#type: chaptered

[yanderu-deredere]

swallow.

★ you don't know what the hell you drank last night but whatever it was, you needed to stay away from it forever. and you needed to get out of here. even if last night was the most perfect night in the world.

a/n: here's that next part that i promised ya'll and it's full of lore and i really enjoyed it a lot! it's definitely something and i hope you guys enjoy it! the next and last part will be out tomorrow so hope you guys are excited for that

like always, heed the warnings and hope you like it! not as smutty as the usual content! might actually be a bit sad...

part one (bite.) ★ part two ★ (chew.) ★ extras (bite and chew.) ★ extras (taste) ★ part three ★ (here) ★ part four (digest.)

pairing: poly werewolves x male reader word count: 2544

warning: bottom reader with male parts and pronoun, no explicit sexual stuff but allusions to what happened in the previous chapter

It felt like you woke up slowly and then all at once; you were vaguely aware of the things around you like the blanket over you, the body against you, the clothes on you, and then, suddenly, it hit you like a truck.

You bolted upright, heart palpitating in your chest, your eyes wide and your breaths coming in short soft spirts.

Then, you were looking behind you, still panicked, hoping everything last night was some sort of fever dream.

Beside you, on the couch, was Leonard, his fluffy hair a messy nest this early in the morning. His glasses were off, probably tucked safely away somewhere. He was yawning and rubbing at his eyes, looking at you all dazed and confused.

Oh, no.

"Wh-Wh-- Leo." You stuttered out before cupping your forehead, your head feeling like it was spinning "Please, tell me, last night--"

"You didn't fuck me within an inch of my life? No can do." Leonard didn't even give it to you slow and soft.

You let out a sound like a dying cat.

"What, don't tell me I was wrong about you." Leonard crossed his arms, looking angry at the fact that you were looking a little anxious "You said you were into guys."

"I'm into guys!" You snapped a little, your panic rising to something you couldn't control "I just-- I have a girlfriend! I hadn't even broken up with her yet! I cheated on her!"

Leonard looked a bit off-put by how you spoke to him; understandable seeing as your tone wasn't exactly friendly.

You wanted to apologise because it wasn't entirely his fault. It took two to cheat and, though he pushed you, you were the one that ended up caving eventually.

Before you could apologise, however, he just huffed and threw a pillow into your lap "Oh yeah, stellar girlfriend you have there! She hasn't even messaged you about where you are and she left you at the bonfire!"

You stopped for a second, confused, your anger dissipating as a nauseating feeling appeared in your stomach "How do you know that?"

Leonard seemed to realise that he made a mistake because his anger dissipated immediately too, replaced with an embarrassed expression "I-I--"

"I'm sorry he went through your phone."

Your head snapped back and you looked to see it was Mel with a tray in his hand. Behind him and to the side was Isamu with a similar tray in his hands too.

"Mel! L-Look, I-I didn't mean to!" Leonard snapped, turning his body away from you "I was just charging your phone and it turned on! There weren't any notifications so I looked through it and checked!"

"What kind of a pathetic girlfriend doesn't even text her boyfriend after he's been gone an entire night?" He continued, shaking his head, his tone absolutely disgusted.

"We wouldn't treat you like that." Leonard added, that disgust made way for a more sheepish expression as he finally glanced at you, hoping you would pick up what he was putting down.

You could, if you wanted to and, honestly, a part of you did. But you were scared to. So, instead, your eyes flickered to Mel, hoping he'd help you out.

Mel was just sternly looking at Leonard.

"Here, we made breakfast." Mel pushed the coffee table close with his shin before placing the trays down, Isamu placing his tray down right after.

Then, Isamu sat on the floor while Mel sat on the other side of you, the two of them looking at you expectantly, like they were excited for you to praise them.

The two trays contained four plates of waffles, each with butter. There was also a little thing for maple syrup and honey as well as a glass of orange and apple juice for each of you.

Then, if that wasn't enough, there were some eggs on the plates too and some bacon. It was a whole buffet, just for you. The cheater. The person who was going to leave them and go crawling back to your girlfriend.

You immediately felt bad "This is too much--"

"It's not too much! Especially after last night!" Isamu quickly interrupted you as he sat beside you, small smile on his face.

You felt your heart break a little bit in your chest but you knew you had to nip this in the bud or else you'd just end up leading them all on.

"I'm sorry, but last night-- I was drunk, and it was a mistake--"

"A mistake!" Leonard stood, his expression aghast like you'd just told him you murdered his parents "It wasn't a mistake! How could you-- Why would you--"

Mel held up a hand and Leonard immediately shut up but you could see that there were tears in his eyes that he was desperately holding back.

"I can see that there's some communication issues going on, okay, so let me just clear the air." Mel sighed, his hand still up like, if he put it down, Leonard would immediately pounce "He didn't mean it was a mistake like that, Leo, you know that."

"He just feels really guilty about cheating with his girlfriend, right?" Mel turned to you, that polite smile on his face not exactly reaching his eyes "If you didn't have a girlfriend right now, you would stay with us, wouldn't you?"

You gulped, your mouth suddenly feeling a little dry. You took a second to think about it. In all honesty? You nodded, cheeks feeling suddenly a little hot.

"You all are really great and I had a great time. It was really fun talking with you guys and drinking with you guys and the-- uhmmm--" Your voice cracked as you got even more flustered "The sex was really great, I swear!"

Mel grinned, that brightness finally reaching his eyes. He reached over and clapped a hand on the back of your neck, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on your skin "Our darling here is just loyal to a fault, is all. Can we really blame him for that?"

Darling. You flushed even hotter at the nickname.

Like all the hot air was taken out of him, Leonard deflated, his shoulders sagging as he sighed "Whatever. Your girlfriend doesn't deserve it."

"You're right, Leo." Mel's hand on your neck fell and he used it to grab something. You realised it was your phone because he plopped it in your lap. "That's why he's going to break up with her right now."

You felt like ice water was dumped all over you.

"D-Du-Dump her? Right now?" You stuttered out as you looked to Mel, eyes wide and shaking fingers slowly taking hold of your phone.

You could see Isamu looking at you hopefully and Leonard smirking victoriously at you from the corners of your eye but all you could do was stare at Mel.

There was that polite smile again, the one that he used to cover up something much darker. It showed in his eyes; it was something predatorial, something that made you feel like a pinned insect, something that made you feel like you were in danger.

"I-I can't just break up with her." Your brain worked to find excuse after excuse, your instincts screaming at you to get out and run "I-I'd at least like to break up with her in person. She deserves that much."

Then, for some reason, you broke his gaze and looked down at your lap. When Mel sighed, you knew it had been a mistake to look away.

Instead of replying, Mel cupped your chin, his thumb and forefinger digging into your cheek a little bit. He tilted your head up so you were looking at him again and that polite smile that you were so wary of was gone.

Instead, it was replaced with that dark look he had that night, when he had Isamu in his lap. You felt less like an insect and more like a small rabbit surrounded by a bunch of wolves.

A bunch of hungry rabid wolves that wanted nothing but to chase you.

"You know we can't do that." Mel let the words out slowly, like he was speaking to an idiot or, perhaps, like it was hard for him to say "We can't let you leave for right now, darling."

"Wh-Why not?" You felt a zing of fear crawl up your spine as you tried to pull your face away from his hand. Instead of really succeeding, his grip on you just got harder.

"You have to understand that we just want what's best for you, darling. You understand that, don't you?" Mel spoke softly, soothingly, but the words weren't effective when he looked at you like that.

Like he could eat you without regret.

But, still, you tried your hardest to remember him yesterday, the way he took care of you and housed you. So, you nodded.

When you did, he let go of your chin and pulled you in by your waist, perching you on his lap.

As soon as he did that, Leonard and Isamu crowded close, the expressions on their faces akin to ravenous wolves.

It was like a trigger had been pulled and now there was something to how they were acting. You didn't understand it very well but you felt both scared and safe trapped in between all three of them.

"Why don't I explain while Sam and Leo feed you, hmmm, puppy?" Mel nosed behind your ear, his breath warm and causing your ears to turn hot.

You didn't think you had any say in it but you nodded for show anyway.

Mel looked thankful for that at least.

You thought that, when he said feed you, he meant like with a fork or something, However, Isamu and Leonard took turns ripping bite sized pieces off of the waffles and soaking them in syrup to feed you. With their hands.

You accepted them, even going so far as to lick their fingers feebly, since you felt like you didn't have much of a choice. And it seemed to placate all three of them too.

They didn't look as wolfish as before, that was for sure.

"You might not believe me but please keep your mind open." Mel sighed as if he'd had this conversation one too many times before "You see, the reason we can't let you leave is because... we're werewolves."

You stiffened in his lap. And not in the fun way.

Now, your previous wolfish comparisons felt like jokes.

Leonard snickered at your reaction, obviously amused before stuffing another piece of a waffle accompanied by a small piece of bacon into your mouth.

Mel was less amused and pressed a kiss to your temple "I know it's-- It's not exactly easy to believe. But, it's true. We're werewolves and you're our mate."

"It's why you can't leave. We won't be able to control ourselves if you try to leave." Mel continued to explain, his hand flexing around your waist as if just the thought of it made him angry or scared or something.

"It's worse for Leo. He's not had that much training." Mel hesitantly let go of your waist to run a hand through Leonard's blonde fluffy hair "His parents paraded him around in a circus. It took him a long time to find us. He hasn't had much time to learn control."

"So, what, the wolf--"

"No, not the wolf. Us." Mel immediately dismissed that thought "I know, the media promotes this idea that the wolf and the human are separate but it's not-- we're not two separate beings in one brain. We're werewolves. We're one thing."

"It's just that, when we shift, it's like being inebriated, you know? We can't control ourselves." Mel sighed, pressing his cheek against your temple "It becomes all instinct to try and help our shifted bodies to survive."

You had enough of this. You know you you said you'd keep your mind open but this was ridiculous.

Still, you supposed you owed them for housing you for a night and for, you know, hopefully eventually leading you out of the forest.

So, you gave them the benefit of your doubt "Can I see?"

It was their turn to stiffen and stare at you with shock.

"What, you seriously didn't think you'd tell me about werewolves and I wouldn't ask to see?" You huffed, crossing your arms and looking at them like they were the crazy ones.

Mel nodded like 'yeah, that made sense' but, when he looked to Isamu, the man shrunk back and shook his head like Mel was volunteering him for the War or something.

"N-No way! No way! I-I can't! I can't!" Isamu stuttered out, the panic obvious in his voice "I can't control it, not around him!"

"Well, Leonard definitely can't... You have better control--" Mel moved his hand to cup the back of Isamu's neck but Isamu moved away, shocking both you and Mel.

Leonard looked like you pissed in his cereal "That's not true! I could totally control myself!"

Mel shook his head, sigh ragged "No, you're going to end up hurting someone--"

You turned in Mel's lap and looked up at him "Why don't you do it?"

Isamu and Leonard audibly gasped and Mel looked at you like you'd suggested he cut off his dick or something. The grimace on his face would've been hilarious if it weren't for the fact that it was confusing.

"I'm-- It's not the same for me. I'm not like Sam and Leo." Mel tried to pull you back against him but you resisted, obviously displeased. "Darling, I don't want you to see me like that."

When they all looked at you like you were the crazy one, you just let out a loud noise of frustration "You get why I'm angry, right? You're telling me all of this unbelievable stuff and then, when I ask you to prove it, you won't!"

"You just keep making up excuses why you can't prove it! How can I believe you then?" You finally fought your way out of Mel's grasp, your phone in your hand as you stood, your face hot but this time with anger.

You were tired of being left to their whims! You were tired of letting them decide everything. You were tired of being scared of Mel, of being intimidated by how beefy and sexy they were.

"I'm sorry, but I just-- I think you're crazy!" You screamed, stomping your foot as a show that you were putting your foot down.

Mel looked at you sadly, like you were about to make the worst mistake of your life "Please, darling, don't."

Part of you felt like you were. The part of you that enjoyed them doting on you, that enjoyed their attention and their affection, that enjoyed the fantasy they offered you, wanted to believe them.

But the other part of you overtook that. The other part of you knew that these three were just crazy and you needed to wake up from this weird dream.

"If you won't help me find my way out of the forest, I'll just find my way out! Fucking keep playing this weird freak fantasy of yours for all I care." You stomped to the door "I need to get to my girlfriend."

Freak. Fantasy. Girlfriend.

Oh, no.

[watmalik]

Fic rec: YOU. YES, YHUGH! READ THIS NOW.

There are a lot of words in the English language, but not enough to describe how much I fucking love this ongoing poolverine series. Please send the author their flowers. Kudo the shit out of them and comment!

[readingcherik]

But for you I'd leave it all by Pangea

Ten years ago Erik left the Xavier household and never looked back once despite the feelings he's always harbored for his childhood friend and Lord Xavier's only son, Charles. Independent and alone, Erik has built up his own jewelry shop that has garnered success and great prestige throughout the city. When the papers announce Charles' engagement, Erik isn't surprised to receive the commission to design the wedding rings even if it means seeing Charles again after years of avoiding him. But with Charles back in his life, Erik now has to come to terms with all of his old feelings returning in full force just in time to watch Charles be married off to someone else and be forever out of Erik's reach.

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Completed Chaptered AO3 Fics (5) Masterlist

part one, part two, part three, part four

A Different Man (ao3) - RhenNuggs

Summary: Dan is struggling to find love, but it is easier said than done when all he has is a long list of horrible exes. He doesn’t know if he will ever find love. That is, until he gets invited to an unexpected party that may forever change the course of his life.

A Game of Life (ao3) - Koolhotsweetloveberries

Summary: Daniel Howell, an honorable member of the King's Knighthood, does not expect much from his time at court. All changes when the court jester, Philip Lester, enters.

Babylon (ao3) - ottertrashpalace

Summary: Just a little story about two boys realizing that they can make their own rules, and even if it's hard, they are worth it.

because we are fools (ao3) - queerofcups

Summary: He realizes it calmly at first, and then suddenly with more clarity. He’s in love with Phil.

But he absolutely cannot be in love with Phil.

Brick by Brick (ao3) - auroraphilealis (peachrayne), embarrassing_myself

Summary: No one said having an unmated Alpha and an unmated Omega living under the same roof was going to be easy, but add in a mess of feelings and desire, and things go from bad to worse. When Phil Lester asked his best friend, Dan Howell, to move in with him, he thought he could ignore his feelings and refrain from submitting, but with an oblivious Dan scenting him every other day, he decides he has to put a stop to it. Jealousy and misunderstandings collide to throw their lives into chaos, forcing both men to reconsider their relationship. Will they ever get their happy ending, or will prevalent sexism force them apart?

Burning Bibles (ao3) - cherryheartz

Summary: phil lester loved curly headed boys with tattoos on their arms and a joint made with torn bible pages between their soft lips.

and dan howell was exactly that.

Butterfly (ao3) - A_Million_Regrets

Summary: Phil Lester, a lonely writer, finds a dying boy with beautiful black wings on a cold, rainy night in a dingy alleyway. He recognizes the boy as one of the winged men hated by human society. They are considered to be wild, ferocious beasts, but Phil's sympathy forces him to help the boy.

What happens when the boy, considered to be a wild beast, gets too attached and follows him home with an innocent, dimpled smile?

Catch You on the Flipside (ao3) - Amorist (dead_on_the_inside)

Summary: Dan is holding himself together by the seams after running away from a religious cult. He has to ask himself why he keeps going, but deep down, he knows the answer already. It's the same answer it was long before his parents packed up and moved him to a thinly-veiled conversion camp in America—Phil.

Or, my excuse to write self-indulgent angst, because sometimes we need that.

Coffee by Chappell Roan (ao3) - danswideslit

Summary: someone on tumblr mentioned needing a dnp fic with the narrative from coffee and I felt inspired because I love that song a whole lot

Come along (ao3) - ottertrashpalace

Summary: In medieval England, a young knight rides north, sent to serve at the court of the quiet young Duke of Lancaster.

Deeper (ao3) - Scuddleduck

Summary: Inspired by the idea of "Pass Around Party Bottom Dan."

Don’t be scared (ao3) - danisnot3131

Summary: Before agreeing to go on Tour for Interactive Introvers, Dan is hit with the realization that he’s been in love with Phil for years.

I Fell For You (ao3) - TheWolfWithinMe

Summary: Dan's meant to be a good little Angel. Doing what Heaven wants. Following orders. Being the soldier they created.

But then he answers a prayer. From a certain blue-eyed boy so desperate for forgiveness that he's willing to die for it.

A fic about betrayal, freedom, friendship, love and that it's not 'where you're from' that matters but 'who you are.'

I try to picture me without you but I can't (ao3) - solarpower21

Summary: After Dan's tragic death, Phil starts having a bunch of strange dreams where he is still alive. But are they really just dreams?

Or: Phil's soul consciousness can't cope with Dan's death, so he starts hopping between different universes, trying to look for him.

Let Me Be Your Call Boy (ao3) - auroraphilealis (peachrayne), embarrassing_myself

Summary: After coming out as gay to his friends on his birthday, the last thing Dan is expecting is to be gifted a call boy as a present, let alone one that’s been paid for for the entire night. Allowing Phil to show him the ropes is his first mistake, paying him to come back every week is his second, and using him to convince his parents he really is gay is his third. As a successful lawyer, the money isn’t the problem - falling in love is.

life happens, coffee helps (and so do you) (ao3) - halfofacrackedbluesky

Summary: Dan makes friends with the barista at the local coffee shop.

Like a Bowl of Oranges (ao3) - cloej88

Summary: Dan has built a solid career for himself as a ghostwriter. He safely hides behind other people’s words, crafting their tales and pocketing the cash without any threat of notoriety. But lately he has been working on a book of his own, itching for a change.

Phil is an indie filmmaker who happened into some huge breaks over the last few years. He wants to use his influence to uplift queer stories for the screen, so he puts out an open call for story submissions. At his agent’s behest, Dan submits his story.

The writer!Dan and director!Phil friends/co-workers to lovers AU that we never knew we needed.

Live Incidentally (ao3) - yikesola

Summary: At thirty-two, Phil’s fine with this lot in life— manager for Printzoid, a flat he rents on his own in a relatively nice part of London, friends he sees at least twice a month for board game nights, an ex-fiancé he’s trying damn hard to get over, and a brother who means well even if Martyn doesn’t understand why Phil insists there’s a distinction between their father’s artwork being creative and Martyn’s music being creative and Phil’s novelty t-shirts being... not-creative.

A fic about adulthood and opening up.

Monochrome (ao3) - intoapuddle

Summary: When you build your life out of fear that your mental illness could worsen, it leaves little room for excitement. Luckily, Dan has found a space online where he feels comfortable.

My Sanctuary, You're Holy to Me (ao3) - skygremlin

Summary: Sister Daniel isn't very good at being a nun, but she's stuck living in a convent because she's got no other plans. The church needs a new priest for Sunday mass, and the responsibility falls on her to meet him for the first time. Will he see through her false devotion?

Sister Daniel/Father Philip convent au (Sister Daniel's origin story)

names of collision in the dark (ao3) - Anonymous

Summary: Of enemy kingdoms, Prince Dan and Prince Phil meet one fateful night, leading to a surprising friendship that evolves into something more. As the looming threat of a major battle grows stronger, both princes grapple with their roles and the burdens of leadership, all while their growing bond forces them to confront their own kingdoms’ expectations and the possibility of peace in the chaos.

(aka the dan and phil royal au fic they wrote for the gaming channel but taken seriously)

Nothing Like a Storybook (ao3) - Merrydith

Summary: University Of Manchester, 2009

Dan Howell is an aloof loner and Phil Lester a well-known weirdo. In theory they are worlds apart, but a chance post-party meeting under the Manchester moonlight sends their lives spiraling and soon they find they have a lot more in common than they thought.

Origins of the Phass Inflation Post (Dan and Phil in Greece) (ao3) - EverythingIsAsItWas

Summary: Dan and Phil rarely take vacations just for themselves, vacations in which they make no content, do not work, and simply enjoy each other's company. Going to Greece feels like the perfect opportunity for this, but Phil also thinks it's the perfect opportunity for a video... and Dan likes being a little shit.

Ready Player Two (ao3) - jonsaremembers

Summary: Their paths diverge for a time.

some killer queen you are (ao3) - possumdnp

Summary: Dan’s enjoyed taking a break from YouTube, but for some reason, he still feels like something is missing. Determined to fill the creative void in his life, he decides to try out something new: drag.

Someday (ao3) - philsdrill

Summary: “Everyone had a link with their soulmates, some could hear some of their partners thoughts, some had a tattoo that would appear with their partners name; for me, I knew when they got sick.” For a while Phil has thought that his soulmate might have an eating disorder and doesn’t expect to meet him in the restaurant where he works.

taking the veil (ao3) - buskingalbatross

Summary: Twenty-two year old YouTuber Phillippa Lester accompanies her Dad on his trip to fulfill a commission to create a piece of art for a family friend who is living a monastic life in an abbey in the south of England. Angry at her parents and lacking other plans, eighteen-year old Dan Howell tags along with her grandma on an annual, summertime trip of her own: a two week secluded religious retreat at the same abbey.

The Phat (ao3) - gaydreaming

Summary: When Dan and Phil find an abandoned cat on a late-night walk to Dominos, Dan insists that they aren't going to keep him. After all, they know nothing about taking care of a pet. Dan will have the self control to put his foot down when faced with both Phil's big eyes and the cat's, right? ...Right?

Time is on our side (ao3) - Mysticallykai

Summary: In 2010, AmazingPhil decided to make a video trying to time travel. He ends up meeting his boyfriend Dan in the year 2023 as well as himself, and he has a lot of questions.

voice on the wind (ao3) - CapriciousCrab

Summary: A life-changing injury leaves a desperate musician looking for a miracle. He finds it in the company of a Fae muse, but at what cost?

what, like it's hard? (ao3) - jonsaremembers

Summary: title, obviously, from legally blonde

You are Not Sleeping on The Goddamn Floor (ao3) - pepelovesme

Summary: Dan and Phil's 2009 meeting reimagined. Dan is curious, they talk sexuality. Smut ensues.

[ateezlibrary]

what it takes. (chapter 1/?)

summary: following your mother's passing, the king scrambles to retain power in the kingdom of goseon by ensuring that you are arranged a suitor and wed within a week's time. little does he know, your heart belongs to another that is considered unworthy. how will you navigate a broken heart, an immense loss, and a newfound … friendship, is it?

members: wooyoungxreade, with mentions of past yunhoxreader

word count: 2,030

genre: ateez royalty/fantasy au, angst, unrequited love, forbidden love, unexpected enemies to lovers

notes: also cross-posted on ao3 (babysnooby). kicking off with the prologue of a chaptered fic! will be more wooyoung-centric as we go, but an angsty yunho moment. :-(

prologue.

“Your Highness, which of the fabrics are you most drawn to?”

“Hm—?” You raise your nose from the book nestled between your fingertips, pages tattered and turned at the edges. Handmaidens bustled around you, hurriedly scurrying from one end of the grand hall to the next as they joined the palace staff in arranging the decorations for the next day.

Your eyes gloss over the decadent draping that slides down slick marble walls, the florals being hauled in bucket after bucket to crawl the pillars alongside vines. It was a beautiful sight, more than you could have ever dreamed for your wedding to be.

“Your Highness?” the handmaiden repeats gingerly, nudging both fabrics in her hands towards you in emphasis.

You look between the soft sage and the ivory, barely registering the colors before gesturing to her left hand.

“The ivory,” you reply simply, setting aside your book with a sigh before feigning a smile. “I think it would look lovely in the afternoon sun.”

As she returns to her duties, you glide across the polished marble floors to the far end of the hall where late afternoon sun billowed through grand windows. Lavender and gold trail behind you, the fabrics coming to a halt far beyond your ankles in a long trail of silk. In the gardens below, you chuckle at the young stable boys running through hedge mazes with gleeful threats of catching one another.

A handmaiden runs after them, losing her own footing in the maze and tumbling into a nearby shrub. The sight makes you burst into a fit of laughter, the first that’s left you since you’d found out about … well, about the arrangement.

* * *

“You asked to see me, Father?” you call as you enter the throne room, royal guards posted at each end of its perimeter.

The elder man sits in his gilded throne, fingers clasped around the velvet and oak arms as he peers down at you. An equally opulent crown sits atop his head, the gems embedded in the center nearly blinding you in the morning sun as you shuffle down the rugs at the center of the room.

“Hello, my dear,” he chirps back, though there is a noticeable weariness in his voice that slows your pace. “Thank you for joining me.” You come to a stop at his throne’s feet, a customary curtsy following soon after. You look at him with bright eyes, failing to understand why his mirror yours with an immense dread.

“What’s wrong?” you ask immediately, wasting no time in calling upon his iffy demeanor.

“I—Why must something be wrong for me to call you?” he stammers, tripping over his words.

“Because you never summon me to the throne room unless someone is dead. Or dying,” you add, crossing arms over your chest with an arched brow.

“I—” The king pauses, choosing his next words carefully as his voice lowers. His gaze shifts to the men stationed around the room, a silent order for them to leave you two in privacy as they shut the grand oak doors behind them.

“My dear, I have a grave favor to ask of you.” You nod once, ignoring the quickening of your heart in anticipation.

“Do you love this kingdom?”

“Of course I do,” you answer nearly instantly, furrowing your brows in confusion.

“And you understand that with loving a kingdom comes a great sense of responsibility towards your kingdom.”

“Of course I do,” you repeat.

“I am not getting younger,” your father begins, sinking into the velvet of his chair with a weary sigh. “And after your mother’s death, I fear for this kingdom’s lack of an heir.”

You glower but remain silent. The Kingdom of Goseon held a longstanding patriarchal tradition and refused you a claim to the monarchy without a rightful husband. You fought tooth and nail against the custom, even before your mother’s passing, to no avail. It took years of accepting the defeat and a great deal of mental preparation, yet the expectation still hit you like deadweight.

“I wish to have you wed in a week’s time.”

“A week?” you scoff, anger pricking beneath your skin. “I’ve spent longer time deciding what to wear to balls than I am to choose a husband.”

“No matter,” he replies coolly. “That’s why I’ve taken the liberty alongside the royal council to choose a suitor for you.”

“You must be joking.” Your father was a stickler for tradition, but allowed you even the most limited freedom.

At least, until now.

“This is a duty to your country,” the king orders. “Goseon requires a strong lineage to advance into the next century with the type of power we have in these lands. I cannot wait longer.”

“Is that all I am to you?” Your voice is barely a whisper, yet it still cracks as you look up to your father with tear-brimmed eyes. “A vessel to bear your next heir?”

“I cannot fight tradition. And I cannot let our people suffer.”

“Yet, you can let me suffer.” The king calls your name with a sigh before you cut him off, turning away from him and heading for the doors at the far end.

“I will do what it takes for our people. Not for you, but for our people.” * * * Seven hours.

From the pocket watch that dangled off of the string of pearls nestled at your waist, you could tell it had been seven hours since the life-altering conversation with your father. With your king.

Seven hours since you had escaped to the neighboring woods at the edge of the palace grounds, your horse neatly tied to a tall pine tree as your sobs dissolved into the forest air. You watched as the sun slowly crept towards the lands in the west, arms wrapped tightly around yourself as you sobbed and sinked further into the soil.

“My love.”

You gasp at the familiar voice, grappling with the fabrics settled around you as you ran into your lover’s arms. His familiar scent of cypress and sandalwood envelop you as you sob into his chest, his grip tightening around your waist.

“You received my note,” you sob in between gasps of air. His hand creeps to the small of your back, rubbing in soft, gentle circles. “Yunho, I am so sorry.”

You pull away just enough to meet his gaze. Though his features were unusually rigid, you could see the heartbreak in his eyes as he looked down at you in silence. The tailored fabrics of his noble robes whipped behind him in the wind, intertwining ever-so-often with the lavender of your gowns.

“You did absolutely nothing wrong,” he replies softly, the weight of defeat injecting his tone. “You are doing what this kingdom needs. You are going to be a remarkable queen.”

“But who am I, if not with you?” you sob, burying your face into his chest once more.

His warmth continued to cloak you as you sunk back onto the earth, his long legs folding as he found a seat beside you. For just over a year, you’d found solace in Yunho. He was one of your mother’s closest royal guards, young but remarkable enough to protect the kingdom’s most precious jewel. After her passing, Yunho’s duties had transitioned from the queen to safeguarding the princess.

Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, months turned to nearly a year. What began as customary oversight of your every move turned into a confidante for escapades to the kitchen at night, a secret-keeper for your trips to the neighboring woods and bubbling brooks. Yunho was strict, unwavering in his duties to the crown and his sworn oath to protect you.

All it took was one night of too much mulled wine and confinement to your chambers after a heated argument with your father for your confessions to Yunho to spill over. Ever the gentleman, he still ensured you made it to bed safely and had plenty of water and dried fruit the next morning to nurse your headache. But, something shifted that day.

Yunho became more forward in his time with you. The occasional compliment, the sheepish glances when he was at attention in the throne room beside your father for court sessions.

“Have you ever been in love?” he’d asked one day, his question out of genuine curiosity.

“I don’t think so,” you’d confessed, mulling over the question intently. “You may be the closest thing I’ve ever had to someone I truly love that isn’t my family.”

“But you have so many friends, so many allies,” Yunho had remarked, pointing out your royal crowd from neighboring kingdoms and the like.

“They are wonderful,” you’d remarked. “But they are not here when I am crying myself to sleep. They are not here when I am running through these forests, free to breathe in fresh air and feel the earth between my toes. They are not here to—” You’d stopped yourself, your cheeks flushed before continuing with your suggestion.

“To…?” Yunho had teased, closing in on you against the bark of a towering cypress tree with a gentle laugh. Your cheeks grew rosier, your gaze meeting the ground before he lifted your chin with a finger. “Tell me, princess.”

And now, in the same forest he’d held you and kissed you and danced with you, he was nursing your heartbreak. For you, for him.

“I am so sorry,” you wail, the sound carrying through the forest as the sun continued to creep below the earth. Yunho sighed, his hands unmoving from around your waist as he pressed a gentle kiss to your hair.

“It’s not your fault I was not born noble enough,” he scolds softly, a painful smile gracing his lips as he brushes a thumb across your cheeks to wipe the tears that cascaded down your face. “Else, these may have been tears of joy.”

“I am so sorry,” you whisper, unsure of what else to say to convey the absolute gut-wrenching pain that settled in your core. You look up at Yunho, his own eyes glittering with tears that refused to fall. He gives you another smile that sends you into another fit of sobbing, knowing that he was struggling to stay strong to console you.

“I wish it could have been you.”

“Hey, look at me,” he chides, pressing a palm to your cheek. “It will always be you. In this lifetime and the next. No matter who is beside you when you ascend that throne. I am sworn to protect you. Love just happened to become a part of the deal that I was unaware of.”

You shake your head silently, blinking through the tears settled at your waterline.

“I am sure that whoever is expected to be our next king, will be an incredible gentleman that will make you feel like the luckiest woman in the world. Only, he won’t have to hide it from the world.” Yunho presses a despondent kiss to your lips, cradling your face between his hands.

The warmth that thrums against your veins pushes you further into his embrace. You wrap your arms around the neck of the man you love, the man that saved you from solitude. His hands tighten at your waist, fabric cinched between his fingertips as he brings you closer to him. It’s not a moment later that he pulls himself away, sorrow dripping from his words as he looks down at your obvious dejection.

“We should return.”

* * *

“Wilt thou love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?”

Your eyes bore into Yunho’s beside the wedding party seated at the front of the attendees. He was dressed in emerald and gold, the kingdom’s colors, in the finest royal guard garb. His dark hair swept just above his brow, his eyes darkened as they met yours in utter defeat.

You barely register any of the guests and the man standing beside you at the front of the hall.

Looking at Yunho, you utter a final, “I will.”

[paillard]

Let's say the fic is 14k+ (maybe a max of 20k, maybe less). Which would you prefer reading? One big story uninterrupted, or that same story broken up into bite size pieces?

[vamossainz55]

Moonlight Ch. 13 | Carlos Sainz Jr. x Reader

a/n: hi everybody <3, it's been a while and i'm sorry i've been quite MIA. i'm hoping i can get back into writing again soon! it was quite hard for me to write this chapter, it is a bit more of a snippet-y / filler chapter but wanted to write some fluff for moonlight as the story progresses, i hope u enjoy !!

+ huge thanks to my canadian sunshine @cosmicleclerc for helping with some ideas for the chapter and dealing with me complaining, ilu <3

warnings: literally none just fluff !

link to my masterlist here

link to chapter 12 of moonlight here

Chapter 13 (4k words)

“Good morning,” The last thing you expect on a Tuesday morning is to see Carlos at your door so early, but there he is, looking far too energetic for your liking. You’re still half awake, dressed in your joggers and tank top, having woken up seconds ago from the doorbell ringing. Carlos doesn’t seem to mind though, already letting himself into your room, breezing past you to go inside. 

Despite having made plans, you were not expecting Carlos to show up to what apparently was almost nine in the morning. He had decided to keep the plan a surprise, which had also included the time you both were to meet. 

“I know we agreed to go out today but I didn’t think you meant this early.” You say, watching him as he sits on the edge of the bed. Carlos simply shrugs at your remark, a smile playing on his lips and you can’t help but roll your eyes playfully. He did always find a way to surprise you. Once you’ve shut the door you head to him, standing in front of him. 

You take your time to look over his attire and you can’t help but smile to yourself. “Was this the master disguise you were speaking about last night?” You ask, walking over to him. He looks up and you can barely see his eyes due to the bill of his baseball cap. 

“Hey, that’s a bit rude.” he says, crossing his arms over his chest with a pout. You would have felt bad if his said disguise wasn’t just a plain baseball cap, a hoodie and blue jeans. 

Your hand reaches over to his cap before you gently push it down, smiling the moment Carlos lets out a yelp. His hands go up to fix his cap but instead you’re taking it off. 

“It's only rude if it isn’t true” You say in amusement and despite your playful teasing Carlos is smiling from ear to ear. Now that you’re closer he takes the opportunity to reach over to hold your waist. His touch sends sparks over your body, as your legs knock into his. You almost stumble over hands instantly going to his shoulders, cap falling on the floor.

“At least I’m already dressed.” Carlos says, looking up at you with a mischievous smile as his fingers gently trace under your shirt. The way he’s looking at you has you burning red and you have to look away. 

“You’re annoying,” you murmur just as Carlos lets go of his hold on you. You move away, pressing your hands to your cheeks for a second, in hopes that the colour would go away. 

“You didn’t tell me you would be here this early, and you haven’t even told me where we are going yet. How am I supposed to know what to wear?” You ask, giving him a small pout before leaning away, planning to go to your suitcase. 

Instead of letting you go though, his grip on your waist tightens as he falls back onto the bed, soon pulling you with him. You let out a surprised groan and in a matter of seconds Carlos is flipping you over so you’re soon on the bed. He’s hovering on top of you, supporting himself with his arms with a wide grin on his face. 

“I told you, it’s a surprise.” He says, slowly letting himself lean closer. For a second you think he might kiss you but he stops just as your lips are almost touching. “Now get ready okay?” 

You end up settling with a shirt and a simple top, changing in the corner of the room with Carlos’ eyes discreetly on you. His eyes burn into your back and the moment you turn around already dressed he’s getting up off the bed, clearing his throat discreetly before shoving his phone in his pocket. 

“Let’s go?” He offers and you nod your head, grabbing your purse before you’re following him to the door. 

Luckily, you both manage to sneak out of the hotel without much commotion, only bumping into Lando who Carlos shoos away before he even gets the chance to tease you both.

It’s once you’re both in the car that Carlos is handing you his phone, asking you to plug in a cafe’s name into the search bar of his navigation app. 

“Heard it’s a nice breaksfast place,” Carlos says as your eyes scan the distance. You understood why Carlos had showed up so early, noticing that the cafe was almost an hour and a half away from the hotel. 

You’re watching the road pass by, leaning your head slightly on the window as Carlos drives. There’s soft music playing from Carlos’ phone and despite the lack of conversation between you both there’s a nice ambience in the car. Carlos looks focused, tapping his fingers softly on the wheel to the beat of the song and you can’t help but let your gaze travel to him instead of the road. 

You both hadn’t talked too much after the night at his, it had ended how you both had agreed. Carlos had dropped you at your doorstep with a gentle kiss to the corner of your lips. You both had lingered a bit, sharing small conversations about work. It was clear none of you wanted the night to end, but you both also understood that you needed some time. 

Meetings in the office were quite limited, and Carlos had different press activities to do whilst he was in the UK so you both barely saw each other. It was only the night before the flight that Carlos and you properly talked, him of course saying that he would pick you up on the way to the airport. 

You thought that was it (which you had been a bit disappointed about), but when you were already in bed and half asleep your phone had begun to ring, loud and clear. 

You had picked up the phone in a hurry, wanting the ringing to end. You remember being a bit annoyed, realising you had forgotten to turn off your ringer as you pressed your phone to your ear. 

“Hello?” You had sighed out, but hearing Carlos’ voice on the other end of the line had surprised you, allowing all the annoyance to seep out of your system, 

“Were you asleep?” Carlos asks, and you can hear the slight guilt in his voice. You smile small at his tone, shifting a bit in your bed as you rub your eyes. For a quick second you check the time before pressing your phone to your ear again. 

“Well, it is one in the morning and we do have to wake up in four hours.” You answered, tone playful and Carlos lets out a breathy laugh and you can almost imagine him nodding his head sheepishly. 

“I know- sorry. I just couldn’t sleep.” Your smile falters a bit at his words, feeling concerned for the driver. You wonder whether he was feeling stressed about the race, or whether something else had happened. 

“Is everything okay?” You ask and the lapse of silence that follows has you a bit more worried. You slowly sit up. “Can I help with anything?” You offer, feeling your heartbeat in your ears.  

“Everything is okay,” Carlos answers and you can hear him take a deep and sharp breath. There’s a nervous laugh that follows after. “It’s not like that,” He explains before saying, “I just wanted to know if you want to go on a date with me?” He asks and the question has you floored. 

“You called me at almost half past one to ask me on a date?” You ask, stunned. You hear a shift from the other side of the line, Carlos probably settling himself in bed too and you can’t help but wonder what it would be like to just lay next to him. 

“I know, I know. We said to wait when we got to Canada, but what if you said no?” Carlos asks and this time you can’t help but let out a soft laugh, endeared by his antics. 

“Well why would I say no?” You counter, pulling the blanket up to your chin as you wait for his answer. 

“Well, you haven’t said yes yet.” Carlos says and you roll your eyes fondly, moving to your side this time. You curl up into yourself, phone still pressed at your ear. 

“You’re really something else.” You murmur, shaking your head. “We can go on a date there. We just need to make sure people don’t recognize you,” You say before Carlos is rambling off on how he had the perfect disguise to hide in plain sight. 

You both stayed up for another hour after. 

The café Carlos had picked was a small hole in the wall styled café, tucked into the corner of the street in the outskirts of the town. It didn’t look much from the outside but the moment you both step in, the smell of freshly baked bread and freshly grinded coffee grounds envelopes you both. 

The café is far from busy, only a few tables being occupied which helps you relax a bit. You notice most of the customers are older in age and you can’t help but smile softly at the sight. Your eyes soon meet some of the staff and you give them a small smile as you and Carlos walk up to the front desk. 

One of the servers gives you a quick smile, heading to you both with two menus at hand. She’s an older lady, with warm features and crinkles by her eyes that only expressed warmth. Carlos is quick to pick up his steps, following the waitress to get to the table first. He heads over to one of the chairs to pull it back, looking over at you expectantly. 

You raise your brow a bit at the gesture, blushing when Carlos moves his hand to urge you to sit. You tuck your shirt in with your hands before sitting, thanking Carlos softly when he pushes the chair in. His fingers shadow your shoulders briefly before he’s going to the other side of the table, sitting down too. 

“Thanks for joining us, my name is Maya,” The waitress says once Carlos is seated. She gently sets the menus in front of you both, “I’ll be your server for the day. We’re not too busy today, so feel free to take your time.” She says with a smile before going over some of the recommendations. 

The menu looks quite simple, but you both politely request for a bit more time after ordering some coffee. You rest your chin on your hand as you eyes scan the menu, humming softly to yourself. You can hear soft chatter from the other tables and the sound of the coffee machine steaming and you can feel yourself relaxing a bit. It was nice to have a little peace before the race week, knowing that it was usually more hectic than anything else. 

You can feel Carlos’ gaze on you, not surprised the moment his hand reaches over to gently tap at your elbow. He’s resting the menu down on the table as he waits for you to look up. “What?” You ask softly when you find Carlos smiling at you.

“Just wanted to say, I am happy we’re finally able to go out,” he says, foot gently poking yours under the table. You smile at his words, nudging his foot back playfully just as Maya comes back, this time with your coffees. Once she takes both your orders and your menus your hands wrap around the coffee cup, blowing off the steam. Carlos does the same, and as you wait for the cup to cool down a bit your eyes continue scanning the rest of the café. 

The café was decorated modestly, a few plants here and there along with some newspapers framed and hung on the wall. It seemed quite local, the rest of the guests seemingly being from the town. You notice Maya and who seems to be the other server chatting up with an elderly woman a few tables down. 

“How did you find this place?” You can’t help but ask Carlos who is also looking around the café. It’s clear that it’s his first time as well, being too interested in the way the wooden floor was built for it to be a place he would be familiar with. 

“The receptionist recommended it to me last night, and was asking for a nice place to have breakfast.” Carlos says before taking a sip of his drink. He lets out a soft delighted sigh, setting the cup down. “Think they recommended a really good place.” He says with a smile and you can’t help but agree, settling a bit more in your seat. 

The food comes by quite quickly, and if the coffee was to say anything, the food was somehow even better. You had ordered a plate of pancakes that was drenched in the best maple syrup you had probably ever tasted and Carlos looked happy too with his own stack of pancakes paired along with some bacon. 

You both chat about everything and nothing all together, hunched over your plates as you exchange small quips. It’s nice and easy and for once you’re not thinking about anyone else apart from the person right in front of you. 

By the time you eat your last bite you’re warm all over from the food and you lean back to your chair, letting out a content sigh. Carlos who’s finishing up his last bite simply watches you with a smile on his lips. 

“All good around here?” You both tear your attention away from each other, soon facing Maya who is already carefully collecting your plates. In response, you bob your head quickly, giving her a wide smile before thanking her. 

“The food was amazing, really.” You say, Carlos being quick to agree with you. Maya simply smiles at you both.

“I’m glad to hear that, it’s nice to see a nice young couple like you two come around. We don’t get a lot of new people, we usually run with regulars.” She says. Carlos and you both share a quick look at eachother when you hear her words. 

For a second you realise you’re both waiting for one of you to correct her, but you’re both met with eachother’s silence. A warm feeling grows in your chest when Carlos breaks his gaze from yours, looking down at his coffee cup with a shy but sly smile. 

“If we lived here we’d definitely be regulars,” You answer instead, laughing softly when Maya waves her hand at you. 

“You’re both too sweet. Is there anything else I can get you?” She asks and despite how full you feel Carlos is butting in, asking for the muffin you had been eyeing on the counter when you both had arrived. Despite your argument of being full Carlos insists anyways, getting you to concede without much resistance. 

Carlos looks far too excited for the muffin, claiming that it isn’t race week yet. He’s careful with cutting up the muffin in half before picking one piece up. You expect him to take a bite but he’s soon leaning forward, resting his free arm on the table before hovering the piece in front of you. 

Your cheeks are burning red when you realise what he’s doing but you lean a bit over the table anyways, taking a careful bite before properly sitting back down. The acidity from the lemon mixes perfectly with the sweetness of the muffin and you can’t help but let out a soft groan. 

“That’s good,” You say as Carlos takes his own bite, eyes going wide, clearly impressed too before he’s going for another. 

You both agree not to tell Rupert that you order a second muffin after.

Before you leave you make sure to leave an extra tip in the jar (since Carlos had foot the bill without saying anything) with a promise to come back if you two were ever back in town.  You’re both so stuffed though that for a moment you consider telling Carlos to turn the car around to go nap in the hotel. You don’t though, not because you don’t want to because you both don’t make it to the car, getting caught up by the window near a small second hand shop next to the café. 

You’re both peeking through the window, looking over the little trinkets. “Let’s go in? We have some time still,” Carlos suggests, bumping his shoulder into yours and you’re soon following him in, hearing the little chime from the door just as it shuts behind you. The shop owner greets you from somewhere in the back and you both greet him back before looking around the store.

The store is like a little treasure chest, the lights dimmed to a warm yellow to match the earthy smell inside. It’s somehow cluttered perfectly, slightly slanted wooden shelves crammed together and delicately holding everything up. 

You’re both looking around when you catch yourself from the corner of your eyes in a mirror. You slowly turn towards it, smiling when you see an oval mirror with a worn out gold frame. You’re focused on the frame, fingers delicately tracing the curves of the metal when Carlos slowly comes from behind you.

You smile at him through the mirror, not missing the way his hand gently goes to rest on your waist. “It’s a cute store,” You say softly, stepping a bit closer towards him so you’re properly side by side. His eyes stay on your reflection as you shift your attention to the other trinkets around the shelves. His fingers gently rub into your side pulling you a bit closer before moving his hand away. Instead of stepping away though he’s taking your hand in his, quietly intertwining your fingers instead. You drift your gaze back to the mirror, eyes meeting Carlos’ again. 

“Let’s go hm?” He murmurs into your ear this time before giving your hand a squeeze. You squeeze his hand back, nodding as you watch Carlos come closer to press a kiss to your cheek. 

The ride to your next destination is much closer this time and his hand stays on your thigh the whole drive there. You try your best to squeeze any information possible out of him but Carlos keeps his lips shut, refusing to tell you what’s next on the list. 

It’s only when you’ve seen three of the same signs along the way that you realise where you’re both heading to, and your suspicions are confirmed when Carlos takes the turn towards the big aquarium sign on the side of the road. It feels all too familiar to ignore the swelling in your chest. 

“Really?” You ask with a small smile and Carlos simply shrugs, glancing over at you. 

“Think it’d be nice no?” He says, knowing exactly the memory that was crossing your mind. 

You remember the summer all too well, the trip to Valencia that your parents had finally let you go on. It was a typical trip for all your friends. Oddly enough, you had never been able to join, your own family trips or plans usually getting in the way. 

That summer though, you had managed to get your parents to agree to let you go, mainly for the fact that Carlos was going. During the past year with Carlos racing more, you two did not manage to see each other much. Despite this, you both stayed attached to the hip (or to say, the phone). Whenever you could you both would talk either through short phone calls or video calls. 

You couldn’t even count the amount of times you or Carlos stayed up late or woke up earlier than necessary just to talk and catch up. Carlos had always been your best friend, but in the first years of his racing you truly realised what that meant. 

The moment you both met in Valencia you had jumped into his arms, legs wrapping around his waist easily as he lifted you up. It’s still vivid, the moment you pulled away to look at him, and the sudden feeling you felt in your chest the instant your eyes met. You had seen it in his eyes too, even caught the little bit of fear in them as he set you down. 

Both of you felt the shift, and suddenly all the teasing from your friends, the jokes of you two getting together felt a bit too real. None of you said anything though, and throughout the next week you both danced around each other. 

It was normal, nothing had changed with the way you both were together. Little gestures that did not seem big before though began to cloud your mind, and drunk moments together had your heart in your throat. 

Despite this none of you made a move. Not when you both were drunkenly singing along and dancing in the club, or even when you both were curled up into each other in the villa for a movie night. 

Nothing happened that summer. Not until the last day when you both had decided to go to the aquarium. 

To be fair, it wasn’t a date, or at least it wasn’t supposed to be one. The whole group had agreed to go visit the aquarium in Valencia, but after a late night with too many drinks, you and Carlos had been the only ones ready to go. 

It wasn’t the best experience. The aquariums were far too bright, the tight and closed spaces with far too many people not being a good mix for two teenages with too strong hangovers. After almost an hour  you both had decided to take a quick break at the side, having found a bit more of a secluded area with seats. 

You remember it clearly, a soft blue glow shining over you both as the fishes were slowly swimming over you. Despite the beauty of it your eyes were shut, the hangover only having grown stronger. You were resting your head on Carlos’ shoulder, his head on top of yours. The soft chatter around you both was somehow lulling you to sleep but you managed to keep yourself awake by focusing on Carlos, who was explaining the different animals that were swimming by. 

“I’m gonna be busy again after the summer,” Carlos had said quietly after a bit, enough to capture your attention and slowly get you to move to look at him. You remember how nervous he looked, fingers twitching as he fiddled with the hem of his shirt. “I’m really happy we got to do this.” He said with a small smile and you had reached over to his hands, holding onto them. 

“I’m happy too, I can’t wait to see you race again though.” You say with a smile as your thumbs slowly rub over his hands. “I’m gonna miss you but we’re going to talk,” You promise and Carlos simply nodded, taking a deep breath. 

“I’m going to miss you too,” Carlos says, and you’re not sure if it’s the way he had said it or if it was the way his eyes were peering into you that you feel a pang in your chest. The world suddenly slows down, the outside chatter nonexistent. 

Carlos slowly guides your hand to his thigh and your heart feels like it's beating out of your chest the moment he slowly moves closer. You don’t stop him though, not when he asks you if it’s okay, or when his lips are practically ghosting yours. Instead you’re moving closer as well, closing the gap between you both. 

None of your friends questioned you when you arrived back at the villa, fingers intertwined with flushed cheeks and reserved smiles. 

“So, jellyfish,” Carlos says once you both pass the security. He’s already pointing to the corner of the first aquarium, gently pulling you by your hand. “Did you know they’re 95% water?” He asks with a smile. 

“I think someone might have mentioned that before,” You answer, not missing the way Carlos’ smile only grew bigger. 

Maybe you were ready to start new again. 

fin.

ch. 14 coming (soon?)

a/n: as always i hope u enjoyed,, sorry for the long wait. i hope i can get ch. 14 out soon!! i will try my best to work on it once i can <3. sending all the love always and would love to hear what you think !

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[rjthirsty]

Chapter Eleven (Deceit and Decay)

Words: 3.5k

Tags: Self-Harm, Angst, Abduction

A/N: You can find my previous chapters on my masterlist, or on ao3. For a complete set of tags, please visit ao3.

What if Belle didn't fall in love with the Conqueror Beast? What if his last hope abandoned him, simply because she didn't know he existed? Would his black heart break and crack, or grow as hard as stone? An AU where Chevalier is crowned for Rhodolite, Gilbert lost his last shred of humanity, and MC (Dahlia) is thrust into a nightmare world where deceit and decay are everyday occurrences.

Rhodolite had not been idle during the last five days, though to say that a plan was underway to secure Dahlia’s safe return would also be oversimplifying a very complex set of decisions that may prove to ultimately be fruitless. King Chevalier had his kingdom to consider, and the actions of waging a war for a woman of common birth leading to Obsidian to overtake Rhodolite was likely a future that Gilbert had hoped would come to pass. And that was only one possible outcome. There were countless others that Chevalier could see, and finding the one that Gilbert had predicted would be difficult.

They had been entered into a game of chess without their consent, and now Chevalier had to keep his pieces from eagerly sacrificing themselves. His brothers didn’t have the foresight he did, and most of them could be hasty in their actions. They were more than pawns, they were worthy to carry their royal titles and all of them had something they excelled in. But they were all still far too emotional with a lack of concern for their own wellbeing and what their actions could ultimately lead to for the kingdom they were born to protect.

After the Obsidian Prince departed, his brothers inserted themselves immediately. First it was Clavis who refused to work until Chev confirmed Gilbert was responsible. Informing him did nothing to ease Clavis’ tumultuous emotions and he was the first that Chev had to warn from doing anything rash. He also barely functioned for the rest of the day, neglecting his work in lieu of spreading the information to his other brothers.

And thus, the parade of concerned princes who approached King Chevalier at every hour began. Most were still managing themselves and their designated tasks, but some were more constantly buzzing around as if Chev wasn’t attempting to find a way to bring Dahlia home himself. He hadn’t forgotten her. He wouldn’t give up on her. It was simply pointless to rush into something of this nature, especially with his duty to prolong the life of his kingdom resting on his shoulders.

There were also other issues that needed to be addressed before he could bring Dahlia back. Prince Gilbert had left Chevalier a crucial piece of information referencing ‘gifts’ that he had left for Chev’s coronation. Chev was certain it was meant to be an obstacle to prevent a swift recovery of Dahlia, and while he hated to admit it, it was going to prove to be a hefty project to clean up. If Prince Gilbert was involved, it likely had to do with weaponry, and if it was meant to cause discourse, it would be provided to the Anti-Monarchy Faction - a group that had assembled after Bloodstained Rose Day but hadn’t gained much traction until the last few years.

Most of the citizens that participated in the faction despised royalty, and Chevalier most of all. Clavis often set up ‘parties’ where they would gather and air their grievances, it also proved beneficial to keep an eye on the group in order to prevent them from becoming a problem to the crown. Clavis was all too happy to allow those with a grudge against Chevalier to network and hone their edge aimed at Chev’s throat. As long as Clavis didn’t personally provide support or involve himself in any misguided attacks, he was allowed to do as he pleased. Chev saw his worth even if Clavis did not.

Arranging an event took time, however, and there was no way to hurry that time along. Clavis had set it up, as ordered, but the party wouldn’t be held for another week. In the meantime, Chevalier had the Domestic Affairs Faction scoping out illegal sales and attempting to pinpoint Anti-Monarchy meeting places and warehouses. They were effectively down two members as Yves was not ideal for this sort of work, and Licht was under Yves care, forced into taking a leave of absence. Nokto had his hands full trying to identify smuggling lines from Obsidian, and Clavis was barely maintaining the Foreign Affairs Faction.

On the fourth day of Dahlia’s absence, King Chevalier met with a foreigner who operated a bookstore in Rhodolite. Mr. Akatsuki had no blood relation to Dahlia, however, he had functioned as a father figure to Dahlia since she was a young child. Dahlia’s disappearance wasn’t something that needed to be made public, but it had been brought to Chevalier’s attention several times that Dahlia’s family should be made aware. And so, a summons was sent, and Mr. Akatsuki, who had experience with royalty, princes, and Chevalier many, many years ago, arrived to be given the news.

It went about as well as expected when one is informed their adopted child has been abducted and everyone knew of the culprit but no one was able to do anything about it. In other words, it was a very tiresome meeting. Even with Clavis and Leon in attendance, there was very little anyone could say to assure Mr. Akatsuki that Dahlia would be brought home swiftly. She was not the highest priority at the moment for Rhodolite, and even if she were, Chevalier’s hands were currently tied by the lack of proof more than anything.

While Gilbert had given Chevalier enough to conclude that Dahlia was in Obsidian, he had not expressly stated it. Furthermore, Gilbert’s position as a prince of a neighboring country would offer significant protections for something as small as abduction of a commoner, even if she had been training to be a court minister. She offered no value as a political hostage, either. No one but those who care for her would care that she had been abducted.

Mr. Akatsuki leveled some insults about how useless Rhodolite’s palace full of princes was, driving the dagger deeper in the hearts of all three men and cracking the divide wider between Chevalier and his brothers. They already thought of Chev as heartless, and his steadfastness in handling things above board did nothing to lessen his cold character. Chevalier didn’t refute. He would not be shaken by words, having experienced harsher ones in his past. He could allow others their outbursts and insults and he would continue as he saw best… for Rhodolite.

Their guest stormed out of the meeting, yelling that he would collect his daughter himself. Clavis and Leon traded a look, and Chev understood what the both of them were considering. He knew it would be best to caution with another warning. He knew neither of them were a match for Gilbert’s intellect and strategic planning. He knew that even if both of them crossed into Obsidian, neither would return with Dahlia, and it was likely neither would return at all. He knew what was best. He knew what choice he’d make. But he hesitated.

He missed her.

If his life was so affected by her absence, surely his brothers with more human hearts were fighting something much harder than he was.

“Clavis,” Chev’s words were a rope that twisted around Clavis, tying him in place. “You are required for your gathering.” With that, Clavis was bound and tethered from any other foolish action.

With a faint hope that Leon would manage something impossible, Chevalier kept his eyes on Clavis, purposefully ignoring Leon’s hard stare as his brother tried to puzzle out Chev’s actions. It seemed like Leon was considering his own next move. Of all times for Leon to finally think things through and not act rashly, this was not the moment Chevalier expected nor wanted it to happen. Perhaps Leon was waiting to be shackled as well, for he waited much longer than necessary before he quickly followed after their retreating guest.

Chevalier knew he would live to regret this. This is what happens to kings in love.

Leon caught up to Mr. Akatsuki before he had left the palace proper. Jogging to get in front of the older man, Leon held up his hands placatingly. “Would you hang on for a minute? Give me just a little more of your time. I promise it’ll be worth it.”

The man from Ruby narrowed his eyes at Leon. “Spit it out. But you have two minutes before I walk out of here.”

Leon gave his best charismatic grin. “I won’t need two minutes. Allow me to go with you.”

Mr. Akatsuki remained silent, crossing his arms over his chest but allowing Leon his two minutes (or less, as he claimed). Leon had at least expected him to refute or deny him outright, however, it seemed that he was going to wait to cast his decision.

“Not as a prince of Rhodolite. You know I love your daughter, right? Dahlia means more to me than anything, even my title. I would do anything to protect her– and I was willing to fight everyone inside the palace the night she was taken from me– from us.” Leon swallowed hard, fighting the anger, frustration, and pain that came with this confession. But he knew that in order to convince Mr. Akatsuki, he needed to be honest. He had to lay his feelings bare.

“I get it– not to the same degree. I didn’t raise her. I have only spent a year by her side. But, please, if there’s even a chance I can get her back, I want to take it. I want to bring her home. I want to keep her safe.” Leon paused, waiting for some sort of sign from Mr. Akatsuki. The elder man pursed his lips and frowned, eyeing Leon.

“Will you take me with you? That's all I’m asking.” He kept his amber eyes locked on Mr. Akatsuki, showing his determination and his sincerity.

“You’ll need a change of clothes,” Mr. Akatsuki stated pointedly before he looked away towards the grand entrance, the main gate, and beyond to where Obsidian laid far, far away. “Dress for colder weather. Bring enough for a few weeks. Come to my shop before sunrise tomorrow.”

Leon clapped a heavy hand on Mr. Akatsuki’s shoulder, wanting to hug the man he had only met a handful of times, but restraining himself. “Thank you.” He met Mr. Akatsuki’s eyes once again to show how meaningful his approval was to him, then jogged off through the palace to set about gathering enough clothes for his trip.

He knew he couldn’t tell anyone he was leaving or else he’d be facing other obstacles outside of Chevalier. Sariel would surely find some way to tie him down, and Jin might just lock him in a cell to keep him from making a stupid mistake - like attempting to rescue his girlfriend from a foreign nation. Yves would tell everyone, and Licht would beg to come with him. It was a little ridiculous that Chevalier was the one who allowed him the opportunity to pursue his own choice. It really wasn’t like him.

Finishing his work for the rest of the day like nothing was wrong was easy enough. Leon felt no shame in his choice, and despite knowing he was lying to Jin and would be saddling everything with him come tomorrow, it wasn’t the first time he had kept things from his brothers and it wasn’t likely going to be the last.

The sun set on Rhodolite in blazing reds and oranges. The stars appeared in the sky, shining brightly, only dwarfed by the silver moon.

Clavis sat in his room on the sofa he slept on clutching at his chest. He hadn’t felt like this since he was a young child. It hadn’t hurt this badly since that day so many years ago when it rained and he began to hate the smell of wet roses. He hadn’t tinkered or created anything in days. He hadn’t dug a pitfall or planted any traps since before Chev’s coronation. Instead he sat in the darkness of his cluttered room, barely able to drag himself through the motions of his work. Even Chevalier had been giving him less errands to run. He was truly worthless, Clavis thought to himself.

Jin drank alone in the large sitting room. Drinking with company was always better than none, but company sounded like it’d be more trouble than it was worth tonight. Glass after glass, he tipped the liquor back, trying to rid himself of the worry that held fast to his thoughts. He was more perceptive than most people, he saw how his brothers were all hiding their dark thoughts of Dahlia being gone and never returning. Knowing she was in Obsidian did nothing to rid them of anxieties, because there was no way to easily retrieve her. His reach wasn’t that far. Not even Sariel could manage that.

Licht dragged the knife across his skin. The familiar burn of his flesh slicing and blood rushing to the wound seemed to be the only sensation he could feel beyond the numbness. He kept a blank face as he watched the dark red seep from inside him to fill the void he had made. The pain was nothing. Inconsequential. Perhaps he’d cut deeper tonight. Perhaps he’d add a new scar on top of old ones lined up in their rows. What did it matter anyways? No one would care if he took care of himself any longer.

Chevalier sat in the wooden chair positioned on one side of the chess board that decorated his room. None of the pieces had been moved, and there was no partner for Chev to play against. However, that didn’t stop him from moving pieces in his head. As he ran through strategies and tactics of every book he had ever read, he fought himself in a battle of wits on the chess board in his mind. He purposely busied himself so as to not put a stop to Leon’s misguided rescue attempt. If he gave himself enough time to reconsider his negligence in caging Leon, he knew he’d succumb to the logic and reasonable decision to keep him in Rhodolite.

Nokto stared into the darkness of the night, leaning against the window in his room. The roses several stories below were colored so dark, it looked like they had all been painted black. The dark circles under his eyes mirrored the deep shade of the flowers. He hadn’t been sleeping well. He never slept well without someone next to him. It had only been four days since she was taken, but those four days continued to stretch from evening to morning to another sleepless night to putting on another mask for the day. How was the world colored so plainly without her here?

Before the sun had risen, when the staff was waking to start their morning shifts, Leon discretely left the castle full of lonely beasts to meet with a foreigner who owned a bookstore. He walked the whole way on foot, not wanting to leave a palace horse as evidence for Sariel or Jin to find where he had gone. When he arrived at the bookstore that Dahlia had once worked at, he found a small but sturdy covered wagon hitched and Mr. Akatsuki had already loaded books and other supplies into it.

“You’re one of those that shows up right when you ought to and not a moment sooner.” Mr. Akatsuki eyed Leon and glanced at the thinning shadows on the horizon.

“That’s what a hero does, and Dahlia believes I’m one.” Leon grinned, tossing his clothing into the wagon and hopping onboard.

“Wouldn’t have hurt to get out of here before first light. It’s a long trip to Obsidian Castle.” The older man climbed onto the driver’s bench, collecting the reins for the harnessed horses.

“And you’ve got a way through, right? We’re not going to have to sneak across the border, are we? I don’t think this wagon will make it if we did.” Leon chuckled, ribbing the old man who seemed perpetually grumpy.

“I’ve got a way. You’re my apprentice, understand? Training to pick up the store once I give up traveling. You look young enough to pass for it.” Mr. Akatsuki gave the signal to the horses and the wagon began its bumpy journey through the streets of Rhodolite’s capital.

“Does that mean I call you Master?”

Mr. Akatsuki huffed, cutting a glance to Leon. “Mr. Akatsuki.”

“Alright, Mr. Akatsuki it is.” Leon watched Mr. Akatsuki for several minutes in silence, trying to come up with something to express his gratitude for allowing him to come along. But every time he grasped for a word or a sentiment that might come close, it didn’t feel like enough. There were no words to say how much this meant to him. So he said the only thing that he could manage, a sincere and firm “Thank you.”

It was several hours after the sun had taken its spot in the sky, slowly traversing over Rhodolite Castle when Jin poked his head inside the Foreign Affairs office. He had been running throughout the palace in search of Leon, unable to find the head of the Domestic Affairs Faction. Meanwhile, he was also picking up the slack for every other member who was missing, and now Leon hadn’t shown.

Clavis was sitting at the single desk, head down as if reading paperwork, but he sat there staring at the same page for far longer than would have been needed. Jin’s eyebrows knitted together and he frowned, watching Clavis who hadn’t even heard him come in. In an attempt to make himself known, he rapped loudly on the door he had already opened, startling Clavis from his inner thoughts.

“Hey, Clavis, is everyone else out?” Jin shoved his hands in his pockets and lazily strolled into the empty office.

“Oh, you know how it is. We’re not much for working together. Nokto is probably still sleeping, and Chev is handling kingly duties.” Clavis smiled the same smile he always had.

“And Luke?” Jin asked as he peeked out a window, attempting to keep the conversation casual.

“Who can say? Ahaha. He has never volunteered to show up to work.” Clavis shuffled the papers on his desk, the dark circles under his eyes giving away how many restless nights he had been experiencing.

“He’s still not interested in being a prince, it’s gotta be hard for him.” Jin agreed, circling back towards the door from the far end of the room. “Speaking of hard work, have you seen Leon? I’m swamped in Domestic Affairs all by myself. With Yves and Licht out of commission, it’s just me and Leon.”

Clavis paused in his organizing of his paperwork and looked up at Jin. Something about the way his smile fell and his eyes blinked wide for a moment didn’t sit right with Jin. Clavis slapped his mask back on and was smiling like he always did, his hands folding together on top of his desk. “Ah, I see. Of course he wouldn’t have told you. Chev all but gave him permission to force his way into Obsidian and gallantly bring our dear Dahlia back.”

“That’s not funny, Clavis.” Jin stopped moving, his feet frozen to the floor.

“I’m not laughing.” Clavis clenched his hands together tighter, squeezing his own emotions down, his white knuckles safely hidden under his gloves. “And I’m not lying.”

Jin sprang into a run and darted out of the room. He had to find Chevalier to verify where Leon had gone– No, he had to find Sariel to stop Leon from crossing the border. Shit. This was bad. This was really, really bad.

[alltimefanfiction]

He’s no more than stardust anyway; if this goes wrong, he’ll disintegrate back to where he came from.

[firstlightfanfics]

Westlife fans!

Hi Westlife fans!

We have a new Shane fic up on the site by Rhiannon!

[littlelovelyra]

Part 3 for The Change series is in the works I have a title "The Danse Macabre" - The one good thing about being sick is that I can day dream in bed and actually write it down without having to wait till after work haha.

Little snippet of something cute that happens:

She wraps her arms around you from behind, resting her head between your shoulder blades. Softly she speaks, "You're too hard on yourself, you know? You're a catch, you just haven't been allowed to shine."

You shift around to face her, dropping your gaze to meet her eyes. "And do I… shine?" your voice is soft, and you hate how pathetic it sounds.

"You are the brightest star in my skies," she whispers back, raising herself on her tiptoes as she softly kisses your lips. For the first time in your life, you finally believe that you are worth something.

[yanderu-deredere]

bite.

★ what kind of girlfriend invites you to some bonfire in the middle of the forest only to leave you there? a shitty girlfriend, that's who. now, you're kind of buzzed and lost. thankfully, you spot a cabin. hopefully, the people there can help you out.

a/n: mom says it's my turn with the wolf pack!! here's another long thing but this time it's for the wolfie pack that ive been promising for a while now! hopefully it lives up to your guys expectations LOL i really love these yanderes and the werewolf lore i sprinkled in is my own brand of crazy

for those in disbelief, wondering how does this fit in my lil city. well, there's a forest at the outskirts of the city and i want there to be werewolves so there's werewolves!! got inspired by @not-a-bot-just-shy and their poly wolf pack so please check theirs out too!

while i was writing this, i decided that it got like really long so i decided to write a few more parts LOL im so sorry ive been slapping you guys with so many different chaptered stuff! but i hope itll be worth it!

part one (here) ★ part two ★ (chew.) ★ extras (bite and chew.) ★ extras (taste) ★ part three ★ (swallow.) ★ part four (digest.)

pairing: poly werewolves x male reader word count: 3475 warning: bottom reader has male parts and pronouns, reader is implied to be attracted to both genders, reader may be under the influence of alcohol, reader may have a shitty girlfriend, yanderes may be under the influence of the moon? wild, polyamorous ending (all three with the reader)

You grumbled, pushing past branches and leaves as you stomped around the forest, angry at your girlfriend for basically ditching you. Well, not ditching you. But, she did invite you to this stupid bonfire only to force you to drink and then ignore you the entire night.

She was the kind of girlfriend who was super into the full moon, tarot cards and mystic readings so she thought it would be fun to run around half naked tonight, thinking maybe something witchy and magical would happen.

You thought it meant having a hot make out session in front of a sexy bonfire so, of course, when she begged you to come, you agreed.

You were unfortunately wrong.

She was probably with that stupid buff friend of hers, draping herself all over him. So what if you couldn't tell whether or not you were a 'Sagittarius rising' or whatever and he could? You couldn't help but be annoyed at the thought of the two of them having fun.

You wouldn't call it cheating but it was definitely something.

You had stormed out in anger, hoping your girlfriend would care enough to chase after you. Unfortunately, she didn't even care enough about you to do that.

Or, even worse, she didn't notice that you'd left at all.

You pulled your phone out of your hoodie pocket and glanced at the time and battery. It was getting really late and your phone was almost dead. Damn. You didn't have any signal either so no hopes of calling someone for help.

Why were you so petty and dramatic anyway?

You heard a thump and your heart jumped into your throat. You looked around, scared as all hell, only to realise there was light in front of you.

You hurried forward, hoping to whatever higher power there was that it was civilization. Unfortunately, it wasn't. Fortunately, it was some sort of rustic looking house, large enough to fit a big family.

The thumping was from someone chopping some wood.

He looked buff, like a weightlifter with a little bit of pudge. He was a ways away from you but you could tell he was definitely taller than you, with the messiest ginger hair you had ever seen.

The stranger was wearing a tight worn down tank top and jeans which, honestly, he made look really good.

You hadn't even gotten close before the guy whacked his axe down, looking around the clearing like he was searching for something and, as if he'd heard you, his head snapped right to you.

You flinched but decided just coming out right then was less suspicious than hiding.

"Uhm! Hello!" You stepped forward, face and ears feeling a little hot from embarrassment "I'm really sorry to bother you but I'm like so lost and I just need directions--"

"You're not supposed to be here." He suddenly snapped and it made you take a step away from him, your eyes fluttering from one of his bulging muscles to the other.

If he wanted to snap you like a twig, he could easily do it.

"Right," you held your hands up as a sort of sign of surrender, "I totally get that but my friends-- We have a bonfire nearby-- Well, I don't really know how nearby-- I got lost--"

He seemed to see how frantic you got because he sighed and nodded, holding his hand out "C'mon, there's no way anyone would find their way through the forest at night."

"Stay the night and we'll drive you to Lovelock in the morning." He wrapped an arm around your shoulders when you got close enough though, from the tone in his voice, he didn't seem very happy.

"You can call me Mel. I live here with my partners, Leo and Sam." He guided you to the door and opened it for you "Sorry I'm a bit messy, was trying to cut wood for kindling."

"All good! Thanks for housing me. Sorry I'm being such a bother." You bowed your head a little, very apologetic since he seemed so inconvenienced.

Then, you didn't know if it was the alcohol in your system or if it was just from how good-looking the guy is but you suddenly felt the urge to lean against him and giggle "You know, I'm not entirely convinced this isn't some elaborate mirage."

"Mirage?" He looked understandably confused as he easily held up your body which practically draped itself on him.

You nodded, sighing almost dramatically "I was stuck in that forest for forever! I thought I'd never find my way! And I feel like super-sexy--mean-muscle-lumberjack is the exact fantasy my mind would conjure up."

He seemed to realise he was being a bit stand-offish or something (probably from the fact you described him as a mean muscle lumberjack) because his personality did a complete switch "Oh, ummm, I apologise. Sorry for being weird, my partners and I aren't really-- em, in the state for having guests--"

Just as the two of you finally made it through the front door, Mel definitely much more easily than you, the sound of someone else caught your attention.

"Melk--" Speak of the devil, a fluffy ashen haired head peaked out of one of the doorways leading further into the house, blue bespectacled glasses peering at you "Who's the twunk?"

You felt your cheeks grow warm. Twunk? You were definitely more hunk than twink. What even constituted as twink anyway? You doubted you were small or thin enough! In fact, if either of you were the twink, it would've been him, with his lithe model body!

He was like an exact opposite to Mel; where Mel was tanned and muscled, this stranger was pale, of average height and looked like he could shove you a little at most.

Differences aside, he both of them were absolutely handsome. It made you feel a little left out. Were you on some movie set?

"Leo, don't be rude. He's our guest." Mel placed both his broad palms on your shoulders, introducing you before giving you a little nudge forward "And this is ou-- umm, my partner, Leonard. He's a pain in the ass but he grows on you."

The little stumble in Mel's sentence went completely unnoticed to you but the sudden weird expression on Leonard's face didn't.

Still, you didn't want to be rude to someone who was putting up with you for a night so you smiled as sweetly as you could "Hi, really nice to meet you!"

It was obvious Leonard didn't think the same because his smile was obviously forced "Nice to meet you too!"

Then, he hurried off and you could hear his sock-clad feet thumping through the wooden floors of the house "Saaam!"

"I'm so sorry about him." Mel pulled you to him, your back against his chest, and leaned forward, apologetic expression on his face.

You just chalked it up to him being a really touchy person and smiled nervously, nodding "It's all good! It's totally understandable, I came out of nowhere, after all!"

That polite look on Mel's face vanished for a second, replaced with a look that was gone too fast for you to place. Thankfully, you didn't think you had to worry about it because Mel was helping you take off your shoes and leading you to the kitchen.

"You must be starving." He pulled out a chair for you "Let me heat something up for you."

"Handsome and polite..." You murmured, your hand rubbing at your aching and empty stomach before, a bit more loudly, you said: "No, I can't possibly ask you to feed me too!"

"It's really nothing, just pressing a few buttons on a microwave." Mel waved off your concerns, grin on his face as he did just that; sticking a glass tupperware container in the microwave and setting it to some arbitrary time.

You sighed and relented; mostly because you were definitely still hungry and buzzed from the alcohol. You wanted nothing more than food in your tummy.

As you were taking in the yummy smell of food heating in the microwave, there was the cacophony of hurried steps on wooden floor before Leonard and a man you didn't know appeared in a doorway.

He was also gorgeous. Goes to show that good looking people flocked together. He had black shaggy hair in a low pony and a noticeable scar on his upper lip but it didn't take away from his pretty face.

He even had two moles under his left eye which made him look even more beautiful (if that were even possible).

He was like a middle man; not exactly twink-ish like Leonard but not exactly buff like Mel. Definitely on the more muscular side, though. Definitely bigger. He could probably bend you in half, that was for sure.

"Leo said--" The man burst in before turning absolutely dark red in the face upon laying eyes on you, an almost inhuman whine leaving his lips "Hello."

"Hello." You grinned at him, finding his actions way more funny than weird "You must be Sam, right? Nice to meet you."

"Isamu. Y-You can call me Sam." He nodded, agreeing.

Then, to continue his train of weird actions, he bowed at the waist, still looking flustered, before scurrying away. Leonard snickered, looking especially mischevious before following after him.

"What's up with all of you and your partners looking supernaturally gorgeous?" You whispered conspiratorially to Mel.

Instead of asking, he just laughed, all deep and rumbly, like you'd said a particularly funny joke.

You pouted, unsure if you'd really said something that was worth laughing at that much.

"You were at a bonfire, you said?" Mel said instead, opening the microwave to pull the glass tupperware out, whatever food in it obviously steaming.

You nodded, excited at the prospect of food "Yeah, my girlfriend invited me but then she ditched me to go hang out with some buff guy."

"Jokes on her, I guess, I found an even buffer, hotter guy to hang out with instead." You grinned at him, looking quite like the cat that got the cream.

Mel just let out another smaller laugh, putting the tupperware container with a plastic spoon and fork in front of you.

You were a little awed by the fact that he could touch the hot glass but chalked it up to the fact that he was just really tough.

The food was just fried rice (which was honestly more fried vegetables than rice and it made you almost laugh) and what you guessed was grilled chicken with teriyaki sauce. Aside from the vegetables in the rice, there was also broccoli.

Thankfully, there was a lot of chicken so there wasn't too many vegetables.

"Make sure to eat your vegetables." He sat in front of you, looking like he was holding back a smirk.

You pouted at him but rolled your eyes and speared a small broccoli branch and put it in your mouth. Then, you made an exagerrated 'MMM' sound to show him how tasty you thought it was.

He laughed again but, this time, it sounded fake "Sorry, I always have to remind Leo to eat his vegetables. It becomes habit after awhile."

"Understandable." You gave a curt nod "I'm bad at eating healthy so I can relate to Leo."

"Well, you definitely won't be eating badly under my roof." Mel crossed his arms (which made his biceps absolutely bulge) before leaning back in his chair, an almost arrogant expression on his face.

"Good think I'll only be living one night under this roof, huh?" You joked back, thinking that was the right thing to say.

Instead of the laugh you expected, that strange expression was back on Mel's face. You stopped mid-bite, looking at him curiously, a worried expression on your face "Did I say something wrong?"

"No." The expression was gone quickly, like before, and his polite grin was back.

He sat up again, his arms uncrossing and his hand reaching over to cover yours on the table. You just grinned at him, confused by the gesture but figured, like you thought before, he was just a touchy guy.

"Sam, Leo, come here and hang out with our new guest!" Mel suddenly yelled, making you flinch a bit with how unnaturally loud his voice got.

"Sorry." His hand tightened around yours, apologetic expression on his face as his thumb rubbed comforting circles onto the side of your hand "Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay, just got surprised!" You waved off his concern as you smiled and shrugged his hand off so you could properly eat. You didn't want to admit it but his touch had your heart fluttering wildly in your chest!

"Here, you were at the bonfire to have fun right? We can have our own fun here." Mel wolfishly grinned at you, his eyes alight with a playful look on his face "We have a couple of cases of beer here if you want?"

"Sure." You looked eager at the offer, nodding your head quickly. Usually, you wouldn't have accepted, Mel being a stranger and all, but you were already a bit inebriated and he was just so handsome that he convinced you easily.

He stood just as Isamu and Leonard entered, both looking flustered and weird.

Of course, excited by the prospect of getting more drunk and forgetting your problems with a bunch of hot strangers, you gestured for them to come sit next to you, not at all minding their weirdness.

Isamu quickly sat next to where Mel was sitting, his back ramrod straight and his hands in his lap. If you had a protractor, you were sure he would measure at ninety degrees exactly.

Leonard, on the other hand, looked relaxed and almost cocky as he sat next to you, even going so far as to scoot the chair closer.

"Mel said he was going to get some beer, do you want to drink with us?" You asked them happily and Leonard made a face like he was disgusted with the suggestion while Isamu immediately nodded.

"Our handsome guest here was just telling me his girlfriend ditched him for someone else." Mel walked over, two bottles of beer in each hand "We can't have him being sad over that right? We have to help him forget all about that stupid bitch."

You scowled, feeling as if maybe you should defend your girlfriend. Mel couldn't just randomly call her a bitch like that, right?

But then, he literally flicked the caps off of the beer bottles like they were made of paper and you thought maybe, a muscly hot guy like him was allowed a few red flags.

He handed you a bottle and you took a fat swig before giggling "Thank you so much for taking me in and for taking care of me like this! I feel so bad for imposing on you guys! You guys are so wonderful!"

Leonard leaned against you, your shoulders bumping against each others' "Don't worry about it. In fact, it's really our pleasure!"

You grinned before wrapping an arm around Leonard and pulling him close, completely missing the look the three of them shared with each other.

Before you knew it, you were just knocking them back, swapping happy stories with the three of them.

Apparently, Mel first moved out here and built the house with the money he inherited with his family. The family itself seemed like a sore subject but he looked entirely too happy to rant about how he made the house.

Then, Isamu came next when he got lost trying to find his dog? The dog died a couple of years later since she was already a senior dog but the two hit it off and started dating almost immediately after Mel helped him find the old geezer.

After Isamu's dog died and he graduated college, he moved in and they literally found Leonard who had tried running away from his overly controlling parents.

When Leonard graduated college, he moved in too. Now, the three of them lived together. The only one of them that really commuted was Leonard but not that far since he worked at a cafe pretty much near the edge of the forest.

You awed and gushed over their relationship, absolutely enamoured by how sweet it was that they all found each other.

At least, that was the last thing you remembered.

"You're a little bit of a light-weight, aren't'cha?" Mel laughed and you felt his entire chest rumble under your palms, his collar bone hard and cozy under your cheek.

"Huh?" You hummed, a little confused.

You got the gist that he was carrying you somewhere. You could feel his big, warm hands on your waist, his fingers almost sneaking underneath your clothes and his rather noticeable nails tickling your skin.

You could also feel your feet stumbling a little on the floor so you knew he wasn't carrying you.

"Hey, pay attention!"

You snapped into reality a bit there, looking around. You weren't in the kitchen anymore. In fact, you were standing in the middle of a living room, right in front of a coffee table.

Mel's hands were all over you and Isamu was right next to you, fretting about whether or not you were going to fall over. The only one not touching you was Leonard who had his arms crossed, looking at you annoyed.

"Oh, sorry." Your eyebrows furrowed as you tried to understand what was happening "I don't know what's going on with me, I just--"

"It happens to the best of us." Mel waved your apology off, wolfish grin on his face as if he was quite proud of himself "Nobody can out-drink me, after all."

"I feel like none of you are drunk at all! Just me..." You groaned, forehead pressed against the crook of Mel's neck, arm around him tightening just a little bit.

Even with all of your strength, he didn't even budge one bit.

Isamu just chuckled nervously, his warm hand comforting as it rubbed up and down your back "Call it a buff guy's fast metabolism."

"Leonard isn't even buff!" You pouted at Isamu, your head suddenly flinging back to lean against his shoulder, looking at him with the sweetest puppy eyes.

Isamu stuttered, cheeks reddening "L-Leo didn't drink, di-didn't you see?"

You turned your head a little, cheek still resting against Isamu's shoulder as you squinted at Leonard.

Your memory was so hazy now, after the number of bottles you drank. You couldn't really remember how many bottles Leonard drank.

Or, really, how many bottles you or anyone drank.

"I think I need to lay down." You huffed, moving to go to the couch.

Before you could, Mel wrapped an arm around your middle, pulling you close, his lips brushing against your ear "Woah, there, watch for the table."

You felt your ear immediately turn hot and so did your cheeks. You knew it definitely wasn't the alcohol either because you felt the heat between your legs a little too.

You cursed the three of them (especially Mel) for being so sexy.

Then, you looked down, glaring at the offending piece of furniture. You didn't think you were about to trip on it but it must've moved to foil you on your way.

"Thank you." You turned your head and, as you did, you underestimated how close Mel was and accidentally brushed your lips against the corner of his.

Instead of apologising, you just giggled and escaped his grasp when his arm went slack. You practically dove into the couch, unfolding the what felt like dozens of comfortable soft looking blankets and scattering the pillows.

You started arranging them around you, forming a little nest of sorts. You figured the giant sectional was where they'd put you up for the night so you might as well get comfortable.

You thought you heard the three of them muttering but you got so focused on getting your sleeping arrangements right that you couldn't find it in yourself to pay much attention.

It was wild to even see the sectional! You definitely couldn't complain! The thing could fit the four of you easy and then some! You would sleep comfortably by yourself!

"Well then!" Mel suddenly cleared his throat, making you flinch and turn your head to him (reminding him oddly like an adorable meerkat) "I guess we should leave you to get settled..."

In your daze, you missed both Isamu and Leonard huffing and shoving at Mel but you definitely didn't miss the way Mel took a step back, as if more than happy to leave.

Immediately, your eyes watered. "Wait, you didn't want to hang out more?"

The three of them panicked.

"Oh, no, no, you just looked like you were getting comfortable--"

"I-It's just that w-we just didn't want to get in your way--"

"Way to go, meat-head, you dumbass--"

You just crossed your arms and sniffled, trying to look as angry as possible "I'll forgive you if you hang out with me a little longer."

"I may be a little... emmm, inebriated but I'm not sleepy yet." You added, a little proud of yourself for being able to use such a big word.

Mel chuckled a little but nodded "Okay, sounds good. What do you want to do then?"

"Let's watch a movie!" You immediately pointed to the TV, grin on your face as you moved to lean against the back of the sectional, pillow in your arms and blanket draped over your lap. "C'mon, sit next to me."

At first, all three of them seemed to hesitate but, when Mel sat next to the arm of the sofa, Isamu and Leonard quickly followed.

Like in the kitchen, Leonard sat the closest to you, his shoulder bumping against yours. Isamu sat next to you too but he sat rather stiffly and, lastly, Mel sat on the other side of Isamu, his elbow resting on the arm of the sofa.

"What movie should we watch?"

[readingcherik]

it's all right (I know it's right) by firstlightofeos, pearl_o, & Red

When Erik and Charles happen across some new kinks, Erik has qualms. Charles helps him work through them. (or: how Erik learned to stop worrying and rough up his pushy boyfriend)

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Completed Chaptered AO3 Fics (4) Masterlist

part one, part two, part three

a night to remember (ao3) - grievingwarwidow

Summary: roxie, who prefers the label exotic performer over stripper, is a star amongst people who are out when the sun goes down. who better for a close-minded phil who has despised what he labels as lowlifes to suddenly obsess over than Roxie himself?

aka the one where phil gets pathetically hung up on dan, better known as roxie and is desperate to get to know him better.

Advent Calendar 2021 (ao3) - Phantje

Summary: Phil lives and works in a town in the North called Lylchester. Well, 'works'. He does charitable things in the name of being nice and his (adoptive) parents. Things are fine. Yeah. Fine. Meeting Dan who has strong opinions about peculiar things shakes up Phil's life and he is falling before he can help it.

Dan lives and works somewhere, or anywhere really. By fate, or call it the British Railway train running times, he ends up in Lylchester. Before he can help himself, he has made the first real best friend he has ever had - Beatrix. And suddenly, life does not seem so difficult anymore. Dan appreciates the work he can do, even if it has him interact with the rich idiot Phil more often that he would personally choose.

All the sunlight of our past (ao3) - jestbee

Summary: YouTube is a mess.

Phil's been struggling with it for a while and has just taken a job as a video editor to make ends meet while he figures out whether he still loves it anymore.

Dan's channel has been dead ever since he started working at BBC Radio One and the two haven't seen each other in years.

During a chance meeting in 2019, Dan gets papped coming out of a gay club and his life is sent in to turmoil. He blames Phil, because it had been his idea to go there in the first place, so they're straight back to not talking.

The only recourse Dan has to salvage his career is to return to his YouTube channel after all these years and make a coming out video on his own terms. What he doesn't know is that Phil is the editor he just hired to help him with it.

break free (ao3) - wiccamoody

Summary: Dan is a competitor on the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race UK.

By the way, I adore you. (ao3) - lxzyfangirl

Summary: Dan is very sick, and the future is not looking too bright for him, thankfully, he has Phil, his best friend, to accompany him through it all. But is Dan satisfied with being just friends?

dancing on the blades (you set my heart on fire) (ao3) - kishere

Summary: Dan Howell is an ice skater in England, a non power player in the world of competitive ice skating. Phil Lester is the greatest ice skater to come out of England in the past decade, part of a family legacy. When Dan is offered a spot at Phil's family gym, he learns what he was missing the most to be the best ice skater he could be.

Or: the yuri on ice inspired au

Dandelions (ao3) - throughtheirsnoses (det395)

Summary: Phil returns to his small town after studying how to improve his power that lets him grow plants with his mind. Phil is anxious and struggling with the expectations put on him to grow new plant-based medicine and on top of it all, his childhood best friend, Dan, gets his heart broken and turns to Phil as a rebound. Phil panics.

First to Listen (To Anything I Said) (ao3) - SylvesterLester

Summary: It's 2004, and Dan Howell is screwing up in school. He can't help that he's stuck in boring classes with boring people and just doesn't care. So when Phil Lester, one of the geekiest kids in school, is assigned to be his tutor, he's expecting this to just be another crappy part of his already crappy life.

But when it turns out Phil might be Dan's first real friend, his hormones threaten to screw all that up. Because that's all it is, right? Hormones?

Flatmates (ao3) - intoapuddle

Summary: oh my god they were flatmates / the fuckboy!phil au we all deserve

I Don't Love You (ao3) - Raspberrysaxophone

Summary: Dan and Phil work in an office and are (unfortunately) sharing a desk. Phil is often away on business or working from home so they are never there at the same time. They both get frustrated with how the other one organises the shared space and tell each other that through notes

- or -

Dan and Phil hate each other, but soon Dan realises that he is developing a crush on him. What will a New York business trip (where they are sharing a room xxx) do to their relationship?

i feel a kick down in my soul (ao3) - chickenfree

Summary: “I’m going to obliterate you,” he says, taking a few long steps towards Phil.

Phil runs. It takes him a minute to realize the ball is in the opposite direction.

light through an open door (ao3) - queerofcups

Summary: The only thing Dan’s trying to do is finish grad school and avoid talking about the very public crash and burn of his last relationship as much as possible. Meeting Phil, who’s working on his PhD in Philosophy, just like Dan’s ex was, is a coincidence. Now Dan’s just trying to finish grad school, avoid talking about his very public break up and try his hardest not to fall for a man who might hurt him the same way he’s been hurt before.

Project Poliwag (ao3) - natigail

Summary: Phil hadn't intended for his garden to become a haven for rescued Pokémon, but it had happened accidentally. This particular rescue wasn't that different, even though he had never rescued 117 Pokémon at once before. But he couldn't leave the Pokémon eggs to be destroyed, and he was willing to raise a whole army of Poliwag on his own if he must.

What Phil hadn't counted on was a stranger with a lost look in his eye turning up on his doorstep and offering to help with the project.

shapes and weights to choose (ao3) - queerofcups

Summary: Getting to interview Phil, Phil Lester, feels like the kind of recognition he's been working towards for years and Dan doesn't know how to handle it.

Dan's a sex toy blogger, Phil's a nearly-retired porn star. They fall in love, eventually.

strike a deal, kiss my lips (ao3) - natigail

Summary: Witches were the only magical beings capable of binding and controlling demons. It required a complicated ritual and crazy amounts of magic.

It happening on accident was practically unheard of until Phil came along and got tangled up with a snarky and dangerous demon named Dan. Suddenly bound together, Phil must grapple with control over a chaotic demon that wants to strip the skin from his bones.

And maybe strip the clothes off of his body as well.

Take a Picture (It'll Last Longer) (ao3) - phantasticworks (steddieworks)

Summary: Dan and Phil meet at 2 a.m. in a coffee shop. Phil is a photographer looking for a model, and Dan can't say no to pretty boys.

The Clock Keeps Ticking (ao3) - tellsfromhale

Summary: Dan has spent over a decade growing comfortable with himself. Finally, he can live his truth, and he can do it with Phil at his side. For the first time, he's excited about what the future holds.

Then, one day, he finds himself suddenly back inside his childhood bedroom a decade in the past, and getting to that future with Phil becomes a lot more difficult.

The Philver Scream (ao3) - UnorthodoxSavvy

Summary: While Dan's career in the FBI is taking off, Phil is left behind to pick up the pieces of his life after his brother's death. However, he finds himself plagued by strange nightmares that he can't explain. Soon, people around him start dying. Can Dan and Phil's partnership survive the mounting body count?

The River (ao3) - Portia331

Summary: Dan arrived in Melbourne two weeks ago with just one suitcase crammed with running gear, psychology textbooks, and a mere fraction of his wardrobe especially curated to fit both his aesthetic and the Melbourne weather.

He's about to start in the role of a lifetime on a 12 month contract, but he's barely ready for the Australian summer heat, let alone what the world is about to throw at him.

The Stress, The Glory and The Afterglow (ao3) - easybubby

Summary: It's 2024. Dan and Phil are overworked and slipping into old habits. The only difference between now and 10 years ago is that their relationship now comes first and they will do anything to protect it, even if they have to spend time apart. They treasure one wild night before they vow to keep their distance for a while.

The X-Philes (ao3) - UnorthodoxSavvy

Summary: Phil is a psychic. Dan is a detective. When Phil is visited by the ghost of his brother, he knows something isn't right. Can he and Dan solve the case, or will they become the next victims?

Two Man Team (ao3) - Nefertiti1052 (Succubusphan)

Summary: This is the story of two struggling friends who after many trials and tribulations find their way back to each other and build the life they've always dreamed of.

Or how Phil changed his life by talking to random strangers on the internet.

what might come with the dawn (ao3) - cloud-gays (wind_brewed)

Summary: The Island has a Guardian, that's what people say. Phil doesn't know if this guardian is a mythical being or just a piece of gossip; a made-up story to make people feel safe during storm season. A made-up story just to make them feel secure.

Now that he decides to move in with his parents again, Phil needs the protection. Maybe he needs to reach out to this lonely, black-clothed being; reach out to the lonely man of winter.

Also called: Phil is a storm-chaser of sorts and Dan, a storm-magnet. In between running and hiding, they find each other inside the calm of the storm.

[luhans-cumstained-body]

edge of heaven 🎀

fandom(s) ; exo pairing ; lu han x kim jongin (kailu) summary ; it wasn't that lu han didn't have his toys, because he did, but nothing ever really compared to a real dick. even if it was his own brother's. wordcount ; tba content ; handjob, blow job, anal fingering, rimming, nipple play, large cock, creampie, age difference, pwp, anal sex, somnophilia, jealousy, cheating, public sex warnings ; brother/brother incest

read the full thing on ao3 - here ! there's a small preview of the first chapter under the cut.

Lu Han and Jongin were alright. Just alright. They didn't have a close relationship, never did they ever, the other was often just there. Lu Han was two years older than Jongin, but Jongin's friends were mainly people from Lu Han's class, which led the two to move in the same circles at times, though they rarely talked to each other when at these things. They just always seemed to do their own thing. They had tried this this time too, but a game happening at this party, forced them a little closer. They were playing spin the bottle, bringing back a favorite for their younger years just for the hell of it. Rather than give sweet, kid friendly kisses and pecks, they were set to make out. Go all in with it. Which had been fine, right up to the point Lu Han spun the bottle and it landed on Jongin — his own damn brother. Some of the others laughed, aware they were related and because of it expecting them to back out. Their laughter only got louder when neither Jongin or Lu Han rejected it right away, they just looked at each other. Trying to get a read of one another, guess where the other’s mind was at. Neither really knew what to do, until Jongin gave a minor shrug. Showing he didn’t mind, it was fully up to Lu Han. Lu Han went for it. ...