#vanish you fool bun!!

[astranne]

Disturbing thy peace? I wouldst nev'r How dareth thee beest so cruel to me. I am just an innocent bun

lies and slander on my sacred ground

[vampnyx]

The Tour

masterlist

-

You sat in Rafiq’s car - it was a bit old but it seemed to run well. It was evening, and just a sliver of moon shone through the clouds in the dusk. “Thank you for accommodating our schedule, by the way.” Since one of the roommates was a vampire, they requested you come at night so you could meet him along with the others. 

“Oh, no problem.” You fidgeted, as if that would keep your nerves from creeping up the back of your head. It had been a long time since you’d met anyone new. 

“They’re looking forward to meeting you.” He chuckled as you pulled up to the mansion. It was dark and dreary, like something out of a horror movie. 

“Is… is this it?” You looked out the window at the house as he parked. You felt far removed from civilization. The trees rustled in the breeze and there was a faint smell of moss in the air. 

“What, you didn’t expect a monster mansion to be creepy as hell?” Rafiq grinned at you, turning the ignition off. “You can thank the landlord for that. He loves to keep the place uninviting.” He opened the car door and got out and you followed his lead, shuffling behind him on a path that led behind the house. 

You entered a beautiful garden where you could see a man in the distance tending to one of the plants. As you approached him, you could see ears and a tail on his otherwise human-looking form. It reminded you of the time you saw Ember’s wife change. 

“Not to point out the obvious, but this is the garden.” Rafiq smiled and turned to you as he now stood next to the other man. “And this is Lycaon.” He turned to his friend who now stood, directing his attention to you. He seemed very polite as he bowed his head slightly towards you.

“Pleasure to meet you,” He spoke calmly. He was dressed like he belonged in a period film, the heartthrob love interest of some entitled aristocrat. Except for his hair, which was in a messy bun on the back of his head. 

“You’re not busy, right?” Rafiq asked him.

“Why?” It seemed more like a rhetorical question in Lycaon’s tone. He knew what was coming.

“You’ve known me for a quarter century and you can’t guess?” Rafiq tilted his head innocently. Lycaon sighed. 

“And let you get away with slithering back to the greenhouse?” He raised an eyebrow skeptically.

“Such rude language, just because I’m a naga.” Rafiq pouted playfully. “I’ve got a date to get ready for, you know. Plus, you have the most experience with humans. I think you should give the tour.” 

“I’ve barely seen a human in 30 years, how does that qualify me?” Lycaon hissed, putting his hands on his hips. 

“You own the place,” Rafiq shrugged and directed his attention back at you. “I’m leaving you in good hands. Don’t worry, he’s a cinnamon roll once you get to know him.” Rafiq patted his shoulder twice before waltzing to the greenhouse. “Thank you, Ly~”

“Wait, Rafiq-” Lycaon was too late, as the naga vanished into the greenhouse. He sighed and looked at you. “That’s where he stays. He likes to bask in the sun more than anyone should.” Lycaon put his gardening tools into a bucket and led you to a shed. “So you’re the fool he brought to this den of monsters.”

“Fool? That’s not very fair.” You responded. “I don’t have a lot of options.” 

“Let me guess. He offered free rent.” Lycaon put away his tools and washed his hands over a hose coming out the side of the shed. 

“Well, yes, but…” You hesitated, realizing that ultimately you were here because you were curious. 

“But what? We’re strangers. Monsters.” Lycaon’s gaze was intense. Nerves threatened to creep back into you, but you took a deep breath and did your best to calm your mind. 

“Maybe you aren’t the monsters you think you are.” Even though you didn’t even know all of them yet, Lycaon and Rafiq just seemed like regular, everyday normal guys to you. Lycaon’s gaze softened and there was a brief lull in conversation that allowed you to hear the sounds of nature. 

“This is serious.” Lycaon sighed. In the dim light of the moon, you could see his ears twitch and his tail sway. “Each of us could kill you, easily.” 

“I don’t really get that vibe.” You shrugged. Lycaon stared at you, with no clue what that even meant.

“Vibe? What does that mean?” He tilted his head. If his mannerisms and clothing weren’t enough, it’s abundantly clear to you now that this guy isn’t really living in this century. 

“It’s like… an aura? … a feeling?” You were at a loss for words, thinking this should be common knowledge. 

“So you get good… vibes from us?” The way he emphasized vibes sounded like the question was more related to his grammatical use. 

“Yeah, you and Rafiq.” You nodded. “I mean, I haven’t really seen the place yet though.” As Rafiq said earlier, it did look better from the back. The landscaping was immaculate and there seemed to be a fresh coat of paint on the house that the front was lacking. 

Lycaon was glad you seemed distracted by the house for a moment. Hearing that you thought he had good vibes made his tail sway with happiness. You probably wouldn’t pay much mind to it, but if Rafiq was watching from the greenhouse (like Lycaon knew he would be), he’d know instantly how much that simple statement improved his mood. 

Truth be told, Lycaon was curious about you, too. It had been so long since he’d even been around a human. 

“Right. The tour. Let’s go.” He nodded his head, striding toward the dim porch light near the back door. You took one last breath of the fresh evening air and followed him. He unlocked the door and held it open for you, and not a moment after walking in were you met by a white-haired man. 

“So, this the human?” he said, immediately invading your personal space as he looked you up and down.

“Couldn’t even let us enter the house in peace?” Any bliss Lycaon found outside immediately dissipated in the presence of this new face.

“Um, hello…” You stepped backwards to give yourself some space. 

“You seem kinda weak.” The white haired man said.

“What does that have to do with anything?” You retort, leaving your muddy shoes by the entrance after you watched Lycaon do the same. 

“Don’t scare our new roommate.” Lycaon smacked the back of his head. He had half a mind to lock him outside while you did the tour but if you really did want to live here, this was a part of the package. 

“Hey! How does that demonstrate a good roommate? One that just smacks his buddy for no reason?” The white haired man raised his voice, his arms more animated as he spoke. It was clear he'd gottten a lecture earlier in the day to behave. 

"We're not buddies." Lycaon sneered.

The man gestured to you and continued, “I’m just here to say,” He mimicked Lycaon’s posture and mocked his speech patterns, “Hello. I’m Aleric, I appreciate you adjusting your schedule to accommodate my needs.’' He sounded almost robotic, you had to giggle. 

“You fucking ass.” Lycaon growled as Aleric laughed with you. 

“Made ya laugh, tho.” Aleric grinned at you, earning another glare from Lycaon. 

“Let’s get your room out of the way first then,” Lycaon calmed himself. “Then you can leave me alone the rest of the night.” His speech was dripping with loathing. 

“Sounds good to me, gramps.” Aleric had already started leading the way to the basement. 

“Gramps? How old are you?” You asked. 

Lycaon sighed deeply before responding, “I’m only 146 years old. Most werewolves live to see 400, so I’d hardly call myself gramps.”

“You’re still like, way older than me.” Aleric chimed in. “You didn’t even have electricity here until a month ago, dude.” 

“This is coming from the vampire.” Lycaon tsked. “That doesn’t even scratch the surface of the lifespan of some of your kin.” 

“Hold on.” You stopped their bickering. “You didn’t have electricity here until a month ago?” 

“I thought about getting lighting installed earlier but I do love using candles to get around.” Lycaon seemed a bit wistful. “Nothing else seemed helpful.” 

“Are you delusional? You’ve been obsessed with the refrigerator since we plugged it in.” Aleric opened the door to his room, leading you in. 

“It’s so much colder than the cellar… I really didn’t think there was that much of a difference until I had one myself…” It was almost cute how easily impressed Lycaon was. 

There was a brief pause before Aleric started pointing out things and telling you about them. His room is one of the only ones without windows, sealers on the door obstructing all light, and he sleeps in a coffin. He really doesn’t need this degree of protection from the sun, but he sleeps best in total darkness. 

The decor was flashy, decks of cards everywhere and miscellaneous pub coasters. You can see an attempt was made at tidying up, but there was still a bit of a mess laying around. Even with the lights on the room was pretty dim, so maybe he was hoping you just wouldn’t be able to see the messy parts. 

Afterwards, you moved on with the tour. There wasn’t much else in the basement, just a small bathroom and a rec room with a pool table. The main floor had the kitchen, a dining room, a parlor for guests and a living room where Aleric decided to stay and play video games until you finished the tour. As you climbed the stairs to the second floor, Lycaon gestured to the upper floor. 

“My rooms are on the top floor. Consider that a forbidden space.” Lycaon spoke firmly, his eyes shooting back to you. “I will kick you out without hesitation if I learn you’ve been up there.” You shrunk back a little at the sudden intensity. 

“Easy there, tiger.” A man with lavender dreadlocks appeared at the end of the hallway. “Or maybe you needed a lecture about not scaring the human, too.” Lycaon’s ear twitched as the intensity suddenly dissipated.

“I’m just making sure they know my boundaries.” Lycaon shrugged off the comment although he knew the man was right.

“I’m Diaval,” He grinned, showing his fangs. “I guess I got cleaned up just in time. If you were a minute earlier you might have walked in on me changing.” He chuckled. 

“Nice to meet you.” You smile back, grateful that he cut the tension Lycaon had created. 

“Why don’t you let me take it from here, old-timer.” Diaval put a hand on Lycaon’s shoulder condescendingly. “You can make us some tea or something.” 

“Tea-! I’m not some butler!” Lycaon hissed. “And what do you mean, old-timer? Did you get that from Aleric?!” 

“Don’t worry, I can show them the second floor. You didn’t want to give this whole tour anyway, right?” Diaval ignored him, directing his landlord back to the stairs. “We’ll be down in 10 minutes, scout’s honor.” 

“Oh, there’s no way in hell you were ever a scout.” Lycaon now stood at the top of the stairs, and Diaval was kind enough not to push him down. 

“And I have no honor,” Diaval sighed. “But we’ll see you in 10 minutes all the same.” 

Lycaon grumbled as he descended the staircase, leaving you with Diaval. 

“Both of our rooms are on this floor. I’ll show you mine first” he said, winking as he led you down the hallway. When you entered his room, you were met with an eclectic collection of vintage technology. You didn’t even know what a lot of it was, but the number of glowing lights in the room suggested that a lot of it worked. The bed looked neglected, it seemed he didn’t spend much time sleeping. 

“I guess we don’t need to spend much time here.” He chuckled. “When I’m not at work, I’m either playing games with Aleric or building things.” He gestured vaguely at the wall of tech. 

“What do you build?” You stepped closer, inspecting the myriad eras of technology in front of you.

“Whatever strikes me, I guess.” He shrugged. “My latest is this iMac- I used the bones and made a custom build. It looks vintage but works like it’s brand new.” 

“Wow.” You traced your eyes over the impressive display. 

“C’mon, I’ll show you the rest of the floor.” Diaval led you out of his room, taking you into the library. The room was huge with books neatly organized by author. You’d never seen anything like it in someone’s home. There was a small office attached to the corner that was for general use, although Lycaon was the only one who spent any time there when his father’s business needed management. 

Then, Diaval brought you to what would be your bedroom. It was big and empty. Maybe even bigger than any of your past rooms. You could easily fit all of your furniture with space to spare. There was a fireplace and a small balcony that overlooked the gardens. Not to mention the master bathroom attached to the room. 

“This is huge!” You walked into the middle of the room in awe. 

“It’s the biggest bedroom in the house.” Diaval smiled. “I asked Lycaon why he didn’t want it but he’s kinda weird about that top floor.”

“Yeah, any idea why?” You looked at him inquisitively. 

“He disappears up there for nearly a week around the full moon. Must be some kind of routine.” Diaval looked at the staircase, which was visible from your doorway. “He just listens to vinyl and insists if anyone comes up he’ll kick them out.” 

“Sounds lonely.” You follow Diaval’s gaze to the staircase. 

“Some monsters torture others, some torture themselves.” Diaval stepped out of your room as if to indicate the tour was over. “And Lycaon loves to torture himself.”

“What category do you fall under?” You asked without skipping a beat. 

“You’ll find we all belong to the latter category more than the former.” Diaval’s fangs showed as he gave you a wide grin. “After all, we’re choosing to live with a human, whose blood we crave more than anything else. And you're also the one thing other than that top floor that is expressly forbidden.” 

“I am?” 

“Lycaon and Rafiq both have a soft spot for humans.” Diaval spoke candidly. “I can’t say I care either way, but I know Aleric has a complicated history with humans.”

“What do you mean?” Diaval was leading you back to the staircase.

“You’ll have to ask him yourself.” He chuckled, turning to look at you one more time before bringing you to the dining room where the three other housemates greeted you.

"You love it, right?" Rafiq smiled, holding a cup of tea.

"I thought you had a date." You responded, taking a seat next to him.

"I'll admit that was a lie." He seemed so casual about it. "I just wanted to force Ly out of his shell."

"You do love to do that." Lycaon rolled his eyes.

"Well? Are you moving in?" Rafiq leaned towards you, eager for your response.

"Oh," It didn't take you much thought. The rent was free, the place was nice, and you had good vibes from everyone. "I think I will." You smiled at your new housemates.

[offbrandkyoya]

[21]

m.list next

In all honesty, Kageyama didn’t want to do this.

He felt horrible for letting this situation stretch, but he feared that his crush would hate him if they found out. I guess Kageyama is a huge coward. He already made things worse by getting milk chans class wrong.

He sighs, hitting the back of his head against the wall. As a cue, Milk Chan walks out of the classroom, wanting to investigate the noise Kageyama made. “Oh! It looks like you got my class right this time.” They smile, and Kageyama awkwardly nods. “Uh yeah.”

“What’s that?” Milk Chan asks, pointing at the bag he’s holding. Kageyama straightens up and hands it over to them. “Meat buns. I bought you some.” They blush and gratefully take it. “Thank you so much. You didn’t have to.” “But I did.” There’s a bit of silence before Kageyama clears his throat.

“I was going to write your name on the bag,” he starts. “But… I don’t know how to spell your name. Milk changed their head. “You don’t know how to spell my name?” He shakes his head. “Did you sound it out?” “Yeah, but I didn’t want to be wrong.” He pauses. “And make a fool of myself.”

They simply smile. “Aw, that’s okay. I’ll write it down for you. Let me go back inside and get-“ “Wait.” Kageyama interrupts, which startles them a bit. “Is everything okay? It really isn’t a big deal.” They say, but Kageyama sighs. “I don’t actually know your name.” They blink in confusion. “Excuse me?” Kageyama looks down.

“I never knew your name from the beginning. I was going to ask, but you knew mine, and I felt terrible. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings because, in reality, I wasn’t sure who you were. That doesn’t change how I feel about you, though!” Kageyama's face turns red. “I still care about you because you’re my friend! We started getting closer, and I tried to find out on my own, but I couldn’t. I felt like a terrible person lying to you for this long. I’m… I’m really sorry.”

Slowly, he looks at his crush. They stand there in disbelief, clutching the bag like it was going to vanish soon. Kageyama could tell that he had ruined what they had. Kageyama looks down again in shame. “I’m sorry.” He whispers.

“L/n.” He looks back at them in shock. They were smiling, and it was rather comforting. “L/n Y/n, but you can call me Y/n.” Kageyama blinks, then positions himself properly. “You’re not mad at me?” They laugh, “No, I’m not. Disappointed? A little, but I’m glad that you cleared it up. I admire your honesty.”

Kageyama blushes and scratches his head. “T-Thank you.” They laugh again. “Do you have any social media?” They ask, and he instantly responds with a yes. They exchange account information and even their numbers. Y/N smiles even more. “I have to go back now. Thank you again for the meat buns, Kageyama.”

He smiles too and nods. “You’re welcome, Y/n.” It felt so nice saying their name, and seeing how delighted they were to hear it just made his stomach bubble. “Bye.” They waved, and he waved back. “Bye.”

YIPPEE YN

fucking finally tired of calling yall milk chan

jk rip milk chan 😢😢💔💔💔💔💔

@karma-gisa @cosmiicdust @abcdefghijklmzopqrstuvwxyz @writing-for-the-hell-of-it @xmagik @tnazips @zhochikennugget @makkir0ll @asp7n @hrkdlsjz @lucky-chars @azharyy @gigiiiiislife @ahnneyong @rouzuchan @bakarinnie @djmoyolehuani @rinheartshyunlix @weirdowithaphone @luvvmae @diorzs @stefnarda @ilovecandys2010 @samvagejkflxhrt @fishrene @goldenchildee @empress-pug-pug @muskratlove @krak-jj @romyoia @yukii-1 @lovingvi

[muffindaddystyles]

Will mafia!h and Y/N will have babies? 🥺💓

IM SO SORRY TO TELL YOU THIS BESTIE BUT.... </3

39. " I'm not saying a goodbye."

It was raining. Skies a gloomy shade of cinereal. Harry’s sleek car came to a screeching halt infront of the vast threshold of his home -- his grin pearlish, eyes twinkling a spark as he gets out of the car not caring to close the door behind. He greets his staff and strides two steps together with a gorgeous bunch of his lovie’s favourite flowers now dewy with raindrops and his nose twitched upon sniffing the vanilla-y smell while passing the kitchen and with his beam never vanishing he leaned into the doorframe asking the people inside, “’Ave y'seen Y/N?” Only for them to shake their heads in uncertainty.

She hasn’t showed herself downstairs since morning and even though it’s very odd of her not to chirp around the mansion nobody went to knock at her door to inquire, they think she deserves privacy.

This time they should have because when Harry barged inside their room it was caliginous with curtains shut and lights dimmed to zero.

“Lovie?” His cheery voice clamoured against the walls, a sour feeling he couldn’t be aware of pinches him in throat as he bobbed his head around to look for her and it perked up when a shadow falls on his feet.

“Baby?” His smile quirked back onto his confused features and he narrowed his eyelids to take in her presence through the darkness of wardrobe, “Harry.” A shaky whisper floated towards him and before that sweet call she was falling against his chest.

“Y/N ... baby —-,” His stumped chuckle halted, his brain numbed for a moment when his fingertips brushed up her back to push her closer to him and they trembled as they collected the wetness there. His heart bleaks a stinging pain into it’s cords, his breath shuddered coldly, flowers falling sadly beside their feet and his eyes earths with tears of panic, angst and torment.

His fingertips coating in his love's thick blood.

“I –- ‘m .. you –.. you’re h-hu —- hurt,” He stammered through a whimper hand wrapping around the dagger whose half end’s stabbed into Y/N's spine, her weak frail body unresponsive though she could listen to him.

“Who did this to you! Who did this to you!?” His screams and cries startled everyone downstairs and they rushed up to see what’s happening, to be shocked by their sights of Y/N limp in Harry’s embrace.

He turned his neck to shout at them, “I need a hand t’help me!!” His eyes bloodshot and Niall his best-man scurried over to them as Harry carried Y/N and laid her on her tummy on the bed, he slips onto his knees putting his chin on the mattress to look in her hazy painful eyes -- tears caged in them but never flowing down.

“Harry ...” She mumbled grittily in agony lifting her shaky fingers to pet his face and like an affection starved kitten Harry doesn’t let her tire herself and gets closer to her himself, “Niall bring the first aid, it’s under the sink.” He commands him not letting his eyes drift from over her angelic face.

“You’re okay baby. You’re okay, I know how to stitch up knife wounds.” He sniffled sucking in a breath trying to be brave for her and she just smiled gorgeously, lips blue and cheeks draining out of her usual berry stain.

“Jesus. Harry she’s been stabbed thrice, those fuckers,” Niall’s words wavered in fear and sympathy for Y/N. He squeezed Harry’s shoulder as Harry sobbed upon hearing that, “No –-... no, no! It’s still okay yeah poppet? I’m g’na get y'alright.” He wanted to covers his eyes to block the hurting groans Y/N elicited and he cradled her soft face in his warm palms in comparison to her temperature, touching their temples to pray together.

“Harry li .. listen to —- to me,” She gasps eyes flittering over his shoulder towards Bambi and Thumper the two dogs that had gotten overly fond of her, Harry’s blurry gaze follows her enfeebled gesture for them to come near her.

They whined and howled sadly flopping beside Harry and Harry hiccupped into his elbow shaking his head when Y/N put her hand under their ears in effort to scratch them but wasn’t able to unfortunately, “Hi babies. You’re gonna look after dad after ‘m gone?” Everyone cried at that watching her soul leave their dull lives that watered colourful upon her arrival.

“Don’t say that! Don’t y'dare say that!” Harry sobbed rushing to hug her tightly, the front of his shirt loathing crimson and she hissed looping her arm against his neck when Niall pulled the dagger out from her lower spine gradually and slowly not to hurt her.

“’M so sorry baby, sorry for being the reason of y’pain.” His tears dampened her already sweaty crook of neck, “Pr – promise me t-that that you’ll have some —.. someone who lov‐-.. loves –--,” She whimpered. Her body jerked into him with a force and she pushed him weakly away to stitch her lips tenderly against his's.

“Tell me bubby. Ha—- have I loved y'enough?” She cooed into their kiss and Harry bolted his eyes shut, poisonous sobs wrecking out of his chest.

“Tell me before, I go ...” Her heartbeat started dropping insanely, her lips wobbled, toes curling with life excavating out of her, “Y'have. Y'have don’t go baby, I’m not saying a goodbye!” He cried showering her in kisses for the one last time and pets her hair, eyes closed praying she takes him with herself because he'd never recover from the pain of loosing the only person he loved more than himself, the person who made hum love himself.

“I love you ..” She whispered, her loving kind eyes locked against his’s and the pool of honey around her rims expanded, her lips parted around the gasping breaths and Harry begged and pleaded — a side of him no-one has ever witnessed as he twisted in anguish considering himself the unluckiest man on the earth for letting his lover go like this, in the worst possible way.

“I love you, I thought I’d never be capable of, y'made me worthy darling. I'll always love you baby....” He shrieked into her chest heaving her up gently to embrace her properly and even though he knew she was no more with him, he fooled himself into thinking so.

If it was possible he’d have clawed his ribs to pluck out his heart in return of hers and he felt like the sun and earth had crashed vanishing away the time spaces as he sat there crying and crying mourning the loss of his lovie that could never be healed by anything in this whole word.

He keeps on holding her, rocking back and forth as he lulls her to slumber of death.

It hurts. It hurts so bad.

His heart weeps.

His soul aches.

When rain stopped and that tranquil silence doomed over them, rage filled his every pore and vein.

He knew who did this. Harry has played dirty but he has never played unfair. It was this gang of companies who sabotaged and destructed the orphanages at the property which belonged to his mother (but the papers weren’t clear) to build restaurants and apartments there so Harry took revenge by burning acres of their illegal drug running underground factory and rebuilt the orphanages and took Y/N to one of their charity events.

She was the happiest he had ever seen her.

It’s like a gun barrel clicked in. A firecracker catching the fuse of ashe to burst everything into flames as Harry laid her with ever most tenderness and kissed her temple, her lifeless eyelids and her chapped lips.

Cleaned the streak of blood with his sleeve and didn’t wipe his tears away bashing out of the room, everyone stepped away as Niall lunged infront of him to stop him before he goes to cause damage to himself more than to them for being in such a vulnerable and weak state.

“Step away.” He growled angrily, gaze fiery and dangerous.

“No.” Niall sighed.

“I wouldn’t get her buried in sucha cold blood. She didn’t deserved this, hell nobody does.” Harry kissed his teeth together gripping at his hair ruthlessly, cheeks dry with tears, his limbs trembling, his head spinning.

“Anyone who wouldn’t follow my orders gets their kneecaps blow-off.” He grunted -- nostrils flaring and saying this he went away, snatching his guns from the console and ordered his men to find the security guards that had their duties at the main gates.

In just a day he hunted each of those monsters down like a hungry wolf and gave them such punished, tortured deaths that each one fell in Harry’s feet for his mercy but his heart was turned into a stone already because the only warmth it had there was because of one person and that person’s gone leaving him to survive in this hellhole alone while he dragged these bastards to the depths of firepits.

Once, coming back home to her. To his sunshine, to his soul and life, to his reasons of getting up every morning so he would get to spend time with her —- he broke down. Into shattered bits and pieces of remorse, guilt and sadness feeling himself so small and hurtable as he cried to himself all alone in their garden with no-one to console him where he’ll come to meet her daily.

He wants to rip his skin apart and set it on fire for his beating heart to stop, for it stop feeling.

He feels sick. Fainting, in urgency and desperation to hold his baby and never let go.

To lay down with her under the soil if that's possible.

his only reason to live.

His only beloved.

.

The wind giggles through pink leaves of cherry blossom tree, lush grass resting peacefully and Harry smiles to himself treading towards his two most favourite people in the world.

The spring being their heartiest month.

“Azalea! What y’chattering ‘bout t'mum?” He asks and nods proudly when his lil boy stands up from his cross position on the ground from beside his mother and brushes the grassy spikes from his cherry printed shorts with his little pudgy hands.

“My first day at school dada!” The four years old squeals and Harry scoops him up in his arms, kissing his cheek again amount less times, “Is that so, huh! huh!” He tickles his little bun.

Y/N was right. Isn’t she always. Harry chuckles. Even if she’s gone he still feels loved from her, she’s in the rains, in the sweaters he wears when he feels shallow, in the scent of his pillows, she’s in the vanilla smell of their favourite cupcakes – she’s in his dreams and that name of their son, Azalea.

She always wanted to name their first born Azalea, a blooming flower that happens to be a vibrant pink, a gift of spring, are floriferous in sunshine and she'd always say that Harry would be their sun.

Their ever source of happiness.

Azalea was three days old when his mother died and Harry took him home even though not sure of his own decision but something in those little eyes that matches his mommy made Harry’s heart attract towards him so much he brought him without another thought.

A home he built with Y/N. The curtains of the mansion still remains pushed back wide, flower vases on every furniture, not a day goes by when anyone doesn’t misses her and the ducklings has grown so much that Y/N would have been spinning in happiness around.

Nothing has changed, life’s fleeting for everyone except for Harry. He counts each day and night that goes without her beside him in his sleep, in the little picnics with Azalea and Niall, in the story reading at nights with his baby, in kitchen to watch the winters first rain prattling against that one window that’s old enough to carry the remains of his ancestors, she’s never there to share a noodle pot with him while he sits and eat alone, never there to patch his favourite socks back, to kiss his forehead whenever he leaves home, to call him sweet names and to laugh with him on his silly jokes, to do thumb fights, to get angry with him whenever he refuses to layer himself in cold.

Never.

Never physically. But, she’s always there in his heart, her presence lurks around him and he could feel the warmth of her wrapping around him whenever he falls asleep watching telly.

“What did y'learn today bubba?” He asks Azalea and grins cheekily when Azalea babbles, “Colours!”

“That’s fuckin’ amazin'!” At that a huge gush of breeze hits him in face a tiny branch of the tree they’re standing under falls on his head.

“Kay' kay fine! No cursing.” He squeaks in defence pouting down at the grave of his lovie and his face splits into a grin when his hair glittered up with cherry blossom leaves.

“We miss you very much,” His voice heavy and sad. He gulps chokingly and blinks away the glossiness, stroking a thumb up Azalea cheek who’s sitting in Harry’s lap.

Every evening they come to meet Y/N, the hole in his heart couldn’t fill up of her void but the soothing feeling of relief that she’s in their garden and nearer to him has lessened the grief.

“G’na meet you tomorrow, our baby’s mighty hungry.” He chuckles hearing the grumbling noises coming from Azalea’s belly.

“You’re so cheeky baby.” His eyes glimmers and he feels himself swooning into breeze, “How’s it going in heaven?” He asks airily tracing his initials beside her beautiful name engraved at the tombstone and it’s like she’s scolding him when he gets a nip on his pointy finger.

“Azalea kiss mommy a goodbye.” Harry breaks into laughter when Azalea bobs his head and almost tumbles of his daddy’s lap in the effort to reach the tombstone.

“Goodbye beautiful.” Harry whispers kissing the top of her tombstone and his heart bursts into lilacs when once again he’s showered into petal like leaves.

“I love you too, baby.” Finally he has accepted to say goodbyes.

[djarrex]

Pretty please can we have something where Echo and TBB find out Rex and reader are expecting? Bonus points for Omega's reaction cause I wonder sometimes whether she knows much about the natural way babies are made? I figure she wouldn't have need of that information in the Kaminoans' eyes.

I wanna preface this by expressing the joy I feel and the appreciation I have when you guys come into my inbox asking or wanting to talk about Post-Order 66 Rex and fam. I love it SO MUCH you have no idea :’)

So, if you remember, Hunter was briefly in Insatiable and has a couple lines of dialogue - he even congratulates them on the pregnancy and wishes them well in case he doesn’t see them soon - which is shown during Rex + reader + Hunter’s short interaction. The squad is told the happy news before the events of that particular installment, and I’m thinking that it happens when Rex contacts them to ask if they would be able meet him on [planet] for a little help with [mission].

Find the rest of the series and related works in the Post-Order 66 Rex ML

Let’s go back in time when Rex makes contact with TBB, which preludes the events of Insatiable: (pregnant!reader, TBB + Omega finds out, about 1.6k words)

<<<>>>

"We’re being hailed.” 

All members on board the Marauder drop what they’re doing and turn their attention to Echo, who had just called out and is signaling for everyone to congregate in the cockpit. Hunter sheathes the knife he’d been twirling in his fingers and nods before stepping towards the rear of the ship and calling for Omega, while Wrecker sets down Gonky and waves her over. Tech and Echo are already sat in the cockpit, getting the signal steady for the incoming transmission to come through.

"What is it?" Omega jumps down from the gunner's nest - now her room thanks to Wrecker's kind heart and creativity - and joins her brothers in the cockpit. The pilot seats are swiveled around and facing the small space in the center of all of them - the bust of a familiar captain popping into view. "Oh, it's Rex! Hi Rex!" She waves at his translucent blue form with a giddy smile plastered on her face. “Where is-”

"Hello Omega," you chime in with a smile as your head pops into the perimeter of the holo. Her sweet face lights up even more, and her eyes move back and forth between you both, unsure of whom to focus on. From the room you’re still staying at in a high-rise located in Yerbana City, the two of you exchange quick greetings with the five who are currently traveling through hyperspace.

“What’s goin’ on, Rex?” The gentle giant asks with a grin and hands placed on his hips. The captain straightens his stance and crosses his armored arms across his chest plate, and instead of directing his impending response to Wrecker, Rex’s attention turns to Hunter, who’s leaned against the frame at the threshold of the cockpit. A moment passes as the two share a nonverbal understanding before Rex opens his mouth - the focusing pairs of eyes on one another.

“I wanted to see if your squad would be available to help me out.” You quietly observe each individual who are all appearing on your end as full-body projections, landing on Omega to where she’s sitting on top of their Gonk droid - her hands folded neatly in her lap, legs swinging.

“Name it.” Echo is quick to respond with a affirmative nod as he meets the eyes of each member - cutting off Hunter before the sergeant can get a word in. Rex’s oldest friend found himself caught at the receiving end of a very slight glare coming from directly across from him, and begins to backtrack. “I-”

“What is it, Captain?” Hunter interjects.

You sort of tune out the rest, having already been given the spiel by Rex long before you’d suggested for him to contact Hunter for some much-needed assistance. It’s a simple mission: scouting out an abandoned base in hopes to obtain supposedly valuable information from the obsolete Republic database and perhaps to also restock on munitions if there’s anything left there. Normally this would be something Rex could manage on his own, though his thoughts have been a little busy since the start of your extended stay in Yerbana. The two of you ended up taking a little much-needed ‘vacation’ in the repopulating capitol city after receiving the incredible news, and you’re just now getting back into the swing of things. Well, for the most part. Rex doesn’t quite trust his focus as of late with far too many other important things swarming around in his mind, and is worried that he'd make a mistake doing the mission solo, no matter how simple the objective appears to be.

Hunter accepts without resistance, and confirms that they'll meet the two of you just outside the abandoned base immediately after they’ve finished their current objective for Cid, which will probably be in another eighteen hours or so. Rex transmits the coordinates, and it falls silent; the awkward clearing of the throat coming from Rex crackles through the air on their end.

“Somethin’ else, Rex?”

“Actually, yeah. We have some news.” Rex grins and rubs at his nape, and you can't help but to smile wide at him from your position at his side. The squad members all share a glance - a mixture of raised, inquisitive brows and narrowed, concerned eyes. Hunter steps closer to the projection, caution engrained within the features of his half-inked face as he crosses his arms.

“Tell them, love,” your sweet voice of reassurance crackles with the brief wavering signal - your hand laying to rest on his pauldron. Rex chuckles down at his feet and grabs your hand to bring it up to his chest, squeezing gently as he begins to acknowledge the others.

“Everything okay, you two?”

“Based on their lifted expressions and display of affection towards one another, it appears that this ‘news’ is of a positive, exuberant nature.”

You can’t help but laugh at Tech being Tech, which results in mixed reactions at the other end of the call. Rex inhales deep - the air quietly seeping through his nostrils on the exhale. “We’re, uh- we’re gonna have a baby.” His lit up eyes drop to his boots and he’s smirking at his feet as soon as the words leave his lips. You watch as the multiple pair of eyes widen with smiles creeping their way onto each member of the squad’s faces, but the first person to audibly respond is Tech - his focus not lifting from the device held in his hands.

“Are you certain?” All heads snap in Tech’s direction to where he’s leaned forward in the pilot’s seat, elbows resting on his thighs, continuing to tap away at the datapad. Smacking his bother’s knee, Echo squints at Tech and shakes his head.

“Yes, Tech,” you giggle as your hand releases from Rex’s and moves to rest against the beginnings of your baby bump, though you’re unsure if they are able to see either one of you from the chest down. “The bun has been confirmed as baking in the oven. We risked a brief visit to the local med center here, so, we’re certain.”

“Well then.” Tech’s brows lift above the rim of his goggles as he readjusts the spectacles with a finger pushing between them. “Felicitations to you both. That is quite extraordinary news. It seems that I was correct in-”

“That’s so wonderful!” Omega exclaims with the largest grin - hopping off the GNK and clapping her hands excitedly as she approaches you. “When are you getting the baby? Are we going to see the baby when we meet them at the rendezvous, Hunter?”

“Of course you're going to see the baby, Omega,” you answer softly for Hunter, giving him a quick smile and nod, saving him from having to explain. “It won’t be for quite a few months, though. Not until after the baby is born.��� Omega’s brows pinch together in confusion, and you cautiously elaborate, unsure of what she already knows as far as what the natural-born process entails. “The baby has to grow inside of me first, and that takes a little while.”

"Inside of you?" Her curiosity is absolutely adorable. She turns to her brothers - soft eyes flickering to each one of them.

"You see, Omega, when-"

"Uh, Tech?" Rex clears his throat, and the intelligent trooper is quick to get the hint - closing his mouth and resuming to silently tap at the datapad. Echo is next to chime in, and he’s smiling like a fool, eyes wide.

“You’re gonna be a dad, eh? Wow... that’s- that’s just incredible, brother.”

“I’m gonna be an uncle!” Wrecker very loudly exclaims, and Omega and you share giggles at his enthusiasm.

“Technically, Wrecker, we are all going to be ‘uncles’ since Rex is our brother, genetically speaking. Therefore, any offspring he may produce would be considered as our nieces and nephews. That is how the nat-borns conduct their family trees.” Tech punctuates his statement with a sure nod - speaking with his finger raised in the air so as to draw attention to his point.

You’re so lost in the way Rex’s eyes continue to positively sparkle with pride and adoration as his brothers and Omega shower the two of you with congratulatory praises that you’re forgetting to respond to all of them.

“We appreciate it, everyone,” you say with an ear-to-ear grin - beaming at Rex. 

“We’ll see you all soon,” Rex concludes, “Stay safe out there.” 

The holo vanishes as the transmission disconnects, leaving the squad on board the Marauder to go over some more details of their next objective as well as to process the news.

“So...” Wrecker turns around and leads Gonky back to where he was benching the power droid before the call. “What do ya think Rex is gonna do?”

Hunter raises the brow bordered with dark ink. “What do you mean?”

“Are they going to keep this up, now that they’re going to have a kid? You know, the missions and stuff?”

“We have Omega,” Tech inputs matter-of-factly as he prepares the ship for exit from hyperspace. “And we are managing just fine, barring our dwindling ration supply.” Omega smiles sheepishly, but nods with confidence.

“Rex is a good man.” Echo swivels his seat around and sits up straight, meeting the four pair of eyes now gazing back at him. “Always tried to do what was best for his men, his brothers, and still does, even if it's beyond his control or out of his hands. Now that Rex is... free,” Echo puts the most stress into that word as it’s spoken - glancing down at his feet and chewing the inside of his cheek before continuing, “He’s in control of his life, and is able to choose his own path. And that path will lead to what’s best for his family.”

<<<>>> 

everyone tags:

@bvcketfvcker @deewithani @chromia7567 @threevie @letitrainathousandflames @thefact0rygirl @justanothersadperson93 @ohtobeamoth @14mcmd1122 @tacticalsparkles @cheesemachine44 @damerondala @buckethead-over-heels @purgetroopercody @socially-anxious-fangirl @cloneygoodness @marya-komar @beskarprincessjenny @awkward-katiesaur @katiebits1 @kawaiitimecharm @shiny-mando @sapphichorrorpictureshow @fat-zygerrian @foodandbooksplease @the-siren-writes-it @ken-obiwan @dinner-djarin @howie-ner-cyare @99squad @chewychewyque @obiwan-djarin @vaderthepotater @blackrose4242 @the-sad-batch @quantumowl @ashotofspotchka @queen-simp @kaorikoizumi @mylifeinthetardisforever @sitherin-mxschief @escapedthesarlacc @sydnubabu @megalinditron @whatanoof @4rosydreams @ahsoka1 @colorfulloverbatturkey @venomous-ko @monako-jinn-stories @paige6768 @diagonallie5400 @galacticgraffiti @commxnderwolffe @fivedicksinatrenchcoat @jediknightdjarin @nikolekenobi @clonecyare @bobafettuccini @rebelpitstop @rowansparrow @shiniest-captain @techs-hairline @no-idea-what-to-write-here @zazzysseoul @ladykatakuri @badbatch-simp24 @royal-stardust

clones only tags:

@sergeant-hunter @kriffclone @saberdeity @echofoxfives @alucas528 @captainrexscyarika @kirinpl @lastphoenixfalling @bambiswriting

[octonauts16]

Fool Who Ripped His Pants (Octo-Kidets Edition)

Junior: Did have to be a fool to get Megans' attention, AM I THE BIGGEST LOSER ON THE BEACH!?

Daisy came up to Junior all red and burning, Junior got up and looked at the cub,

Daisy: No, I am, I forgot to put on sunscreen. 

She puts her paw on her belly  and it leaves a sounding mark, which vanishes,

Junior: Ow...

AJ came up to Junior and her sister with sands on her burger buns,

AJ: No, I am, I got sand in my buns,

She shows them two sandy hamburger buns. suddenly, Periwinkle pops his head out of the sand,

Periwinkle: No, I'm the biggest loser on the beach, Orson buried me in the sand and forgot me,

AJ, Daisy & Periwinkle: What happened to you?

Junior: I lost my Girlfriend

AJ, Daisy & Periwinkle: How?

Junior grabs his father's guitar and sings he is front of the sandcastle and a sand telephone he built earlier,

Junior: When I ripped...

his swimming trunks start ripping,

Junior: my pants. *SINGING* 🎶I thought that I had everybody by my side, but I went and blew it all sky-high, and now she won't even spare a passing glance,🎶

The curtain comes down and a spotlight shines on Junior,

Junior: *SINGING* 🎶all just because I...🎶

rips his swimming trunks again

Junior: *SINGING* 🎶ripped my pants.🎶

the other three assemble on a sand stage with sand instruments and sing,

All: *SINGING* 🎶When Mark the Fox came round just to put him down, Junior turned into a clown, and no girl ever wants to dance with a fool who went and🎶 

AJ turns around and suddenly, her bottom then rips, splitting open, revealing her pink underwear,

All: *SINGING* 🎶ripped his pants!🎶

a crowd of girls begins to gather around Junior,

Junior: *SINGING* 🎶I know I shouldn't mope around, I shouldn't curse, but the pain feels so much worse. 'Cause winding up with no one is a lot less fun than a burn from the sun...🎶

All: *SINGING* 🎶Or sand in your buns!🎶

instrumental break. AJ scrapes the two buns together to make a rhythm then the curtain shows waves crashing about,

Junior: *SINGING* 🎶Now I learned a lesson I won't soon forget...so listen and you won't regret. Be true to yourself; don't miss your chance...and you won't end up like the fool...who...ripped... his...pants!🎶

the whole group comes together one by one in sync with the music and they rip their pants. By now, a huge crowd has gathered and is cheering the group onstage. A blimp flies by with Junior's name on it. It's revealed that Junior and his band were having a concert.

[babyvixen-writes]

Stupid Keys

Bucky Barnes x Doctor!WOC!Reader

notes: some bad language, bit of fluff, shyness, tired reader, bucky stalking (?) if you squint

word count: 1,109

summary: Weeks after the Blip, an intimidating yet quiet stranger moves from across your apartment. Let’s just say it wasn’t as pleasant as you try to welcome him. (Inspired by Grey’s Anatomy and TFATWS. It doesn’t contain any spoilers)

NOT BETA’D. I’m trying okay. This is my first one-shot to post here on tumblr. Reblogs and comments are really appreciated! PLEASE DO NOT REPOST/ TRANSLATE TO OTHER LANGUAGES TO OTHER SITES. The English language is not my first language so please forgive me for typos, incorrect spellings, and grammatical errors. Also, writing is not my forte but I do enjoy them. It’s a hobby hehe Enjoy and happy reading :D

You finished another 48-hour shift from the hospital, yet again. Ever since everyone who, out of nowhere, turned into dust in front of your eyes came back so suddenly you almost had a heart attack when you were in the operating room performing a heart transplant surgery, you have been very busy ever since. Your longest yet very exhausting shift was at 72-hours with very little sleep somewhere on a vacant gurney along the hallway. The chief surgeon even ordered you to have a one-week off.

“You have to take care of yourself, Y/N. I can’t have my best general surgeon fatigue and sick while on duty.”

After minutes of you and the chief having a light argument, you finally gave in. So there you are, walking towards the open elevator with slumped shoulder, your messenger bag on the floor dragging it behind you. Your thumb pressed on the number of your apartment floor as you leaned your weight on the side of the metal lift. You sighed and yawned for the umpteenth time, rolling your shoulders to ease the kink that had been bothering you ever since. You lazily stepped out of the elevator after it opened, forcing your tired and sore feet to drag you to the hallway.

Your eyes landed on the slightly open door across from you. A few boxes were sitting outside that apartment. It used to be empty for years, even before the Blip. It was because it was a little pricey for a small-spaced shelter good for one to two people. You shook your head from wandering thoughts, your focus on getting on the bed and hibernate until god knows when. Your fingers fished your keys inside your unorganized bag, grumbling, and cursing to yourself why you didn’t even place your keys in your pockets for easy access. You didn’t know that your unknown neighbor was by his door, leaning and amused at your state.

“Fuck!” You groaned, huffing and tying your disheveled hair into a messy bun before getting on the floor and opening your bag wide enough to see everything inside.

“Do you need any help?” Your head whipped in the direction where that deep voice came from. When you saw him, boy was you flustered. He was gorgeous! Even if he was wearing a leather jacket with a grey shirt underneath, you can tell that he was buff. Your heart involuntarily beat faster than normal and it didn’t help when he smirked at your gawking, as if he could feel you getting hot and embarrassed. He bet you didn’t know that your jaw was slightly dropped. You finally came to your senses, shaking your head.

“I’m okay.” You try to sound as calm as possible, faking a cough then trying to focus on finding your damn fucking keys. “Where are those damn keys,” you grumbled under your breath, releasing a frustrated sigh.

“Let me help you instead, ma’am.” The brunette-haired stranger insisted, his boot-clad feet stomped gently on the wooden floor. You sighed in defeat, feeling your head cloudy with the need for sleep. “Okay.” You yawned, shifted yourself to let your back lean against the wall beside your door. He gave you a smile, a warm smile that the corners of his eyes wrinkled and the corners of his lips dimpled. You gave one back, a shy smile. You have never felt this weird feeling before, the butterflies fluttering in your stomach and the tingling sensation of the apples on your cheeks. You cleared your throat, “You just moved in here?” You decided to have small talk with this handsome stranger as he tries to find your goddamn keys from your poor excuse of a bag.

“I just moved in yesterday,” the man said, glancing at you and continued to search. “I didn’t know someone lived here.”

“I spend my time in the hospital a lot.” You sighed, nails scratching against your scalp. “Workload’s been hectic ever since the ‘Vanished’ ones came back.” You said and then you heard a muffled jingle. You lit up your eyes to him and grin. He chuckled, his gloved fingers hooked on its keychain.

“Thank you...” You trailed off. “James Barnes.” He passed you your belongings and your keys, holding his right gloved hand. Your calloused hand gladly accepted, feeling the leather against your grip. “I’m Y/N.” You said cooly as the two of you remained eye contact, hands shaking slowly. You wanted to know how his hand feels against yours. If it is as hot as he made you feel, with his large palm against your, maybe even calloused and his fingers.

No, don’t even think about his fingers. You scold yourself. “Um. I should probably go and sleep.” You planned to quickly get your hand from his, but his grip remained with you then let go with a linger that made you bit the inside of your cheek the way the leather of his glove rubbed against your fingertips.

He didn’t say anything. His blue eyes just pierced against the back of your skull when you turned around, mentally praying that you won’t make a fool of yourself as you slotted the hole of the door with the key, twisted, and turned the knob open.

“Bye, Mr. Barnes. I’ll see you later?” You questioned, looking at him. You can see that his eyes were on your lips, then flickered to meet your gaze. “I’ll see you later.” He smiled and turned his back at you to return to his place, which made it time to go inside and close the door behind you with a slam. You hit the back of your head against the door, rolled and closed your eyes, and release a groan.

“Real smooth, idiot. Real smooth.” You scold yourself. “This is why guys don’t talk to me.” Tossing your bag to the couch, you dragged yourself to the bedroom, your memory from earlier torturing you before you drift off to sleep.

On the other hand, when you closed your door in a rush, James Barnes can hear the way your heart pumped a little faster than normal. Screw that, ever since you two looked at each other, he was fascinated by how your heartbeat changed, your cheeks strained a little when you felt flushed by his presence. He thought you were too cute and short to be working in the hospital, with those doe-shaped eyes and the dimples on your cheek and the corner of your lips. He heard you talking to yourself, though, thanks to his super-hearing. He wasn’t trying to be a creep, but he couldn’t help it. 

Bucky hopes to see you again.

[riverkloss]

My entry for @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie for her 500 challenge! My twist on Hansel and Gretel! Plus I made a moodboard which is super nice if I say so myself. ❤

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

I hated the dress, it was pretty but the way it hung on my body, the color, for what it stood for.

Purity, Marriage, to be chained down to a man, one I didn't love.

Harold's mother Mary was fixating on my hair, near pulling it out at the roots, I fought back the winces, at one point I thought about turning around and grabbing her hair to yank it out of her scalp.

She was tall, thin, she reminded me of a spider, her dark hair pulled into a bun, neat and tightly. A dark dress as if she was in mourning, I was.

She was acting as if I was her porcelain doll to dress up, one without a mind.

The reflection was haunting me, this girl staring back at me. Blank eyes, a trembling lip. It didn't look like me, she looked like a stranger, she looked lost.

Mary yanked again at my roots while braiding my hair, a burning pain running alongside my scalp, I hissed in pain. "Stop moving." She scolded me as if I was a child, I huffed out a breath of anger.

Hero's head perked up watching carefully with those big brown eyes of his, alerted and waiting. He was a very intimidating looking dog, but a big baby to me. He was a mutt, half sure he was a German Shepherd, and a Husky, his eyes always on me watching everything I did.

The last of his litter, the runt. Once I got him he grew and grew, he seemed to get bigger everyday.

My best and only friend.

"Is that what you have packed?" Her voice had a distasteful tone. I turned my head to follow her gaze on my trunk, a box full of books neatly stacked on top.

"Yes, May I ask why?"

I looked at her confused, I shifted the front of my body towards her, relieved that my hair was free of the clutches of her fingers.

"You won't be needing all those books, you won't have time to read once you have children." Her eyes look for an imperfection in my face, ready to fix it.

A sickening feeling turns my stomach. I will have to lie in bed with him, have his children.

The thought makes me ill.

"We need the money." The sentence my mother told me runs in my head.

"You should feel grateful for marrying my son." She states, her lip almost upturning in a snarl.

I want to tell her that her son is a pig, a ugly little repulsive pig with his head up her ass, the words die in my throat, I felt incapacitated by my own words, my mind, constantly double thinking over myself.

"Tell your husband that my dog likes to sit in the front seat." It felt good to push back even the slightest at her.

"Didn't your mother tell you? The mutt isn't coming with you, Harold has never been fond of dogs or any pets, dirty things." Those words pushed me back more, I actually let out a laugh in disbelief.

"I've seen dirtier." I smirked at her, I watched her open her mouth to say something as her face switched to spite.

"Mary? The guests are arriving." I hear her husband call out from behind the closed door.

Her hateful gaze doesn't intimidate me.

If anything it fuels me more.

"You best pray to God before the ceremony." Is all she says before she leaves me alone.

I bite back the untasteful words to tell her to shove God up her ass.

I turn my body towards my mirror once again, laying my palms flat on my vanity, so many emotions running through me.

Alone.

There was no stirring through the house, everyone was outside in the front of the house, my chance was open, and I was a fool if I stayed, lived in misery.

I was a fool to take it too, but a free fool was better than one who had none and was still a fool at the end of the day.

I needed a sign. A sign from any of the gods, I pleaded to any of them who would listen.

Then I heard the chime of bells, from the windchime against my window. There it was.

The last gaze I had in the mirror, at the girl who had the glint of a spark in her stormy eyes, a soft smile on her lips.

I darted for my carry bag, shifting my books off my trunk and stuffing clothes in, the few dollars I had, along with the few books I could take, feeling a loss for the others I had to leave behind.

"Let's go, Hero." I waved my hand, he sprinted up quickly to follow behind me, as I moved through the house quickly and quietly, to the kitchen. I opened the back door, the warmth of the spring air hitting me, as I stepped out the door. Hero was at my side as I closed the door behind me.

I turned my head, and my Uncle was leaning against the house smoking a cigarette, he looked at me, panic ran through my body.

And as I thought my freedom was vanishing through my fingers.

"Keep to the trail." He nodded to the woods, he took a deep inhale of his cigarette.

A breath of relief escaped my chest.

"Thank you."

He waved a hand. "See you later, Kid."

I smiled softly. "See you later."

I knew there wasn't a later, but it was better that way than saying goodbye.

The woods were only steps away, and I ran for life, for freedom.

I was a free fool.

~~~

Dark clouds came overhead, the night rolling in as the sun went down, the birds quieting.

My legs were heavy and burning, and Hero kept at my side, patiently.

"Are you lost?" A smoky voice says, making me jump with a gasp, my heart felt like it was going to pop from my chest.

I turned my body towards the trees. A tall man stepped out of the tree line, but didn't step on the trail, his hair was dark, braided and shaved at the sides, scuff lining his boyish features. I noticed a small birthmark on his cheek near his nose. He looked familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. He was quite handsome.

"No, I'm not lost." I stated confidently. Hero didn't react to him, which was odd because Hero didn't like strangers. It made me slightly uneasy.

He perked up a dark brow at me, a charming smirk.

"Are you sure?" He was looking at my dress, his smirk getting slightly bigger.

"I would think you would be at a wedding."

I held onto my bag tightly, ready to strike first if it came that way.

"You should know that they are waiting for you at the end of the trail, they thought they would let you walk to defeat." He turns his head briefly to look down.

My face morphs in surprise for a moment, but it's something that my mother would do. That I believe.

"Why are you telling me?"

He bite his tongue with his sharpest canines.

"You're pretty."

I scoffed. I knew what I looked like, yes I was pretty, but men didn't want wives that outweighed them, or intimidated them.

Weak men.

"I know a way off the trail, one you won't get caught."

I pressed my lips together.

"How can I trust you when I don't know you, you're a stranger in my eyes.

"My name is Hvitserk, now we aren't strangers." He smiled at me.

He outstretched his hand for me to take, but I was still weary of him.

"If you try anything Hvitserk, I will let my dog tear you apart." I stated.

I reached for his hand, and he helped me step from the trail into the treeline, Hero followed and began walking in front of us.

"I'm curious, why did you run away, was the husband-to-be grotesque?" He is toying with something in his pocket and pulls out a few wild berries, he pops one into his mouth.

I laughed at that. "I don't want to be held down in a loveless, freedomless marriage, I want more."

He nods, listening to every word, while popping berries into his mouth.

"My father is pushing us boys to find wives, he is more in the old ways about it, stealing a woman and taking her to the underworld." I laugh a little at the underworld part.

"Like Hades and Persephone?"

He raises his eyebrows at me.

"You know that story?"

"I've always liked that story, My parents hated when I read books like that, they thought it would tamper with my mind." I whirl my finger around my temple.

"He stole her away, but they actually loved each other, he treated her with equality and respected her, never cheated on her, or had stray eyes for another, he would destroy the world if she asked." I continued.

He held out his hand to offer me a red berry and plucked one with my finger. I put the berry in my mouth, it was so sweet and ripe against my tongue, almost a cinnamon hint to it.

"If you asked me, I would too."

I playfully rolled my eyes, taking another berry, then another.

"Though my Mother doesn't want to admit it, I think she went willingly as well."

"Oh?" I peer at Hero who is still walking ahead. I paid little attention to what he said, but I should have.

"She ate the berries my Father offered to her, and she became tied to the underworld."

I stare at him like he's grown two heads.

And my gaze goes to the berry in my fingers,

Red and plump, I feel drunk all of a sudden and light like I am floating.

He curls himself around me, and I gasp.

"I think Cerberus will be glad to see his son again." He chimes.

He holds onto my full hip with a heavy grasp.

"I'm sure you'll give me sons too." His gaze darkens on me, he leans down to my lips and my heart feels heavy.

He presses his lips to mine, and I'm engulfed in hellfire.

Maybe being in the Underworld won't be so bad.

[quicktypesomethingclever]

Would You Say Yes? (If I Asked You)

A Willex prom short drabble

JATP Prom Day 2: Ask

Summary: Alex wants to ask his crush to prom, but he’s too much of an overthinker.

Warnings: none

Notes: So this is just a short drabble I wrote two days ago at 2am because I wanted to do something for @the-jatp-prom. It's also my first fic... ever. A big thank you to @toomanyfandomshelp for giving me the confidence I needed to try writing a one-shot and not only WIPs saved in my notes :)

The school year was coming to an end, which only meant one thing: prom.

Everyone was choosing their dates and Alex knew exactly who he wanted to go with. He was planning to ask him, really. He just wasn’t sure how.

He and Willie had had this ‘thing’ going on for the last month. They’d hung out a lot, used any excuse to hold hands, and stared at each other for a bit too long. Sometimes, it felt like they were even flirting.

Alex wasn’t stupid. He knew that meant something.

But the date of the party was too close, it was approaching too fast. He didn’t know what to do. Should he keep it small and intimate? Should he prepare something big and ostentatious instead or would that be too much? Should he bring the conversation casually, make it simple?

Nothing about this felt simple.

And what if he said no?

Because maybe he had been reading it all wrong. Maybe they considered him just a good friend. Willie was very friendly, after all. Maybe he didn’t like dances, or he already had a date.

Maybe he’d just make a fool of himself. Maybe…

Deep down, he knew this was his anxiety talking. But he couldn’t push these thoughts away and before he knew it, there was just one week left and he still hadn’t asked him.

“Alex, you have to ask Willie. They’ll definitely say yes.”

“Luke’s right, you know? He’s head over heels for you, dude,” Reggie chimed in.

Alex didn’t answer, instead focusing on his tray. The sight of food didn’t look as appetizing as before, the nerves settling in his stomach once again.

He noticed Willie entering the cafeteria, and all hopes of finishing the vegetables and chicken in front of him vanished.

“Hey!”

The lock of hair that escaped from his bun momentarily distracted Alex, but the voice of his two friends saying hello snapped him out of it. “Hi.”

“So, uhm… I wanted to ask you something.” They sounded almost nervous, which was… new.

It made Alex nervous, too, already fearing the worse. It didn’t help that Luke and Reggie had not so subtly moved to the other side of the table.

“What is it?”

“You know prom, right?” The question took him by surprise. He nodded. “Do you maybe want to come with me?”

If Alex had been drinking water, he probably would have spilt it right in his gorgeous face.

He had just asked him to go with them? It wasn’t a dream; he was sure of it. He was tempted to pinch his arm for confirmation but decided against it.

“I mean, you don’t have to say yes, I was just asking.”

Only then he realized he’d been quiet for a little too long. He spoke before they could get the wrong idea.

“I- Yes. Uhm… yeah, I’d love to.”

Willie’s bashful smile quickly turned into a full grin, and Alex felt the whole world brighten.

“Rad! I have to go, but see ya later, hotdog.”

“I still don’t like the nickname!” he shouted back. But he couldn’t keep the smile from his face.

And if his two bandmates had teased him about it for the whole week until the dance, well, he really didn’t care.

Because Willie had asked him to go to prom. As his date.

[dontmindmyshadowhunting]

Dru meets Ash (Fan Fic)

This is Chap 6 of “Welcome to Faerieland”, a sequel to my Kitty Fan Fic "To never being parted" although it can be read as a standalone story.

Dru meets Ash (again, although she doesn’t know they have already met) in this Chapter.

AO3 Link here.

*****

Jaime and Dru landed a little away from a clearing where a revel was being held. Jaime hastily slipped the Eternidad back into his pocket. He would give it back to Cristina eventually, but in the meantime, he knew she had no trouble being escorted in and out of the Unseelie Court whenever she wanted to. Perks of being the King’s girlfriend. 

Jaime and Dru had both dressed in faerie clothes, in order to blend in. Dru was wearing a long azur blue dress that brought out the color of her eyes. It fell just above her ankles, revealing high-heeled boots (conveniently hiding a few daggers). An upturned collar and long sleeves covered the marks on her neck and arms, though the low-cut neckline would inescapably draw anyone’s attention to her cleavage. Her dark brown hair was efficiently pulled into an elegant bun. Where Jaime and Dru’s skin showed, both had covered their marks with concealer. 

As they walked toward the revel, and the music grew louder, Dru turned to Jaime. “I have to go find a friend of Nene’s. She may help us locate Ty and Kit. It’s better if I go alone, she knows the Blackthorns very well but she’s a bit wary around other Shadowhunters. Don’t stay too far, though. And of course, I don’t need to tell you not to drink or eat anything.”

“No, you don’t,” Jaime answered a little harshly. Blackthorns knew a great deal about the Fair Folk, but so did the Rosales, he wanted to remind her.

When they had finally joined the party, Dru waved at a faerie woman with blue hair and purple eyes who was standing next to a tent, in deep conversation with a kelpie, and left Jaime to stand awkwardly at the edge of the forest. 

He had not been there five minutes when a fey swooped in to offer some refreshments.

“No, thanks,” he replied immediately, lifting one of his hands reflexively to prevent the fey from coming any closer. 

“Are you certain? Mundanes are particularly fond of this one,” he said, pointing to a blue drink, “it makes you look younger. Not that you need it, of course.” 

“Huh. Is there a drink that makes you grow like two years older, without altering your appearance?” The faerie stared at him aghast. Jaime couldn’t blame him. “Never mind,  very  stupid question,” Jaime mumbled.

Dru appeared then, her eyes glowing in excitement. She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the forest. 

“So... any information on where we could find your brother and Kit?”

“Have you ever been to a revel before?” She replied, ignoring his question.

“Hum. No, but Cristina told me a bit about them…”

“Come over here,” she said as she drew him further into the forest. She stopped in front of a tree, put both her hands on his chest and pushed him against the trunk. His back hit the wood with a loud  thump  but it was mostly drowned by the sound of his heart beating in his chest.

Her gaze was intense, dark eyelashes batting seductively over her blue-green eyes. Jaime swallowed.

“Er- Dru, what are you doing? Aren’t we supposed to go hunting for Ty and Kit?”

“Relaaax. What happens in Faerie stays in Faerie, doesn’t it?”

She bit her lower lip and he gasped.

“God, Dru, those lips…” Jaime choked. His thoughts were becoming more and more incoherent.

“Can I… kiss you?” she asked.

“God, yes. Please.” Jaime slumped against the tree trunk, feeling all the tension leave his body at once.

Dru closed her eyes and he did the same. As she pressed her full lips against his, he could feel blood burning through his veins like wildfire.  Yes, yes, finally. He could be struck by lightning - he probably would - he didn’t care. He would die a happy man.

She bit his lower lip and he could taste his own blood, but he didn’t mind.  Feisty  little Dru. He brought his hands on either side of her face to cup her cheeks, but instead of soft skin he felt a very light... stubble. He pulled away immediately and found himself staring into a pair of bright blue eyes, the colour of a summer sky. Kit Herondale was smiling at him, his grin as mischievous as ever but somehow it looked wrong.  All wrong.

“What does your heart truly desire, little Shadowhunter?” he said, cocking his head, and it was not his voice, but a woman’s voice.

From one moment to another, Kit’s blond hair and blue eyes were replaced by a faerie woman with gray fine hair drifting around a pale face, her skin smooth and ageless. He was staring at a  leanansidhe. He cursed himself. What  a fool  he had been.

He stepped back, feeling sick, and hit something hard behind him. He was about to turn when he was dealt with a blow on the head. His sight blurred and he barely had the time to blink before he fell into unconsciousness. 

****

As she was talking to Nene’s friend, Dru saw Jaime disappear into the forest with a faerie.  What the hell was he thinking?  They weren’t here to have fun.

She thanked her contact, who unfortunately didn’t have any information, and moved to where Jaime had vanished inside the forest.

The tree trunks were spaced, but their branches leafy and close enough that it was difficult to see beyond a few feet.  She cursed Jaime silently as she got deeper inside the woods, the sounds of the revel now receding and being replaced by the sounds of nocturnal animals and insects. She thought about all the horror movies that warned you from doing just that.

If it wasn’t for her years of Shadowhunter training she wouldn’t have heard the soft footfalls behind her. She stepped further into the forest until she was at an advantageous position for a fight and whirled to face her stalker. It was a very tall faerie knight dressed in elegant velvety clothes. Probably gentry and part of the King’s guard. He smiled at her and she kept herself from shivering from the coldness of his grin. 

“What are you doing here all alone, little girl?”

He probably thought she was a helpless mundane with the Sight. Admittedly, she didn’t look like the Shadowhunter women type, with her curvy figure.

“Minding my own business. As you should.”

“Do you know there are dangerous creatures lurking in these woods?”

“I definitely do. And let me tell you a secret…” She cupped her hand around her mouth and spoke in a stage whisper. “I am the scariest one of them.”

The faerie knight laughed.

“I am Ruadhan Fairburn. I used to be one of the best knights of King Kieran’s guard,  and I have met him personally once. I am also acquainted with Gwyn ap Nudd, of the Wild Hunt. You certainly don’t frighten me.”

Oh, no. He did have a reputation as one of the realm’s best fighters, before King Kieran had suggested he retire, probably due to his attitude.

She mimed checking her watch (although she wasn’t wearing any). “Oooh, so it’s already time for a bit of name-dropping? Sorry, none of these ring a bell.”  

No need to tell him she had seen Gwyn cry in front of  Love actually  a week before, on Friday’s movie night, and that she affectionately called King Kieran  Kiki. 

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. When I am done with you,  my name will be printed in your memory.”

“Hmmm. Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll pass.” She started running her hand through her hair casually, intending to pull out her hair stick made with adamas. It was a gift from Jem who had it made by Sister Emilia.

The faerie’s expression turned furious. “I am not really giving you a choice,” he said in a clipped tone.

An audible sigh had them both whip their head toward the general direction of the sound.

A few feet away, up a large tree, a boy - or rather a young man judging by his frame and the length of his long limbs - was lounging on the thickest branch. He was reading, holding his book high, so Dru could not see his face, only white blond hair tucked behind pointy ears. He was dressed in stunning finery, all black, his collar turned up. He was wearing dark silk gloves and his long fingers were splayed across the cover of his book. He was most certainly part of the gentry, or even royal blood, Dru thought.

“You heard the lady,” he said in a bored voice, and Dru could not help but startle at the sound. It was a beautiful, lyrical voice. “She is not interested. Now, move along. Go hump a tree or something.”

“Excuse me?” the faerie knight spluttered, his delicate features set in a mask of shock. “Do you know who I am?”

“I don’t know who  you are, but I know  what  you are, and that’s enough to convince me not to develop our budding relationship any further,” he answered, turning a page.

The knight started to advance on him, but the blond faerie didn’t even lift his nose from his book. With a flick of his hand, he had the faerie knight hauled away like a puppet, as if a giant invisible hand had grabbed him from behind.

“Don’t move any closer. What did I just say about me not wanting to develop our relationship further? Have you never been taught how to take no for an answer?”

The faerie knight was seething but he backed away, walking in reverse, before he whirled and disappeared inside the deep forest. 

“Thanks, I guess.” Dru said, relaxing her stance. “Although we could have avoided the drama. I had the situation quite in hand before you intervened. I could have knocked him out before he had the chance to spell out the word  asshole.”

The faerie laughed, and it was a beautiful chime sound.

“Ladies shouldn't have to dirty their hands,” he said, as if she had not just uttered the word “asshole”, disqualifying her as such.

“What century do you live in?” she asked, shaking her head. “Anyway, I am a Shadowhunter, dirtying my hands is part of the job description.”

She saw his whole body suddenly tense. Slowly, he brought the book down, just enough to reveal a pair of green eyes under delicate blond eyebrows. As soon as he caught sight of her, his eyes widened in surprise and he let the book fall on the ground, the resulting  thump  muffled by the grass.

In a single swift and elegant motion, he had jumped from his tree and was standing a few feet away, facing her.

Up close, she could see his eyes were a clear emerald green. It made her think of grass fields glowing under the spring sun. His features were sharp and ethereal, his white blond hair tousled as if they had caught wind. Physically, he was the opposite of Jaime, all pale white and thin silvery curls where Jaime had brown golden skin and dark thick hair. They both had a lean figure and a debonair manner, but where Jaime was almost gangly, the faerie was all graceful moves and regal stance. 

He is  absolutely gorgeous, Dru admitted reluctantly. And he was watching her as if he knew all the secrets of her heart, as if he had always known her and was merely returning to her after leaving for a short while. 

Although she was almost certain she had never met him, something about him struck her as oddly familiar. She was idly wondering whether her mind had conjured up one of the princes of her books. Maybe, he was the product of her own fantasy and he would disappear from one blink to another… But no, she had not been the only one to see him.  Get a grip, she told herself.

“It’s you,” he breathed. 

Dru tried to regain her composure. She straightened up as she answered. “It’s definitely me.” She had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

“Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight, For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night,” he whispered in a daze.

By the Angel,  his voice. Everything about him ensnared your senses, enticed you to love and worship him. But Dru knew better than to let herself be fooled by men’s - especially faerie men’s - spells and enchantments. 

She swallowed and answered in her most detached voice. “Shakespeare. Romeo meets Juliet. Act I Scene 5. Already bringing out the heavy artillery, I see. Do you always quote other people’s work to make yourself interesting? Or do you  actually  have a personality?”

The strange prince was taken aback for a second. Then, slowly, a grin spread across his face. He was breathtaking when he smiled. 

“Oush,” he replied, miming a sword stabbing through his chest. “That went straight through my heart.”

“This line may work its spell on the naive and gullible girls you usually manage to sweep off their feet, but it definitely doesn’t work on me.” Dru sniffed.

The fey cocked his head, as if he was inspecting a strange wild animal. 

“You assume that I am trying to seduce you?”

She rolled her eyes and whirled, avoiding to stare at him for too long. He was quite intimidating. And she needed to find Jaime. 

“Don’t be a jerk, in addition to being a  cliché,” she said without a backward glance, as she walked away. She could hear the sound of his laugh behind her, echoing in the forest like ringing bells.

****

Tagging @gabtapia sorry I’ve been so busy lately but I am definitely back now with more chapters.

[omg-im-such-a-masochist]

🌎 CULTURAL DIFFERENCES 🌍

Prompt: Y/N and Baron decide to take a big step in their relationship and moving in together. Everything seems to go pretty smoothly for them, until they bump into some little (and sometimes fun) cultural differences.

Word count: Long-ish

Pairing: Baron Corbin x Reader

Warnings: Apart from some cultural beliefs and cursing, nothing really.

Notes: I wanted to go smooth with my first fic with this giant teddy bear as a character. This little story is all based on my own country cultural beliefs. I’ve heard all of this ever since I was a little girl ok? None of this was made up! It’s written in both Y/N’s and Baron’s POV. Each scene is isolated, they do not complete each other. Y’all know the drill loves,sorry for misspellings,english isn’t my first language (bla bla bla),check out my other stories if you’d like to(it would make your girl here very happy 😊) and if you’re comfortable with it,please let me know what you think? Some feedback is always welcomed and appreciated ❤️You can check out my other stories typing ‘masochist writes’ on the search bar on my page and my newest story as a fixed post.Okay,now let’s get to the fun part,shall we? Hope you’ll enjoy 😉

“Y/N, can you please explain to me why in the hell do you need all of this?” He lifts up my perfectly organized (and not so small) jewelry box

“Babe, please put that down. You’ll take all of my stuff out of order” I say as I’m finishing doing my hair

He places the box down and start to dig through the drawers.

“Jesus, babe! Did you robbed a bank to buy all of these?” He’s incredibly amused by the amount of different shapes and sizes pieces.

“Don’t let your eyes fool ya, Corbin” I laugh “Only the ones on the first drawer to the left are real”

He takes a silver thick chain with small discreet rhinestones on it and stares at the piece of jewelry.

“Oh, those are nice” I say “You can borrow ‘em if you’d like”

He looks at me “I would prefer to borrow these instead” He lifted up a golden bracelet with colorful rhinestones shaped as butterflies “What do you think? Should I wear these to work? Do you think they’ll match my outfit?” He playfully places the bracelet on top of his t-shirt, obviously mocking me, since I do the same thing when I ask his opinion.

“Shut up Corbin!” I laughed

“Why do you need so much bracelets, earrings, hoops, necklaces and rings?” He says

I look at him defiantly “Why do you need so many watches, cigars, vintage lighters and expensive cars?” I crook one eyebrow at him

“Touché, princess. My excuse is because I can, yours?” He playfully smirks

“Because that’s who I am! I grew up surrounded by women full of jewelry, lipstick and these” I show him my long nails as I stick my tongue out just like a child would

“I like those” He pointed at my nails “They feel real good when you pair them up with sweet moans begging me to go harder” He gives me one of his cocky smirks

“You’re so full of yourself” I defeatedly say

.....................…..............................................

“Hey baby girl, what you’re up to? WOW something smells really good in here”

“Oh hi” I look at Baron as he entered the kitchen “Thanks! I’m making dinner” I smile

“Oh yeah?!” He lifts a lid from one of the saucepans “What you’re cooking?”

“Nothing crazy, just a simple regular dinner. White rice, beans, some meat with potato and carrots, broccoli and cauliflower for salad. Plus milk pudding for desert, the same one my grandma always made”

“And that’s your idea of ‘simple dinner’?” He asks amused

“It is simple”

“When you said simple I thought you‘ve meant, meat and some bread or something like that” He vaguely said

“That’s like a snack, not proper dinner Baron”.

“It’s pretty common to have that for dinner you know”

I look at him in disbelief “If I ever suggested that as a dinner option back in my family’s house I would’ve been told to shut up and eat my goddamn vegetables! A proper meal isn’t a proper meal if it doesn’t have rice and beans.”

He laughs “Do you need me to get the beans for you?”

“Do you have it?” I gasp in shock

“Of course” He goes and opens one of the upper kitchen cabinets taking out a can of beans “Here” He hand it to me

My eyes widened “Please don’t tell me you eat this crap!” As I shake the can in front of his face

“What’s wrong with it?” He asks offended

“Everything Baron! If it comes in a can is not good for you! I’m talking about cooking dried beans, real beans. Not this pathetic excuse for a bean”.

“They taste the same Y/N”

“Have you ever eaten freshly cooked beans?” I ask defiantly

“No, but-“

“Then you have no right of opinion on this debate!” I huffed and he rolled his eyes

......................................................................

“What in the actual fuck?” I say as I got up from the bed.

I followed the very loud music coming from downstairs in the living room to find Y/N in some skimpy clothes, barefoot with her hair up in a bun singing and dancing to whatever rhythm that was. I go to the radio and turn the music down. Making her look behind.

“Oh you’re awake” She smiles fondly

“How could I not be with this deafening loud music? What are you doing?”

“It’s Saturday babe” She says as if that was supposed to mean something

“Yeah I know! It’s also fucking 8 a.m. and my day off! I would like to still be asleep!” I say angrily

“But it’s Saturday” She says again

“And what’s that suppose to mean Y/N?”

“Saturday is the official house cleaning day, love” She speaks slowly as if she was talking to a child “Would you like to take the bedrooms and bathrooms or the living and dining room plus the kitchen?” She smiled

“Are you fucking kidding me Y/N? I would like to sleep! Sleep until fucking noon damn it! Official house cleaning day my ass” I scream as I make my way back to the bedroom slamming the door.

......................................................................

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING BARON?” She yelled

“Jesus fuck, you scared me! I’m cleaning as you can see” I say as I grab another piece of paper towel to clean the oven

“With paper towels?! Do you plan to bankrupt us and kill the environment too?”

“And what am I supposed to use to clean it?” I ask impatiently

She reaches one of the lower drawers and take a piece of one of her old shirts from it and hand it to me.

I just stare at her confused. She sighs before saying

“You use this to clean it, after you’re done you’ll wash it, put down to dry and once is dried you’ll store it back in the drawer again for future cleaning uses! That’ll save money and prevent more trees to get killed so you can clean your oven! Do I have to teach you everything babe?” She throws her hands in the air “Unbelievable” As she lefts me with a puzzled look on my face.

......................................................................

“Baron love, have you seen my purse?”

“Oh yeah, I’ve put it in there” He points to his side of the bed as he continues with his eyes glued to his video game.

“Ok, than- Baron!” I run towards my purse, snatching it quickly from the floor “Why did you put my purse on the floor?”

“Baby, where was I suppose to put it?”

“Not on the floor! I would like to keep my money you know?!” I huffed

“And what does your purse being on the floor has to do with you keeping your money?”

“EVERYTHING! You should know that placing your purse or wallet on the floor makes your money vanish”

“WHAT? Y/N, I’m sorry but that makes zero sense princess!”

“Shut up Corbin, you know nothing!”

......................................................................

“Baron, can you get the broom for me please?” I ask as he passed by me

“Yeah, sure”

He comes back with the broom on his hand “Here, I’ll help you” As he swiped the floor

“Thank you, my love”

A few minutes after I felt the biggest fear of my life becoming true

“Oh, sorry kitten...Are you ok?”

“Baron” I whisper “Please tell me that I’m getting delusional and you didn’t swipe my feet just now”

“Yeah I did, but-“ I raised my hand for him to stop talking

“Did I do something wrong?” He asks

“Yes you did. In fact, I’m never gonna get married now thanks to you!”

“What?” He chuckled “Please don’t tell me that this is one more of your crazy superstitions?” He’s full on laughing now

“Stop laughing dumb ass! It’s not funny and you should respect those things you know?!” I say annoyed

“Whatever you say babe” He dries his tears of laughter

......................................................................

“For God’s sake what is this awful smell?” I ask to myself as I entered the living room door “Y/N?”

She didn’t answer me. I decided to go on a hunt for my own woman inside my house, when I heard some mumbling

“Y/N, what are you doing?”

“Shhhh Baron, don’t interrupt me!”

“What on earth is this cursed smell?” I ask ignoring her

“It’s sage and some herbs” She whispers

“I’ve had a bad dream, so this will keep all of the bad juju out of here!” She says

“You know that will-“ As soon as I was about to remind her of the smoke alarm the little prick showed himself

“Oh fuck! I forgot about that, damn it! Shut up you evil little thing!” She says as she steps on the couch and wave her hands at it “Baron! Don’t just stand there, do something boy! Go get me a piece of cloth of something like that!” As she frantically waves her hands to prevent the smoke from going to the alarm

......................................................................

“Good morning kitten” I lean down to peck her lips

“Good morning handsome” She smiles “Coffee?”

“Yes, please”

She fills one mug with black coffee and give it to me

“Thanks baby” I take a gulp “You know, I’ve had this crazy dream last night”

“Oh yeah? About what, love?”

“There was this monkey and a deer. I was chasing them or something, I don’t know it was just so weird” I look at Y/N to find her typing ferociously on her phone

“Is everything ok, kitten?”

“Sure babe! I’m just texting my sister to mark me some numbers at the loteria”

“Why?”

“Because of your dream Baron! The monkey and the deer. They have a number at the loteria so who knows? Maybe we’ll gain some money at it to save it up?”

“But we don’t need money” I look at her almost laughing

“Still” She raises her eyebrows

......................................................................

“Yeah?” I scream

*Is she really gonna make me go down there?* I sighed

“Yeah baby girl?” I ask as I open the door

“What?” She asks confused

“What do you want babe? You were calling me” I say

“No I wasn’t!”

“Yes you were Y/N, I was in the bedroom unpacking and I heard you clearly call for me two times”

“Baron, I swear on my mother’s life I did not called for you” She whispers, all the blood drained out from her face

“Oh, then I guess I misheard it”

“When you heard someone call for you, did you answered out loud?” She asks with fear in her eyes

“Well yeah! I thought you were the one who was calling me in the first place!”

She stood up from her office chair grabbing a small glass bottle with some water in it. She toss some of the water on her then on me

“What the fuck babe? What’s that?” I ask slightly angry

“Holy water! You heard something call for you with my voice, and you answered! Babe that is a bad omen, that means something evil is walking around here...Oh my God” She gasps in shock “Xander! We gotta bless him with some holy water too, we gotta protect him Baron! Oh no my poor baby Xander” She runs through the the hallway screaming for Xander.

Soon after she returns with Xander by her side. “He’s good now, thank God!” She reaches for her desk’s drawer again and grabbed a spray bottle “C’mon Baron, we’ve got to spray holy water in all of the doors and windows so it will scare away whatever that thing that called for you was” She lives her office again with the spray bottle in hand and a faithful Xander by her side.

God, why on earth did I decided to move in with that woman? She drives me crazy! But I would be lying if I said she wasn’t fun...

[yandere-daydreams]

has a yandere incubus been done before? an incubus that loves to visit his darling every night, disturbing her dreams and seducing her through them?

This is less ‘seducing’ and more ‘phycological torture’, but incubi are such an unused landmine of terrible, terrible things… it’d be a shame not to use them to their full potential. Let me be a little selfish, sometimes.

TW: Mentions of Death, Mentions of Gun Violence, and Emotional Manipulation.

~

It was zombies, today.

Technically, it’d been zombies for the past week, but time passed quickly in the depths of your mind, the world around you changing whenever he willed it to. The sun never seemed to set or rise, but the sky grew dark and brightened accordingly, the landscape around you doing its best to accommodate the change. He’d chosen a bleak setting, this time, full of decaying buildings and toppled concrete structures, and of course, stocked with slow-moving, groaning, decaying monsters, all fresh out of a low budget movie that would never see a good rating. He’d been nice, though, giving you a few days to adjust before the creatures became aggressive, but his mercy must’ve come to an end.

The scratching was enough to tell you that. You didn’t need the growling, but he’d always been theatrical.

You grit your teeth, cursing the demon’s name as you reloaded the pistol in your hand, one of the many, many weapons you’d dragged up to the shabby apartment you’d made into your safehouse, barely pausing before jabbing the muzzle against one of the cracks forming in the fragile wooden door, pulling the trigger and shutting your eyes as a gunshot rang out through the small space. Luckily, it served its purpose, the greyish hand that’d wormed its way through going limp and falling away. But, it was replaced with another instantly. You barely let yourself inhale, steeling yourself and--

“It’s fun, right?”

The growling stopped as soon as he spoke, or… quieted, at least, giving him room to fill the silence. You just glanced over your shoulder, spotting your captor, your torturer, Alastor sprawled out over your bare mattress, staring up at the ceiling as he addressed you. He was just as nonchalant as he’d always been, black hair tied back into a loose bun and a lazy, proud grin pulled across his lips, as sickening as every other expression he was capable of. “I thought it might be a little much, but now that I’m seeing it…” He trailed off, chuckling. Laughing at you. “It’s great! Way better than the clowns, that’s for sure.”

“Anything’s better than the fucking clowns,” You mumbled, dropping your gun and grabbing the machete laid at your side. The doorknob’s lock had given out, your heart skipping a beat before a weak, rusted chain took up the slack, keeping your only barrier loosely connected to its supporting wall. The gap was barely wide enough for an arm to fit through, but you made due, stabbing at fleshless limbs recklessly, solely focused on keeping them out. “I couldn’t leave that warehouse for three days. I had to drink rainwater, for god’s sake.” 

“You didn’t have to.” He was whining, now, the zombies growing slower. You caught on quickly, letting yourself relax as he put a momentary end to the attack, Alastor allowing you to shift your focus onto him. Still, he took his time sitting up, stretching as he did so, only bothering to look at you once you made it clear you wouldn’t do the same. “You know the rules. As long as your body is being taken care of out there-” He paused, gesturing abstractly. Alastor never cared for the ‘real world’. “-you’ll be fine in here. And you are being taken care of. I’ve made sure of that.”

“My family made sure of that, you mean.” You turned, attempting to block him out. Alastor didn’t take kindly to that, going silent for a moment before appearing behind you, a pair of lanky arms wrapping around your waist. He slotted himself against your back, nuzzling into the crook of your neck when you failed to shove him away, a thin, leathery tail wrapping around your leg, further pinning you in place. You opened your mouth, your spite quickly find its way to the surface, but Alastor sighed before you could, always prepared to interrupt.

“I don’t enjoy this, you know.”

You huffed, speaking under your breath. “Could’ve fooled me.”

“I don’t.” You didn’t doubt he was being honest, but he’d tricked you. He’d tricked you, and lied to you, and put you in a goddamn coma when you told him to keep his distance. No amount of ‘honesty’ would make you forgive him for that. “I want to be happy with you, (Y/n), I really do. I can take care of you, I want to take care of you, but you have to devote yourself to me, first. I can’t take you home until you do.” He stopped, drawing you a little closer, chilled fingertips slipping under your torn shirt. Your apartment grew noticeably colder. “We’ll be happy, after that. You’ll be happy with me.”

“I’ll be dead.” You’d been through this too many times to feel any sort of sympathy for him. If Alastor wanted your companionship, you wouldn’t have to deal with the dreams he inflicted, the nightmares. You wouldn’t have to fight for your life against barbaric gladiators or wander through a never-ending forest or survive things no one should have to survive. “You’ll have my soul, and I’ll be stuck in hell, under your control. I couldn’t be happy like that.”

You felt him scowl, sharpened teeth brushing against your skin. “You’ll be with me. It’s already been a week in--”

“A week?” The question slipped off your tongue absentmindedly, as flat as it was hopeless. You couldn’t be sure about passing time in your own head, much how long had actually elapsed, but… it had to be more than that. More than a week. A month, at least, a year. Longer than a week. “It’s only been a week? Alastor, you can’t… I’m not...“ You trailed off, letting out a frustrated scream. One you’d been holding in for far too long. “You can’t keep me here. It’s not humane! I don’t want to be with you!”

You felt him stiffen, his hold on you loosening before you realized your mistake. The temperature rose, and for a moment, you were relieved, but your hope dissolved as soon as it continued to rise, the whole manufactured world suddenly seeming to radiate Alastor’s anger. “Fine.” His lighthearted tone was gone, replaced with something sterile. Something dark. “Have it your way, then.”

In the blink of an eye, Alastor was gone, and your nightmare had returned to its previous state. The yelling, the clawing, all of it was deafening now, and you reflexively reached for your machete, only to come up empty-handed. You looked towards your supply, but your weapons had disappeared, vanished, not a single bullet left. Your panic flared, but you couldn’t bring yourself to worry about that.

No, no. You had a much more pressing issue to deal with.

Alastor was gone, but he’d taken your door with him, too.

[domesticblisss]

Give It All | Late Night Pt.02

Timothy Thatcher x Female Reader (Mentioned Fabian Aichner x Female Reader) Rating: Mature (Minors DNI) Word Count: 1390 Warnings: Angst, a whole lot of it, but with a smutty happy ending. The smut is mostly talked upon than acted on like the first part. Also, some cursing and name calling. Summary: Reader and Tim sort their relationship out. Inspired by Foals’ song “Give It All”. Pt.01

“Stay with me.”

“Tim…” she whispers, voice so low it almost breaks. Her hands open and close, creasing the fabric of her old white ’Schadenfreude’ shirt, one that would always put a smile on Tim’s face whenever she wore it.

“Doll, I know this is way beyond our agreement, but things haven’t been the same for a while now and I think we should at least talk.”

“What do you want to talk about, Tim? You want me to stay with you for what? Do you want me to be your personal fuck toy?”

“Isn’t it what you are to Fabian?” he notices he fucked up as soon as the words left his lips and her face changed completely.

“Wow, Tim. That– that’s a new low I never thought I would get to.” her voice trembled, trying hard to not let the tears fall as she finally finished dressing herself.

“Doll please yo–“

“Don’t fucking doll me, Timothy. I’m a fool for thinking you would be different and more understanding.”

The sound of her slamming the doors on her way out echoed on his head for several days after.

Texts left unread, calls left unanswered. She wasn’t there when he visited the boys’ apartment, she wasn’t there on their drinking nights after NXT shows, she had completely vanished from his life.

He had no news from her for weeks, so one day, during a sparring match with Fabian, Tim got a little courageous and asked about her.

“She’s fine. We ended things, you know. I mean, we’re still friends and we still talk, she has been a little busy but is doing alright.” Fabian tells him while they engage in a headlock set. “Why?”

“Nothing. Just thought it was weird that she hasn’t showed up in a while. You guys were always together.”

Fabian taps on Tim’s arm, asking to be released. He sits with his legs crossed in front of the other man and sighs, scratching his neck. “Tim, I know I’m a little absent-minded sometimes and that I don’t pay attention to many things but I know you guys were together. Took me a little while to figure it out though.”

“Dude, I’m so sor–“

The italian man laughs, reassuring his friend. “It’s fine, Tim. We were never officially together and we always saw other people. Well, mostly I did. She barely hooked up with anyone else, even if, you know, the whole open thing was our agreement. And I’m not going to lie but I’m glad we ended it because of you. She’s an incredible person and deserves the best, deserves better than I could ever give her.”

“I fucked up, didn’t I?”

“You did… I’ve never seen her so into someone like she is, or was, with you. And I don’t know what you’ve said to her but I also have never seen her so hurt. You should go and talk to her.”

Tim grimaced at his friend's revelations, wondering what he could do to make things right. “I don’t think she wants to see me again.”

“Look, I shouldn’t be giving you all this info since you stole my fuck buddy,” Fabian laughs at the situation ”but as you might know, tuesdays are her days off, and usually, she likes to have a lazy day. By this time she’s probably back from her yoga and errands and is definitely watching some TV show. She likes crunchy chocolate, twix in particular. Just go and talk to her.”

The 40 minute drive from the gym to her place was done in 20. Tim’s mind was in overdrive, training for the speech he was going to give when he finally saw her.

It was in vain. The words were forgotten as soon as she opened the door.

“I brought these for you.” Tim says a little louder than usual as he handed her the bag of chocolates, showing how anxious he was.

“I don’t want to talk to you, Tim. You really think you can buy me with fucking chocolate?”

“Doll, please. You don’t have to forgive me, just hear me out.”

She opened the door to wordlessly let Tim in. Standing in the middle of her living room for what felt like hours while Tim mumbled and faltered, she finally lost her patience. “Go on, Tim. Spill it.”

“I’m trying, doll, I really am. But I don’t even know where to begin with.”

She laughed at his demeanour, her hands running over her hair, tying it up in a bun, a clear sign of how nervous she was. “Fine, Tim. I’ll start. I love you, I love you and it’s not even hard for me to say it. That first moment I saw you, right when you walked in Marcel's living room, I felt something, a connection or whatever you want to call it that I’ve never felt with anyone else, and I’ve had my fair share of partners, Tim. But the moment I saw you I knew there was something different. I love you, and notice I say this in present tense, because even with your bullshit, even with you insulting me, I still love you.” The tears that were at bay finally started to spill, silently. “You took the one thing that made me self-conscious, the one thing that made me worry about… that I would be just some easy fuck for you. What Fabian and I had was a mutual agreement, and I just– it hurt me, Tim.”

She sat down on the couch, holding her face in her hands in an attempt to muffle her cries. Tim quickly sat down, pulling her into his lap, cradling her. They stayed like that for a few minutes, the only sounds in the room were the ones from her cries, the kisses that he left on the top of her head, and the occasional mumbled “I’m sorry”. He only pulled back when she stopped crying.

“Hey, look at me, doll. C’mon.” Tim cleaned her face, gently wiping the tears with his fingers and kissed her forehead before starting again. “I am incredibly sorry. I know I shouldn’t have said what I did, and you have no idea of how much I hate myself for saying it. I had been bottling my feelings for you and I hated that at the end of the day, it all came back to Fabian - on both of our sides - so I made that stupid joke. I am so, so sorry. Everything you’ve said about seeing each other for the first time, they happened to me too. I love you and you have no idea of how much I do. It scared me at first and most of the time, I didn’t even know what to do with that love. That day I asked you to stay, it was just me trying to act on it. I’m not going to deny, but you saying I saw you as a “sex toy” hurt me, and the way I acted is in no way your fault, I just want to be honest with you. Now, how about we start again?”

She smiled at him and nodded “Okay.”

“Hi, I’m Tim. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Hi, Tim.”

She leaned in and kissed him. The flame never left and they knew exactly how to awaken it. Neck bites, hair pulling, her grinding her warm core on his hardening length, and sweet dirty nothings whispered on the other’s ears. Their connection was the exact same.

They loved themselves that day. They loved themselves on that couch, on the kitchen counter, between her soft silk sheets, and against the balcony’s door. She had lost count of how many times he made her cum with his tongue as they loved each other beneath her strong, hot shower.

It was late at night when they finally stopped, worn out.

Tim stared at her from the kitchen counter as she cooked, a simple black t-shirt adorning her figure, making him smile every time she lifted one arm and her butt cheeks peaked out.

They ate in silence, his hand constantly caressing her bare thigh, occasionally exchanging little pecks between their lips.

He insisted on cleaning, and she popped the question right when he sat the last plate down.

“Will you stay with me?”

“Of course I will, doll.”

[thepaperpanda]

CROSSfire || Sam Drake x Reader Smut

Summary: Sam needs your help with getting the cross. Who says that such a difficult task can't be enjoyable?

Warnings: Smut

Words: 4016

Authors: Cass & Rouge

Request by: @porgswillrullgalaxymotherfucker

The auction day came quickly.

You stepped into an old castle, wearing a lacy, red dress that reached half of your thighs. It was a flared dress with deep neckline and revealed back. You wore black high heels in an addition to your outfit. Your hair were pinned up in a bun.

 You walked into a huge ballroom, a lot of people were inside; ladies in dresses, gentlemen in tuxedos or suits.

 You smelled the champagne in the air, and smiled to yourself. Reaching to your little purse, you pulled a little mirror out and checked your red lipstick. It was applied perfectly, so you smiled proudly to your reflection.

Sam and Nate looked around the crowded ballroom. The plan was simple: get the cross and run away. There was nothing in between them and the artefact.

 When Nate casually watched people and the room itself, Sam's eyes stopped at beautiful young lady in a flared, red dress.

Older Drake was a simple man, freshly out of the jail, so he thought a female company would be a very nice addition.

 Sam tapped Nate's shoulder. "Listen, we still have some time before the big plan. So I will go do reconnaissance among the people. Who knows, maybe I will find out something interesting," he shrugged and quickly walked away to follow the girl before Nate could say a word.

 Nathan blinked and narrowed his brows, observing how his older brother walked away and soon vanished among the crowd. He understood that Sam was all alone by many years, but it wasn't a proper place nor time for affairs. He didn't stop Sam, though.

 You took a glass of champagne off the silver plate that a waiter offered. Taking a little sip, you left a mark of your red lips on the glass. You walked closer to he podium, and took a proper look on the cross. You had to get this item.

 Sam grabbed one glass as well and walked to the girl. He took a quick sip of the champagne, noticing that woman was looking at the cross. He dicided it's his chance. "Saint Dismas cross... Really rarity of tonight's event. Are you here for it? Or does lady like you wait to buy a nice ancient necklace to match this beautiful dress?"

 You stopped sipping your champagne, and slowly turned head to face the man who spoke to you.

 First impression was more than positive. He seemed stylish and classy. As tall as he was, he hovered over you. He was for sure older than you.

 "I'm into getting this beautiful cross," you replied with cocked brow.

Even though his comment made you flattered, you tried to hide it.

 Sam looked at the woman and smiled as his eyes scanned her body. Here was a perk of being tall, taking a peak into woman's cleavage wasn't too hard.

 He chuckled casually taking a sip from his glass. "Oh, really? And what will you do with this cross? Are you a private collector or something?"

 "Let's say I need it for work purposes," you replied and moved around. You caught him staring into your boobs, and you felt like blushing.

 With a swing in your hips, you walked into the door direction. "And you?," You asked loudly. "What's your purpose here?"

 Sam followed the woman admiring the nice move of her hips. Maybe he was locked away for way too long? "Well, I came here to get the cross. I also need it for my work," he hummeed with a small nod. "You see, I am the Saint Dismas expert. This thing would help a lot in my research."

 You stopped in the threshold, and leant your back against a doorframe. "Oh, so apparently, you're the expert. It's a pleasure for me then," you sent him a brief smile. You pushed your hips forward gently, you knew he was observing you. "What do you do for living?"

 "Uhm, ya know. I read, I do research, travel," Sam shrugged, standing right next to her.

"I meet beautiful ladies from time to time. This is the best part, honestly."

 "Oh, you mean it?," You asked and ran the tip of your tongue along your lower lip.

 Sam dared to slowly wrap his arm around her waist and smiled. "Oh, sure I do mean it and I need to say this, I have never met a lady as stunning and beautiful as you."

 You slowly cocked one of your brows. Oh, how flattered you were! He was making you blush. And he was a complete stranger!

 You tilted your head a little. "I bet you say things like this to every girl."

 Sam shook his head as he stroked her waist gently with his colosal hand. "No, these words are reserved for one special lady and I think I found her. After all the years of searching."

 You looked at him, you didn't know what to say.

The compliments he was offering you were the cheapest one, but somehow you were falling for them. At least a little part of you was.

 The auction started, so you excused him. "I need to take the best place now," you told him. "But who knows, maybe we'll meet up later?"

 You walked away, with the familiar swing in your hips, turning your head a little to looked at him above your shoulder.

 Sam watched her hips with a smile, he just got the idea how to get the cross and leave this place in peace.

 He quickly went to Nathan who was talking to Sully. "Gentlemen, I just created a master plan that will help us get a cross."

 "Honestly I am scared to ask," Sully muttered.

 "So what's your plan, Sam? I can sneak out to the controlling room and switch the lights off, as we planned before," Nathan crossed arms over his chest.

 He shook his head. "There is no need for this, little brother. See that beautiful girl in red dress?" Sam discreetly pointed at you. "This little cutie is horny for that cross. Well, not only for the cross if you two catch my drift," he said with a small shrug. "Here is the thing. We need to let her win it. Later I will get it."

 Sully exchanged surprised glances with Nathan.

 The younger Drake asked first. "How are you going to do this?," He looked at his older brother.

 Sully rubbed his chin. "There are a lot of guards around. How are you going to force her to give you the cross? Are you going to kick her so she will lose consciousness?"

 Sam let out a fake laugh and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come on, Victor. We all are gentlemen here and we sure know how to treat a good lookin' lady," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

 Sullivan stroked his mustache. "I am afraid you might be too sure of yourself. Such a woman, she doesn't look like a fool girl."

 "Let him try," Nathan decided.

 "I talked with her and she's already mine," Sam winked. "Besides, I still can steal the cross from her. She is alone, and I am twice her size. What can go wrong?," He was sure of his idea.

 ------------------

The auction was fierce and rough, many people wanted to out their hands on the cross.

 Nathan and Sully were standing in the back of the ballroom, sipping on their drinks, observing the place.

 You were setting the highest bids, and finally, after half an hour, you made it. The Saint Dismas cross was yours.

 As soon as you took the artifact in your hands, you finished your champagne and left the room. You headed to the bathroom.

 "Here she goes. Cross fingers for me," Sam said walking away.

 He followed you, making sure he looked decent. "Well, hello there, lucky lady. I can see the luck doesn't leave your side tonight," Sam greeted you when he got close enough.

 You frowned as soon as you heard the male voice behind you. You turned head around, and relaxed as soon as you spotted the stranger who talked to you earlier. "I think you lost your way. Men's toilet is on the other side of the corridor," you pointed a white door for him. "And apparently it was my lucky auction, indeed."

 Sam laughed and nodded. "Oh, don't worry, I am not lost in any way. You said that maybe we will met again, so I just decided to help my luck," he shrugged. "How about celebrating your victory?"

 "I'm set with my friends," you told him. "I need to fix my hair and I'm going to leave. Celebration will be huge tonight," you admitted and opened the door to the restroom. You stepped in, and closed the door behind you.

 As soon as you did, you shifted the cross into your purse.

 Sam rolled his eyes, he was getting slightly annoyed. He wanted to get the cross and to get off, this was something he really needed.

 Rubbing his face he followed you inside the bathroom. Even if it was wrong. "Oh, come on, little one. Why are you running away from me like that?"

 You were leaning over a sink, sipping the water from your curled palm. You choked on it when you heard the man stepped into the restroom right behind you. "I'm sorry, it's ladies' bathroom," you reminded him and wiped your lips with a top of your palm.

 You measured his features with an interested glance, from the bottom to the top. Oh, how handsome this man was. His attention was flattering you.

"I'm not running away, sir," you informed him, yet licked your lips. He was even more than handsome, you had to admit when he stepped in a full light.

 "Oh, so it's a sir? I like this nickname," Sam said with a smile, checking you out again. You looked so beautiful that Sam wanted to fuck you right here, he noticed how you looked at him as well. "Like what you see, little one?"

 You didn't reply. Instead, you turned with your back to him and you started applying some powder to your nose. "Let's say I do. It's been a while since I saw a man your age in such a good shape."

 Sam chuckled and walked to you, he pressed his front to your back, trapping you between the sink and his body. "I feel flattered that you think something like this about me, but trust me, girl, I am in s good shape in every way possible," he whispered right into your ear.

 Instinctively, you stick your bun out to him, pressing it to his crotch, and rubbing your ass over him. You licked your lips slowly, looking at your reflection in a huge mirror. You smirked at the man. "So. You do feel flattered? So maybe I'll try to make you blush now," you whispered.

 As you were trapped between the man and the counter there the sink was, you didn't want to turn to him. Instead, you slowly moved stripes of your dress down, slowly freeing both of your hands and exposing your naked boobs to him. You did it as slowly as possible, at the same time still rolling your hips and rubbing your bun against his crotch.

 Sam moved his hand to your belly, he looked at you in the mirror. "Oh, sweetheart. You will need more than that to make me blush."

His hand moved from your belly to cup your boob. Sam massaged it, playing with your nipple while his lips attacked your neck.

 With a gasp you rolled head back, resting it in his chest. You provided him better access to your neck.

One of your hands was placed to his on your boob, you licked your lips some more when he pinched your nipple. Meantime, other hand of yours moved to be placed on his thigh. Even through his pants you could feel well built muscles.

 Sam pushed his hips against you, he kissed your neck and moved to your shoulder. "You are a naughty little thing, ain't ya?"

Sam's hand left your boob and moved between your bodies to move the lower part of your dress up. "Let's see what are you hiding there."

 You gasped and moved in his arms, turning around to face him. You pulled the hems of your dress up and exposed your black, lacy panties.

 "Well, hello there, beautiful," Sam hummed and kissed you. He moved your panties aside and his finger immediately traveled to your clit. "Tell me what do you desire."

 You licked your lips and jumped on the counter, parting your legs widely for him. You caught man by his white shirt and pulled him closer, so his crotch pressed to your exposed clit. "I have no idea. Girls just want to have fun though, so maybe show me how it is to have fun with older, experienced man like you," you ran your hand up and down his chest, licking your lips slowly.

 "As this expirianced man I suggest we skip this boring foreplay and get straight to the main fun," Sam said before working on his pants and letting them drop down to his ankles together with his boxers. "Just look what you're doing to me," he growled, giving himself few strokes.

 You licked your lips and reached hand to place it on his shaft. Man's cock was hard, smooth in touch, yet with many veins on the surface, so you hummed loudly. Your thumb rubbed his tip. Then, you spat on your palm and rubbed your clit as well.

 Sam watched you with amusment before removing your hand from your clit. He looked you right in the eyes, and slowly pushed his cock in, Sam's fingers started to work on your clit while his hips snapped roughly.

 You rolled head back, letting a little whimper out. He roamed into you viciously, he gave you pain, but the pleasure made it all up for you. "You like younger girls, don't ya?," You gasped in anticipation of his another thrust.

 Sam pinched your clit gently, not stopping his movements. "I like all girls, as long as they do not complain about headache too much," man winked at you. Sam's hips stuttered a little. He was getting close, maybe he was locked away a bit too long.

 After some time, you pushed him off, so his cock slipped out of you with a wet noise. Jumping off the counter, you turned around, resting your hands against counter edge. You shook your ass for the man. "How about fucking this little pussy from behind, Mr Traveler?," You moaned.

 Samuel hummed loudly taking your hips and massaging them. "Oh, miss Artifacts Buyer. I will gladly fuck this nice, tight pussy from behind."

He pushed deep inside of you, fucking you in a quick, hard pace. Sam's hand grabbed your hair, pressing your head against the counter. He made sure you did not look at your abandoned bage. Sam reached inside with his other hand. "Such a good girl, letting me fuck you like a whore," Sam purred as he found the cross, he quickly pulled it out and placed it in the inner pocket of his jacket.

 You were moaning for him like a good girl would.

The fact he caught a handful of your hair add some spiciness to the entire act.

You hummed deeply and pushed your hips back more, rolling them a little in his hips. At that time, you were getting closer and closer to the peak.

 Sam moved the jacket aside a little and pressed his chest to your back. "Is my girl getting close? I can feel that sweet pussy squeezing my cock," he picked your leg and place it on the counter. "Just like that, my girl."

 You turned head a little to give him a glance from half-closed eyelids. "I don't wanna break this tense but I am cumming!," You moaned loudly for the man when he switched the position a little as you core has gotten tight like never before. "Don't ya dare to torture me."

 Sam smiled pulling on your hair  gently, this scene was beautiful to him. "Oh, c'mon, sweetheart. No one is torturing you," he moaned placing few kisses to your nape. "You can cum, I can't wait to feel it actually," Sam whispered in a low tone.

 "Oh, God," you gasped under your breath, and even the words you've said were addressed to you, you caught a grin on his lips with a corner of your eye.

 In the same moment, your inner walls started clenching around his member. The feeling was unbearably wonderful, you could sense all of the veins on his shafts, and this literally drove you crazy.

 Moaning like a little kitten, you slipped hand between your thighs to rub yourself. With a smirk on your face you discovered that you were dripping down your parted thighs. And all of this because of this handsome stranger...

 You screamed when your pussy clenched around man's cock for a long few seconds. You could feel how the wetness is covering him.

 Sam groaned loudly at the wonderful feeling of tightness, and at your wetness covering him. He wanted to stay like this forever, but he had a mission, and he had to go back to his brother soon. "Such a good, little girl. You feel wonderful, now get down on your knees. I am not done yet," Sam said looking at your reflection in the mirror. He winked at you as he slowly pulled out.

 You gasped sadly at the feeling of emptiness within your core. You knew your panties was soaking wet, and you thought you'll have to get rid of them. And this was your favourite pair of panties...

 You turned to face the man, but instead getting down on your knees, you climbed on you tiptoes and placed a lovingly kiss to man's jaw, then you pressed your rosy lips to his rough ones. You were kissing him for a moment, letting your tongue dance along with his, and you could swear to God, this was the best feeling ever.

 Then, taking your time, you slowly knelt in from of the stranger and gasped a little at a sight of his erected cock. Its size was more than average, the shaft was covered with veins, and was throbbing a little. You licked your lips and spat on the tip. Tip of your tongue ran along the shaft, from base to the tip. Then, you slipped it into your mouth.

 Sam looked down on you, licking his lips after such an enjoyable kiss. His hand moved into your hair, but this time he didn't pull on them, he simply scratched your scalp. "That's it, you're a clever girl," Drake mutttered, enjoying the feeling of your sweet lips wrapped around his cock. "Keep it up, sweetheart, and I will fucking cum."

 You bobbed your head back and forth. Your hands were placed on his thighs. Some of wet noises could be heard within the room and you sucked on man's shaft hardly. Soon, one of your palms cupped his balls. Slowly squeezing it between your fingers, you increased your pace. In the end, you tried to deep-throat him. You slipped almost all of his cock down your throat and gagged yourself a little.

 Sam chuckled observing your attempt.

"Careful there, little one. I don't want you to get hurt here." He winked.

 Sam let you continue the work. He was getting closer and closer to the climax.

When Sam got close enough, he grabbed your hair and pulled you away from his cock. He grabbed it and gave himself few strokes befor painting your gorgeous face white with his cum. "I never thought there might be something that can make you even more beautiful. I think I was mistaken."

 You wiped his cum from your nose and cheek; it was thick and viscous.

You ostentatiously put your fingers covered in his cum into your lips and licked them clean, with your eyes still on his face. "Mocha?," You raised your brow. "You gotta drink too much coffee, sweetheart."

 "What can I say? I love my coffee," Sam laughed, improving his pants. "You should clean yourself up before going out to your friends, sweetheart."

 You nodded and got back to your feet. You tugged your panties down and there them into a trash bin. Then, you looked at yourself in the mirror. Your hand slipped to your purse.

 Sam cleared his throat and walked to the trash bin. "Such a waste, bad girl," he summed up and pulled the panties from the bin. Sam wanted to pull your attention away from the purse, and to have a little souvenir from this little adventure. "Guess I will take these. Maybe one day you will want them back. You will have to find me," Sam giggled with his loud tone and winked at you walking to the door.

 You blinked and your hand stopped few millimetres from the purse. "Are you joking?," You asked him and blushed. You quickly improved the dress and wiped rest of his cum with a paper towel.

 Licking your lips, you walked to him. "Tell me your name at least, handsome stranger."

 "Drake. That's all you need to know, little one," Sam pulled you into a deep kiss, pulling your lower lip gently with teeth. "I hope to see you again."

 He slipped out from the bathroom and walked away.

When he was sure you weren't watching nor following him, Sam quickly ran to look for Nathan and Sully.

 "We can go now," He announced simply as soon as he found them.

Drake.

You could swear you'd heard this surname somewhere before. You couldn't recall where you might have heard thus surname.

 You cleaned yourself and left the bathroom.

 When you had gotten to your car, you dropped the purse to seat next to the driver seat. You slipped hand in, and paled. You couldn't find the cross.

You grabbed the purse and flipped it upside down. Only a pack of handkerchiefs, a lipstick, a little mirror and a pack of condoms fell out. "FUCK," you screamed.

 ------------------

"I told you it will be easy. Easiest way to women's treasure...," Sam said proudly, patting the part of jacket where the cross was hidden, "Leads trough her pussy," he finished and laughed.

 Nathan looked at his older brother in disbelief. "Sam. Get civilized, please. I'm the last one to hear about your sexual adventures," he claimed. "Let's focus on Avery now. Even if he doesn't have a pussy, he's the most important figure for us now."

 "How desperated your wife had to be to put a ring on such a bore like you, little brother,"  Sam said wrapping arm around Nate's shoulder. "You're right, but later you need to hear me out. She was amazing! So soft and small. Maybe you will get idea what to do to your wife," older Drake hummed, wigling his eyebrows.

 Nathan blushed reluctantly and pushed his brother away. "Sam. I beg you, stop. I don't want to hear anything like this. God," younger Drake looked at Sully, who only rubbed his chin. "Tell him something, Sully."

 Older man chuckled quietly. "You know, Nathan, you'd be saying other things after being locked down for the last 15 years. I have kind of understanding towards Sam."

 Nathan shook his head. "Whatever, gentlemen. Let's focus on our mission."

 "Oh yeah, yeah, let's focus, but Victor?," Sam turned to older man. "What would you say for some men time? Just us, good cigarettes or cigars, old whiskey and talking about ladies. Nate can go to sleep, he is too young to hear about such things," Sam joked.

 Sully only laughed and shook his head.

"Sounds good, but now I suggest to leave before your female adventure return to us in attempt to find the cross you've stolen," he said and after that the trio left the building.

Pandies🐼: @imidarogerson @grossograsso @thewildgardensstuff @leven-and-ashley @la-verdura @bearded-steve-rogers @atuckyismylife @krispyjellyfishzombie @personality-within @haseki-huricihan @choppedgardenwhispers @vroobelek @lattimelka @chris-beamz @purepearls @volcanoxxx @kastrup-sofie @mikkal-akasaki @withoutashadowofhope @radbluebirdeagle @smutloversblog @buquete @super-psycho-love69 @tanglesss @peter-sommer @baysidewest @vegemania @philip-stan @chodiusmmm @tykorclint @dagger-dragger @kurant @oxfordkipem @deliciousbouquet90 @tuptuptup @hellenna80 @karina-marina9 @latimeriaaa @bratko @wurld89 @scott-evans @kiss-me-rouge @ovonel-espaniol @dancing-tacco @ratugadhi @white-tiger-shangrila @axn69 @eternal-life-awaits @mrs-laura-harmon @gleeeeees @darkllaama @jatut @agawux @fuzzy-tigrrr @jrjohnsson2 @maaargoshaaa @einexx @nwmtagsb @secretlygrantaire @infinity-stones-seeker​ @thehappyspider​ @wings4life​ @huxyluxy​ @dontbeafraidchild​ @misafiryanki​ @electronicpatrolcollective​ @thisismysecrethappyplace @aulika​ @a-happy-wolf​ @creative-seahorse​ @biologyforliving​ @stareyedplanet​

[otome0heart]

[Fanfic] MLQC Secret Santa 2020: The Light at the End of the Tunnel (Victor)

A little late but this is my belated present for @mrs-victor-li for the MLQC Secret Santa ʚ♡⃛ɞ(ू•ᴗ•ू❁) I really hope that you like it.

Also, a big thank you to @ginkgowritings for organising this and being patient with my delay. I really, really appreciated it (灬ºωº灬)♡

Title: The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Genre: Fluff/Romance

Words: 3786

Notes: Even though I tried to merge it in the Dates timeline, in the end the story diverts from the canon, though it’s set after the Rooftop Date (possible spoilers if you haven’t read it). Also, this was partly inspired by the wonderful analysis of Victor’s character “Waiting for your consent” by @sharinluna. I just had time to revise and edit it once so please, forgive any big mistakes that you see and point them to me so I can correct them ^^ Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy it.

.

THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

The curtain closed for the last time that evening and the clapping died little by little in the great hall. The audience started gathering their things and the young woman looked at her companion, her joyful expression turning into a  puzzled one, as he sat down again. Victor returned her gaze with a tiny smile playing on his lips and she did the same, beside him.

“Are we waiting for something?”

He crossed his legs, making himself comfortable.

“The corridors are crowded right now, we’ll take the same amount of time to get out whether we’re there or stay here for a while.”

She hummed, a brief musical sound emerging from her throat, just like the ones she had enjoyed not so long ago, her eyes turning back to the now quiet stage and her feet moving in a spontaneous dance to a melody only she knew. At that moment, Victor would have given anything to know what was on her mind. She seemed to have gone to a world of her own though she was just at an arm’s reach and that unsettled him. He studied her profile in the warm-lit box partly hidden from prying eyes by a dark red curtain that framed her delicate features. They were in an impasse in their relationship which made him unsure of where he stood. He had told her of his feelings for her some weeks before but she had not answered him yet. However, as they had continued seeing each other outside work, he had noticed very little changes in her attitude towards him, mixed signals that sometimes led him to think she felt the same, others that gave away a sense of an inner struggle. And he knew why. The fact that his corporation was the main and only investor on hers made her tiptoe around him, not getting closer but not wanting to offend him either.

He pressed his lips in a thin line. He was not blind to the fact of other men appreciating her as well, she was a fine young lady with plenty of good qualities and the owner of a company; but he was also a mature man who separated work and personal clearly, and if she were in love with someone else, he would retire like the gentleman he considered himself to be. And if she thought that he was so petty as to retire his investment because of that, then, maybe she was truly a silly girl.

He breathed a silent sigh, shooking his head and relaxing his features, as the sounds of conversation in the hall started to fade. Whatever the future held for both of them, he was not going to waste his time dwelling in what-ifs. He would enjoy every single occasion he had to be with her at work or out of it until she made her mind up, starting from the fact that that meaningful evening was his alone.

The hall was almost empty by then, and he looked at his watch.

“Shall we go?”

Deeply lost in her thoughts, she startled a little upon hearing his voice.

“Yes, sorry” she smiled lightly and stood up just after him, grabbing the white coat on the back of her chair.

He extended his hand and she doubted for a few seconds just before giving it to him and turning around. As he helped her, he admired her exposed neck and upper back, normally covered by her hair, this time styled up in a braided low bun where she had held a hairpin with some poinsettia flowers. He could not help a smile. She had gone all out for the festivity and wore a dark green knee-length satin dress with some applique work on the body and sleeves, and red ankle-strapped shoes. She could pass as a very elegant dressed elf. A lovely one, he had to admit.

He put on his black coat too, and together, they left the box seat. There were only a few people in the corridors who had probably had the same idea as Victor. Some of them greeted them, glancing curiously at her as they exchanged a few courtesy words with Victor.

Finally, they exited the theatre, a cold gust of wind greeting them. It had snowed heavily while they had been inside and there was a thin layer of white covering the dark coloured pavement and the road. She let out an excited laugh and bounced on her heels, enjoying the sound of the crushed snow under her feet. He shook his head slightly, an amused smile drawing across his mouth and then, offered her his arm, which he was surprised to see she took without hesitation. Probably, she was more worried about falling down and making a fool of herself than about her confused feelings towards him.

At a leisure pace, they walked down the steps of the building and headed to the parking lot where he had left his car, a few blocks from there. They made their way in silence at the beginning, watching some scattered snowflakes fall from the trees lining the road, profusely decorated. From time to time, Victor stole glances at her, enjoying the Christmas lights reflected in her pupils and the expression of awe in her features, as if she saw them for the first time.

‘Childish’ he thought, aware that precisely that earnestness she possessed was one of the things that attracted him to her deeply.

And then, a soft hum reached his ears. Distracted as she was with the ornamentation, she had unconsciously started to sing disconnected fragments of the melodies she had listened to at the theatre, happy ballet songs about sweets and fairies, and dancing snowflakes and flowers. A pleasant feeling filled him inside and he breathed satisfied, focusing on her lovely voice.

.

No matter how many years she had seen Loveland’s Christmas illumination, it managed to amaze her every single one of them. Beautiful figures, curtains of stars, snowflakes projected on buildings and Christmas trees in the squares, they were all different from the previous ones, bigger and more colourful.

Without barely realising, she had started to hum, the familiar songs that she had heard so many times before that night finding their way from her mind and heart to her throat. Her father had brought her to see The Nutcracker ballet for several years in that same building they had been to that night. When Victor had suggested going to the theatre on Christmas Eve, she had hesitated a bit. Even though they had had lunch and dinner together a few times after his confession, it had never sounded as much as a date as that one, especially given the romantic connotations the day held for most people. It had been when he had told her that he had tickets to attend to The Nutcracker ballet that all her doubts had vanished, replaced by nostalgia and excitement and, as she had watched the dancers on the stage and heard the beautiful, happy melodies of the dances, warm feelings and memories from her childhood had filled her.

The streets were crowded with people of all ages, walking busily from shop to shop in search of a last-minute present or watching the decorations. Here and there, they also passed couples hand in hand, and she wondered if they looked the same to them, holding arms and strolling so close together. She lowered her head a bit, hiding her chin in the fuzzy neck of her coat. Victor declaring his feelings for her so straightforwardly that night a few weeks ago on the roof of LFG had left her confused and unsure. With his fiercely demanding attitude and his mighty position, she had never suspected that he could see her as something more than a “dummy”, a silly girl that stood up to him and that most of the time was never up to his standards at work. In very few moments, he had let her see what was behind his poker face and his tyrannical ways, allowing her to discover a fiercely loyal and protective man with a warm heart who loved his family dearly. And during those glimpses, she had felt closer to him, that the walls between them cracked and collapsed bit by bit, though sometimes, they were rebuilt again in the blink of an eye. She had wondered then if all that was in her imagination and his affection, just a dream. However, his words were deeply engraved in her heart, and his voice, loud and clear like that day, resounded in her mind once again.

I wouldn’t go near another woman. All I want is you…

Heat flushed her cheeks and she side glanced at Victor to see if he had noticed, but he was looking ahead, at the entrance of the car park just a few metres in front of them, across a square, and she breathed, relieved.

He had not mentioned the matter again. Unlike the idea she had of suitors from what she had heard from her friends or watched in films, he had left her space to think, not trying to be a constant presence in her daily life or influence her feelings in any way, not meddling in her bonds with the men who were important to her. His attitude towards her had been the same, overbearing and not giving her a special treatment, and at the same time, considerate and lenient with her whims. True to his word, he was waiting for her to see the light, even at the risk of that never happening.

The atmosphere in the square was very similar to the one in the bustling streets, though the decorations and colours were much subtler, giving the place a cosy, intimate glow, so different from when they had crossed it in the late afternoon on their way to the restaurant where they had a reservation for an early dinner before heading to the theatre, with the hot shades of the sunset reflecting on the glass windows of the nearby buildings, tinting the world as if it was on fire. 

“Everything is so beautiful…” the girl sighed looking at a group of reindeers made with small white lights, except for one which was red. “It’s like stepping into a winter wonderland.”

“Well, I agree that it has its charm and that people feel compelled to spend is a great incentive for business.”

She lifted a brow, regarding him with an incredulous stare.

“I can’t believe you said that… Where’s your Christmas spirit? Don’t you feel anything special seeing so many awesome and creative things made with just garlands and trees and lights, the families walking together and the children so thrilled?”

“Like the one I have beside me?” he replied jokingly, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

She pouted despite clearly seeing that he was trying to provoke her, and turned her head away. However, a second later she forgot about it as her eyes fell on the loveliest decorative ensemble she had seen that day.

“VIctor, look!” the young woman exclaimed as she left him with fast steps, walking to a space between two trees where a string of bulbs in the shape of a holly branch hung. On top of it, two robins, also made with fairy lights were perched, looking at each other, one with its wings slightly opened, the other giving it what looked like a sprout of leaves and small white balls.

A young couple a few meters away from her laughed and she turned in time to see them kiss fully on the mouth, making her flush upon realising what that little sprig in the bird’s beak was.

The two teenagers parted from each other and glanced at her, giggling again and walking away. She looked at Victor, panicked but unable to move from her spot, not knowing what to do. He was just a few meters away, watching her with an unreadable expression that stirred an unknown feeling inside her.

Then, suddenly, everything stilled and there was no more sound of chiming bells moved by the cold breeze, no more rumour of excited voices and nervous chuckles. As if he had decided something, he walked to her, slowly, like a majestic lion, but at the same time, she had the impression that he was giving her a chance to escape, that just a step back would stop him completely, as the suspended time. But for some unknown reason, she could not do it. Her heart was beating strongly in her chest, almost deafening her, her breath coming in short puffs of steam between her slightly parted lips. She lifted her gaze as he stopped in front of her. His mauve eyes, always crystal clear, were darkened by the night and the emotion that glimmered deep inside them. But there was more, a flicker of uncertainty that surprised her. She had never had the impression that he could be insecure about something, and yet, there was so much she did not know about him.

And also, there was her. She could see herself reflected in his pupils and she felt that she was the only one that mattered in his world. That thought alone made her feel an inexplicable spark of happiness and warmth spread inside her chest.

He lifted his hand and slipped it gently behind her head cupping the nape of her neck, and his thumb swept over her cheek, feeling the heat of her skin. She was looking at him with her big eyes, shiny under the Christmas lights and confused at his actions. How he longed to cross the distance, physical and emotional, that separated them and feel finally complete, silence the yearn that surged in his heart each time he saw her. But he had promised her to wait, to leave her space so she could see him as the man who desperately loved her instead of just the powerful CEO that held her future and that of those under her in his hands. So, he would have to settle for just a little display of affection, just for the two of them.

He leant forward and, as she lowered her lids not knowing what to expect, he brushed her forehead with his lips tenderly, lingering just enough to breathe in the floral fragrance of her hair and feel the softness of her skin.

He let go just after his kiss, taking a step back, and suddenly, the young woman found herself missing the heat radiating from him, protective and comforting.

“Shall we go?” he asked, bending his elbow for her to slip her hand around again, as the little bulbs clinked together in the breeze and the atmosphere filled with laughter and noise once again.

The girl nodded, not really trusting her voice, and took his arm, both of them walking straight to the parking lot entrance.

Once they paid and found the car, he opened the door for her, waiting until she had taken off her coat and sat down comfortably to close it. Then, he did the same, leaving his garment on the back seat and took his place on the driver’s seat.

She leant her head back on the headrest as he drove carefully along the snow-covered roads, one of her hands folded over the other, where she still could feel his warmth, as if it wanted to keep it as much as possible. Her mind had been wandering to him quite often during those weeks, when she was not working, trying to decipher what she felt for him, but until that moment, she had not got a clear answer. It was difficult for her to separate the authoritative figure he represented from the caring man whom she was so precious for, as she understood that seventeen years ago, she had made a strong impression on him while she had completely forgotten about his existence. However, he was becoming a crucial figure in her life now, someone who pushed her past her limits and encouraged her to do her best; someone who she could count on and spoiled her just enough to make her feel happy again on a bad day. She was not sure if it was the light he was expecting or not, but the only conclusion she had reached was that she wanted to know more about him, to uncover layer after layer of the pragmatic LFG CEO and see the man behind the finance emperor.

Her eyes fell on her hands again, and a light colour appeared on her cheeks. It had also been the first time they had stood so close together since his confession, making her aware of her masculine presence and his status as a possible lover, someone who would have access to her most private thoughts and feelings, who would expect more than a platonic bond. Her face turned scarlet red at the mere idea of Victor and her crossing the invisible line that until that night had been clearly drawn between them. She recalled the warmth of his hand on her skin and the slight shiver that had run down her spine at the brush of his lips, awakening on its course a million of unfamiliar but thrilling sensations and she bit her lower lip. 

“You're normally not so quiet” he said in a soft voice, his eyes on the road, and she turned her head to him, brusquely brought back to reality, which made silence fall between them for a moment. “Did you not like the performance?”

“I loved it!” he side-glanced at her briefly just enough to see if she was feigning her sudden enthusiasm. “Sorry if it seemed the other way…” she doubted briefly and then, she continued, her nervousness at being caught in her recollections set aside. “You know, my father brought me there several times when I was a child and a teen. it was like a Christmas tradition to see The Nutcracker together around this time. Then, I spent the rest of the winter playing the different melodies on the piano. In spring, I put the scores away until the following December, when we started the circle again. Tonight’s ballet has brought me many memories of those times” she looked at her fingers, still laced together. “It’s been long since I played them, I’ve been too busy…”

He kept silent, but she saw that his brows were knitted together in a frown and she knew that he was doubting his choice.

“I’m glad to have reminisced about those moments. It made me appreciate the dancing and the music much more and keep my memories of my father alive” she turned towards him and that grabbed his attention. “Thank you for taking me there, Victor.”

His posture relaxed visibly and the thin line in his forehead disappeared.

“You’re welcome.”

A few minutes later, he parked his car in front of her building. Despite the slight tension still tangible in the cabin, the young woman felt comfortable and wished she could enjoy his company for a while longer. Then, a sudden idea came to her mind.

“Do you want to come up to my place and have some hot chocolate?” she asked on a whim, surprising him.

His slightly widened eyes watched her for a few seconds, his features not revealing any of his thoughts, making her squirm awkwardly and then, shook his head.

“No, thank you. I have a meeting early in the morning.”

She seemed surprised by his rejection but did not feel discouraged and tried again.

“It won’t take long, and it’ll warm you-”

“You don’t need to do this” he interrupted her words, trying to end her struggle and laying his cards on the table.

“What?”

“To feel pressured. I told you I’d be patient so take all the time you need to sort out your feelings about us. The last thing I want is for you to feel uncomfortable or obliged with me, so I apologise if I overstepped-”

“I know” she replied with a light nod, interrupting him. “You can be imposing and a tyrant but also, respectful and considerate so I know that you’d never force or rush me to do anything I’m not completely sure about” she stared into his eyes with a serious expression which took him slightly aback. “I trust you.”

Those words reached the deepest part of his thundering heart. Never in his life had he felt so relieved and so right, reassured that his actions were correct and that she appreciated them. He had feared so many times that his confession had only made things between them even more difficult but she was too afraid of offending him. And at the same time, he had been worried about interpreting her acceptance of his advances as something more meaningful than it really was. Knowing that she was considering his feelings carefully and maybe taking baby steps towards a relationship between them filled his chest with even more love for her.

“Thank you for this evening, Victor” she smiled unfastening her seatbelt. “It’s been wonderful.”

He nodded, his features softening upon seeing her returning to her normal self.

“Goodnight.”

And then, she leant forward, putting her hand on his arm to bring him to her and kissed his cheek, a silent touch in the darkness of the enclosed space they were in which left him breathless for a second.

“Goodnight” she whispered, her eyes gazing at him briefly before turning and opening the door of the car.

He watched her run towards the entrance of her building, her coat still in her arms and her green skirt fluttering behind her, still puzzled by how fast everything had happened. She reached the gate and just before disappearing, she looked over her shoulder with a small smile playing on her lips and her cheeks flushed. Then, she was gone.

Victor brought his hand to his face and brushed his cheek with his fingertips. He still could feel the warm pressure of her soft lips on his skin and the caress of her breath sweeping his ear, the subtle fragrance of her perfume surrounding him, giving him a glimpse of what it would be like to have her in his arms.

He closed his eyes and swallowed, breathing deeply trying to calm himself down and focus on the road. He started the car and, using his turn signal, joined the traffic on his way home, a soft smile curving his lips as he started to hum under his breath one of The Nutcracker’s melodies.

It seemed that, even though there was still a long way to go, she was starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

THE END

[glacecakes]

Alchemy Lullaby (16/?)

Of all the changes that came with living in the castle, becoming a father was not one he anticipated. When Eugene encounters a small child suffering like he did, he gives them the opportunity to grow up the way he never did… helping them both heal. (AU where Varian is 4 and gets adopted by Eugene)

The worst child custody fight you’ve ever seen.

Read the rest on AO3

Y'all I am so nervous I really hope this delivers! I spent a good 5 days just agonizing over how to get my idea across, editing, redoing, this was a monster to make. The biggest goddamn shoutouts to Scar server, coloring_the_banner, @aj-reblogs, and @space--butterflies for ideas and inspiration, and @finnoky for being my partner in this whole mess, as well as the amazingly talented artist for this chapter. SIMP FOR FINN OR DIE BY MY BLADE Oh also, I had to retcon the last sentence from the previous chapter you shall see why.

Quirin and Ulla, glaring one another down.

A flask in Ulla’s hands, a sword in Quirin’s. 

Varian whimpered from the doorway. Rapunzel and Eugene were so close, he could feel it! As each second ticked by, another rock reacted to her warmth, heating up his soul, his heart. He just had to hang on a little longer, and he could go home! Right? 

Quirin stared Ulla down. His back was turned away from their son in the doorway, and he didn’t intend for Ulla to step any farther. 

“Quirin,” she says, exasperated. “This is what you wanted, is it not?” She swirled the small vial around in her hand. “You wanted the moonstone, the rocks taken care of! This will do that!” To demonstrate, she let a single drop fall onto a nearby rock. Amber creeped up the surface, swallowing the rock wholly until it crumbled away, leaving only the amber behind. “If we give this to Varian, it’ll eject the moonstone from him!” 

“I want the moonstone destroyed, and I want Varian safe,” Quirin hissed. “You were the best option; I didn’t want to kill him!” 

Ulla raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “I thought you were all about duty? ‘No matter the cost’?”

“Not at the expense of a child!” 

“Oh, relax. This won’t kill him. Probably. I’m actually not sure.” She shrugged, and Quirin’s anger grew. How could she be ok with killing a child, her own son? The whole reason he was here was to satisfy his morals and duty, and yet her solution was not feasible. 

He’d let Ulla manipulate him for far too long. She knew how he felt about her, and she’d used it against him this whole time! She preyed on his desire for a son, for a family, and he’d totally bought into it. The man had told himself he was doing this out of duty, but he never was. 

“If you cannot guarantee his safety, then I won’t let you hurt him.” He said, and Ulla’s face fell. “I only put up with those experiments in the hopes of a solution, and yet all that’s come from this is pain. I…” He looked back at Varian. “I stole a child from his father in the hopes that you could end this.”

“And I can,” Ulla insisted. She thrust an arm out, reaching for Varian. “If you would just trust me!” 

“What a fool I am,” He sighed. “To ever think I could trust you.”

Her eyes narrowed, face morphing into a scowl. Quirin brandished his sword, but alas she was prepared. From her apron she pulled a small vial and threw it at Quirin’s feet. It exploded into goo, trapping him in place. 

With him out of the way, Ulla’s attention fell solely to the boy. Her hair practically floated in midair, more and more chunks falling out her bun as she stalked forward. “Oh, Varian,” She sang, gaze trained solely on her son. “Come to momma, moondrop. Let momma fix you.” 

Quirin struggled desperately to escape from the goo trap, but the alchemy held strong. “Varian, run!” he cried. 

The child backed up in fear, shaking his head. “Punzel’s gonna be here! She’s coming for me!” He insisted. Just a little longer, he just had to wait a little longer…! 

His momma laughed in agreement. “Yes, stay. It doesn’t matter, Varian. Just take your medicine, and all our problems will go away…” Now that Ulla was closer, her scowl morphed into a cheshire grin. She ran a hand through her hair, leaving a large piece hanging like a curtain over one eye. 

Varian’s mind reeled as tears streamed down his face. Think, think! Eugene always told him to come find him when he was in danger, but he knew where Eugene was! He was coming! Why wasn’t he here yet?

He glanced around wildly, looking at anything aside from his momma and the glowing vial in her hand. From Quirin, who struggled to free himself, to the moon shining through the window…

Wait, that’s it! The incantation! The one Quirin said to only use in danger! This surely counted as danger, right? 

“Wither and decay…” He mumbled, and Ulla’s face lost all color. “End this dest-destiny…” He didn’t really know what the words meant, did that matter? He hoped not. 

“Don’t you dare,” Ulla growled, grabbing Varian’s arm roughly. “Don’t you dare you brat! You worthless child!” She pushed the vial into his face. “DRINK IT!”

BANG!

“GET AWAY FROM HIM!”

Eugene stood front and center at the lab’s entrance, chest heaving as he stared at the scene in anger. His baby boy, backed into a corner and at a madwoman’s mercy! Righteous justice bubbled in his chest, a desire to grab Varian and cause just as much pain to this lady as she had caused their family. Rapunzel at his side readied her frying pan while her braid shone like the sun. Cassandra stood by as well, sword drawn and ready to fight Quirin, though she lowered it slightly when she saw he was no threat. 

The alchemist snarled, throwing down Varian’s arm and reaching for her alchemy. “Honestly, if you all had just waited five minutes, I would’ve gladly handed him back…!” Why did none of them see her way? She just wanted to extract the moonstone from a baby who had no use for it, nor a proper grip on his powers. She wanted the rocks to vanish, just like the rest of them! Ulla charged at the trio, throwing a smoke bomb to distract them. The room filled with smoke, hiding Varian from sight.

“Varian!” Rapunzel called. “Hang on, honey! We’ll save you!” 

Ulla’s voice rang out loud and clear from behind. “I’m trying to save us all, you morons!” Rapunzel brought up her frying pan to bat away another bomb now that she could see Ulla through the smoke. “If I had the moonstone, I could retract all the rocks!”

“What makes you so sure you can control them if Varian can’t?” She barked. The only response she got was a goo bomb trapping her pan to her hand. “Ugh, seriously?” Ulla smirked, throwing another bomb she knew Rapunzel couldn’t dodge. The princess braced for impact, only for Cassandra to push her to the floor just in time. 

“Eugene!” Cassandra called through the smoke. “Go find Varian!” 

Eugene held up his shirt to help his breathing through the smoke, though it was slowly beginning to dissipate. He could barely make out Quirin’s form, trapped under Ulla’s alchemy. While part of him still hated the man’s guts, seeing that he was not on Ulla’s side (anymore) was enough to push that down for now. “Quirin,” He rasped. “Varian. Is he ok? I swear if you hurt a hair on his head-”

“He’s fine, I tried to stop Ulla from using that chemical. I’m so sorry,” That got Eugene to blink in shock. A truce, a common enemy, that would’ve been expected, but an apology? “I should never have taken him, I was just trying to do my duty, I never wanted him to be hurt-!”

Eugene cut him off. “Yea, we can hash that out later. Varian?” That made Quirin blink a few times in shock. He was just ignored, just like that? Well, he couldn’t blame Eugene, it was his son after all. But still, ow. He pointed his sword in the direction of the boy.

“Varian, bud, you there?” Eugene said, and the smoke finally cleared enough that he could see his son still in the corner. “Oh thank god-” He trailed off at his son’s appearance. “Varian…?”

Pitch black eyes stared back. His baby’s lovely hair, raven black with a streak of moonlight, was now dark as the rocks he controlled, with teal flowing through his head. A large shadow loomed behind Varian, creeping and slowly swallowing the room in darkness.

“Break these earthly chains… and set the spirit free.”

The floor beneath him cracked, and the air turned stale, blowing away any remaining smoke.

“Wh-” Cassandra tried to speak, but broke into violent coughs. Like sand in an hourglass, energy sapped away from the adults in the room, redirected towards the toddler. With each heartbeat Eugene felt himself weaken, but still he staggered forward, dropping down onto his knees in front of his son. 

The past few days have been wrought with anxiety, but now, seeing Varian in front of him, so close yet so far… that was worst of all. Eugene’s boy was dressed in rags similar to when he was first found (Where was his suit? His suit that he adored and made Varian look like himself?). Oh how Eugene wanted to scoop Varian up. To run away, to the ends of the earth. But that would make him no better than Ulla. To think just a few days ago, nothing was wrong, their only problem had been Varian’s jealousy towards Rapunzel. How had it all gone so wrong? Did that make Eugene a bad parent? If he had fought harder, would Varian be in this position? Or would this destined to happen, the forces inside his son doomed to swallow them all whole?

He reached out, hands shaking, and pulled Varian into his arms. His clothes sizzled slightly under Varian’s touch, but he didn’t care. He rocked Varian back and forth, just how he liked it. “Varian?” Eugene whispered. “Varian, can you hear me?”

“...Wither and decay,” Varian murmured, another tear falling.  

Distantly, Eugene could hear the others struggling. He heard a thump as someone collapsed, the distressed cries of Rapunzel. He glanced up, and… was it just him or was her hair flashing? Like a candle on the verge of going out, Rapunzel’s hair flickered between blonde and brown. She grasped at her chest, clawing at it as if something was trying to burst out. From under her fingertips a faint gold glowed. 

“....Thief…” Ulla’s voice rasped. She lay on her stomach and rolled a vial over to Eugene. “U...use that on him! Make him drink it! Otherwise we’ll all die…!” Her eyes turned desperate, a silent call for a truce. 

His arms were now burning where Varian touched. He rested his chin on Varian’s normally soft hair, only for it to feel hotter than a thousand suns. But none of that mattered. All that mattered was the boy he had in his arms. His baby, his darling, finally back where he belonged.

Eugene held the golden chemical, ready to move it to Varian’s lips…

And faltered.

No.

He wasn’t going to risk Varian’s life for his own. 

He tossed the vial aside and placed a kiss to the top of Varian’s head, ignoring the searing pain it caused his face. Though it might have just burned his stubble off. “Bluebird,” He whispered. “Dad’s here. You’re ok now. Come on, Varian, come back to me.” 

“End... this destiny…” Varian faltered ever so slightly. 

From where she had collapsed, Rapunzel sat up shakily. “Varian, you mean so much to us. Please…” While his vision was blurred, Eugene could tell he was right; her hair was brown again. A golden stone pulsed on her chest, giving her the strength to stumble towards them. Upon reaching her love and son, she collapsed once more, placing shaking hands on Varian’s shoulders. Miraculously, she didn’t burn. 

“Sweetie,” She whispered. “We’re here, we need you.”

A single tear trailed down Eugene’s cheek. “We love you,” he said.

There was silence. 

Tiny hands squeezed at Eugene’s arm. It didn’t burn.

“Daddy…? Mommy…?”

Varian blinked once, twice, eyes no longer tar, but rather the same electric blue as always. His hair was back to normal too, and the burns slowly began to fade to a general ache instead of searing. Even breathing felt easier. Eugene let out a wet laugh, placing a kiss to the crown of Varian’s head once more. 

“Yea bud, daddy and mommy,” he choked out, and Varian sighed, content. They sat there for a moment, the three of them, Rapunzel wrapping both of them into a hug. Finally, after days of agony, they were together again. 

Slowly, steadily, Cassandra stood up, leaning against her sword. She couldn’t help but feel a little awkward, but nonetheless glad to see Varian back to normal. Quirin, who had finally managed to free himself from the goo, also seemed at peace. They stood in place, watching the family with smiles on their faces.

For a moment, all was calm. 

A hand snatched Varian’s shirt collar, retching him from his parent’s grasp with a cry. Eugene barely had any time to react before Ulla was forcing the amber solution down Varian’s mouth. 

“No!” He yelled as his son began to cough and sputter, writhing in Ulla’s grasp so much that she almost dropped him. With hungry eyes she watched as Varian curled in on himself and screamed, his pain causing a flurry of rocks to sprout all over the lab and weaken the already damaged structure. Not only that, but creeping tendrils of amber engulfed each new rock, reaching claws out to try and ensnare anything that ventured too close. 

Cassandra tried to strike one with her sword, but it shattered on impact. Shit, this stuff was just as strong as the rocks!

“How is this better than the moonstone!?” She hissed at Quirin. The knight didn’t respond, instead shielding her when a nearby rock exploded from the force of the amber. A war of yellow and black raged, ravaging the room.

“Varian!” Eugene screamed, horrified as the child seized on the floor. Much like Rapunzel moments ago, a bright glow centered on his heart grew. This one was cyan, and as it got brighter, his hairstripe grew dimmer. 

Ulla’s hand dug into the boy’s chest, seizing what grew. He let out a final scream, and the room exploded in a bright light. 

Rapunzel’s own breast glowed briefly, reigniting her hair long enough for it to wrap protectively around her boyfriend. Quirin and Cassandra huddled together to brace for impact. Wind howled around them, so loud that it was all they could hear, and dust blew directly into their faces. 

When Rapunzel’s hair parted, and Cassandra and Quirin opened their eyes, the house was destroyed. 

Shattered support beams lay strewn across the landscape, some impaled by black rocks that were beginning to move. A loud groan echoed, haunting as the rocks of Old Corona shifted directions until all of them faced towards the ruined lab. 

At the epicenter, where all the rocks pointed, lay a very still boy. 

Too still. 

“No no no!” Eugene lurched forward, coughing violently as the debris that coated his lungs made itself known. But that didn’t stop him, dragging across the ruins until he was at Varian’s side. “Varian!” He begged, shaking arms picking up his son. He cradled him close to his chest, hoping, no, praying, that Varian was ok. 

He was quickly joined by Cassandra and Rapunzel, who's searching hands checked Varian for signs of life. Cassandra placed a finger on his neck, and let out a massive breath. “He’s alive,” she whispered. “Just unconscious.” 

“What on earth was that…?” Rapunzel asked, fear clouding her emerald eyes. 

In all honesty, Eugene had no clue. He glanced at his sunshine, with her once again brown hair, and Cassandra, with her broken sword and shattered look, and sighed. 

Suddenly, the rocks lit up blue around them. It started off their usual hue, glowing brighter and brighter, even more so than when Rapunzel’s hair reacted to them. The air hummed with electricity, and sparks jumped from rock to rock with loud cracks. 

“Finally…”

The trio whipped their heads around. Eugene’s heart leapt into his throat as he clutched Varian tighter.

Ulla stood off to the side, previously silent, now admiring her new form. Her hair was set free from its bun, ending at her waist and a bright teal, more saturated than Varian’s hairstripe. Gone was her alchemy apron and goggles, replaced by a black, capped sleeve dress. Dark blue spikes covered her lower arms. 

The moonstone spritzed with power on her chest. 

“After 5 agonizing years…” Ulla’s voice was haunting, almost melodic. She spread her fingers out, beckoning a rock to her command. It creeped up from the earth until she rested her palm on its surface. The power was addictive, filling Ulla’s veins with refracted sunlight. No wonder Varian put up such a fight, she’d rather die than be without this power ever again!

Her euphoric haze faded at the sight of the trio. In the thief’s arms was her son, the boy who had given her so much grief for all these years. It was laughable, how easy the solution had been in retrospect. But oh well, live and learn. 

Rapunzel glared down the other woman, clutching Eugene’s bicep in support. Like hell they would let this woman get away with what she did. So what if she had an indestructible body armor and ultimate power? She hurt their kid, and they’d kick her ass. 

Ulla’s grin turned wicked sharp. “I can make the world as it should be,” she raised her arm, and the spike she’d summoned grew. Then another joined it, and another, and suddenly a ring of obsidian rose around her. Their points all faced the family, preparing to spring forward.

“Starting with you.” 

Without warning, the rocks formed a trail, several jutting closer and closer, snaking through the earth preparing to meet flesh. They braced for impact-

CRUNCH.

Ulla gaped at the piece of rock that jutted out of her chest. 

Panting, Quirin drove the point further into her. 

She fell to her knees.

Then her side.

Her eyes stared forward, unblinking, gazing at the son she never loved.