#until I have the right amount of blood again. would probably help

[tj-crochets]

hey hey hey my brain is kinda spinning out on the whole "focusing" thing so I think I might draw some more things, if anyone has suggestions of things to draw? I might also consider making like mini plushie versions of people's OCs or fursonas or something. Or assemble a puzzle? Probably not that one I don't think I can sit still that long right now But like seriously if you have drawing/painting suggestions or would enjoy seeing a simplified version of your OC/fursona/other character of yours idk the catch-all term I will gladly take suggestions. Currently my to-draw list is just "a leaf of some kind". I make no guarantees I will make art of the specific thing you suggest but depending on the number of suggestions there's a pretty decent chance

[izzystizzys]

Ever since touching down on Triple Zero, both a military and quality marker for the planet in his mind, Marshall Commander Fox had become intimately acquainted with the biting pain of headaches and migraines.

This, however, feels like it’s going to make his skull cave inside out.

“I can hear voices, Thorn”, Fox hisses, wide-eyed, breathing harshly through his nose. His bucket sadly lolls around on the pavement from where he ripped it off in a panic, unable to breathe all of a sudden. But even exposure to the open air hasn’t helped much - now, Fox just feels like a fish drowning in water, desperately breathing in the air but unable to keep it in his lungs.

“I mean, we all hear voices, ori’vod, that’s really less concerning than if you couldn’t -“, Thorn begins, hands stretched out towards Fox like he’s trying to approach a rabid beast. “Voices, Thorn!”, Fox repeats, whisper-screaming over the strange sensation of all his blood pooling in his head and ears popping. “In my kriffing head!”

Thorn’s mouth opens to gape, then closes again immediately, countenance turning decidedly more alarmed than before. Fox crumbles to the ground, head clutched in his hands, moaning in painpainpainpain-

The only thing like this he’s felt before is after one of his private meetings with the Chancellor, the one he never lets anyone else have and Fox never remembers. It feels like there’s something else in his head, worming around his thoughts and bouncing off the insides of his skull-

“- is kriffing losing it, Thire, I don’t know what to do -“

“- keep position, help is -“

“- kriffing RED ALERT, what the -“

“- do you mean a karking Venator exploded over Coruscant?!”

“- call it the Zillo Beast - it caved in the side of the ship, apparently, and is making for the surface -“

The pressure inside Fox’s head increases, warmth dripping over his cheeks and from his noise, swelling until he thinks his head really will explode, and then - stops-

Fox looks up, gasping, at the shadow that has fallen across his and Thorn’s patrol, into two massive, glowing eyes. The thing tilts its head, and chirps. It sounds like a greeting.

Silence. Then -

“You’re right”, Fox says, in a daze, “we should kill the Chancellor.”

“WHAT”, Thorn screeches.

———————————

Fox wakes an indeterminate amount of time later to a gentle breeze and nebulous feeling in his head. This is strange for several reasons - one, Guard HQ are both insulated and airconditioned like ass, thus the temperature is always wrong and the air constantly stuffy, and two - he hasn’t woken up not in pain since touching down two years ago.

“Stabby gave you the good shit”, his own voice says, and yeah, that would explain that.

“Stabby is a little bitch”, Fox tries to say, which comes out more like a warbled gurgle. “You’re welcome”, a third voice replies, sarcastically. Fox pries open his eyes with great difficulty. Ah, yes, that’s Stabby looming across the room - and Stone, next to his bedside, lounging in a chair next to a passed-out Thorn, whose head is tilted across the back of his chair at an angle that will definitely put a crick in it.

And, behind them, where the medbay wall used to be, two gigantic, glowing green eyes, tilting along with the rest of the eldritch face floating next to Fox’s bed.

“Hgngndndnsndnfnfffhhh”, he vocalizes, and Stone shrugs. “Yeah, been there the whole time. Do you remember anything?” Fox frowns. Stabby snickers somewhere from his far corner, quietly bustling around and probably concocting something nefarious to make Fox sleep or “take a break”.

Stone’s eyebrows rise incrementally. “Really? Not even when you mounted the space monster, took a joyride through half of Coruscant, crashed through the Senate Dome and battled a lightning-launching Chancellor?”

Fox blinks. The Zillo Beast chirps cheerfully. “Huh.” A sense of strange, deep satisfaction spreads through Fox’s chest, raising goosebumps. “Did we bite his head off? I think we bit his head off.”

Stone chokes, and Stabby races over to thump him on his back, Fox watching warily for any sharp objects. You never know on that one - one second he’s checking your pupils for dilation, then you’ve got a needle sticking out of you and boom, ten hours gone. Or suddenly you’re spitting out decaf - ew - at five kriffing in the morning, being lectured about heart health and some other banthashit.

Something that feels strangely like a chuckle titters across Fox’s mind, and when he looks over, the Zillo Beast is blinking innocently at him.

“Yeah, your little friend did actually bite off the Chancellor’s head” Stone confirms, once he can breathe again. Thorn slowly stirs, until he jackknifes to awareness all at once, and then Fox has a lap full of hugging vod’ika.

“ - took twenty years off my kriffing life, goddamn, ori’vod, you’re giving me grey hair -“

“It’ll match your old man bones”, Stabby murmurs, making Thorn screech indignantly into the top of Fox’s head. The Zillo Beast trills mournfully, aiming a sad look at the medic, who shakes his head and brandishes a hypo at the thing. Fox wonders if he’ll have to intervene - he would try to hypo an eldritch space monster, the absolute lunatic. “Absolutely not - we talked about this, no scritchies until we can be sure it won’t bust more of Fox’s ribs!”

Fox’s mouth opens, and Thorn snickers mercilessly. Stone, far too dignified for it, buries a grin in a datapad. “It’s imprinted on you, Fox’ika”, he says instead, the traitor. “Tried to gte to you in the Jedi temple, but it wouldn’t fit - which is when we brought you here. The interior design was so butt-kriffing ugly it wouldn’t matter much to tear it out.”

“Imprinted?”, Fox asks, not even willing to touch on anything else that’s been said yet. An image flashes across the inside of his skull - him, tossing a space-tennis-ball into the air, and the Zillo Beast slithering off after it. In reality, it perks up and mrows hopefully at Fox God, he wishes he was still insensate. Thorn snickers again, and the desire increases tenfold.

“Yeah, like in that one holoshow, whatchacallit - with that one blonde chick, the Mother of Krayts - you know, the one that made Hound cry when they killed the loth wolves so we had to ban it in barracks?” Thorn’s eyes light up. “Wait, does that make you the mother of Zillos?!”

“Oooh, mummy Fox!”, Stabby screeches, the absolute traitor. Stone breaks out into barking laughter, and Thorn sounds like he’s actively asphyxiating. Fox hates them. Fox turns to the Zillo Beast.

“Please, please eat them.”

[uravitypng]

hear me out, denki and period sex!! mention of blood (obviously)(but it's not graphic)(denki's a no condom kinda guy. even when you're on your period)

boyfriend denki who just hates seeing you in pain. he dotes on you, doing everything around the house, buying you snacks and cuddling up to you. you're laying on the sofa together as you're watching an old rom-com, you always tend to watch them when you're on your period. denki holds you tight and plays with your hair, distracting you from your cramps because the painkillers haven't kicked in yet. he's telling you how much he loves you and how cute you are and you want him to say that to you every day and denki is the type of boyfriend that does. "babe, is it true that orgasms can help with cramps? bakugou said something like that ages ago but i don't know if it's true."

you make a sound of affirmation and reply "yeah, it's true."

denki doesn't say anything for a bit. thinking the conversation is over you turn your attention back to the tv. "do you want me to help with your cramps?" he says softly yet sure of himself. turning your body to face him you see him and he's looking at you with so much love, you can't detect any trace of reluctance or disgust.

"do.. do you.. i mean like.. would you want that? i don't want to make you do something you don't want to do denki." you quietly ask him, suddenly shy at the situation you're currently in.

"i'm the one who asked baby."

"yeah.. i want that. i want you."

you tell him you want him and not long after that you get your wish. denki caresses your skin, tracing your stretch marks and starts kissing you everywhere, starting at your jaw and ending up at soft stomach, you want more and he knows it. on normal nights he'd tease you until you start crying and begging for more but tonight his baby is in pain so she gets what she wants.

"please," you grab hold of him arm trying to get him closer and trying to get him to do something.

denki pushes a few strands of your hair behind your ear and whispers "i'm right here, i've got you." you're already wet enough due to the blood so he pushes his hips gently making you whimper, he reassurances you that he's got you and he tells you he loves you before bottoming into you. he pauses as he lets you adjust to his size, walls fluttering around him. "gonna move now okay?" you nod your head and you pull his arm down trying to get him to kiss you again. he obliges and you feel his soft lips press against yours, feeling like a promise that he intends to keep, so soft and warm and full of love.

he starts moving at a pace that he knows you love, one that makes your eyes roll back and makes you leave scratches down his back as you try to clutch onto him. you feel so good around him, clenching every time he hits that special spot making you see stars. keeping the same pace, he starts touching your clit with just the right amount of pressure and care that nearly tips you over the edge. you're so close, your back starts lifting and arching up as your scratches get deeper, digging in more. "i know baby, i know." denki fucks you through your orgasm helping you ride it out. he pulls out just in time before spilling onto your thighs.

denki's idea worked as you don't have any cramps anymore. you start getting up from laying down before denki holds onto you and lightly pushes you down. you're a bit confused but realise denki probably just wants you to rest while he gets you cleaned up however you were wrong. you look at him expecting him to be looking at you but he's looking at your thighs, where your blood meets his cum. he looks mesmerised and before you know it he's holding onto your plush thighs, keeping them apart so he can watch as his cum rolls down your body. he takes his thumb and swirls his cum into your blood watching the two mix with rapt attention.

you cock you head to the side and ask him, "are you going to be there all day watching my body? or are you going to cook us food?" denki snaps out of his gaze and grins at you before kissing your thigh, there's a slight imprint of blood on his lips and you're sure he must have done that on purpose.

"shower first, then food. both our thighs are covered in blood, so is my dick and there's even a spot of the couch."

"THERE'S WHAT?" you quickly sit up and try and find the spot, hoping that the stain isn't too big and it will come out.

"made you look." denki grins at you, after seeing your hurried self start panic mode.

"i'm going to kill you denki."

"you wouldn't kill your dear old boyfriend."

"i'm going to kill you denki." you repeat as denki just looks at you grinning before pulling you both up. "hey! i'm threatening you here."

"you can threaten me in the shower."

[cobaltperun]

Heyyy! I'm hoping I still got the time to request something!

Lorraine Day x Fem!Reader

Lorraine lives after the "accident" (did not get that headshot...) just has a scar on her face, don't know which side. R also survives and her and Lorraine gets closer, then they became an item.

R always caresses or gives kisses to Lorraine's scar/scars on her face, so she knows she's still that beautiful young lady as before.

I just want a fluffy, romantic one shot with my baby😭😭

Feel free to ignore this! Have a nice day/night!

Sunset

Lorraine Day x female Reader (Request)

Masterlist

Word count: 1.5k

You never should have agreed to this, you should have been happy working at a local store, away from all of these crazy ideas of movies that would make your life easy. Instead of that now you were trying to stop the bleeding from your left arm from the crazy old man trying to chop it off with an axe. And you needed the damn keys so you could get the hell out of here.

So, though it hurt as hell, you managed to get back into the house through the window and felt relief when you saw Lorraine and Maxine, relatively fine inside as well.

"Y/N! We need to find the keys!" Maxine told you as soon as she realized it was you and not one of the crazy duo.

"No shit," you looked through the drawers, desperately trying to find what you needed. "Lorraine, could you check these drawers to the side?" you asked, only now realizing the girl was on the verge of a panic attack.

"No! This is all your fault! I never should have listened to you!" she screamed at Maxine and you couldn't help but agree somewhat, though you figured most of the blame still fell on the crazy old people. But then Lorraine went toward the door and you just went after her.

"Wait, Lorraine!" you managed to grab her just as she came to the stairs and pulled her back. The resounding bang of the shotgun being fired deafened you for a moment and you expected pain, but you just felt the girl whose arm you were holding slumping back against you. "Shit!" you cursed, pulling her inside despite the amount of blood you saw on her face as the bullets just narrowly missed you.

~X~

That was three weeks ago and the entire ordeal after that felt like a blur, you somewhat remembered getting back into the house and trying to hide with Lorraine, and then being called just once by Maxine that she would leave if you don't get your ass out in fifteen seconds, and then dropping you off at the hospital, probably because you threatened her, and then you never heard from her again.

You came out of the ordeal fine, just the nasty scar on your left biceps and overall less strength in your left arm. Lorraine though… She lost a finger on her right hand and the right side of her face was scarred. It could have been worse, she could have gotten her face shot off, but instead you managed to pull her back just in time to prevent her death.

The damage was already done though, she was mostly blind in her right eye, and the scars were fairly prominent no matter how she tried to cover them with her hair.

The two of you ended up living in your house, left to you by your grandparents, but Lorraine hardly left the room, choosing instead to stay in the room you gave her. She barely spoke to you unless you spoke up first, she barely did anything and you could tell she wasn't doing well.

Not that you could blame her, given how she came the closest to death out of the three of you. You knocked on her doors and waited until she eventually told you to come in, you were carrying a tray with her dinner on it. Just some soup and mashed potatoes, since she was still struggling to chew, though doctors were sure her jaw would recover completely soon enough.

"Hey," you set the food down on the table next to her bed and sat down at the foot of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

Lorraine looked to the side, hiding the right side of her face from your eyes. "Like I should have died," she spoke honestly for the first time. "I thought I could be an actress, and look at me now, an ugly freak," you saw a tear sliding down her cheek as her voice shook.

You stood up, stepped closer to her and knelt down. Carefully you reached up, touching her right cheek. "Don't say that, please," you whispered, your heart breaking for the girl when she pulled away from you.

"You shouldn't have pulled me back," she sobbed and the two of you just sat there, in an old room, with wooden boards for floors and an almost antique furniture, and barely any sunlight coming through the window.

"Lorraine," you whispered, lowering your hand on her shoulder.

"You're still beautiful, you're still you," you felt like your words weren't reaching her, but she leaned in, perhaps just desperate for comfort and allowed you to hug and hold her.

“No, I should have never let you go alone, I should have gone with you,” you told her, and she just shook her head.

The two of you met that day, nothing, absolutely nothing that happened should have made you feel obligated to come with her.

“I know it’s difficult for you, I know you’re stuck in that place, replaying what happened all day long and then falling asleep to those same thoughts. I know that every time you look in the mirror you want to cry, but I’m here for you. And I won’t stop until you can once again see that you are still beautiful,” you promised her. It’s only been three weeks since you met, yet you figured surviving something like that brought you and Lorraine closer together.

“That’s not possible,” she sobbed, and you heard a small gasp when you cradled her scarred cheek.

“Maybe, but I won’t give up without even trying,” you weren’t sure where the boldness came from, but you leaned in and kissed her forehead, the right side of it.

“Y/N,” she spoke your name so softly you barely heard her, and she looked you in the eyes and saw nothing but affection and honesty. You didn’t find her scars ugly, or hideous, or anything that must have been going through her mind. You still saw the beautiful shy girl that stepped into the van that day, only now with the proof that she was a survivor on her face,

~X~

About half a year later you were resting on the porch and watching the sunset with Lorraine leaning on your left shoulder. You put an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

"Y/N," she giggled and it was like a melody to your ears to hear her happy once more. Following the first time she opened up to you things became easier for both of you and now you could enjoy each other's company just like this, even if Lorraine remained self-conscious about her scars.

"Hmm?" you kissed her forehead, where the top of her highest scar was, then moved down and kissed just beneath her eyebrow, down next to her eye, on her cheekbone, several times on her cheeks and along her jaw.

"You'll miss the sunset," she sighed, but she ran her fingers through your hair and lifted her head up a bit to give you better access to her face.

You caressed her left cheek, pulling her a bit closer. "Mhm, there's someone much more beautiful right next to me," you whispered, and only then, only after she parted her lips, you softly pressed your lips against her own, enjoying how she immediately pulled you in closer and kissed you back.

"You flatter me," she smiled, and you felt like her smile was even brighter than the Sun at its brightest. She went through so much and still had it in her to smile like this.

"It's not my fault my girlfriend is worth every praise in the world," you told her as the sunlight faded away.

"Yeah, and we missed the sunset again," she complained, huffing jokingly and leaning against you once more. The truth was you've been missing the sunsets for the past month, ever since Lorraine first kissed you in this exact circumstances, while you were watching the sunset and you gently caressed her right cheek. It made Lorraine feel better, and you genuinely thought she was still beautiful, that she was still the same girl you met that day in the van.

"I can't help it, you're so kissable," you defended yourself.

"Is that even a word?" she chuckled.

"It is now," you said and she pulled you in for another kiss, this time a bit more heated as her tongue teased your lips.

"Yeah, I think that word works," she muttered as she just barely pulled away.

She was so damn beautiful, and she loved you back, and while you wished she never got hurt, while you wished so many people didn't get killed by lunatics, you were happy the two of you were together.

A/N: Well, anon, here you go, hopefully a short but mostly sweet and fluffy one-shot. Thank you for the request!

[bloatedandalone04]

One Missed Call

➪the one where bradley hasn’t won a match since you left him, and he finally decides to break his promise to himself.

Warnings: boxer bradley, mentions of blood, mentions of injuries, descriptions of injuries, mentions of fighting, swearing, bradley is kind of a dick in this ngl, angst all the way, could have another part if i get inspired (just watched bleed for this and i need an outlet), probably the quickest piece i have ever written, so sorry if it sucks

Word Count: 2k

Do not repost this anywhere, reblogs are fine ♡

“Six time champ, Bradley Bradshaw, faces his fifth loss since getting back into the ring,”

That single sentence played on repeat in Bradley’s head as he sat on the couch of his living room. 

His best friend rushed around him as she tried her best to patch up the mess his opponent made of his face an hour or so ago. Her hands held multiple blood stained towels and her face was twisted up in concern, but he didn’t pay her any attention as he watched himself get the shit beaten out of him on the TV screen. 

“You shouldn’t be watching that right now,” she muttered as she wiped away a fresh stream of blood rather roughly. He winced, his mind instantly comparing her harshness to the way you used to clean him up much more gently. And now he was thinking about you again, and how fucking disappointed he made you. “You might have a concussion, and the screen will fuck with your eyes.”

He grunted as she stuck a white bandaid on his left temple. “Enough, Nat,” he grunted, gently pushing her hands away from his face. “I’m fine.”

She glared at him as she stood to her full height. “You’re fine? Bradley, you haven’t been fine since Y/n left. You haven’t won a match in months. And you think you’re fine?” 

He narrowed his eyes at her, a scoff leaving his mouth afterwards. “Whatever, mom,”

Nat laughed humorlessly as she tossed the towels onto the coffee table in front of him. “Okay,” she muttered, grabbing her bag and bending down to press a harsh kiss to the bruise that formed on his cheek. “Let me know when you locate the guy who isn’t a grumpy prick. That’s the version of you we all miss. I’ll text you tomorrow, if I feel like it.” They both knew she would, whether she felt like it or not. 

And then she left and Bradley was refraining from throwing the remote directly at the TV screen. His face ached beyond belief, and he knew the trash talking he did in between punches did not help his case as that guy really did a number on him. 

In a way, he felt like he deserved to feel more pain than he did right now. He knew this was nothing compared to the amount of pain he put you through, and he wanted himself to hurt just as bad.

He watched himself take the final punch of the night that had him down on the mat within seconds, and how Hansen Carpenter lifted his hand in victory and grinned as if he won the lottery. 

Congrats, man. You beat Bradley Bradshaw. You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last, so take a fucking chill pill. 

Bradley scoffed again and turned the TV off, tossing the remote aside and leaning back against the couch. As he sat in the quiet house, his mind betrayed him as he began to think about you again. 

How he had managed to fuck up the best thing in his life, he’d never know. 

You really were the only thing he had going for him other than his career and title, and he let you go without a fight. It was his fucking job to fight, yet he couldn’t even do it for you. 

The house felt empty, even though you had only been living with him - officially - for about three months before he broke up with you. Despite being with you for nearly five years, you hadn’t decided to move in together until around half a year ago. 

You practically lived with him, anyway, but it was official for only a few months before he let himself get too caught up in his own head, which later resulted in him taking it out on you. 

Really, he was a coward. He never jumped at the countless opportunities he had with you, and instead put all his focus on boxing. 

Oh, there was a high chance he could win within the first five rounds? Sign him up.

Someone was betting half a million dollars on him? Tell him a time and place. 

You wanted to take the next step and put a downpayment on a house together? Maybe sometime within the next few years or so.

He really didn’t deserve you, and it was a wonder how you put up with him for half a decade. 

Bradley looked down at his phone that was on the couch beside him, and without thinking much of it, he grabbed it and held it between his sore fingers. He didn’t need to scroll far to find your number since he hadn’t changed you from his top contact yet, and he probably never would. 

When you walked out and left him in this exact room all those months ago, Bradley promised himself that he wouldn’t call you or try to win you back. If you couldn’t understand him and his career choice, then you clearly weren’t the right girl for him.

But he knew you were. You are the right girl for him, but he was too hung up on his own ego to actually try to get you back. And now he feared he was too late.

He was already feeling embarrassed, so why not go all the way? 

He clicked on the call button and brought his phone up to his ear, waiting what felt like a lifetime before he was forwarded to your inbox. 

Of course he got your voicemail. He wasn’t expecting you to actually answer him, so he wasn’t super disappointed that he was met with your sweet voice asking him to leave you a message. 

And, God, was your voice sweet. It was probably the sweetest sound he had ever heard in his entire life, and it matched well with your overall personality. You were far too kind for your own good, and had been way too understanding with him throughout your relationship. 

Though he really wanted to, he couldn’t blame you for leaving, especially since he practically forced you out the door. 

Bradley looked ahead at his beaten and bruised face through the screen of the TV, and he felt as pathetic and worn out as he looked. “Y/n,” he mumbled after he heard the obnoxious beep that indicated he should probably start talking before the call hung up itself. What did he have to lose? “I miss you, babygirl.”

He had no right to be calling you right now, nor did he have the right to be saying that he misses you when he’s the reason you’re gone. 

But he was selfish. He always had been when it came to you.

He wanted you to support him and didn’t care much for your concerns about his well being. He wanted you there and in his corner at every single match and wasn’t fazed by the way you cowered away every time he took a punch. He wanted you all to himself, but never gave you the time of day when he really needed to get his act together and progress his relationship with you. 

Bradley was selfish before you, while he was with you, and now after you. 

You were right. He will never change. 

“I fucked up tonight, again,” he muttered as he looked down at the blood stained towels in front of him. His mouth tasted like metal and he could smell the rustic scent of copper every time he inhaled, and he truly could not believe how much of a mess he is. “I really thought I could win this one, but you know how I talk out of my ass whenever I’m in that ring, and I did it tonight.”

He wasn’t sure what he was hoping to get out of this, but the thought of you maybe listening to it was what had him continuing this embarrassing show of emotions. 

“I told this Hansen guy that he fights like my old man, and how he’s dead, and then I got my ass handed to me,” he grunted, rubbing his sore nose and wincing at the sharp pain he felt because of it. “It was going fine before that. I went eight rounds straight with the guy before he fucking floored me, and all it took was me thinking about you.”

He felt like a complete loser for admitting this, but it also felt easier to be open with himself when it came to you. It had always been like that, and he was fucking stupid for thinking he could find someone better than you. 

Truly, there was no one else he wanted other than you, and he’s known that pretty much since the day he met you, so why couldn’t he swallow his pride and fight for you instead of with you was another thing he’d never know.

“One single thought about you and I got too into my own head to realize what was going on around me,” he shamelessly informed you of the hold you still had, and probably will always have, over him. “I think about you all the time, baby. All the fucking time. You should’ve been there tonight. You should’ve been there last time. You should be here right now. But I know why you’re not.”

His face burned from both the impacts of Hansen’s gloves and from the way he was getting caught up in the thought of you. 

Everything reminded him of you. Even this exact couch held far too many memories with you to count. The amount of nights he spent with you on these very cushions had him shifting uncomfortably as he tried to push away those thoughts.

He didn’t even deserve to be talking to you right now, let alone thinking about all the ways he’s gotten you off on this old and worn out piece of furniture. “I know it’s my own fucking fault, I know that, but it still fucking hurts,” he laughed and pressed his arm against his abs that were just as sore as his face. “The amount of fights I’ve been in, the amount of hits I’ve taken, none of them compare to how much it hurt to lose you. How much it still hurts.”

While he wasn’t one to cry at all, Bradley felt his eyes beginning to burn as he replayed the exact moment you left him, as well as the exact words he said to you. 

“I know what I told you, okay? I know what I said. I was wrong, babygirl,” he rasped, curling in on himself as he tried to find the right words to say. “I didn’t mean it. I should have never told you to leave. I should have never yelled at you. I feel so bad, baby, all the time.”

He moved to lay on his side, his cheek pressing against the armrest a bit uncomfortably, but he didn’t care. This was the first time he allowed himself to really get it all out since breaking up with you, and he hated how he couldn’t find the courage to actually say all of this to you in person. Not that you’d let him, anyway. 

“I want you back, Y/n,” he finally admitted to what he’s been too full of himself to say out loud. “I want you so bad. You were my girl, baby. You were so good to me, and I fucked it up. I miss you so much, and I promise you I’ll do better. I’ll be better for you, I swear, just please…come back to me.”

He ended the call after that and tossed his phone onto the table next to the towels he would definitely have to throw out since no amount of cold water and bleach could save them. 

Bradley felt beyond pathetic now, but it was nothing compared to the feeling that took over his body when he woke up the next morning, still on the couch, and with a single notification on his phone. 

One Missed Call from My Girl. 

[pawpupster]

Kit

Back at it again y'all. Um, this one is literally so self indulgent. That's beside the point though. I'm not trying to make it fit into any movie or existing timeline and once again I'm just making stuff up bc I can. Anyway...

Paternal Logan x child!gn!reader

Summary: Young Y/N finds their way to the mansion after long travels. Once there, Charles quickly sends Logan to bond with them because they were derived from his DNA.

warnings: nothing to worry about if you watch X-men anyway.

Kit

Y/N wandered down a long path, utilizing their nose to lead them in the right direction. They knew they looked suspicious. I mean really, how many kids go around covered in blood? Not many, and if they do it's not long until they’re picked up and questioned. 

Y/N couldn't risk that though, they knew what would happen if humans saw the claws coming from their knuckles. That's why they needed to follow this scent. Y/N had been trekking the woods after escaping their parents basement for days now. No real direction or plan. Just thankful they were away from that personal hell... and that their mutation let them eat raw meat. Too many squirrels were eaten in the past few days.

It was day 16 that the wind brought along the scent of fellow mutants. Y/N was all too knowing of exactly what a mutant smelled like. I mean, you spend enough time locked up with nothing but your own senses and you pick apart what you can, in this case, your own scent. 

All the better at the end of the day though. Nothing could be worse than what they came from. Y/N just hoped they wouldn’t judge them too greatly for killing their torturer. 

A mass amount of mutants like the one Y/N could smell would either be helpful or harmful. They were confident they could hold their own enough to escape again if things took a turn for the worse, but they were banking on this group being helpful. As Y/N neared, they could begin to hear the sounds of laughter, definitely a good sign. 

Finally around the bend, Y/N was surprised to be greeted with a voice in their head. 

“Hello, young one. My name is Charles Xavier, what brings you here?”

Y/N was freaked out to say the least. Their body kicked back into flight or fight mode and they swore they could feel their muscles tighten to their adamantium bones. They didn’t know how to answer the question. Shouldn't it be obvious they wanted to be with those like them? Plus, who was this Charles to think he could crawl into people's heads without permission?

“You raise a good point, I apologize. You seem to be in a pretty rough shape. Please, let us assist you,” Came the kind voice in their head once again.

Unwillingly, Y/N began to find comfort in that voice. As they stared at the looming building, Y/N could only think of how unkind their father was. 

They doubted that this ‘Charles’ would infuse a woman's growing fetus with the last remains of the weapon x’s experiment’s DNA. Much less to then keep that child locked in his basement after it killed his wife by birth, though, staring at the mansion Y/N could admit its basement probably wasn’t as bad as the one they were in. 

“Oh you poor thing,” Y/N was once again interrupted in their own head, "we are just the place for you. I promise. You’ll never have to suffer like that again.”

Y/N looked back up at the mansion when they heard the great doors open. Out came a gruff looking man. Y/N was set on edge again as the man began making his way towards them at a quick pace. 

Scrambling backwards, Y/N ended up tripping and attempted to use their hands to catch themselves. This only resulted in them stabbing themselves in the thighs upon their landing. The scent of their own fresh blood flooding their nose is what sent Y/N into a true frenzy. 

Tears began to pour and growls rumbled in their throat as they once again were shocked with the voice of Charles in their head, “Do not fret Y/N, this is Logan. I believe you’ll find him to be most helpful at the moment.”

Remembering the gruff man once again, Y/N jerked their head up to find that the man had stopped a few paces from their position on the ground and was staring intently at the claws embedded in their thighs. 

“Hey bub, Charles” the man - Logan, they remembered - began hesitantly, looking up to see if Y/N was listening, “sent me to bring you in. He’s under the assumption you're some sort of backasswards offspring of mine.” Logan cocked an eyebrow at Y/N as he released his own claws from his knuckles, only to pull them back in after Y/N’s eyes flashed with recognition. 

They were shocked to hear gentle rumbles coming from the man. It was soothing. Y/N found themself starting to hiccup instead of sob, and their own growls lessened into small mewls. 

“Oh kit,” Logan started advancing again. Once near enough, he kneeled down and sat back on his heels, “let’s get those out of your legs and then we'll work on cleaning you up, okay?”

As the man began reaching towards them, Y/N flinched away and wrenched their claws out of their thighs to hold defensively before them. 

“Don’t hurt me, please! I’m sorry for coming. I didn’t mean to kill them I promise! I just wanted it to stop, please don’t hurt me,” Y/N desperately cried, eyes looking to their quickly healing thighs, hoping with everything in them that this man wouldn’t impale them with his own metal claws. 

“Kit, I’m not goin’ to hurt ya, and I’m certainly not gonna be the one to tell you off for doing whatever ya could to get out of what looks to be a tough situation. Lemme get you inside, allright. Inta a nice warm bath and some better clothes than these rags. How’s that sound?” The man spoke very gently, still with that kind rumble in his chest. 

Y/N looked up at him again when he gently grabbed their wrists to lower their claws. Y/N watched as he began to gently rub the pads of his thumbs over the inside of their wrists. Y/N was confused at first, until they watched as their claws retreated back into their forearms when Logan hit a particular muscle. They tried their best to not let the pain of the movement show, but they were sure Logan heard their small hiss and the smell of distress spike.

Making eye contact again, Logan reached out to grab Y/N under their arms. Overwhelmed with all that's happened over the last few weeks and especially the last fifteen minutes, Y/N’s body decided it was the best course of action to shift into their wolverine form… to the shock of Logan, Charles (who was viewing from Logans head), and the students out on the lawn who had been watching the interaction from a distance.

Logan could hear the students begin to murmur about the kit having a true animal form, and he even heard one brave kid question if Logan could do the same (he couldn't), but his main focus right now was making sure Y/N was taken care of. 

Carefully cradling the small wolverine to his chest, Logan made sure to keep up his gentle purrs as he made his way into the mansion. He was amazed by how quick a pack-like bond was forming between him and this kit. 

Stood in the foyer, Logan contemplated heading straight to Hank, but ultimately decided a bath would be of better use, especially when he knew any injuries have already healed.

With that in mind, he made his way up to his room. Nodding to the kids he passed in the hall, Logan made sure to keep Y/N out of their view and to glare at anyone close enough to hear his purrs.

Entering his room, Logan gently closed his door and then made his way into his bathroom. He gently set the small wolverine on his counter and began to fill his sink with warm water, all the while pressing a soothing hand over Y/N’s back.

“Don’t worry, we can do a bath just like this if you’d prefer,” Logan told Y/N when he noticed their beady eyes looking up at him. Instantly the kit relaxed under his hands and laid still while watching Logan gather a towel and his 2-in-1 from the shower. 

Once the sink was filled with sufficiently warm water, Logan picked up the kit and let them soak, gently petting the fur on the top of their head before cupping some water and wetting their head, being sure to wipe any from their eyes. 

Squeezing some shampoo into his palm, Logan made sure to scrub everywhere as efficiently as possible. It quickly became apparent that a second fill of water and scrub would be necessary. 

Midway through the sink filling for the second time, Logan heard Jean's voice in his head, “Is it alright if I come in? I promise I only have a spare change of clothes for the child and I’ll just set them on your bed, okay?”

Sending back an affirmative to her presence in his head, Logan made sure to keep a calming hold on the kit when they heard his door open with Jean’s scent rolling under the bathroom door and then close again as she left. 

“It’s all good, Y/N. Let’s get you finished here and into those clothes,” Logan said as he picked up the shampoo once again. 

After the water was running clean off the wolverines fur, Logan picked them up once again and wrapped them in a towel. 

“I’ll go grab you clothes and leave you to change,” Logan set Y/N on the ground once dry and went to grab the clothes Jean left. Going back into the bathroom with them, Logan made sure to warn, “these are just the school merch, so they smell a little starchy and dusty. Don’t worry, we’ll get you some new clothes soon enough.” With that, Logan left the room to give his kit some privacy. 

Y/N had no idea why this man was being so kind. Obviously he was like them, but they still didn’t expect this much care. Y/N can’t remember ever having hot water at their disposal, but Logan made it seem like they’d be getting that and so much more if they stayed here. Feeling calm enough to change back into their human form, Y/N quickly shed their old dirty clothes. Dressing into the sweats was easy enough, though they weren't sure how to keep them on, the pants kept slipping past their waist. 

Holding them up, Y/N stepped out of the bathroom and found Logan sitting on what they presumed to be his bed waiting for them. 

“Oh kit, c’mere,” Logan said as he realized they probably hadn’t had the comfort of sweatpants before. 

Slowly walking toward the man, Y/N was shocked when he gently tugged the string around their waist. At first Y/N thought he was going to tie them up somehow, but quickly realized he was just making a normal bow and their pants now fit. Y/N stared with wide eyes at Logan who only smiled in return. 

“C’mon, you can do with a nap, you look like yer about to drop,” Logan said as he stood from the bed. He pulled back the covers and began to make that rumbling noise Y/N liked so much again. 

Watching the man to make sure he wasn’t going to change his mind, Y/N crawled up into the bed and let themself be tucked in. It was then that they realized they had their own nice rumbly noise coming from their chest too. 

Y/N watched with hazy eyes as Logan made his way to a chair in the corner of the room. The final thing they saw before succumbing to sleep was him opening to marked page in a book. 

Logan couldn’t hold back his smile no matter how hard he tried to. The kit was too adorable when swamped in the logo-ed hoodie and sweatpants and absolutely swimming in his massive bed. Hopefully after a good sleep Y/N would be okay to see Hank and the Professor, but for right now, Logan was gonna let them sleep as long as they needed to. 

[greyskyflowers]

I want a really specific Luffy/Sanji/Zoro fic where it's focused on how Zoro is probably not able to be numbed or knocked out.

I want to do a post at some point about how Nami, Usopp and Zoro are the humans of the crew. The ones without devilfruits, no genetic stuff, and completely human.

You can absolutely argue that Zoro has whatever the fuck is going on with the demon stuff but until that's clearly discussed I'm going with the human thing.

Back to Luffy/Sanji/Zoro.

I'm really sold on the idea that Zoro burns through numbing and pain medications like it's nothing.

He can be knocked out or made completely numb but it requires a unreal amount of medication, enough that the amount is usually unavailable or risks overdosing him and making him very sick.

So, how many times has Chopper had to dig out shrapnel and bullets while Zoro was completely aware and felt everything?

Or stitched him up while Zoro held the skin together for him?

How many times has Chopper had to rebreak bones that had healed wrong if they were separated for a period of time and Zoro didn't set it right?

How about cauterizing wounds?

Concussions?

Blood loss?

What it he needed surgery because of a wound, and Chopper had to cut into him without being able to numb him at all?

Oooooof

I fully believe Chopper has had to do some of those. However, when Zoro is too out of it, or it hurts to much to not jerk away or fight back... I think Luffy and Sanji would have to hold him down. The only two with enough strength to get him still enough that Chopper can do what needs to be done without worry.

Robin could be added to that, I think. I like to think Zoro and her have a strong friendship and she's seen enough shit to know sometimes things have to be done even though it sucks.

What sounds does someone make in a situation like that? How much can the human body take?

If he was out of it enough, would he plead with Luffy to let him up? He would absolutely call for Luffy when everything hurts and I'll die on that hill.

It would be a blessing if he passed out but how long would he be passed out? Just long enough for everyone to breathe before he was awake again and struggling?

Is it worse when he's quiet? Awake but so exhausted he can't even try to jerk away?

The rest of the crew hearing everything but knowing better than to go try to help.

Having to act like they can't all hear anything and desperately hoping that Zoro passes out soon.

And Zoro is Zoro. No one really talks about it. They're all aware, of course, but Zoro never brings it up or complains.

He's actually really good at holding still, clenching his jaw and curling his lip back in a pained snarl. Every muscle in his body tense and his back in a rigid arch.

This isn't new to him. He's always burned through this stuff quick but it's definitely gotten worse as he's gotten older and stronger.

Luffy and Sanji only have to hold him down for the really bad ones. It's more of a precaution, a comfort of all of them.

They're the only ones to hold him because even blind with pain, Zoro knows them.

Even when his world narrows down to hurthurthurt, he won't fight them the way he would someone else. He trusts them to be strong enough that he can be a little weak if needed. Only a little.

Luffy being cautious and untrusting of anyone other than crew while Zoro recovers and gets his feet back under him.

Possessive and protective in the way all captains are. A extra edge to it because it's Zoro and Zoro is his in a way no one else quite is.

Sanji hovering, always something in his hands because his way of caring is food. The pain usually takes away Zoro's appetite but it's the best way Sanji knows to heal.

Luffy curled around Zoro when he naps on deck or when they go to sleep at night, trying to make sure nothing hurts and reassure them both that Zoro's okay.

Both of them running a critical eyes over Zoro because infection is a whole beast of its own. They want to make sure that if there's even a hint of one, they catch it as soon as possible.

Touching Zoro constantly because if they feel tense muscles they know he's hurting and if he's running a fever they can work on cooling it down.

🌊

The strawhat crew holds a grudge against a few people. Most of them obvious but always at the top is Garp, Blackbeard, Judge, and Mihawk.

Because they don't know exactly what went on while they were all separated for 2 years but they hold Mihawk accountable for Zoro's eye, even if he wasn't the one behind that particular scar.

They know Zoro felt all of it and they weren't there with him. And anyone who is responsible for that kind of pain to one of the crew goes right on the shit list.

[ma1dmer]

League of Legends - Kayn NSFW

A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex): he is up and on the move the second you two are done, he’ll tease you if you complain

B = Body part (Their favourite body part of theirs and also their partner’s): considering he thinks his body as the ultimate weapon i find it hard to think he would have any particular preference on himself, its the strength he has ,that he likes, the strength to lift you up or bend you to any position he desires. on his partner i can see him as liking some sort of muscle definition , the proof of strength and commitment ,wether thats on your arms, or thighs or abs, he wants to see the flex of the muscle beneath as he is pounding into you.

C = Cum (Anything to do with cum basically… I’m a disgusting person): he is kind of a dick when it comes to well, his cum, he will pull out his cock while you give him head purely to get it on your face, enjoying marking you up and then bending down to kiss you despite the mess.

D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs): i think Kayn is a bit of a masochist, would get excited when you pull out a knife on him ,pushing forward for you to dig the blade into his skin, challenging you to hurt him as he captures your lips and helps you drag the blade slowly down his skin until he is panting and groaning against your mouth.

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?): has his fair share of conquests, but none of them matter when it comes to being with someone new, it helps his confidence, but half the fun for him is figuring out what makes the other person crack ,their weak spots etc

F = Favourite Position (This goes without saying. Will probably include a visual): he wants you folded up, your body tense, as he presses your knees to your chest and puts his weigh on you for example.

G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc): he can be playful, the kind of playful where you two are playfighting for example but would much prefer hear you moan during sex rather than laugh.

H = Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.): he probably doesn't care much for shaving anything, he isn't that hairy and sees no point in it.

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…): not very romantic, he is definitely smooth and awfully cocky with his words, calling you names and giving you the exact amount of attention and teasing to make you want him, but he isn't exactly romantic.

J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon): i think he wouldn't find much pleasure into jacking off, would prefer much more having a body beneath or above him rather than pitifully have to deal with his needs himself. //i don’t think Rhaast would be very pleased on this either

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks): sadomasochism, dirty talking, knife play, blood play, choking etc

L = Location (Favourite places to do the do): he is not particularly picky with where he is willing to have you, he only needs the cover of shadows, he is always ready to pull you into a corner and you better be quiet.

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going): challenging him in any way, it’s the excitement of having to conquer you all over again, he wants someone with fire to truly enjoy himself.

N = NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs): can't see him as being unwilling to at least try some things, with the right person it all works for him.

O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc): he has an awfully skilled tongue for someone that wants you to earn him going down on you. obviously prefers when you are between his legs , his hand fisted through your hair promising to return the favour in earnest if you let him finish down your throat.

P = Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.): fast and rough he wants your legs wobbling when he is done with you.

Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.): most of your encounters are quickies, he'll come seek you out throughout the day or right before you are about to fall asleep.

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.): very into risk taking and needs someone that can match him in this aspect.

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…): //Rhaast takes over when he gets tired

T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?): he is very selfish in this aspect, wants you to think of him and only him and to use him and only him. doesn’t he fuck you properly or are you just that horny that you can’t get sated by just him, how naughty.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease): absolutely ,he wants to have you frustrated, he wants this power trip of having you beg for him or cussing him out because he is making you feel like this.

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make): for someone who works so much in the shadows, he sure is loud, his moans are also very whiney ,his voice cracking the closer to finishing he gets.

W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice): he is a total bratty switch with the right person, sometimes he just needs someone to take control from him and make him forget the darkin and all the bloodshed. //spreading my propaganda one league of legends man at a time

X = X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants, picture or words): his cock is very pretty, a nice and pleasing average ,a bit on the longer side.

Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?): when he has a goal in mind ,he will achieve it no matter what, the same goes for his needs, if he wants you, he will come get you, usually after a successful battle when his blood still runs hot.

Z = ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards): I can't really see him as someone that stays the night, the night is where he is the most active so he'll give you a passionate kiss to make sure you are thinking of him all day and leave with the promise of being back and to not miss him too much.

[delacyrose224]

Part of Your World

Pairing: merman!Changbin x reader

Genre: Fluff, small amounts of angst

Word Count: 8.6k

Warnings: Mildly suggestive, brief mentions of blood/pain

Author's Note: Song of the day is Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid! Here it is @bluejutdae, the merman Binnie fic that no one asked for...but in all seriousness, this was so fun to write and I have a soft spot in my heart for this Binnie.

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

The waves lap against the shoreline, the dull roar of the ocean echoing off the rocks. You breathe deeply and let out a giant sigh. This. This was what you needed…time alone, time off, time out. A break to reset your mind, rethink your goals, and time to figure out where to go next. 

Stress had been eating away at you for entirely too long. You weren’t quite happy with your job, but you didn’t know what you wanted to do instead. You had made friends but not any that felt truly significant in your life. Your parents had graciously lent you their beach house, the one you had spent every summer growing up going to. Even in the two days since you had arrived, you had already felt more clear headed. Each day was the same-wake up without an alarm, make a cup of coffee, read on the porch, walk along the beach, make lunch, read some more (on the beach) and then relax on the couch until dinnertime. 

You had arrived at the ‘read on the beach’ portion of your day yet again, which maybe was your favorite. You had picked a lighthearted romance to accompany you today, which felt only appropriate for your surroundings. The beach was quiet this afternoon…probably because you had come in the off season, the weather not quite warm enough for bathing suits yet. Nevertheless, you were excited to start your new book and enjoy the sounds of the ocean in the background. After a few chapters, you find yourself nodding off in your chair due to just how relaxed you are.

You wake to the sound of the surf crashing against an outcropping of rocks not too far away from you. The book you’re reading falls to the sand as you stand up, squinting down at your watch to see what time it is. 7:43 already?! Sure enough, on the horizon you can see the sun starting to dip beyond where the skyline meets the water. As you’re looking out, you suddenly see a flash of something that almost looks metallic glinting in the waning sunlight, just beyond the outcropping of rocks. You move forward until you’re on the edge of the shoreline. Maybe you made it up…what would be reflecting sunlight like that at this time of day? Right before you give up and head back to your house, you see it again. Something reflecting the sun, brighter than the top of the water.

This time, you start to walk out towards the object. Maybe someone lost something valuable and you could retrieve it and help them out. Before long, you’re up to your waist in the water, your shorts waterlogged. Undeterred, you go further, and before long, you’re treading water near the outcropping of rocks, looking for whatever this mysterious object is…but you see nothing. You swim around to the other side of the rocks…still nothing. By this time, the sun has crept most of the way beyond the horizon and you’re starting to shiver. You had worn a sweatshirt to keep warm from the occasional breeze, and it’s become heavy with water and is starting to irritate your skin. As you turn to swim back towards the shore, your body suddenly is lifted up by a wave and on the way down, you scrape your arm against the rocks. You gasp in pain, pulling it towards you to see how badly you’re hurt. What you don’t see is another wave coming your way. It pulls you up again and crashes down, pushing you under the water. You fight to make your way back to the surface, but the force of the wave leaves it unclear which way is up. You twist your body around, finally gaining traction, when there it is again…a metallic glint of something, this time under the water. And…it almost looks…pink? That’s the last thought you have as the current slams your body into the rocks and you float into unconsciousness. 

—-------------------------------------

You wake with a start, coughing violently and spitting out what feels like liters of water. Your lungs and throat burn from all the salt and it’s difficult to catch your breath for a minute or two. You eventually sit up and notice it’s now completely dark outside. How long have you been unconscious? As you sit trying to gather yourself, you hear what sounds like faint humming coming from the water…more specifically, from the outcropping of rocks. You get to your feet unsteadily, warily walking towards the water, but not close enough to touch the water. It’s definitely humming…and it sounds like a man’s voice? You can’t make out the words, if there even are any…and just as your feet are starting to touch the edge of the ocean, you hear a large splash directly behind where you know the rocks end. It’s too dark to see anything, but you take that as your cue to gather your items, go back to your house, and go to bed.

You sleep later than you have in a while after your scare, and you spend the next few days avoiding the beach. You have no idea what you heard (surely there was not a person humming in the middle of the night?), and the giant splash also remains a mystery. Maybe it’s better to just forget about what happened. Maybe you should just move on…so you decide to finally brave the beach again, this time staying away from the water and sticking to your beach chair to read.

The afternoon goes by uneventfully, and you’re about halfway through your book when you get a couple of notifications on your phone. You pull the device from your bag and see a text from your friend Caroline asking how your mini-vacation is going. You smile to yourself as you pull up the other notification, and your smile immediately drops as you see a weather alert for an incoming storm that is supposed to have high speed winds and the potential to develop into a tornado.

You start to put everything back into your bag to leave when you notice another figure further down the beach. As the figure draws closer, you see it’s a man that seems to be around your age, maybe a little younger. He’s dressed in oversized clothes, a holey white shirt almost reaching the knees of his equally holey black pants. He looks lost in the clothes more than seeming it’s a look he’s trying to achieve, and as he comes closer, you see that his face also looks lost. You debate asking if he needs any help, but before you decide one way or another, he notices you and heads your way.

You smile tentatively as he draws closer. “Are you okay?” you ask.

“...me?” 

“Well, I don’t see anyone else wandering down the beach. You know it’s about to storm, right?” 

“I didn’t know, exactly…but I kinda figured. The clouds don’t look too happy,” he replies, brushing his damp bangs out of his eyes. 

“Are you lost or something?” The man’s eyebrows raise to meet his hair, eyes going wide.

“Kind of…it’s a long story. One that you probably wouldn’t believe most of anyway,” he says, shyly rubbing the back of his neck.

You cross your arms over your chest, unimpressed. “Try me.” He grins in return, the smile lighting up his whole face.

“I would, but I’m a little more worried about where I’m going to wait out this storm.” The man grimaces as the sky, as if on cue, starts to drop large raindrops onto the sand. 

You could invite this stranger into your home to wait out the storm…but he’s a stranger. But it would be cruel to leave him in a storm, right? Before you have time to think any more, the raindrops become more steady, leaving cold rivulets down both of your arms.

“What’s your name?” you ask.

“Changbin. Yours?” 

You tell Changbin your name in return, and just as you begin to ask if he wants to wait out the storm with you, the rain turns into a full=--out downpour.

“Follow me!” you yell over the storm, quickly grabbing your bag, slinging it over your shoulder and breaking into a jog towards your house.

Changbin struggles behind you. Not only is his clothing slowing him down with how baggy it is, but he’s running as if…as if he’s never run a day in his life, you notice. It’s baffling to you, but without thinking, you reach back for his hand to make sure he’s able to keep up with you and knows where to go.

The two of you arrive soaked on your porch, dripping everywhere. You dig around in a storage box for towels and you hand him one. Changbin watches you as you place the towel around your shoulders and quietly copies you as you wring out your shirt and try to dry your hair. This baffles you as well…how does an adult man not know how to run properly, and then needs prompting to dry off with a towel? Nevertheless, you unlock the front door and go inside, with him following closely behind you.

“You’re not like a serial killer or something, right?” you suddenly blurt, turning to face Changbin. He lets out a giggle and shakes his head at you.

“I have never killed anything or anyone in my life, and I wasn’t planning on starting anytime soon.” You let out a relieved laugh, though you aren’t completely sure about him yet.

You show him to the guest room and tell him you’re going to change clothes and that he can do the same, just borrowing some of your brother’s old clothes.

You both emerge a few minutes later, you in a pair of sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt, Changbin in gym shorts and a black tee that almost looks too tight as it hugs his very defined chest. Not that you noticed or anything. Ahem.

He follows you this time to the living room and you motion for him to sit on the couch as you go into the kitchen and make the two of you a cup of tea. Just as you hand him a mug and sit down beside him, there’s a bright flash of lightning and following that, the power promptly goes out.

Without warning, Changbin grasps at your hand, nervously gripping it. Your other hand reaches for his wrist and pats gently, reassuring him.

“Changbin, it’s fine, it’s just the power. I have some candles somewhere around here…let me find them.”

He says nothing in reply, but his grip doesn’t ease.

“...that requires you to let go of my hand,” you say gently. Changbin clears his throat and lets out a nervous chuckle.

“Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay…I’ll be right back.”

You get up and feel around for your side table that has a drawer, knowing there are candles inside. After bumping your hip into both an armchair and another table, Changbin loudly protesting that you should just come back and sit down to stop from hurting yourself, you finally find the correct table and gather a few candles along with a lighter. You place them around the room, putting the last one on the table in front of the couch. As the light illuminates his face, you notice Changbin looking amazed. He slides from the couch onto his knees, face even with the candle.

“What, have you never seen a candle before?” you laugh, but he shakes his head slowly, eyes still trained on the flame in front of him. He suddenly seems to realize what he’s admitted, looking up and locking eyes with you.

“Who are you? What’s your story I won’t believe?” you muse aloud, half to yourself.

Changbin stands and situates himself back onto the couch and pats the seat beside him. 

“I think you’re going to want to sit for this…”

—--------------------------------------

“So you’re telling me…you’re a merman?!” you whisper-yell, though no one is around to hear you except Changbin. He nods.

“And you’re a human because…?”

“Because my brother found a spellbook, and he wanted to help ‘cause he knew that I’d always been fascinated by the human world, so he cast a spell and now I’m human. That’s why I was wearing those clothes when you found me.”

You sit, mouth slightly ajar from all the information you’re trying to process at once.

“What are the parameters of the spell then? Aren’t you supposed to give up your voice or something?” Changbin cocks his head at you, looking like a confused dog. 

“Why would I have to give up my voice, how would that be helpful?” You wave off his question impatiently, motioning for him to continue explaining.

“The problem is, I don’t know what the parameters are…and neither did Hyunjin when he did the spell. He’s not exactly a sea witch or anything. So I guess I’m just making the best of it while I can…I want to experience everything that I can!” He gets louder as he gets more excited until it looks like he’s about to bounce out of his seat. It makes you smile.

“Well…for starters, you can stay here in my brother’s room. Unless you figured out something else?” Changbin gives a small shake of his head. “I don’t know how good of a tour guide to humanity I’ll be, but I can try.” His smile makes his eyes crinkle.

“I’ll repay you by teaching you how to swim properly,” he chuckles.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, um…well…I kind of saw you the other day. You almost died!” he exclaims, hands gesticulating wildly. “You need to be a strong enough swimmer to save your own life.”

“You mean the day I passed out and washed up on shore? Wait a minute…was that you?!” Changbin nods sheepishly. “I went out in the water because I saw you! Your tail! It was reflecting the sunset so beautifully…” A blotchy flush starts to work its way up his neck towards his face.

“But you almost died! Forget my tail…”

“Did the current wash me back up onto shore? I don’t remember anything until I woke up on the beach,” you muse, trying to recall what might have happened.

Changbin shakes his head again. “I…I grabbed you once you fell unconscious and pulled you back onto land,” he says quietly. “I couldn’t watch you die, no matter what any of my brothers say about the human world.”

Before you’re fully aware of what your own body is doing, you find yourself on the couch beside him enveloping him in a hug. His arms find their way around you, mirroring your actions.

“Thank you,” you whisper, tears collecting on your lash line. He pulls you in even closer somehow, his warmth burning through your clothes. 

“Hey, hey…no crying! You’re here, right? I told you, I wasn’t going to let someone die on my watch. Especially not a girl as pretty as you,” he laughs. You look up at him, and you can feel heat emanating from your face that has nothing to do with the hug. “But like I said…I’m teaching you how to swim properly so I don’t have to worry about you when I’m not around.” You give a small nod, wiping the remnants of your tears away.

—--------------------------------

And so the days pass, Changbin staying with you and learning bit by bit about the human world. You take him grocery shopping, introduce him to ice cream, and show him everything you find comforting about the small town you used to vacation in. You point out the community theater you used to perform summer musicals in, go to the local coffee shop to get your favorite vanilla latte (Changbin finds that he is partial to their hazelnut latte), and take walks along the shoreline at sunset. It’s on one of these walks that you find yourself asking him more about his brothers.

“Chan is the oldest, and he acts like it…super mature, super dependable. Minho’s a little older than me, but he’s kinda off in his own world. Loves animals. Then Hyunjin is next after me, he’s the one who turned me human. Jisung is the next youngest, he’s always hanging out with Minho. He’s very talented at music. Felix is the literal embodiment of sunshine and bubbles, you’d love him, everyone does. Seungmin is a menace, but very funny. And Jeongin’s the baby, but we all know he’s the one who’s really in charge.” You laugh at this, enjoying watching him explain his family dynamics. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“What’s your family like?” Changbin is so earnest, it takes you aback.

“I mean, nothing that exciting. I’m decently close with my parents, and I have a younger sister. We don’t talk all the time, but we don’t not get along. There’s not much to say.”

“So why are you here then? At your summer house…alone?” You stop walking and he does the same, still looking at you.

“Work’s been…hard. Not even the job itself, but I just moved again and I’m still getting used to everything. I needed a break, so I came here. Where everything is familiar. Well, it was until you came along.” You nudge his shoulder playfully, but he looks thoughtful.

“Did I ruin your break?” he asks.

“What? No, no, of course not!” You shake your head vehemently.

“You can tell me if I did…I am staying in your house and taking up an awful lot of your time.”

You shake your head again. “No, really, it’s fine…honestly, you’ve made it better. If I had been alone the whole time, I would have gotten way too into my head and it would have been a mess. I’ve enjoyed showing you what it’s like to be a human…well, at least what it’s like to live my life.”

“I love it! Your life is so…cozy? I’m not sure that’s the right word, but it feels so comfortable being with you.” He’s not sure what comes over him, but Changbin reaches out and grabs your hand, motioning you to continue your walk. You start walking again as the sun dips behind the horizon, but his hand remains with yours.

“You know, I don’t normally let strange men into my house.” He laughs. “But I’m glad I invited you in during that storm…I’ve felt comfortable too.” You squeeze his hand, and he returns the gesture.

The moon is almost full, illuminating the beach as you walk. In the distance, Changbin notices a building looming large. “What’s that?” he asks, gesturing with your intertwined hands. You follow the gesture with your eyes, realizing what it is even in the dark.

“Oh, that’s the sea turtle center! They do a lot of work during the summer, the turtles come and lay their eggs a little further down the beach. They’re actually throwing their annual charity ball in a week or so to raise funds for their summer season.”

Changbin’s eyes go wide with excitement, almost sparkling in the moonlight.

“What?” you laugh. He reaches and grabs your other hand, turning you to face him fully.

“Can we go? Are we allowed to?” You can’t think of a reason why not, so you nod. His excitement is palpable as a smile takes over his face and he shakes your hands back and forth.

“I’m so excited for you to teach me how to dance!”

—----------------------------------------------

And that’s how you find yourself in your dining room a week later, table and chairs pushed to the side to make a temporary dance floor. Changbin has one hand around your waist, the other grasped in yours. You’d been teaching him how to ballroom dance for the past hour, starting with a simple box step and working your way up to a waltz. 

“The timing of this feels so weird,” he laughs as the two of you step together. You giggle as you fall off balance and out of step with the 1-2-3 timing. 

“It does at first, but when you get it right, it feels like you’re floating across the floor,” you sigh dreamily. “The closest we’ll get to flying.”

A soft smile works its way onto Changbin’s face, and he repositions himself to start the dance again, pulling you even closer to him than before.

“Let’s try again,” he says. 

“Are you sure? We’ve been at this for an hour, we can take a break.”

He squeezes your hip gently in response. “I’m sure…I want to fly with you.”

Your head falls to his shoulder at this remark, hiding your face from him. “Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?” His voice rumbles through his chest, the vibrations making their way to where your forehead meets his shirt. You shake your head, still hiding your face. “Look at me…please?” he pleads, voice laden with the beginnings of worry. 

You lift your head slowly, your eyes finally meeting his gaze. 

“You’re okay?” You nod. “Why did you react that way?” You swallow nervously, picking at your fingernails. You can practically feel your face getting blotchy with embarrassment.

“What you said…that’s why I reacted that way.” Changbin raises an eyebrow, still not quite comprehending. “It’s…it’s the most romantic thing anyone’s ever said to me. And I’ve only just met you.” Your breath hitches at the realization, and you’re shocked by the sudden tears swimming in your eyes.

“Hey, hey…there’s no need to cry, pretty,” he places his hands gently on the sides of your face, rubbing his thumb where an errant tear had escaped your lash line. His kindness causes more tears to make their way down your cheeks and he simply stands there in the silence with you, wiping them away as they come. After a few minutes, he tentatively reaches for your hand and brings you over to the couch, where he lays a blanket over you once you’ve sat down.

You start to protest, but he quiets you by telling you he’ll be right back. He pads off to the kitchen and returns ten minutes later with a mug of hot chocolate that he extends to you. “Be careful, it’s hot,” he warns, gently placing it into your open hands.

You look at the swirling mini marshmallows that are floating on the steaming chocolate and turn to Changbin who has sat down next to you. At the questioning look on your face, he turns playfully indignant. “Hey! I made not have ever made hot chocolate before, but I can read instructions!” You laugh, and he moves his arm around your shoulder drawing him into his warmth. “Is this okay?” He looks nervous as he searches your face for any sign of impending tears. You nod, adjusting to become more comfortable to show him that you’re fine.

Changbin draws the blanket around the both of you and turns the tv on to start a movie. You can’t help but laugh as you see that he’s chosen The Little Mermaid. Your laughter doubles as you watch the faces of disbelief that he makes throughout the movie, with loud exclamations about how life underwater is nothing like what is being portrayed.

“It’s a movie, Binnie,” you insist, still giggling.

“Huh?” He looks over at you, eyes wide.

“It’s a movie, I said.”

“No, I know that…what did you call me?” 

You sit up cautiously. “...Binnie? Is that okay?” It’s your turn to be nervous. You’d never called him that, but it had just slipped out.

“I love it,” he smiles, the fullness of it crinkling his eyes into half moons. You breathe a sigh of relief, sinking back into the warmth of his hold.

Between the hot chocolate, blanket, and Changbin’s body heat, you find yourself nodding off towards the end of the movie. Changbin notices and starts drawing shapes on your arm with his thumb, hoping to further soothe you into slumber…and it works.

He smiles down at you folded into the crook of his arm, deep breaths reassuring him that you were getting the rest you needed. He cautiously leans down, careful not to disturb you, and places a gentle kiss on the top of your head. You smell like coconut and the ocean, which makes him smile.

“You deserve to be told romantic things every day,” he murmurs into the crown of your head. “Every single day.”

—--------------------------------------------

You wake to the sunrise, still on the couch, vaguely remembering that you must have fallen asleep during the movie you were watching the night before. You stretch your legs out from where they were curled into your side and realize that you are still snuggled into Changbin’s side, except his head is now on top of yours from whenever he eventually fell asleep as well. You can’t help but smile to yourself as you slowly attempt to disentangle yourself from the man next to you. Just as you think you’re going to make your escape, he lets out a muffled whine and tightens his grip around you, forcing the side of your face into his chest. You laugh, reaching your hand to slowly draw shapes on his side.

“Binnie…” you murmur softly, tracing your fingers up and down his torso. Nothing. “Binnie…” you try again, this time a little louder. As your hand hits his waist again, he twitches and his eyes snap open.

“Stop, that tickles!” he whines, burying his face into your hair.

“Good morning to you too, sleepyhead,” you laugh, but stop the movements of your hand.

“That’s rich coming from you, the one who fell asleep right before the end of the movie.” Changbin gently disentangles himself from you, and you can see him playfully roll his eyes as he stretches his arms above his head, a sliver of his stomach showing beneath his black shirt. Not that you noticed or anything.

“What time is it, anyway?” he asks. You squint over at the clock across the room.

“7:05.” He groans.

“It’s too early…why did you wake me up?” You laugh in response.

“The sun woke me up, take it up with Mother Nature.” He rolls his eyes again, but a smile plays across his features. 

“Well, since we’re up, it’s a perfect time for you to learn to swim properly!” He reaches for your hand as he stands up, yanking you up with him. He’s a little forceful, making you reach out and stabilize yourself-with both your hands splayed across his chest.

“Little forward this morning, are we?” he wriggles his eyebrows suggestively, causing you to break out in a fit of giggles.

“Something like that,” you concede, reaching out to sweep an errant curl off his forehead. Changbin’s eyes soften as you do so, mapping out every detail of your expression.

“You’re really pretty. You know that, right?” He tilts his head, looking at you.

“Changbin, I literally look like I just got dragged through a bush backwards, but I appreciate you trying to be nice.”

“I’m not being nice…I’m being blunt, if anything,” he muses, still cataloging your face. Though his eyes have also started to roam the rest of your body as well.

“My hair is a rat’s nest, my makeup is smeared from falling asleep…and I think I have dried drool on the corner of my mouth?!” you realize in horror, trying to wipe your face clean.

Changbin grabs your hand and stops it mid-motion, then takes over himself. Wipes the corner of your mouth with his thumb, moving to gently swipe under your eyes where your mascara has flaked. You can feel the heat emanating from your face, burning with embarrassment.

“No need to be embarrassed, pretty.” You duck your head, feeling called out. “Look at me.” You raise your head to look at Changbin again. “You are really pretty. Always. But I think this might be my favorite.” He smiles shyly at you.

“Why?” you whisper.

“Because…because you’re rested. Because you’re taking care of yourself. Because I think I might be the only person that gets to see you like this.” You nod almost imperceptibly, confirming his statement. His smile grows and he gently holds your face between his hands.

“Can I kiss you?” The tips of his ears are red as he asks the question, searching your eyes hopefully. You lean closer, your breath fanning across his full lips. 

“I’d like that,” you breathe, and before you can move any further, Changbin has closed the space between you, lips slotting over yours. 

You sigh into the kiss, and you can feel Changbin’s smile in return as he moves his hands from your face to your waist, squeezing and drawing you closer to himself.

What starts as very sweet and tentative quickly becomes more urgent, with your hands tangled in his curls, his moving under your shirt. A sigh escapes your lips as you feel his thumbs ghost the undersides of your breasts, and he takes the opportunity to slot his tongue into your mouth, which you welcome.

After a few moments, you both come up for air and Changbin breaks into a fit of laughter.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing really…it’s just that I never could have predicted this would happen when I got turned into a human. I’m really gonna have to thank Hyunjin the next time I see him, huh?”

This causes you to join in his laughter, and you pull him close again to land a soft kiss on his nose.

“I guess you have to. After you introduce me, of course. Also…I believe I was promised a swimming lesson?”

“Ah yes, an excuse to see me half naked.” Changbin rolls his eyes and you swat his chest playfully. “You’ll get your swimming lesson after breakfast, can’t have you passing out on me again.” He grabs your hand, intertwining your fingers and pulling you towards the kitchen. 

“One sunrise special coming up!”

—-----------------------------------------

And that’s how you end up spending most of the day in the ocean with Changbin. Your swimming skills aren’t quite as bad as he thought (you did get thrown into a rock by a wave, after all), but he’s still able to adjust your form on several different strokes. Even when you’re not doing much, it seems like he’s able to find some way to have his hand ghost along your lower back…or he finds an excuse to sweep strands of wet hair behind your ear…or he’s tightening the strings of your swimsuit ‘just in case’. 

Once you notice your fingers starting to get wrinkly, the two of you collapse onto towels on the shore. You’re silent for a while, content to rest in each others’ presence. Then something you’ve been thinking about for a while escapes your lips.

“Don’t you miss your brothers?”

Changbin turns to face you, his lips forming a small pout. “Sure I do. I mean, I don’t miss Seungmin teasing me all the time or Chan’s terrible dad jokes, but generally I do miss them…yeah.”

“I’m sorry,” you whisper, studying his expression as his brow furrows.

“Why are you sorry? You haven’t done anything wrong, lovely.” He reaches his hand towards you, making a grabby motion until you reach out and intertwine your fingers with his.

“I dunno…I just feel bad that I can’t do anything to fix it or help. Maybe I should’ve been helping you research how to turn back into a merman or something, instead I’ve just been taking up all your time with silly things like dancing and swimming and showing you around town,” you huff.

“I’ve loved doing those things with you. I can’t believe all the things I used to just see in books, or from far away, I’ve gotten to do. With you.” You smile at the pink tinting his cheeks. “I get to go to a ball with you in a few days…it’ll be like that story you told me about, what was it again?”

“You mean Cinderella?” you laugh, and he nods excitedly.

“You just gotta promise not to run away at midnight and turn into a pumpkin, or whatever it was.” He leans up onto his forearms, scooting himself closer to you. “Can you do that?”

“I can’t make any promises about what happens if I’m up that late past my bedtime, Binnie.” He huffs out a laugh before swooping in for a quick peck to your lips.

“Fine, fine. I can’t wait to see you in your dress…I just know you’re going to be the most beautiful person there.” Changbin’s eyes are sparkling as he looks at you, and it makes you feel gooey inside. 

“We’ll see about that.”

—-------------------------------------------

“...I told you, gorgeous.” Changbin lets out a low whistle as you come out of your bedroom and into the living room where he’s waiting. He’s wearing a three piece navy suit to match your floor length sparkly navy gown.

“You look amazing too,” you reply. “So handsome.” You run your hands over his lapel and then down his arms, stopping to squeeze his biceps. “Be careful, you might rip your jacket,” you smirk.

“Hands off, ma’am…this is a classy affair.” You dissolve into a fit of giggles and Changbin tries to keep a straight face but fails miserably, his own squeaky giggles echoing your own. Once the two of you collect yourselves, he offers his arm to you and you gladly accept. 

Though it’s not far, you end up driving to the conservation center to save your feet from walking any more in heels than they need to. As you enter the ballroom, you gasp. They’ve outdone themselves with the decorations-the ceiling is full of twinkling lights wrapped through gauze, there are multiple tables laden with appetizers, desserts, and drinks, and the dancefloor is massive. As you walk towards an empty table, a waiter walks by and offers the two of you champagne, which you take happily. You claim two spaces and turn to see Changbin’s eyes grow wide as he sips his drink.

“It’s so…bubbly!” He exclaims, and you laugh at his expression.

“I guess you’ve never had alcohol before, huh?” He shakes his head. “It’ll make you a little lightheaded if you don’t eat anything, let’s grab some food.”

The two of you walk over to one of the many food tables, and Changbin starts loading down his plate with at least one of everything, multiple if he thinks something looks especially good. He notices you being more careful with your choices and raises his brow in confusion.

“Why aren’t you trying anything else? It all looks so good!” He lifts his own plate toward you as evidence.

“This dress is already tight, I don’t want to be bloated and it shows…or worst case, I rip a seam or something.” Your face blanches at the thought.

Changbin immediately grabs your hand and steers you back toward your table. Once you’ve taken a seat, he starts putting items from his plate onto a fork and holds it up to you. 

“Try it,” he pleads with puppy dog eyes. You begrudgingly obey and he gently places the food in your mouth. It’s some sort of quiche tartlet with ham you think…or maybe bacon. Either way, it’s delicious and you can’t help the moan that escapes your lips at the taste. Changbin’s eyes light up at your delight. “See, it’s so good! I told you!”

You spend the next ten to fifteen minutes sharing Changbin’s plate with him. He takes a bite, then insists that you take the next…until you’ve had tartlets, sliders, trifles, assorted crackers with cheeses and jams, and they’re all unbelievably delicious.

“Full?” he asks, and you nod, feeling sated. “Good. You’ve got a little bit of jam…just there…” He leans in and meets your mouth with his, swiping his tongue gently over your lower lip. As he moves back, you notice his eyes have darkened. “Delicious,” he smirks as he leans into his chair. As if suddenly remembering something, he sits up closer to you and reaches over to run his hands down your sides, his mouth hovering close to your ear. “This dress shows every last curve on your body, and I love it…I’m just jealous I’m not the only one who gets to see it.”

Before you can even think to reply, he’s moved to stand by your side, holding a hand out towards you.

“May I have this dance?”

—-----------------------------------------

For having just learned to dance, Changbin is impressive. He’s able to lead you successfully through a few opening dances, and freestyles hilariously (though still on beat). The night is full of champagne bubbles, stolen kisses, and soft laughter.

You feel truly content for the first time in a long time as you slow dance, your forehead tilted and touching Changbin’s. “How are you real?” you breathe out without thinking.

“I could ask the same of you, you know.” He places a gentle kiss on your temple and sways with you on the dancefloor.

You swallow thickly as you lift your eyes to meet his. “What happens…what happens when you go back?” Changbin’s brow furrows as he considers your question.

“Maybe I don’t go back,” his answer is tentative, searching for your response. Your eyes grow wide.

“You-you want to stay human?”

Before he can answer, there’s a commotion across the room. You try to see what’s happening, even reaching up on your tiptoes, but just as a lanky figure with black hair comes into view, a silky voice travels from the stranger to the two of you, making goosebumps erupt across your skin.

“Hello, brother.”

—---------------------------------------

“Hyunjin?! What’re you-how are you-you’re here?!” Changbin splutters in disbelief. The stranger, who you now know is his brother, merely nods with a small smile on his face.

Changbin closes the space with the taller man and envelopes him in a hug that makes Hyunjin wince before he gently extracts himself. “How are you here?” Changbin repeats, still wide eyed.

“Same as you, brother. I made myself into a human…you were surprisingly hard to track down tonight.” Hyunjin walks towards the conservation center’s balcony, away from the crowd and you and Changbin follow.

“Why were you looking for me?” Hyunjin crosses his arms over his chest and raises a brow at his older brother’s question.

“Did you really not think I would find you eventually? Did you plan on being a human forever?” A snide laugh escapes Hyunjin’s lips at his own question.

At this, Changbin crosses his arms over his chest matching the man before him. “And what if I did?” Your eyes grow wide at his response and you step towards him, reaching for his hand. As Changbin firmly intertwines your fingers, Hyunjin follows the motion with his eyes, a smirk taking over his features.

“Ah yes…this must be the reason you think you could stay human.” Hyunjin cocks his head to the side, appraising you. “I suppose she is rather pretty,” he admits, reaching out and tucking a loose hair behind your ear.

Changbin steps forward, angling himself between you and Hyunjin. “Don’t touch her.” 

Hyunjin huffs out a laugh. “And what are you going to do to stop me? I’m the one who turned you into a human in the first place…you wouldn’t have even met her if it wasn’t for me.” His voice is dripping with derision as he looks over the two of you.

“What happened to you? The brother I know would never act like this.” Changbin sounds disappointed, and you can hear the sadness behind his words.

“The brother you know? You were always so happy to be in your own little world, daydreaming about the human world, being so close with Chan…do you even know why I agreed to help you turn into a human?” You see Changbin swallow thickly as he shakes his head. Hyunjin rolls his eyes. “Of course you don’t.”

Hyunjin gazes out at the shoreline from the edge of the balcony and lets out a giant sigh. “It’s because of the compass. It’s always been about the compass.”

“What compass?” you ask, the first words you’ve spoken since Hyunjin’s arrival. He cuts a quick glance to you and then goes back to staring at the water.

“Since Chan is the oldest, he has a compass. It’s the only thing we have related to our parents, it’s a magical relic of sorts…it can help you realize whatever your heart’s desire is. Dreams. Anyway, Chan refuses to use it, says he has his heart’s desire already, whatever that is. At some point, it would pass down to the other brothers. I knew Minho had no interest in it, he’s happy to live life the way he is. Which meant dear Changbin here was next in line.”

You look over at Changbin, and his expression is stormy. You squeeze his hand reassuringly, which seems to ground him. He steps a little closer to you and kisses your temple and runs his thumb over the back of your hand.

“How sweet.” Hyunjin’s voice is void of emotion as he watches the exchange. “As I was saying, he was in the way of me getting the compass. So I decided to offer him something he couldn’t say no to-a chance at being human. I knew he couldn’t resist, especially after he saved you…he wouldn’t shut up about it. I had picked up enough magic from studying how the compass worked to figure it out. And here we are.”

Changbin’s voice is shaky and small when he finally speaks. “So you tricked and manipulated me. Why are you here now, then? I’m sure you wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t gotten your hands on what you wanted.”

A small smile works its way onto Hyunjin’s face, one that looks like it actually may have some small sliver of kindness. “I did get what I wanted, actually. I convinced Chan to give it to me once he realized you were missing…I told him I would find you and bring you back. And here I am. I may have manipulated you, brother, but I would never leave you stranded. Pretty girl or not, you belong with us. As a merman.”

Hyunjin’s hands start to glow faintly, a turquoise that grows brighter as he begins to motion towards Changbin.

“Wait, we need to talk about this-Hyunjin, don’t-” Changbin protests, but Hyunjin doesn’t even seem to hear him. The glow has traveled from his hands and is making its way up his arms, and he almost seems to be in some sort of trance. Changbin notices as well, and moves towards his brother, reaching to grab his hands.

You move without thinking, stepping in front of Changbin and grasping Hyunjin’s hands. The turquoise glow slowly transfers from Hyunjin’s body to yours…but instead of traveling up your arms, it flows down towards your legs and feet. It feels like a million needles piercing through your skin and into your bones, and you let out an involuntary scream. The noise seems to break through Hyunjin’s trance, and his eyes widen in shock. He tries to remove his hands from yours, but they won’t budge.

“I-I can’t let go! Changbin, help!” All traces of bravado are gone from Hyunjin’s face, almost making him look like a small child. Changbin rushes behind his brother and wraps his hands around Hyunjin’s arms and pulls, but even with his added strength nothing happens.

You’ve collapsed to your knees at this point, pained whimpers escaping you every few seconds, tears streaming down your face from the pain. Changbin is on the verge of tears himsef, but he’s too afraid to touch you for fear of making things worse.

“Please just hold on…please. We’ll figure out how to fix this. We will. Promise.” His voice is small and scared, and it makes you cry even harder.

“I’m so sorry, I was just trying to help…I thought he was going to hurt you,” you hiccup. Just as you think you won’t be able to handle any more pain, the glow fades and you fully collapse onto the balcony floor. Changbin immediately rushes to you, cradling your upper half in his arms, alternating between running his hand over your hair and wiping away your tears.

“What did you do?!” he demands of Hyunjin, eyes full of fury. Hyunjin stares blankly down at the two of you in shock and just shakes his head.

Changbin turns to you as he stands, holding out a hand to help you up. “Let’s get you home, hmm?” His eyes are soft as he looks down at you. You reach up to grasp his hand, and as your fingers graze his, the needle feeling is back, but this time in your lungs.

“Binnie, I can’t…I can’t…it hurts…” you wheeze, gasping and holding your chest. 

He drops to his knees immediately, hands flying to cup your face. “What hurts? What is it?” Changbin starts frantically checking you for injuries…your head, arms, torso…nothing. Until he reaches your legs. He gathers the fabric of your dress in his hands to check your legs and a shaky gasp leaves his lips. You look down and any amount of air you’d been able to gather in your lungs leaves.

Where your legs should be, there is a navy blue tail. A mermaid tail.

Changbin looks up at you, his mouth open in shock. “You’re…you…you can’t breathe!” he realizes, jumping up to his feet and rounding on Hyunjin. “What did you DO TO HER?!” he bellows this time. Before Hyunjin has a chance to answer, there’s a loud crack.

You look up, still gasping and only able to draw small breaths. Blood is pouring down Hyunjin’s face-Changbin has broken his nose. You’re suddenly being picked up-Changbin is carrying you to the ocean at a jog. Once you reach the shoreline, he slows as he wades out into the water with you. Once you’re submerged up to your chest, you gasp in a large breath…the feeling of stabbing needles is gone, and you’re able to regulate your breathing.

“Are you okay?” Changbin whispers, eyes wide.

You nod as the waves lap against your arms. “I always wanted to be a mermaid when I was little.” Changbin lets out a choked laugh at your response.

“Well, for what it’s worth, your tail is also very pretty…I’ve never seen a navy blue one.” You bury your face in the crook of his neck at the compliment. “You’re getting embarrassed? After you were turned into a mermaid?! You’re awfully calm for someone who should be panicking…” You lean back in his arms, and notice he seems to be the one panicking.

You shrug. “I’m with you. Why would I panic?” you say simply. Tears gather and spill onto his cheeks. 

“What did I ever do to deserve you?” he murmurs into your hair.

“Nothing. I chose you. And you deserve to be chosen.”

Changbin smiles and gently lowers you into the water, still holding your hands as he leads you out to deeper waters where you can swim comfortably.

“I choose you too. Mermaid or human,” he smiles, and you smile back. “But…we should probably figure out a way to turn you back. Your family will miss you too much.”

“...I think I can help with that.” A small voice reaches the two of you, and you look back to see Hyunjin slowly wading towards you.

“I think you’ve done quite enough for a whole lifetime, don’t you?” Changbin spits harshly, and Hyunjin flinches as he reaches you.

“I have…but I think I know how this can be fixed. And not with my magic.”

Changbin raises a brow, skeptical. “Let him talk,” you urge, laying a gentle hand on Changbin’s arm.

“Thanks.” Hyunjin sends a small smile your way. “I think I know how to fix this. No magic…well, none of mine anyway.”

“So whose, then? Chan? We are not bringing him into this…though I’m sure he’d love to know what you’ve been up to.”

“Not mine, not Chan’s…yours.”

“What do you mean, mine? I don’t have any magic, you know that!” Changbin’s voice raises with each sentence, more and more exasperated.

“I think you might with the compass,” Hyunjin says simply. “I know before you weren’t that interested in it, but I think that maybe has changed.” He looks over at you knowingly, and holds out his hand to his brother.

Changbin reaches out and Hyunjin drops a small brass compass into his hand.

“How does it work?”

“As far as I’ve figured out, it’s almost like all those fairytales we read when we were kids. You just need to close your eyes and think about whatever your heart’s desire is.”

Changbin looks at you with worry clouding his face. “What if it doesn’t work?” he whispers.

“What if it does?” You cup his cheeks in your hands and meet his lips with yours. 

He smiles softly at you. “No matter what…I love you.” You gasp and he laughs. “Are you really that surprised?”

“I guess not,” you laugh, capturing his lips in another kiss.

“Ahem,” Hyunjin interrupts you, motioning towards the compass in Changbin’s hands.

“Right…I guess I’ll see you on the other side then.” Changbin closes his eyes and furrows his brow in concentration. There is silence for a moment, then the compass starts spinning, slowly at first, then furiously. 

You exchange a nervous glance with Hyunjin, and when you look back at Changbin, there is a golden glow emitting from the compass as it continues to spin. As you watch, the glow gets brighter and brighter, until you have to cover your face and turn away.

After a few moments, the glow dies down enough for you to look back at Changbin. He opens his eyes tentatively. “Are you okay?” he asks, and you nod. “Your tail?” You lean back to float on your back, and to your surprise, your feet breach the surface of the water instead of the tail that was there a minute before. A huge smile breaks across Changbin’s face and he leans back as well, his feet next to yours.

At the sight, he pulls them back under him, spluttering as he accidentally swallows water in surprise. “I still have feet!” he manages to get out between coughs.

“What did you think about?” Hyunjin asks.

“I just thought about things being the way they should be.” Changbin’s voice is laced with confusion. “I figured it would turn her back into a human, but I thought I would be a merman again too.”

“Maybe you should be human. With her.” Hyunjin smiles, gesturing to you. Changbin’s eyes follow the motion and light up when he meets your eyes.

“I mean, I kinda hoped…but I didn’t want to try my luck or anything.” You’re smiling so hard it’s hurting your cheeks, even though you have tears running down your face.

“I get to keep you…I was so scared I was going to eventually lose you,” you confess. Changbin closes the gap between you, grabbing your hand and leading you to shallower water where he proceeds to lift and spin you in his arms.

“You’re never getting rid of me now,” he smirks and you giggle into the kiss he lands on your mouth as he gently places you back on the sand.

You wrap your arms around Changbin and sway slowly with him under the light of the stars.

“I’m so happy I get to be with you. For as long as you’ll have me.” Changbin smiles at your statement, burying his head in your neck and placing a gentle kiss on your shoulder. “Also, I forgot to tell you earlier…” 

He raises his head and looks at you curiously.

“...I love you too.”

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

Taglist: @hyungieyoongi @alpacaparkaseok @derinxfam @itsmegracekim @iluvhyunjinnieboo

Read more of my work here!

[massivedrickhead]

Could you do something for “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”? Maybe as a follow-up or prequel or something to the prompt you did for “I’m not going to yell at you”? Thanks in advance! 🩵

First off, I'm so sorry this took so long! Usually when I go this long without posting any new fics it's because I'm working on something but I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've written anything in the last month.

I've had probably the worst writers' block I can ever remember having and I've just not felt any desire to write anything or work on any of my wips.

I don't even know if this is any good, but I'm hoping it'll pull me out of the slump.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Prompt taken from here

Trigger warning: physical domestic abuse

This is a prequel to this fic

Read on AO3

-

“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Chloe didn’t believe him.

She swallowed, the pain radiating from her mouth as she forced a steadying breath through her nose. 

She knew her lip was bust. She could taste the blood in her mouth, could feel the sting when she swept her tongue across it.

“Chloe.”

Chicago knelt in front of her. His eyes were full of tears, one of his hands cradling the other as if he’d hurt it when it collided with her face. As if he was the one in pain right now.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean…” he trailed off. “Are you okay?”

Chloe wanted to laugh, but instead tears stung her eyes. 

“Please don’t cry,” he said. “Please… Please just say something.”

“Can you get me some ice please?” Chloe asked, no longer recognising the sound of her own voice.

He seemed to deflate with relief, and Chloe felt her hatred for him grow. 

“Of course,” he said. “Let me help you up.”

Chloe couldn’t help but flinch away from him as he extended his hand towards her, and she saw the briefest flash of anger cross his eyes. 

She took his hand and he helped her up and onto her feet before he disappeared into the kitchen. 

Now alone, she gingerly touched the split in her lip and winced. It hurt more than she’d expected it to.

He’d never hit her before, and even though he was full of apologies and remorse now, Chloe already knew he would do it again. 

He came back with a bag of frozen peas. “We’re out of ice,” he said. 

Chloe nodded and took it from him, holding it against her rapidly swelling lip.

“I’m-”

“I know,” Chloe said, cutting him off. “I know you are.” She couldn’t bear to hear him say it again. “Let’s just… Let’s forget it.”

“Sure,” he said. “If that’s what you want.”

The rest of the evening passed in a tense silence until Chloe finally crawled into bed.

She feigned sleep long enough to hear the sound of Chicago’s snores fill the room, and then she eased herself out of bed.

Shoved in the back of her closet was a bag she’d begun prepping months ago. When the rose-tinted glasses had come off, she started to really see those red flags that she’d so often dismissed.

The bag contained some clothes, toiletries, a small amount of cash, and her important documents.

She grabbed it out of the closet and, still in her pyjamas, climbed into her car and drove. 

-

Beca had been fast asleep when the sound of her apartment buzzer cut through her dreams.

She groaned and fumbled for her phone, one eye closed as the bright screen lit up the room.

It was close to 2 am, and her stomach lurched as the noise continued.

She stumbled out of bed and hurried to the front door, her heart beating uncomfortably in her chest as she did so. 

No one ever knocks at your door at 2 am with good news…

“Hello?” Beca asked into the intercom.

“Beca?”

If Beca’s heart had been beating hard before, it was doing something else entirely now.

“Chloe?”

“Please can I come up?”

Beca hit the button to unlock the door without a second of hesitation, and she waited anxiously for Chloe to reach her apartment.

Even though she’d been expecting it, Beca still jumped at the sound of the tentative knock at the door and she hurried to open it.

“I’m sorry,” Chloe said. “I’m so sorry for just turning up like this.” Chloe’s hands were shaking as she adjusted the weight of the bag on her shoulder, and her eyes shining with tears. “Please can I stay? Chicago, he’s…”

Chloe trailed off, but she didn’t need to tell Beca what Chicago had done, because Beca could see it for herself.

Beca felt like she couldn’t speak, so she just stepped aside so Chloe could enter her apartment. She shut the door behind them and slid the chain lock across for good measure.

“I didn’t know where else to go,” Chloe said. “I’m sorry.”

Beca shook her head and forced herself to find her voice. “Don’t be sorry,” she said. “Of course you can stay here.”

Chloe seemed to deflate with relief in front of her, and Beca hated that in Chloe’s mind, there might have been a chance she’d have turned her away.

“Stupid question, but are you okay?” Beca asked.

Chloe shrugged. “I don’t think so,” she said, tears filling her eyes faster than she could wipe them away. 

Beca wasted no time in closing the gap between them and wrapping Chloe up in a hug. “I’m so sorry this happened to you,” she said. “How can I help? What can I do?”

“Can I go lay down?” Chloe asked, the adrenaline that had been keeping her going was now quickly fading away. “I’m really tired.”

“Of course,” Beca said, reluctantly ending their hug. “Take my bed until I can get the spare room set up. I can sleep on the couch.”

Chloe took hold of her hand. “Please come with me,” she said. “I don’t want to be by myself.”

Beca nodded and squeezed Chloe’s hand. Her throat felt tight. “Go ahead,” she said, the strain evident in her voice. “I’ll be right in.”

With Chloe out of the room, Beca’s hands closed into fists, and she clenched her jaw shut in order to hold back the scream that threatened to erupt. 

She’d never felt an anger quite like this before, and she needed it to go before she joined Chloe in the bedroom.

She closed her eyes and imagined herself pummeling every square inch of Chicago. Her jaw was clenched so tight she was amazed her teeth hadn’t shattered. 

She counted to ten in her head, and then forced a slow breath out through her mouth.

Her anger was no good to Chloe right now. Chloe needed her to be strong and stable, but not angry.

She could be angry later, but not now. Not tonight.

She filled a glass with water and returned to the bedroom. Chloe was curled up on her side, her face lit up by her phone screen.

“Here,” Beca said, placing the water on the nightstand.

“Thanks,” Chloe said, locking her phone and placing it on her nightstand.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Beca asked, climbing into the bed beside her.

“Not really,” Chloe said. “Not yet.”

“Okay,” Beca said. “That’s okay, you don’t have to.”

“I, um, I don’t really know what to do Bec,” Chloe said, her voice beginning to waver again. She let out a small sob, that was quickly followed by another. “I’m sorry,” she said, quickly wiping her eyes.

“Don’t,” Beca said. “Don’t be sorry, you’ve got nothing to be sorry for.” She lifted her arm so Chloe could cuddle into her side, which she eagerly did. 

“What’s going to happen when he figures out where I am?”

Beca felt that anger pulse in her again, but she pushed it away. “I don’t know,” Beca answered honestly. “But we’ll figure it out. I do know one thing though, and that’s that he won’t put his hands on you again.”

Chloe knew it wasn’t as simple as that but she allowed herself, for that moment, to feel safe. To feel protected. She decided to believe her. 

“All you need to worry about now is getting some rest,” Beca said. “We can deal with everything else tomorrow.”

[demigod-shenanigans]

Love will run deep like hurt runs out

Summary: Jason is sick. Being an ex-praetor, champion of Juno, son of Jupiter, he’s pretty sure that isn’t allowed.

Leo is dealing with some residual limb pain. After roughly three and a half months of this nonsense, he’s forced to admit that that’s maybe a little more allowed than he’d like it to be. Not while he’s trying to take care of his sick boyfriend, though.

Word count: 10.5k

Rating: Teen and Up

Current last part of this little AU and also the only one of my currently completed valgrace/HoO fics I hadn’t cross-posted to tumblr yet! This part is the longest by a lot, lmao. Can be read separately of the other fics!

I used the valgrace week assurance prompt a while back to finally get myself to finish it, and I ended up having a lot of fun with this! Something something Jason and Leo are both terrible patients and massive hypocrites. Also something something couples mutually comforting each other. Truly ridiculous amounts of physical affection in this one, these boys are unbearable about each other actually and I love them so much.

Also, to avoid confusion: should be pretty clear where it happens since it’s marked differently from the other scene changes but the fic starts out as a Jason POV and switches to Leo partway through!

———

Jason woke up drenched and freezing in the middle of the night. This would have been surprising, at least sort of, considering Camp Half-Blood wasn’t supposed to have weather, but his father had been in a mood lately, so it was less of a surprise than he wished. He just hoped it was something the gods could figure out among themselves for once, and not a sign someone was about to be sent on another deadly mission with the world at stake.

There was a part of Jason that wanted to just turn around and go back to sleep, but he knew that wasn’t a feasible solution, no matter how much he liked sleeping in the grass at the edge of the woods when he was feeling anxious.

It had been a bad week, as far as nightmares went, but this had helped a little—had soothed a childish instinct in him that had learned to feel at home in the wilderness. One that had known once he’d proven himself to Lupa, the pack would protect him. He was safe.

He hoped he’d proven himself to Camp Half-Blood, after everything.

But he really couldn’t stay out here with the weather like this. He’d been feeling a little off for days, and he couldn’t afford to get sick right now. There were things to be done. The permanent housing they were trying to establish for adult demigods who wanted to stay at Camp Half-Blood long-term wasn’t going to build itself. So he shook himself awake and got up.

He was covered in mud, but with the amount it was raining, that would probably resolve itself by the time he got back to his cabin. Because he would have to go back there, even if being watched by a stern statue of his father as he struggled to fall asleep didn’t exactly help his anxiety.

He could have been running back to the cabin to get out of the rain faster, but with how drenched he already was, he figured it didn’t really matter. He was too groggy for a decent run, anyway, and he really didn’t need to slip in the wet grass and concuss himself again. With his luck, Leo had been right about the existence of an angry Roman god of head injuries.

Jason didn’t go back to his cabin. He didn’t register where he was heading until he was already there, wet clothes dripping all over the floor of the forge. 

It might have been the middle of the night, but Leo was still up, working on what Jason assumed to be a replacement part for Festus. There had been a lot of those lately, as Leo tried to figure out what was causing the misfire issues. He hadn’t been able to actually resolve them yet, but he was pretty enthusiastic about it, and Festus seemed thrilled with all the attention and Tabasco sauce he’d been getting.

Jason meant to say something when he entered, but Leo seemed so utterly absorbed in his work that for a moment, Jason was transfixed just watching his boyfriend’s practiced motions, hammering away on heated metal, changing the shape only slightly until he got it just right. 

Jason had seen the gods do impossible things before, but this—the way Leo could create anything he set his mind to, from small toys to replacement parts for giant metal dragons to a trireme they’d spent several weeks living in—was a different kind of magic, and one he’d never grow tired of watching. 

Leo turned to grab a tool off the workbench and noticed him. He yelped, almost jumping out of his chair.

“Gods, Jase, I thought you were a swamp monster for a second,” he said, eyes wide. “You can’t sneak up on me like that! What if I’d decided to blast fire first and ask questions later?”

“At least that might have dried my clothes?” Jason suggested, rubbing at his face. His throat felt weird when he spoke. His voice sounded a little off. “Sorry for sneaking up on you. Too tired to think.”

“Which brings me to my next set of questions: why are you up, and why are you drenched? Did you piss off the naiads or something?”

Leo had put the small hammer he’d been holding back on the workbench, and now Jason had his undivided attention. It was a completely stupid reaction in this particular context, but having Leo look at him like that still made his face feel hot. In the best possible way, undivided attention from Leo was something Jason would absolutely never get used to.

“I didn’t sleep great, so I got back up,” he said, not technically lying but not really telling the truth, either. He moved closer to Leo. The heat from the forge helped, but the shivering was far worse than he’d realized. He let himself sink to the floor, pressing his eyes closed for a moment. He felt off. “As for your second question: have you looked outside lately?”

The forge had been built to be partially open, which was the only reason most people were able to breathe in here, and also meant you had an excellent view of the ongoing rainstorm.

This should have made it impossible to miss, but Leo blinked, confused, like he’d only just realized what was going on outside.

“Oh shit, we’ve got weather.”

“Yeah.” Jason sighed. “My father is apparently having a bad time and decided everyone else also needs to have a bad time.”

“That sounds like him.” Leo shook his head. “I didn’t even notice.”

“Not surprised. You seemed really absorbed when I got here.” Jason shrugged. “Not like I’m any better. Pretty sure if a building collapsed around me while I was sketching, I wouldn‘t realize until one of the rafters hit me in the head.”

“Sparky, we talked about this. No tempting the head injury deities,” Leo joked, looking him over. “How did you get this muddy on a five minute walk?”

“I didn’t.” Jason rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I’ve had a few bad nights. Sleeping outside helps.”

“And here I thought one of my foster siblings waking me with a wet washcloth to the face was a dick move. You got a whole storm.” Leo might still have been joking, but there was an anxious edge to it now. He kneeled down next to Jason and pressed a hand to his face, eyes wide with alarm. “You’re freezing. It’s mid-December, Jason. Were you trying to compete with Khione for icicle of the year?” 

His hand was so warm that Jason wanted to melt into him. 

The words “you’re hot” were out of his mouth before his brain could fully register what he was saying. 

Leo grinned. “Yeah, I know, but it’s nice to be appreciated. C’mere, let’s get you warmed up.”

He wrapped around Jason, everything but his prosthetic leg slowly growing warm in a controlled burst of heat. After a moment of this, Jason’s clothes began to feel more moist than soaked, and the cold that had been seeping into his bones subsided. He still didn’t feel great, but he could have stayed like this forever, warm and comfortable and safe in a way he rarely felt. In a way he wasn’t sure he’d ever felt around anyone but Leo.

He had no idea how to express that, though—not even when he wasn’t sleep deprived and his head wasn’t spinning. In the current situation, all his brain unhelpfully supplied was “radiator boyfriend. Neat.”

It was stupid, and not at all what he’d meant to say, but Leo was laughing, so maybe he’d done something right. The laugh was a noise and a feeling with the way Leo was holding him. Jason’s limbs felt like pudding, and he knew it wasn’t just because of the warmth.

“I know, I know, you’ve got so much to brag about.” Leo was beaming. He was gorgeous, and also significantly blurrier than he’d been a moment ago. “Now we’re both nice and muddy, but at least you’re dry.”

“Mm.” Dry or not, Jason didn’t want to let go yet. “Do I win?”

Leo blinked. “What?”

“The icicle thing,” Jason said, and his boyfriend’s expression shifted again. Leo’s eyebrows drew together in something that was probably concern. Jason wasn’t entirely sure—mostly because the image was still swimming. That… probably wasn’t good. 

“Yeah. Always. No competition.” Leo pressed a kiss to his forehead. “You’re really out of it, hm?”

“I feel weird,” Jason admitted reluctantly. “It’s probably nothing.”

This was made slightly less convincing by the fact that he finished this sentence off with a coughing fit.

“Yeah, you’re sick. Garbage combo with being sleep-deprived and getting drenched, in my experience. You need to be inside, in a bed, like, three days ago.”

“Is time travel something you’re working on?”

“Obviously. What, did you think I was kidding all those times I talked about wanting to go back in time to kick my own ass?” Leo joked, but it was obvious his heart wasn’t in it. He kept looking at Jason like he was an unstable machine about to fall to bits. “Do you think you can get up?”

“Yeah,” Jason said, trying and failing to push himself up on his elbows. His head hurt, and his limbs still felt like pudding. “Actually, maybe I need a moment.”

“That’s fine,” Leo said, with an expression that didn’t fit the statement even slightly. “I need to get everything shut down, anyway. Just don’t fall asleep on me here. I do not feel like draggingyou all the way inside.”

~~~

Jason felt more relieved than he cared to admit that by inside, Leo meant the Hephaestus cabin and not taking him back to the Zeus cabin he’d avoided sleeping in for the past few days. Partially because he really didn’t feel like being scrutinized by his father’s statue now any more than he had a few hours ago, and partially because even after the full fifteen minutes of break he’d gotten while Leo took care of things at the forge, he genuinely wasn’t sure he could have made it all the way there.

He was exhausted and dizzy, and it was obvious enough that Leo kept anxiously joking about handing over his crutches.

The rain had stopped just as abruptly as it had started, but the cold wind didn’t seem to be going anywhere. In his infinite, severely addled wisdom, Jason tried to get it to die down himself, but all that achieved was almost making him black out on the spot, and the wind just seemed to target him more viciously afterwards.

It was a fairly short walk, but by the time they got inside Jason felt like an icicle all over again, despite Leo’s attempts to stay close and radiate warmth the whole way.

Leo had a nice room—cluttered and cozy and without any looming statues of his father standing over him as he slept. The walls were plastered with blueprints, written-on and covered in sticky notes. There were several layers of them, and even the top layer ones were partially covering each other because Leo had run out of space. In a few spots, pictures of their friends poked out from under the rolled-up edges of blueprints or had been pinned neatly to those that weren’t currently in use. The bedside table was a mess of several unfinished projects, and it was kind of a miracle it hadn’t broken down under the weight yet.

Jason liked being here. It was one of the few places in camp that actually felt private. 

All the clutter had made him anxious at first. Even without his memories, he hadn’t been able to shake the Roman discipline that had been trained into him since early childhood.

But being around Leo meant chaos, and Jason had learned that was a good thing, more often than not. There was a kind of chaos that was terrifying, and there was a kind that made him feel alive, thrumming heartbeat and all. This kind of chaos was homey and lived-in and welcoming, in a way the Zeus cabin could never be. It didn’t feel like Jason had to carve out a space for himself here. It was already there—provided he didn’t mind accidentally sitting on a wrench every now and again.

The bed was small, which meant every time they had a movie night, they were squeezed tightly next to each other. Which, looking back on it, was maybe part of the reason they’d had so many of those even before they’d started dating. 

Right now, Jason was mostly just relieved to be sitting down. The world grew a little less hazy.

“You want tea or something to get warmed up? I’d offer you cocoa, but I don’t think there’s enough sugar at camp for the amount you usually put in there,” Leo teased, sitting down next to him.

Jason immediately melted back into him, wrapping his arms around Leo’s back and pressing his face to his boyfriend’s warm cheek. 

“Sure, or you could go ahead and leech all my warmth without asking,” Leo laughed, upping his body temperature a bit more. “Is this good? Anything else you need from me or am I fully replaceable by a portable heater?” 

“You’re perfect. I love you.” 

It felt impossible how easy that was to say, considering it was only the second time, and Jason hadn’t even said it out loud the first time.

Leo’s body temperature went up more, like a full body blush. Not that Jason was complaining.

“Flirting with a heater is a little weird, Superman,” Leo joked. “But hey, you didn’t even make any typos this time.”

“In my defense, I’m both dyslexic and suck at Morse code,” Jason laughed. He was pretty sure he was smiling like an idiot. He was also pretty sure he didn’t care. “Besides, you liked it.”

“You wish,” Leo replied, soft and fond. He shifted so he could wrap his warm arms around Jason again. “Love you, too.”

Leo had tapped out the words against the table at breakfast absent-mindedly a week and a half ago. Jason hadn’t understood what it meant, just that it was probably Morse code, and Leo had refused to tell him when asked, but he’d blushed so furiously that his head ended up on fire, which got the message across, anyway.

Jason had IMed Annabeth after and asked her to teach him, then practiced for three days because he really wanted to get it right.

He’d still managed to mess up at the end because he’d gotten nervous, spelling out “kof” instead of “you”, but he hadn’t had time to feel embarrassed about it. Leo had looked at him, wide-eyed, then beamed at him like he was the sun and kissed him, only stopping when he realized he was starting to burn a handprint into Jason’s shirt. 

Maybe it had been too soon by regular mortal standards—Jason never could figure those things out, it wasn’t like he’d ever had much of a shot at a normal life—but demigod lives were short and they’d both already had one brush with death. Some things just weren’t worth the risk of waiting.

“Sorry for dragging so much mud into your room, by the way,” Jason sighed, halfway muffled by Leo’s warm shoulder.

His boyfriend snorted. “Oh yeah, because we both know I’m infamous for my clean room and even cleaner clothes. I’m basically obligated to break up with you now.” He gestured at the general chaos of the room, then down at himself, covered in oil and soot where he hadn’t absorbed Jason’s dried mud. “Pretty sure we both need a shower, but you don’t look like you’re getting back up. I can at least steal you some clean clothes from one of my siblings, since unfortunately I do actually have to shower before bed.”

“That can't wait until tomorrow?” Jason asked, not wanting to let go.

Leo sighed. “I wish. There are some unfortunate downsides to getting your leg chewed off—yeah, I know, who’d’ve thought. One of them is that if I try to skip my evening routine or shower in the morning, my stump is going to be a whiny nightmare about it.” He rolled his eyes. “Turns out I can set the whole thing on fire and that’s fine, but sometimes I’ll have swelling issues over warm water—because that makes sense. It would be kind of funny if it wasn’t so annoying.”

“Trials and tribulations of being a demigod,” Jason replied, trying to keep the mood light, because even with his brain full of fog, he knew Leo, and knew he still got anxious talking about this. “We should really get our money back.”

Hell, Jason felt like a terrible boyfriend for all the things he didn’t know Leo had to do differently since he’d lost part of his leg, but the only tidbits of information Leo had volunteered were shared through jokes, and pushing him when he wasn’t ready wouldn’t have been fair orproductive, no matter how much Jason wanted to help.

“Yeah, tell me about it. But whatever. I’ll get the hang of it eventually.” Leo smiled at him. “I have to make sure you’re properly warmed up before I leave, though. You gonna be alright here on your own? Need me to tuck you in?” It was only half-teasing.

Jason just sighed and let his head drop back onto his boyfriend’s warm shoulder.

~~~

Jason missed Leo’s warmth immediately. He changed into the borrowed pajamas his boyfriend had tossed at him on his way out, which took way longer than he cared to admit. Then he curled up under the blanket. He was immediately hit with an overwhelming sense of exhaustion, the heaviness in his limbs growing worse now that he was lying down. His head hurt.

He changed positions several times, pulling the blanket tighter around himself, but it didn’t really help.

He stared at the ceiling and tried to get his mind to stop racing. Despite how tired he was, sleep seemed impossible. Since getting back, it was like he’d been waiting for the next thing to go awry, keeping himself busy so he couldn’t think too much about whatever that next thing would be. At night, these thoughts were much harder to push away.

He should have been used to them by now, but he couldn’t deal with the nightmares, either. Lately, he’d had so many where all he could ever seem to do was watch. Watch as people got hurt and died around him during the battle of Mount Othrys. Watch Reyna fall several meters down the side of a mountain, unable to catch her because he couldn’t waste the opening she’d given him against Krios. Watch as a fight broke out between both Camps he called home, unable to stop it. Watch as they were nearly overrun by monsters because he wasn’t Roman enough for the undead legion to consider him a leader. Watch Leo turn himself into an inferno to stop Gaia, unsure if there would be anything left of him to revive.

Some hero he was.

Gaia was gone. Jason wasn’t having visions of terrible things that would happen in the future. But he didn’t feel calm or peaceful. He’d spent so much of his life fighting that he wasn’t sure he’d ever known what being at peace felt like.

Time seemed to pass in slow motion. Jason tried not to think, which was about as successful as one might expect.

By the time Leo got back, he’d worked himself into such an anxiety frenzy that when Leo flopped down on the bed, Jason accidentally gave him an electric shock.

“Ow! You don’t need to take the Sparky nickname so literally, you know.” The mattress moved next to Jason, and he briefly wondered if Leo had decided it wasn’t worth the risk of actually sharing the bed and was getting back up, but then his boyfriend’s hand was moving soothingly up and down his arm. “You good?”

“Yeah. Sorry. Still a little cold, but not sure what that was for.”

In another pointless attempt to get comfortable, Jason had moved to face the wall, so he was currently staring intently at blueprints for some sort of multi-functional weapon—a two-handed sword that could be transformed into a large shield, by the looks of it—instead of looking at Leo. It felt easier that way. If he’d been facing his boyfriend, Leo would probably be able to see how close he was to having a nervous breakdown, and then Jason would have to explain, and he didn’t want to explain. He didn’t want to make himself an even bigger burden than he already was. 

Jason was supposed to be a leader, for gods’ sake. He’d been in this life so much longer than anyone else he knew. He was supposed to be able to handle these things.

“Well, luckily for you, cold is something I’m an expert at fixing,” Leo announced, squeezing his shoulder. “Now scoot over, you’re hogging like three-quarters of my bed.”

It took Jason an embarrassing amount of effort to move. His limbs felt like they were made out of celestial bronze. Once he’d semi-successfully managed it, Leo wrapped around him, which made the effort more than worth it. 

Jason could feel himself trembling against his boyfriend’s warmth. He knew it was more than just the cold—his anxiety made him feel just about ready to vibrate out of his skin. But he closed his eyes and tried to focus on Leo’s breaths, the way his chest rose and fell against his back, and it helped him get a handle on his own breathing. That was good. He really didn’t want to give Leo another shock by accident.

“You sure you’re okay?” Leo asked quietly. He sounded worried. Jason hated making him worry.

He was going to reply, but instead he just burst into another coughing fit, which wasn’t quite the answer he’d wanted to give.

“Sorry. Stupid question.” Leo moved his arm away from Jason’s chest. “You want me to wake Will? Oh, or I could get Kayla. Her sleep schedule is pretty shitty. She might still be up.”

“How do you even know that?”

“Amputee privileges. I spend so much time in the infirmary that I get inside scoop.” Jason could hear the grin in his boyfriend’s voice. “So, you know, might as well abuse those privileges for your sake while I’m at it.”

“No, that’s okay.” Jason took the arm Leo had been moving and pulled it back to its previous spot. “I think I just want to sleep.”

“Fine.” Leo moved his head, adjusting it against the back of Jason’s neck. His curls tickled a little. “I’m warning you, though, if you get any worse, I’m contractually obligated to drag you to the infirmary. If you have an issue with that, that’s on you for not reading the boyfriend fine print.”

Jason snorted. “You’re terrible.”

“I live to annoy and be your personal heat lamp, in that order.” Leo squeezed Jason’s hand. “Speaking of, is this okay? I could go warmer, but you’re not as cold as earlier, and I should probably save some of my hotness for daytime hours.”

“It’s perfect.”

Sleep came impossibly easy, with Leo wrapped around him like this, radiating warmth. 

And even more impossibly, for once Jason didn’t dream.

~~~

Jason woke up feeling worse. His throat felt like someone had sandblasted it, his head hurt like hell and he was exhausted, despite having slept for most of the night.

Right. Nothing a little ambrosia couldn‘t fix.

He blinked a few times, taking in his surroundings in utter confusion. He was lying on his back. He distantly remembered waking at one point throughout the night to find Leo sprawled halfway across him, but the comforting weight was gone from his chest now.

The bed had folded back out of Leo’s tiny room into the bigger Hephaestus cabin, which was currently pretty much deserted, except for Leo and, for some reason, Will Solace, who was standing next to the bed with a breakfast tray.

“Huh?” Jason rubbed at his eyes, trying to make sense of the scene through the haze in his head. Light streamed in through the windows, much too bright for the early morning wake-up time Jason had rarely been able to shake due to his childhood at Camp Jupiter. “What time is it?”

His raw throat didn’t really like him speaking very much.

“You slept through breakfast. Not too surprising, considering you look about as alive as you did the time you got incinerated by Hera and you spent like half the night-” Leo paused, wincing when Jason burst into a coughing fit. He moved to sit next to him on the bed and pat his arm gently, which did absolutely nothing except feel kind of nice. “-doing exactly that.”

“Okay, but what’s with the food?” Jason asked once his body would let him, gesturing vaguely in the direction of Will, who was setting down the tray on the weirdly empty bedside table.

“I spent about an hour making a mess of Chiron’s kitchen to cook you something. Sick people privileges and stuff. If anyone asks about broken mugs in the next few days, play dumb.” Leo was clearly going for careless nonchalance, but Jason could hear a twinge of annoyance in his voice. “Crutches are seriously inconvenient sometimes.”

“I had to have a conversation with him about pushing himself beyond his recovery timeline and trying to carry things around without his crutches while we’re still working on his balance,” Will commented, glaring at Leo in the worried doctor way that all Apollo kids seemed to inherit. “Especially when it made sense for me to come along to check on you, anyway.”

“You okay?” Jason asked worriedly, squeezing his boyfriend’s hand. Leo felt kind of cold, which would have been alarming, except Jason wasn’t sure how much of that was his own body being seriously out of whack.

“Nope, nice try, but I’m the one fussing over you right now. Speaking of-” Leo turned back to Will, whose expression had softened, “I’m shit at normal human body temperatures, being the fire guy and all, but I’m pretty sure he’s running a fever.”

“Yeah, I’m absolutely putting him on bed rest,” Will said, pressing a hand to Jason’s face.

Unlike Leo’s, Will’s hand was icy. Jason shivered and tried to pull away.

“Cold.”

“No, not even a little cold. Leo’s right about the fever,” Will concluded, thankfully removing his freezing hand from Jason’s face. “Flu. Nothing a few days of rest won’t fix, but I’ll get you something to help with the cough.”

Jason opened his mouth to protest—there were things to be done, he couldn’t just leave everyone else to do all the work, especially not for several days—but the only thing he managed was another lengthy, painful coughing fit.

“Hey look, even your body could tell you were about to say something stupid,” Leo teased, doing a terrible job of hiding the concern on his face. “You wanna try and at least drink something to make your throat feel a little less like shit? I get it if you're not hungry. I wasn’t sure what you’d feel like having, so I… may have gone a little overboard.”

He was seriously underselling it. He’d brought water and tea and orange juice. Food-wise, there was a plate of cut-up fruit, plain toast, scrambled eggs and some sort of soup that was still steaming and smelled great.

Jason’s throat went tight.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, but just making food appear out of thin air felt like cheating, and I’m not gonna start half-assing the boyfriend thing already. I haven’t even had the job for that long. It’s too soon for me to start slacking off.”

“I’m not really hungry, but water sounds okay. The food looks amazing, though. I’ll eat something in a bit,” Jason promised, struggling to find the words to express just how grateful he was that Leo would do this for him. He moved to sit up. “It’s already pretty late, and I said I’d help with the roofing, so I should just take a bit of ambrosia and get on that. With how much it rained last night-”

The world tilted horribly, and if it hadn’t been for Leo reaching out to steady him, Jason was pretty sure he would’ve toppled sideways off the bed.

“Sometimes I know exactly why you’re friends with Nico.” Will may have been terribly blurry, but Jason could still tell he had one hand pressed to his forehead in annoyance. “Ambrosia is for missions and emergencies. You not wanting to let yourself rest is not an emergency. I can give you a bit to help manage the symptoms, but you still need to take a few days off and give your body a break. You’re exhausted. The ambrosia won’t fix that.”

“I can still do this,” Jason insisted, trying to fight the growing panic in his chest. He had to earn his place here. He had to contribute. He’d known since he was a young child that showing weakness was a mistake he couldn’t afford to make. “I need to do this.”

He moved towards the edge of the bed, vertigo be damned, and it took a tremendous effort to untangle himself from the blankets. For a moment he thought his glasses were fogging up at the edges—then he remembered he’d left his glasses in the Zeus cabin yesterday. The thing going foggy was his eyesight.

It didn’t matter. He needed to get up.

Before he could try, his boyfriend’s arms wrapped around him from the side.

“Hey, Superman, that’s enough.” Leo didn’t sound like this a lot—strict and decisive and genuinely a little mad. It made Jason stop in his tracks. “Camp won’t fall apart if you don’t work yourself half to death for a few days. I’ve been dead, okay? It’s seriously overrated, trust me.”

“But-”

“Jase, look at me. Breathe. You’re okay.” Leo’s voice had softened. One arm was still wrapped around Jason. The other had moved up to his head, fingers combing through his damp hair. “Stop being an idiot and don’t force your amputee boyfriend to figure out how to scrape you off the floor after you inevitably faint and hit your head, yeah?”

Leo looked terribly worried, and Jason knew he was actively making it worse. It made him feel awful. 

After another moment of hesitation, he allowed himself to collapse against his boyfriend, exhausted and dizzy and with a horrible ache in his chest. “I’m sorry.”

Leo exhaled audibly into his hair.

“Yeah, I can’t believe you’d get sick on purpose just to make me worry. That was such a dick move, dude,” he said sarcastically, then pressed a kiss to Jason’s head. “Lie back down, please?”

A part of Jason was still protesting, but he felt incredibly off and it was impossible to tell Leo “no” when he looked at him like that.

He let himself sink back onto the mattress, which at least made the room stop spinning.

“Happy now?”

“Yeah, yeah, gold star for not being a complete dumbass.” Jason could hear the smile in his voice. “Do you want a sticker or something?”

“Can you just put your hand back in my hair? That felt really nice.”

“Still here by the way,” Will said awkwardly, and Jason could feel his cheeks growing even warmer because he actually had forgotten about Will. “Doesn’t look like I’m needed anymore, though. I’ll go grab some meds.” He turned to Leo. “Make sure Jason drinks enough water and gets some sleep and he should be fine.”

“Oh, I’ll pester him as much as necessary, don’t worry. You know how annoying I can get.” Leo grinned. “Thanks for the help.”

“If you need anything else, you know where to find me.”

~~~

The bits of ambrosia Jason got still tasted like Leo’s tacos, and like Will had warned, they didn’t magically fix everything.

“If I give you any more, you’ll just try to help and hurt yourself, and then we’ll end up right back here.”

That seemed like a fair enough point, but Jason still didn’t like it. It was hard to convince his brain it was actually okay to let himself rest. When you’d learnt at two years old that showing weakness would get you killed, telling yourself it was fine and safe and nothing bad would happen to you in this specific instance and actually believing that was hard. Hell, his last stab wound had helpfully sorted itself out when he’d recklessly thrown himself into battle despite feeling like death. Keeping himself up and running was safe. This did not feel safe.

And sure, there was a protocol for handling illness and injuries at Camp Jupiter that usually included mandated rest periods. But when everyone looked up to you, expecting you to be the leader, it was hard to figure out where to draw the line. At which point was he objectively bad enough to neglect his duties?

As long as he could stand upright, it was probably fine. When he couldn’t, he’d just nibble on an ambrosia cube until he could. When that didn’t work, he was probably dead and no longer needed to worry about it.

Right now, he wasn’t dead or even dying, and so it didn't feel like a reasonable excuse to neglect his duties for something as stupid as staying in bed and doing nothing—even with Leo there to pester him and make jokes and offer him home-cooked meals that could be warmed up at a flick of his wrist.

It didn’t feel real to Jason that he was just allowed to have this.

If nothing else, since he’d taken the ambrosia he could at least sit up without feeling like he was about to topple off the bed, which meant Leo was currently pestering him into finishing his glass of water.

Jason was only half-listening, his mind continuously wandering back to all the things he should be doing instead of this.

“I can hear you thinking, Superman. It’s loud and very annoying.” Leo ruffled his hair. “Talk to me? We did say we’d give it a shot, but we’re both still kind of garbage at it.”

“I really feel like I should be up and helping,” Jason sighed. He was glad to be able to manage a full sentence without bursting into another coughing fit, but talking still hurt. “At least check on the temples to make sure nothing got damaged last night.”

“Nope. Wrong answer. Immediately disqualified.” Leo made a noise that was obviously supposed to resemble the sound of an incorrect buzzer on a quiz show, though it sounded like someone had kicked the poor buzzer down the stairs instead of pressing it. “The only thing you’re supposed to be doing right now is resting, and you’re doing a terrible job. You’ve basically been non-stop doing things since we finished dealing with Gaia. The temples, now this project… I know I’m one to talk, but you need a vacation or something.” Leo smirked. “I hear Greece is really nice this time of year.”

“Oh yeah, I’d love to spend all of our first vacation as a couple trying not to get killed.”

“You say that like trying not to get killed isn’t the foundation of this relationship,” Leo teased him. “But Greece or otherwise, you’re not talking yourself out of this vacation. Take it from the resident expert on running: you’ve got a tendency to keep yourself running when you shouldn’t, and you really need to stop.”

“Didn’t you tell me you were an expert at sticking around at one point?” Jason asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I can’t believe you remember that,” Leo said, laughing, like it was absurd that that moment had meant enough to Jason for him to remember it. Like Jason hadn’t built his life around the fact that his mom had promised to come back and left him instead. Like Leo, who had been runningand running and running for most of his life, hadn’t seen the fear in his eyes and chosen to stay.

“Of course I remember,” Jason said softly.

Leo gulped, clearly emotional, but then he immediately shifted back into his joke default. 

“Damn it. Should have known you keep a folder of quotes to throw back at me at the right moment. You’re exactly the type of nerd who has folders on everything.” He shook his head. “To answer your question: I’ve got layers, babe. I have to keep you on your toes somehow.” 

“I thought the point of this was to get me to rest? Isn’t that the opposite of keeping me on my toes?”

“You’re lucky I like you as much as I do.” Leo rolled his eyes, but then he smiled at Jason. “I’ll let you in on a little secret: I was trying to be supportive and also full of shit. I’m getting better at the sticking around thing, though. You can blame yourself and Piper for that one. Fourteen year old Leo would be quaking in his boots.”

It was more sincere than Leo usually was, and Jason really did feel lucky.

“Fourteen year old me would also be pretty shocked if he could see me now,” Jason admitted quietly. “He never slept past six am. He was also never this happy.”

“Six am?” Leo’s eyes bugged out of his head. “Is that standard for Camp Jupiter? Gods, no wonder Reyna is always so cranky.”

Jason laughed, which rapidly dissolved into another coughing fit. Laughing was still out, then. That was really unfortunate considering his boyfriend was right there.

“I think you’d like Reyna if you gave her an actual shot. There’s a reason we were best friends for years.” Their relationship had never quite gone back to what it had been before the whole memory wipe kidnapping incident, but Jason was back to being friends with Reyna, and he was glad for that. “Are you still scared of her?”

“Not as much. Piper’s trying exposure therapy. The results are so-so, but at least I don’t think she wants to kill me anymore,” Leo joked. Then he shoved the half-full glass of water back into Jason’s face. “Speaking of ways to prevent death: I’m supposed to keep you from getting dehydrated. Bottoms up!”

Jason sighed, but his throat still hurt, even if it did feel a little less sandpapered than before, and the water helped.

What it didn’t help with was the exhaustion—this ridiculous, inconvenient feeling of wanting to just curl up against Leo and let himself go unconscious. He may have been significantly less dizzy, but he still went between random flashes of feeling too warm and too cold and sometimes both at once.

“It’s fine if you want to go back to sleep, you know,” Leo said like he’d read his mind—or, more likely, Jason’s bone-deep exhaustion was just written all over his face. He took the empty glass and placed it back down on the bedside table. “I may be terrible at going to bed at reasonable hours, and sleep gets a general 5/10 from me because of all the nightmares, but unfortunately, it is important, especially when you’re sick. I don’t mind just sitting with you for a while.”

“If you’re staying with me, we should at least do something together,” Jason protested. “This isn’t exactly fun for you. I don’t want to just sleep and waste a whole bunch of your time.”

“You’re overestimating your influence, Superman. I have ADHD. I can waste my own time just fine without your help.” Leo smiled down at him, running his hand through Jason’s hair again. Jason closed his eyes and leaned into the movement. “Besides, we both know I’m the fun one in this relationship. Your job is more, like, mother henning so I occasionally go to bed before two am and actually remember to eat lunch instead of just disappearing down the project void for three days.”

“Shut up,” Jason laughed, which rapidly turned into another coughing fit. Gods, usually he loved how much Leo made him laugh, but it was a little inconvenient right now.

“See? Clearly, I’m the fun one. Now stop being ridiculous and just go back to sleep.”

Jason wanted to protest again, but his thoughts were turning to mush. His head was on Leo’s lap, and Leo was so, so warm that anything coherent he tried to grasp at drifted away before he could form even half a sentence. That just felt like cheating on Leo’s part.

Being sick still didn’t feel safe to Jason. This whole situation of him letting himself rest didn’t feel safe or right or like something he should be allowed to do.

But he knew so instinctively that Leo would never let anything happen to him that it was hard to feel anything but safe with him. With Leo there, Jason always felt like everything was going to be alright.

————————————————————————

Leo was pretty sure he was failing as a boyfriend. 

The thing was, Leo was kind of garbage at taking care of people. He knew that wasn’t entirely his fault—no one had properly taken care of him when he was sick since he was eight years old, and just crawling under the bedsheets hoping his foster parents didn’t realize he was sick or finding himself a slightly less drafty bridge to sleep under weren’t exactly great precedents to base your care for someone else on.

But knowing that didn’t help. Jason was great with stuff like this. He knew how to calm Leo down when he was freaking out, made him cocoa in the middle of the night and had made sure Leo didn’t go stir-crazy when he’d been stuck in the infirmary for more than a week after the Gaia fight. That Leo was fucking terrible at it and he didn’t feel like he could properly help Jason in return made him feel like shit.

After his boyfriend had dozed off the night before, Leo had realized very quickly that he absolutely should have dragged him to the infirmary—or at least he should have broken in and stolen a few ambrosia cubes. Leo hadn’t really slept much. Jason had spent the whole night sweating and shivering against him, coughing so badly that Leo had been worried one of his lungs might come up, but he hadn’t been able to wake Jason when he tried, and physically hadn’t been able to leave the bed until sometime this morning. Every time he’d tried to pull his arm away from Jason’s chest, Jason had made a half-asleep whining noise and pulled it back, until eventually, he’d turned onto his back and wrapped fully around Leo, pinning him in place like a misbehaving pup. 

It would have been hilarious if it hadn’t been so inconvenient.

Austin had been the only Apollo cabin member up when Leo had gotten there, and Leo hadbothered him into checking on Jason, but Austin’s powers were more concentrated in the musical than the healing range. He’d mainly concluded that Jason wouldn’t die and advised Leo to let him sleep for a while longer and ask Will to check in later if it didn’t get better.

Leo had then proceeded to waste most of the morning trying to figure out how to cheer Jason up.

He’d gotten a whole bunch of unhelpful advice from his friends, both in-person and via Iris Message. Reyna had said she liked to be left alone, and had absolutely no advice to offer in regards to what Jason usually did or needed when he was sick. She actually couldn’t remember him ever being sick in all the time she’d known him, which said some concerning things about the amount of off time he usually allowed himself to take.

Piper had said her dad used to tell her stories to make her feel better when she’d been little, which would have been helpful if Jason had been five. She’d also confirmed Jason was a terrible patient, which, considering he’d tossed himself into the ocean with a life-threatening stab wound at one point, didn’t take a genius to figure out.

Because Piper was just like that, she’d pointed out that Leo wasn’t much better, which, while not technically untrue, wasn’t exactly helpful advice, either.

Annabeth had said she didn’t get sick, which Percy side-eyed her for, and then she’d admitted she just liked knowing someone was there. Doing what, exactly? Who knew.

Percy was the only one who’d said something Leo could actually use: that his mom usually cooked something he liked to cheer him up. 

Leo could do cooking. 

So, as per Austin’s expert advice, he’d let Jason sleep, and after breakfast, he’d gotten to work in the kitchen.

Leo liked being in the kitchen of the big house, usually. Cooking relaxed him.

But he hadn’t done a whole lot of it since he’d lost his leg, and navigating the kitchen with his crutches had turned out to be a bigger issue than he’d expected. Carrying things around was fine if they were in closed boxes or bags, but carrying a mug with liquid? Yeah, nope, not happening.

But, after some mishaps, he’d found workarounds. He’d gone completely overboard because he wasn’t sure what Jason would actually feel like eating. It wasn’t like he didn’t know some of the things Jason liked, but none of the ones that came to mind exactly screamed sick person comfort foods to Leo.

He’d made a cup of that terrible herbal tea Jason liked for some reason, and a whole bunch of small things like cut fruits and dry toast. Leo had even tried to recreate the chicken pozole he remembered his own mom had sometimes made when he wasn’t feeling well. The memory made his heart clench in his chest, but he felt like he had to at least try.

There hadn’t been any major disasters during the actual cooking process. The main problem came after, when Leo realized he hadn’t really thought through how he’d get the food back to the Hephaestus cabin. Carrying a tray with crutches was even less possible than carrying around mugs filled with liquid. 

So, well, Leo had chosen to just not use the crutches. He’d decided it was probably fine as long as he was careful. He could mostly walk around without crutches okay.

Admittedly, most of that walking had been without carrying anything heavy and with both Will and a wall readily available in case he needed to steady himself. And sure, they didn’t do these types of exercises for more than a few minutes at a time because Leo’s sense of balance was still shit. But he’d thought he could do this.

Will rushing up to him a few steps out of the building had been the only reason Leo and everything he was carrying hadn’t ended up all over the lawn.

“Leo, we talked about this,” Will had chided him, taking over carrying the tray.

He’d spent the whole walk to the cabin trying to talk Leo through recovery timelines, which Leo had tuned out after the second sentence.

Leo knew that stuff. He was painfully aware of the fact that it usually took over six months, sometimes up to a year, to be able to walk without crutches after an amputation. They’d talked through this in detail several times.

That didn’t mean he was thrilled about this fact.

Sure, Leo was making decent progress. And he was trying to be patient with himself.

But it had been months at this point, and he’d never been a particularly patient person, and that he was doing better didn’t mean he didn’t have days like today when he really wanted to hurl his crutches at a wall.

The other issue he was currently having was that his left leg hurt.

Leo was pretty sure he knew the cause of this—Will had told him he was supposed to regularly take the prosthesis off and check if the skin underneath was getting irritated, and also give his stump breaks throughout the day.

The thing was, Leo wasn’t great about this. Partially, this was because he got hyperfocused a lot when he was working on his little projects and he just forgot. Partially, this was also because he’d had two legs for sixteen years of his life, and even after three and a half months in this new situation, he still didn’t always remember that this wasn’t the case anymore. That part felt fucking idiotic, because most of the time he obviously did know and was unable to forget if he tried, but sometimes when he was especially sleep-deprived or intensely focused on something else, his brain just blocked out this particular part of reality. Having his prosthesis on when he worked late significantly reduced the risk of him trying to get up to fetch a tool and epically belly-flopping onto the floor of the forge in the process.

…okay, that one had been a one time occurrence and very early on, but still. Never again.

Nyssa and Jake hadn’t been weird about it—Nyssa had helped him sit up while Jake had gone to fetch Will, and both of them had the decency to never bring it up again. Leo still wanted to burn a hole into the floor from sheer embarrassment whenever he thought of it.

So, yeah, staying up as late as he had and keeping the prosthesis on the whole time, Leo was pretty sure he’d irritated the shit out of his stump, in ways his evening routine hadn’t been able to fix. Again. 

He should have probably gone to Will or Kayla about this. At the very least, he should have taken his prosthetic leg off and iced the painful spots a little. If it had been any other day, he probably would have.

He didn’t.

Instead, he let Jason nap on his lap for two hours, which surprisingly did not help his leg pain.

Leo should have been better about this, especially when Will had literally just given him a lecture about not pushing himself. But the only semi-useful thing Leo had managed to do so far was make Jason food, which Jason hadn’t even eaten because he wasn’t feeling well. 

So, yeah, fucking incredible work in the boyfriend department, Valdez.

The least he could do was let Jason sleep in a position he was obviously comfortable in, even if it was objectively only comfortable for one of them.

Aside from the pain, Leo didn’t really mind this situation very much. He spent an embarrassing amount of time just watching his boyfriend sleep like a complete weirdo. 

Despite the fact that Jason was still sweating and shivering under the blanket, and despite the fact that every time he coughed it was obvious that it hurt, he looked… almost peaceful. 

Jason wasn’t good at looking peaceful. Even asleep, it always seemed like he was one command away from jumping to his feet with his sword drawn. Almost was the closest he ever got.

And almost peaceful Jason was an image Leo really struggled to tear himself away from. It made him yearn for a future where maybe he’d get Jason all the way to actually peaceful, now that the end of the world wasn’t permanently hanging over their heads anymore. Leo imagined the machine shop he wanted, and getting to come home every night to a version of Jason that laughed easily and no longer remembered how to stand at attention.

Gods, Leo hadn’t even thought it possible to be this utterly gone for another person. A year ago, he hadn’t even thought he’d ever consider a place home again. Yet, here he was, just about a month into this relationship, thinking about living together. Talk about fucking u-hauling.

~~~

By the time Jason woke up, Leo had thankfully torn himself out of the kind of ridiculous fairytale futures that had always been reserved for other people and was fiddling with one of his little projects—an upgraded eye for Festus with a few extra sensors his current ones didn’t have.

Admittedly, Leo looking down at Jason might have been a slightly less disconcerting sight to wake up to than the giant metal eye that was currently staring down at him.

Jason yelped, and Leo was barely quick enough to move the large metal orb out of range before his boyfriend punched the spot of empty air where it had just been, nearly socking Leo on the jaw in the process.

“Whoa. Down, boy. No need to give me or Festus a black eye.” Leo dropped the eye on the floor next to the bed, then held his hands up defensively for extra effect. “This is mostly celestial bronze, anyway, so it’s not like you could do any real damage with your fists. It’s bad enough that you’re sick, we do not need to add broken fingers to the equation.”

Jason looked extremely startled. “Sorry. Oh gods, I’m so sorry. I thought- You okay?”

“You didn’t even actually hit me. Your uppercut needs work.” Leo gently flicked his boyfriend in the head. “Anyway, enough about me. How are you feeling?”

“A little better, I think.” This was followed immediately by another coughing fit. Leo raised an eyebrow. 

“You are the worst liar I know.” He ruffled Jason’s hair, since he seemed to really be enjoying that today. Note for future reference: sick Jason was like a dog that enjoyed getting petted. “You need anything?”

“Maybe water?” Jason shrugged. “I don’t know. Just if it’s not too much trouble.”

“Superman, I cooked for you for more than an hour this morning. I’ll survive a three second walk to the bathroom and back to fill up your cup.” Leo nudged him. “Besides, I’ve got a leg and a half that are super asleep right now. It’ll be nice to get up and stretch them for a bit.”

~~~

Despite this bold statement on Leo’s part, the short walk in question turned into a total disaster. 

Yeah, he could have made it to the bathroom and back without his crutches under most circumstances. He’d done that before.

But currently, his stupid stump was sore and hurt with every step and it turned out he could not manage.

He had to pause in the bathroom, the cup clenched in trembling fingers, which would have been embarrassing enough. But then it turned out he couldn’t make the way back at all.

The main issue wasn’t that the pain was so intense he couldn’t bear it—if it had been anything that serious, even Leo probably wouldn’t have been this much of a moron about it. The issue was that the fact that his steps stung kept throwing him off, and made Leo’s usually mediocre balance that Will had correctly pointed out they were still working on significantly worse.

Leo only made it about three quarters of the way back to his bed before he misstepped and fell, which was really just how this day was going. The main thoughts he had as he fell were annoyance and frustration directed at himself, as well as a distant relief that he’d had the presence of mind to take the plastic cup because at least that wouldn’t splinter.

Leo didn’t hit the floor. He was stopped mid-fall by first a strong gust of wind and then a pair of warm arms. 

Jason shouldn’t have been out of bed. He definitely shouldn’t have been using his powers. In the end, Jason’s immensely stupid rescue attempt just made them both crumple to the floor, right into the puddle of spilled water, though at a much slower speed than the one Leo had originally been going for.

“Are you okay?”

Leo wanted to say something funny, but he looked at his exhausted boyfriend who’d just wasted a bunch of his energy preventing him from getting hurt and just kind of started to cry. 

“Are you hurt? What’s wrong? Can I help?” Jason asked again, placing his hands on Leo’s shoulders. He sounded really alarmed, which just made Leo feel worse.

“I’m sorry I’m such garbage at this,” Leo sniffled. “You’re always so good with this stuff, but I can’t figure out how to help, and between my stupid crutches and my stupid leg hurting I can’t- I’m sorry I’ve been so useless.”

“Leo, what the hell are you talking about?” Jason looked something between concerned and seriously confused.

“I’m- my whole thing is that I know how to fix machines. But people? I don’t- I never know how to help when it comes to people. You’re not like Festus. I can’t just switch out your gears to make you feel better. I don’t know what I can do to make you feel better. What kind of awful boyfriend-”

“Stop.” Jason looked directly at him, eyes stormy. “You’ve been amazing. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I will not allow you to talk about yourself like this.”

“But-”

“No. Listen to me. If it wasn’t for you, I would have gone to help, and Will’s right, I probably would have ended up hurt. Most likely, I wouldn’t even have been upset about it, because that’s what I was raised to do. You said it yourself: I’m the prince of the universe. I’m supposed to take charge and get things done. It doesn’t matter if that doesn’t make me happy or if it isn’t good for me. That’s just who I have to be.” Jason’s voice cracked. “Everyone always expects me to be able to handle anything. But I’m not. You’re the only person who’s ever made me feel like it’s okay that I’m not.” 

“Oh,” was the only thing Leo could manage as Jason pulled him to his chest, holding him so gently that he could barely remember how to breathe.

And then they were both crying, adding to the stupid water puddle they were sitting in. They probably looked ridiculous. Leo didn’t care. Being wrapped in Jason’s arms like this immediately made him feel better.

“I can count the amount of times someone’s taken care of me on one hand, and that’s never involved another person sitting with me for hours and stroking my hair and cooking for me before. I almost burst into tears over a plate of cut fruit earlier,” Jason admitted quietly, gently nuzzling Leo’s neck. Gods, he still felt awfully warm. “But you don’t need to spend all day fussing, especially if you don’t feel great. It’s so nice to just have you here. I’ve been really anxious lately, and I just- all I ever wanted was for someone to stay.”

“Oh,” Leo repeated intelligently, his own voice cracking too. Damn it, that meant he’d have to tell Annabeth he should have taken her advice. She’d never let him live that down. “I can do that. I can stay.”

“Yeah, I know,” Jason sniffled. “But I don’t want you hurting yourself to help me, okay?”

“Says the guy who just almost made himself faint trying to catch me,” Leo commented, grimacing. “I hate to say it, but Piper was right when she said sometimes we’re the exact same brand of idiot. Let’s both try to work on that, yeah?”

Jason sighed. “Yeah. Okay.”

This left them with the issue of how to get back off the floor.

~~~

In the end, Piper rescued them, appearing out of thin air like Leo had fucking summoned her the second he’d admitted she was right.

She collected both of them off the floor, went to get Will, and also brought some of the self-refilling cups from lunch, which… yeah, Leo really should have thought of that. 

“You seem to have food covered for now,” she said, gesturing towards the tray of still untouched breakfast items on the bedside table.

Whether he liked it or not, Leo got his second Will Solace lecture of the day, this time with strict orders to rest and let his stump breathe for a while. He didn’t mind that too much—he’d felt absolutely zero desire to put the prosthesis back on since he’d finally taken it off.

Besides, being put on bed rest with Jason really wasn’t much of a punishment, aside from the fact that even sick, Jason still wouldn’t stop with his stupid mother henning.

“You literally said that was part of my boyfriend job description like three hours ago. You do not get to complain about it now,” Jason teased him, shoving Leo’s cup and another piece of toast in his direction.

Yeah, Leo really needed to find that folder of inconvenient quotes that could be used against him and burn it.

Jason was still garbage at letting himself rest, but it seemed to be easier for him now that he felt like he was doing something helpful—even if that something helpful was just bothering his boyfriend. Leo would have to write that down for future reference.

They shared the food Leo had made, and they talked. Jason told him why he’d been so anxious while Leo petted his head and offered to fist-fight Rachel the next time she tried to speak a prophecy. Leo finally went into some of his post-amputation problems, including but not limited to his occasional desire to hurl his crutches at the wall.

“Will probably has some old broken crutches you could actually throw. If you think that’d help, I’m sure he’d let you.”

“I’ll ask, but I’ll definitely tell him it was your idea.” Leo chuckled. “If Will keeps having to put up with us I think he’s gonna need a vacation too.”

“Maybe someone should tell him to just take a couple of days off with his boyfriend. This is actually really nice.” Jason didn’t kiss him, because he was a buzzkill and refused to get him sick, but he looked at Leo with such unbridled fondness that it was clear he wanted to. “I love you. You know that, right?”

“If you’re trying to quote Star Wars to me, you’re doing it wrong,” Leo joked, putting his head on Jason’s shoulder. “But yeah, I do know that. Love you, too.”

And well, spending the next few days like this, sharing meals and curled up next to each other watching movies and taking naps didn’t sound so bad, even if it did require Leo to be a little more honest about how he was feeling than usual.

He still wasn’t convinced they were lucky enough to have any kind of fairytale future, but currently the present wasn’t looking half bad.

———————

Some notes:

-Title is from Time by Gretta Ray. Shoutout to my friend Mal for putting up with me in the process of this fic, he’s never read the books and literally doesn’t even know who these people are.

Continuation of the point I made in Late Night Cocoa about Leo and Jason both being shit at voicing it when something is wrong with them! Jason’s been in charge for so long that not being okay has simply never felt like an option. Leo still isn’t entirely used to having people who care regardless of whether he’s currently being useful.

Being in a relationship does not magically fix all your issues! But they know each other and know how to lift each other up and it does really help.

Leo will not let Jason play the hero. Jason will not allow Leo to talk badly about himself ever. They’re just good for each other, full stop, and I love that for them.

Side note: I cannot believe I wrote a 10k established relationship fic and didn’t let them kiss on the lips once. That feels incredibly mean of me. I feel like now I need to write a date fic of some kind specifically to make it up to them, lol

This was my first time properly attempting Jason POV which was kind of scary but I think I ended up doing alright?

Anyway, thanks for reading! Comments and reblogs are always super, super appreciated.

@poppitron360

[unholydeukae]

After blessing you with sweet, wholesome 2yoo, it's now time for steamy, messy Suayeon :)

(I hope you all like power bottom SuA)

It's been a whole four days since SuA has gotten some dick - which is a long time for her to go without sex, no matter if the person has a cock or not - and even though that was a really great session (she got to deepthroat Dami while JiU ate her out and later she and JiU made out while Dami kept switching between their holes until they were both leaking cum), she feels more than ready for some orgasms.

Contemplating which one of her members she should go to, she can hear someone rummaging in the kitchen. Immediately she shoots up from the couch, who dares to create chaos in her sacred- it's Siyeon. Sua is not entirely sure if she should be glad about that or not - at least it's not Yoohyeon, who kind of magically attracts disaster, but it's not like Siyeon is a master chef. More like the opposite, she once nearly killed the microwave because she left a spoon in the dish she wanted to heat up and Sua has stopped counting the amount of times she stood at the sink for hours, trying everything to clean up the burnt in food from the pot.

Right now, it looks like Siyeon tried to open a package of salt with SuA's biggest kitchen knife and the older one is quick to interfere.

"Hey, careful, give me that. Why do you need salt and why with my biggest knife?"

Siyeon looks at her in confusion, then looks at the package on the kitchen counter and back to SuA.

"I wanted to make a mug cake." - "With salt?"

Silence.

"I thought it was sugar, I didn't read what it says on the package."

Sua sighs. Then she suddenly has an idea.

"How about this: I'll make a nice mug cake for you and in return, you'll fuck me."

Siyeon seems even more confused now but nods slowly.

"Okay. But you know that you can always just ask for sex, right? You don't need to offer me anything in return, I would never say no to you."

Sua just grins.

"Great! I'll get to work."

Thanks to her amazing skills, not even five minutes later Siyeon holds the steaming mug cake in her hands. Hungrily, she shoves a big spoon full of dough into her mouth, only to let it fall back into the mug immediately. Cursing, she grabs a glass of water to cool her burned mouth. Sua laughs.

"It's literally steaming, don't be so greedy."

Siyeon pouts for a moment but decides that waiting a few more minutes would probably be a good idea.

"Come, let's watch something while you eat!"

Willingly, the younger girl lets herself be pulled to the living room where they sit down on the couch and turn on the TV. She clicks through the programs.

"What do you wanna watch?"

Sua only shrugs.

"I don't really care, maybe something light where we don't have to pay a ton of attention."

Nodding, Siyeon puts up a comedy show that they've both watched before and picks up her mug again. She's so focused on her food that she doesn't notice how Sua shifts around until she kneels in front of her and urges her to lift her hips. The younger girl obliges and immediately both her sweatpants and boxers are pulled down in one swift motion. Still chewing, she has a vague idea of what might be happening in a moment but she's completely soft still, no way Sua would-

She nearly chokes on her cake. Sua would, evidently. Since Siyeon is a shower, she can already feel the beginning of her unnie's throat. Coughing, she tries to regain her breath while Sua is already absorbed in sucking her dick, licking the shaft up and down, gripping the tip with her lips and running her tongue around it. One of her hands grabs her balls, massages them, pulls and lightly squeezes and Siyeon can't help but moan. She feels how blood shoots into her dick and it grows steadily.

The older girl feels it as well, the tip of the cock tickles her throat and she opens her mouth wider to take more of it inside. She's the queen of oral for a reason and doesn't shy away from keeping Siyeon as long and deep down her throat as possible. Feeling the tightness around her cock nearly makes the younger one choke again and even though she's still hungry, she decides the mug cake is the less important thing right now.

Pretending to be the one in charge, she lays a hand on SuA's head - well aware that she's just the passenger and Sua is in control of everything. If anyone (who's not a Dreamcatcher member) walked in on this scene, they'd think that Siyeon hardcore fucks SuA's throat, but little would they know that it's actually Sua who forces herself down on the cock again and again until spit and precum run out of her mouth and tears form in her eyes.

"Hey, hey... What was that about.. fuck.. being greedy earlier? You're the one.. ugh.. who can't get her mouth full enough now, god damn.."

SuA looks up and grins, her face certainly looks like someone had fun using it.

"I'm always greedy and you know it."

She wraps her hand around the cock, her fingers not even close to touching, so she uses her other hand as well. Slowly stroking up and down, Siyeon eyes her mug cake again, if Sua keeps that pace for a bit, she could-

No, she can't. The older girl lets go of her and starts stripping, but she doesn't only take her clothes off. Instead, she gives her a lap dance, sensually runs her hands over her own and Siyeon's body and the younger girl forgets about the mug cake nearly as fast as she remembered it. Like in trance, her eyes follow SuA, no matter how hard she tries, she can't take them off of her - not that she actually tries, but if she did, she wouldn't be able to.

Soon enough, Sua is completely naked and leans towards Siyeon, her boobs mere centimeters away from the younger one's face. Before she can touch them though, the girl turns away again and removes the sweatpants and boxers that were still pooling around Siyeon's ankles. Then she climbs on her lap.

"I would take that shirt off if I was you. I wouldn't want it to get stained."

With big eyes and both eyebrows raised, Siyeon takes off her t-shirt and bralette; she's not entirely sure why her clothes would get dirty from riding but decides to not ask any questions. At this point, she doesn't wanna postpone whatever is gonna happen any longer.

"Good, now scoot down a little, just so that your head can lay on the backrest."

Siyeon obliges and Sua smiles in a very self-satisfied way. Without another word she shuffles forward and suddenly, the younger girl understands. She lays her hands on her ass cheeks and pulls her towards her face, just in time with Sua gripping the backrest for more stability.

The moment when Siyeon's tongue touches the girl's dripping pussy, they both moan, although SuA's is definitely a lot louder. Siyeon greedily laps at her folds, enjoying her taste on her tongue but she's only able to do that for a few seconds before SuA starts taking over control. She rolls her hips against the girl, increases and decreases the pressure just the way she needs it.

"God, your tongue feels so good... Just.. stick it out, yeah? Let me... yeah, just like that, fuck-"

While she speaks, Siyeon already obeys and SuA's reaction is immediate. Her movements become rougher, she rubs herself against the girl as if her life depends on it. Tiny hands grab Siyeon's hair at the back of her head and she's pressed even deeper into the pussy that uses her solely for her own pleasure; the pain on her scalp goes nearly unnoticed in the wave of sensations that rolls over her.

SuA is usually a very vocal person and now it's no different. Every movement, every touch is accompanied by moans, whines, groans or curses and Siyeon is sure that it's just a matter of time until at least one of their members curiously walks into the living room. The grasp on her hair becomes stronger and a slightly sharp pain shoots through Siyeon's body. Trying her best to not cry out and keep her tongue where it is, she grips SuA's ass even stronger, accidentally pressing her nails into the soft skin.

The older girl yelps but increases her speed significantly and after a few very loud moans, her whole body shakes, the hand that had a grip on Siyeon's hair switches to squeezing her shoulder and after some last supporting licks on her throbbing clit, SuA slumps down against Siyeon. A few seconds of nothing but hard breathing from both sides.

"That was.. really good. Damn."

SuA shuffles backwards a bit to take a look at Siyeon. Her whole lower face glistens and her eyes sparkle - they always do when she's responsible for making one of the members feel good. Even though she technically didn't do the work this time but she at least provided the "tools". A sweet, almost careful kiss seems to confirm that she did a good job in helping Sua get off.

Still, it's Sua and her energetic self, so even a strong orgasm only calms her down for about a minute. Shifting around, she nearly kicks Siyeon's knee while trying to find a good position. Siyeon just lets her do her thing, she knows the dancer well enough to be aware that trying to help would only end in disaster, so she just sits and waits - waits, until suddenly a small hand grabs the base of her dick and Sua sinks down on it with a satisfied sigh.

"God, finally... Your dick feels so good inside me, it stretches me out so well."

Siyeon sharply breathes out through her nose. Every time they have sex, she's amazed by how easily Sua can take her dick to the hilt, even though she's so small and

"so.. tight, fuck..."

Only giving herself a moment to get used to the stretch, Sua places a kiss on Siyeon's cheek before she starts grinding. Her hips move expertly, stimulating the younger girl in all the right ways. Velvety walls have a firm grip on her cock before they loosen up again slightly, and it's a miracle to Siyeon how nearly every centimeter of her dick disappears in the tight pussy. The grinding slowly becomes more focused, pressure increases and Siyeon can't help but whimper quietly. If the older girl keeps doing that, it's only a matter of minutes until her pussy is filled to the brim with cum.

"I know you love to be deep inside me, I can feel you throbbing. Don't cum yet, I need you a bit longer - or if you do, make sure you can keep going!"

Siyeon groans. Her stamina is by far not as good as Dami's or Dongie's but technically she can cum and just keep going without feeling immediately overwhelmed or needing a refractory period - usually she can even cum a second time. But that doesn't mean that she's just as strong as before, more like the opposite. After she cums, she tends to be exhausted and drowsy and it takes a lot of discipline for her to not just cuddle the person she's with and fall asleep. But now here she is, inside the tightest person the world has to offer and knowing Sua, she's far from being done.

"No, I- I won't cum yet. Don't worry, I'll stay strong today."

Sua grins and pecks her lips before she grabs her boobs and plays with her own nipples.

"Good because I haven't even started yet."

And then she does. She wraps her arms around Siyeon's neck and slams her hips down. And again. And again. The pace is murderous, the slaps resound in the living room and Siyeon can feel the tingling start. Wetness drips down on her thighs, and it becomes hard to not immediately shoot her load. She bites her own cheek to hold on just a little longer, at least until Sua cums again.

The latter is surprisingly quiet. Her face is buried in Siyeon's neck, she can feel her breathe shakily against her skin. Finger nails dig into shoulder blades and it makes Siyeon remember that she has hands as well. She lays them on SuA's hips and tries to help her guide the movements. The breathing gets more ragged, SuA's hips stutter from time to time but Siyeon manages to guide her, even though she feels like she'll explode any second now.

Suddenly pain. Siyeon's shoulder hurts, even her shoulder blades, but she can't concentrate on it - the orgasm rolls over her like a wave, forcing her to fill the trembling girl's pussy up. Sua feels about the same, spasming and panting from the intensity of the orgasm that washes over her, unable to move anymore.

They stay like that for a moment, panting, satisfied but spent. Well, the satisfied part mostly goes to Sua - Siyeon is kind of confused and the drowsy state she's in doesn't help with understanding why her shoulder hurt right before she came. After a minute or two, Sua moves and carefully sits upright. With the cock still inside her, she hisses before she looks at Siyeon.

"I'm sorry for hurting you. I'll get sanitizer and a bandaid in a moment, I think I broke your skin when I bit you."

A lightbulb lights up in Siyeon's head. That's where the sudden pain came from - SuA's orgasm was apparently strong enough that she didn't know how to handle it other than biting her shoulder and digging her fingers in her shoulder blades. The younger girl doesn't feel like she's bleeding though.

"Are you sure? It doesn't feel like it's open or bleeding..."

SuA leans forward and looks at the bite mark. She hums for a moment before she sits back again.

"You're right but I still feel like I could've handled it better."

Siyeon shakes her head.

"No, don't be sorry. That... Was actually pretty hot. I'm not sure if it was the bite or you cumming that sent me over the edge, but it definitely was not an issue. So.. lay down for me? Please?"

The older girl tilts her head in confusion but climbs off her lap and lays down on the couch. Siyeon groans when she slips out of the warm pussy, she's sure she could never get enough of that. The girl looks at Sua and lets her gaze wander, from her glowing face, down her breasts, her abs and... She can't help but dive in immediately. Seeing cum, her own cum slowly drip out of Sua, mixed with the girl's wetness must be one of the greatest sights of all time.

Greedily she licks up the liquid, moaning from the way it tastes. She makes sure to gather every drop, pushes her tongue as far as possible into the tight hole. Only then does she move up and draws light circles around SuA's clit. They both went quiet, only the slurping sounds and occasional sighs can be heard. Siyeon lays on her stomach but she can feel how her dick indeed skips the refractory period and presses against the couch. She looks up at SuA whose eyes are closed and decides it's worth a shot.

Carefully, to not interrupt her oral tasks, Siyeon turns on her side just enough that she can grab her cock with one hand. Slowly, she starts jerking off, always making sure to focus on the girl below her, but Sua notices nonetheless. She opens her eyes and grins.

"You're a needy girl, huh?"

The younger girl goes bright red and hides further in between SuA's legs. The latter laughs quietly.

"Don't worry, pretty thing, you were really helpful earlier. Go ahead, make yourself feel good."

Siyeon blushes even harder but continues stroking herself while she still traces patterns over SuA's clit. The latter sighs contentedly and starts to scratch Siyeon's head with her fingers. Being silently praised like that makes the girl put more focus on her unnie again, she increases the pressure on her clit and regularizes her movements.

Even though the second orgasm really took a toll on her, Sua feels equally relaxed and turned on - the sight of Siyeon pumping her dick that's dripping from both her wetness and her semen is definitely an arousing one. She watches her pleasure herself, observes how the girl moves her fingers up and down, how she increases the pressure on the shaft and decreases it on the tip while still licking her with such devotion... Sua can feel her orgasm build up. She knows it's not gonna be as earthshaking as before but when she reaches her climax, she can't help but cry out and grip Siyeon's hair a little harder. Little drops of wetness and cum run out of her pussy and Siyeon is quick to catch them with her tongue.

The girl looks up at her, clearly proud of herself, and Sua pets her head.

"Thank you for making me feel so good today, baby."

Siyeon blushes again, then lays her head on SuA's thighs and puts her attention towards her own pleasure. Her speed increases and she can't swallow a moan. The scent of arousal and sex in the air turns her on more than she wants to admit and the comfortable position on SuA's thighs makes it easy to let go. With a grunt, she cums, her dick throbbing in her hand and semen land on her fingers, her stomach and the couch. Sua makes grabby hands and Siyeon moves her arm towards her until the older girl can lick the cum off of her fingers.

Steps interrupt their moment. Steps, then a gasp and an indignant voice.

"You were fucking right now and here and didn't ask me to join? I haven't had dick in soooooo long!!!"

Clearly Gahyun. Sua opens her mouth but before she can say something, two more people enter the living room.

"Damn, I didn't know two days is 'sooooo long'. Sounds like I really have to work on my performance, if it's so easily forgettable."

"Maybe she will remember if she gets two dicks? I think we should try that, what do you think, Dami?"

"Yeah, you're right Dongie. Come on, Gahyunie, or do you wanna miss another opportunity? We could have enough fun without you as well, you know?"

Siyeon and Sua watch the short interaction with growing amusement. After the younger girls all left the room again, Siyeon turns her head back to her unnie.

"So... can I eat my mug cake now?"

[softshrimpy]

How To Woo A Hot Principal

Step 11: Realizations

Summary: Working at the Weathervane was exactly what you needed. The routine, the people, your co-workers. It certainly helped that a certain tall, blonde, fucking gorgeous woman happened to frequent the cafe. Now some may call hopelessly flirting with your customers inappropriate behavior.

But truly, when it came to Larissa Weems, who could blame you?

Y'all wanted the Larissa pain and I bring you Larissa pain. Enjoy. Also again, pls send all the love to the now co-author of this series @misssmephisto 🦐✨

Tags: @variant-2402 @the-bagel24 @eveymay @kimiinou @muffintopxs @h-doodles @bbykens @lilfartbox1 @bigolgay @winterfireblond @gela123

(pls let me know if you want to be tagged/ I missed you!)

Chapter 10

Cross Posted on AO3 here

HWTAHP Masterlist

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

Larissa had fucked up.

She knew she had the moment she’d ended her bullshit-filled tirade. Knew when you had run out of her office sobbing.

And she sure as shit knew right now.

She had been sitting at her desk, re-reading the same email for what had felt like the hundredth time when she’d gotten a call from Marylin. She was confused, it was the middle of the night. She answered the call, a deep sense of dread chilling her to the bone as she did so.

“Larissa? I-I saw your girlfriend running into the woods and-and I was worried so I followed her but- she’s been attacked, Larissa. I don’t-I don’t know if she’ll make it I-“ Marylin rushes.

Larissa can’t breathe, she’s no longer listening to Marylin. Her hands are shaking and she feels like she might throw up. She brings one hand to cover her mouth, the other gripping her phone as if it were her lifeline. As panic gripped her, the words blood, ambulance and sheriff breached her mind from the device in her hand.

She’s the reason you were out there. She’s the reason you got attacked.

She was wrong. She was so so wrong. She was wrong and now you might die and she was so wrong.

She called you a monster.

Before she can even register what she is doing she has grabbed her keys and ran out of her office.

“Marylin” Larissa started, cutting off the tear-fuelled rambling of her college. “I need you to gather the staff and check on all the students and make sure everyone is accounted for. The school is on lockdown as of now, keep everyone indoors and safe. I’m going to the hospital, call me if anything else happens.” She instructs.

Before Marylin can reply, Larissa has hung up and is getting into her car. She drives frantically, not particularly caring what traffic laws she’s breaking. All she cares about is getting to you. You have to be okay. You just have to.

When she finally makes it to the hospital, she all but barges through the front doors. Rushing up to the front desk, the headmistress frantically asks about your whereabouts. She’s told you’re in surgery, you’d lost an almost catastrophic amount of blood but they were doing everything in their power. She’s directed to a waiting room and then left alone.

Larissa had no idea how long she had sat there, her eyes burning holes into the floor beneath her as the words, those horrible cruel words she spoke to you ran through her head. She keeps seeing your face, heartbroken with tears running down your cheeks. She keeps thinking of how this is all her fault, how you could’ve been safe if she had just listened to you. If she had just not been a royal bitch. If she had just had dinner with you.

She didn’t deserve you. After all you’d done for her, after all you’d gone through with her. She wouldn’t be surprised if you never wanted to see her again.

But you didn’t deserve to be alone, so she would wait here until she knew you were okay. It was the least she could do.

——————

The clock ticked on, seconds becoming minutes, minutes becoming hours. There had been no news, and she couldn’t decide if that was good or bad. Her legs were stiff, her eyes were stinging. She probably looked dreadful but she couldn’t find it in herself to care. The once powerful persona of the Nevermore headmistress was broken, stuck floating in time.

She was glad to not have heard from Marylin. Hopeful that that meant everything was well at the school. She honestly wouldn’t have been much use if something was wrong anyway.

She was startled by a set of doors being flung open, her body fuelled with adrenaline, legs quivering with how fast she was forced upwards. She was even more shocked when three of her students came bursting through said doors. Enid, Wednesday and Yoko ran up to her and before she can scold them for being off school grounds during a lockdown, Yoko speaks.

“Is she still in surgery?”

Larissa sighs and nods, deciding she doesn’t have the energy to be the stern principal she should be. Sliding back into the seat beneath her, Larissa’s mind begins to fall back into the routine she had been stuck in for the past however long. However, Wednesday spoke six words that shattered the downward spiral the headmistress had created.

“Do they know she’s an outcast?”

“What are you talking about?” Larissa responded, her head turning towards the girl, curiosity leading her fast reply.

“She’s a vampire. We can explain how we know later but right now we have to tell them she’s a vamp and will be needing blood, well- more blood.” Enid explains.

“I-that can’t…how certain are you of this? We can’t just- she could-“ Larissa stutters.

“Just trust us on this, please. I don’t…we don’t want her to die.” Yoko pleads.

Shocked by Yoko’s outright display of emotion, Larissa nods. She gets up from the chair, her joints popping in protest. She strides over to the nurses' station, explaining your situation to them. She has to argue back and forth with them for quite a while before they listen to her. The terms legal guardian, family and medical records are thrown around in protest before the desperation on Weems’ face convinces the receptionist to ring into the surgery room. Before she can turn back towards her students, a nurse in conversation with the other receptionist turns in disgust at the piece of information Larissa had shared. Continuing in the direction she was heading, Larissa barely resists the urge to cuss her out.

  Returning to the seating area, she sighs. A motion filled with exhaustion, regret and deep sadness.

“Can I get you three something to drink? I have a suspicion this is going to be a long night.”

——————

The four had settled back in the waiting room, this time on the two couches that were available. Larissa and Enid had gotten a hot chocolate while Wednesday and Yoko had settled on coffee (Larissa did not have it in her to try and get them to have something without caffeine in it.) None of the girls commented on Larissa’s appearance, which she was truly grateful for.

Breaking the tense silence they had found themselves in, the headmistress spoke, “Alright, so how did you three figure this out?”

“Well, it actually started when Wednesday ran overheard you two talking about (Y/N)’s nightmares.” Enid starts.

“I’m sorry what?” Larissa interrupts, turning to shoot Wednesday an accusatory stare. She expected nothing less of the girl, knowing her reputation but a sense of upset and surprise still struck her.

“I was investigating a potential lead in the attacks and happened to walk by your office while you two were talking.” She hums, taking a sip from her decidedly not completely shit coffee.

“Anyway, from there Wednesday was uh curious about what was going on with her…” Enid continues.

“I suspected she may be the person behind the attacks.” Wednesday deadpans.

Larissa freezes at that, swallowing against the sudden lump in her throat. She feels a strong stabbing pain in her chest. In an effort to distract herself, she looked down at her takeaway cup and hums.

“Uhm so yeah Wednesday did some digging. She was trying to figure out what made her come to Jericho in the first place, given the attacks started right around the time she arrived. But then Yoko came to pick me up for a trip to Jericho to go shopping and saw Wednesday’s murder wall and found it way more interesting than I did, it gives me the creeps.”

“A murder wall?” Larissa questioned, incredulous.

“So then Yoko told us about the way your barista girlfriend had a vampire smell. Furthermore, along with some information she learnt from Outreach Day and her behaviour over the past couple of days, I deemed it appropriate to enter her home and do some more digging-“ Wednesday explained.

“Wednesday Addams-“ Larissa hissed.

“And I found these tablets she was taking. I’d never seen or heard of them before, so I did some further investigation and it would seem it's a rather poor blood substitute, which fit Yoko’s vampire theory.” Wednesday continues, ignoring the blonde’s obvious anger.

“But she has no fangs?” Larissa murmurs.  

“In more conservative places there was a practice where they would file down young vampire's fangs to make them more ‘normal.’” Yoko explains with a scowl. “It's archaic and evil.”

“Why…who would do this..?” Larissa mumbled.

“Well, that’s where Wednesday’s digging into why she moved here comes in. Turns out she used to live in this super small town literally in the middle of nowhere. Everything we found about it was not like outright ‘outcasts are evil and dangerous’ but was prejudiced enough to give me the super ick.” Enid offered.

“I see…” Larissa breathed out.

Larissa didn’t know how to feel. Actually, she did. She felt a deep, deep sense of self-loathing and shame. And above all else, she felt guilt. Guilt that made her stomach churn and her chest ache. Gods she truly didn’t know how she would live with herself after tonight.

The four of them sat in silence for a while, the three girls noticing their headmistress’s unusually upset demeanour and deciding it best to leave the queries, for now. Hours went by with no news, Larissa growing more and more weary as time went on. She had tried to convince the three girls to go back to Nevermore but had received a rather strong chorus of no’s in return. Eventually, a doctor came through the doors and called out your name. Larissa immediately stood from her seat and rushed over to her, her heart firmly lodged in her throat.

“I-Is she alright? Did she make it out of the surgery okay?” Larissa asked.

“She’s just come out of surgery, we’ve taken her to the ICU. The surgery went well, surprisingly given her condition, it was touch and go for a while, but after we started administering more blood things went much smoother. I can take you to her room if you’d like?” She states.

“I-Yes, thank you.” Larissa breathes, her heart calming just a bit.

She gathers the three teens before following the doctor to your room. The doctor warned the group that you were still asleep and still weren’t in the greatest shape, so they needed to prepare themselves. Larissa had to take a moment outside your room to steel herself. She needed to keep herself together.

When she entered your room and saw you laying there, unconscious and battered her resolve to keep herself together crumbled instantly. You looked so small and fragile in the hospital bed. Your face was so pale and you were so still. She let out a choked sob, bringing a shaking hand up to cover her mouth, feeling tears gather in her eyes. She hurries over to your side while scanning you over for injuries. You have several small cuts littering your face and arms. A deeper more noticeable cut on your head, and the skin around it is bruised terribly. She’s certain the brunt of your injuries are hidden beneath the blanket covering you from the chest down and her stomach drops just thinking about it. She drops into the chair seated next to your bed. 

“When uhm-“ Larissa tries, her voice cracking, “When will she wake up?”

“Unfortunately, due to the extreme nature of her injuries we can’t be certain when she will wake up.” The doctor explains.

“Do you know that she’ll wake up?” Wednesday queries.

Enid scolds her, slapping her on the arm while Larissa squeezes her eyes shut. She can’t fathom a world, a life without you. You and your brilliant smile and silly jokes that never failed to make her laugh. And yet she threw that all away anyway. Hurt you immeasurably and for what? Because she was stupid enough to doubt your character, to make out as if you were some manipulative awful creature? She was awful, irredeemable.

“Principal Weems?” Enid prompts gently.

“Hm?” she responds, not taking her eyes off you.

“We’re going to head back to the school now. Do you need anything before we go?” She asks.

She shakes her head, thanking the three of them before they leave. And then it’s just you and her. She moves the chair closer to you and settles into it, kicking off her heels. She tentatively grabs one of your hands, squeezing it gently.

“I-I know that I-“ She whispers, her voice shaking. “That I- That the things I did- the things I said were- they were-“

She breaks into sobs then, squeezing your hand as she doubles over. She cries harder than she ever has in her life. She cries for what feels like eternity and she’s honestly not sure how long it truly was. Eventually, her sobs dissolve into hiccups and a constant stream of tears falling down her cheeks. She wipes at her eyes with her free hand, careless of the way her mascara smudges.

She knows this is the least of what she deserves. She deserves to be crushed by her guilt. She deserves to feel as though all the air has been sucked from the room, as though the weight of her callous words and cruel thinking will drown her.  She deserves all the pain and suffering the world has to offer.

But she will stay by your side, ensure you’re taken care of and not alone. It’s the least she could do.

——————

Larissa essentially hadn’t left your side since that night. She had gotten Marylin to bring her laptop the first time she visited so that she could attempt to get work done while watching over you. She had admittedly gotten much less done than usual but was still managing to get everything sorted. After two days of Larissa not moving from your side she had a very entertaining conversation with Enid and Wednesday.  

“Uh, Principal Weems, don’t take this the wrong way but uhm…do you think you should maybe uhm…well…” Enid tried.

“You look dreadful. You should go back to Nevermore and clean yourself up.” Wednesday interjected.  

Larissa had stared at the two of them, wide-eyed, before huffing a sigh and agreeing to head back to Nevermore later that day to make herself more presentable. The two had offered to stay with you while she sorted herself out. She thanked them, taking the hint and quickly returning to Nevermore and taking a much-needed shower and changing her clothes. She made sure to pack a few days worth of clothes and toiletries. The whole time she was away she worried you’d wake up while she was gone. She worried you’d think she didn’t care. She didn’t expect you to want her there when you woke up, she would leave as soon as you told her to. She deserved your anger and hate. But she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if you woke up alone.

So she packed all her necessary belongings and headed back to the hospital, to you. When she arrived back at your room Wednesday and Enid were deep in a seemingly very serious conversation. She used the opportunity to get herself a coffee from the hospital cafeteria. The coffee wasn’t terrible, but it was nothing compared to the drinks you brought her every morning. You would always bring her the most delicious coffee in the morning with the sweetest messages written on them.

And she had the gall to say all your kindness, all your actions were nothing but an elaborate ruse? She was truly the most awful person alive.

She made her way back to your room, her chest heavy with guilt. When she arrived for the second time Wednesday was nowhere to be found and Enid looked like she was on the verge of tears. Larissa stood awkwardly in the doorway, clearing her throat to alert the young werewolf to her presence.  Enid startles slightly, wiping at her eyes with the brightly coloured sleeve of her sweater.

“Oh Principal Weems! I uhm- She still hasn’t woken up yet. And Wednesday was here she just- well we…” she trails off, her lower lip quivering.

“Miss Sinclaire,” Larissa starts, pausing before coming to stand next to her. “Enid, I don’t know the intricacies of your relationship with Wednesday, but if you ever want to talk about it…”

“I just…” She sniffles, fresh tears coming to her eyes, “I really thought I-I was making progress with Wednesday and-and our friendship and her accepting that we’re you know actually friends. But then every time we have a moment or something she just shuts down and runs away. I just- I don’t know what to do.”

“Well,” Larissa starts, offering Enid a tissue which she gratefully accepts, “I’m not always the best with these sorts of things, goodness I all but ruined the one good relationship in my life… never mind that. With Wednesday, I think- she’s naturally closed-off but she truly does care about you. She may not express her affection in the same manner you do but I know for certain that she values you and your friendship. She just needs some time to figure out her feelings and figure out how she’s most comfortable expressing those feelings. So just, keep doing what you’re doing, but understand and give her time.”

Enid stares up at her with wide, tear-filled eyes before launching herself forward into Larissa’s arms. Larissa startles, glad for her tall frame for once. She tentatively wraps the poor girl in a hug. She holds her as she cries into her coat.

“You really are an amazing person, Enid, never doubt that.” She murmurs.

The two embrace for a while before Enid stops sniffling and takes a step back, she beams up at her principal.  

“Thank you, Principal Weems, you’re the best…” She smiles, which then turns into a concerned frown, “What was that about ruining a relationship?”

Larissa’s face falls at that, all of the colour draining from it. She clears her throat and does her best to fight the tears gathering in her eyes. Turning to face your sleeping form, she lifts a hand up to play with her necklace, swallowing thickly. She opens her mouth to speak, to explain herself but can’t find the words.

“I’ve not been a very good person as of late…” Larissa whispers, “I hurt her, possibly beyond repair. And now she’s-“

She stops herself, shaking her head and wiping her eyes. It’s highly inappropriate for her to even be talking about this with a student. She really ought to-

“Well, I’m sure whatever it is that happened,” Enid says, “If you just talk it out with her and apologize then maybe it’ll all work out.”

Enid's hope is adorable, but Larissa knows it won’t be that easy. The things she said to you were unforgivable. She had very little hope of salvaging things between the two of you. She only wanted to make sure you were okay and you didn’t blame yourself for anything that happened, as you tended to do.

Enid leaves her alone to her thoughts and she settles back in the chair. She reaches over and grabs your hand again. She can’t stand the silence of the room, only permeated by the constant beeping of the machines. So instead, she fills the silence with her apologies. She cries and apologises over and over. And when she’s all out of apologies she tells you everything she wished she had told you before that night, everything she thought and felt.

“I love you…” She whispers shakily, “I’ve loved you for so long now. I- I will never stop loving you, regardless of what happens when you wake up.”

She falls asleep that night, holding your hand while awkwardly sprawled in the chair, hoping you wake up.

——————

Marylin visits quite frequently, much to Larissa’s confusion. She brings new flowers each time (which consequentially has left your hospital room looking like a florist despite the nurses clearing the room each night.) She watches over you to allow Larissa some time to stretch her legs and occasionally go home to shower. As she travels back and forth between the hospital and Nevermore, she comes to the conclusion that the reason for Marylin’s visits are because she was in essence the one who found you. She also constantly reminds herself that she has no right to feel jealous of whatever friendship you and Marylin may share.

Along with Marylin some of her students come and visit you. Yoko comes around the most, often not staying very long but checking on you nonetheless, occasionally leaving small trinkets with your still form. Despite not knowing the true depth of your friendship with her student, Larissa feels comfortable giving you two space when Yoko visits.

Enid and Wednesday were the next most frequent visitors. Often they came together, a good sign Larissa hoped, but sometimes one of them would come on their own. Often Enid would chat with Larissa, ever since they had their heart-to-heart a few days ago she found the young werewolf had deemed her someone she could gossip or rant to. Larissa didn’t mind, often she found she actually really enjoyed Enid's company.

Wednesday was the complete opposite. She would always come in, check your vitals and flip through your chart that sat at the bottom of your bed (Larissa had given up on scolding her for it after three days.) Then the dark-haired girl would nod at Larissa before slipping from the room, off to cause mayhem no doubt.

James had visited every day, often chatting to Larissa while he did. Larissa didn’t know how to tell him he should hate her, should be cursing her and being as cruel to her as she was to you, if not worse. So instead she took to making important calls just after he arrived. She figured he appreciated the time alone with you anyway.  

On one rather strange occasion, Tyler Galpin had sheepishly knocked on the door of your room. He had glanced from Larissa to you and then stared at you with a hollow, almost guilty look. He had dropped off some flowers (adding to the ever-growing collection you now had) and then left. The entire visit had felt strange to Larissa but she didn’t have the energy to put into thinking about it further.

It had been over a week since the accident, twelve days to be exact. Twelve days of restless sleep, nightmares and uncomfortable sitting. Her whole body ached from being sat in the less-than-comfortable chair all day and night. Often she’d have to redo her makeup at least once a day (made so much easier with her shapeshifting abilities) on account of all the crying she was doing, despite feeling she had cried enough to fill the Pacific.

She worried you would never wake up. That one night she would fall asleep in that awful chair and wake up to the long unending beep of the heart rate monitor. And then they would take you away, and there would be a funeral and she would be completely and utterly lost without you. She worried you would wake up and quietly ask her to leave and never come back. She worried you would wake up and rightfully hate her and everything she stood for. She just worried.

Larissa never stopped speaking to you. On some days it was simply her telling you about the work she’d been doing or the latest update from Enid. Others it was her begging for your forgiveness. But she always made sure to tell you she loved you at the end of each day, regardless of whether you could hear her or not.

——————

It was the evening of the fifteenth day since the attack. Larissa was holding your hand with one of hers while she read a book she had been meaning to finish for months. She had taken to reading aloud, she found it helped keep her mind occupied and off of the crushing guilt she felt. She was halfway through the chapter when she felt your hand twitch.

She dropped the book, scrambling to bring her other hand over yours, her eyes rapidly searching her face for any sign that you may be waking up. Her heart was in her throat and if she hadn’t been holding your hand so tightly she would’ve noticed just how badly they were shaking. Her heart stops when your brows furrow, your nose scrunching. The beeping of the heart monitor beside you, began to speed up slightly.

“Darling?” she breathes out.  

And then your eyes flutter open and her breathing stops.

 You’re okay, you’re waking up. Everything is going to be okay-

Larissa’s back hit the floor, the chair she had been stuck to toppled beside her but she didn’t hear it fall. Everything was silent, the world had stilled. Her eyes were pinned to the ceiling staring at the fluorescent lights above as she began to feel a deep, burning pain in her neck. Slowly turning her head, she discovered the source. It was you.

[marchtothefuckingsea]

Pay No Dues - Lucifer

My Masterlist. 

Word count: 2.6k

Warnings:canon violence and gore, injury. Lucifer is good(ish) au, don't like don't read.

hurt/comfort, a surprising amount of fluff, enemies to allies/friends to lovers

Summary: Lucifer keeps offering to heal reader when they get injured on hunts, but they refuse. When they're hurt too severely to protest, he finally heals them. They reveal that they don't want to take advantage of his powers, which is a surprise him.

"Here, let me heal that." 

"It's fine. I'm fine." I insisted, pressing a rag firmly against the openly bleeding gash on my bicep. The rag was already soaked, and by the trail of blood I left in the hallway behind me, I could guess it was doing little to stop the bleeding. 

"It looks just a little bit like you're not, but fine. Just bleed to death. See if I care." Lucifer trailed behind me, glancing at the blood droplets on the floor. I looked over my shoulder to glare at him.

"I'd say you care enough to insist on healing me." He scoffed, but finally shut up.

I shouldered my arm under the tap. The water that ran down the drain was a bright, saturated red, and probably more blood than water. I hissed when it hit the open wound, gripping the countertop until my knuckles turned white. I wadded up a bunch of paper towels-the nearest absorbent thing there was-and pressed them to my arm.

Turning back to grab bandages, I noted, with a sigh of relief, that Lucifer had fluttered off to go bother someone else. 

-

Sam shoved the bunker door open, and Dean staggered through, supporting me by my shoulders. A belt was wrapped tightly around my upper thigh to act as a tourniquet. I had been beaten to a bloody pulp and shot in the leg. I was lucky it had missed everything vital, but I knew I would be out of commission for weeks with this one. 

I was released onto a couch with a groan of pain. Dean hurried to the infirmary to get supplies, and Sam stayed by my side, muttering comforting things. My eyes drifted off though, and behind him, another figure walked up. 

"Lucifer." Sam turned to him before my eyes could focus. When they finally did, he was by the side of the couch, looking down at me. 

"No." I said as he opened his mouth. I already knew what he was going to offer. He pursed his lips and crossed his arms. 

"Just let him." Sam insisted. I shook my head. I'd gotten by just fine without needing the angel to heal me. 

"Look, none of us like him-"

"Ow." Lucifer interrupted. 

"But he's here and freely offering. So take it. You're gonna be out of commission for a while if you don't."

"I'll be fine." I groaned, shifting into a sitting position with a shallow sigh. I heard Dean's footsteps down the hall. "At least I'll finally get some time to rest." I joked. 

-

It turned out that Sam was right. The bullet didn't hit anything that would cause too much permanent damage, but it did hit a muscle that had taken a ridiculously long time to heal. In the meantime, I had been stuck in the bunker doing research and babysitting the devil.

"Why are you so independent?" Lucifer had appeared in a chair across from me, and he frowned at the word. I was in the library, sitting on the floor with my nearly healed leg stretched in front of me. I jumped slightly at his sudden appearance. 

I was silent, hoping he would go away. Of course, I should have known better by now, over a month in, that it never worked. 

"Look, I know you've got that big bad hunter thing going on, but you're human regardless." I sighed, shutting the book with a harsh clap. 

"If this is your way of pestering me to heal me again, the answer is still no." I glared at him.

"But why?" 

"I've never needed angel help before, and I don't need it now. Why are you so persistent?" I narrowed my eyes at him. He vanished in a flutter of wings, and I sighed in frustration. 

-

I returned to hunting not long after that encounter with the devil. Even after almost two months, my leg was still pretty tender, and I still carried a bit of a limp that I tried my best to hide. I just wanted to get back into the swing of things, and today I was going to do just that.

The Winchesters were away on a paranormal case, helping out an old friend, they had said. In the meantime, I found a simple vampire case that should have been pretty safe, and so I figured it would be a good start to see how I would fare.

"Where are you off to?" Lucifer had appeared behind me as I packed my duffel. I swung it over my shoulder, grimacing at the twinge of protest from my leg. 

"A case." I answered simply. 

"You're still recovering, aren't you?" 

"Yeah, and?"

"And you shouldn't be going."

"For one, why do you care? And for two, it's been almost two months. I'll be fine." I argued. He crossed his arms, but he was silent.

"I'm coming with you."

"I don't think so." I narrowed my eyes at him, slamming the trunk of my car shut. He remained there as I got into the driver's seat, but as soon as I began to pull away, he appeared in the passenger's seat.

"Lucifer." I grit my teeth.

"Yes?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Get out." He continued to stare straight ahead, a small, conniving smile on his face. "Get out."

"No." 

"God fucking damnit. Get out or I'm going to fucking stab you." I threatened.

"You're driving." His voice was tinged with laughter, pissing me off even more. 

"Fuck off." I muttered. 

This was going to be a long drive.

-

As soon as we stepped foot inside the rickety barn, it seemed as if the entire nest knew we were coming. There were more of them than I had anticipated, and they were strong. 

I hissed in pain when one slashed his grimy nails over my forearm, before shoving me back into a wall that was several feet away. With a miserable groan, I crumpled to the floor. Lucifer appeared behind him, taking the vamp's head off effortlessly with the machete I had dropped. I struggled to my feet, pressing my sleeve down tight against my bleeding forearm. The wound began to burn, and my vision blurred more than it should have.

I picked up another machete lying on the floor and swung around just in time to meet a female vamp baring her fangs at me. Her head fell cleanly away from her shoulders. Lucifer turned to me, eyeing me up and down before frowning. I gave him a nod to tell him I was fine, but he didn't look convinced. 

 I turned down the hallway, swaying on my feet and nearly running into the corner as my vision spun. Pausing, I leaned heavily against the wall, and hunched over as a sudden dizzy spell left me barely standing. I could have sworn I heard footsteps, but I couldn't react quick enough to what happened next.

Clawed hands collided with my shoulders, shoving me up against the wall harshly, at the same time a white hot pain coursed through my right shoulder. My eyes widened, and I struggled against the female vampire's hold, gasping.

When she stepped back to admire her handiwork, I realized I was still pinned to the wall. My eyes darted down to my shoulder in horror, and I saw a jagged splinter of metal had been forced through my shoulder and into the wall behind me. I almost gagged at the sight.

It didn't take long for shock to set in. Suddenly my whole body felt cold and numb, and my head dropped to my chest. My eyes drifted shut, until I felt the burning, agonizing pain again of someone pulling the metal out of my shoulder. I was released from the wall, and I staggered forward, barely aware when Lucifer caught me from falling face first onto the floor. He lifted me into his arms easily, and the next time I opened my eyes, I was greeted by the warm lights of the bunker. 

I realized he had taken me to another room, maybe even his room, when I felt my body sink into unfamiliar sheets. My entire being was still in fight or flight mode and I wanted to jolt upwards, but the slightest movement made me choke out an agonized cry. My skin glistened with sweat even though I shivered violently. I was sure I was cold to the touch because even Lucifer's chilly hand felt warm against my forehead. 

I groaned weakly in protest, forcing my eyes open. With one hand, he held my head down and the other he pressed firmly to my shoulder, causing me a jolt of pain. I whimpered, trying to squirm away from him. 

"Calm down. Just let me heal you." He snapped. I flinched at the harshness in his voice; he had never spoken to me directly in that tone before.

I felt a tingling sensation dance over my skin, and then strangely in the deep wound on my shoulder. When I didn't know what he was doing to me, I began to panic. As soon as Lucifer released me, I shot up, banging my head against the wall. 

It was then I realized that I was fine. My shoulder had been healed, along with the rest of my cuts and scrapes, and my clothes were even clean of blood. I eyed him suspiciously where he sat on the edge of the bed. 

"What?" He asked defensively. 

"You know I didn't want you healing me." 

"Oh not this again." He sighed in exasperation. "You're welcome, by the way." 

I was silent.

"What is it with you and my grace, anyway?" Lucifer squinted at me curiously, leaning against the headboard beside me and crossing his arms behind his head. It was then I realized this must have been his room. I shifted uncomfortably at the nearly non-existent space between us. 

I shook my head. "It's nothing." I muttered, turning my head away from him. My arms still rested defensively over my stomach. Despite being healed, I was exhausted and I began to nod off, catching myself when my head lolled to the side. His pillows smelled…comforting. 

The blade at my side was digging into my skin uncomfortably so I groaned and shifted, untucking it from my waistband. I held the blade out to him wordlessly, the hilt toward him to show he could take it. He placed it on the table at his side. I knew I'd have to reach over him if I wanted it back, but somehow I was sure I wouldn't need it.

I propped myself on my elbow as I shifted to face him. There wasn't any personal space between us at all now. My knee bumped his leg, and all I had to do was lean back to rest my head against his chest. 

"I don't think it's nothing." He said simply. His tone wasn't mocking, nor prying. It was almost disinterested, but I knew Lucifer was inviting me to open up to him. I never would have thought about it years ago, when he had first been freed from the cage and demanded Sam to say yes to him. I never even would have considered a few months ago; but things had changed since then. 

"If it makes you feel any better, I try not to let any angel heal me." I shrugged, leaning back against the pillows. 

"Why not?" 

"I don't know. I guess," I had never given much thought towards it until now, so I hesitated. "I guess I don't want to take advantage of their powers. Or yours." 

I glanced up at him to gauge his reaction. He looked taken aback. "Really?"

"I mean I know Sam and Dean don't look at it that way, and I can't really blame them. It's convenient. But it's not something you guys have to do, y'know? You don't have to waste your energy on us." Everything came spilling out freely now. "But you do, and Cas does, even at the expense of his own wellbeing. I appreciate it, but it feels like a debt I can't pay back. I don't like owing people." I frowned. 

I saw him glance down at me from the corner of my eye, and I could have sworn his face softened. "You don't owe me anything, and you never will." 

He continued. "I'd heal you as many times as you need it. I'd bring you back a thousand times, but you will never owe me for it." 

I glanced up at him in surprise. "Where did that come from?" 

"Nowhere." He frowned at himself. 

"No, seriously." 

"No, seriously." He repeated, turning his frown to me. "I've been around you humans too long." He muttered.

"And? Are you starting to care about us pathetic creatures too much?" I asked lightheartedly, but his face remained serious.

"You could say that." He was hesitant. "Maybe too much." 

The angel's gaze was intense, and I found myself looking away. "Look at me." 

With a sigh, I met his eyes. "What?" 

"It's you. You're the one that's made me care." 

"And do you hate me for it?" I questioned quietly. 

"Yes and no." 

"That's reassuring." I huffed.

"I've watched you, and your brothers, and the rest of dad's creations. I watched them for centuries before I was locked away, you know. I never much cared for them and their little routines and mannerisms and such. But you, you've made me come to appreciate it all. I never understood what dad saw in you guys, but I think I'm starting to see those stupidly endearing qualities that makes him like you humans so much." He took a deep breath as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Lucifer, what are you trying to say?" My voice was timid at his confession. 

"You've made me see the good humanity has to offer." He said simply. 

"And for that you're very," He leaned down to my level now, our noses almost touching. His eyes flickered down and he looked as if he was contemplating something before he continued. "Very, special to me." He breathed out. As he pulled away, he pressed a feather light kiss to my forehead.

My mind was reeling as I watched him. "Are you serious?" 

He frowned slightly. "Deadly." 

"Then…I think you might be special to me, too." I admitted quietly. He looked surprised for a moment, but quickly recovered.

At my confession, he snaked an arm around my shoulders and pulled me against his side. I tensed briefly before relaxing against him with a small sigh, my eyes fluttering shut tiredly. 

"Oh, I can't wait 'till Dean finds out about this." I could hear the grin in his voice. 

"Don't you freaking dare." I muttered, digging my fingers into his side. "The less he knows, the better." 

"Didn't feel like getting stabbed, anyways." He laughed. I huffed, relaxing my hand. 

"Lucifer?" He hummed in acknowledgement. "Thank you."

He rubbed my shoulder in response, and I felt his cheek on the top of my head. "Don't mention it." He murmured.

"You've already paid your debt to me a thousand times over." He reminded me softly.

[cyten0]

A Symphony in Crimson

Act 2: A Movement in White

Chapter 4-B

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪

You shouldn’t have left Fa alone with that noble. You know nobles are bastards. It was only a matter of time before they did something. And now the whole room is stained in blood.

You hate that they even had to be here. But ‘royal guard dog’ was the only way to get Fa to be able to go out. Only way they wouldn’t be labeled an active threat and put down or caged for life. You’re glad Siffrin thought of it.

But. It meant Fa had to go on missions like this. Even though they’re practically five. They had to fight.

Astravia is a blinding hellhole.

You’re sitting next to Fa now. Trying to comfort them. You know they probably have some blood-thirst still, but you trust them. Besides, right now, the fog of what they just did is starting to clear, and they need help.

✦ “I… I didn’t… I…”

♪ “It’s okay kiddo. You did your best.”

They break down, dropping to the floor crying. It’s not the first time this has happened, but it never gets easier.

You had Fa pretend to be his guard. Noble let it get to his head. He beat Fa while you were gathering evidence. You got that from a quick scan of the man before his death. And the bloodied whip on the table. Fa put up with it, didn't fight back at all. They’re too blinding gentle.

But when you came back, evidence in tow. Ready to arrest the bastard for their trafficking ring... He shot your eye out, right as you opened the door. Knew he’d try something but. Wasn’t quite fast enough. Lucky shot, you guess.

But that. That tipped Fa over the edge.

And now there isn’t even a body left. Bastard got what he deserved, but. Blind it. There’s no covering this up. People on the street saw it through the balcony window. Or at least saw enough of it.

✦ “I didn’t want to… I-I know he was a bad guy but-”

♪ “Look don’t feel bad for him. He did worse. I’m more worried about you.”

Fa looks for a bit. Realizes the open window, sees that people were watching.

✦ “Nononono”

♪ “It’s okay, breathe. Just like Ti and Siffrin do. In. and out.”

Fa starts to breathe. Slowly. Calming themselves down.

There is a moment of silence. As they sit, curled up in a ball next to you.

✦ “… I’m… I’m gonna have to go back in the box again, aren’t I?”

With a deep sigh, you nod.

♪ “Fraid they’re gonna force us to.”

You hate when they have to go into that blinding containment. They don’t need to be anymore, haven’t for three years now. But anytime Fa lays a hand on anyone with even the slightest amount of leverage, all the nobles make such a big fuss that even Darkon can’t get them to stop until Fa spends some time in quarantine.

Of course, they’re fucking hypocrites, to a fault. You remember the time one had Fa kill death row convicts for sport. As a ‘test to make sure they can follow orders’. By the time you all arrived, the 'hunt' was already over, and there wasn’t even a crime to convict the bastard on.

You’ve tried to make sure they don’t have to kill. But Astravia is full of sick bastards who see a child lamenting murder and decide to make them suffer. The best you can do is make sure it’s never an innocent person.

So... Fa’s gonna end up fighting again. But they need a way to fight that won’t cause this. Won’t cause a storm of objections and vitriol.

You pull out your old craft revolver, and pass it to them.

♪ “Here. For next time. You won’t get in trouble killing with this. Either I take the blame, or they can’t claim you ‘lost control’ again.”

Fa just stares at the gun. Shaking.

✦ “But. I... I don’t wanna kill.”

You hug them. Hold them close. Keep them tightly in your grasp.

♪ “I know. I don’t want you to either.”

Stars. You wish you could make sure they didn’t. You’ve wanted to fix this blinding country for so long, make it so NO ONE would be stuck in a position like this. You wish you all had managed it by now.

But here you are. Despite your best efforts. Despite Darkon and Suki’s best efforts. Despite the rest of the Scale’s best efforts. Astravia is still like this. For all the good you’ve done, the whole damned country STILL ends up like this.

You watch as Re charges into the room, likely investigating the commotion. They are ‘almost’ as blood-soaked as Fa. Noble must have told his guards to kill them. Guess she had fun, judging by the short-lived grin she had when she opened the door. Was promptly dropped to a frown on surveying the scene.

♯ “Oh Stars!! Fa, your eye!”

♪ “It’s fine, I stopped the bleeding and healed it up some.”

♯ “I’ll call Ti, they can fix it-”

♪ “Nah, it’s too far gone.”

Ti’s restoration craft needs parts mostly intact, and even then. Your eyes are tied directly to your heart’s wish. Not an easy thing to fix.

♪ “It's alright. I can make up for it with just the one.”

Fa still looks at the gun. Looks at the bloodstain.

✦ “I’m sorry.”

♯ “You don’t gotta apologize!”

♪ “Could you keep them company? Royal guard is gonna be here soon, and I’ll have to make the case. Don’t worry, It’ll be okay.”

♯ “Sure you don’t need help?”

♪ “I’ve got this.”

♯ “�� Alright, Can do! Come on Fa, Let’s get you back home. I’ll be right here the whole way!”

Fa holds onto her hand tight, gripping it for dear life. You smile at them.

✦ “...Promise it’ll be okay?”

♪ “I promise.”

You then head down the stairs….

Stars... This guy was a pretty high up person. It’s gonna be a mess to make sure Fa doesn’t take a hit. Or worry Darkon. They can’t target him, but everyone around him isn’t as safe.

But you will make sure this goes well. Play the ‘noble knight’ as long as you need to get it handled. Blackmail any of these bastards who cause trouble. They’re trusting you to have this handled.

And you trust them to be okay. You trust them with your life.

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪

You can’t help but think back to that day after that whole conversation. Odile seems inquisitive, which is good, means she’s wary. She’ll keep them out of trouble. Even if things go wrong. You won't be there this time, so you just have to hope she can do it for you.

You don't know her though, so you can't help but worry a LITTLE. But you know Fa trusts them, so it's alright.

You’d go into detail about Fa in Black, but honestly? It’s Vaugarde. Place is really peaceful. You kinda doubt it’ll come up at all... Maybe that means Fa can heal a little.

❁ “Crabbing-! Can't read this language!”

𝄢 “I’ll install a translator on yours once it’s done, to make things easier.”

♫ “A-and I can teach you some! If you want!”

❁ “Eh, I suck at learning languages. I remember when I tried learning Poterian. Couldn’t figure out a word.”

♫ “Oh… okay.”

You can tell Nille feels a bit bad, watching Mi’s disappointment.

❁ “… Well, that Mirabelle lady mentioned ‘Cursing at Chateau Castle’ was written by an Astravian? Maybe we could read that sometime later?”

You watch as both Mi and So’s faces light up with joy, the latter simply hearing one mention of the book series to be invested. Oh, Nille has no idea what she just agreed to.

You look around. Ti is driving today, steady as ever. Mi is strumming on their guitar, just making simple melodies, a little happier now. Re lays sprawled out on the backseat, playing a game on her phone, or maybe coding one? Would be nice if she is, she loved making games for Fa. Nille is writing something in a little journal. And So, of course, continues her tinkering, both to get Nille a phone and just for fun. Everyone settled in for the ride. Might as well do the same.

You pull out a painting you were working on. You look at it in shades first, make sure it looks how you want it, then focus for a second to change your eye to see colors.

As the sight of the unseen world see fills your vision, you look over the sights of Vaugarde first. You never planned for this benefit when you made your heart’s wish. But you are glad for it anyways. Seeing the fall leaves coating the ground as winter starts to approach, in their various colors. The golden trims of your car, and dark red seats. The color’s of your friend's eyes.

Oh, Nille has green eye’s, like yourself! Well, a more natural shade of green, but still.

You turn towards the painting. You designed it to depict two different things depending on if viewed in shades or color.

In shades, it has a fairly artistic depiction of Suki, speaking to a despairing people. She always inspired you, how selfless she was. You have her depicted in darker shades, like the pure black armor she wore, even when she became queen. To remind people she cared for them, and was on their side.

In color, you can see the whole scene. Symbols of both Change and The Universe surround her, and the town around them becomes more vivid and full of life. The hope she tried to bring shown plain. The influence her former home of Vaugarde had to bring to her new one.

You suppose Astravia now has a clean slate to make that dream on. Even if it’ll take much longer. That’s one good thing to come of this mess. Just need to add some details.

❁ “Huh. Why do you have so many paints of the same shades?”

♪ “Simple, I don’t just paint in shades.”

❁ “The crab is that supposed to mean?”

Heh. Time to blow her mind. You pull out that spare pair of crafted glasses you keep on hand. Fa got it for you as a gift, just for this, but you keep a few extras. You hand them to Nille.

♪ “Better to just show you. Put these on, and tap the button on the side.”

Nille hesitates for a bit, before trying them out. And the second they hit the switch, the glasses activate their craft, and through their lens, color can be seen.

As Nille sees color for the first time, they sit there stunned into silence.

♯ “Oh, STARS yeah! Color time! What you think?”

❁ “Holy… What in the Crabbing change are all these shades?!?”

♫ “They’re called Colors! Petty, right?”

Nille looks at Mi, and smiles.

❁ “I- Yeah! Holy Crab, how does this even work?”

𝄢 “For starters, all these Colors were already in existence, it’s just most people can’t see them naturally anymore. Apparently from some complex wishcraft, according to my brother. Regardless, Those glasses create a filter that tricks your eyes into seeing normally.”

❁ “Crab… Hold on, wait, the painting! What?! Holy crab, all that was hiding there?”

♪ “Yep. Ti helps me make custom frames so people can see both versions. Figure Vaugarde will get a kick out of it.”

❁ “That why you got change symbols everywhere?”

♪ “… Nah. It’s because she was Vaugardian. Suki changed all of Astravia, almost by herself.”

❁ “Oh… That’s really cool.”

Nille looks at her. And then thinks for a bit, before sitting back down, and looking around at you all, arms crossed.

❁ “I know it’s probably an awkward question, but… What was Astravia like?”

The others look hesitant to answer that question. But you aren’t. Because even if it’s dead and gone, you don’t blinding care.

♪ “It was a blinding hellhole.”

♫ “La!”

♪ “What, you want to deny it? Go ahead, tell me Astravia was kind to you. To any of us!”

None of them meet your gaze. Because none of them can. You all have scars. It’s what drew you all together. What made you all fight so hard. The entire place was filled with cruelty, corruption and death.

𝄡 “… I will not deny it was filled with hardship. Might made right in Astravia, and with certain blessings and curses, that was taken to levels unseen in most other nations.”

𝄡 “But there was good. And we did make a difference, however small. If it had lived, perhaps one day it could have been as lovely a nation as Vaugarde.”

Ti looks you directly in the eye.

𝄡 “Suki believed that.”

You hold a hand to your heart. You look at your painting. He’s right. It’s not right to speak of it like that. Suki believed it. Darkon did too. You all did…

You nod at Ti.

❁ “...I’m not gonna press then. But how bad did it get?”

None of you speak up. You all have stories far too hard to talk about. ...Starving on the streets, a child with nothing but a dagger and a stolen gun. Betrayed by someone you thought would protect you...

You are surprised when Mi of all people speaks up, fidgeting away with her guitar.

♫ “I-… I can show you, but… promise you won’t freak out?”

Nille nods. Wait, are they?…

You watch in mild surprise as Mi unfurls their large moth-like wings. A beautiful pale tan color, decorated with elegant star and eye symbols barely visible through the tattered holes and cuts across their entirety. Ripped apart like manhandled paper.

Nille just stares at them in awe.

♫ “...I was… I was only three when it happened. Some people came by and. They took me. The people I knew at the time just stood by and watched it happen. Didn’t lift a finger…”

Mi shivers at the memory. You know they trusted those around themselves to keep them safe. But nobody would go against a noble.

♫ “The ones who took me wanted to use me as a test subject. And make trophies. Cut up my wings for both… They’ve healed a lot since but… I don’t know if they’ll ever fully heal. The rest of me didn’t fare much better. If Fa hadn’t found me when they did… I wouldn’t be alive.”

Mi is barely able to hold themselves together. They look like they’re on the verge of tears. Nille just stares shocked by the story. Then walks up to Mi. And hugs them.

Mi takes a half second before hugging back.

❁ “Crab. How the crab does anything like that happen?”

𝄢 “It was a common enough occurrence. My story nearly went the same way. Astravia never cared much for those who are ‘other’. Regardless of how or why. Could be mutations from wishcraft like ourselves. Could just be a different lifestyle. You could get killed for either.”

Nille just continues to hug Mi for a bit before they sit back down, next to Mi this time. The two decide to chat some more, to talk about more mundane things. Like hobbies and interests, childhood stories...

You look towards the road ahead.

>>>

As you approach the town of Tranquille, You instantly notice something is up. People are running about, Barricades are being made, and people are armed. This is not good. What in the stars could have Vaugarde up in arms?

As Ti parks the car somewhere safe, you ask a local guard.

♪ “Hey, We’re travelers, and we noticed some commotion. What’s going on?”

“Travelers? Not with Poteria?”

♪ “Poteria? What are they doing?”

“I don’t know! Some refugees mentioned those guys were burning Vaugardian towns to the ground and massacring the citizenry! People said soldiers were on their way here!”

What? Blind it, that shouldn’t be possible! Siffrin even mentioned that Vaugarde was protected by wishcraft! Even IF that failed, they wouldn’t risk war with Astra-

Wait. Blind it. Nobody remembers Astravia’s protection. And there’s barely even an Astavia to protect it…

Except you all.

♪ “In that case, focus on defenses. Let us handle the army.”

“Thanks for the help, but there’s no way any of us can fight an army. We’ll try, but…”

You just give them a smile, as you see the others head over.

♪ “My home promised to defend yours. And I’m not one to go back on a word.”

They look at you confused before you rejoin the others, and tell them what’s going on.

❁ “What the Crab?! Why would they do this? Poteria’s been friendly forever!”

𝄢 “You’re right, it is strange. Far too destructive for conquest, and out of the blue. I can’t see any reason for this. Other then just to hurt people.”

Re smiles. And chuckles a bit.

♯ “But it does mean there’s no issue if we wipe them out!”

Nille looks at Re with with utter surprise, before giving them a deathglare.

❁ “Not funny. These people are in danger!”

♯ “I wasn’t kidding. We have a promise to keep, on behalf of Astravia! Alright princess, what’s the strategy?”

So glares at that nickname for a half second before shifting their face into a firm, resolute look.

𝄢 “You, La, and Ti obviously will handle the army. I trust you can handle that?”

You all nod. Three Bladeheart knights should be more then enough! And you got plenty of practice fighting monsters back home. This should be a breeze.

𝄢 “Mi, You can buff them and the defenders from that clocktower over there. Grab the speakers from the car, your music should carry far enough if you do.”

Mi nods cheerfully, and goes to grab the speakers. Wonder what track they’ll pick? This is kind of your debut in Vaugarde. Meanwhile, So checks the charge on Suki’s gauntlet.

𝄢 “I’ll help said defenders handle any stragglers that make it in. Got enough charge for that. Nille, can you hold your own in a fight?”

Nille looks confused and nods. Song hands them the phone they just finished.

𝄢 “Then you’ll be on protecting Mi, and if you’re down for it, you can also be lookout. We can stay on voice call, and if you notice one of us is needed somewhere, let us know.”

❁ “...Wait. Are. Are you people serious? Us against an army?”

♫ “They can handle it, don’t worry! But we gotta do our part!”

♯ “Also make sure to record this! I wanna see the replay of it afterwards!”

Nille just stares at you all. You’re kinda surprised at their confusion, but you guess it never clicked to them about the king using the same ritual you all did. Guess it’s gonna have to be a demonstration!

Mi starts pulling Nille away before they can ask followup questions, and starts heading towards the tower. You hear someone shout out-

“They’re here! Coming from the west!”

♪ “Guess we’d better meet them.”

>>>

You stand just outside the shoddy barricades as the army approaches. So stands just on top, looking over. As the last of the royal line, you all agreed she should be the one to address them.

They take a few moments, and then their whole body flickers. As she rises, long lightless hair tied up behind her, black armor covering her body, she looks out across the army with a presence that bespeaks inner strength. With special crafts, her voice carries over the entire field. The absolute picture of her Mother.

𝄢♮ “Attention, Poterian Army! This settlement is under the protection of the Northern Island! This is your one warning! If any of you wishes to live, leave now!”

You watch through the ranks. The soldiers stand firm, if surprised by the sudden sound.

A single man, their commander, walks out from their ranks.

Φ “You do not scare us! We will complete our mission, and no false threats will deter us!”

You figured as much. But it was only right to offer.

Ti flips to a page in his journal, traces the pattern, and the skies begin to slowly darken with thunderclouds.

𝄢♮ “Very well, if you insist! Bladeheart knights! Your orders are set!”

You turn quickly, and see Mi and Nille at the top of the tower, ready to go. And then turn towards the army.

𝄡 “My blood is the peoples shield.”

Ti finishes his craft, then slams the hilt of their staff against the ground, as lighting crackles in the air. The army begins to shake in fear.

♯ “My heart is the peoples Blade!”

Re clicks a button on their shoulder, and their armory of weapons falls from above them. She pulls out her favorites, a pair of massive great-swords, one for each hand.

♪ “I shall fulfill my oath till my dying breath!”

You mark each and every member of the army, tracking their every movement, as energy crackles at your fingertips. Not a single one will escape your notice.

Song conjures Suki's sword, glowing and brilliant, it's hilt decorated by a star surrounded by rings of gold. It's time!

♯♪𝄡 “THE STARS ABOVE AS MY WITNESS!!!”

[shallah-insfelimna]

a cry for help from the near-forgotten and invisible people of gaza - DAY ???

hello again, i have returned briefly thanks to a new friend's allowing me to utilize their wifi hotspot- (thank you deranged_abberation2443 on reddit!!) and i wanted to also say thank you to everyone who has helped even by simply reblogging my prior posts as even if you are unable to donate, any amount of visibility is not only helpful but neccesary.

i come to you now happy to still be alive- head hurting from the explosions - despite the hell we have all endured so far- this morning we said our prayers and it was as if for a brief moment- nature itself stood with us- i reminded myself to admire the present moment for my sanity would wane without these small moments of gratitude.

we have endured.

it is far from over.

since last posting, i have known 5 people whom were incredibly close to me to either be killed in the rubble or succumb to their untreated wounds. it is hell on earth. in heaven, there is another gaza, one filled with our fallen friends and family, all smiling and happy and free- waiting with open arms for the rest of us to finally come home.

for us still tasked with our time here in gaza on earth- we absolutely still need your help. if there is anything you can do- do it. friends in the western world- protest, bring light to this hidden horror, call it what it is- a genocide. disturb the comfort and peace so easily used to forget the truth of your neighbors crying for help, disturb public events with cries of gaza' s need, it is not rude but necessary- tell anyone who will listen and shout it at those who will not- we need you our brothers and sisters of the human race. please help us be free from this rampant and horrific inhumane injustice to our people. we are victims of someone elses perception of wrongdoing. we have nothing to do with the people killing us, we are just being made an example for some unrelated and greedy or monsterous need.

if you can reblog this please do, visibility is essential. donations help immensely in any amount. i have had my dear american friend who is the very reason you are able to read this post now- to make me a new paypal account and if i am not mistaken a crowdfunding account of some sort as well- i give her my utmost thanks- without her i would be as most of the rest of my people are- invisible.

ok it turns out that paypal is being annoying as hell so im gonna have to ask for crypto currently as i have no other way of receiving the money.

DONATE HERE:

ETH: 0xD8819EE9179e839859C1410b544110dB9B5E8991

BTC: 3QDuXseMQTXRvh2dVmdjcbfFUj3DoL4nJu

SOL: Fi5d3X4Xzcxzw5gAstLmbaxf655xWzEsYm6Z5rgBiUjN

USDT: erd10zh2scz8aaz000kmz8huj7fewkx4jht5an2npp2gwc7ex9800m2ssrz0na

i will also include the cashapp of my american friend though it is also probably going to be a bad move because like paypal its gonna shut down or lock which risks losing all donations. the best way to do it as of right now is more than likely through crypto. yay, the future? i still dont fully understand it but i know it works.

cashapp: $jaybeelerclt

once again thank you so much for your time, please donate if you can, it will help us survive. maybe even escape. i will stay until the very last drop of blood is shed though. my mother and brother were martyrs.