat you well…"

Joy suddenly seemed distracted, glancing skyward. "Oh, finally!" she burst out, her face lighting up in a relieved smile.

For the first time, Fear took notice of the massive shadow suddenly falling across the roof. He whirled, looking up so fast his head spun.

A dirigible hovered over them, engines whirring loudly. The wind whipped fiercely around them, prompting Fear to hold tight to his hat. He could just make out a length of rope dangling from a window of the gondola.

"Well, it's been fun, Inspector, but I gotta go," Joy declared, giving him one last playful smile. With her cloak streaming behind her like a banner, she hopped effortlessly onto the parapet and grabbed the rope, giving it two sharp tugs.

It took him a moment, but slowly his wits returned. "W-wait!" Fear cried out, belatedly giving chase. "Y-you can't leave now! I-I need that diamond!" He came to an abrupt halt as he slammed against the parapet, making a desperate grab for Joy's belt as she dangled freely from the edge of the building. She twisted easily out of his reach.

"Let's do this again sometime," she purred, swinging back around so she could stroke his chin with a single glowing fingertip. "And oh, don't look so glum. I'm sure we'll see each other again very soon!"

As the airship ponderously turned and floated away into the heavens, Joy clung to the rope. He thought he saw her blow him a kiss before she turned away. He watched her longingly, hardly able to breathe.

He watched until the airship was a mere speck on the horizon, then he watched some more. Slowly he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Geez. What… what just happened…? He drew out Joy's calling card from his coat pocket, turning it over in his hand. You have been hoodwinked by Master Thief Joy! it read. "I'll say," he muttered to himself.

The door to the rooftop burst open with a bang. Fear jumped and whirled around, fully expecting to find trouble, but it was only Anger.

Anger's thick chest heaved as he stood in the doorway, glaring at Fear. "Well?" he panted. "Where is she?"

"She…" Fear stuffed the calling card hastily back into his coat pocket. "Sh-she… uh, she left."

"She's gone?" Anger demanded, dumbfounded. "You let her escape? How did she escape?!" He looked around, his scowl darkening dangerously. "There's nowhere to run! You had her right where you wanted her!" he yelled, throwing his arms wide. Fear shrugged helplessly with a nervous giggle.

"Seriously, how did you let her slip away?" Anger growled, stomping over to the edge of the roof.

Fear shrank away from him, intimidated. "Well, see, there was this airship…" he began uncertainly. "A-and it just kind of… swooped down out of nowhere, and then… she was gone."

"An airship?" Anger repeated incredulously. He narrowed his eyes and glanced to the sky. He clenched his teeth, the air above his head beginning to steam. "I don't see any airship."

"W-well, it was-- it was right there…" Fear stammered, pointing. "A-and a rope came down, and Miss Joy-- th-the thief grabbed onto the rope and sailed away."

Anger wiped his palm down his face in exasperation, muttering and grumbling. He took a deep breath, trying his level best to be patient. "Can I get a description of this magical, mythical airship?" Fear thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Did you happen to see who was driving the thing?" Anger prodded. Fear shook his head again, his face burning with humiliation.

"Do you know anything useful at all?!" Anger burst out, taking off his hat and throwing it to the ground, frustrated. He always did this when he got angry, partly because it just plain felt good, but mostly because whenever he lost his temper, the top of his head would burst into flames. Fear had lost count of all the hats Anger had burned to a crisp because he wasn't fast enough to fling them to the ground.

Fear tried desperately to think back to just a few minutes earlier, but he drew a blank. All he could see in his mind's eye was Joy: her face, the stars in her eyes, her teasing smile and long, supple legs…

"Fear? Earth to Fear?!"

Anger's voice snapped him out of his reverie. He became aware that his partner had grabbed him by the arms and was shaking him roughly.

Fear did his best to come up with an explanation, but he could only sigh heavily, his back drooping in defeat. "I… I'm sorry. I… I guess I just wasn't… fast enough."

"Our client isn't gonna like this," Anger rumbled, shooting Fear a dark look. "You'd best have a better explanation ready for when we get back to headquarters empty-handed." Fear winced with dread, knowing that Anger was right.

As he followed Anger down the stairs and out onto the busy street, Fear buried his hands deep in his pockets and scowled at nothing. He felt so foolish. Miss Joy had just been playing with him, stalling for time until her buddies showed up. Why, she was probably laughing at him right now, telling whoever was on the airship with her all about it. Just thinking about it made his neck burn with embarrassment.

And yet…

He gazed dreamily up at the clouds across the moon, the same bright moon that had overlooked him and Joy on the rooftop. There, beneath that same moon, under those very stars and wispy clouds, he had felt something. Something that he couldn't see or explain. Something about Miss Joy had struck a chord deep within him, and he knew that he would never be able to forget her.

[astrea-lil-fantasy-world]

Training Season

David x oc 7k+ words Tags: romance, angst, sexual tension, emotional conflict I've taken a lot of creative permissions, this doesn't follow any episode in the game, so keep it in mind

"Are you someone that I can give my heart to?

Or just the poison that I'm drawn to?''

The room was suffocatingly still, save for the fading echoes of a guttural scream that had moments earlier reverberated through the cracked walls. She leaned against the doorway, her damp hair plastered to her forehead as she clutched her coat tighter around herself. The exorcism was over—the malevolent presence banished—but the oppressive weight it left behind clung to her like a second skin.

David strolled in from the adjoining room, his dark curls falling messily over his forehead as though he hadn’t just faced down an ancient demon moments ago. His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, and his sleeves were rolled up to reveal forearms faintly smudged with ash. His casual demeanor felt out of place, but the nonchalance was as much a part of him as the mischief in his dark eyes.

“Well, that was fun,” he quipped, flashing the easy grin he seemed to wear in every situation. “What’s the verdict, Little Witch? Not as thrilling for you, I’m guessing.”

Kith shot him a weary but sharp look. “If holding down a possessed teenager while they spit venom counts as fun, then sure—a blast.”

David’s grin widened, but a flicker of something more serious passed through his gaze. “You’re handling this better than most humans would,” he said lightly, brushing past her to lean against the wall. “Empathy can be a liability, though. Demons feed on your emotional reserves, you know.”

“I can’t just switch it off, David,” she replied, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. “That kid is gone forever. I can’t pretend it doesn’t matter. Maybe you can shrug it off, but I’m not like you.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” he said softly, his teasing grin dimming into something almost solemn. “You’re good at what you do, Kith. That empathy of yours? Annoying as hell sometimes, but it keeps you human. And trust me, that’s rarer than you think in this line of work.”

She blinked at him, caught off guard by the sincerity tucked into his words. Before she could respond, the sharp click of heels against the charred floor interrupted them.

Felonia appeared in the doorway, immaculate in her tailored suit, her dark hair swept back as if untouched by the chaos. “Are we ready? We should head back before Somnus and Furious decide to make a dramatic entrance.”

David groaned theatrically. “More lectures about ‘protocol’ and how I’m the root of all inefficiency. Can’t wait.”

“Likely,” Felonia replied with a smirk. Her sharp gaze shifted to Kith. “You holding up?”

“Getting used to it,” Kith answered, standing straighter despite the exhaustion tugging at her. “Still not my favorite thing.”

Felonia gave her a sympathetic look. “You’ll toughen up. Or you won’t. Either way, it’s entertaining.”

David rested a hand briefly on Kith’s shoulder, the warmth grounding her. “You’re doing just fine, Little Witch,” he said, his touch lingering a moment too long before he stepped away.

As the group moved to leave the room, the oppressive air seemed to shift, a faint crackle of static brushing against Kith’s senses. She paused in the doorway, her hand lingering on the warped frame, and glanced back into the now-empty space. The remnants of the exorcism still hung heavy in the air—broken symbols scrawled on the walls, the faint scorch marks from hastily extinguished sigils, and the lingering chill that spoke of a malevolent presence that had been only partially expelled.

“Something wrong?” David’s voice cut through her thoughts, steady but tinged with curiosity.

Kith shook her head, though the uneasy feeling twisting in her chest lingered. “No. Just making sure it’s really... gone.”

David gave her a half-smile, his dark eyes flicking back toward the room before returning to her. “Trust me. If it wasn’t, you’d know.”

The oppressive weight in her chest hadn’t lifted, but at least she could breathe again. David walked beside her, his usual teasing arrogance softened into something more approachable.

“Never a dull moment, huh?” he said, flashing her a small, crooked grin.

She rolled her eyes, but her lips quirked upward despite herself. “Yeah. Thrilling.”

With a resigned sigh, Kith stepped fully into the hallway, her boots crunching over splintered wood and debris. The building groaned faintly, as though it had been wounded by the events that had unfolded within its walls.

The journey back to Astrea’s felt endless, the aftermath of the exorcism pressing down on Kith like a lead blanket. She clenched her fists to stop them from trembling, her nails biting into her palms. Her damp hair clung to her neck, and the faint burn of adrenaline lingered in her veins, refusing to let her fully unwind.

The car’s engine hummed steadily as Felonia drove, her focus unwavering as the city’s rain-slick streets blurred past. David sat in the passenger seat, one arm casually slung over the backrest while the other toyed with the ash-streaked cuffs of his shirt. Kith sat in the back, arms crossed tightly over her chest as she stared out the window.

“You’re quiet,” David said, his tone light but probing.

Kith didn’t turn her head. “Just tired.”

David’s gaze flicked to the rearview mirror, catching her reflection. “You’re always tired after these. It’s not just that, is it?”

Felonia cut in before Kith could respond, her tone wry. “It’s called having a soul, David. Something you’re only loosely acquainted with.”

David chuckled. “I’ll have you know my soul and I are on excellent terms.” He glanced at Kith again, this time more serious. “Still. Something’s eating at you.”

Kith sighed, her fingers tightening against her arms. “It’s nothing new. Just the usual existential crisis after watching a kid lose their life to something they never asked for.”

David leaned back, his expression softening. “It doesn’t get easier, you know. You just learn how to carry it differently.”

Felonia’s sharp laugh broke the tension. “Spoken like someone who’s pretending to be wise. He means you compartmentalize until it eats you alive, Kith.”

“Thanks for that, Fel,” David muttered.

“Anytime,” she shot back.

"Play fair, is that a compass in your nature? Or are you tricky?

Cause I've been there And baby, I don't need to learn my lesson twice."

David walked beside her, unnervingly composed, his hands tucked casually into his pockets. Every few steps, she felt his eyes on her—measuring, calculating, watching.

“Alright, spit it out,” he said, breaking the silence.

“What?” Her voice came out sharper than she intended, more defensive.

“Whatever’s got you wound tighter than wire,” he replied, his tone maddeningly calm.

Kith’s steps faltered for half a second before she pressed on, her gaze fixed ahead. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m fine.”

David scoffed, his curls bouncing slightly as he tilted his head in disbelief. “You’re a terrible liar, Little Witch.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she muttered, her voice low but clipped.

“Too bad.” He sidestepped in front of her, forcing her to stop. His posture was casual, but his sharp gaze betrayed his persistence. “You look like you’re about to implode. If you’re gonna lose it, at least warn me so I can duck.”

Kith glared up at him, her hazel eyes blazing with frustration. “You think this is funny?”

“I think you’re carrying a lot for one person,” he said, his voice low, the teasing edge softening into something steadier. “You don’t have to.”

Her laugh came bitter and sharp. “And who else will? You?”

David’s jaw tensed, the teasing glint in his eyes replaced by something unreadable. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You act like none of this touches you,” she snapped, stepping closer, her exhaustion spilling over into anger. “Like it’s just another job, another day. How can you not care? That boy—his family—”

“Kith,” he interrupted, his voice cutting through her rising anger like a blade. “Stop.”

“No!” Her voice rose, trembling with raw emotion as she took another step forward. She was close enough now to see the faint glow behind his eyes, barely contained beneath his calm facade. “You make it look so easy, like you’re above all of it. But you’re not. You can’t be.”

David’s hand shot out, gripping her waist—not tightly, but firmly enough to root her in place. His gaze locked onto hers, and the usual glint of mischief in his expression was replaced by something darker, heavier.

“I care more than you think,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper, near her ear. “But caring too much in this job? That’s what gets people killed.”

Her breath caught in her throat, the heat between them shifting from anger to something she couldn’t quite name. She wanted to pull away, to fire back, but the intensity in his gaze froze her in place.

The moment stretched unbearably long, charged with unspoken tension, until a voice shattered it like glass.

“Am I interrupting something, or is this foreplay?” Felonia’s dry tone cut through the air, breaking the spell.

Kith took his hand out of her waist, stepping back quickly. David turned to face Felonia with an exaggerated sigh, his smirk returning with practiced ease.

“Don’t you ever make yourself known?” he asked, his tone exasperated but tinged with amusement.

“I’d hate to ruin your moment,” Felonia replied smoothly, brushing past them toward the debrief room. “They are waiting. Better get in there before they decide to make you their chew toy.”

David glanced back at Kith, his expression unreadable. “You good?”

She nodded stiffly, avoiding his gaze. “Let’s just get this over with.”

As they followed Felonia into the room, Kith couldn’t shake the weight of David’s words—or the lingering heat of his hand on her waist. She clenched her fists again, her nails digging into her palms to ground herself.

Somnus and Furious were already seated, their presence as oppressive as ever. Somnus lounged with a lazy grace, his sharp eyes glinting with amusement as they entered. Furious sat rigid, his sharp features carved into a perpetual scowl.

“Late,” Furious growled, his voice low and biting.

“Fashionably,” David quipped, sliding into a seat with a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Kith followed silently, sitting straighter than she felt, her exhaustion threatening to pull her down. Felonia took her seat beside Kith, her expression calm but watchful.

Mikael entered moments later, his piercing gaze sweeping the room before landing on Kith.

“Well?” he asked, his tone coldly efficient.

Kith swallowed hard, her voice steady despite the storm inside her. “The exorcism was successful. The parents are safe, but the boy…” Her words faltered, the memory of his hollow eyes flashing before her. “The boy didn’t survive. The entity left a mark. On the house, and—” She hesitated. “Possibly on me.”

“Residual energy?” Furious snorted. “On you? What a surprise. Humanity’s greatest weakness: fragility.”

David’s chair scraped loudly as he sat upright. “Don’t start,” he said, his voice dangerously low.

“Enough,” Mikael said sharply, silencing the room. His gaze lingered on Kith. Mikael studied her for a long moment before nodding.

Kith bristled, the condescension sparking a flare of defiance. “I’m not fragile,” she said, her tone sharper than she intended. “i’m human, and the only one capable of feeling something inside this room.” Kith straightened, summoning a strength she wasn’t sure she had. “With respect, I’ve earned my place. And the people we help deserve someone who cares.”

“Careful now, human,” Somnus chuckled darkly. “Admirable. But care won’t protect you when things turn... unsavory.”

Furious leaned closer, his looming presence meant to intimidate. “This isn’t your world, girl. You’re chasing shadows with creatures who’ll devour you the second you falter.”

"You’ve shown resilience, Kith," Somnus began, his tone deceptively soothing. "But humanity is fragile. Are you certain this is where you belong?"

David’s gaze snapped to Somnus, but Kith spoke before he could. “I can handle myself.” The tension was suffocating, an invisible thread pulled taut between them. Kith’s heart pounded, but she refused to look away. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.

“Clearly,” Furious said, leaning back with a smirk. “Such confidence for someone so…new. But tell me, Kith, how much of your humanity are you willing to lose before you realize this world isn’t meant for you?” His demeanor was always measured, his words laced with subtle encouragement that bordered on manipulation.

Her breath caught, the words cutting deeper than she wanted to admit.

“That’s enough,” Across the table, Mikael’s coldly kind gaze settled on her like frost creeping over glass.

Kith clenched her fists beneath the table, refusing to look away.

“Let’s hope you continue to prove yourself,” Mikael added, his gaze shifting to David. “And David, make sure that your… distractions don’t jeopardize the team.”

David’s jaw tightened, his fingers tapping a slow rhythm against the table.

“I’m sure Kith will rise to the occasion,” Felonia interjected smoothly, her tone a perfect blend of support and sarcasm.

“Dismissed,” Mikael said.

As his attention shifted to the next report, Kith felt David’s hand brush against hers beneath the side table—a fleeting touch, but grounding nonetheless.

“I need someone to hold me close, deeper than I've ever known,

Whose love feels like a rodeo, knows just how to take control.

When I'm vulnerable, he's straight-talking to my soul,

Conversation overload, got me feeling vertigo.”

When the door clicked shut, the silence was deafening. David turned to her, his gaze burning with a mixture of frustration and something she couldn’t quite name. “You didn’t need to say anything.”

“Yes, I did,” Kith replied, her voice steady despite the storm raging within her.

Their eyes locked, unspoken words hanging heavy in the charged air. The space between them felt narrower, the tension almost tangible—a dangerous dance of what could be and what shouldn’t.

The hallway seemed to close in around her as Kith trailed behind David. The air was thick, oppressive, and her emotions churned dangerously close to the surface. She wanted to scream, punch something—or someone—but her hands only trembled at her sides.

David slowed, glancing over his shoulder before pausing to let her catch up. “Don’t let them get to you,” he said, his voice softer than she expected.

“Easy for you to say,” she shot back, her frustration slipping into her tone. “You’re used to it.”

He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her fully, his expression hardening. “And you think I like it?”

“I think you don’t care,” she said, her voice trembling with unfiltered frustration.

David stepped closer, his dark eyes boring into hers, their usual teasing glint replaced with something raw and unwavering. “I care,” he said, his tone quiet but firm.

He studied her for a moment longer, his jaw tight as though holding back words that might unravel them both. Finally, he exhaled sharply and ran a hand through his dark curls, a rare gesture of unease breaking through his composed facade.

“You should’ve let me handle it,” he muttered, his voice quieter now but brimming with restrained emotion.

Kith’s hands trembled slightly, but she clenched them into fists. “I don’t need a shield, David. I need to prove I belong here.”

“And what if proving it gets you killed?” The words came out harsher than he intended, and regret flickered across his face almost instantly.

“I’m still here, aren’t I?” she shot back, her tone biting but laced with fragility beneath the defiance.

“Barely.” He stepped closer again, his presence overwhelming but not unwelcome. “You don’t get it, do you? They’re not going to stop until you break or—”

“Or what?” she challenged, tilting her chin up defiantly.

He hesitated, his gaze softening as he searched her face. “Or until they convince you that you’re not enough.”

The words hung heavy between them, raw and unfiltered. They struck a chord deep inside her, one she had fought tirelessly to silence.

“I won’t give them that satisfaction,” she whispered, more to herself than to him. “I did just fine after everything that happened.”

“I wouldn’t exactly use the word… ‘fine,’” he said, his lips twitching in almost-amusement.

David took another step closer, close enough for her to feel the warmth radiating from him. His voice dropped lower, almost a murmur. “You shouldn’t have to fight this hard to prove your worth, Kith. Not to them. Not to anyone.”

Her throat tightened, and she swallowed hard, the proximity making her heart race in ways she couldn’t control. “And yet, here I am.”

His gaze lingered, tracing her features as though memorizing every detail. For a moment, it felt like the world outside the hallway didn’t exist—no superiors, no impossible missions, just the two of them standing on the edge of something unspoken.

He enveloped her in his arms, as if he could make all the doubts and fears inside her burst and go away. His lips lingering on her forehead.

“Are you somebody who can go there? ’Cause I don't wanna have to show ya”

Before either of them could speak, the sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor, shattering the moment. David stepped back, the charged air dissipating like a burst bubble, and Kith let out a shaky breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

The door creaked open, and Felonia entered, her sharp gaze flicking between them. Her expression was tired but tinged with amusement. “You guys alright?”

“No,” David said quickly, his voice a little too casual as he straightened. “What is it?”

Felonia raised a brow but didn’t press. “They won’t be back for a while, so we have the night to rest.”

David nodded, his usual composure snapping back into place like armor.

“Cause training season’s over.”

Kith stayed rooted to the spot, her mind a whirlwind of unspoken words and unacknowledged feelings. As they started walking down the corridor, she couldn’t help but glance at David. His expression was unreadable, but his hand brushed hers briefly—a fleeting touch, but enough to send a jolt through her.

It wasn’t much, but it was enough to remind her that whatever existed between them wasn’t one-sided.

Her breath hitched, the intensity of his gaze pulling her in like a magnet.

“Why do you care so much?” she whispered, hating the vulnerability in her voice but unable to keep it hidden.

David’s hand brushed hers again, this time lingering a fraction longer, his touch light but electric. “Because someone has to,” he said, his voice low, almost a growl.

His words sent a ripple through her chest, cracking through her defenses with startling ease. She wanted to say something—anything—but the words tangled in her throat.

As they walked in silence, side by side, the space between them felt impossibly small, the weight of everything unsaid pressing down like a storm waiting to break.

After a much-needed hot bath and a few days of rest, the team gathered in Mikael’s office. The air was thick with unease as Mikael flipped through the file on his desk, his coldly calm demeanor unwavering. When his gaze landed on Kith, it softened—barely, but enough to be noticed.

“This one will test your resolve,” Mikael said, sliding the file across the table. “A series of disappearances tied to a remote church. Reports suggest…” He paused, his eyes flicking to David, “…that the cult is moving again.”

Kith stiffened at the mention, her pulse quickening as dread curled in her stomach.

David immediately stepped closer to her, his jaw tightening as his protective instincts surged. “What do they want with her now?” he asked, his voice low and edged with danger.

“This isn’t about Kith,” Mikael replied firmly, though his tone carried an unspoken warning for David to control his temper. “Not directly, anyway. But the possibility of overlap cannot be ignored.”

Felonia, leaning casually against the wall, broke the tension with a wry remark. “Sounds like a cozy reunion. Hope you’re ready, Kith.”

Kith managed a small smile, grateful for Felonia’s attempt to lighten the mood, even if it did little to ease the knot in her chest. “I’m ready,” she said, her voice steadier than she felt.

David exhaled sharply, his expression unreadable. “You shouldn’t have to be.”

She glanced at him, their eyes meeting for a brief, charged moment before Mikael’s voice cut through the air.

“Somnus and Furious will oversee this mission closely,” Mikael said, his tone hardening. His disdain for his superiors was subtle but evident in the slight tightness of his jaw. “I expect nothing less than perfection.”

David’s gaze darkened. “Of course, they’d swoop in now to take credit for the mess they ignored.”

“Watch your tone, David,” Mikael warned, though there was a trace of amusement in his voice.

David smirked but didn’t respond. As he moved to leave, his hand brushed against Kith’s arm, a subtle but reassuring gesture.

“I hope it hits me like an arrow

Someone with some potential”

The hallway outside Mikael’s office was quiet, save for the soft click of boots against polished stone. Kith stayed close to David, her mind racing as she processed the assignment. She knew what it meant to face the cult again, even tangentially. The memories it stirred were ones she tried to keep buried.

“Don’t overthink it,” David said, his voice low as they walked.

“Easier said than done,” she replied, her lips tightening into a thin line.

He stopped just outside the doors leading to the garage and turned to her. “It’s not going to be like last time, Kith.”

“How do you know that?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

His gaze softened, but his tone was firm. “Because I won’t let it be.” Hir arms casually sneaking around her.

Felonia’s voice broke through the moment. “You two coming, or should I give you more time to stare meaningfully at each other?”

David rolled his eyes, gesturing for Kith to follow. “Let’s go, Little Witch.”

The engine hummed softly as the car navigated the rain-slick streets. The rhythm of the windshield wipers matched the tension inside the vehicle, steady but relentless.

Kith sat beside Felonia in the back seat, her thoughts heavy with what lay ahead. Every now and then, her gaze flicked to the rearview mirror, where David’s reflection met hers. His expression was unreadable, but his presence grounded her in a way she couldn’t explain.

Felonia, ever observant, broke the silence with her usual bluntness. “You two should just kiss already and save the rest of us the agony of enduring your will-they-won’t-they nonsense.”

Kith’s face burned as she sat upright. “Felonia!”

David, entirely unbothered, glanced back with a lazy grin. “Jealous, Fel?”

“Of you? Please.” Felonia smirked, leaning back in her seat. “Just figure it out before one of you explodes.”

Kith huffed and crossed her arms, glaring out the window. But David’s low chuckle slid under her defenses, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine.

“Noted,” he said, his voice rich with amusement.

As the car slowed, the mood shifted. The joking dissipated like fog in the morning sun, replaced by a sharp focus. David straightened, his shoulders tense.

When the car stopped, he turned slightly to face Kith, his expression serious. “Stay close to me. I mean it this time.”

“I don’t need—”

“You need your independence, I know,” he interrupted gently, though his tone left no room for argument. “But if I lose sight of you for even a second…” His dark eyes locked onto hers, burning with intensity. His hand touched her face briefly. “I’m not letting anything happen to you, Kith.”

The car doors slammed shut in unison, the sound sharp in the cold air. The church loomed ahead, a dark silhouette against the overcast sky. Its ancient stone walls, cracked and weathered, seemed to lean inward as if guarding their secrets.

The faint sound of chanting drifted through the air, sending a chill down Kith’s spine. It was barely audible, but it clawed at her senses, stirring memories she wasn’t ready to face.

David stayed close, his movements deliberate and protective, his body taut like a drawn bowstring. Felonia led the way, her sharp gaze sweeping the area.

“This place reeks of desperation,” Felonia muttered, her voice low and biting. “They’re hiding something.”

“They always are,” David replied, his tone clipped.

Kith followed, her heart pounding in her chest. She felt David’s presence like a shield at her side, his protective energy both comforting and stifling.

Inside, the air was thick and suffocating, heavy with an unseen pressure that seemed to press down on them from all sides. The chanting grew louder, echoing off the cold stone walls in rhythmic waves. Kith pressed a hand to her temple as her head swam.

David noticed immediately, his hand brushing her elbow. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she whispered, though her voice betrayed her uncertainty.

“Stay close,” he ordered, his tone brooking no argument.

Felonia moved ahead, her dagger glinting faintly in the dim light. The source of the chanting loomed just beyond a massive, rotting wooden door.

She paused, glancing back at the group. “Ready?”

David’s eyes flicked to Kith, his jaw tightening as his hand instinctively rested on his weapon. “Let’s get this over with.”

The door creaked open, revealing a dimly lit room. Figures cloaked in red knelt in a circle around a sigil carved into the stone floor, its grooves filled with blood that glistened ominously in the candlelight. The flickering flames cast eerie, distorted shadows across their hooded faces, making them appear otherworldly.

The chanting stopped abruptly as the group entered, the air thick with tension. Slowly, the figures rose to their feet in unison, their movements unnervingly synchronized. One of them stepped forward, their face hidden beneath their hood.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” the figure rasped, their voice distorted and inhuman, echoing unnaturally in the enclosed space.

David stepped in front of Kith without hesitation, his body a solid barrier between her and the threat. “Funny, I was about to say the same to you.”

The figure tilted its head, as if scrutinizing him, then turned its attention to Kith. She froze as their gaze seemed to pierce through her, heavy and invasive. Her stomach churned with unease, her fingers curling into fists at her sides.

“You,” they said, their voice dripping with malice. “He remembers you... He wants you.” The figure moved a step closer, their presence oppressive. “He’ll come back for you….”

Kith’s breath caught, the words striking her like a physical blow. Memories she had fought to bury clawed their way to the surface: the rhythmic chanting, the cold stone floor beneath her, the overwhelming scent of blood, and the suffocating terror.

David’s expression darkened, his grip tightening around his weapon. His voice was a low, dangerous growl. “You don’t get to look at her.”

The figure laughed, a hollow and echoing sound that sent a shiver through the room. “You can’t protect her from everything, demon.”

“Watch me,” David said, stepping forward, his movements deliberate and controlled, like a predator stalking its prey.

Before the figure could respond, Felonia’s dagger sliced through the air, embedding itself in their chest. The force knocked them back, their body convulsing as an unnatural scream ripped through the room.

The silence shattered as chaos erupted.

The cloaked figures surged forward in unison, their movements unnaturally fast, blurring as they closed the distance.

David reacted immediately, grabbing Kith and pulling her behind him as his blade flashed in the dim light. The first figure lunged at him, their hands claw-like and unnervingly long, but David sidestepped effortlessly. With a fluid motion, he slashed upward, severing the arm cleanly. The figure dissolved into black smoke with a guttural hiss.

“Kith!” Felonia shouted, tossing a blade her way. “You’re not sitting this one out!”

Kith caught the weapon, her fingers trembling but tightening around the hilt. She had no time to think before one of the figures came at her, its movements jerky yet impossibly fast.

The figure swung at her with unnatural strength, but Kith ducked, narrowly avoiding the blow. Instinctively, she lashed out with the blade, the tip catching the figure’s side. Black ichor spilled from the wound as the figure howled, collapsing before dissolving into a cloud of mist.

She barely had time to process what she’d done when another attacker was on her.

David’s blade whirled in a deadly arc as he took on two figures simultaneously. One clawed at him, but he deflected the attack with his forearm, his blade finding its mark in their chest. As they evaporated into smoke, the second came at him from the side. David turned sharply, driving his knee into their torso before finishing them with a precise slash to the neck.

His eyes flicked to Kith, catching her hesitation as she faced her second opponent. “Good!” he called out, his voice cutting through the chaos. “Now keep doing that!”

Kith glared at him briefly but focused on the figure in front of her.

Felonia, meanwhile, was a blur of efficiency. She ducked and spun, her twin daggers slicing through cloaked figures with surgical precision. Her movements were almost dance-like, each strike calculated.

One figure tried to grab her from behind, but she twisted, driving her blade into their gut before kicking them away. “Pathetic,” she muttered, her lips curling into a smirk.

Kith’s second opponent lunged, their claws slashing the air inches from her face. She stepped back too quickly, stumbling over the uneven stone floor. The figure seized the opportunity, charging at her with startling speed.

Panic surged, but she gritted her teeth and swung her blade upward. It struck the figure’s shoulder, slicing through their cloak. The figure screamed, and for a moment, its hood slipped back, revealing a twisted, half-decayed face. Kith recoiled, her stomach lurching, but she pushed through the fear and stabbed again.

This time, the blade sank into the figure’s chest. It let out a final, unearthly screech before dissolving into smoke.

David dispatched another opponent with brutal efficiency before turning to check on Kith. His eyes swept over her, catching her shaking hands as she steadied herself. “Kith!” he shouted, his voice cutting through the din. “You’re doing fine! Stay sharp!”

Her chest heaved, but she nodded, gripping the blade tighter.

As the last few figures closed in, David and Felonia moved as a unit. She threw a dagger that struck one in the leg, dropping it to its knees, while David finished it with a downward slash.

The final attacker went for Kith, its claws outstretched. She braced herself, heart pounding, but before it could reach her, Felonia’s dagger sailed past, embedding itself in the figure’s throat.

It collapsed, the room falling eerily silent as the last of the black smoke dissipated.

The sigil on the floor pulsed faintly, the blood within it bubbling before evaporating into the air. Moments later, the carvings grew dull, leaving only scorched marks behind.

David turned to Kith, his expression unreadable as he took her in. She was breathing heavily, her hands and knees trembling as adrenaline coursed through her.

“You did well,” he said softly, stepping closer. His hand reached out, brushing a strand of her auburn hair from her face.

“Don’t patronize me,” she replied, though the words lacked venom.

His lips quirked into a faint smile. “I’m not. You’re tougher than you think.”

Felonia interrupted, her tone brisk and no-nonsense. “Save it for later. We’ve got bigger problems to deal with.”

David shot her a look but didn’t argue. Instead, he reached down to help Kith to her feet, his hand lingering on hers a moment longer than necessary.

“We’re not done here,” he murmured, his dark eyes locking onto hers.

“I know,” she replied, her voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions inside her.

“I need someone to hold me close, deeper than I've ever known Whose love feels like a rodeo, knows just how to take control”

Fel’s boots echoed faintly down the stone corridor as she exited the chamber. She muttered something about needing to call Mikael, dragging her dagger lightly along the wall as she disappeared into the shadows. Despite her tough demeanor, Kith suspected Felonia had intentionally left to give them a moment alone.

Kith remained rooted in place, her breath still uneven as she processed the chaos that had unfolded. The weight of it all bore down on her, leaving her unable to move just yet.

“You’re staying?” David’s voice broke the silence, low and smooth but carrying a trace of concern.

She looked up to find him watching her, his broad frame silhouetted against the flickering candlelight. That look—piercing yet unreadable—always left her feeling exposed, as though he could see every thought she tried to bury.

“I just need a minute,” she admitted softly, her voice betraying her exhaustion.

David nodded and stepped closer. “Take all the time you need.”

He didn’t leave. Instead, he leaned back against one of the cracked stone pillars, his sharp eyes never leaving her.

“You don’t have to babysit me,” she said, trying to sound indignant, but it came out tired.

“I’m not babysitting,” he replied, a slow, teasing grin spreading across his face. “I just like the view.”

She rolled her eyes, but despite herself, a small smile tugged at her lips. “You’re incorrigible.”

“And you’re stalling,” he countered, pushing off the pillar. His boots crunched against the ash and debris scattered across the floor as he walked toward her.

Her back met the cool surface of the altar before she realized she’d taken a step back. The ancient carvings pressed against her palms, their sharp edges oddly grounding.

“You’re too tense,” David murmured, stopping just a breath away from her.

She raised an eyebrow, trying to deflect. “And you’re too close.”

He didn’t move, his gaze dropping briefly to her lips before meeting her eyes again. “Am I?”

The tension between them was electric, thick with unspoken words and a shared vulnerability neither could fully deny. Kith’s pulse quickened, her breath catching as David reached up, his fingers brushing lightly along her jawline.

“This place,” he began, his voice a low rumble, “it’s heavy. But you? You’re… light. Even when you don’t want to be.”

She blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected softness in his words. “I don’t know if that’s a compliment or an insult.”

His smirk was faint but genuine. “I could never insult you, Little Witch,” he said, his hand still cradling her face.

Her retort died on her lips as he leaned in, his other hand resting against the stone beside her. The heat of him was intoxicating, his presence a mixture of danger and comfort that both unsettled and grounded her.

“We shouldn’t,” she whispered, though her voice betrayed her resolve.

“Probably not,” he agreed, his tone low and unhurried, “but here we are.”

When his lips met hers, it was as though the world beyond the stone walls ceased to exist. The kiss was fire and defiance, a breaking of the tension that had simmered between them for too long.

Kith’s hands found their way to his shoulders, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as if to anchor herself. David’s arm slipped around her waist, pulling her closer. The weight of the altar against her back grounded her, but the heat radiating from him set her senses alight.

“This is reckless,” she murmured against his lips, though she didn’t move to pull away.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” he replied, his voice a low growl that sent shivers down her spine.

Kith let out a soft laugh, her forehead pressing against his as they both caught their breath.

“You’ve been running from this since the moment we met,” David said, his voice quieter now but no less intense. His hand on the stone slid down to lightly rest against her hip. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

Her heart thudded against her ribs, his words stirring something she wasn’t ready to name. “I’m not running,” she whispered.

“Then stop pretending,” he challenged gently, his lips brushing hers again, softer this time, almost hesitant.

For a few stolen minutes, there was no war, no mission, no cult to dismantle—only them. Kith felt her walls cracking under the weight of the unspoken, the connection between them raw and undeniable.

David pulled back just enough to look at her, his expression unguarded for once. His hand lingered at her cheek, his thumb brushing lightly against her skin.

“You’re sure about this?” he asked, his voice hoarse with restraint.

“For once,” she whispered back, her fingers trailing down his arm, “I’m not thinking.”

He exhaled a soft laugh, his forehead resting against hers. “Good,” he murmured, stealing another quick kiss.

The ancient carvings beneath her hands seemed to hum faintly, a reminder of where they were. The altar, the mission, the shadows beyond the door—all of it lingered on the edge of her awareness, but for now, she let it fade. The stone altar felt almost alive beneath her, its energy mingling with her own, amplified by the connection between them. For David, it was more than desire; it was worship. In that moment, she wasn’t just human—she was everything.

“I’ve been waiting for so long.”

“You’ve thought about us?” she whispered, her voice unsteady, her breath catching.

David’s lips curved into a sly grin against hers, the heat of his breath sending a shiver down her spine. “Every night, Little Witch,” he murmured, his voice low and rough. “You’ve been bewitching my thoughts since the moment you walked through the agency’s door.”

His hands gripped her hips firmly, his thumbs tracing small, reassuring circles that sent her pulse racing. “Ever since that day in the corridor…” His words trailed off as his lips pressed softly against her neck, lingering just long enough to leave a mark, a silent claim. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”

Her breath hitched as a quiet confession spilled from her lips. “Me neither,” she admitted, her voice barely audible but filled with raw desire.

David’s gaze snapped to hers, the flickering candlelight catching the intensity in his dark eyes. For a moment, it felt as though the room, the mission, the world itself had faded away, leaving only the two of them.

Her body leaned into his touch, her resolve melting under the weight of her emotions. For once, she didn’t hold back, letting herself be fully present in this moment. Her body, her soul, completely ready to be taken, to be his.

Time seemed irrelevant, but the faint sound of hurried footsteps in the corridor dragged them back to reality.

David was the first to pull away, though his hands lingered at her hips, his touch grounding her even as he exhaled heavily. His lips were swollen, his usually composed demeanor replaced by a rare, crooked smile that carried a hint of triumph. “We’re definitely in trouble now,” he said, his voice laced with satisfaction as he reached for his suit.

Kith’s laugh was soft but unsteady, her fingers brushing lightly against his jaw as if to confirm that this wasn’t some fleeting dream. “You think?”

Before he could respond, Felonia’s voice sliced through the air like a whip, echoing from the corridor with sharp, unimpressed authority. “David! Kith! If you’re done with whatever unholy nonsense you’re doing in there, Mikael is about five seconds from sending someone to fetch you. And trust me—none of us want that.”

David groaned, his smirk slipping into an exaggerated eye roll.

Kith bit her lip, fighting back a laugh as she shook her head. “We should—”

“Face the music?” he interrupted, pulling her close for one last lingering kiss.

When he pulled back, his expression softened, his thumb brushing tenderly over her cheek. His voice dropped, low and steady. “Whatever comes next, we’ll handle it.”

She nodded, her heart still racing, but there was a new steadiness in her resolve. Together, they adjusted their disheveled appearances—straightening clothes, brushing off ash and dust—before stepping away from the altar. Kith’s gaze lingered on the ancient carvings, a flicker of something unreadable in her hazel eyes before she turned and followed David out.

The moment they stepped into the hallway, Fel was waiting, leaning casually against the wall with her arms crossed. Her sharp gaze scanned them, her raised eyebrow conveying all the judgment they deserved.

“Nice of you to finally join us,” she said dryly, her tone hovering between exasperation and amusement. “Mikael’s waiting, and Somnus and Furious are already sharpening their claws.”

David shrugged off her critique with ease, sliding an arm around Kith’s waist as they walked past her. “Let them try. I’ve always enjoyed a good fight.”

Kith rolled her eyes but leaned into him, finding unexpected comfort in the casual way he held her. Despite everything—the mission, the tension, the unknown waiting for them—she felt steadier now, like she could face anything with him at her side.

Felonia fell into step beside them, her boots clicking rhythmically on the stone floor. Her sharp gaze darted between the two of them, suspicion and amusement mingling on her face. “You two are insufferable, you know that?”

David’s grin widened. “Jealousy doesn’t suit you, Fel.”

“Shut up, David,” she shot back, though her lips twitched as if holding back a smile.

The trip back to Astrea was calm but taut with tension, the silence in the vehicle punctuated only by the hum of the engine. Kith sat beside David, their hands brushing briefly before she let hers fall away, her thoughts already racing toward what waited for them.

Felonia kept her eyes on the road, her expression unreadable, though Kith could sense the gears turning behind her calm exterior.

David broke the silence first, his voice steady but light. “What’s the over-under on Furious losing his temper within the first five minutes?”

Felonia snorted. “Generous estimate. He’ll last two, tops.”

Kith smiled faintly but said nothing, her focus on the horizon as Astrea’s towering silhouette came into view.

When they arrived, the weight of the mission returned, heavier than before. Kith took a deep breath, her fingers brushing against David’s arm for the briefest of moments before falling back to her side. His eyes flicked to her, offering a reassuring nod.

Whatever awaited them beyond those towering doors—Mikael’s cold disappointment, Somnus’ manipulative games, or Furious’ fiery condemnation—she knew they’d face it together.

As they stepped inside, the faint warmth of David’s presence beside her was enough to remind her that, for the first time in a long time, she didn’t have to carry the weight alone.