#was working on giving them a lil refresher before i left

[lilmisskiwi-art]

Her royal highness, the Rose princess, Rosalin & her guard Léon ~

[the-oblivious-writer]

Touch Tank

Tara Carpenter x Reader

One-shot

Summary: Tensions are high when you go over to the Carpenters' apartment after telling Tara you would fix their sink; Sam isn't exactly what you would call your 'biggest fan'

Warning(s): Swearing, Tara & R aren't together, & no pronouns used

Notes: Another work based off of Gilmore Girls! Currently re-watching it and I'm slowly inching towards s3 ep 19... I'm avoiding it like the plague (I wanna stay in literali bliss just a lil longer 😔)

4/7 for Seven Days of Christmas

You made the mistake of agreeing to fix Tara’s sink.

Somehow Tara roped you into agreeing. Plumbers were expensive, and with paying rent in New York while also paying for college, they were already on a tight budget. You offered them a cheaper price, and you honestly didn’t mind giving Tara a favor.

That was before you remembered Sam would be there too.

You have known Tara all of five months, and in that time you haven’t exactly left the best impression on her older sister. Sam has already caught you sneaking in ten times—you got lucky every other time—and it didn’t help that you had an attitude. 

Tara wanted nothing more than for Sam to get to know you—to not just go off the you she made up in her head. So, when Sam found out you would be coming to fix their kitchen sink… she figured it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to give you another shot. Besides, she was doing this for Tara. She wasn’t sure as to why Tara was so persistent on it, but all she knows is that Tara wants you and her to get along. 

—

You walk up the stairs to the shared apartment after getting buzzed in by Tara. Once you get to the door you knock and the door opens.

“Hey,” Tara greets.

“Hey back,” you reply. Tara moves to the side, letting you in. Once you’re inside you look at Tara once again before smiling to yourself.

“You’re very punctual,” she remarked—watching as your eyes wandered.

“Yeah, well, it was either this or more apartment hunting with Danny.”

“You’re moving?”

You shrugged, “I don’t know. Don’t really get the point—the apartment’s fine. He says there’s ‘interior damage’ or whatever. Nothing I can’t fix.”

“Who knows; a new place could be nice.”

“I guess. He’s kinda eyeing the vacant apartment that’s not too far from yours.”

“Really?”

“Yeah… not saying it’s a sure thing but if we do move, can you promise you won’t get sick of me?”

“Sick of that face? Never…” She gently pinched your cheek teasingly; heat rushed to your face. 

“Did you change your hair?” You asked suddenly, changing the subject.

“What?”

“Your hair looks…different.”

“So segway’s not your thing, huh?” 

“Is it?” 

“Uh, no. I wear it like this a lot. Why?”

“Just…” You shrug, “Different.”

“Oh. Bad ‘different’?” She tugged on the hem of her shirt, suddenly feeling nervous for some reason. 

You smirk, about to answer her question, but turn your head when you hear a noise coming from down the hall. It sounded like Sam yelling a curse before Tara looked back at you with a light chuckle.

“The sink hasn’t been putting her in the best mood,” she elaborates. 

“She’s usually in a good mood?” You quip with raised eyebrows, tone laced in sarcasm. Tara scolds you with a look, causing you to back down. “Alright, alright.” 

“This fucking sink is driving me insane–” Sam cuts herself off, stopping in her tracks when she sees you. 

“Oh. Y/N. You’re here,” she says and you simply nod at her words. “Refreshing to see you use the front door for once…” She murmurs but you and Tara hear it. Tara scolds her with the same look she gave you just moments before. 

“If you want there’s Dr. Pepper in the kitchen,” Sam reluctantly offered. You looked at Tara then at Sam before briefly nodding. 

After a few seconds of silence, Sam clears her throat. “Okay, well, everything’s in the kitchen if you want to get started. The toolbox, and gloves are all there. If you need anything else just call one of us.” 

Tara looks between you and Sam before speaking up, “Come on, I’ll show you.” She extends her hand, gesturing to the direction of the kitchen. You begin to walk in that direction but before Tara follows behind, she gives Sam a look.

“I’m trying,” Sam huffed. 

“Well keep it up pleasee,” Tara requested as she walked away to the kitchen. 

By the time she was there, you were already setting up. “Question,” She states.

“Yes?” You put the pair of gloves in your back pocket, looking over at Tara.

“You come over. You seem to have a very firm grasp of the English language. You put together several full sentences—even using a couple of words that contain two or more syllables. And then my sister appears, and suddenly we need a thought bubble over your head to understand what you’re thinking. Can you tell me why that is?”

You looked down at the four-way silicone key in your hand before looking at Tara again with a  response. “The verbal thing comes and goes.” 

Tara sighed, lightly rolling her eyes. “I would really appreciate it if you would try to get along with my sister.”

“I took the Dr. Pepper,” you stated as a matter of factly. 

She furrowed her eyebrows, “I know.”

“Personally, I think it’s a little crazy to put lemon in Dr. Pepper—buuuut I took it anyhow.” You reached for the bucket and rag as you heard Tara huff.

“Stop it.”

“Ooo, stern face,” you say as you lift the tool and bucket to place by the sink. Tara continues, following you as you crouched down by the sink.

“Look. I went out on a limb for you, trying to get my sister to give you the benefit of the doubt. Okay? So, I don’t think it would hurt you to try to be nice.”

You put down the wrench you had just picked up, now fully turned and standing to look at Tara as you spoke. “Why?” You simply asked, taking off your jacket.

“Why?” Tara mirrored.

“Yeah. Why?” 

“Because she’s my sister—and she and Danny are dating.”

“So?” You tossed your jacket on top of a nearby chair.

“What do you mean ‘so’?” She asked incredulously; her eyebrows stayed furrowed.

“So, just because she’s your sister or Danny’s girlfriend doesn’t mean that I automatically have to get along with her,” you stated with pure conviction, rolling up your sleeves. 

“Y/N, my sister is a great person. She’s also my best friend—so if you care about me at all you will take that into consideration,” Tara was now crossing her arms as she stood her ground. “And you will be mildly polite to her.”

You couldn’t help but smirk, looking her up and down before responding. “What makes you think I care about you?” Tara didn’t need eyes to know you were smirking and enjoying this way too much.

She blushes, looking down at the ground and shaking her head as she grows flustered. “I–I don’t mean care-care. Like—care. I mean if you like me at all—not like-like! I just meant that–” Tara stumbles over her words, tucking in a loose strand of hair behind her ear. You watch her with amusement, a soft smile grazing your face as you let out a light snort.

“If you think of me remotely as the sort of person you could occasionally stand to talk to then you will try to get along with my sister. That’s all.” 

Your eyes never pulled from her once, only looking at her with fondness as you finally said something. “Okay,” you nod.

“Okay?”

“Can’t guarantee that it’ll work but I’ll try,” you confirm. 

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome…” You glance at the sink then back at Tara. “Should probably get to work.”

“Right. Sorry—go ahead.” She turns to walk away, looking at you one more time before leaving the kitchen. You crouch down by the sink again, not meeting her gaze but feeling it. She doesn’t see how you grin to yourself; your mind being plagued with thoughts of the younger Carpenter.

Guess it wouldn’t hurt to make an effort. 

—

Later that night, you decided to stop by Tara’s window for a surprise visit. You looked at her for a few seconds—admiring how peaceful she looked—before lightly tapping on her window. She turned to look at the window, a grin grazing her face when her eyes meets yours.

She lifted the window with a smile as you looked up at her fondly. “Hey,” you finally said after the window fully opened, expression never faltering as you leaned your head against the window frame.

“Hey back,” she replied. “Didn’t you say something to Sam about not coming through the window anymore.” Tara heard from Sam that you managed to hold somewhat of a conversation with the older Carpenter, actually making an effort to try with her. No matter how awkward it might have been on your end, at least you tried.

“You talk about me with Sam?” You asked smugly.

She rolled her eyes with an infectious smile. “Just get inside.”

“I didn’t hear a no~” You say in a sing-song voice. Tara pulled you in by your sleeve, roughly, might you add. “Watch the shirt,” you complain while you’re pulled inside her room.

“Quirk it.”

“How gentle,” you sarcastically complimented; you dusted your pants off with your free hand, not commenting on how Tara still held a grip on your other arm. 

“So,” Tara began as she sat on her bed—dragging you with her, “What are we watching tonight?”

“I can’t do Freaky Friday again.”

“Fine.”

“How about Cursed?” You inquired. Tara was leaning her back against your chest; she looked up at you with those beautiful brown eyes.

“That movie’s terrible.”

“One-hundred percent, but Milo Ventimiglia is in it.”

“Doesn’t he only have like six minutes of screen time?”

“But in it, nevertheless.”

“You drive a hard bargain… Get the laptop?”

You respond by reaching over to the night stand, grabbing her laptop. You hand it to her and she opens it on her lap. 

Tara would never comment on how she was the only one who got this side of you—the gentle, kind, and considerate side. Well, when she wants to see you squirm she comments on it. But for now, she’ll keep it to it herself.

-----------

A/N: the urge to write a paper on how jess mariano is a truly misunderstood character grows each & each day...

(I got beef with star hallows. we leave it at that.)

[siriuslysatorusimping]

Locked Out (Gojo Satoru)

This is pretty much just idiotic fluff. University AU. I made a post like over a year ago about this idea and now here we are. I just wanted to post this first bit as a lil taste of what’s to come!

The First Key

Flipping through her notebook, Rinko hummed along with the quiet music filtering from the computer speakers as she added the occasional extra note.

Night shifts were one of her favorite things about working for the dorms. Most of the time, they were uneventful except for a midnight package pickup from a nocturnal student or someone forgetting their keys.

“Yo!” a deep voice greeted cheerfully, “Could I get a lockout key?”

Nodding, she didn’t bother looking up before swiveling her chair around to open the filing cabinet with the lockout forms.

“Name and student ID number?”

“Gojo,” he replied, rattling off his ID as well.

“Dorm number?” Rinko asked as she located his sheet and turned back to the desk. “D’you know the drill for–?”

She trailed off when she finally looked up from the paper in her hands.

People forgot to take their keys with them all the time when they bathed. The majority of lockout keys she’d seen were unfortunate students who finished their bath or shower only to find that they couldn’t get back into their room. He wasn’t even the first person she’d seen wearing nothing but a towel while they asked for a key that week.

But he was, by far, the most attractive she’d encountered yet.

Pale skin, perfect complexion—not a single blemish in sight. Skin like that shouldn’t even be possible for someone living in the dorms. Messy, white hair dripped occasionally as it clung to his forehead. Eyelashes that matched his hair framed eyes so blue they threatened to drown her.

Tall—so tall. Even if she weren’t sitting, he clearly towered over her. Very built. So many muscles. Did he have an eight-pack? The dark blue towel hung low on his hips left very little to the imagination. Dimples sat at the edges of a shameless grin adorning his face, perfect teeth on display.

A pretty boy who knew he was pretty. Just perfect.

“Two twenty-four,” he stated, and she blinked, trying to remember why he would tell her such a random number. “They gave the regular spiel about these keys at the start of last semester, but I honestly didn’t pay attention. Mind giving me a refresher?”

Dorm number. She’d asked for his dorm number. Lockout key—right.

His eyes seemed to sparkle at her while she gave a brief explanation, trying to ignore the heat that crept up her neck when his gaze wandered as she spoke. She had no doubt that his once-over mirrored the one she’d given him, except she did doubt her outfit was as flattering as his towel.

“Fill this out,” she stated evenly, placing the sheet on the desk in front of him. She turned away to open the key cabinet, locating the spare for his dorm. “Just the first row.”

He hummed his affirmative, and she held the key out when he slid the form back toward her.

“Thanks, Miss Desk Girl.” His fingers brushed against hers as he accepted the key. “Be back before you know it.”

Sending her a wink, he tapped the desk with two fingers before turning to walk to the stairwell, leaving her staring at his towel-covered ass until it disappeared from sight.

“You didn’t think to get dressed?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

The towel was even lower on his hips than before as he handed the key back to her.

“Only had fifteen minutes,” he replied, tilting his head to the side innocently. “Took me a while to find my keys once I got back inside, and I didn’t wanna get in trouble for taking too long just because I threw on some shorts, ya know?” His lips pulled into a small smirk. “Plus, I figured you might not mind getting another look since you were kinda drooling earlier–”

“You won’t get in trouble for putting clothes on,” she cut him off, her face burning at being called out for staring. She scribbled her name in the box to confirm he’d returned the key. “The fifteen-minute rule is just to make sure you actually bring the key back. Most of us don’t mind as long as you don’t take forever or you get it back before our shift is over.”

“Yeah?” He reached to take the key back. “What time does your shift end? I’ll have this back before–”

“Doesn’t matter since you’re already here. But for future reference, please put clothes on before you come back.”

“It’s okay to admit you like the view,” he teased, bracing his elbow on the desk. “I definitely like my view. Though, it feels kinda unfair since I’m the only one in a towel. I could bring you one to even things out–”

“I’m good, thanks.”

-

AN: what do you guys think?? I know it’s short, but I did say it’d be a mini series :)

[jennay]

Dreaded Sickness

Request:

Hi!! I love your writing so much. It's so refreshing to see some fluff. I was wondering if you could do something where the reader has a cold or the flu, and Noah takes care of them. I've been a lil stuffy lately and feel like this would be super cute. 💕

Word Count: 1800ish

Noah Sebastian x reader

No warnings.

Noah Master List

An: hope you enjoy this! I tried not to sound too cliché. Let me know what you think💜

Being sick was your worst nightmare. You took vitamins regularly, washed your hands constantly, and wore masks at work.

You avoided touching door handles; if you ever heard someone was sick, you would avoid contact with them.

Noah found it humorous and often teased that you needed to be put in one of those plastic hamster balls, and he would carry you around.

He'd never seen you sick for the three years you had been dating, so it was all new to him when you left work early and texted him: I'm dying.

He saw you this morning when you left, and you looked ok. He assumed you got the sniffles and were overreacting, but when he saw you in the bedroom with the blankets covering every inch of your body, concern rushed to his core.

"Oh, babe." He whispers, sitting at the edge of the bed; his hand falls to your shoulder. A frown on his lips when he hears you struggling to breathe. He gently sets his hand on your forehead, gauging your body's temperature.

Your eyes flutter open at his touch, "Hey." You quietly groan while pushing yourself into a seated position. What a mistake that was; your body feels heavy, and sitting up feels like a chore. All the blood rushed to your head, making you feel like passing out.

Noah wraps his tattooed arm around your body, bracing for the impact of you against his chest. "What happened to you?" He asks, running his fingers through the ends of your hair.

You sigh, "I feel like shit, and everything hurts." You gently pull out of his arms and collapse back on the bed. You pull the blankets back to your face and close your eyes.

"Are you just stuffed up?" He lies beside you on the blankets, propped up on his elbow to observe you. You look a little flushed, your lips are dry from breathing through your mouth, and your eyes are a bit puffy from rubbing them.

"I don't know." You whisper, turning on your side to face the wall. You feel his hand rub your back soothingly.

"Do you want to try a bath? I can get it started." He offers.

"I don't think I can walk there." You softly say. "I don't even know if I have control over my limbs right now."

Noah chuckles, "Good thing I've had lots of practice carrying you around." He sits up and walks over to the bathroom that connects to your room. "I'll be right back."

You hear the water turn on, and Noah hums while waiting there. You're grateful for him and don't want to be rude, but part of you wants him to let you sleep.

You can only imagine what he's filling the tub up with. Bubbles, bath salts, bath bombs…there was a wide variety to choose from, but knowing him, he would overdo it. You were too tired to care. You hear the water turn off, and his footsteps gradually get closer.

"Ready?" He asks, slowly pulling the blankets down your body. "Do you want me to carry you?" He doesn't give you time to answer before he slips an arm under your back and the other under your legs, pulling you to the edge of the bed.

It always surprised you when he picked you up without an issue, no groans, no sighing, and no complaints.

You wrap your arms loosely around his neck, "It's so cold."

He frowns, feeling your body shiver against him. "I know, babe. It's only for a second." He brushes his lips against your forehead. "You're going to be ok. I promise. I'm here."

Noah lowers you to the floor, and a groan escapes your lips as the cold tile chills your skin. He removes your clothes, flings them aside, and then offers you his hand. You cling to him as he guides you into the bathtub.

You sigh as the heat wraps around you, soothing your aching body. You were reluctant to do this, but you're thankful Noah convinced you.

The water feels smooth and gentle, with lavender bubbles and elderberry oils nourishing your skin.

Noah squats beside you, his brown eyes sparkling with happiness as he watches you rest your head and close your eyes. He feels proud of himself for giving you some relief.

He loves seeing you happy and relaxed; it makes him happy, too. He thinks about how lucky he is to have you in his life. He never thought he'd find such a connection with someone, but here you were, constantly making him realize the amount of love he could truly feel for someone. “Do you need anything else?” He wonders aloud.

You shake your head slightly. “No, but can you stay in here?” You ask him softly. "I feel like I'm going to fall asleep, and I don't want to drown." You think about how lucky you are to have him in your life, how much easier life has been with him by your side. The comfort he gives you, how much love he shows you.

You think about how he always knows what to say or do to make you feel better, to make you laugh, to make you smile, to make you feel safe. You think about how he’s everything you ever wanted, everything you ever needed, everything you ever dreamed of.

He sits on the tile and leans back against the wall, “Of course.” He says without any hesitation.

A smile pulls at your lips, “I’m glad you found me.” You whisper.

He chuckles, watching you sink deeper into relaxation, “I’m glad I found you too.”

He smiles at you with a nostalgic look in his eyes. “Do you remember the first time we met?” He asks you, thinking about the moment that changed everything.

You had caught his attention on Instagram with a video you recorded singing. He wanted to collaborate with you on a duet. He sent you a message and asked you politely. You replied and declined him firmly. You told him that his music wasn’t suitable for your voice and that you didn’t have the experience he was looking for.

He didn’t give up, though. He kept sending you messages and trying to persuade you. He complimented your voice and your style. He told you how much he admired your talent and your passion. He said he had a perfect song for you and would love to hear you sing it with him.

You resisted his charm for two more months, but he was persistent and persuasive. You finally agreed to give him a chance, but you warned him that he would regret wasting his time.

The moment he saw you in person, his life changed.

You walked into the studio with a confident smile and a casual outfit. You wore jeans and a T-shirt that showed off your curves. You had your hair in a ponytail and sunglasses on your head. You looked calm and relaxed like you did this every day.

He was stunned by your beauty and your charisma. He felt his heart skip a beat and his mouth go dry. He greeted you warmly and introduced you to his producer and his bandmates.

They were all friendly and welcoming. You shook their hands and complimented their work. You made them laugh with your jokes and your wit. He could tell they liked you instantly.

He led you to the recording booth and handed you a pair of headphones and a microphone. He explained the song he had written for you and played a demo for you. It was a romantic ballad with a catchy chorus, the complete opposite of what you'd heard from him. You listened attentively and nodded along. You liked the melody and the lyrics. You told him it was a beautiful song and you were honored to sing it with him.

He pressed the record button and signaled you to start. You took a deep breath and sang the first verse with your powerful voice. It was sweet and soulful, full of emotion and expression. He joined you in the chorus, and you felt yourself melt at the sound of his voice. You harmonized perfectly and felt a spark between you.

The song ended, and he clapped his hands enthusiastically. He praised your performance. You had a few hours of goofing off but also moments of seriousness.

You followed him to the control room, where he played the song for you, and you both listened with admiration. It sounded like magic. You felt proud of what you had created together.

Noah admitted to you he had been following your Instagram for a long time and that he was a big fan of your voice. He said he had always wanted to work with you and was glad you finally agreed. He said he had enjoyed every moment of singing with you and that he felt a special connection with you. He asked you out the next day.

"I thought I was going to pass out." Noah laughs, "Can you believe that was three years ago?" He asks you.

You nod, "Best three years of my life. Thanks for continuing to try." You softly say. You slowly sit up in the bath and blink your eyes a few times, ready to get up, a yawn falling from your lips. "Can you hand me the towel?"

Noah stands up and grabs the towel, reaching for your hand to help you step out. He wraps the towel around your body and leads you to the room. "Go sit." He says, pointing to the bed; he walks away to the dresser and grabs you some fresh clothes, bending down in front of you. He starts at your legs and walks to your top, sliding your shirt over your body. He gently kisses your nose, making you giggle. "I love you." He quietly says.

"I love you too. Thank you for being so thoughtful."

Noah shrugs as you get back under the blanket and curl on the pillows. "You make it easy." He tucks the blankets under your body, making sure you won't get cold. He sits next to you, crawling in bed and pulling you close to him. He kisses your temple, "I want you to get some rest, OK?"

You nod, "I'll try to sleep, but don't go too far, please." You softly say, snuggling into his chest. "I'm scared I'm not going to wake up."

Noah smiles, melting at the idea of you needing him. "You're going to be ok, princess. I'll be right here when you wake up." He closes his eyes, getting comfortable beside you, drifting into a peaceful slumber.

He hopes that when you wake up, this nightmare will be over, but until then he will lay here keeping you safe in his arms.

[xyziiix]

•𝙻𝙸𝙺𝙴 𝙰 𝚆𝙴𝚂𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙽• - VII

•Pairing: Mid-honour!Arthur Morgan X Female!Reader•

•Summary: Finally moving from the frigid and isolated town of Colter, Arthur and Hosea recollect the past before the gang arrives at Horseshoe Overlook•

•warnings: language mostly, Hosea being a lil cutie•

!most of this chapter is in Arthur’s perspective!

!not proof read!

series Masterlist <<previous chapter

The snow melted into green and brown - into the beauty of an unfrozen environment, the sun gradually radiating warmth onto everyone as the gang descended the mountain that held the glacier. Horses whinnying as they pulled the carts full of personal belongings along the path which was finally not blanketed in white and ice. The cool breeze actually became a relief instead of a shiver now that the sunshine was actually blazing and not just seemingly there for the light of day. The scenery was much more welcomed than the previous winter wonderland - more full of life and vibrancy. The horses hauling Arthur and Hosea’s wagon huffed as their legs were submerged in the refreshing water of the shallow stream, but the wheels of the cart groaned in protest.

“Get us out the stream.” Hosea instructed Arthur, whom cracked the reins to urge the horses to move more efficiently - which became quite challenging as the current of the water pushed against the wagon, “you gotta keep us moving, but calm.”

As they finally got back onto the dirt and gravel, the small victory was discarded as the left side of the wagon dipped abruptly - the wheel having disconnected and toppling to the side. And the sounds of barrels and boxes falling out of the rear end didnt sooth Arthur’s frustration.

“Ah, shit!”

You were about three carts in front, unbeknownst of of the halt of their movement as the others continued down the path, leaving Arthur, Hosea, Bill, Charles, Javier and uncle behind to assess the problem.

“You alright back there?” Bill asked as he pulled the two mares to a stop.

“Does everything look alright?” Arthur bit sarcastically, throwing the reins off of his lap to jump down from the front of the wagon and stomp walk to the back.

“Well, what’s going on?” Javier asked, sat atop his horse.

Arthur let out a ‘gah’ of annoyance, throwing his hand up in the air as he properly took in the state of the cart. “I broke the goddamn wheel!”

“Alright! Let’s get it fixed.” Hosea urged as he also climbed off the wagon. Charles joined Hosea to haul the end of the wagon bed - dismissing Javier when he offered his help - Arthur lifted the heavy wood of the wheel. “Alright Charles, you and me hold the thing up, while you try and put the wheel back on, Arthur.”

“You still strong enough to hold up a wagon?” Arthur quipped as he trundled the wheel back over to the wagon.

“Shut up.” Hosea responded as he strained his knees to lift the wood up.

“M’just sayin’.” Arthur prompted, grunting as he lifted the wood up to join back onto the axle.

“Well, say less.”

Arthur panted as he crouched next to the wheel, giving the wood a few bashes with his broad shoulder to push the wheel back into place, when it looked secure enough to his satisfaction, he appeared at Charles and Hosea’s side. “You ain’t so useless after all.” He said to Hosea, his tone teasing.

The older man just let out an amused and prolonged laugh as he and Charles began retrieving all of the fallen supplies, “not quite.”

As Arthur made work of tightening the screws with a wrench - Hosea and Charles reloading the wagon - they became aware of watchful eyes. At the top of the cliffs edge, three men on horseback stood idly - observing them. Hosea’s - still - gloved hand wipes at his face as he analysed their positions, Charles and Arthur becoming slightly anxious.

“What do you think?” Arthur asked lowly as he placed the metal tool back onto the wagon bed.

“If they wanted trouble..” Charles began, staring up at the strangers, “we wouldn’t have seen them.” Hosea stiffly raised his arm, giving the three men a frigid wave - in an attempt of reassurance that they wouldn’t cause any problems.

“Poor bastards…” Hosea rasped, lowering his arm as neither of the watchers made any move, “we really screwed them over down here.” He then turned to look at his comrades. “Come on. Let’s not push our luck.

They finished loading the wagon, Bill and Javier had already gone to follow you and the others.

“What happened?” Asked asked as he lifted a large pot, hauling it onto the back.

“Well, get in.. and I’ll tell ya.”

The wagon you were in jostled and rutted over the stones, the path being less smoother than it were when it was covered in much softer snow rather than the uneven gravel, you were sat on the buckboard with Dutch, listening to him talk about anything and everything - that was the good thing about Dutch, he could talk for America and render you free of boredom - though, it could get a little tiring listening to him rant for seemingly hours on end. You peered over your shoulder, and when you noticed Bill was much further behind than the others and Arthur and Hosea were completely out of sight, you grew concerned.

“Hey, where’s Hosea and Arthur?” You glanced to Dutch. He didn’t even look behind him as he paused from what he was previously talking about, waving his hand dismissively.

“They’ll catch up, probably just stopped for a piss or somethin’.” He said, you just sighed as you turned to look at the path ahead. “Now what was i sayin?”

“Talkin’ bout the feller in Tumbleweed.” You replied, despite not really wanting to hear this story again.

“Right.” Dutch chuckled, laughing at the own recollection of the memory, some drunk tried to steal The Count - a story he’d told half a million times already.

Hosea had just finished telling Arthur and Charles the story of the Indians, how they lost all of the heartlands - and were either killed or herded to reservations by the government and army. Arthur then began to ask Charles of his tribe in the past, only to discover he was unsure whether he had one - but that his mother was captured by soldiers years after him and his parents fled from the tribe he was with, and he never saw her again.

“-Around thirteen, I just took off on my own.” Charles finished explaining.

“That was about the age we found young Arthur here,” Hosea chimed in before adding “-maybe a little older. John and Y/N were a little younger than that… but Arthur-“ he let out a quick laugh, “-A wilder delinquent you never did see. But he learned fast.”

“Not as fast as Marston, apparently.” Arthur added, sarcastic as ever.

“Wait, i don’t understand.” Charles began, “what’s the problem between you two?”

“Arthur?” Hosea joshed.

“It’s a long story…” Arthur grumbled.

“Well what about you and Y/N, how did you two properly get together.”

Arthur was a little taken aback by the question, it wasn’t often he was asked that considering most of the gang new the events that led to the two of you finally growing a pair and telling each other how you felt - though, Charles obviously didn’t know much of it. Hosea let out a delighted hum, probably readying himself to expose all of the embarrassing moments of the two of you as awkward teenagers/young adults. And just as he expected, Hosea beat Arthur to it.

“They was dancin’ around each other for years, it was as cute as a bugs ear.” Hosea amusedly responded, which actually drew a quick laugh from Charles. “I even remember talkin’ with Y/N about it when she was younger, tellin’ her she had more guts than Arthur here, and that she should just tell him she was sweet on him… but she didn’t, of course.”

While Arthur was grumbled at Hosea sharing the personal information, Charles was intrigued - he just… couldn’t imagine a big outlaw like Arthur being so smitten and timid as Hosea was making him out to be.

*ೃ༄ *ೃ༄ *ೃ༄ *ೃ༄ *ೃ༄[next part written as if it were in the present - in your perspective]

You were sat at the table, your elbows resting on the old wood and holding your chin in your hands. You were completely lost in thought - with a far-away look in your eye. You were dwelling over the events of the day, where you and the others had been in town when you saw Arthur. But, before you could go to greet him, out came an unfortunately familiar woman to join him, Mary Gillis. You knew of Arthur’s relationship with her, despite him not sharing much with all of you - he’d mentioned her to you a few times, seeking advice while you both sat by the campfire late in the evening, and with you just clenching your jaw with a feigned smile plastered on your face while he told you about the woman he was in love with.

Your thoughts were cut off when Hosea’s face appeared in front of you, making you jump a little as he seemingly came out of no where to take the seat opposite you.

“Here we are.” He sighed with a proud smile on his face as he placed a very thick book in front of you. You stared at the book for a moment, the idea of reading so many words already straining your eyes and stabbing your brain.

“I can’t read all this, Hosea. Y’know my readings as good as horse shit.”

“That’s why you gotta keep practicing.” He tapped his finger on the leather-bound cover at each syllable for extra measure, before he added, “besides, it’d do you better to practice reading than sitting here being pensive about Arthur all day.” His abrupt statement caused your heart to drop.

“What?”

He looked at you half-amusedly as you straightened up, quickly becoming awkward at his words - as they were true.

“You really think I don’t know about how you two act around each other?” He tipped his chin, giving you a pointed look.

“So this book, what it about?” You attempted to change the subject, not wanted the current topic of conversation to continue any further.

“Y/N.”

“What do you want me to say, Hosea?” Your brows furrowed as you began to grow irritated, the feeling of having this conversation out loud felt akin to being backed in a corner - suffocating. “You want me to say I’m sweet on Arthur? Cause I ain’t.”

“I practically raised you for the last twelve years, girl. I can tell when you’re lying to me.” He responded, eyes squinting momentarily at your visible defensiveness. A beat of silence washed over as you opted to look into the distance, unsure of what to say. “Arthur’s sweet on you, I can tell ya that.”

Your gaze snapped back to him before you scoffed, “no he ain’t, he’s with another woman.”

“I’m aware.”

“You think he’d be with another woman if he were sweet on me?”

“I think he’s trying to convince himself he’s not, though I ain’t gonna condone him bringing an innocent woman’s feelings into play if he doesn’t feel that way about her.” He replied nonchalantly, leaning back in the rickety chair, lacing his hands together over his chest.

“That’s a big ‘if’, Hosea.”

He shrugged, “I don’t think it’s a big ‘if’.”

“What actually makes you think that?” You urged, leaning forward, while you were putting a front about being annoyed - you couldn’t deny that you were intrigued, and that his words ignited a little bit of hope inside of you.

“I see the way he looks at you. And I know that because it’s how I used to look at Bessie.” He nodded. You fell silent at the mention of her, the woman who’d been one of your parental figures - the one reminding you the most of your own mother with her kind nature. Your face softened, not really knowing what to say.

“Hosea”-

“Arthur’s brooding, even with us he’s always been guarded…” he continued, lifting to scratch at his chin briefly before meeting your gaze with a serious expression, “-except when it comes to you. He cares about you, can’t you see?”

*ೃ༄ *ೃ༄ *ೃ༄ *ೃ༄ *ೃ༄

“Alright, s’enough of that. We still headin’ the right way?” Arthur cut Hosea off, succeeding in changing the subject.

“That depends, are we still heading west in search fortune and repose in virgin forest as we planned?” Hosea asked rhetorically. “No. Are we heading in the correct direction on our desperate escape from the law eastwards down the mountains? Yes, i believe so.”

“You know this area?” Charles questioned.

“A little, I’ve been through a couple of times.” He answered, turning to scan the scenery momentarily, “there’s a livestock town not too far from here, called Valentine. Cowboys, outlaws, working girls. Our kind of place.”

“O’Driscolls?” Arthur added,

“Probably them too.”

“Pinkertons?” He drawled out, voice underlined with a hint of dread.

“Let’s hope not.”

“And this place we’re going… wait, what’s it called again?”

“Horseshoe overlook.” Hosea breathed out.

“It’s a good place to lie low?” Arthur asked again.

“It’ll do for now. And how low do you think Dutch is really going to lie?” Hosea quipped, “it’s just.. you know, maybe it’s me who’s changed, not him, but, we kept telling him that ferry job didn’t feel right. You and me had a real lead in Blackwater that could’ve worked out.” He shook his head slightly.

“Maybe.” Arthur replied.

“It just… isn’t like Dutch to lose his head like that.”

“Thinks go wrong sometimes. People die.” Arthur reminded, an attempt to reassure the older man. “It’s the way it is, always has been. Me, you, Dutch. We’ve all been in this line a’work a long time - and we’re still here, so… I figure we must’ve got it right a hell a’lot more than we got it wrong.”

You’d finally got yours and Arthur’s tent set up, trying your best to make it as homey as possible - considering half of your favourite belongings had been left in Blackwater - you’d even set up Arthur’s pictures on the side of the wagon - the ones with him, Dutch and Hosea, the one of Copper and even the picture of his father. You wiped at the sweat pooling on your skin, you’d already removed all of your winter clothing and changed it for something much more light to withstand the contrasting heat from Colter.

You were still worried on Arthur and Hosea’s whereabouts, yourself and the others having arrived at horseshoe overlook about an hour ago - but, you didn’t want to go making a big fuss about it just yet. After all, you knew Arthur was more than capable of taking care of himself.

You were currently placing trinkets onto the side table, busying yourself with making the tent look more aesthetically pleasing. When you heard the sound of horse trots and wheels dragging in the dirt, you immediately perked up and looked over to see the final wagon rolling in, with Hosea, Arthur, Charles and Javier climbing off of the wagon.

“You weren’t wrong, Hosea. This place is perfect!” Dutch called out, walking over to them.

“I hope so.” Hosea responded as he carefully manoeuvred himself to plant his feet back on the ground.

“Gentlemen…” Dutch started, undoubtedly leading to one of his big speeches, “we have survived.” You came to stand at the entrance of your tent, leaning against the side of the wagon as you watched Dutch wave Uncle out of his seat at the table in the middle of your newfound camp.

“For now.” Hosea added.

“Now, it is time to prosper.” He announced, you planned on joining them, but out of your peripheral you saw Miss Grimshaw wave you over, and you begrudgingly moved to join her and the girls as she quietly - not wanting to interrupt the men - but sternly instructed you all with unloaded the rest of the supplies.

“Arthur and I were about to prosper in Blackwater.” Hosea stated as the two came to join Dutch, “then, Micah got you all excited about that ferry and here we are.” He threw his arms up, completely unimpressed. Arthur perched himself on the edge of the table, peering over his shoulder at his father-figures.

“We have all made mistakes over the years, Hosea…” Dutch defended, standing up to be level with his friend, “every last one of us.” Arthur drowned them out slightly, looking over to where you and Tilly were working together to pull a large rolled fur out of the back of the wagon, he grew uncomfortable as heat covered his body - still wearing his winter coat. “But I kept us together.” Dutch argued, jabbing his hand - sporting a cigar - at Hosea, “kept us alive. Kept the nooses off our neck.” He added before moving to walk away from him.

“I guess I’m just worried.” Hosea prompted, his voice wavering with worry as he caught up with Dutch, placing a hand on his shoulder to grab his full attention, “I ain’t got that long, Dutch. I want folks safe before I go.” He said with desperation.

“Me too.” Dutch defended.

“And now we are stuck. East of the Grizzlies and out of money… and a long way from our dream of virgin land in the west.”

“I know, my brother, but we are safe.” Dutch said slowly, as if trying to drill the words into his worried friends mind. “We make a bit of money here, then we move again… head out around them, be west of Uncle Sam… in a few months buy some land.” He used his hands as he spoke.

“I hope so.” Hosea responded. Dutch then backed away slightly, his arms held up in a presenting motion.

“Would you just look around you.” He spun around to walk face the horizon, “this world has its consolations.”

You looked over to where the three were stood, watching Herr Strauss approach them with his leather case, you sighed as you placed the final box near where Javier was already making work of building a fire. You also looked over your shoulder, noticing Molly O’Shea sat in Dutch’s tent, evident that she’d done no labour what so ever, your brows furrowing in annoyance at her arrogance - clearly thinking that because she was Dutch’s little plaything that she didn’t have to pull her weight like the rest of you - it wasn’t that you didn’t necessarily like Miss O’Shea, she was actually very nice to talk to if you ignored the way she clearly looked down on you and everyone else.

“Now, everyone! Put your tools down for a moment.” Dutch called out, and you sighed as you stood fully again, your knees feeling weak and your eyes feeling heavy - after all, you hadn’t slept a wink in the last day, you and Arthur having spent the whole night riding back to Colter just to be on the move again to get here to Horseshoe. “Come on, gather round, quickly now.” You joined the circle being created, standing beside Karen as you looked to Arthur momentarily before switching back to Dutch. “I know that things have been tough, but we are safe now, and we are far too poor.” He lifted his hand as he continued. “So it is time for everyone to get to work.”

“I wonder if that means Miss O’Shea as well.” Karen joked in a whisper to you, prompting you to bob your head down to suppress the smirk pulling your lips, when you glanced up, your eyes met Arthur and he raised his brow at you - curious as to what you and Karen were so amused at - you bit your lip to hide your smile and continued listening in.

“Get to work, but stay out of trouble.” Hosea reminded, “remember, we are itinerant workers.”

-“Laid off when they shut down our factory to the north.” He added, you all already knew this of course, as you’d already used this fake backstory before. “Now, get out there, and see what you can find.” Dutch instructed before turning to a specific pair, “Uncle, Reverend Swanson… no more passengers.” He said, which pulled a small chorus of chuckling from the lot of you as you observed the two men’s dumbfounded states. “It is time for everyone to earn their keep.”

“There is a town a little way down the track, name of Valentine… live stock town. All mud and morons if I remember right.” Hosea explained. “That seems a decent place to start.”

“-And… we need food… real food. That means every day, one of you.” Mr Pearson chimed in.

“And remember-“ Dutch started again, briefly stepping into his tent to grab a familiar reddish-brown box in his hands, “- whatever it is that you find,” he slammed the box onto the barrel outside his tent. “The camp gets its slice.” He said pointedly, “now, be sensible out there.” And with that, you all began to scatter off to whatever it is you were previously doing, you glanced over your shoulder to see Miss Grimshaw talking to Arthur.

“Now, Y/N’s had your tent ready, Mr. Morgan, come with me.” She instructed, he nodded before following after her. “We put you over here.” She explained as she gestured towards the wagon.

“I’m sure everythin’ will be fine, Miss Grimshaw.” Arthur said dismissively, wanting nothing more than to get out of his extra layers and get some sleep - preferably with you with him doing the same.

“It should be, most of your stuff from Blackwater got saved.” She said, speed walking over to the tent - even Arthur struggling to keep up with her quick pace.

“Everythin’ apart from my money.” He added sarcastically.

“Oh, don’t remind me.” She shook him off with a sour expression.

“Well, we can always make more money.” He shrugged, moving to sit at the edge of the cot, already looking at the little additions you’d added to the Wagon.

“We’re gonna have to.” She agreed before turning to walk away, and Arthur visibly winced at her voice cutting through the air in a shout, “Miss Jackson! I’ve seen shit with more common sense than you. Do it properly.” Arthur sighed as he pulled his coat off of his shoulders, placing his satchel on the table after fishing a cigarette and match out. He looked up while striking the match on the sole of his boots to see you quickly walking over to the tent, wearily glancing to where Miss Grimshaw was hollering at the girls - not wanting her to catch you unoccupied.

“You okay?” He asked with a smirk, amused at your hurriedness, you gave him a wide, cheeky grin as you quickly untied the flaps from the metal poles holding the canopy up. And a minute later, the security of the flaps granted you a sense of privacy from the outside, the light in the tent a warm shade of orange from the setting sun. You moved next to him, dramatically flopping down onto your back with an exaggerated sigh while he just chuckled at you, the smell of tobacco filling the air as he blew a cloud of smoke out.

“I can‘t feel my legs.” You complained, your eyes shut. Arthur tutted at you before leaning over you to flick the cigarette out of the small gap between the canopy flaps and the wagon. Afterwards, he groaned as he laid down next to you - the cot being a tighter squeeze than the bed in Colter, not that either of you minded - he crossed his arms behind his head, inviting you to curl into his side and rest your head on his chest. After a beat, you lifted your head to look at him. “Arthur, you stink.” You said pointedly, raising your eyebrows at him - it was true, he’d been sweating in winter clothes for the last couple hours under the blazing sun.

He barked a laugh, and took you by surprise by reaching for the back of your head and pushing your head into the space between his chest and underarm, laughing boyishly as you let out a muffled scream. He finally let you go, his ribs aching from laughing as you sat up with a flabbergasted look on your face, you brought your hand to smack his chest even though you couldn’t suppress the grin on your face. “You’re disgusting.” You half-heartedly scolded.

“And when was the last time you were in a bath, Miss L/N?” Arthur asked, scrunching his face at you in feigned disgust, he lazily watched as you sat up to unlace your boots.

“I’ll have you know, Morgan, that as soon as I get to that town… Valentine, the first thing I’ll be doin’ is stayin’ in a hotel and having the most luxurious bath in the world.” You said matter-of-factly. After you had successfully tugged your boots off you looked over your shoulder to see Arthur’s boots - caked in mud - still on his feet and resting right on your clean cot.

“‘Most luxurious bath in the world’ huh?” He mimicked you while staring up at the canopy, feeling you tugging off his boots - grumbling about the rule of ‘having your boots on the damn bed’ - “think there’ll be room for me in your ‘luxurious bath’?” He asked.

“Not if you get dirt all over this cot.” You answered, he let out a chuckle, he heard the sound of his boots being dropped onto the floor before you settled next to him again, already closing your eyes as exhaustion looked over you.

“What do you think of this place then?” He asked you.

“I think it’s good, it ain’t the west. But, it’s better than bein’ up in those mountains.” You hummed.

“Better than freezin’ my ass off.” He agreed, you let out another hum as your eyes refused to open. He glanced down at you, noticing your responses becoming less aware. “You get some sleep, darlin’.”

“You too, Morgan.”

Sorry it’s been so long guys, and I’m sorry that the first chapter you get after such a long time is mid asf

Anyways, I’m at SO glad to finally get them away from colter - this is where the real fun starts 😉

-also, I AINT A MOLLY HATER! My girl deserved better - just needed to clarify that after the comment Karen and reader were laughing at abt her

Also I love Hosea 🥹 he’s a little cutie patootie

[lilmissnatcat24]

Turn Left Ch 33- Shepard Gets Launched Into the Astral Plane!!! (Not Clickbait)

Benezia tells all (CW: violence, gore)

Relationship: Femshep/Garrus Vakarian

Archive Warnings in author's note

Additional tags: enemies to friends to lovers, slow burn, slow build, alternate universe- canon divergence, detective noir, sex club, anonymous sex, canon temporary character death, murder mystery, drug use, dom garrus vakarian, whump, smut, heavy angst, alien sex, dual pov, an overly sexual elcor named candy, earthborn, ruthless, fake/pretend relationship, dead dove: do not eat, identity porn, minor character death

Detective AU mixed with identity porn mixed with so much whump my fingers are bleeding

(or, start from the beginning here)

lil snippet:

“It’s going to start stinking here, that is for certain. Would the five of you follow me? Before we start to gag from the stench? I have a more private area back here, refreshments and all.” 

“I-- what?’ Nihlus was the first one to speak, thankfully as befuddled as Garrus felt. He was preparing for a battle, and Benezia was treating them as if they were patients at a dentist. Garrus wasn’t impressed, not in the slightest, reaching back for his gun. 

It seemed as though he wasn’t alone, as Benezia just rolled her eyes and tutted at them. “Come now, all. If it will truly make you feel better to have your guns pointed at me, feel free. But here is what is for certain: the five of you will not overtake me. That is not me being arrogant, that is a fact. I speak it as plainly as I walk on the ground beneath our feet. Now, honey, don’t give me that look. I know you have a big bad Spectre and a big bad battlemaster and two… semi-competent cops with you, but that does not make you more powerful than a Matriarch. It just does not. So for your final bit of life, I invite you to relax. I will explain everything, of course. It is not Saren’s will to kill all of you, especially with your combined talents. I will answer every question you have. We can do it here, or we can do it with the comfortability of cushions and refreshments. Shall we?” 

Benezia didn’t wait before turning on her heels, expecting them to follow her. Garrus looked around wildly at the others. Nihlus shook his head vehemently, Wrex growled at the very thought, Liara looked as if she were a child again being screamed at by her mother, Shepard was still barely present. Garrus was rooted to the floor. Like hell if he’d let Benezia order them around like they were some misbehaving kids. Benezia glanced over her shoulders, rolling her eyes again and throwing her hands up in the air. “Fine. We’ll stay in the room with the decaying bodies that will very, very soon begin the excrement process. Just know this was your choice, not mine.” With a flick of a wrist, she biotically pushed all of the datapads and vials off of the nearest desk with a shatter and leaned against it, making a point to show that she was stiff and not at all comfortable. Garrus felt the overwhelming urge to punch her in the face. “So? What is it you’re dying to know?”

[falling-feels-like-flying]

Binged 94 episodes (out of 135) of Reporters TV in the last 3 days. Yeah, ik it's a lil too much, I watched it at 2x speed. And I'm absolutely in love with everything about the series. Why does india drop series like this but readily picks up on 1000+ episodes of saas-bahu drama with years of separation between leads, barely any romance and everything from ichadhari naagin to ichadhari makhi. Maybe coz you can't make 1000 episodes on office romance.

Anyways, this is a Reporters appreciation post, let's focus on that. Rajeev Khandelwal is a damn hottie OH MY GOD SALIVATING EVERYTIME HE'S ON SCREEN. Kabir Sharma is a well written character, actually everyone in the show is well written. From the leads to the side characters, even Pandit ji left an impression in his few minutes. Kabir's maturity was really refreshing. Once he chose his love, there was no going back. He'll stand by her. The way he handled Richa's scepticism towards himself was commendable. Kabir's talk(threat?) to Malvika in ep 79 was HAWT. Give me a man with big ego(for the world, not his girl) who can justify it too. Nhi to baap ka raaj samajhne wale nalle hr gali mei mil jate.

Ananya Kashyap, a fiery reporter who rejected news anchoring to stay connected with root level news made me love her even more. Professionally she's very wise but personally she's much younger than Kabir with fewer life experiences and it shows. But that's ok, no one loves a Mary Sue. The whole saying 'I love you' in different languages in front of the office was very cringe but let who has not been cringe in love cast the first stone.

Ronnie, my baby, a green forest before the word became saturated. The best friend one can ask for, none of that 'Nice guy' bullshit. He, and people like him, deserve everything nice in the world. The best itv character ever. A gem of a person.

Richa Lakhani, loved seeing her reading news, she felt very authentic. What I really loved about the show was making Richa's scepticism about KaYa relationship a prominent subplot. Female friendships are barely given much importance in Indian media. While she did come off as over bearing at times, her heart was at the right place and her doubts very valid too.

Khalid was a joy to watch. The chaotic energy he brought without letting it affect work was very balanced. Loved his antics. Loved it when he screamed at that movie producer during Baggi debacle. He cares, he truly does. KKN is KL and his brain child and it's evident. Just came to know while typing this that Bikramjeet Kanwarpal, the actor of Khalid was a retired army Major and got into the film industry to fulfill his childhood dream of being an actor. He passed away in 2021. I'm proud of him yk, very few people actually have the courage to live their dreams. I'm proud of him for never giving up even when stats and the world would say otherwise. And he did great. He was a great actor, may he rest in peace.

Manav was a treat. Had genuine reasons to be anti but didn't lose his humanity in the process(evident from his concern during Baggi plot) which is rare in itv. He's witty, cunning and a lil bit of a dumbass but it's ok, we can't have him overshadowing Kabir now, can we?

Tarini is my baby and I hope she got better than whatever this was. A great friend and I'm surprised Kabir and her sustained such a healthy friendship despite what transpired between them. A YT comment said Kabir should have married her to 'save' her name but nah. She would still be known as a homewrecker and he did take up her and Anurag's responsibility. Marriage shouldn't be an arrangement.

Malvika. Ughhhh. I think the writers put the last effort in her. "She's dumb but attractive," Manav defines her aptly. No brain just a desire for male validation and a big ego she can't justify.

Shreya Bhagat fulfilled my desire for a strong female anti. I'ven't seen much of her yet to comment more. Loved Trisha but she went away too soon. Skipped through everytime Baby-Sunny came up. Armaan was a great brother, loved him.

[spotaus]

Oh I love it!!

Okay. First off? Cannot believe I missed the direct parallel there between Nine and Cross with Shep's lie!! Bro straight up got got EXACTLY how Cross did! (Now that you say it I can see it so clearly haha! Such a good touch!!!) And the stoic cat + lying happy dog combo is unbeatable, I love them (I adore the extra bonus idea for their dialogue too, haha! Harper is SO tired of Shep's goofy ahh attitude-) It's giving that one riddle 'You stand before two doors, each door has a guardian. One only tells lies, the other only truths, you may only ask 3 questions...' y'know lol?

And it makes sense that they're both super fit and good fighters and they would trust eachother to be able to take down these two easy-peasy! They're just built different!! All of the people under Nightmare are tbf-

Ohhh that fact that it was a conversation with Dream that finally leads him to finish the tapestries, the brothers literally actively working together to make clear the history in a way nightmare felt comfortable with and ensure that there were no regrets left about how he rose to the throne or his worthiness... Ancha you gut-punch me so so easily, you special attack was super effective- hehe!

Oh the people as SO happy! It's so refreshing I love it dearly...

(Shep is the Spiders gorge of lies and I love that for him... )

And! You're so right! To me (deeply entrenched in The Lore) Nine seems super off his rocker with these assumptions but like. Rumors exactly like his ideas are floating around the kingdom still, they have been for years! Nightmare set it up specifically that way by employing criminals and thieves and wrongly accused and simply the 'scary' ones (and one singular chronic liar) so that there would be so much taboo and bad vibes no one would focus on his reform or notice his weakness before he was able to learn and grow! So Nine isn't even wrong in like... the revelence of his assumptions. Because there have definitely been worse, and he's got not a whole lot to go off of! He's a rare glimpse into the vibes of literally any normal person who hasn't directly met the king-

(And!!! Pfft!!!! Picturing Nightmare going to Error and being like, 'sweety, darling, I need you to give me you strongest explosive possible. I need to get rid of a pest.' .... 'yes, of course you can watch <3' or, more likely as u said, nightmare giving the go-aead and. Well. suddenly Nine is missing, whoops! Not our fault! And Killer took his sweet time making Nine regret his words-)

Oooooh! Ancha Lore! but no no that's so cool!! I noticed that your descriptions of the horses had some obviously magical properties (like the purple eyes for Opal (Pearl? I think a name may have been swapped somewhere along the way haha-) and the entirely black eyes for Killer's horse Granite (I think it was?)) and I enjoyed that a lot! but now I can't help but imagine that Orchard has a bunch of fucked-up older versions of animals like you described with the horses here! Something to do maybe with the extended periods of controlled weather/nature magic causing a weird pause on evolution for a lot of species. So, in Dust's case the horses are super flexible, or big, or fast, or some other random skill. But other things like chickens still having teeth or wild wolves being twice the size, that sort of thing!

Anyways, ough, it was SUCH a fun addition to get to see fun lil science facts drizzled into the storytelling!!

And Dust with the horses!! Obviously your ask goes into more detail about it, but he's such a horse girl in all the best ways!

I absolutely adore that he's making everyone go through jump training too (I didn't mention it, but Killer falling off *at least* twice is so in-character and also so very funny to me- Even better picturing him specifically going out on his own to bond with Granite and falling off several more times. Do you think Granite would whinny at him (like laughing almost but horse-style) the 2nd or so time when they were on their own?) I can only imagine how spooky it must be for all of them! Dust's like 'It's fine, your horse is just gonna go. Trust it.' and they're all like ?????

Ah, the boys, they all picked up on the 'put new folks through The Test' from Nightmare haha! it works though! It's a perfect opportunity for them to just... see how these two will react. How will nine take seeing Cross be himself, away from all the armor and the duty and the formalities? (Answer was, seemingly not very well.) And exactly! Cross was a child soldier! Now he's his own person! They let Nine see that and didn't clue in Cross to it at all. both for his sake, and so that whatever he was about to confess was genuine and not swayed by noticing he had an audience. Something Cross had to get off his chest, something Nine had to hear and get through his thick skull!

And ur so right. Xgaster was awfully controlling, and every single move was 100% planned out. Of course he doesn't believe in accidents or coincidence or anything like that. Of course he can't read the knights, they're living embodiements of chaos lmao!

Haha! Time-out for babies! Silly guys! No fr that was genius. No sweat off Horror and Dust's back, these guys could probably be defeated by any of their normal members of the guard (Nine *is* formidable, but he's been slacking these past few years since peace came to Ritten through the new king(s). He wanted to break out of the strict routine Xgaster kept him in, but overcorrected and now has very little routine and rides out his reputation and overconfidence rather than actually making sure his skills are sharp-) and the knights are well aware just how out of their league they are. So, show them!

And yeag, thank goodness they redirected Cross back elsewhere before calling out the two! That boy does NOT need any more weight on his shoulders, he's like a walking ball of anxiety on days like this!

NewAgeAU Drabble - Nine does not equal Ten

Hi @spotaus ! I am not even sorry at this point!! I had an idea and I think by the title you can guess what it is about this time :3

We are in post story again! (i am keeping my strike going lmao) but this time? very different character. Nine :3 (also. Xundyne's name for now is Ranha, from piranha... because she is a fish monster and well... I wanted a fish themed name for her lmao)

Also warning. Nine think very degrading and judgemental. in case that bothers you.

He is also a very unreliable narrator lmao.

*----------------*

Nine makes sure to frown as he crosses his arms while his king, and co-king honestly, disappear into the meeting room with the brat that calls himself a king.

Nine only acts annoyed of course. He knew he wouldn't be allowed into the meeting room and he had been planning on it. It is hard to search this place if he is suposed to be in one room.

Ranha stands by his side, huffing and puffing as she mutters stuff under her breath. She is honestly annoyed with not being allowed inside the meeting room. Nine is sure she will be fine with it after he shares his plan.

Nine watches the brat acting as king lead his own king and his right hand inside. They would both be named king after the coup but the resistance hadn't wanted to push the people of Ritten too far. Nine watches as the crown prince, prince Dream, follows the child and Nine still doens't understand why Dream hasn't taken the crown yet. It can't be that hard to take the power from the younger skeleton. How Nightmare is still seen as king is a mystery to Nine.

Sure it seems like things are okay after three years but Nine knows not to bindly believe people. He had hoped that Ten would have finally learned that lesson by now but it seems that wasn't the case. But that is okay. Nine will be the great brother he was meant to be and get through to Ten and get him home. Easy.

The meeting room door closes and Nine nudges his best friend "Hush." and he nods towards the side. Ranha tilts her head and her red hair shifts slightly. She glances at the door before following him down the hallway.

"What is the big deal Nine?" She seems puzzles.

Nine looks back over his shoulder but nothing happens. Hah. See? And this is why Nightmare still being seen as king is a mystery to him. Those Knights are nothing but hot air as he doesn't even see any of them following him, no wonder Ten got accepted into the role so quickly, the knights clearly can't spot a single threat even when it is right in front of them. All he sees behind them is a prestine looking cat watching them.

"I knew they weren't going to let us join the meeting."

Ranha looks annoyed "Then why did you ask me to join you? I could be exploring the town and checking the stalls and stuff! See what people really think about their weird king and the weirdos here." the shark monster huffs.

Nine rolls his eyes "Because I am in the castle now. Which means I can finally find Ten and talk some sense into him."

Ranha stares shocked before she smiles broadly "Nine you are a genius! Lets go!"

Nine grins as he waves Ranha to follow him.

It isn't the first time he is in this castle. It is the fourth now. Each time Nine would just watch and wait only to not see Ten. This time he is going to search himself. Nine is lucky that Nightmare is a brat and clearly inexperienced with getting allies as it is taking his king and the brat king ages to get a treaty finalised. Honestly how Orchard managed to get Sanctuary as ally is still a mystery but Nine doesn't have time to figure out how this fake king is managing.

If Nine knows one thing is that kings like that will always fall by the brave people who are willing to stand against them.

But that isn't Nine's job. He already made the wrong choice like this before. When he picked the coup over his brother. When he didn't bother to help his brother adjust to all the heavy changes.

Nine had needed time. Time to even believe there were other options. To see that these options weren't wrong and could work for him. His friends had helped him see this. Yet Nine hadn't permitted Ten these insights and moments.

This time though! This time he will make this work! Even if Nine knows that Ten will never be able to fully adjust and become like them. He has gone through too much conditioning to ever be his own person again. But Nine can lead him in the right direction at least.

Ranha knows the way and it seems that she has the same plan as Nine had. Which is going straight towards the private wing.

None of them had allowed access to a whole wing of the castle. Apparently that was the royal's private wing. Which who needs a whole wing to themselves?!

Selfish pricks. All of them.

They turn the corner and get out into the hall. Nine ignores the many many tapestries. Ranha is right behind him as they make their way all the way through the next hall with large windows. They finally reach the right hallway and slow their running. They walk side by side with confidence as the near the entrance. There are two guards there but that doesn't matter. Nine is a visiting guard from a country their stupid king wants a treaty with. It will be easy to gain access.

Nine is a step away from entering the royal wing. He can't help but look at the arch leading into the next wing. The arch is large and high and seems to almost be like tree roots or branches. With small leaves and everything. It looks so livelike and Nine wonders who carved it, it straight up looks like living tree branches. Many other decorations and details just like this one are all across and around this castle.

He can't wonder much longer as the two guards cross their spears in front of Ranha and him.

Ranha glares "What are you doing? Let us through!"

A cat like monster, orange of colour, sounds very unamused "No one is allowed access into the king's wing." She looks unbothered.

The dog monster next to her grins "What Harper said. Shoo little kiddos." the grin makes the slight greying around his snout stand out. He has short trimmed fur and most obviously, the cut tail.

Nine huffs as he stands taller, easily towering over the black and white dog "I was allowed access."

The dog hums and taps his chin before shaking his head "Nope! Doesn't work like that!"

Harper nods "Indeed. Only the royal family and those allowed acces by either them of the Head of House are allowed entrance."

Nine wants to roll his eyes at the stupid head of house title. Everyone should know that is just some stupid coverup. Nine has his theories but for now he sees his in. He gives a charming smile as he nods "I know of course. But he told me himself he needed me to grab something for him." he grins as he wiggles his eye brows. Hinting at a secret meaning.

The dog and cat share a look before Harper looks unimpressed "We do not allow entrance to anyone unless he told us himself he allows entrance."

Ranha luckily sees what Nine is trying and joins in "We seriously got the go ahead! It is an emergancy that we are allowed in."

The dog shakes his head again "No can't do! The last time I didn't follow the orders they cut off my tail! And I only have one of those and I don't want to imagine what will go next."

Nine feels sick to deep in his soul. They... They did what?!

Harper glances at her partner unamused "Shut it Shep."

Shep grins at her "What do you think Harp! What will be next?"

Harper looks umimpressed "If I am lucky it will be your tongue."

Nine feels sick. What is wrong with these people? Why are they still here? What kind of hell and torture kingdom did his stupid younger brother get himself stuck in? Well not for long! Nine will make sure to tell the others everything.

But only after he managed to get Ten home. To get Ten away from this place before they realised that Nine was going to bring this whole kingdom down. He won't make the same mistake of ignoring his brother just because it would be harder for him. No. He will first free his brother and then they will bring this hellhole down and people will be celebrating them.

Harper looks unamused at them "You are not welcome here. Please remove yourself from this area or we will be forced to remove you ourselves." She sounds bored as she says this.

Nine is very sure he can take them but Ranha huffs and walks away. Nine looks back betrayed before following her.

They walk through the halls until they end up in the tapastry hall again. Nine glares at Ranha "Why would you-"

Ranha stops as she shakes her head "You don't understand. You know how I sometimes have these feelings? Of incoming attacks?" Nine nods. It was one of Ranha's many talents and how Ranha was undefeated.

Ranha continues to speak "When you got ready to get us inside. I felt it. This large... presence. Suddenly and ready." she shakes her head "Danger. I felt it was better to retreat and make a better plan."

Nine frowns but sighs "Fair enough. The chance that Ten would be there is rather small..." He may be one of his knights but Nine doubts they truly get anything aside from a title and more dangerous jobs. Well and the masks, those are rather cool. Nine would like a mask. He thinks he would look amazing and very cool in one.

Ranha nods as she mutters "Where could he be... or who would know?" She rubs her chin "The knights probably. But i doubt they will want to help us. I have no doubt that whatever the king used to keep Ten listening to him also works on the other knights. Do you think it is somekind of mind control? or like blackmail? mind control would be okay to break but blackmail is much more sensitive, especially as it implies he got it somehow. We could also wait until the treaty is signed and go by Sanctuary and see if we can get more support through them. Make an allyship with them and then overthrow this whole country."

Nine should be listening. But all he can do is stare at the tapastries.

They happened to end before a set that Nine had been ignoring. Almost like the world itself is trying to force Nine to see and consider them. The first in the set that calls his attention is one showing two small skeletons. One in yellow and one in purple. A sun shown above the one in yellow and a moon shown above the one in purple.

It isn't hard to connect the purple skeleton with the brat king. But Nine doens't understand. Because the yellow one is clearly the crown prince. But they look the same age here. Same height and everything. It had already been confusing that the younger brother had gotten the crown before the older one but this made it seem as if they are much closer in age than the real them shows. It confuses him. It could be something to play up the dramatics but when they had their tour it was implied that these tapastries are a way to document the past.

Though the actual historic events could have gone down differently and this is just another piece of propaganda.

The next one shows a picture of a dark and seemingly partly liquid monster. A skeleton still but large and dark and with tentacles on his back. He stands tall with an arm pointed outwards, the young yellow skeleton is being send away. As the tall one remains with a crown on his dark skull.

Nine looks at the third that caught his attention. This one shows the dark skeleton standing behind the young king. The dark goop skeleton however doens't look menacing. Instead the sockets are closed as the large imposing figure stands with open hands towards the young skeleton in purple. The young skeleton has his sockets open and seems to stare outwards. The tentacles all hang around him as well, not ready to strike but in a way that seemed to surrender. a crown held within the young skeleton's hands.

Nine ponders. He wonders if the gooped skeleton had been Nightmare's parent. He knows that Nim was suposed to be the king before Nightmare and that the gooped skeleton took over. Something about taking the crown from the rightful heir. Nine knows that the gooped skeleton had been named Nightmare as well and Nine is very sure that this one just named the now ruling Nightmae after himself, like a Nightmare the second. This also ties in with the whole head of house theory he has. Nine knows that the head of house is a useless title often given to a favourite servant. Somekind of excuse to keep someone close without needing to put actual time and effort into them standing out as consort or advisor. And the tiny skeleton had to have come from somewhere.

Of course his theory still has holes in it. Mostly what the deal with Dream is and where he fit in. But Nine hopes to eventually figure it out. He already figured out a lot of the situation after all.

He looks at the last one and huffs. It shows the young skeleton in purple holding hands wiht an older looking skeleton in yellow. The moon and sun having been united into one symbol. On the moon side were figures which resembled the different knights. Nine can't help but stare at the one with the snow leopard mask. His brother... stuck in some legacy and played like a pawn... If Nine had tried harder to make Ten feel included would Ten have been okay? Not perfect but maybe a bit better?

On the skeleton in yellow's side was some warrior in blue with a large hammer and a skeleton with many colours and brown clothes with a tail.

Nine stares at the title 'Reunited.' Seems like all these pictures have names. Nine doesn't understand but figures it is some sort of propaganda. Something to mellow out people and make it seem like it is okay.

"Nine?"

Ranha looks worried before she looks at where Nine is staring and her smile turns gentle "Hey... I know you want to help him. And even if we can never truly make him fully whole. We can at least give him a safe place."

Nine sighs and nods "It is something." The damage that his father and old king did was too large. There is no way his simple and naive brother will be able to fully get over it. To be able to move past it. But Nine will do his duty as brother and keep Ten somewhere safe. Some simple jobs will be good. Some normal routine.

Ranha looks around and sees some maids walk by and Nine follows her as she rushes over. She smiles brightly at them before making some small talk. The maids seem happy and content. Easily talking back and giggling once or twice. Though Nine can't help but feel like this is not the way girls normlaly giggle when Ranha flirts with them. This seems more... amused? It is hard to explain. He notices a black cat on the window sill. Lounging as it stares at them with large yellow eyes.

Ranha is casual as can be once she asks the question "I was wondering if we could see a knight! You know. Maybe the one with the white panther mask?"

The maids share a look before one snorts "You mean Cross?" Nine just barely manages to keep his annoyance is. His brother's name is not fucking cross. It is Ten! That is his name and Ten will always be Ten! The maid hums and looks at her friend "Is it training time?"

The other shakes her head "I don't think so. I believe I saw sir Cross with sir Dust."

The first one laughs and nods "Oh that is easy then." she smiles brightly at them "They will be at the ranch. That is where Sir Dust always is."

Nine blinks confused. The ranch? Why? Ranha however asks where they can find it and the maids tell them how to get there. They do warn them to not bother this Dust knight when he is working with the horses before walking off together. Giggling and whispering stuff. They shoot them a look before rushing off giggling again.

Ranha grins and flexes her arms "Still got it." Nine isn't sure she does but he won't challange her on it. They follow the hallways and Nine can't help but stare at the walls around them.

The walls look strange. They have ridges and dips and when Nine feels them they feel like they are made of wood yet he knows for a fact that they are suposed to be rocks and bricks.

Nine once again wonders which masterful crafter and builder made this castle. It almost seems alive. It is warm and beautiful. Everywhere there is signatures of nature or references to it.

The castle he is used to. That of his father. It was all sharp lines and precision. Nothing was allowed to be out of place. No dust or dirt anywhere. Everything had to be perfect.

This castle was wilder. That is the best way Nine can explain it. It is wild and uncontained. It branches outwards. Stuff is uneven and different. The pillars aren't exactly the same even as they are all that same carved stone to look like roots. It feels alive. It feels living. It seems the breath. It feels like there is something larger at play.

Yet it doesnt feel welcome, he doens't feel welcome. Nine can't explain it exactly.

They get outside and follow the path. It takes them a while as they walk past some trees and through a small forest and then they see it.

It is a large ranch. Build with this deep greenish wood of all colours. WIth multiple large pens nearby. It is open and large. But the trees give it privacy. It is beautiful.

Nine feels Ranha tug on his armour and follows where she is pointing. In a pen he can see his brother! Ten is there but... he is seated on a beige horse. Large and strong looking. Antoher skeleton is nearby and seems to be messing with the reins of the horse.

Nine begins to walk closer but he starts to slow his steps. Because... Ten isn't wearing armour. Nine can't rememebr the last time Ten hadn't been wearing armour. Back at home he always had to be ready. Ten.... Ten didn't have time to relax in a casual outfit. Or do things for himself. And yet... here he is... under another tyrant yet... he is wearing casual clothes? He is sitting on a horse? is this somekind of trick of that king? Let Ten relax to make him more loyal? Maybe the brat is smarter than Nine thought.

Ranha shoots him a confused look before going to step closer to the pen but Nine stops her. He can't explain. it is just... Ten looks... He looks different. Not just his clothes but... something else. Nine can't quite explain what it is or put his finger on it. He needs more information. He needs to be prepared to break through any trick or lie. He nods towards the side where a large fench is located and some barrels. Ranha nods and sneaks there with Nine right by her side. They hide behind the barrels and Nine focusses his magic. He quickly enhances his sight and hearing and focusses in. Strangely enough he also feels like there is rian in the air but a glance up shows a cloudless sky. But any thought about the weird feeling in the air is forgotten as soon as Ten speaks.

"Are you sure about this Dust? I still don't think I am ready. What if he throws me off?!"

The other skeleton, Dust is just wearing a large sweater. It looks to be made of high quality. He also seems to be wearing just a beanie to cover his skull. A large red scarf wrapped around his neck. The scarf looks a different quality than everything else.

The other tilts his skull at Ten. Seemingly considering his answer "If you fall off. We can try again."

Ten glares "Dust this isn't funny."

Dust seems to disagree as he grins slightly, just a slight upturn of the teeth "It is fine Cross. Just a matter of trying again. And you and Limestone need to practise this."

Nine feels himself get angry as they use the fake name for his brother but he needs to remain calm. He needs to watch and learn.

Ten grumbles unhappily as he glares down at the horse "I just... I don't get why you can't just train him... You trained Basalt... and Granite for that matter!"

Dust tilts his skull "I did. But he needs to get used to you while running. Get used to how you move and your weight." he pets the horse, the horse leans into Dust's touch "There needs to be trust Cross. You need to trust Limestone that he won't throw you off. And Limestone needs to be able to trust you that you will lead him into the right direction."

Ten blinks and seems to stare at Dust for a moment before looking down at the horse. The animal just stares at him. "I... euh... oh..."

Dust tilts his skull the other way "Do you want to try galloping first?"

Ten looks up and Nine finally figured out what is different. Why Ten looks different. Ten is... smiling. He is smiling brightly and nods excited at the idea.

Nine... Nine can't remember the last time he saw Ten happy and smiling... It is a face he never saw on his brother.

Ranha mutters softly "Wow... I never... He looks so differnet now... so much... more like... A person? i guess? It is weird. I am used to him just. Standing straight and like saluting and being still and unmoving? Like some statue and not like a person?"

Nine nods because he notices it now. The way the Ten is messing with the reins. The way his leg seems to tap the stirrup. The way he seems to almost... wiggle in place a little.

Dust chuckles and nods as he pets the horse a few more times "Go for it. Limestone wants to move." and he takes a few steps back.

Ten gets a large smile on his face as he kicks his heels lightly back, Nine is very surprised when the horse starts moving. He thought you had to be rougher and kick harder to get horses to move. That was hardly a tick.

Yet it works. As Ten starts to ride the horse and the horse speeds up quickly. Very quickly. Ranha suddenly gasps "Holy shit. That horse still has like the three toe system."

Nine blinks in shock. He knows that the wild horses form Orchard were rumoured to be faster and much more diverse than the horses in other places. The wild horses continued to adapt and where made to travel long distances for faster speeds unlike the normal horse endurance. The toes give extra stability and would make the horses able to travel all kinds of terrain while still being fast.

Nine stares in awe as the horse speeds up and than continues to go full speed ahead. Ten tugs lightly on the reins and the horse reacts instantly. Making sharp turns and Nine notices that the back looks longer and sligthly bigger than the horses Nine is used to.

These. These truly are a different breed.

Maybe Nine can convince his king and friend to keep this allyship going for a bit longer. Or maybe get a few horses out of the deal. Nine has no doubt these horses could be much better with good riders.

Ten is.... surprisingly okay with riding the horse. Makes okay turns but well. It is just Ten so NIne is sure he is doing stuff wrong that they can work on back in Ritten, once they find his shortcomings.

Ten eventually returns to Dust and Ten smiles brightly and Nine can't help but stare. He looks happy. He is happy. That is what is different about him. He is relaxed and happy and he doesn't stand as a statue anymore.

Ten laughs as he grins at Dust "Limestone is even faster than before!"

Dust nods but has a tiny smile on his face. Looking very content and proud "Limestone is a strong horse. He is fast and loves to exercise and run. It is honestly a bigger problem to make sure he rests than anything." he crosses his arms and raises a brow at Ten "Remind you of someone."

Ten blushes and looks to the side as he rubs his neck "I have been getting better with the whole work life balance."

Dust nods and agress easily. He pets the horse and looks at Ten "Want to try going faster?"

Faster?! How do you go faster than that!?

Ten looks deeply unhappy and unsure "I don't know..." he pets the horse.

Dust seems to stare at him before speaking "Would it be better if I lead the path with Pearl?"

Ten looks up and a look of pure relieve on his face. Had... had Ten always been this expressive?

Ten nods "Please."

Dust nods and looks to the side. He clicks his tongue and teeth and one of the horses looks up. A smaller but beautiful grey horse with striking purple eyes. The horse starts running and jumps over the fench before trotting over to the two skeletons and horse.

Ten laughs and grins at Dust "Pearl is showing off again."

Dust sighs and nods "I can't manage to unlearn her to jump fenches." the horse stops before him and pushes her whole head into his chest and arms. Dust pets the head and neck "You ready to lead Cross and Limestone?" The horse pulls back and tussles her head around before waiting patiently.

Dust puts his hand into his hip bag and pulls out this curious stone and metal item. He taps the side and bright gemstones light up and runes start to shine.

Ten looks alarmed "What is that!?"

Dust glances at him and a small smile appears "It is a prototype. Geno gave it to me to test it as I ride horses. It is suposed to be something to make it easy and quick to saddle up horses."

Ten looks deeply unhappy as he glares at the item as if it personally offended him "That stupid smug bastard. He is just trying to buy you over with stupid gifts."

Dust looks deeply amused "It is a prototype."

Ten throws up his arms "You are the only person who would find a good use for this!"

Dust chuckels as he lets the item get near the horse and it shines before it starts unfolding and a few clicks later and the horse is equipped with the normal rider things. Dust gets on top of the horse with a grace and confidence that leaves Nine open mouthed. He never... Even the people at home...

Dust looks at Ten "Ready?"

Ten grins as he nods "Yes. Lock the reins and just hold on right?" as he says it he messes with the headpiece on the horse and Nine wants to roll his eyes.

Dust nods and speaks "Indeed. Just make sure it is ready as if you are going to make a get away." and he waits.

Shit he really is patient... Is that why he is teaching Ten?

Ten nods and sits up straight "Ready!"

Dust chuckles as he turns his horse. He checks back over his shoulder to Ten "Go for it. Get him to follow Pearl." Dust doesn't even tug on the reins and Nine can't even spot an obvious movement to direct the horse to start moving. How did he do that?

Ten takes a deep breath before he leans closer to the horse and grabs hold on some extra handbars on the headpiece of the horse. The horse immediantly looks around as Ten nudges the horse to look at Dust and the leaving horse.

The horse stares before it starts to trod after the other skeleton and horse. Ten meanwhile stays as he is. Relaxing against the horse as his horse just follows Dust and his own horse.

It is fascinating. Especially when Dust starts to speed up with some unseeable comment and Ten's horse follows right along. There is no doubt. There is full commitment of both horses.

While Nine had no doubt that Ten still has much to improve with horse riding. Dust seems to be a master. He directs the horse with minimal movement and the horse seems to react immediantly to any unheard and unseen comment.

Soon both horses are running through the pen but it still isn't the gallop speed of before. Dust speaks up casually "We are going to practise you trusting Limestone. Just get into the position to blind ride. We are going to have Limestone follow Pearl's lead."

Ten nods "Okay. Okay. I can... I can do that." He lays fully against the horse and pulls his feet out of the saddle footholds. He messes with the saddle and the footholds get a lot higher and further towards the back. Cross does some weird combination of laying and crouching on the horse as he tugs his feet back into the holsters.

Dust looks back over his shoulder. Not at all seeming concerned about having to look where he is going as he blindly tugs at the right moment to make his horse make a turn "Not quite there but this is fine to practise with for now." he pets the horse's neck before leaning closer to the horse and the horse shoots of.

It goes faster than any horse Nine has ever seen before. It is fast and nimble as Dust truly rides the horse. The other horse with Ten blindly following-

Blind Riding. They don't mean it with looking. They mean it as they don't control the horses beyond the minimum. They are minimising the pressure and bother they could give the horses which enables those to run faster than before.

And if this is just the start... How fast can they go?

Ranha watches with her own mouth open before she mutters "This... this must be why he is a Knight. Not fighting or anything like that. He has a way with the horses."

Nine agrees and thinks she is right. The guy on the horse is fragile and delicate looking. Nine has no doubt that he towers over the other. Soft spoken too... But if he is this good with the horses. If he is able to train the wild horses and make them do this kind of stuff? no wonder they immediantly snatched him up and gave him the higest position they could. Make him stay.

The two horses are almost flying around the running pen. Then Dust leads his horse towards the middle where a small pond is located. Then Dust nudges the horse and it just jumps over the pond! It lands easily and keeps running. The horse with Ten doesn't pause a single step and copies the first horse. It lands safely and without a single issue.

Dust holds up an arm and fist and the horse with Ten starts to slow down and continues walking another round before stopping. Dust lets his horse walk by before just jumping off before nudging his horse. It huffs before continuing its trot across the ring.

Ten pants as he grins widely at Dsut "That was awesome!"

Dust chuckles "It is rather fun to just let the horses do their thing isn't it? and you made the jump first try. Killer fell at least twice."

Ten blinks as he looks up shocked "Twice?"

Dust nods "At least. I am pretty sure he snuck off to practise with Granite while I had my private training." he is by Ten's side as he checks the horse "How are you feeling? You were rather tense."

Ten laughs as he rubs his neck "I am fine... thanks for checking... It is just. I think I am done for today. Thanks again for... being here i guess."

Dust pauses his movements as he starts to undo the horse harnass "It is no problem. I am always here." and he clips it fully off.

Nine has made the decision that he likes this knight. The one he met first, the one wiht goop? The one that claimed Ten as his brother? Nine doens't like him. Weirdo with always having tear trails on his face. Not to forget how cocky and confident he acts. Must be some kind of trick and lie that he keeps up to fool and intimidate others. But Nine isn't fooled. He can see through that easily.

He also doesn't like the bigger guy. Dude moves too quietly for someone his size and that hole in his skull? You don't just get that on accident. Something sinister is in that one's past no doubt.

This one? Just a guy trying to train horses and help Ten with his horse and training? Nine can appreciate that. And sure! The fact he looks cute and pretty helps a lot too. Nine would in theory be fine with this guy joining them in Ritten as well. It would be nice for Ten to have someone who is already his friend. Help him feel at home even more. And then Nine can work on impressing the other by showing his skills! It would be quick and easy!

Ten is by Dust's side as they mess with the saddle and headpiece. They talk about settings and prefered length. Nine is honestly not sure what any of it means so Ten probably doesn't either.

Ten looks at Dust and looks down a bit embarrassed "I... I know I am asking a lot... But i don't really feel like going inside already... Mind showing some tricks? again?" and he looks hopeful.

Dust looks at him and nods "I don't mind."

Fuck he is so patient with Ten... Maybe this guy was a good influence on Ten. Helped him with his lessons and training. someone had to be as Nine doubts the king or those other two knights were.

Ten looks downright excited as he waits by the fench as Dust leads the horse towards the other pen where the beige horse joins the other horses. Nine can count at least ten in there, a whole herd of horses all slightly different shaped and colours. All looking healthy and strong and interacting.

Dust returns and gets on top of his grey horse with practised ease. Ten leans against the fench as he watches.

Dust turns his horse around and starts galloping through the area. Even faster than when he had been leading Ten on the other horse. Ten cheers as he grins widely. It looks so... unlike the brother Nine is used to... So very different.

Dust meanwhile makes the horse take a large turn and Ten grins as he looks around before grabbing a cap and throwing it into the pen. Dust aims the horse and straight up leans sideways and off the back of the horse. Almost fully upsidedown to easily snatch the cap of the ground before pulling himself back on the horse's back. Not once slowing down.

Ranha gasps "Hole shit that is so difficult... How?! Without slowing down!?" She is sitting up straighter to enable her to see everything easier. Pure awe on her face and Nine feels like he may have been not fully aware of how difficult that seemingly easy trick is...

Dust runs with the horse by Ten and straight up puts the cap on his skull. Again without once slowing down. Ten laughs and cheers "Go Dust go!" as he grins.

Dust keeps moving the horse around quickly and now he has started to zigzag with it! Nine blinks and looks at Ranha "Isn't that like... suposedly very hard for horses?"

Ranha nods as she doesn't look away from the display "It is insane! Horsese make large turns because of their back. I don't know how that horse is that flexible or how that guy can just direct the horse to make the turns by not actively turning but instead almost twisting in a jump?!" she stares "Is this what the rare horses can do? That inhabit this land? We need to get Regius to get some horses!"

Nine glares at his best friend "Don't speak the king's name so casually."

Ranha waves him off "It is fine. We were all friends before he became king so we are good."

Nine huffs as he focusses on the display of masterful horse riding. It is just that not speaking the title is disrespectful and he will not make them seem unprofessional or like they don't take their ruling class seriously. Regius only became king after the fall of the old one and Nine doesn't want people to think he is an easy target just because of that. And he doubts a brat like this country's king can see how much work they had to put into bettering what they had and helping their land and people heal from all the damage.

Ranha makes a curious noise close to choking and Nine pays attention just to see Dust standing on the back of the horse. Perfectly balanced and even balancing on one leg as the horse keeps running around the pen. He steps off the horse on a fench where he runs alongside the horse, the horse finally slowing a bit down, before Dust steps back on the back and the horse speeds up again.

Dust crouches down as he puts his hands on the horse's back before just making a handstand!

Nine can't imagine how hard standing on a horse could be. much less making a handstand?! He knows how to make a handstand of course and it is easier to do it with momentum. Dust did it without that.

Ten keeps cheering for his friend as Nine stares in awe. Ranha is muttering about how insane this is and how there has to be magic at play. Yet aside from the presure of the rain he has felt since the start he hasn't noticed any spells of any type. Not even to help lead or control the horses like other riders do. Nine can't help but just keep staring.

Dust sits back on the horse but backwards as he calmly undoes the saddle. The saddle falls off the horse and as soon as the saddle hits the ground it seems to disappear. Right, the saddle was part of that magic item Dust is testing. All while Dust remains seated on the powerful beast that is still running. Dust turns back around and messes with the reins that seem to make handholds on the headpiece.

Dust next grabs hold of the handholds and lays his legs on the back of the horse. He taps the side of the neck of the horse nad motions forwards before he lays fully against the horse.

The horse going fast before is nothing compared to how fast it runs now. It is bolting through the pen and there seems to be zero control that Dust has over it. Instead Dust just holds on and lets it do its things.

"He minimised his contact and hold on the horse. he freed the horse from the saddle to enable it to move even more freely and go faster!" Ranha looks downright excited as she just stands there and stares. Nine glares at her and pulls her back down to hide wiht him.

"Stop standing! They may see you!" Nine feels an anxiety at being caught snooping now. Not like before where he would just lie and say he wasn't snooping or spying. Now he is nervous about how it would reflect on him as a person, especially to the smaller and skilled skeleton. Fuck he wishes he was wearing his better armour than this one. He hadn't wanted to seem like he was trying to impress Orchard's ruler or make it seem like they thought they needed to impress this leader but he is regretting it now. How can he show him his best side when he isn't prepared!?

The horse continues to run before coming to a slow stop near Ten. Ten is grinning widely as he claps his hands "That was so cool! Dust it is nuts how fast you can go with Pearl!"

Dust shrugs as he gets off and grabs a brush to start taking care of the animal while Ten stands near his side. "I was wondering soemthing." Dust voice is soft and calm. Even.

Ten nods as he watches Dust work "Ask away."

Dsut shoots him a look before speaking again "I figured you would want to be near Nightmare with the guests here. Why with me?"

Ten goes quiet as he looks down. Nine nudges Ranha and nods. It is their time to act! This is the perfect set up-

A hand grabs him by the neck and pushes him flush against the barrels he had been hiding behind. Ranha makes a shocked sound and Nine can barely see her in the same position as he is in.

A deep voice speaks up "Dont you know that eavesdropping is rude? But what could be expect from snooping immature children."

Nine freezes. That is the voice of the big knight guy. The one wiht the lion mask. Horror. how... when? Nine hadn't even heard him! When did they get exposed and found out!?

Horror continues to speak "But if you wish to listen in. You will listen. You will hear what Cross has to say instead of speaking for him."

Ranha growls "His name isn't-UGH!" she chokes for a moment before the kngiht releases his grip a bit again.

"Listen."

Ten finally answers "It is dumb..."

Dust hums as he leans against the horse "Try me."

Ten isn't looking up as he rubs his own arm "I... I didn't expect them to be happy with me... That is fair. I just. Didn't expect them to hate me without knowing me." Ten frowns as he softly pets the horse "It is like... They are unhappy with who i am now and want me to be who i used to be, who i don't want to be anymore. Yet they hate that person." Ten hunkers in on himself "I don't... like feeling like that."

Dust frowns as he puts a hand on Ten's shoulder "That is on them."

Ten frowns as he looks away "It isn't... I" He frowns as he moves his hands around. Had... Had Ten always moved this much? That can't be right. Nine remembers him being still and unmoving. Their father had always been strict about staying in line and acting as they had to and-

and...

and being... the way he wanted... to be...

Like Nine wants Ten to be.

Oh...

Ten isn't the problem... is he?

Dust takes Ten's face between his hands and makes Nine's younger brother look at him "Cross. Look at me. No i mean it. Look at me." Ten stares at him and Dust looks at him "You are you. No one else. No one telling you how you should be or act is right. You are fine like this. You are happy like this. You can be however you want to be, whatever makes you feel good and feel like you are you." Dust gentle bonks their skulls together "I think you would do best if you visit Lust for a bit and you two hang out and focus on something else. Okay?"

Ten frowns but gives a slow nod "Okay."

Dust nods as he keeps holding the taller skeleton "And this is not me sending you away. I enjoy us spending time together. But i think being here while they are here is stressing you out. Making you second guess yourself. Go to a different environment and let yourself relax. When you come home we can try more horse riding or you can help Killer trying to get Kingdom Devourer out of a tree again. Go relax."

Ten frowns before nodding and just hugging the other. Dust chuckles and pats his back "You are fine the way you are Cross... In matter of fact. You are perfect the way you are." Ten's breath seems to hitch as he just holds the other tighter and continues to hold him. It isn't until some time passed that Ten lets go and steps back with an embarrassed expression and... and slightly hazy looking eyes.

"Sorry... I know you don't... don't like... I am sorry."

Dust chuckles and pats his back "It is alright. Go hang out with your boyfriend while I clean up."

Boyfriend... but... why would he... who would even want to date Ten? He doens't even have a personality and is just a tool and an idiot-

Except everything he has seen now shows otherwise and... Why does Nine expect Ten to be the same way that their father wanted them to be?

Ten walks away with a wave and goes straight towards the castle. Looking a bit better as he is smiling and seems to have a small bounce in each step.

Dust watches him go before he just walks straight towards their hiding place oh shit when did-

Dust stops before them and looks unamused. His gaze cold and seemingly able to look straight into his soul. Nine would have been frozen even without the hand holding his neck.

Dust looks at Horror "Good catch H. Trouble?"

Horror hums "They tried to get into our king's wing. I was ready to give backup."

Nine feels himself grow cold. They had been followed? The whole time? They had been watched the whole time and they hadn't even noticed!

Nine... Nine may have been wrong about how capable these guys are...

Dust hums "Lets put them in the jail cell as time out. Children should know not to wander after all."

Nine feels humiliated as he and Ranha are dragged towards the castle. Dust walks behind them as Horror leads the way, Horror does not let them walk.

They walk by some servants and Nine sees it are the same maids that they met in the hallway. The maids giggle and nod respectfully to both Horror and Dust and greet them with "Hello my Knights." before they shoot a glance at Ranha and Nine before gigglign together.

They are dropped off in a cell each and the door is locked. Nine goes to check the lock only to realise there is magic woven into the very bars and walls. These locks aren't just physical but also magical. He can't break them out.

Horror hums "There. Children have their time out." he looks highly amused as he nods to Dust "Mind taking over watch?"

Dsut shrugs as he walks towards the exit "I will take your shift. you make sure the children behave." and he leaves.

horror looks at them amused and Nine feels terrible...

Not just the fact he looked like an idiot to the pretty and skilled skeleton. But he also made a fool out of himself to be caught snooping and trying to get into places he isn't allowed to be.

He sits on the bed and can't help but look at his own hands.

Does... does Ten really not want to come home? How can Nine get him to come along? Will he be forced to drag his brother home.

Nine pauses at the thought and feels a new horrifying feeling overtake himself.

When did he become so much like his father?

[knucklescum]

Motel Room - Billy Butcher x fem!Reader (The Boys)

Pairing: Billy Butcher x fem!reader (The Boys)

Word Count: 1719

Warnings: Swearing, implied smut (i was too pussy to actually write it lmao), ONE BED FIC!!! also you wear one of his shirts… 

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

This wasn’t the first time this had happened. Last time, it had been with Hughie. The time before, M.M. 

And now here you were, stood in the doorway of yet another shitty motel room as Billy fucking Butcher threw his bag onto the bed.

The bed. Singular.

You don’t even attempt to hide your annoyance as you shut the door, letting out a loud sigh.

“Come on, love.” he says, turning to you as he shimmies out of his coat. “I’m not that bad, am I?”

A scoff escapes your lips as you drop your duffle bag onto the desk, shaking your head as you remove your hoodie.

You fold your jumper up, placing it gently over the back of the desk chair as Butcher falls onto the mattress with a content hum.

“Not so fast, dickhead.” you say, your voice a dry laugh. “I’ll help you make a ‘lil bed on the floor.”

You lean over him, not even attempting to catch his eyes as you snatch up one of the pillows, throwing it onto the floor.

“I’m sure your coat will work as a blanket,” you say, tilting your head innocently, although your smirk tells Butcher all he needs to know.

“What,” he starts, sitting up on the edge of the mattress as you lean against the wall. “- makes you think I’m giving up this bed, sweetheart?”

He tilts his own head, mocking you with a similar shit-eating grin to your own.

“M.M gave me the bed. So did Hughie, you know,” you pause. “Like gentlemen?”

“Oh I’m the gentlest of them all, love. I’ll even give you a little cuddle if you fancy,” he smirks, nodding his head at you.

“Get fucked,” you whisper, quickly arming yourself with your jumper and launching it at his head.

To your dismay, he catches it with no problem, throwing it to the floor alongside the pillow.

“Now hang on a second, princess,” Butcher says, bringing a hand to his chin in faux confusion before pointing a finger at you. “Hughie told me you two shared the bed?”

Of course he did.

“Well, yeah,” you sigh. “I wasn’t going to let him sleep on the floor now, was I? He’s fragile.”

Butcher can’t help the small chuckle that slips out of his mouth before his face hardens again.

“So why am I sleeping on the floor?”

“Because you’re a cunt,” you say, flippant as you turn back to your bag, rummaging for your wallet. “I’m going to get a snack.”

“Grab me a-” you slam the door shut, ignoring Butcher and whatever request he may have had.

The cold night air was refreshing. You had spent an awfully long time just staring at the vending machine, any excuse to get away from that warm, tiny room where Butcher was, maybe, waiting for you.

In fairness, the vending machine was in serious need of a restock: the only things left were a singular packet of skittles and a redbull. 

“Fuck it,” you whisper to yourself as you input the code for the skittles, and then the redbull before finding the perfect spot on the side of the building for a good lean. Maybe it was the result of some kind of long forgotten trauma, or just a part of your being, but you’d always found that a nice, cold wall always brought you back to reality.

You cracked the can open, your back flat against the wall as you took a sip of the drink.

To this day, you weren’t entirely sure why being alone with Butcher made you so tense. The two of you met just after Becca went missing, when Butcher started his ‘mission’. From day one, he’d got under your skin - his snide remarks, his nicknames, the way he treated the other guys. But there was another side to him that, albeit unintentionally, he had let slip from time to time. He was genuinely funny, weirdly sweet - especially to you and Hughie, and he always had your back.

And you couldn’t deny the fact that you’d felt his eyes on you, occasionally. When you’d get out of the shower in the hideout wrapped in a towel, on hot days when you’d stroll out of your ‘room’ (a flimsily curtained off section of the basement) in just an oversized shirt. You were certain that you’d caught him watching you, but you know he would never admit it.

Quickly, you down the last of your energy drink before tossing the can into the bin, making your way back to the room. 

You’ve barely shut the door when Butcher jumps up from the bed, a wash of worry across his face before he quickly replaces it with his usual teasing expression.

“What were you doing out there? Foraging for a kitkat?” he asks. 

In the time you were gone he’d removed his boots and folded your jumper back on to the chair, as well as returned the pillow back to its spot on the bed. 

“This is all they had,” you say, throwing the bag of skittles vaguely in his direction as you tuck your wallet back into your bag.

He lets out a sigh as he opens the packet, immediately tipping half of the contents into his mouth.

“Save me some, asshole!” you exclaim.

After your internal battle at the vending machine, you give into your exhaustion and flop yourself on the bed, spread like a starfish directly in the centre. Pulling your eyes closed, you hear Butcher shuffle around the room and - is he undressing?

“Butcher, what the f-” you shout in a whisper, sitting up and keeping your eyes on his face, afraid to move your eyes anywhere else, just in case.

“What? Can’t a man change into his fucking jim-jams in peace?” he utters back to you, his voice a breath louder than yours.

“Jim-jams?” you mock. “Jesus christ, Butch.”

“If I’m going to be squished into this bed with you, I at least want to be fuckin’ comfortable,” he says, raising his hands in defence.

“There’s always the floor.”

“Fuck off, sweetheart,” he says, turning his back to you to pull his pyjamas on. 

When the two of you eventually look back to each other, it’s hard to stop your eyes from roaming over the entirety of his body. He’s ditched his shirt all together, donning only a pair of baggy, plaid bottoms.

“What?” he says as he returns to the bed, pushing your limbs out of the way as he parks himself on top of the duvet. “I saw Hughie’s, thought they looked quite nice.” He turns to face you, a questioning smirk on his face. “Is that alright with you?”

You nod your head before resting it back onto the pillow, sinking into the mattress as you become increasingly more aware of just how close you are to the man.

The two of you remain in your weirdly comfortable silence, your breaths becoming softer as you start to relax.

That is, until Butcher interrupts you.

“You’re sleeping in jeans?” he scoffs. “Get your fucking PJs on, love.”

You bring your hand to your face, rubbing your forehead before you sit up, swinging your legs over the side of the bed and pushing yourself up onto your feet.

“You had your shoes on in the bed too? Mad fucking woman,” he utters, shaking his head as he watches you cross the room to your bag.

“I’m tired, alright? Fuck off,” you sigh.

Holding yourself up on the desk, you slide out of your trainers before turning your back to Butcher.

You feel around in your bag for a top to wear to bed, your hand meeting the soft material of one shirt in particular.

Shit.

Ignoring the feeling of the imminent questioning, you wrestle the shirt out of your bag, placing it on the side before removing your own top. Despite facing away from him, you can feel Butcher’s eyes on your bare back as you undo your bra, a small, satisfied hum escaping your lips as your tits fall freely.

Of course, he can’t see your front, but you’re sure he’s imagining.

Quickly, you pull the shirt over yourself, beginning to fasten the buttons when you hear Butcher’s breath hitch.

“Is that my shirt?” he says, his voice low.

“It’s comfy,” you shrug, shuffling out of your jeans before turning back to face him.

“I’m well aware,” he whispers.

Your eyes meet his almost instantly, his pupils large and dark, remaining focused on yours with each step you make closer to the bed. Closer to him.

He shuffles slightly closer to his edge of the bed, so much so that your skin doesn’t even brush his as you crawl back into the bed.

“I’m not going to bite you, Butcher,” you laugh, nodding your head for him to scoot closer. “Come on, you’re going to fall off the bed.”

He nods in response, moving maybe half a centimetre closer before stopping again.

“Jesus fucking christ, you can touch me, Butcher,” you sigh, making yourself comfortable on your side of the mattress. 

“I don’t want to hurt you, (y/n).”

“Oh.”

You and Butcher were very obviously not on the same page.

Your mind starts to race. He wants to touch you? Wait, fuck - he said your name! How long has he wanted this? Do you want this? Of course you do. You’ve wanted this for a while.

“You have no idea how much I want you, sweetheart,” he whispers. “I-I’m always thinking about you. It’s stupid, I know. You’re you and I’m, well, I’m a fucking state-”

You cut off his ramblings with your lips on his. There’s no sparks, no fireworks, but fuck it feels so right. 

He kisses back instantly, scooting closer to you, your chest brushing against his. A few seconds pass before he pulls away from you, a never ending distance between you once again.

“Sweetheart, I can’t. I’m too old - you’re too young to be messing about with someone like me,” he whispers, his dark eyes boring into yours.

“Stop denying yourself,” you utter. “You’re Billy fucking Butcher.”

In an instant, his lips return to their place on yours, his beard a soothing scratch on your face.

“You’re fucking right I am.”

[catch-the-wind]

when reader is sick hc's

finally posting writing here so true

n e ways okay so i’m brainrotting about the genshin charas taking care of their s/o’s when they’re sick 🥺 and now i'm feeling sick, sigh

ohm and sulien ambros belong to @teyvattherapist! they're such good chara's, i know i'm writing them here but i deffo recommend reading up on them

okay here u go, have some hc's that are kinda sorta long and by that i mean 2.5k- i haven't proofread this bc it's 4am and im going to BED but if i write for any other chara's i'll post a second part <3 mwah

tags: gn!reader, diluc x reader, kaeya x reader, jean x reader, lisa x reader, albedo x reader, dainsleif x reader, tartaglia x reader, ohm ambros x reader, sulien ambros x reader, soft bean hours

diluc

is not working or traveling when his partner is sick

absolutely makes them soup and hot tea and drinks

he’s trying to make them food but he’s not the best cook so he’s asking adelinde for help

absolutely asks jean, barbara, and ohm for help while his partner is sleeping but he’s so awkward LMAO

was absolutely frantic the first day he found out his partner was sick tho, he made them come over to the winery so they could sleep there and he can take care of them <3

absolutely lied about what room was his so they slept in his bed

“hmm this guest room is so furnished diluc are all your rooms like this” and no, no they are not, this room is his, bestie

diluc slept on a sofa in his bedroom and did work on the table that was supposed to be for flowers. kinda stressed over abyss order locations but was more worried ab his partner being okay so he was distracted

he just put the flowers on his nightstand for his partner to see when they woke up <3

gives his partner forehead kisses because they won’t let him kiss them on the lips and he gives them the gentlest cheek kisses while they sleep

also gives his partner his clothes to wear <3

cuddles them and reads to them when they’re awake and TEMPLE KISSES OH MY GOD

kaeya comes over because he’s worried his brother and his brother’s s/o haven’t been seen in a little while

n e way, diluc gets sick after his partner gets better and they nursed each other back to health

kaeya

like diluc, he took off work so he could take care of his s/o i,mediately after he found out they were sick

wouldn’t force them to stay at his place tho, he’d probably let them recover in their own place

but he might make them go to the kof hq or the cathedral just so they can be taken care of by a proper healer

he absolutely soothes their fevers and stuff w cryo and also the man can heal himself w his elem skill ofc he can fix someone if he tries hard enough <3

he gives kisses no matter how much his partner says not to but he’ll also give them butterfly kisses so it’s soft moments too~ sigh, ur too cute alberich

asks ohm and barbara and albedo and lisa for potions and such to help his partner feel better but he’s really lowkey so he doesn’t seem SUPER worried

he just hates seeing his partner not feeling so well </3

refreshes his partner’s vase of flowers at their bedside every day

brings home work so he can watch over his partner. he can’t cook super well either so he asks for help and brings stuff home from good hunter too

jean was okay to let kaeya off of work and diluc would never admit it (man practically swore everyone to secrecy smh) but he helped take up some of kaeya’s duties in his stead

and kae, the alcoholic, didn’t even drink while his partner was sick bc he was lowkey worried they would need his help w smth and he didn’t want to be drunk just in case <3

many cuddles despite protests of getting him sick <3

jean

absolutely uses her healer skills to make her partner feel better

panicked when they were still sick and thought it was her fault </3 she asked barbara and ohm for help and they just told jean to relax a bit bc her partner was sick and it wasn’t going to be a quick fix

wanted to take off work but didn’t, so she just brought her work with her

kaeya and ohm very kindly took up her other duties where she had to leave so she could be w her partner

her partner is staying in the kof hq where they get access to ohm and barbara comes to visit <3 but also so that jean can sleep comfortably enough close by bc you cannot tell me this woman does not sometimes sleep in her office or the library and barely makes it to the kof dormitories sometimes

she’s so worried the entire time, she’s probably got a few gray hairs and a new frown line smh

she has clothes that aren’t her work clothes???? it’s so foreign seeing her in stuff like pajamas. you didn’t even know jean owned pajamas

jean sets them up in her bed at home (yeah she has a place outside of the kof hq??? it’s surprising) but it’s a big bed so they can rest and she’ll have the lamp on her side on while she sits up and does work

absolutely dotes on them. she’s good at making foods that make them feel better, she’s just a good healer that way <3

albedo, klee, venti, kaeya, lisa, and ohm all come over to check on jean and co and make sure everyone is doing okay <3 lots of food brought

if jean was asked to sing to her partner normally, she probably wouldn’t bc she’d probably get embarrassed but i think she probably sounds v good and venti would give her his lyre to try out a musical instrument too. but also she’d read to her partner and they’d probably fall asleep together uwu

lisa

works part time hours at the library so she can go visit her s/o

probably asks them to stay at the kof hq for easier access to medical assistance and plus she’s almost always there

“cutie” but worried and very 🥺 (pleading emoji)

makes soup and potions and reads to her partner until they fall asleep

also super playful omg she’s still got a smile on and is full of affection while she walks her fingers up her partner’s arm to their face so she can cup their cheek

she’ll make her partner laugh and smile and blush even when they’re sick, but she makes them laugh until they cough sometimes and immediately feels so bad

jean, barbara, kaeya, albedo and ohm all come to visit with different foods and soups and medicines and such

klee comes knocking and gives lisa some good fisherman’s toast and asks lisa’s s/o if they want to hug dodoco b/c that always makes klee feel better

purple roses galore, lisa has them in her partner’s room and they’ve got a potion to make the. uh. sniffer? to make the sniffer feel better. don’t ask me how, idk but she would find a way to make them physically feel better with flowers

reads to her partner ofc, and she tells them stories ab her own life and time at sumeru sans the crazies

worried looks when her s/o is sleeping but also the softest smiles when they wake up pls-

albedo

cutest lil frown on his face when he finds out his partner is sick

immediately they are taken home and he’s testing to confirm what’s wrong w them and what he can do to speed up their recovery

he’s more distracted than usual at work but he’s coming over to your place all the time w what paperwork he can do

also sketches his partner while they don’t know. he’s got lots of beautiful candids of his partner sleeping, looking out the window, falling asleep, reading, even drinking water. he’s made the most mundane things look captivating

kaeya and ohm come to check on albedo when he doesn’t show up for work after a few days and it’s bc he’s taking care of his s/o with food and soup and alchemical potions and shit. and when kae and ohm come in, they find his partner opening the door wrapped in a blanket while albedo is asleep cuddling the pillow they left bc he stayed up the night before making soup and reading to them

klee has camped out on his partner’s couch, she helps w the cooking too~ she absolutely lets them hug dodoco and gives them a treasure to feel better too LOL

many kisses from klee and albedo, and they also go out to get treats for albedo’s partner too

domestic albedo cooking in his partner’s kitchen and for once it isn’t some alchemical potion that he might blow up the stove with

tartaglia

takes off work entirely but BOY OH BOY is he stir crazy smh

brings his partner to his apartment to rest <3

he’s so worried ab his s/o that he makes all the sick ppl food the first day, orders from wanmin restaurant when his partner wants smth different, and also gets toys and such to entertain them otherwise

also reads to his partner but, again, he gets stir crazy after a while

absolutely does workouts and katas in the living room and phew shirtless tartaglia working out? gets the heart rate up for sure ahem

rushes to his partner tho omg- need soup? water? a trip to the bathroom? another blanket? he goes to them the MOMENT he hears them moving around. absolutely dotes on them <3

his family knows ab his partner and he’s probably written letters ab them being sick~ his family sent snezhnayan herbs and flowers and medicines and such

zhongli comes around because he wants sugar daddy!tartaglia with tea and medicine from bubu pharmacy. hu tao is in tow with well wishes and a “hope i don’t find you at work!” which is. a little worrying because aren’t you just a little sick-

many kisses from tartaglia because he is Needy and he’ll absolutely get sick from cuddling his partner while they sleep

also he’ll probably just like. envelop his partner while they sleep. they’re all cuddled into him and he’s actually so warm it’s nice bc they’re cold w a fever and he’s living for comforting them

he’s so worried tho, he’s got the frowny face and he’s so adorable but he just doesn’t want his partner to feel sick

dainsleif

the man camps in ruins, he’s going to his partner’s house smh

he doesn’t go into the church either LOL so expect him in his partner’s home making dinner and doing their grocery shopping thanks

he would get ohm and barbara to come over tho <3 “fix them please” but also “how can i fix them”

is so dead set on making sure his partner takes their medicine at the right times, he’s so soft for them and them alone

cooks soup and old recipes he barely remembers from khaenri’ah. he doesn’t really get sick, so he doesn’t remember these ones too clearly. deffo brings back old memories he’d long forgotten

reads to his partner and tells them old stories of how the world used to be, his travels, gives them the gossip on a certain khaenri’ahn but doesn’t give away the name

ohm comes over with medicine and lollipops bc dain is so unlikely to go to the cathedral to get barbara smh

but also dain, so self-sufficient, is unlikely to want to ask for help, so ohm just goes to help anyway

dain with the old khaenri’ahn lullabies and tucking his partner into his arms and singing quietly while he holds them and rocks them to sleep

dain is immortal, he’s giving his partner kisses bc “i’m immortal, ofc i won’t get sick”

he got sick

but his s/o nursed him back to health and then there were smooches the end

ohm ambros

the doctor with his ill lover oh my god

he’s frowny, he’s taking care of his partner at his home in springvale and his home clinic is open to everyone else. but everyone knows his partner is the first priority LOL

kaeya and albedo come over to see if ohm is okay or if his house needs to be checked up on. they’re wondering if he went on a last-minute expedition to sumeru and didnt tell them

diluc comes over too, he’s just checking up on his best friend but he’s also stealing a cherry lollipop smh. he heard from kae that ohm’s partner is sick tho, so he brings some soup and good food over from adelinde. he also brings some of his own specialty food tho, the once upon a time in mondstadt <3

sulien sending letters to his big brother to see if his brother’s s/o is okay

ohm is also just super protective of his partner, there are not many people who come into his life who he loves and lets in in the first place. he’s absolutely trying to heal them with his own vitality, so their recovery is much shorter than initially expected

barbara also comes over w jean to check up on ohm and co, complete w a goody basket of soup, a teddy bear, flowers, and books

ohm reading to his partner <3 he’s got such a soothing voice even if his accent is wack LMAO. he’s reading stories and even his paperwork because just his presence is comforting

he puts his hands on his partner’s forehead to soothe the fever goodbye

ohm will not sing for his s/o simply bc he doesn’t think he sounds v good. and he probably doesn’t but it would be so cute to hear him try and please ohm? 🥺

n e way i want smooches idc if i’m sick KISS ME OHM AMBROS

sulien ambros

when he finds out his partner is sick, the man blinks like twice and then suggests so calmly that they go to his apartment in liyue

man does not sleep normally, he’s just going to nurse his partner back to health and read during their recovery. fruit tart can cover his duties for him <3

sulien cooks for his partner tho, he’s making soup and stuff and getting medicine from bubu’s pharmacy. he’s also picking up books on the way home but some of them are to be read to his partner so it’s okay-

like tartaglia, sulien works out while his partner rests and goes to them if he hears them moving around. he’s reading to his partner and not so frowny, but the slightest furrow of this man’s brow is already such a big expression of his concern <3

sends letters to ohm asking for advice ab how to help his partner feel better. ohm just sends a letter back with “i’m coming” and shows up within the day LMAO

reads to his partner, and the monotony of his voice is soothing and lulls them to sleep. he just looks at them affectionately (well affectionate for him) and presses a kiss to their forehead before finishing the story on his own and in his head

tartagalicious comes over and brings food, flowers and a teddy bear with some of sandrone’s paperwork but he sends a smile to sulien’s partner with some well wishes

scara comes over too just to visit and check to see where sandrone is, but scara is a grumpy bean so he just says “feel better” all brooding and like it’s a command to one of the fatui subordinates LOL

sulien like ohm uses his cold hands to soothe his partner’s fever and also gives them forehead kisses <3

Edit: a link to part 2

[dialovers-translations]

DIABOLIK LOVERS MORE, BLOOD LIMITED V EDITION Sofmap Tokuten Situation CD ”365 Days with a Vampire Ayato” Ver. ~A Promise Made in Spring~”

Original title: ヴァンパイアとの365日 アヤト編 ～春の約束～

Source: Diabolik Lovers MORE, BLOOD Limited V Edition Drama CD [CD not owned by me]

Audio: Here

Seiyuu: Midorikawa Hikaru

Translator’s note: I’m so glad I finally got my hands on the audio of this CD! I translated most of the other boys’ versions a long time ago but Ayato and Kanato’s tracks were always missing. I still haven’t been able to find Kanato’s, but one of my awesome followers bought Ayato’s at least.

 As for the content of the CD, it’s...mediocre, lol. I believe all of these were just short yet sweet scenarios with the boys. I’ve always wanted a DL CD which takes place in Spring and features the sakura trees but I think it would have worked better as a tokuten CD where the whole group goes on a hanami (flower-viewing) picnic together. ;w;

→  LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

“Ahー I’m sleepy...I always get really tired ‘round this time of year.”

*Rustle*

“Nn...Zzー Zzー...”

You try to shake him away.

*Rustle rustle*

“...Ah? What’s your problem, Chichinashi? Don’t be wakin’ me up! Didn’t you hear me when I said I’m sleepy? ...Lemme snooze... Zzー... Zzー...”

*Creaaak*

You walk towards the door.

“Nn...Hm...? ーー Oi!”

You turn around.

“Why are you trying to leave?”

You tilt your head to the side.

“...Didn’t I tell you to stay by my side all day!?” 

You protest.

“No buts! Now get your ass back over here!”

You return.

“Geez...Don’t try and sneak out behind my back. You better stay here.”

You frown.

“Aah...? So what if I’m sleepin’...? ...You think that’s borin’ or somethin’? I can’t help it though. ...Pwaahー. I get sleepy when temperatures start risin’. Right now, I can actually relate to Shuu for once. ーー How does the saying again?  Springtime...No...In Spring... (1)...”

You help him out.

“...Ah, right. That one. ‘In Spring one sleeps a sleep that something-something...’ (2) Anyway, aren’t you sleepy at all, Chichinashi?”

You shake your head.

“Hmー I guess it’s different for Vampires and humans.”

You ask if he still intents to sleep more. 

“Aah...? Yeah, right. I’m gonna hit the hay once more.”

You sigh.

“Haah...? Don’t make your disappointment so damn obvious.”

You pout. 

“Ahー Fine.”

*Creaaak*

“Guess I have no other choice but to give you a lil’ attention...”

You smile.

“Heh. Look at that happy expression on your face. Just how bored were you?”

*Rustle*

“So, how will you entertain me? Let me hear it.”

You seem surprised. 

“What do you mean ‘eh?’? You’re the one who bein’ selfish here and not lettin’ me sleep because you’d be lonely otherwise. I’m actually listening to your selfish request. Which means...It’s only fair you’ll keep me entertained in return, right?”

You frown.

“Come on. Tell me what you’re gonna do for me. If not...”

*Smooch*

“Nn...”

*Smooch*

“...Hehe. I’ll find a way to have fun myself.”

You bring up the promise the two of you made. 

“Haah...? Promise? What are you talkin’ ‘bout?”

You refresh his memory. 

“...The cherry blossoms? Ahー Now that you mention it, you said somethin’ ‘bout that before, didn’t you?”

You nod.

“My bad. It completely slipped my mind.” 

You seem upset.

“I mean, you can’t blame me, can you!? I’m not familiar with the custom of going to watch the cherry blossoms! For one, what’s so fun ‘bout watching a bunch of flowers? They’re not even edible, so I honestly don’t understand what you find so fascinating ‘bout them.”

You seem disappointed that he won’t come with you. 

“No! I never said I’m not going, did I? I did make a promise after all. ...Although I forgot ‘bout it, I will keep it.”

You smile.

*Rustle*

“They’re going to fall from the trees soon, right? Then let’s hurry up and go. ーー Then, we’ll head home real quick and continue where we left off. Hehe...Better brace yourself.”

*TIMESKIP*

“...Heehー I had no idea there was a place like this so close to our house.”

You note how pretty the cherry blossoms look.

“Hmー It isn’t a scenery you see every day, I’ll give you that. ...That bein’ said, there’s barely any blossoms left. We’re the only two people here as well.”

You frown.

“Why do you seem so disappointed? I kept my promise and came here with you, didn’t I?”

You explain that you should have come a little sooner.

“Haah...? I made that promise three days ago? Then why didn’t you remind me back then? I can’t imagine I’ve been asleep for that many days straight. ーー Aah. I remember now. Three days ago means I must that promise back then, no? When my kisses got you all weak in the knees.”

You become flustered and deny it.

“I’m not lying! You had that dreamy look in your eyes...Calling my name with a shaky voice, both arms extended as you desperately clung onto me. You were pretty cute back then, you know? So much so...I almost want to make you pull that face again right here, right now.”

*Smooch*

You squeak. 

*Smooch smooch*

You protest.

“Who cares? It’s just the two of us here.”

You insist that he waits till you get home. 

“Haah...? Why? There’s nobody ‘round so why does it matter...?”

You tell him to focus on the cherry blossoms.

“The cherry blossoms...? I already took a look at them, didn’t I? Right now I’m more interested in yoーー”

You puff out your cheeks.

“Oh come on, why so upset? Will I gain anythin’ from lookin’ at them? In the end, they’re just flowers, right?”

You sigh.

“What are you sighin’ for now, huh?”

You try and explain it to him.

“Hmph! Well I’m sorry for failing to read the ‘mood’ or whatever. ...Honestly, I would have been better off continuin’ my nap. I don’t get what’s so interestin’ ‘bout a bunch of flowers? Like if you could eat them, then maybe.”

You tell Ayato that they are edible. 

“Haah...!? You can? For real!?”

You remind him of all the sakura-themed food items sold in Spring. 

“Ahー Now that you mention it. They do sell stuff like sakura mochi.”

A strong gust of wind blows. 

“...Ah, oi. You’ve got a cherry blossom stuck on your head. ーー Say, if the sakura leaves are edible, then its petals should be too, right? Shall we put it to the test?”

*Rustle* 

“Oi, Chichinashi. Look my way for a sec. Don’t move, okay? ...Nn.”

*Smooch* 

You flinch.

*Nom nom*

“...Geh! It doesn’t have much flavor, so I wouldn’t call this good by any means.”

You ask him if he ate it straight from your head.

“Huh? ...Ah, yeah. There was a petal stuck in your hair, so I ate it. But you lied to me. This stuff isn’t edible. It’s gross. I have to cleanse my palate with something sweet now. Right, Chichinashi?”

You ask him what he wants.

“What do you mean? What could I be referring to other than your blood? It’s your punishment for lyin’ to me. Just give up.”

Ayato bites you.

*Gulp*

“Mm...Nn...”

*Sluuuurp*

“...Hah. Your blood really is so sweet...Sweeter than any food out there...Mm...”

*Sluuuurp*

“Nn...Nnh...”

*TIMESKIP*

“ーー Hey, Chichinashi. Did you know?”

You tilt your head to the side.

“They say that cherry blossom trees grow on places where a bunch of corpses are buried underneath.”

You seem skeptical. 

“Hehe...What would you do if all of a sudden, from under the ground...BAM! A hand shows up!”

You chuckle. 

“...What? You’re not scared?”

You explain.

“Haah...? Idiot. I can’t guarantee that I’ll keep you safe. Aren’t you letting things getting to your head a bit too much?”

You frown. 

“...Just kidding.”

You ask Ayato if he could protect. 

“I know. I promise I’ll protect you. ...No matter what happens.”

You blush.

“If you’re gone, I wouldn’t be able to suck your blood, and I’d be hella bored with nobody ‘round to pick on. Besides...”

*Smooch*

“I wouldn’t be able to kiss you like this any more either...Right?”

Your blush grows deeper.

“Hey, why don’t we go watch the cherry blossoms together every year from here on out? ...It’s a promise. To ensure you won’t wander off somewhere without my permission.”

You nod.

“Yeah. This time I won’t forget either. Not in a hundred years! ...Never.”

ーー THE END ーー

Translation notes

(1) This was a bit tricky to translate since it refers to the different readings for the character 春, meaning spring. Ayato uses the kun-yomi (haru) first and then corrects himself to the on-yomi ‘shun’, which is how you’d read the character in combination with other kanji. In English, however, the meaning stays the exact same. 

(2) Ayato is trying to refer to the Chinese proverb 春眠暁を覚えず which means ‘in Spring one sleeps a sleep that knows no dawn’, but he doesn’t actually finish his whole sentence. 

[cosmos-coma]

Prey of the Hunt- Chapter 8

A/N: wow its been a hot minute since the last chapter, huh? I hope you all enjoy this chapter as wont lie, I cried a lil when I was writing it.

Pairing: Eskel x Reader

Words: 1.5k

Warning: this will include some spoilers about who is involved in the Battle of Kaer Morhen from TW3, this is also kind of a depressing chapter.

Summary: It’s time to prepare for the final battle. The long hours and endless preparation begin to wear on you, and so do the endless questions. Will spring come for you and Eskel?

Chapter 9

______________

The next day had everyone immediately working on their assignments; Geralt and Yennefer left before most people awoke, trying to get a jumpstart on recruitment. You barely saw anyone that day besides Vesemir, catching people here and there as they stopped by to grab a quick lunch before getting back to it. Even Eskel you only saw in passing, brushing knuckles as you walked by, or quick touches when he came to run something past Vesemir. But you wouldn’t ever be upset about it, not when you knew it was for the good of a member of the Keep.

It went on for long, seemingly endless days like that, though some of the pressure slid away once reinforcements started to arrive.

Letho was the first, much to the dismay of later visitors, but he was a welcome guest when it came to preparing bombs. A few members of the lodge were next, Phillipa, Keira, and Triss, each of them finding their own usefulness here and there, whether it be traps, planning, or otherwise. Zoltan, Roche, and Ves were next, the latter two vowing to help only as long as they could stay far from Letho in the process. Even a small group of druids showed up in the later days, intent to join in the plight.

Within hardly any time, facets of the plan begin getting laid out; traps were finished and set up around the perimeter, swords and armor were sharpened and mended, and just about everyone was getting a refresher on the Wild Hunt and how best to fight them. Everyone except you and Eskel that is.

The two of you were holed up in the workshop on one last late shift preparing potions. You had promised Ciri and Geralt to give Eskel the same briefing as long as he could be the one to help you- and with how much the worry and late nights had begun to show on you physically, you were glad they allowed you that much.

“How much longer on the White Raffard in cauldron three?” you asked as you stirred a completely different brew and tried to keep track of about six others.

“10 minutes… Hey, Y/n-“ he started, only to get cut off by your hyper-focused mumbling.

You could feel the glaze of lost sleep over your eyes as you drifted about the room, making notes, and checking bottles. “Okay, that’s 10 minutes on that, 18 minutes for the full moon potion, 27 for the-“

“Dear.” Eskel’s arm came out to snag your waist as you moved past, tugging you into his embrace. “Take a minute to breathe… You hold your stress in your shoulders you know. We both do,” He said, biting back a grin and he repeated your own words back to you.

Strong arms wrapped securely around you as you leaned into him, resting your head in the cradle of his neck. Your hands dropped the notes you had been taking and wound their way around his torso, closing your fists around his tunic. As your sigh escaped you some of the tension did too, your fists loosened and your shoulders came to rest a little closer to their natural state.

“You’ve been throwing yourself into this work so much lately…”

“But I need to. When the Hunt comes- “ you started, your mind already drifting back to work and the battle that inevitably lay ahead.

“-But you need a few minutes before you go back. Just exist with me for a few minutes....” His voice rumbled quietly through his chest and into yours, enticing you to hug him that much closer.

“You’re right, you’re right…” you relented, “I know everyone is just here to help, and a few of them have been very nice… but I can’t wait for it to be quiet again.” You laughed out, Eskel’s own laugh following yours.

“The path is going to feel like a lazy afternoon once we get through all this, not that I’m complaining.” Eskel already couldn’t wait for the cold season to end, let alone the confrontation with the Wild Hunt. Even if it meant the end of a guaranteed bed for some time, he wanted to show you the world in a far better light than the Wild Hunt had left it. He wanted to see the way your face lit up when you came across the various festivals, the joy and relief when you two got a hot plate of food at an inn after days of camping outside, and the pride of you getting your first monster. The best part of the path surely would be sharing it all with you.

“Where will we go when we set out in spring?”

“Wherever you want to go, dear. Wherever you lead us I will follow.” Eskel’s easy smile pulled at the notch in his lip, revealing just a window into what bigger expressions you may pull from him yet.

 Your heart fluttered in your chest, “Really? Even if I wanted to go someplace far like Skellige or Toussiant..?” you pulled back from his arms to look up at him, did he really mean anywhere?

And yet without hesitation, he nodded in agreement, “I’m sure we could find a boat to the isles in Novigrad, and it may take a little while but we could make our way down to Toussiant as well. Wherever you want to go this year we can do, And then next season we can find some other places to visit or we can just do it all again.”

You couldn’t even muster a verbal reply, all you could manage to do was to throw your arms around his neck and bring him close once more. “You’re too good to me…” You mumbled into his neck.

Another laugh bubbled up from his throat as he rubbed your back, “I’ll always do my best. And as much as I never want this moment to end, I think the potion is done…” With a kiss to your temple, he pulled his arms back to let you go.

“10 minutes already? It usually feels like they can’t brew fast enough.” You began doling the potion out into bottles, while Eskel cleaned up the spills and put them away.

You could hear the shuffling of many feet outside the door as those getting briefed made their way back to their rooms to get some sleep. You and Eskel still had some time yet to stay awake, the whole keep taking the day in shifts so there’s always at least one person with eyes open to watch for the Hunt. Phillipa was also on the late shift with the both of you, everyone has joked that she was a literal ‘night owl’, but you hadn’t known her long enough to understand or feel like you wouldn’t get an eye poked out for asking.

When you two were finally done with your shift in the early hours of the morning you made your way back to the room. The only thing left to do now was get some sleep and wait for the Hunt to finally arrive; Everyone knew where they were expected to be when the alarm rang, if they had a task at a certain time, or if they were expected to be in one spot. However, you knew that for most of you your job would doing anything and everything you could to either kill them or make sure they didn’t kill you.

No one wanted to say it out loud, but there was one thing weighing on every mind tonight and as you and Eskel lay in each other’s arms it weighed heavily on you too.

Who would be left alive when the battle ended?

Who would die on the field surrounded by their friends and foes?

Would anyone but those gathered here remember the ones who died and what they died for?

Tears threatened your eyes as you dwelled on whether you would live to see the next few days, or even what you would do if Eskel happened to perish. That last thought no matter how quickly you tried to pass over it in your mind succeeded in pulling tears from your eyes that quickly slid down onto Eskel’s chest.

Your beloved witcher said nothing as his hand came to wipe the streaks from your cheeks, no words could help right now. You both knew it.

By the grace of some god you two were able to find sleep, despite the tossing and turning. Your bodies stay locked in an embrace, your legs intertwined as even your subconscious minds held on to what was dear.

It wasn’t until late the next morning when you two were roused from sleep by the furious ringing of a bell.

CLANG CLANG CLANG

Adrenaline went through you like a gunshot, as you and Eskel both woke with a start, glancing to each other knowingly.

The Hunt has arrived.

___________________

Taglist: @writingmysanity @open--till--midnight @dark-academia-slut @madamemelancholysstuff @weaponizedvirtue

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[phr0gie]

sleep softly, love; genshin impact

synopsis: how i think certain genshin impact characters would fall asleep next to you for the first time :)

note: hihi! so i finally feel like i’m caught up enough in genshin lore that i can start actually writing for it!! yay!! anyways, i’m sorry if my portrayal of them is a lil ooc, i’m still getting used to writing for them. still, i hope you guys enjoy! :D

pairings: xiao x reader, diluc x reader

tw: mentions of nightmares and death in xiao’s, mentions of alcohol and suggestive themes in diluc’s, ooc characters, mostly j fluff, not proof read (oops)

wc: 2k 

masterlist

xiao:

the first few times you bring up sleeping next to him he’s probably going to turn you down

you see, xiao doesn’t really need to sleep, nor does he want to

he finds the idea of lying in a comatose state for eight hours in complete darkness to be “weird” and a “waste of time”

and his opinion on the matter doesn’t change for a while

that is, until you confess to him you’ve been having nightmares

these nightmares were like nothing you have ever had before

they shook you to your very core and, rather than the dream just leaving your mind after you woke up, they followed you around for days

once you confide in xiao about these terrors, he grows very concerned

in the past he’s known people who have been plagued with nightmares as a result of a dangerous curse that, more often than not, ended in death

the thought of you, the person he cares about most, succumbing to such a terrible fate frightens him more than anything — not that he’ll ever admit this to you.

and so, reluctantly, xiao agrees to spend the night with you

just this once, to protect you

You roll over to face him and for a moment he panics. To Xiao’s knowledge, couples who slept together often cuddled with each other. While he did occasionally enjoy a few close moments with you, Xiao couldn’t say he was very taken with the idea of physical contact — especially in a situation that left him so vulnerable. To his relief, however, you stay on your side of the bed. Your hand rests on top of your pillow and slowly, almost cautiously you maneuver it so it’s lying a bit closer to Xiao — a silent invitation to hold your hand, is what the adeptus recognizes it as. This gesture was not foreign to him, you did things like this often. You always kept your hand outstretched to him. Even if he were to pull away or turn his back, your hand was still there. You were still there.

You roll over to face him and for a moment he panics. To Xiao’s knowledge, couples who slept together often cuddled with each other. While he did occasionally enjoy a few close moments with you, Xiao couldn’t say he was very taken with the idea of physical contact — especially in a situation that left him so vulnerable. To his relief, however, you stay on your side of the bed. Your hand rests on top of your pillow and slowly, almost cautiously you maneuver it so it’s lying a bit closer to Xiao — a silent invitation to hold your hand, is what the adeptus recognizes it as. This gesture was not foreign to him, you did things like this often. You always kept your hand outstretched to him. Even if he were to pull away or turn his back, your hand was still there. You were still there.

You roll over to face him and for a moment he panics. To Xiao’s knowledge, couples who slept together often cuddled with each other. While he did occasionally enjoy a few close moments with you, Xiao couldn’t say he was very taken with the idea of physical contact — especially in a situation that left him so vulnerable. To his relief, however, you stay on your side of the bed. Your hand rests on top of your pillow and slowly, almost cautiously you maneuver it so it’s lying a bit closer to Xiao — a silent invitation to hold your hand, is what the adeptus recognizes it as. This gesture was not foreign to him, you did things like this often. You always kept your hand outstretched to him. Even if he were to pull away or turn his back, your hand was still there. You were still there.

“Xiao.”

Your gentle voice catches his attention immediately. As he looks into your eyes all he can see is admiration, his heart clenches at the feeling it gives him.

“Thank you,” you say softly, “for being here for me like this.”

Xiao simply nods his head at you in response.

“Sleep,” he whispers, his tone commanding yet soft, “I will be here when you wake.”

He desperately wants to say more. To let you know that he would always be there for you, that no challenge would ever be too difficult if it was for you, that he would rip the moon from the night sky if it meant that you would rest a little easier. Yet, the kind smile you give him shows that he need not continue. You know he loves you, you have never once doubted it. You are aware of the burden he carries and how it affects him. You know that one day he will be able to share with you the confessions of love and vulnerability that are buried deep inside him. For now, this is enough. He is enough. And so, with a content smile you snuggle even further into your pillow.

“Goodnight, Xiao.” You whisper before finally closing your eyes.

Xiao stares at your resting form for a while. It is not until your breathing evens out and he is sure you are asleep do his eyes flicker from your face to your hand lying closely to him. All of the sudden, an overwhelming urge to hold you in some way overtakes the adeptus. Again, Xiao was not the biggest fan of physical affection, however, something about you looking as peaceful as you do in this moment evokes something from him. And so, he decides to finally accept your invitation. As his palm meets yours in a tight hold — not tight enough to wake you, of course — Xiao allows himself to indulge in the warmth and safety you provide him, just this once.

Neither of you have any nightmares that night.

diluc:

you and diluc are in a fairly new relationship.

having just started seeing each other a few months ago, it’s only natural to not have done anything too domestic quite yet.

not to mention, our ever stoic winery owner is a bit shy when it comes to his affections.

the two of your were every content with your soft, simple touches.

hand-holding, hugging, and subtle kissing kept you both very satisfied.

until you decide to get drunk at dawn winery.

your work has been k i l l i n g you recently

commissions are beginning to pile up, hilichurls have invaded the area you were supposed to scout next, and you couldn’t help but think that you were getting a bit rusty with your weapon.

all and all, you are very stressed out.

you desperately want a chance to relax.

originally, you had planned on just having a drink or two and ranting to your ever so reliable boyfriend.

however, a drink or two turned into three, then four...

before you knew it you couldn’t remember how many you had and it was rather late.

being the gentleman that he is, diluc forces offers you his bed for the night

seeing as you were in no condition to return home on your own, he has no choice.

it’s the responsible decision.

however, he’s still very flustered about the whole ordeal

Dulic thinks you are a handful. Especially right now. 

He huffs as he attempts to open his bedroom door one-handed. The other appendage preoccupied with keeping you slumped against his side so that you don’t fall over. 

“I knew you shouldn’t have had that last glass of dandelion wine.” He mumbles, gently scolding you. 

You simply blink up at him, a bored expression on your flushed face. 

“You sayin’ I can’t hold my alcohol?” you hiccup, “I’ll show you…” 

You attempt to push off of him, but his hold on you tightens. 

“No,” he grunts, “You won’t.” 

Finally the door opens and Diluc lets out a sigh of relief. Swiftly he lifts you up — earning a small ‘woah’ and a giggle from you — and carries you over to his bed. He then sets you down and turns to his dresser to get you some clothes to sleep in. He picks out a large, white, long-sleeved undershirt and. Your lips curl into a suggestive smirk and you chuckle. 

“Oooh,” you tease, “Master Diluc how bold of you, are you going to dress me?” 

The pyro user looks absolutely mortified but you pay no mind to it, too busy laughing and hiccupping at your own joke. A prominent blush grows on Diluc’s face as he shuffles over to you. 

“Of course not!” he stutters, dropping the clothing article gently on your head. He then grabs a pile of his own clothes and makes a beeline to the door. Just as he is about to exit he turns to you. 

“Wait here,” he instructs, “and try not to fall asleep yet.” 

And with that, the Diluc dashes down the hall, presumably leaving you to get changed. You do just that, tugging off your shirt and removing your bottoms. You huff as you lift your boyfriend's shirt up and over your head. As soon as the garment falls over your shoulders and past your knees, you’re hit with the rich scent of chestnuts and mahogany — the scent of Diluc. His undershirt is so baggy and so warm that you cannot help but feel at ease, Diluc always did have a way of making you feel safe — whether it was the hand he always places on the small of your back when he guides you around town or the look in his eyes when he spots you across the room, so sure that you’re the one he’ll always search for. The red-head returns a moment later clad in a dark, short-sleeved undershirt, similar to the one he gave you, and a pair of soft pants. In one hand, Diluc holds a fresh glass of water and in the other a pillow that seems to be smaller than the ones laid out in his bed. Diluc gently sits on the edge of the bed and pats the spot next to him, beckoning you to sit next to him. As soon as the bed dips with your weight, Diluc is handing you a cup of water. 

“Drink,” he instructs once again, “so your hangover doesn’t kill you tomorrow.” 

You do as you're told, dutifully downing the refreshing liquid. The minute your lips leave the cup he takes it from you, setting it on his bedside table. Then, Diluc picks you up once more and positions you so you are laying properly on the bed. He pulls the covers out from under you and makes sure you’re tucked in well. 

“There,” he says finally, pulling the comforter up to your chin, “are you comfortable?” 

However, he does not receive an answer. You’re already half asleep, head slumped against the pillow, mouth hanging wide open. Diluc smiles in spite of himself. He should be mad at you, he knows he should. But, as you lay there with your hair a mess, wearing one of his shirts, in his bed, Diluc cannot help but fall even more hopelessly in love with you. Stroking your hair a few times, he finally leaves a light kiss on your forehead. Hesitantly, he gets up, being very careful not to jostle you. He’s about to head to his living room to sleep, but he can barely make it two steps away from the bed before a hand shoots out and grabs his wrist. He turns to see you, still snug in his bed, a pout adorning your features. 

“Where’re you goin?” You grumble out sleepily. 

Diluc looks at you curiously. 

“I’m going to let you sleep,” he whispers, “You need to rest.” 

He attempts to remove your hand but your grip only tightens. Suddenly you pull him down, your faces only inches apart. You wrap your arms around his neck and rest your forehead against his.

“Please,” you whisper, your voice soft — so soft that Diluc doesn’t think he would have heard it if he weren’t so close to you, “stay.”

The blush from earlier creeps back up Diluc’s neck and rests upon the apples of his cheeks. Hearing you plead for him like this evokes a sense of warmth within the pyro user. He’s never felt so wanted before you. Ultimately, Diluc gives in and indulges you — how can he not? Crawling into bed next to you, he stiffens when you rest your head on his chest and wrap your arms around his torso. Diluc stays up a little while after you doze off, admiring you. 

Diluc thinks you are a handful. However, he thinks he can handle it if at the end of every day he gets to hold you like this.

please do not steal or repost my work, thank you!

[parkers-gal]

Tom x reader where reader wants to move out & live with Tom only (not with boys). Tom doesn’t want to move out, maybe Nikki has a talk with him

the one T.H.

➢ a / n | went a lil overboard, heh, but enjoy this ! sorry it took a lil while :,(

➢ wc | 2.5k <3

｡☆✼★━━ requests are closed ━━★✼☆｡

There’s too many dishes in the sink, you note. There’s so many, that they won’t all fit for one load in the dishwasher. It’s a pain, and you know nobody in this house has the patience to wait for two full loads to carry through, so you have to hand wash half of them and allow the whirring machine to do the other half.

If this were a romantic comedy, you’d have Tom standing next to you and you’d hold hands under the suds while you wash the dishes together and chat about your future. This isn’t a rom-com, though. In fact, you don’t even know where the boys are right now. You were certain they went into the den to play Call Of Duty — or whatever it is that they play — but then you thought they went into the backyard with Tessa, but now you’ve just given up on figuring their whereabouts.

Not that you’re angry at Tom for not helping, though. He did the laundry with you earlier, so you’re content with his keeping end of the deal. It’s the other four that you’re a bit fed up with. Sam had just recently joined the Holland-Osterfield-Barrett household of mates, and while you’re all the more happy to welcome him in, it also means more work. There’s a chore schedule, but sometimes someone has work in a town or a country away, and the gaps in the schedule are only ever left for you to fill.

It’s tough, considering you have your own job, but you’re content with the situation — for now. You have Tom, the love of your life, and you have the best people of your life - Harry, one of your closest confidants, and Harrison, one of your partners in crime.

There’s a lot of baggage that comes with being the only woman in a household of boys that practically grew up with each other. You love Tessa with all your heart, but it’s not like you can really gossip to her about your day.

You’re not too worried about everything, anyway. The second anniversary of your relationship with Tom is coming up; it’s only a few months away, and though you’ve been pondering the idea for awhile, you’re thinking of getting a place with Tom, on your own, without the nagging and intruding fellow in-laws (to-be, hopefully).

Six weeks, today marks, for how long you’ve been thinking about the idea, debating whether it’s valid enough to bring up to Tom, deciding when the best time to talk to him would be. He’s a hard man to navigate — getting a spot in his busy schedule is like fighting to the front of a One Direction mosh-pit. That makes it practically impossible.

But, you’re Y/N. You’re his sweetheart, his darling, his weakness. You’re the most important person in his life, and when you want to have a serious conversation with him, Tom’s all ears and eyes, attentive and caring, understanding and, hopefully, supportive.

You’re hoping it won’t take much convincing — he’s lived with these people all his life, and if it’s truly hard for him to decide, you’ll know what he really wants then.

Ringing out a few glass cups, you let them dry on a dish rack that sits on the countertop. The buzzing and whirring of the dishwasher alerts you that it’s still happily running, and you walk towards the glass sliding doors that lead to the patio and backyard. Peering out, you see all four housemates and Paddy, playing with a frisbee and wrestling with Tessa and messing around with a rugby ball on the trampoline. They look like kindergarteners on the playground, and you decide then to bring them some lemonade like a mother in summertime.

“Hope you’re all a bit thirsty,” you set the tray down with a warm smile. Sam shuts his book of poetry to smile up at you from his seat. He’s been reading for a good fifteen minutes, but you reckon he’ll hop on the trampoline when Harrison gets off. For now, he watches as the Irregulars star jumps happily with Tuwaine.

“Oh, sick,” Harry runs over with the frisbee still in his hands, reaching for a glass and taking a big gulp. Tessa’s at his feet, awaiting for the frisbee game to resume, and you pet her head for a moment before Tom runs over to you, hair matted to his forehead in sweat.

“You’re the best, love,” his hand finds the small of your back as he kisses your temple. You smile again, eyes shutting in bliss at the feeling of his lips, but his hand maneuvers you so he can reach for a glass without bumping into you.

One by one, they come over for refreshments, before picking up where they left off beforehand. Tom’s last to leave, wanting to talk to you before playing with his brothers again.

“Oh, I have to talk to you later,” you whisper, fingers tracing down his damp (sweaty) shirt with a giggle. Tom raises a brow, and you nod softly, “Just, when you have time. Now have fun,” you push him off, and though he’s still just as curious, he leaves you alone on the patio. Taking one last glance at the rowdy group of boys, you bring the tray of empty cups inside, sliding the door shut and sighing to yourself. More dishes to do.

——

Tom’s drying his hair with a purple bath towel when he comes out of the steamy bathroom. He sighs contentedly, before remembering your words from earlier. He brings it up, “What was it that you needed to talk to me about?”

He walks over to the dresser while you look up from your phone. You hum as Tom puts something away, and you shut the electronic device off, setting it on your nightstand and twisting to face his direction.

“I wanted to talk to you about… us, I guess.”

You see Tom’s movement slow, and he removes the towel from his damp curls, turning around hesitantly. You smile, waving him off, “Nothing bad, I promise.”

He lets out an inaudible “phew,” and nods. “Good.” You agree with a nod of your head, and he furthers on with the questions. “What is it, though? Is it something important?”

“I mean…” Tom places his towel on the rack before walking to the opposite side of the mattress “Sorta?” You offer, and you see the gears turn in his head. He sits down across from you, on the bed, and he smiles encouragingly, still a bit suspicious.

“Well, I’m all ears, darling.”

You smile at the familiar pet name, and with a final breath in, you admit what’s been in your head for the past few months. “I was thinking maybe we could… move out… without the boys.”

It’s dead quiet for a few beats while the words sink into his mind. You’re not sure how he’s going to react, but you watch to gauge his reaction.

His mouth opens, almost as if he’s about to say something, but then he closes it, as if he’d suddenly second guessed himself. For once, you truly can’t read him.

“I thought… I thought you liked living here?” he says softly, almost a bit saddened.

You sigh with your words, “I do! Really, I do, but…”

“But…?” He bites his lip.

“Well, I mean…” you exhale again, “We’ve been together for almost two years,” he’s still listening, “Don’t you think we should be a little more independent?”

“I mean, sure, if we were a normal couple.” He laughs at the joke, and while you do too, it’s not really genuine, but more forced for the awkward tension in the air. “I just thought you… y’know, enjoyed spending time with everyone.”

You nod understandingly. “I do, Tom. Really, I do. But… y’know, we’re not getting any younger. I just thought maybe it was time for us to get a place of our own.” It comes out as more of a suggestion, a question for him to respond to. You quietly bite your lip while Tom nods at the information he’s taking in.

He looks down at his fingers, before locking eyes with you. “Can I think about it?”

You shut your eyes softly while nodding. Tom blinks, before standing from the bed, giving you a kiss on the forehead and bidding farewell, heading downstairs for more quality time with his brothers.

——

It’s been a week since that conversation took place in your room. You didn’t think it’d go so… bad? You’re not sure if you should say that, because he didn’t exactly say “no,” he just didn’t seem enthusiastic about deciding at all.

It’s a quiet Saturday. You’re out bowling with a few of your friends, news of one of them getting engaged spreading like wildfire. She’s having a dinner party later, but for now, you’re keeping the meeting small, inviting your closest circle for the fun day at the bowling lanes.

Tom asked you if you wanted to reschedule the dinner with his family, but you insisted that arriving late would be fine. It’s only four o’clock — the Holland family likes to come for late lunch and spend the night playing games and drinking beer, until the clock strikes midnight and Paddy’s passing out in the backseat on the way back home.

At least now, only one Holland brother stays with the parents.

Somehow, someway, the conversation had shifted to you. Everyone’s gathered in the living room, scattered on sofas, couches, beanbags, armchairs, loveseats. Tom misses you at his side, but the conversation of how your work is going just reminds him of what you’d proposed a few days ago.

“How’re things with her in general, though?” Nikki, Tom’s mom, asks with a smile. The eyes shift towards Tom, and he can feel his face heating up.

“Yeah, how’re things with the lovebirds?” Harry teases.

Tom chuckles, anxiety bubbling in his stomach, twisting his. “Uh- they’re- they’re good, yeah,” he assures them, though shaky.

“You sure, there?” Harrison teases. “Did someone propose or something?”

“No, no,” Tom airily chuckles. “Nothing like that.” “Oh?” His dad picks up, “What, then?”

“She- uh…” he licks his lips out of habit. “She wants to move out. Find a place for us, she said.”

The tone in which Tom tells them lets them know that he’s a little less than enthusiastic about the whole ordeal. It’s something that raises a red flag for Nikki; it’s something that makes her brows furrow in confusion.

“Oh,” Sam breaks the silent. “I’m happy for you, bro,” he pats Tom’s shoulder.

Tom smiles, though it’s forced and a bit spaced out.

“What’re you gonna tell her?” Harry asks. “You want it too, right?”

Tom shrugs weakly. Nobody talks about his responses, his reactions. It’s all a bit unexpected, for Tom to not be on board with the next step of the relationship.

“I mean, I don’t know, really.” He confesses with a nervous laugh, running a hand through his curls. “I’d miss you all so much. I just… I don’t know, I guess I just thought she liked living here too, y’know.”

A collective number of “yeah’s” and “mhm’s” go around the room, and Tom nods nonchalantly before the conversation switches to something more exciting. For now, Nikki lets it go, just until she can get her eldest in a room by himself, and before you get home.

It’s when Tom’s getting snacks for the group that Nikki decides to offer her help in the kitchen. They’re just putting dinner in the oven and preparing appetizers, but still, any opportunity to talk to Tom.

“So,” Nikki smiles, and Tom giggles while she puts another slice of tomato on the dish they’re preparing. “Moving out, huh?”

Though her tone is teasing, Tom can’t help but get shivers. He nods, quieting down a bit. Nikki’s movements remain, but Tom stops working altogether. “I don’t want to move out.”

His mum turns to look at him, and she nods, almost as if anticipating the confession. “Why not?”

Tom clicks his tongue, looking down as if he’s ashamed of feeling this way. “I just like things the way they are right now. I know at some point, someone’s gonna move out and the clan’s gonna go our separate ways, but I don’t want to be the one to go first.”

At this, Nikki fully turns to talk to Tom, no longer making dinner. “Tom…” She wipes her hands on a kitchen towel, and Tom does the same. “You were the first to go, you know.”

His eyebrows pull together in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” she sighs, “Your career was first to take off. You ran out that door so fast, we couldn’t keep up.” Tom laughs, reminiscing to himself. “You’re going to keep growing,” she says softly. “You can’t stop that. You can’t stop everyone from growing apart. Sure, you might not grow apart, but you won’t always be this cute little boy band from your school days.”

“Not a boy band, mum,” Tom grumbles. The two of them share a knowing smile.

“You can’t blame yourself for growing, darling,” she steps closer, grabbing one of his hands just like he had grabbed hers the day he was first born. “You can’t expect to be the glue that holds this- this temporary situation together forever. You’re not a superhero,” the two of them laugh again, but then Tom nods knowingly, and Nikki can see a faint batch of tears spring in his eye sockets.

“No, I know, mum.” He sniffles. “I guess… I don’t know, i’ve just always been afraid of never being there when everything changes. I always come back and everyone’s a different person, just…” he searches for the words, “with the same faces.”

She nods, turning back to her dinner dish. Tom keeps his eyes trained on his hands, which are planted on the countertop.

“She loves you a lot, you know.” Nikki says after a few beats. “She just wants a bit of privacy, a bit of your relationship without your annoying brothers.”

“Annoying is right,” Tom teases. They laugh again. “Yeah, I guess I just never thought of that.” Nikki hums, and the kitchen grows silent for a few moments. “Thank you, mum.”

“For what?”

“Being there.” Tom replies. “You never gave up on me, and now… I don’t know. It means a lot to me that you’re helping me with something so important to me.”

Nikki’s eyes soften, and both of them tear up. She nods, this time breaking the silence again. “I know how much you love her,” She says quietly. “One day, she’ll be yours for forever. She’s the one — I can see it in both of your eyes.”

Tom sucks in a breath and wipes his eyes. “I know she’s the one, too.” He adds in another tomato to the dish. “She’s always been it for me.”

[robininthelabyrinth]

Silly prompt: anything from Lil Apple’s perspective

ao3

Untamed

Some people don’t know what’s good for them, it thought grumpily. Stupid humans.

Mostly just one human in particular.

Now, it’s always been rather fond of its new human, even if the asshole did continuously hold apples out of reach in order to get it moving and occasionally stole them for himself. In the long run, it was still getting considerably more apples than it had gotten back at Mo Village, which was to say none at all except for when it got really lucky and one fell off the tree and rolled close enough for it to grab, so – fine.

Human conditionally deemed acceptable.

Especially since the human was a giant softie – he could’ve defaulted to trying to beat it into compliance, which was doomed to failure since donkeys were one of the few creatures on earth that could out-stubborn humans, but he had opted towards bribery instead.

Good move.

Apples.

Human was still an idiot, though. The human fancied himself an equestrian, which he very well might be, but all the fancy horse bullshit in the world wouldn’t convince a donkey to move if it didn’t want to – and it didn’t want to, thanks.

Except when apples were involved.

As for the human’s current idiocy…well, there were still apples, but far fewer.

Why in the world would the human prefer trekking through mountains and valleys, towns and countryside, over staying in a very nice place with very nice grass and lots of humans clad in rabbit-white willing to come bring apples and carrots at every turn? The human even had a perfectly good mate waiting for him back there!

What sort of stupid species willingly left their mate behind in the spring?

Didn’t the human know that a mate left all on their lonesome might be taken by someone else?

And then someone else’s donkey would get to rest in the nice stable regularly refreshed with fresh thatch, with lots of nice things to chew on and rabbit-white humans coming to pet its mane and brush its coat and clean its hooves and gossip about how things were progressing between its human and its mate…

Stupid.

Just about the stupid one would expect from this human, who didn’t know what was good for it.

So, naturally, there was only one thing to be done about the whole fiasco. There wasn’t any choice: it had to take matters onto its own back – literally, as the case might be.

The human was inclined towards drinking wine until he became maudlin, and then to climb onto its back and make grandiose proclamations to the stars and moon about how he was completely without attachments, that he’d been left behind by the world, that no one cared where he resided, etc. and so forth, that sort of thing, and then to weepily inform it that it was the only creature that remained by his side and that it might as well determine the course of their ongoing journey because it didn’t matter where he went – he did rather go on and on and on when left to his own devices, probably out of lack of a conversational partner.

Actually, no, maybe that was just the speed this human’s mouth worked at? From what it remembered, the mate the human had picked was an especially silent human, so maybe it was just a matter of breaking even for a maximum amount of noise, and its human had ended up with the bulk of it.

Human mating rituals, right? Who even knew how thathorseshit worked?

Certainly not humans, that’s for sure.

It would have charitably assumed that maybe all the ridiculous and unnecessary vocalizations were some sort of mate-attracting technique – except, of course, the stupid human already had a perfectly good one with a very nice stable, which it had left behind for, as far as it could tell, absolutely no reason whatsoever.

Ugh. Humans.

Either way, every time its human made speeches of that variety and fell asleep on its back, it would sniff at the wind and figure out where it was, then turn its hooves and head straight back towards the mountain where the human’s mate was waiting.

It got pretty far the first time before the human realized where they were and insisted on going another way – listen, okay, sure, it had a plan, but it was also very weak to apples, and short term gains (namely, its belly) always beat out long term considerations – but it wasn’t until the fourth or fifth time that the human started getting suspicious.

“Lil’ Apple,” the human said. “You need to stop doing this.”

It huffed.

“How are you even finding the pathway back to the Cloud Recesses?! If it was just you always going backwards, that’d be one thing, but sometimes you just take a brand new path that’s actually just a shortcut back there!”

Well, yeah. If the human was just going to go around in circles, there wasn’t any point in going backwards.

“Sometimes I feel like you understand what I’m saying.”

Nooooooo. It’s just a dumb-ass donkey. What could it possiblybe understanding?

Especially about what was better between, on one hand, a comfortable stable, lots of food, and a nice mate, and, on the other, trudging through the muck for no discernable purpose?

“…also that you’re judging me. You have a very judgmental stare for a creature that thinks it can live entirely on apples.”

If the human let it live in an orchard, it was willing to give that diet a shot.

“Well, either way, it’s not happening. So give it up!”

Fine.

It wouldn’t do it again.

(Not when the wind suggested that the human’s mate was waiting patiently for him along the very next mountain rise, anyway. Maybe he would have better luck getting the human to give it up and go back already!)

[unabashegirl]

"You lied to me"

I’ve been writing this for a few weeks now. It’s just a lil something. I hope you all like it. 

Let me know if you want to be added to the tag list and don't forget REQUESTS ARE OPEN!

Love you all

masterlist

----

“Yeh lied to me” He had been watching her for a few minutes. He was quite surprised that she hadn’t noticed his presence through the window. He had just woken up from a quick nap and come out of the bedroom to find her. She was just where he expected her to be— in his office. 

His office was her nook. It was where she spent the majority of her day especially when he wasn’t around. The room was tainted with Harry’s personality all over. Both walls had built-in bookshelves. Packed with all types of literary pieces. Books that Harry had taken the time to pick. By just reading the titles anyone could tell what type of man Harry was. The books told his story. They were part of him and his incredible journey. 

A floor-to-ceiling, arched window was placed at the back of the room with two French doors adjacent to it, making it the most naturally illuminated room in the house. One of the many reasons, she loved spending her time there. The room was decorated with dark furniture. Although the mosaic carpet and colorful throw pillows contrasted. 

“I did not” Y/N argued back without knowing what she was denying doing. “What did I do?” She make sure to mark the page of her book before turning her seat to get a look at her boyfriend. 

“You are wearing my shirt, Darlin” A smile dangled on the corner of his lips as he pointed to his “daddy but I love him” shirt on her frame. He had been looking for it for weeks. He had looked through the piles of laundry and the closets. Harry had even searched through her t-shirt drawer, but it had been all in vain. She had tucked the bottom of the shirt under her bra making it the ideal little crop top to match her high-waisted blue jeans. “On top of that, you dared to wrinkle it by wearing it incorrectly” He teased as he strode into the room. 

He wore blue jeans just like hers and a simple button-down shirt. He had no shoes and his hair was tossed around from rolling around in bed. This was her favorite type of Harry. He was always cuddly and playful just after a nap. He was also his most relaxed. It was refreshing to see. 

“It was too big on me” Y/N explained as she crossed her legs. Harry gripped the arms of the chair preventing her from swiveling. 

“S’not! Are you calling me fat?” He hunched over her as he got lost in her mesmerizing eyes. A “boop” left his lips just after poking her in her bare stomach knowing how ticklish she was. But never once losing his confident smile. 

“You could weigh 500 pounds and I would still love you, doofus” She laughed as she swats his hands away from her. There she was; declaring and reassuring him of her unconditional love towards him. Something that still made him feel like the day he declared his love for her three years ago.

His fingers gently grip her chin, guiding her mouth to his. He kissed her, reciprocating his love. Y/N pecked his lips gently while he pressed his forehead against hers. 

“I love you” she whispered as Harry’s hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her up to him. She wrapped her legs around him and her arms around his neck as he walked them back to the couch. She straddled him as he pushed her hair off her shoulders revealing the necklace that he had gotten her for Christmas. 

“Aren’t you tired, lovie?” He questioned while fiddling with the pendant. He had ordered it weeks ahead. The present had almost not made it to Christmas. He had also almost ruined the surprise because of his excitement.  She shook her head at him while he planted gentle kisses on the skin of the crook of her neck. 

“Then I didn’t do a good job this morning m’love” Y/N giggled as she is tickled by the slight stubble that he had. They were mostly night owls when it came to sex, but this morning she had woke up to Harry pressing himself against her backside. Eager for some relief, she complied and probably experienced one of her best orgasms. 

He couldn’t stop thinking about how exquisite she looked this morning.  And how gracefully her hair looked when the morning sun hit upon it as she rode him. The lust her eyes carried as her hips worked magic on him. The way her deliciously smooth skin left like heaven against his. He still couldn't get the sound of her moans and her soft voice asking for more out of his mind. And how her overly kissed lips looked after he had finished with her. 

“Wha’ are we going to do about these shirts dilemma?” Harry asked as he pulled on his shirt that was on her. It was all a joke, he enjoyed teasing her. And he loved seeing her in his clothes. Most of his sweaters and t-shirts hung on her side of the closet, but he didn’t mind. He found adorable the comfort she found in wearing his clothes. 

“You could always wear mine” Y/N gave him a toothy smile. “Tit for tat” she smiled playfully knowing they would never fit him. Half of his long torso would be uncovered due to the difference of statues between them. Her shirts on him would be crop tops. She planted a kiss on his defined yaw. 

“Nu’ uh. They are very uncomfortable” Harry loved her sense of style, but some of the shirts had too many straps and looked quite difficult and complicated to wear.

“Hey! They are very comfortable” Harry gently got her off his lap so he could stand up. “Where are you going?” Y/N asked with a giggle as she watched him leave the room. “Baby!” She yelled after him with no luck. 

It only took Harry a few seconds to come back into the room, attempting to wear one of her favorite tops. It was a corset that had been recently sent to her. Y/N was quite impressed that Harry had been able to button it at least a bit. 

“This? This is torture” Y/N let loose a loud laugh as Harry turned, showing her how poorly he had been able to tie it at the back. “How can you wear this?”

“That’s a corset baby. They are meant to be uncomfortable” Harry shook his head to his girlfriend as he tried his best not to stand straight and potentially ruin the modern-day torture machine. “What about my Rolling Stones tee? I am sure you can wear that one”  He left frowning in search of the shirt. 

Y/N’s hands itched to record the small, private fashion show that was taking place. She abstained knowing that if she wasn’t concentrated on recording, the sweet memory of her boyfriend wearing her clothes, would be further preserved in her mind. 

“Loot at you! That one fits” She giggled at Harry as he stood before her with his hands on his hips. He looked exactly like that episode on Friends when Ross squeezed himself into Rachel’s favorite shirt. One of their personal favorite episodes. 

“I might tear it” He chuckled minutes before he yanked it off his body. “Did I prove my point?” Harry asked as he flopped back on the couch beside her.

“Fine” Y/N exhaled loudly and standing up. “you clearly can't wear my shirts. Therefore, I will have to stop wearing your clothes” she frowned,  grabbing the hem of the shirt and pulling over her head.

“Wha’ are yeh doing?”

“Giving you your shirt back” She responded innocently undressing in front of her boyfriend. “Too bad” she shrugged. “My boyfriend sings about treating people with kindness but doesn’t allow his girlfriend to wear his favorite shirts” She teased, “What would his fans say?” 

“Oh! That’s it! Y’are getting it!” Harry laughed as he shot up from the couch and went chasing after his topless girlfriend around the house. Their laughs and love-filled the halls of their house, the very same thing that built the foundation of their forever home. 

--