#thought of it and it wouldn't leave my head so

[gravegoer]

ok ok hiiiii hope your doing well! Um this may be odd, but, imagine an au where fem reader sleeps in the same bed as best friend sevika but place a few pillows between each other because fem reader believes she's not into girls despite her best friend being an absolute hottie 😞

My Best Friend ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

this is ALSO one of my fav tropes, so thank you for this.. and yes I'm doing well ty summary: sevika could treat u better than he can !!! never let a man stop you from finding your wife. thats the moral for tday.

masterlist , upcoming: "First time" and "Safeword" wink

Sevika has been your best friend for a few years (although she would never admit it) and shes seen you through your best and worst.

After breakups with shitty men, she knows to find you at the last drop, laughing at your drunken state before dragging you home.

This was one of those nights.

She had you slung over her shoulder while she keyed the lock on her door, grunting at your head that lulled on her shoulder, "Are we home..?"

Sevika nodded, dragging you through the doorway and sitting you on the couch gently. She grabbed a glass from the kitchen and filled it with water for you. Her heavy shoes thudded on the wooden floor as she made her way back to you.

Sitting beside you, she held your chin, pouring water into your mouth, "I don't like seeing you with those blunder-heads."

You gulped down the cold water greedly, attempting to soothe the dryness in your throat. You held her by the wrist to steady her hand.

Sevika scoffed, and you knew she was referring to your exes. You giggled at her seriousness, "I don't think I like being with them."

You felt the pressure lift from your head, feeling more sober. Clinging to Sevikas arm, you sighed, looking up at her. "You're lucky you dont have to deal with boyfriends."

Her features twisted, contorting into a sour look, "You don't have to either."

"Hm?" You hummed, mindlessly tracing the rim of your glass.

"I mean, you could always try women."

You laughed and said teasingly, "Like at the brothel?"

Her eyes widened, and her brows furrowed, lips almost pulled into a pout, "No, no, like a girlfriend."

"What? Are you volunteering?" You smacked her on the arm and laid back further into the couch.

She smirked, Sevika’s cocky demeanor returning to her, "I wouldn't mind teaching you a few things."

You made a fake sound of disgust but laughed afterward. Although you couldn't deny she was beautiful, her thick arm was warm in your hold, and the angles of her face softened when you spoke.

Sevika treated you like no man ever had before. She was sweet in her own way, ans actually listened to what you had to say. You know she would never do anything to hurt you, and infact she was the one that picked you up after you got hurt.

You had never been interested in women, but Sevika definitely piqued your interest. Maybe it was all the memories you shared or the way she treated you. But maybe it was the way her V line connected to the waistband of her pants, emphazised by the warm light, the way her hair stuck to her sharp jaw that clenched under your gaze.

She interrupted your thoughts, "It's late, you should get to bed."

"Already? You aren't going to stay?"

She smirked again, revealing the flattering gao between her teeth, "All you have to do is ask, doll."

Heat rose to your face at the nickname. Maybe it was just the alcohol in your system, but it was starting to get hotter. You bit your lip, looking up at her through your lashes, "Please stay Sevika, I'll even make you breakfast before you leave in the morning."

That was music to her ears. At that, she stood up, grabbing your waist to take you with her. Eventually, she got tired of your stumbling and slowness and picked you up, arm under your legs, and prosthetic on your upperback.

You smiled, wrapping your arms around her neck, throwing your head back dramatically. She shook her head at your playfulness while kicking open your door.

Sevika tossed you onto the bed as gently as possible, and your eyes widened at the suggestive position you were in. She loomed over you, shadowing your body. Your knees were slightly bent and legs spread, almost inviting her between.

You could imagine her crawling up to you, hands pushing your knees apart to draw your face into hers. Instead, she sat beside you, leaning against the headboard and lighting a cigar.

Rolling your eyes, you pulled the blankets over you and laid facing away from her. She snickered at your mood change and patted you on the shoulder, "I want pancakes."

You didn't respond, humming at the thought of food. For the next several minutes, you could hear her mindlessly flicking her zippo top open and closed, flame flicking on and off.

You imagined her thick fingers against the cool metal, fire illuminating her always-bruised knuckles. Then, you imagined her fingers on your waist, then in your hair—

You groaned, shoving your face in the pillow, attempting to drown out the thoughts. The sound of her zippo halted before a small tiss, was heard.

You could feel the weight shift behind you as she moved to lay down, resting a hand on your back. Shimmying away from her touch, you rolled over to face her.

Sevika's eyes opened, and you immediately missed the peaceful look on her face. Now her brow was cocked and her lips curled downward.

Her grey eyes bore into yours as you spoke, "Only my girlfriend should be touching me in bed like that."

You mocked her words from earlier, but without any harshness. Her lips drew into a tight line, "I get it. You aren't into women. Im not trying anything funny."

She didn't have to say it because you knew she wouldn't. But a part of you didn't quite mind if she did.

"Okay, then—"

You picked up a few pillows, placing them between your bodies. "There."

She deadpanned, "Are you serious?"

You snickered, not responding, before turning back to your original position. After a few seconds, you heard her sigh and lay back down, definitely facing you. Sevika reached over the barrier to tug the blanket further up your frame, shielding you from the cold.

She treated you better than any man had, and you both knew it. Maybe you'll finally do something about it over some drinks tomorrow.

i laaaaauuuvvvvvvv best friend sevika, idk if ill make a part 2 tho, i have some more fics coming out soon, some kind of suggestive?? and nsfw..????!! so follow for that, all cumming this week

comment to be added <333

taglist: @thequeenreaders @hangezoes-wife @thesecondhandwoman @slut4sevika @kylorey25 @sylencr @jinxjinxjinx12 @morphids

[blazehedgehog]

For the last 10-15 years I fall asleep listening to music, but following my mom dying in 2022, the intrusive thoughts were so loud and so difficult to ignore that just listening to music wouldn't cut it. So I started trying to listen to podcasts, but I was used to having the music on so softly it was barely audible, since I'm also a pretty light sleeper. So listening to a podcast at that level with speakers near my bed was tricky.

Until I caught a head cold about a year and a half ago and happened to fall asleep in bed with my headphones on. That turned into one of the most restful sleeps I'd had in months if not years. So I started trying to engineer a situation where I could sleep with headphones on, and ultimately ended up breaking two pairs of headphones as a result.

So... last christmas I ordered one of these.

It's a sleep mask with ultra-thin bluetooth headphones built in. If you're a side sleeper it's not always super comfortable on your ears, but it's better than destroying a $45 pair of headphones because the rigid plastic wasn't meant to bend that way.

So the long and short answer to the poll is that I listen to podcasts on Youtube while I fall asleep now. Phone is plugged in, charging, and I have the developer mode option enabled that doesn't let the phone go to sleep as long as it's plugged in (because Youtube will pause playback if the device goes to sleep). I also put it into do-not-disturb mode because the eyemask will receive notification sounds and I don't want to get those piped directly into my ears when I sleep.

And it helps! It helps a lot. I generally fall asleep faster now than I used to, in some aspects.

Which has lead me to discover a whole subgenre racket on Youtube of podcasts designed just for people falling asleep. The most notable one is Get Sleepy, which carries celebrity endorsements and half a million subscribers. They release a new story/episode every two days, which sounds amazing when you see that a lot of their episodes are 3-5 hours long:

The truth, which I discovered because I still occasionally have trouble falling asleep, is that a lot of these stories are only about 15-30 minutes long. The remaining hours and hours of audio is just, like, sound machine noise. Wind and soft string instruments and a little bit of piano.

It's a racket because, obviously, most people fall asleep and leave the podcast running for the full length. Which is mostly the equivalent of dead air. And in terms of Youtube payouts, view counts largely don't matter anymore and haven't mattered in ages -- what Youtube counts for advertising revenue is view length. So they're putting out 30 minutes of content and making bank on four hours of view length.

And I personally hate it. When I listen to Get Sleepy now, all I'm doing is listening for the story to end and the sound machine to begin. So I tend to look for a more substantial podcast or video series, just for peace of mind if nothing else.

Which is a minefield in itself! Get Sleepy is the genre leader here and the eagle eyed among you may already be able to tell all their thumbnails are AI generated. It's all down hill from there. For example, recently I found a channel called "Pure Unintentional ASMR"...

I put on the "Sleepiest Voice Ever" one once, one night. And it's just this old guy going on about his spirituality, and you quickly get inundated with a lot of recommendations for self-help sleep hypnosis. Things to help you ease your anxious mind, help you get a restful night's sleep, help you overcome negativity in your life, and...

...feed you ugly conspiracy theories.

Sleep safely, friends.

please reblog I'm curious

[pinkyqily]

Lauren James x reader

Lauren spots reader at every game and every time before final whistle reader leaves, one time she tries to approach reader because that one time reader had stayed till the end of the game but when she approached the seats where she was sitting reader had disappeared, the girl's thinks she's making thing's up because they've never seen someone of the discription until the last game at Stamford Bridge...

(my thought process ran out so the ending is up to you 😭)

𝙄𝙉 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘾𝙍𝙊𝙒𝘿 - laurel james x reader

Summary: in which your girlfriend teammates think she made you up until recent games were they finally meet you.

Contains: fluff, suggestive

A/n: Sorry it took me so long to complete your request, and hopefully you enjoyed reading as much i did writing it, my request are opened so if you have any send em'. And as always feedbacks,reblog,likes,comments are always appreciated as they motivates me 🫶🏿

You and Lauren had been talking to each other for over a year now before she had asked you to be her girlfriend.

It was a heartfelt proposal, the moment you walked in your favorite coffee place that she had reserved just for the two of you made you speechless from the luke warm lights to the well homemade pastries and drinks along with the beautiful garden view.

Which was one of your favorite things about the cafe. Everything felt perfect at that moment. so when Lauren asked you to be her girlfriend even before she could get those words out, you immediately connected your lips to hers.

Which brings you to now every time Lauren would try and introduce you to her teammates something always happened that makes you leave early than expected. You would be in the stands wachting your girl and her teammates play, but every time before the final whistles blows you had to leave because something was always coming up.

The first time that it happened, you were at chelsea home game but had to leave due to someone breaking into your house as you had gotten a notification. from your homes alarm system indicating unknown activity.

which was a false call, It was your neighbors cat that had gotten through using the kitchen windows. Which lj understood, but that didn't stop her from all the teasing you'd get from her.

The second time, it happened you had to leave early around halftime because of a wardrobe malfunction and getting called back into work as you worked for a high journalism company.

Your girlfriend understood, but when she got home, she was the reason for a full wardrobe malfunction with your clothes,body, and bed.

And we'll today would be the third time that you had disappeared and Lauren's teammates had been giving her a hard time telling her that it was okay if she had an imaginary girlfriend even though you were hundred percent real to lj.

Why wouldn't you when she would come home combine her body heat to yours.

But that was not the case with lj and her teammates because after searching for you in the friends and family section, it was a no go as you had already left.

You on the other had had to leave your section because of the nois as you couldn't hear the other end if your cellphone call. But you were able to make it onto the field with lauren's brother reece, who had been waiting for you.

Seeing lj getting picked on her teammates and her about to head inside you quickly called out to her.

"Lauren baby wait up". You said loud enough for heads to start turning your direction.

Millie was the one with a shocked face following in the others who had a huge look of disbelief.

"Hey there, you thought you left me."She told you

"Office called, and it was getting way too noisy, and I had to move it outside."You told her.

"Wait, so you're actually real, and this one right here wasn't lying all this time when she told us you were coming." Sam voice spoke up.

"Well, I was at your last two games but had to leave due to technical emergency, so it definitely wasn't a lie, and I'm as real as it gets."You told her.

[peppermintquartz]

Continuation of this

"Why do I keep thinking about shellfish?" Evan asks after he's eaten breakfast and downed half the bottle of water along with the painkillers.

Tommy pulls up a chair. "You were going on and on about oysters and the sea last night."

"Oysters?" Evan's brow creases adorably. "Why oysters?"

How is it that I can't let you go? Tommy doesn't voice the thought, though he does smile at Evan. "Beats me. You were the one who was fixated on it."

Scowling, Evan pouts as he tugs on the hem of his old tee. The color used to be a dark green but it's been washed so often that it's faded. "It musta made sense. Otherwise I wouldn't be talking about it." Then his brow clears. "You!"

"Me?"

"I was comparing you to oysters!"

Tommy grimaces. Yeah, Chimney did say something to that effect. "You don't like oysters, Ev- Buck."

"Not the ones here in LA, they're fucking overpriced and not fresh enough. Peruvian seafood is among the best in the world, and I had this amazing oyster ceviche once that blew my mind." Evan pauses, then smacks Tommy's arm. "And don't distract me. I'm trying to remember my analogy. Okay, so you're like an oyster. How are you like an oyster?"

"I have the consistency of snot?"

Evan glares at him. It's a cute glare. Tommy coughs into his hand, trying not to show that he is charmed. With a huff, Evan starts with, "Okay. You have cultivated a hard exterior to survive a difficult environment."

Tommy nods. "Fair enough."

"And in response to the difficult environment, you cling to the familiar and try to hide because you're actually full of soft and tender delicious goodness." Evan raises an eyebrow in challenge.

Tommy pretends not to be perturbed by the read. "I guess you'd know exactly how I taste," he jokes flatly. Evan ignores it.

"You hide in plain sight," Evan continues, on a roll now, "and it will take skill to pry you out from your chosen rock." He reaches over to grasp Tommy's forearm. "But there's something that's different between you and oysters."

Tommy can't look at him. "I'm not a mollusc?"

Evan's tone is infinitely gentle. "Yeah. Showing me vulnerable side won't kill you, Tommy."

Clenching his jaw, Tommy stands and takes the tray from the bed. "You can take a shower if you want. I've washed and dried your clothes. A-and you have the other clothes you left here."

"You didn't pack them up," Evan points out when Tommy's nearly to the door. "You could've packed them up with my stuff and returned them. But you didn't." He cocks his head and a sad yet hopeful smile crosses his face. "The way I didn't pack up yours. Because we still want each other in our lives."

Tommy can't breathe. He flees the bedroom.

---

Now that he is here, Buck plans to stay until Tommy really opens up to him. Even if he has to camp here forever. Even if Tommy throws him out physically and changes the locks.

He knows how to pick locks now - thank you, Lockpicking Lawyer - and he will not leave Tommy's home until that uncomfortable conversation about the breakup is held. Maybe several.

Oysters aren't shut forever. At some point they open up. And Buck is going to be there when Tommy does. He's done waiting for Tommy to make the first move. He's done waiting, period. Now he is going to act.

"I'm driving you home," Tommy declares at noon. He is resolutely not making eye contact.

"Good luck doing that," Buck says. "Are you going to carry me out of here? Big strong firefighter pilot like you, I'm sure you can do it."

"I could... I could report you to the police for-for home invasion."

"You brought me home, Tommy. Hen and Chim will vouch for that, and I'm sure there's security footage." Buck isn't smirking, not that Tommy will know since he isn't looking. He gentles his tone. "All I'm asking is for us to talk about our relationship. Why can't we do that?"

His face red, Tommy shuts his eyes. Then he mutters, "Fine. Fine, we'll talk about it. But please put some clothes on."

"You've literally eaten me out for hours before."

"That's when we were dating!"

"If I put some clothes on, promise you won't try to get me out of your house?" Buck says, deliberately shifting in the bed so his legs fall apart a little more. Watching Tommy squirm is kind of fun. (So sue him, Buck's feeling rather vindictive about the entire matter.) "Because I can and will strip in your car and have us both arrested. Then we'll have to spend the night in a jail cell together."

Tommy inhales sharply. "Fine. I promise. Now... now cover yourself up."

First chink in the armor. Buck grabs Tommy's LAFD T-shirt and pulls it on, appreciating the way it hugs his body, and pulls on his briefs. He's been shameless before, he can be shameless again. He'll show Tommy that it's perfectly okay to be vulnerable and open to the people he loves through visual metaphor if his words won't cut it.

Anything to get Tommy to be his again.

[enderlovez]

Bloody

Spencer Reid x Vampire Reader WORD COUNT: 737

Summary: Doctor Spencer Reid is married to a vampire.

Content Warning: mentions of blood drinking, reader can go out in the sun but it's uncomfortable, reader has red eyes, reader is immortal and a few centuries old, brief mentions of murder and stalking

────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ──────

Spencer's not entirely sure how he ended up in this situation in the first place—you clinging to him like he's an oversized teddy bear—but he knows he wouldn't want it any other way.

Having a hungry vampire with her face pressed right up against his jugular should be enough to have him cringing away. And admittedly his pulse is racing, but for an entirely different reason, as his fingers absentmindedly draw shapes on the soft, exposed skin of your hip.

If someone had told Spencer three years ago that he would be happily married to a vampire he would have laughed in their face.

Yet here he is, holding his beautiful wife in his arms, and he can say for sure that he's never been happier.

How the two of you met? Well, that's something for another day, but to make a long story short, you found him while he was seconds away from being stabbed in the back of the neck by a psycho stalker.

"You awake?" he asks in an almost inaudible voice. Spencer feels the faint brush of your lips against his neck as you nod, leaving the softest of kisses against the delicate skin. It makes a shiver run down his spine, and he knows you can hear the increase of his heartrate.

Though you don't make any noise, he can feel the cool air on his neck as you let out a silent chuckle.

"Still hungry?" he murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper, his fingers pausing their tracing for just a moment.

You pull back slightly, your crimson eyes peeking up to meet his hazel ones, glinting faintly in the dim light. There's a softness there, a warmth that doesn't quite match the traditional tales of your kind, and one that only Spencer can see.

"Not for blood," you reply, voice laced with teasing affection. "I'm more interested in the genius who's letting me hog all the blankets, even when he knows I don't need them in the slightest."

Spencer lets out a soft chuckle, brushing a loose strand of your hair back behind your ear. "I think 'genius' might be overselling it. Most people would call this situation irrational, maybe even reckless."

Neither of you mention how nobody would even believe him, if he were to tell then he's married to a vampire.

"Most people don't know you like I do," you counter, resting your head back onto him, this time on his chest. "You're not reckless, Spencer. You're... curious. And kind. That's why you didn't run when you figured out what I was."

He smiles faintly, the memory of the night you met briefly flashing through his mind. It wasn't every day you met someone who saved your life and then casually admitted they'd (technically) been dead for centuries. "I'd like to think the profiling helped with that," he jokes.

"Oh, definitely," you tease, drawing lazy patterns on his shirt with your pointer finger. "Nothing screams 'trustworthy' like a man reciting the statistics about violent crime to a vampire."

He laughs softly, and you join him for a moment, the sound mingling in the otherwise quiet room. Spencer's laughter fades as his eyes drift back to yours again, his expression growing thoughtful. "Does it still bother you?" he asks gently.

You know what he's referring to without needing clarification—the sunlit mornings he spends alone most of the time, the quiet ache of being different, the things you've done to survive.

"Sometimes," you admit, your voice quieter now. "But being with you makes it easier. You remind me that there's light, even for... someone like me."

Spencer leans down, pressing a tender kiss to your forehead. "You're my light, too," he says softly. "Even if you do steal all the blankets."

You smile against his chest, your pointed teeth peeking out ever so slightly. "I think I'll keep you around, Doctor Reid. You're pretty good at this whole 'marriage' thing."

"Good," he murmurs, holding you tighter, "because I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me."

"I think it's more like you're stuck with me," you correct gently, "you know, considering I'm the predator in this scenario. You're my prey."

His fingers resume their movements on your hip. He doesn't say anything, know that one way or another, you'll find a way to counter anything he says. Being alive for hundreds of years has made you good at things like that.

[fluffyk97]

Sonic 3 spoiler rambling about Sonic and Shadow under cut !

Y'know something that I feel might go lil under-appreciated is how well they made Sonic and Shadow mirror each other in the movie.

Like something that always can easily irk me are people boasting one of the two over the other because from the very beginning of his introduction to the series, Shadow's character is meant to reflect Sonic. They're meant to be equals that are so similar and complete opposites at the same time.

With the movie, I honestly wasn't expecting it that much. Sonic actually has a backstory that is just like Shadow's: powerful little hedgehog that is wanted for his power, so the one he's known his whole small life that he loves sacrifices herself to save him.

I fr fully expected Sonic to learn about Maria and be like "I lost Longclaw, I know you're pain, but-" blah blah blah- BUT they don't do that??

Of course, we have Commander Walters first telling Sonic that Shadow's story is a lot like his but wasn't able to find family and friends, and Sonic does find Shadow had a family from finding a picture of him and Maria together. He never gets told what happened exactly though, although it wouldn't make too much of a difference with the fact they did change up Shadow losing Maria just a little bit.

Since they didn't live up in space, Maria didn't have a capsule to send Shadow off with sacrificing herself and instead they made it an accident. WHICH- can be understandable if people don't like that, however personally I don't mind it that much because honestly the intent to shoot Maria was there, but she ended up being lost from an accident caused by Walters.

Which, ties in to Shadow hurting Tom...

Walters in trying to help save Maria's, Shadow's and Gerald's lives unfortunately led to Maria's death and watching Shadow be put in stasis for 50 years where all he thinks about is that painful memory burned fresh in his head. So of course when Shadow sees Tom disguised as Walters, he takes his anger out on him by hurting him while also stealing the key for the ARK. Leading to unfortunately another scenario of where the intent of harm is there, but someone still got hurt from an accident because Shadow never really meant to hurt Tom. But he does anyway..

Which of course in turn, makes Sonic mad just like Shadow was 50 years ago. Only difference is Sonic doesn't get immediately captured by GUN and forced into stasis. Letting him able to go straight to Shadow afterwards for hurting his family.

We have Shadow take note of all of that himself, telling Sonic he's feeling exactly the pain he felt and Sonic being the one to say "I'm nothing like you!". Just like how I thought Sonic would tell Shadow about Longclaw in hopes of redeeming him, but reversed and both sides full of anger and grief.

One awesome super fight later though, we come to the talk on the moon. Probably my favorite part in the whole movie. outside of the super fights and Live and Learn playing lol

After mentioning Tom and getting uppercutted straight to the moon by Sonic, Shadow loses his super form, leaving him vulnerable, easy for Sonic to take his revenge on him. Only for all of that to be stopped because of Shadow pointing at his own chest which reminds Sonic what Tom told him at the beginning of the movie and calm down.

"You didn't let pain change who you are."

This completely baffles Shadow, with him actually wanting Sonic to finish it, but of course Sonic just refuses saying "No one wins with revenge". It just leaves silence between them, finally giving Shadow his own moment of remembering Maria outside of her death by looking at the stars he used to gaze upon with her.

He mentions it to Sonic how all he knew and felt was just the pain, and now finally- FINALLY, Sonic mentions how he shares that feeling of loss from Longclaw. Not in a moment of trying to just redeem Shadow without the full weight of it, but in a moment of understanding.

A strong moment of these two looking at each other in a mirror, eye to eye. Sonic, who was allowed to grieve all those years ago after losing Longclaw, telling Shadow the pain of loss will never go away, but the love will always remain.

"The light shines, even though the star is gone."

And through that shared pain and loss, now coupled with empathy and understanding one another through it. They truly connect.

Sonic and Shadow's dynamic was just done SO WELL in the movie and I couldn't be happier with it...

[bonbonly]

BONBON!!! need collegeau! carlos punishing artstudent!reader for going almost no contact with him when she was on her trip with mrs sainz. left him in the dark, wondering if she was with another man.. he needs to leaves so many marks so that no man goes near her for a while.. 🙏

LITERALLY AS SOON AS I FINISHED WRITING "INTO THE WOODS" I WAS LIKE I NEED TO GET TO EM'S ASK (and im combining 🍒 anon's ask in this as well!)

bon's thoughts (18+)

college!au carlos is at his study room, typing up an assignment that he has for his entrepreneurship class. his fingers drum against the keyboard before he adds another paragraph to his proposal. he leans back in his chair, reading over the word doc and then stiffening when he hears your laughter downstairs.

you had just come back from an art exhibition with his mother. you spent the past two weeks ignoring his texts, never picking up his calls. every time he did call, it was always when you were talking with an art director about trying to get your paintings to another gallery across the globe. by the time you'd get back to your hotel room, you're passed out and dozing off, completely oblivious to the thousand calls carlos was spamming you with.

mrs. sainz is making pasta for everyone tonight, and she smiles at you, "my dear, would you mind going upstairs and getting carlos? i heard he hasn't eaten anything since lunch, no snacks or juice! my poor boy must be starving!"

you laugh, slipping off the stool and nodding your head, "will do, mrs. sainz!" and you skip out of the kitchen, heading up the stairs. you approach his room, and pause in front of his door. you peer into the small crack and see him working diligently, his glasses on. he never really wore glasses that often, only if he was locked in and trying to get his work done. but ugh, he looked really good wearing it. you clear your throat, knocking on the door, "carlos! your mom's calling you for dinner!"

"come in!" carlos barks, cracking his knuckles. you enter, closing the door behind you,

"hey!" you smile, but your face falls when you see that he's glaring at you. he gestures for you to walk over to him and you sigh, reaching him behind his desk and running a hand through his hair, "hey, what's up? is your college work too much?" but before you can get a response, he shuts his laptop, placing it to the side and tosses all the papers and pencils onto the ground before picking you up and slamming you onto the table. you gasp out loud as he's tearing your clothes off, spreading your legs wide. he lets a trail of his saliva flow onto your pussy, his fingers sliding the spit along your folds which causes you to choke back a moan as you gaze at him with wide eyes. he chuckles, darkly,

"very cute of you, hermosa," he snickers, licking your clit, "i think my dinner's right here." and he wraps his entire mouth around your cunt, slurping the sweet juice you have to offer him. you're shaking as he continues, and folds you into a mating press as he rubs his nose against your clit, inhaling your scent, "fuck, i've spent two weeks without your calls and texts, imagine how much i missed you, princesa"

and you gulp, realizing that he didn't forget the fact that you forgot to call him back. he's holding onto your wrists to make sure you can't hold onto his hair as his tongue delves deeper, his head shaking against your cunt which has you crying out loud about how good his tongue is. truth is you missed him too, but you wouldn't say that because you knew his ego would get bigger. when you cum around his tongue, he lets his tongue drag up to your tits, sucking and biting anywhere that he can find. he's marking your neck, your forehead, your collarbones, even your arms, all while his cock is pistoning inside of you without stopping.

"are you going to cum? hm, is that what's going to happen?" he mocks your pleas as you're frantically nodding your head, telling him how close you were. he laughs, shaking his head, "i thought you were fucking some other man, i thought you had forgotten all about me... me, the man that even got you those art exhibitions! fuck, i think the only way you'll ever understand is if i get you pregnant. my cum flowing out of you every night. my mama will be so happy to be the grandmother to our child."

"carlos!" you scream, clenching around his cock as his nibbles your ear. your legs are stretched so wide you know you're going to be limping back downstairs. a knock on the door makes you snap your head to the side, and carlos is grinning as he's pounding into you faster.

"carlos, what's taking you so long?" mrs. sainz asks from the other side, and carlos groans quietly to himself at the feeling of your pussy swallowing him, taking him deeper,

"just a bit... fuck, busy with work mama! we'll be out soon, don't worry! give me 10 more minutes!" he yells, and mrs. sainz sighs,

"take your time! your work comes first, mi hijo!" her footsteps grow quieter as she heads back downstairs, and carlos grabs your jaw, forcing you to look back at him,

"you heard what she said, mi zorra, you better hope mi mama doesn't see my cum all over you," and you whimper out loud, biting your lip at the thought of being drenched from head to toe in his cum. he giggles, shaking his head, "you'd like that, wouldn't you? and who am I to deny my princesa?"

[pawpiefawn]

𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓵𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓻 𝓰𝓪𝓻𝓭𝓮𝓷 .𖥔 ݁ ˖

❤︎ alhaitham x reader 0.5k words walking through a flower garden with him. reupload + edited from my previous blog.

al haitham's walks are practical. they are never for fun, nor the love for sunshine or feeling the grass beneath his feet – his feet always have a place in mind. they take him where he needs to be. they had never walked with the lightness of romanticisation, nor with the whimsy or delightful for the fun of it –

– until you.

he's lighter– happier, even, now that this angel of a person sits across him with the most darling smile to grace his presence.

"would you care to accompany me on a walk?" al haitham asks one day, and he turns to meet your curious gaze. he can see a flicker of hope

"you'd like to go on a walk?" you push yourself off your seat at the counter. "i don't mind accompanying you."

"is it truly that surprising?" a soft sigh parts his lips – he looks almost disappointed, even. you tiptoe to press a sweet kiss to his cheek, smiling as you watch his features turn upwards in quiet delight.

ask him a year ago if he desired anything like this, and he might have scoffed lightly and turned away.

"no," you giggle and set your heels down. "i guess it's just not something you see every day."

silently, you grab his hand – it's so much bigger than yours – and you can feel him squeeze it a just little tighter today. his hands are warm and big, rough and calloused but they also fit perfectly with the curve of your hands. it's perfect.

al haitham looks happier, you think to yourself as the grass beneath your feet greets you with a gentle hello. the flowers sway in the afternoon breeze, and the sun seems to hide away a little, in fear of burning you – it's so pleasant outside today... perhaps he's in a good mood because of that?

you watch him as he hums softly, peering at the prettysome wildflowers below.

"come here," he motions, pointing you to look towards the flowers that sprouted up.

"there's so many, hayi. it's beautiful." you gasp softly, grasping onto his fingers tenderly.

he smiles, and mumbles something under his breath.

"what was that?" you tug on his arm, looking into his eyes. he looks almost embarrassed to say it louder. he clears his throat and glances back at the wildflowers.

"if i had a flower for every time i thought of you, i could walk through my garden endlessly."

you're standing there, pleasantly surprised– shocked, even– into silence. did you hear that right?

"eh?" is the only thing that leaves your lips.

"..forget i said anything, it's alright." al-haitham pats your head, albeit awkwardly – flushed and maybe the tiniest bit embarrassed.

he silently wishes he hadn't said anything at all– silly alhaitham, who was he for thinking that someone of his demeanour would ever pepper his words with that like a lovesick fool?

"nooooo, al haitham!" you whine softly, nuzzling against his shoulder. "that was so sweet! i was just .. taken aback, with how sweet your words were."

"is it not obvious enough how infatuated with you i am?" he rests his head atop yours, breathing lightly and lovingly squeezing you tighter.

the next thing he feels is a gentle, saccharine sweet kiss being pressed against his lips – he's hungry for more, now, ravenous even – like a monster yearning for an ounce of love. maybe he wouldn't mind being the lovesick fool, just this once, if it was you.

[dante2045]

Holiday Spirit

Luke looked up from his desk at the sound of knocking, seeing his husband standing in the doorway. Other than a brief greeting when he'd come back from work, Luke had barely seen Parker that night; he'd had to stay late for a big meeting with a prospective client and had retired to his office immediately upon coming home. Luke was up for a big promotion, and closing this deal would be a huge boon in his favour. Unfortunately that had translated into a lot of late nights, which Luke knew was starting to get on Parker's nerves.

"Are you ready to head out soon?" Parker asked, wrapping a scarf around his neck. He was dressed in an ugly Christmas sweater that Luke found cringeworthy. Parker loved Christmas and the festive season; Luke personally thought the whole thing was overrated, but did his best to tolerate the holidays on Parker's behalf.

"Oh shoot, I forgot about tonight," Luke lied. He'd remembered their plans, but had no intention of fulfilling them. He hoped that playing dumb would buy him some leniency.

Parker tried to hide his irritation, and was only partially successful. "You forgot about Christmas Eve?" He asked through gritted teeth, crossing his arms.

"Babe, you know how busy I've been at work lately. I need to get this proposal down ASAP if I want a chance at getting that manager position in January," Luke reasoned, rising from his desk and approaching Parker.

"So what? You're bailing on tonight?" Parker shook his head in disapproval. It was evident that Luke's attempts at charming his husband were falling on deaf ears.

"It's not that I want to! Believe me, I would love nothing more than to spend Christmas Eve with you and everyone else. But this proposal-" Luke started.

"Your proposal can't wait a few hours? What the hell am I going to tell everyone when I show up by myself?" Parker took a step back as Luke reached out for him.

"You could say I'm not feeling well?" Luke suggested.

"You're unbelievable sometimes, Lucas," Parker spat, turning to leave. Luke winced; Parker only used his full name when he was really pissed.

"Once I get through this week, things will be different," Luke promised, following Parker out into the hallway. "When I get this job, I'll be able to cut down on my hours."

"Funny, I remember hearing a similar promise at Halloween. And Thanksgiving. And countless other times," Parker muttered, sliding his boots on and grabbing his coat from the hall closet.

"What do you want me to say, Parker? Would it make you happy if I threw my career away for you?" Luke knew this argument wouldn't help things, but he felt his anger getting the best of him. How could Parker be so selfish to make everything about him? Didn't he realize that Luke wanted this promotion for the both of them?

"Always so melodramatic, Lucas," Parker rolled his eyes. He opened the front door but then paused at the barrier, turning over his shoulder to look Luke in his eyes. "I know this job is important to you, Luke. And I love you and support you. But I should also be important to you. I wish you'd at least make an effort to be a bit more festive at Christmas. If not for yourself, than for me." Before Luke could respond, Parker left their apartment and firmly shut the door behind him.

Luke groaned. He was going to be in the doghouse for all of tomorrow. He knew that this was important to Parker, but if Luke was honest he didn't really know why. Christmas was just another day of the year; the only difference is that it had been marketed as a special day for commercial purposes. The true meaning of Christmas, as far as Luke was concerned, was for the braindead population to spend their rent money on something they didn't need or couldn't afford, and in turn give CEOs a nice bonus to end out the year. Parker thought Luke's viewpoint was overly cynical, but Luke just saw it as reality.

Luke returned to his office to continue working away at his project. As rude as it was, he was kind of grateful to have the place to himself for the night; it was much easier to get things done without Parker's constant interruptions.

A text popped up on his phone from Parker. Made it to the party. Everyone's asking where you're at. Luke swiped the message away without responding. He knew that Parker was trying to make him feel guilty, and he had too much to do to deal with juvenal antics.

A few hours later, Luke's eyes burned from staring at his laptop screen for so long. He got up to grab a glass of water from the kitchen, staring at the living room couch in envy. He glanced at his watch; he'd made good progress on his work and still had a few hours before Parker would be home, and decided a quick break wouldn't hurt.

Luke let himself sink into the sofa, pressing his head against the padded cushion. He'd take a 5 minute recharge, then get back to work. He struggled to keep his eyes open, fighting the urge to sleep...

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A loud knock at the door woke Luke up from his sleep. He sat up on the couch, checking the time and cursing when he realized that he'd slept for nearly two hours. It was just after midnight; Parker would be home soon. It was probably him at the door now, locked out from forgetting his keys during his tantrum earlier on. With a big stretch, Luke reluctantly stood from the couch and went to the front door.

He unlocked and pulled it open, expecting to see an impatient Parker on the other side. Instead of Parker, a stranger stood at the door. Luke was surprised but not immediately alarmed; they lived near the downtown core, and from time to time a drunkard who was lost knocked on their door for directions.

The man standing in front of him appeared to be in his mid-fifties, with short white hair and a neat, closely trimmed beard. He was dressed as Santa, with red pants and jacket. The jacket was undone and the man was shirtless underneath, showing his beer belly and thick pecs. Luke wasn't really into older guys, though he did feel an immediate attraction towards this stranger; he was handsome and rocked his dad bod.

"Merry Christmas, young man," The stranger greeted in a booming voice, a big dumb grin on his face.

"Do you need help, sir?" Luke asked. He crossed his arms, shivering from the cold wind blowing in through the open door. How was this man not wearing a shirt in the freezing cold?

"No, no, I'm quite alright, though thank you for asking. I'm actually here on business," The man answered.

Luke arched an eyebrow. "Oh really? And what business might that be?"

"Why, don't you recognize me?" The man asked, astonished as he gestured downwards at his outfit. "I'm Santa!"

Luke had half a mind to slam the door shut in this man's face. He was not in a mood to deal with this nonsense and had work he needed to get back to. At the same time, the man was clearly inebriated and Luke didn't feel comfortable leaving him to brave the cold weather in his delirious state. Luke gave the man a quick once over; he seemed harmless enough, nonsensical ramblings notwithstanding.

"Well, why don't you come in, Santa, and I'll call you a cab to get you back to workshop?" Luke offered, standing aside to let the man enter. The stranger seemed affable to this suggestion, stepping inside.

"I think I left my phone in my office. I'll just go grab it," Luke said as he shut the front door. "I'll be back in a second."

"Yes, yes, working all night on Christmas Eve. Not very festive of you, Lucas," The man admonished him.

Luke froze, turning to look at the stranger with a newfound wariness. How had he known his name?

"Do I know you?" Luke asked, taking an apprehensive step away from the stranger. Maybe inviting him into his home wasn't the smartest idea after all.

"I'm Santa, I know everybody." The stranger let out a deep chuckle.

"Did Parker put you up to this? Is this some kind of prank?" Luke took another apprehensive step away from the stranger. If he needed to defend himself, could he get a weapon from the kitchen before the man reached him?

"There's no need for that. I have no plans to physically harm you," The stranger said. Luke felt a chill wash over him; this man had heard his inner thoughts. Who the hell was this guy?

"I think it's best you leave," Luke said firmly, gesturing towards the door. This was getting too weird for him; let the old man fend for himself, he decided.

"I can't leave yet. Like I said, I'm here on work," The man replied calmly, still smiling at Luke.

"Listen, dude. I'm not going to ask a second time. Either you leave or I make you leave." Luke eyed the table lamp beside him. It would make for a decent weapon, worst case scenario.

"You are thinking very naughty thoughts right now, Luke," The man scolded. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers, bright sparks shooting from his fingertips. Luke tried to grab the lamp to defend himself, but his body wouldn't move. It was like he'd been frozen from the neck down.

"What the hell, man? What the fuck is going on?" Luke cried out in fear. He could still move his neck and head to look around the room, but otherwise he'd been paralyzed in place.

"You need to listen better, Luke. I've already told you who I am; you should know what I am capable of."

As impossible as it was to believe, Luke could find no other logical explanation for what was happening. Maybe the man standing in front of him really was Santa?

"Santa? Why are you doing this to me?" Luke hated hearing the shakiness of his voice, but couldn't control the fear surging through him.

"Like I said, I am here on business. Your husband Parker, he's been a very good boy this year. And for Christmas he wished you would be in the festive Christmas spirit." Santa snapped his fingers again, sparks flying through the air. Luke's clothes began to shift; his black sweatpants brightened to red as the loose material tightened around his lower body. His t-shirt dematerialized, leaving him shirtless and revealing his chiseled upper body.

"Very nice body, Lucas. I can see that you definitely didn't miss out on your workout regimen this year," Santa commented, admiring Luke's bare chest.

"Please, man, stop whatever it is you're doing," Luke pleaded. He was still unable to move, at the mercy of Santa's powers.

"It's not up to me. I'm just fulfilling Parker's wish," Santa explained, snapping his fingers again.

At first, Luke wasn't sure what Santa had done. It didn't seem anything was different, until he looked down and saw his legs widening in his pants. A padding of fat grew in along Luke's calves and thighs, leaving them muscled but with much less definition. Luke looked at his butt to watch his tight ass expand with fat as well, growing round and juicy in his pants.

"What the hell are you doing to me, man? My body!" Luke cried out in protest.

"Parker wished for you to be more festive during Christmas," Santa laughed, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Can you think of anyone jollier than me?"

Santa snapped his fingers again, and Luke could feel his cock start to harden in his pants. He looked down at his erection, the bulge clearly visible through the tight pants he was wearing. Luke had always thought he'd been of average size; not particularly big but packing enough not to be embarrassed about it. His erection started to retract, shrinking in length but growing in girth. His dick was now a short, thick chode.

"Fuck, man, please stop!" Luke shouted, despairing at his reduced manhood. "I learnt my lesson, I need to be a better husband."

Santa didn't say anything, instead just snapping his fingers yet again. Luke wanted to cry as he watched his abs fade away, softening as his stomach ballooned outwards into a round belly. His pecs swelled outwards, staying firm with muscle whilst also growing rounder and drooping. Luke's broad shoulders slimmed down as his entire frame was compressed, reducing his height. His arms remained muscular and toned, their definition softening under a padding of fat.

"Santa, please! This is not what Parker meant when he wished I was more festive," Luke tried one last time to get Santa to stop his magic.

"He should've been more specific, then," Santa shrugged nonchalantly with one last snap of his fingers.

Luke's dark brown hair lightened to a snowy white as a beard sprouted along his chin and lips. His face softened, his defined cheekbones fading from view as laughter lines were etched on his rounded face. His eyes lightened to a warm welcoming blue while his eyebrows grew thick and bushy. A thin layer of dark grey hairs sprouted along his pecs and stomach, a treasure trail forming from his belly button down towards his crotch.

With the transformation complete, Luke found himself able to move again. He quickly ran to the hallway mirror, shocked at his own reflection. He looked just like Santa! Though initially filled with horror, Luke quickly found himself appreciating his new bod. He was still hot; if anything, his belly and man tits actually made him sexier! And the white hair and beard really gave him a sophisticated look.

Luke spun around to face the original Santa, who was still smiling at his handiwork. Santa reached out a hand and gently gripped Luke's dick through his pants, which was still rock hard.

"Mind if I take a quick inspection down there?" Santa asked with a wink, "I like to give all my presents a final check before delivering."

Luke was so horny he could barely speak, instead just nodding in agreement. Santa got down on his knees and unbuckled Luke's pants, sliding them down to reveal Luke's hardon. Santa gently stroked Luke's cock before opening his mouth and swallowing it whole. Gripping Luke's fat ass for support, Santa hungrily sucked on Luke's cock. The pleasure from Santa's blowjob was overwhelming, and Luke's panting increased as he neared orgasm. It was so much better being Santa, Luke thought, moaning as he blew his load down Santa's throat. He couldn't wait to spread the Christmas joy far and wide.

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Luke sat up from his desk, wakened by the knocking at the door. Panting heavily, Luke quickly looked down at his body, relieved to see his muscular, fit body back to normal. He opened his phone and looked at himself in the camera, relaxing at seeing his own reflection rather than Santa's. The whole encounter with Santa must have been some crazy dream.

Luke looked up to see Parker standing in the doorway, frowning in concern. He was still wearing that stupid Christmas sweater, but Luke had never been so happy to see his husband before.

"Are you alright?" Parker asked warily. "You're drenched in sweat."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good," Luke nodded. He jumped up from his desk and embraced Parker in a tight hug, much to his husband's surprise. "I just had a bad dream, that's all."

"Well, I was just getting ready for tonight. Are you ready to go soon?" Parker asked.

Luke glanced over his shoulder at his laptop. The project was still waiting; Luke knew taking the night off would put him behind. Luke returned to his desk, grabbed the lid of his laptop and slammed it shut before grinning at his husband.

"Yeah, let's head out."

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Hey everyone, just wanted to thank you all for giving my blog your support over the past couple of months. This will be my last post for 2024, so wishing everyone Happy Holidays and a great start to 2025!

[asheli1515]

The Place You Found Me || Rafe Cameron

best!friend!reader X soft!rafe

a/n: heyyyy. I hope you like this one. I love a good 'one character is injured and the other comforts them" story. I also love writing Rafe's emotional side and him being an emotionally intelligent man so this was born. Hope ya'll are having a great holiday season!!

word count: ~3.8k (a longer one)

warnings/disclaimers: angst, fluff, brief mentions of violence, daddy issues, ward mentioned, mental health, mentions of self-harm, unhealthy coping mechanisms

summary: When a heated argument with Ward spirals out of control, Rafe vanishes without a word, leaving everyone—including his childhood best friend—in the dark. As the only person who truly knows Rafe’s complex, troubled soul, Reader immediately senses something is deeply wrong. Determined to uncover the truth, they embark on a search, while wrestling with their own fears and emotions. Will their unyielding bond be enough to bring Rafe back, or has he finally reached the breaking point that sends him beyond their reach?

masterlist

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✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

READER POV:

Rafe has been missing for days – three, to be exact. Everyone has been telling me that he will show back up eventually because ‘he always does this.’ However, to me, this time feels different than the others… like the dam finally broke.

It was another fight between Rafe and his father, Ward, that caused his disappearance. It must have been particularly bad this time because Ward is looking about as good as a boxer after a fight. He had a cut on his eyebrow and a bruised cheekbone, as well as bloodied knuckles that lead me to believe Rafe will have wounds that will mirror his own. The most sickening part of this is the smile on Ward's face. He is playing the part of a concerned father very poorly. I've been privy to many altercations between the father and son over the years and this is Ward's response every time. He pretends like nothing happened, like Rafe isn't falling apart in front of him, like it isn't his fault. It breaks my heart every time because I can see how broken he is but it seems like no one else can. It might be because they don't want to so that their precious reputation can remain unmarred.

I know more about the behind-the-scenes dealings of the Cameron’s because of my friendship with Rafe. It is one of the most bizarre aspects of my life because I don't even know how to explain how it happened. All I know is one day we bumped into each other at an event put on by the Cameron's for some charity or holiday. From then on, we were inseparable. Wherever I was, Rafe was not far behind. People always speculated about what we were to each other, but we never labeled it. We just knew that no one knew us like we knew each other. However, recently I have been feeling more...intense feelings toward him. I tried ignoring them for the sake of our friendship, but I definitely failed. I know that because of how my heart feels like it's being squeezed to the point of exploding. Rafe is not a stranger to reckless behavior, and I am terrified to figure out what drastic measures he might have taken after the fight. If anything happened to him, I don't know what I would do. What if he-

No, I can't think like that. He wouldn't do that to me...he couldn't. As this thought crosses my mind, a tear slips from my eye. I quickly wiped the evidence away from my cheek and head into the Cameron's house. I run into Sarah on my way to Rafe’s room. Ever since he vanished, I had made a daily routine of going to his room to try and figure out where he could have gone. I also have been going in there because I miss him desperately. I have never missed anyone this much and I don't know how to deal with it so I just sit. I sit in his room to be close to him but also in the hope that he'll show up eventually like he usually does.

“Hey, how are you holding up?” Sarah questions as we pass each other in the foyer. She looks like she has gotten about as much sleep as I have, which is none. She doesn’t like to admit it, but she really does love him and this is tearing her up inside.

“I’m okay.” I lie unconvincingly. “Ugh, no I’m not. I’m actually really scared for him. I don’t like not knowing where he is or what trouble he’s gotten himself into. I mean you know how reckless he is when his emotions are high. I-I just want him to be back here with us…me.” I finish my tangent and try to calm myself down. I can’t let my emotions get the better of me, especially not now.

She sighs and gives me a hug which I reciprocate immediately. “I know…it will be okay, alright?” She pulls back and looks me in the eyes. I can see her sincerity and it makes me relax, if only a little.

“Thank you, Sarah. I don’t know what I would do without you. You’re a really good friend and sister.” I smile but it doesn’t quite reach my eyes. “I’m going to look for him at a few places that seem promising later if you want to join.” I offer.

She shakes her head. “No, it should be you. I know we’re siblings but my bond with him couldn’t even hold a candle to yours. He’ll respond better to you.” She says matter-of-factly. The fact that she feels this way makes me feel slightly guilty. I don’t want to make her feel like I am more important to him than she is.

“Are you sure?” I ask with a slight frown.

“Yes, absolutely! I just want him back and you are our best chance of that happening.” She states. She opens her mouth again as if she was going to continue speaking but shuts it after she thinks for a moment. It was as if she was unsure if she should say whatever it was that almost came out of her mouth.

I look at her with questioning eyes. “What were you going to say?”

She looks conflicted but eventually speaks. “I can’t give you the answer you want because what I was going to say should come from Rafe. All I will say is that you know he loves you, right? Like more than I have ever seen him love anyone, even our father which is a difficult thing to accomplish.” She stops speaking when she realizes that she was rambling. “Anyway, I’ll let you get back to what you were doing. Go find him for us, yeah?” She finishes and walks out of the house and toward her car.

Her words hit me hard because I know he loves me and that's why this hurts so much. He loves me but isn't in love with me, though, that doesn't matter right now.

I need to find him and soon.

I open the door to his room and find myself sitting at the foot of his bed. I pull my knees into my chest and lean my head back on to the bedspread. I sit there for a while just observing the contents of the room that are the same as they were yesterday and the day before that. His room is clean which is unexpected given the jumbled-up mess I know his mind was in before he left. There is a bulletin board with important notes and pictures, a lot of them are either from me or I am in. This realization brings a genuine smile to my face and it's the first one I've had in days. Most people assume Rafe Cameron doesn't have a sentimental bone in his body, but he does. I've seen it first-hand but the others in Kildare never even give him a chance to show them how kind he can be. They paint him as this uncontrollable, cold monster but that's just not him.

After a while, I leave Tannyhill to go to the first location on my list. There's an overlook on the island that is usually avoided by the town’s residents because there is no railing to prevent people from falling. Rafe, however, loves it because of that fact. He likes the adrenaline of standing close to the edge and it terrifies me every time we go there but I go for him. When I get there I find it to be lacking his presence and head to the next spot on my list.

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

After hours of running around to places all over Kildare. I finally reached the last place on my list. I'm starting to lose hope of ever finding him and I hate that feeling. The feeling of never seeing somebody you care about again and there's nothing you can do to fix it.

As I approached my last chance of finding him, I pause to take it in. The building I am met with used to be a greenhouse but has long since been abandoned. Half of the roof is sunken in and the plants that were housed inside are now overgrown. Vines and grass cover most of the exterior giving the illusion of a jungle. I eventually made my way to the entrance, maneuvering under the vines growing over the front doors. Once I am inside, the darkness overwhelms me and I wait for my eyes to adjust.

Once they do, I see tables with potted plants sprawled out across them and an amount of dust that can only come with time. Eventually, in the corner of my eye, I see him... sitting against the wall across the room.

“Rafe!” I gasp quietly.

I run to his side and see the extent of his injuries immediately. He has a black eye, a busted lip, and bruised knuckles. None of it looks life threatening which puts some of my fears to rest but not all of them.

“Rafe? Hey, it’s me. Can you look at me?” I ask gently.

He looks up at me and I almost break down in tears at the brokenness I find in his eyes. He looks like he has given up and that is tearing me up inside.

“Hey…” He says softly. “You found me.”

“Yeah, I did. I know you like it here. The whole ‘beauty of destruction’ thing…how could I forget?” I say sadly.

He smiles weakly. “I knew you would find me eventually. You know me better than anyone.” He moves to face me and winces slightly due to his wounds.

“I hate that you have to see me like this…” He trails off and looks away from me like he should be embarrassed over something that Ward did.

“You shouldn’t even be hurt. This is all your dad’s fault just like it always is.” I stop when I realize that I am getting worked up over something that is not important in this moment. “Sorry, I shouldn’t say that.” I apologize to Rafe. The apology is unnecessary though because he isn’t exactly unaware of my disdain for his father. Ever since I learned about the way Ward treats him, looking at him at him made me feel sick to my stomach.

He looks at me fondly and takes my hand in his. “It’s okay…I know you don’t like him. I’m not even sure I like him most days but he’s my father, ya know?”

He absent-mindedly rubs circles on my palm with his thumb while I attempt to formulate a response.

“I know he is…I just can’t stand to see you hurting, Rafe.” I say as a tear slips down my cheek. I have been trying to keep my emotions in check these past few days but I am not sure how much longer I can keep it up.

“Hey, don’t cry. I’m okay, I promise.” He says softly as he wipes the tear from my cheek as he cups my face and makes me look at him.

I look into his eyes as more tears escape mine. “I know you are…this time. But what if you aren’t next time? I can’t do this without you, Rafe. I can’t.”

He pulls me into a hug that I can tell was needed by both of us. I needed it to prove to me that he is really here in this moment, and he needed it to keep him tethered to reality.

“You won’t have to. I promise that I am never going to leave you, okay?”

I nod into his shoulder as my face is currently buried in the crook of his neck. Something about today, this moment with Rafe, feels different. The air around us feels more charged than usual and I am scared to do anything as if moving will ruin it.

“I really missed you the past few days…a lot.” I say into his shoulder as I take a deep breath to calm myself after the stress of the days prior.

“I missed you too, sweetheart.” He sighs as he says this. “I wanted to come back but every time I thought about going back and facing my dad made it impossible to. I wanted to tell you that I was okay, but I didn’t want my dad to find me this time. I-I needed to just get away from it all. Before I knew it, it had been three days, and I realized that I needed to come back. That I had to come back for you at the very least.” He looked into my eyes then and my heart stopped beating.  

The way he said those words and the way he is currently looking at me right now makes my breath hitch. His gaze is not his usual friendly one but one that holds something deeper. It makes me question if he feels for me even a little of what I feel for him.

“Rafe…” I whisper breathlessly as I don’t trust my voice to not shake if I were to speak with more force.

I don’t even know what I planned to say when his name came out of my mouth. Was I going to say something profound that would help him move on from this disastrous situation we were currently in? Or was I going to be stupid and just blurt out the fact that I loved him, that I was in love with him. Knowing me it was most likely going to be the latter.

The thought of confessing to him was absolutely terrifying but what is equally, if not more, terrifying is loving someone and never getting to tell them that fact. When he disappeared three days ago, I was sure he was going to come back. What the people in town were telling me was not far from the truth. He always came back. Then one day turned into two and two turned into three. I was so scared that three days was going to turn into some ridiculously high number and that high number would turn into forever.

I thought I wasn’t going to see him again and the part that broke me the most was the fact that I hadn’t told him how I felt…how I feel still. This whole experience has made me realize that life is too short to lie to myself about my feelings or be afraid of them not being reciprocated. Yes, there was a chance that he wouldn’t feel the same way, but I would rather take that chance than never get to tell him how I feel. I owe it to myself and Rafe to be honest. I would rather live with rejection than live with never knowing his true feelings towards me. In this moment, I decide to tell Rafe how I feel, and I am terrified.

“Rafe, I need to tell you something. I need you to listen and not say anything until I am finished, okay? I need to get this out and I don’t know if I can if you stop me.” I speak quickly as my nerves start to pick up.

He looks at with a concerned expression but agrees to what I asked of him.

“Okay…” I exhale the breath I didn’t realize that I was holding and prepare to tell him all that I have wanted to tell him for the past few months. I move my hand to the side of his face, a whisper of a touch grazing his face. I then pull my hand away to speak.

“Um, okay. To begin, I was so afraid that I had lost you the past couple of days. I know I already told you this, but I really want to emphasize that fact because I need you to understand how hopeless I have felt without you. I mean you told me about how you’ve struggled with your mental health over the years and about the fact that you are impulsive to a fault.” I stop for a moment to take a breath before continuing.

The next sentence comes out in a whisper as if saying it out loud would make it true. “I thought that…that maybe you had done something to yourself.”

“I know you wouldn’t do that to your family o-or me but I started thinking of every worst-case scenario since your fight with Ward. I know you do this when you get overwhelmed, but you usually text me within a few hours or at least by the next day. When you didn’t do that this time, I panicked. I knew it had to be different because you wouldn’t purposely leave me like that.” I reach up to caress the side of his face. I had to be as close to him as possible in this moment and I didn’t care if this action gave away the feelings that I have locked away for so long.

“Anyway, all of this has made me realize something. I have realized that life is short, and I have no idea what could happen or what tomorrow holds. I realized that I need to be honest with you about something that I haven’t even been completely honest with myself about until recently.” I take a deep breath and prepare to confess my feelings to him.

“What I’m trying to say, Rafe, is…I’m in love with you.” My voice comes out timidly and almost like I am unsure of myself. I don’t dare to look at him because I am afraid that I will be met with an expression of pity. I remove my hand from his face so that he can take in everything I had just told him. My hand is almost back at my side when he grabs it with his own and puts my hand back where it was a few moments ago. He leans into my touch and his tense muscles relax in a way that I haven’t seen in a long time.

I stop breathing

“Look at me.” He says this in such a gentle way that I almost pass out.

When I still don’t look at him, he puts his hand on my face in the same manner that my hand is on his face. I make eye contact with him and a shiver runs down my spine. The eyes that I am met with are not ones of pity, but ones filled with the most love that I have ever seen…and it’s for me.

“You have no idea how long I have wanted to hear you say that.” He breathes as his eyes well up with tears. “I have loved you ever since we first met. I didn’t know why or how it happened, but I always wanted to be around you. You were always on my mind, and it was the strangest feeling for me because I had never felt for anyone else what I do for you, sweetheart.” A tear slips down his cheek and I quickly wipe it away with my thumb.

“You quiet my mind and that is something I've strived so long for. My mind is always so loud and overwhelming but with you…” He pauses to kiss my palm. The heat of his touch lingering long after his lips leave my skin. “…with you I was finally able to just be. I was finally able to hear what really mattered.”

“I am so madly in love with you, baby. I was yours the moment I laid eyes on you, even if I hadn’t realized it yet.” I am completely dumbfounded by the words coming out of his mouth that I can’t even find my own to respond with.

“I am so sorry for leaving you without telling you where I was going. I never meant for it to go this far. I was just so overwhelmed that I couldn’t think straight. I promise that I will talk to you next time before doing anything. I don’t want you to feel like I abandoned you ever again. I am so proud of you for being honest with me, you know that? You are my reason to stay so as long as you are here, I will be too.” He finishes speaking and it sounds as if he is out of breath.

I am truly speechless. He loves me…he loves me? I never in a million years thought that Rafe could ever love me but here we are. I am still at a loss for words but luckily actions speak louder than the words I can’t seem to find.

I lean in and kiss Rafe in a gentle way to test the waters. Electricity shoots through me as he responds to my advances. The kiss was soft, tentative, and delicate. It deepened, not with urgency, but with a steady, quiet intensity—a sharing of something neither of us ever thought would be shared. Every sensation—the warmth of his skin, the faint tremor in his hands, the way our heartbeats seemed to sync—was magnified. When we finally parted, it was only by a fraction, our lips lingering close enough to feel the faintest brush of breath.

Our eyes met, and in that gaze, everything was laid bare. In this moment, I was more content than I ever have been in my entire life. It felt as if my whole future could be more than I ever thought it could be. As I looked into Rafe’s eyes, I saw a love that could never be broken, one that I wanted for so long.

Rafe loved me…he was in love with me, and I would never take that fact for granted.

“This is the best moment of my life,” I say, laughing and smiling at him. I could barely believe the events that had transpired in the past hour, but I knew I would remember them forever.

“Mine too.” He said this with such warmth that I could barely feel the cool air in the greenhouse anymore.

“Let’s get you back to your sister. She had been worried sick.” I say as I help him stand up from the floor.

“Has she now? I find that hard to believe.” He jokes as he slings an arm around my shoulders and pulls me into him. He places a kiss on the top of my head.

“Shut up! You know she loves you… in her own way.” I giggle thinking about how Sarah loves to tease him. Despite this, Rafe and I know that she cares about him more than she lets on.

As we walk out of the greenhouse and to my car, I am filled with a hope that wasn’t there before. I am excited to see what the future holds for me and Rafe but right now? Right now was enough for me.

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© 2024, asheli1515. All rights reserved.

[nightplvmes]

*.⊹˚ XAVIER | lights (christmas special)

── ◜xavier x fem!reader — mini one shot 1k words ◜Xavier prepares a Christmas surprise for her with the help of his evol. — author's note | christmas specials from the rest of the LI on my profile

She sighed, looking at her empty plate of food. She looked back out the window of her apartment, noticing that the weather hadn't improved. She didn't have many plans for Christmas but she was definitely hoping to do something other than stay locked up at home… that is until a snowstorm came.

She knew the weather wouldn't be the best but she certainly didn't expect to be completely locked in. Her plans with her friends had been ruined and she felt guilty for not stopping by to see her mom.

She looked back at the TV, there was a boring Christmas movie on that was better than nothing… Until her surroundings grew dark. The power had gone out. The damn power had gone out on Christmas Eve. It was the last thing it was missing from her horrible night.

She hadn't been able to leave the house because of the storm. She hadn't been able to go see her mother and she had not been able to attend the small meeting that her friends had organized either.

It took her a couple of minutes to get out of her trance, it felt like a really bad night and there was nothing that could cheer her up anymore. She decided that the best thing to do was to spend some time on the balcony, maybe the fresh air would help her clear her head. That was when she realized that not all of the city had ended up in darkness, there were some places and buildings that still seemed to have power and a few others that didn't… unfortunately for her, her building had been one of the ones affected.

The sound of the door had taken her out of her bubble and she rubbed her eyes before getting up from the ground and walking to the front door. She thought maybe it was the building manager talking about the problem but it was the opposite…

Xavier let out a yawn and rubbed one of his eyes before looking at her with one of those small smiles he sometimes had on his face. She had learned to read his micro expressions, she felt like no one knew him like she did and it was probably true.

"Hey… what are you doing here?" She asked confused, she wasn't trying to kick him out of her house or anything but it was Christmas Eve, she thought maybe he was with… someone.

"The power went out."

She had to press her lips together to keep from laughing, of course she had noticed that and she knew Xavier wasn't trying to be sarcastic but there was so much seriousness on his face that she couldn't help but want to laugh.

"I know… Do you want to come in?" She stepped aside to let Xavier into her apartment.

He nodded and walked inside, noticing that the only light came from the open balcony doors.

She decided not to ask. Maybe Xavier had simply decided to spend Christmas at home. It didn't surprise her after he thought they were just going to get together to read on his birthday. His birthday was important, right?

"Come… the view is pretty from here." She took his hand and practically dragged him to the balcony.

When she sat back down on the floor, he didn't hesitate to imitate her, taking a seat next to her. Her eyes were fixed on the city, waiting for the power to magically come back at any moment. Meanwhile, Xavier's eyes were completely on her, as if the pretty view she was talking about was about her.

She sighed, feeling somewhat sad. She certainly didn't expect to spend Christmas like that. Although it made her feel a little more comforted to have Xavier there.

"Why are you home tonight?" She looked at him when she heard Xavier's question. She had told him two days ago that she had a meeting with her friends because she had tried to convince him to go with her.

"Didn't you see the news?" Xavier shook his head. "The storm closed the streets. I tried to leave but a policeman stopped me and forced me to go back the way I went." She sighed again remembering the disappointment she had felt when she had been told those words.

Xavier looked away. He felt sad to see her so sad, maybe his presence wasn't that much but he wanted to do something to cheer her up. She kept her gaze fixed on her hands, still feeling down. She played with her fingers and the small threads that came out of the edge of her pajamas. Until something caught her attention.

An orb of light was near her cheek. She raised her face to find the small orb floating near her face. With her brow furrowed she looked at Xavier without understanding, more small orbs came out of his hand and floated around her, a small smile formed on her face.

"What are you doing?" She smiled excitedly when the orbs around her began to move around her, until they gathered in front of her.

"We need light," he lied. He actually wanted to put a smile on her face and it had clearly worked. There was now a huge smile on her face as she tried to touch the small orbs of light but they just moved away from her touch.

The small orbs gathered in front of her again, forming the silhouette of a Christmas tree and then they dispersed again. The small orbs scattered in front of her again, forming small spheres this time. It was like her own little personal light show.

"Open your hands." She complied and spread her hands in front of her chest.

The orbs of light this time gathered over her hands without touching her completely. Forming small stars, it was like holding the stars in her hands in a perhaps too literal way.

The orbs scattered until they became small particles that disappeared from her sight, leaving her almost in complete darkness again. She now had a huge smile on her face and it had definitely been the highlight of her night.

"Thank you." She smiled, shifting her gaze back into her apartment. Her eyes searched for one of the clocks in her house to confirm what she had in mind: it was already past midnight. "Merry Christmas, Xavier."

"Merry Christmas," he murmured. He slid his hand out to take hers.

[stylesonfilms]

ink & innocence - 12

word count: 3.6k

just a little something just cause lol! please please send me more plot ideas + ways to carry on the story from here. i was also thinking of drafting up 3-4 chaptes at a time to post back to back, meaning i would wait until i had 3/4 chapters, post those, and i wouldn't post another part until i had another group to post! just want to test the waters with algorithm! thank u and enjoy! Kirsten's eyes scanned the coffee shop, spotting the familiar blonde locks that belonged to Isobel seated near the back corner by the window. With an excited grin, she hurried across the room, her boots clicking against the tiled floor. "Hey, girl!" she exclaimed, leaning over to hug Isobel from behind, one arm wrapping snugly around her shoulder. The embrace was quick but warm before Kirsten slid into the seat across from her friend.

"I say we get a cup of coffee before my head actually falls off," Kirsten added with a light laugh, slinging her purse over the back of her chair. Isobel smiled in return, her sunny demeanor always so easygoing.

"We should! Aspen said she'd swing by before her shift. She hasn't seen you in a while," Isobel mentioned, already pulling out her phone to text Aspen and let her know they were waiting.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Meanwhile, Aspen walked along the bustling sidewalk with her fingers loosely intertwined with Harry's. The rhythmic clatter of their footsteps on the pavement was offset by the warmth of his hand in hers. His car was parked just down the block, but Aspen had wanted to take her time, enjoying the crisp air and the gentle press of his thumb tracing idle circles on the back of her hand.

They'd stolen a few moments together before leaving her apartment—a series of kisses that made Aspen giggle against his lips as she tried to protest. "I have to work," she had murmured, though her laughter made it clear she wasn't exactly resisting.

"You've got time," Harry had teased back, his hands firm on her waist, holding her close.

"Not if I stop to see Kirsten first," she managed, her voice soft as her fingers slid into the curls at the nape of his neck.

Now, as they approached the coffee shop, Aspen felt a small knot of nerves bubbling up. She hadn't spent much time with Kirsten since things with Harry had... shifted, and though she trusted him, the lingering thought of Kirsten's connection to him still sat quietly in the back of her mind. She pushed it away with the memory of his lips on hers and the way his hands always sought to ground her, as though she was the only thing that mattered in his orbit.

They reached the coffee shop, and Harry reached out to tug the wooden door open for her, his broad shoulders dipping as he gave her a small grin. "M'lady," he teased with a mock bow.

Aspen laughed softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she stepped inside. The smell of roasted beans and cinnamon hit her immediately, along with the buzz of conversation and the occasional clatter of mugs. Her brown eyes swept across the room until they landed on the back of Kirsten's head and Isobel's unmistakable smile.

She swore her steps quickened on their own, an excited energy bubbling up as she weaved her way through the crowd. "Kirsten! Isobel!" Aspen chirped, practically bouncing as she reached their table.

"Hey!" Kirsten's voice was bright, though her eyes briefly flicked past Aspen to Harry, who stood a few steps behind her, his hands casually tucked into his jean pockets. Aspen leaned down to give both girls quick hugs, her natural warmth on full display.

Harry lingered just behind her chair, a quiet but steady presence as Aspen took her seat. Kirsten's sharp eyes darted between the two of them, her brows quirking slightly. "Didn't realize you two were suddenly... friends," she said, the hint of snark in her tone not lost on Harry.

Aspen, however, missed it completely, her focus already on explaining. "Oh! We just... got over our differences. He's actually taking me to work, so we can't stay too long," she said with a shy smile, her fingers absentmindedly toying with the edge of her sleeve.

Kirsten's gaze lingered on them for a moment longer, her lips pressing into a thin line before she glanced at Isobel, who seemed entirely oblivious to the undercurrent of tension. Internally, Kirsten felt the pang of jealousy coil tightly in her chest, sharp and biting. She hated it—the way the green tendrils of envy wrapped around her thoughts, squeezing and twisting. Aspen was her friend, after all, and she didn't want to begrudge her anything. But no matter how much she tried to shove the feeling down, it was relentless.

The truth was, Kirsten couldn't shake the belief that she could give Harry something Aspen couldn't. She'd known him longer, shared laughter over inside jokes Aspen wasn't a part of, and seen the confident, teasing side of him before Aspen had likely even noticed he existed. There had been fleeting moments between her and Harry—ones she had replayed in her head more times than she'd admit. The way his scent would linger just a beat too long, the spark in his eye when he playfully teased her, and the times his hand had brushed hers in a way that made her wonder if it meant something more.

What did Aspen have that she didn't? Sweetness? Shyness? Kirsten wanted to scoff. That wasn't enough to hold Harry's attention, was it? Not someone like him. Aspen was soft, quiet, unsure of herself. Kirsten, on the other hand, was bold and confident. She knew how to handle someone like Harry, knew what he needed. She could give him everything Aspen wouldn't even think to offer.

But as Kirsten's eyes flicked back to Harry, watching the way his gaze stayed unwaveringly fixed on Aspen, it felt like a slap. His expression wasn't just attentive—it was adoring. There was a softness in his eyes that made Kirsten's stomach churn with something unpleasant and bitter. He looked at Aspen like she was something precious, something fragile and irreplaceable. Like he'd move mountains for her without a second thought.

And that's what made it worse. Kirsten had never seen that look in his eyes for anyone else—not even for her, despite all the moments she'd convinced herself had meant more. It made her wonder if she'd ever really stood a chance at all.

As the thought settled heavily in her mind, her nails lightly tapped against the edge of the table, frustration bubbling under the surface. She hated herself for it—for the jealous, mean-spirited voice in her head that whispered Aspen didn't deserve him. That Aspen would never be able to keep someone like Harry interested, not in the long run. And yet, that voice only grew louder when she glanced at her friend's shy, happy smile, completely oblivious to the storm brewing just inches away.

Kirsten turned her attention back to Harry, her lips curling into a polite smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. There was still a chance, wasn't there?

But the way he stood there, his eyes soft and unwavering as they stayed trained on Aspen, made Kirsten's stomach churn. He looked at her like she was something precious, something fragile and irreplaceable.

Kirsten finally broke the silence. "Harry, can I talk to you for a second? Before you go?" Her voice was casual, but there was a flicker of something in her tone—something unreadable.

Harry hesitated, his eyes flicking to Aspen. She gave him a small, trusting smile and nodded, silently urging him. "Go ahead," she said softly.

Harry sighed, rolling his shoulders as if shaking off the irritation creeping into his frame, before giving Aspen's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. She barely looked up, caught in the whirlwind of conversation with Isobel, and he used her distraction as an excuse to leave. His boots clicked against the floor as he followed Kirsten toward the door, the tension rolling off him in waves.

The moment they were out of earshot, Harry's body language shifted. He leaned casually against the pillar, his arms folding loosely across his chest, but there was nothing relaxed about him. His green eyes were sharp, a silent warning gleaming beneath his furrowed brows.

"Is there something I can help you with?" His tone carried a measured bite, enough to get his point across without fully snapping.

"Woah, easy there, tiger." Kirsten's lips curled into a smirk, but her playful tone only seemed to stoke the fire. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and tilted her head at him. "No need to be hostile."

Harry's jaw tightened, a flicker of irritation flashing across his face. He didn't bother hiding it, and his brow arched, urging her to get on with it. He had no patience for games, not when Kirsten had already been making her judgment so clear with every stolen glance and barbed comment.

Kirsten sighed, crossing her arms as her eyes darted back toward Aspen and Isobel. They were lost in conversation, Aspen's soft laughter breaking the ambient hum of the coffee shop. The sight made her stomach twist—not with happiness, but with something dark and uneasy. She turned back to Harry, her confidence slipping momentarily before she straightened her shoulders.

"Look, H," she began, her voice low. Harry's expression hardened at the nickname, a flicker of disapproval crossing his features. "I don't know what's going on between you and Aspen, but..."

"But?" Harry's voice had an edge, sharp and unyielding. His eyes narrowed, daring her to continue. He could see where this was headed—he'd seen it all before, felt the same gnawing jealousy she was trying to mask. He recognized the way her gaze lingered too long, the calculating pauses in her words. It mirrored his own restless thoughts when Aspen had mentioned Shawn.

"But," she pressed on, her voice quieter now, as if she were reluctant to say the words. "I just don't know if it's... right. For someone like you."

The words hit him like a challenge, and Harry's lips curled into a humorless smile. He let out a sharp, unamused laugh, shaking his head. "What's that supposed to mean?" His voice was calm, but his eyes burned with restrained anger.

Kirsten faltered for a moment, her confidence cracking under the weight of his glare. "I just mean... you don't need gentle, or kind, or sweet," she said, the words spilling out in a rush. "That's not who you are, Harry, and it's not what you're used to."

His laugh this time was louder, colder, and Kirsten flinched at the sound. Embarrassment prickled at her skin, but she lifted her chin, forcing herself to meet his gaze. If he was going to mock her, she wasn't going to shrink under it.

"I know what you like," she continued, her voice regaining some of its earlier bravado. "I can handle you. I can take what you give, however rough it is. Can Aspen say the same? I mean, have you two even done anything besides kiss? If even that?"

Harry blinked, disbelief flashing across his face. For a moment, he was silent, his arms tightening across his chest as if to ground himself. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and deadly calm. "What I do—or don't do—with Aspen is none of your business. If I'm not interested, then I'm not interested. Got it?"

He turned on his heel, his focus already back on Aspen. He could feel the seconds ticking by, and he didn't want to waste any more time entertaining Kirsten's desperate attempts to get under his skin. Aspen's shift started soon, and he had plans to steal a few more moments with her before she had to leave.

"Wait," Kirsten blurted, her hand flying out to rest against his chest. He barely spared her a glance, stepping back as if her touch burned.

"What?" His voice was clipped, his patience wearing thin.

Kirsten's eyes softened, her lips curving into what she thought was a tempting smile. "Come by tonight," she murmured, her tone low and inviting. "While she's at work. I can show you what a big mistake you're making."

Harry froze, his brows arching as he let out an incredulous hum. He didn't move, didn't speak, and Kirsten's heart raced, convinced for a moment that she'd gotten through to him. Her pulse quickened as his tall frame leaned forward and his head dipped slightly, his lips hovering near her ear.

"No," he said, his voice firm and unwavering. He pulled back, catching the stunned look on her face, and for the first time since their conversation started, he allowed a smirk to cross his lips.

Turning away with a scoff, he walked back toward Aspen, muttering under his breath, "Un-fucking-believable."

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

In the car, Harry's hand rested on her mid-thigh over her jeans. He gently patted her thigh to get her attention off the road, glancing over at her when she turned her attention to him immediately. "I wanted t'tell you something," Harry started off. For the last few minutes on their walk back to his car and when they pushed out onto the road again, the conversation he had with Kirsten burned into his thoughts. 

He was conflicted on telling Aspen. On one hand, he vowed to communicate with her and to tell her everything, which he had been doing great at so far. On the other, he was hesitant because of Aspen and Kirstens friendship and what could become of it. Aspen tried her best to dislodge the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. If his hand was still on her thigh under her hands, then it shouldn't be anything bad. It was a built in habit for Aspen to worry over the worst case scenario before reasoning with other explanations.

"When Kirsten pulled me aside to talk to me," Harry glanced over to Aspen before he turned back to the road, "it was a little... alarming." His brows furrowed as he sighed, the car rolling to a stop at the intersection. So he took that minute to look at her and once again, he saw her questioning look. He gave her thigh a reassuring squeeze gently.

Harry let out a slow exhale, his thumb unconsciously tracing light circles against the fabric of her jeans. Aspen's gaze flickered between his hand and his face, her brow knitting together in a mix of curiosity and apprehension. He could feel her body tense slightly beneath his touch, the unspoken question lingering in the air.

"When Kirsten pulled me aside to talk," Harry started again, his voice calm but tinged with irritation at the memory, "she said some things that were... out of line."

Aspen blinked, her lips parting slightly as if to speak, but she stopped herself, waiting for him to continue. Harry noticed the slight downturn of her mouth, her fingers fidgeting nervously with the hem of her sleeve.

"She implied," he hesitated, gripping the wheel tighter as the car started moving again, "that you weren't right f'me. That I should... I don't know, be with someone more like her."

Aspen's chest tightened, and she quickly averted her gaze to the passing scenery. Her mind reeled, the sting of Kirsten's words cutting deep even though they hadn't been said to her directly. She felt small, like a fragile thing in the shadow of her friend's confidence and boldness.

Harry's grip on the steering wheel tightened further, his knuckles whitening as he continued. "And then she had the nerve to invite me over later," he said, his tone laced with disbelief. "To 'change my mind,' she said." He scoffed, the memory still fresh and irritating. "Like I'd even consider somethin' like that. I shut it down immediately."

Aspen's breath hitched, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap as her mind tried to reconcile the words. Kirsten had done that? It was one thing for her to think such things, but to actively say them—and then take it a step further by trying to pull Harry away—felt like a betrayal Aspen hadn't expected. She bit her lip, fighting the urge to retreat into her thoughts entirely.

Harry glanced at her, catching the flicker of doubt and hurt in her expression. "Aspen," he said firmly, his voice softening as he reached over to rest his hand on hers. "It didn't matter what she said. It doesn't matter. I didn't even hesitate to turn her down. There's no way—no chance—I'd ever let her or anyone else come between us."

Aspen nodded slightly, her eyes still downcast but her grip on his hand tightening just enough for him to know she was listening. She swallowed hard, willing herself to push past the ache in her chest as she focused on the reassurance in his voice.

Aspen's chest felt heavy, her mind swirling with Kirsten's betrayal. Her friend—the one she'd confided in, laughed with, trusted—had thought so little of her. Worse, Kirsten had seen fit to say those things to Harry, to try and plant doubt where Aspen had already fought to build fragile confidence. The idea of being compared to someone as bold and self-assured as Kirsten made her feel small, like her quiet nature and shyness weren't enough, like she wasn't enough.

Her heart twisted painfully as Harry's words replayed in her mind. "That you weren't right for me." She knew he hadn't meant to hurt her by saying it, but the sting of those words stuck, a reflection of her own insecurities. She felt raw, exposed, as though Kirsten had picked apart everything she feared about herself and laid it bare.

Aspen's eyes welled slightly as she stared out the window, unwilling to let Harry see the tears threatening to spill. She knew he wasn't to blame—he'd stood up for her, defended their relationship, and shut Kirsten down—but the hurt lingered, deep and consuming. Why would Kirsten do this? Was I ever her friend to begin with?

A part of her wanted to retreat, to bury the feelings and nod along to Harry's reassurances. But the ache in her chest told her this wasn't something she could easily shake off. Kirsten's actions had struck at the very core of what Aspen struggled with—her worth.

Harry's eyes darted to her as they neared the library, catching the way her shoulders slumped. He didn't miss the faint flicker of hurt crossing her features before she hid it, burying her reaction behind her usual shy reserve. His jaw tightened as guilt pooled in his chest. He shouldn't have told her. It wasn't her fault, and now he could see the weight of it settling on her.

When he pulled into the small parking lot behind the library and killed the engine, Harry turned toward her, his hand still resting on her thigh. Aspen stayed silent, her fingers still playing with the threads of her sleeve as she stared at her lap.

"Hey," Harry said softly, tilting his head to try and catch her gaze. When she didn't look up, he reached over, his fingers gently tilting her chin so her eyes met his. His heart ached at the uncertainty he saw there, her wide brown eyes searching his face for answers.

"You've got t'know," he began, his voice low and steady, "that nothing anyone says about us— about you— is ever going to change how I feel." He paused, brushing his thumb lightly against her cheek, his gaze unwavering. "You're it f'me, Aspen. You're what I want. No one else, not now, not ever."

Aspen's breath hitched, her cheeks warming under his touch. She blinked a few times, processing his words as a flood of relief began to wash away the sting of Kirsten's actions. "But... Kirsten—." she started, her voice barely above a whisper, but Harry shook his head, cutting her off gently.

"Kirsten doesn't get to decide who's right f'me," he said firmly. "That's not her place. And honestly? She couldn't be more wrong." He let his hand drop from her face to hold hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You're kind, you're thoughtful, y'make me want t'be better... You're everything I didn't know I needed. It's only your place to tell me those things. I only care 'bout what y'think and what y'want."

Aspen's lips parted slightly, and she tried to form a response, but the lump in her throat made it hard to speak. Instead, she nodded, her eyes glistening as she looked at him with a mixture of gratitude and shyness. Harry hummed softly, leaning forward to press a lingering kiss to her forehead. 

"I mean it," he murmured against her skin before pulling back to look at her again. "Kirsten doesn't matter, alright? You're the one I want, Aspen. Always. I don't ever doubt myself, especially not after I realized you're it for me. I don't need dark hair or terribly designed tattoos or an overwhelming amount of confidence. I's you, always you."

Her lips finally curled into a small, bashful smile, and she nodded again, her fingers curling tighter around his hand. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice soft but full of emotion. Aspen exhaled, her shoulders falling relaxed.

Harry chuckled lightly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Y'don't have to thank me, love. Just... believe me, yeah? I promise tha' I mean every word."

"I do," Aspen said shyly, her cheeks flushing deeper. "T-thank you for telling me, Harry."

Harry smiled his lopsided smile, his heart swelling at her words and he mumbled out a small ''f course.' . He leaned in again, this time capturing her lips in a gentle but reassuring kiss, pouring every bit of his sincerity into the moment. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Now, go knock 'em dead at work," he said with a smirk, making her laugh softly. She nodded, her earlier worries now replaced with a quiet sense of security. Aspen leaned into his hands that reached up to cup her cheeks and wipe away at her eyes. Her lips brushed a gentle kiss to his palm with another content sigh.

As she gathered her bag and stepped out of the car, Harry watched her go, a content smile playing on his lips. Whatever doubts Kirsten had tried to plant, they didn't stand a chance—not when he had Aspen, and not when he was so sure she was everything he'd ever want. 

[blooddrinkingbartender]

Bill was still smiling softly at that. He had remembered that day well, even if Cassandra had eventually passed out from the mesmerism he had forced onto her. Luckily, he was able to pretend it was just her being tired from 'Santa Claus' Magic' (as he told Russell) making her happy.

The memory slowly faded out into something else. He almost wanted to tell it to stay, so he could remain in that moment a little while longer. Older again. Not much younger than he was now. There she was, shouting behind him as he walked out of the front door. She was close behind.

You selfish piece of shit! After everything I've done for you, you're just going to leave your poor old mother behind?! How fucking dare you?! None of your brothers would have done this to me. Why, out of all of my children, did you have the one to live?! Why can't you ever think of anyone other than yourself?!

"I'm, I'm sorry, mom..." Russell no longer sounded upset or afraid as he said those words. He just sounded resigned, like he was tired of life itself. He attempted to soften the blow, "It's, it's not you, I, I just wanna see, see other places..."

Oh you'll see plenty of other places if you even fucking live. I hope you die out there and the last place you see are those fucking trenches! Because no one else is going to want you! Nowhere else is home! Home is here, with me. Everywhere you go, everyone is going to hate you eventually and then you'll come back, to me, where you belong!

"She said home was with her, but no, it , it never, it never was. I don't, I don't belong anywhere, not, not even with her. M-maybe I, I was being selfish... but, I, I just didn't want to come back to, to more of how she, she treats me. I'm, I'm a coward I know, but it, it wears you down..."

Bill had been sitting outside, whittling as Cassandra slammed the door behind Russell, still ranting and raving even as she walked away. At least by this point, he was too big for her to drag him outside by his ears anymore.

"I did tell him she wouldn't be happy," Bill said to Jonathan, "She can't manipulate or hurt him if he isn't there after all. Of course, I didn't like the idea of him leaving for good, but it's his choice to make."

I said she wouldn't be happy, boy...

"I told her if, if I survived the war, I, I wasn't planning to, to come back home to her... I, I honestly thought she, she might have been happy to, to be rid of me, Bill," Russell said, "I know you, you don't, you don't want me to go either."

It's not that I don't want you to, lad. I'm just going to miss you. Besides, it's your choice, I can't force you to stay.

"I, I mean, you, you could if, if you really wanted, but then there would be, be the risk of, of messing my, my brain up," Russell continued.

And even if there wasn't the risk, I wouldn't force you into that. It's why I've never tried to make you think better of yourself. You've got to do that on your own, without anyone having to scramble your brain and force you.

"I'll, I'll still come, come back and see you, and, and write to you, you know, if I survive..." Russell said, before he then seemed to remember that this was just a memory. A shadow of what things gone by, "I, I had been told to, to join the forces on, on the front... and, and I just accepted with-without question, I, I was going to head out in, in a few days...."

"He wanted to get away from her," Bill said, "He essentially signed a death warrant because he wanted to get away from her. I should have killed her from the start, but no, I thought he already didn't have one parent, I probably shouldn't take away the other one. God damn it..."

"I... I think I... I need a, a break... I'm, I'm sorry..." Russell said then, "I, I know we've, we've not, not seen much but... I'm, I'm sorry..."

Pathetic. That's how it felt. Like he was giving up before they had even really gotten started. But it was feeling like it was running over a bit much, like a pot that couldn't hold enough of the water being poured in. Seeing these images that were so foreign and yet so familiar.

{Jonathan felt his heart warm up at as he listened to both men speak - the fondness of the memory was clear as day, for a moment he could feel the earlier somber mood lift. A part of him was grateful that Dr.Swansea went for a more lighthearted line of questioning, hopefully this would prove useful to restoring Russell’s memories.}

{Dr.Swansea looked pleased to hear the reply he received from the young man, pausing to think yet again as to what else he could inquire on - he eventually spoke.} “Could you tell me something about yourself that you shared with someone close and they didn’t take the news well?” {He asked, wondering what kind of reply he’d get from this line of questioning.}

{Jonathan couldn’t help but quirk up a brow at the question, he found it… oddly specific? But he trusted his judgement, perhaps it had merit to it as specific questions require specific answers and those answers could just be what Russell needs to remember who he is.}

[multiisketch]

SPOILERS FOR SONIC 3 END CREDITS BELOW!

Okay, so... I may have a potential plot for the fourth movie... There's likely some holes in the idea but it's been running through my head since watching the 3rd film's end credits, so... you know enjoy!

It's CD and Heroes inspired.

Imagine, if you will with me, that Amy and Metal Sonic come from a BAD FUTURE.

In the original timeline, sometime after the 3rd film, Sonic meets Amy and they go on an adventure to save her home, Little Planet, from corruption. Only, while there, Sonic gets captured/lost/tragically injured leaving Amy alone. Metal Sonic is created by the evil powers that be on Little Planet (not Eggman; some original entity that wants to turn everything living into machinery) in mock of the hero. Having lost Sonic, Amy gathers up special gems that exist on Little Planet, the time stones, and travels back in time to find Sonic before their adventure, hoping to stop all this before it can begin. Metal Sonic follows her.

Cut to the end credit scene in 3. Amy tells Sonic she has come to help him stop Metal Sonic from conquering his world and her home if not the rest of the galaxy. She's very familiar with him, but doesn't explain why, leaving Sonic uncomfortable and untrusting. This references back to her clinginess in her original depiction, while it being more about the fact that she knew and lost him than a lovesick obsession. Sonic's awkwardness isn't because he finds her annoying. There's something she's not telling him.

The movie follows Amy and Team Sonic attempting to stop this army of Metal Sonic's from conquering the planet by finding their leader. Here, we do a fake-out. It's Eggman! He's somehow back from the dead! Again! He was working with the entity on Little Planet who found him after he was launched into space! Only, no. He's not. This is NEO Metal Sonic, the original Metal Amy encounter and leader of the others whom he created himself. Just like in Heroes he wants Sonic and Shadow's bio-data so he can become Metal Overlord and take over. Shadow would rejoin everyone else through NEO Metal Sonic finding and targeting him just as he did with Sonic. For some reason, NEO seems to have an affinity for Amy. Sonic's suspicions are raised further.

Sometime in the Third Act, Neo Metal Sonic taunts Sonic by asking him if Amy has told him his bleak future. This prompts Sonic to begin drilling Amy about what happened. This is when she explains herself in full. Only there is an element they are both missing. Amy thought Sonic was killed, kidnapped, or worse...

In actuality the evil on Little Planet MADE him into Metal Sonic, corrupting him like it did the planet. NEO Metal is her original Sonic. He's angry for being abandoned, angry at being replaced. Angry that he'll never get to be with his family again. His mind is twisted by the machinery he is made of now, but he is still the REAL SONIC.

The final battle would be against Metal Overlord. They'd beat him bad. He wouldn't be dead and gone at the end. Sonic would want to redeem him. After all, Metal Sonic is a version of him. Back in his base form, the original Metal Sonic would run off. Or, maybe, Tails would power him off and keep him in their tool shed. Maybe hope there would be a way to restore him back to normal, but the chance is slim.

The last step would be to head to Little Planet. Sonic, Amy, and co. would go to the planet's past using the time stones to put the kibosh on the takeover before it can really begin (just like in CD!)

Just when they return to the present, thinking time is fixed, a certain time traveler shows up to tell them it's not!

[coolfireguy73]

Hello everyone, I'm... back ?

For anyone that may interest, it's me AG. You probably forgot about me.

Hi !

First of all I wanted to apologies. I don't didn't have that huge of a following but for the few people that followed my stuff and liked my AUs, I'm sorry I have essentially disappeared.

I have a few things to say about why I did and I will announce something regarding the Child mercs AU at the end of this.

So if you are not interested in anything else you can skip to "It brings us to today" further down.

For everyone else (not many I assume):

When I discover something new, a new game, a new anime or whatever, I may hyperfixate on it. I'll only talk about it, I'll only draw fanarts of it etc... Like TF2, this was one of my hyperfixation.

I say was because , for some reason, I can only hyperfixate on one fandom at a time. I can have a lot of things I like and care a lot for, but when it comes to the things that dictates my life and art (Like TF2 did) I can only have one.

I don't know why, I've always been like this and I kinda hate it at times.

Anyway, like you may have seen from my last posts, before leaving I fell into the JJBA fandom.

This was (and still is) my new hyperfixation.

I could literally feel it replace TF2 in my mind. And I hated it.

I still love TF2 dearly, but it had been... "replaced" in a way.

I had a lot of unfinished projet I knew a would have a harder time finishing because I had moved on to something else.

I tried to continu the comic twice. And both time the file got deleted.

I lost what little will I had to continue it.

An I'm sad about it. I hate it when I get invested in something that's unfinished. And I said multiple times that I would finish it ! That and the Cryptid AU.

But I never did.

It brings us to today:

I wanted to do this for a while and with the final entry of the TF2 comics finally out I figured now was a good time.

Even though I want to, I don't know when or even IF I'm going to finish drawing the comics.

THAT SAID, though the drawings aren't finished, the story, the description of what would have been on every page is !

It's been since before I started drawing it.

And I thought I could do something with it.

I can publish the last pages of the Child mercs comic in written form. Every drawing described and with the dialogue that should have accompanied it.

You'll essentially have the entire story, just, without the little drawings.

But only if you still care about it. And I know some of you did and even if only one of you want it, I'll do it.

It won't be the version I wanted, with my drawings, but if I never make them, at least you can enjoy the end of the story. And I'd hate to keep that from you forever.

Again I'm sorry for leaving, I figured you wouldn't want to see Jojo Fanart when I hadn't even finished my TF2 projects.

I'm still very grateful for all the nice comments I received, and maybe one day I'll come back with a few TF2 drawings to show you :)

P.S.: I never had a written thing for the Cryptid AU, I kinda want to rewrite it entirely but I'm working on another project. Though it's nearing completion so maybe I'll have time.

I mainly wanted to say, though I didn't have any idea where the story was heading, I did have an idea why they all became cryptids so if you want to hear about it too. Let me know.

Anyway, have a good one everyone.

And thanks for everything :)

-AG

[fanficbrewery]

How veil guard characters react to you sleeping on Assan headcanons

i've had this idea in my head for awhile now so i decided to go ahead and do it instead of waiting for requests lol

the intro takes place after the siege of weisshaupt where yall haven't confessed yet but the tension is there its kinda long you don't have to read all of it but i was excided to write it.

GN reader

Intro:

your head aches with an unbearable pain that comes and goes, maybe you were hit in the head by one to many darkspawn but you shouldn't be surprised, weisshaupt was hard one everyone not just for you. ....Weisshaupt... the screams of all the wardens dying replays in your head. Those people signed up to fight the blight and dark spawn not a god let alone 2.

Seeing Davrins defeated face at every new warden body you stumbled across makes you feel guilty. guilty for disturbing Solas's ritual and causing the gods to break free. Guilty for Davrin and Lucanis going at each others throats for messing up. You should have payed more attention to your team, made sure they were ready for this fight. But both Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain walked away alive. You replay the entire battle in your head over and over again trying to figure out what you did wrong with little success.

The blinding pain in your skull returns once more, You roll to your other side in your bed hoping to find a more comfortable position to sleep in. The pain shoots from one side to the other making you sigh. "Well this isn't working" you say, getting up from your bed with difficulty. you stumble into the hallway to the railing of the second floor of the lighthouse. Quiet.. everyones asleep.

you push open the doors to the light house and step into the light of the fade. Right.. time doesn't move here.. its always light outside, your never gonna get used to that. As you suspected no ones awake its quiet almost to quiet. your starting to wonder why you came out side before

*squawk* you look around and see the young griffon standing a little away from you, right outside Davrins room as always. The little griffon tilts his head at you like asking what your doing up. "Hey Assan" you walk over to him, sticking out your hand to pet him, scratching behind his ear just how he likes. You realize just how soft his feathers are, your starting to get sleepy just petting him.

before you can get up to try to go to sleep again Assan gently bites on of your fingers before laying down almost trying to get you lay down with him. Does he know your having difficulty sleeping? is he smart enough to realize that?. He looks at you with these puppy eyes purring and gently gnawing on your finger. Aw what the hell he might just help you sleep. laying down on the hard ground and using Assan as a pillow is the last thing you remember before slipping into sleep

Bellara

Working on the Nadas Dirthalen was tiring. she had been working for HOURS trying to ask the right question and getting the spirit to cooperate with her but she's had no luck

maybe getting something to eat will help? yeah getting a snack sounds good. and then maybe a nap.

she leaves her room, walking to the kitchen when..

was rook curled up with Assan? or was she seeing something else in her peripheral?.

Turning around to see you sleeping with Assan is the cutest thing she's seen in awhile

after Weisshaupt she was honestly worried about you. She thought you might be taking what happened hard and blaming yourself for Ghilan'nain getting away but if it wasnt for you, you guys wouldn't have even killed her archdemon

she's happy your getting rest you deserved. you've helped her and the team so much she knows you deserve the rest and she doesnt dare trying to wake you up

she quickly goes to her room and grabs a blanket she wasn't using and carefully drapes it over your sleeping body, giving Assan a pet while he's asleep to

she gush's about how cute you are once more before you going back to her room to sleep herself, forgetting all about her snack

Davrin

when he wakes up the first thing he noticed was that Assan wasn't at the foot of his bed like usual. Where has his feathery companion gone?

getting up and seeing his door open was the first sign of trouble, when the hell did Assan learn to open doors??

he gets outside and immediately starts scanning for Assan

when he finds him he definitely didn't expect to see you as well

he comes over to inspect what's going on he finds you fast asleep face first in Assans feathers

he'd be lying if he said his heart didn't skip a beat or two

Davrin likes you, he hasn't tried to be subtle about it either. One of the things that draws him to you is how good you are with Assan even if he thinks you spoil him to much

seeing you like this with Assan might just solidify that fact for him

he decides he cant just leave you sleeping on the ground like this. Assan might be comfy but the ground beneath you sure isn't

he picks up your sleeping form despite Assans complaining squawk and takes you up to his room, Assan following close behind.

he lays you down on his bed. Assan jumps up and lays down right by your feet. "cute" Davrin thinks to himself

you didn't even stir when he picked you up, you must have been really tired

....maybe its because of weisshaupt or what happened after it.

he should go apologize to Lucanis, take something off your plate. he stands up walking to the kitchen leaving you to rest.

emmrich

he had been up late looking for any information he could find about the hand of glory you all had recovered from the Necropolis

it was old magic now a days forbidden from being preformed so his knowledge on it was limited

he had sent Manfred to recover a book he lent to Bellara awhile ago now. What is taking him so long?. Did he get lost around the light house perhaps?

he walked outside the light house to see Manfred hovering over something. His skeletal form blocking Emmrich's view but he could see somebody laying on the ground

was somebody hurt?!. he ran over to assist but it was just you sleeping on Assan

while he was happy you weren't hurt he thought that surely there were more comfortable places to sleep then on a messy griffon

*hiss* Manfred let out a concerned hiss while pointing at your sleeping forms

"yes i see them Manfred, what shall i do? i don't think sleeping on Assan is very sanitary but i don't wish to disturb their rest"

he asked Manfred Not expecting much of a reply. He already knew what he was going to do

he reached down gently shaking your shoulder. "rook, dear, wake up"

you wake up already missing the little sleep you were able to catch. "oh uh hi Emmrich" sleeping on Assan probably wasn't the best idea, your back was already hurting.

"rook are you alright? why are you sleeping on the ground?" his face was full of concern "i uh couldn't sleep I guess Assan looked to comfy"

Emmrich sighed at your response "rook do you remember me offering to teach Bellara some breathing techniques to help her relax?"

"yeah i do why?" you responded still a little disoriented

"why don't i teach you some as well to help you sleep of course. Manfred could make us some calming tea as well" he offered his hand to help you up

"actually... that be really nice Emmrich..thanks" Emmrichs face got hot at your sincerity but covered it with a smile

"of course rook its nothing, now lets get you inside"

you both walk into the light house Manfred trailing behind leaving a grumpy Assan outside

Harding

"Mmmm..Ahh" Harding stretched, standing up from her bedroll

she was finally starting to get used to having dreams now. Even starting to feel well rested after waking up

she was planning on going to Rivain and training with the lords of fortune to keep practicing her new magic. Weisshaupt was hard and she wanted- no needed to be better for the next fight with the gods

she wonders if maybe you would like to come with her. She knows you took Weisshaupt hard, it was hard for everyone but she cant even imagine what your feeling right now

it would be fun to get you out of the light house and doing something that wasnt trying to save the world

she leaves her bedroom, walks into the light house, up to your room and.. your not here? huh weird maybe your in the kitchen

she leaves and walks up the steps past the workshop and that's when she sees you and Assan

"... oh my gosh rook are you sleeping on Assan?" she chuckled walking up to you and Assan seeing you completely knocked out

... you looked so peaceful sleeping and pretty too..... ok she's just being creepy now isn't she

when she was in the inquisition she worked as a scout, she's slept on grass, rocks, pavement, and sometimes even trees. She knows that no matter what it ends in a hurting back and neck. It'd be best to wake you up now

"hey..hey rook" she gently shook your shoulder waking you up

"huh- oh uh hi Harding"

"morning sleepy head, what'cha doing sleeping on Assan?" she asked smiling down at you

"i uh couldn't sleep but Assan is just really soft" Harding giggled "well if you keep doing that your back is gonna hurt like hell, come on ill try making you some coffee, and ill make you my ham and jam slam"

"thanks Harding id love that" you stand up. Yup Harding was right your back is starting to hurt already

"I was also going to go to the lords of fortune to train again you should come with me yeah?" she asked walking to the kitchen

"yeah id like to spend some time with you Harding" ".....me to!" Harding replies smiling at you as you both walk into the kitchen.

Lucanis

he hasn't slept. All he can see in his head is Ghiln'nain. He was so close. There was no reason for why he missed. He was sure he could do this. "A crow never fails a contract." Those words from his grandmother replaying in is head from before she..

He's survived this night using coffee, he's on his fourth cup now. He needed to stay awake to make sure spite cant take control. Everyone should be awake by now, time to get ready for the day.

he leaves the pantry into the kitchen and starts to make a large pot of coffee for everyone. What should he make for breakfast?. His mind wonders to you. Maybe he should make your favorite breakfast but... oh he cant remember what it is.

cant kill, now he cant remember what else cant he do.

maybe he should just find you and ask what you'd like for breakfast

he walks outside and spots you and Assan immediately. strange.. what were you doing.

walking over he's able to tell your asleep. Your even breaths and eyes closed peacefully gives it away but why were you out here sleeping on the floor and not in your bed?

*sniffs* "smells like...guilt, regret, and the sting of failure" ah great he's awake. "What are you talking about?" he asks as the demon of spite materializes beside him looming over your sleeping form

"rook! obviously!. The old stench of failure is intense" ..."failure of what?" "WEISSHAUPT. they think they failed usss" "it wasn't them that failed it was me i had her so close.. and i missed"

"not to them no.. to them they should have fought harder, saved more, helped more!"

you shouldn't feel like this. it was him that failed. You were the only reason he even got close to Ghilan'nain.

He bent down reaching out to you. "NO DONT WAKE THEM" "why?" he pulls back surprised by the demons insistence "they just fell asleep despite the pain.. let them sleep" "why do you care spite?" "I like them... much more than i like you" He sighed looking back at you

he reach forward and brushed a piece of you hair away form your face. he stood up. "Where are you going?" "to make breakfast"

he'll wake you once breakfast is ready. And he'll work harder to make sure you don't have to feel guilty ever again.

Neve

notes, notes, and more notes. They were littered all over her desk, floor, and on her bed. As cute as they were the wisps had been no help, she even caught one trying to take her notes out the window into the fade.

She had slept very little with the idea of Aelia being back in Dock Town plaguing her mind. She needed to catch her before she caused more chaos but she had ran out of leads awhile ago.

Sitting here isn't going to help. But Coffee might. Then she can go into Dock Town and talk with some contacts.

Walking out of her room she spotted you and Assan immediately. She chuckled to herself, walking over to the two of you. "Well isn't this sweet" no response, "Rook?" still nothing

it was then that she noticed your closed eyes and even breaths. Why were you sleeping out here?. Just then Assan opened his eyes cooing softly at Neve

"hey Assan what are you and rook doing sleeping out here?" he squawked quietly in response. "Really?" she was talking to the griffon like she understood him, a Habit she picked up recently

"well come on Assan ill give you a treat or two before Davrin wakes up". When the griffon didn't follow her she was surprised, he's usually very food motivated.

she sighed crouching down to his level, scratching his chin.

She glanced over to you, noticing the heavy circles under your eyes. It was about Weisshaupt wasn't it?. You were much easier to read then you think.

as time passed you awoke groaning, sitting up and feeling pain shoot up your back. "Ow..." "morning sleepy head". Startled you look beside you to see Neve sitting on the ground Assan's head in her lap, drinking a cup of coffee

"oh uh hi Neve how long have you been there?" "long enough to notice you snore in your sleep. Had trouble sleeping?" she asked Taking a sip of her coffee " yeah I guess i just fell asleep on Assan but- did you stay here with me while i slept?" she turns her head away dodging the question completely and stood up.

"come on i made a pot of coffee for everyone. You should come down to Minrathous with me, ill treat you to some of Hal's fish fry" she said, walking to the kitchen. If you had been able, you would have seen the dark blush she was hiding with a smirk as she walked away.

Taash

they were sitting on the floor of their room, wraping the last rope of the Dar-saam ritual around their arm. They stood up and took a deep breath before walking out of their room.

They had another thing to do for their mother. "Taash, shokra toh ebra" the words from their mother was always in their head. They would probably be hearing more of it from her through out the day.

Walking out of the light house they weren't even able to take a step before noticing you on the ground. Taash walked over to you sleeping body. "you good?" they didn't get an answer. "...Are you asleep?".... That was a dumb question obviously you were asleep, but on the ground? seriously? that's gonna kill your back when you wake up.

Looking around they thought, should they take you to bed? the grounds pretty uncomfortable no matter how peaceful and cute you looked sleeping on Assan.

Before Taash could process their thoughts they were already picking you up from the ground, trying their best not to wake you.

They pushed the light house doors open with their back and quietly climbed up the stairs. Until one of them creaked to loudly and you immediately began to stir form your sleep.

"what- uh Taash?" "....sup" "what are you doing..?" Taash looked away from your face and instead faced off to the side "taking you to bed.. duh" "but why?" "sleeping on the ground is gonna kill your back. So im taking you to your room." they said very matter of factly, continuing up the stairs.

"... you could have just woken me up you know" you said heat rushing up on your checks. They were holding you like you were nothing more than a few grapes. "Yeah but then that defeats the purpose of you sleeping in the first place"

now you were at you room. Taash slid the door open with their foot, walked in, and laid you down on the couch that had been acting like your bed.

"hey im.. sorry that i woke you" They refused to meet your gaze "no its ok! i probably shouldn't have been sleeping on the ground anyway" "yeah.. next time you can't sleep just come to me, i can make you some tea... do you prefer lavender or ginger?" Taash finally looked at you, a small tinge of pink on their checks. You smiled "surprise me yeah?.. Thanks Taash"

the pink on their checks grew deeper "no problem" they smiled back at you before leaving your room. Leaving you to rest.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOLY SHIT I FINALLY FINISHED THIS. It genuinely took me 3 days to write this. Because this is my first fanfic i wanted to put like maximum effort into this and i really hope you like it.

just a reminder my ask box is open so feel free to send in a request and i will write it for you

other than that i hope you enjoyed and see ya next time