#this was truly a flight of fancy

[isolavirtuosa]

That River in Egypt 15-21 of 21

[fanfiction] Dean / Cass

canon divergent AU from 15x19, Dean being Dean

Previous parts here.

- 15 -

“Dean!”

I was already ducking as a witch went flying over my head.

“I’ll finish the ritual, you get Sam out of here!” Patience asserted, picking up the stinky potion that Sam had been concocting and starting to chant in Latin.

I eyed my unconscious brother (Patience’s vision hadn’t quite made it on time to warn him), then attempted to haul him over my shoulder in a fireman’s carry.  “Fuck,” I breathed out, every part of my body screaming in complaint.

“Sam is too heavy for you to comfortably carry,” Cass informed me as he sent the witch flying across the room again.

“He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother,” I grunted.

“What does your familial connection have to do with Sam’s superior height and weight?” he asked, squinting at me.

“It’s a say- you know what, never mind,” I grumbled, limping my way towards the door.

Patience finished chanting and threw the potion at the witch who was trying to get up yet again from the ass-kicking that Cass was giving her.  The glass containing the potion shattered, some hinky pink smoke poured out of it, and the witch turned into a rat.

“Huh,” I said.

“Get it!” Patience demanded.

I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to ‘get it’ with a Big Foot over my shoulder, but apparently Cass was on the ball and caught it by the tail, holding the former witch up for scrutiny.

“Gross,” she complained.  “And where the hell is Cl-”

“I’m here, I’m here,” Claire declared, kicking the door in for no reason other than to make an entrance.  “The stupid witch hexed my car.”

“Well good thing we already wrapped everything up,” Patience said with a sigh.

Sam’s weight was starting to compress my spine, but suddenly he was gone.

I stared at Cass.  “I had him.”

He hoisted Sam effortlessly over his shoulder.  “It’s fine.”

I made a face at his showing off, and then turned my attention back to Claire and Patience.  “Well that was a clusterfuck.”

“Yeah, well, that’s what happens to a straightforward case when you get the Winchesters involved,” Claire said with a shrug.

“Excuse me?” I said, making a face at her.

“You heard me.”

I scoffed.

“Wasn’t Sam supposed to do the spell?” she asked, squinting at my brother’s unconscious body.

“Knocked unconscious by a… knocked-unconscious spell,” Patience said, squinting at her own wording.

“I will take care of Sam,” Cass declared, handing Claire the rat-witch.

“Cass, wait,” I said, hand grabbing his free shoulder just as he took flight.

We were suddenly back in our motel room.

I tried not to lose my cookies.

“Dean,” he said with a frown, “you should have helped the girls with the clean-up.”

“We need to talk,” I said, glaring at him.

“I need to do a…” Cass paused and frowned, “‘anti-knocked-unconscious spell’.”

“Cass.”

“Dean.”

We stared at each other.

“Come home,” I blurted out.

Cass gave me his most long-suffering sigh.  “I have my own home now.”

“That’s bull!” I snapped, irritated.  Your home is with me.

Just fucking say it, you pussy.

I didn’t say it.

Cass placed Sam on one of the beds, then started going through his duffel bag, pulling out weird-smelling herbs.

“You’re an angel living in the friggin’ suburbs, man, it makes no goddamn sense.”

“I enjoy it,” he said with a human-like shrug.

“And you don’t enjoy the bunker?” I asked snottily.

“It served its purpose,” he said, starting to mix some of the herbs in a motel coffee mug.

“‘Served its purpose’?!” I spat back at him.

“It was a wonderful home for us when we needed it, but I am at a different point in my life now,” he explained, unperturbed.  “To be straightforward, I think we’ve all outgrown it.”

I sputtered at that.

Cass spared me a glance, then shook his head, looking disappointed.

“So you’ve outgrown me?” I snarled.

That finally got him to stop being such an asshole and look a little guilty.  “Of course not, Dean.  You know I love you more than anything.”

“More than your stupid house?”

“It’s not stupid,” he said, narrowing his eyes.

“Guess that’s a ‘no’, then.”

“You are such a child.”

“I know you are, but what am I?”

“No, I said that you are a child, not me,” he said, looking confused.

“I know you are, but what am I?”

His brow furrowed.

Not that it was cute as hell or anything, or that the sheer adorableness caused some of my self-righteous anger to fade.

“Pee-wee Herman,” I offered as an explanation.

“Is that some kind of urinary tract infection?”

I tried not to laugh.

Cass smiled, eyes meeting mine before flicking back to Sam as he began with his Enochian mumbo-jumbo.

“It didn’t work,” I pointed out when Sam continued to lie there unconsciously.

“Why are you so impatient?” he grumbled at me, and almost on cue Sam popped up with a gasp.

“Where’s the witch?!” he demanded.

“Rat,” Cass offered.

“With Claire,” I added.

“Oh…” Sam said, leaning back against the headboard.  “Huh.”

“If that is all…” Cass said, moving like he was about to leave.

I grabbed his arm again.  “We’re in the middle of something.”

“It seems wrapped up to me,” he replied, eyeing my hand.

“Dammit, Cass,” I growled, finding some of that misdirected anger again.

“I should… go…” Sam commented, stumbling to his feet and still seeming a little dazed.

“I think you should rest a little longer, Sam,” Cass suggested.

Sam blinked and sat down again.

“Is he okay?” I asked, my big-brother-concern taking over for a moment.

“The effects of the spell should wear off in two to six hours,” Cass assured me.

“That seems kinda… long…”

“Let’s go outside and let Sam rest.”

All I could do was follow Cass outside, though I paused in the doorway to look back at my very disheveled-looking baby brother.  “Sammy, lay down and rest, okay?”

He gave me a vacant nod like he used to do when he was little and had a fever and would just do whatever I said, then he laid back down on the bed.

I shut the door as quietly as I could before flipping back into Angry Mode.  “Look, I’m get-”

Cass pointed to his phone that was held to his ear.  “Yes, Patience, Sam is okay.”

I started stewing.

“Can you put Claire on?” he asked, then paused.  “Hello, Claire.  No, that’s not how eyes of newt work.  No, Claire.  No.  Stop doing that.  Stop everything that you are doing and wait for me to come back.  No,” he repeated, rubbing his temples.  “I will see you shortly, goodbye.”

“I ain’t even gonna ask,” I said, watching him pocket his phone.  “So you’re going again?”

“Claire needs my assistance.”

“Oh, okay then.”

“You do not need to be so abrasive, Dean.”

“I’m abrasive?” I growled at him.  “I haven’t seen you in weeks, Cass.”

“I’ve been busy fixing up the house,” he said with a frown.  “The house that I asked you to visit, but you have declined my every invitation.”

“’Cause I ain’t gonna normalize this bullshit!  What are you even doing, Cass?  A house in the suburbs?  Ya gonna find yourself a nice little wife and settle down with your 2.5 kids and a dog?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“You don’t know?!  Then why the fuck are you doing it?!”

“Dean, you are upset, and this conversation is no longer productive.  Please go inside and take care of Sam, and I’ll go help Claire before she disrupts the space-time continuum.”

“I’m sorry this conversation isn’t productive enough for you,” I spat out.  “Here I am, trying to figure out why my…” and here I stumbled, “my… my boy… my boyfriend of three years just dumps me out of nowhere to go live his Real Housewives of Lebanon fantasy by himself.”

“Well maybe you should try listening for once,” Cass said, starting to sound annoyed.  “I don’t know how many different ways I can explain it to you.”

“English would be a good start!”

Cass had the nerve to actually throw his head back in a frustrated sigh.  “I’m not doing this with you right now.”

“Doing what?  Having a friggin’ conversation?  Taking a little responsibility?”

“I’m not going to allow you to continue… ‘guilt tripping’ me for making choices that you do not agree with,” he said.  “It’s my life, and it’s what I want.”

“A life without me,” I muttered bitterly.

“You are the one who made it very clear to me that I am not ‘Barbie’ and you are not ‘Ken’, and that we will not be living ‘happily ever after’ in my ‘Malibu Dream House’,” he growled at me.  “You keep acting as though I am the one who has put this chasm between us, when it is you issuing the ultimatums, you insisting that if it is not your way, then it is no way.”

“That’s not how it is.”

“It is exactly how it is, and Sam and I are tired of paying penance to your never-ending list of reparations.”

“What the hell does Sam got to do with it?”

Cass paused at that.  “I spoke out of turn.”

I’d been leaning against Baby, but now I pushed myself up to my full height, getting in Cass’s face.  “What the hell does Sam got to do with it?” I repeated.

He looked guilty.

Why the hell did he look guilty?

“Goddammit, Cass, tell me.”

“It’s not my place,” he said, and he looked downright pitying.

What the hell was he pitying me for?

“I need to go.”

“Don’t you dare run away.”

“Dean, you know where I live and you are welcome to come there any time,” he informed me.  “Goodbye.”

And the fucker flew away.

- 16 -

I was wasted.

I crawled over to my bed, but any attempts to actually get up onto it were quickly refuted by gravity.  I got myself into a mostly sitting position and let my head flop back against the mattress.

Fuuuck.

Everything was shit, and now I couldn’t even sleep in my goddamn bed.

My head started lolling to the side and I tried to return it to an upright position.  The attempt failed, and I found the ground getting closer and closer.

“Cass,” I grumbled into the floor.  “Cass?  Get your ass over here.”

Of course he didn’t come.

I felt very pathetic lying here on the floor, so I tried to get up again, but it didn’t work out.

“Cass, c’mon,” I slurred.  “Cass, please.”

Was he going to make me beg?

I hadn’t seen him since our fight back at the motel in Ashland however many weeks ago that was, ‘cause I sure as hell wasn’t about to go over to his place with my tail between my legs.

He could come to me.

Would he come?

He wasn’t coming.

“Please,” I begged.  “I needa talk t’ya.  ’M s’rry.”

My phone buzzed, but it was all the way in my pocket.  I had to close my eyes and rest for a moment before I managed to get it out.  Then there was the whole ‘reading while drunk’ issue.  I squinted at the notification until the letters finally formed a ‘Cass’ and something along the lines of ‘be there soon’.  Relieved, I closed my eyes again.  Needed to rest.

I startled awake, fumbling for my gun and only coming up with my phone.

There was that sound again, an ominous thumping.

“Dean?”

“Cass?” I croaked out.

The door opened slowly.

“Cass?” I repeated.

“Oh, Dean,” he sighed, closing the door behind him and approaching me slowly, almost cautiously.

“Y’r heeeere,” I breathed out.

“Of course,” he said, sitting next to me on the floor.

It took supreme effort, but I inched closer to him and managed to lift my head high enough to rest my cheek against his thigh.

He seemed to hesitate, then rested his hand in my hair like he usually did, stroking gently.

I closed my eyes again.

“Dean,” came a gentle voice, startling me awake again.

I seemed to be drooling on Cass’s pants, but I was pretty sure he wouldn’t care.

“What happened?” he asked.

“N’thn,” I mumbled.

Cass continued to stroke my hair.  “Would it be alright if I sobered you up?”

I nodded into his leg.

He pushed his grace into me, and the alcohol dissipated.

Which was pretty friggin’ awkward, seeing as how I was laying with my head on his lap.

“What happened?” he repeated, fingers still scratching soothingly into my scalp.  As soon as the dude figured out he had permission to touch me, he kind of never stopped.

“It’s nothing,” I sighed, keeping my eyes closed so I didn’t have to see how embarrassing the situation was.

Cass waited.

He was very good at waiting.

I sighed loudly.  “So Sammy’s havin’ a kid.”

Not even a stutter in the motion of his hand, because of course he already knew.

Always the last to know.

I swallowed.

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” Cass finally asked.

“Yeah, sure,” I muttered.

“…how bad was the fight?”

“It wasn’t a fight,” I protested.

“However you wish to label it,” Cass said with a sigh.  “You are… out of sync.”

“I guess that’s one way a puttin’ it.”

He was giving me those stupid puppy dog angel eyes of his.

“Sam said he’s not gonna raise the kid in the life,” I blurted out.

“Is that not what you would want for the child?”

“Of course it’s what I want, it’s just not reality,” I grumbled.  “Ain’t no way a Winchester’s gonna walk around this earth without gettin’ harassed by every little thing that goes bump in the night.”

“Perhaps the child will be a Leahy.”

I snorted at that.  “You know what I mean.  We got enemies, no matter what you wanna call us.  I mean, Ben-” I started and immediately stopped.

“The gates of hell have been closed,” Cass pointed out after it was clear I wasn’t going to continue.  “Demons won’t be coming after you.”

“Okay, but who’s to say they won’t suddenly open?  And there’s other shit out there besides demons that want us dead.”

“That’s true,” he acquiesced.

“Yeah, so we gotta stay smart, we gotta stay safe, ya know?”

“And to you, the bunker is the only safe place.”

“Obviously.  It’s friggin’ god-proof.”

“Perhaps Sam is willing to take the risk if it’s to live the life he’s always wanted.”

“Risk his kid?”

“I don’t think it’s quite that simple.”

“Whatever, man, I know you two are off collaborating-”

“Dean.”

I rolled my eyes with a huff.

Cass’s hand paused, then slid from my hair to cup my cheek.  “And what does Eileen want?”

That gave me pause.  “Uh…”

“It seems to me like this is a decision between Eileen and Sam, not you and Sam.”

I scowled up at him.

He gently moved his thumb along my cheekbone.  “You’ll be a great uncle, though,” he said like it was a fact.

I wasn’t so sure.

“You already love this child so much,” he assured me.

I huffed out a breath at that, but it was true.

Cass leaned down, brushing his lips against my forehead.

That just made me feel completely pathetic and I couldn’t help but whine his name, followed by a pitiful, “stay.”

Cass sat up again, the stroking motion of his hand resuming.  “I can’t.”

I breathed in sharply, trying not to… whatever it was I was about to do.

“Come to my place, Dean,” he requested softly.  “Just for tonight.  Please?”

“It’s the middle of the damn night.”

“And…?”

I pulled away from his touch and sat up, pressing my back to the bed.  “You’re already here, Cass, why can’t you just stay?”

“I believe your exact words were, ‘if you leave, then don’t even think about coming back’?” Cass mused.

“You know I didn’t mean it,” I muttered irritably.

“Yes, I did know that,” he agreed.  “And yet you still felt the need to say it, Dean.  Felt the need to keep up the pretence.”

“Cass-”

“I’m not coming back here,” he informed me, rising to his feet.  “So if you want to see me, you have my address.”

“Dammit, Cass.”

He looked down at me, unimpressed.

I always did this, and it was so fucking pointless.

So I made a different choice.

“You’re driving,” I muttered, pushing myself to my feet.  Cass might’ve de-drunkified me, but now I was a bit hungover and I didn’t want to risk Baby with my potentially shitty driving.

Cass blinked owlishly at me.

I opened the door and started shuffling off towards the garage.

“Dean?” he called after me, confused.

Was it that weird that I was doing what he asked?

I didn’t say anything and kept moving forward.  When we got to the garage, I tossed Cass the keys and got in the passenger seat.

He still looked confused as he sat down next to me.

“Let’s go see the Malibu Dream House,” I said, staring out the window.

“It’s in Lebanon…”

“Just drive, sunshine.”

I could feel his smile without having to look.

So he drove.

- 17 -

“You’re really in the ‘burbs, huh?” I marveled, looking around at all the manicured lawns.

“Yes, Dean,” Cass answered perfunctorily, pulling the garage door shut behind him and joining me in the driveway.

“Can’t really see the stars too good,” I commented.

“Did you message Sam?” he asked.

I rolled my eyes.  “Yes, mom.”

“He will appreciate that,” he said.  “He gets worried when he wakes up and you’re not there.”

“Sounds a little Single White Female.”

Cass squinted at me.  “So are you suggesting that perhaps a bit of distance would be healthy?”

I frowned.

Cass just shrugged and went up the walkway to the porch.

I followed, taking a seat on the swing.

It squeaked loudly.

“I don’t know how to fix that,” he said, sitting next to me.

“I’ll get ya some WD-40 in the morning.”

“How are some letters and numbers going to fix my swing?”

I turned to him, feeling myself grinning.  “Just trust me, I’ll take care of it.”

Cass started to smile back.  “Okay.”

Were we making up?

I wanted to make up.

I stretched my arm along the back of the swing, hoping Cass would lean into it.

Instead, he turned his face towards the sky.  “There are still a few stars to see.”

“I guess they’re not so bad,” I said with a shrug, my eyes tracing the Big Dipper.

“I like it here,” Cass said softly.

I breathed out a long breath, trying not to snap at him.  I was all evolved and crap now.

“Anywhere that isn’t where I am,” I muttered instead.  ‘Cause that sounded tough and not completely insecure.

Cass leveled me with his most exasperated expression.  “You are in fact, as Claire would say, ‘literally’ here with me, Dean.”

I glared out at the sky.

“I long for you,” he confessed softly.

I rolled my eyes and tried not to be embarrassed for him, which is why my cheeks were getting red.

“And I would do anything for you,” he continued in a similarly cheesy vain.

“Ya gonna come back to the bunker then?”

“…but I won’t do that.”

We were both quiet, until I finally had to ask, “did you just ‘Meatloaf’ me?”

“What does ground meat have to do with anything?”

I turned to stare at him.

That smug-ass angel knew exactly what he was saying.  He caught my glare and admitted, “I did ‘Meatloaf’ you.”

“Stop being a smart-ass,” I complained.

“But it’s your favorite quality of mine,” he teased, oblivious.

He was so close, but it was like some wall had gotten thrown up between us.  I looked at him helplessly.

His eyebrows scrunched together, his own face taking on a panicked look, and suddenly he was catching my cheeks in his hands, pulling me closer.  “Dean, my beloved, please…”

“Please what?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, averting his eyes.

“Cass?”

“I’m not going to give in to you anymore.”

“What?” I asked, my voice cracking a little.

He sighed, taking his warm hands away and standing up.  “It’s late.  You need to get some rest.”

“Hey,” I complained, catching his wrist and trying not to panic.  “What did you mean by that?”

He chewed on his bottom lip, a weirdly human habit that I hadn’t seen him do before.  “Just as I said,” he finally decided.  “As much as I long for you, I can no longer simply acquiesce to your petulant demands.”

Cass apparently longed for me.  So fucking cheesy.

I couldn’t look him in the eye.  “I’m not petulant,” I complained in a tone that definitely wasn’t petulant.

“You are being ‘peak’ Dean right now,” he informed me.

“Screw you,” I muttered.

He sighed loudly and unlocked the front door.  “Come on.”

I briefly considered staying outside freezing on the porch before following him in.

“This is the living room,” he explained, and it’s a good thing he did, because there was literally nothing in the room but a big book shelf full of books.

“Dude, ya ever think of getting, I dunno, a couch or something?” I scoffed.

“I haven’t gotten around to it,” he said, unbothered.  “Here is the kitchen.”

The kitchen actually looked nice, the pots and pans hanging over the island kinda like in the bunker, and a cozy four-seater table set near the window.  “Not bad.”

“The bathroom is this door on the left,” he continued, giving me a knowing look.

He’d sobered me up, but he hadn’t emptied my bladder.

“And my room is at the end of the hall,” he concluded.  “Obviously I do not sleep so you are free to use my bed.”

“That was the most unsexy offer to sleep in your bed that I’ve ever heard,” I muttered, opening the door to the bathroom and quickly shutting it behind me.  I groaned in relief as soon as things started flowing.

The light had been left on in the bedroom, and there was one of my old t-shirts and some wookie pajama pants that I’d given to Cass neatly folded at the end of the bed.

“Good night, Dean,” Cass called from down the hallway, probably in the living room.

“Night,” I replied, tugging on the pajamas and dumping my clothes on the chair by the door.  I slid in between the sheets, expecting them to be musty from disuse, but actually…

I nestled into the pillow, breathing in Cass, and then I was out.

- 18 -

“Good morning, Dean,” Cass greeted me cheerfully as I shuffled into the kitchen, rubbing my eyes.

I did a doubletake.  Then I found myself grinning.  “Sweetheart, ya don’t gotta wear an apron to make cereal,” I pointed out.

Cass looked down at his ‘kiss the cook’ apron, then flicked his eyes up to meet mine.  “You’d be surprised.”

“Nah, I probably wouldn’t,” I said, biting back a laugh.  He could be weirdly clumsy sometimes, and he didn’t belong anywhere near a kitchen.  “You made coffee?”

“Of course,” he said, pouring me a cup with a flourish.  Some of it spilled over the rim.

“Really puttin’ that apron to work, huh?”

“Actually, I never spill anything on the apron itself,” he explained.

I snorted, accepting my mug and taking a sip.  “Not bad.”

“I am capable of brewing coffee, Dean.”

“Ehh,” I said, earning myself a Very Annoyed Look.  I couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled out of me.

Cass sighed.  “It is difficult to stay angry with you when you personify joy like that, even if it is at my expense.”

“Then don’t stay mad,” I pointed out, feeling my cheeks warm.

He shook his head at me, pouring the milk into the cereal bowl and carrying it over to the table.  “I hope this breakfast is to your satisfaction.”

“Looks like you slaved over it all morning,” I said, accepting the bowl and digging in.  “Mm, good cereal-to-milk ratio.”

“You’re a brat,” he scolded me, taking a seat on the other side of the table.

“I’m complimenting you.”

“Sarcasm isn’t complimentary.”

“Says you,” I said with a shrug, shoveling more cereal into my mouth.

“You’re a terrible house guest,” he pointed out.  “Did you sleep well?  The mattress hasn’t remembered you yet.”

“Yet, huh?” I murmured with a mouth full of cereal that probably took away from the flirtatious tone I was intending.

“I would like you to stay here more often,” Cass replied sincerely.

I swallowed the rest of my cereal.  I plunked the bowl back down on the table.  I looked out the window.  I was running out of ways to avoid the conversation.

“You don’t have to,” he finally said when it became apparent that I wasn’t going to answer.

“You’re not gonna come home, are you?” I asked quietly, resigned.

“The bunker is not my home.”

I took in a sharp breath, feeling like I’d been sucker-punched.

“I guess it won’t help if I say that you are my home,” he said, reaching out to touch my hand.

I pulled it away.

Cass stood up abruptly, stomping over to the sink and dumping the remains of his breakfast down it.

I looked down at my hand.

I looked at Cass’s turned back, vibrating with anger.

I had to stop doing this shit.

I just didn’t know how.

Maybe if I just told him that.

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” I croaked out.

Cass sighed, but at least he stopped vibrating.

“I just wanna fix things, okay?” I said.  “I know all I ever do is make things worse, but I wanna fix this.  I just can’t get outta my own damn way.”

“I am aware.”

“Cass, tell me what to do, man.  Tell me what I gotta do to make this right.”

He turned around to face me, head tilting slightly.

I rubbed my mouth anxiously.  “Do I gotta move in here with you?”

“No,” he said.  “I’d like you to, but only if you actually want to.”

“And there’s no chance you’d-”

“No.”

“Cass.”

He waited.

“Do ya need a commitment?” I asked, clutching my spoon a little tighter than necessary.  “Ya need me to swear off flirting?”

“I don’t ask for the impossible.”

“Okay, well, whaddya want, a ring?” I asked flippantly.

Cass went very silent.

No, he wasn’t…

The angle of his head tilt intensified.

He was really thinking about it.

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit-

“Yes,” he said suddenly, “I think that I would like a ring.”

“Ya lookin’ for something in a princess cut, or…?” I tried to joke, my tone sounding scared and desperate even to my own ears.

“If you’re not genuinely offering…”

I tried to swallow my pride.  “I’m… I’m not not offering.”

He still wasn’t giving me anything.

Fuck, I just had to do this.  “Honey, if you want a ring I will get you a ring.”

“You’re not just saying that?”

What was I getting myself into?

But it was for Cass, so I shook my head.  “I’m committed, okay?  To you,” I clarified.

He stared me down for another uncomfortable moment, then was suddenly back at the table, holding out his hand to me.

I took it this time.

“I’m not trying to force you into something,” he said slowly.

“I know,” I assured him.

“It’s just… I felt as though you’d been making so much ‘progress’ before I asked you to move here with me,” he continued.  “I thought that you would be ‘ready’, and when you were not, perhaps I was a bit resentful.  Of course your typical overreaction of telling me to never come back did not help matters-”

“I’m sorry.”

Cass closed his mouth mid-sentence.  Then he squeezed my hand.  “We are not always the best at communication.”

“You’re includin’ yourself in that?”

He nodded.  “It’s not only you, Dean.  From the night we first made love- stop making that face and listen, please.  I knew it was wrong to continue sexually liasing with you when you were so uncertain about your sexuality and about our relationship.  But it made me feel so connected to you, so I... so I was selfish, and I continue to be selfish every time that I keep my mouth shut in order to keep the peace.”

“Honey, I dunno if I really get what you’re sayin’,” I confessed, still holding his hand tight and not being terrified.

“I know,” he said, lifting up our laced hands and pressing a kiss to the back of mine.  “I can’t ever truly convey to you how important you are to me, how essential you are to my very being.  And yet sometimes being with you is the loneliest I have ever felt.”

Well that was a punch in the gut.

“I know it’s hard to hear, but I need you to hear it,” he said firmly.  “You can be very sensitive-”

I tried to scoff and it came out more like a strangled sob.

Cass was giving me puppy dog eyes, and I could see him struggling, wanting to comfort me.

I took a breath and let it out.  Fine, I was fucking sensitive.  But I could control it.  I didn’t need to spiral about how I made Cass feel the friggin’ loneliest he ever felt.  This was fine.  Everything was fine, and I was going to just shut up and listen.

Cass took a breath of his own.  He slid my hand to his cheek, pressing into it.  “You’re a sensitive person, Dean.  And Sam and I, we’ve… we’ve done some things in the past that have… left their mark on you.  So I understand why you don’t react well when you perceive that Sam and I are ‘plotting’ behind your back, or that I am ‘running away’ from you.  And I think… well, I won’t speak for Sam, but I feel guilty about some of the things I’ve done in the past, and so it makes me hesitant to address difficult topics with you.”

“Whaddya mean?” I asked.

“I mean that... sometimes… I cannot fault you for your extreme reactions, and perhaps I even… I deserve it.”

“Jesus, honey, no,” I said, shaking my head.  “We gotta stop keepin’ score, okay?  And blamin’ ourselves for stupid shit from the past.”

“So you are also going to stop doing that?”

“Yeah, yeah, pot, kettle, all that,” I sighed, cradling his cheek.  “I need you, Cass.  So if I gotta put a ring on it and start comin’ around here more, then that’s what I’m gonna do.”

“And we’re going to talk openly and honestly about our feelings?”

“Jesus.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

“We can… set a timer.  Ya know, one minute intervals of feelings.”

“Followed by one minute intervals of sexual favors?”

“You are filthy, you know,” I pointed out.  “…but only one minute?”

“It was your idea,” he said with a shrug, his eyes staring into mine all soulfully for someone being kind of a lech at the moment.

“Can we make up already?” I blurted out.

“We’re working on it.”

“We’re working on it,” I repeated.  And sure, I was probably gonna fuck it up.

But maybe…

Maybe I wanted to try.

- 19 -

I slid out from under Baby, wiping my hands on my jeans.  I went to the garage to get the engine oil, then came back to finish up the oil change.  I was just wiping off the dipstick when some random dude with a golden retriever started talking to me from the end of the driveway.

“So you’re Mr. Impala.”

“Guess I been called worse,” I said, putting down the hood.

“Drives my wife crazy, she’s always rantin’ about the environment and the noise and the children,” he said with a chuckle.  “Don’t know what she’s gonna do when I get my ‘67 Camaro running.”

“No shit?” I asked.  “That’s gotta be a thing of beauty.”

“Yeah, if it only ran,” he said, shaking his head sadly.  “I’m Dave Thompson, from across the street.”

“Dean Winchester,” I said, taking the few steps down the driveway and shaking his hand.

“Nice to finally meet you,” Dave said, giving me a surprisingly firm handshake for a guy in a mock turtleneck.  “You must be Castiel’s-”

“Yeah,” I said, and okay, maybe I should have let him finish the thought, because now I was apparently Cass’s belonging.  “And who’s this guy?” I asked, wanting to abort and immediately being drawn to the fluffy drooly creature that didn’t understand awkwardness.

“This is Josiah,” Dave said, giving the retriever a pat on the head.

He gave a little bark, but he licked my hand when I held it out to him, so I went in for the ear scratch and immediately got myself a new friend for life.

I could feel myself grinning like an idiot as I crouched down in front of him, but hey, dogs were awesome.  “We had a dog for a while, but it turned out ‘he’ was a ‘she’, and she ended up giving birth to a litter of puppies.  Couldn’t keep ‘em all and didn’t want ta separate ‘em from their mom, so we found her a new home.”

“That’s too bad,” Dave started out sympathetically, but then he tilted his head in confusion (which was not as endearing as it was on Cass).  “Wait, you thought your female dog was male…?  I mean, didn’t you notice…”

“Listen, man, I ain’t the dickmaster general,” I said, earning a snort from Dave.  “I just rub the ears and give the beast its food.”

“Fair enough,” he said agreeably.  “Well, Josiah here is definitely all dude.”

“Friendly dude,” I said, grinning as he licked me in the face.  I gave him one more thorough ear rub before standing back up straight.

“He really likes you,” Dave marveled.  “He doesn’t usually take to strangers so quickly.”

“I smell like bacon,” I confided in him.

Dave cracked up.  “So that’s the secret.”

I just grinned, feeling oddly at ease with this suburban dog dad.

“Dean!”

We both turned to face the house, watching as Cass scrambled out the front door.

“Dean!” he repeated more urgently.

“What’s up, Cass?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Hello, Dave,” he said, sparing a glance for his neighbor.  “Hello, Josiah,” he added, making sure to greet the dog.

“Hey, man,” Dave greeted him.  “Finally got to meet your partner.”

“That is wonderful,” Cass said, clearly not even listening.  “Dean, the Alexa is plotting again.”

I bit my lip, trying not to grin and failing miserably.  “Yeah, honey?  She pickin’ on you?”

“This is hardly a laughing matter,” he scolded me.  “Why would Jack unleash such evil on us?”

“Pretty sure he said it was a Father’s Day gift?”

“I know that gifts are things that you are supposed to keep, and I have tried utilizing it to the best of my ability, but I am at my wit’s end”

“What has Alexa done now?”

“I asked her to set a five minute timer.”

“Okay.”

“She set five one-minute timers.”

“Okay.”

“So I told her to ‘cancel all timers’ and to set a ‘five minute timer’.”

“I think I see where this is going.”

“She will not stop ringing, Dean, no matter how many times I request that she ‘cancel all timers’.  They just keep going off, to the point that I cannot accept that there were actually that many timers set to begin with.”

“So you think she’s intentionally fucking with you.”

“Yes,” he breathed out, exasperated.

“And you need a big, strong man to wrangle her into submission?”

Cass squinted at me.  “Yes, Dean, a big, strong man to turn off the robot speaker.”

“Sounds like I’m the man for the job,” I said, waggling my eyebrows at him.

He huffed out a sigh.

Usually, this was when I leaned in to give him a quick, affectionate kiss.

Was it okay?  In front of Dave?  In front of Dave’s golden retriever with the weirdly biblical name?

In front of Dave’s mock turtleneck?!

I leaned down, giving Cass a little peck on the lips.  “I just gotta clean up the driveway a little, and then I’ll be right in.”

“Thank you,” he replied with a nod.  “I will ‘hold down the fort’ until you arrive.”

“Good luck,” Dave offered.

“I will need it,” Cass said solemnly.  “Goodbye, Dave.  Goodbye, Josiah.”

I watched Cass go back up the walkway because he was wearing jeans and it was a good look.  Also, I didn’t want to gauge Dave’s reaction to the all the homosexual activity going on in his neighborhood.

"Well that was a disgusting display.”

I whirled around to face Dave, ready to be angry now that my worst fears were realized, only to find him grinning at me in a friendly way.

“People our age aren’t supposed to still be that in love,” he said with a snort.

“Huh?” I said, rubbing my nose.

“Wish the missus would look at me like that besides Valentine’s Day and birthdays.”

I wasn’t sure who he’d caught looking at who, but my shoulders relaxed and I grinned back.  “What can I say, we still got it.”

Josiah gave a cheerful bark.

“He gets it,” I said with a snort, crouching down to give him one last thorough pet.  “Well, I better get in there before Alexa takes Cass behind the bleachers and steals his lunch money.”

“Technology,” Dave said with a middle-aged shake of the head.  “Hey, so you’re going to be around here more, right?  The wife’d love to have you both over for dinner some time.”

“Yeah,” I said, trying not to fiddle with my ring and failing.  “Yeah, uh… I’ll be around and uh… Cass’d like that.”

“Alright, see ya around, man.”

I cleaned up all the oil change gear, setting it back in the garage and pressing the button to put the door down.  I pushed open the door to the house, and was immediately greeted by the sound of a timer.

“Alexa, stop timer!” Cass growled with all his angelic might.

I bit my lip.

“Alexa, stop all timers!  End all timers!  Terminate!”

I came up behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist.  “Time for the big gun?”

He twisted his head slightly so he could squint at me.  “The big gun that’s going to yell at the robot until he gets so frustrated that he just yanks her cord out of the socket?”

Okay, yeah, that sounded like a pretty likely scenario.  “So you don’t want me to fix it?”

Another timer went off.

Cass sighed loudly.  “Please use your big strong man powers to make it stop.”

“Alexa, stop timer.”

“So you’re just going to do exactly what I’ve already done thirteen times?” he grumbled at me.

I nibbled on the shell of his ear.  “You gonna be a smartass here?”

“Well, I am very smart,” he hummed, clearly enjoying my ministrations.  “And I have an impeccable ass.”

I snorted at that.  “Impeccable?”

“Do you prefer ‘immaculate’?”

“Immaculate?” I sputtered out, cracking up.

Another timer went off.

“Alexa, stop all timers,” I wheezed out.

Another timer went off just to spite me.

“Alexa, cancel timer.  Cancel all timers for all time.  Just shut up.”

“Sorry, I didn’t get that,” Alexa replied.

“Sonuvabitch.”

“Dean, please save me from the big scary Echo,” Cass requested, not helping matters with all his sass.

Another timer went off.

“I'm gonna fuckin' cook you, and I'm gonna fucking eat you!” I growled.

“That doesn’t seem like an appropriate solution,” Cass pointed out unhelpfully, with a complete and utter lack of appreciation for John McClane quotes.

Alexa and I continued to trade barbs for a while, until I finally gave up and yanked her cord out of the socket.

“Thank you, my love,” Cass said, giving me a smooch on the cheek.

“Anytime,” I said.  “But whadda we do with this beast?” I asked, twirling the cord around my finger.

“I hear attics are an excellent storage place for unwanted things that cannot be thrown away,” he said, taking the Echo from me.  “I never understood why humans would need such a place, but I think I may now know.”

“Still think Jack was fuckin’ with you when he got that thing,” I commented as we moved towards the attic.

“Jack is a good boy,” Cass protested.

“He’s a Winchester.”

Cass smiled at that.  “I think he meant well by it.”

“Why do people need robots to turn on their lights?  Ain’t we got perfectly good hands to do that?”

“Why do people need vehicles to transport them when they have perfectly good feet?”

“You take that back.”

Cass just hummed in amusement as he climbed up the ladder to the attic.  He looked around when he reached the top, then held a hand down to me and I passed him the Echo.  “Goodbye, Alexa.  You shall not be missed.”

“Hasta la vista, baby,” I agreed, wrapping an arm around Cass’s shoulder after he stepped down from the ladder.  “Hey, Dave and his wife wanna have us over for dinner.”

“That sounds nice,” Cass said agreeably.

“Are we a suburban married couple?”

“Pretty much.”

“Huh.”

Cass kissed me on the cheek and we went back to the living room to watch a movie.

The fire alarm going off let us know why Cass had set the damn timer in the first place.

“Take out from the Chinese place?” I suggested

“Take out from the Chinese place,” Cass agreed, tossing out the burnt dinner.

- 20 -

“Mornin’, honey,” I mumbled as I felt my cheek getting attacked by smooches.  “Jesus, Cass, it’s a little early for all that-” I started to say, then blinked my eyes open.

Definitely not Cass.

The little puppy stared into my eyes, then gave a happy bark and resumed licking my face.

“Hey, buddy, who are you?” I asked, picking the dog up and resting him on my chest as I gave him a thorough pet.

“Surprise?” Cass offered, standing in the doorway.

“This my birthday present?” I asked, entranced by the soft red fur and the soulful brown eyes.

“Yes, I… do you like her?” Cass asked hesitantly.

“Oh, it’s a ‘her’?” I asked, happy to avoid another ‘why is my male dog giving birth on the kitchen floor’ kind of situations.

Cass was still looking unsure.

“I love her,” I informed him.

“It was Jack’s idea.”

That gave me pause.  “This another Alexa situation?”

“Jack told me that he thought the Alexa would help us bond.”

“Is that what the little shit said?” I scoffed.

Cass frowned.

“I’m joking,” I said quickly, flashing him an apologetic look before turning back to my new best girl.  “Does she have a name?”

“I thought you should name her.”

I nodded.  “Well, I ain’t got no clue yet, so let’s just call her Rex.”

“Rex?” he asked incredulously.

“She’s a happy girl, isn’t she?” I observed as she started licking my face again, but this time more slowly and affectionately.

“Yes, I selected her very carefully.”

“Good job, sweetheart.  You gonna join us here, or what?”

“If I’m not intruding.”

I caught the little quirk to his grin, and I couldn’t help but grin back.  “There’s enough Dean to go around.”

“How… generous,” he said, lifting up the sheets and curling into bed next to me, resting his cheek on my shoulder while I played with the dog.

“She’s a Shiba Inu,” he told me.  “They’re hunting dogs.  Very loyal.”

I stuck a finger in the ring of his t-shirt and tugged him up higher until our lips could meet.  “Thank you,” I breathed into his mouth.

“Of course,” he breathed back.

The puppy barked, annoyed at being interrupted, and reclaimed me for herself.

Cass huffed out an annoyed sigh.  “Is this how things are going to be now?”

“Yep, you’ve been replaced.”

“Hmph.”

I pressed a kiss to the top of his head as he settled back into the crook of my neck, hand draped possessively across my stomach.  “Cass honey?”

“Yes, Dean?”

“Where’s she gonna live?” I asked quietly.  I could feel my insides starting to melt a little as she dropped her head between her paws and seemed to fall asleep on my chest, but I was also starting to feel the anxiety creep in.

“She’s yours, Dean,” Cass offered.  “She is welcome to stay here any time.  You can keep her at the bunker with you if you wish.  I will help you with any arrangement that you desire.”

Thing was, I rarely slept at the bunker anymore, even if Eileen and I were there most days, doing the Bobby thing.  The less I was on the road, the more the bunker was starting to be ‘work’ and Cass’s was starting to be...

“I didn’t mean to put pressure on you,” Cass murmured, taking my hand in his.

I’d been fidgeting with my ring again.  “It’s not… you don’t gotta…” I trailed off, not really sure where I was going.

He just held my hand and waited.

“Maybe uh…” and Jesus friggin’ Christ was Winchester pride a bitch, “maybe she could stay here.”

“I’d like that,” he said, putting my hand back on my stomach and carefully petting the sleeping dog.  “I must admit, I’ve grown attached to her these last few days, taking care of her with Jack as we waited for your birthday.”

“Okay,” I said, hoping to leave it at that and for Cass not to notice when suddenly all of my things were in his closet and I was sleeping here seven nights a week instead of five.

But Cass’s eyes were on me.

He knew.

“MaybeIcouldstayheretoo,” I breathed out in a rush.

“I’d like that even more,” he said, beaming with sincerity.

“Okay,” I said.

We laid there for a while, me and the pup mostly snoozing while Cass cuddled us both, but then she was awake and suddenly tearing down the hallway.

“I thought she’d never leave,” Cass deadpanned before putting the moves on me.

“The door’s open,” I pointed out between pants.

Cass slammed the door shut with a flick of his wrist.

“Tryin’ ta get me hot and bothered?” I asked, wiggling my eyebrows at him.

“Yes,” he growled, attacking my neck with a ferocity that was probably gonna need a little splainin’ at the party later.

“Sweetheart,” I hummed, trying to not get lost in the thing he was doing with his teeth and kind of losing the plot.  “Sweetheart,” I repeated, “you’re uh… mm, really goin’ to town there…”

He paused, looking up at me contritely.  “I may have become a bit overly amorous.”

“Jealous?”

He squinted at me.  “Are you asking me if I am jealous of the dog that I myself purchased for you?”

“Well are ya?”

“I feel overwhelmed and elated that you are willing to move in with me,” he explained.

So that wasn’t really a topic I wanted to linger on.

Cass seemed to read it on my face, his expression suddenly anxious.  “Dean, did I push you?  Is this not-”

“No, honey,” I cut him off.  Honesty, transparency.  This was how I made our relationship work and didn’t end up losing Cass forever.  So why was it so damn difficult to make my mouth move?  “I wasted so much time,” I finally breathed out.

Big blue eyes stared into mine questioningly.

“It’s hard for me to say what I want.”

Cass nodded knowingly.

“And ta admit when I’m… ya know, wrong.”

He smiled at that, fondly amused.

“But uh… you and me?  Here?  I want this, okay?”

He nodded again.

I sat up, forcing Cass to back up before pulling him close into a hug.

He hugged me back just as fiercely.

Then he started getting frisky again, because Cass was a friggin’ horndog.

Not that I minded.

I bit my lip, fingers digging into whatever they could get, when there was a scratching at the door, followed by a very sad, very lonely bark.

Cass glared up at me from where his mouth was otherwise occupied.

“We can’t just leave her out there,” I panted.  Nothing killed a boner like a crying baby.

“Dean, we are… in flagrante delicto,” he said, sounding scandalized.

“Yeah, but… cute puppy.”

“Is this going to be a regular thing?” he asked, frowning.  Because Cass was definitely a friggin’ horndog, no matter how much Sam tried to claim that I was the corrupting influence.

“Probably,” I said, giving him a very wet smooch on the cheek before pushing him away so I could get up and open the door.

The puppy gave a delighted bark and started circling my legs.

Cass looked annoyed.

I gestured down at my flagging but still slightly interested dick.  “Where were we?”

Now he looked downright scandalized.  “I am not going to blow you in front of this innocent creature.”

I shrugged.  “Your loss.”

He squinted at that.  “You were the one who specifically requested, ‘as many blow jobs as can be performed in 24 hours’ for your birthday.”

I crouched down to give my girl a good pet.  “Yeah, and I haven’t even gotten one yet.”

“You are being very frustrating right now,” Cass growled at me.

I shot him a flirtatious grin.

“Deaaaaan.”

Okay, so maybe I was a little bit of a corrupting influence, but it was my party and I could get blown if I wanted to.

And obviously I enjoyed winding Cass up.

“I regret getting you that pet,” he grumbled at me, making an unhappy exit from the bedroom.

“Don’t listen to him, girl,” I assured the puppy.  “He’s gonna love you almost as much as I do.”

She wagged her tail at me.

Cass stuck his head back in the door, glowering.  “You are already on an ‘I love you’ basis with this creature?”

“Mm-hm,” I said, letting the dog lick my face.

“Do you know how long it took me to get an ‘I love you’?”

“Too damn long,” I told him sincerely.

That gave him pause.

I thought I might try being sincere for a little longer.  “But I can say it easier now.  ‘Cause of you.”

“Dean,” he said in that way of his that said so much more.

“Love you.”

It was like he was glowing from freakin’ happiness.  “I love you, too.”

The puppy barked happily.

“And baby makes three…” I commented.

Cass’s brow furrowed.

“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart,” I said, giving the dog a last pat and standing up.  “Coffee?”

“It will be ready in… 97 seconds,” he informed me.

“Perfect.”

- 21 -

“See, now that we got this steak all beautifully marinated, we gotta get it on the grill,” I explained to Maura, shifting her a little higher on my hip as I used my free hand to pick up the tongs.  “It’s all in the wrist.”

She cooed her agreement.

“Dean, do you want me to take her?” Eileen asked, holding her arms out to her daughter.

“Nah, I’m good,” I said, carefully lining the steaks up on the grill.

“Unca,” Maura agreed, tightening the grip of her little hands on my shirt.

“She’s a woman of refined taste,” I explained.

Eileen rolled her eyes.  “Wow, Maura wants to stay with the man who spoils her rotten, what a surprise.”

“It’s an uncle’s job.”

“Do not give her any sugar.”

“Of course not,” I lied.

“I’m watching you,” she said, pointing at her eyes and then at me.  “Be good for Unca,” she added, giving the baby a kiss on the head.  “I’m gonna try and get Daddy to stop checking his phone every five seconds.”

“Good luck with that,” I said with a snort, before turning back to my work.  “Okay, now we close the lid.”

Honey came running up, giving me a greeting bark.

“Unca,” Maura insisted, pointing at the dog.

I airplaned her down to the ground, keeping a hold on her waist as she giggled and pet the dog.

Honey tried to jump on her, so I airplaned her back onto my hip.

Maura giggled.

“Honey, how many times I gotta tell ya not to jump on my girl here?” I scolded her, but I was pretty sure Honey was laughing, too, the way she was barking and running around my legs.  “Oh, hey, I love this song,” I announced, shifting Maura up closer to my shoulder so we could dance .  “Hey hey mama, said the way you move, gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove.”

My niece shrieked with delight, because she did indeed have refined taste and knew that Zepp totally rocked.

“Oh, hey, baby girl, you hear that sound?”

She peered up at me curiously.

“Listen carefully,” I said tilting her closer to the grill.  “Oh, yeah, they’re gonna be gorgeous.”

She pointed at the grill.

“Exactly,” I said, lifting the lid.  “Whoo-ee, lookit these beauties.”

Maura babbled appreciatively as I lined the steaks up on the plate.  “Hey, Sammy, can you make yourself useful and take these to the table?”

“Not now, Dean,” he whined, still staring at his phone.

I looked at Maura and shook my head.  “It’s a good thing you take after your mom.”

She grinned a big gummy grin at me.

“I got them,” Jody said, taking the plate from my hand.  “Damn, Winchester, these smell incredible.”

“Made my own rub,” I told her with a wink.  “Where’s Unca Cass, I’m ready for those burgers.”

As if on cue (but really from supernatural angel hearing), Cass pushed open the sliding door and approached the grill with a platter of burgers.

“Thanks, darling,” I said, setting the platter next to the grill.  “Where ya been?”

“Entertaining our guests,” he said, then shot a glance at Sam.  “Since the guest of honor does not seem to be up to performing the task.”

I snorted at that.  “Well, at least everyone’s gonna eat well,” I said, lining the burgers up on the grill.  “Can you grab me a beer?”

“I suppose,” he said, moving towards the cooler by the picnic table.

I watched him go, my eyes glued to his ass as he crouched down to open the cooler.  Those jeans were just painted on.  I nodded appreciatively.

“You’re too old to be ogling,” Claire informed me as she sidled up beside the grill.

“The man has a great ass,” I shot back at her.

“Since I have the same genes, thanks, I guess?”

“You’re welcome,” I told her magnanimously.  I eyed the burgers and tried flipping one.  They still needed a little more time.  “You see that, baby girl, you want the bottom a little browner before you flip them.”

Maura chewed on her bib, but I was sure she was listening.

“Here you are,” Cass said, pulling the cap off the bottle with his bare hand before handing the beer to me.

“Thanks,” I said, stealing a smooch.  He knew random acts of inhuman strength got me hot and bothered.

And then Maura leaned in and kissed Cass on the cheek, and my heart just about damn melted.

“You givin’ Unca Cass kisses?” I cooed at her, and we rubbed noses together as she giggled.  “Okay, gotta flip the burgers.”

“Oh, crap, the results are in,” Sam announced, looking panicked.  “What if I didn’t… I can’t look.”

Eileen took the phone from him.  “I’ll look.”

I looked at my oaf of a brother, then at his adorable daughter, and asked her, “can you go to Dada?  He needs some emotional support, ‘cause he’s, ya know, fragile.”

“Dada,” she said with a solemn nod.

“Sammy, take Maura,” I said, holding her out to him.

“Hey, pumpkin,” he said, perking up a little in the glow of Maura’s smile.

“Dada,” she said, throwing her arms around his neck.

I rolled my shoulders after passing her off.

Cass rested his hand at the small of my back, pouring some healing mojo into my aching body.

I slid my arm around his shoulder, leaning into him as my eyes darted between my burgers and Eileen.

Her face suddenly lit up in a grin.  “Sam Winchester, esquire.”

“I… passed…?” he asked slowly.

She nodded happily.

“I passed!” he declared, tossing Maura into the air.

She shrieked with delight as he caught her and swung her around.

Everyone gathered in the yard with cans held up in salute, congratulatory pats on the back, and general merriment.

“Hey, man, ya finally did it,” I told Sam.  “You’re gonna be the friggin’ oldest lawyer ever.”

Cass squinted at me.  “There are many living lawyers older than Sam…”

“Yeah, but not like new lawyers.”

“A man in California passed the bar at 74-” Cass tried to inform me.

“Yeah, yeah,” I said, smacking him on the butt.

He made a face at me, but accepted that I was an asshole and that he had agreed for better or for worse.

Moment over, I went back to take my burgers off the grill.  I took a quick sip from my beer that had sadly been sitting there untouched, and damn did that hit the spot.  I hadn’t had a beer in forever.

One of Garth’s twins let out a god-awful shriek, and when my eyes found him, he was pinned under Honey.

I whistled sharply.  “Honey, get your ass over here.”

She quickly ran over to me.

“What’d I tell ya ‘bout jumpin’ on little kids?” I scolded her.

Honey whined.

Of course then that Samstiel kid came running over, calling for Honey.

She stared up at me sorrowfully.

Whichever-one-it-was threw his arms around her neck, then started scratching behind her ears.

She wagged her tail and whined at me.

“What, are ya some kinda masochist, kid?” I asked the twin.

“Yes,” he replied solemnly.

The kid was a werewolf and all so I guessed my little dog wasn’t going to break him.  Probably.

“Okay, fine, go play,” I told my dog, and she barked happily, promptly knocking the kid on the ground again.

He shrieked with delight.

I shook my head.  “Kids these days.”

“Dean Winchester, suburban dog dad,” Claire said with a snort as she passed by, chowing down on a burger.

“Hell yeah,” I agreed.

She gave me a funny look.

I winked at her.

She shuddered and continued on her way.

I was still grinning as I flipped over the hot dogs, only for it to occur to me that she probably meant that as an insult.

That I usually would have taken it as an insult.

“Hello, Dean.”

I glanced over at Jack, feeling my smile warm.  “Hey, kid, ya made it.”

“Yes, I was able to finish my paper more quickly than expected.”

Because after you rebuild heaven, why not start your undergrad?  Obviously God needed a degree in anthropology.

Jack was such a weird kid, but I guess he was ours.

“I can take over here if you would like to go inside for a while,” he offered.

“Jack, a man’s grill is sacred-”

“-and I have studied your grilling technique for many years, so though I may not surpass the master, I can at least carry on his traditions in an acceptable manner.”

I squinted at him.

“Cass misses you,” he offered.

“Oh,” I said, because we weren’t one of those gross codependent couples that couldn’t be apart for 5 minutes, but we’d spent the whole damn week trying to get the whole family down here for Sam after Charlie hacked into the Kansas bar and found out that he passed, and it had been a whole big thing and I hadn’t gotten to see Cass much outside of the ‘party’ context, and maybe, just maybe, I kinda missed him, too.  “Look, you gotta, take these babies off-”

“I know,” he assured me, gently taking the tongs from my hands.  “I’m ready.”

I gave him a nod and headed inside.

Cass was in the living room with Bobby, Jody, and Donna.

“Hey,” I said, leaning in to kiss him and then just deciding to sit on the arm of the chair he was sitting in, because while we weren’t codependent, I just liked touching him.

“Dean,” Cass said brightly, settling his hand on my knee.

“Hey, Deano, heckuva burger,” Donna said, holding up her plate.

“I am the meat man,” I declared.

“Huh,” Jody said, while Donna just took another bite and nodded her agreement.

All-in-all, it was an alright party.

Sammy came in holding a sleepy-looking Maura a little after 8.  He was looking pretty damn sleepy himself.  “We’re gonna get going,” he told me.

“Past your bedtime?” I asked with a snort.

“Har har, you try studying for a year straight while raising a baby and let me know what that does to your sleep schedule.”

“No, thanks, think I’ll just keep being awesome.”

Sam rolled his eyes.

I looked at him, really looked at him.  I looked at my baby brother, the lawyer.  The father.  “Prouda you.”

He paused, looking taken aback.

“Really prouda you,” I repeated, wrapping him in a hug with Maura squished in between.

Sam returned the hug, squeezing me tight.  “Thanks,” he breathed.

It started to get awkward, so I patted his back and pulled away.  “Drive safe,” I told him.  “Or better yet, let Eileen drive ‘cause she’s a functioning adult.”

“Whatever,” he grumbled at me before moving deeper into the room to say the rest of his goodbyes.

Cass came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder.

I reached up, rubbing his bicep absently.

“I’m proud of you, too,” he said softly, just for my ears.

I snorted.  “’Cause I’m such a swell party planner?”

“Yes,” he agreed.  “And also the ‘other thing’.”

I shot him a look.

He kissed my cheek.  “I know it hasn’t been easy for you to… to ‘let go’ of Sam.”

I huffed out a breath, looking back towards the door as Sam carried Maura out to the car.  “He’s right here, man, ain’t goin’ nowhere.”

“Well, he is returning to his home in Wichita.”

“But that’s not what you meant.”

“No.”

My grip tightened on his arm.

“You raised him well, Dean.”

I scoffed at that.  “How many times did I drag him back in ta all this crap?”

“It’s not about being perfect,” he scolded me softly.  “It’s about being there.”

“I know, baby, I just…” I trailed off, trying not to get emotional in front of so many witnesses milling around our living room, and not being very successful.  “I always feel like I fucked it all up.”

“Oh, Dean,” Cass sighed, moving to be beside me, his hand easily slipping into mine.

I found myself led out to the porch.

Sam was fighting with Maura’s car seat while Eileen sat in the driver’s seat, ready to go.  She caught my eye and touched her hand to her chin before arcing it towards me in a ‘thank you.’

‘Of course,’ I signed back.

She smiled at me before turning back to say something to Sam.

There was suddenly a crowd in the front yard as everyone migrated from the back, ready to see the Leahy-Winchesters off.

Sam finally managed to secure his daughter and get into the car.

Everyone was waving and calling out their goodbyes as they pulled away, and our neighbors were probably gonna be a little annoyed, but I looked around me, and it was all family.  They were here for Sam (and possibly for the Meat Man’s amazing meats), this family that we built, this strange, wonderful family.

“Dude, are you about to cry?” Claire asked with a snort.

“Strong men also cry,” I growled at her.  “Strong men also cry.”

She blinked at me, round-eyed.  “The… Big… Lebowsky…?” she asked slowly.

“She’s finally learning,” I said with a choked laugh.  “Shit,” I added, wiping my eyes with my sleeve.

Cass squeezed my hand carefully.

I clung back.

And then Jody was at my other side, resting her hand on my shoulder.  “Ya did good, kid,” she assured me.

I wasn’t sure if she was talking about raising Sam or just putting together the party, but either way the tears were freely streaming down my face.

“This is real growth, Dean,” Garth assured me.  “You’re finally actualizing-”

“Stop,” I groaned, running my sleeve over my face again.

“Ah, there he is,” Garth said with a knowing nod.

“We don’t gotta make a spectacle of this,” I complained.  “Jack, you better not of left anything burning on my grill.”

“I removed all the meat before coming to bid farewell to Sam and Eileen.”

“Good man,” I said.

He beamed.

“Look, I love you all, et cetera,” I explained, “but why don’t we get back to the party already?”

 I received a few too many encouraging pat-on-the-backs and sympathy eyes as the party guests proceeded to do as I asked.

Cass led me over to the porch swing and sat me down.

I put my face in my hands and scrubbed.

“You can let it out, Dean.”

“Think I kinda already did.”

He cupped my cheek, gazing down at me softly.

The tears started tumbling down again.

“Dammit,” I muttered, looking away and rubbing my eyes again.  “This is so dumb.”

“It’s not dumb,” he assured me.

“You’re not the one cryin’ like a dumb baby,” I muttered.

“They are predominantly happy tears, correct?”

I nodded.

“Then that’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

I mustered up a glare, tugging him forward until he just sat on my lap and I could hide my face in his chest like I wanted.

Cass returned the hug.

“Sammy’s gonna be okay, isn’t he?” I whispered.

“He is,” Cass agreed.

“I’m gonna be okay, too, aren’t I?”

“You are.”

I breathed in deep and let it out slow.  The last of my tears absorbed into the soft material of Cass’s t-shirt, and I was finally ready to face the world again.

“Sunshine, you ever have bacon cooked on the grill?” I asked with a last sniff as I sat back in the swing.

“No, I have not.”

“Okay, that needs to be rectified ASAP,” I said, smacking his behind so he’d get up.

Cass fell into step behind me as I went back into the house.

“This is totally gonna revolutionize your life,” I assured him, reaching for the bacon in the fridge.

He smiled at me fondly, but with a twinkle in his eyes that definitely said, ‘I don’t think so.’

I was prepared to spend the rest of my life showing him the finer things of life that he didn’t know he needed.  “Jack, step aside, the Meat Man is here to make all your dreams come true!”

Cass’s eye roll was a tangible thing.

I grinned at him and booped his nose.

He scrunched it up immediately, looking offended.

“I’m gonna be okay,” I decided.

And I was.

[irisinluv]

Isekaied as the Yandere Villain!? Pt 2

Part one

It was almost 2 minutes before I realized I was still dragging the crown prince behind me. I quickly dropped his hand and looked at him, not able to hide the embarrassment on my face. Listen- I’m committed to the bit. I WILL be the crazy jealous fiancé. But… I’m still human ok. I just dragged a full grown man down several halls and a flight of stairs while I spaced out thinking about how I’m gonna buy my cat premium wet food once I get back home to her.

It’s fine, I’m not flustered at spacing out about my cat, my characters just flustered because she’s been holding the hand of the man she’s obsessed with, that’s all!

“Well…. Did you still want to dine and take that walk?”

I expected him to scold me for my mistreatment of Cressida, grow irritated from me dragging him along like this. Instead, he chuckles and threads his arm in mine, and begins escorting me down the hall.

“Absolutely, have you dined outside by the roses yet? There’s this lovely pavilion that I am eager to hear your thoughts on.”

And that’s how I found myself under an impressive array of roses, all trained up and around a cozy dining area, creating a canopy of green and pink over an intimate tea table. The food was equally impressive, I had to keep reminding myself that the other me is used to this lavish lifestyle, to not gawk at the fancy tiny sandwiches and deserts.

“Well? Is everything to your liking? ”

I’m going off script here, how am I supposed to know how the villainess would react to a romantic scene like this?? If my “evil crazy” side isn’t supposed to be directed at him, and she’s usually kinda distant and unsure around him…. That means I should probably respond pretty curtly, polite, yet not really engaging. But…. I’ve already messed that up…. I guess I can be more genuine when it’s the two of us like this. He can think that this version of me is the facade, that I’m pretending to be pleasant, and then will start to see what a jerk “I” truly am when Cressida’s around. Besides…. I almost feel bad for the villainess. She really just seems like she was shy. Who knows- maybe, if given the opportunity, she really would have opened up more. It’s clear she loved the prince, and just didn’t know how to show it. So, with that thought, I made up my mind.

“It’s breathtaking! Roses are my favorite flower, and I’ve never seen so many kinds in bloom at once…. Plus the food and company leave little to be desired.”

There you go- slip in some subtle flirting! I’m not quite sure what time period this is supposed to be, but I get the impression flirting as bit more high class here, and I think I can have some fun with that.

“I’m glad, to be honest I was a bit flustered asking you to dine with me… you caught me quite off guard today, but in a good way.” He reaches his hand across the table and places it on my own, “I’d like to do this more often, you and I. I feel like the confines of our current arrangement have left us practically strangers, despite being engaged for several months already. I’m enjoying just being companionable with you, even if it’s just existing comfortably in the same room.”

Ohhhh, I know I’m the villain in this story but I can’t help but root for him- what a sweetheart! It’s so obvious he’s been lonely, I can’t wait for him and Cressida to fall in love and have a couple of kids that they’ll spoil rotten. And in the meantime…. Maybe I do have a bit of evil in me, because I’m going to selfishly enjoy this handsome man treating me to lunches under roses and reading in cozy libraries while I can.

“I know exactly how you feel your highness. Now, you mentioned a walk?”

We spent the afternoon laughing and chatting, and it felt nice to chat without worrying too much about my role. He asked me about that book I picked out earlier, and listened attentively as I caught him up with where I’m at in the plot. In turn, I asked about what papers he’s been signing, documents he’s been drafting, etc.

The only thing I had to do was send glares to any young ladies we passed, settling my hand on his arm possessively, and I saw their eyes widen and faces disappear behind fans as they whisper to one another. I can picture this illustrated in a manhwa- the nasty princess sinking her claws into the gullible prince… hopefully all these ladies will start gossiping and we can really cement this evil persona of mine now that Cressida’s here.

When we returned to our separate apartments, I explored my rooms a bit until servants came to get me ready for dinner, and I slipped back into the frigid bitch persona. The servant girls dressed me in a slightly stuffy gown, but I had to admit, I looked gorgeous. I sat stiff and straight as they did my hair, forcing myself to be the very picture of cold indifference. I then dismissively thanked them for their help, then sat there awkwardly as they stared at me like I was crazy.

Ohhhh shit…. The original story hadn’t prepared me for this. My character was a villain, yes, but a side character for the most part! How was she supposed to act towards her servants? I went over what I knew- the novel showed the villainess alone quite often, usually obsessing over Eric and plotting/stalking. It showed her with Eric, and how distant and awkward their relationship was when together. And then of course the numerous scenes with Cressida where the Villainess did all sorts of heinous things to the sweet girl. But… it never depicted her with servants, or even any friends or other nobles. Just… Eric and Cressida. Was other me not actually a bitch all the time? Am I being unnecessarily rude right now? Oh god I’m such an idiot.

The story is told through Cressida’s point of view- of course there’s more depth to my own character than I initially thought! The Villianess must be a misunderstood introvert! Unsure of how to act around her crush, she’s fiercely insecure and jealous of this new girl who doesn’t struggle the same way she does. When she notices the prince slipping from her grasp, she acts out against Cressida because she can’t bear to lose Eric!

As someone’s who’s worked minimum wage jobs and struggled with social anxiety most of my life, I try to be nice to the people just working to survive, but here I am acting like these poor women are the dirt beneath my shoe…. Ok. Um. Well they’re still standing there in shock, I can fix this….

“You really did a lovely job… my hair has never looked so gorgeous, you’re truly talented! And I think the prince will be very pleased with this choice of ribbon!”

There- I was nicer, and I brought it back to Eric, so I’m still the lovesick fiancé whose entire world is waiting for her in the dining room. I frowned as the servants scuttled out of the room with hurried excuses, all of them looking like they were about to faint. Damn it… I can’t believe I misread the relationship between us. I probably just ruined their night by being uncharacteristically rude. I’ve gotta learn their names next time…. Maybe ask them to help me eat some fancy pastries as an apology…?

I didn’t know it, but while I was lamenting how wrong I was about the Villainess’ character, the servants were all gossiping to the others about what had just transpired.

“You’re telling me she said THANK YOU!?”

“Yes!!! And then you should have seen how nervous she got! She just rambled, blurting out such a sweet compliment, and she even tied it back to the prince!”

“I had no idea how precious she was… I can’t believe I never realized she’s just shy! In a new place, all alone aside from her new fiancé…. Who I gather she’s got a bit of a crush on! Poor dear.”

“Ohh our sweet girl, I’m sure it must be hard bonding with the prince, when all you do is sit yards apart and hardly speak …”

“Well I may have some news about that… and it’s no wonder she was a bit flustered today, because I saw the two of them in the gardens today! They were both nothing but smiles- absolutely smitten with one another!”

“Such a lovely girl, and we never knew it all this time!”

Apparently, I had it backwards. The real villainess truly was a 2D, basic character. She was insecure and possessive over the prince, bullying Cressida half to remind her who Eric belonged to, half for the fun of it. But she didn’t let on to anyone about the true depth of her love for him. She didn’t gossip to her handmaid, didn’t ask the servants which dress he would like better. Simply acted as if they did not exist, hardly saying a word to them.

While I thought my blunt “thank you” was colder than they were used to, and then tried to smooth things over…. It was more words than they’d heard from me in the whole time I’d lived in the palace. They lapped it up and declared me their own shy little dove after that.

When I arrived to dinner, I realized why daily dinners weren’t exactly a bonding activity for the villainess and Eric. The table was massive, and only held two chairs, one at either end. It felt so…. Cold?

Eric had beat me there, and quickly stood up from his seat, waiting until I sat and a servant pushed in my chair to retake his own seat. He smiled at me and said,

“Good evening, princess.”

He had to project his voice slightly. It wasn’t like he was shouting or being loud, it was just the manner of speaking you use when talking to an elderly relative, clearer, and enunciating better so they could hear you.

I replied back, projecting my voice similarly, and found the conversation was, in fact, more awkward than it had been earlier. We ate our food mostly in silence, occasionally one of us would say something and the other would stop moving their utensils on their plate, listening closer as they ask,

“What’s that?”

By the time dinner was over and we each went to bed, I felt drained. I could have just been louder I suppose- but it’s so hard to keep up a conversation like that. I know we get along- we had chatted all afternoon after all. But some part of me realized it’s probably good to keep a bit of distance between us, even if I’ve rewritten things to be a bit chummier between the two of us. Cressida needs to swoop in and steal him from me… and my job is still to leave that room for her to do so.

It’s hard trying to be someone else, yet also making sure you lead the plot in the right direction- it’s exhausting! I feel like both director and actress!

It’s with this in mind that I launch myself into the softest bed I’d ever felt, and passed out. My first day as princess consort, the Yandere fiancé, complete.

While I was getting acquainted with my feather bed, Eric was speaking with the head waitstaff.

“Yes, tomorrow, would you mind adjusting the seating situation? I’d like for the princess consort and I to be closer together from now on. Yes, and ask my assistant to arrange my schedules like so, I’ve detailed it here. Thank you.”

At the same time, Cressida was recounting her run in with the prince and I to her handmaiden as she finishing unpacking and settling into her family’s guest apartments. Which, unbeknownst to me… was right across the hall.

Aaaa! You survived your first day! And look at you- doing suuuuch a good job staying true to character. Nothing could go wrong… right?

Tag list for the series;

@bitternsweet @tonightwrites @confused-they @lanxianschoenheit @poptrim @siriuslyobsessedwithfiction @one-really-annoying-tree-rat @anonymousdisco @forbidden-sunlight

Tag list closed! Stay tuned for part 3!

[tritoch]

the other thing I find very funny about trying to write a canon compliant wol is taking all the wolship hints extremely seriously.

I don't really wolship because I'm just fundamentally not that kind of fan. But I know for those who are, the sheer number of romance hints FFXIV throws at you can be overwhelming to parse in a context where you have a preferred/intended wolship, particularly if you're not attracted to the gender the hints are coming from in the first place (a particular tip of the hat to wlw fans navigating the g'raha of it all). I've seen plenty of people write around them or write them out or be like "no aymeric was for real inviting my wol to a nice platonic zero-subtext dinner," and God bless all of you.

But it's really funny to imagine them all as all-too-real but unreciprocated or perhaps unreciprocatable. The sheer scale of it is comedy. Spoilers for all of FFXIV follow.

Oh God, the Lord Speaker wants to have dinner, just the two of us, at his family estate and not a government building. I hope he doesn't bring up his crush on me. Thal's balls he's about to bring it up—oh thank God there's an emergency. Oh no someone got hurt! Oh no it's the teenage girl with a crush on me.

Your life is a cosmic joke. You watch the Sultana get poisoned and all your friends probably die to save your life and it's kind of all your fault in some ways, I mean at the very least you should've spoken up when they gave the teenager a private army, and then the teenage boy speaks up and is like, "hey, I guess we have at least one ally. What about if we go visit that guy who is really obviously down unbelievably bad for you and wants to lick the sweat off of you." and you have to be like, yeah, Alphinaud. Great idea. Let's do it. I'll call him.

(brief interlude: also haurchefant's DEATH hits so good if you don't reciprocate. It's okay. He gets it. You're going through a lot and even if you had time to sort through your feelings maybe you're just not into him. That would be okay! You can love someone, or the idea of someone, without needing it to be romantically reciprocated. That's chivalric, even. Knightly. So he won't ask you to lie to him and say you love him as he lies dying in your arms. He's not so low as all that. But could you smile for him as you used to? That true hero's smile of yours. And you do, and he dies. And you both know he died for a lie, in a way, or a flight of fancy. And he's okay with that. Are you? Should you be? Should he?)

Then you're into Stormblood and it's like wow, okay. That last part was all high fantasy, of course there were loyal knights and elegant princes. But this is war. Imperialism. Grim business, surely there's no way—oh no BOTH handsome young revolutionary leaders seem to have a special interest in you?! And so does the Crown Prince of the Empire? Come on, man. I should get to do the whole horrors of war thing without having to also deal with this. Gaius sucked and it was weird that he let his foster daughter run around being openly obsessed with him but at least he never made it my problem.

You can't even get away from it across dimensions. Shadowbringers is a horror story about going on a teambuilding camping trip with your work colleagues for some reason except they all suddenly got really hot and they keep touching you affectionately on the shoulder and being like "I care for you and your happiness. Truly." And also you're being stalked for the whole camping trip by two old men who are obsessed with you. The false climax of the story is that the one old man tries to betray you and give a dramatic monologue about how he loves you but the two of you are doomed by the narrative and then the other old man shoots him in the back like "no actually its MY turn to betray them and give a dramatic monologue about how our love is doomed by the narrative." Then the real climax is old man #1 backstabbing old man #2 in the middle of said monologue before old man #2 dies and gives ANOTHER wistful monologue about his doomed love. Then for the patches they're like okay so we have this even CRAZIER old man who's gonna strike when you're weak and give a dramatic monolo—

and that's without even getting into the literal soulmate ghost only you can see

my warrior of light never felt more betrayed than in that scene where Y'shtola is like "haha Alisaie and G'raha have crushes on the warrior of light." Like I thought we were COOL, Y'shtola! I work here! This situation is already in such a delicate balance! Right when I got here I met Alisaie's "friend from work" who was like oh haha so YOU'RE the one she can't stop talking about and we never followed up on that because the woman died horrifically like five minutes later right in front of us! Then when Vauthry got away and we had to do all that shit with the dwarves, G'raha kept pausing every ten minutes to be like oooooh I'm so old I'm gonna die soon...at least I got to spend some time with some people who are really important to me...in fact here's what I'd tell the person who's most important to me...actually u know them really well haha. And I just had to sit there and be like wow, dude, crazy.

even in the face of apocalypse you still gotta go back in time like 12,000 years and there's somewhere there who makes you sit and listen to his story which is that the purpose of his whole godlike immortal life was to be in a throuple with you and old man #2 from the camping trip. and you just gotta sit there the whole time knowing you/your past life is the one who broke up the throuple over politics. He's like come help me harangue the old man into streaking in public, he'll do it if you ask.

then you meet and fight and kill God and you gotta turn to the team and be like hey sorry guys can you give me a sec. I'm gonna call God by her real name because we met one time for like four days and after that the promise of meeting me again was one of the things that sustained her through her millennia of suffering. Not like that but like. Idk. Just gimme a sec!

It's a relief when you finally get to Lahabrea and he's like actually I still don't fuck with your vibe. Like thank GOD.

And my WoL is very obviously dad-shaped so Dawntrail had a very specific energy for me but I understand that for plenty of people your deepening rapport with Wuk Lamat had a romantic subtext (same for Koana depending on how you read a few of his lines). And personally I think it's the height of comedy to be like, noooo, babe, your highness, I know you and your brother the king are in love with me and want me to stick around and support you emotionally through this governmental transition haha. But it's just...the cursed wineglass, babe. I GOTTA go figure out what's up with this cursed wineglass.

It's a running gag in some of the more optional content that people are like "you have an unreasonable number of hobbies and side gigs" to the WoL from time to time. But if every time you tried picking up a new hobby some new elf started baring their soul to you, you too would be like Hey Jessie (or sometimes Krile or Tataru), my good friend who is one of the only people in my life who knows what professional ethics and work-life boundaries are, any chance you need muscle on a gig on the other side of the world? Ideally with only Cid and his ex so all libidinal energy in the room is directed towards machinery or someone who isn't me?

ironically one of the only places you get a break from psychosexual obsession is the nier content

[moviestarmartini]

trátame suavemente. — franco colapinto x gf!reader

no quiero soñar mil veces las mismas cosas / ni contemplarlas sabiamente / quiero que me trates suavemente.

summary: reuniting after spending months apart and having recently recovered from a fight feels bittersweet. however, you have to push all your feelings aside at the end of the weekend to treat your boyfriend softly. 

wc: 2.3k 

warnings: established relationship, hispanic!reader, sentences in spanish, bit of angst, long distance relationship mention, takes place after the são paulo gp, nsfw (18+ mdni), p in v, bathroom sex, oral (m!receiving), lowk edging, whiny!franco, sub!franco if you squint, unprotected sex (get on your pills or shots or SOMETHING don’t raw it), creampie, soft sex and ambiance overall. 

A/N: based on this request ! and yess, franco with soda stereo again hehe. please listen to the el último concierto (remastered) version of this song when reading, it's a whole different vibe than the og !! mil besitos as always and feedback is appreciated

now playing... trátame suavemente by soda stereo

“Vení.” 

Come here. Franco’s voice echoed the minute he noticed your hesitant footsteps filling up the once empty silence. 

You leaned against the bathroom door frame, head leaned to the side. The lights were dimmed— proper of a fancy hotel, where else would you be able to adjust the lighting anyway?— He soaked in the steamy water clouded with the relaxing bath salts, trying to find some relief in what had been his worst weekend yet. Both on and off the track. 

“Hi.” You greeted softly with a tiny wave of your hand before it retreated back to its post across your chest. 

“Sabés que no muerdo a menos que me lo pidas.” He sat up, back straightening. Humor was a natural addition to his words, even when he was at his lowest. It never seemed to impress you, and it was something you could sometimes hate. 

The scene was still vivid and bright behind your eyelids. Counting down the days for him to come home, getting the call he was in fact going to take longer— because he’d made it. He’d made it to Formula One. Your heart sped up when reliving the memory, unaware of how difficult it was going to be from then on. 

Your relationship wasn’t exactly public, something you’d chosen yourself in case occasions like these arose. Then you’ve come to realize it gave him a certain freedom, the one that allowed him to flirt openly with interviewers and not face repercussions to his public image. 

Behind closed doors, it was another story. 

You tried. With your whole chest, you tried to not complain to him directly. It was his personality, the way he’d pulled you in from day one. One day, you just couldn’t. His absence was palpable, and after a week or so without any communication he’d texted to sulk about his mediocre results during the Mexican Grand Prix, having the fast lap taken away from him. 

You couldn’t hold it in. From the fact he was inconsistent in the relationship that had you suffering through a rollercoaster of emotions, to his absence digitally and the lack of interest in your doings. He’d barely have the time to check in with you, not about you. 

The calls were frantic, tears were shed, and he promised to be more present. The fight was left in a stalemate, and you cursed yourself when the flight reminder popped on your notifications. You couldn’t help but wait another week to see him? 

The same word with four letters that broke the silence moments ago was texted by him that same day, and you couldn’t hold a grudge even if you wanted to. You were never truly mad at him, you just missed him. So much so it ached in your bones, both set your heart ablaze and cooled it at the same time. 

Painful could only begin to describe it. 

Your worries were pushed away once you clarified everything, after the Saturday session was canceled and all you had on your shared agenda was cuddle up in the hotel room, quiet promises being made. After all the grief he had to withstand in the midst of this storm— literally— the last thing in your priorities was to stay on your own petty agenda. 

At his request to be closer, you sat at the closed lid of the toilet, unable to take your eyes off of him. 

“You’re too far away.” His insistence only furthered, eliciting a quiet laugh out of your lips. Without further ado, you stood up, stripping off the simple lounging set and folding it aside before sinking opposite to him on the warm water, growing cold with each passing moment now that the faucet was off. 

“What is it?” You blinked, head leaned to the side. Franco looked at you profoundly, and you wondered if he had something he was trying to figure out about you. 

“I missed you so much.” 

The words hung in the steamy air while you processed them, your bottom lip puckering out while a mixture of emotions washed over you. A part of you didn’t believe him, while the other ached for those words, even if it wasn’t the first time he said them during the weekend. 

“Really?” You wondered out loud, not caring that the water could spill out of the tub while you carefully moved to rest by his side, an arm wrapped around you. 

“Yeah.” He insisted, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “I’m exhausted now. This was supposed to be such a good weekend… by the red flag all I wanted to do was lay my head on your tits for hours.” 

“Baboso,” You splashed him with water, both of your laughs echoing in the room, the acoustics amplifying the sound. 

“I missed you too, by the way.” You spoke up after a while of silence, the shapeless shapes he drew on your skin with his index finger lulling your heart to a lower rate. 

“Por si no era obvio.” You added soon after, your laugh making your heart skip a beat. You didn’t feel like your claims from just a week and a few days ago were irrational, and you stood by them. He also did, acknowledging his lack of care. 

But you were there, by his side. When he most needed it. And you wouldn’t change that for anything in the entire world. 

Instead of getting an answer with words, you felt his fingers tenderly cupping your chin, guiding your gaze to his in order to receive his lips in yours warmly. 

Careful and complex. His lips moved with calculation, and a sigh inevitably left yours. This is what your body ached, what made the desperately cold layer dissolve off your heart and set it fully ablaze under his careful affections. 

You moved to straddle his hips, arms wrapped around his neck. You could’ve sworn you heard a whine while he straightened up, his hands holding onto your hips for dear life. 

Desperate and desirable. The kiss transitioned to match the steam in the room, his hands unable to find a place to stay put in, instead just roaming the soaked inches of skin he could get a hold off. 

“Me hizo muchísima falta tenerte así,” Franco let out in a pant, eager fingertips delving into the plush skin of your ass. Now it was your turn to answer with an action, leaning in to kiss down his neck, carefully placing affections on the prominent scar knowing it made him squirm. 

“Ay amor…” He let out a groan, unable to resist when your chest pressed against his torso. 

“¿Qué pasa?” You questioned quietly, fluttering your lashes up at him. You took his physical queues and understood them almost immediately. He couldn’t help but lean into his touch, shaky breath leaving his lips with each grazing of your fingers. 

You noticed how he swallowed hard, just shaking his head to signify nothing was going on— nothing was inherently wrong. 

“Sit up here.” You instructed quietly, patting the tiled edge before the tub began, seemingly used for people to sit and dry themselves. This once, you two were definitely not going to use it for that. 

He followed the command obediently, watchful eyes following your movements while you positioned yourself between his legs. 

“You’ve had such a rough week…” Your voice was hypnotizing, in the same way your hand stroking his length was. “Let me take care of you, mkay?” 

The words he planned on letting out found themselves choked back when you deposited a kiss on the skin edging between his inner and outer thigh. He melted into his spot almost literally, manspreading to give you more access to leave the warm affections that brought goosebumps to his skin. 

You batted your eyelashes innocently up at him while your flat tongue licked the underside of his hard cock, green eyes hyper-focused on your lips wrapping on the flushed tip. 

“Fuck…” He managed to groan out, his right hand reaching to clutch your hair while the other held onto the ceramic, preparing himself for what he’d been desiring for what felt to be years, when in fact it had only been a short couple months. 

You knew how to treat him, how to push his buttons just right without exceeding into a rougher context. All you wanted was for him to relax, at least for now. That didn’t mean you didn’t put in the effort, your hand encompassed what your mouth couldn’t take even when it almost hit the back of your throat.

“Que linda te ves con la boquita llena,” He caressed your cheek tenderly while you took a breather, his hips jerking upwards ever so slightly to thrust into your hand.

“Hm just for you,” You winked in agreement to the compliment before wrapping your lips around the now leaking tip, humming at the taste of the precum on your tongue and inevitably down your throat. 

“Así, así,” Franco whined the minute you started bobbing your head up and down his length with precision and speed. He threw his head back, allowing the moans to leave his mouth freely, mixing in a dangerous cocktail with his heavy breaths. 

The moment was perfect. You knew Franco was getting lost in it, nearing the edge with each desperate jerk of his hips matching up to your nose grazing his lower abdomen. He could still feel the warm water, but nothing could compare with the sensation of your throat. 

Unless… 

“Pará, pará,” He breathed out, his tone high pitched, containing himself into not bursting out the seams right then and there. 

“¿Qué pasó mi rey? Did I do something wrong?” You pulled away visibly concerned, straightening up still on your knees. 

His response was a weak shake of his head, chest rising up and down. He still rested his back against the tiled wall, regaining his composure. Your eyes traced every inch of his skin, every mole and freckle, subconsciously licking your lips. His laugh snapped you out of your shamelessly perverted ravaging, and you looked up at him with a smile. 

“Te amo tanto.” He muttered, leaning in to close the gap between your mouths halfway. Even if seconds ago you were wondering why on earth he would edge himself, the kiss told you everything you needed, adding to the support his hands gave you to get on your feet and sit on his lap. 

His lips parted from yours only to give soft kisses to your cheek and jaw, traveling the marvelous road down your neck. Your moans were soft, beginning to ease into it when a curious hand parted your legs open. 

“Fran…” You breathed you, your hand reaching to caress the hair falling near his nape; it was longer than usual, he needed a trim— you noted mentally, reminding to comment on it later. 

“Let me feel you,” He whispered against your skin, the action forming goosebumps on the area. “Estás tan mojadita; porfa.” 

He didn’t need to beg twice, your back already pulled away from his chest, shifting around in his lap and raising your hips a little in order to sink down his length, your sighs of relief harmonizing. 

“I missed this so much,” You noticed you had rendered him almost incoherent from the way he could barely formulate the words between heavy breaths and moans, a battle to keep his eyes open to watch your figure as you bounced on his hard cock. 

“Ay ese culito…” He groaned, the sound of a smack bouncing on the walls before it remixed with your yelp, but it only encouraged to move faster, wanting to give him the show he deserved. 

Franco didn’t allow himself to get lost in the mesmerizing movement of your body, instead pulling you back to be as close to him as humanly possible, his hand cupping your chin to almost drag your face near his. 

The kiss was sloppy from his part, the grinding of your hips was sharp in comparison, and he couldn’t focus. Your wet skin against his, the noises you started making the moment he started toying with that sweet spot. 

“Amor,” He couldn’t help but call your attention, ripping his lips off of yours in order to speak. You noticed the way his brows furrowed— and how could you not? he was always so expressive— his bottom lip puckering out while he tried to make out the following words. 

But he didn’t need to. 

“Yes,” You nodded, feeling your own orgasm approach quickly. From the moment you stripped and dipped in the water you knew you weren’t going to last long in whatever activity you might engage, and you were okay with that. 

“¿Si?” Franco whined, his lashes fluttering while his eyes fell shut before he could hide his face in the crook of his neck. 

“Si. Cum inside.” You confirmed, feeling his lips press against your shoulder blade before the conjoined noises filled up the room, the hand that occupied the space between your legs failing in its constant rhythm, while the other dug into the doughy merge your hips and upper thighs conformed. 

You let your eyes close while the wave of pleasure washed over you, chests rising up and down rhythmically. It felt like you had just floated down from the sky, settling down into the reality of the position— a bit insane, to say the least— you found yourselves in, guided by the pure lust and yearning of each other after the sudden separation. 

“All good over there?” You laughed softly, receiving a small ‘eh’ in a high pitched tone. It took Franco another moment before he raised his face, his lips pressing a tender kiss to your jaw before his arms wrapped around your midriff and into a tight hug. 

“Con vos? Todo perfecto.”  

[signedkoko]

Signed with Love - Hazbin Cast

What is this? - A valentines gift to my lovely readers! Its valentines/love letters from your favourites 🖤

Characters - Adam | Alastor | Charlie | Cherri | Husk | Lucifer | Lute | Pentious | Vaggie

Series Parts Overlords & SIns - Here! Helluva Cast - Here!

Sup bitch,

Looking for a valentine, cupid told me ur my soulmate, so how about you be mine?

You know I love teasing ya babe, but really, I got a reso for that restaurant you love, I'd tell you what to wear but the less the better.

Lova ya hot stuff

ORIGINAL DICKMASTER

Salutations my lovely doe!

Another opportunity to show my dear just how much I love them, what more could I ask?

I'd offer my cooking, but I know you don't have quite the palette for venison. Instead, I've prepared a private dinner, catered to by a lovely cafe a good friend of mine runs.

I'll be there to get you at half past two,

A.

Hiii ❣

I hope you don't mind me asking but I REALLY wanted to be the one to ask if you'd be my valentine?

I haven't decided what we should do yet, I was thinking rock climbing, or how about a fancy dinner? Ahh I have so many ideas! We can talk about it later!

Thinking of you always,

Charlie (Morningstar, Princess of Hell, Manager of the Hazbin Hotel (now booking!!), potential valentine of you!)

Heya girly,

I'm not one for holidays, but I know you reallllly wanted to try this one out. So! be my valentine?

I'll bring you to that great viewpoint I hang at, maybe show you how I make some of my arsenal. Just dress comfy, it's going to be a lot of moving!

You better be swooning already!

Your favourite 💣

Hey,

I'm thinking this year we could try something new. As stupid as it sounds, will you be my valentine?

I've got a stack of rental movies and one empty ass theatre room. Still sure no one realized we even have one, but what the hell, right? Let me know what you think and we can go pick up some drinks before.

Looking forward to it,

Husker

Hiii ❣

I know you told me not to go crazy this year, but how could I not! So, valentine...

I left a bag with this note, it's got a few outfits for you to pick that will match mine! Just be ready by 6 tonight, we've got a lot of stops. Drinks, dinner, a performance at Ozzie's, and a reserved spot in my bed tonight.

Happy valentines day,

Yours truly

I pray this letter reaches you,

Maybe you don't expect it of me, but you deserve to feel as special as everyone else this valentines.

So, I've got a surprise dinner set up for us this valentines. If you are willing, dress nice for four tomorrow and I can take you for a flight before it. Just don't wear anything that might fall off.

Your angel,

Lt. Lute

Dearest serpentine,

It would be ever so joyous to accompany you this valentines, if that is okay of course!

My egg bois have insisted upon serenading us and treating us to a nice dinner in my war machine. I promise you it is in prim and proper shape for such a day.

Yours sincerely

(Future) Overlord Pentious

Hey hun,

You've talked a lot about valentines recently, and while I know we said we'd overlook it, I feel like you deserve to know how much I love you.

When you get the chance, I've got a bottle of wine and a free night to decide what we want to do. Just swing by after eight?

See ya valentine,

Vaggie

Authors Note - Ahahaha can you tell I don't write Adam much? Either way, part one of the valentines series 🖤 If you don't have a valentine this year, please allow me to be yours! Or let me know which of these folks you'd accept a letter from 🤭

[orimuraa]

𓈒 🏁 ／ ⋆ ۪ Go big or go home - Lee Heeseung

꒰ 𝔖𝘺𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘴 ꒱┆famous model, y/l/n y/n, has caught the eye of famous f1 racer, lee heeseung, but how will they ever be able to interact when they're lives are so different? ⨾

۶ৎ f1 racer!heeseung x fem model!reader ┆fake dating to lovers, slow burn┆cursing, alcohol, age gap? (2 years), kissing, petnames, angst, some fluff┆ wc 4.8k

⤷ 𝐲𝐞𝐣𝐢’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: its finally here!!! tysm to everyone who waited for this and i hope you enjoy! this is my first super long fic and i would really appreciate reblogs and feedback! tysm!!

TEASER

꒰ঌ ℬℴℴ𝓀𝓈𝒽ℯ𝓁𝒻 ໒꒱

the adrenaline of racing was always too much for y/n. her life was the exact opposite of that type of life and she never wanted to get in anything like that.

she had worked so hard for the reputation she now has, putting literal blood, sweet and tears into her career as a model.

but now look where she was. she was the global face of dior, prada, miu miu, louis vuitton and so many more brands.

everyone knew who y/l/n y/n was in korea. she was such an icon for the modeling world and never seen slipping up.

it was like she had no flaws.

but lee heeseung was the literal opposite of the whole life y/n had built for herself.

he was careless and daring, not completely caring about anyone’s opinions about him or his reputation.

not to mention, he was insanely hot. his looks stealing the hearts of many of his fans.

heeseung liked racing cause he felt like he could truly be himself—careless and reckless.

and heck, he’s made it his whole life now! he was an f1 racer who had quite the following now.

y/n was very much aware of who lee heeseung was, and even watched some of the races he was in.

she had to admit, he was indeed hot, but what would her fans think of her and heeseung?

her “fans” always criticized every man that got close to her, saying they were unworthy of her attention.

so to avoid anymore scandals that could truly ruin her career, y/n has steered clear of basically any man in sight.

heeseung couldn’t deny that the girl was pretty, she was drop dead gorgeous! but he knew what happens to people when they get too close to y/n, and that was something that he did not want happening to him.

“miss y/n! you’re going to be late for the fashion show due to the flight being delayed..” one of y/n’s staff informed, refreshing the flight page over and over.

y/n was supposed to fly out to a prada event in milan, but due to the weather, her flight was delayed by 2 hours, meaning she was gonna make it the the show late.

“then i guess we will have to get ready in the airport,” y/n sighed, subconsciously twirling a strand of her hair out of anxiety.

what was heeseung gonna do? he’s never been to a fashion show before! and not to mention, his staff has little to no experience with such fancy events like this!

his staff is for his races and making sure all his gear is in one spot for him, not dressing him up in a $10,000 suit for some prada show.

on the other hand though, heeseung was excited for a new experience, and he got a free flight down in first class! so it was a win-win.

his teammates were giving him a bunch of complaints out of jealousy because of a specific person.

and that person, was y/l/n y/n. his teammates were so jealous that he was going to the same event as her and had the chance to talk to her.

to heeseung, it didn’t seem like that big of a deal. big name celebrities go to these types of shows all the time! so what’s the big deal about y/l/n y/n?

sure she had the visuals of an angel and heeseung may or may not have felt a few butterflies whenever he saw her on a magazine or on an article online.

but now that he was actually gonna meet her (potentially), he couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous.

y/n was able to make it out of the airport bathroom just on time where her staff rushed to get her ready for the show.

she arrived at the location of the show, mentally preparing herself for the camera flashes and screams around her.

once she stepped out of the car, she made sure to wave and smile politely to all the fans that waiting hours to see her.

“you’ll be sitting here next to mr. lee,” one of the hosts told y/n once she made it inside.

“oh hello! i’m glad i get to sit next to someone who speaks korean as well! my english is…well..not very good,” she smiled sheepishly.

“hi, i’m lee heeseung and yes, it is quite nice to have someone to converse with,” heeseung smiled, a couple of unwanted butterflies fluttering around in his stomach.

“ah right! i’m y/l/n y/n,” she smiled, the lights dimming and cutting off their conversation.

throughout the show, y/n and heeseung shared light comments with each other and for once, y/n kinda forgot that she had the type of career and reputation that if she talked to a guy, she would be caught up in a dating scandal.

the after party was a very..unique?…experience. for heeseung, it was a very new experience to have such fancy people surrounding him while he was just a mere car racer.

but y/n made it better. they both weren’t big fans of going out and socializing with new people—especially if they needed to speak in their very broken english.

“so what’s it like? the thrill of racing?” y/n asked, nursing a glass of wine. why’d she even have it? she hated alcohol.

“it’s really an experience. you get to live life freely, not really caring about being reckless. it’s kinda my escape from the world, y’know?” heeseung chuckled, taking another sip of his glass.

“hm, must be nice..” y/n murmured, thinking about what her life would be like if she wasn’t a model and if she didn’t have all these expectations of being “perfect” all the time.

the two talked for the rest of the party, sharing small touches on the arm whenever one said something funny.

“thank you heeseung, for keeping me company and letting me be..well, myself,” y/n said softly. “i have to go catch a flight back to seoul but maybe we can stay in contact? here’s my number.” she said, sliding him a piece of paper.

“for sure. it was great talking with you y/n,” heeseung smiled back, sending her a small wink.

little did they know, someone had managed to get a few photos of their interactions.

the next morning, y/n and heeseung both faced faced the consequences of their actions.

FAMOUS F1 RACER, LEE HEESEUNG, AND FAMOUS MODEL, Y/L/N Y/N, ARE DATING?

the article shocked y/n and she immediately rushed to call her manager.

“what the fuck?” heeseung whispered to himself. he ran a hand through his hair, reading the article about him and y/n.

in the article, there was a photo of y/n touching his arm while laughing and heeseung is seen with a wide smile on his face.

fuck. he was so screwed. y/n was so screwed. he immediately opened twitter just to see his name and y/n’s trending for their dating scandal.

“oh for fucks sake!” he turned off his phone and threw it onto the bed.

y/n had just gotten off of her flight when the article reached her, making her push through the usual airport crowds of paparazzi worse.

“is it true you’re dating lee heeseung?”

“why lee heeseung? he’s no good for you!”

“y/n ssi? are the rumors true?”

it was all too overwhelming for y/n and the constant shoving and clicking of cameras was most definitely not helping.

it felt like she had to trudge a mile through mud just to make it to the car, letting a sigh of relief out as she sunk into the chair.

as she sat there though, she wondered how heeseung was taking it? he might have it worse than her since some of her “fans” were quite toxic to the people she got into scandals with.

he hasn’t texted..he probably wants nothing to do with me. y/n thought to herself, looking down at her empty messages.

all the way back in milan, heeseung was getting ready to head back to korea, not exactly thrilled to hear what his teammates had to say about his new scandal.

fuck. how’s y/n holding up? she must have it much worse than me. heeseung thought to himself, nervously bouncing his knee up and down.

once he made it to the airport, he was unexpectedly swarmed by crazy fans just trying to get an answer to their questions.

“are you really dating her? she’s too good for you.”

“how long have you been dating miss y/n?”

heeseung was not having it. he pushed his way through the crowd of people, pulling down his beanie even further.

throughout the flight, heeseung found himself constantly thinking about y/n. why though? did he really like her? or was it just out of pity? if these were the reactions to their dating scandal, how would they react if they were actually dating?

wait- when would they ever actually date?

either way, it would probably ruin both of their careers.

y/n paced back and forth, waiting for any form of contact from heeseung.

she didn't exactly expect him to contact her especially after this huge scandal, but she wanted to make sure he was doing okay.

she eventually gave up on waiting after another 30 minutes went by with no new notification.

with a sigh, she sat down on the couch, lost in thought.

would she be able to just ignore this scandal?

would it be just a quick scandal? or a long-lasting one?

many questions occupied y/n's thoughts, causing her to miss the way her phone vibrated next to her.

finally checking her phone, she saw a message from lee heeseung.

hey, i know i'm probably the last person you want to hear from but i just wanted to make sure you were doing okay with all the crazy fans

it took a couple minutes for y/n to actually process the words on the screen before quickly texting back.

oh hi heeseung! no worries, i was actually scared that you wouldn't wanna talk to me since it's mainly my 'fans' who are making this a big deal

she had only formally met heeseung for a day but she couldn't help but slowly fall for his charm.

y/n loved how care-free he was and despite his reputation as a racer, he was actually a sweetheart.

the next few days consisted of hiding from the public, not being seen anywhere, and a lot of meetings with her company about how they could cover up this scandal.

meanwhile, heeseung hadn't raced since he came back from milan which started to worry his teammates.

"dude, you alright? you've been so different since your scandal with y/n," one of his teammates stated, finally talking about the elephant in the room.

all heeseung did was sigh and stand up.

“yeah i’m fine,” he grunted, grabbing his jacket and walking out. his teammates exchanged glances with each other. it was obvious heeseung wasn’t doing well.

hey, are you free to meet up?

heeseung didn’t exactly know why he texted y/n.

why would she even wanna meet up with him? god he felt so stupid after sending that text.

sure! you can come over to my place! just make sure not to be seen

heeseung’s eyes widened as he read the text over and over. heeseung enjoyed y/n’s company and even though they were polar opposites, he found a source of comfort while talking to her.

she was so sweet and genuine with him unlike his crude teammates and competitors.

he quickly slipped on his shoes, clicking on the address y/n sent him.

when he arrived, he noticed how grand the apartment complex was. the building was clean and screamed “rich vibes”.

“you made it! hi heeseung!” as soon as the door opened, heeseung was greeted with y/n’s sweet smile.

“hey, sorry for the sudden text. i just..needed to talk to you,” he sighed, looking down at his shoes.

y/n took a guess that it was probably about their dating scandal so she just smiled sympathetically and let him in.

the first thing heeseung noticed about y/n’s place was how homey it was.

it was neat and had cute decorations that made heeseung smile.

she was such a professional model on camera and that’s all he’s known her for, so seeing this side of y/n was refreshing to see.

the plushies and little figured that scattered the shelves and furniture reminded him that y/n was still young and was practically living two lives.

“oh, sorry about the mess…here you can sit here,” she smiled sheepishly, moving a big stuffy off the couch and motioning for heeseung to sit.

“would you like anything to drink?” god she was so charming.

“oh! uhh no it’s fine, thank you though,” he smiled.

“soo..i assume that you’re here to talk about the scandal? i’m so sorry that you got into it with me,” y/n frowned. “i always hate when i just talk with someone and it means that i’m dating them.”

heeseung noticed the way y/n’s eyes looked down, almost like she was sick of her life.

“hey, no it’s okay. trust me, i would hate that too and you’re truly so strong for putting up with all that,” heeseung reassured. “but i wanted to actually..propose something.”

y/n’s eyes widened, curious about what heeseung had to offer.

“i’m listening,”

“okay, so i was thinking we would maybe…fake date? like, just until the paparazzi get off our backs and then we can break it off,” heeseung says, searching y/n’s face for any reaction. “it would benefit you and me from the scandals and articles and just…i don’t know. i just think it’s better than leaving this as a rumor.” heeseung sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“i get it…they might go crazy when it’s first announced and then they’ll move onto the next piece of drama..” y/n mumbled, fidgeting her hands. “let’s do it. plus, it might be fun to see each other’s lives!” y/n chirped, smiling at the thought of experiencing heeseung’s life.

“deal! it will end when the netizens move on from us,”

“yup!” y/n agreed, shaking heeseung’s hand. “but i think we should also establish some ground rules.”

the first day was all planned out. y/n and heeseung had both decided that they would rather make a statement about them dating than have a netizen figure it out.

y/n agreed to talk to her company, confirming the rumor with heeseung.

heeseung didn’t really have to do anything since a lot of f1 racers were free to date whoever they wanted.

once y/n was done with her meeting—which went surprisingly well and the company agreed to make a public statement about it—y/n went to go meet up with heeseung.

“hey? how’d it go?” heeseung asked, subconsciously twirling the straw of his coffee between his fingers.

“it went well actually. they weren’t that surprised and said they would make a statement later this evening. but, now we need to make it believable,” y/n said, thinking back to the ground rules they established.

“there’s no need for any pda when we aren’t in public, this is just for show so keep it casual. when we’re in public though, we have to make it believable so do anything to fool the media,” heeseung read off the paper. y/n just nodded, agreeing to all the rules.

“no catching feelings,” y/n added, just to be sure. but deep down, she wasn’t sure if she really wanted that.

“yeah, we can start by just holding hands and being more comfortable with each other?” heeseung suggested, trying not to make it sound awkward.

“mhm, that sounds good,” y/n mumbled, her mind somewhere else.

LEE HEESEUNG AND Y/L/N Y/N ARE CONFIRMED TO BE DATING

the articles started rolling in just 5 minutes after y/n’s company put out a statement.

y/n was nervously scrolling through the comments, reading the reactions to her and heeseung.

most were positive but there was wuite a few negative comments.

“hey, don’t worry about them, they’re just jealous that we’re such a power couple,” heeseung laughs, trying to cheer y/n up.

“yeah..you’re right. i just…can’t help it sometimes, y’know? i want to make my fans happy and i don’t want to feel like i let them down. so i often check their reactions to things i do..” y/n says, looking down at her lap. “it’s just become a habit now..”

heeseung would be stupid if he didn’t notice the way y/n’s mood dropped.

“no no no, it’s okay. we’re gonna get through this together and it will all blow over in a couple of weeks. besides, you might even have some fun getting to be a bit more free around me,” heeseung winks, causing y/n to giggle and look away.

the first time heeseung and y/n went out together now that they were a “couple”, fans spotted them immediately, taking photos, videos, only to post it on social media to get more clout.

heeseung made sure to secure y/n by wrapping an arm around her waist, tapping it occasionally to let her know that he’s there for her. like a real boyfriend would do.

heeseung was just a couple years older than y/n but he felt the need to protect her. truth be told, he enjoyed spending time with her, getting to see what she was truly like behind the scenes.

he hadn’t really been going to practice, opting to spend time with y/n and getting to know her better.

y/n still had her modeling duties to do, but she still made time to hang out with heeseung and she often brought him along to her shoots. his soft touches and little gestures made her stomach flutter.

by the end of the week, the whole media was convinced that y/n and heeseung were the “it” couple of the year.

they were so different yet they clicked so well. all of y/n’s staff were convinced, heeseung’s teammates, and the whole world basically.

but the downside to this all was that y/n had actually started to catch feelings for heeseung. she adored the way he laughed at her non-funny jokes like they were the funniest things ever, the way he looked at her with such adoration in his eyes, and his company.

his company made y/n so happy and she felt so..understood.

heeseung understood y/n’s situation and even though he was never in that type of spotlight, he felt empathy for the girl.

he was caring and let her rant about all her built up issues from her career, always paying attention to her.

that’s what y/n’s problem with heeseung was. he cared about her like no one else did. he made her fall for him, even though she wasn’t supposed to.

heeseung was dealing with something quite similar.

he was slowly falling in love with y/n. actually, scratch that. he was in love with y/n.

she always managed to light up the room with her presence and make heeseung smile.

her laugh was contagious and she was so sweet and bubbly. it was such a refreshing experience for heeseung as non of his teammates were ever like this.

y/n brought out a whole new side of him that he didn’t even know existed. he found himself becoming more caring around her and he was less reckless around her.

but he was so sure that y/n didn’t feel the same. after all, she was the one who made the rule not to fall in love with each other.

little did they both know, they were both falling in love with each other, thinking it was never gonna be reciprocated.

the second week passed by like no time at all. y/n had her photoshoots to go to and some local fashion events here in korea while heeseung busied himself with practice in hopes that his feelings would die down if he distracted himself with the upcoming big race he had.

y/n was also distancing herself a bit from heeseung. she was scared that her heart would be left broken once the fake dating ended.

she had fallen for lee heeseung.

the one thing she told herself not to do.

heeseung of course noticed her sudden distance and became worried for her.

“princess?” —a new nickname he had started calling y/n which made her stomach turn. “are you okay? i haven’t heard much from you and i got worried,” heeseung said, taking off his shoes as he entered y/n’s apartment.

“heeseung…i-i…i dont think i can do this anymore!” she blurted, her negative thoughts getting the best of her.

she watched as heeseung’s face fell, a darker look on his face now.

“what? what do you mean? what do you mean you can’t do this anymore?” he asked, anger laced in his voice.

“i’m sorry hee, i just…i can’t do this anymore! pretending we’re dating when we’re not! it’s just..not working for me..” y/n mumbled, to ashamed to look heeseung in the eye.

she was scared that if she told him the truth, he would get even angrier at her for breaking the rule she made.

“fine! be like that then! don’t tell me why you suddenly want to break this off! that’s fine with me, but don’t come crying back to me when everything falls apart for you!” heeseung seethes, slipping his shoes back on and slamming the door on his way out.

the second the door closed, y/n broke down. she fell to the floor, tears rapidly streaming down her face.

what had she done?

heeseung was beyond mad. but he couldn’t deny that his heart felt a little broken too.

he fell for y/n in these past couple weeks only to have it broken off with no explanation.

his big race was in a few days and he really wanted y/n to be there for him, but now, he didn’t even want to think about her.

the next few days were torture for the two of them. y/n had tried to distract herself with photo shoots, but how could she when heeseung’s big race was all her staff were talking about?

heeseung was similar to y/n. he was practicing for hours and hours, trying to forget y/n, but it was hard when he kept seeing her face on billboards and magazines.

they both didn’t want to admit that they fell for each other.

the day of the race, heeseung was warming up for the biggest race of his career. but he couldn’t help but feel a pang in his heart just by thinking that he wouldn’t have y/n there to cheer him on.

but he couldn’t get distracted now, he had a race to win for fucks sake.

y/n had to practically beg for the day off to her manager. she intended to make things right with lee heeseung.

so, in a baseball cap and a mask, she made her way to the stadium.

to be honest, y/n had no idea what she was doing here. it was clear that heeseung wanted nothing to do with her anymore yet she still needed to see him.

the public didn’t know that they had “broken up” yet so in their eyes, they were still the perfect couple.

after a couple days of moping around, debating whether or not she should tell heeseung how she actually felt about him, she decided that it was only fair that he knew the truth.

once she got to her seat, she really felt the energy in the stadium.

fans were screaming and cheering for all their favorite racers, but she was only here for one.

heeseung’s race was supposed to be the main event of the show tonight as he was going for a world record.

throughout the course of time y/n had spent with heeseung, she did in fact, learn a thing or two about racing, so she wasn’t completely stupid.

as the lights dimmed down and the cheers got louder, y/n could feel her heart quicken. she took off the hat and her mask as it got way too stuffy in the stadium.

from afar, she could see the figure of lee heeseung walking to his race car, his helmet in his hands as he waved to the crowd.

he looked so natural and free in his usual setting and it was like y/n got to experience a whole new side of him.

but then, he turned around, facing y/n’s direction, only to catch her gaze on him. his expression turned into an unreadable one before turning back around and slipping into his car.

once he was in his car, his opponents also got in their cars, now revving up the engines, ready to take off.

y/n nervously looked around at the opponents and then the countdown.

a girl in a skimpy outfit walked into the middle of the cars, a flag in her hands.

3..2…1! GO!

she blew the whistle and raised the flag, making sure to pose for the crowd before walking off once the cars had passed her.

the moment the cars took off, y/n stopped breathing. she watched as heeseung flew across the track, his speed intensifying more and more.

he was a whole lap in front of everyone else, which was a good thing…until it wasn’t.

“oh my god, he’s going too fast!” another person who was sitting next to y/n screamed. y/n’s gaze caught heeseung’s car and the person next to her was right. he was going too fast. he was gonna crash.

heeseung’s car was practically a blur of red, black and white as his car zoomed through the course.

but he never slowed down.

he only sped up.

y/n felt her heart drop as heeseung only moved faster. he was on the final lap, but it didn’t matter. he was going to win anyways but what mattered was his speed.

yes he was going for a world record but this was unsafe. he was going way too fast and he knew it.

heeseung sat in his car, hands tightly around the wheel. before he stepped into his car, he saw y/n.

what was she doing here? the days he spent after the argument with y/n were filled with regret. he should’ve never blew up at her like that.

he should’ve listened to her and her reasoning. he felt so awful. he was so sure she hated him.

so why was she in the stands, watching him? he sped faster, dying to finish the race. dying to tell y/n how fucking sorry he was. he was such an idiot for letting her go so easily. dying to tell her that he loved her.

as he crossed the finish line, he itched to get out of his car. he impatiently waited for all the other cars to come to a stop so it would be safe for him to run out.

something in y/n’s body told her to go. go to him and tell him how much she fell for him.

so that’s what she did. she got up from her seat, rushing down to the gate.

heeseung had the same intent because as soon as it was clear to get out, he threw open the door and rushed out.

his helmet discarded on the floor, not giving a single car for the world except for y/n.

there, he saw her waiting by the gates and he ran harder.

“y/n?? what are you doing here??” he breathed, his voice shaky from the adrenaline.

“i came to see you. i can to tell you how sorry i was and how much of a fool i wa-” she was cut off with heeseung’s lips pressing against hers.

their lips fit together like puzzle pieces and it felt so right. y/n quickly melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around heeseung’s neck.

pulling away, the two of them were breathless.

“i’m the one who should be sorry. i said some things that i shouldn’t have said and i hurt you,” heeseung’s tone was soft yet apologetic. tears sprang to y/n’s eyes as she smiled at heeseung.

“i think…i-i fell in love with you lee heeseung. that’s why i ended this. i was so scared that i would continue falling for you and eventually when it would end, i would be even more heartbroken. i didn’t want to end it but i felt like i had to,” y/n cried into heeseung’s shoulder.

heeseung sighed and wrapped his arms around y/n’s shorter frame.

“princess, i loved you too. i loved you the moment we met in milano,” he chuckled softly, kissing y/n’s head. “i’m so fucking in love with you it hurts.” he laughed.

“i guess that makes two,” y/n smiled, pulling away to look at heeseung’s face.

they both leaned in, connecting their lips one more time.

“i knew you’d win,” y/n whispered against heeseung’s lips.

“yeah?” he smirked, a cocky expression on his face.

the two stayed in each other’s arms for a bit longer, forgetting about the world outside.

“so are we dating for real now?” y/n asked.

“for real.” heeseung smiled, kissing her forehead one more time.

𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬: @en-diaries, @k-films, @k-nets

⚘. Perm taglist: @vmpivory, @yuvany, @seozii, @pinknjm, @greentulip, @jomisu, @nxzz-skz, @ancnymcnzjy

taglist: @blvengene, @punchbug9-blog, @hoshieee, @jxp1-t3r, @mrsjohnnysuh, @hommyy-tommy

[galactic-magick]

A Proper Date: Viktor x Reader

Summary: Viktor wants to take you out on a proper date. Sequel to my fic "The Handsome Assistant."

Words: 1.2k

Warnings: mostly just fluff, some mentions of suggestive stuff towards the end

Author's Notes: Reworked my Arcane masterlist to reflect the reading order for my Vik fics that are in the same continuity, and future fics will now be added to it in the correct order. Thank you guys for all the love it really means the world to me!

-

Life is sweet ever since Viktor’s been in it—and even more so now that you get to kiss him every day.

In all honestly, your routine hasn’t drastically changed. You still distract each other at work way too much, and he still keeps you in conversation long past when you should go home. But now you also stop by each other’s apartments, cook for each other, and spend late nights together in the Academy library and labs working on projects.

Your roommates love him, letting him in even if you’re out doing errands at the moment. Today is one of those days, a bright smile stretching across your face when you see him upon arriving home.

“Viktor!” you drop your things and skip into his arms. You look down and see he’s dressed up a bit more than usual, and your eyebrows scrunch in confusion. “What’s the occasion?”

“I’ve been wanting to take you on a proper date,” he says. “We can go whenever you’re ready.”

“Vik, you know I don’t need fancy dates—“

“Hush.” he presses a finger to your lips. “Go put on something nice, alright?”

You nod, rushing back to your room to change. You meant what you said, you really haven’t minded never having a “proper” date. Neither of you make a ton of money, really just enough to live on and maybe a tiny bit leftover, so you’ve never expected to be taken out to restaurants or really any sort of activity you have to pay for. Most times your dates are making dinner for each other after work, Viktor making you the delicious recipes of his ancestors, mainly. Other times you just people-watch out in the city, chatting about anything and everything. You honestly would do anything with him no matter what it was.

Viktor’s eyes soften at the sight of you when you return to him, taking your hand to leave.

When you approach where you’re going, your grip on his hand tightens and your jaw drops.

“Viktor, you didn’t…”

Your gaze falls onto one of the fanciest restaurants in Piltover, complete with live music and an open ceiling with a perfect view of the stars, both things he knows you love.

“Viktor, this is too much,” you whisper, still flabbergasted. “I would never ask you to pay for a place like this.”

“What makes you think you would have to ask?” he chuckles, pulling you inside. “I’ve been saving up to take you somewhere nice.”

The inside is truly gorgeous, no doubt full of decorative items that are worth twice everything you own. The live band’s sound fills the entire room, setting a soft mood for a night under the sky. You feel entirely out of place, looking at everyone around you, but your eyes always return to Viktor, who’s looking at you like you’re the only thing of value in sight.

He insists that you order anything you want, of course, despite your protests. He wants to treat you, and eventually you have to accept that.

When you finish eating and the restaurant winds down to close, he asks the waitress something that you don’t quite catch while you’re listening to the last song. Viktor hands her quite a decent tip, then motions for you to follow her.

She leads you both to the back of the restaurant, passing multiple signs that say “Staff Only,” then finally gesturing to a tall flight of stairs.

“Up there,” she says. “Don’t stay too long though, I could get in big trouble if you’re caught.”

Viktor thanks her and she leaves the two of you alone.

“I...may have convinced her to let us go to the roof.” he smirks.

You glance back at the stairs, “Vik, you really don’t have to do this for me.”

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry,” he assures you. “Just...go slow.”

The amount of stairs is ludicrous, but it’s not too long before you reach the top and open the door to the beautiful starry night.

You go as close to the edge as you can without falling, craning your neck to look at the miraculous view. Viktor is close behind, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you back.

“Careful, darling,” he mumbles into your shoulder, kissing it before looking up for himself.

You stare in silence for several minutes, Viktor still holding you close.

“Can we live up here?”

He chuckles, “That might be too high a request, I’m afraid,” he nuzzles his nose into your hair. “But I assure you, someday I will give you a place with a view like this.”

You turn around, surprised by the unwavering authenticity in his features. You’ve only been together for a few months now, was he really already thinking about a future with you?

“Viktor—“

His expression quickly changes into one of panic, “My apologies, I didn’t mean to be so forward—“

“No, Viktor,” you wrap your arms around his neck, your faces inches apart. “I’d like that someday too.”

-

Sneaking back out goes smoother than you expected, and Viktor insists on walking you home as usual. There’s a warmth to your heartbeat, a welcome contrast to the chill outside. You can’t believe he went through all the trouble to arrange this night for you, genuinely wanting to surprise you with something extravagant.

When you arrive to your apartment, Viktor walks in with you when you’re met with quite the sight on the couch. Your roommate, Eli, is snuggled up with Sevika, and your snickering quickly wakes them up.

“If I had known you were having a date night too, I would’ve stayed out with Vik longer,” you laugh.

“Well we were going to go to my room, but someone fell asleep on the couch,” Eli nudges Sevika.

“Hmmph,” Sevika grunts, too groggy to properly retaliate.

“We’ll leave you be, then,” you giggle all the way back to your room, pulling Viktor behind you.

“Those two are certainly...something,” Viktor says as you close the door.

“I’m just glad they’re happy,” you shrug. “Anyway—sorry—I didn’t even ask you if you wanted to stay. You can go home if you’d like. Just maybe close your eyes walking back through the living room…”

“No, no. I’d like to stay.” he nods.

“Okay.” you sigh, slowly coming to the realization that this will be the first night you’ve spent together. It’s a bit terrifying, if you’re honest, no matter how much you love him.

You continue, avoiding his gaze, “But just so you know, I’m not ready yet to—um…”

Viktor takes your face in his hands as you drift off, “You don’t have to explain yourself, love. I would be more than happy to simply sleep next to you tonight.”

You nod, most of your anxieties subsiding.

You borrow some pajamas from your roommates that would fit him, then get changed yourself. Your bed certainly isn’t meant for two people, but you both snuggle in well enough to be comfortable. You rest your head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

Viktor rubs your arms and back, pressing kisses to your head. Holding you long after you’ve fallen asleep and his own arms have gone a bit numb.

He smiles at your stirs and snores, your fists gripping him closer the further you drift. He may never be able to go back to sleeping alone after experiencing this.

“Someday...I’ll give you everything you could ever want.” he whispers, closing his eyes.

[taojjang]

𐙚 riize reactions: i want to marry you .ᐟ

⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ advent calendar, day twenty-two! pairing: fiance!riize x reader, genre: fluff! warnings: pure love <3

synopsis: there's no better time to confess your never-ending love for someone than the holidays!

note: we're on the final four! ty guys sm for enjoying the advent calendar series i appreciate it so so so much :( i hope you guys are looking forward to the holidays coming up!! this one is kinda longgg i was feeling a bit too romantic so i hope you have the time and patience for this

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shotaro . . .

since the beginning of november, shotaro had planned a romantic getaway for the holidays. he booked the resort the second you agreed to his idea. from then until the day he drove you to the resort, he wouldn't stop talking about how excited he was. on christmas night, you finally realized why he was so excited.

taro knew you wanted to try ice skating. every time you'd open instagram, you'd watch reels about cute winter date ideas, and somehow ice skating was always a suggestion. you've been bugging taro to take you ice skating. the two of you got ready together in your fancy hotel room, taro letting you pick out your matching outfits. after you got all dolled up for the date, you were on your way to the skii resort.

taro held your hand as you entered the skii lift, reassuring you everything would be fun. but you were terrified. the lift seemed to be going way faster than you anticipated, causing your anxiety to palpitate in your chest. but once you entered the skii lift, your every thought was clouded by the breathtaking view ahead of you. but within seconds of reaching the mountain peak, you felt a tap on your shoulder. as you turned to face your boyfriend, your gaze was stolen by a glistening ring in taro's hand. your heart grew lighter as you looked down into taro's doting eyes.

"you've made every day of my life feel like a dream. would you let me live in your fairytale for the rest of our lives?"

the two of you held hands and explored the snowy mountain together, not being able to stop giggling as the idea of being with each other for the rest of your lives sank in.

eunseok . . .

eunseok is truly the most nurturing boyfriend you could ask for. no matter how busy or tired he is, he'd drop anything and come running to you the second you call his name. but with such a caring boyfriend comes so much nagging. eunseok is always complaining about how you spend too much money ordering food when he could just cook for you, or how you need to prioritize paying bills before buying new clothes. so of course it shocked you when he suddenly told you he was taking you to a tropical resort for christmas.

but of course, you couldn't complain. you were already envisioning so many cute things to do with eunseok on the vacation. you were a bit too excited, packing your things the same night although you had two more weeks until your flight. but it was all worth it. the resort he booked was absolutely stunning. you had your own little house on the beach and you bedroom had a window view of the deep turquoise waves.

the next few days, eunseok would take you on fancy tours of the island and luxurious dinner dates every night. you felt a bit emotional when things were coming to an end. the amount of beautiful memories you made with eunseok this week was all starting to overwhelm you. you felt like your love for him was at its capacity. seeing how sentimental you were, eunseok decided to lift your spirits by taking you on the final activity he had booked: a romantic ride on a yacht. it was absolutely lovely sitting beside eunseok with a glass of champagne in your hand. the wind breezed through your hair, refreshing every lingering thought in your mind. as you soaked in the tropical sun, eunseok called from behind you. "i think you'll like this view more." your heart stilled in your chest as you turned to eunseok, who was on one knee with the most stunning diamond ring you've ever seen

"you're the only person i'd wish to share the rest of my memories with. darling, will you marry me?"

sungchan . . .

every date with sungchan is typically organized by you. sungchan is quite clumsy and unorganized, so whenever he plans something it usually goes wrong. though you don't mind it and enjoy the thrill of how unpredictable his dates are, he's too insecure to plan dates. after all, sungchan wants the best for you.

but he knew you couldn't plan his proposal. he wanted it to be a complete surprise, which he succeeded in. you were shocked by how beautiful the house looked when you got home from spending time with your family for christmas. there was a romantic trail of rose petals leading you from the entrance to the dinner table, which was prettily decorated with fancy candles and flowers. though sungchan was such a klutz, you were proud of him for how luxurious he made the house.

everything was going as planned: he cooked up his best dish and it turned out delicious having you get up for seconds. you even complimented how well he planned out this date. to finish off the night, sungchan poured you a glass of pink champagne and served two slices of your favorite cake. the two of you were eating cake by the fireplace and sharing affectionate words with one another until suddenly, sungchan winced in pain and he covered his mouth with his hand. concerned and panicked, you put down your plate and leaned closer asking him what was wrong. you were surprised to see sungchan pull out a small object from his mouth. it was a diamond ring. you could see the embarrassment rise to his face as he looked down at the ring. "well, that wasn't supposed to be there..." as you realized what had just happened, you bursted out into laughter and took sungchan into your arms. "oh my gosh, sungchan, you're the cutest!" sungchan whined and threw his head into his hands crying, "it was going so well!" you smiled and left a doting kiss on sungchan's lips. "it's alright baby, now's your chance." sungchan sat up and cleared his throat, taking your hands into his and looking into your eyes.

"i know that was so stupid of me, but i promise to take you on countless more dates even better than this one. would you be my wife?"

wonbin . . .

wonbin loves home dates. whenever wonbin is in the mood to take you on a date, the destination is almost always his living room. something about the intimacy of being alone in such a comfortable space makes him so much sweeter than usual. but the christmas spirit makes wonbin even sweeter.

the two of you have a holiday tradition of going on a date to the annual christmas light festival at the nearby park. after walking around and taking cute pictures of every display, you would both find a seat in front of the frozen lake and share one early christmas gift.

but this year, wonbin forgot all about your gift. you stood in front of him with a blue gift bag in your hands, staring at him in disbelief as he stood empty-handed. you were furious. you'd been keeping up this tradition for five years, how could he forget? wonbin had even been bragging endlessly about how amazing your gift is, yet he conveniently forgot to bring it with him. you sat down on the bench and crossed your arms, not daring to look at him. all you could do was sulk as he cooed apologies. but your tough demeanor was soon cracked when wonbin sang, "listen baby, i can make it up to you, hm? look at me." finally giving in and turning to face him, your heart dropped to your stomach. wonbin got on one knee ahead of you, pulling out a small black velvet case from his pocket.

"you're the best gift i could ever receive. i'd never trade you for anything else in the world. will you marry me?"

seunghan . . .

seunghan spoils you rotten all throughout the year. you're having a hard day? dinner date! you just got a promotion? shopping spree! you gave him a few extra kisses that morning? flowers at your doorstep! after all, you're his entire world. what better way to show you that than giving you everything you could possibly ask for?

christmas is your favorite time of the year. you love going on all of the winter dates seunghan plans and enjoying the christmas spirit with him. but it gets a bit stressful sometimes. every day, there's at least two more gifts under the christmas tree despite not asking for a single thing this year. since seunghan spends so much money on you, you told him not to fret about christmas gifts this year and to focus on his family and friends. but its obvious those words didn't stick with him. by the time christmas eve came, more than half of the gifts under the tree were for you. you went to bed that night excited to open all of the gifts he'd gotten for you.

but you woke up to a christmas tree with no gifts beneath it. the tree skirt was bare with no boxes in sight. instead, four bouquets of flowers were sitting where the gifts usually were. confused, you called for seunghan in hopes he could explain what happened. but he never answered. as you investigated further, you noticed a single gift sitting on the branches of the tree. your eyes welled with tears as it revealed a silver ring with a stunning blue diamond. you turned around to see seunghan standing at the doorway with all of your gifts and another bouquet.

"what do you say, angel? would you take my hand in marriage?"

sohee . . .

as much as sohee loves you, it's rare for him to express said love through physical touch. here and there, he'd hold your hand as you walk beside each other or he'd brush your hair behind your ear when you're resting against his shoulder. but typically, he struggles to openly express his affection.

so of course you suspected something was off when he awkwardly held your hand for days straight. since the day before christmas eve, sohee's been so much more cuddly than you're used to. after spending the holidays together for the nth time, he wouldn't leave your side. he was practically clinging onto you from the moment he woke up to the moment he fell asleep in your arms. though you loved every second of it, you began to worry.

to end off christmas day on a cozy note, you put on your coziest sweater and got comfortable in front of the fireplace. not even a few seconds later, sohee hesitantly sat beside you, linking his arm around yours and resting against your shoulder. you pulled the blanket over the two of you and looked down at the clingy boy beside you. resting your hand on his cheek and stroking his soft skin, you asked out of pure concern, "sohee baby, is something wrong? is there something from your christmas list that i missed?" sohee chuckled and shook his head, snuggling closer to you. "what? of course not. i just... have a lot on my mind." even the slightest pout on sohee's face caused you immense discomfort and pain. you couldn't stand hearing he was stressed. "tell me about it, what's upsetting you?" sohee took a few seconds to simply breathe and take in your presence. swallowing back all of his fear, he looked up at you and let everything fall from his lips. "i think... i think i wanna marry you." your heart stood completely still. not a single breath escaped your lips. it was as if your entire world had froze. your love for sohee began overflowing in the form of tears.

"i've never felt so much love for someone as long as i've lived. i want to marry you, y/n."

anton . . .

christmas is always so serious for anton. he does not play when it comes to the holiday festivities. from november 1st all the way through january 31st, your house is full of the prettiest christmas decorations and even gifts. anton buys tons and tons of gifts for you that could last even past christmas. all year round, he takes notes on what items you express a desire for and he brings home all of those gifts on christmas. he just wants nothing but the best for you.

you're far too precious to anton. everything you do makes him feel so overwhelmingly in love with you. no matter how cranky you are, anton will always spoil you with snacks and affection every night. so of course he goes above and beyond for christmas, seizing the opportunity to spoil you rotten.

but you didn't expect there to be this many presents under the tree. you shook your head in both disbelief and astonishment. after eating a fancy breakfast anton had prepared, he urged you to open all of your gifts. you were more than touched to see all of the things you've mentioned to him sitting under the tree. from new clothes to fancy jewelry, anton covered everything you wished for. just when you thought things couldn't get any better, you opened the final box. inside lied a white teddy bear and a pink book sitting beneath it. you wound emotional flipping through the pages and seeing all of the prettiest photos he's taken with you, from the lowest times to the happiest memories you could recall. lying in the center of the last page was a gift you've been waiting for since the moment you met anton. it was a promise ring. looking up at anton with love flowing down your cheeks, you couldn't help but cry out of pure happiness.

"the happiest moments of my life were spent with you, y/n, and i want nothing more than to make even more with you. may i be your husband?"

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⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ tag list! (ask or comment to be added!)

@endtostartbreathin @gacktsa @hanninova @ramyeonzprincess @taroddori

[harrywavycurly]

Hey I loved the bachelorette party in Malibu for Lonley series but can u do one where Harry has a bachelor party and yn stuck at home please I’m obbsed 😂💕

Hiii lovey!!! I’m glad you enjoy the series!!! I hope you like this, it was fun to write because the difference in how the two of them handle time away from each other is very funny😂💖

Find all things Lonely series here✨

CW: Language and mentions of drinking

Tag List: @blckburd @fangirl509east @ell0ra-br3kk3r @youngpastafanmug @mattieshattuck1 @outofthisworl-d

A/N: Harry is away for his bachelor party weekend while you’re at home and you get a surprise visitor, enjoy drunk Harry as well as some classic bestie banter✨

You let out a sigh of content as you get comfortable on the couch before bringing your coffee mug up to your lips so you can take a sip, the house is quiet minus the gentle humming sound of the ice maker in the kitchen and the air conditioning that kicks on every now and then and you can’t help but sit there and enjoy the peacefulness of the quiet, at least while you can. You look at the clock on the wall in the kitchen and know that Harry should be landing in Vegas soon, Gemma having booked a morning flight so she could get in a few hours at the spa and a well timed nap before the nighttime festivities begin, most of which you have no idea about minus one little detail but that’s only because she drunkenly let it slip during your bachelorette trip a month ago.

You smile at the thought of Harry being surprised with a spa day, something you know he enjoys and will help him relax and the more relaxed he gets the more fun he will have as the evening goes on. That’s the thing with this weekend, you truly want Harry to have fun because he’s been spending way too much time fussing over you and the upcoming wedding recently that a night out without anything or anyone to worry about is what he deserves. And even though you had to practically drag him down the front steps to the car that was taking him to the airport this morning because he was “gonna miss you too much” and almost bought you a ticket on the spot to join him in Vegas, you know he’s going to end up having a good time.

You take another sip of your coffee when suddenly you hear a light beeping sound signaling to you that your front gate has been opened. You raise an eyebrow as you quickly lean over and place your mug on the coffee table before standing up and heading towards the kitchen so you can look at the fancy little tablet that shows all the security cameras, something Harry made sure to show you how to use before he left since this is technically your first time alone overnight in the house since moving in together. You mentally prepare yourself to see the same black SUV you watched him leave in this morning pulling into the driveway, but when you look at the screen you scrunch your brows together and bring the tablet closer to your face to get a better look at the car.

“What the-”

“Your fuckin’ gate hates me.” You look up from the tablet in your hands as Niall walks through your front door with a duffle bag. “I type in the code it gets all mad and beeps at me so then I type it in again and then it flashes red at me. So then I do it a third-why the bloody hell you got that thing so close to your face? You going blind or somethin?” He stops in the doorway of the kitchen with a slight look of concern on his face as his eyes land on you standing in the middle of the kitchen still holding the tablet a few inches from your face trying to see if that really is Niall’s car in your driveway or not.

“What are you doing here?” You watch him roll his eyes as he walks through the kitchen and into the living room where he drops his duffle bag down behind the couch.

“I live here.” Is all he says as he heads back into the kitchen and grabs himself a mug before going to the coffee pot. You just place the tablet back down onto the counter as you watch Niall make his way around the kitchen while making his coffee.

“Does my fiancé know that?” You ask with a hint of playfulness because you know Harry would have a field day if he heard Niall tell you he lived here, having reached a whole new level of jealousy ever since the two of you got engaged when it comes to your friendship with Niall.

“Oh what that lanky lad doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Besides it’s just for the weekend because I know he’s gone and you’ve never been alone here before so figured you could use the company.” You know he’s leaving something out as he gives his coffee a good stir before taking a sip of it all while looking everywhere but at you in the process.

“You didn’t get invited did you?” Niall’s face drops as he places his mug on the counter and lets out a sad dramatic sigh making you have to hold back a laugh.

“No.” He says with a groan. “Gem said she didn’t wanna risk Harry not having as good of a time with me there because he might be worried I’d run off and tell you everything but we both know that’s a load of bull because the man is gonna end up drunk off his ass by ten tonight and callin you up and telling on his own fucking self.” You put a hand over your mouth to try to hide your laughter but it’s no use because Niall just rolls his eyes as he grabs his mug and heads towards the living room.

“So you decided coming over here for the weekend was the best alternative?” You question as you follow him into the living room. He just shrugs as he sits down on the couch, placing an arm on the back of it so you can sit next to him and lean into his side for a little cuddle that you know he needs more than you do in this very moment.

“I figured no use in both of us being home alone when we could just be in your house together eating all Harry’s snacks and watching trashy telly.” You smile and you rest your head on Niall’s shoulder as he brings his mug up to his lips. “This coffee is gonna keep me awake for a week you absolute caffeine fiend.” He teases before taking another sip. “Tastes good though.” He mumbles as you reach for the remote so you can turn the tv on allowing the two of you to start your day of watching horrible reality television.

“If she picks him then it proves she’s just after his money because it’s clear she doesn’t even like him she just tolerates him.” You huff as you cross your arms over your chest in annoyance making Niall let out a laugh from the kitchen.

The two of you have spent the day and a good portion of the evening watching some dating show and only have one episode left so Niall decided it was only fitting he make some cocktails to go with watching the finale and honestly having put up with the dramatics of the show and watching the main woman send home people the two of you thought were decent catches has made him need a drink or two. He is in the middle of squeezing a lime into your glass when he hears the sound of something vibrating against the marble of your kitchen counter, he raises an eyebrow when he notices your phone sitting there plugged into a charger near the coffee maker. Now Niall has been your bestfriend for quite a while, so he’s no stranger to checking your phone for you so he doesn’t think twice before he’s drying his hands off and walking over to see who’s messaging you but what he sees on your lock screen makes his eyes go wide.

“You have forty six unread-sorry now it’s forty seven unread texts? What the hell? Oh fuck now it’s fifty.” You let out a sigh as your head falls to the back of the couch while Niall unplugs your phone from the charge and heads into the living room with it in his hand.

“I don’t want to respond because then he’ll keep texting me and I want him to have fun and not be thinking about me.” Niall would agree that in theory your plan would work on anyone else but this is Harry you’re talking about and he knows how obsessed the man is with you and clearly based on the evidence of the amount of texts he’s sent without a single response from you, your plan is in fact not working.

“Right well I think that’s sweet and all that you want him to have fun but looking at these-uh he seems a bit stressed? Like proper freaking out.” You sit up and turn to look at Niall as he begins to read some of the texts Harry has sent and when you watch him roll his eyes you know they are probably a bit on the dramatic side. “Oh he’s totally drunk off his ass and it’s not even half past eleven.” He states as he scrolls down towards the last few messages he sent you.

“What’s he stressed-”

“And now he’s FaceTiming you.” You stand up and walk around the couch and reach for your phone but Niall just gives you a playful smirk and you instantly know what he’s about to do.

“Niall do not answer that.” You warn as you hold your hand out for him to hand you the phone but Niall just ignores you as he heads back into the kitchen and holds the phone up before he answers Harry’s FaceTime call.

“Baby-what the fuck’er you doin in my house?” Harry’s voice is low and a bit rougher than normal and you immediately know he’s working his way towards a nice buzz. “Why do you have my wife’s phone?” Niall rolls his eyes as he places your phone against the sink so he can go back to fixing the two of you some drinks.

“She’s not your wife yet mate and I’m here because that sister of yours didn’t invite me to your little weekend away so I came here to keep my bestfriend company.” You run a hand over your face as you hear Harry let out a groan at Niall’s correction of him calling you his wife.

“You don’t like spa days so you’d’ve hated it so far.” Niall sends Harry a glare as he grabs the bottle of tequila making Harry raise an eyebrow at him when he watches him pour more than a shots worth into each glass. “You tryin’a get her drunk?” He asks as you stand on the other side of the island watching Niall make your drink and making sure Harry can’t see you, at least not yet.

“You’re in the city of sin and all you’ve done is have a bloody spa day? God you’re such an eighty year old nan.” You can’t help but laugh making Niall shoot you a playful wink but that only causes Harry to let out a whine like noise because he can hear you but can’t see you which makes Niall roll his eyes. “I can’t with the sad puppy noises you’ve got to take him.” Niall says as he picks up the phone with one hand and hands it to you but with the screen still facing him. You send him a glare before you stick your tongue out at him making him laugh before he returns the gesture.

“I don’t want to see your tongue Niall-”

“Hi Harry.” You watch Harry’s face go from disgust to pure happiness in a matter of seconds when you turn the phone around allowing him to finally see your face.

“Baby I’m so happy you’re alive.” You just ignore Niall’s laugh as you make your way back into the living room to get comfortable on the couch. “You ignored me all day and s���not nice to ignore someone you love.” His voice is a mixture of playfulness and a bit of sadness as he pokes his bottom lip out in a dramatic pout.

“I wanted you to worry about having fun not about what I’m doing.” You explain as you take a moment to try to get a decent look at him through the screen but the way he has his phone in his hand all you can see is his face and a bit of the collar of his shirt. “Where are you right now?” You ask when you notice red strobe lights in the background, Harry turns his head and looks around as if he’s looking for the name of the establishment on the walls or anywhere near where he’s currently at.

“Uhm m’not sure? S’a bit dark in here but the people are very lovely.” You smile at the blush that appears on his cheeks as his eyes wonder over to something that’s going on in front of him that you can’t see.

“That’s code for the girls are topless and the tits are nice.” Niall whispers in your ear as he leans over the back of the couch to hand you your drink, you just laugh but Harry even in his half drunken state heard Niall’s little joke and sends him a glare through the screen.

“He said people so I’m assuming it’s not just girls in this club.” You explain and Niall just shrugs as he takes a sip of his drink.

“Right so the guys are brief-less and the cocks are decent.” You nearly choke on the sip of your drink that’s in your mouth at Niall’s statement making him laugh as he reaches over and rubs your back a bit. “Jesus no wonder you two are getting married. Neither of you can handle your liquor.” He teases before he heads back into the kitchen to give you and Harry a few minutes alone.

“Harry why don’t you go and enjoy yourself? You can call me in the morning if you want?” You don’t want to sound rude but you know if you don’t get him off the phone soon then odds are you’ll be on FaceTime with him for the next few hours or until Gemma notices and takes things into her own hands.

“I took s’mthing of yours to help me get through the weekend without you.” Harry admits quietly as he looks around as if to make sure no one is looking before he reaches into his suit jacket pocket, you feel your whole face get hot when he shows you what he took of yours and you silently thank your lucky stars Niall decided to go back into the kitchen. “They’ve helped so far but still miss you.” He adds as he clutches the item in his hand while staring at you through the phone.

“You are such a freak.” Harry just shrugs one shoulder and gives you a sneaky little smirk as he begins to put the object pack into his pocket.

“Tell me those aren’t your knickers he’s shoving back into this pocket like some sort of sicko.”

“M’not a sicko for having a pair of my fiancé’s-”

“Do not finish that sentence Harry Styles you are in public.” You hear a scoff come from behind you while Harry also makes a similar sounding noise making you send Niall who’s now resting his forearms on the back of the couch next to where you’re sitting, a glare over your shoulder before looking back at your phone to give Harry the same look.

“Babe he’s surrounded by bouncing boobs and swinging pricks you think anyone’s gonna give a rats ass if he’s got some worn out knickers in his sleeve?” You scrunch your nose at Niall’s choice of words regarding your undergarments making Harry chuckle.

“How’d ya know they’re worn? You been in my nightstand you wonky kneed twat?”

“You have a panty stash in your nightstand you lanky fuck?”

“And if I do? S’none of your concern you hobbit sized asshole.”

“Ya know for a family all about treat people with kindness you Styles lot sure love to be mean as fuck to the Irish fella who’s job it is to make sure your beloved future bride makes it down the aisle.”

“The bloody hell s’that ‘posed to mean?” You let out a sigh as you just sit there and let the two of them argue as you normally do, knowing that eventually you’ll have to step in but for right now it hasn’t reached the level of any serious feelings getting hurt. Harry’s eyes are a light shade of red and his cheeks are pink letting you know his drinks are starting to catch up to him.

“It means that you overgrown toddler of a man best start being nicer to me or I might just have her accidentally get lost on the way to the venue or better yet just let her sleep in and be so late you’ll have to cancel the whole thing and reschedule it for next-”

“Okay that’s enough.” You snap when you see Harry’s eyes start to get watery as Niall’s threat starts to sink into Harry’s slightly alcohol clouded mind. “Niall go into the kitchen and make me a snack please.” He just lets out a huff but he does what you say because he can tell by your tone that you’re in no playing mood and besides he is starting to feel a bit hungry himself.

“I don’t want to reschedule.” You feel your heart sink a bit at how sad Harry’s voice is as he looks at you with a frown.

“We aren’t rescheduling anything Harry he’s just being mean that’s all.” You give him a reassuring smile that just makes him nod. “I love you and I want you to go and have fun okay? Do some weird stuff and tell me all about it when you get home or if you don’t want to-”

“M’gonna call you in the morning.” He corrects you and you just smile at his face because you know he’s trying his best to look serious but he’s failing due to the corners of his mouth pulling up into a smile. “I love you so so-so fucking much even though you ignored me.” He half mumbles and you can’t help but giggle at how cute he is when he’s drunk and trying so hard to keep it together.

“I love you too.” He gives you a dimpled grin at your response. “Now go have fun or I won’t answer your call tomorrow.” You know it’s probably not nice to threaten him but you figure it’s a good way to get him to actually do what you want and by the way he rolls his eyes and lets out a huff you know it works.

“Fine I’ll go and find m’sister and have fun.” He says with a sigh while you smile and blow him a kiss before saying you love him one more time and ending the call.

“Has he always been so damn needy?” Niall asks as you walk into the kitchen with your drink in your hand. You just shrug as you take a sip while you take a seat on one of the barstools at the kitchen island so you can watch Niall cook, he decided a proper meal was what the two of you needed not just a lousy snack since there’s still a dating show finale to watch.

“I don’t know but I also don’t mind.” You answer with a smile making Niall quirk a brow at you as he stirs in the cheese sauce for the Mac and cheese. “I’m happy to be the one he needs.” And it’s the truth because while Harry might be overly clingy and a tad bit more needy than he normally was when the two of you were just friends, you love being the one he wants to cling to and feels the urge to be needy with because it shows the shift that’s taken place and how in love with you he actually is.

[kleotheundeadone]

Scenario: Teaching Alastor To Kiss

(A/N: This is based off of a previous post I made where I talked about how the main group would kiss, & I concluded that Alastor would be bad at it, lmao. I’m still a simp, so I gotta redeem him a little bit, pun totally intended. This may be ooc, but it’s my hyperfixation, & I shall do as I please with it)

“Remind me again, darling, what is the point of practicing such a trivial activity?”

You sighed a bit, rolling your eyes at the demonic deers tone. Perhaps you should have guessed that Alastor wouldn’t know how to kiss. He had (begrudgingly) admitted to having never been in a relationship before you, so it made sense that he had never been kissed before, & wouldn’t be sure how it works. But it would be nice if the egotistical asshole would shelve his pride for 5 seconds so you could help him through this. “Come on Alastor, kissing is just like any other skill. It takes practice, & patience. So if we’re gonna do this, you gotta work with me. It’s okay to not be good at it at first.” 

A laugh track echoed around the room. “Ha! Oh, you truly do know just how to make me laugh, my dear! As if mashing one's face with another requires much skill. What a ridiculous notion all together!” You rolled your eyes. Why were you bothering with him again? You almost decide to just give up entirely before feeling his hand carefully take hold of yours, pulling your attention back to him. “But I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to subject myself to such foolish flights of fancy. If only just this once.” You smiled softly at him, slowly placing your hand on his cheek. The sound of radio static filled the room for a moment, before lulling down into a subtle hum. “If you don’t wanna do this,” You murmured, squeezing his hand slightly in an effort to calm him. “It’s okay. We really don’t have to.” There was a beat of silence, save for the gentle hum of static, before he nodded, his smile strained. You wouldn’t lie & say it was perfect at first- A couple instances of uncomfortable teeth kissing, fumbling at trying to carefully instruct him on how to hold his head, & reminders to keep his lips closed, but after a few minutes, there was a very noticeable improvement.

“You’re doing much better,” You smiled, rubbing your thumb across his cheek. “Lets give it one more try, alright?” You could feel the air around you buzzing around erratically as the grating sound of radio static filled the room, but nonetheless, Alastor kept on a brave smile & nodded once again, shutting his eyes & leaning forward like you had taught him to. You press your lips softly against his, eyes fluttering shut as you shut out the world & focused on the feeling of his mouth against yours. His kiss was soft, careful, & dare you say unsure. There was a vulnerability in it that was completely out of character for the radio demon. Had anyone else ever been with him in such a revealing state? You knew all too well the answer was no. The fact he was here with you like this was… Would it be too cliche to describe it as... Heavenly? The gentle hum of the radio static turns into the soft melody of strings & what you could have sworn was a saxophone. Was- Was he playing slow jazz??? You chuckled softly, pulling away as a consequence of your giggles. Alastor's ears twitched back & forth slightly as he laughed right along with you. "Forgive me darling, but the silence was dreadful! I simply had to do something about it before it killed me. Again!" You shook your head in disbelief as you reached the end of your little giggle fit, playfully nudging his side. "That's fair. Even I feel a bit awkward when kissing someone in total silence." Alastor hummed softly, stroking your cheek before grabbing you by the jaw, placing his other hand on the small of your back as his smile stretched out wide across his face, his crimson gaze glowing eerily. "Well then, I suppose we'll just have to make some noise, won't we my dear?"

[homoquartz]

it's been a funky few days so here's a poll

edit: please sign this

[koalajinn]

Spoil my baby girl summo ' / j.jk x black!reader

summary: Jungkook took you out on a flight to France, Paris for a vacation, and to show you that he's the only man who would ever spoil you til your rotten.

warnings : brat reader, obsessive!jk, a little arguing but it's quickly made up, thick!oc, black!reader, drinking, lots of alcohol, swearing, hard sex, rough sex, nasty nasty dirty talking, ass slapping, backshots, nasty positions, fem oral, cum eating, pet names (mama, big mama, baby, slut,) n for jk (big daddy, daddy, koo, kookie)

pairing : jk x black!reader

setting: cold weather out in Paris, cool wind that breezes, trees dressing the colors of bright yellow, orange, and red, tall buildings that look fancy with lots of glass windows

note <3 : wow, thank yall soooo much on that last post. Yall blew me up!! I never realized that being a black writer for BTS fictions would receive so much love, I truly appreciate it.

YALL READY FOR THIS ONE?? 👀

[chthonic-cassandra]

hello my friend! currently rereading dracula, as you know, and wondered if you have any recs for where to start with criticism about the novel? 🖤

This question makes me so happy! <3

I am dreadfully out of date on this, but I can certainly give you places to start; these are not all necessarily recommendations for criticism I like (there's precious little of that), but more introductions to classic criticism in the field.

The classics

The Norton Critical Edition of Dracula (edited by Nina Auerbach and David J. Skal), alongside the Cambridge Companion to Dracula, are both good introductions which collect representative examples of some of the most popular scholarly strains of thought on the novel. When someone asks me to recommend an edition of Dracula to start with, I always suggest the Norton.

Leonard Wolf (who was not Virginia Woolf's husband, but who was one of Anne Rice's college professors) was one of the most important voices in the critical reevaluation of Dracula which started in the 1970's. I often disagree with him (so much so that I once wrote a fic about how much I disagree with him), but his annotated edition of Dracula was my first. His important works are A Dream of Dracula and Dracula: A Connoisseur's Guide. He (along with Radu Florescu and Raymond McNally) was an important early proponent of the "Dracula is Vlad Tepes" theory, which was hotly opposed by...

Elizabeth Miller, ornery grand dame of Dracula criticism. She is extremely invested in being the most reasonable and the least prone to flights of fancy of all the critics, which means she does often say useful things, but she's also a little boring. She's best known for Dracula: Sense and Nonsense, but it's more a litany of complaints than actually analysis. Her books in general have useful primary source stuff.

Once you get into analysis of Dracula reception and adaptions, then I can with a full heart recommend David J. Skal's Hollywood Gothic, full of delightful trivia, which was truly Skal's strength.

Recommendations I more stand by:

Donald Glover's Vampires, Mummies, and Liberals: Bram Stoker and the Politics of Popular Fiction is one of the very few works of Dracula criticism that I thought actually dealt in any kind of thoughtful way with the racial politics of the book.

Christy Desmet's essay on Ophelia, Ellen Terry, and Dracula, collected in Shakespearean Gothic, was excellent and I still think about it; the whole collection is very much worth reading.

Loved Ann-Louise Kibbie's Transfusion: Blood and Sympathy in the Nineteenth Century Literary Imagination, which isn't all about Dracula but obviously deals substantially with it.

As a teenager I had a lot of fun reading the uploaded issues of The Journal of Dracula Studies and sometimes fantasized about submitting something to them while concealing my age/lack of higher education to see what happened (I never did). I remember feeling very vindicated by Katharina Mewald's "The Emancipation of Mina?" but don't know how it would hold up now. I haven't kept up with the most recent issues (perhaps I will start!) but at a glance there seem to be some interesting things.

ETA forgot about Allison Case's Plotting Women: Gender and Narration in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Novel! Good Mina material, comparing her with Marian in Woman in White.

[acotarxreader]

Shadow and Flame pt 3

Azriel X Reader

Warnings: Angst, smut, miscommunications, mentions of burn.

A/N: Right, I haven't written smut in a very long time and I am very rusty so apologies in advance there 😂 the end of this segment I hope it's clear that both situations happen concurrently and that that comes across yikes! I'm still blown away by people's kind words and welcoming nature. Thank you so much loves! Part 4 loading

Part 1 Part 2

--------------------------------

You woke to the smell of cedar and mist replacing the smell of burned skin in your nose. You sighed gently, tempting your eyes to open. You reached to feel the softest silk beneath your hands. This sent fear through you. Where were you? You tried to will your body upright but insurmountable pain shattered through your bones. Your eyes peeled open, to stare up at a delicately painted ceiling, the stars of the night sky looking back at you. You reached for any flame you could find but none came to you, your own fire truly exhausted from the battle with your Father's. 

“Easy there YN” the female's voice stopped your movements, your eyes frantically searching for the source as she stepped out of the shadow.

“Hello, I'm Feyre, please be gentle with yourself you were ravaged” she said quietly and you hated it. Hated the pity. You knew of Feyre, you knew of her and your brother, what happened Under The Mountain and all the things that happened since but mostly you knew she was not an immediate threat unless threatened. 

“Where am I?” You rasped through your smokey throat. 

“Velaris, this is our home, Azriel brought you to us when you landed on the town house steps, we have healers round the clock for you, it won't be long until you're right again” you groaned, trying to move your body, pushing away the pain. 

“I need Lucien” you breathed

“Yes well….about him, he is kind of sort of not available at the moment”

“What?” You gently turned your head to get a look at the beautiful High Lady.

“Az won't allow him to darken the door. I'm sorry if this upsets you but we must let him work through it himself if we are ever to see them in the same room again” Feyre left out the part where Azriel had nearly torn the Prince of Foxes limb for limb, leaving him in his own state of disrepair.

“I have to go, I have to go back to Autumn, he'll come for me”

“Beron will not step another foot in this Court unless he fancies losing it. My mate is handling him as we speak” she spoke with such hatred in her voice for your Father. He had crossed into the territory unwelcomed, certainly ruffling the treaty but you were his to fetch. You knew he'd come back, treaty or not. You couldn't stay here and risk the vengeance. You couldn't stay here and risk them finding out your heritage. You pushed up slightly to sit and rest against the headboard, your skin screaming at you to stop. You glanced around the room lit by sunlight, no flame to be seen

“Feyre, I need fire”

“I think you've had enough of that” she laughed but stopped once she noticed your stony expression.

She cleared her throat before speaking again. “Az has instructed us to keep you from fire until you are rested, he said you're a flight risk, he didn't care to elaborate” she gave a small smile. 

“Azriel is not my keeper. I have to get to flame, it will help me to recover” she weighed up her options as you pleaded with your copper eyes. She moved slowly to the fireplace to retrieve a matchbox and tealight, figuring a small light was of minimal risk. Your eyes followed her hands as she drew the match backwards, watching and waiting for the relief the crackle of fire would bring. The match drew against the red phosphorus as you held your breath. A shadow quenches the flame before it could grow.

“Feyre” her head snapped to Azriel as he stood in the doorway, tea tray in hand. She looked at the Shadowsinger as if she was a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar. 

“I-she said she needs it to recover” he sighed at her before glancing straight to you, the words she said only resonating with him then, you were awake.

“YN, thank the Gods” he dashed to your side, putting the tray down. Feyre allowed a smirk to grow, dropping the matches at the end of the bed before seeing herself out of the room.

“Get me Lucien” his face twisted in anger at the sound of the name and that these were the first words you'd uttered to him in a week. 

“YN, please I know he is your love but-” your loud laugh cut him off, pressure releasing as your ribs shook.

“That is disgusting” you remarked with a smile to the confused Shadowsinger. You swallowed the laugh growing in you again, attempting to swing your legs to the side of the bed to have Azriels hand stop you in your tracks. 

“YN please you must rest”

“I must get out of here before Fa-Beron comes and burns this place to cinders”

“He wouldn't dare, what is it he wants with you?” You glanced down at your feet and back up to meet the hazel eyes. You must have looked like a nightmare, ash still in your hair, cracked skin screaming to be reconnected with itself and yet Azriel looked at you with pure kindness in his eyes. 

“He wants - I can't tell you what he wants but I should go to him before he comes to collect” you said smally. Azriel kneeled to the side of the bed to fall between your legs as they hung over the edge. His hands slid into yours as if they were always meant to be there. You watched the movement with such caution. This wasn't supposed to happen. You weren't supposed to be seen. You weren't supposed to want to be seen. 

“I will not hesitate to kill him where he stands should he cross the threshold of the Night Court without permission again” his eyes searched yours with determination.

“I want to trust you” he lowered his head to your hands at your response. Azriel almost painfully slowly raised your hands to his mouth to place the gentlest of kisses on your cracked skin. This sent tingles through your body, the lovingness of the gesture warmed you, soothing your exhausted internal blaze. 

“Then trust me” His words broke your heart, but you felt you trusted him as much as you trusted your father would come for you.

“Give me a flame” your eyes landed on the box of matches at the end of the bed. His eyes followed yours with trepidation. If your father was to come then you were not going to have him find you broken in a bed. 

“YN-”

“-If I am to trust you then you are to trust me, give me a flame to aid my recovery” your eyes scanned him from side to side, hoping to portray the genuineness you felt. He released your hands, reaching for the match box again.

He dragged a match from its cage and looked into your eyes as he struck it off the red phosphorus, bursting into life. Its glow illuminated the space between you both. You reached a shaky hand towards the flame, it almost stretching out to you in joy of being reunited.

Azriel watched in awe, never had he seen the elements behave in such a way for any ordinary Fae. But you weren't ordinary, you were of pure Autumn Court blood, the flame a friend of yours. Your finger made contact with the heat, Azriel tried not to cringe at the sound of the sizzle. You breathed the energy before diving in. You were pulled from the bed and deep within its heat. Azriel leapt to his feet at the now empty bed in front of him. He cursed out loud, he trusted you and you left. He wanted to help you and you left. He cared for you and you left. The match fizzled out. 

“Told you” he jumped on the spot as you stood from behind him, skin beginning to knit together again faster than any healer could work. Your loose nightdress flowed over the scars now melting back into your skin as you smiled at the Shadowsinger. He exhaled in relief, closing the distance between you.

“Did you think I'd gone?” he caught hold of your hands as you gave a small laugh at his surprised face. 

“I thought you had evaded my touch once again Flame” you tried to hide your blush at his new pet name for you, failing miserably. You felt yourself almost fall into the shrinking space between you both, Azriels shadows dancing with your flames around your feet, finding home in one another. 

“Who are you Flame?” It was hardly above a whisper.

“I-”

“-Excuse me!” Madjas sharp voice split you both apart. 

“Madja I was just-”

“-Leaving Lady YN to bed rest, as we had agreed” she raised an eyebrow as Azriel almost shrunk into himself like a bold school child. You let a little laugh leave you at the sight, until Madja landed her gaze on you and you hung your head almost in shame. She pointed to the bed with a slender finger, you went to protest but her heated stare told you otherwise as you slipped back into the sheets. 

∆***************∆

You sank into the medicated bath. Normally being submerged in water had you feeling ill but the myriad of lit candles surrounding you gave you comfort. Madja had ordered you to soak your stitching skin and you now feared her almost as much as your father so you obliged. 

You hummed gently as your eyes rested in the swimming pool-like bath that was flush with the floor. You wondered where Lucien was, how angry he'd be with you, how enraged he'd be at the sight of you and Azriel earlier. You couldn't help but smile at the discomfort you'd bring your sibling. You reached for the salve Madja instructed you to apply, it's cream-like consistency foaming on the grooves of your skin.

“YN I brought you- Fuck sorry!” Azriel shielded his eyes quickly while dropping the books he held in his hand. You moved deeper in the water, suddenly shy at his presence. He moved to gather the books still blocking his eyes, kicking one into the bubbling water. 

“Shit!” 

“Azriel just open your eyes before you end up in here with me” you laughed retrieving the book, its ink blending into the water. Azriel thought for a moment to keep his eyes closed, the possibility of ending up in there with you making the hair on his neck stand up in excitement. He opened his eyes cautiously to find you staring up at him through your lashes.

“Thank you for lighting the candles for me earlier, a lovely surprise” 

“You're welcome, anything you need” he gathered the books, shivers running through him at the sight of your body beneath the bubbles.

“Actually Azriel….nevermind”

“No, what is it? Tell me” You shrunk in on yourself slightly, your boldness leaving you. He wanted to stay there with you as long as he could, in any capacity. 

“It's just….I need to put this salve on my back and…I can't reach and Madja has gone home for the evening and-”

“Sure” he replied quickly, cursing himself internally at your smirk. 

Azriel lowered himself on his knees behind you, his wings balancing him from teetering over the edge. You passed the jar back to him over your shoulder, trying to keep your anticipation to a minimum, fixing your glance at the navy tiling. 

He hovered his shaking hand above your shoulder as it glistened from the water. Azriel every so gently rubbed the salve into your skin, it foaming on contact. You rolled your head back slightly at the feeling of the soothing balm on your cracked skin causing a breath of relief to leave you. Azriels eyes fell over your shoulder for a moment to glance at your chest, he mentally scolded himself immediately for stealing the glance, pulling his hand back.

“Are you okay?” You noticed the missing sensation straight away, you rolled to lie on your stomach, forearms across the rim of the bath, you looked up at the Shadowsinger on his knees above you.

“I-I’m not sure I've ever felt so okay before in my life Flame” his eyes were so lovingly looking at you with such true sincerity you'd never felt from someone before. You pushed up from the bath to your feet, your whole torso dripping in bubbles gleaming. Azriel swallowed the lump in his throat, he was now eye level with you as you reached for his hand and pulled him closer to you. He couldn't help but trace your whole body with his eyes, drinking you in. Your hand slipped around the back of his neck, pulling him up from his knees and forward to meet your lips. 

Inferno. Azriels whole body felt warm and secure as you kissed him deeply, his hands going to your waist. You shuddered a little bit at his cold hands meeting your wet sides.

“Sorry sorry did I hurt you?” he pulled back suddenly to your surprise. 

“Azriel do you intend on hurting me?”

“No”

“Then no, you didn't hurt me, it's just because I'm all….wet that your dry hand just…startled me” Azriel took a moment to think before a devilish smirk grew across his face, he stood and began to strip down in front of you. Your mouth dried out at the sight of him, your skin felt electric as he sank into the water alongside you. His hand grazed the side of your cheek, pulling you forward to meet him gently. 

“I-was-so-scared-when-I-found-you-on-the-steps” Azriel breathed out between kisses. You passed one of your legs over his lap beneath the water to straddle him, tilting his head back to deepen the kiss. 

“Were you looking for me?” You smiled into the kiss, his hands wrapping around you to pull you flush into him. 

“I think my whole life Flame” your heart sang at these words, your breath taken from you as he attached himself to your neck. You moaned at the feeling of his teeth nipping you, trailing down your neck to your chest. Azriel hardened beneath you even more at the sound. You leaned up slightly, running a hand down his chiselled chest to beneath the surface of the water to his lengthy member. 

“Fuuuck” he breathed at the feeling and you grinned. You slowly lowered yourself back down onto him, moaning loudly in his ear, your nails dug into his shoulders at the sensation. You adjusted to him between your legs, the flames of the candles growing wilder around the bath. 

“Are you going to set me on fire Flame?” Azriel groaned out as you began to bounce slightly on his length. He reattached to your neck to muffle his groans, failing massively. The both of you moved in unison, tension building building building. Azriels fingers gripped into your sides with burning pressure, the flames around you growing taller and taller with your tighting core until the whole bath was surrounded by a ring of your fire. If Azriel was honest with himself, he was a bit afraid of the growing towers of fire but he felt so easily lost in your moans he forgot the fear as soon as it came. You moaned his name so loudly you were sure they heard you in Summer Court, toppling Azriel over his own edge, the flame on the candles becoming small and still again at the release. 

You stayed on his lap for a moment, until he stood with you still in his arms. He passed through the bathroom doors into your adjacent room with your flames dancing around to dry you both before he placed you on the bed. 

“Flame, I have to see to something with Rhys but I will be back before you know it” you ran your hand gently down his cheek as he leaned and whispered those words from above you. 

“I'll be here”

“Do you promise?”

“Do you trust me?” He kissed your cheek in answering your question before retrieving his clothes and redressing. You allowed your eyes to fall close as he slipped out the door. 

********* 

You rolled over to find the bed empty alongside you still an hour or so later. You lifted yourself from the bed, dressing in a robe that Feyre had laid out for you. You wandered down the hall in search of Azriel. 

“I don't care Rhys, she stays!” You heard Azriels sharp tone from the other side of a large oak door. You couldn't help but stop and listen. 

“Az, she is not from the Court, she belongs to Autumn-”

“She belongs to no one” Azriel seethed.

“Brother, she brings a threat to our door. Lucien has told us she must go to Autumn, to Beron, it is beyond our control-” your breath hitched in your throat, had Lucien let the cat out of the bag?

“It is very much in your control Cass” 

“Beron has made it clear that he will help us in our efforts should we return YN” 

“She is not a political pawn!”

“She belongs to Beron, she must go back! I am not going to war for some female that landed on our doorstep! He wants you dead Azriel, I will not have you sacrificed for her!” Rhysands hands banged against the solid wood of his desk. 

You took a step back from the door again. They were going to send you back. Your Father would have you mangled for the embarrassment of having to be sent against your will back to him. You looked at the candles lighting the stairwell adjacent and with a deep breath you knew it was time to go before they took you kicking and screaming. But you didn't want to, you couldn't leave like this, couldn't leave Azriel. The rock of having him hurt because of you and the hard place of returning to a vengeful father is where you found yourself wedged firmly between. You ran from the stairwell to your room, head scrambling.

“I could have said the same when you barraged in on Tamlin and Feyres wedding!’

“Az!” Cass reprimanded Azriel with his eyes for his comments. 

“That was different Az, Feyre is my mate!”

“And what if YN is mine!?” The two were instantly silent to this. Azriel felt such strong and complex feelings towards you, such a magnetic force, the flame to his smoke.  A chill ran down his spine. Something was happening. The three Illyrians took an instinctive fighting stance.

“Y/N” your father stood in a circle of flame in your room, eerily calm with an outstretched hand. 

“Come home now and all will be forgiven” Berons eyes told a different story. He was boiling in anger, anger you knew Azriel would take the brunt of if you didn't go now and yet you hesitated, looking around the safe space Azriel had made for you. You went to speak, to defy, to scream but you were too slow, too weak still, Berons flame engulfed you and pulled you from where you stood. 

 ****

Azriel materialised into your room, the other two warriors searching for the source of their unease elsewhere in River House. 

“Flame, you wouldn't believe the- YN?” He materialised in your room to find it empty. He ran to the bathroom to find you gone from there as well, all the flames in the room doused out.

*******************

What do we think friends?

Part 4

Tag list: @sunshineangel-reads @skylarkalchemist @tele86 @saltedcoffeescotch @impossibelle @quiettuba @thecraziestcrayon @fightmedraco

If you were forgotten please feel every right to give out to me

[vyriadurav]

(Edit: using this as a pinned post about all my books for now in lieu of another one. This was formerly for International Lesbian Day but now is a one stop shop for all my books) For starters, consider checking out

Catnip Amazon | Itch.io | Alternative Ebook Sellers | Audiobook For all his life, Sol has believed he's only worthy of affection as long as he's useful--and he intends to prove his ultimate use by restoring a colony on Venus as a new home for his friends and lovers. But upon arriving, he realizes there's more here than he bargained for. For one, the resident artificial intelligence wants to make friends with him. For another, the nanites want to completely change his body... and in the process reveal her true self. Stuck (or perhaps blessed?) with a new form, she must find out what it means to live, to be loved for who she is rather than her work. Catnip is a cozy space exploration novel about a trans woman's journey to find herself and what it means to be loved for who she is, with the help of her polycule and a lesbian AI. If Sci-fi isn't quite your speed, you can also check out

The Hatchling Amazon | Itch.io | Alternative Ebook Sellers

Sarric dreamed of dragons all his life; such flights of fancy captured his imagination at a young age and sustained him through the cruelty of the hunters that ruled the isolated mountain town of Rivermist. One day, a real dragon appears before him, dazzling him with her beauty and an answer to the unease that's afflicted him for as long as he remembers. He's eager to take what she offers--but the greedy hunters, driven by tales of treasure hoards, will do everything in their power to destroy her. The Hatchling is a fantasy about a trans woman's journey of accepting her identity and her new found family.

If you want something a little spicier, consider reading Wyrmheart Itch.io exclusive

A mage without home or family seeks to establish a legacy for herself so that her name might ring out through the ages.

An assassin is charged with striking at the heart of a draconic cult that surely hides some greater evil.

Wyrmheart is a story set in Maria Ying's Those Who Break Chains universe and tells the story of trans women making their way through life in this fantastical world.

You can also take a look at my Patreon where I am currently writing several things, but primarily

Forged in the Light of New Stars

Forged is a t4t lesbian isekai story about a closeted trans woman and a repressed, rotten egg (in the trans sense) who find themselves transported to a vibrant, magical world filled with advanced technology, mysteries to discover, and most importantly: a place where they can their truest selves. Follow Gwen as she strives to take control of her life, to be the woman she's always known she could be, and find true happiness.

Follow Brian as he struggles to cast off the chains that his family has bound him in, to undo the bigoted messages they poured into him constantly, and find out, deep down, who she truly is.

Watch them fall in love with each other and with the mystical world of Tellara and all the new friends they make along the way. See them uncover secrets about the connection between Earth and Tellara and their purpose as travelers between worlds. Magic, alchemy, and queerness collide in this otherworldly journey.

[cera-writes]

"Ma chère, you are mine." 🃏part Four

"Never regret thy fall, O Icarus of the fearless flight, For the greatest tragedy of them all, Is never to feel the burning light" - Oscar Wilde

[: Please, Just Breathe - Written By Wolves]

The sterile scent of disinfectant did little to mask the tremor in Gambit's hands. He traced a finger along the cool metal railing of your bed, his reflection distorted in the chrome. Days had bled into nights, a monotonous vigil punctuated only by the rhythmic beeping of the machines keeping you tethered to this world. You were lying motionless on a bed back at the X-Mansion.

Literal weeks had passed since the massacre of Genosha. The X-men had brought your body back, wondering whether just to bury what was left of you or wait for some sort of miracle.

"Hey there, ma chere," he murmured, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through the cool sheets. "Been a rough couple of weeks, that's for sure. Feels like the world decided to take a nosedive after you were savin' our collective butts."

A wry smile tugged at his lips, but it never reached his eyes. The memory of your sacrifice, of the raw power you wielded, sent a shiver down his spine. You were still here, thank heavens, but how much of you remained?

"Was I ever good enough for you, Eclipse?" the question tumbled out, a ragged whisper. "Did I ever truly measure up to the expectations of the woman who could snuff out the damn sun?"

He knew it was a stupid question. He loved you, fierce and unconditional, but the doubt gnawed at him nonetheless. Had he been just another adventure in the grand tapestry of your extraordinary life?

Taking a deep breath, he launched into a slow recount. "Genosha, chere... man, it was bad. A slaughterhouse. Rogue's beside herself, grief eatin' her alive. Went tearin' after answers, found nothin' but dead ends."

The weight of his unspoken words hung heavy in the air. A tear escaped, tracing a glistening path down his temple, landing with a soft plop on the back of your hand. The silence in the room was deafening, only replaced by the sound of the monitor as it beat to the slow, faint rhythmic pulse of your heart.

"Oh, darlin'," he rasped, his voice thick as he wiped at his tears. "Professor says you're stuck between worlds, a flicker of a flame in a hurricane."

A muscle in his jaw clenched. The diagnosis, delivered by a surprisingly alive Charles Xavier, was a gut punch. You, the woman who could snuff out the damn sun, were a wisp, a fading ember.

"Said it would take someone reachin' in, pullin' you back from the brink," Gambit continued, his voice tight. He knew what that meant. Someone had to wade into the void, navigate the chaotic remnants of your near-death experience, and somehow coax you back to the land of the living.

A wry smile, tinged with desperation, tugged at the corner of his lips. "Looks like it's time to try an' bring you back, wouldn't you say, ma chere?"

He knew the risks. The void could be a treacherous landscape, a swirling vortex of emotions and memories. But the thought of facing life without you was a desolate wasteland he couldn't bear to contemplate.

A flicker of movement caught his eye. Professor X, ever-stoic despite the ordeal with the Shi'ar, sat by the window, his gaze fixed on the storm raging outside, mirroring the turmoil within.

"Professor," Gambit called out, his voice laced with a mixture of defiance and hope. "Any chance that fancy head of yours can cook up a way to get me there? Looks like I got a rescue mission on my hands."

Charles turned, his eyes holding a depth of understanding that only someone who had stared into the abyss himself could possess. A flicker of something akin to approval crossed his features.

"Gambit," he said, his voice raspy but firm, "you've always had a knack for the impossible. Perhaps this is just another challenge in your colorful repertoire."

"I think I'm done waitin' for any possibilty of her coming back from the dead, I gotta reach into her mind now, pull her back. No more waitin' around."

"You know the risks Gambit. And you're certain this is what you want to do?"

"Plus sûr que je ne l'ai jamais été," Remy nodded, placing his hand over your cold, unmoving one.

"Okay," Professor X nodded once, joining you at your bedside. "I'll have to link the two of you telepathically. It's a dangerous gamble but worth a fighting chance. There's also a chance you could be pulled into the darkness with her. But the bond between you should give you good luck in our efforts of bringing Eclipse back."

A surge of relief washed over Gambit, a lifeline thrown across the churning waters. He wouldn't be going in alone. With Xavier's help, he might just have a fighting chance of dragging you back from the brink.

"The odds always be in my favor, Professor." He smirked, a determined glint hardened his gaze.

He wouldn't let the darkness win. He wouldn't let you go. You'd been gone for far too long; longer than he'd had the patience of waiting for. He'd delve into the void, face whatever demons lurked within, and bring his sunshine back home.

Professor X cleared his mind, prompting Gambit to do the same. He pressed two fingers on each side of his temple and began the process of linking all three of your minds together in a psionic surge.

The world dissolved into a swirling vortex of colors, a chaotic kaleidoscope of emotions and memories. Gone was the sterile white room, replaced by a churning expanse of fragmented realities. Gambit plunged headfirst, the familiar tug of Professor Xavier's mental tether his only anchor in this tempestuous sea.

He fought against the relentless assault of disjointed images – flashes of the Genosha battle, the blinding brilliance of your eclipse power, the chilling emptiness of your still form. Each fragment ripped at him, threatening to pull him under in this maelstrom of your subconscious.

Then, he saw it. A lone figure, shrouded in shadow, standing on a precipice overlooking a vast emptiness. You. But this wasn't the Eclipse he knew. This figure seemed lost, a hollow shell consumed by an inky darkness that pulsed around her like a malevolent aura.

"Eclipse?" Gambit called out, his voice a threadbare whisper against the roaring storm.

The figure turned, her head a swirling mass of darkness where her face should have been. Tendrils of inky energy lashed out, coiling around his mental form, a chilling touch that sent shivers down his spine.

Fear gnawed at him, but the memory of your smile, the warmth of your hand in his, fueled his resolve. He wouldn't let the darkness win.

"Don't you give up on us, cher," he roared, channeling his Cajun charm into a psychic shout that echoed through the void. "We need you, the X-Men need you. Hell, the whole damn world needs you."

His words seemed to pierce the veil of darkness surrounding the figure. A flicker of recognition sparked in the empty void where her eyes should have been. A whisper, faint as a dying ember, reached his mind.

"Remy?"

Hope surged through him, a beacon in the storm. He pushed forward, his own memories forming a bridge across the void. He conjured moments of shared laughter, missions where the two of them had to work together to see it through, their own kind of connection that he didn't have with anyone else. Images flashed before the shadowed figure – the comfort after heartbreak, the playful banter during training sessions, the laying of her head on his shoulder the night before she died in his arms.

Slowly, the darkness began to recede. The inky tendrils loosened their grip, revealing fragments of your true self beneath. A tear, a single luminous droplet, trickled down the shadowy visage.

"I... I can't control it," your voice, weak and trembling, echoed in his mind. "The darkness... it's a part of me now."

"Maybe," Gambit conceded, his voice firm yet gentle. "But you're still Eclipse, chere. The woman who fights for what's right, the woman who lights up the darkest corners. You're stronger than you think."

He stretched out a mental hand, a beacon of warmth and love. The figure hesitated, then hesitantly reached back, her touch tinged with fear and uncertainty.

It wasn't enough. You were still adrift, tethered to the void by a threadbare connection.

"Professor?" Gambit called out, a desperate plea in his mind.

A wave of mental energy surged through the connection, bolstering the bridge they had built. It was a risky maneuver, Professor Xavier pushing his telepathic abilities to their very limit.

Together, they pulled. They coaxed. They pleaded with every fiber of their beings.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the figure began to respond. The darkness receded further, revealing glimpses of your true form. A single tear, shimmering with a familiar light, traced a path down your cheek.

Then, with a final desperate tug, they pulled you free. The world dissolved back into the sterile white room, the sterile scent of disinfectant stinging his nostrils.

You gasped, a rattling sound that filled the room with a melody sweeter than any song. Your eyes fluttered open, a spark of life rekindled within their depths.

"Remy?" your voice, weak but hopeful, echoed in the room.

A choked sob escaped his lips, relief washing over him like a tidal wave. He wasn't alone. You were back. And together, you would face the darkness, both within and without.

"You're back! She's back!" Remy couldn't stop grinning and shaking with tears, pulling you into a deep embrace as his arms held onto you so tightly that he was scared if he let go, you'd leave him again.

"Oh cher, don't you ever scare Gambit like dat again!" He shook with sobs as he nestled his face into your hair. You held him back, tears cascading down your cheeks.

"I-I thought I was dead," you choked, voice merely a whisper. "I did too, cher. We all did. Rogue went to out tryin' to get revenge for you." Remy stroked your hair, no sign of breaking your shared embrace.

You took in the scent of him, tobacco and sandalwood with a hint of spice you'd always found comfort in whenever he was around. That scent that you'd loved and missed so, so dearly.

"Remy..." you cried, just letting your emotions tumble out of you. You were alive, and he had brought you back. Your Remy.

"Shh, shh, it's gon' be okay chere. You're okay," he soothed. You sighed into his touch, his presence alone bringing you back to life with every comforting word and soothing touch.

Something else caught your attention for a split second as you glanced over. You'd notice that chair anywhere. It was Professor Xavier, who was still very much alive and well. A small smile graced your lips.

"Professor?" your voice raspy, barely a whisper.

Xavier offered a reassuring smile. "Yes, Eclipse. You're back." He turned to Gambit, a hint of amusement twinkling in his eyes. "I believe you two require some time to reacquaint yourselves. I'll inform the others."

With a nod, he exited the room, leaving you and Gambit alone in the sterile silence. Relief finally battled with exhaustion, your eyelids heavy as you tried to focus on the man before you as you pulled away to finally get a good look at him, that face you missed so dearly.

"What... what happened?" your voice trembled as you tried to piece together the fragmented memories swirling in your mind.

Taking a deep breath, Gambit launched into a slow, heartfelt recount. He spoke of Genosha, the devastating attack, and Rogue's consuming grief. He touched upon Emma's unexpected transformation and the lingering uncertainty surrounding Magneto's fate. But most importantly, he spoke of the chilling revelation – the existence of a new enemy, a shadowy figure known as Bastion.

As he spoke, a wave of exhaustion washed over you. You closed your eyes, the weight of the world settling on your weary shoulders.

Sensing your fatigue, Gambit stopped his narrative, gently squeezing your hand. "Don't you worry about the rest, chere. You take all the time you need to get your strength back. We'll handle things here."

A weak smile graced your lips. "Thank you, Remy," you whispered, your voice barely audible. "For everything."

He leaned closer, his eyes searching yours. "Don't even think about thank you's, chere. Just get yourself healthy. We've got a whole world of trouble waitin' for us, and it ain't gonna fight itself."

A tired chuckle escaped your lips. You knew he was right. The fight was far from over, but for now, all that mattered was the warmth of his hand in yours, the steady beat of his heart a counterpoint to your own. With him by your side, you could face anything, even the darkness that still lingered within.

"There'll be time to talk later," you rasped, your eyelids fluttering closed once more. "Just... stay with me, Remy. Please?"

He didn't hesitate. Pulling a chair closer to your bedside, he settled in, running his fingers through your soft hair. In the quiet of the sterile room, he kept vigil, a silent promise etched on his face. You were back, and he wouldn't let you slip away again. Together, you would face whatever darkness lurked in the shadows, both within and without.

══════════════════

The sterile white of the infirmary faded to the familiar blue and gold of the X-Mansion as you stumbled out, supported by Remy's steady arm. A day of rest had done wonders, but the echoes of the void still lingered in your mind, a faint tremor that unsettled you.

Remy squeezed your hand reassuringly. "Easy there, belle. You're still movin' a bit like a newborn giraffe."

You managed a weak smile. "Feels like it. I have questions, Remy. About Genosha... about Bastion."

He sighed, a flicker of pain crossing his eyes. "Plenty of time for dat later, chere. Professor wants you to ease back in slow."

But the urgency gnawed at you. You could feel it in the hushed whispers that followed you down the hallway, in the worried glances cast your way. The world had moved on while you were trapped in your own personal nightmare, and you were desperate to catch up.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted from the training room. The sound of crashing metal and shouts echoed through the halls. You exchanged a confused glance with Remy.

"Looks like someone's havin' a temper tantrum," he muttered, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Before you could respond, Ororo burst through the doorway, her face a mask of frustration.

"Remy, Eclipse," she said, her voice clipped. "Professor Xavier needs you in the war room. Now."

The urgency in her voice sent a jolt of adrenaline through you. You exchanged a wordless look with Remy before following Ororo, the tremor in your legs replaced by a growing sense of dread.

The war room buzzed with activity. Xavier sat at the center table, his brow furrowed in concentration. Scott and Jean stood beside him, their expressions grim. But it was the sight of Rogue in the corner, her aura crackling with barely contained rage, that sent a shiver down your spine.

"What's going on?" you asked, your voice cutting through the tension-filled silence.

"We've received a message," Xavier said, his voice strained. "From Bastion."

He gestured to the holographic screen at the center of the table. A distorted figure flickered to life, a silhouette shrouded in darkness.

"Mutants," the figure boomed, his voice filled with malice. "Your defiance has reached its end. You will all face your judgment."

The image flickered before dissolving into static. You felt a familiar coldness creep up your spine. Bastion's voice resonated within you, a dark echo stirring the remnants of fear from your recent ordeal.

"What's he planning?" you asked, the question hanging heavy in the air.

"He's making a statement," Scott said, his jaw clenched tight. "A threat. He wants us to live in fear."

Rogue let out a growl. "He wants a fight. And believe me, he's gonna get one."

The air crackled with barely contained energy. You could see in their eyes the same desperation you felt – the need to act, to strike back before Bastion could make his next move.

"We can't let him control us," Jean said, her voice steady but firm. "We need a plan."

Xavier nodded, his gaze flicking to you. You felt a spark of apprehension. Despite your weakened state, you knew you wouldn't be left out of the coming conflict.

"Eclipse," Xavier said, his voice filled with a question. "Are you well enough for this?"

You straightened your shoulders, a newfound determination fueling your resolve.

"More than well enough, Professor," you replied, your voice ringing clear and strong. "The X-Men fight together. And I'm not going to sit this one out."

A flicker of approval crossed Xavier's face. A sense of unity settled over the room, replacing the fear with a steely resolve. The battle against Bastion had begun, and the X-Men, battered but not broken, were ready to fight. You had stared into the void and come back. Now, it was time to face what lurked in the shadows.

When the meeting was seemingly dismissed, you lingered in the halls with Remy for a beat too long. There was still so much that lingered unspoken between the both of you. Neither of you had admitted actual feelings yet. You reached out for him, but he brushed you off, a coolness to the air. "Sorry chere, I'm just...still gettin' used to dis. It's crazy. You bein' back from the dead and all. Don't get me wrong, I'm more than happy you're back. It's just...I dunno chere, I guess I just need time to process it all," he sighed heavily flipping a Queen card between his fingers.

You understood all too well, your own feelings of displacement fresh. You'd been away for weeks but present at the same time.

"Right, no...I-I understand. I need time too," you replied, feeling an air of indifference between the two of you. You parted ways, even as your feet dragged the halls. It stung. You couldn't lie. But if time was what Remy needed, you'd give that to him with respect and space.

The sterile halls of the X-Mansion echoed with an emptiness that mirrored the hollowness you felt inside. The near-death experience had left you adrift, a ghost haunting the place you once called home. You craved a connection, a familiar voice amidst the strategizing and simmering tension.

Spotting Morph lounging by a window, a pang of relief nearly flooded through you. "Hey stranger, finally back from the dead to catch up on our horror movie sessions. Sorry it took me so damn long."

Morph smirked. "There's that dark sense of humour I missed. C'mere." They opened their arms and brought you into a bone crushing hug. "Careful there, or you'll break me in half." you smirked, hugging them back with equal comfort.

"I've missed your dumb face. Your real one. You know how many times I had to shapeshift into you just so I could get by without breaking down? Every time I did, only to see you staring back at me in the mirror, telling me you were okay and shit was gonna be alright?" They sighed, voice trembling and threatening to break with each word.

"Oh, Kevin..." you were trying so hard to fight back your own wave of emotions. "Don't ever pull that shit again Eclipse." They pulled away, serious this time.

You decided to take this conversation to the living room, a vast open area where the two of you used to laugh at stupid rom coms. You took a seat on the sofa, patting the seat next to you for Morph to join.

They settled in beside you, popping a can of soda in the process, soaking in the rare moment of calm. The weird sensation of having you back.

"Tell me about Genosha, Morph. Remy filled me in on the big stuff, but…"

Their face hardened. "It was bad, Eclipse. Real bad. I watched the events transpire on television and let's just say, no horror movie could pale in comparison to what I saw on the news. And Rogue… well, she was not herself."

They recounted the raw grief that had consumed Rogue, her powers surging out of control as she sought vengeance. He spoke of the fight with Synch, the desperation in her eyes.

"And Remy? How'd he cope with it all?" you finally asked, voice tinged with trepidation, the question lingering heavy in the air.

Morph hesitated, then sighed. "He was lost, Eclipse. He cared for you deeply. But after… well, after you were gone, Rogue was on a one-woman warpath. Gambit tried to reason with her, but…" they trailed off, leaving the unspoken words hanging in the air.

You felt a flicker of something akin to disappointment. Despite your connection with Remy, the knowledge that he might have sought solace in Rogue during your absence twisted a knot in your gut. You couldn't have blamed him though.

"There was more to it than that," a voice cut in, sharp and laced with a raw honesty that made you turn. Rogue stood there at the archway into the living room, arms crossed.

"Rogue," you said, your voice cautious. "I can't imagine what you've been through."

"Hey sugah...things ain't been easy since you went lights out on us."

She took a step closer, her voice dropping to a low murmur. "Don't pretend, Eclipse. You and I, we both know there was something between Remy and me after you… after you died."

A wave of unexpected honesty washed over you. You met her gaze, your voice equally as raw. "I always felt there was something lingering between the two of you. Remy made no mistake of hiding it... but Genosha, and that dance with Magneto... did you love Remy?"

The question hung in the air for a beat too long before Rogue finally answered. "Maybe. In a way. But it wasn't the same. He was… broken, Eclipse. After you were gone, a part of him just… shut down. The man i knew wasn't my Remy."

Her words struck a chord deep within you. You remembered the haunted look in Remy's eyes, the way his touch had seemed distant, a mere echo of the warmth you once shared.

"He tried to help me," Rogue continued, her voice heavy with regret. "But he was just going through the motions. It wasn't fair to either of us," she explained, making her way closer to you.

A strange sense of understanding bloomed between you. You saw the vulnerability in Rogue's eyes, the unspoken grief she'd been trying to mask. It wasn't about betrayal, you realized. It was about two people clinging to the wreckage of their emotions, seeking solace in a broken bond.

"We all lost someone, Rogue," you said, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder. "But we can't let that break us. We have to fight. To live to see another day. And for Remy too. Maybe, just maybe, by fighting together, we can help him find his way back to himself."

Rogue flinched but didn't pull away. A flicker of something akin to hope flickered in her eyes, a silent pact forged in shared grief and a newfound understanding. She was still your best friend and nothing would ever change that.