#very sweet. not agreeing with SOMEONE being wonderful though hes far from it but i cant speak ill of him when commenting your selfship stuff

[vlrspace]

where’s everybody? yuuji wonders as he walks through the dorms, looking for his friends, who seemingly disappeared from the face of earth. he long stopped calling out names, already feeling a little defeated by the fact that he will spend his saturday afternoon alone.

it doesn’t bother the pink haired male as much anymore, he’s used to being alone even when his grandpa was alive. still, the slight sting in his heart and the small lump in the back of his throat is something he can’t evade. though right before his mood swings towards the gloomier side, yuuji takes a big breath and decides to might as well make something to eat and maybe watch a movie too, there’s no point in sulking around.

what he doesn’t expect is hearing the sound of music from the kitchen, following by the clinking of dishes.

as he opens up the door, yuuji sees you leaning over the kitchen isle in the middle of the room, looking at a battered up book, reading to yourself. he contemplates to silently turn around and go back to his room, not wanting to be a bother but you look up at him after hearing someone stepping into the room.

and when a sweet smile spreads across your face, yuuji finds himself not wanting to leave.

“yuuji! wanna bake cookies with me?” you ask excitedly upon seeing him and you stand straight back up, waiting for his answer.

at your question, the boy opposite of you feels warmth spreading through his whole body and he’s sure there is a faint blush on his cheeks. you’ve been nothing but kind to him ever since he joined jujutsu tech, his pretty upperclassman who’s the definition of an angel. his heart flutters with every smile you send his way and he could literally melt in your arms every time you hug him.

so without hesitation, yuuji replies “yes, i’d love to!” even if he hadn’t baked cookies before and has no clue what to do.

“great, come here then” you invite him closer happily as you make him space, so he can also read the instructions in the book as well. “have you baked cookies before?” you ask, while looking up at him with bright eyes and yuuji feels butterflies flying around in his tummy.

“no, no i haven’t” he answers with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his head and you take the book in your hands, standing a little closer to him.

“well it’s quite easy, you can never make the cookie dough wrong, but we have to make sure we take it out of the oven in time, so they aren’t burned to crisp” you explain and yuuji can’t tear his eyes away from you. “what kind of cookies do you want to make?”

yuuji doesn’t care what kind of cookies you two make, as long as he gets to spend time with you, alone like this. he can’t seem to function properly anyways, because you stand a little too close to him, not that he minds, and the smell of your strawberry shampoo and the whiff of your parfume fills up his nostrils, he feels very comfortable being around you.

that’s why yuuji tells you, he doesn’t mind, he’s not a picky eater and he’s happy making cookies however you like. you excitedly nod and the two of you get prepared to make chocolate chip cookies.

ten minutes later, the two of you are well into making the cookie dough and while you sometimes chime into the conversation with the instructions, you and yuuji talk about anything and everything that’s on your minds.

“do you know where everyone is?” yuuji asks curiously and you think for a second before answering.

“well as far as i know, nobara and maki went shopping or more like nobara dragged maki with her” you let out a laugh and yuuji joins you because he can imagine that be the case. “yuuta is still abroad on a mission. panda and toge went to get a few groceries because it’s their turn to make dinner tonight” you fist bump the air and yuuji can only agree with you because the two second years do cook well, but it makes him wonder if you’d like his cooking too.

“and megumi?” he asks before he’d get too into his head about you.

“i don’t actually know where he is” you say with your brows furrowed and you only shrug after a few seconds. “he might be in his room, you know how he likes his space” your response makes yuuji sulk over the dough in his hands and a visible pout forming on his face.

“i knocked on his door and got no response” he mumbles dejectedly and you let out a little giggle at his reaction.

“awh, it’s okay yuuji don’t take it to heart, that’s just how megumi is and besides we get to hang out together. and you know, i really like spending my time with you” your last words are softer and quieter, your gaze remains on your own cookie dough and you hope that your blush isn’t as visible because your face sure feels hot.

it’s funny how you thought that you could keep your feelings at bay, but it’s proven to be a real struggle when he’s a few inches away from you with his large, veiny hands and the loose white shirt does nothing to hide his broad shoulders and muscular body and you don’t even want to think about those grey joggers. and yuuji is so nice, not many boys your age are this friendly and kind, he’s also very funny and strong willed (you can’t imagine what it’s like to exist with sukuna in the same body). you’re somewhat grateful that you are a year above him because you would have a hard time being around him as classmates, while also heavily crushing on him.

you hadn’t realised that yuuji moved away from his spot, his own dough completely flattened out and ready to be portioned into smaller shapes. you are nowhere near that far, though that is no surprise, with a natural raw strength like yuuji’s, he has no trouble with flattening out cookie doughs or anything really.

his firm chest pressing against your back is the first thing you feel, conjoined with his larger, warmer but slightly sticky hands on your own ones, helping you with the dough as his lips hover just above your left ear.

when did he move behind you like that?

“i like spending my time with you too” he replies lowly, pressing you a little into the kitchen isle as he works the dough with your hands.

yuuji doesn’t know what’s got into him, his body moved on its own and in a second he was behind and on you. he can feel sukuna’s energy slightly fading and yuuji guesses this whole thing was his idea. for once, he’s thankful for the evil curse, but he hopes that you aren’t uncomfortable.

the last thing yuuji wants is for you to be uncomfortable, with him.

your breathing is a little rapid from his actions, but then he feels you leaning into him and yuuji feels the butterflies doing another round of flying in his tummy. it isn’t like you aren’t the same, mainly after his words, your mind feels a little hazy as you feel a sudden wave of happiness washing over you.

yuuji presses your hands against the dough gently, not wanting to hurt you. the process is a little slower than when he was doing it alone and when you two are finished, it makes the boy chuckle at how quick you are to grab a cookie cutter, your butt pressing into his crotch softly (he can barely stop a groan leaving his mouth) and he wraps his right hand around yours and the two of you begin to press the cutter into the dough.

your left hands are intertwined on the kitchen isle, his palm completely engulfing yours as the two of you continue on working in silence.

@/vlrspce, 2023

[cal-flakes]

i am completely obsessed with this whole soft dom dealer rafe, and i was wondering if you could just make a head canon of how he’s an asshole to everyone but her

the comfort in realising others think the same as me is amazing AHHHHH

╰┈➤ dealer!rafe hc’s

warnings: swearing, slightly nsfw, mentions of drugs and weapons.

: ̗̀➛ rafe cameron was an asshole, everyone in the outerbanks knew it very well.

: ̗̀➛ most people avoided him, whether that was down to him just being a complete dick, or the lifestyle he got himself mixed up in.

: ̗̀➛ he wasn’t a huge people person, and he certainly didn’t trust easily.

: ̗̀➛ he spent most of his time with barry, cutting deals and selling drugs together.

: ̗̀➛ that was until she came along.

: ̗̀➛ she, with the most contagious smile, who demanded his attention without even realising it.

: ̗̀➛ she was a sweet girl, too kind for her own good.

: ̗̀➛ she was the exact opposite of rafe cameron.

: ̗̀➛ but that was what drew him to her.

: ̗̀➛ he’d turn up at the wreck, where she worked, almost everyday and offer her a ride home.

: ̗̀➛ she always turned it down, hesitant to get mixed up with the man she’d heard so many bad things about.

: ̗̀➛ but he wasn’t like that with her, not at all.

: ̗̀➛ he was ecstatic the day she agreed.

: ̗̀➛ it became a routine from then on, he’d go about his shady business during the day, drive over to the wreck and wait for her shift to finish.

: ̗̀➛ they’d sit there for an hour or so, talking about anything and everything.

: ̗̀➛ once a relationship was established between the two, he was down bad.

: ̗̀➛ and when his friends mentioned it? oh he hated that shit.

: ̗̀➛ “man, you’ve snatched up a hidden gem country club!”

: ̗̀➛ “shut up barry”

: ̗̀➛ “hey top, you think rafe’s boned her yet? i heard y/n’s a prude, never lets up..”

: ̗̀➛ “keep her fucking name out of your mouth”

: ̗̀➛ little did they know, she was bending to his will every night, literally.

: ̗̀➛ he adored the way she was everything he wasn’t, that was what made them such a good pair.

: ̗̀➛ she was a sworn rafe cameron sympathiser, she knew he could be mean, she knew he could be violent, but she also knew why.

: ̗̀➛ he kept her away from his family the best he could, not wanting them to taint her anymore than he already had.

: ̗̀➛ he struggled when it came to his sisters however, y/n got along so well with them. and though he’d never admit it, it warmed his heart.

: ̗̀➛ “hey, where you going princess?”

: ̗̀➛ “oh, wheezie said she needed help with something..”

: ̗̀➛ “hm..she never asked me..”

: ̗̀➛ “maybe she just prefers a happy soul? someone who lightens the mood?”

: ̗̀➛ “oh shut up, im not that bad”

: ̗̀➛ “oh yes you are, you big grump”

: ̗̀➛ the doors to an insiders take on his lifestyle we’re double locked, for her at least.

: ̗̀➛ the last thing he wanted was for her to end up hurt, in anyway.

: ̗̀➛ and keeping her away from that, staying quiet about the soft girlfriend he had back at home, was his best bet.

: ̗̀➛ but when his worst nightmare came true? when she was nabbed by some nasty people before she arrived at work, he couldn’t think straight.

: ̗̀➛ if anything he himself got meaner, more volatile.

: ̗̀➛ he stopped at nothing to make sure he got her home safely, he and barry stocked up on firearms before storming the house she was being kept in for ransom.

: ̗̀➛ his heart almost broke in half when he saw her frail, broken state.

: ̗̀➛ “i’ve got you angel, i’ve got you..”

: ̗̀➛ where he could help it, he swore to never let her out of his sight again.

: ̗̀➛ from then, he was always a few week behind her, scanning the areas they frequented for threats.

: ̗̀➛ wherever she went, rafe cameron was never far behind.

: ̗̀➛ she had him wrapped around her little finger.

[lightlycareless]

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8K3KxtG/

I feel like if this happened to Naoya after he let his hair go natural he’d probably be booking an appointment to the salon that day XD

Heya anon!!!

OMG HAHAHAHAHAHAH I love how we all agree that Naoya dyeing his hair black once his roots show (or just not dyeing it at all) is like a bad idea lmao. Just like the top comment said, it was the only thing keeping the family together 😂😂😂😂

Anyways, this was such a treat to write. I'm always down for domestic yn/naoya shenanigans + our adorable naomi!!!!

warnings: none. fluff. naoya regrets his life. lol.

Happy reading!!!

Naoya deciding to dye his hair completely black wasn’t one that he chose personally, it was simply… a consequence of his surroundings.

He’d been out on missions for too long, that his dye naturally began to fade out, showing his dark roots and prompting him with the idea of…

“All black?” you ask; both were on videocall when he suggested the idea—Naoya stationed in some remote village he was deployed in, still days away from returning. “I haven’t seen you wear that look since… forever I think.”

“Naomi definitely hasn’t seen me like that.” He comments, and at the revelation, you gasp.

“Oh my god, that is true!” you smile. “Do you think she’ll notice? I don’t think so, she’s still pretty young… Though I know she’ll be happy to see her handsome papa again! Black hair, or not.”

Naoya smiles.

“I can’t wait to come back home either; it’s been horrible without my two princesses.”

“Well, hurry back! We’re tired of waiting for you…”

Naoya takes it seriously when you tell him to hurry, quick to finish whatever mission he was in before catching the earliest flight back home, but not without making one last stop; he usually dyed his hair by his own at that point, was considering so too…

But he wanted to make this a special surprise. It had been quite some time since he last mentioned it, so he’s sure you’ve probably forgotten about it by now, thus setting up the perfect opportunity to carry out his plans.

To say that he was excited about this whole ordeal was an understatement. Naoya was really looking forward to this change, and all because of one simple reason: Naomi’s reaction.

Ever since his little bundle of joy was born, life had become far more enjoyable, even with the littlest, most mundane of things. All had become a thrilling adventure he couldn’t wait to share with his daughter.  

Naoya never thought he’d ever come to enjoy the wonders of being a father, always thought it to be tedious, boring. And most importantly, fated to be with someone he wouldn’t care for.

But then you happened, and with time, little Naomi, completely changing his perspective of life.

Whatever thing he did, the sight of his adorable baby girl would cross his mind, wondering what kind of reaction she’ll have for the new toy he’ll bring her after the mission, her cute babbles whenever telling her of his day, as if she knew what he was saying…

Or in this scenario, if Naomi would be able to recognize him after completely dyeing his hair black.

A part of him hopes—no, knows so, because he knows his baby girl to be very attentive, and there’s something sweet about a daughter being able to distinguish her father through all circumstances.

Luckily, he won’t have to wait much to get his answer, for as soon as his hair was done, he went straight back to the estate, not even bothering to let you know beforehand (just to add to the surprise), eventually making a beeline to you, quickly taking you in his arms before you could even muster a hello and kissing you—it’s only when he pulls away that you’re able to acknowledge him, and his new hairstyle.

“Naoya! You dyed your hair black!” you bubbled, threading your fingers into his locks to relish both its softness and nostalgic color. “And your home too!”

“I did.” He smiles, leaning in to steal another kiss. “I’m home.”

“Ah, I missed you so much.” You sigh, resting your head against his chest. “Please tell me you’re not leaving until much, much later.”

“2 weeks.” He says sorrowfully—it’s more than last time, but still…

“…Well, let’s not talk about that anymore—let’s focus instead on our time together, with our adorable baby who missed you so much!”

“Where is she?” Naoya asks with unparalleled enthusiasm. “Is she awake?”

“With my staff, and yes, she just woke up actually!” You say, grabbing his hand and guiding him back to your shared bedroom. “Let’s go, now—I want to see her reaction to your new hair color!”

Just as you foretold, little Naomi was happily enjoying the company of your loyal staff, Mariya, Haruko and Hitomi, who treated your adorable baby as she were their own niece, taking her wherever they could when you’d unfortunately end up caught up with duties, which Naomi didn’t mind, if anything, she was all to happy to be spoiled rotten (even more) by her aunts!

And how could she not? With all their gifts and antics, Naomi was nothing if not overjoyed to be the center of their attention!

Yet, nothing they did could ever compare t0 the happiness of seeing her father return home, the papa that you always made sure to remind her loved her very much, even through the distance that is often imposed by his job.

Once the family is reunited, your staff bids their regards to Naoya before leaving, allowing much needed privacy for the sweet moment that is to occur next. they leave to give them much needed privacy,

“Naomi!” Naoya says as soon as he laid eyes on his little bundle of joy, swooning when noticing the cute romper you’d dressed her up in, the same one he got her a few weeks ago: the yellow one with a little duck stitched in the front pocket. “My little mochi, I’m home!”

He reaches for her, extending his arms to pick her up and give her all the kisses and hugs he’s been holding onto since he left, completely forgetting about the reaction he so desperately wanted to see—

But the moment he does so, Naoya feels his baby tense up, a soft whine escaping her lips as her chubby little hands attempted to push him away, a reaction so different to her usually bubbly, welcoming personality, that his heart couldn’t help but shatter a bit in return.

“What’s wrong, dumpling?” He asks. “Did you miss me that much?”

“Nnngah!” Naomi cries as she attempts to push him away once more, but Naoya persists, that is, until a sharp wail makes him realize it was something graver.

“Naomi, why are you crying??” Naoya frets, attempting to comfort her by gently rocking her—to no avail. “Is it your diaper?? Or are you hungry??”

It takes you a few moments to understand what’s happening, but when you do, you’re not even able to laugh about it, too preoccupied instead in comforting your poor crying daughter, who was upset from innocently confusing her papa for Naobito’s son #27.

She shouldn’t be blamed—couldn’t. Naomi was still in the age where she has difficulties setting apart those that similarly look like her father, after all, like the rest of Naoya’s brothers.

Naomi was only able to calm down after you took her back into her arms, the only person she seemed to recognize at the moment, gently bouncing her until her cries eventually diminished.

But the damage was done, and as soon as your little mochi was placed back onto her crib, too tired out from crying, Naoya rushes straight to the exit, mind set on one thing:

“I’m dying my hair back blonde.”

“Naoya—It’s just a matter of her getting used to you!” you gasp, attempting to stop him. “You don’t need to do that!”

“I don’t want her to cry because of me ever again.” He insists. “I’ve already arranged the appointment; I’m heading out now. And while I’m at it, I’ll also buy Naomi more toys, hopefully she’ll be able to forgive me.”

“That won’t—” you wish to push the idea out of Naoya’s mind, tell him that perhaps he’s exaggerating, but you could see the sadness in his eyes, that notion that he genuinely believed needed this to feel better about himself.

So, you let him, giving him a kiss while asking him to not to do anything outrageous; Naoya’s spending could be quite… excessive when upset, you’d know that better than anyone. Although something tells you it might be worse now that Naomi is involved…

Nonetheless, by the time Naoya returns with his hair effectively back to blonde, Naomi is now able to identify him as her beloved papa, cheerfully reaching out for him to receive her well-deserved dosage kisses and hugs, as well as all the toys he brought along to ease his mistakes—it’s almost like that unspeakable incident never occurred! Much to Naoya’s delight.

And while upsetting at the moment, this is an anecdote you’d eventually recount with humor in the future, about the time Naomi didn’t recognize her father because of his hair dye, and how Naoya almost went to the end of the world to redeem himself.

Though both would deny it, of course. Thankfully, you have a good memory.

I'm sorry I had to call Naoya Naobito's son #27 but let's be real, they all look alike (In my hc that is) HOW COULD NAOMI NOT CONFUSE HIM? HAHAHAHAH Poor man, well, thankfully Naomi forgave him once he fixed his mistake :) you won't see Naoya with black hair anymore, though you'd come to regret not being able to "relieve the good ol days" 😳😳😳😳

Anyways, thank you sososos much for sending in this I LOVE DOMESTIC AU WITH NAOYA our redeemed little dork. Ah, I really needed this after last chapter's ordeal 😏 keep 'em coming 🤭

Now, take care, and hope to see you soon!!

[galedekarios]

good day! thank you for beautiful visuals and metas of Gale, its great to find fans who care about him so! You got me thinking - for a character so romantic, so delighted to be in love Gale knew little about it with Mystra. He spoke about being her lover like it was a highest honor, losing her favor, being cut off described as fate worse than Netherese Orb itself. Gale agrees to die for her forgiveness no questions asked. All this while he realises deep down even through it was voiced later - he was her plaything, another mortal falling under her spell, no love requited ever could be there, gods don't feel it. It's very sweet and a little heartbreaking, how open and smitten he can be if romanced, how happy he becomes loving and being loved in return.

thank you for your wonderful and very sweet message, anon. 🖤 i really do appreciate it.

yes, that is everything that i find very touching about gale's romancce.

to me, gale is someone who hasn't truly known what love is yet. he has known worship and obedience, wonder and pleasure. i think, considering how young he was when mystra came into his life, it's perhaps no surprise at all that once their relationship changed, he may have thought it was love between them. it was most certainly for him. in fact, i do remember a particular line from early access that always stuck with me and truly showed the imbalance at work here:

Player: What did Mystra’s attention feel like? Gale: Love. 

and

Player: Teacher’s pet, was he? Gale: He fancied himself much more than that. He fancied himself favoured above all others. Perhaps it was not quite love, but you see, the wizard was but a very young man. It was most certainly love to him. Mystra showed him the secrets behind the veils. The gossamer veils first, draped across the Weave. The delicate veils next, draped across her body. ‘Chosen One’ she whispered, as she slipped them off completely.

and even now, in the full release version of the game, that sentiment still lingers. he wasn't just her chosen, he was her lover - and we learn throughout the game what love truly entails for gale: heart, mind, body and soul.

Gale: I'm many things to many people, but I'm never a man to throw the l-word around lightly. I said exactly what I meant: I love you. You should never, never doubt that. - Gale: We didn't just make love. We bonded, body and soul. I got lost in you.

with mystra casting him away, he not only lost his power, his status, but also one of his most central relationships with the goddess who was his teacher, mentor and love all at once, all at the same time.

but we also know that he had relationships before mystra and before the protag:

Gale: No, you are not the first. Though you are the first since my relationship with Mystra came to its ignominious end.

i think this quote is just so interesting, especially if you pair it with:

Gale: To know you love me for the man I am, and not the magic I command... None have loved me so purely before.

and:

Player: I love you. But for the man that you are. Not the god you'd pretend to be. Gale: But think what I offer. The vastness of eternity to explore, the Weave at our fingertips... You would really prefer me as I am? Node Context: Genuine, vulnerable - the player just told him they loved him in a way that no one else has

so whatever these relationships before were, it's clear that something was missing from them for gale. something that gale sorely needed.

all of these little puzzle pieces combine to a larger whole of why we find gale as he is when we meet him in the story: someone who very much is struggling to find any worth in the person that he is outside of what he can provide to be useful.

Gale: Let me make myself indispensable. - Gale: I'm indispensable, aren't I? - Gale: My best is yours. - Gale: Please - continue to believe in me. I want to show you the wizard I am capable of being, rather than the poor excuse for a man who's kept you company thus far.

there are so many more of these, following the same vein, even in act iii.

gale is only now learning how to be loved, how to allow himself to be loved, and under that continuous reaffirmation given by the protag, he opens up to it, strains towards it, like a flower to the sun.

Gale: You truly are a soul that steels my own. From all my new-rallied heart I thank you. I stand at a precipice, but if you do not give up hope, neither shall I. I'll fight, I'll resist - as long as I can. - Gale: You give me hope, and I've not had that in some time. - Player: How are you feeling? Gale: Worried, if I'm being honest. I have so much to live for - more than I thought I'd have again, after Mystra. - Gale: It's been so long since I used it. Gale Dekarios cuts a poor figure next to the wizarding prowess of 'Gale of Waterdeep'. Player: Gale Dekarios. I think I like him more. Gale: You like so many things about me I'd have sooner discarded... Your generosity is quite wonderful. - Gale: You see me as I am, and do not find me wanting.

he still has a very long way to go, to heal, it's not a process that's completed by the time his quest is completed or the game ends - and depending on your protag, they too have things that still weigh heavy on them as well - but it's a beginning.

[another-lost-mc]

Hi! Do you think you could do what would lead to a pact with Barbatos? Like, the events leading up to it and what caused it to be made?

This has been sitting in my ask box for a while because honestly, I'm a bit torn between what I think is more likely to happen, and what my undying love for Barbatos wants to see happen.

Due to potential story spoilers for S4, I'm putting my thoughts (and a bonus drabble) under a cut.

As of S4, he's starting to recognize his affections for MC are a bit more complex than just regarding them as the human exchange student, someone else he's obligated to be polite to and take care of because Diavolo expects it of him

He's a real slow burn in a story full of very impulsive and needy demons (and angels, and other humans, and maybe a reaper now, too) but I actually love this about him

I honestly don't think MC would ask Barbatos for a pact, nor do I think he would offer one even if they were in some sort of romantic relationship - if this does come to pass, I am really curious because I think it would require exceptional circumstances

He's the Demon Lord's butler, after all - Diavolo is his priority, and I can't see that changing; forging a new pact has the potential to make him vulnerable, or exploitable, and I don't know if he would accept that sort of risk right now

Lowkey though, I like that MC's pacts (so far) are with the demon brothers - I think it makes their relationships more special for it

That being said, I don't think Barbatos would turn MC away if they asked him for help - assuming it's something he can do that doesn't impact his ability to serve Diavolo, and it doesn't put Diavolo or the Devildom in harm's way

Solomon is a bit of a shady wild card, and the fact that he has a pact with Barbatos where MC may not ever have one - well, I think that makes an interesting dynamic too

Don't get me wrong though - I'm a romantic at heart, and there's something about Barbatos agreeing to a pact with MC as a demonstration of his trust and feelings for them that makes me a little weak

Here's a little drabble about it. 💚

BARBATOS x gn!Reader 0.4k Words | SFW | Fluff, Sleeping Together, soft!Barbatos, Slightly Suggestive

Barbatos is a light sleeper.

He's grown used to getting up in the middle of the night if his Young Master needed him, and he would wake early to make sure the castle staff were each assigned their daily tasks. He personally prepared the morning’s meal and tea, ensuring Diavolo had his breakfast tray and daily paper ready the moment he woke up.

Now, Barbatos sleeps lightly for another reason.

You’re turned away from him, one of your shoulders bare where your night shirt has slipped out of place. When you bury deeper into the sheets, the fabric slips even more, and he can see the edge of his pact mark against your skin.

You’re sleeping so peacefully and he knows he shouldn’t disturb you, but he accepts whatever consequences may come later when he brushes over the mark with his finger. Once he touches you, it's difficult to resist the urge to explore more of your warm skin, to examine the evidence of his claim etched into your flesh.

He slides your night shirt out of the way so he can trace the mark with his tongue. He presses his lips to the mark, pulling your skin between his teeth gently before laving over the indents left behind. The indents of his teeth that litter your skin will fade soon enough, but he sighs with satisfaction anyway - his pact mark will remain until the end of your days together.

He can feel you stirring against him, and he has the decency to pretend to look ashamed that he's been caught. He pulls back slightly and meets your sleepy, curious look when look at him over your shoulder. Sleep fades from your gaze when your eyes shine bright, the corners of your lips lifting into a sweet, dreamy smile.

He wonders what you see that makes your breath hitch slightly, that makes your beautiful eyes shimmer with warmth. You've managed to see past all the masks he wears, the walls he builds to keep pesky emotions at bay. You've claimed his heart for your own, and he gave into the inevitable; he surrendered it willingly at your feet, a prize for the victor, your spoils of war.

He smothers the fleeting twinge of disappointment when you roll over and face him properly, nuzzling against his bare chest and throwing an arm over his waist. He curls his fingers over your shoulder - palm over his mark protectively - and keeps you close, basking in your warmth until his other master needs him.

[chocsra]

"I see sparks, (really?)"

15! Chuuya x chess player! fem! reader - HIGHSCHOOL AU

A/N: hi guys ik i got requests but i found this idea on tiktok and thought it was so cute so apologies <3 content: pre-relationship, highschool au, idiots in love?, smart! reader, reader sucks at sports, soccer player! chuuya, no intimacy, chess player! reader, i suck at chess so bear w me, chuuyas based off daniel padilla in shes dating the gangster, this sucks and i hate it

Nakahara Chuuya wasn't a fan of strategic games,

even though he got straight As in almost every class, Chuuya hated any and every activity that required him to think and use his brain effectively. A memory he particularly remembered was losing over and over in his famous arcade game; Tekken - and to Osamu? The weird guy he found himself begrudgingly calling him a best friend. The short, competitive ginger boy that loved soccer religiously, hated using his brain; he loved thinking with his legs, or mouth. And he enjoyed it that way.

Focusing on tests and studying wasn't at all foreign to you; sometimes you admit, you loved the academic validation - but the habit just came from your parents pushing you further and further to be able to call themselves stable. An activity you particularly enjoyed was chess, a game with simple rules; ran by the crown of a checkered board. You love searching for possibilites, and using that against someone for the sweet feeling of victory. Chess provided endless possibilites of a win, a stretch in the brain that you felt as if nobody else had - a challenge that wallowed in the sense of logic.

So seeing your classmate, Chuuya Nakahara harshly drop his bag off his shoulders and messily take a seat infront of you in the Chess club's room, was indeed very foreign to you.

Your eyes flited towards his sharp ones; a piercing gaze followed by the uproar of azure gems that bored into the hard wooden table seperating you two. The boy was not the tallest, but he was fairly defined with his body and was well-affiliated with sports such as taekwondo. His hair was messily tied into a low ponytail, swooped to the side. He had silky copper locks with pretty bangs that cascaded his appealing face; sweat was mixed within the soft roots of his hair from being in the sun all day; and from the sun peeking through the windows of the classroom, you could see light bits of freckles spread out across his face.

Nakahara Chuuya wasn't popular, not at all to you; you admit, the boy infront of you would be insanely attractive if he had won the genetic lottery regarding height. However, many girls in the school would agree; Nakahara Chuuya was still attractive.

"Do you need anything?" you ask with a cocked brow, shifting around as you rearrange the pieces on your chess board, providing a clean start if he were to start a match. The redhead scratched his temple, his hands were well defined and inherently soft-looking; his pale skin matched right up to his features. "Hey, [Y/N], right?" he asks, staring at you, since the boy's medium hair was unusally thrown into a ponytail, your eyes wandered to his red jersey and matching basketball shorts; defined arms and shoulders peeking out. "Wanna play a match? Just askin'."

"Hmph," you almost cackle in amusement, this dumbass really didn't know what he was getting himself into. You didn't like to call yourself a nerd, but you were definitely the best player in chess in the school. "yeah, sure." you slightly push the board towards the redhead, prepared for by far the easiest game of your life.

Easiest,

Right, easiest.

You could visit and investigate the seven wonder's of the world and the answer to your mystery would be far from solved. Chuuya strikingly muttered "Checkmate," as your knitted brows fell into shocked ones. "Damn," you curse under your breath, the ginger placed a palm under his cheek, a little bit confused that he won too. The boy's sweaty hair dried from the golden sunlight complimenting his dazzling features in the worst timing possible - the sweatband wrapped around his head lifted his ginger bangs slightly.

"Well," the redhead gets up begrudgingly, a proud smile present on his face, leaving you hanging. "I gotta go," he quips happily. "This was really fun." Chuuya smiles, patting your shoulder affectionately as he passes by you to leave. What the fuck?

If word got out that Nakahara Chuuya, beat you fair and square in a chess match, your reputation as a smart kid would be maybe a little tainted. Fret not, you would ask for a rematch with the boy, this time sure you would win. His victory made you a little angry towards him; sometimes wishing he'd get hit with a soccer ball, or stuck in a basketball hoop. But the antagonistic view you had on the ginger changed, as you saw him talking with the gym coach.

"Oh yeah - I got to play a chess match with [Y/N]." The boy added, placing his hands in the pockets of his school uniform, your gym coach's eyebrows raised in curiosity. "Ah, [Y/N]?" The relationship of physical education and you were not on the best terms, so seeing the school's coach talking casually with the shorter boy was definitely unusual. Chuuya softly kicked a rock on the ground, his hair almost perfectly framing his face. "Mhm," he mutters, then turning back to look at your teacher. "So who won?"

A gaping feeling in your chest arose as the words came out of your coach's mouth - if a teacher or two finds out you got wrecked by the athletic delinquent, you would for sure be done for, right? The redhead chuckles and sctratches the side of his temple, seething his teeth as you wait in anticipation,

"She did."

[hedgiwithapen]

DHD: Stargate, anyone(s) on SG1 gets telepathy. Hammond and/or Janet with telepathy also entirely acceptable.

Headaches came with command, George knew well. Every time he’d been promoted, his wife had cooked a celebratory meal and upsized the bottle of aspirin in the medicine  cabinet. But it was largely metaphorical headaches he had to deal with, or headaches walking around in human bodies, like certain unnamed members of SGs 1, 3, and 5.  Mostly 1. Little frustrations, bigger frustrations, and concerns, and worries that were easier to label as a headache and move on. Being a little tired and overworked was part of the job of running the SGC, and it was worth a headache now and again to keep his family--his country--his planet-- safe. This headache, though, felt like his first ever hangover, back when he’d been young and stupid and unsupervised. “General?” Major Carter asked. He blinked at her, trying to recall what exactly her report had been about. Something about the trees on a planet--no, that wasn’t right. The bees? No…badgers? Badgers sounded right. He glanced at the written report to confirm. Badgers. Not any weirder than  sentient water that had taken out so many Russians a few weeks back. “Yes?” he asked. “You have a question, Major?” “Sir, not to be blunt but are you ok?” she asked, “He doesn’t look well. I guess I wouldn’t either, with all the fuss Senator Kimsey is kicking up, he’s got an awful lot on his plate.” “I would appreciate it, Major, if you didn’t refer to me in the third person,” he grit out, waving a hand at her obvious dismay.  “I’m fine, just a headache. You’re dismissed.” “Sir,” she acknowledged, though George could hear her muttering about oddness and doubting the headache ‘story.’ As if he was lying about the pounding in his head. It wasn’t like Cater, and George let himself wonder for a moment that Colonel O’Neill had rubbed off a little too much on his team. The headache lessened, some, as he read over the report in the quiet of his office. It worsened again when someone tapped at his door. “Come in,” he barked. The sooner he dealt with whatever emergency Dr. Frasier had uncovered, the sooner he could try to take a little catnap. “General Hammond,” Dr. Frasier smiled. “I was just speaking with Sam, and she expressed some concerns. Could you tell me a little about your symptoms? Headache? Migraine? Brain tumor?” “For heaven’s sake,” George said, feeling a little like Jack. “ I do not have a brain tumor.” “I see,” Dr. Frasier frowned. “I think Sam was right. Telepathy.” “Telepathy?” George squinted at her. “Dr. Frasier, I don’t want to question your judgment, but that seems a little far fetched.” “I’d agree with you,” she said. “If I’d said my suspicions out loud.” “Oh,” he said, and really, what else was there to say? Ah, right. “ How on earth did I…” “Could have been something brought back from that planet, something in the mind that resists our decontamination…of course, no one else seems to have come down with it. I’m sure Daniel will be eager to go back and find out. For now, as your doctor, I suggest you get lots of rest, and avoid crowds. He’s here practically around the clock, maybe it’s a good time to see--” “You think I should go home? Like this? Doctor, I have two very sweet granddaughters approaching middle school. The last thing I want to know is what’s in their heads.” She laughed. “Understandable. I’ll tell everyone to leave you be.” “No, wait,” he stopped her. “See if O’Neill and Harriman can be spared.” “Can I ask why?” George pulled out a deck of cards. “I want to see how far I can take this. Since I’m officially off duty per your orders and all.” “Get pictures,” Dr. Frasier laughed again. “We’re all going to want to see the look on Jack’s face. Good luck, sir.” 

[merakiui]

Omg please please write about pediatrician floyd with milf Mc. My brain won't be quiet until I get more.

Pediatrician Floyd who knows just how to put your child at ease when they come in for a check-up or to get any shots. He always wears such a bright, friendly smile and he bends down to their height to talk to them softly, promising them that it’ll only be a quick prick and then it’ll be over. He has colorful character bandages that he’ll use, and he always makes sure to give the children he sees a sticker for being such brave souls. He’s so very genuine and everyone loves how kind and sweet he is.

Floyd’s very good at dealing with kids despite not having any of his own. He’s never talked to you about anything outside of your child’s health, but even so you’re nice to talk to. Sometimes he’d like to ask you out on a date, but it’s been years since he went on any and he wouldn’t even know where to begin with flirting. He’s quite the cowardly eel. Floyd finds himself smiling even more when he’s standing beside you and the both of you are chatting about how everything went well with the check-up and there aren’t any concerns from him. He learns little facts about you through your child when they happily talk about their mommy. He learns you’re a single mother, you’re always tired because you’re working a lot, you’re the “best mommy in the world” because you “make the most delicious meals and give the best hugs.” Floyd falls for you even more with every tidbit he learns.

Sometimes he wonders if you’re into twins. It would be easier to charm you if he had Jade to bounce off of. But then Jade’s also…Jade and perhaps you like someone a little more truthful when it comes to mannerisms. Not that Jade’s deceptiveness is a poor quality. But Floyd thinks you deserve upfront honesty. It’s what he’d want in a long-term relationship. Still, if you were into twins you’d never have to work again. Both Floyd and Jade make a lot of money, so if you were with them you and your child would be set for life. Of course Floyd also knows that money shouldn’t be used to buy someone’s affections.

Sometimes he wonders if you’d want another child. Maybe your kid could use a sibling. He knows just how lonely and boring it is when his own sibling isn’t around, so perhaps a sibling would be good. And this time he would be there to help you through every process. He’d never make you a single mother again. Other times he wonders if you’d ever be open to a relationship with him. He doesn’t know the full story behind why you’re a single mother and he doesn’t want to bring up any bad memories if there are any attached to it.

He’d give you the world because it’s what you deserve. But then he also wants to give you good dick, and so both are essentially the same, no? Floyd is so infatuated with you that he catches himself scribbling in his notes about you—recording the facts he’s learned thus far. He writes your name out with his surname and smiles at how nicely the two fit together. If you became Mrs. Leech, he’d make sure you never had to worry or struggle again. His parents would adore you and your child. They’d also be more than happy to see you rounded with more children and so would Floyd.

Maybe he’ll start with a simple dinner date. Boring and cliché by his standards, maybe. But he wants to show you that he’s a good candidate (the only candidate) and so a dinner date is perfect for getting to know someone through pleasant conversation. The next date (if you agree to it) can be something a little more lively. Perhaps he’ll take you and your child to an amusement park and pretend the both of you are a couple and parents to your happy, eager child as they excitedly point at all of the rides they want to go on. And maybe someday in the future he can propose and tell you of just how much he loves you.

For now, though, he’s just the friendly pediatrician you bring your child to.

[abiggerphrooblem]

Five Times Jonathan Was a Gentleman

Synopsis:

“When have you ever been a gentleman?” they whined anyway.

His eyes flashed with another predatory look. “You have no idea how many times I’ve been a gentleman.”

-- Mutually Assured Destruction, Part 10

All the times Jonathan had very impure, ungentlemanly thoughts about civilian.

CW: Explicit thoughts about sex, some dark fantasies that edge into dubcon.

Part one

Jonathan was considered many things: utterly ruthless, mercurial, manipulative, greedy, paranoid. All traits society considered despicable and he considered necessary for survival. But one thing he and society could agree on was the importance of being a gentleman.

There was a distinct difference to him in hurting someone for kicks and hurting someone because it was necessary. And just because he was willing to do the latter didn’t mean any other time he couldn’t value manners and decorum.

But Civilian tested that theory ever since the first moment they spoke.

Of course, he had noticed Civilian long before the elevator ride. He noticed how much they noticed and yet no one noticed them. They had the exact unassuming, quiet aura he tried so hard to project, slipping underneath everyone’s attention. And yet Jonathan did not slip underneath theirs.

It drove him a little mad trying to figure out the reason why, assessing his behaviors, his look, his clothes, for any hint to his true nature. But he had never even spoken so much as a “good morning” to Civilian. They had no reason to avoid him and yet took great pains to do so.

It made that confrontation in the elevator so much sweeter for it.

“Look, I don’t know what you’re doing here and I don’t want to know. If I tell anyone about you, it will blow my secret too. So just . . . let me stay out of your way?” Civilian pleaded, the sweet sound of his victory. “Please?”

Having  Civilian backed against the wall, feeling the jackrabbit beat of their heart, the breath stuttering in their lungs, the blood racing through their veins, he had a very ungentlemanly thought flare up in his mind.

He wondered what would happen if he leaned his body against theirs and kissed them. If they would let him, too afraid to stop him. If they would whimper, the sound vibrating in their throat.

If they would kiss back, pliant as putty against him.

A ridiculous thought, honestly, not to mention a little disturbing. He was a ruthless bastard, yes, but even he had limits of the kind of tactics he used for intimidation.

And yet, when he opened his mouth again, the offer of a date came spilling out, unprompted and unplanned. Of course, after his split second of horrified shock, he spun into a perfectly logical plan, so airtight he almost fooled himself.

That evening he paid for dinner, let them set the pace and boundaries for conversation, and escorted them to their car, because he was a gentleman. Deep down. In his own way.

He couldn’t stop himself, though, from teasing them about a goodnight kiss. Just as he couldn’t stop himself from imagining that wide-eyed flush on their face as he took that good night kiss.

Part Four

Did he enjoy horror movies about vampires and demons and other impossible creatures? Absolutely — ever since he was a kid. But watching Civilian squirm in their seat as they ripped the napkin to shreds proved far more entertaining.  Just as watching them take in Rothke for the first time, Jonathan found himself rather mesmerized with their reactions.

At work Civilian tried so hard to pass as a boring, timid little mouse. They hid all the best parts of themselves — their wit, the spark of their anger, their bravery. And now, every Saturday, Jonathan looked for more and more ways to uncover vibrant parts of Civilian, like digging for gems in a coal mine.

He could feel the artificial fear coursing through them. Their heart leaped with each jump scare, their blood pounded with the thick anticipation of the monster on screen. Sometimes they even forgot to breathe until Jonathan sent their lungs stuttering as a reminder. He could even feel their teeth grin in their clenched jaw.

They felt so alive.

It took nearly a half hour before their self-restraint broke and they screamed at the sight of long black tentacles bursting through someone’s chest. Jonathan felt merciful, so he traced his fingertips lightly over their inner wrist, reveling in the pounding rush of their blood, before tangling their fingers together.

“Should we leave early, before you wet yourself?” he found himself murmuring against their ear.

They shuddered, spine trembling, teeth biting against their bottom lip.

Fascinating, he thought.

“Why did you pick this movie?” they hissed, sounding like an angry cat.

“Maybe that’s my power — I’m not afraid of things that aren’t real,” he retorted, making sure to brush his lips against their ear as he did so.

“Maybe your power is being an obnoxious prick,” they muttered, scrunching further down in their seat.

He wondered if they would shiver again if he bent down and pressed his lips against their ear, if the tip of his tongue darted to trace the curve of it. Or would they just bite their lip harder as he traveled down their neck, scraping teeth over their pounding jugular and feeling the flush bloom in their bloodstream.

What would it take to get them to gasp, knowing they were in public surrounded by a hundred people? Sucking hard at the junction of their neck and shoulder. Licking a stripe back up to their jaw? Murmuring low in their ear exactly what he could do to them in the back of the theater while everyone stayed distracted?

He’d never know, of course. He was a gentleman.

Part 5

The truth had to come out sooner or later. As much as he enjoyed their little guessing game, it couldn’t last forever. He had to admit he got uncharacteristically angry at their clear dismissal of his power. As if he were one of the dime a dozen telekinetics on the street corner moving pennies and bending spoons for spare change. As if being one those telekinetics wouldn’t have made his life infinitely more bearable. 

He may have lost control of some of his perfect self control revealing to Civilian just exactly the kind of person they were dealing with. Their heart fluttered like a bird beneath his power, moving more and more sluggishly as he slowed it down and then thrashing as he sped it up. 

There was nothing more intoxicating than having someone completely at his mercy. It satisfied the darkest parts of his mind, as did the sudden vision of pressing Civilian further against the rock and kissing them until they couldn’t know if their lack of breath came from his power or his touch. He could slip into their jeans and their synapses and make them come uncontrollably while they shivered against him, fear and arousal mingling into a maddening cocktail. 

Those thoughts evaporated when Civilian collapsed to their knees. That was when he realized he may have gone too far. He stood by his reasons -- Civilian’s cavalier attitude was dangerous to them both and he had grown rather fond of them. It would be a shame to have to kill them to protect himself and his interests. 

But perhaps he shouldn’t have played with their heartbeat. 

“ . . .Civilian?”

Now, he could feel the symptoms of their panic attack gripping their body. Worry fluttered in his chest. What if they had a weak heart already? Fuck, what if he caused their heart attack right here?

Kneeling down beside them, he took hold of their heart and lungs, smoothing out the staccato jerks of their pulse and breath. 

“Breathe, Civilian,” he murmured. 

What was wrong with him, comforting Civilian so soon after threatening them? He should have left them on this mountain top. He should have killed them in their car that night in the elevator. 

Instead his thumbs reached out to wipe the tears from their cheek, almost as if someone else was piloting  him. His powers tilted their chin up to look at him, as if he needed reassurance. 

“I’m not getting out of this alive, aren’t I?”Civilian whispered. 

Guilt left a sour taste in his mouth. He didn’t feel it often, had made it a habit not to in fact. Now it twisted in his gut like a snake. Civilian shook at his feet, having no idea how much power they had in their hands over Jonathan’s future. How much fear they cultivated in him. 

“That depends on you,” he said, trying to be kind. It wasn’t their fault he didn’t trust anyone. It wasn’t their fault that he  picked their bank to work at, that he noticed them despite their best efforts to hide. 

“I like you, Civilian,” he admitted. It wasn’t even a half lie or an obscured truth. “I have no desire to hurt you. But I have a goal I must complete and no one can get in my way, not even you. If you don’t fear me, you may feel emboldened to do something stupid and reckless and heroic. And then I would have to kill you. Do you understand?”

They nodded and relief broke inside him. Civilian would go home, sleep this off, and they could resume the comforting routine of their false relationship.  And maybe Jonathan would sleep better, no longer worried about Civilian running their mouth to the wrong people. 

“Good.”

He offered them a hand and they took it, to his surprise. They swayed on their feet, rising too soon. Jonathan steadied them with an arm around their waist the urge to kiss them again flashed like a camera bulb in his head. A soft kiss, sweet and reassuring with just enough filth to distract them from their fear.

“Civilian?” he murmured, unsure of what he was even asking. His face leaned closer to theirs an inch or two, without even thinking. A stray tear glittered in the corner of Civilian’s eye, sparking the harsh reminder of what he had just done to them. 

A kiss would not fix this. 

“Shall we head back?” he asked instead.

He was a gentleman, after all. 

Part Eight

The guilt on the mountain could not possibly compare to now, with Civilian dead asleep on his couch, fighting off a high grade fever because of him. Because their fear over what he might do to them overpowered the sane decision to stay home sick. Because they thought him a murderous psychopath that would kill them for the slightest hint of paranoia. 

Any hope had about things returning to normal was obliterated in that first painful work lunch on Monday. Civilian acted like a wooden cutout of themselves, giving him one word answered, eyes flickering to the door, looking as if he had already signed their death warrant. 

But he had hoped, given time, the chill could melt back into their previous camaraderie. 

And then they showed up to work with a 102 degree fever. 

Jonathan believed in necessary suffering. Especially if it were necessary for his continued survival. But this was not necessary. Civilian making themselves sick with the constant fear of their uncontrollable and impending death was not necessary. 

So he had no guilt about essentially kidnapping them and keeping them at his apartment so long as they continued to improve. It had been a very long time since he had taken care of anyone else but himself, and those memories were kept locked away in a box that hurt too much to think about. 

But he found it easy to keep them hydrated, cook them soup, let them watch their stupid, infuriatingly addictive design show. 

As the show progressed and he gave up any pretense of pretending not to watch it, he couldn’t help the thoughts that slowly crept in, how else to care for Civilian:

Washing their hair in the shower, rubbing the soapy loofah over their back and thighs and chest in sure, slow passes. Getting on his knees and pressing them against the shower wall and not stopping until he could taste their orgasm on his tongue, even if he drowned. Sitting them on his lap on the couch, cradling them against his chest as he fucked them with sweet and steady strokes. 

The sound of Civilian struggling to sit up snapped him out of his daydream. 

“What are you doing?” he asked, somewhat exasperated. 

“I’m getting more tea,” they said.

“I’ll get the tea. You start the next episode. I need to see that prick get eliminated.”

“I can make my own tea by now,” they protested. 

He snatched their empty mug regardless. 

“Sit. You won’t lift a finger while you’re here, whether you like it or not.”

A gentleman always takes care of his charges. 

Part Nine

As much as he loved Shakespeare, as much as he loved watching the sheer unadulterated delight on Civilian’s face as they watched the play, Jonathan wanted nothing more than to drag Civilian out of the theater. He wanted nothing more than to find a darkened hallway or a bathroom or even their car in the edge of the parking garage. 

He wanted to kiss and lick and bite them, he wanted to hook their leg around his waist and buck into them, he wanted to take them with a hand over their mouth and his mouth on their neck with a ferocity that quite frankly worried him. 

He had to reckon with himself, as Benedict and Beatrice reckoned with their own feelings, that he wanted Civilian. Not as a distraction, or a manipulation, or a way to stroke his own ego and live out his own twisted fantasies, but just wanted them. He liked them, liked simply being around them. 

Ridiculous. 

The horrifying realization followed him into the suspiciously sticky interior of the old arcade he let Civilian drag them to because he didn’t want the night to end just yet. 

And he had reason to suspect that maybe Civilian would let him fuck them, that part of them wanted him even though it went against their precocious morals and complicated dynamic. 

He had a feeling, judging from the spike of heart rates when he got near, the stolen glances at him, the way they hugged that hideous frog plush, that if he pushed them against the door of their car and kissed them senseless they would have no objections. 

But he didn’t fuck them in a darkened hallway or kiss them in a parking lot because Jonathan would be leaving soon. And a gentleman didn’t kiss and run. 

But goddamn, did that restraint take all his self control that night. 

[legacyshenanigans]

First Encounters 🐍

Just a little AU Marvolo x MC meeting 💚

She often spent time in her front garden, tending to her various ingredients that she grew herself. Being out there in her cottage at the edge of the woods was her safe space. She rarely ventured far from her home, preferring to keep the company of nature rather than people.

Not that she wasn't a kind soul. If anyone did wander down the cobblestone path outside her cottage, she'd smile if they smiled at her or said hello.

One afternoon, while she was out there, she noticed a man she hadn't seen before. He was tall, dark haired, well dressed under his long black coat, one hand in his pocket, the other smoking a cigarette as he wandered down the path, he had an aura about him, just from looking at him she felt it. It was a strong presence, not good nor bad, intriguing if anything, but he paid her no mind. He didn't see her on his walk, just casually passed. She couldn't help but watch him, though. The following morning, when she was out there again, she saw him once more, travelling back from the direction she'd seen him walking in previously, but this time, he noticed her. He side eyed her as he walked back, their eyes locking, a small smile curled onto his lips giving her a nod, she smiled back, watching him pass. Before he went out of view, he looked over his shoulder at her one last time before disappearing. She harvested her plants, feeling odd, thinking about this stranger who'd she'd seen only twice. Why was this man in her head? It was quite a rare feeling for her.

A couple of days passed by, she was back in the sanctuary of her garden, sitting on a bench reading, enjoying the breeze and the sounds of the birds, when she heard footsteps from the cobblestone path, but instead of the sound of someone's feet carrying on down the path, she heard her gate open. Closing her book and going around to the front of her property, she saw the man as he was about to knock on her front door, she didn't know why, but she got goosebumps from seeing him again.

MC: Can I help you?

She smiled kindly at him. Her sweet grin made the man smile in turn, a charming smile, which almost had a kind of dangerous edge to it.

Marvolo: I don't mean to intrude on you, Miss.

He reached out a hand as he approached her. She took it, shaking it.

Marvolo: Marvolo Gaunt.. And you are?

MC: Call me, Aurora. Nice to meet you, Marvolo. What can I do for you?

She was a little confused why he'd decided to actually visit her. A bold move to be honest. Considering they didn't know eachother.

Marvolo: I couldn't help but notice a couple of days back, the ingredients you grow. I wondered if you sell them?

A playful smile danced across her face as she took in his expensive looking attire.

MC: Not usually, anyway, fancy man like you could probably buy the good stuff in town, packaged and prepped.

Marvolo chuckled at her words, the sound rich and deep, giving her that charming grin again.

Marvolo: Nothing is better than fresh ingredients straight from the ground though..I'll pay you good for it, if you'd allow me to take a look, of course?

She hesitated for just a moment, before agreeing, allowing him into her home. Her cottage was cozy, the inside reflected the outside just as much, a very woodland vibe, herbs and others pleasant smelling things hung neatly on rails in her kitchen, a cauldron a bubbling purple liquid was brewing within her fireplace, and a fwooper of all things perched on a wooden beam looking down at them as she wandered over to her various baskets of different magical ingredients.

Marvolo: Beautiful creature..

MC: *turns to look at him slightly confused, her cheeks warm*

Marvolo: The Fwooper I mean.

He gestured towards the pink bird, but his face showed a cheeky expression, like he knew that she thought he was speaking of her. She giggled lightly, feeling flustered. But decided to make a comment on the situation.

MC: I thought you spoke of me when you said that. I was about to respond saying you're rather handsome.

His eyebrow raised as he smirked.

Marvolo: Are you flirting with me, Miss Aurora?

MC: *playful chuckle* Just an observation.

Marvolo: *curious grin* May I? *gestures towards her baskets*

MC: Please *smiles*

Marvolo took a good look at her stuff, eyeing it closely before he spoke.

Marvolo: Amazing quality. I can tell you take great care of your little garden..I'll take one of everything if you don't mind, how much?

MC: You dont have to pay me. Its OK. Consider it a meeting gift.

Marvolo gave her a grin, as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a hefty little coin sack, popping it down into her kitchen counter.

Marvolo: I insist. For your hard work.

MC smiled again and thanked him as she began to collect the things he wanted, finding a bag to put them in for him.

MC: So..Where were you heading a couple of days back, when you passed by my home?

Marvolo: Nosey little thing, aren't you? *small chuckle*

MC: Could say the same about you, wandering onto my land, to ask if I sell my ingredients that you clearly saw me working on. *playful smile*

Marvolo: *narrows his eyes and grins* Touché.

She hands him the bag, and the two of them look at eachother for a moment.

MC: If you ever need anything else. Feel free to come back..Your erm.. *small blush* Your company is rather nice.

Marvolo: I won't lie, that's not something I'm used to hearing often.

He gave her that charming yet dangerous smile again, which only seemed to pull her in even more in wanting to get to know him.

MC: Oh? And why's that?

Marvolo: Can't tell you everything on our first official meeting can I? I'll save some things for next time.

MC: So, I take it you'll be returning then?

Marvolo: Maybe..If you'd like that? *smirks*

MC: Well, I mean, for more ingredients and a nice little chat I assume?

Marvolo: Perhaps more than that, if you're interested? Maybe you'd allow me to take you out?

Her blush intensified at his proposal. She could see his eyes watching her expression closely and with his own interest.

MC: Its been a long time since I've really left the comfort of this area. Around lots of folk.

Marvolo: *small chuckle and another charmed smile* It doesn't have to be anywhere overwhelming..Infact, the quieter the better.

She gave him a coy smile, nodding her head.

MC: Perfect..I think I'd like that.

Marvolo: *narrows his eyes once again* Good. Likewise. Let me organise something, and I'll return to you. How's that sound?

She nodded again, feeling butterflies and a sudden shyness, Which from the look on his face looking down at her, Marvolo found endearing.

~

[ladycatofwinterfell]

Red roses

Summary: Catelyn receives roses from a secret admirer, prompting Ned to take up the challenge. The issue being that no one knows they’re dating yet

For the fourth year in a row I write Valentines fic <3 This is short and kinda silly, but I hope you’ll like it all the same!!

“Ned.”

He looked up from the coffeemaker to see that Catelyn had poked her head out from her office.

“Can I have a word?” she asked.

She was smiling, though something in her voice told him it was urgent. Still it could not be that urgent, they didn’t work in a particularly urgent field.

“I’ll be with you in a minute” Ned told her.

It looked like she wanted to argue, but in the end she just nodded and disappeared into her room without closing the door.

While Ned stood there and watched the coffeemaker as it painstakingly slowly filled the pot he wondered what it was she wanted. They had never spoken a lot at work when they weren’t sitting in the same meeting, and it grew even more rare after they began seeing each other outside of the office.

After what had been far longer than the promised minute he had joined her in her room with a mug of coffee in one hand.

“That might just be the slowest coffeemaker in the world, why can’t Robert just get a new one?” he said, more to himself than to her, as he pushed the door closed behind him. “What was it you wanted to talk about?”

“First of all I wanted to say thank you for the flowers, that’s very sweet” she began. “But then I also wanted to remind you we agreed on… discretion.”

Only then did he notice the vase with a bouquet of red roses that stood on the desk behind her. A beautiful bouquet, to be sure, but not his doing. If she had not bought them for themselves someone else was behind it.

“I didn’t give you the flowers.”

Catelyn smiled.

“You don’t have to pretend just because we said no affection at work.”

“I’m not, it really wasn’t me.”

Who was giving her flowers anonymously?

Catelyn’s smile faltered just a little.

“But there was a card” she said.

Everything grew more confusing with every words she said. Was the person behind the flowers also claiming to be him? Whatever was the reason for that?

“With my name on it?” he asked.

“No, but considering what it said I just assumed it was you.”

She turned around and took a small, pink card out from the bouquet, reading it again. When he reached to take it from her so he could read what it said himself she held it to her chest.

“Better not” she told him.

Then she crumpled up the delicate little card and threw it in the trash can sitting by the side of the desk.

What did it say? How bad could it be? And who was writing to her?

“I suppose I should throw away the roses too” she then said, turning back to him.

Ned couldn’t claim to be entirely happy about someone else sending her roses, but then who was he to make her throw them away? They hadn’t even put a label on it. And whoever had given her the flowers didn’t know about him.

“Keep them” he said. “Beautiful roses for a beautiful woman.”

The slight blush that crept up her cheeks was lovely. Ned had to suppress the urge to reach out and cup her face.

“I unfortunately can’t stand around in here all day, but I’ll see you tomorrow if not before then” he said instead.

“Great.”

Barely did he have time to open the door before she was speaking again.

“And also can you please start properly formatting your documents? Reading them is headache inducing.”

Ned didn’t answer to that. She had had the same complaint since they started working together, but no one else seemed to have an issue with it. Never before had he been so heavily criticised by a colleague, it was as if she wished to oppose him every chance she got. Not that he held back when he disagreed with her either.

“I might consider it if you ask nicely” he responded.

Not that she ever would.

On his way back to his own office he passed someone that was going in the other direction.

“Stark” Littlefinger said with a nod.

“Baelish.”

He didn’t nod in return, merely kept walking. Petyr Baelish’s presence in itself was hugely annoying, he wanted away from there as soon as possible.

Though after a few meters he stopped and looked over his shoulder. Littlefinger had indeed stopped by Catelyn’s office, he was leaning against the doorway in a very obnoxious way.

Of course it was him, they should have known immediately. It was no secret the bastard was interested in Catelyn, it had been obvious for a long time. But that he was not alone in, and Ned would rather die than be bested by Petyr Baelish.

~*~

Catelyn sighed when she entered her office and saw the heart shaped box that sat next to the vase of roses. She had figured out who the secret admirer was the moment Ned had left her, and decided to accept it. Petyr’s thing for her was childish, in a way. It would never happen. He was almost like a little brother.

She had wished for it to be Ned the moment she saw the roses. Even as they had agreed to keep it secret until the relationship was more… defined she had wanted Ned to be the one to give her roses. Instead Petyr had given her roses. And chocolate, it seemed. He had to know how she saw him, though he was a persistent one.

Petyr must have been encouraged by that she had kept the flowers. Perhaps it had been the wrong decision even as they were beautiful and Ned had encouraged her to keep them.

With a sigh she leaned against the desk and picked up the box. It was as red as the roses she had received the day before. And glittery at that. Flashy, one might say. She would have liked to throw it away just because, but she was weak for chocolate.

So against herself she opened the box and found a small card that was similarly shaped. When she picked up the card she expected to find writing similar to the previous day’s, but it was different. The handwriting was not the same, and the card was signed.

It only seems fair I also get a turn

Ned

He had also realised whom her secret admirer was, even as they had not talked about it. It was a secret admirer he did not like, at that. He never had and Catelyn could not understand why. There was nothing wrong with Petyr.

It was ridiculous of her to smile, still she did it. Before she truly knew him Ned had never struck her as the romantic type, though he was. She didn’t believe him to be consciously romantic, he just did certain things without thinking of it.

The chocolate was conscious, though. He was competing against Petyr. A stupid competition, he was well aware of that he had already won. He had to be. She liked his note better than the other one even as it had lacked a poem about how beautiful she was.

“More gifts from your secret admirer?”

Catelyn put aside the box before meeting Cersei’s eyes.

“So it would seem” she said, tearing the note in half.

She kept tearing the note until it would have been impossible to piece together what it had said. The pieces, just like Petyr’s card, went into the trash can. Though for an entirely different reason.

“Now would you look at the files I emailed you?”

Catelyn sighed. There was always an urgency with Cersei, she wasn’t awfully patient.

“I got here two minutes ago and my day doesn’t start for another eight” she told her. “I’m getting a cup of coffee.”

“You’re so fucking slow, how did you even get this job?”

She would look at the files once it was working hours. Before that she had a whole eight free minutes.

“You’re one to talk, this is the first time you’re on time in what? Two weeks? More?”

When she received no answer she just walked past Cersei.

No one had put on a pot yet, no one ever wanted to be the one to do it. They wanted coffee, but no one wanted to make the effort to brew the damn thing. She was almost always the one to do it in the morning.

While she was waiting for the highly volatile coffeemaker to start gurgling the few people who were there on time stuck their noses out from their rooms. The sound of the coffeemaker usually had that effect.

“You put on a full pot, right?” Jaime called.

How was both he and Cersei on time? That had never happened.

“Of course I did.”

What kind of question even was that?

Though a full pot meant it would take forever to be done. They all hated the coffeemaker, sometimes she believed that was the only thing that united them. Maybe that was why Robert downright refused to replace it.

Catelyn went back into the office to fetch her chocolates. She hadn’t had breakfast, the chocolate would have to do. It was something, at least.

While she was standing there with her gift and staring at everything but the suspicious stains on the grey carpet that covered the floor she was joined by Petyr. It was hard not to notice the way he eyed the box she was holding.

”Good morning” she said.

”Good morning” he replied.

He was good at pretending, apart from the initial looks at the box one might have not known how it bothered him. It felt almost mean.

”Did you get those on the way here?” he asked. “Strange breakfast, I mean.”

There was a choice there. She could say that yes, she had indeed treated herself to a box of chocolate on her way to work. She could also tell him that the person who had given her the flowers must have also given her the chocolate.

”It was on my desk when I came here. Do you want one?”

She held out the box towards him and after a moment’s hesitation he took one.

”Thank you.”

The gurgling from the coffeemaker died down and not a second passed before the others came to get their coffee. Ned was one of them.

~*~

Catelyn, ever the one to make coffee in the morning, had done it that morning too. And as so often before Littlefinger had been waiting for the pot to fill up with her. Ned couldn’t understand how the man wasn’t embarrassed with himself.

Before he could stop himself he walked over to them, stopping briefly to put a hand on Catelyn’s hip and kiss her cheek.

“Dinner plans still on?” he asked as he took a mug from the shelf.

He hadn’t heard of there being any reason for why they wouldn’t be one, but it was better to be certain, wasn’t it? He wouldn’t want any confusion regarding that.

“I’m looking forward to it” Catelyn said.

When he glanced at her while filling his mug he saw that her cheeks was a shade redder than usually and there was a smile playing on her lips.

“Lovely.”

He was aware of that she followed after him when he returned to his office, but didn’t stop until they were both in the room.

“Does this mean we’re official?”

His heart must have done a flip in his chest. At least it felt like that. He hadn’t considered the implications of what he had done, he had acted in the moment. He had seen Littlefinger and Catelyn and he had felt a strong need to do something about it.

Ned took a sip from his mug before he turned to look at her.

“If you want us to be” he heard himself say.

Time passed very slowly before she had given her answer.

“Then we are.”

It wasn’t harder than that. He had believed it would be, but it was easy. So very easy. He wondered how long it would have taken if Littlefinger had not given her those roses.

Catelyn was shining. Beautiful, really.

“Great.”

Immediately he regretted that. Who responded that way? Who said ‘great’ after making a relationship official? He, apparently.

“Thank you for the chocolate, by the way” Catelyn smiled. “I liked it.”

“I took a chance.”

And it seems he had hit some sort of jackpot.

[antigone-ks]

Lantern of Evil, Chapter Five

MARVEL MASTERLIST

CHAPTER FOUR

Chapter Five - The Autumn Days Swung Soft

Pale September, I wore the time like a dress that year/ The autumn days swung soft around me, like cotton on my skin

____________________

“I’ve passed this a hundred times and didn’t notice it,” Grant says.

“You didn’t notice pedestrians on the Mid-Hudson Bridge?”

“I noticed them; I just didn’t realize it was a whole thing.” The whole thing was a 4-and-a-half-mile loop that went from the waterfront over the bridge to the state park, then up to the Walkway Over the Hudson, through town, and back again.

Classes had started again, which meant the museum was filled with freshman art history students who hadn’t lost interest yet. “Give it a couple more weeks,” you’d assured Grant, “and we’ll have it pretty much to ourselves again.”

In the meantime, though, you’d agreed to find alternate ways to get you out of the house and Grant out of the office. This week was supposed to have unseasonably cool temperatures (meaning it shouldn’t get above 80), so you were taking the opportunity to enjoy it. Grant had apparently endless time that he could take off work, and had offered to join you.

You’d teased him about that, about his secret-agent job, or his fake witness-protection job, that let him just wander off in the middle of the day. He’d chuckled along and said that whenever the current project’s issues were solved, he’d lose most of his free time, so he was making the most of it now.

“How long have you lived up here?” you ask, fiddling with the camera on your phone. “Cheese!”

Grant smiles obligingly, his back to the railing. “Uhh . . .” he looks sheepish. “2015, more or less. I was away for a bit, but yeah. A few years.”

“Not a fan of the outdoors, then?” He’s joked about his asthma, but promised it was fine when you suggested this walk. “Allergies?”

“Strangely enough, not a single allergy,” he says. “I just, I grew up in the city, and there weren’t a lot of parks in that part of Brooklyn when I was a kid. Plus, I was always kinda . . .” he gestures to himself, a sweeping motion that takes in the entirety of his small frame. “My mother worried about me, running the streets, getting in fights.”

“Getting in fights?” you hoot. Grant is sublimely even-tempered, as far as you’ve seen. He barely even grouses at traffic, which shouldn’t even count as temperamental in your book. “I can’t at all picture you starting fights, and I’ve got a really good imagination.”

“I never started them!” he says, offended. “But if some other guy started it, bein’ rude or something . . .”

“Then you’d finish it?” You bump him with your hip, and he laughs and puts his arm around your waist.

“Well, ah. Sometimes. Kind of. If I was lucky, buh – my pal James would sniff me out and get ‘em off me.” He grins, lost in nostalgia. “He was like a bloodhound if he thought I might be getting into trouble. One time he found me in an alley behind the movies – I hadn’t seen him all day – he was just going about his business and thought ‘geez, I bet Grant’s in hot water,’ and I sure was.”

“What, was someone talking at the movies?”

He opens his mouth, shuts it, and deliberately looks away.

“Oh my god.”

“It’s not like – look, he was being really disrespectful,” he says, pulling away sulkily.

You stroke his arm, and he turns his palm up to catch your hand in his. “I just find it very hard to imagine you losing your temper. You’re always so sweet.”

He’s staring hard at your entwined hands, and you wonder what he’s thinking. Maybe he doesn’t like being called sweet; some men object to any description that might sound weak, and if he’s feeling insecure it might not go over well. You wish you could tell him that his height has never been a negative for you. It’s nice to not feel overwhelmed by a man, to be able to look into his eyes with ease, to (you imagine, frequently) be able to kiss him without anyone getting a crick in their neck . . . but even after weeks of haunting the museum together, semi-cuddling at the movies, and holding hands in public, you still feel like he’s not quite. Like he’s not. Like he might not want you.

You ought to just stop, you tell yourself. Walk away from whatever this is before your dumbass heart gets broken and it’s all your fault. You boyfriend-zoned him and he doesn’t even –

But he pins you with a look from those intense blue eyes and presses his lips to your fingers. “Well. It’s easy to be sweet with you.”

And that’s why you can’t walk away.

There are sailboats on the river, just a few, and some late summer wildflowers growing along the path that Grant wraps into an honest-to-gosh cloth handkerchief for you to keep. The breeze off the river is still a little chilly, and Grant puts his arm around you again as you stroll on. The first time he did it, you felt self-conscious about the breadth of your waist. It’s one thing for him to know that you’re chubby, zaftig, fat – but another entirely for him to feel the softness of your body, feel it yield against his hands. But he didn’t seem to mind, not that first time nor any other, and by now you feel comfortable enough to put your own arm around his narrow waist.

(The first time he tried put his arm around you was at the movies, that second week as you watched Ingrid Bergman pine over Cary Grant in Notorious. Like you yourselves were in a period piece, he’d offered his jacket as soon as you got into the theater, settled next to you like a gentleman, and about twenty minutes in had done what would have been the smoothest yawn-and-stretch maneuver known to man, if he hadn’t accidentally smacked the back of your head and then spilled the entire bucket of popcorn in his haste to apologize. His cheeks were still red when you walked out at the end of the movie. So honestly it was a wonder he’d tried again at all, bless him.)

“So what was it like, growing up in the city?”

He considers for a moment. “Loud,” he says, and you both laugh. “Louder than here, but not as loud as the city is now. No sirens, more neighbors yelling and talking and babies crying. Kids running around. Pretty loose rein on most of them – as long as they were back by dinner, their mothers didn’t check.”

“Probably glad to have a second to themselves,” you joke.

“No doubt.”

“It sounds kind of idyllic. I didn’t realize New York was that safe in the 70s and 80s. The news made it seem like the whole city was packed with Times Square pimps and dealers.”

“Oh, ah, well.” Grant rubs the back of his neck with his free hand, which you now recognize as a sign of nerves. “Well, you know, every borough is different, and my neighborhood was mostly just . . . poor. Lot of immigrants and all of us poor.”

“Were your parents . . . ?”

“Yeah, from Ireland. Looking for a better life.” He looks out across the river, his eyes downcast. You knew they’d both died young; his father when he was a baby – or maybe right before he was born? You’re a little unclear – and his mother right after he’d left high school.

You give him a little squeeze. “And now their son is a hotshot graphic designer who stares at moderately-famous art for fun.”

He snorts. “I wouldn’t say that.”

“Ok; barely-famous art.”

He looks aghast. “There’s a Chagall in there.”

“Most people would guess that’s a wine.”

“You can’t say stuff like that, doll; you’re gonna give me dyspepsia,” He shakes his head at you, but the sadness is gone from his eyes as you walk on.

***

It’s a good thing modern medicine has come as far as it has, Steve thinks; he’d have been hard-pressed to make this walk with you seventy years ago. It’s not the distance – he wandered all over Brooklyn looking for work, fought all over Brooklyn when he had to. It’s the – it’s just –

His heart started pounding while he was getting dressed this morning, and it keeps surging whenever you touch him. It’s the same every time you meet – his heart races when he thinks about you, gallops when you let him take your hand, or slide his arm around you. It’s only when he looks at you, looks right into your eyes, that everything stills. His pulse slows, the world goes weightless. In your eyes, he can just be . . . he can be. Not be Captain America, not carry that weight. Just be a man, with a woman he adores. Is fond of. If he could live in your eyes, he wouldn’t need that damned inhaler.

But when you squeeze him close and make jokes about art, he’s hard-pressed to stay on his feet.

He wonders, idly, if the de-seruming had put him as he had been, entirely unchanged. Not just his health, but his whole being. He feels like a teenager with an arm around his first girlfriend – not that he’d had one then – too nervous to ask for a kiss, instead of a thirty-five-year-old man who’d had girlfriends, plural. Well, two. Sort of. And a couple of ladies who’d gotten very friendly but weren’t quite interested in being serious. Which is their choice, of course, he thinks hastily. And it’s not like I objected.

Still. He’s felt like this before. He should feel like he's felt this way before. This feeling should be familiar, even if he's only felt it this intensely once before, but it's not. He feels new, with you in his arms. In his arm. Just the one, until he gets back to himself.

You’re playing a dangerous game, pal, he scolds himself. Getting this close when you’re still lying to her. Should have backed off until they got you fixed up. His hand flexes on your waist and you glance at him, smiling like an angel. Got no right to mess with her like this, acting like she’s your girl one minute, then pulling back when you feel guilty. Got no right putting your hands on a lady when you can’t even be honest with her.

But what can he say? “I’m really Captain America, and Iron Man and the Hulk promised me that in a few weeks I’ll be the kind of guy you’ll actually want to be with.”

She wants to be with you now, genius.

You do, he knows.

It’s not Captain America who gets to hold your hand. It’s not America’s Golden Boy who’s got his arm around you, watching the breeze lift strands of your hair into the light. It’s not even Nomad, the persona he’d worn for a while until he and Tony could get themselves right again (and the ladies had really liked Nomad. It was almost a shame to shave off that beard when he picked up the shield again. Maybe you’d like the beard, if he grew it out again). No, the guy you’re with is just little snack-sized Steve.[1] Or Grant.

Shit.

“You ok?” you murmur, shifting against him.

Steve sighs. “Yeah.” He can feel your eyes on him, and he risks a brief, heart-stopping look into them. “It’s a good day.”

The sun is high by the time you reach the Walkway Over the Hudson, the bridge almost empty, the wind picking up. You lean on the northern railing, looking at the boats at the marina upriver. You look so tranquil, your cheeks just the slightest bit reddened by the sun and wind, your eyes clear and wide.

Steve edges away, pulls out his sketchbook. You look at him quizzically as he digs out his graphite pencils.

He takes a breath. “Can I draw you?” He’s done it before, secretly, in bits and pieces. Your eyes – pages of your eyes, over and over – the curve of your mouth, the place where necks meets shoulder should meet his lips, your bosom – no, the neckline of your blouse, last week, and the way it draped against your skin.

(But also, yes, your breasts, and his hands on your breasts, and the way they would fill his hands, and how your nipples would harden against his palms, against his lips. He’d torn that one from the sketchbook as soon as it was done.)

He can see the shyness in your expression now, but you nod.

“How do you want me?” you ask softly.

Oh, God.

Every way. Always.

His hands are trembling, so he shakes them out and busies himself choosing a pencil. “Just, just look at whatever you were before.”

He roughs out a sketch, the lines and angles, how you lean against the railing with your hip cocked. You’re a little tense, now, aware of yourself in a way you hadn’t been before, and Steve reaches out to stroke your hair.

“Relax, sweetheart.”

If your breath is a little shaky, he pretends not to notice. If his is, well, he’s got asthma.

He stops every now and then, lets you move and shake the stiffness out. It’s absolutely not a gambit to make you let him readjust you back into position. But, like. He’s not above that. His hand slides along your hip, dangerously low, and when you make a soft, unsteady sound Steve’s heart pounds so quickly he thinks he might actually have a heart attack. That’s it. He’s going to die here on this bridge because he came this close to touching a lady’s derrière. He can hear Sam’s voice now; “Cause of death: that booty.”

He chokes on a laugh and you turn, lips pursed. “Sorry, sorry. Just thought about a friend of mine. He likes to poke at me when I’m being . . . when I’m in my head.” He ought to step back, get back to the sketch, but he’s not moving. “You’d like him.”

“And here I was, thinking I was your only friend,” you tease.

“You should meet him,” he says before he can get his goddamn mouth back in line with his brain. “In a . . . sometime . . . after a while.”

The light in your eyes dims a little, and you look away. Steve steps back at last, picking up the sketchbook. He’s almost finished; it’s not sophisticated, but it’s got your curves and your hair waving around your face and the peaceful expression that he loves.

Loves. No, not now. Not like this. You can’t do this.

His pencil stutters across the paper, mercifully missing anything delicate.

“Grant?” You’re facing him now, biting your lower lip.

“It’s ok; my hand just – “

“What is this?”

“– cramped, and. What?”

“This thing we’re doing. What is it?”

He looks at you, brain gone static-y like a radio late at night. He looks at you until your gaze drops and you step back and he has to grab your hand, has to pull you back, has to keep you here with him, because if you walk away something important will be lost. Something that matters more than he wants to consider.

“I like you,” he whispers. “I . . . I like you so much, sometimes I can’t breathe. I just . . .” You try to tug your hand away, but he clings to you, pulls your hand to his chest, lays it against his heart that’s beating like a drum. “You’re so beautiful. I just need to take it slow. Please.”

Liar, liar, you’d take her now if your lungs wouldn’t explode.

You’re silent for a long moment, then you bring your other hand up to cover his. Your smile is soft, uncertain, but real.

“I like you, too.”

[1] Bucky’s the only one who’ll say it, and Steve loves him for it

____________________

Fiona Apple – “Pale September”Pale September, I wore the time like a dress that year/ The autumn days swung soft around me, like cotton on my skin

READ CHAPTER SIX

[ryuichirou]

Replies

Happy Saturday! Today we have a couple of asks about our post from yesterday + some of miscellaneous ones about some ships + a long ask with Anon reflecting on this hc post about twst characters murdering someone for the first time. I don’t have much to add to that one, but the ask itself is a very interesting read, so I encourage you to check it out.

Anonymous asked:

Just saw the new art on twitter and I just gotta say:

PRAISE BE!! THE RAILING HAS FINALLY OCCURRED!!!

YES!! GOOD FOR THEM BOYS! <3

We honestly didn’t think we’d draw these two again so soon, but the inspiration bit us in the asses lol I’m very happy that the image of Jack and Deuce having fun like that exists in the universe now…

Anonymous asked:

Deuce and Jack are basically buddy clubmates who have sweet times together, while Ace has to deal with two unhinged Floyd and Jamil will likely torment Ace. Ace is not sane but compare to Floyd and Jamil, he is basically normal.

Oh Jamil is not that bad… is he? Oh no, is he? Is Jamil bad?

In all honesty, I remember him throwing Ace under the bus and I’d assume that he’d be a tease sometimes lol So I can imagine how this + having A WHOLE FLOYD around would make Ace’s basketball career much more miserable than whatever Deuce and Jack have going on.

Anonymous asked:

Seeing your Cater drawings made me think that poor guy has to deal with Adeuce and Treyriddle happily making out while he has no choice but pretend he's okay being the only one in the Heartslabyul group being single af (I saw that you don't ship him with anyone so I'm just labeling as single here)

AHHH POOR CATER— To be honest, Cater is a victim of us first watching twst (the first four books) with an official ENG translation; rewatching it now, he feels much more understandable and fun as a character. But alas, we still don’t have any ships with him that would click with us enough to ship-ship him with someone ✊😔  

So for now he’s #singleaf, but honestly seeing just how much trouble the other guys cause to each other at all times, he’s probably better off like that lol

Anonymous asked:

What are your thoughts/feelings/headcanons for silver x kailm?

We talked about them a couple of times here and there!

In short: we don’t necessarily ship them, the dynamic is just not our cup of tea, but their relationship are very sweet and could be interesting.

Anonymous asked:

Even though I'm not as big a fan of Jackpel as I am of JackVil, I do enjoy a good love triangle between them.

It could be interesting! We’re not super invested in either of the ships to be honest, but there are fun aspects to both of them, and jealousy could add another layer to Epel’s and Vil’s antagonism towards each other. Especially considering that it’d probably be Epel who’d be jealous, not Vil.

Poor Jack has no idea what’s going on…

Anonymous asked:

I just read your post about "how the twst cast might feel about murder/murdering. " Which left me wondering how the Twst cast might feel/think about life and death.

I feel like non-human characters such as Octovinelle, Savanaclaw, and diasomnia might view it differently than humans.

In Octavinelle and Savanaclaw case, i think topics such as Murder and/or cannibalism aren't necessarily seen as 'wrong' or 'bad'. I think we can all agree that nature is scary, and to survive, you'll have to be on top of the food chain. and in order to survive, you'll have to 'Kill' someone from your kind to eat or protect yourself.

A perfect example would be Ruggie: he came from poverty. His mother died shortly after giving birth to him, and his father's whereabouts are unknown after he claimed to leave for work. He was raised by his grandma. He did a few odd jobs here and there in order to get around. So i think he would know what 'survival' might feel like or how far someone might go to survive. I bet he went through agonising days and nights starving for food. I wouldn't put it past him to do (or already did) shady things to survive. Also, apparently, Ruggie can chew through bone, which hyenas also do! Nice bonus.

Then there's the Leech twins. Jade did mention once that their parents taught them self-defense when they were little, and their Mom often worries about them. It's also implied that they 'lost' a lot of their siblings. The coral sea that they came from are dark and cold, and most of the food they consume down there is raw. So i wouldn't put it past them to be completely desensitised from all the gory aspects of life not only because of survival but because of their "business" connections their father has. They have probably seen a lot of unhinged things since they were little.

BUT i do think that the Leech twins are a special case, lol. Unlike the other non-human characters, i believe that both of them would not only 'kill' in to survive but also because of boredom. You know how often these two mentioned how they hate to get bored and how they want to be amused? Yeah, i bet they killed/harassed a few mers just because they got bored and wanted entertainment. And it's not unheard of to hear/read about animals in the wild harassing other animals for entertainment, for example Some dolphins have been observed slapping little fish around for fun, or even tossing them up on a beach to watch them suffocate slowly. Again, nature's cruel.

As for the fae? it's hard to say, but seeing as they've been alive for so long (especially Lilia) and, of course, the war that happened in the past. I think it's fair to say that they see life and death in a different light than humans. But do fae have to kill in order to survive? i'm not entirely sure.

That being said, of course, there are expectations of humans doing the same thing or thinking the same thing, just like the non-humans. I mean, have you seen Rook? ;-;

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Anon! Like I already said, I don’t really have much to add, but I’m glad you enjoyed the original post and thought about the topic yourself. Yes, both merpeople and beastpeople would have different level of tolerance and understanding of the cycle of life and death than just regular people. Different morals and different norms due to having completely different circumstances.

God reading about Ruggie made me think again about just how out of touch Leona actually is sifuhisduhs

I also remembered about the Leech twins talking about Halloween and how many kids disappear every year, and how when Floyd went missing they pretty much accepted that Jade was going to be the only child now. Of course it would be a devastating thing, but definitely not something shockingly unusual, and it’s an interesting thing to consider. Oh and of course these two would kill for fun, we know they are considered really dangerous even by the merpeople standards lol

As for fae, I’m not sure if they have the same necessity to kill to survive, but there are so many different types of fae, so maybe it differs from one species to another. The fact that they live longer and are in general tougher than human beings would make them a bit too “careless” around people though: people are too fragile, their lives are short and they are afraid of death. I feel like it’s not very common for fae to reflect on these things either; I think Lilia’s position on the matter is quite rare. The grandpa is very open-minded…

[sk8termikey]

Chapter 18 of 21 Questions

better interface on wattpad + updated till chap 27

FLORIDA VERSUS TOUR SHOW (meeting)(plot is plotting)

Matt🍂

[2 attachments]

Hey, here are the tickets

I hope you'll have a great time tomorrow :)

Thank you so much<3

I'll never forget this fr

I'll repay you one day

And thank your cousin also

You can repay me by not hating me when you discover the truth…

Unsent

No worries

And yeah, I'll tell her it did end up useful for someone else

I'll try to take good pics for her!

That's very nice of you, can't wait to see them if they're as good as those you take of the world

“Damn you're so adorable Lily”, Alex said as she was reading the texts above her friend's shoulder.

“Well, it's thanks to a fellow fan that we can see the triplets again, so anything for her now!”

“No but for real, that was so sweet of Matt's cousin to give them out”. Alex side hugged Lily to show appreciation. “I really can't wait to meet them again”.

“Yeah same”, Lily agreed.

Thinking back to how everything happened so quickly, Lily was glad to have been able to trust her online friend. She knew she had every right to be weary of this, but she also wanted it to be true – which she believed to be. She didn't know how she could ever repay the favour to Matt, but she was set on finding something for him one day. Maybe this is a good situation to write that letter for him, he deserved it already but now even more… Lily thought as she smiled at her idea. Although they had never talked about it, Lily suddenly wished to meet Matt. She felt like their friendship was getting to a point where they could actually enjoy each other's presence in real life – they had called a few more times since they played Fortnite together a couple months ago but had never facetimed. None of them knew what the other looked like, but them being friends was solely based on their personalities and common ground so it didn't matter much. However, Lily's wish for an eventual meeting would happen sooner than she'd ever expect thanks to someone who wasn't as impatient – and it could even be said it had already happened though none of them was aware of it.

A day later and the two best friends found themselves in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Completely off plan – they had indeed wanted to go back to Spring Hill today but fate had it otherwise, Alex and Lily were now on the Southeast Coast. The weather was lovely as the girls parked near the venue. They hadn’t gone to their hotel yet but Matt – Alex had learnt from Lily – had apparently been kind enough to book a room for them not far from where the venue was, “an apology for this last minute plan” Lily had said. Obviously, Lily had refused to let him pay so Matt had only put his card for a refundable deposit and Lily would pay for the room when she and Alex would leave the city. As it was Sunday, the girls had decided that they would stay until Tuesday at most – they had been gone for a week and although Lucas and Jade didn’t mind being alone at the café, Lily and Alex felt bad that they were leaving them for so long. They were also missing their cat a lot, but would never tell their friend that their fake child counted more.

This was now it, the final show of the Versus Tour where Alex and Lily would be once again part of the wonderful atmosphere that were the Sturniolo Triplets’ shows. They had arrived later than they did for the other shows as they didn’t have the small talk nor the group pictures included in their tickets. This didn’t bother the girls though as they were simply ecstatic at the idea of seeing Nick, Matt and Chris for the fourth time. They saw that not many people were left outside as most of them were already inside the venue for the extras that were happening before the show. When they approached the queue, Lily unlocked her phone to get the tickets ready to be scanned. This was the moment of truth: had Matt scammed her or not? Damn, I hope not because I like the kid… Lily thought as it was their turn to enter the venue. When the security guard scanned the tickets, he let out a confused face – though unnoticed by the girls with how quick he composed himself – until he confirmed the names on his list and knew that what he was seeing was not a mistake. 

      Indeed, the tickets that Matt – Laura actually – had custom made for Lily were not meant to exist because they had never sold any GA tickets with only the backstage pass as an extra. The security guard eventually let the girls enter and as he signalled to someone else to take his place to scan the next people, he quickly went inside through another door where he knew that he could find who he was looking for. Fortunately, he was able to find her rapidly enough. He called Laura who was overseeing that the group pictures were going well and told her about the two girls he had checked in a couple of minutes ago. Thanking the man before he went back outside, Laura waited until everyone had gotten their pictures taken – luckily it was almost the end – and as she walked the triplets to the stage where they would soon be on for their show, she notified them about the girls who had arrived. Hearing this, Matt let out a sigh of relief he never knew he was holding and his two brothers patted him on the back to comfort him. She’s here, Matt thought. I’m actually gonna meet her, damn… The stress started getting to him and he knew he wouldn’t be able to relax until he saw that she was here with his own eyes. When they arrived on the side of the stage, the triplets found a small space behind the curtains where they could look at the crowd without being noticed.

“Do we even know who we’re looking for?” Chris asked as he had no idea which team colour the girls were supporting today.

“Well, she’s Matt’s girl so probably blue.” Nick replied as he tried to recognize the girl with whom he had gotten along a few days prior.

“Not my girlfriend…” Matt mumbled. “And she doesn’t even know that she’s here for me so I actually can’t say who she’s rooting for today.”

“I mean– I think I had told her to come in orange last time we saw her but I guess we can each look for our team colours when we’re on stage”, Chris suggested. “We might see better with the lights above us.”

“Good idea, let’s not be too obvious though.” Nick warned. It was now time for them to go on stage and start the show so he gave the final instructions. “We’re mainly searching in the last rows because she had General Admission; a brunette with possibly animals painted on her face accompanied with a blonde girl who’s most certainly in orange as she supported Chris in my memories. And remember, BE. DIS–CREET.”

Matt and Chris nodded as they understood their task. They would never jeopardise their last show but it wouldn’t hurt to confirm that their guests were here as they were literally in front of the crowd where said guests were. Hugging each other, the triplets were now ready to go on stage for the last time of their tour. It had been such a wonderful experience for them and they had found a way to make this last show even more special thanks to the partners they had chosen. Indeed, as their family and friends were present, the triplets had invited three of them to share the stage with them and it was now time to get them on as they were being introduced after the popular vote had happened – Matt won again, what a surprise!

The three teammates were therefore the triplets’ brother Justin, their best friend Nathan – or Nate – and their friend Tril who had travelled with them for a couple of shows to sing at the end. Nick then announced that the three would each pull from a box a friendship bracelet based on one of the teams in order to decide who they were going to partner with. After they all took out a bracelet, Nick made them reveal at the same time and the result was Nathan on team blue with Matt, Tril on team orange with Chris and finally Justin on team purple with Nick.

As usual, the first game was the painting competition which Nate had won, thus granting a second point to Matt’s team blue sharks. The next game was called Saved by the Bell where the teams would answer trivia questions. From the age required to enter the Hunger Games – twelve years old – to the number of moons Mars had – two, the three teams had to answer several chaotic other questions such as the temperature at which water freezes – 0°C or 32°F for y’all weird Americans – or the number of elements in the Periodic Table – a hundred and eighteen. They were now playing the third game which was called We’re Playing Basketball and thanks to Tril, Chris’s team orange deers was now in the lead before the fourth and last game that was Jenga Showdown started. Matt and Nate were closely behind and the Jenga game that Matt had lost a handful would be decisive. Indeed, the loser would have five points removed from his score, which is why it was essential for Matt to not lose again.

Back to our two girls in the crowd, they had been enjoying every minute of this last show. Per Chris’s request, Lily had showed up with an orange tank top and deers drawn on her face by Alex, who was also wearing orange. Although Alex would be over the moon if Chris won this show and therefore the whole tour, Lily was actually awaiting his defeat as she was really curious regarding the tiebreaker that would decide the winner between Chris and Matt as Nick announced that he had a great one planned already. Only time would tell and it wouldn’t be too much waiting as the game finally began. The tension was slowly building in the venue along the Jenga tower. After what was unusually long compared to other shows, the tower eventually collapsed when it was Nate’s turn, thus making Matt’s team lose five out of his nine points. Matt’s loss thus meant Chris’s victory of not only the show but of the entire tour, which sent the crowd in a frenzy as everyone was screaming – one part was actually cheering on the youngest brother while the other was just screaming for fun as one does during a concert whenever the artist on stage does something as simple as breathing.

Now that the show was ending, each team received their medals and as the lights were on, Matt took that as an opportunity to check the crowd for a certain face. He tried to make his brain work its hardest ever and searched for a smiling brunette of whom he had a faint memory. As he stilled for a second, Matt thought he had seen her and when he tried to keep looking at the back of the venue for this particular person, he was nudged by his friend Nate who made him notice that he would end up seeming weird on stage. Nate and the two other teammates did know why Matt had spent a couple of times during the show simply watching the crowd – they had been notified along with the triplets’ parents about Matt’s chaotic plan – and so their role had been to prevent each of the triplets to creepingly stare at the fans too much. Finally, the coronation ceremony happened and Chris received the Versus Tour trophy before everyone left the stage for Tril’s last mini concert.

Unbeknownst to them, Alex and Lily were being observed by three similar-looking people who were watching the fans until they recognised those they were searching for. The show had been over for a little while and so the two girls were currently waiting in the queue leading to backstage as the tickets they had been given by Matt allowed them to meet the triplets after the show. Although they had been trusting Matt, they were still relieved to get the confirmation that they indeed had access backstage when they had first entered the venue a few hours earlier – though it was Laura who had notified the staff beforehand that those two specific girls had a “special treatment” due the ticket combo that wasn't supposed to exist.

As the girls were simply talking about the fact that Chris had won the show and therefore the tour – which Alex was over the moon about, her being a Chris girl, they didn't notice someone from security coming towards them. Exchanging a glance of uncertainty, Lily and Alex were surprised that the bodyguard was asking them to follow him somewhere else in the venue. Questions raised in the girls’ minds but they complied and went with the man. They didn’t understand at first and were just confused that they were being dragged out from the queue.

“What the fuck is happening?” Alex whispered to Lily as they were still walking in the corridors of the venue.

“I DON'T KNOW!” Lily whisper-yelled to Alex. “It's scaring me, like have we been scammed?”

“I hope not bro, they’ll probably give us an explanation.”

Lily agreed and a couple of minutes later, the two girls found themselves in a huge room with several couches and drinks on a table. They got told to stay here until someone would come back for them later. They both were so stressed and although they had snacks as well as beverages to pass the time, Lily and Alex were shitting themselves.

~~~

Half an hour later and the girls were still alone in the room. While they had been wondering about what was going to happen to them – their assumptions were being killed or abducted, the actual backstage was close to being over. Due to confusion still being present, Alex had suggested the first good idea of the evening and told Lily to text Matt.

“Damn, we should've thought about that earlier. I hope bro has a good explanation!”

Matt🍂

Hey Matt, please can you tell me what's going on bc Alex and I have been waiting for so long. We don't know what's happening and it's kinda scary so if you could text me back and explain wtf your cousin was supposed to do at the show, that would be nice

Lily was hoping that although Matt wasn't the one initially going to the show, he could still give her an explanation as to what was going to happen to them. However, as soon as Lily hit ‘send’ on her text, she and Alex heard a notification sound in the same room. This clearly raised more confusion in the girls’ minds. They thought it was a coincidence but were still suspicious of the fact that someone's phone received a message right as Lily had sent hers. As if it couldn’t get worse, the door suddenly opened and three people casually walked in.

“Honestly, it's such a Matt thing to forget his phone on the other side of the venue.” The voice of a man could be heard. “Don't think we needed to immediately bring it to him though.”

“You have to understand him sweetie,” a woman replied to him. “He's really nervous about today even though we spent a while reassuring him before the show. And he might need it to text his friend. I don't know, it might be useful.”

A second man agreed with the woman while Alex and Lily were watching the scene with widened eyes. They couldn't believe what they were seeing: the triplets’ parents, Mary Lou and Jimmy, as well as their brother Justin were currently standing in front of them. As the woman noticed the girls, she stopped talking and nudged her husband then her oldest son to make them notice.

“Hi there!” Mary Lou said with the nicest tone. “You must be my son's friends, right?”

“Wha–” Lily was the first to reply as she had no idea what was going on.

Seeing their confusion, Justin quickly understood that the timing had been completely off.

“Mum, I think we might be early…”

“Oh god!” Mary Lou exclaimed in surprise. “He told us he would notify you before we arrived.”

“I'm sorry, but…” Alex took Lily's place in wanting to know the truth as the brunette was now lost. “Who was supposed to notify us of what?”

“OH MY GOD! WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?” The voice of a young man yelled as he ran into the room and started rambling. “Dad came to get me. Damn, I leave you guys for an hour and you can't wait ten more minutes. Fuck, sorry I shouldn't curse at you and I know I said that thing about my phone but I was about to come get it and now–”

Matt stopped talking as he turned to face the two confused girls still sitting on the couch. His dad, Jimmy, had left his wife and first son to try finding Matt before the situation would get more chaotic than it already was. He had stumbled upon Matt, Nick and Chris who were coming back from backstage as the show was definitely over, which led to the middle triplet running to the room his dad was coming from as he started panicking as soon as Jimmy had explained what was happening a few corridors away.

“Hey,” Matt said to the girls with a soft voice to not frighten them. His gaze was mostly on Lily before he spotted his phone and unlocked it. “Oh, you texted. Sorry for the confusion, I swear I can explain everything.”

What the actual– the fuck he means? Lily wondered. I texted? Like– I'm so fucking lost… She tore her eyes away from Matt as she saw Chris, Nick and Jimmy entering the room then going to stand next to Matt who was trying to calm down.

“Ok so… I know you must both be very sceptical about everything but please listen to me.” Matt almost pleaded as he was scared of how Alex and Lily would react. “Hmm, well… Hi, I'm Matt.”

As he said his last sentence with a small wave, the girls were still not understanding.

“Yeah, we know that”. Lily replied with a nervous laugh. “That's why we came to see y'all I guess.”

“No yeah, sorry. I mean like– Matt, your Matt?” He sounded almost unsure as he saw that Lily was still not completely getting it. He then had an idea and went to his conversation with Lily to show her what he meant. “Wait a second…”

Matt quickly typed a message and sent it to Lily, which made her phone's screen light up.

Matt🍂

Hey, please don't hate me

Both Lily and Alex looked down to read the message, the latter almost having a light bulb appearing above her head.

“Oh fuck I should've known! I knew it!” Alex semi-shouted.

It's true that the blonde had had suspicions a couple of times when Lily had told her that she was texting a guy named Matt who liked Pokemon, Fortnite and had several brothers. They were probably a thousand guys on Earth like that but at that time, it had been the only Matt she could think about.

“Oh…” Lily finally knew what he meant. “Oh… I was absolutely not expecting that.”

“Yeah…” Matt was still afraid of what would happen next. “If that's ok, I just want to properly do introductions?”

Lily nodded as she and Matt were still holding eye contact for the past several minutes. When the girls both stood up and approached the Sturniolo family, Matt got even more nervous and Nick took that as his cue to take charge of the situation.

“Hey, Nicolas here but call me Nick! So we have Matt obviously and Chris who you both know, I mean we all met but let's reset everything. Then it should've been later but improv I guess so I want you guys to meet our mum Mary Lou, our dad Jimmy and our brother Justin.”

“Hi, I'm Alex.” The blonde said as she could feel her best friend was in a sort of shocked state. “This is Lily, my best friend and Matt's friend then?”

Everyone nodded and as an awkward silence was almost forming, Mary Lou let her bubbly personality shine to brighten the mood.

“Okay boys, why don't we just relax and enjoy the snack while getting to know those lovely ladies? Matt darling, go talk with your brothers as I take your nice friend with me. You guys will have all the time in the world later on.”

Mary Lou walked towards Lily and gently grabbed her arm to then go sit on another couch in the room, further away from everyone else. The rest of them scattered in the room as Chris decided to join Alex – they had gotten along well the few times they had seen each other – while the other brothers stood with their dad and chose to pour themselves some drinks.

While Alex was talking with Chris and reminiscing about their victory together, Lily found herself in a conversation with Mary Lou whom she thought was the sweetest woman ever. After Matt, well Nick in all honesty, had introduced her to his mum – a bold move from him to have her meet him AND his whole family at the same time, Mary Lou immediately shooed her son away as she wanted to properly get to know his new friend. This is why Matt was currently with his brothers Justin and Nick. The two oldest were discussing what they could do the next day around the city, which Matt was half listening to as he was stressed regarding what his mum and friend – friend? Acquaintance? More than that? Less? Yeah, friend is good – were talking about. However, as he dared to glance in their direction, Matt found Lily's eyes already on him. She quickly diverted her gaze back to Mary Lou but as she still felt observed, Lily looked back to Matt. They then shared a soft smile across the room and as if it was magic, both were suddenly feeling at ease and fell back to their respective conversation. They'd only had a two second interaction as the Matt and Lily they both knew, but it was like they were turning back into their usual selves when they would text each other.

“You do know you guys are kinda obvious, right?” Justin asked his younger brother.

“Wha– what do you mean?” Matt was confused, although he somehow already knew what this was about.

“Matt come on”, Nick sighed as he dragged out his brother's name's vowel. “I'm pretty sure you didn't listen to what we've been saying because you're only thinking about her.”

“And looking at her like a lost puppy”, Justin added. “She should be the one panicking, yet here you are.”

“I don't look at Lily like a lost puppy…” Matt mumbled. “Just making sure Mum isn't overwhelming her. Can't believe she gets to talk to her before me, she's my friend!”

“A friend who probably made her live the most stressful experience ever,” Nick retorted. “I think today was confusing for everyone so let her breathe for a minute and you can go talk to her after.”

Matt and Justin agreed with the blonde, then tried to trust their mum to make Lily feel better.

Speaking of the devil, the girl was actually enjoying her conversation with Mary Lou, who was telling her about Boston life.

“It sounds great, I hope to go there one day.”

“Maybe if my son keeps you in his life – which I would be glad about, you'll have the opportunity to travel there”. Mary Lou said as she put on her kindest smile.

“Yeah, I hope he does too.” Lily replied with some awkwardness in her voice. “It's still weird to me that he was the one I was texting this whole time, but I really want us to become friends in person now. Not that I want to take advantage of him simply because I know who he actually is of course, please don't think bad of me! But, I–”

“No worries my dear, if Matt trusted you enough to reveal himself to you, then I trust you as well”. The woman reassured the girl sitting next to her. “He's a good boy, so please take care of him.”

“I– yeah I will, I'll do my best to make this friendship work”.

The two exchanged a smile and kept talking about their respective lives: Mary Lou telling Lily about her and Jimmy while Lily told Mary Lou about the café she was working at with Alex.

They had been talking for a good dozen of minutes until Matt – who had been motivated by his brothers – finally decided to join them.

“Hi”, he waved again at Lily – seems like it was his current go-to move when feeling nervous. “Mum, I'm gonna steal her from you – if that's ok with you Lily obviously – because we need to talk now.”

Mary Lou kindly agreed and nudged Lily to stand up. As the girl was expecting the conversation to start now, she was actually surprised when Matt asked her to follow him outside. They both left the room under everyone’s curious stare and Matt took her elsewhere in the venue in order to be far enough for anyone who could walk by. When he found what seemed like a good spot, Matt looked back at Lily to silently ask her if it was ok. As she nodded, he opened the door and they were now on a balcony that was overlooking the parking lot behind the venue.

“Sorry, it looks kinda sketchy but I'll feel better with some fresh air.”

“No yeah, I get it.” Lily agreed with Matt. “I think I needed it too.”

“So…” Matt started as he was fidgeting while leaning on the railing.

“Yep…” Lily whispered as she was doing the same awkward movements.

None of them felt like holding eye contact as they were both extremely nervous. Knowing that he was responsible for all of this, Matt eventually started talking:

“Ok first, I have to apologise for everything. I put you in a very uncomfortable situation and it was a shit move.”

“It's okay… Well it was not completely ok but I understand where you come from so I can forgive you.” Lily smiled at Matt as she was feeling less awkward now that they were actually talking about it. “Never forgive you for not liking sushi though.”

“Damn,” Matt let out a laugh at that. “Can't believe you still hold that against me.”

“Yep, always I guess…” Lily chuckled too and let a now semi-comfortable silence start until she interrupted it with the most important question. “How long have you known?”

“Hmm?”

“Since when have you known it was me like– I was me?”

“Oh, well… when you posted those pictures,” Matt explained. “I was ninety-nine percent sure of you coming to our shows and the last percent was when I texted you.”

“Ok ok,” Lily nodded. “And your first reflex was to make me come to another one?”

“It seems weird but yeah actually,” Matt confirmed as he was actually surprised of himself being so honest. “I was a bit in denial at first because it felt crazy that the person I'm texting is literally a fan – although you are my friend first and foremost – but when I talked about it to Nick and Chris, the first thing that popped into my brain when we agreed that you were Lily was that I needed to meet you again, but properly this time.”

“I'm glad you thought that because I wanted us to eventually meet and I'm happy it's you.”

“Yeah?” Matt asked as he felt relieved that Lily wasn't hating him.

“Yeah, it's just sooner than expected but in a good way. I'm grateful for our friendship Matt.”

“I'm grateful for that too Lily.” Matt had a soft smile on his face. “You wanna meet my other friends/come see everyone else now?”

“Hmm,” Lily hesitated. “Can we stay here a bit longer? Just the two of us…?”

“Yeah, okay.” He agreed. “We can do that, fine by me.”

Basking in the silence, the two newly acquainted friends were enjoying this moment of peace. It would be the first one of many, but for now, it felt like a necessity to take their time as they were now slowly starting to navigate their friendship.

Thank you for reading. Votes and comments are always appreciated if you like this story :) The story is co-written w @/little_grapejuice on wattpad

[highfiveheroes]

fic ask!! for passage commentary, this bit from "now I breathe flames every time I talk" chapter one (though the entirety of ch1 lives rent free in my mind at all times):

The thing is, she knows them too well. They all follow her to the bathroom—Oisin is with his great something grandmother tonight and Buddy doesn’t stay on weekends, so it’s Ruben, Ivy, and Mary Ann that stand at the end of the hall, watching to see what nefarious plan she’s got under her sleeve.

She uses her own toothpaste and her own toothbrush, doesn’t touch anyone else’s, and steps out into the hall. Three heads whip behind a corner; she pretends not to notice. There’s four guest rooms; on nights when everyone is staying, either someone pulls an all-nighter or someone ends up napping at their desk. It’s usually Kipperlilly that sacrifices the room. But again, Oisin isn’t here, and they agreed early in sophomore year that they wouldn’t mind letting her borrow his unofficial room when she needed it. It’s been a while, but she thinks the offer still stands. So into his room she goes, and there’s lots of papers regarding bank dealings and Adaine Abernant, but she ignores all of it and shuts the door so she can change.

Shadows pass in front of the door a few times as she gets ready, letting her hair down, avoiding looking in the mirror. When the light goes out, the movement stops, and she can picture them all on the other side. Let them wonder, she thinks. Let them stalk her. They don’t care about her and they never did, so—

She tries to sleep. Honestly, she does. But fifteen minutes later the door creaks open, letting light spill into the room. Kipperlilly doesn’t move. She’s not doing anything wrong, goddamn it, she’s just trying to fucking sleep.

OH I LOVED THIS SECTION <3

no because i'm sort of obsessed with the non rogues of the party trying to tail the actual rogue, especially when she's...not actually doing anything for once? like i wanted it to read like a brooklyn 99 scene for this whole sequence, where ruben&co think they're in the heist of the century trying to figure out what kipperlilly is doing...meanwhile kipperlilly is literally being the most normal she's ever been.

also confession time...i have the line in here about adaine and bank documents which in hindsight is so funny to me that people read it as oisin being the reason adaine is poor, because i actually meant for it to be "oh, oisin has something to do with the KVX bank turning blue, and as a separate fun fact he's been stalking adaine and trying to learn more about her. but i actually prefer the take that he's got something to do with adaine not getting money, because it makes him offering her components and gems and gold so much more sinister in context hahaha

but i also wanted to throw in the oisin and kipperlilly dynamic, because they're so fascinating to me. arguably they're the smartest in the crew—at the very least, they're the two most likely to be involved in the main plot, as shown by the buddy/last stand moment and the scene during rock the vote. (this is also coming into play in ch2 LOL so i'm glad i left the crumbs in ch1)

and then. and then!! kipperlilly just...sweet girl, she wouldn't even recognize if she saw herself in the mirror after the mask has dropped. it's the way she has completely detached herself from any of her actions and who she's become now, and she can't face it, so she just keeps plowing forward instead. like a sunk cost fallacy of "i've come this far, no use in reflecting on how i got here or where i came from or who i used to be" sort of thing. she tries so hard to pretend things are fine, it's just that...they're not. y'know?

thank you!!! for letting me get to analyze this, i fucking love it hehehe

[willing-but-not-able]

Some of Barbatos' lines are my hot cheesy bread and butter. This is the result of that. I also logged in today, saw it was his birthday then immedetly forgot it was, so I guess this can double as a birthday gift for Barbs 💞

A Royal Sacrifice

Wc: 1.7k

Warning: somehow this turned a bit angsty. Not a lot, but just a little bit of saddness.

...

As the door to the Demon Lord’s Castle opened up, Barbatos was greeted by a face that he knew was coming, but he still found himself in slight shock at your appearance. Not because he wasn’t expecting you, but because he was.

Your face had a sweet smile, underlying something else he dared not to think about.

“Am I early? You looked shocked?”

He cleared his throat. “No, of course I knew you were going to be here.” He moved out of the way and gestured for you to enter.

“That power of yours is handy.” You walked in, but not very far. Watching him close the door Barbatos looked back at her once it was shut and they were alone in the large entrance.

“The Young Master is eagerly awaiting your appearance. No need to wait on me.”

His words felt a bit cold, you couldn’t help but think Barbatos was rushing you. Before you could think to ask him that, Diavolo’s voice stole your attention.

“(Y/n)! I’m so glad you made it here safely.” He started down the stairs and made his way over you two.

As much as you knew your visit was for Diavolo, you couldn’t help the weighing feeling you got from not being able to talk to Barbatos about his behavior. Of course he wasn’t acting inappropriately or treating you with disrespect; but it felt… odd how he was acting.

Barbatos left you and Diavolo to speak. So you focused on Diavolo as you walked together.

“It hasn’t been that long since I was last here. It almost feels like I live here at this point.”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to it. This castle gets very lonely after a while and having someone else around makes it lively.”

You giggled. “Though I don’t suppose this time is for leisure?”

“No, unfortunately. I wanted to meet with you to discuss an issue that’s been occurring. Lately, some denizens have wanted to move to your region.”

“Really? I guess that explains the influx of Devildom residents coming by. I thought it was simply just a random event going on. Perhaps Leviathan summoned Lotan in the town square or Beelzebub ate through everything.”

Diavolo laughed. “No, if it was that I would have told you. No, I’ve conducted some research and found they simply want to live there. Some want a change of pace, others are just getting started and feel your land is perfect for someone just starting out.”

“I can see how they would feel that way. Though I hope they don’t assume I’m going to prioritize them over my naive borns.”

“That’s why I wanted to talk with you. I wanted to have a proper system in place for anyone who wants to leave here and go there.”

“Now I can see why you wanted me to stay a while.” You held your tongue as your thoughts started to wander.

All of a sudden that cold feeling Barbatos seemed to give you washed over you again. Though he wasn’t anywhere around you, perhaps this is what the feeling was attached to. You shook it off, and continued speaking with Diavolo.

As time went on, you and Diavolo spent extensive hours discussing something that you both could agree on. In the end, the day was met with only one thing you both agreed on. With more headache than you two could handle, Diavolo called your meeting to an end and you shared a more relaxed dinner together.

Of course during this Barbatos refused to remain in the area. He simply brought dinner, refilled glasses and explained he had other matters to attend to. This wasn’t the best feeling ever, but being a ruler of an entire region made hiding your feelings all the easier. Not that it didn’t hurt. You still had feelings after all, and those feelings ended you up here—outside Barbatos’ room. You wanted desperately to knock on the door, but something made you stop. As you stood there you wondered about how all this came to be.

Weeks before this stay, you were invited to a ball Diavolo was hosting for a new Human resident. You enjoyed your time, but found yourself suffering at the forced social interactions. You managed to escape, but not without Barbatos noticing. Worried, he asked if you were okay and his words eased you. He had a way of speaking to you that you came to enjoy and after that short meeting, you were desperate to spend more time with him.

Being some of the few who were staying at the castle after the ball, you found every way to run into Barbatos and it seemed he enjoyed your presence as well. In fact, you knew he did after he spent the night in your guest bedroom.

Things seemed almost magical after that. It almost made you want to marry in fact, but that brought you back to reality.

This was why Barbatos was avoiding you. No matter how much he may have cherished you, he can’t leave the side of the Demon Lord. That thought made a tear fall from your eye and you let out the breath you were unconsciously holding. As you tried to muffle your cries, the door opened and Barbatos was there in front of you. Neither of you said anything, but you quickly composed yourself and tried to brush things off.

“I’m sorry. I know it’s late, I shouldn’t be here.”

“(Y/n)?”

“Yes?”

He said nothing for a long time. You could almost feel your tears welling again, but somehow you were able to keep them at bay while he stood in front of you.

Barbatos let out a sigh. “I’m sorry that you have to suffer like this.”

“Barbatos, please, I’m not suffering.”

“You know very well that’s a lie. I don’t even need my ability to know that much.” He stepped forward and cupped your face.

With his gloves off you instantly felt goosebumps at his warm skin on yours. Your hand came up as well and tried to pull his away. Your resistance was weak and soon your eyes closed, stepping forward you felt Barbatos arms around your shoulders. You shook against him and soon your words came out.

“I don’t know what’s worse. The fact that I’m putting you in this position or the fact that I’ll never be able to have you.”

Barbatos said nothing, but he started to pull you into his room. While you weren’t very familiar with it, it felt horrible that this was the first time you’re seeing it. All your excitement to learn more about Barbatos was carried away by the sorrow you felt in this moment. Barbatos guided you over to a bed and you two sat together, still holding on tightly to one another.

“I knew you’d come to the same realization I did, but I had to be sure.” You looked up barely able to hold back your tears anymore. “I looked ahead and saw what I needed to.”

“Our future isn’t one you can see… because it may never happen.” He remained quiet, but in your state, you spoke again. “What if I relinquish my role? That way I can just live here with you.”

His head shook. “Even though I knew you would say something like that, it still surprises me how willing you are. For me, you’d lose everything you built, everything you own.”

“Because while I do care about that, I can’t sustain things on my own forever. Your love for me is something I’ll never get with anyone else.”

“You will, (Y/n).”

Your eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about? I don’t care what you saw, do you really believe I could love anyone else but you?”

“I’m not saying that because I saw anything, I’m saying that because of how wonderful you are. I know someone will eventually fall for you the exact same way I did.”

“So I’m supposed to move on because I’m charismatic? I refuse to believe my life ends up with someone else.” You managed to break from his grasp and rubbed your tears away. “There has to be something where I can prove that no matter the situation we found ourselves in, we… might have a chance where everything works out.”

Facing him, you saw the look in his eyes. Barbatos’ usual composed appearance almost seemed broken here.

You took his hand in yours. “You know as well as I do that I oppose the future expected of me. First of my reign to never marry and you think I would change that just so we don’t end up together?”

He squeezed your hand and let out a sigh as his head dropped to rest on your shoulder. “I never expected to meet someone like you. Even when we first met, I didn’t think anything could come of it, but now I can’t see a world without you.”

“And if we share that sentiment, then we’ll find a way.”

His arms snaked around your waist, pulling you back against him. “With your will, I don’t doubt you would find a way. It’s just, I saw you still as the ruler of your region. The only conclusion I could come to was… you moving on.”

“I don’t know what will happen, but I know one thing and that’s the fact that you would be the only person I want to marry. Otherwise, after my reign is over, my role will be taken by someone else unrelated to me.”

He looked up at you. “You shouldn’t want just anyone to take your role.”

“I know, but if that’s what it takes to be with you then so be it.”

For the first time since you saw him, a smile grew on his face. This lifted your own spirits and you smiled as well.

“Then, we’ll experience this future together. You and all your puzzling decisions.” Barbatos once more held your face in his. “May I indulge myself and have you tonight?”

Your eyes started to close. “Yes, do whatever it is you want with me. At least we’re sure about this.”

🍊 Soooooo, I was gonna have a smut attached to this, but this ending was too good for that. I did write a smut tho, which you can check out here (be careful minors).

It just didn't seem right adding to this part.

Thanks for reading~ <3 🍊