#which is a shame cause she ate this up | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cutecurly-hair · 3 months ago

Text

Hearts Unleashed (Part 6)

Pairing: Nick Nelson x Black!fem!reader

Warning: Fluff, Smut in later chapters, Body Shaming

Words: 6,417

It has been a minute since I uploaded, but I made it up to yall by making this chapter a LOT longer. Enjoy!

"You don't know what you're talking about," I finished as I bit into my banana. Charlie rolled his eyes for the fifth time this morning, taking a bit of his breakfast sandwich and throwing the rest in the garbage.

"I swear your love life needs some proper tending to or it is just going to end up nonexistent,"

"How can you throw that away, I could have finished it for you," I protested, looking at banana resentfully. Mother only gives me fruits for breakfast or protein bars since she thinks having carbs first thing in the morning is terrible for the diet.

Charlie shook his head, his expression a mix of amusement "The sandwich was terrible, you wouldn't like it," which I knew was a lie.

"Ok enough about me, what about you! How are you and that guy you were talking with I completely forgot his name," Charlie face fell, quickly regretting on even asking.

Charlie scratched his head, a sheepish grin appearing on his face. "Um, actually, I decided to break things off."

I blinked, surprised by his response. "You did? Why?"

Charlie sighed; his expression somber. "It's just… things weren't working out between us. We wanted different things, and it was causing too much strain on the relationship. If there was even a relationship"

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said, genuinely feeling for him. "Are you okay?"

He nodded, though his smile was wistful. "Yeah, I'll be fine. It's for the best, really."

I reached out, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "If you need anything, I'm here for you, Charlie."

"Thanks, Y/N," he said, his voice appreciative. "I appreciate that." I knew something was up, he had that look on his face far too long, I can tell it's starting to eat him up badly.

As we walked towards the school gates, I noticed a gathering of the rugby team, and my heart sank as I recognized Nick among them. And standing right beside him was Imogen.

"Just when you think things couldn't get any worse," I muttered under my breath.

Charlie's expression darkened as he caught sight of them too. "Of all the days..."

I could feel Charlie's stare intensely at the side of my skull, his concern palpable. It was clear that seeing Nick and Imogen was the last thing I needed on top of everything else.

"Do you want to, you know, avoid them?" Charlie asked quietly, already knowing the answer.

I let out a resigned sigh. "I wish we could, but unfortunately I have practice with him after school." We haven't talked ever since that night, he hasn't messaged me, and I haven't messaged him. It seems that everything has been put on pause I swear this boy is just giving me a straight whiplash to Tara Jones and now Imogen.

"You can probably ditch," Charlie suggested, offering a glimmer of hope. "I'm sure Coach Singh won't mind, plus I can probably cover for you."

The thought of skipping practice tempted me, but then I remembered the inevitable consequence: being bombarded by my mother's relentless fitness regimen. She had been devouring articles on quick weight loss methods before spring started, and I wasn't ready to endure another lecture about healthy living.

I shook my head firmly. "Nope, I will definitely be at practice. I'll just head to the library and study while I wait for them to finish, then clean the locker room." he nodded in understanding.

"Thanks, Charlie," I said sincerely, feeling grateful for his support. But as I glanced over at Nick, I noticed him saying something to Imogen, causing her cheeks to flush with a bright smile. My mouth turned sour, and I quickly grabbed Charlie's arm, leading him through the gates.

"Let's go before we miss out on breakfast from the cafeteria," I urged, my tone a little more urgent than intended.

Charlie furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "But we just ate?"

I swallowed hard, my stomach tying into knots. "I'm still hungry,"

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ +

Anywhere else in the world would be better than this classroom right now. I sink into my seat, doing everything I can to avoid looking at the one person I wish I could avoid the most.

I should have just skipped school entirely

"Hi,"

I glanced up reluctantly, meeting Nick's gaze. His smile was warm, but it only intensified the knot in my stomach.

"Hi," I replied, keeping my tone neutral.

His brow furrowed slightly, sensing my unease. "Is everything okay?"

I forced a smile, hoping it looked convincing. "Yeah, everything's fine. Just not feeling great today."

There was a moment of hesitation in his expression before he spoke again, his voice softer this time. "Do you want to go to Harry's party... with me?"

My heart skipped a beat at his unexpected invitation. I blinked, caught off guard "I don't think it's my type of thing and if it's for Harry definitely count me out," The guy was just a straight up asshole, there is nothing that can make me like that man, especially with the awful things he says.

"Please come. I want you to be there," he looked at me hopefully, and I couldn't ignore the sincerity in his eyes. It almost hurt to see him like this, his vulnerability making me soften.

"Okay," I smiled sheepishly, feeling a little guilty for giving in so easily. I could practically feel Charlie's eyes boring into the side of my head, likely already knowing that I was about to agree.

---

"I can't believe you did that," Charlie sighed, shaking his head. "I swear, you have the willpower of a peanut."

I chuckled nervously, feeling a flush of embarrassment creeping up my neck. "Yeah, well… he practically begged me. There's no way I could have said no."

Charlie raised an eyebrow, a skeptical look on his face. "Begged you, huh? Sounds like quite the convincing argument."

I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "Well, you know Nick. He can be quite persuasive when he wants to be."

Charlie sighed, shaking his head in mock disbelief. "I swear, you're like putty in his hands."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help the small smile tugging at my lips. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. But I'm sure it'll be fine. Especially since you're coming with me."

Charlie raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Wait, what? I didn't agree to that."

I grinned, nudging him playfully. "Come on, Charlie. You can't let me face this party alone. Besides, it'll be more bearable with you there."

He sighed dramatically but smiled back. "Fine, I'll go. But only because I don't trust you to stay out of trouble on your own."

"Deal," I said, feeling a bit more confident about the party with Charlie by my side.

----------

The afternoon sun was beginning to set as Charlie and I rummaged through my closet, looking for something decent to wear to Harry’s party. My room was a mess, clothes strewn everywhere as we tried to find the perfect outfit.

Charlie held up a shirt, scrutinizing it before tossing it aside. “This one’s too plain. You need something that stands out.”

I groaned, flopping down on my bed. “I don’t even know why I agreed to this. Harry’s parties are always so... Harry.”

Charlie laughed, shaking his head. “Agree, but you’re doing this for Nick, remember? And besides, it’ll be good to get out and have some fun.”

I shot him a skeptical look. “You think hanging out with Harry and his crowd is fun?”

He thought for a moment, pulling out a vibrant top from the pile. "Absolutely not but we must preserve. But at least you won’t be alone. We’ll stick together.”"

I took the top from him, eyeing it critically. “Alright, I guess this could work. What about you? What are you wearing?”

He smirked, holding up a simple yet stylish outfit. “Already got it covered. Unlike you, I came prepared.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help but smile. “Show-off.”

Charlie threw a pillow at me, laughing. “Hey, someone’s got to keep us looking decent.”

As I changed into the outfit he picked, Charlie sat on the edge of my bed, giving me a thumbs-up when I emerged from behind the closet door. “See? You look great. Nothing to worry about”

Just then, Charlie's phone buzzed, and I noticed his smile falter as he looked at the screen.

"Shit!" he muttered under his breath.

I turned to him, concerned. "What’s wrong?"

"Tao and Elle just texted me about film night tonight! I completely forgot," typing furiously on his phone.

Trying to lighten the mood, I suggested, "Hey, why don't we invite Tao and Elle? Nick definitely won't mind."

Charlie shook his head, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Tao would rather be caught dead than step foot into one of Harry's parties."

I laughed, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, you're right. But it’d be nice to have them around."

Charlie sighed, glancing at his phone again. "It's fine. Elle's going over there, and Isaac called in sick. He'll be okay," he said, slipping the phone into his back pocket.

I could already tell I was at the very top of Tao's shit list, and it wasn’t about to get any better.

We were halfway out the door when my mom's voice rang out, stopping us in our tracks.

"Do you kids need a ride?" she asked, looking up from her magazine with a hint of concern in her eyes.

I shook my head, forcing a smile. "No, thanks. Charlie's dad already offered to give us a lift."

"Alright then," she said, her gaze sweeping over my outfit. I can feel the eyes pouring at every single detail of what I was wearing, I knew she wouldn't say anything infront Charlie, she wouldn't do that to me "But honey, make sure to suck in your stomach. It looks a little chubby."

I was wrong

My cheeks burned with embarrassment as I forced a smile. "Got it, Mom."

Charlie gave me a sympathetic glance, his eyes full of understanding. "Ready?" he asked, trying to shift the mood.

"Yea," I replied, taking a deep breath, rushing out the door. "Let's get out of here."

As we stepped outside, the cool evening air hit my face, and I felt a mix of relief and lingering embarrassment. Charlie nudged me playfully.

"Don't let it get to you," he said with a grin. "You look great."

I smiled, grateful for his support. "Lets have some fun."

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ +

"Pick up at 10, okay?" Mr. Spring said, glancing back at us in the rearview mirror.

I nodded absentmindedly, my attention drawn to the enormous house outside. The place was massive had Harry really rented out an entire hotel? Just how rich was he?

Charlie’s voice broke through my thoughts. "Can't it be 11?" he pleaded, looking at his dad hopefully.

"No, 10 is late enough," Mr. Spring replied firmly.

Charlie sighed, looking defeated as he got out of the car. "Fine," he muttered.

I quickly followed suit, turning back to say goodbye to Mr. Spring. "Thanks for the ride!"

"Have fun, you two!" he called after us as we stepped into the cool evening.

The smell of cheap perfume and artificial vape flavors filled my nose. There was a long line of people, and everywhere I looked, girls were squeezed into tight dresses, their faces caked with makeup. I started to wonder if we were at the right party. Thank God Charlie helped me pick out my outfit, or I would have stood out like a sore thumb.

Charlie nudged me with a grin. "I could have used your help back there, you know?"

I shot him a flabbergasted look. "You're crazy if you think I was going to argue with your dad."

Charlie laughed, shaking his head. "Fair enough. But you owe me one."

I rolled my eyes playfully. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just get inside before I change my mind."

We joined the line, inching our way forward as the music thumped louder with every step. The hotel loomed above us, lights flashing from every window, just from taking a peek inside I can definitely tell that Harry went all out.

We stepped inside, the noise and lights hitting us full force. People were everywhere, dancing, laughing, and shouting to be heard over the music. I didn't know which way to look; it was so crowded. Charlie grabbed the hem of my top so he wouldn't get lost in the crowd. My palms were starting to sweat.

The sheer volume of people and the pulsing music made my head spin. Charlie leaned close to my ear, his voice barely audible over the noise. "Let'd find somewhere quiet I can barely hear myself think."

I nodded, my heart pounding feeling the bass within my body. We pushed through the throng of people, dodging couples and groups of friends. Every corner seemed to hold a new spectacle: a group of girls taking selfies, a guy attempting an impressive but ultimately disastrous dance move. The flashing lights made my head feel fuzzy.

I was already overstimluted and I haven't been here for five minutes. "Do you want to get a drink?"

He nodded in agreement. "Good idea. I swear, did Harry invite the whole city?" Charlie looked frazzled; it seemed he wasn't doing any better than me.

We walked down a quieter hallway, only a few people milling about. "You stay here; I'll go get the drinks," Charlie said, glancing back at me with a smile.

I nodded gratefully, leaning against the wall to catch my breath, trying to ignore the overpowering smell of smoke and alcohol that filled my nose. Charlie disappeared into the crowd, and I took a moment to collect myself, looking at myself in the mirror. My curls seemed to be frizzing up from the humidity, and I quickly ran my fingers through them, trying to tame the wild strands.

Nearby, a table was filled with enough snacks and drinks to feed an army. I made my way over, deciding a quick bite might help settle my nerves. Mother would actually kill me if she saw me eating this stuff.

I grabbed a handful of chips and popped them into my mouth, the salty crunch grounding me a bit. I picked up a cup of the red liquid and took a gulp, but quickly grimaced at the terrible aftertaste.

Looking around the room, trying not to get knocked down by stumbling people who had clearly had enough to drink, I spotted a familiar face in the crowd. I could feel the heat rising in my face as I realized it was Nick.

Spotting me instantly, a look of relief filled his face. He started making his way through the crowd. "I have been looking for you!" we said in unison.

Even in the chaos of the party, I couldn’t help but notice how good he looked. His hair was perfectly tousled, and his smile lit up his eyes, making my heart skip a beat. He had this way of making me feel like I was the only person in the room. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. No matter how overwhelming things got, just seeing him made everything easier.

Nick and I exchanged a warm smile, “How about we go grab a drink?” he suggested, his voice soft but somehow cutting through the noise.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” I agreed, feeling a little more at ease with him by my side.

We made our way through the crowded room, and every time someone bumped into me, Nick would gently place his hand on my back, guiding me forward. It was such a small gesture, but I couldn’t ignore the tingling sensation it left behind.

Finally, we reached the drinks table, a mix of colorful concoctions laid out before us. Nick picked up a couple of cups, handing one to me with a playful grin. “I think this one’s safe,” he said, making me think back to that horrid red liquid from earlier.

I laughed, taking the cup from him. “Let’s hope so. I had one earlier, and I swear I thought it was roofied.”

He immediately looked concerned. "Sorry about that. I forgot how some of Harry's parties can get kind of crazy. I was even debating whether to come," he admitted, staring down at the red cup like it was the bane of his existence.

"It's alright, really," I reassured him. "It’s good to hang out with your friends."

Nick shrugged, a small, honest smile tugging at his lips. "Ehh, they're not my 'friends friends.' It's a lot more fun hanging out with you."

I tried not to let my surprise show, but his words caught me off guard. The idea that he’d rather spend time with me than his usual Rugby buddies made my heart flutter. “Really?” I asked, trying to keep my tone casual, though I could feel my face warming.

“Yeah, really,” he said, meeting my eyes with a sincerity that made my chest tighten. “I always have more fun when you’re around. Those guys are great, but they’re not...” he was trying to find the words

“Fun?” I offered with a teasing smile.

Nick’s eyes trailed off, lingering on mine for a moment longer before he nodded slowly. “Well, there’s never really a dull moment with you,” he said with a mischievous grin, “so I tend to keep you close. You know, just in case things get too boring I need someone to liven things up.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “So, I’m your emergency backup for fun?”

“Exactly,” he said, nodding with exaggerated seriousness. “In case this party sucks, I know who just to call .”

I playfully nudged him. “And here I thought you just enjoyed my company.”

“I do,” he said, leaning in slightly with a playful grin. “I just need someone to keep me entertained”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Well, I’m flattered to be your go-to for fun. I have to say, your backup plan is working pretty well tonight.”

Nick grinned, shaking his head. “I’m just glad that your here, I swear I barely know anyone here"

Trying to play it cool, even though I was secretly thrilled that Nick was happy to see me, we made our way to a quieter corner of the party. We found a spot away from everything, where we could actually sit and talk without having to shout over the music.

"You know," Nick started with a grin, "I’ve been forcing my mum to play Mario Kart ever since you absolutely destroyed me at that game. Thought I might finally get a win somewhere."

I burst out laughing, nearly spilling my drink. "You’re practicing with your mom? That’s dedication! Even for you?"

"I'm being serious," Nick replied, his tone earnest. "I’ve never seen anyone play that good. You completely embrassed me"

I grinned, feeling a bit of pride. "Well, I’m glad I could leave such an impression. Guess all those hours of practice paid off."

Nick shook his head, still looking amazed. "You don’t understand. I’ve never been so thoroughly beaten at anything in my life. It was like you had cheat codes or something."

"Just pure skill," I teased, giving him a playful nudge. "Maybe next time I’ll teach you how to win," I teased, then quickly realized it sounded more flirtatious than I intended.

"I—"

Before he could finish, someone called out, “Nick!” From the number of times I’d heard that voice at practice, I could almost smell the narcissism dripping from it. Nick’s expression shifted to mild annoyance as he glanced over his shoulder.

“All right, mate,” Nick said, eyeing Harry up and down with a look of uneasy tolerance. Despite the size of the place, it seemed Harry’s presence was as unavoidable as ever.

“Why are you hanging out here? Bit boring, innit?” Harry asked, his gaze directly fixed on me. The group behind him exchanged knowing glances, their eyes lingering on me with an air of smugness. I shot him a withering glare, not liking where this was going.

Nick shot me a worried look, trying to diffuse the tension. “We just are”

Harry smirked, flopping down on the couch next to Nick and draping an arm around him as if marking his territory. “I’ve got important news for you,” he announced with exaggerated enthusiasm.

“Yeah, what?” Nick asked, clearly uninterested but trying to play along.

"Tara Jones is here" he annoucned gaining the ooos from the boys. My breath hitched, and a sinking feeling settled in my stomach. I knew coming here might have been a mistake.

Nick’s expression turned to confusion. “So, what?”

Harry looked around as if he couldn’t believe on what he was hearing. “This is your big second chance, mate. Let’s make it happen,” he said with a chuckle, Harry looking over at me "They kissed when they were thirteen. Proper romantic" egging on crowd. He says it like I have been dying to know but all I want to do right now is disapear.

“He should go for it, right?” Harry asked, his words dripping with smugness as he pretended to care about my opinion. I could see the tension building in Nick, his discomfort almost palpable. My own irritation was rising fast, and I was seconds away from telling Harry to back off, because if there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s seeing Nick put on the spot like this.

"Come on, mate," Harry urged, tugging at Nick's arm to pull him up from the couch.

"Harry—" Nick started, his voice laced with protest.

"Come on. She’s just down the corridor,” Harry insisted, ignoring Nick’s reluctance.

Nick hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. "I haven't talked to her in years."

"So? She's super hot, man," Harry insisted, not letting up.

Nick barely had time to respond before Harry turned toward the crowd, calling out, "All right, ladies!" His voice carried through the room, gathering curious glances.

My stomach twisted as Harry’s words sliced through the noise, “Hey, Tara! I've got someone who wants to see you!” I glanced over, and there she was stunning in a way that made it hard to look away. My chest tightened as her eyes locked onto Nick, her smile effortlessly brightening the room. I could feel my heart sinking, a wave of insecurity washing over me. Tara wasn’t just beautiful; she was the kind of beautiful that made me question what I was even doing here.

The music drowned out their voices, but I could still see the way Tara’s eyes lit up as Nick talked to her. A tight knot formed in my chest as I watched, feeling like an outsider in a scene I didn’t belong in.

I’m so pathetic, I thought, standing here, just watching.

I slipped away, disappearing down the corridor, hoping to lose myself in the crowd and escape the sinking feeling in my gut. As I tried to shake off the unease, someone stepped in front of me.

“Hey, you wouldn’t happen to know where Charlie Spring is, would you?”

I glanced up, recognizing the boy but struggling to place his name. “No, actually, I’ve been looking for him too,” I admitted. After a beat, I added, “And you’re…?”

He smiled, looking a bit bashful. “Ben. We met a while back when you were trying to find the film club.”

It clicked, and I nodded, a small smile creeping onto my face. “Oh, right! I remember now. I can’t believe you still remember me,” I said, laughing a bit, though I couldn’t help but feel a bit flustered.

He chuckled softly, “You’re pretty hard to forget…” There was something in his tone that made the words linger, and I found myself blushing slightly.

A warm flush spread up my neck, I honestly had no idea how to respond to that, so I just offered a shy smile. My mind racing for something to say.

Ben’s smile widened, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “So, what are you doing hiding out back here? The party too wild for you?”

I shrugged, glancing back toward the crowd where Nick was still talking to Tara. “Yeah, something like that,” I mumbled. “Just needed a break from all the noise.”

Ben followed my gaze, his expression turning a bit more serious. “Ah, I see. Sometimes these things can be a bit... much.”

I appreciated his attempt to empathize, even if he didn’t know the half of it. “Yeah,” I agreed, nodding. “It’s just one of those nights, I guess.”

Ben seemed to sense my discomfort and shifted the conversation. “Well, if you ever need to disappear for a while, you can always come hang out with me. I’m more of a ‘quiet corner’ kind of guy myself.”

I smiled at that, feeling a little less alone. “Thanks, Ben. I might just take you up on that.”

Catching something in the corner of his eye, he gives me a fleeting smile and then quietly excuses himself. “I’ll catch you later,” he says, before slipping away, leaving me by myself…again.

Finding a lone couch off to the side, I flopped down onto it, feeling like I might as well get a goddamn trophy for being the lamest person in the room. I pulled out my phone, scrolling through notifications that didn’t interest me, my eyes glazing over texts from friends from back home and ignoring the persistent messages from my mother. Only an hour left before Charlie's dad picks us up. Time seemed to crawl, each minute stretching into an eternity.

I sighed, sinking deeper into the cushions, trying to disappear into the background.

"Hi," a familiar voice cut through the noise. I looked up to see Nick standing in front of me, his hands shoved awkwardly into his pockets. He offered a small, hesitant smile, as if unsure of whether he was welcome.

“Hey,” I replied, sitting up a bit straighter, surprised he’d sought me out again.

"You left."

"Sorry, I was just... starting to feel out of place. The guys can be somewhat intimidating," I admitted, my voice trailing off as I glanced at the crowd. It was a bit of the truth, but it didn’t fully capture how overwhelmed I felt.. Not like I am going to tell him that I have a crush on him, that would certainly make matter worse.

He shook his head, a subtle furrow creasing his brow. "Don’t be sorry," he said firmly, his tone edged with genuine concern. "Half of them are just... dickheads. I’m tired of being around them. I'd much rather hang out with you." His words were sincere, his gaze steady.

This was the second time I heard him say that, and I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face. But as the reality of his words sank in, a flicker of fear ran through me this was real, and that scared me.

I turned my gaze, my smile slipping as my heart raced. What if I was misreading this? What if he was just being nice? My thoughts tangled, and the crowd seemed to close in on me, the noise growing louder and more intense.

Just as I felt myself sinking, Nick reached out and took my hand. The warmth of his touch was immediate, grounding me in the present. His thumb gently brushed against the back of my hand, and I looked up to find his eyes still on me.

"Shall we go somewhere quieter?" he asked, his voice soft yet firm, offering me an escape.

I hesitated for a moment, my mind still reeling, but the gentle pressure of his hand, the way his fingers intertwined with mine, made the decision for me. I nodded, feeling a wave of relief wash over me as I let him lead the way.

As we moved away from the noise, the tension in my chest began to ease. Nick glanced back at me with a playful smile, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

"You want to race?" he teased, the challenge evident in his voice.

I couldn’t help but grin back at him. "You want to race me?" I repeated, already taking a quick step forward to get a head start, my laughter bubbling up as I broke into a run.

"Come on!" I called out over my shoulder, the thrill of the chase energizing my every step.

"Wait, stop!" he shouted, his voice tinged with both surprise and amusement as he sprinted after me, his footsteps echoing up the stairs.

"Unfair, you got a head start," he called out, his mock outrage only making me laugh harder.

"I'm dying!" Nick shouted, his voice breathless yet filled with laughter. I couldn’t believe it the star of the rugby team, gasping and trailing behind me in a race. The thought sent another burst of giggles through me as I glanced back to see him trying to catch up, his grin just as wide as mine.

"Am I hearing an old man complaining?" I teased, slowing down just a bit, but not enough to let him close the gap completely. The sight of Nick, usually so composed and confident, now playfully struggling to keep up, was a rare and delightful reversal that made me wish that we could run just a little while longer.

As we finally reached the top of the stairs, our breath still catching, pushing open the doors

We stepped inside, and I felt my breath catch again, but this time for an entirely different reason.

The grand ballroom before us was stunning. The ceiling reached up high, covered with detailed paintings, their colors bright even in the soft light of the chandeliers that looked like stars. The walls were lined with tall mirrors in fancy frames, reflecting the golden light and making the room feel even bigger.

Nick let out a low whistle, clearly as awestruck as I was. "Wow," he breathed, his voice echoing slightly in the vast space.

Nick shaking his head in disbelief. "Jesus, I knew Harry was rich, but this hotel must have cost him a fuck ton of money," he muttered, his tone a mix of awe and amusement.

I couldn’t help but laugh, the sound echoing softly in the grand room. "No kidding," I replied, glancing around at the opulence surrounding us. "I feel like this place matches his ego big and obnoxious."

Nick snorted, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Yeah, it’s like he’s trying to outdo himself every time. Next thing you know, he’ll be renting out the Eiffel Tower"

I grinned, imagining the absurdity of it. I found a spot against the wall and sank down, admiring the shimmering lights and grandeur of the room. Nick settled beside me, his gaze following mine, but my thoughts were stuck on that moment from earlier. The way he looked at me, the way he said he’d rather hang out with me I couldn’t shake it. It felt like I was becoming delusional, this constant flutter of hope mixed with doubt. I just needed to know, one way or another, so I could either put this silly crush to rest.

"So..." I started, trying to sound casual, but the slight tremor in my voice betrayed me. "Was Harry being serious? Do you like Tara?"

The words felt heavy as they left my mouth, like they were dragging something deeper out into the open. I didn’t know if I was ready to hear the answer, but I had to ask.

Nick's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets. "What? No! No, definitely not," he blurted out, his voice rising in pitch with each word. The intensity of his reaction caught me off guard, making me question why I’d ever worried in the first place.

There was an awkward silence that hung in the air, thick and heavy. I fidgeted with my hands, suddenly hyper-aware of the tension between us.

"Uh… So… you don't have a crush on anyone at the moment?" I asked, trying to keep my tone casual, though my heart was pounding in my chest. I forced myself to meet his gaze, hoping to find some clue in his expression.

He looked away from my gaze, his eyes shifting to the glimmering chandeliers above us. "Well, I didn't say that," he murmured, a hint of something unspoken lingering in his voice.

"Oh," I managed to say, though the disappointment in my voice was unmistakable. It felt as if the air had thickened, the silence resuming its heavy presence as if it had never left. The excitement and playfulness from earlier faded, leaving behind a quietness that neither of us seemed to know how to break.

I broke the quiet first, curiosity tinged with a hint of nervousness. “So, what’s she like, then?”

Nick’s eyes flickered up to meet mine, a trace of uncertainty shadowing his face. “You’re just going to assume they’re a ‘she’?”

“Oh,” I said, my voice softening with realization. “Are they… are they not a girl?”

He hesitated, his gaze drifting to the elegant patterns on the floor. “Um…”

I leaned in slightly, trying to read his expression. “Would you go out with someone who wasn’t a girl?”

Nick’s lips twisted into a thoughtful frown. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

I pressed on gently, my heart pounding. “Would you kiss someone who wasn’t a girl?”

He met my eyes again, his expression a mix of confusion and vulnerability. “I think… I think I might. But I’m not entirely sure yet.”

I nodded in understanding, my mind processing Nick's words. I was genuinely touched that he trusted me enough to share this, but the relief I expected didn’t quite come. Instead, a mix of embrassement and lingering dread churned inside me. The fear of complicating things or making him uncomfortable gnawed at me, my feelings for him never leaving.

“But I wouldn’t mind going out with a girl,” he said, his voice steady but revealing a hint of uncertainty. My head snapped up, meeting his eyes.

He continued, “I wouldn’t mind kissing a girl either.” His eyes searched mine, looking for a reaction. I didn’t know what to say. I turned to him, the question on the tip of my tongue, but the words wouldn’t come out.

His hand was so close to mine, just an inch apart; I could practically feel his warmth. The proximity made it hard to think straight, each moment stretching longer as I struggled to keep my composure. Our fingers were touching, and neither of us pulled away.

Nick glanced down at our intertwined fingers, his gaze lingering on them. He swallowed hard, his nervousness palpable. I took a deep breath, gathering my courage, and finally asked,

“Would you kiss me?”

Nick leaned in closer, tightening his hold on my hand. His voice was soft but steady. “Yeah,” he said, his eyes locked onto mine.

The distance between us shrinking until it was almost nothing. His lips hovered near mine, and I could feel his breath, warm and soft, tickling my skin. My heart raced, a wild, fluttery feeling in my chest as I waited, anticipation buzzing in the air around us.

His lips met mine in a sweet, delicate kiss that sent a rush of warmth through me. It was soft and tentative, like he was savoring every second. My senses where filled with his signature scent, the one that I have missed so much. The familiarity of it made my heart ache in the best way, and I found myself melting into the kiss, wanting to hold onto this moment forever.

Pulling away slowing we looked away from each other, I could hardly believe it Nick Nelson had just kissed me. I’d just had my first kiss… and I liked it.

Really liked it

I glanced over at him, my heart still racing, but he was already looking at me, his eyes soft and searching, as if he was trying to gauge my reaction. The realization that this moment was real, that it had actually happened, made my heart swell with something indescribable.

Without thinking, I reached out, my hand finding the back of his neck, and pulled him closer. I kissed him deeply, pouring everything I was feeling into that moment. He responded by pulling me in tighter, his arms wrapping around me as if he didn’t want to let go, the intensity of the kiss growing with every second. It was as if all the emotions we had been holding back finally found their release in that one, perfect moment.

I could hardly breathe when we finally pulled apart. Staring at him, I just couldn't look away.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

"1..." he began to say, but was cut off by the sound of Harry's voice echoing down the hallway.

"Nick, are you here?" Harry called out, his voice drawing closer. Nick's body tensed instantly, the warmth between us replaced by a sudden rush of panic.

"I just want to talk, mate," Harry's voice came closer, more insistent.

Nick pulled away immediately, standing up with a look of sheer panic. He glanced anxiously at the door, his body flinching at each echo of footsteps in the hallway.

"Why are you hiding?!" Harry's voice called out, growing louder and more frustrated.

Nick's gaze was locked on the door, his anxiety clear. Without a word, he took a final, fleeting glance at me an expression of regret or maybe apology flitting across his face. Then, he bolted out, disappearing through the door just as Harry's footsteps grew closer.

The sudden silence that followed was deafening. I sat there, trying to process what had just happened. The kiss had been amazing, but now it felt like a distant, shattered dream.

I felt confused, the warmth of the kiss now gone. My mind was filled with unanswered questions and a sudden ache. It felt like the ground had moved under me, leaving me with just the memory of his touch.

As I tried to steady my breath, my phone vibrated in my pocket. Glancing at the screen, I saw multiple messages from Charlie asking where I was and letting me know that his dad had arrived.

Banging my head gently against the wall, I couldn’t believe how quickly the night had gone from one of the most memorable to one of the worst.

Part 7 Link Here: https://www.tumblr.com/cutecurly-hair/763787688625192960/hearts-unleashed-part-7?source=share

#kit connor #nick nelson #heartstopper #charlie spring #black!fem!reader #black reader #nick nelson x y/n #nick nelson x reader #nick nelson x fem!reader #nick nelson x blackreader #nick nelson fanfic #heartstopper netflix #heartstopper fandom #heartstopper fanfic

113 notes · View notes

gingerteawrites · 4 months ago

Text

BY THE HEARTH: Meeting Yuji

A/N: Welcome to the second part of this mini-series! I am so glad to have you read this piece. Make sure to read the prologue here before you continue with this. Please let me know what you liked (or maybe did not like) about the piece, and I'll be sure to take that into consideration with the following parts. Enjoy!

Content: Royalty!AU, Nanami x female reader, king Nanami, Princess Y/N, Widower Nanami, Toddler Yuuji, hurt, angst. Not beta read

Word count: ~1K

banner from @cafekitsune

ACT II:

You woke up with a stiffness in your neck, groaning as you tried adjusting your position in the bed. You tried rolling your body away from the source of light, only to realize that you had fallen asleep and stayed in a sitting position all night. Heavy lids finally opened, squinting at the sunlight that dimly filtered into the opulent bedroom. It reflected off the overhead chandelier, causing thousands of fluttering lights to glimmer on the chamber’s walls. Still in a sleepy haze, you removed the velvety cover from your lower body and rested your feet on the floor, leaning on your hands against the edge of the bed. You sighed, finally looking up to examine the room.

He did not come, everything looks the same as last night. Your lips pursed in thought.

A resounding knock on the heavy door pulled you out of your haze, and a new fleet of servants filtered in, not waiting for you to respond. You sat up straight, startled by their sudden entrance. They all carried indifferent looks, carrying a multitude of items in tow. You finally relaxed a bit when you saw Alma enter last, closing the door behind her before she turned to smile gently at you.

“Good morning Your Highness. We are here to help you get ready and serve you breakfast”, she explained, inviting you to sit at the vanity.

You smiled back politely and greeted the woman “Good morning Alma.”

They all worked to get you ready, helping you change into a pastel gown with floral appliques and pinning your hair up into a loose bun. Another group of servants plated the breakfast which you ate slowly, noticing that all the dishes were from your homeland. You itched for a good conversation, looking around for someone to talk to, but everyone you settled on averted their gazes, while Alma, who had shown some modicum of kindness to you seemed preoccupied with quietly directing the servants to clean up in various ways. She had to be the head maid but was here assisting you personally. Odd, you thought.

You turned your attention back to the food, thinking of your cheerful ladies-in-waiting back home. What a shame it was that they did not let anyone from home accompany you. In many ways, this marriage felt like your kingdom abandoning you; selling you away for political advantages. But you had been given the choice. You had agreed, so you shook the negative thoughts out of your head. You were doing your duty. Despite the fact that you did not know who your husband was. That he had not written you the customary courting letters. And that you had not seen him since your wedding. You had agreed, so you had to live with the consequences.

You soon finish the breakfast, wiping at your mouth with the napkin and setting the silverware onto your empty plate. The servants took this as a cue and started taking the utensils away. You adjusted your dress, and stood, walking towards Alma, who still stood by the door, giving instructions to some young maids outside.

“Alma, am I allowed to leave this room?”, you ask, and she startled a bit, directing her attention towards you.

“Of course Your Majesty,” she said, bowing her head slightly in response.

“I expected to have breakfast with my husband this morning…” you remarked, trying to sound casual to assess her response

She waved her hands, donning an apologetic smile as she quickly explained “His Majesty usually has breakfast in his office, he is a very busy man.”

You inched closer, head tilting slightly at her words a dedicated king… Or maybe just a workaholic you hummed in thought

“I want to get some fresh air,” you announced, holding your hands behind your back. Alma nodded immediately, calling over two servants who stood not far from you “Of course Your Majesty, let us accompany you to the gardens.”

You smiled at her quick response, At least I am allowed to move within the castle.

The maids gathered around you, flanking your sides as they prepared for the little excursion. They pushed your heavy doors open, allowing for the group to walk out into the gigantic hallways. The stone, which had seemed more ragged and dull the night before now held a certain glow. The glow of resilience, like something sacred that had witnessed many a thing. The crests engraved into the pillar were surrounded by flags that hung heavy, displaying the territory’s richness. You held your breath, carefully examining the decor, reminded of your own smallness in this place. These gigantic walls held a history you were so separated from, and a growing sense of foreignness enveloped you.

Your group passed various servants and guards in the castle, offering a range of reactions at you, their new queen. Some threw curious glances your way, quickly averting their gazes when you noticed their looks, while others single-mindedly focused on the tasks at hand, ignoring you completely. Towels were being carried around, floors scrubbed and instructions shared, bringing the cold castle to life with the bustle of its inhabitants. You kept walking, observing the new scenery with keen interest.

Your party finally reached the gardens, which sprawled open in a scape of flowers and trees. The outside air felt moist but cool, carrying the remnants of last night’s storm. You closed your eyes and let it fill your lungs, stepping out onto the cobblestone path that snaked around the garden. Your eyes reopened with a smile, the breeze caressing your cheek as a silent welcome.

“We could wait here if you would like to walk through the garden alone, Your Majesty,” Alma announced, noting your delighted expression. You turned to her, eyebrows raised in surprise at her suggestion “I assure you there is nowhere unsafe within the castle walls.” she added.

“Oh no, that was not my concern,” you waved your hand and shook your head. “Thank you for the suggestion, I would like to do that.”

She nodded, offering another smile and stood a few paces away with the other servants to allow you room to wander. You engaged on the stone path that curved into a deeper part of the garden, turning back to see that they had not moved, only their eyes followed your movements. As you ventured deeper, the group eventually faded out of sight and you focused on admiring the white lily bushes that littered the entry of the path. The warmth of spring had yet to take full force, still, the flowers already showed signs of bloom, small buds and green leaves covering each plant. The trees still lay fruitless, and your fingers brushed against the bark of a fig tree as you thought of its future growth. Birds chirped melodiously over you, and you allowed yourself to enjoy this moment of peace.

It’s not all bad. I don’t have to have a bad life here, you mused, your heart filling with silent encouragement.

After some time, you wandered into a small opening in a more isolated corner of the garden. The space held an intricately carved fountain in the middle, and two benches across from each other that faced it. You sat down and titled your head back to enjoy slowly moving clouds, noting the small birds that dashed overhead.

Your moment of respite was interrupted by the sounds of quick steps running in your direction, causing you to crane your neck towards the corner from which they came. You thought they might have belonged to a small dog, but a child soon appeared, dashing at full speed towards you.

The boy had delicately combed strands of pink hair, a determined look in his eyes, and a mischievous smile that pulled at his lips. His own eyes widened when he noticed you, digging his heels into the path to stop the momentum from his run. He stared at you, wide-eyed and you returned the look, not sure how to react.

“You’re not a maid!” he asserted, pointing his finger at your attire with an assured look on his face.

His assertion made you chuckle a bit, equal parts amused by his conclusion and taken by his cuteness. His wide eyes shone brightly, and you immediately felt drawn to his carefree aura only a child would possess.

“That is a correct guess,” you said, offering your warmest smile “And who are you, boy?” you asked, tilting your head slightly, resting it on your wrist in interest.

“I am Yuji, my Lady!” He announced proudly, bumping a fist to his chest. You wanted about to giggle again at his attitude, but the sounds another group of footsteps approaching caused you to look up from his small stature to the path from which he had arrived.

“Hey, quick!” he whisper-yelled, coming to wrap his hand around your index and middle fingers “We need to hide, come!” He pulled at them with strength that surprised you enough to almost make stumble as he led you to another section of the garden that resembled a small maze. With vines climbing wooden screens that cast long shadows behind them. You both quickly stood behind them.

“Is this a game of hide and seek?” you asked quietly, and he made a ‘shhhhhhh’ sound, finger placed on his lips and his brows knit in seriousness.

You stifled another chuckle but straightened when you heard the footsteps near, holding the boy closer to your feet as a group you couldn’t see hurriedly passed through the space you had previously been sitting in.

That sounded like quite a few people. You looked at him, lips pressed together in thought.

“Did you do something wrong, little Yuji?” you whispered even quieter when you were sure the group was out of earshot, and the boy fixed you with an offended look

“Firstly, I am not little!” He said, lip upturned “And I didn’t do anything wrong.” he crossed his arms, turning his face away.

Your experience with countless little cousins told you that making him mad would not be a productive way to get the answers you wanted, so you squatted so you reached his height, and held a hand over your chest “I am sorry for my assumption,” you expressed, mustering the most sincere tone you could.

He eyed you suspiciously for a second, but after a huff, a smile returned to his face “Apology accepted!” he said, to which you smiled in return. You wanted to ruffle his pink hair and pinch his pink cheeks, but refrained, not sure of how he would react. He extended his hand at you, seemingly wanting you to grab it.

“You look new around here. Want me to show you around?” He beamed, swaying on his feet in anticipation of your reply.

“Another correct assumption,” You smiled, holding your forefinger to the air “And that would be very kind of you, how could I refuse?” You added, grabbing his hand before standing up to your full height. You could probably find his parents while in the castle with him. Yes, that was the best course of action.

His face beamed at your response, and you could swear you felt a fresh pulse of energy from him radiate through the air “Yay! But one condition!” he urged, holding his palm up to you “No one can see us. Come on!” He pulled you, causing you to almost trip again at the strength this kid displayed, which you were now sure someone his age should not possess.

The boy dragged you to an exit completely different from where you had entered, opening into a separate terrace with a gazebo standing in the middle. Vines climbed up its delicate metal frame that was itself molded in the shapes of blooming flowers. Your mouth hung open at the sight, wondering about the craftsmanship that went into it. Yuji also stopped at your feet for a moment, but you felt him pull at your arm again, causing you to look down and notice a forlorn look in his eyes.

“Is everything okay?” you asked softly, the other hand itching to caress his hair, but settling on resting it on his shoulder.

He shook his head, and the mischievous determination you had noticed earlier returned to his face “Let’s go to the library!” He announced, “It’s the most interesting place in the palace anyway, and they have books about worms!” he added, pulling you into the adjacent hallway, and eventually through more isolated corridors.

The way he expertly navigated the space, knowing which doors servants would come out of and how to hide made you realize that he was intimately familiar with this castle. “Worms you say? That sounds very interesting!” you said, trying to mirror his excitement “I know right!” he beamed right back, his hold tightening around your fingers

He must be the son of a servant here, you mused while he quietly pulled you along, eyes narrowed in concentration as he led you, as if on a secret mission. He’s too well-dressed to not have rank though, you kept wondering. Regardless of his birth, the boy had shown you more warmth than anyone in this castle, and you were grateful for his presence. You eventually reached a heavy ebony door with thick metal handles, and he used his entire body weight to pull them open, before urging you in.

The room you entered was lined with large windows that extended from roof to floor, flanked by opulent curtains that caused the light to filter in bright streaks. The room smelt of old books, causing you to marvel at all the volumes that endowed the gigantic shelves. Thick spines, some ornate with gold engravings, others plain, but equally precious under your gaze. You were surprised to note the library’s emptiness and turned to look at the boy who had already shut the door and was moving a few paces away. You caught up behind him, following his movements.

“Why is this place so empty?” you inquired, feeling he would know the answer.

“Visitors are not allowed these days,” he responded absently, starting to run towards a specific shelf, and plucking a book out. You reached his location, bending down curiously to see what he was doing. His eyes shone at the thick volume he had pulled out, and he held it towards you proudly. “Worms, Millipedes, and other small critters” was written in cursive across its cover with an illustration of various insects in a circular arrangement.

“This is the best book in the entire library!” he announced.

You smiled again at his attitude, taking in the kid’s enthusiasm. He started opening the book, the pages fluttering as he searched for a specific chapter but paused to look up at you. “Are you going to pick out a book?” He asked, head tilting in thought when he noticed you had not left his side. You were tempted to look around, but shook your head and decided against it for now. You crouched down to his height again and rested your chin on your knees.

“Let’s read that one together”, you pointed to the book he was holding

His eyes shone even brighter, and his face morphed into a wide pink-cheeked smile. “Let’s not waste any time, then! Come on!” He said, taking off towards another corner of the library, and you ran after him.

This kid has way too much energy for his own good. You finally came to a stop when you reached the opposite corner of the library, hand placed on your chest as it heaved with quick breaths. It was furnished with a small coffee table and a silver sofa set by one of the large windows. He sat down closest to the window, and you joined him on the small sofa. The boy then scooted closer, opening the book to the chapter named “Helminths”, with an illustration of an earthworm gracing the first page. Yuji moved the book over to rest on your knee so that both of you could see, and your heart warmed at how comfortable he acted around you.

“Do you want me to read it for us?” you suggested, tilting your head down to look at his face. He looked up, and his brows furrowed a bit before he nodded bashfully. “I can’t say some words yet,” he admitted, looking down at his lap with a small pout.

Your resolve to not ruffle his hair finally broke, and you gently tousled his hair at the cute display “Don’t worry, I struggle too, sometimes,” you whispered your confession, causing a smile to return to his face. You softly cleared your throat and started reading from the piece, enunciating the long classifications of worms, from benign to parasitic, noting with a raised brow how he practically thrummed in excitement when you talked about tapeworms feeding from and reproducing in human hosts.

Soon enough, you felt his weight lean against your arm, and you knew that the peaceful atmosphere and the melody of your voice had lulled the boy into sleep. You closed the book, making sure to bookmark the page you ended at, and adjusted him so that his head lay in your lap and his neck wouldn't hurt when he woke up.

I have to find his parents, you thought, running your fingers up and down his arm in soothing motions. He looked so peaceful sleeping, nuzzling softly against you.

The calm moment was interrupted by the sound of the heavy library door being pushed open, and frantic footsteps walking around the library. Your head rose and your brows furrowed at the intrusion. Was this place not supposed to be empty now?

“Yuji! Yuji!” a voice resounded, gravelly and loud, the frequency of the calls betrayed a tinge of worry. Your back straightened instantly, recognizing the voice and your arm paused its gentle touches across the child's arm. Before you could react, the king emerged from behind a shelf, his expression hardening immediately at the sight before him.

“What are you doing with my son?” His low voice came out rough with displeasure and contained anger, and you wanted to burrow into the ground and disappear.

Oh no.

Tag list: @ofcqdesi @tomiokasecretlover

Please comment if you want to be added to the tag list. Thank you again for reading, I would love to know your thoughts on this!

#jjk x reader #anime #jjk #angst #husband nanami #jjk nanami #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu nanami #gingerteawrites #papamin au #nanami kento #royalty au #yuji itadori

82 notes · View notes

markliving · 9 months ago

Text

MISS YOU

pairing: gojo satoru x f!reader, platonic!megumi x platonic!reader synopse: After his relationship with you ends, Gojo meets you again in the middle of a mission, where he didn't expect to see you there, and rescues you, ending with a somewhat revealing conversation. warnings: exes to lovers, drama, fluff, a little of angst, happy ending. word count: 2499

Gojo Satoru's eyes were wide as he recognized the person walking a few meters in front of him. It had to be her, or else he was freaking out to the point of seeing his ex, who he hadn't seen in a few years and who he was still in love with, body and soul. Yes, the strongest sorcerer in the Jujutsu world was still in love with his ex, a normal person, with no powers, with no knowledge of the world in which Satoru lived. This last fact, which then, was the trigger for a painful ending for both of them.

Yuuji looked at his teacher in doubt, they had stopped suddenly, just like that. He moved his gaze forward, in the same direction Gojo was looking, in search of what the other was looking for, but he didn't find anyone he knew.

“Sensei…” Yuuji thought about asking something, but Gojo quickly cut him off.

“Come on, Nobara and Megumi must be delirious by now.”

Satoru had a thousand thoughts circulating through his mind at the exact moment they started walking again. He wishes had the courage, the lack of shame in the face, to go to the girl you saw seconds ago and act as if nothing had happened. But how would he go up to the woman and say: “Hi, how are you? It's been a long time since we've seen each other.” nonetheless, at that moment there, not even he could say what had happened to him.

When they arrived at the mission location, where Megumi and Nobara were waiting for them, the girl was the first to realize that something wrong had happened. Gojo had his hands in his pocket and had whispered “let's get this over with” to the three, and for those ones who already knew the teacher they had very well, where most of the time he left the three of them to deal with the curses alone, such words and posture were alarming.

“Are you okay?” asked Nobara, receiving a yes from the oldest, who began walking towards the abandoned building.

“He saw a woman when we were coming, and he's been like that ever since” commented Yuuji.

“A woman?” This time it was Megumi who asked. The gears of his brain tried to associate each woman he found in the apartment he shared withJoy, After all, he was her guardian, and only one woman appeared in his mind, the only one who really seemed to love the white-haired asshole.

The other boy nodded in agreement.

“Are you going to make small talk there or what?” They heard Satoru's voice, who was still waiting for them.

The second time Gojo saw the mysterious woman was in the presence of Megumi. Gojo and his need for sugar caused the two of them to be in that situation at first.

It was still a Tuesday, and it seemed that Megumi was two steps away from killing the man next to him. Satoru had forgotten to restock the cupboards and fridge, and when they saw, there was nothing edible enough for them to eat in the morning. He could still hear Satoru saying that eggs with lettuce and milk were a good combination, but his stomach turned every time he thought about it.

After the oldest realized that even he didn't want that, they headed towards a bakery close to where they lived. The bread and some snacks that they sold ready-made were Megumi's favorite choice. And the opposite of Satoru's, who got three strawberry donuts and a coffee with extra sugar, it shouldn't even be called coffee anymore because it was so absurd.

They sat at a table in the back and ate what they ordered. From time to time, Gojo exchanged a few words with the boy, who responded briefly, until the moment when Megumi started to stare at something behind Satoru, who bitterly regretted killing his curiosity by looking at the person Fushiguro stared.

“So she was the one who left you stunned that day on the mission” Megumi commented seriously. “I didn't know she had returned to the city.”

“Neither do I” replied the oldest.

You didn't seem to notice the presence of your ex and the boy you promised to protect at all costs, even though you glanced in their direction a few times, and Satoru was eternally grateful for that, he wasn't ready for a meeting between you two.

“You should talk to her.” It seemed like Megumi had read his mind, but in a totally opposite way. “Apologize for making an idiot of her, or maybe tell her that you're an idiot and did everything wrong, or just tell her the truth.”

“Sorry Gumi, I know you liked her” he shrugged, “but the past is the past.” The way he said it was funny, because he didn't even believe he had said that.

And for the second time, in less than a month, he spent an entire day thinking about the woman who he still had dreams in certain nights.

Satoru was a busy man, that was a fact. After Itadori Yuuji ate one of Sukuna's fingers that night at school, his life became even busier. The Jujutsu world had become a worse mess than it already was, and he was the strongest sorcerer. He, Gojo Satoru, carried a huge burden, the burden of being the strongest, the one who should protect the world… and it sucked.

The curses were more aggressive, and the one looking directly at him seemed to embody this fact. The curse was not of a high level, at most level 2, but it was smart enough to take hostages. There were others like the other curse, his students were taking care of it, but the building was huge, and they weren't sure how many curses were there. This whole situation was rare, he had never seen several different curses together in the same place.

“Sensei!” Megumi shouted from some room in the hallway they were in.

Gojo made a straight and quick gesture with his hand, immediately leaving the room and the curse, heading towards Megumi's voice to reach him. The corridor wasn't that long, he even found one of Megumi's dogs going to search one of the rooms that was still missing, he arrived at the last door, which was half open, opening it completely and finding the boy standing in the middle of the room along with his other shikigami.

“She's here” said Fushiguro, upon seeing Gojo at the door.

He wanted to ask who, but his brain quickly rattled off the facts of the past few days and who he knew who could, one in a million, work in this building. He remembered a while ago, when you had mentioned at some point that you had received a job offer at the company in that building, and it seemed like his entire body had gone into a state of shock. If you were here, you had accepted the proposal.

“Where is she?”

“Upstairs. There's no one there yet” Megumi replied.

He had no idea what was going on in Gojo's mind, he would guess that the feelings he saw the older man harbor for a whole year after the two broke up were coming out little by little in that exact moment. He hoped the man wouldn't do anything crazy or anything like that.

Satoru didn't even think twice about teleporting upstairs. He was about to do something crazy if any of those curses had touched you. And it didn't even cross his mind that the reason for their breakup, as soon as you saw it, would come back to the surface when they found each other, after all, at that time he promised himself that keeping the secret about being a sorcerer was better than nothing.

The rooms on that floor were larger, appeared to be used for company conferences. There were few places to hide, and for the first time in his life, he prayed to some deity that you were safe. As he searched one of these rooms, he heard whispers from what sounded like a child and an older person counting numbers under their breath.

“What is a child doing here?” he whispered to himself.

“Who's there?” The person inside the room asked.

Satoru recognized that voice very well, how could he not? He spent almost 3 years listening to you whisper his name several times, among many other things.

“[Name]” he called for you softly.

Without thinking twice, he opened the half-open door, where he found the woman he loved so much in the same way he remembered, along with a girl, who looked to be about seven years old, holding your hand and with her eyes all teary.

“Satoru, what the hell are you doing here?” His face was surprised, and for a second he could see a trace of relief coming from you.

“Shit… We need to get out of here.” He was scared as hell.

Gojo approached you and took your empty hand, leading you and the child towards the fire escape. In his mind, he thought that if they went down that way it would be safer, and they would find Megumi downstairs.

“T-there are some monsters here” stammered you, letting go of the hand that Gojo was holding and stopping.

“I know that. You need to get out of here as quickly as possible.” The man spoke quickly. “Megumi… he's downstairs, he can help you better than me.”

Upon hearing the boy's name, your eyes widened, thinking about why he was in this building, and only then did it sink in that nothing made sense. The building where you worked had been attacked by horrible creatures, your ex-boyfriend was in front of you, exactly as you remembered, with the eye band thing and everything, and the boy that you saw Satoru take care of for three years, was on the floor below doing who knows what.

“You need to get down now.”

Two hours after the incident, Satoru, Megumi, Nobara and Yuuji were in the hospital corridor waiting for news from you, the last two not knowing why Gojo and Fushiguro seemed so apprehensive. They didn't quite know how to start a conversation with them and ask who the woman in the room was, without wanting to seem intrusive or anything like that, but the silence was already bothering them both.

“Sensei, who is the wom…” The door was opened before Yuuji could complete the sentence, revealing the silhouette of a woman, the same one he had seen a while ago and that left Gojo unregulated.

“What are you doing here?” asked you when you saw Satoru and Megumi's faces, along with two other children that you had never seen.

“We wanted to know how you are” Megumi was the one who replied.

You didn't really know how to react to the boy's response, as you didn't expect such an act from them, especially from Gojo, who was looking at you from behind his strip with a thousand thoughts in his mind.

“Can we talk?” The man got up from the bench and stopped in front of her. “Alone.”

Nobara and Yuuji left looking like they didn't like it very much, wanting to hear the future conversation between you two. Megumi seemed a little reluctant to leave you guys alone, however, after you gave him a small smile as a sign that he could go without worrying, he left you two.

“Look…”

“You have a lot to explain, Satoru” you cut him off. The more you tried to put things together, the more confused you seemed to get.

“Me and Megumi... we can see those things.” He was so distressed that he didn't even notice his shoulders falling after feeling like a weight was being lifted from his shoulders. “And we have some powers.”

“Like Harry Potter?”

“Harry Potter?” asked Satoru, a little shocked by the meaningless association you made and receiving a nod. “No. It has nothing to do with Harry Potter.”

“Then…”

“We are sorcerers. These creatures you saw today are curses, they are born from negative feelings, and I work to kill them.”

“Why the hell didn't you tell me this before? — you asked, irritated. The pieces of the puzzle little by little begin to fit together in your mind. “ You are idiot?”

“What?” Satoru was stunned.

“Did you do all that fuss because you didn't want to tell the truth?”

And there it was, the dreaded subject had arrived. The albino's heart was out of rhythm, he thought it would be easier, he had lied for your good, he was the strongest jujutsu sorcerer, what if some curse attacked you without him being around? Two hours ago, he saw that his thesis was blocked by past events.

“I thought if I walked away, you'd be safer,” he replied. His hands were sweating, he didn't know where to put them. “You are too important to me, and I couldn't bear to lose you.”

“And you still lost me, didn't you?” Satoru seemed to have received a bucket of cold water, after such words from you. “I spent a whole year wondering what the hell had happened for everything to end so suddenly. I've loved you all this time… I mean, I still think I love you, but it doesn't matter anymore.”

Satoru opened his mouth and closed it, dumbfounded. He expected everything except “I think I love you”. A year had passed and, just like you, he still loved you.

“You love me?” You seemed not to be paying attention to the words coming out of your mouth and when Gojo asked such a thing, his penny seemed to have dropped as well.

“I… it's a lot for one day, Satoru. Hours ago I was being attacked by some monsters, and now, here we are arguing about our old relationship.”

“Go out with me again,” he said. “I'll tell you anything you want, and if you think it's no longer possible, I won't go after you again. I just need a chance.” He sounded like he was begging.

The voice inside Gojo's head said that if he didn't do something now, he would probably never have the chance to do it again. He hated the fact that he might lose you a second time.

“I know I made a big mistake with you, and I regret it bitterly. But I just need a second chance.”

"I swear, Gojo Satoru... I swear if you do anything like that again, I will curse you for the rest of your life."

Satoru at that moment promised himself that he would never hurt you again the way he had done in the past. He didn't know he could miss a person as much as he did in that one year apart, and he wouldn't want to feel that way again. Having someone you love by your side was comfortable.

a/n: i hope you guys liked! And my ask are open for request 👋

#gojo satoru x reader #jujutsu kaisen #female reader #fluff #exes to lovers #drama #gojo satoru #x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #gojo satoru x you

115 notes · View notes

cloudshuffle · 5 months ago

Note

Hi, d for the request can I please have yandere Royal Jade x thief reader?

gem in the rough. yan!jade

nobility au

Her grace, the elegant, classy, duchess Jade, also has a penchant for being frightening.

So terrifying is she that it's said she can make grown men wet themselves at a single glance (this is untrue, on accounts that it was only one man who she caused to wet himself, and there were many other factors involved in his pants-wetting, so he says. I think it’s more amusing to leave it down to the duchess.)

Yet all rumours sprout from a seed of truth. Jade is a formidable individual, demoness or not, and it’d do anyone good not to cross her. She near monopolises the flow of jewels in and out of our borders, and as far as it’s been recorded, none of her ventures have ever failed. She’s wealthy. Some even say she’s more powerful than the emperor himself.

The duchess has an eye for valuable things; things that would pay her back tenfold, if invested in the right way. Despite her cutthroat methods, I know merchants who would kill to be in partnership with her - provided they get an audience with her first. Duchess Jade is a very difficult person to get a hold of.

Speaking of valuable things. I suppose it’s dangerous for a thief to keep a diary, yet here we are. I’ve been feeling rather… lonely and sentimental recently, something about how there might be no one to remember me by. Anyway. It’s been said that the duchess has in her possession something called the Dragon’s Eye - an exquisite, rare, lovely jewel that would buy me not only my freedom out of these borders, but also a life beyond them. I have someone who’s willing to pay.

I do intend to acquire it for myself.

I’ve been watching the duchess’ estate for a period of time now, and I’m quite confident I’ll be able to slip in easily tonight. After that, well, let’s just hope the plans to the castle are up to date. If they aren’t, this will be my first and last entry, which is amusing in a way.

Though aren’t my best heists always the ones less planned?

In confidence, (Name).

I have to admit, the duchess herself isn’t the only frightening thing about her estate.

Security is nearly watertight, and I nearly got mauled at least thrice tonight. But humans are ultimately foolish creatures, and I managed to trick the guards at the outer walls into thinking their mutts were acting up at a squirrel. Still, I thought my heart would jump out of my throat.

The guards in the corridors? Less perceptive than the maids. Those twittery ladies never miss the slightest bit of gossip to pass around. I slipped into a uniform, hinted that the stable boy had his eye on the duchess, and slipped out quickly as they begun speculating on what might happen. He does have quite the looks. Shame he might be fired soon.

And finally I was close enough to slither into her jeweller’s vault, right underneath the guard’s feet. Or the carpet under them. It was a tight, unpleasant squeeze, but what’s playing pretend as a snake compared to my future on the line?

Rumour had it that Jade’s vault was manned by a host of the continent’s best lapidarists, all chained to their desks and made to slave away to produce only the best jewels for her. That rumour always seemed a little silly to me. Didn’t people work best when they were well-fed and happy? But there were no lapidarists. In fact, there wasn’t a single soul in that chamber, not even a guard.

The carpeted floor ate up all sound, and the gems sparkled silently in clear cases. I probably could have stolen the cushions they rested on and fetched a small fortune - the workmanship and the gold embroidery spoke enough.

But I was here on a mission. And though I usually turn away at the sign that something might go awry, maybe it was the temptation of my reward, or maybe it was the sight of the jewel that drove me on.

Fiery red and deepest purple laced with the richest gold. Lovely didn’t even begin to describe such a jewel. Though an eye for aesthetics didn’t come with the job, I think even a blind man could simply feel its beauty radiating from it.

The gold in the middle did somewhat resemble an eye. And I took it with gloved hands and slipped it into a velvet pouch.

Leaving was easy. The compound was designed to keep people out rather than in, and I made it back to my temporary quarters without fuss. I deposited the jewel safely (even I’m not foolish enough to note down where it is), and satisfied at having a job well done, decided to treat myself to a drink at the bar downstairs.

There was a lovely lady at the bar with a presence about her. She looked normal enough with a nondescript cloak and brown hair (save the covering across the lower half of her face), but she didn’t feel normal, and so all the other patrons were giving her a wide berth, even raging drunk. I was in no mood to contend with rowdy, stinking men, so I took up the empty seat next to her.

“Good evening,” she said to me, and I had to sigh. Conversation really wasn’t on my agenda for the day, but she must have misunderstood. “Long day?”

“Sure,” I replied. “Just got home from work.”

“So late!” she exclaimed. “You must be working very hard.”

I shrugged. “I suppose I do.”

Conversation died down, and she left shortly after that. She did tell me she was looking forward to seeing me again.

I wonder what she meant.

Yours unsurely, (Name).

With much difficulty, I’ve finally managed to make contact with the buyer! Pardon the excitement, but we’ve arranged for a meeting at the docks tonight, where they’ve already arranged passage for me. I asked why they weren’t worried about me running off with the jewel, and they said that I likely didn’t want to keep it in my possession any longer.

Which is… true. It’s hard to find a buyer for such a high profile object, but harder still to keep it around me. I’ve been checking on it every day, and I’ve noticed that I feel… somewhat queasy around it. Like it’s a drain on my energy.

Hey, I didn’t survive this long without being at least a little superstitious.

That aside, it was discovered that the jewel went missing sometime in the night that I stole it. Though it’s an important item, the upper echelons seem more interested in covering up the theft than issuing a public notice. I suppose I understand. How would it look if not even the nobility had safe, secure homes?

Regardless, as long as it doesn't harm me, I suppose the jewel and I can coexist for a day longer. And I'll let the stone keep its secrets. It’s not much longer before it’ll be off my hands.

Looking forward to the future, (Name).

I’m writing this entry by candlelight, still sweaty and breathless from escaping from that place.

I made my way to the docks once the sun set. The Eye was heavy in my pocket, but in some way, I felt like the weight of my future was finally in my hands.

I was feeling unusually optimistic. And I’ve learnt, thankfully, that that’s when things go wrong.

Like any respectable thief might, I concealed myself amongst the many crates and boxes waiting quietly to be brought inland the next day. Making the first appearance is always foolish. My boat, supposedly, bobbed quietly on the water with not a soul in sight. Not unusual - the sailors would all be inland at the moment, causing ruckus at the taverns. But it didn’t help to reassure me any better.

Shortly after, a trio of horses and riders come down the docks. Not the most discreet way to get somewhere, and definitely not the level of caution I would expect from someone about to attain the Dragon’s Eye. I knew I was right to be suspicious.

The lady in the middle got off first - I knew she was a lady despite the cloak because she rode side-saddle. Also another unusual detail in this day and age. The other two men at her side moved with a familiarity that I didn’t like; the kind that reminded me of trained soldiers and patrolling troops. They didn’t stir up particularly happy memories. When one of them moved, I caught a glimpse of sheathed blade under his cloak.

Two soldiers. And a noble lady.

I knew this, because Duchess Jade lifted the hood off her face in one smooth motion, her pink curls tumbling out like a cascade of silk.

I bit back a gasp. Because seeing the duchess up close, I recognised her too - the same lady who’d just sat next to me at the inn bar. No matter how she’d changed her hair, using magic or otherwise, it was definitely still her, aura and all.

“My dear master thief.” Her voice rang out, clear and full of authority. I knew immediately that confrontation wasn’t an option. “I know you’re hiding somewhere. You’ve done such a wonderful job, attaining the Dragon’s Eye. Do show yourself so I can present you with your reward.”

From under her cloak, she pulled out a drawstring bag, large and heavy with coin. Jade shook the bag as if to prove its contents, then retrieved papers and slipped those inside too.

“More credit, and legitimate papers for your safe passge.” She patted the bag. “This offer won’t last forever, master thief. Or should I call you, (Name)?”

By the time she finished her sentence, I was already gone.

I pick up this entry, once again by candlelight, once again fleeing.

The duchess knew where I was staying, which gave me valuable time to pack what little I had and sneak onto a transport cart. Once out of the city, I hopped off and hitched a more legitimate ride with another cart. Not that I trusted these people not to rat me out, but there was no way I was stopping any of these men in the dark without giving them a fright.

I’m on my way towards the border. The Eye is still heavy in my pocket, sitting quietly like an obedient child. I hadn’t known what to do with it, and figured it might be better to carry it with me, in case I needed to barter for something valuable. Like a life.

This journal will have to take backseat for now. I get the feeling I need to jump carts soon.

(Name).

#this request was so exciting!!#your asks always inspire the best things #spent a bunch of time researching jade hopefully i did her justice #honkai star rail #hsr #yandere honkai star rail #yandere #yancore #x reader #yandere x reader #jade #hsr jade #jade hsr #yandere jade #yan!jade #cloud answers

78 notes · View notes

yelenabemylova · 1 year ago

Text

bathtime- maria hill x reader

summary: a really fluffy post mission bath with your girlfriend

“Honey, I’m home!” Maria chuckled to herself as she heard your groan of disapproval at her use of the cliche. “As glad as I am to see you, I think they only say that in movies,” you leaned up on your tiptoes to kiss her, her arms snaking around your waist to pull you closer. “I missed you, dear,” she breathed in your comforting scent. “I missed you too, Ria,” you sighed.

Missions were tough for you both, the time apart always caused you to suffer from extreme separation anxiety and Maria often felt helpless. You always assured her that it wasn’t her fault but she always went over and above to leave little notes around the house for you and she prerecorded many videos and voice notes for you so you wouldn’t feel as alone.

Thankfully, she was back exactly when she said she would be, so dinner had been made and was plated up, ready for her. After she ate, she insisted on doing the dishes, giving you time to surprise her with a nice, soothing bath.

Looking through your shared closet, you found her fluffy pyjamas and laid them out neatly on the bed, bringing a towel into the bathroom and placing it on the heated rack. You turned on the hot tap, allowing the water to heat up a bit before putting the plug in the drain and letting the tub fill up. Rummaging through the bathroom cupboards, you found a few bath bombs that you laid on the shelf next to the tub and then you poured some bubble bath into the water as it continued to flow, allowing it to form a layer of foam.

Unbeknownst to you, Maria was leaning against the doorframe, watching you with adoration as you shuffled around the room. Carefully, you lit a few candles and placed them in various spots, fetching rubber ducks dressed as different Avengers as well.

You ran out the door in search of Maria, but instead you crashed right into your girlfriend, a small “oof,” eliciting from deep inside her. “Ouch,” you pouted up at her. “I’m sorry, honey,” she gently kissed your forehead. “Come with me,” you all but dragged her into the bathroom to show her your surprise.

“Oh, darling,” she hugged you tightly, “I love you so much.” She quickly undressed and hopped into the bath, grinning up at you. “Do you need anything else?” you asked her, taking her hand and she reached it out to you.

“Just you,” she smirked, pulling you into the water with her. “Maria Christina Hill,” you scolded her, your clothes now soaking wet. “Oh no, darling. What a shame, I guess you’ll have to join me now,” she lifted you out, helping to rid you of your dripping garments before getting back in the tub, letting you settle in front of her, her arms tightening around you.

“I love you, silly,” she whispered into your hair. You threw the little SHIELD agent rubber duck at her, “ I love you too, idiot.” She picked up a bath bomb, placed it in the water and watched as it fizzed in front of you. Glancing at your face, her heart burst from seeing how cute she found your excitement. She nuzzled her face into you, her hand rubbing up and down your arm subconsciously, lulling you into a light slumber.

After about half an hour, Maria picked you up and carried you over to the towel rack, wrapping it around you gently to which you protested. “Ria, no. I got this towel for you,” you shrugged it off your shoulders. She caught it with ease, placing it back over you, “shh, darling. Go back to sleep.”

Carefully, she helped you get into your matching set of pyjamas. They were your favourite due to them being extremely soft and fluffy. Picking you up like you were a koala, she brought you into the kitchen, pouring a glass of milk for herself. Sleepily, you reached out for it so she put some into a bottle for you so you could drink it in bed.

She lay you down on the mattress gently, handing you your bottle of milk before crawling in next to you, pulling the blankets over you both and holding you close. You rested your head on her chest, “can hear your heart beating, Ria,” you slurred drowsily. “Oh yeah? Did you know it beats just for you, princess?” she played with your hair, awaiting your response.

It took her a few seconds to realise you had fallen asleep on her, making her smile to herself. Strategically, she removed your milk from your hands and quickly replaced it with your stuffed animals. Thankfully, you didn’t seem to wake up, only stirred slightly, snuggling into Maria further, gripping a fistful of her shirt in your sleep. Her heart began to race, she only prayed you couldn’t hear it now.

Gently, she placed a kiss to the top of your head, allowing herself to relax completely, dozing off with all she could ever need in the world safe in her arms.

#maria hill #maria hill x reader #secret invasion #marvel #the avengers #maria hill fluff #avengers #shield #agents of shield #cobie smulders x reader #cobie smulders #cobie smulders fluff

347 notes · View notes

dotieeee · 1 year ago

Text

A Small Token of Devotion

Part 3 of A Small Act of Kindness

A DARK three-shot

Pairing: Dark!Morpheus x you, afab reader

Warnings: dark!Morpheus, obsessive behaviour, dark!Dream won't take 'no' for an answer, disturbing themes like kidnapping, imprisonment, isolation, psychological torture, non-con/dub-con kissing and touching etc, 18+ only!! Please read: this has DUB-CON with NON-CON elements, read at your own risk :), rough smutty SMUT, probably the filthiest I have ever written,

Inspired by this ask for @roguelov See: https://www.tumblr.com/roguelov/721739134130143232/this-isnt-smut-but-dream-has-strong-miette?source=share

Officially now a three-part series!!! Masterlist here

Part 1: Click here

Part 2: Click here

Summary: You're still being held against your will by the King Of Dreams, who offers you a deal that you find too good to be true, but are too desperate to refuse.

Breakfast was surprisingly peaceful. After the kiss Dream had stolen in that hallway, he had kept his hands to himself and was seemingly content with watching you eat. And, boy, did you pack it in. You were never hungry while he kept you in your prison, but you had missed it so much that you abandoned all inhibition and ate almost everything within your reach. Fuck if he was observing every move you made – the food was unlike anything you've tasted, and it would be a shame to let it go to waste.

Morpheus had escorted you by the hand to the library after, where you were formally introduced to Lucienne, his librarian, who was gracious enough to show you around. He had to leave you in her care while he went away for his duties, and with that, you couldn't be happier – any time away from him was a much-needed respite. Like a madman, you combed through the shelves for your parents' books once Lucienne explained that every dreamer to have existed had one that recorded their dreams. You came up empty-handed, however, so you decided to enlist her help.

"I'm afraid Lord Morpheus has forbidden you access to those books, my lady," she said, eyeing you empathically. "He has not divulged the reason, but it is likely to protect you."

Or likely to sever your connection to the Waking World even further.

You were put out by this, of course. You've been missing your parents terribly since you moved out, even more worried now that they probably realised you'd gone missing for who knows how long. But you weren't about to squander this rare instance of being out of your enclosure by moping. Instead, you found the softest, most comfortable couch in the library and continued reading The Wrongs of a Woman, determined to enjoy this new-found – and possibly short-lived – freedom. You had gone through four chapters, however, but you couldn't seem to concentrate, so you put down the book, thinking it deserved more than a half-hearted reading. You had a plethora of human knowledge at your disposal, and all you could think of was him.

He’d be more than pleased if he’d ever find out.

But Morpheus was away, so if you could learn more about him and his nature, maybe you’d be able to somehow use that to your advantage, eventually. Lucienne was happy to lead you to a rather thin, small leatherbound book that contained knowledge of the Endless, written by a man who was once immortal, which in turn, led you to discover that there were actual immortal humans roaming the earth, and some are friendly with them and the lesser gods. Was Professor Gadling one of them? It wouldn't be too far-fetched, given he had addressed Morpheus by his name and had referred to him as a friend. If you weren't in such distress caused by him, you'd probably be having an existential crisis.

Instead, you had a different crisis at hand, and one in the form of an Endless whose powers you have yet to fully comprehend. You didn't even sit down; right before the bookshelf you plucked the book from, you dug into it at once.

You discovered that there were seven Endless siblings – anthropomorphic personifications – who governed their own realms: Destiny in his garden, Death in her Sunless Lands, Desire in their Threshold and their twin, Despair in her grey Room of Mirrors, and their youngest, Delirium in her realm Formless Chaos. Your interest was piqued further once you got back to the part of Dream of the Endless. While it was rather sparse, the unknown author did his best to jot down the Endless' powers, including crafting dreams, fantasies, and nightmares, and manipulating reality to an extent. The Endless kept endless secrets, it seemed, which was a wonder that the author had that much to write about and put in a book. According to the book, Morpheus went by so many names throughout the passage of time.

"'The Prince of Stories,' huh…" you muttered to yourself. Maybe that was why he appreciated your writing.

"I'm quite flattered you are trying to get to know me, my beloved, but you could've just asked."

The amused voice made you turn on your heels, only to come face to face with the Endless himself looking down on you with a teasing grin merely inches away from you. You did your best to keep your cheeks from heating up at the closeness and stared at a spot on his collar instead.

"Sorry," you muttered. "It's just…it's a nice moniker."

"Is it?" He dipped his head lower, hovering over your ears, and whispered languidly, "Then, would you allow this prince's mouth to carve stories on your skin?"

To prevent any thoughts of getting away, he placed his hands firmly on the shelf behind you and trapped you between his arms. You stood perfectly still, but you shivered visibly when one of his hands started stroking your spine and the laced ribbon at the back of your dress. Those lips then ghosted over your neck.

"We have been apart for not more than half a day and I already miss you," he whispered in the most dulcet of tones against your skin, leaving goosebumps all over your arm. "Surely you know how you have bewitched me, and I am nothing short of spellbound…"

Then he growled just as those lips touched your skin. You haven't done anything wrong!

"Forgive me, my beloved, I am being called somewhere else." He said as he pulled away. You could tell by his furrowed brows and curled lip that he was annoyed at the interruption. "You are to stay here in the library until I come and fetch you. I need not warn you: any attempt to escape is futile and will be dealt with harshly."

You managed to let out the breath you were holding in when he disappeared with his sand. You could see from the windows that the sky had darkened, immediately followed by a resounding clap of thunder. Despite his threat, you were extremely grateful to anyone and anything that called him at that very moment, even if that meant they would be facing an irate King in the process. Besides, where else did he think you'd escape to?

***

Dream had been fuming when he arrived at the disturbance. His foul mood had inadvertently summoned a thunderstorm that flooded the basements of half the townsfolk in the process, which exacerbated the issue he had been called for: a farmer had poured an entire vat of untested growth potion on a pumpkin patch, which grew at an alarming rate the moment the brew hit the soil. The heavy rains that the thunderstorm had brought made the plant even happier, which in turn started to produce elephant-sized pumpkins within seconds. Dream had to reel in his emotions to prevent these giant pumpkins from taking over fourteen acres of land, which took a great amount of his time. By the time the situation had been under control, Dream was soaking wet, positively irked, and achingly longing to be back with you. The farmer and the owner of the apothecary who had sold the potion had to endure quite an earful from him, and they deserved every venomous word of it, for taking his time away from you.

It was dark when Morpheus reappeared at the library. Had you gone off to sleep without him? The thought made his heart sink; he had not meant to threaten you just before he left, although he admittedly would punish you if you dared wander off with the intention of running away from him – he could not have that, of course. He scoured the library shelves for you, already fearing the worst, but just as his anger started resurfacing, he found a sight that immediately calmed his inner turmoil:

There you were, on a couch just beside the spot where he had left you earlier, fast asleep with a book spread on your chest.

You had waited for him.

Slowly he made his approach, careful not to rouse you, and softly kissed your forehead. He took the book from your grasp, surprised that it was the same book he had caught you reading. You were reading about him, and that elated him to no end, even if it was a little dampened at the fact that he found the book opened on the page about his golden-eyed, meddlesome little sibling. He tossed the book to the table, then proceeded to carry you like his bride (and he knows you will be, very soon) to his bedroom, and laid you on the soft silken sheets that covered his bed. You had not stirred the entire time, perhaps savouring the only soft surface you had laid on since your stay in his realm. He decided he liked the look of you laying on your side, curled up on his bed very much.

You needed to accept him soon so he could have you on it anytime he pleased.

On impulse, Morpheus went inside your head and combed through every single memory you had. He was only getting to know you further, just like what you did reading the book that contained knowledge of him. You were eventually going to be his wife, and what kind of husband would he be if he did not make an effort to familiarise himself with his future bride's innermost thoughts and desires?

Satisfied with what he witnessed, Dream sighed in relief as he gently laid down beside you. He was tired – of course, he needed to rest, and it was his bed. He craved warmth, too, and your body just happened to be a great source of it, so he drew closer to you, his chest touching your back, and snaked an arm from behind you, wrapping it around your sleeping form. He dared not close his eyes, for he feared you would tear away from him as soon as he did. There, he laid still, perfectly content, for hours.

There was nowhere else he would rather be.

***

The first thing you became aware of when you came to wasn't the softness of the bed you were laying on, but an unyielding arm around your waist and a firm body pressed snugly against your back, purring happily like a large cat.

He seemed to notice that you'd woken up too, for he started dragging his nose from your head to your hair and inhaling your scent deeply. Recognizing how precarious your situation was, you tried to even your breathing out and pretend you were still sleeping, silently praying to anyone who would listen that he buys the act and loses interest.

Then that damn hand moved slowly downwards, then started hiking up your dress all the way to your thighs.

No such luck.

Still, you had to try. You held up pretty well, even as he turned you on your back and proceeded to straddle your hips. You tried your best not to twitch while he gripped your chin to turn your head to the side and a hot tongue licked your cheek. You squirmed slightly just as his mouth found your pulse point and sucked your skin heavily. You whimpered a little while he dragged his hands all over your still-clothed body and you felt him shift slightly.

But you drew a line when you felt him part your legs and settle between them.

You opened your eyes with a startled yelp and flailed your arms wildly, hitting his chest, but he grabbed your wrists and pinned them above your head with one hand, deep chuckling as he did so.

"I see you have decided to forgo the act, my little saviour. As impressive as it was, I could hear and feel your heartbeat. You could never fool me."

You look up to those intense, dark blue eyes and those lips, curled upward in a malicious grin. True enough, your heart was racing and your breathing had quickened, but you tried your hardest to wrench your hands from his grip. It didn't work.

"Please, g-get o-off me…" you started begging.

But Dream merely hummed as his body inched closer to yours. Your terror only amplified when you felt something hard brush over the mound between your legs. You were still clothed, thank goodness, but your dress had been dragged so far up your legs you could feel the cold air on your inner thighs. Egged on by how you reacted, his hips pushed further against you, and you watched his eyes shift into black for a split second before they became blue again.

Of course, the bastard was enjoying this.

As deeply disturbed as you were, you felt a hot wetness gush between your legs, and you started to ache the slightest. And judging by his widened smirk, he knew.

"Do you find me unattractive?" He asked.

"What?" You were a bit surprised by how casual his tone was. "No, of course, you're…aesthetically pleasing… "

"Then why do you refuse me so?"

"I just don't want to, okay?" You burst out. "I don't have to justify my choice, least of all to you. Now, please!"

Halting his movement altogether, he donned a look of contemplation. "Have you laid with anyone?"

A blush started creeping up your cheeks at his question, so you pointedly avoided his stare. "Why the hell would I tell you that?!"

He tutted and said, "My little saviour, this is an open conversation that lovers usually partake in prior to being intimate." He firmly gripped your chin to turn your head and force you to look at him, his expression now serious.

"Now I ask again: has anyone laid claim on you?"

You gave a small nod, next thing you knew was a firm hand around your throat, squeezing it just enough to make you start gasping for air.

"You lie." Dream's eyes were blazing and his teeth were bared in a furious snarl.

He was right – you had lied on impulse. To your defence, you did it only in the hopes of him being disgusted that you weren't as pure as he thought. The truth was, while you had the occasional fling here and there, none of them ever progressed to anything sexual. And he knew, for some reason. You couldn't get his hand off your throat, for he still had yours pinned above your head.

"Morpheus, please…" you choked.

He said through gritted teeth, "Lie to me again and I will personally torment every single one of your past flames with nightmares until their death."

Tears started to stream through your eyes, and it was getting more difficult to say a single word as you struggled to breathe.

"Please…I-I'm s-sorry…" you managed to let out.

You gulped greedily for air as soon as he eased the pressure, but his hand remained around your neck, and it was evident that he was still unappeased. You didn't give a damn, however; you were now crying in earnest and genuinely frightened of him even more so than the nightmare you'd seen him transform into.

"I know everything about you. I combed through every thought, every repressed memory, every dream and every nightmare."

Then, what was the point of asking, you thought. You could've said it aloud too, but you were far too scared out of your wits to even stop your tears from flowing freely.

He must've acknowledged your distress, for he slowly released your throat and gently wiped your cheek with his finger.

"I am already aware of your purity. I merely asked because I trusted you enough to tell me the truth, as lovers should," he said softly as he continued stroking your cheek, perhaps to ease your discomfort.

"Fuck you, we're not lovers," you summoned the courage to whisper as your sobs died down. Fear was overtaken by irrational anger – you were fed up with his bullshit. You looked him in the eye with all the disdain you could muster as you whispered, "You think I could love you when you keep torturing me just so you could have your way? I will never accept you."

And honestly, you didn't know what scared you more: the nightmarish being with madness contorted in its features, or the stoic, oddly-calm Nightmare King pinning you down with eyes you could no longer read.

"Still as obstinate as ever, I see."

In a swift move, he removed himself from you and vanished. Before you could relish the freedom, you sat up when you felt grains of sand cloud your vision, and your entire surroundings faded to black. Within seconds, there was nothing more you could see, and everything was enveloped in darkness, including the bed you were on.

You simply floated in the vast nothingness.

"Allow me to remind you, my little saviour: I am the King of Dreams, and you are my prisoner." Your captor's voice echoed all around you, sending waves of panic through every cell in your body. Even the darkness paled in comparison to the fear his voice instilled.

"I have been patient, yet you insist on defying me. Perhaps, a reminder is due. It is time I showed you torture."

Then began the fall.

You fell into the endless darkness, unable to scream nor break the descent. You fell at an increasingly faster pace into nothing, weightless, your heart racing and your skin being blasted by the cold. Just when you thought you were going to pass out, you land safely, feet-first, like the fall never happened, and in a place that looked so achingly familiar.

You were in your parents' kitchen.

You have not been in this kitchen in a long time, but it looked as similar as the day you left. It was a bittersweet farewell, that day, you, your mom and dad celebrating your new job and telling each other you'd call and visit whenever you can. On the fridge door, you recognized the drawings being held in place by those little vegetable magnets – you made them when you were little, and since then, they have refused to remove them. They've always been proud of you, they said, as you packed your bags to head for your apartment and live your own life the way you wanted it. You didn't know until then just how much you needed to hear it from them.

A pained sob interrupted your reminiscing. It came from the dining room, so you made your way inside, your footsteps not making a single sound on the hardwood floor.

"Mom? Dad?" You called out.

Your mom sat on the end of the dining table, hunched over and visibly shaking, as your dad sat opposite her and quietly held both her hands. Behind the both of them, hung on the wall, was this large abstract painting you didn't care much about as a child but have grown to like as a teen. It didn't escape your notice that the table was strewn over with papers. You picked one up against your better judgement.

It was a photo of you taken the night you took them out to dinner with your first paycheck. Right on top of your picture were the words, printed in large, bold letters:

'MISSING.'

You put it back down at once, not bothering to read the rest. You were back! Did they not hear you?

Your mom let out a wail that would break anyone's heart. Your dad stood to hold her in his arms. He too, had tears streaming down his face, trying to comfort his wife as he nursed his own grief.

"I-I just w-want my b-baby back," your mom cried out in between sobs as she held onto your dad as if her life depended on it. "My po-oor baby, my sweet little girl, I want her back, Harold. Please, God, bring her back to me…"

"I'm here, I'm back!" You said, louder this time. Perhaps they didn't hear you.

She buried her face in your dad's shirt, and he kissed the top of her head. It did nothing to soothe her.

"We will, Martha, I promise," your dad said softly. "If we have to sell the house to continue finding her, we will. I'll sell everything we have, we'll sleep in the car, it doesn't matter."

Your mom nodded her head and gulped before she replied "I just miss her so much…"

"I do, too, honey. Every damn day.”

“This is my fault. This is all my fault, I let her leave,” your mom rambled on. “I could’ve stopped her, but I didn’t. I failed her –”

“No, you didn’t. If anything, it was my fault. But we will find her, and then we'll apologise, yes?" Your dad cupped our mom's cheeks and brought his forehead to hers. "We'll tell her every minute of every day just how much we miss her, and we'll never let her feel alone or unloved until our last breath, you hear me?"

Your mom managed a nod before she broke once more into agonised tears.

"But, I'm here!" You had tears streaming from your eyes as you screamed. They were falling apart without you, but you were back. You came back!

"I'm right fucking here!" You took a step forward so you could give them both a hug and assure them that you'll never leave their side again, but something in the painting behind them moved, making you halt your steps.

It was a pair of ocean-blue eyes that blinked, now staring into your soul, spanning the width of the entire painting – the last thing you see before the hardwood floor gave out beneath your feet and fell, once more, into the abyss.

You woke up with a start, sitting up almost at once, as you tried to calm your heart's incessant beating and relive the cause: it was a nightmare – one of many – of grief you couldn't understand, followed by an irrational fear of a pair of beautiful, ocean-blue eyes, before you were thrown into a pit of darkness with nothing to break your fall.

It was quite humorous in hindsight, given that you've lived many millennia in the most terrifying place in Creation, and one too, that countless souls dread ending up in the most.

The crackling of Hellfire in your cramped enclosure proved almost comforting, even if it was always so close to licking your skin. It provided almost ample protection against the bitter cold that seemed to seep into your bones, but you have learned to live with the stark contrast both provided. Better than being thrown directly onto the mass of hideous, mangled writhing demons at the pit of Morningstar's court. The cold, you could live with; the torture and the screaming, maybe not so much.

You stood from the jagged surface of the cave just as you felt the air around you shift. It hadn't been caused by that dreadful demon that had just passed your door, but by a powerful presence you had not felt in aeons, and which you’d never thought you’d ever feel again.

True enough, it was him: he walked right before your enclosure adorned with those large, thorny branches trapping you in and sealing your fate:

“Kai’ckul?”

You couldn’t believe your eyes, even after he stopped in his tracks the moment you called for him out loud. You were breathing heavily, now, as you walked up to your barred entrance to get a better look at him.

“Dream Lord?” You called again.

You could not help the gasp you let out the moment he acknowledged your call and faced you. He had the same brown eyes that conveyed a thousand emotions in a single flash, those thick locks you had once caressed with your fingertips, those soft, full lips you had once kissed with all the passion your mortal heart could muster…

“It is you…” you said with awe in your voice. He was just as beautiful as the day he sent you to your eternal damnation.

“I greet you, Nada.” He responded softly with that velvety voice that had once whispered such amorous words in ears the night you both gave in to your earthly desires. Yet, today, it was sombre – melancholic, even. What could have brought him here after so long? Perhaps, you dared hope, he’d come to say he had changed his mind? Has he come to finally release you from your endless torment, like you have dreamed he would for countless cold nights in your prison cell?

“Kai’ckul,” you said, your voice and the tears that brimmed your eyes betraying that little bit of joy that blossomed from seeing him again. Your beautiful king. “How I have prayed for this day. I knew you would come.”

With a doleful expression, he stated, “It pains me to see you like this.”

Does it? “Then, free me, Lord.” Your tears finally fell down your cheeks. All those words you had imagined yourself saying to him, some of them hurtful, some of them outright offensive — all of them erased by the weariness of carrying out his righteous punishment. “Only your forgiveness can free me.”

But he had no response, only a tightening of those lips, his eyes growing more guarded and unyielding.

“Do you not still love me?” You asked. Perhaps if he still did, he would be merciful?

"It has been ten thousand years, Nada."

Yes, it has been. An awfully, excruciatingly long time and a reminder wasn't needed.

"Yes, I still love you."

Hope blossomed in your heart at his words, but it was just as soon dampened by his next.

"But I have not yet forgiven you."

You looked away just as more tears started to flow. Even after those years, his heart was as cold and unrelenting as ever. Yours, however, remained steadfast, despite the continuous onslaught of coldness and hostility he and this place had for you, there was something else that helped keep your sanity and dignity intact.

He began to walk away and commanded his raven to follow. Your grip on your prison bars tightened as you called after him.

"Kai'ckul, I will not give up hope."

But he had gone too far away for you to hear his footfalls.

"I will never give up!" But was that meant for him or for you?

Your voice broke at your statement, and so do the sobs. You sank into the chilly, uneven surface of your enclosure and hugged yourself, seeking some sort of comfort. Your heart refused to be crushed. Ten more millennia could pass, and you'd still have hope that one day, you will walk on soft, warm grass and breathe fresh, sulphur-free air, and you'd travel hand in hand with Death to ferry you to your peace. You'd forgive him wholeheartedly, should he seek it from you. You loved him.

So, how come the moment you closed your eyes to rest, only one foreign thought crossed your mind and reverberated in your heart?

You don't love him and you never will.

***

Dream never tore his onyx eyes away from you when the nightmares began.

He was admittedly livid. You had dared lie to him in the face and once again refused his advances; on top of that, you had dared insinuate that he had hurt you? He would not have it. He could never hurt you, much less torture you – but he also was not above showing you what could happen to you should you go on defying him like so.

He had not meant to show you Nada's predicament, truth be told. It was a last-minute decision, but he had not in his entire Endless life encountered such blatant, insulting refusal. The venomous words you had uttered to him on his bed would have garnered a far more agonising punishment than he had given his former lover, if it had not been for the fact that it was your kindness that had once helped save him from an aimless existence. Your words felt like a slap to his face, sure, but he knew you did not deserve such a cruel sentence.

By the end of the nightmare, you had been writhing on his bed, as if in pain, and crying profusely. You were muttering in your slumber, calling out for your parents in despair. He gradually allowed the effects of the nightmare to wane to let you breathe and he knew you were drifting in and out of sleep, even though you had not realised.

"I'm sorry, Mom and Dad," he heard you whisper, half-awake, clutching the sheets beneath you and weeping softly. "I couldn't be a better daughter. I miss you guys so much. I wish I hadn't moved out so soon…if I stayed, I would still be with you and I wouldn't be here…"

Then you proceeded to toss to your side and curl into a foetal position, hugging your knees in want of comfort.

Dream's heart ached at the sight. How could it not? Despite your continued rejection of him, he truly loved you enough for him to feel your pain on a physical level. Deciding to put an end to your suffering, he approached your trembling body and planted a kiss on your head, and took away with him the effects of the potent nightmare he had given you. He had had enough, and the way your sobbing ceased and your breathing evened out gave him some sort of relief. He then replaced the nightmares with fond memories of your parents and even crafted a dream where you were once more back to your old job, writing what you pleased.

As he sat on the edge of the mattress and stroked your hair, his thoughts drifted to your parents. Although they had raised you the best they could, he could not help but criticise the way they initially pressured you into excellence the moment you showed potential. Not that he was a perfect parent, himself; his own son perished and he had a hand in it somehow. Loathe as he was to admit, your mother and father loved you with all their hearts and had been severely affected by your disappearance. He knew about their tireless efforts of trying to locate you, as futile as it may be. If you had been amenable to a proper courtship and accepted his initial offer, he would've introduced himself to them and formally asked them for your hand, but he brushed that thought aside. There was no point dwelling on what could have been.

You needed rest from the lingering effects of the nightmares. He had no regrets showing you that dream of your parents, even if he hated your reaction to it. Content with the punishment he gave you, he went off to work.

He had a proposal to plan, and a wayward sibling to visit.

***

You were still shaking slightly as you climbed the stairs leading to a balcony far up the castle, just like the note you had found on the nightstand instructed when you woke. It was an after-effect of the nightmares you had last night, you suspected. Your attendant, who was leading you to the designated meeting place, had even taken pity on you and allowed you to wear flats instead of the heels that the dress you were supposed to wear came with. Your legs almost gave way as soon as you arrived and saw him.

Your jailer and tormentor.

Dream of the Endless sat on a round table filled with an assortment of breakfast pastries in a basket, leaning comfortably on his straight-backed wrought-iron chair. His gaze was far away into the view the balcony provided, but his eyes shifted as soon as your attendant announced your arrival.

You couldn't even make eye contact with him as you sat on the only remaining chair, and you could feel those intense blues bore right into your soul. A memory of them blinking on an abstract painting made you shudder inwardly.

"Eat, my beloved," he commanded. "We are to discuss an important matter when you finish."

Your attendant poured coffee into your cup and promptly placed herself inconspicuously on the corner, likely anticipating the needs of her king. Wordlessly, you picked up your cutlery and began to eat, even if you had absolutely no appetite. You picked a danish, purposefully avoiding the baguette on the basket and even giving it a glare like it was its fault you landed in this predicament. Instead tried to enjoy the coffee, which admittedly, was a thousand times better than any coffee you had ever tasted in the Waking. He watched you the entire time, his kingly posture only shifting once you put down your knife and fork and pushed your plate away.

On cue, the attendant took the plates and the bread basket away, leaving your cup of coffee, and disappeared for good. You waited with bated breath for whatever he had to say.

"Next time you wish to cry 'torture,' remember that I have been nothing but gracious and merciful despite your continued defiance."

Ah, so he was still bitter about what you said last night.

"Nada." You blurted out, totally unprompted. Morpheus narrowed his eyes a little at the mention of the name.

"What about her?"

You squirmed in your seat at his biting tone. But he was the one who showed you the dream – you had the right to know.

"What did you do to her?"

"What I refuse to do with you: sentence you to Hell for defying me."

Curt as his response was, it chilled you to the bone. He sent a woman to that horrible place just because she rejected him?

"And my parents?" Your voice almost broke at the question, as memories of them grieving over your disappearance flooded your mind. "Why would you show me all of that?"

"I take it you miss your parents."

"Was that dream real?" You asked, your voice solemn. "Did it…did it really happen?"

"Yes."

They were losing the house just so they could keep searching for you. The thought of them homeless, sleeping on the streets in the bitter cold, made tears gather at the corner of your eyes and spill. You couldn't control them any longer, because you knew, no matter what they did, they would never find you.

"Their determination to find their beloved daughter is admirable. It is such a pity their search is futile," he said, mirroring your thoughts.

Amidst your tears, you shot him a reproachful look at the way he rubbed your mother and father's predicament on your face. You quietly wiped them away with your knuckles as you watched a ghost of a grin appear on his lips.

Jackass.

"Which is why I have decided to release you back into the Waking World."

His words made you stare at him in disbelief. It couldn’t be, perhaps you misheard him.

“I will allow your return to the Waking, to your parents, and to your old life,” he repeated, perhaps for your sake.

You blinked at him, twice, to make sure you weren't hearing things. He made no move to correct his words, but knowing him, anything he offered you came at a price that could very well cost you your soul.

"Why would you do that?" You asked slowly.

His smile grew to a smirk – this was an offer you already knew you wouldn't like. He straightened his posture and spoke with all the authority a king such as him could possess.

"Because you will marry me," he said with conviction. "You and I will be wed and you will wear a ring to symbolise your devotion to me as my wife and my queen. If you submit to me fully – heart, body and soul – on the night of our wedding, I will arrange a new life for you: one where you live your old life in the Waking World during the day, and come home to me and fulfil your duties to me as my wife, and to my Kingdom as its queen, during the night."

Surely your brain has short-circuited – you gaped at him openly in your shock. He seemed to grow amused with your expression by the glint in his eyes, but you could also tell he was dead serious.

"Something I said, little saviour?"

You opened your mouth to speak, thinking you could easily say 'Yes, go fuck yourself, thank you very much,' but instead, you ended up with, "You're letting me go, seriously?"

He nodded once and firmly responded, "If you become my wife in every sense of the word, yes."

Realising you still had a bit of coffee in your cup, you downed the tepid liquid all in one gulp. You couldn't help but wonder if it was proper to ask for something a little stronger.

"But, how would that work?" You then asked, choosing your words carefully. "I'd be married to you, but then you'll let me go? I find that too good to be true."

"You will simply divide your time between my realm and the Waking."

"I don't believe you."

"Believe what you will, my beloved," he said, his tone growing more amused with your increasingly suspicious expression. "But I assure you, it will not be any different compared to merely sleeping and waking."

You leaned back against your chair to stare at the blue sky and contemplate. He clearly has put a lot of thought into his offer, but there were other factors that needed to be addressed.

"I can't be a queen. I don't know anything about being one! I'm just a human, I have no royal blood, I have no training –"

He interrupted your rambling with an impatient flick of his hand. "Your stature matters not to me. You already possess the heart of a queen in my eyes. There is no one else I find more worthy."

He meant it as a compliment, but even that didn't ease your worries. "What would I tell them when I get back? I can't just go missing and then reappear as if nothing happened…"

You imagined there would be so many questions from so many people; where you've gone, why you left, how you got back – all of them posed challenging to formulate believable responses to.

Morpheus raised an eyebrow at you. "You have read the book, have you not? I can manipulate reality to an extent. I can make it so as if you never left the Waking. Your disappearance will seem but a nightmare to them, and one that they shall forget in time, as they do most dreams."

"And that is if…I willingly marry you."

Once more, he nodded. "I will, however, require nothing but complete surrender." This time, he leaned forward and placed his clasped hands on the table, continuing, "And, know this, my beloved: if there is but a small amount of unwillingness in your heart, I would know, and everything I offered will be forfeited. As such, you shall stay in my realm forever and will never be allowed to set foot in the Waking."

This made you raise your eyebrow back at him. He's really not leaving anything to chance. "What if I decline your offer?"

Surprisingly, he was rather nonchalant about it. He tilted his head slightly and said, "It is of no consequence to me, but you leave your world wanting of your presence. I, in turn, shall simply continue our…unconventional courtship."

You had no response to that. Everything he has so far offered you has been to his advantage, leaving you very much the disadvantaged party. Damned if you said yes, damned anyway if you didn't. You stared blankly at nothing, chewing the insides of your cheek in indecision. He must've taken pity on you, for he decided to break the silence.

"You need time to consider my proposal, I understand. I will leave you to it. I have duties to attend to for the day. In the meantime, you are free to roam the palace grounds. You need only seek me should you come to a decision."

He stood from his chair, straightening his coat, and approached your side. He bent down so he could whisper somberly close to your ear.

"Mind this, my beloved: the longer you tarry, the longer your parents suffer your absence."

You were about to come up with something to retort, but instead, you caught a mouthful of sand. He had disappeared, off to fuck-knows-where, and left you alone to make an important decision. Once you coughed out the last of the sand, you rubbed your face with your hand and groaned in frustration.

Returning to your parents, and to your old life, in exchange for marriage to none other than your captor. You’d be forever bound to him as his wife, and while you’d continue living the charade that would be your life back in the waking, you’d come to him by nightfall and he’d do with you as he pleased. And even if you refused his offer, he’d also likely do with you as he pleased. Every day, you’d pretend as if all was well in your world while being slapped repeatedly with a reality involving a husband that just might send you to the fiery pits on a mere whim.

If you refused, your mother and father would continue their fruitless search, ruining their lives and breaking their hearts forever in the process. They’d blame themselves for your disappearance until the end, unaware of your fate that this cosmic being has selfishly tied with his.

You fought the urge to vomit what little breakfast you ate with one thing on your mind: did he ever really give you a choice?

***

It was sundown in the Dreaming when you arrived before the massive doors of Dream’s throne room.

You’d been sauntering about aimlessly in his castle, thinking about everything and nothing at the same time, until you reached these doors. On a regular day, your parents would be having tea at this time, your dad probably reading the paper for the fifth time, and your mom probably playing a jewel-matching game on her phone. Idle, comfortable, safe. You hoped they’d still be doing the same, but that would be wishful thinking.

That was precisely why you had made up your mind.

The doors opened without your prompting, which you took as a sign to step forward, heading straight to that tall, all-black-clad king standing at the foot of the stairs leading to his throne.

He had been waiting for you.

His eyes were burning in anticipation as soon as you got close enough to see. And those same eyes glowed with the stars it held, utterly victorious as you said ‘yes.’

Better you suffered forever than your own mother and father.

“What happens now?” you asked solemnly, trying not to feel thoroughly defeated. Morpheus approached you with an air of perverse delight as his eyes twinkled.

“I believe we are to be wed.”

Your heart began to beat faster at the realisation. “What, like, now?”

“Yes, my beloved,” he dipped his head closer to yours as he breathed, his eyes half-lidded and focused only on you. “At this very moment, we can be wed, right here. We need only utter our vows to each other, as husband and wife, and a witness, to make it official.”

Trying not to panic and failing hard, you stammered, “W-wait, I thought there were preparations, like an officiator – “

“We have no need for an officiator,” he interrupted. “I answer to no authority but my own. Matthew,” he called the name louder, and the sound of flapping wings echoed in the throne room, followed by a raven landing on the floor before the both of you.

“You called, sir?”

You blinked twice to make sure that you hadn't gone mad. Did Matthew the Raven just speak?

“Call for Lucienne,” he told Matthew, like a talking raven was the most normal thing in the world. Maybe it was; you were in the Dreaming, after all, where anything is possible, including marriage to a cosmic being that ripped you from a life that you belatedly realised you actually liked. “Tell her it is for an urgent matter.”

"I know you," you addressed the raven, whose attention immediately was on you. "You pecked at my gla – "

"My beloved, this is Matthew, my raven," Dream cut you off again, this time, with just a little hint of impatience in his voice. Dream curtly introduced you to the raven, who promptly ruffled his feathers and dipped his head at you in a polite bow. "Formal introductions can be made later. Go, Matthew."

"On my way, boss. Nice to meet you, my lady, and congratulations!" Matthew once again bowed at the both of you, and you watched him as he took flight and disappeared.

A cold hand laced around yours, and you turned to see him bring it close to his lips to kiss your knuckles, all while staring intensely into your eyes. Like ice-cold water being splashed right in your face, it hit you: this cold, cruel, hungry eldritch nightmare was going to be your husband pretty soon.

Maybe you could run fast, and maybe when you do you'd run into a portal that'll take you back to your world and he won't be able to catch you…

But the pained faces of your parents stopped you from taking your hand away and heading for the hills.

The doors swung open, revealing Lucienne, who strode to her king with a worried look on her face. She sent a curious look at your still-linked hands before addressing her king.

"My lord, is something the matter?"

"Nothing so worrying, Lucienne," he replied in a lilting tone. "I called to ask you this: will you, and in addition, Matthew, grant us this honour of bearing witness to our vows of marriage?"

Lucienne's expression changed from worry to surprise, adjusting her glasses as she clarified, "Sir? You're getting married? Right now? I mean, congratulations are in order, and to you, and my lady," she dipped her head in a small bow at you, which you returned with a shy grimace. "But may I ask why you would settle for such a humble ceremony? Shouldn't there be a feast, a gathering of representatives from all the other realms?"

Morpheus made a point of using your hand to pull you closer to his side with a grin. "Make no mistake, Lucienne: I will not deny my kingdom, and all the realms in the universe, the honour of celebrating the new and rightful queen of the Dreaming, but the festivities are of lesser priority. Now, I have a beautiful bride before me." He turned to face you, lightly caressing your cheek with his fingers as he continued, "I loathe to keep her waiting."

Perhaps touched at his loving declaration, Lucienne placed her palm on her chest and smiled fondly at the display. "Of course, my lord. It would be the greatest honour."

"Yeah, boss, go get her!" Matthew cheered from the top of the arches in the ceiling.

Oh, he's almost got you, alright.

"Very well. We shall begin." He declared with finality. His eyes glowed silver for a split-second, just as you felt the clothes on your body shift: you peeked down to see that he had dressed you in a sleeveless, all-white satin gown hugging your every curve, tied at either shoulder with only a satin ribbon. By the way scanned your figure and nodded to himself appreciatively, you could tell he liked how it looked on you. Maybe he fancied how pure you looked in it.

When he's done with you, would you still be?

Morpheus clasped both your hands in his, his eyes solely on yours, as he kissed your left hand and whispered your name against it.

"Will you take me, Dream of the Endless, as your eternal husband? Do you pledge your trust, your devotion, your heart, and your soul to me?"

Do it for Mom and Dad, you repeated in your head over and over.

"I do," you responded faintly.

The throne room is dead silent, as both your witnesses seemed to be holding their breaths just as you were, but the eyes of your almost-husband screamed triumphantly as he released your hands and waved a finger. A silver ring, adorned with a ruby, appeared floating in your midst, which he then plucked from mid-air.

"Then you shall take this ring," he went on, as placed the ring on your finger. The jewel's blood-red colour faded to white the moment it touched your skin. "A symbol of my endless vow: that to you, I offer protection, loyalty, and love, until I am Endless no more. From this day forth, I claim you as my wife, and we are bound together until the end of days."

The ring now rested ominously on your finger, without a trace of red, and was the heaviest piece of jewellery you had ever worn. It felt as if it was burning your skin, even though it gave off no heat. It made you want to scream and tear your hair out.

Your husband's eyes now bore on yours with a dark, jubilant look, just as sinister as the ring he just used to bind you to him for eternity. An impatient-sounding squawk from above alerted you both to your witnesses' presence. Morpheus smirked in amusement despite the interruption.

"Matthew, would you care to do the honours?"

"Hell yeah!" Came his raven's response. "You may now kiss the bride, boss!"

As soon as the words were said, he cupped your cheeks and placed his lips on yours. It was soft, short, even loving, by normal human wedding standards, and then he let go, and proclaimed to the entire realm:

"We are now officially husband and wife, my precious little saviour."

He brought his forehead to yours, ignoring the way your lip trembled at his statement.

"I have been wanting this for so long."

The sound of clapping, wings flapping and cheering echoed in the throne room, just as his sand wrapped around your figure and took you somewhere hauntingly familiar. The sight of that massive bed in the dark, covered in silk midnight sheets, was enough to send your heartbeat soaring through the roof.

There was only one reason he could've brought you here.

You let out a startled gasp as a pair of cold hands fell on your shoulders. You turned around and backed as far away from the bed as you could, to find Morpheus standing where you were seconds ago, clad in a different, shorter robe with a tie around his waist. He seemed to have nothing else underneath.

"Have I startled you, my beloved wife?" He asked softly, his eyes shining in the dark and his silhouette glowing in the moonlight from the open balcony. He held out a pale hand and said, "Come to your husband."

Aside from bunching the fabric of your dress near your thighs, you made no move whatsoever.

"Come to me this instant."

His low, commanding tone sent warning signals, darkening the atmosphere of the room even further. You took a few tentative steps to where he was, stopping only when he was at arm's length. He, however, closed the distance, dipped his head to yours, and whispered, "Kiss me."

Using a finger, he traced your jawline slowly, down to your neck, lingering at your shoulder where the ribbon of your dress was. His touch immediately gave you goosebumps.

"Please," you whispered shakily. You wanted to beg for him to stop, but his lips were on yours even before you could formulate the words.

The kisses you previously shared with him paled in comparison. This was different: it was as if he longed to suck the soul out of you. His tongue chased yours, and he nipped at your lower lip when you refused to respond. His hands were on your waist and the back of your neck, preventing you from pulling away. You couldn't make a sound except the whimpering from the back of your throat, yet he drowned it all out by syphoning the air out of you. With a final peck on your swollen lips, he pulled away. As he did, you got a full glimpse of his eyes: half-lidded, dark, wanting; it terrified you to no end. Then he threw you off with his next order:

"Disrobe me."

You took ragged breaths as your hands crept up to the knot around his waist, but you were shaking so much you couldn't do anything to it. He held your hands steady and guided you, and the knot came off in no time. He then brought them to his chest, where the robe was slipping – that, too, came off, and there he was, your husband, totally bared before you. Heat spread on your cheeks as you stared pointedly at that sculpted chest, refusing to look anywhere else.

Morpheus hummed lowly as he brought his lips to your ear.

"Have you ever worshipped an all-powerful being? Let me show you how. On your knees for me, my love." He gripped your shoulders and pushed down lightly to encourage you. Your stomach churned as soon as you realised what he wanted you to do.

"Morpheus, please…" you begged as you tried to get those hands off you, but he wasn't having it.

"I command you to kneel before your king and husband," he growled.

You could feel the tears surfacing as you did what you were told, so you closed your eyes so they wouldn't. You were, after all, doing this for the people you loved. You'd be free after this night is over.

"Eyes on me, my wife."

So you opened them to find yourself face to face with a huge, fully erect cock – his hand cupped your face, his thumb caressing your cheek as if he was trying to soothe you.

It did nothing of the sort.

So you pleaded with him again.

"Please, Dream…I can't do this, please," was all your shaky voice could muster. But you found no pity in his eyes; just overwhelming desire.

"Yes, you can. Open your mouth, love."

The thumb that caressed your cheek made its way inside your mouth.

"You want your life back, yes?" He asked, as his thumb drew circles on your tongue. You nodded in response.

"Good." He smirked. "You will have to work for it. Now, I want my pretty wife's pretty little mouth wrapped around me."

So for the sake of your freedom, you swallowed that lump in your throat and allowed him to push his hard cock inside your mouth.

He tasted faintly sweet, faintly salty and musky. Above you, he groaned in satisfaction at the contact and bucked his hips to push his cock further. You closed your eyes, involuntary tears streaming down your face, as he reached your throat; he was too much, his size was more than what you could handle, and he wasn't even fully in.

A hand bunched your hair and tugged lightly.

"I said, eyes on me, wife," he commanded, his voice straining slightly in pleasure. "I want your full attention as I take your mouth."

So you looked up into those dark, lustful eyes, placed your hands on his thighs, and began to suck him off.

It was a slow pace at first, given you hadn't done anything like this before, but as you swirled your tongue around his thickness and felt it throb inside your mouth, something in you bubbled, making you rub your thighs together. He seemed to notice this, for his parted lips curled in a mischievous smile, and began to thrust forward as you bobbed your head downward to take him in.

"You're doing so well, my love…" he praised as you continued to suck and lick him.

Disgust filled you, but there was something else, too.

He was panting as he quicked his movements, and while he kept your head in place with both hands so he could take control of the pace, your eyes watered at his size and length. But, just as his cock throbbed more intensely and you felt him thicken inside your mouth, he pulled it out with a heavy groan, a trail of your saliva still connecting your tongue and its tip. He was probably close, too – not that you cared; you were thankful you didn't have to do it anymore.

Your husband helped you get to your feet, and he wiped the drool that coated your chin and the corners of your mouth. Just as you thought it was over, dread filled your heart once more as he whispered:

"Your mouth was a delight, my wife, but I would like my undoing to be inside you. Now, undress for me."

"Please, Morpheus, we don't have to do this," you tried to appeal. Of course, it was in vain.

"Our marriage isn't binding without proper consummation," he said, anger and impatience laced in his tone. "I will not ask again."

You could do nothing but choke back a sob as you hastily undid a ribbon on your dress, but his hand halted your fumbling. He looked down at you with a disapproving expression.

"Slowly, my love. I want to savour this."

So, like the obedient wife he wanted you to be, you pulled the ribbon inch by inch and undid the other side just as gradually. As soon as the ribbons unravelled, the satin dress pooled at your feet, taking away whatever protection you had left from his greedy eyes. You could hear the rumble from the back of Dream's throat as he hovered over your naked form. You were shivering from the cold Dreaming air coming from the open balcony, and from the way his eyes swept your body. Nobody has ever seen you so vulnerable.

A sob escaped from your lips, but it was completely ignored.

Pale fingers traced your body – he began on your collarbones, and made his way to your breasts, his thumb circling your nipples which pebbled at his touch. He then started stroking your waist while you continued to let your tears flow silently, before gripping your body and pulling it flush to his. You winced as you felt his erection press against your belly.

"Your beauty is staggering, my beloved," he praised.

The next thing you knew was your back hitting the soft sheets and him climbing above you.

You were in hysterics the moment you realised what was happening – you clawed at the chest that descended on your body and cried out in your despair, but strong hands grabbed your wrists and pinned them on your sides. You tilted your head so you could avoid seeing your husband's face, but in your blurry line of vision, all you could see was that damned ring on your finger, weighing you down as much as the torso sitting on top of you.

Morpheus brought his head closer with his breath fanning your exposed cheek, his ire palpable at your unacceptable behaviour.

"Remember our agreement, my little saviour. Or have you decided to eternally relinquish your life in the Waking and devote it all to me?"

You shook your head in denial, but the tears flowed freely. Gentle lips kissed them away, and you let them, as once more you were reminded what was at stake.

Just one night of this, and everything will be fine.

He pecked the corner of your lips before kissing you fully in the mouth, not caring that his cock was in it just a few moments ago. His hands roamed every part of your body he could reach. As his tongue lapped yours, he cupped your breasts and squeezed softly, and you moaned into his mouth and began kissing him back, albeit hesitantly. He pinched both your nipples at the same time, making you arch your back. It was mortifying, but damn, it felt good.

His heated, open-mouthed kisses moved to your jaw, then settled on your neck, finally biting and suckling your flesh – it hurt a little, but it was as if he longed to mark every part of you. Your skin crawled at the way his mouth moved downwards to your chest. You were breathing heavily now, both in terror and heightening desire. You let out an embarrassingly loud moan when his mouth began suckling your breast and biting the nipple. Heat surged to both your cheeks and between your thighs, and you began to feel this bizarre need for more friction down there.

Maybe this could work, just drowning in pleasure like this. Never mind who it was coming from.

With an agonising pace, that damned mouth travelled down your belly, to your bosom, and reached that aching flesh. He then spread your legs and nestled between them, his eyes darkening when he saw just how much he had aroused you.

"You see, my beloved?" He said with a soft chuckle. "You crave this as much as I do."

You were probably red in the face now, having never been exposed to anyone else like this in your life. You tilted your head and closed your eyes in your shame. You weren't supposed to want this.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of, my wife. Your body belongs to me. It is only right that I get acquainted with it."

He started kissing and biting down your inner thighs, marking them as his possession, but before you could adjust to this new-found pleasure, his hot breath was on your wet flesh and that mouth of his feasted.

His tongue parted your folds and then sucked on your clit, and he did this over and over, while you lay there, sprawled for him, panting heavily and mewling, gripping the sheets beneath you. He didn't mind that you weren't shaved, he ate and drank from you like a starved man, and your thighs automatically clenched him to keep him there. You writhed and moaned while that devilish mouth lapped up everything you could offer, and you could actually feel the tension building up in you like a coil, wanting to be released…

But then pulled away, leaving you winded and bewildered, while he looked down on you with a smug expression and the corner of his lips still glistening with your arousal.

"How can someone so pure taste so sinful?" He purred as he wiped his lower lip with his thumb. "I need you now, my precious little saviour. I have waited long enough."

His look darkened, immense hunger overtaking his features, as he descended on you once more and positioned himself between your spread legs. In an instant, the haziness of the pleasure was replaced by sheer panic, but by the time you reacted, he already had your wrists pinned above your head with a hand while he pushed your thighs even further apart with the other.

You knew what was at stake, but your resolve was at its weakest.

"Morpheus, please, please," you began to cry again. "I'll do anything else, I beg you…"

"Sshh, my beloved wife, sshh," he comforted you in a hushed tone as he drew closer to kiss your face repeatedly. He went on further, donning a sympathetic look. "Do you know what your parents dream of night after night? You, safe in their arms, loved and happy and wanting nothing. Do you truly wish for that to remain but a dream to them?"

You were in far too much distress to respond, but in your heart, you knew leaving them like that in the Waking would be a greater pain than what you would endure for this night. So, with great effort, you willed your tears to cease, which he seemed to take as a sign. Shifting slightly above you, he took his raging erection in his hand, placed it over your clit and dragged it a few times through your folds, before the tip landed on your untouched entrance. Letting go of your wrists, he cupped your face tenderly, and started pushing it in.

Nothing, not even that soft touch and that gentle shushing, could have prepared you for the pain you felt at the way his cock tore through your opening. You were petrified and in so much pain, the tears clouded your vision. Breathing shallowly, you could feel him push further into you, and your walls strained to accommodate him. He was impossibly huge, hot and pulsating, and every second he spent inside you was pure agony.

"Morpheus, please," you begged, fisting the sheets beneath you for elusive relief. "Please, it h-hurts, I-I can't – "

Your words were cut off by a searing kiss and a tongue that delved into yours, drowning out your cries of pain. He drank in everything, including your tears, his teeth scraping your lips as he tasted everything. He pulled away from the kiss with a groan; he now filled you to the brim, taking a great amount of pleasure from the way you wrapped around him. He stretched you to your limits while you keened from the effort of adjusting to his size.

"My wife, my love, hush," he murmured against the crook of your neck, planting soft butterfly kisses on the places he hadn't yet marked. "After the pain, will come the pleasure."

Morpheus stayed still, his forehead nuzzling your cheek, giving you time for the pain to fade. He took your hands and wrapped them around his form. You couldn't help squeezing his shoulders as you tried to relax, which he didn't object to.

From within you, he started to move. You could feel the friction as he pulled his cock out almost completely before putting it back in. You hissed and moaned in discomfort, but he went on at a slow pace. It didn't take long before you realised that the foreign feeling of being filled repeatedly to the brim was beginning to feel quite pleasurable, but that was nothing compared to a thrust that hit a certain spot in your core that sent you reeling in its intensity. Morpheus, who seemed delighted at the rather loud sound you made, grinned against your cheek and pulled away slightly, hovering over you, and began hitting that sweet spot again and again.

You threw your head back into the pillow, lost in the pleasure he gave, moaning wantonly as he increased his pace and the force of his thrusts. It was further amplified when he gripped your hips and pulled you to him as he filled you over and over, and in no time, your body began moving in sync with his as you sought more of it. Your walls clenched and unclenched around his cock without your control, you could tell that it gave him as much pleasure as it did you, for he started groaning your name over and over.

Was it supposed to be this delicious?

Soon, your movements became more insistent, and his more relentless; every part of you fired up as the pleasure heightened. You dug your nails on his back and you could feel your pulse drumming in your ears as he pounded your core. You were clenching him harder now, your flesh clinging onto his cock like your life depended on it.

With a harsh snap of his hips, you burst at the seams and unravelled; you came around his cock, screaming your husband's name, and all you could think of was his rock-hard cock forcefully hitting your sensitive walls. He too, came with a groan and your name on his lips, sending flashes of searing hot cum inside you and flooding your core with it. Your walls fluttered around the cock that was still shooting its load inside you, and your entire body shook as your orgasm took over every thought and every muscle.

It was pure bliss, and you soaked it all in.

It took a while for the high to fade, and a little longer for you to realise he was still on top of you, his cock was still hard and still inside you, and he was suckling the base of your neck and your shoulders. He's already left you bite marks all over your body, but even that wasn't enough for him, it seemed.

Resentment washed over you like cold water, but you didn't know whether it was for him or for yourself.

You let out a noise of complaint and used your palm to push at his chest. Perhaps he got the hint, for he pulled out and away from you with a final peck on your cheek. You rolled to your side as soon as he lifted off you, and your thighs inadvertently rubbed together. You were sore down there and so wet you didn't dare look, fearing you might lose your mind if you did.

Without warning, however, you were flipped to your stomach, with your husband pinning you down with his body draped all over you.

Against your ear, he whispered, "My beloved wife, you did so well. And you're going to take your husband again."

Terror welled in your heart. You were to have him inside you again, and you didn't know how much self-respect you were going to end up with if you so much as let out another embarrassing sound out of your mouth.

"Please, we already did it once – !"

Your protest was interrupted as soon as he dipped his head to your neck and bit your flesh, and with one thrust, his cock was once again lodged inside you from behind, earning a squeal from you and a sob.

He was hurting you again, and it had no right to feel this good.

"And we shall do so again, and again," he growled against your skin. "Until I'm sated. After all, you have denied me of your body for so long…"

He began thrusting into you without waiting for your body to adjust. He was rougher, hungrier, and more voracious than ever before, and the air in the room felt heavier than when he first took you.

As powerless as he made you feel since his capture of you, it was all the more evident now, and yet all that came out of you were shameless, loud moans and incoherent babbling. He hit that sweet spot over and over again with so much force, your body couldn't keep up with his pace, you laid still underneath him and let him have you.

"You will never deny me again, is that understood?"

You couldn't respond with so much as a curse – the onslaught of pleasure as he ravaged you made it almost impossible, but the rumble on his chest told you he wasn't happy with being ignored.

"Is that understood, wife?" He asked impatiently.

"Yes," you managed to let out. "Yes, Morpheus…"

He hummed in satisfaction from behind you. "All mine, all mine," he murmured, and began a pace that made you curl your toes and cry out. From behind you, he pounded into you, while your throbbing core tried its best clamping on his cock to chase that intoxicating high.

"Oh god," you cried out.

This earned a sharp yank of your hair from him. You could feel his anger envelop you and hear him growl at the back of his throat.

"Wrong," he whispered vehemently against your ear. He pulled out of you, and you whined at the absence of him inside you. "I will not have you scream another's name while I pleasure you, wife. Now, amend your mistake, or shall I take away that lovely voice of yours? It would be a shame, not hearing the music you make while I'm – " you screamed as he put his cock back inside you without warning – "buried deep inside you…"

Whether you angered him or not was of no consequence to you; the moment he continued ramming into your increasingly sensitive hole, you cried out his name, gripping the pillow in front of you with all your might just so you could take it. The ring on your finger was now completely ignored.

"Morpheus, I'm sorry, Morpheus…" you said repeatedly.

"Hmmm…that's my good girl, such an obedient wife…taking me so well…" he praised, holding your hips and bringing it to his.

His was unbridled lust, now making it known to you, and maybe even his entire realm, judging by how loud you were moaning.

"Please, please…" you begged. But for what? For him to stop? For him to go harder?

He chuckled behind you as his pace slowed down a little. "Does my little saviour want her release?"

You had tears streaming down your face in frustration. He was just torturing you at this point, but all you could do was nod as you tried to move to get more of that friction he provided. He tightened his grip on your hips to still you.

"Does my ravishing wife want her husband's seed dripping all over her thighs like the good wife she is?"

"Yes, Morpheus," you bawled. "I'm begging you, please…"

But he continued that infuriatingly controlled pace and made no move to speed it up. He whispered in your ear, "Say what you want, my little saviour and I shall give it."

"Please, Morpheus, make me come, please…"

"Good girl," he purred.

Morpheus happily obliged with your request. He rutted into you, making you throw your head back and move against him at his every thrust. He didn't like it, though; he gripped your hair again and smushed your face into the mattress, and lifted your hips in the air so he could get better access. His chambers were filled with your echoing screams and the rhythmic noise of sweaty slapping flesh trying to become one.

For him, this wasn't about making love anymore: this was primal, this was him marking you as his forever.

You were close – you could feel pleasure, so euphoric, thrumming within your body; your walls were now clenching him harder than ever, and every thrust of his sent jolts of electricity into your abdomen. So close, so close…

From behind you, he commanded, "Now, be a good wife and come for your husband."

And so you do; you came, so much harder than the first, screaming only your husband's name into the night. His thrusts became more erratic, his cock pulsed inside you, while your thighs quivered, your walls clamping down on him. With a thundering growl, he found his release, and sent ropes and ropes of his seed inside your walls, filling you up to the brim with it while you milked his cock for more. He whispered your name like a prayer against your hair, and bit down on your shoulder as he pumped the last of his cum within you.

It was ecstasy, dizzying and overwhelming.

As with all highs, however, came the lows, and for you, it couldn't get any lower: you were helpless, tired, and underneath a husband who was still inside you as you caught your breath and realised just how low you'd sunk.

"My love, you were exceptional," he said with a kiss on your shoulder, right on the spot that he bit when he came. Just as he pulled out of you, you felt some of his spend leak out, so buried your face in the pillow in absolute shame.

You did this to get some of your life back, but even the reminder didn't make it any easier.

You felt the bed move, and your husband shifted beside you.

"I am, however, nowhere near sated," he said with a smirk. "I am not done with you. Now, kindly get on your hands and knees for me, my good wife."

You could only whimper in protest at the way his insistent hand gave your ass cheek a good squeeze. He helped you get on all fours, then positioned himself behind you, rubbing the tip of his cock against your clit before plunging its entirety inside your aching walls with one forceful thrust.

Just this one night, you reminded yourself, then everything will be fine.

***

You were limp, sore, and exhausted beyond anything. After the seventh orgasm, you've lost count of how many more your husband had managed to force out of you, and your thighs were slick with the cum he had pumped inside you. Morpheus didn't seem to mind the mess you were making on his thighs as you sat on top of him with your legs spread to accommodate him and clung onto him with your arms around his neck, your aching body sprawled on his chest. The only thing anchoring you to your horrendous reality was the jolts of unwanted pleasure being sent into your core brought about by his ceaseless upwards thrusts, spreading all across your body and overstimulating all your nerve endings.

"One more for me, my beloved, you can take one more for your husband," he had kept saying.

When you orgasmed, it was rapture in almost every sense – you buried your face at the crook of his neck and blacked out for a few microseconds, only to be pulled back to consciousness by the warmth in your core courtesy of his spend inside you, and the mighty groan he let out as he, too, found his release. You actually cried softly in relief as he halted his movements.

It was over. It was over.

You thought you were going to end up sleeping in that position, but he rolled both of you over on the mattress and the pillows so gently, as if he had not just spent the entire night ruthlessly taking your virginity.

He manoeuvred you so you laid on top of him and you could hear him coo into your hair in a language that seemed familiar but you couldn't quite understand.

Whatever it was, it was oddly comforting, and along with being drained with every ounce of your energy, it was enough to lull you into sleep.

He didn't even have to use his sand.

***

You were jostled awake by fingers softly raking your hair.

As soon as your eyes opened, you were greeted warmly with ocean-blue eyes that held a multitude of galaxies. Despite waking up draped on top of a husband that you didn't really ask for, you had hope for the first time since he had spirited you to his realm. In just a few moments, you'd be back to work, just like nothing ever happened.

"Good morning, my precious little saviour," he greeted with a gentle smile.

Your lips moved, but it wasn't quite like the smile he had on. "H-hey," you greeted back as you placed your palm on his chest and pulled away as much as he allowed you to. "Uh, about our deal…"

"Hmm. What about it?" He asked idly, fluttering those enviably long eyelashes at you.

"I'm free now, right? You'll take me back to my world, and everything should be exactly as I left it."

You couldn't quite sit up, as he had his other arm around your back still trapping you to his naked body.

"Indeed," he hummed nonchalantly. "I gave you my word of returning you to the Waking in the condition that you give your heart to me fully and willingly."

You swallowed your nerves down, which were piqued for some reason. If he was playing around, he needed to quit it. Work started at nine, and you didn't really want to be late.

"And I did," you insisted. "Now, keep your promise and let me go."

There was a palpable tension as he let go of you and allowed you to finally pull away. You changed your mind about sitting up, fearing you'd pull a muscle with all the strain your body took from last night's activities. He sat up, the sheets pooling around his waist, and faced you with a sombre expression.

"I'm afraid you did not fulfil the terms of our agreement, my beloved."

Did you see this coming from a mile away? You should've, said that nagging voice at the back of your head. What else could you have missed?

"Yes, I did," you countered, your voice faltering a little. You sat up abruptly, regretting it the moment you did. All your muscles screamed in protest, and you winced at the sudden pain between your legs. Ignoring it, you continued, "I did…I did everything you asked. You said you'd free me if I did… all of this."

"And I would have," he replied, tucking a strand of your messed-up hair behind your ears. "Had you offered yourself unto me entirely. The ring on your finger shows otherwise."

He took your hand that held the ring just as soon as your eyes were on it. The white in it seemed to swirl ominously, and you didn't like the way it seemed to respond to the man who gave it to you.

"The jewel on this ring detects your heart's pure desire," he explained, his finger tracing the stone. "It was partly imbibed by my sibling's power, and partly mine. My sibling, Desire, agreed to make the ring with me, signifying a truce between us and our realms."

He kissed the back of your hand before he released it, and you took it back and nursed it as if he just stung you.

He simply went on, "Should your heart submit to me in absolution, the jewel would burn blood crimson. Alas, it has not shifted colours the entire night you laid with me."

This wasn't happening. This must be some sort of ploy to get you to stay, right?

"Now, I do not mind in the slightest, my love," he droned on, ignoring the fact that you were now frozen in place and in disbelief. "I have an eternity to win you. But as far as our agreement is concerned, I cannot let you leave."

He lowered his timbre at the last part of his sentence for emphasis.

"So all of this was for nothing?" You asked blankly and gestured at the mess of sheets on his bed.

This can't be happening.

"My love, if it wasn't for you, my sibling and I would still be in a disagreement." He cupped your cheeks in praise, flashing you a proud look. "This was essentially your first act as queen: bringing peace between the Dreaming and The Threshold."

You snapped out of your dazed trance and swatted those hands away. You had a deal and damned if he won't fulfil his end of the bargain. He must be playing mind games with you – that was the only plausible explanation.

"Enough of your games, Morpheus," you spat out. "I married you, I slept with you. You gave me your word. I demand that you take me back to my place!"

But Morpheus merely raised his eyebrow at your outburst.

"I believe you are in no position to demand anything."

"You took everything from me!" You screamed, now fully realising the shithole you've just dug yourself into. You agreed to this, and he tricked you, using your vulnerability to his advantage. The worst part of it was, he had you played right from the get-go. "I have nothing left! I had nothing going for me but your word, and now…a-and now…"

All that frustration you had for him and yourself had to be released, and you did it the way you knew: you burst into tears.

Your mom and dad. They'd never see you again.

The nightmare that called himself your husband gathered your shaking form in his arms and whispered words that were supposed to comfort you, but you struggled against him and hit his chest repeatedly. He drew your face to his chest by wrapping his hand around your head and planted kisses on your hair.

"You planned this, you evil fucking cunt, you tricked me," you yelled against his chest. "You can't keep me in here…please let me go…"

"What kind of husband would I be if I let my own wife roam the Waking and live in a condition clearly beneath her royal status? No, such squalor does not befit you. You deserve to be worshipped, and I shall, my queen, until I cease to be."

"Morpheus," you tried to implore. "Please just let me go…"

But his grip on you never wavered. "I will never release you," he growled against your hair. "You belong to me for eternity. Now, I grow tired of this petty argument."

With a swift movement, he laid you on your back, climbed on top of you, and placed a hand on your throat.

A warning.

Even with tears blurring your vision, you saw his expression quite clearly. Wanton hunger and obsession took over his features, his eyes darkening and bleeding to black, just like they did when he first invaded your life with that confession you had rejected.

"You, however, my lovely wife, I will never tire of…" he whispered darkly. "Exhausted and bruised from our previous love-making, filled to the brim and dripping with my seed… just how you always should be."

You could only watch, helpless and unable to move in fear, as he pinned your wrists with one hand above your head. He slipped two fingers inside your still-sensitive walls without breaking eye contact, and withdrew it, donning on a satisfied smirk. You pleaded with him as he parted your legs with his knees, but even you knew your begging would fall on deaf ears. He had taken everything from you, and he was about to take more – with a single thrust, he was inside you again, and with a groan of pleasure he buried his face at the crook of your neck, whispering only one word again and again:

Mine. Mine. Mine.

With every last bit of hope leaving your exhausted body and mind, for the first time since he imprisoned you, you started believing him.

***

Morpheus was in a state of utter ecstasy.

First, his plan had worked. He was aware that you weren't in the right state of mind to fully give your heart to him, let alone make the change overnight, and the ring he sought from his sibling as reparation for their past falling out had worked spectacularly, allowing you to walk right into his well-laden trap. You had given him no choice – it was a necessary move to finally seal your fate with him for eternity.

Second, he had himself fully sheathed inside your heat, drawing out all the pleasure he could derive from your union, and you underneath him writhing in the throes of passion with your moans and cries echoing in his chambers.

Third, he just had a glimpse of the ring on your hand, that token of your devotion to him, and him alone, which began glowing in the lightest, most imperceptible shades of pink.

His joy amplified at the sight. He captured your lips with his as he thrust wildly into your throbbing flesh – you, the precious little mortal that inadvertently saved him with but a small act of kindness, was now in his arms, his, and you had nowhere else to go.

********************************

Wasn't too satisfied with the ending, but please let me know what you think! This may have been the filthiest smut I have ever written, even if I have written only a handful of them lol

Also, forgive me if there were any errors, I shall edit this as soon as I can!

Tagging:

@morpheuss1mp

@alexander-arcturus-black

@typical-bistander

@ladyredstar1991

@moonmaiden1996

@musemaniac42

#dark!dream x reader #dark!dream x you #dark!morpheus fic #dark!morpheus x reader #dark!dream threeshot #dark!dream of the endless #dark!morpheus fanfic #the sandman #the sandman fanfiction #A Small Act of Kindness Series #A Small Act of Kindness Pt 3

194 notes · View notes

marymary-diva17 · 8 months ago

Text

My son my boy (3)

lo'ak and mom reader + sully family and others

Family is everything to you, and when you became a mother, you made a silent vow to never be one of those parents who favored one kid over the others. You have seen the side effects of favoritism in families and how having some kids as golden children will later destroy or weaken relationships. It seems like your spouse had refused to see what they were doing, which resulted in the relationship they have today.

y/n "Let me check on lo'ak and see how he doing, and maybe I can make him a good morning breakfast as well" You had walked into the room to check on lo'ak.

lo'ak " hey mom"

y/n "Hey honey, how long have you been up did you get some sleep"

lo'ak "Yes mama I got some sleep no need to worry I just woke up because I could no longer sleep anymore"

y/n "Are you in any pain tell me on a scale of 1-10"

lo'ak "Five, maybe my legs and arms arch so much"

y/n "Here I have some here that can help you with that" you had found some ointment that could help lo'ak with his pain.

y/n " here put this on your body and it will help but not that much"

lo'ak " yes ma'am"

y/n "Good once we run some tests, we can get you something to eat"

lo'ak " super ... ummm mama"

y/n "Yes my love"

lo'ak " If i want to go outside, can I or no"

y/n "Well maybe let's get a second opinion from Norm and Max, and if they say yes you can, but you will have to take it easy"

lo'ak "Yes ma'am" you had caught lo'ak looking at some of his injuires that had been caused to him, it was just like yesterday.

y/n " what the matter my love"

lo'ak " some of these scars will never fade on me will they"

y/n " sadly no they will heal but will stay on your body as mark"

lo'ak " do you think tsireya will love me for looking like this, hey it be running joke lo'ak the biggest freak on pandora come see him ... the shameful son of Jake sully" lo'ak had started breaking down in tears you soon ran to him and hugged him.

y/n " that girl is already in love with you I think she will love you, even if you different shade of blue or not even blue my son ..... you are my son just because you share DNA with Jake doesn't make him a father at the moment"

lo'ak " thanks mom"

y/n " you welcome" lo'ak had put the ointment on his body, max and norm had came to see him.

max " hey kid it good you are up and active"

y/n " I been keeping him buys for a while as we waited for you two to come"

lo'ak : mom let me toss around these balls and play with this blocks, it very fun to do"

norm " it good she doing that now we are going to run more test today"

lo'ak " understood I asked mom if I can go out today"

max " well it will be for you to get some fun and fresh air verse the windows here"

lo'ak " so that a yes"

y/n " yes"

lo'ak " sweet come on let run these test and I can have breakfast" the three adults had laughed at the situation some test had been ran, and lo'ak had been approved for having some time outside.

y/n " here some breakfast "

lo'ak " sweet wait why did you make so much it four people here ..."

tuk " good morning"

y/n " that why I made more your siblings and spider"

spider " hey bro we came to see you"

lo'ak " hey guys just in time mama got done making breakfast"

kiri " yes can we have some"

y/n " yes I always feed my children"

neteyam " hey you are looking good baby brother"

lo'ak " ......" neteyam seem to understand and soon went to hug his brother, so did tuk as well.

neteyam " well we are here for you and we won't leave you alone"

tuk " I love group hugs they make everything better"

kiri " tsireya and her brothers will join us later ronal wouldn't, let them come with us"

lo'ak " thanks"

lo'ak " oh yes I have some good news I have been approved to, spend some time outside"

kiri " that amazing it will be good to get out and maybe we can find, some ways to help you feel better"

y/n " that will be a good idea"

lo'ak " yes I will love that" The kids had smiled as they soon had ate breakfast with you, along with norm and max. They kids even helped clear off the table and clean up the dishes. They soon left the tent you had become worried about lo'ak and the kids.

norm " they will be okay"

y/n " I want to agree with you norm but things will never be the same, and we both know that is true" norm had places a confronting hand on your shoulders.

With the children

neteyam " hey lo'ak if you don't want them to see you scars and injuries, I can go grab my shall at home for you to wear"

lo'ak " no I'm good neteyam"

neteyam " okay"

???? " good morning" the sully kids and spider had looked up to see tsireya and her brothers standing there.

tsireya " lo'ak you should be resting it not good for you to be out here like this"

lo'ak " don't worry reya I'm good my mom approved of me to come outside, and get some fresh air and sun"

spider " she did but we are all making sure he stay safe"

aonung " wow dude those are some bad looking scars they are very cool... ahhh"

rotxo " really work on your approach on stuff"

aonubg " hey I was being nice right now"

lo'ak " it okay"

rotxo " okay so what did your mom tell you"

lo'ak " she said it will take a couple days for everything to feel better, but some of these scars will fade away as the other are permit on my body" all three teens had become quiet when they heard those words come out from lo'ak mouth.

aonung " wow that serious"

lo'ak " I'm going to learn to live with it and hey I can be similar to payakan a bit now"

tsireya " well I'm happy you found a brightside to this situation lo'ak"

tuk " hey let go play in the water ... wait can you go into the water"

lo'ak " yeah my bandages will be good in the water grandma and mom used some stuff, so I can go into the water but will need to reply later on"

tuk " then come on let lets go" the kids were walking towards the beach now they reached the village. the other kids had walked ahead all expect lo'ak as they soon came across, navi who were outside going on with their day.

navi man " that Jake sully youngest boy he awake"

navi man 2 " yes that him wow he was in the human tent for while"

navi man 3 " look what happened to him that night"

navi women " he has all those injuries and scars"

navi women 2 " they look horrible he lucky enough to be alive"

navi women 3 " I heard his mother had lash out at Jake the other night"

navi women 4 " that poor boy" lo'ak just rolled his eyes and kept on walking with the group, they soon reached the beach and they had started having a good time.

???? " lo'ak" the group had stopped having a fun they heard Jake voice, they all soon looked back to see Jake standing there with tonowari and tsu'tey.

lo'ak " time to face them" lo'ak had soon made his way towards them, getting out of the water but once he was out of the water Jake had placed his hands on lo'ak shoulder.

Jake " I'm happy you are here I'm came here right away to see you"

lo'ak " hello"

tsu'tey " it good to see you my nephew you had us all worried back there"

lo'ak " it good to be out in the open again"

tonowari " young man we are happy to see you are out with your group"

lo'ak " oh yes mama I had deiced it will be for me to get out, as I need more fresh air and sun"

Jake " how are you feel my boy"

lo'ak " well a couple nights I felt horrible you know showing up after all that happened, but looking at myself I still have a long way to go"

tonowari " we can help in anyways possible"

????? " lo'ak" neytiri had came rushing over as ronal and mo'at followed behind her. She soon reach lo'ak and was looking over her she looked sad.

neytiri " my son"

lo'ak " hey mom"

neteyam " hello everyone we had decided to bring lo'ak out for some fun"

mo'at " my grandson I so happy to see you"

lo'ak " I'm happy to see you as well grandmother"

ronal " lo'ak"

lo'ak " ronal"

neytiri " how have you been doing do you and your mom have enough food over there, I cam bring some over for you two"

kiri " they are good mom they have enough food and water over there"

tuk " yes even mama made us breakfast and we ate it with uncle norm and max"

tsu'tey " norm was there"

spider " yes dad had stayed over there to help just in case something happened"

Jake " well I'm happy to hear that maybe I or your mother can stay over and help your mom this night"

kiri " I think you should ask mama first about that dad"

Jake " Son I wanted to say I'm sorry"

lo'ak " ......"

Jake " I didn't mean for what happened that day to end that way, I didn't know as task could ended up so horrible in the end for you... I didn't mean for any of this to happen to you"

tsu'tey " yes lo'ak we are sorry if we knew this will happen we would of never had this happen"

tonowari " yes"

neteyam " what do you mean by all your are saying"

Jake " that day lo'ak was supposed to learn some lesson on respect, and become one of the people he need to stop doing what he was doing for the safety of everyone"

spider " well how did that go"

lo'ak " spider bro it okay I need to say something to them"

spider " okay"

lo'ak " look in the meantime I will be stay with mama I think it will be for the best, she might of told you this last night but I rather stay with her more often then I was before ... I need time to think about everything that has happen from the past to now"

neytiri " think about what"

lo'ak " where my relationship will be like with you five in the future, and maybe with everyone else as well who has spoke bad about me and my mom ... I want to go around acting like everything is okay wen it not okay it might ever be okay"

Jake " lo'ak"

lo'ak " no sir it has to be like this I need to spend time to heal and adapt to my new life, and the surroundings as well"

lo'ak " along with spending time with my siblings, friends, and payakan"

mo'at " yes the boy will need this discover more about himself after the events that unfolded"

neytiri " if that what you wish we can make that happen but there most be some way we ..."

mo'at " there no way the great mother has deemed this the boy journey to adulthood, and become one of the people there nothing you or anyone olo'eythan and tshaik can do about it"

???? " what going on here" everyone soon looked and saw you are standing there, and you looked very serious as you walked towards the children

y/n " lo'ak and kids are you all okay"

the kids " yes"

y/n " good go bye all of you I will have some words with the adults"

neteyam " mama"

y/n " go it will be fine hey why don't you caught some fish for dinner tonight, I know of good recipe for fish"

lo'ak " okay come on guys and hey I need the arm practice" the kids soon walked away but not before looking back at the five adults, that have caused lo'ak all this pain.

Jake " y/n I'm ...."

y/n " Jake you can say sorry as many times you can but right now, you need to give lo'ak the space and time he needs he needs to heal psychical and mentally"

Jake " yes we understand and during that time we will be here for him"

y/n " good"

neytiri " ma y/n we really love you and lo'ak"

y/n " neytiri I really want to believe you and Jake when you say, that you love us but after what has happened in the past and now it hard to believe that love is true"

neytiri " ma y/n"

y/n " we will co parent the children and have a civil relationship, and just maybe there will be something for us in the future" neytiri wanted to cry but she felt like, she didn't have any rights to cry at the moment.

y/n " I have to go for now please don't force anything on the kids any of them, and if I heard you all have then we will have bigger problems and I don't care about rank"

tuk " hey mama can you come help me"

y/n " sure sweetie take heart to what has been said today" you soon turned around and went towards the kdis, the group had watched you laugh and having a good time with them.

mo'at " I ashamed of you all today you all lost the respect of love form out only one child but many of them, and the love a women had once had for you two ... I thought you all could be better but it seems like I was wrong"

neytiri " mother we didn't ..."

y/n " you meant enough my daughter many relationships are now destroyed with children and parents along with mates ... I hope you all can enjoy the out come of what has happened today" mo'at didn't say anything else as she soon walked away, the five adults had soon left to their responsibility for the day but nothing was good for them. That night you had dinner with the kids and norm it was easy to see, that many relationships were not going to be okay, after the events that had unfolded life will never be the same.

#atwow #avatar #avatar 2 #avatar x reader #avatar x y/n #sully family x reader #avatar the way of water #jake x reader #neytiri x reader #jake x reader x neytiri #jake sully x neytiri #jake sully x reader #jake sully x you #jake sully x y/n #neytiri

71 notes · View notes

correctproseka · 4 months ago

Note

I like how the fandom knows how anxious Nene and Kohane gets but I don’t think people tend to talk about how anxious Honami gets.

Sure, it could all be chalked up to the fandom not paying much attention to Leo/need but imo I find it really interesting that Honami also have anxiety that shows up in different ways from Kohane and Nene

I ALREADY ANSWERED THIS BUT TUMBLY ATE IT.

Anyways yeah i do believe its bc people dont pay attention to leo/need in general.

Im not very much q wxs fan nor a Kohane fan, so i could be wrong, but i do believe the anxiety differences come down to

Kohane has generalized anxiety, she's awkward but not exactly anxious in human interaction, she's just . Like yknow, in general (and barely too, now)

Nene is more of a social? She IS anxious in human interactions but it does show more in shows, she's shy but can interact fine, i do believe partially because of Rui (from the start) and the rest of wxs (now), she knows they will never leave her side if she fucks up.

And Honami. Oh Honami.. her anxiety is caused by trauma. She's socially anxious, maybe also generalized but less so. And it's not only anxiety, its a FEAR, even if she doesn't call it that or know it herself.

This screenshot is from a recent en event, the kanamafu bride event, and she only talks about 4 friends. Leo/need and the girl she literally works for™. Maybe she also considers Emu a friend, so let's say 5 at most.

She knows. So many people by this point, in this same event Ena says she's a nice person and could be considered a friend, so could Tsukasa, Kohane and many others, so why does she only mention these?

She's. Mainly scared. She's scared of having to choose between friendships, scared middle school will happen again, so she's scared of calling them friends, even if she doesn't know the reason, so she's anxious, she can go on shows, she can talk publicly, although with shame. But calling people her friend? Letting people be close? That's where her issue lies in.

Which mood.

#project sekai #proseka #prosekai #colorful stage #pjsekai #puroseka #ask #anon #leo/need #honami mochizuki

37 notes · View notes

glassartpeasants · 1 year ago

Text

A Burning Heart

Shigaraki Tomura x F!Reader x Dabi

Warnings: Angst, abusive relationship, cheating, burn trauma, burn scars, toxic people, reader beats a bitch up

A/N: i tried

~~~

"It's not fair, is it? Watching him love another? Knowing that it's not you? That it'll never be you?"

Your toxic thoughts ate away at your heart as you saw him sitting at the bar with a girl sitting next to him, holding his hand.

Jealousy was a common occurrence whenever she came around. She got him to love her so quickly while you'd been trying for months for him to notice you in any romantic way.

Maybe you were too shy. Maybe you didn't have the confidence she did. Her confidence was admirable to you. Hopefully, one day, you'd have the same confidence as her. But for now, you'll watch from the shadows.

~~~

The sound of footsteps coming up from behind you made you spin your head around as you saw her entering the kitchen.

"Hey!"

"Hi…?" Her chipper attitude was a change in pace. Toga had one, but it didn't feel the same as hers did.

"Do we have any ingredients to make anything? I don't think I can stomach any more McDonald's or ramen anymore." She laughed as she smiled at you. You couldn't help but laugh in return.

"I don't think so, unfortunately. Food is hard to come by when you're a villain." You weren't lying. Times with food have been much tougher ever since the heroes have been cracking down.

"Hmm. That's a shame. Maybe we could disguise ourselves to get food!"

“We don’t have any money.”

“You guys are villains! Since when was money a problem?” Oh yeah. She wasn’t a villain. How could you have forgotten? She loved to talk about what she did that day when she wasn’t hanging out with Shigaraki. It's not like you were jealous or anything. You chose this lifestyle, so it’s your fault. Right?

Your reason for being a villain wasn’t that bad. At least that's what a few people have told you.

~~~

You can remember the cheers people gave your boyfriend when he walked out coughing with the child in his arms. Remembering your own voice as you gave him a big kiss, calling him a hero. You remember the spark in his eyes when you said that. At first, you thought it was just something small, but you’d soon learn that wasn’t the case.

He tried desperately to get his hero license. No matter what, if there was a way to prove himself, he’d do it. He’d cancel out on date nights, started being suspicious of everything, using his quirk on things around the shared house.

“What are you doing?!” You remember when you caught him using his quirk in the house. It was only made worse since it was fire based.

“Oh, calm down! Nothings gonna happen!” As soon as he said that, he let out a sneeze which caused him to lose concentration, and a small flame of his quirk hit the curtains, setting them a blaze not even seconds later.

You both tried putting it out but when you realized it wasn’t going to happen, you called the fire station as you desperately tried to grab anything sentimental. Even if it meant getting burned in the process.

The fire raged, and soon the house was engulfed in flames as you stood outside with what things you could carry as you started crying. Not a single peep from teh man who caused it.

You were taken to the hospital as you had gained some burns. Both of your arms, some on your left calf and a small patch on your face.The scars still with you today.

You can't remember if he visited you in the hospital.

After the day he saved that child, he wasn't yours anymore. Now, he was theirs. If only you would have saw it sooner.

When you were okay to go home after the fire, he looked at you differently. Not the same look he use to give you. Not a loving one, but a disappointed one.

He spent more and more time away from home and began working even harder to become a pro hero, and finally, after so long, he got his provisional hero license. One step away to becoming a pro hero he said.

He wasn't a hero to you.

His license gave him the ego to think he could act however he wanted to you whether it be cruel words or dismissing concerns. He was ignoring your calls and texts.

Or even cheating and getting rough with you.

You remember your heart breaking and tears pouring down your face as you heard the sounds of sex coming from your shared bedroom. You heard the words that slipped from your lover and his mistress's mouth.

"When are you gonna end it with that scarred freak?"

"I've been trying, but I've been busy with hero work. Trust me; I haven't loved that thing in a long time."

In a moment of rage and heartbreak, you took to whatever platform you could and told your story to anyone that would listen.

It instantly got attention. With him being an upcoming hero, all spotlight was on him for a minute, so hearing any slight drama was like bees to honey.

To prove you were a thing with the upcoming hero, you took a video going throw a photo book you made with him and you.

People sent you pics of him being seen with a different upcoming female hero. Kissing her and touching her that only lovers were supposed to touch.

Not even five minutes later, the sound of your boyfriend yelling out a loud 'FUCK' echoed throughout your shared house.

All you could do was turn on the TV and watch the news. Knowing that any moment he'd come down and see you. With black tears rolling down your face as your mascara was ruined.

You couldn't believe you dressed up for a cheater.

His footsteps echoed through the hall as he ran down the steps before stopping and seeing you sitting on the couch.

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see him wearing only boxers and saw the girl behind him hiding her body with what used to be the comforter you shared.

"What have you done?!" His angered voice rang through your ears as you slowly turned to look at him. A look of shock passed his eyes before turning back to rage.

"Why? What have I done to deserve this betrayal? I've done nothing but love you and support you. And yet, I get called a scarred freak, a thing, and who knows what else you've said about me behind my back." You also look at the girl who tries to escape your gaze and hide behind your supposed lover.

"You owe me no loyalty. Therefore, it was probably easier for you to sleep with a taken man. If he'll cheat on me, he'll cheat on you. But, you can have him. I don't want him anymore. He's all yours." The girl said nothing but looked at you with a smug yet annoyed look.

"Do you know what you've done?! My hero career could be finished!" He stomped towards you before grabbing the remote and turning off the TV. You can see heat slowly rise through his hands.

"Cheaters never prosper. You shouldn't be a hero if you can hurt someone so casually and not think twice." The sound of flames rang through your ears as you saw his hand covered in it. Fear coursed through you, but you didn't dare let it show.

You didn't get time to react before a burning pain hit your already scarred cheek. A hit so strong it forced your head around. Another searing pain happened not long after when you felt his hand wrap around your throat before lifting you up in the air. The familiar burning pain from before started, and it only made it harder to breathe.

"You've cost me EVERYTHING!"

"Hey, hey! Let her go!" Through your newly shredded tears, you could see the mistress trying to pry his arms away from you, but nothing worked.

You desperately tried kicking your feet at him and managed to kick him in his lower jaw causing him to drop you.

"Fucking bitch!" A bright flame was tossed at you, and the familiar pain of being burned all those months before was brought back as the fire attacked healthy skin.

The flames caught onto the carpet, which quickly spread to the walls. You sat on the floor, too weak to get up, and you tried putting out the fire that had started on you.

Once your ex had seen the damage, he looked at you before grabbing his mistress and running out, leaving you to defend yourself.

Looking back at it now. He probably intended for you to die.

You did all the steps to try and put out yourself before trying all the windows since the door was now blocked by the flames that burned higher and higher.

Smoke entered your lungs as you tried to escape. The house was older than the old one you had, so the flames grew faster, and the windows were stuck shut.

All except the 2nd-floor window. So, it was either death or suffering broken bones.

And that's where you blacked out.

You woke up in the LOV infirmary. Toga had spotted you collapsing to the ground by the bar. At first, she was going to kill you but was then too curious about the burn scars that seemingly covered your body and the newly burnt wounds that you sustained.

You were afraid at first. Your quirk wouldn’t have done anything to protect you if they were to try anything, but seeing that they addressed your wounds gave you a sense of slight safety. Why would they kill you if they treated you?

It was only seconds after waking up is when you saw him.

~~~

Looking in the mirror was always the worst. Seeing how horrible you were scarred with there being nothing you could do about it made you feel like shit. It didn’t help when people would shoot comments your way and say horrible things to you. Even before you were a villain, people were so cruel.

“God! How can she go out in public like that?”

“Mommy, is that a monster?”

“With a face like that, I’d kill myself.”

Tears brimmed your eyes as you remembered how cruel people were to you and still are. They didn’t even know you and yet still said so harsh words. They claim to want a loving and peaecful society but go behind the scenes and treat people who did no wrong like this? The world will never be peaceful and loving as long as those scum exist.

You could feel your anger boiling over as you stared into the mirror, wishing it would break in fron tof you. But of course, it didn’t.

Stomping out of the bathroom, you go into the main area before laying on the couch farest away from the bar.

“Oof, what’s got Mrs. Flammable all upset?”

“Fuck off Dabi.”

“Ouch, such painful words.” The sound of female giggling echoed into the bar as you heard the voice of Shigaraki and his girlfriend sitting down on the bar top. Seeing them together is not what you needed right now.

“(Y/N)?” Your eyebrows raise when you hear shigaraki’s girlfriends voice call out to you. Remembering her name wasn’t really on your priority list as you and her have never talked to one another outside of a few times.

“Yeah?”

“Can you make dinner tonight? I’m really tired.” You could have sworn that you told her yesterday that there wasn’t anything to eat.

“We don’t have anything to eat.”

“Well. Can you go get SOMETHING?” You could hear the annoyance in her voice. Unfortunately for her, the burns on your body has been flaring up recently and has been hurting a lot more than usual. So going to a store or stealing something would have been unbearable. Plus, why did you specifically have to go?

“I can’t. I’ve been in a lot of pain recently and no amount of healing ointment has been able to calm down the flare ups.” You always make sure you have ointment stocked but this was just oen of the times where it was useless.

“You don’t look that bad.”

“Oh sorry, would you like me to cry on the floor in pain? Scream in agony perhaps?” The sound of Dabi’s snickering filled the room as what sounded like other league members entering the bar lounge.

“Ask someone else to do it. I’m not going.” Putting your foot down was always a little hard for you, its even worse when your arguing with the boss’s girlfriend. You’d been there longer than her so you don’t know why she has to have superiority over you. Thinking about it harder, soon connected a lot of dots for you.

Toga and Magne told you one time on a mission on how shigaraki’s girlfriend was super passive aggressive and rude towards them. Telling you how she’ll act all nice in front of the rest of the boys but when it’s just all the her with Toga and Magne, she turns super mean.

It confused you a little thinking about it now. You were in a room alone with her once and she didn’t seem to be mean. Maybe it just went over your head as you were super sleepy when she approached you.

“Baby, im hungry. Tell her to go get me food please?” You could barely see the little glare she gave you before attaching herself to shigaraki’s arm and pouting.

“(Y/N). Just listen to her and got get something alright?” You could see a small smirk ride up on her face.

“I’m not her fucking slave to do whatever she wants. I’m literally in excuritacting pain right now. I respect you as my boss in the highest degree but there is no way I’m going to put myself through horrible pain and the risk of getting caught. She has legs, she’s not a villain, she can get her ass up and do it herself.” All eyes seemed to be on you. The one that scared you the most were the ruby ones that dug into yoru soul.

“Guy guess what i got!” Spinners voice filled the room as everyone turns to look at him. In his hands, held bags of what were all different types of nonperishable foods.

“Ah! Look! Our knight in shinning armor has saved the day.” Letting out a laugh, you look at her with a glare before walking towards your room. Trying not to limp in pain the entire time.

~~~

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“Fucking ughhh….who is it?” The pounding at your door woke you up with a headache as your eyes try to adjust.

“I need to talk to you.” The voice sounded familiar but you couldn’t put a face to it.

“It’s 8 in the morning. Whoever you are I’ll talk to you later.” Silence before the door opened up and light beamed into you room.

“Hey what the hell? You can’t just open my door like that!” Through the brightness, you can see the familiar figure of shigaraki’s girlfriend standing in your door frame.

“I said I needed to talk to you.”

“Just cause your the boss’s girlfriend doesn’t mean you get to go into peoples rooms without permission!”

“I can do whatever i want. Who’s going to stop me?” You furrow your brows as you get out of bed and stand up. You were only wearing a tank top and shorts so more of your scars were available to see. You could see her look at you up and down with a grossed out look on her face.

“Jesus. Your more fucked up that I though.”

“You bang on my door, burst into my room withou tmy permission, then tell me how you think I look? Are you fuckign serious?”

“Yeah I am. Maybe it will give you a sign to fuck off my boyfriend.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“I see the way you look at Shigaraki. It’d take a fool to not notice it.”

“Okay? I zone out and stare at people what do you want me to do?”

“No, it’s more than just zoning out. I know you like him.” Venom seemed to be building up inside her as she looked at you with hatred.

“Yeah. I find him attractive but im not a homewrecker.” You rolled your eyes as you glare at he woman in front of you.

“Like he’d give you the time of day anyways ha!” rage soon started to boil inside you. You clench your fists together until they were white as you grit your teeth.

“What the fuck is that suppose to mean?”

“It means he’d never like a disfigured freak like you-”

CRACK

The sound on her body hitting the floor with a loud thud seemed to echo inside your room as you look down at her. She clutched her nose with her hand and you could see blood dripping out of the cracks of her fingers as she looks at you with wide eyes.

Before you knew it, you winded your fist back before throwing another punch towards her. Then another, then another, until all you could see is your fist flying down and punching her anywhere that you could.

The sound of her cries must have been loud enough to echo as everyone soon started running towards her cries, only to see you on top of her, beating her senseless.

“(Y/N)! What the fuck are you doing?!” You couldn’t even hear them. All you could hear were her words repeating in your mind over ,and over, and over again. Each time it made you grow more angry.

Just then, you felt arms wrap themselves around you before picking you up and moving you away from teh cowering woman. You struggled to get out of whoever’s grip by kicking your legs and thrashing around.

“(Y/N)! What is going on?!” Dabi’s voice finally cuts through your rage and brings you back.

“I…punched her.”

“Punched? More like beat the shit outta her! You almost turned her into a bloody mess! Your lucky I grabbed you before Shigaraki did!” His hands grab your arms as he looks at you. Looking back at him, you could feel tears brim your eyes as you bit your lips to try to keep from crying.

“She…she called me a disfigured freak! I-I couldn’t let her say that! I already h-hear it enough from people outside the league! I don’t need to hear it from people who’s s-suppose to be on the same side!” Hiccups and sobs erupted out of yoru throat as you cried to Dabi. You probably sounded like a blubbering mess. You probably looked horrible to. God you haven’t cried this hard in forever.

“I-I didn’t ask to look like this! I didn’t ask to be in pain almost every day! She doesn’t k-know what it’s like!” You could feel Dabi’s hold on your arms soften as your tears blurred your vision. You could feel your tears fall off your face and onto your shirt.

“You’re the only one that understand Dabi. Your the only one that knows what its like to hurt like this.” Dabi said nothing as just continued to listen to you speak.

You didn’t know what you were thinking, but he was right there and at that moment, you just needed to feel someone next to you.

Wrapping your arms around his body you hugged him gently. Crying harder in the process. You stammered out nonsense as you felt Dabi tense up before calming down. You thought he was gonna push you away but instead, you felt him wrap his arms around you too.

“Yeah. I do understand.” A hand slowly started petting your hair as you just listened to the sound of his heart while crying.

“But you know what?” You look up at him through tearful eyes as he sends you a small smile.

“You may be a freak to them, but your beautiful to me.”

#mha #bnha #shigaraki tomura #tomura shigaraki #dabi #shigaraki x reader #tomura shigaraki x reader #dabi x reader #touya todoroki #toya todoroki

219 notes · View notes

bogusbyron · 3 months ago

Text

Show notes from my double show day on 8th august 2024. 2nd show was largely very similar so any extra notes i took on that show are added onto the emds of the relevant scenes. Enjoy!!!

(Ignore the amount of times i mention jordan)

1) Stew snapping the book shut in the prologue real sharp will always make me giggle

2) fun little stolen time pause before stew delivers "do not forget me", makes it short and snappy (SHOW 2: stew threw the yellow slip so jvj would have to go collect it.)

3) valvert stare-down before javert's exit. Okay

4) at this point i wrote "can't find harry. Worried" because i was scanning the ensemble for harry lake and he WASNT THERE mad as hell

5) verry good low note on "dirt beaneath" in the prologue .. milan❤ (SHOW 2: in that little bit when he steals the coin from the child they messed that the hell up girl you caught jackshit)

6) understudy bishop! Every other time ive been it was Adam Pearce . I think i prefer him but the u/s had a really nice rich voicr which i fw , not quite as deep as adam but i liked him. He was a lot more stern & firm as bishop, with bits like "remember this" and "passion" being quite harsh.

7) valjean wincing when the bishop helps him stand (SHOW 2: when talking to the policeman after the robbery, valjean shakes his head at the bishop who then nods back at him. Heartbreakinf ohmy gyat)

8) "my life was a war" line being half-spoken, in a very distressed manner... quite liked that. Also he sobbed a bit after "allow this man" which got me in the feels.. let valjean cry 2024 (SHOW 2: harsh on "hate" in I had come to hate the world)

9) higher note on "god above" which scratched the brain

10) jesus christ milan can hold a note . The whole "eye for an eye" crescendo drives me batty and milan does not disappoint

11) swallowed before "he told me that i have a soul" not sure if that was intentional like at all but considering his nervous delivery on future lines like "ill escape now" i thought it fitting

12) ENSEMBLE TIME🗣 tom is so hard NOT to spot, ginger ass hair. And also during At The End Of The Day he was hunched and staggering dramatically which made me giggle. Also bonnie langford spotted leftmost factory woman. Not important but i saw her. Also jordan was one of the workers and he cheers on the fight between fantine and the other woman but as soon as he sees valjean comes down the stairs he hurriedly goes back to looking busy writing at the desk. Again i giggled .

13) idk if its just me being stupid but katie's wig lookee different to how i remember it last time did she get a new one. ⁉️⁉️

14) "when i was young and unafraid" almost spoken. Ate🗣

15) THE BRASS ON THE I DREAMED A DREAM CRESCENDO UUUUGGGHHHHHHHHHH I ALWAUS GET GOOSEBUMPS ON "SHAME" UEGGGGHHH goosebumps also on "i had a dream life would be" katie's voice ao good ans clear ill go nuts

16) i think jordan was the first dude in lovely ladies and he also got his arse tapped by one of them so that was fun . It was harry lake last time but he really got his arse slapped like he stumbled offstage and everything

16) the woman with the hat in lovely ladies i forgot her actress' name but i LOVED her voice . I gotta know if she understudies anyone cause wowzer.

17) bambatabois was pissed as hell he was screaming his head off like a toddler

18) here i wrote "JORDAN POLICEMAN ON DA STAIRS🔥🔥🔥" handwrote the fire emojis and everything. He was playing one of the policemen and he climbed the stairs. I liked that

19) little fantine sob after javert says "i have heard such protestations" which BROKE my heart ohmy gah. Also katie always eats the crescendo on "you let your foreman send me away" that whole bit drives me crazy the music and strings bruh ohmy

20) javert's "monsieur le maire" very curt and sharp almost a hiss which i dont think ive delivered like that before ? Looove snappy javert

21) like when i saw stew & milan on the 14th they have homo moment at the cart when javert holds valjeans bicep for far too long and his voice even goes up higher on "a memory stirs" as he stares into his eyes for Way too long

22) low note on "comes to court" which scratched the brain

23) valjean snatching his coat from javert LMFOAOAOO

24) his whole mini-monologue was so funny cause he was REALLY pronouncing his "k"s so it was just like traCK🗣ed him down through thICK🗣 and thin. And to maK🗣e the matter certain theres the brand upon his sK🗣in. He will bend. He will breaK🗣 this time there is no mistaK🗣e

25) slight pauses between the last "i am damned" in who am i like I. Am. Damned

26) i feel like milan is a lot more determined and deliberate and sure of himself as compared to chris' much softer and "mature"? valjean. Which i find interesting

27) katie somehow so good at singing even when "frail" helloooooooo shes actually cracked Get out

28) valjean so soft with fantine though godbless she makes my heart ache. He had her face against her cheek which i thought sweet

29) CONFRONTATION SLIDE HIIIIIIIT🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣 GO STEWART

30) Valjean scoffing before "men like you can never change" made me giggle hes so sick of his shit

31) gay as fuck fight. Will never get over stewart's insane gagging coughing and whimpering when hes thrown to the ground after being strangled. What the hell. I have a slur to say (SHOW 2: as javert was knelt down in front of valjean (🧐), when he pulled back his fist to fight back it looked like he was about to punch valjean in the balls but luckily valjean knocked him oit before he could do this)

32) BONNIE LANGFORD🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣 shes really witchy as mme thenardier kind of obsessed. I like her a lot . Her naturally high pitched voice creates a very interestinf tone when singing as mme thenardier which i LOOOOVE

33) when cosette asks her not to be sent out alone she kind of like steps back almost like shes afraid of cosette . Dont know whether this was fear or her being taken aback that cosette would reply but still made me laugh

34) JOOOOORDDAAAAAANN🗣🗣🗣 FUCK YALL KNOW ABOUT THE DUDE IN THE RED JACKET , hes the one who shouts "over here landlord" or some shir and "this place has gone to hell" before the song properly starts. The WHOLE song he was such a delight to watch, hes so camp and did the gayest of walks and dances and whatever the fuck , ohmy god he was so funny . If anyone goes to see the show soon and jordans ensemble please watch our for him in master of the house, tall bloke in the hat and red jacket. You cant miss him hes camp as hell. Im obsessed with him deeply and i wish i couldve watched master of the house on repeat PURELY so i could see the bloke in the red jacket. (SHOW 2: he did a kind of silly gay walk in which he did the wallace (like from wallace and gromit) hands) Here are some doodles i did of him:

35) tom was on as thenardier BTW (ginger thenardier gang) i like the way he shakes his epaulettes on "content to be". I loved tom & bonnie's rapport as the thenardiers too, so good . Tomardier on top . They were dancing together and shit during the chorus they were fun. Apparently thenardier put mme thenardier in a headlock at some point as well which is funny

36) bonnie did a little r roll on "regular voltaire". Not impoerant at all but i liked it. Also did a low note on "master and a half" which i also liked

37) kept the bit where mme thenardier says "where the fu" before realising valjean is there . And the bit where she sprays perfume up her skirt. Always a good gag (cause like i get it)

38) bonnie's pretending to be worriwd abt cosette was so good . Her comedy acting genuinely endearing and im hype

39) tom, like last time i saw him, goes really high pitched on "like our own, monsieur" which is SO funny god i love tomardier

40) on "treacherous people about" they kind of advance on valjean but then immediately cower away when he stands up to challenge them LMFAOAO

41) marius appears. Jac yarrow has a GREAT voice , but Is he better than harry lake ? 🤫 maybe im just biased . Harrius sweep

42) jordan as claquesous (which is the only character of his that gets a name) is so funny . Hes swinging around his little corner of the set a lot . Swinging from the beams and shit. I do not blame him id do the same

43) Ok first of all yaz eponine was AMAZING her "ITS JAVERT!" is so chilling. Shes awesome godbless WHAT a voice. Javert also keeping it curt and snappy and hissing "square" in Another brawl in the square. Hilarious

44) i love the way tomardier tries to escape being held by the policemen on "HE'S ---! THE ONE YOU SHOULD ARREST!" it always makes me laugh. Also voice crack on "chest" in Brand upon his chest. The way he and bonnie strut offstage after being freed is SO funny

45) OK TIME FOR THE STARS INFLECTION NOTES. Sharp & curt on "there" which i dont usually hear. Soft on "fugitive". Pronounced "god" like god-uh which was funny. Soft on "yield". Slight stolen time hold on "mine" ("is the way of the lord" as a result came out sharper). Soft on "scarce" rather than the usual hiss i hear. Dribbling a bit . Growled on "returns". VERY clear note on "bars". Sounded a bit like he struggled with "then" on Until then, but delivered as usual on the final Stars. Hoo boy go stew (2ND SHOW: only one i got was "exasperated "Always"" on And is always the same. I cannot remember what i meant by this but usually my inflection notes are somewhat accurate so let ur imaginaton run wild)

46) for some reason i noted how gavroche had really long eyelashes. I have no idea if i was just seeing things or what but yeah

47) jac has really solid vibrato honestly . His voice is GREAT . I will refrain from comparing him to harry cause i think we all know how much i like him already . But i have things to say .

48) JORDAN UNNAMED STUDENT NO1 WITH THE GLASSES 😭😭😭😭😭😭 half moon glasses he ate that. Cafe scene started off with him arguing with enjolras which i thought funny. He seemed really prim and bitchy with i loooved, dont ask me what anyone else was doing for this scene cause my eyes did not leave him

49) grantaire shouting *YOU* talk of battles to be won while pointinf at enjolras made me giggle

50) jordan scoffing off to the side @ grantaire as he starts playing catch with his bottle. Im obsessed with him. Maybe id be a les amis fan if he was there. Also he's the one who chimes in "OUR WORLD !🗣" so whatever

51) grantaire spinning around across the stage on "red" during marius' verse

52) jordan did NOT need to stand on that chair at the red & black crescendo girl you are tall Enough

53) enjolras did a silly little "HA-HA!!" I think after "blaze in their eyes"

54) jordan helping move the big staircase setpiece during do you hear the people sing... hashtag stagehands represent BIG UP STAGE MANAGEMENT🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣💥

55) Lulu may not have my favourite voice ever but she is cute as cosette i cannot lie she does little toe bounces every now and then i like that .

56) milan had a little stray loose hair that fell over his face and i couldnt take my eyes off it

57) jac quite harsh on the "burst" in She has burst like the music which was fire. Spit yo shit marius

58) yaz has SUCH powerful voice it was always so shocking everytime she sang GET HER ON PRINCIPAL NEEOOOWWW!!!!!!

59) marius did a little awkward ass wave to cosette after she comes out on the balcony to see her, like he just lifts his hand up a little, DIDNT EVEN SMILE? just ✋😦 looking slightly startled. So good. He also did a deep ass bow to her when she comes down which made me giggle

60) so jordan had like, a stick as a weapon as claquesous in the attack on rue plumet and as he runs onstage he kinda fumbled with it. Whether this was intentional or not i dont know but regardless yes i laughed. (2ND SHOW: thenardier tries to get up onto the balcony twice, instead of the usual once. The first time, claquesous gets down on hands and knees like a stool. Thenardier steps on him and claquesous immediately collapses under the weight.)

61) i dont seem to remember this happening in other shows does thenardier always hit eponine after "you'll scream alright"? Or am i insane. Because he did this show (2ND SHOW: marius blows a kiss through the fence to cosette before he runs off.)

62) YAZ DURING ONE DAY MORE BEUHHHH ohmy days.... so sosososoop good so strong... djavan also as usual strong, the way his voice always rips through the theatre is just amazing godbless (2ND SHOW: bonnie sticking her leg up in the air as she's carted off.)

63) JAVERT IN UNIFORM.......... WHERE THE FUCK IS BAKER BOY.......

ACT 2

64) Grantaire was kinda creeping up behind enjolras for whatever reason at some point. Was funny as hell

65) MILAN LIKE PAUSES AND PULLS A FACE WHEN HES READING THE LETTER FROM MARIUS TO COSETTE BEFORE HE READS THE WORD "LOVE" WHICH REALLY MADE THE THEATRE GIGGLE

66) Yaz was so delightfully gentle as Eponine i liked it . Made her powerful voice a lot more standout for me . As for on my own inflection: short on "silver" in Shines like silver. The string pickup as it builds up to the crescendo on "and i know its only in my mind" is always insane ohhumy gyat. Harsh on "the trees" in the trees are bare and everywhere. Harsh and almost spoken on the final "without me". The last crescendo was utterly gorgeous . Yaz eat yuor heart out❤

67) on jod theres usually fog for the barricade reveal. No fog this show. Disappointing.. i love fog

68) army general's bit .. as usual harsh on "you" which i like but i think he skipped a beat . Didmt note where but i remember there being a missed beat and it was a bit fast (2ND SHOW: this might have been for the 2nd attack but regardless, when theyre shouted to get down, jordan's student who was way downstage (audience) left he almost fell over when he went to kneel down . Very clumsy job there boss. Obsessed)

69) stew's baker boy matches jordan's now... last time i saw stew he was in brown. Hes in the green/red now ‼️⁉️

70) yaz's eponine seemed content to submit herseld and die in marius' arms which was so heartbreaking . The key up. Also voice break on "her name was" which made me want to punch a wall

71) gavroche hands marius eponines hat :-(((((

72) i think milan was struggling to get off the barricade he almost stumbled and had to be helped down ajdhdifhd

73) javert just kinda admitting defeat and slumping to his knees with a haunted look in his eyes ❤ getting his lapels grabbed until "youre free" will always fuck hard as well. Theway hes grabbing onto valjeans wrists though I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE (2ND SHOW: during drink with me milan and jordan were off to the side next to each other chatting away. Jvj starts to chug whatevers in his cup. Jordan goes to take the cup from him but jvj turns away so that he cant take it. Jvj alcoholism era. Additionally jvj puts his arm around jordan's character just before the final battle.... ouff... Here are some sketches i did of them:)

73) milan's vocal range is sooogood. His whole Bring Him Home just scrumptious. Plus the crescendo on the strings UGGHHHHHHH. It SOUNDED like he struggled a tad on that final "him" but Home came out GREAT ... godbless

74) final attack. I noticed jordan's student wedged away in the crevice to the (audience) left and everytime hed fire his gun hed turn away and scrunch his face up. Obsessed. I did NOT see where he died though. This tells me he did not actually die and hes alive and well❤

75) javert kissing the cross over gavroche 😔😔😔😔😔😔😔 (i THINK valjean does this too earlier? Possibly he did this in the 2nd show)

76) tomardier holding the dead body's jaw and making it say "breath away from hell" in a stupid voice". He also did a silly posh voice on "thankyou sir im in your debt". "And god in his heaven" almost spoken i think. I alsofind it funny how he kicked over marius' body and stepped up on his arse

77) Javert seemed to almost miss & run past valjean ans marius LMFAAOOO i had a little giggle.

78) Jvj looking so sick of javert will never not be funny hes sooooo fucking done

79) I very much liked the slight distant stare like a moment of reflection before he sings "take him valjean!" adds a little to that bit i think. Yum. Thanks stewart

80) Soliloquy inflections. "Who is this man/what sort of devil is he" GROWLED rather thsn the usual scream he does . Liked it i cant lie. He was quite shaky especially on "caught in a trap" which was LAAAVELY...... spat "back" in Gave me back my life . Harsh on "mocked" which is always delightful to hear, a classic . Absolutely delectable tone shift and becoming quite weak and almost croaky for "how can i now allow this man". He was even hoarse for "gave me freedom", and weak on "die as well". As per the Stewart Clarke Special there was a tremendous glob of spit escaping him on "sins" in Shall his sins be forgiven . Absolutely delightful voice crack on "begin to doubt". Another glob of spit in "lost in shadow". SUPER shaky "i am reaching". Yet another glob of spit on "stars are black". Low note on "escape now". And, as per, hit that shit (2ND SHOW: voice crack on "he" in "devil is he". Whimpered "gave me my life". Snarled "it was his right". Another glob of spit on "sins" like the first show. Whimpered "and must i now". Another glob of spit for "escape now".)

81) anyway , empty chairs time. Quite short on "on and on". Lovely and rich delivery of "never came" (thats a hard note to hit comfortably!).. again jac's vibrato was very notable to me !!!!! He delivered "phantom shadows" very upset like a half-sob. The following "empty chairs" very harsh. SHOUTED "don't ask me".

82) i liked his distant & haunted stare during every day ughhh mawius...

83) lulu as usual hitting those insane notes Go girl!!!

84) i really liked milan's acting during the confession - i personally preferred chris' performance but both absolutely stellar. His expressions were wonderfully desperate

85) i think someone (djavan?) almost missed their cue as ome of the servants during the wedding i saw them jogging onstage to help with the table LMFAOAOOO

86) if you didnt know already, bonnie langford does the splits when she curtsies when she appears. She also seems more interested in the drinks djavan servant has to offer than the plan to scam marius . She keeps trying to set thenardier right and then tiptoes off to take a swig of wine. Giggled

87) when marius tells them to go away thenardier turns around and says "for god's sake" LMFOAOAOAO

88) after thenadier is punched by marius (does his classic 270° spin) he falls over and gets stuck on his back, flailing around like a tortoise while mme thenardier cackles like a witch

89) they do the littlw pointy toe gay dance together hashtag true love (2ND SHOW: tomardier blowing a kiss at the lord.)

90) milan during the epilogue always heartbreaking he is wonderfully frail. Absolutely lovely gentle low notes . He was almost sobbing on "on this page" which made me want to start killing. Sniffed before "its a story". Very shaky voice on "to my keeping". ... suicide tomorroeeeeee

BONUS) since i had nothing more to note down in the epilogue i drafted the next chapter of my fanfiction.

#les mis #textposts #show notes #if i cant find where i posted my other show notes from may 14th ill just reupload at a future date if anyones interested in more stewvert

19 notes · View notes