#which is why i seized the chance to post this

[napping-sapphic]

take your clothes off and get on the bed what no we aren’t having sex right now we’re cuddling and pressing every inch of skin together as close as possible for the next six hours

[happysnowseal]

Deals and Desires (final)

Sylus x OC | Midnight Stealth!AU

genre: smut, lil’ comedy, enemies to enemies who fuck

rating: explicit

description: You fail to find the brooch within 24 hours, so the twins suggest you offer Sylus something else in return for getting into the auction—your body. Turns out, your desires are aligned, no matter how twisted they seem. 

word count: 8.8k

warnings: IMPROPER use of Evol, tentacle smut, “rope” bondage, lore from Midnight Stealth and the two chapters we meet Sylus (duh), Luke and Kieran being instigators, mentions of hentai, OC’s turned on by Sylus and his Evol and is conflicted, rough sex, breast play, fingering, oral sex (male and female receiving), double penetration, unprotected sex (this is fiction), standing 69, mirror sex, sneaky sex, electrostimulation, cum eating, multiple rounds. 

a/n: IT IS DONE. IT IS HERE! I made a post saying imagine Sylus manipulating his Evol into tentacles to fuck OC with… and voila! This was born. I incorporated a lot of the game dialogue/events but also put my own spin on it. Asks, comments, and reblogs are much appreciated! 💌

You must be sick in the head. 

Ever since you witnessed those black-red tendrils dissipate the man in black who abducted you into nothing but mere crimson specks, something strange awoke in you. Witnessing such a cruel death shouldn’t pique your curiosity, but beneath your horrified expression was a deep fascination for the leader of Onychinus’ powers. Not that you’d ever tell him.

A simple flick of the wrist or snap of the fingers is all it takes to summon those menacing black-red tendrils. The powerful mist would coil your vulnerable body, manipulate it, bind it—all for his intentions of resonating with you. 

However, as the shopkeeper had stated, you can’t resonate with him. On a subconscious level, you’re rejecting him, scared of him, or disgusted by him. So you wonder: is it possible to fear him yet desire him also?

When Sylus proposed a deal that would aid you in your quest for the Aether Core, you couldn’t resist. You had twenty-four hours to find a brooch he had hidden somewhere in Onychinus’ base. Yet despite searching every nook and cranny, you came up short of nothing. 

The first time Sylus caught you, he was reading a book on the couch. His calm demeanor didn’t match his appearance, which screamed sin. The gold-rimmed glasses on his face matched a gentlemanly scholar's, but his body was adorned in a lavish red robe, with a V-line low enough to expose his toned pecs. Seriously, who was he showing off for? 

“Get out.”

Once you were caught snooping, the same black-red mist formed make-shift handcuffs that bound your wrists. You groaned, dwelling on your loss. 

The second time he caught you was when he was dusting his shelves, his back toward you. He was no longer in his robe, having changed into a black dress shirt and matching slacks. Without sparing you a glance, one word left his lips. 

“Leave.”

The black-red tendrils were back around your wrists and you whined. “Ugh… I was caught again…”

Third time’s the charm, right? You had your gun loaded and after cocking it, you said to yourself, “This time for sure, I’ll…”

A pair of black slippers showed up in your peripheral and you slowly looked up to see the same, steeled expression in those crimson eyes and that cursed red robe again. It was like a second skin on him at this point. He let out a weighted sigh, which diminished your confidence.

“... I know. I’ll go now,” you said, defeated. He didn’t use his Evol this time, and you’re at war with yourself as to why you even noticed. Or why it mattered so much. 

The last time Sylus caught you was the worst. He was in the shower, so you seized the chance to search his bedroom. Desperate, you even sunk to the low level of animal abuse when you shook Mephisto, his crow with mechanical wings, like a piggy bank for answers. 

That’s when Sylus turned off the water and panic struck you, so you hid. There was a small window of opportunity to escape, but a phone call came in, deterring your plans. He answered, you eavesdropped, and when things were getting juicy, he noticed your presence and chuckled.

“Mr. Sylus?” the man on the call said. 

“It’s nothing. Just a stray cat who happened to barge in.”

This time Sylus not only apprehended you by the wrists, he lifted you in the air as black-red mist swirled around his left hand. The call ends as he sets you down on the bed, and you wish the floor would open up and swallow you whole. Not because you failed, but because you didn’t want to face the humiliation of how his Evol brought back a certain spark you thought fizzled out.

Sylus’ back was turned, selecting a record before placing it on his record player. 

“Have I underestimated your determination or overestimated your intellect?” he asked. You stared at your bound wrists, trying to ignore the shiver that ran down your spine.

“You’re the one who suggested a deal. But here you are making things difficult—” you said, fiddling with your thumbs. He approached you, a stern look flashing across his sharp features.

“You’ll have to work harder.”

He grabbed one of your wrists, and red sirens went off in your head. Your mind raced a mile a minute, wondering what his intentions were as he dragged you off the bed. You commanded him to let go, and he obliged, but only after he shoved you out of his room.

“Leave,” he said, his head gesturing to your right, “I’m going to bed.” 

At least he kicked Mephisto out too, so you didn’t have to face the loss alone.

Which brings you to the present. You’re scribbling doodles of the bastard as an outlet for your anger, making the stylish choice of adding devil horns on top of his head. 

It’s bad enough you’ve been trapped in Onychinus’s base for who knows how long. The man who’s held you captive should be your worst enemy, yet every encounter ignites an inferno in the pit of your stomach. Try as you may, but the dark thoughts you shove in the back of your mind are bubbling to the surface. If anything could anchor you back to reality, it’d be this—remember the mission. 

You were to get into the auction to find the Aether core, which you can’t do without his help. But you couldn’t find that stupid brooch, so you’re back to square one. You scrawl over the sketch of Sylus, the pressure harsh enough that the paper threatens to tear until only a tornado of black ink is left. 

“You’re pulling your hair out over this, huh?” Kieran says, sitting atop a table with his back towards you. He looks over his shoulder, so his voice will reach better. “If you want to do something, maybe we can help you.”

“What do you mean?” you ask, casting the notebook aside.

“If you want to conquer our boss’s heart, you’ll have to use a different approach,” Luke says, leaning back in his chair. 

“I’m not trying to conquer his heart. He’s trying to conquer mine if anything,” you retort, folding your arms across your chest as you stand. Luke pulls a book from underneath the table and slides it across in your direction. You walk over, pick it up, and drop it just as quickly like it was a ticking time bomb. “What the fuck?!” 

“Strike when he’s off-guard!” the twins chorus with Kieran leaning forward as Luke makes claws with his hands.

“Yeah, I suppose anyone who receives a hentai novel would be caught off-guard! What’s wrong with you two?!” You have to tear yourself away from looking at the erotic cover, depicting an anime girl being fucked by black tentacles belonging to what seems to be a demonic being. He had it all: horns atop his head, ebony eyes, endless tendrils, and a smokin’ hot bod like Sy—wait. No. Don’t look at it anymore. Even sparing it another glance feels like corruption and sin. 

Luke chuckles, taking the explicit material back and flipping it open to a specific page. “For some people, they get bored once they have everything. So only those who dare to challenge their authority can catch their interest,” he reads. 

Kieran’s sharp memory allows him to quote the story without having it in his hands.  "When you're dealing with such a person, you bow down and submit or take them out in one go."

“What are you on about?” you ask, exasperated they’re quoting the pornography like it’s a holy scripture. Luke shuts the book and slides it towards you again, but you grimace like it’ll taint your soul.

“If you don’t want to conquer his heart, perhaps it’d be smarter if you conquer his… desires.”

“If you bow down and submit, maybe our Boss will have a change of heart and help you get into the auction. I mean, no one’s ever offered him their body,” Kieran adds. Your hands fall to your side, balling into fists until your knuckles turn white. 

“I’d rather take him out in one go,” you say through gritted teeth. It’s not like you haven’t tried. However, the crazy bastard used you to shoot himself in the chest and you haven’t been the same since. Man thinks he has regenerative healing properties and he’s all that. Pfft. “You two are insane if you think being promiscuous is the solution.”

“In the end, Boss wants to resonate with you. You don’t have to like him, but your body can. Think about it,” Kieran insists, tilting his chin down slightly. The mask he wore shields his face, but you can imagine the impish grin from his inflection. “There’s nothing more intimate than spending a night together.”

“Read the comic,” Luke says, and you can tell from his tone he’s smirking despite the matching mask on his face. “Maybe you’ll find it enjoyable.”

“N-No. This is insanity. You’re telling me your Boss wants to fuck someone with his Evol as… tentacles?”

“Now you see why no one’s ever offered their body,” Kieran says matter-of-factly.

“This is stupid,” you mutter, clasping a hand to your forehead. “I’d rather die than fuck Sylus.”

“She might die even if she does fuck Sylus.” Kieran’s quick to elbow his brother in the side, and your heart is lodged in your throat, beating so loudly like it’s about to burst. He’s right. You could. You’ve seen what his Evol could do to a person.

But you’ve also thought about what it could do for a person. For you. 

“Just… think about it,” Kieran says, his voice gentle like he’s coaxing a kitten out of its hiding spot. “If you give our Boss his ultimate desire, I’m sure he’ll do the same for you. You’ve never once thought about him in such a way? You’re not a tad bit curious?”

Luke and Kieran were treading dangerous waters. These two instigators somehow burrowed into your subconscious, forcing you to come face-to-face with your depravity. 

You roll your eyes to maintain aloofness, but the book ends up in your possession seconds later. “I’m taking this for research. You’re sure this belongs to him?”

“Absolutely!” they chorus and you’re not sure hearing double aids their credibility. 

“Boss is least guarded when he’s sleeping,” Kieran informs. Aren’t we all?

“You only have one shot,” Luke says, emphasizing his point by sticking up his forefinger. “Don’t waste this chance. Just do it!” He gives you a supportive fist pump and you peer down at the lewd book cover again.

What choice did you have? The twins presented a rather salacious solution, but Sylus was your only means of getting into the auction. As Luke said, if you can’t conquer his heart, perhaps you can conquer his desires.

No matter how twisted.

Three hours later…

Time slips away from you as you’re engrossed in your “research.” Not only was it full of filth, but the plot (if you can even call it that), was eerily similar to your situation. The girl on the cover was a demon hunter who fucks a demon to get him to do what she needs. Every drawing is breathtaking, detailed, and graphic. The way his tentacles bent her body to his will, the various positions, how it slithered around her body—it awoke the same feelings you had the night you met Sylus. 

The dialogue instilled shame, lust, and more than enough sexual tension to charge a lightning storm. You had to pause every few pages, fanning your face until your cheeks cooled enough to continue. An earthquake couldn’t pry this masterpiece from your grasp and you were determined to finish it. 

Once you’re done, you slam the book shut. You take a deep breath, regaining a sense of clarity when a realization dawns on you.

This was why Sylus’s Evol fascinated you. How every time he manipulated your body, a surge of adrenaline coursed through your body until your heart nearly gave out. You indeed feared him; everyone did. But fear was a mask you’ve clung onto so desperately to disguise the dark truth.

Sylus could’ve killed you at any time, but he chose not to. Sure, he has ulterior motives, but the control he has over his power is undeniably sexy, and knowing he can’t kill you meant you had control over him too. 

You’ve hidden your desires under revulsion and endless banter when maybe he was right. You’re two kindred spirits, who are more alike than you want to admit. Someone created this book to satisfy the same urges you’ve been depriving yourself of and if Sylus indulged in these fantasies, then you’re not insane for wanting the same thing.

You’ve made up your mind. 

If you offer your body to Sylus, it’s a win-win. You’ll get into the auction and you no longer have to feel ashamed about wanting him. 

For the mission of course.

You head to Sylus’s bedroom, standing outside the wooden double doors. A pair of Evol-sealing handcuffs are in your possession, courtesy of the twins. You place them in your back pocket and rest your hands on the gold handles, giving yourself a mental pep-talk.

All or nothing!

You turn the handles and march in, seeing Sylus sleeping in his canopy bed with his back against the plush headboard instead of the mattress.

Is he a vampire? Eh. Red eyes, white hair, gorgeous—might as well be.

Climbing onto the bed gently, you watch his chest heave, his breathing evident but it’s so light that you’re tempted to press your ear against his chest to ensure he’s alive. 

“Sylus… Sylus?” you say, confirming his dormant status. A soft chuckle escapes you as you whip out the handcuffs, lifting his wrist and attaching it to the golden vintage bed frame. “This is what you get.”

Now that he’s immobile, you can’t help your feasting eyes from ogling his exposed skin. That red robe was both a curse and a blessing, a warning of caution, yet you choose to ignore it. You hover your finger above his abdomen, contemplating whether to make contact when a hand snatches your wrist, lifting it to eye level.

“Showing up uninvited at this hour… Want me to tell you a bedtime story?” he says before tossing your wrist aside. You place both hands on either side of his head and his eyes slightly widen, but he remains composed. This would be a lot easier if you straddled him, but patience was a virtue.

“These handcuffs nullify a person’s Evol for an hour,” you declare. He stares at the restraints, his face devoid of emotion before settling his attention back on you. “No matter how powerful you are, you’re helpless as of now.”

“Really?” he asks, the corner of his lips hinting at a small smile. It’s subtle and leaves as soon as it comes. “What do you plan to do then since I’ve become your prey?”

You remove your hands and lean back to sit on your knees. “You’re going to listen to my counteroffer.”

To your surprise, he nods like he has nothing better to do. Maybe the cuffs weren’t necessary. “I’m intrigued. Continue.”

Clasping your hands together, you clear your throat like you had prepared a speech when in reality, your brain is scrambled. What are you supposed to say? 

Hey Sylus, do you want to fuck and use your Evol on me like tentacles? It’ll help us resonate!

You might as well put a big fat sticker on your head that says “FREE $.99! FUCK NOW!” and get it over with.  

“I’m getting bored,” he states, stirring you from disorganized thoughts. You press your lips into a thin line, mustering whatever courage you have left. 

“Look… from the beginning, you trapped me here, forced me to resonate with you, and even said ‘we’re the same’...” You wet your lips out of habit to calm your nerves, and he doesn’t miss it. “I couldn’t find the brooch in time and need your help to get into the auction. And you want to be able to resonate with me. So…”

“Get to the point.”

“I’m offering you my body for the night,” you blurt out. He raises an eyebrow and his usually calm demeanor breaks for the first time as a flicker of confusion dances across his face. You would take pride in that, but his face quickly morphs, so you jump out of bed with your hands up, worried he’d deny you. “Hold on. Let me explain.”

Not like he had a choice. The fact he was handcuffed eludes you for a moment, but once you remember, it eases the tension in your shoulders. He waits for you to continue, the smug look on his face not helping to ease your nerves. 

“I don’t like you and you don’t like me. But you want to resonate with me, so if we sleep together, maybe… I’ll hate you less. Besides, we have similar desires. I’ve seen the way you look at me.”

His eyes glint a haunting crimson from the golden glow of his night lamp. “Do tell. How do I look at you?”

Your knees almost buckle from his deep, smooth voice. “Like… Like… you hate me.”

“Astonishing misunderstanding. Yet somehow you’ve concluded this means we should sleep together?”

You might as well die of embarrassment. “If it’s for the mission, I can detach my personal feelings. We do this and there’s a chance I’ll be able to resonate with you better. After all, what’s more intimate than spending the night together? It’ll work unless… you’re inadequate in bed.”

It’s brief, but you’re sure Sylus clenches his jaw as his lips press into a slight frown, his eyes narrowed on you with laser-like focus. You turn away from him, smacking your cheek like a spanking for being stupid enough to question Onychinus’ leader’s skills in bed.

“Are you done?”

You whip your head around. “Um… yes.”

An exasperated sigh escapes him. “You say you failed to locate the brooch, but your twenty-four hours aren’t up yet. There’s still time.”

You place one hand on your hip while the other waves him off, dismissing his words. “I’ve searched everywhere already!”

“Everywhere. But not everyone.”

The light bulb in your head goes off and you’re back by Sylus’ side on the bed, holding your palm out like an entitled brat. 

“Where’s the brooch?”

His smile reaches his eyes and he gestures his free hand across the expanse of his body top to bottom. “Help yourself.”

“Don’t mind if I do.”

You run your fingers along the black lapels on his robe, checking the inside layer first. The fabric is silky smooth to the touch, but you’re distracted by how hot his skin is on the back of your fingers. No brooch though.

Next, you check the outside of the lapels and sure enough, you feel a hard, circular object. Pulling it out, you see the crow brooch with a lustrous ruby in the center. You giggle with glee. 

“Do you really think I hate you?” he questions. 

“Now it doesn’t matter at all. I won!”

“Deals have conditions and my condition wasn’t met. The offer has expired already.”

“But you said…”

Shit. The handcuffs on Sylus start to glow red, similar to how blacksmiths heat materials in a furnace. The metal soon melts, allowing your once prey to become the predator.

Your attempts to escape are futile, given Sylus’ quick speed, and you’re thrown onto the bed. He hovers over you and your fight-or-flight instincts kick in as you throw a punch, but he catches your wrist and pins it down without batting an eye.

“You’re pretty good at running away.”

“Let me go. I already have the brooch.” He pins your other hand down, enveloping his large hand over your clenched fist.

“I told you. My offer has expired already, so the real question is… when does yours?”

Sylus is staring down at you with crazed, crimson eyes as the sound of your heartbeat rings in your ears. His hands are warm, too warm. Like they’ll burn you alive or maybe that’s your body heat rising exponentially from how close he was. His scent wafts over you, filling your nose with pleasant notes of cardamom and something herbal, which soothes your nerves and helps you rediscover your voice.

“I… I…”

“Use your words.”

“I only made you that counteroffer because I thought I failed. The brooch has been found. Who cares about the rules? You’re the leader of the N109 Zone. You break them all the time.”

“Careful, sweetheart. My patience is running thin. I’m only keeping you around because you’re still useful. And…” He squeezes your fist like he wants to pry it open. A warning. “I truly enjoy seeing my little prey struggle.” He brings your enclosed fist in front of his chest. “Especially when it thinks it can get away from me. Now tell me… what similar desires do we share?”

Okay. Maybe if you scream loud enough, Mephisto will fly in and—

“Answer me.”

Who were you kidding, Mephisto would sell you out in a heartbeat. That damn crow better not have seen you reading pornography. And those twins… they better start counting their days.

You pull your lower lip under your front teeth, hoping to seal your answer shut for good. But Sylus’ right eye glows red, and you writhe underneath him, turning your head to the side. His Aether Core will reveal your deepest desires if you make eye contact. 

Sylus grabs your chin and forces you to look at him, probing into your subconscious and witnessing all your shameful thoughts. Eerie voices fill your mind, their murmurs are difficult to understand, but the pain they bring is borderline unbearable—an unfortunate side effect of Sylus’ intrusion. Once the glow in his eye fades, you feel like yourself again. But the twisted smile on his face let you know things were far from over. 

“So that’s what you mean by shared desires… You want me to use my Evol on you. No… you want me to fuck you with it.”

“That’s not true! Luke and Kieran—”

He runs his thumb across your lips, an effective solution for your yapping mouth. “Such improper use of an Evol could have devastating consequences. You are too gullible, kitten.”

Damn it. Those two…!

“Don’t call me that,” you bite back. 

“Oh? You have quite the mouth on you today. First, you make a big show of offering your body to me and now you don’t have the guts to tell me exactly how you want me to take you?” He leans closer, his lips ghosting above your own with the slightest touch. “Confess your true desires, [Y/N].”

“N-No. The twins set me up.”

“That book may not belong to me, but I assure you… my desires are all my own. And they align with yours. All you have to do is confess.”

He doesn’t move and prolongs eye contact to where you feel stifled, trapped, and heated in places you shouldn’t. The leader of the N109 Zone doesn’t play around and knows what he wants and the means to get it. But you like challenging him. You like being challenged by him too.

You stay quiet because giving in too easily is what he wants. 

“That look in your eyes… Are you trying to seduce me?” You form what you believe is a scowl, but it results in another teasing smirk. “As long as you have desires, there will always be deals to make. So what will it be?”

“I want to get into the auction,” you say, uttering the same script to maintain a semblance of professionalism. “That’s all.”

He sees the brooch jutting out from the space between your forefinger and thumb, easily able to lift it from you. “Don’t move.”

To your surprise, he pins it on your shirt and sits on the edge of the bed. You sit up and lean on your elbows, tilting your head at his sudden behavior change. 

“Technically, you did find the brooch. I won’t go back on what I promised you.”

“Wait, that’s it?”

“You sound rather disappointed.” He gets up, and you follow suit off the bed like a lost kitten. “If getting into the auction is all you desire, consider it done. You can leave now.”

His back is facing you, and you can’t help but wonder if he’s disappointed too. You fidget with the brooch, running your thumb across the smooth jewel. Without thinking, your hand latches onto his like a magnetic force. Sylus spins around, glowering as you intertwine your fingers through his.

“Let me resonate with you.”

“So brash… you’re getting more and more interesting.”

He entertains you and utilizes his Evol, the black-red mist wrapping around his forearm like sprouting vines as he brings your entwined hands up to eye level. He closes his eyes as more mist envelops where you two are connected, and you watch with bated breath as scarlet specks float inward. 

Devour him… he’s yours. He’s right there before your very eyes.

Those eerie voices are back, and you’re strangely compelled to heed their words. An ivory glow shines where your palms meet before an explosive burst of energy emerges, a spiral of lethal scarlet and radiant white from your combined powers. Sylus opens his eyes and lets go of your hand, allowing ivory flakes to cascade down like confetti. 

“It’s a shame. But not a surprise.”

“We can try again. Let’s—”

“I admire your tenacity, kitten. But I think we’ve had enough excitement for one night.”

Your insides feel like an unattended kettle, whistling from immense frustration and on the verge of exploding. You can’t leave now. Not after he gave you what you wanted. There is a thing called give-and-take, and you’re not one to only take. The guilt would eat you alive. 

“I don’t want to owe you. Here,” you grab both his hands, “one more time.”

Sylus lifts his arms and pins you against the nearest wall with hands above your head. Your breath is knocked out of you when your back collides with it, the impact causing the lamp to nearly topple over. His glare is murderous and your sick mind dared to find it incredibly attractive.

“Your stubbornness is what’s going to get you killed someday,” he warns. You see him lean back and remove his hold over you, but when you try to move, you feel restrained. His powers; they’re bounding you. “Is this what you want? For me to use my Evol on you?”

“Isn’t that what you want? I don’t want to owe you,” you repeat. “So I’m ready for whatever’s going on here. You can… use me for the night.” The last part was barely above a whisper, but Sylus’ hum as he folds his arms across his chest lets you know he heard you.

“Do you know what you’re requesting, little one? My Evol is dangerous,” You feel the restraints tighten and they only stop when you yelp in pain. “Yet it’s almost like you welcome it. Even if it hurts. Do you like it when it hurts?”

The tension is thick enough to cut with a knife, so you kick in his direction with all your might. Hunter instincts, if you will. But the black-red tendrils around your ankle make you sweat as he lowers your leg without breaking eye contact, pinning both ankles to the wall.

“Feisty kitten thinks she’s a tiger now, huh?”

“Why don’t you get on with it already?” you snap, impatient. Sylus grabs your face, squeezing your cheeks until your lips pucker like a fish.

“What makes you think I won’t kill you?” Like his razor-sharp words, you feel something akin to a collar around your neck. It prickles your skin while restricting the flow of oxygen to your lungs and you gasp like you’re trying desperately not to drown. You feel light-headed, but his Evol takes mercy on you and grants you enough air to breathe, though you know it comes with the price of answering his question.

“Because you would’ve done so already,” you answer, though your voice is shaky. Sylus nods, as if satisfied with your reply.

“Do you trust me?”

“No.”

“Clever girl.” The praise sounds delicious rolling off his tongue. “One final question.” He releases your face and bends down to meet your eye level. “Do you desire me?” 

Having been inside your head, the answer was obvious. He’s looking for confirmation, a verbal confession to make whatever feelings you have for him tangible. The man is a walking red flag, and you’re about to wave a white one in surrender.

“If I don’t?” you question, challenging his authority one last time. 

“Then I’ll release you.”

“And if I do?”

“Then… I hope you’ll allow me to have you. All of you. Deal?”

A beat passes and you gulp, your head saying no, but your body and heart screaming, “Yes.”

His hand comes up to caress your face, almost lovingly. “Yes, what?”

“I desire you.”

Sylus gives you a full smile, the corners of his eyes creasing. “You’re aware of the risks, right? With the snap of my fingers, I can tear things to shreds,” He carries out the action and as promised, his robe is shredded to bits of black and red confetti. Your eyes trail down his well-developed abdominal muscles and pronounced V-line until they settle on… “Enjoying the view?”

His teasing lilt reminds you to close your gaping jaw. Hell yeah, you’re enjoying the view. Not only was this man well over six feet, his body rivaled that of a Greek God, and he was blessed with a massive cock too? Of course. Things had to be proportionate.

“I… you… that robe was expensive, wasn’t it?” That was quite possibly the lamest response you could’ve come up with.

“It seems like the little kitten is distracted. Probably needs a toy to keep her occupied.” Sylus flicks his fingers, commanding the whirl of black-red mist to rip your clothes and you shriek in surprise. The brooch falls to the floor with a soft clink, and he picks it up, gently putting it on his nightstand. His attention returns to you and your exposed body, and you take pride in how his cock throbs at the sight. “So she likes lace. Pretty.”

You bite back a scream when a black tendril with cracks of glowing red light slithers up your body in between the valley of your breasts, tearing your bra right off. Another one coils around your thigh before it rips your panties off too. The appendages seem to multiply, wrapping your body in an intricate pattern similar to shibari. There’s no pain and they feel smooth, cooling your heated skin.

“I can manipulate things at will with the flick of a wrist. My powers are pure energy meant for destruction, and you’re here wanting to use them for pleasure.”

He leans close to your ear and nibbles the shell of it. The sensation tickles, but you’re too tense to move a muscle. His voice is husky as he whispers, “I could kill you right now. It’d be so easy…”

You hold your breath when he leans back enough to scan your face, relishing the turmoil in your eyes. “I-I trust that you won’t.”

“You know…” His index finger travels alongside your neck, then to your breast, tracing your areola in circular motions. “As soon as my Evol makes contact with anyone, people would die almost instantly and experience the most excruciating pain.”

He’s now rolling your nipple in between his forefinger and thumb, pinching it enough to hurt and elicit a whine from you. “S-Sylus…”

“But that’s not the case with you. Do you know the violence it took to become this gentle?”

You don’t know why your heart swells, but his words were sweeter than any confession. “Thank you…” 

His eyes widen slightly and he stops his actions, tilting your chin up instead. “Say that again.”

“Th-Thank you… for being gentle with me.”

He closes his eyes and shudders like your gracious manners sent waves of pleasure throughout his body. A sharp inhale comes, and then he’s staring deep into your eyes like he could see your soul.

“What a good girl you are thanking me… but I must warn you. I meant what I said about having all of you. You’re not the only one with fantasies, [Y/N]. And mine are anything but gentle.”

“I can take it.”

He gives you a half-smile. “Is that so?”

“You doubt me?”

“No. But I think you might underestimate me. After all… I’m possibly ‘inadequate’ in bed.”

Shit. Maybe you shouldn’t have challenged him. But your bratty nature couldn’t leave you well enough alone. “Prove me wrong.”

Sylus’ resolve crumbles and he holds the side of your face as his lips meet yours for the first time. His pressure is gentle like he doesn’t want to scare you off, and once you two find rhythm, he deepens the kiss and you moan as the taste of cinnamon overcomes you. Spicy, very much like him.

His tongue prods its way through once your body relaxes, sliding across your own, the action far more lewd than romantic. He groans and carefully takes your bottom lip in between his teeth, pulling back in the most sexy manner. You moan and he swallows it, kissing you again with more fervor as his hands explore your body. 

First, he traces your curves and trails down until his hands cup your ass, squeezing the soft flesh. Then he brings them back up, kneading your breasts and you mewl at how rough he handled them. Eventually, the kiss breaks, leaving a thin trail of saliva that connects your lips until it eventually severs.

“Beautiful…” 

One word and you’re all heart-eyes for the man as heat rushes to your cheeks. If he wanted to tease you for it, he restrains himself and takes a nipple into his mouth, sucking harshly before releasing it with an audible pop. His tongue pokes out, swirling around the bud while his hand tends to the other. Your back arches involuntarily, but you’re quickly reminded of your immobility, which causes more arousal to drip down your thighs.

Sylus stops messing with your pert nipples to suck harshly between the valley of your breasts, inevitably leaving a nasty hickey. He pushes them together and then lets go, loving how they jiggle. 

“I wonder…” he muses, taking two fingers to tease your folds. “Oh… you’re so wet and I haven’t even put them in yet.”

You squeeze your eyes when he inserts them in slowly, your slick making the transition smooth as he stretches you out. “Fuck… Sylus, please.”

“What? Are my fingers not enough?” He stills and the lack of movement frustrates you to no end. You want to thrash around, but you’re still glued to the wall. 

“N-No. Please… please move them.”

“You beg so prettily,” He pulls them out and begins fingering you at a snail’s pace. “But it’s not enough. You can do better.”

“Please!” you exclaim. “I need more…”

“God, you’re dripping on my hand and I haven’t done much.” He moves faster, his fingers knuckle deep and curling in spots that have you clenching hard. It’s like he’s coaxing out more of your essence with each stroke and then challenges you with a third finger. “Does it feel good?”

You can hardly respond with how stuffed you feel, your lust insatiable as he speeds up.

“Yes? No? Maybe so?” he asks, amused by your struggle. 

“Y-Yes… good… so good…”

Your pussy is making obscene noises and you’re feeling a warmth building in your abdomen, especially when Sylus kisses your neck. His lips are scorching hot, almost searing as if you were being branded. You submit and let him mark you, focusing on the pressure within as your high is approaching. He uses his free hand to hold yours, interlocking your fingers together. 

“Fuck!” you shout, feeling like you couldn’t breathe fast enough to keep up with his bruising pace. “I’m going to come, I—”

He seals your words with another kiss, and your scream is muffled when your orgasm hits you like a gunshot. It’s brutal and intense, causing you to see stars for what feels like the longest minute of your life. 

At the same time, your interlocked palms glow bright red and ivory. Unlike before, this explosion caused a surge of power to pass through his bedroom like shockwaves, destroying most things that came into contact. The roar is deafening, but all you can focus on is Sylus and how good he made you feel. 

“Come back to me.”

You don’t realize when he stopped kissing you. Or when he removed his fingers. Or when you stopped being pinned to the wall. Sylus is holding you up and when you see how his eyes softened for the concern for your well-being, you’re smitten.

“I’m okay…”

His demeanor shifts, the change so sudden that it is like a phone going from light mode to dark mode. The man manipulates your body with his Evol and throws you onto the bed without a second thought. Black-red mist envelops your body again, this time cuffing your wrists in front. Tendrils wrap around each breast, your torso, and your neck, constricting tightly until you resemble a beautifully decorated present. 

Sylus joins you on the bed, settling in between your thighs as he lies on his stomach as if he were a sniper. He has his Evol pry them wider, so your pussy is exposed for his feasting eyes. His arms are secured under your thighs, an extra precaution to hold you in place. 

That’s when an untimely knock comes.

“Boss? Is everything alright?” 

“We heard a loud crash!”

Damn it. Luke and Kieran have impeccable timing. And the way the corners of Sylus’ lips tug into a smirk instills panic in you.

“Answer them. Make it convincing,” Sylus whispers. You watch as he dips down until his white hair is all you can see. His lips latch onto your lower ones and you’re choked up, trying not to moan too loudly as he tastes you. 

“We’re… We’re fine!” you exclaim, though your breathy tone is far from convincing. Sylus grunts in disapproval at your poor performance, and the vibrations are a suitable punishment. “Sylus and I have are having a disagree—ah!—ment.” 

Fuck, why does he have to lick your clit right at that moment?!

“Oh no, you two are fighting?” Kieran asks, his voice cracking slightly from his concern.

“Give up, [Y/N]! Our boss is relentless!” Luke adds with a faint snicker. Tell me about it.

Sylus continues to give you kitten licks before licking a long stripe across your labia folds. You’re bucking your hips because you want more, but you’re also trying to close your thighs to escape the pleasure. It’s no use when you’re restrained and have no choice but to let him eat you out to his heart’s content. It’s when he inserts a finger to join in his salacious tongue that your eyes are rolling to the back of your head.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” you breathe. “Sylus, if you keep going… they’ll hear me.”

“Then I suggest you stay quiet. What would your colleagues say if they knew the best hunter in Linkon is lusting over the leader of Onychinus?”

“I’m-I’m not!”

“Keep telling yourself that, sweetie,” He gives you a short break to clean your juices off his fingers, sucking them like they were a popsicle. “And oh how sweet you are, indeed.”

“Don’t kill each other!” the twins chorus. Sylus chuckles and shakes his head, pinching the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb.

“Leave us,” he demands. “We have ways of… negotiating. Even if it takes all night…”

There’s some shuffling before you hear their footsteps recede down the hallway until silence remains. 

“That was mean,” you whine. He tilts his head, swiping his upper lip with his tongue ever so slowly.

“You think that was mean? Oh… you underestimate me.”

He rises from your thighs and kneels on the bed, but his large frame still towers over you. “Wait, I—”

A snap of his fingers seals your mouth shut. You see the crimson specks floating around your mouth and protest, but they’re reduced to muffled squeals. 

“Like I said before… you have quite the mouth on you today.”

Your eyes enlarge when you see a black-red tentacle rise from between your thighs. It sparks at the tip, which transforms into a cock-head to simulate a human penis. It’s not too thick, but it still makes your heart beat erratically. 

Sylus takes both your hands and squeezes the right one first. “If you want me to keep going, squeeze your right hand,” He squeezes the left one next. “If it’s too much and you want me to stop, squeeze your left.”

His thoughtfulness brings those butterflies back. You squeeze your right hand and he nods, commanding the tentacle to run its tip up and down your folds. It brushes your clit every so often, which makes you sigh in pleasure. Then it enters you slowly, your arousal making things run smoothly. 

It penetrates you about six inches deep before pulling out halfway, only to slam back into you with greater force. Your cries are muffled, but Sylus can tell you’re enjoying yourself by how your eyes roll back. The appendage thrusts into you at a maddening pace, your body rocking back and forth from the notion, and Sylus enjoys seeing the erotic sight of your tits bouncing. The tendrils around your breasts constrict while smaller ones branch off, wrapping around your nipples and teasing them too. 

The make-shift gag around your mouth converts into another cock-head tentacle, forcing its way in so you’re sucking it off. Sylus groans at the beautiful sight of you submitting to it so willingly. 

“You’re so pretty when you submit… I can’t imagine how sexy you’ll look when I take you,” he praises. 

So many parts of you are being stimulated and you’re sure you’ll come again soon with how each thrust, both in your pussy and mouth, speeds up. It’s almost like they were losing control, taking you with them. It’s not until you feel a small spark from below that you yelp. 

The sensation was like static electricity that you get if you rub your feet on a carpet. Not life-threatening, but a nuisance that stings for a brief second. 

��My Evol is energy manipulation… that energy is hard to control sometimes…” Sylus says in a low voice. “It might even shock you.”

You can’t hear much over the squelching noises from your pussy and mouth as the tentacles work into you, hungrily, greedily, until the build-up from below is enough to cause your whole body to shake involuntarily. Your orgasm approaches and then is heightened when a small jolt of electricity shocks your clit. 

The tentacle in your mouth removes itself, so you can scream until your voice gives out. The other one leaves your pussy once you stop shaking, and you are still on the bed, catching your breath. However, you feel something warm and wet on your stomach, so you lift your head enough to see spurts of cum leaking from Sylus’ cock.

His hands are still holding your own. Did he come from simply watching you?

“I’m not going to apologize,” he says without a hint of remorse. “You excite me.”

You’re flattered, truly. Especially when his cock is still erect, almost angry with need by how much it throbs. You wonder if it’s painful.

The mist around your wrists vanishes, but your body is dragged off the bed to the opposite side of the room, where Sylus’ grand wall mirror reaches the ceiling. You’re suspended in front of it and he wraps his arm around your waist from behind, twirling your hair with his other hand. 

“Do you know how irresistible you are? Such temptation… that’s why I’m taking my time,” He takes his finger, swipes across your stomach, and gathers enough cum to coat his digit before lifting it to your mouth. “Open.”

You obey and he lets you taste himself, the action so wicked. So dominating. So sexy. His cum is salty and slightly bitter, but addictive. 

“Good girl. Are you ready for what’s next?”

“Yes.”

His Evol controls your limbs and suddenly, you’re flipped upside-down with Sylus’ cock in front of your lips while your pussy is facing his. Your legs are wrapped around his neck and you’re taken aback at the extreme position. 

“I’ve always thought Standing 69’s would be… enthralling. Always wanted to try it.”

The blood rushing to your head blurs your focus and your adrenaline spikes at the thought of possibly falling. But Sylus’ powers are strong and you’ve yet to see them falter. As if he can read your thoughts, he says, “Don’t worry, kitten. Rest assured I won’t drop you on your pretty little head.”

“It’s still scary…”

“I know. But isn’t that what makes it thrilling?” He pulls you closer by placing his hands on your ass, placing a chaste kiss on your cunt. “The sooner you finish, the sooner I’ll have you right-side up.”

Another challenge you can’t back down from. You take Sylus’ cock in your mouth and it reaches the back of your throat quickly from its impressive length. It’s also thicker in girth than the tentacle you sucked off earlier, which makes you gag. 

Sylus throws his head back, panting from how soft and warm your mouth feels. He snaps his fingers to release your wrists, allowing your hands to find purchase on the back of his thighs.

“If it becomes too much, squeeze twice.”

You respond by bobbing your head up and down, which earns a sharp inhale from him. He isn’t one to fall behind, so he indulges in your sopping cunt like a glutton, moaning and grunting into it like an animal. Meanwhile, you relax your jaw so it becomes easier to adjust to his size, swirling your tongue as you maneuver up and down.

Your eyes shift to the mirror, seeing your compromised position and lewd actions. You barely recognize yourself or Sylus for that matter. He’s so engrossed in eating you out that his eyes are closed like he’s enjoying heaven on Earth. It pushes you to work harder, keeping up with his pace.

Right before Sylus is about to reach his peak, you hear another snap. He stops eating you out and you feel something bumpy rub itself against your pussy. Then Sylus’ fingers spread your ass cheeks and you feel it probing around your other hole.

Your mouth stills and your eyes widen at the sight of a black-red tendril that’s now ribbed at the tip. It slowly enters, stretching you to take each ribbed section, simulating the action of being fucked repeatedly. Sylus is back at work, inserting his tongue into your vagina in hopes it’ll distract you from the burn, but it only makes you clench harder.

“Relax…” he reminds you before diving back in again. He’s bucking his hips to remind you to continue, and you do your best as saliva pools so much that it drips down near your eyes. Everything feels too much, too tight, especially when the tentacle starts fucking your asshole. The ribbed texture only adds to the intensity and hits spots that border pain and pleasure. 

Sylus’ hips begin to stutter and you’re seconds away from passing out from the light-headedness. Fortunately, he finishes in your mouth, the thick viscosity of his cum coating your throat while you orgasm for the third time tonight. 

The noises he lets out are feral and if you had the chance, you’d record them so you could get off to them another night. You feel the pressure in your ass disappear and as promised, you’re right-side up again, but your limbs feel like jelly. Sylus wraps his arm around your waist, his hold secure as he flashes you a satisfied grin.

“Open.” You’re still in a daze, but the command gets through to you and you show him your mouth. When he sees you have swallowed, he hums in approval. “You really do hold up your end of the bargain. I suppose I’ll finally give you what you want.”

He grabs your hand and places it on his dick, which is slippery from your saliva. He’s still semi-erect but a few strokes is all it takes to get him up and running again. The man’s a beast and refuses to be in a cage.

Guiding you to the bed, he lays down first on the mattress, his hands clasped behind his head as he rests on a pillow. In the blink of an eye, you’re suspended over him, the black-red mist parting your thighs and slowly lowering you until your pussy barely grazes his tip. Your wrists are bound behind your back now and you’re like a puppet, bent to his will. 

“What do you desire, Kitten?”

“You,” you beg. “Please.”

“You wish for me to take you raw?”

You’re nodding like your life depended on it. “Yes.”

“You wish for me to use you?”

“To your heart’s content.”

He says nothing else and sinks you onto his fat cock, and despite the many sessions he’s used to prep you, there’s still a slight burn from how much he stretches you. It feels incredible as he bottoms out, knocking the breath out of both of you. 

“Oh god…” you say, trembling from how full you feel. “You’re so big…”

“And you’re so tight. It’s like your pussy doesn’t want to let go of me. So greedy.”

The mist controls your pliant body, helping you bounce up and down without pausing for a break. Sylus does a jazz hands motion with the widest grin on his face. 

“Look, kitten. No hands.”

You almost growl at his cheap jokes, but his throbbing cock deters you from your thoughts, almost impaling you from its brute force. Sylus reaches out and pulls you so your chest meets his, his arm hooked around your back to hold you in place, giving you a short moment of reprieve. 

“Raise your head,” he commands. You feel so drained, but you force yourself to do it and he gives you a quick smooch. “I need you to relax.”

The ribbed tentacle is back and you feel it gliding in between your ass cheeks, prodding your rim every so often like it’s mischievous. 

“S-Sylus, it’ll be too much,” you say. 

“You can handle it. But let me know now if you want to stop.”

You bite your lower lip, considering his words. “No. Don’t stop.”

“That’s my girl…” The tendril pushes into your asshole, taking its time as each ribbed section feels like a repeated attack, pushing the limits of your body. You’re utterly stuffed once it’s in as far as Sylus allows and you feel his cock throb in your sore pussy. 

Sylus jerks his hips first and then the tentacle joins as they pump in and out of you, alternating and becoming more violent. You’re biting down in the juncture between his neck and shoulder to steady yourself, and he lets out a strained fuck, yes, thrusting up into you so hard that you sob, tears pricking your eye. 

Just when you think there aren’t any surprises left, a second tentacle sneaks around to your lips, seizing its opportunity to enter when you gasp. It gags you and now all three of your holes are being used and abused, bringing you closer and closer to the edge. The stimulation is overwhelming, the pressure bottling, your pussy squeezing Sylus’ like a vice—you’re both not going to last much longer.

“That’s it, that’s it—fuck, I adore you,” he pants, closing his eyes and focusing his energy to give you his all. The tendril occupying your mouth releases you, allowing the mantra of Sylus’ name to fall from your lips as euphoria greets you. 

You’ve come many times tonight, but this one saturates you in overwhelming pain and pleasure. Everything is sore and you can’t stop seeing four of everything until Sylus lifts you by the hips, coming on his stomach and not inside you. You collapse onto his chest when the mist dissipates, the two of you catching your breath. 

There isn’t enough money in the world to convince you to move, not after what you’ve experienced. Yet something lifts you off Sylus and you’re about to cry again.

“No, no more…”

“Hush now,” The mist positions you in Sylus’ arms bridal-styled as he gets off the bed, his strong arms securing you. “We’re going to the bathroom to clean ourselves up. You’re staying with me for the night.”

You nuzzle into his embrace like a kitten, and a fond smile rests on his face. 

“Okay.”

A/N: You made it to the end! Yipee! Thank you for giving my writing a chance. PLEASE let me know if you enjoyed. 🌹

[mirohlayo]

MOONSTRUCK | LN4

moonstruck (adjective)

unable to think or act normally, especially because of being in love.

( you just made lando loose all his senses )

warning : none, fluff

word count : 886

note : looks like an etablished relationship but no, just lando crushing on you lol. wrote something short for this one bc i think it suits much better. also kind of related with wonderwall post.

!! english not my first language !!

a great race.

it was such a perfect day. time seemed to stop for a while, like people had to enjoy every single minutes of this unreal moment. ends of races were often filled with happiness and a sense of pride always won over fans and racing teams. it was the amazing sport of formula one.

the drivers always celebrated their podium. with friends, race team, engineers, family and any others close people. it was an overload of joy mixed with lot of positive emotions, and these were such precious moments that must be cherished at all costs. but not everyone has this chance. this chance to say you did a great job, to say you drove well. when you feel like you're just not good enough. your being hurts you so much as if you were stabbed everywhere. no one wants to feel like that. and luckily, that wasn't the case for lando.

he did an amazing race. a fantastic job. as soon as he jumped out of his car, his race team congratulated him and praised him for his podium. p2, that's just incredible for the mclaren team. and of course, oscar was proud of his teammate. just like you. you were so proud of lando. you never stopped believing in him, you were always the one to cheer him up. that's why today he hugged you a bit longer than usual, his arms wrapped you tightly against his warm body. in that moment, everything seemed perfectly perfect. the rays of the sun dazzled only you two, in each other's arms, like a reunion of two souls who had been separated for far too long. it felt just like him and you against the whole world.

and with heavy hearts, the pilots had to separate from their favorite person to return to the one final task : post race interview. so as did lando. he gave you a soft smile filled with an amount load of love and let you out of his embrace. he took place in front of the interviewer, and kept his concentration for the race questions. the spot was that the mclaren team was still in front of him a few meters further, so he could still see the people he loved celebrate the efforts of both mclaren drivers. he saw lots of wide smiles, sparkles in all eyes. everyone was still cheering and lando's heart felt full of happiness and love.

his mouth was speaking words, answering bunch of questions about how was the race and stuff like that. a noisy background, filled with laughters and cries accompanied deep lando's voice as he was still talking to the interviewer. his eyes scanned everywhere, sort of a habit he have every times it was post race interview time. he looked from the mclaren engineers to his tired but proud teammate, from the fans of the paddock club to the others drivers. and then he saw you. your person.

his gaze immediately softened, as if he had found reassurance in you. his eyes laid on you so effortlessly because every time a weird but pleasant sensation seized him, as if he was hypnotized by a stunning thing. you were shyly laughing with his manager, charlotte. a crystal clear sound escaped from your mouth which turned into a beautiful smile. the way your eyes slowly squinted, shiny sparkles in them, your cheeks' lines came out and embellished even more your face. your perfect side profile that lando's couldn't help to look at. the sun rays colored your skin in an orange-pink shadow. now it seemed like the world stopped. he captured an unreal moment of you. wow. you just looked like a goddess. a pure gem he wanted to chase after and keep it for himself. and just with this glimpse of you, he started to loose all his senses.

now he was stuttering. he acted clumsy, saying dumb and incoherent things. he stammered on his words, let little "huhh" "hmm" out of his mouth while he was thinking about what he have to say. but he couldn't think because now all his attention was on you. nothing came into his mind but only this picture of you. he even started blushing and a shy smile took place on his lips. god why he was so fucking lost every times it comes to you ? it's just unfair how much effect you did to him. but soon the interviewer finally saw his awkward position and finished quickly the interview.

then he ran to join his team, especially you. you turned to face him, and without any hesitation you hugged him tightly. because it is never enough hugs. oh how his heart craved for your touch. your body pressed against him, your breath on his neck. he was for sure so in love with you. and whenever you would ask him why he acted so clumsy around you, he always had the same answer. "you just stress me that's all" he would shrugged. but actually, the most correct answer would be "i just don't know anymore how to act normal because of you, your person and your presence. because after all i think i'm just a bit too much in love with you".

yeah, it was the perfect answer. and that without any doubts.

[gotham-daydreams]

Planned Fics [For Batfam]

Will be listing both Romantic and Platonic fics that I not only have planned, but will be trying to prioritize! This is not the full list of what I have in mind, but kind of what I'd like to show first at the moment! Oneshots and smaller ideas are not included, and everything here is going to be multiple parts long.

'Bite-sized' are smaller fics like the Not [ ] Series, 'Long' fics are.... well, long, and I consider them to be more on par with full-length fics people post on other sites and such. With 'Medium' being somewhere in between 'bite-sized' and long fics. They don't really determine the actual set length of a fic, but moreso how long I think they'll be in the long run- so its more of a general idea then anything else!

'Mixed' fics are also a, well, mix of both platonic and romantic yanderes - or have yanderes that I feel cannot be defined as solely romantic or platonic. Though for simplicity I have placed them under romantic or platonic, and will specify which ones I consider a 'mixed fic'. Romantic and Platonic fics are also fics that predominantly has romantic or platonic yanderes - which basically means that one or two of they may be different.

I will also keep the descriptions of each fic short as... well, if I don't, I think this post will be waaayy longer than it has to be.

With that out of the way, let's get onto the lists!

Platonic:

Flick of the Wrist (temp title) [Villian! Artist! Reader] {Medium (?)}

Destroying the city your father seemed to love so much turns much more personal when you realize that your entire family is composed of costume wearing freaks. At least your trying to spice things up, geez. Though, for a bunch of detectives.. they can be fucking idiots for not realizing who you are. Guess being ignored really did give you a leg up in that department, so, really, you can't be too mad about that.

One Chance (temp title) [Kidnapped! Reader] {Long}

They thought you didn't know. That you'd be too young to remember what they did that night, that you didn't know how they treated your parents. Though, over the years, you didn't really help clear that idea... if anything, you fed into it. You play their little game, just so that they all could fall into the very palm of your hands. No matter what they try to do, no matter how much power they think they have... they will never know that you're still waiting. Waiting and making sure that when the time comes, you'll finally seize your opportunity- but you have to do it right the first time. You know that there won't be a second, especially at this point. One chance is all you're getting, and you'll be damned if you don't make sure it counts.

Ghost [Heavily Neglected! Reader] {Bite-sized}

You were the ghost in Wayne Manor. That's what everyone called you. That's what even the media saw you as, and at this point, it was all by design. They gave you a role to play, and you've done everything you could over the years to see it through. But, what happens when you finally want to leave, and go haunt some other place? What happens when your family finally decides to do a little 'Ghost Hunting' after all the rumors?

Prodigy [Prodigy! Reader] {Bite-sized (?)}

Born from an affair, and after your mother's unfortunate passing, you are given to Bruce Wayne - possibly the richest man alive and with a booming buisness. Yet, having been born and raised in this industry, you were practically made to take over the buisness. You've proven time and time again that you're more than capable of it, along with keeping your family's secret. Buisness and work is all you know. It's how you've lived, and you saw no reason to explore or look into things outside of it - along with the money it brought. So why is you family so insistent about 'spending more time' with you? Don't you give them enough free time already?

Bond [Reader who is obsessively looked after] {Bite-sized - Medium}

You keep them together. You keep them sane. You are their family. They need you more then you will ever know, and nothing will ever take you away from them.

Even a Worm Will Turn [Spider-Man! Venom! Reader] {Long} [Also known as 'Waiting Reader'] [Sort of mixed?]

You were so young when everything went down. You didn't know any better, not with how you grew up before your adoption - and not with what followed after. It wasn't your fault, or was it? You didn't think so, you were still in highschool for crying out loud. You were still just a kid... but, it's no wonder you grew up hating them. It's no wonder that, when given an out - when actually getting a taste of what they had robbed you of, did you finally see past the barriers that your parents had put up and that they reinforced unknowingly. Yet, when you finally seemed tired of waiting, they came crawling right back. Though, this time, unlike before- you weren't alone.

Husband! Reader [Technically I have two ideas for this concept so.... no title or length- how I go about it is going to be a little weird so just trust the process on this one, folks!] (Married to Bruce... obviously..)

It was peaceful for a while, or- well, as peaceful as it could get in Gotham. With you just caring for your insane family, and your doting yet equally insane husband. Though, just being apart of this family... maybe you should've expected things to go sideways.

(The more Batfam focused idea is focused on the reader basically being flung into a different dimension that is essentially the reversed Batfam AU (so Damian is the oldest, Dick is the youngest and such). The other idea is more JL focused so I won't go into it here.)

Darkest Night, Brightest Day (temp title) [Batman! Reader] {Medium - Long (?)}

It's a wonder how you've come this far. From being the newest addition into the family, to now the only one who's left to dawn the mantle. The world needs Batman, after all, and though many have argued that you've likeness is too much like Bruce's, you just see that as a sign that your efforts are paying off. After all, you have sacrificed your mind, body, and soul to keep up with the original... especially with all that's happened. Especially when everyone else is dead. Yet, it seems life really does love tormenting you, and one day, people that look like your deceased family come stumbling into your world, and would you look at that?

Their Bat is alive, and more human then you've ever been in a long, long time... maybe it's about time you ask how the hell he does this job without having to do half of whay you've done just to keep up. Maybe then, you'll feel like you aren't disrespecting those that came before you.

Romantic:

Letters [Fan! Reader] {Medium - Long (?)}

Ever since you were young, you've always been a fan of the unusual family that was Batman and every bird and bat he seemed to take under his wing. So to show your appreciation, you wrote letters to each and every one of them... that you ended up being too shy to send. As you grew up, your appreciation and admiration seemed to grow with you - but it also did extend to the Wayne family, who, in your opinion, really did seem to be boing just as much good as the Bats when it came to Gotham. You loved the Bats so much you even trained and became a vigilante yourself... but, now that you work beside them.. you can't help but keep your letters closer to yourself. With them becoming more personal as you lost hope in ever being able to send a single one.

Though... maybe now you have an opportunity? Especially when they've taken notice of you too, and don't seem to realize that their admiration is matched.

Clover [Reader taken from a diff universe] {Medium - Long(?)} [Sort of mixed. Platonic -> Romantic for some.]

They took you away from a life you didn't know you missed, and tried to play it off as if the life you lived before was all a dream... as if it never happened. You believed them at first, and yet, it seemed that just as you were becoming the very thing they were trying to shape you into, they began to change gears. No longer did some of them want you to pose as a family member that had long since passed - but rather, you were supposed to be something more.

Brotherhood and Co. (temp title?) [Dilf! Reader] {Medium(?)} [Mixed]

You trusted him. You trusted him with your life- he was like your god damn brother- and yet, he stabbed you in the back. Betrayed you like no other, and they both knew for years. Years of your life wasted away loving that woman, just like that.

So it's no surprise that you took the kids and left. Left and tried to do what you could to provide them with the life you knew they deserved, and provide the stability you knew they needed. Yet, it seems that your dear 'friend' isn't quite done with you yet, and nor is his godforsaken family. You really should've known not to trust them from the start, but hell, it was your big heart that got you in this mess, isn't it?

Intruder [Isekai! Reader] {Medium(?)} [Mixed.] [Also has a JL ver. though, again, just focusing on Batfam/Gotham for this post.]

Who knew that a crazed fan like you would end up in this situation? What are the odds that you of all people wind up being an unexpected artifact of some insane villian who could open portals across dimensions, space, and time? Granted, you aren't the only one- but you managed to slip under the radar. With you being able to use your knowledge of the universe you've plopped into to survive, and make sure to not catch any unwanted or unwarranted attention. It'd be horrifying and embarrassing as hell to meet Batman, only for him to be able to easily see that you're a complete fucking loser..

Yet, even when they do find you, you manage to catch their attention too well. And now... well, let's just say that while it was their job to bring everyone home, it wouldn't hurt to let you stay, right? After all, you seem to be adjusting so well... it'd be a shame to let you go now, wouldn't it?

Never-Ever After [Friend! Reader] {Medium - Long (?)}

Being a friend if the Wayne's wasn't all too bad, especially when you're basically friends with everyone. So when they ask for your help, and also for tickets to concerts of a particular idol duo you're also friends with- you don't think anything of it. It slips your mind when they ask for you to introduce them to your idol friends, but it becomes a little odd when they begin to ask for more... personal information on them, and sure, you answer their harmless questions - but not much else. Even if you do know the answers, that's weird and an invasion of their privacy! Not to mention your friends' trust in you!

Then the threats start coming... and suddenly the Wayne kids aren't so friendly with you anymore... and you can't help but notice how obsessed they seem with your idol friends... and yet, when you try to cut them off and avoid them, its like you can't. Like they won't allow you to anymore.

It's only when your life starts taking a horrible turn for the worst do you even consider the idea that maybe... just maybe.. did their obsession turn to you instead?

Gotham's Finest (temp title) [Insane! Villian! Reader] {Bite-sized - Medium (?)}

With the villians, rouges, and thugs of Gotham as your main infulence in life, it's no wonder that you became a villian yourself - and not only that, but aspired to be just as good as the people who really brought terror to the streets of Gotham. You were one of the best, 'trained' yourself to be as such. So is it any real surprise that you catch the attention of the infamous Bat and his family once you finally take your crime to the next level, and begin to become active at night?

Maybe not, but the real kicker is how much they seem to love how you drive them absolutely insane.

Birds of a Feather (temp title) [Winged! (Metahuman?) Reader] {Bite-sized - Medium (?)} [Mixed.]

You hate them. You'd do anything to get rid of them. And you're friends- they promised that they'd help you find a way to get rid of them forver. They did- they... they said they would, and you trust them, of course you do! You'd do anything, anything to rid yourself of these cursed wings. But, you just couldn't wait. It was taking too long. So... you took matters into your own hands just a little, and had a solution! A cure! So why... why are your friends and their family looking at you like that?

These lists may or may not be updated- especially as they get posted and people ask questions. Again, these are moreso the stories I'll be trying to focus on after the Not [ ] Series. Though, to be fair, some things may be a bit different after that series in general, but no need to think about that just yet! Author here is just trying to think of how to go about certain things and organize some stuff, especially since I'll dabble a bit into JL and Superfam stuff down the line- but that's not important right now!

If your curious about anything, don't be afraid to send in an ask! Or even if you want to hear more about an idea, and so on and so forth.

Also, as I'm sure you can tell... naming things isn't exactly my strong suit 😅 I'm more of a plot guy, y'know? Love me a good, dark, horror-esc story!

[dreamingofep]

Forbidden Love pt. 8💔❣️

Fandom: Elvis - Elvis (2022)

Prompt: Reuniting with Elvis was supposed to be the highlight of your summer, but with unresolved tensions between you two, things aren't what they seem. [Fem!reader]

TW: Cussing, angst, some tension

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 3.4k

A/N: Hi everyone! Posting in Elvis hours again! Hope you like where this next part is heading! More to build upon and can't wait to share with you what's next! I Hope you enjoy!

*

July 8th, 1969

The next few days felt like an eternal hell. It almost felt like you had to start your life over. It was lonely and quite depressing. You were so mad at Elvis for how he’s treated you after all these years and the other night was your breaking point. You thought a person could change but you might have been wrong. You didn’t want to talk to anyone about what happened over dinner. You kept to yourself for the next few days and no one seemed to mind. John didn’t bring up once why you stormed out of Elvis’ house. It was a better idea for him to do that. You didn't want anything to do with him. 

You had to get yourself out of this funk. You can either let this define you or do something else to make a difference in your career. You started taking fewer hours at the diner which was a scary choice because you knew it wasn’t going to be easy getting new auditions and getting booked for them. It had been three years since you’d gotten anything remotely interesting. You were afraid you didn’t have it anymore. 

You tried to push that negative energy out of your mind and focus on some good. You had to try and go out there. It was still your passion and something you would tirelessly work for. 

For the next few days, you set out for any audition you could find. You'd wake up early to go to the diner for a few hours, then change into new clothes to go search for audition notices around the city. There were quite a few you found and it made you feel hopeful one of these projects could be yours. 

You hadn’t spoken to Elvis this entire time. It was almost strange after you were so used to this new routine you two had. You had too much anger towards him to speak to him about everything without yelling at him again. You were surprised that he didn’t even try calling you. Every time the phone rang, you always expected to hear his smooth southern drawl ring in your ear but you were left disappointed. 

After a few days of nothing but empty promises and bad auditions, you had to keep trying. You knew there would be a hundred nos before there would be one yes. You were about to head out for the day and go to another audition you had scheduled when the phone rings. You were home alone and wondered who could be calling this time of day. 

You quickly pick it up, “hello?” 

“Hi, may I speak with y/n?” A woman’s voice says on the other end of the line. 

“Speaking?” You say, not recognizing the woman’s voice. 

“This is Nancy from Paramount Studios. We’re holding open auditions today for a new production. Your resume was passed onto us from a friend and we were wondering if you’re free to come in today around one?” She asks you. 

You were a bit taken aback. This was unheard of for you. No one was calling you for auditions, you were normally the one on the phone begging them for a chance to be seen. But you had to push that self-doubt away and seize this opportunity now. 

“Oh yes, I can be there no problem!” 

“Wonderful, we’ll see you then,” she says. 

You were thrilled, this could be a new start for you. Your brain couldn’t help but spoil the moment with doubt. This all felt too easy. You had only been out looking for new jobs for a few days and this fell into your lap? It didn’t settle with you, right? 

It had Elvis written all over it.  

He did something to get you this. Sure, it could be just dumb luck but with Elvis around, that wasn’t a thing. He needed to stay away from you, you didn’t want him around screwing up anything else for you. 

You raced to the studio and got there early to get your hands on the script they wanted you to read from. The audition went really well. The scene they had you do dealt with a girl pleading for her boyfriend to tell her the truth whether he loved her or not. It wasn’t too far off from your real life you realize. You connected with the script and let your emotions over your whole situation with Elvis fuel your performance. You left the soundstage feeling positive but still not that hopeful you had the role. It had been a while since you worked so you weren’t sure if your lack of work would hinder you. 

The next day, you get a call and it just about makes you scream with joy. You got the part and you needed to be on set in two days. You couldn’t be happier. It was a shorter production for your character but you didn’t mind it. You get to be on set for five days and do what you love. It was going to be a new start for you, just like you hoped. You had a new sense of optimism. Things were going to be alright, and maybe you needed Elvis out of your life for it.

That thought made your heart cry.

*

The first day of shooting went well and the entire cast and crew were wonderful to you. You had some jitters at first but they disappeared when you started to work with everyone. Everyone showed you respect and appreciation for showing up and being prepared for the day. 

You’re always surprised how much waiting there was when you’re on set. Your call time might say for you to be onset at three, but you won’t start shooting til four. That’s Hollywood for you. It takes the crew a while to set up the new camera or change locations. Thankfully you had the patience for this waiting game.

You weren’t called onto set for another three hours so you had time to kill. They were kind enough to give you a small trailer to get ready in that you shared with another co-star. It wasn’t like what the big stars got but you were thankful you had a couch in there you could take a nap in if you wanted. Sometimes you have to take advantage of the downtime and get a few minutes of sleep. You were going to be on set late today for scenes that were going to be shot at night so you needed the rest.

You lay down on the small, two-seat sofa and try to get comfortable. A knock on your trailer door snaps you awake and you sit up. You couldn’t have dosed off for more than a few minutes and became fearful that you overslept and they were looking for you on set.

“Come in,” you quip, straightening out your hair and smoothing the dress you had on.

Sunshine pours into the trailer and a tall shadow walks in. Your heart stops when you see his face. That beautifully sculpted face that people dreamed about was standing in your trailer. 

Elvis.

He wore tan slacks and a white button-up, looking at you like he did when he first saw you a few weeks ago. He looked so put together and effortlessly beautiful. His hair fell down on his forehead, just how you liked it. He wore these gold sunglasses that had his initials on the sides of the frames. He takes them off and his blue eyes melt into you. God he was beautiful, it shouldn’t be that distracting but he was! You blamed it on not seeing him for the last week that you were jarred by his presence but who were you fooling, he was just too damn beautiful to look at.

Your mouth goes dry as you stare at him longer, not expecting him to be here. 

“What are you doing here,” you say a bit coldly. 

He continues to stare at you and doesn’t say anything right away. 

“How are you, honey?” He asks softly. His voice has you melting. You curse at yourself for feeling this way for him. Even after everything he did, you still feel weak around him. 

“I’m fine,” you say softly. 

He stays quiet and looks around your small dressing room. You didn’t want him here lingering, he came here for a purpose and you wanted to get him out of here as quickly as possible. You also had things to get off your chest. You didn’t want him to stall or try to do anything drastic. 

“How much did you pay them to get me in this movie?” You ask him, crossing your arms against your chest.

He turns around quickly, confusion covering his face.

“What are you talking about?” He asks, taking a few steps closer to you, and taking off his sunglasses.

“Oh come on don’t play dumb, I’m not an idiot. I haven’t gotten an acting job in over three years. Then all of a sudden I get a call that I was recommended to them by someone? It doesn’t make sense,” you huff.

“I didn’t pay them, honey,” he says calmly.

“Stop calling me honey,” you snap, “and stop lying to me!"

His lips form in a scowl and his blue eyes burn into you menacingly. He stands before you and takes a slow breath in while looking at you. He makes you feel on edge, being this close to him again was too much to handle. He was so provocative without even trying. His presence pulled you in so easily and made it hard to focus even when he was mad. He gently lifts your chin up to look into his eyes. His skin on yours again made you feel like a puddle. You defiantly look at him and wait for him to say something.

“From what I remember, you like me calling you honey quite a bit,” he teases, eyeing you up and down slowly. You hold your breath as you feel yourself crumble for him. He was right, of course he was and it pissed you off. 

“I’m trying to be civil with you. I just wanted to see you,” he says low.

You quickly push his hand off of your face and scowl at him.

“Did you think this would make up for what you did? Like I’d forgive it all?” You ask him.

“I didn’t do anything about this role. I didn’t pay anyone anything,” he says fiercely. Your heart gallops away at his tone and the way he continues to look at you.

“I did pass your information to producers here, yes, I did. I still know people here and met with one of them last week for lunch. They were saying they were having a hard time casting this movie. He explained to me the role and… of course, I thought of you. It’s like second nature to me… but I just passed on your information, that’s all. I helped you get the call sure, but you did the work. You were the one who impressed all the producers and director. You got yourself here, I just wanted to help from a distance, that’s all,” he explains.

You sit down quickly on the couch behind you, feeling the wind get knocked out of you. 

He was just trying to do something good.

He did something kind and stayed out of the way.

He’s letting you shine and do what you love.

Damnit he's impossible to hate.

You didn’t know what to say to him. You felt bad for snapping at him like this. You’ve had so much pent-up anger towards him this last week you couldn’t think straight about the whole situation. The sight of him on a magazine cover in the grocery store ticked you off. The sound of his voice on the radio put you in a foul mood for the rest of the day and you almost always drove in silence because of it. You still hadn’t listened to his new album even though it was everything anyone was talking about.

The guilt wracked through you the longer you looked at him. You couldn’t find the words to start to apologize to him. He still put you through a lot of strife. This wasn’t going to make it all magically disappear but it was a good start.

“I… I didn’t know,” you say timidly.

He stays silent, letting you find the words you want to say.

“I appreciate the help,” you continue.

“It’s the least I could do… you know I care for you don’t you?” He asks, taking a seat next to you on the sofa. “I’ve missed you terribly. I hate not seeing you.”

He looks at you softly, his eyes pleading for you to keep looking at him. He places his hands on either side of your face and gently rubs him thumbs across your cheeks, studying every detail of your face. It felt so good to be touched by him again. He was so comforting and intoxicating to be around. He keeps staring at your lips, parting his slightly as you’re both sitting there and he leans in a bit more. Both of you breathe in sharply as you get closer.

You were nervous for this to go any further. On one hand, you wanted him to kiss you like he used to, you missed how his lips made you feel on fire. You wanted to let your guards down with him. A part of you wanted him to hold you in his arms again and hear him say how much he’s missed you. What you would give to hear him plead for you over and over and over…

You let that fantasy wither away and slowly pull your face out of his hands. You take a sharp breath in, you were holding it the entire time he was touching you. He looks like he just got his heart ripped out of him. He was so physical and emotionally hurt by you.

“I want to believe every word you say, but you have to understand why I have the hesitancy not to,” you sigh. His eyes fill with hurt as he looks at you.

He gets up and runs his hand through his hair, clearly frustrated even though you can’t see his face anymore.

“Please come by the house after you’re done here, so we can talk. I just want to talk to you again,” he says firmly as he heads for the door.

“Elvis I don’t think that’s a good idea,” you say, trying to stop him.

“Y/n please, I don’t want to fight with you here. Just come to the house after you're done here okay?” He says sternly.

“No, I’ll go over when I’m ready to talk to you. I have to be back here really early too so I can’t come by,” you snip.

“Goddamn it,” he mumbles under his breath and goes to the door furiously, not taking another look at you. The sound of it slamming made you more upset at yourself. You didn’t know what to say to him. It was hard to have him look at you with those soft eyes that could make you do anything. You didn’t want to talk to him about everything you’ve been feeling these last few days. You wanted more time to process this all. It wasn’t going to be easy to stay away from him.

*

The next few days on set were wonderful and went by too quickly. You wished you had more days to work with all the kind people in the production. Elvis weighed in the back of your mind though. All you could see were those hurt, pleading eyes of his that begged for your attention. It had been over a week since the huge fight you two had. You still weren’t ready to talk to him. You knew it would go the same way when you saw him in your trailer the other day. You didn’t want to blow up on him again, you needed to have a civil conversation. 

It was a sweltering night in LA. The city was experiencing a heat wave and wasn’t letting up for a few more days. You were looking forward to being in your air-conditioned apartment and relaxing. It was well after midnight and started to drive home. There was no traffic this time of night but the lights of office buildings in town poured onto the darker roads, illuminating your way home. 

You unlock the front door and feel the warm, stale air hit you in the face. It was also pitch black in there and couldn’t see a thing in front of you. John had to be home, he didn’t stay this late at Elvis’. 

“John?” You say loudly. The flick of a match makes you stare into the darkness, trying to see who’s in there. 

He was in the kitchen and stepped out, “yeah?” 

“Why are all the lights off? Why is it so damn hot in here?” You say grumpily. 

“The powers shut off,” he says lighting another candle. 

“What do you mean? Was there a blackout or something?” You say confused. 

“The bill wasn’t paid on time,” he grumbles. 

You were taken back. John took care of the rent and the electric bill. He made more than you and that’s just how you’ve always done it. He had never missed a payment like this, even in hard times. He never asked you for the money even if you two were having a really hard month.

“What do you mean? Elvis paid you right? You’ve been working three weeks for him. I’m sure that’s been plenty to pay the electric bill,” you press. 

“Well it wasn’t, we’ll figure it out in the morning.” He snaps at you, taking the candle to the bedroom with him. 

You knew he was lying. The man was lying right to your face. You just about had enough of it with all the men in your life lately lying through their teeth when talking to you.

You follow him to the other room, needing to understand what’s going on.

“Please don’t walk away from me. I don’t understand how we didn’t have money to pay the electric bill. This has never happened,” you press.

“I said I’ll figure it out in the morning! Get off my back about it. Should probably get used to it if you’re going to be out there acting again,” he huffs.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you blaming this on me?!” You protest.

“Well you’re not helping very much,” he snarls at you.

You look at him in disgust, not believing this is how the man you thought you loved is treating you.

“How dare you. You’re unbelievable, you know that. I know Elvis is paying you more than you’ve made in a long time so I don’t understand where our money is going,” you seethe.

“I guess it’s none of your concern since it’s not your money,” he barks at you.

You had enough. You couldn’t be anywhere near him at this point. You needed to know where all that money was going but you didn’t have the patience tonight to go back and forth with him. It was ridiculous the way he was talking to you. It seemed the happier you were, the meaner he was to you, sucking all the joy out of your life.

You quickly push past him and reach under the bed for your duffle bag. You open your closet and pull articles of clothing off the hanger and shove them into the bag. You then go to the dresser and put more clothes in there before rushing to the bathroom.

“Where are you going?” John asks annoyed.

“I can’t be here. I’m going to stay at a friend's tonight,” you snap.

“Come on,” he says dumbfounded, pulling at the duffle bag, trying to get it out of your hands.

You quickly pull it back though and don’t let him get it out of your grasp.

“No, I’m going. I’m tired of your shit,” you yell, quickly getting out of his sight. You rush out of the apartment and get back in your car. You drive almost on autopilot, leaving your neighborhood and driving up to the Hollywood hills, towards Elvis.

*

*

*

Tagging: @loving-elvis @neptuneismysister @velvetelvis

@ccab @presleyenterprise @theresalwaysep

@sillybookmarks @dkayfixates

@ellie-24 @rktismylife-blog

@myradiaz @tacozebra051

@18lkpeters @flwrs4aust @emma181873

@austinswhitewolf @eliseinmemphis

@everythingelvispresley @chasingwildflowers

@idontwanttoputanything @ohjustpeachy-

@elvisalltheway101 @austinsmutler @kingdomforapony.

@generoustreemystic @claire-elvisgirl

@ashtag6887 @burnthheparaphilia @richardslady121

@jaqueline19997

@returntopresley. @iloveelvis @rjmartin11 @that-hotdog

@louisejoy86 @misspresley @cattcb @annapresley8

@arrolyn1114 @raginginkedslut @epthedream69

@mh777ep1938

@50sexyshadestashionista

@oldhOllywOod @hooked-on-elvis @livelovedilfs

@sloppiest-of-jos @thisis-theway @gatheraheart

@aphroditebabygirl @faeolwen

[annisassintchaska]

I Want Her: Lewis Hamilton x Black!Caribbean!Reader

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has finally come to an end and it was now time for the post race interviews. The drivers were moving slowly from one journalist to the next, most times giving the same answers to the similar questions being asked as they just want for this segment to be over.

Lewis had been rushing through his answers, trying to get away from the scene as quickly as possible until he saw HER. A pretty, short and dark-skinned woman that was currently in the act of interviewing a flirtatious Lando Norris as he was asked the last question.

Lewis politely ended the interview and walked over to George whom he was supposed to go before. "Hey George can I ask for a favour?" he asked Lowly as to not disturb anything, to which George nodded in response. "I don't want to go before you, you were supposed to be her last interviewee, however I want you to switch spots with me?" Lewis asked the younger man. George looked between the pretty woman and his teammate as he finally realised that Lewis had a crush and wanted to spend some extra time her.

"I see what's going on here, you like her don't you?" George asked to which Lewis nodded shyly while blushing. George smiled as he moved up in the line taking Lewis' space as he asked to be interviewed before him. As George listened and answered his questions, Lewis looked on with fire in his eyes as he admired the beautiful woman before him. The way that she spoke, the pretty dark brown colour of her eyes, her curly black hair ect.

After George was done, he turned around to hand Lewis the mic while shotting him a wink as a form of encouragement. Stepping forward slowly, Lewis noted the way she smiled brightly at him as he settled at the stand. "Hi, my name is Y/n and I recently transferred from Sky Sport MotoGP." she greeted him as she offered her hand for him to shake. Taking her soft and delicate hand into his own, he shook it gently before placing a soft kiss to the back and releasing it.

Throughout the whole interview, Lewis would constantly ask her to repeat her questions even though he heard them loud and clear, also taking a long time to 'think' then answer her questions, all in the reason of him wanting to spend more time with her as he also asked personal questions about herself in between.

After a couple more minutes, the interview has finally come to an end and everyone had went off to pack up their stuff to head back to the hotel. Lewis on the other hand had been waiting in the parking garage for his Y/n to arrive, his palms sweating as he anxiously bounced on the spot.

Y/n had finally gather all her equipment and secured them into her bag and was making her way to her car when she spotted Lewis standing at the door. "Lewis, hi! I thought you had left already since everyone else is gone?" Y/n cheerfully greeted the British man who smiled adoringly at her. "Um... there's a reason why I haven't left yet... I wanted to speak to you" Lewis started off nervously. He swayed back and forth as he analysed Y/n's features. Y/n on the other hand was also nervous as she was only thinking of two things: How big of a crush she had on him and if she had made any mistakes with asking any questions that made him uncomfortable.

It turned out to be addressing her first thought as Lewis explained himself. "I know this might seem a bit too forward, but ever since I saw you earlier I had been very fascinated with you. I was hoping to see you again so that i would have the chance to ask you out on a date if you're interest whenever you're free?" Lewis explained, his heart beating in his mouth waiting for her response.

Smiling up at the most beautiful man she has ever laid her eyes on, Y/n held her palm out, gesturing for Lewis to hand over his phone. After seizing the piece of technology, Y/n placed her number into it and handed it back. "You can pick me up at eight tomorrow" she said sweetly before placing a kiss to his cheek and made her way off into the her driving away. Lewis, left alone in the parking lot, started dancing in excitement as he made his way to his car, going home happy that he has the chance to date the most beautiful woman he has ever met.

[tracklessreason]

Hello again, and happy holidays!

In light of your more recent post about seeker trines, I was curious to know what Skywarp and Thundercracker plan on doing after Starscream is banished in your Hive Prime AU.

How do they feel about his banishment? or his torture? or just him in general? Do they join his little group of decepticon rebels, or do they continue to serve Megatron with no issues? And what type of trine do the three of them belong to? I feel like that info might give us a better grasp on their relationship.

Sincerely, beep bop boop beep bop

Great question!

They're dead.

Yeah...killed in the war. They were his Blood Trine, and after their death, Starscream never joined another Trine. At that point in the timeline, there were so few seekers left that it could take centuries to find any who hadn't already scraped together their own Mourning Trine, but that's not why Starscream refrained.

He remained flightless (my term for lone seekers) out of ego. No other seekers were good enough in his eyes.

Its not what his brothers would have wanted for him, but as much as he misses them, he never cared much for their opinions, and only after they were dead was it really clear to outsiders that he even gave a shit about them. Don't worry though, Thundercracker and Skywarp knew he cared. Blood related seekers are especially sensitive to each other after all.

Which is what complicates the matter if they had been alive during the Hive Prime AU. His brothers were significantly more reasonable than him, and would have tried talked him out of killing Optimus if he'd given them the opportunity, but really they would only find out he was the one who did it by sensing his emotional state afterward.

They wouldn't have told Megatron though, for Starscream's sake. Nonetheless, they thought it was idiotic of him to try seizing power in that way, and resigned themselves to leave him to whatever consequences he'd brought on himself.

It was...not easy to do nothing when they felt Starscream's surprise, then fear, then rage and agony in the fight with Megatron. They were however convinced Megatron wouldn't go so far as to kill their brother and, thanks to Hive, they were right.

A bit of a rift happened when they found out he'd been banished. Skywarp wanted to leave with Starscream. Thundercracker was still loyal to Megatron, and believed that with time his brother would be brought home. He ended up the only one of the three still with the Decepticons, keenly aware of Starscream moving in the dark, but unwilling to move in favor of him or Megatron.

Upon finding out Megatron and Hive want to end the war, Thundercracker does leave, not to join his brothers, but to try and bring them home. He wants the war to end. To grow old with his trine mates who he's so very lucky to still have, if all the Mourning Trines around him are anything to go off.

Skywarp jumps at the chance. Starscream stubbornly refuses. Skywarp leaves with Thundercracker.

Only after losing his wings is Starscream open to reason. Not because he's changed his mind, but because there isn't much his unconscious form can do to stop his trine mates from dragging him to the home they've built for themselves in a city slowly recovering from the war.

While Starscream was starting scraps with the few fighters left, his brothers had been permitted to leave the force, and began a life for themselves, far from the front lines, and farther from Megatron. Starscream has no choice but to stay with his brothers and revel in the luxuries a life without war provides. Good medics stop in from time to time, and slowly but surely rebuild Starscream's wings. He voices no thanks, but his brothers can feel how the rage fades from him with time, and is slowly, very slowly, replaced with calm and content.

Its a shame they weren't alive for this ending to come to pass...

(Happy Holidays and enjoy the angst!)

[jrob64]

Exacting His Revenge - Chapter 4

Now a complete story!

Here we are, finally at the end of this story. When I started posting it in October for @kmomof4 's birthday, I had no idea I would be posting until Christmas!

Thank you and Merry Christmas to my wonderful beta and friend @hookedmom !

Story Summary: When Hook sees an opportunity to finally get his revenge on Rumplestiltskin, he seizes it, putting him in the company of Emma Swan. A season 2 canon divergent story.

Rating: M (for smut in this chapter, requested by the birthday girl)

Words (chapter 4): 11,928

Posted on Tumblr: Ch. 1 Ch. 2 Ch. 3 and also on Ao3 & ffn

Story under the cut.

*********

Hook awoke slowly the next morning, not wishing to leave the dream world in which he was holding Emma Swan. She left the office soon after she locked him back in the cell last night, but he was pleased to see she seemed a bit lighter and less like the weight of the world was on her shoulders.

He pushed himself into a sitting position, then swung his legs over the side of the cot. Yawning and rubbing his hand down his face to try to wipe away the sleep, he failed to notice David sitting at the desk. When his vision cleared, he met the other man’s gaze, surprised to see it wasn’t laced with anger and dislike. While he wouldn’t term the look one of friendship, at least it was less hostile.

“Good morning, Dave,” Hook said. “Have you been watching me sleep?”

“Not by choice. It’s just my turn to keep an eye on you.”

“I was alone all night and yet I’m here. Do you really still think I’ll try to escape?”

David got up and crossed the floor to stand in front of the cell, rubbing his hands together brusquely. “What did you say to Emma last night?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“When I left here, I could tell she was very upset but refused to talk to me. Whatever you said to her seemed to calm her down, because when she got back to the loft, she was able to tell us what happened with Henry. She said you helped her realize that he will get over it.”

“I just reassured her that she’s a good mother. Henry is a good lad. After he’s had some time to think about it, he’ll see that she had his best interest at heart by avoiding the truth.”

David eyed him skeptically. “How could you possibly know that? You haven’t even met Henry, have you?”

“Not formally, but in the weeks after I arrived in Storybrooke, I observed the two of them together. Additionally, Emma talked about him during our time together on my ship. He sounds like a bright boy.”

“He is. I know Emma feels a tremendous amount of guilt about giving him up for adoption; but ever since he found her, the two of them have been very close. Getting back to the subject though, what truth was she avoiding with Henry? She still hasn’t told Snow and me the whole story about what happened with Neal.”

“Might I suggest you sit down and have that conversation with her soon?”

He was taking a chance, giving Emma’s father advice like that. He figured it wouldn’t go over very well, since David made it quite clear the evening before that he thought of him as nothing more than a pirate.

So Hook was quite surprised when the other man nodded in agreement. “You’re right. I’m sure if we did, it would help us understand the situation better.”

“Your daughter is a tough lass, but she’s had to handle a lot on her own. I’m sure she would welcome support from her parents.”

“Breakfast is served!” Ruby announced, prancing into the station with a large brown bag in her hand.

David let Hook out to use the restroom, while Ruby set up breakfast. When Hook was locked back in his cell, David grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair. “I gotta go, Ruby. I’ll eat breakfast later.” With that, he sprinted out the door.

Ruby gaped as she watched him go. Then she slowly turned toward Hook. “What flew up his skirt?”

*********

By late morning, Hook was seriously considering breaking his promise of not escaping. Once Ruby left, he was alone for hours, endlessly pacing and wondering what was going on with Emma.

When he finally heard the door open, he strained to see who was coming in. Relief flooded him upon seeing golden hair and red leather.

Emma entered and tossed her keys on the desk, then looked at him. As he was trying to read her guarded expression, a grin suddenly spread across her face.

“You were right,” she said simply.

“Of course I was,” he cheeked. “But what was I right about?”

“Henry. He called this morning to say he forgave me and wanted to meet Neal. The three of us had breakfast together and now the two of them are at the park, getting to know each other.”

“That’s excellent news, Swan.”

“It happened soon after David came home and asked me about my history with Neal. I guess you suggested it to him?”

“Aye. I thought it would be beneficial to all involved, except perhaps Baelfire. Did you tell him?”

“Yeah. I sat down with my parents and told them everything.”

“How did they take it?”

“Dad was upset, but Mom was downright irate. Dad had to stop her from going to the boarding house. She wanted to punch Neal in the face.”

Hook laughed. “You must get your fierceness from your mother.”

She smiled again. “They had calmed down by the time Henry called, and didn’t protest about him wanting to meet his dad.”

“I’m very happy things worked out so well.”

“Me, too,” she sighed. “Now, if I can just get it through Neal’s head that he and I have no future together, everything will be great.”

“Still pushing for that, is he?”

“He mentioned something about being a family a couple of times. When Henry left the booth to use the bathroom, I told Neal to stop putting ideas in the kid’s head because it’s never gonna happen.”

“How did he respond to that?”

“He started to protest, but I told him if he keeps it up, I’ll limit his time with Henry. Then he promised he wouldn’t bring it up again.”

“And you trust him to keep that promise?”

“Not really, but I told Henry to let me know if he keeps talking about it. I just don’t want my kid to be set up for disappointment.”

“I don’t blame you for that,” Hook said.

Emma walked closer to the cell. “I wanted to thank you again, Killian, for being there for me last night. You were a good listener, which was exactly what I needed.”

“Well, I couldn’t help being a captive audience,” he teased.

“Ha-ha,” she said flatly, rolling her eyes.

He chuckled. “I’m glad I could help, Swan.”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you that we saw Belle in the diner today. She asked how long you were going to be locked up. When I told her a month, she was actually fine with that. I was pretty surprised, but once she walked away, Neal told me that after they left the cemetery, he filled her in on the details of his mother’s death.”

Hook’s brows knit together in a scowl. “How did she react to that bit of news?”

“Neal said she was angry and hurt that Gold lied to her. It all happened before she met him, of course, but she was still shocked that he was capable of doing such a thing to the mother of his own child.”

Hook studied the toes of his boots, before speaking quietly. “It’s too bad she was misled by that bloody demon.”

“Yeah, I think on top of everything else, she feels foolish for trusting him. Anyway, she doesn’t seem to harbor any ill feelings toward you.”

He looked at her incredulously. “Not even for shooting her?”

“I told you, she’s very sweet. Apparently, she’s very forgiving, too.”

He thought about that for a few moments, staring into space until Emma asked, “Is something wrong? You look a million miles away.”

His eyes snapped back to her face. “I was, um…I was just thinking that it feels quite nice to be forgiven. It feels like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.”

She smiled and reached into the cell to squeeze his bicep. “I better get some work done. Is there anything I can get you?��

“A book or two to while away the hours would be much appreciated. I’ve already counted all of the cracks in the walls and ceiling of this bloody cell. If I don’t have something to occupy my mind soon, I think I might go mad.”

“I can arrange that. Do you want anything in particular?”

“I trust your judgment, Swan. Whatever you choose will be fine.”

“What about a bodice ripper love story?” she smirked.

He grabbed the bars with his hand and hook and leaned in as close as he could possibly get to her. “Are you intending to put ideas into my head, Love?”

Color immediately flooded her cheeks. “I’ll pick up a couple of mysteries for you.”

As she turned and walked away, he grinned. He found it quite entertaining to fluster Emma Swan.

*********

Every day of the next month followed a familiar routine. Either Emma or David were in the office throughout the day, leaving Hook alone overnight. Ruby dropped off food for him three times a day, and he was allowed out of the cell to use the bathroom, when necessary. Three times a week, he was taken to Granny’s boarding house to shower. After the first week, they didn’t even handcuff him for the walk across town.

Emma provided Hook with a steady supply of reading material from the library. One day, he was taken by surprise when Belle stopped at the station with two books clutched to her chest.

“Emma was checking these out when she got called away for an emergency,” she explained nervously. “I told her I would bring them to you.”

Hook slowly rose from the cot and approached the bars. “That was very kind of you, Lass.”

She moved closer, but didn’t offer the books to him. “I, um, I was hoping to talk to you, anyway.”

Hook waited, giving her an opportunity to collect her thoughts.

“Neal…Baelfire, he…he told me what Rumple did to Milah. How he…killed her. I know he was the Dark One, but I never thought him capable of such a thing. I mean, crushing the heart of his own son’s mother.”

“Aye,” Hook said quietly. “He did it right in front of me.”

“I should be angry at you for killing the man I loved, but after hearing that, I’m not sure I ever really knew him. What you did wasn’t right, but I…I’m not going to hold it against you.”

“I’m not sorry for finally getting my revenge on the crocodile, but I would like to apologize for shooting you. It was very bad form,” he said sincerely. “How are you feeling, by the way?”

Her fingers reached up to rub at her shoulder subconsciously. “I’m recovering nicely. Dr. Whale says I won’t have any lasting damage.”

“That’s good to hear. I truly am sorry.”

“Thank you.”

“Once I’m released, I would like to make it up to you somehow, if you’ll allow me.”

“Actually, since my injury, it’s been difficult for me to shelve the books that go on the upper shelves. Would you mind helping with that?”

“I would happily do that for you. It’s the least I can do.”

They stood in awkward silence for a few moments, until Belle seemed to remember her purpose for being there. Holding the books out to him, she said, “I helped Emma choose these for you. I must say, you have very good taste in books. You read them so quickly, too.”

He took them from her hands, checking the titles on the spines. “Well, I have very little else to do in here. Being on the ship for months on end helped me develop quite a love for reading. I got into the habit of…acquiring books at the many ports I visited.”

“Acquiring as in stealing?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Pirate, Love,” he quipped. “If you are interested in seeing my collection of books, they’re on my ship. You’re welcome to peruse them at your leisure.”

“I appreciate the offer,” Belle said, “but I’m sure you’ll understand if I don’t want to go aboard your ship, after what happened there.”

“Aye,” he said simply, nodding his head. “I hope you won’t harbor ill feelings toward me, but I understand if you do.”

Belle clasped her hands in front of herself. “I was thinking…since you have to be locked up for another two weeks, perhaps I could come by and we could discuss books together.”

Hook looked up in surprise. “You want to visit me, after all I’ve done?”

She shrugged slightly. “What’s done can’t be undone. I believe one way to overcome bitterness with someone is to get to know them better.”

“That’s quite noble of you, Lass. I would enjoy having someone with whom to discuss literature.”

Belle smiled. “How about if I stop by after I close the library tomorrow? Do you think you’ll be finished reading The Swiss Family Robinson by then?”

He flipped through the pages of the book. “I’ll be finished. Dave was kind enough to provide me with a lamp so I can read after both he and Emma leave at the end of the work day. I usually read until late at night.”

“Then I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I look forward to it. Thank you again, Lass - for everything.”

With one last smile, she turned and left the station.

Soon after the door closed, Emma came bursting into the room. “Everything alright, Killian?”

Ever since he asked her to call him by his given name, she stopped calling him Hook altogether. Hearing his given name, he realized it had been centuries since he heard anyone use it. The last person he could remember was…Milah. Now, every time his name passed Emma’s lips, his heart swelled.

“Aye, Love. Why do you ask?”

“I just saw Belle leaving. Did the two of you talk?”

“We did.”

“How did that go?”

“You were right about her - she’s very forgiving. She said Bae told her what Rumplestiltskin did to Milah, and she understood why I wanted my revenge, even though she didn’t agree with my methods. I apologized for shooting her and told her once I am released, I will help with replacing the books on the upper shelves of the library until her arm is completely healed. She accepted both my apology and my offer, then, believe it or not, she proposed stopping by here from time to time to discuss books we’ve both read. As a matter of fact, she’s coming in tomorrow after the library closes.”

“Wow,” Emma remarked. “That’s…unbelievable.”

Hook nodded in agreement. There were several beats of silence, until he said, “Belle said you were called away to an emergency.”

“Yeah. Two of the dwarves were driving over to the mine and Tom sneezed loudly enough to wake a squirrel that was apparently sleeping behind the seat of Leroy’s truck. It started running berserk, which caused Leroy to run off the road into Peter’s pumpkin patch. When I got there, Peter and Leroy were at each other’s throat, while Sneezy was still trying to get the squirrel out of the truck. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt and there was no damage to the truck. All it took was for me to threaten Leroy with jail time if he didn’t pay for the pumpkins he smashed. I don’t think he was interested in being your cellmate.”

Hook laughed as she finished explaining.

“Laugh all you want, buddy. You weren’t the one who had to separate Grumpy and Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater. I swear, my life is so bizarre.”

*********

The next day, Hook was waiting for Belle to arrive, when Henry ran into the station, shouting, “Mom! Mom!”

“She’s out at the moment, lad,” Hook responded.

“Oh,” Henry said, looking crestfallen.

“I’m sure she’ll be back soon. Doesn’t she usually meet you after school?”

“Sometimes. My dad was supposed to pick me up today, but he wasn’t there. That’s why Grandma brought me here to find my mom. I have something really exciting to tell her.”

“Well, I know I’m not your mother, but if you would like to share, I would be amenable to hearing it. Unless you want your mother to be the first to hear it, which is quite understandable.”

Henry studied him for a few seconds. “You talk funny.”

Hook couldn’t help chuckling. “Aye, I suppose it does sound funny to your young, modern ears.”

“Did you really kill Mr. Gold?”

Hook scratched behind his ear. “Aye. Did your mother tell you about that?”

“No, and neither did my other mom. I heard some of the kids talking about it at school. He was my grandfather, you know.”

  “I’m aware. I suppose you are angry at me.”

Henry shrugged. “Not really. He wasn’t very nice to anybody, except Belle. He was the beast from Beauty and the Beast, you know. She’s the beauty, of course.”

“That makes sense.”

“You believe me?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“It took my mom a while to believe me when she first came to Storybrooke. She didn’t think fairytale characters actually exist.”

“Well, coming from the land without magic the way she did, I’m sure it was quite unbelievable,” Hook chuckled.

Henry scrutinized him. “Where’s your hook?”

“Alas,” Hook said, raising his left arm slightly, “your mother insisted on taking it from me for fear I would use it to escape.”

“Would you?”

“Of course,” Hook grinned. “I am a pirate, after all.”

“Yep, Captain Hook!” Henry said excitedly. “Have you actually been to Neverland?”

“Aye, spent many a year there.”

“Did you meet Peter Pan?”

“I have,” Hook grimaced. “He’s a bloody demon.”

Henry looked astonished. “He is? But in the movie, Captain Hook is the villain and Peter Pan is the good guy.”

Hook scoffed. “I can assure you, that isn’t true.”

“Why? What did he do that was so…”

“Henry?” Emma called, striding quickly into the station. “What are you doing here?”

“Hi, Mom!” Henry said, rushing over to her. “I came here to find you. Guess what? I got an A+ on my geography test! I even got the extra credit question right!”

“That’s great, kid!” Emma said, wrapping him up in a hug. “I’m very proud of you!”

“I”m the only one in the class that got them all right. Thanks for helping me study.”

“You’re welcome. Now, back to my original question. Why are you here? I thought you were going to be with your dad after school.”

Henry shrugged. “I waited for a while, but he didn’t show up, so I had Grandma bring me here to tell you my news.”

“Seriously?” Emma asked, pulling her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans. “Let me see if he sent a message.” She unlocked the device and swiped the screen, her expression changing from concern to anger. “Nothing. I’m going to call him to find out what’s going on. Stay here.”

She went into the inner office and shut the door. Hook and Henry watched her become increasingly animated as she carried on a conversation they couldn’t hear.

“She looks mad, doesn’t she?” Henry asked.

“Aye, that she does,” Hook agreed.

“I don’t think she likes my dad very much. That’s why she lied to me about him dying.”

“She had good intentions, lad. She didn’t want you thinking badly about him when she thought you would never have a chance to meet him.”

“I know. I was really mad at her for a while, but I get it now.”

“I’m very happy you forgave her. She was quite distraught knowing how angry you were about it.”

Emma ended the conversation and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her. “I’m sorry, kid. It looks like you’re gonna have to go hang out at the mayor’s office for an hour or so until my shift is over. Regina knows you’re coming.”

“Is my dad okay? Did something happen to him?”

“He’s fine, he just…something came up. He said to tell you he’s sorry and he’ll see you another day.”

Henry’s face fell. “Oh, okay. I won’t get to tell him about my good grade, then.”

  “You can tell him the next time you see him,” Emma soothed.

“Yeah, I guess,” he mumbled.

“Come on. I’ll walk with you,” she said, slinging her arm over his shoulders.

Hook watched them go, silently seething at Bae. He was handed a golden opportunity to get to know his son, but evidently wasn’t putting much effort into it. This was Storybrooke - how could something come up that was more important than collecting his son from school?

Hook was still ruminating on that, when Belle’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Hook? Are you okay?”

He mentally shook himself and forced a smile onto his face. “Aye, lass. I’m looking forward to our discussion.”

*********

Belle was on her way out when Emma returned to the station. They exchanged pleasantries, but the smile quickly slipped from her face as she dropped down in her chair.

“Alright there, Swan?” Hook asked.

“I’m fine. Neal is an ass.”

“What was his excuse for not spending time with his boy, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“He met someone and was getting ready to go on a date.”

“He met someone? In Storybrooke?” Hook asked with undisguised surprise.

“That’s what I said. Apparently, she’s one of Cinderella’s stepsisters.”

“I heard those two are a bit dense.”

Emma scoffed. “They would have to be, to go out with Neal. That doesn’t say much about me though, does it?”

“Don’t be hard on yourself, Love. You were young, impressionable and alone. I have a feeling he took advantage of that.”

“You’re probably right, but that doesn’t make me feel any better. Now he’s making excuses to not see Henry. Hurting me is one thing, but hurting my kid is inexcusable. If he keeps it up, I’m gonna tell him to go back to New York and stay there.”

She stood up and began pacing in front of his cell. After a couple of passes, he reached through the bars to lightly grasp her arm. “Calm down, Swan. You handled the situation and Henry will be okay. Perhaps this will be the only time Bae lets his son down.”

“I wish I could believe that. Unfortunately, he tried to back out on seeing Henry a couple of other times, but I insisted that he keep his promise. A father shouldn’t have to be forced to see his own son.”

“Too right, Love.”

“This is one reason, among many, why I don’t want him around Henry. He’s unreliable and only cares about himself.”

“How does Henry feel about his father?” Hook inquired.

“He seems to like spending time with Neal, but I think the novelty of meeting his dad is wearing off a bit. He’s not as excited to be with him as he was when they first met.”

“I’m sure the boy senses his father isn’t fully committed to him. It’s probably putting a strain on their relationship.”

Emma nodded in agreement. Wrapping her hands around the bars, she looked at him for a few moments before saying, “You made a good impression on him. He talked about you the entire walk over to Regina’s office.”

“He’s a bright lad. I enjoyed my conversation with him.”

“Yeah,” she smiled. “He’s a good kid, which is amazing, considering what he’s been through.”

“What has he been through?”

“Being given away the day he was born, then being adopted by Regina. She sent him to therapy and tried to make him think he was crazy when he got the storybook and started figuring things out. Once he found me, he had to learn how to deal with two mothers, and now a father who he thought was dead. It’s a lot for a kid his age.”

“He inherited your toughness, lass. You haven’t had an easy life, either.”

She smiled slightly, then sighed. “I better get out on patrol. Thanks for letting me vent. Again. Having you behind bars is convenient when I need a captive audience.”

“I would be there for you even if I weren’t in this cell, Swan.”

Her smile grew. “Thank you, Killian.”

*********

“Ready to go to Granny’s for a shower, Hook?” David asked once they were finished eating the breakfast Ruby delivered.

“Aye, mate,” Hook answered, standing up and stretching.

David unlocked the cell and swung the door open. “Can I ask you a question?”

“I’m sure you are quite capable of asking one,” Hook teased.

“You know what I mean,” David said, rolling his eyes. “Why have you decided not to escape? You’ve had several opportunities.”

Hook waited until they were out of the station and walking toward the boarding house before he answered. “I have my reasons for staying.”

“The dinner you intend to have with Emma?”

“Aye, that’s one reason. Another is the fact I have nowhere else to go. Now that I’ve gotten my revenge, I’m at a loss as to what to do next. This town is as good a place as any to stay, until I decide.”

David was getting ready to respond, when Happy walked past. “Good morning, Sheriff! Good morning, Hook! Great day, isn’t it?” he asked with a huge smile.

Both men greeted him in return, then walked on. They encountered a half dozen more people before they reached the boarding house, all of them calling out a greeting to both the sheriff and the pirate.

“It seems you’ve been accepted as part of Storybrooke, Hook,” David observed. “Everyone says hello when you walk down the street, you have a book club with Belle, Henry thinks you’re the greatest thing since sliced bread, Ruby flirts with you ridiculously when she brings your meals, Granny includes extra goodies in those meals, and Emma…well, she seems to have found a confidant in you.”

Hook digested this assessment, pleased to know Emma’s father noticed the bond they had and didn’t seem to be upset about it. “What about you, Dave?”

“What about me?”

“I’m winning you over, I can feel it,” Hook quipped.

“I, uh, I guess you have grown on me a bit.”

“Well, I tend to have that effect on people.”

They arrived at the boarding house and walked down the hall to the room where Hook always took his shower. “I’m going to get some coffee while I wait. Would you like some?” David asked.

“Of course,” Hook said. “You know my order, mate.”

He entered the room, shutting the door behind him. Leaning back against it, he smiled. Perhaps he truly had found a place to belong.

*********

“Today is the day,” Emma announced when she entered the station the morning of Hook’s release.

“Aye, Love,” Hook responded with a grin. He rose from the cot, stretching his arms over his head. “As much as I have enjoyed your hospitality, I am more than ready to regain my freedom.”

She opened a desk drawer, grabbed the keys and held them up. After taking a couple of steps toward the cell, she suddenly stopped and pivoted to go back to the desk.

“Forget something, lass?”

She pulled out another drawer and shuffled through it. “Thought you might want these back,” she said, holding up his oversized hairpin and hook.

Hook hadn’t worn his brace since he’d been locked up. He rummaged under the mattress where he kept it, slipped off his shirt, then slid the straps over his shoulders. When he turned, still attaching the cuff over his stump, he caught Emma ogling him.

“See something you like?”

“Huh?” she asked, her eyes still focused on his exposed chest. “Oh, uh, no. I just haven’t seen…I mean…” Her face was rapidly filling with color.

He chuckled as he began to put his shirt back on. “Why, Swan, have I rendered you speechless?”

Her eyes finally met his, which were sparkling with amusement. “I just wasn’t expecting to see you half-naked,” she admitted.

She unlocked the cell door and swung it open. After accepting the hairpin from her, he expertly used it to button up half of the shirt, then slipped it into his pocket, smirking as he saw her eyes lingering on his chest again.

“My hook, if you please,” he said, holding out his hand. She handed it to him and watched him lock it into place. “Might I have my coat, also?”

“Yeah, it’s in the closet. Come on.” She turned and led the way toward the front of the station.

He stepped out of the cell and breathed deeply. He may have been let in and out of his cell numerous times since Regina pronounced his sentence, but knowing that this time, he wouldn’t be returning to the small, dank cell felt exceptionally good.

Emma came back into the room, carrying his long, leather duster. “This thing weighs a ton. How the hell do you wear it all the time?”

He took it from her and pulled it on, the weight and creak of the leather a welcome friend to him. “I’ve gotten used to it through the centuries.”

“What are you, like a million years old?”

“More like two hundred.”

They walked out the door, almost bumping into David as he was about to enter. “Ah, that’s right. You’re leaving us today, huh Hook?”

“Aye, mate. I can stop in from time to time to play cards again, if you like.”

Emma looked between them. “You guys played cards with each other?”

David shrugged. “What else was there to do all those hours we were stuck in here together? Hook is a decent poker player. Have you ever seen him shuffle the cards one-handed?”

Emma’s eyes shifted to Hook. “No I haven’t. You’ll have to show me sometime.”

He took a step into her space. “There are numerous things I would like to show you, Swan.”

David cleared his throat. “Don’t make me punch you again.”

Hook chuckled and offered his hand. “It was a pleasure being your prisoner, Dave.”

David grinned as he gave it a firm shake. “I hope you don’t make a habit of it.” Then he went through the door into the station.

“Come on, Killian,” Emma said. “I’ll treat you to breakfast at Granny’s to celebrate your freedom.”

“That’s very kind of you, as long as you’re not considering it to be the meal we agreed upon.”

“You said it was going to be dinner on your ship. Oh, by the way, I’ve been stopping by the harbor every few days to make sure it’s okay.”

“She,” Hook corrected.

“Excuse me?”

“You should refer to my ship as ‘she’, not ‘it’.”

“You make it sound like a woman. It’s just a ship.”

He whirled around and stopped in front of her. “She’s not just a ship; she’s my home. We’ve been through more together than you can even imagine.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any disrespect,” Emma apologized.

“It’s quite alright,” he said, turning to resume walking. “Thank you for checking on the old girl.”

They arrived at the diner, where they were greeted by Granny, Ruby and a few patrons, including Leroy, who even offered them a hint of a smile.

As they took a seat in one of the empty booths, Ruby approached with the coffee pot and asked, “Same as usual, Hook?”

“Aye, Love,” he answered, flipping the coffee cup upright on the saucer.

“What about you, Sheriff?” Ruby asked as she filled Hook’s cup.

“Pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon,” Emma said, turning over her own cup.

“Same order as Hook’s. You two have similar tastes,” Ruby remarked.

After she walked away, Emma tilted her head and looked at him curiously. He took a slow sip of his coffee, swallowed, then asked, “Something on your mind, Swan?”

“You really have been accepted by the people in this town.”

He sat back in the booth, his fingers fiddling with the spoon laying in front of him. “Is that so surprising?”

“Well, you were in jail for shooting Belle.”

“She’s fully recovered and has forgiven me. Lately, she’s been mentioning a man named Will Scarlett quite frequently.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen them around town together. She seems to have moved on from Gold.” Emma took a drink of her coffee before adding, “You, um, you also killed a couple of people.”

“Both of whom were villains who would have killed me first, if given the chance. I believe the townspeople understand that.”

“There must be different rules for people from the Enchanted Forest. In the land without magic, you can’t get away with murder, unless it’s clearly self defense.”

“You think I should have been incarcerated longer?”

“I’m not saying that. In all honesty, the world is a better place without Cora and Gold. I’m just a little surprised that everyone is willing to overlook your crimes to make you one of their own. Even my dad seems to be your…mate,” she said, attempting to imitate his accent.

He shrugged. “It’s nice to know people are willing to give me a chance, but as I’ve said before, there’s only one person whose opinion matters to me.”

Ruby arrived with their meal, interrupting their conversation. Once she walked away, Emma picked up a slice of bacon and raised it to her mouth. Before taking a bite, she quietly said, “I, um, I hope you decide to stay in town.”

Hook froze with a forkful of eggs halfway to his mouth, a slow smile spreading across his face. As the two of them continued eating their breakfast in companionable silence, he felt a spark of hope that perhaps he was beginning to win Emma Swan’s heart.

*********

As soon as he got back to his ship later that morning, he began planning the dinner he and Emma would share. He wanted everything to be as perfect as possible, and he knew he would need help.

Over the next two days, he visited many shops in town and once he procured everything he required, he made a trip to the sheriff’s station. Striding into the familiar confines, he saw Emma standing at the file cabinet with her back to him.

Quietly walking up behind her, he leaned in and asked, “Did you miss me, Swan?”

She jumped. “Oh my gosh! You scared me!”

“Sorry, Love. I didn’t intend to take you by surprise.”

“It’s okay,” she said, closing the drawer and turning to face him. “What are you doing here? I thought you would want to stay away from this place.”

“I came to invite you to dinner tonight.”

“Tonight? That’s kind of short notice. How do you know I don’t have something to do tonight?”

“I talked to your parents and they said they weren’t aware that you had any plans. Your mother volunteered to take care of Henry for the evening, and David is willing to finish your shift, so you’ll have time to get ready.”

“So, my mom and dad are okay with me having this dinner with you?”

“Aye, so it seems. I told you we were getting along,” he smirked. “What do you say, Love? Will you join me for dinner on my ship?”

“Well, it seems like you have everything covered, so…sure.”

“Excellent! I will be at your door promptly at six o’clock.”

“You don’t have to pick me up. I can drive over to the docks…”

“Nonsense,” Hook said firmly, cutting her off. “A gentleman would never allow a lady to transport herself to their date.”

“Wait - you’re considering this a date?” Emma asked.

He was confused. “That was our agreement, was it not?”

“You just said dinner. You never used the term ‘date’.”

His heart sank a little. “Does that change things?”

To his surprise, she took a step forward and rubbed her hand down his arm. “No, it’s fine. I’ll still have dinner with you. How should I dress for this…date?”

“It promises to be a clear night with a chill in the air. Since we’ll be dining on the deck, I would advise you to dress warmly.”

“Got it. I guess I’ll see you at six o’clock then.”

He gave her a crooked grin, then turned to leave the station. He still had a lot of preparation left for his date with the fair Lady Swan.

*********

Hook straightened the left cuff on his new, leather jacket, which had a convenient zipper allowing it to fit over his brace. He had thought about handing her one of the dozen red roses from the arrangement he purchased as soon as she opened the door, but he didn’t want to overwhelm her with such a romantic gesture.

After taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, he raised his hook to rap on the door. He only had to wait a few moments until Emma swung it open. He was very glad he had taken that deep breath, because gazing at the vision before him, he was having trouble breathing at all.

She was dressed in form fitting, black jeans, knee-high black boots with a heel, and a dark blue, hip-length coat, embellished with colorful flower appliqués running from shoulder to shoulder. Her thick, blonde hair draped loosely over her shoulders, creating a lovely contrast against the inky color of the coat.

The somewhat nervous smile on her face disappeared as she surveyed him, her eyes growing wide and her jaw dropping. He was sure she had been expecting him to wear his usual pirate attire, so seeing him in modern clothes had to be a shock.

“Swan,” he breathed, “you look…stunning.”

“You…look…”

“I know,” he smirked.

She smiled genuinely and called over her shoulder, “I’m leaving!”

“Oh, wait!” He heard Emma’s mother call. Then she came bouncing into the room with a strange contraption in her hands. She stood in front of Hook and Emma, held it up and pushed a button. It made an odd whirring sound, then a thick square of paper came out of a slot in the front.

“Pictures? Really?” Emma sighed. “Why are you making a big deal out of this?”

Mary Margaret waved the square around in the air. “It’s the first of your dates I’ve ever gotten to witness,” she explained. “I want to commemorate it.”

Just then, Henry came bounding down the stairs two at a time. “Hey, Hook!” he greeted, then pulled up short. “What happened to your pirate clothes?”

“Now that I’m living in the modern world, I decided I should dress to fit into it,” Hook responded, looking down at his new outfit.

“Oh,” Henry said, clearly disappointed. “So you’re not a pirate anymore?”

Hook chuckled. “I’ll always be a pirate, lad.”

“Mom says she’s having dinner with you on your ship.”

“That’s right.”

“When can I see your ship?”

“You’re welcome aboard anytime, as long as it’s alright with your mother.”

Henry turned to Emma. “Can I, Mom?” he asked excitedly.

Emma shot Hook a quick look before answering, “As long as you listen to Hook and do what he tells you. And as long as it’s okay with Regina.”

Henry’s face fell. “She probably won’t let me. I don’t think she likes Hook very much.”

“Henry!” Emma and Mary Margaret exclaimed at the same time.

Hook just chuckled. “She probably doesn’t, but to be fair, she’s not fond of most people.”

“That’s true,” Henry said, nodding his head.

“We better get going,” Emma said. After giving Henry a hug, she pulled on some black gloves. “Ready, Killian?”

“Aye, Love,” he said, opening the door for her. “Goodbye, lad. Goodbye, milady. Have a good evening.” Mary Margaret took another picture, causing Emma to roll her eyes.

Hook followed Emma into the hallway, closing the door behind himself. As they were descending the stairs, David came through the outside door. “Leaving already?” he asked. “I was hoping to be home by the time Hook arrived.”

“Don’t worry, Mom took pictures,” Emma assured him.

David eyed Hook. “I want her home by midnight.”

“Oh, for crying out loud!” Emma exploded. “I don’t need a curfew. I’m not a teenager!”

“You’re still my little girl and he’s still a pirate.”

“He’s also your card playing buddy, and I can take care of myself,” Emma snapped. “Come on, Killian. Let’s go before he decides I should wear a chastity belt.”

“Now that you mention it…” David began.

Emma grabbed Hook’s hand and forcibly pulled him out the door.

Once they were out on the sidewalk, she looked up and down the street. “Did you walk here?”

“I don’t have any other mode of transportation. It’s a lovely evening, but if you prefer to drive…”

“Walking is fine with me.”

He offered his elbow, she threaded her arm through it, and they started off down the sidewalk. As they passed various shops, they peered through the windows, commenting on the contents. When they walked past Gold’s Pawn Shop, with a ‘closed permanently’ sign on the door, Hook remarked, “Belle told me she plans to open the shop to the public soon, so everyone can claim what is rightfully theirs.”

“That’s nice of her,” Emma commented.

They continued on in silence for several steps, until Hook quietly said, “She told me he still has my…my hand in a jar in the back of the shop.”

Emma snapped her head around to look at him. “You’re kidding! That…that’s really morbid.”

“Aye,” he agreed simply.

They walked on a bit further. “Maybe…” Emma began thoughtfully.

When she didn’t continue, Hook asked, “What’s on your mind, Swan?”

“I do have magic. Maybe I could…reattach it?”

He stopped and turned to face her. “You would be willing to do that?”

“Of course. I can’t guarantee it would work, but I don’t think it would hurt to try. That is, if you trust me.”

“Of course I trust you, and I fully believe you can do it. You proved how powerful your magic is at Lake Nostos.”

“If it does work, what will everyone call you? Captain Hand?”

“Killian will do,” he said with a shake of his head.

Emma took his arm again and they resumed walking. “I’ll talk to Belle tomorrow,” she promised.

“Thank you, Love,” Hook said, past a lump in his throat. After centuries without his hand, the thought that he could soon have it back made him a bit emotional.

When they were within sight of the docks, Hook steered them down a side street. “Where are we going?” Emma asked.

“I ordered food from Tony’s and told him I would pick it up on our way. I want it to be piping hot when we eat.”

“Tony’s, huh? I’ve heard about that restaurant, but I haven’t eaten there.”

“Do you like Italian food?”

“Sure, who doesn’t? Besides, I like that it’s not Granny’s.”

He laughed. “Lady Lucas has tasty food, but I thought you deserved something different tonight.”

After picking up his order, they covered the remaining distance quickly. Emma was sniffing the air with a smile on her face. “Oh my god, that smells so good!”

They arrived at the pier and Hook gestured for her to precede him up the gangplank. She came to a stop as soon as she stepped onto the deck, taking in the sight before her.

Hook had set up a square table, flanked by two chairs. It was covered with a red tablecloth and had a huge bouquet of red roses sitting in the middle, surrounded by fine china plates, silverware, and crystal wine glasses. An ice bucket containing a bottle of wine was on one corner. Lit lanterns were scattered around the deck, each one creating a halo of soft light.

“Wow,” Emma uttered. “You really went all out.”

“Nothing but the best for you, Love.”

She gave him a grateful look, then walked over to the table, bending to smell the roses. “They’re beautiful.”

He moved to join her. “So are you, Emma,” he said sincerely.

He could tell she wasn’t sure how to respond to his sentiment, so he set the large brown bag of food down and pulled out a chair for her. Withdrawing the box containing breadsticks, he set it in front of her, then picked up a corkscrew to open the bottle of wine. While he was pouring the burgundy liquid, she opened the box, taking out a mouthwatering breadstick. Biting into it, she moaned at the taste.

They enjoyed their dinner and the easy conversation accompanying it. After consuming their plates of pasta and meatballs, he reached into the sack and pulled out one final box containing tiramisu.

“I didn’t think I could eat another bite, but I’ll make room for that,” Emma said, eyeing the dessert with undisguised eagerness.

“I’ve never tried it, but it came highly recommended,” Hook explained.

They ate the rich cake, uttering expressions of delight as they savored it.

Once the meal was finished, Hook noticed Emma beginning to shiver. “Cold, Love?” he inquired.

“Just a little chilly,” she replied, wrapping her arms around herself.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, heading toward the ladder leading below deck. He returned with a blanket and draped it over her shoulders.

“Thanks,” she said, grasping the edges and pulling it tightly around herself.

He put his hand on the small of her back and steered her toward the bow. “I’m happy it’s clear this evening,” he said, pointing at the sky with his hook. “I’ve always loved gazing at the stars, even before I became a sailor.”

“There were stars all the way back then?” she teased.

“Curses and Neverland may have given me experience, but as you can see, I’ve retained my youthful glow.”

She scoffed lightly, then turned her attention to the sky. “Is it true that sailors use the stars to navigate?”

“Among other things.”

“The only constellation I can find is the Big Dipper,” she admitted.

As Hook began pointing out the various star configurations, she leaned back against him, her head on his shoulder while she scanned the sky. Wanting to keep her there as long as possible, he began regaling her with myths related to each constellation.

When he became quiet, she breathed, “Tonight has been very nice, Killian.”

“Aye, it has.”

She turned to face him, slowly running her hands up his chest. “I like your new clothes. They suit you.”

“Thank you, Love. They may take some getting used to, after centuries of wearing my leather trousers and duster.”

“You don’t plan to stop wearing your pirate garb altogether, do you?” she asked, her fingers caressing the lapels of his jacket.

He quirked an eyebrow. “Are you saying you would miss it if I did?”

“Maybe,” she said coyly, ducking her head to look up at him through her lashes.

“I’ll tell you what,” he said, putting his hand and hook on her hips to pull her a bit closer, “you say the word and I’ll wear them anytime you want.”

“Just for me?”

“Aye,” he affirmed.

“Good,” she whispered, then tugged on his lapels, bringing his lips to hers.

His surprise quickly turned to pleasure. The blanket around her shoulders slid to the deck as he ran his hand up her back to tangle in her hair. He swiped his tongue across her lips, tasting a hint of wine and garlic. She opened to him and he eagerly accepted her invitation.

  Tilting his head, he deepened the kiss, drawing in quick breaths when necessary. To his great delight, she didn’t seem to be in any hurry to end it. Their tongues explored, while their hands roamed, fingers teasing any skin they encountered.

When their lips finally separated, Emma rested her forehead against his. Neither of them spoke as the heavy breaths they were taking mingled between them.

“That was…unexpected,” Hook murmured.

“Yeah, for me, too,” Emma concurred. “I wasn’t planning to do that, I just…”

“Couldn’t resist my charm?”

She took a step back and peered up into his face, her fingers still toying with the hair curling behind his ears. “Something like that.” She looked like she wanted to say more, but when she opened her mouth to do so, she seemed to have second thoughts and began to pull away from his embrace.

“Hey, talk to me,” he urged.

She sighed. “I don’t…I don’t know if I want to be in…a relationship. I’m not good at them.”

“Perhaps you simply haven’t met the right person yet.”

“And you think that person is you?”

He looked deeply into her eyes, radiating sincerity as he spoke. “I never thought I would be capable of letting go of my first love…of my Milah. To believe that I could find someone else. That is, until I met you.”

Her jaw dropped and she blinked rapidly. “Are you…are you saying that you…”

“Love you? Aye, that’s what I’m saying. You have captured my heart, Emma Swan - a heart that has been hardened for more years than I care to admit.” As she opened her mouth to speak, he added quickly, “I realize you aren’t ready to return my sentiments, but if you give me a chance, I believe I will eventually win your heart. Not through any trickery, but because you want me.”

“Killian, I…” she began. Wrapping her arms around herself, she bit her bottom lip and dropped her eyes, clearly reeling from his confession.

“Emma, I don’t want things to be awkward between us. Please don’t pull away from me.”

She raised her eyes to meet his once again. He held his breath as she studied him, then felt a thrill of hope when she leaned in to press a brief kiss to his lips. “Be patient,” she requested.

“I have all the time in the world.”

*********

After walking Emma home and enjoying another languid kiss outside her door, Hook went back to his ship and cleared away the remains of dinner, returned the table, chairs and lanterns to their rightful places and retired to his quarters.

Lying in his bunk, his mind replayed the events of the night. Dinner went as he had hoped, and the time they spent in conversation was extremely enjoyable. He hadn’t planned to admit his feelings, but her kiss took him completely by surprise and brought those feelings bubbling to the surface where he couldn’t suppress them.

If he had to pinpoint the moment when he realized he had fallen in love with her, it was when she came to the station and told him Henry’s reaction to finding out about his father. The way she trusted him when she hadn’t even wanted to tell her own parents, and released him from the cell so he could comfort her, gave him hope that he was breaking down the walls she built around her heart. Then when she used his given name, his love for her was solidified.

He hoped she wouldn’t have regrets when she thought about their evening together. He certainly didn’t. Touching his lips, he smiled, then closed his eyes and went to sleep, dreaming of the lovely Emma Swan.

*********

Hook was polishing the railings of the Jolly Roger late the next morning, when he saw Emma’s yellow contraption quickly approaching. Laying the cloth and jar of polish aside, he disembarked and met her as she was opening the door.

“Hey,” she greeted breathlessly. “I just talked to Belle. She wants me to bring you to the pawn shop right away so I can try to reattach your hand.”

His heart began to race. He had absolute faith in Emma, so he knew that after more than two hundred years, he was within minutes of having his hand restored.

Climbing into the passenger seat, he watched her maneuver the car the short distance through the streets, neither of them speaking. He was sure she was nervous about using her magic and he didn’t want to say anything to put more pressure on her.

Once she parked in front of the pawn shop, she cut the engine and looked over at him. “You want this, right? Henry might not think you’re quite as cool without your hook,” she teased.

He could tell she was trying to lighten the mood. “He can see it whenever he’s on my ship,” he chuckled.

She blew out a heavy sigh. “Alright then, let’s go,” she said, opening the car door, as he did the same.

Belle met them outside the shop, unlocked the door and led them inside. “Wait here. I’ll go in the back and get the jar,” she said.

Hook noticed Emma was anxiously wringing her hands. He went to her and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t fret, Swan. If it doesn’t work, I’ll be no worse off.”

Belle came through the thick curtain carrying a large, glass jar containing clear liquid and a human hand. Hook glanced at Emma and saw her swallow hard as she looked at it.

“Why would he keep it all of these years?” she asked.

“Probably to remind himself that he should have finished the job and killed me to get what he wanted. He cut it off to get the magic bean he thought I was holding, but when he wasn’t looking, I slipped it into my pocket. I’m sure he wasn’t happy when he discovered I tricked him.”

He stepped closer to the counter where Belle set the jar. Carefully turning it around, he got a lump in his throat remembering that fateful day when he lost so much more than his hand.

He didn’t hear Emma move to stand beside him, until she spoke quietly. “Are you alright, Killian?”

“Aye.” His voice was gruff with emotion. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Aye, Love. I just didn’t think there was a chance of ever having it back.”

“It will take powerful magic to reattach it,” Belle stated.

“Emma is bloody brilliant wielding her magic,” Hook said proudly. “She’s the only person I’ve ever seen who repelled Cora’s attempt to take her heart.”

“Rumple always said that magic isn’t an intellectual endeavor,” Belle said. “It’s emotional. You have to ask yourself, why am I doing this? Who am I protecting?”

“Like you did when you restored the waters of Lake Nostos,” Hook said. “You were thinking of how much you wanted to get back to your son and father.”

Emma pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she studied the macabre sight of the hand floating in the formaldehyde. Finally, she locked eyes with him. “Are you ready to do this?”

“I am if you are, Swan.”

She closed her eyes tightly and held her right hand over the top of the jar. Hook watched her intently as her face became a mask of grim determination. Then she slowly moved her hand in a circle three times, thrusting it toward him at the end of the final rotation.

There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that she could do it, but he hadn’t known what kind of sensation to expect when his hand was back in its proper place. A tingling began at his shoulder, moving down his bicep to his elbow, then his forearm, wrist, and all the way to his…fingertips!

“You did it, Love!” he exclaimed, turning his reattached hand this way and that, while flexing his fingers.

Her eyes popped open, widening when she saw him holding up his hand in front of himself.

“Oh, Emma!” Belle exclaimed, giving a happy little clap. “How wonderful! I’m so happy for you, Hook!”

“I don’t believe you can call me that anymore, Love,” Killian said gleefully.

“No, I suppose I can’t,” Belle agreed. “What shall I call you, then?”

“My given name is Killian.”

“Killian it is,” she said, smiling brightly.

His eyes turned back to Emma, who was staring at her own hand, apparently in disbelief that it was capable of such powerful magic. Stepping forward, he captured her right hand with his left one.

She blinked rapidly before stammering, “I…I d-did it.”

“You’re a bloody marvel,” he praised. Bringing her hand to his lips, he pressed a kiss to the back of it. “Thank you, Love.”

“I, um…I need to get back to the library,” Belle cut in. “The door is locked. Please close it tightly when you leave.” Without waiting for a reply, she hurried out of the shop.

“I can’t believe I did it,” Emma said, seemingly unaware of the other woman’s departure.

“I knew you would,” Killian assured her.

She finally dragged her eyes up to meet his. “You really did have faith in me, didn’t you?”

“Aye,” he said simply. “May I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“What were you thinking when you did it?”

“Honestly? I…I was thinking about how important you are to me. You helped me get back to Henry from the Enchanted Forest and protected me from Gold to bring me back from New York. You listen when I need a sounding board and offer me good advice. You…you have become my best friend and I desperately wanted to help you by giving you the thing you want the most.”

“You’re wrong about that,” he said, wrapping a strand of her golden hair around his finger.

She looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m extremely happy to have my hand back,” he said. “But the thing I want most isn’t having it restored. I could have gone on living without it, if necessary. However, I couldn’t go on without you. You’re the most brilliant, beautiful, mesmerizing woman I have ever had the privilege of knowing.”

Her eyes brimmed with tears. “Do you really mean that?”

“Every word.” Taking another step into her space, he murmured, “And I am bloody grateful that now I have more than one hand to hold you with, if you’ll allow me.”

In answer, she closed the remaining distance between them, pressing her damp cheek against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly against him, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of caressing her with both hands.

*********

When he and Emma walked down the sidewalk together the next day, she surprised him by taking his left hand and holding it all the way to Granny’s. The fact that she didn’t seem bothered by being seen showing signs of affection toward him made his heart beat faster with hope that she was beginning to have the same feelings for him that he already expressed for her.

With Emma and Regina’s permission, Henry began spending quite a bit of time learning the basics of sailing with Killian. One Saturday afternoon, he took his ship into the open water beyond the harbor with Emma and Henry aboard, so the boy could show his mother all he had learned. Killian wasn’t sure which of the three of them was the proudest.

It didn’t take long for word to get around town that Captain Hook was now a man without a hook. Townspeople smiled broadly as they greeted him as ‘Killian’ and received a smile just as bright in return. As time passed, he became more and more comfortable, and everyone welcomed him as a fellow citizen of Storybrooke.

David no longer showed any resistance toward the pirate dating his daughter. In fact, the two men were actually becoming the best of friends. Killian was often a dinner guest at the loft, being invited by Mary Margaret the majority of the time. The conversation around the table was always lively and filled with laughter. Afterwards, the four adults and Henry played card games until it was time for the boy to go to bed. Killian thoroughly enjoyed the time with Emma and her family.

As the weeks went by, he and Emma went on several more dates. Whether it was on his ship, at a restaurant or strolling around town, Killian couldn’t get enough of spending time with the woman he loved more deeply every day.

One evening, after having dinner with Emma, Mary Margaret and David while Henry was at Regina’s, Killian retired to his ship. He had just shrugged out of his leather jacket and was removing his vest in his quarters when he heard footsteps on the deck above. Grabbing a cutlass, he started up the ladder to confront the intruder. Before he reached the top, he heard Emma softly calling his name.

Without taking time to return the weapon downstairs, he completed his ascent and emerged through the hatch. “Hello, Love,” he greeted.

Her eyes widened slightly when she saw the cutlass he was holding. “Planning on stabbing someone?”

He looked down at it, then back up at her. “A man must always be prepared when he is protecting his ship,” he explained. “What brings you here at this hour?”

She stepped forward boldly, pulled him closer by the collar of his shirt and whispered, “You,” before kissing the holy hell out of him.

The cutlass hit the deck with a clatter as he wrapped his arms around her and eagerly reciprocated. When she finally took a breath, it was to utter, “Show me your quarters, Captain.”

He blinked in surprise, then an alluring smile crossed his face. “As you wish.”

After quickly descending the ladder, he stood below it to ensure Emma’s safety as she followed him down. She glanced around the shadowy hallway, lit only by two dim lanterns hanging on the wall.

“This way, milady,” he said, taking her hand and leading her to the door he left open in his haste.

She walked into his room, once again peering around the cabin. “So, this is your home, huh?”

“Aye, for more years than I care to admit.”

“You are pretty ancient,” she teased, winding her arms around his neck. “But hopefully not too ancient for what I have in mind.”

His brows rose on their own accord, even though he had already deduced her purpose for being there. Still, he didn’t want to assume anything, so he asked, “And just what do you have in mind, Swan?”

She kissed him chastely, then murmured against his lips, “I want to make love…to the man I love.”

He pulled back to look into her eyes. “Truly?”

“Yes, truly. You won my heart, Killian…and I want to share every other part of me with you.”

He dove in for another kiss, then moved his lips down her throat as he hummed, “I love you, Emma.”

It had been many long years since he was with a woman, his mind more focused on finding the crocodile once Regina’s curse was cast. At this moment, he was glad he abstained all that time. It would make his first time with Emma all the more special.

He could feel the rising pressure against the zipper of his jeans as he continued licking and nibbling the soft skin below her ear. His hands pushed her red leather jacket off of her shoulders and she allowed her arms to slide out of it. Once it was in a heap on the floor, his hands moved to begin toying with the buttons of her blouse, while her hands went to work on his belt.

Their movements were purposeful, and soon more clothes were on the floor. Killian scanned down Emma’s body, now clad in only her bra and panties. “You are absolutely, bloody gorgeous, my love,” he rasped through a throat clogged with emotion.

“So are you,” she returned, her fingers tracing the hard lines of his bare abs. She had disposed of his shirt and belt, and unzipped his pants. Now, she pushed at the waistband, encouraging him to remove them. He accommodated her immediately, then pulled her to him for another round of passionate kisses. She gasped into his mouth when she felt his stiffening member pressing against her.

As his hands traced up her back, he encountered the band of her brassiere and froze momentarily.

“It unhooks,” she mumbled, then giggled. “You shouldn’t have any problem with hooks.”

Her giggles turned to moans when he proved her right and began squeezing her breasts as soon as they were free. Then his mouth moved to explore her nipples, first licking them, then gently tugging at them with his teeth.

It was his turn to moan when her hands slid down inside his boxers and began fondling his ass. He wrapped his arms around her and easily lifted her into his arms. As he carried her toward his bunk, her legs encircled him, her ankles crossing at the small of his back.

Gently lowering her to the mattress, he looked down at her, his breath catching when she locked eyes with him. The love he could see shining in them was unmistakeable. He removed his underwear, then slid hers down her legs. The next several highly pleasurable moments were spent exploring each other’s naked form with their hands, fingers and lips.

Killian was even more grateful to have both hands as he used them to stroke, tease and arouse the beautiful woman beneath him. She moaned as she writhed under his ministrations, widening her legs as he neared her most intimate place.

He took that as permission to slide his fingers through her sodden folds, his thumb finding her clit at the same time. “Killiannn,” she gasped.

“Tell me what you want, Love,” he requested, his breath hot against her left breast.

She didn’t answer right away and he could tell she was hesitant to voice her desires. Moving his mouth up her body, he whispered in her ear, “Don’t be afraid to tell me exactly how you want me to pleasure you, Emma.”

He felt her draw in a shaky breath. “Use your fingers to…get me ready.”

Nodding, he decided to probe a bit more. “Just my fingers?”

She hesitated again. “And…your mouth?”

“Aye, Love. I can do that.” His lips found hers as his fingers found her center, his tongue thrusting into her mouth while first one, then two fingers did the same down below. He paused his kisses to ask, “Can you take more?”

“Mmhmm,” she affirmed and was promptly filled with a third digit. He licked and kissed his way down her body, as she rode his fingers. Curling them inside her, seeking that spot, he simultaneously sucked hard on a nipple. She cried out and shuddered against him, her walls clamping tightly around his digits. He continued stroking her as he adjusted his position, then he wrapped his lips around her clit, using his tongue to toy with it.

“Oh, fuck!” she exclaimed, her thighs tightening around his head. His hands found her hips, holding her steady as he licked her slit to taste her arousal. His gaze slid up her body to see her fingers plucking at her nipples, her eyes closed and mouth open in pleasure.

The combination of what he was seeing, tasting and feeling made his cock almost painfully hard. He began to rub it against her calf and heard her mumble something. Pulling away from her a bit, he asked, “What did you say, Love?”

“I…I want you inside me.”

He didn’t need a second invitation. Quickly straddling her, he leaned down to kiss her, knowing she would taste herself on his tongue. As she let out a surprised gasp, he lined himself up and slowly began entering her.

After becoming a pirate, Killian accepted the fact that he had very little chance of getting to Heaven, but at this moment, he felt like he was there. Her sheath wrapped around him and drew him in until he was fully engulfed in her heat.

He rested his forehead on hers, their breath mingling in the small space between them. Opening his eyes, they connected with the sparkling jade of hers. “I love you,” he whispered.

Her eyes crinkled as she smiled. “I love you, too.”

Pushing up to rest on his forearms, he began moving his hips languidly, sliding almost out, then back in again. Emma wrapped her legs around him, meeting him thrust for thrust. The pace quickened and sounds of slapping skin, moans, curses and panting breaths filled the air.

Killian felt the tell-tale tingle at the base of his spine, signifying his impending orgasm. Wanting to ensure Emma reached her peak first, he reached between them and rubbed his thumb over her swollen clit. The result was instantaneous. She cried out his name, tightening her legs around him and digging her fingers into his shoulders almost painfully.

He followed her over the edge, his body shuddering with his release. Moving his hands to grip her shapely buttocks, he rolled them over so she was resting on top of him. They lay without speaking, as their breathing returned to normal and their bodies cooled.

“Will you stay with me tonight?” he asked quietly, the fingers of both hands moving lazily up and down her back. Gods, he was so happy he was able to use both hands.

“Yeah,” she answered simply.

“Your parents won’t wonder where you are?”

“I’m pretty sure they knew where I was going and the reason for it.”

“And your father didn’t want to come along and threaten to kill me?”

“Why would he want to kill his best friend?” she laughed, lifting her head to look into his face. Her fingers moved to brush some strands of hair away from his brows. He closed his eyes and sighed contentedly.

She lay her head back down on his chest. “I love you, Killian,” she murmured into his skin.

“And I, you, Emma.”

After several more minutes, they finally moved to clean themselves up and Killian donned the flannel sleep pants he’d grown fond of while he was incarcerated. Emma stealthily snagged his shirt from the floor and slipped it on, earning a nod of approval and eyebrow wag from her pirate.

They settled into bed together and soon found a comfortable position. His arms held her snugly against his side, while her fingers toyed with the charms on his silver chain. “Goodnight, Killian,” she mumbled sleepily.

“Goodnight, Love. Sweet dreams.” His lips pressed against the crown of her head repeatedly. Within minutes, he heard her breathing even out and he knew she was asleep.

He remained awake for some time, thinking about everything that happened to bring him to this moment. The woman he held in his arms bested him not once, but twice. If anyone else had done that to the fearsome Captain Hook, it would have meant their death. Instead, Emma captured his heart and made him want to be a better man - one who was worthy of her love.

For dozens of decades, he thought getting his revenge on Rumplestiltskin was all that was left for him and that once he did, his life would be complete. However, attaining that revenge was only a footnote in his story now. Circumstances he never would have imagined brought him to this place that he now called home, where he had friends and was happier than he could remember being for a very, very long time.

Most importantly, he was in love with a brave, beautiful, fierce, passionate lass who, wonder of wonders, loved him in return. He would never understand what he did to deserve that privilege.

Tightening his arms around her sleeping form, he began drifting off himself, knowing that when he awakened in the morning, the first thing he would see would be Emma Swan, her green eyes shining with love for him.

*********

Thank you all very much for reading. I wish all of you a wonderful Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate, and a great New Year, hopefully full of lots of new CS content!

Tagging:

@qualitycoffeethings @grimmswan @cs-rylie @wyntereyez @kmomof4

@hookedmom @ultraluckycatnd @paradiselady19 @xarandomdreamx @motherkatereloyshipper

@lfh1226-linda @pawshapedheart @vampcoffeegyrl23 @tiganasummertree @bluewildcatfanatic

@eleveneitherway @elfiola @kday426 @julieenchanted-swans @gingerchangeling

@andiirivera @djlbg @jonesfandomfanatic @snowbellewells @anmylica

@booksteaandtoomuchtv @cocohook38 @ilovemesomekillianjones @zaharadessert @lyssapup27

@undercaffinatednightmare @winterbaby89 @jennjenn615 @xsajx @jackieorioncat

@teamhook @soniccat @jarienn972 @softkilly @kymbersmith-90

@apiratewhopines @hollyethecurious @laianely @resident-of-storybrooke @exhaustedpirate

@caught-in-the-filter @stahlop @veryverynotgoodwrites @darkshadow7 @fleurdepetite

@whimsicallyenchantedrose @earanemith @superchocovian @idristardis @captainswan-kellie

@beckettj @killihan-jones

[narrans]

My Borrowed Son | 16 | Friends and Curiosities

Chapter Sixteen | Friends and Curiosities

Parker couldn’t believe it. Within such a short amount of time, he suddenly had a dozen followers and friends on his page.

Sure, he didn’t know them personally, but everyone was welcoming and polite – two things he was eager to report to his mom when she expressed concern. The miniscule boy also made sure his mom knew he was being safe, not giving out too much personal information, and that the topic of his condition hadn’t even been brought up.

One person commented on his profile picture being interesting, which was a picture of Parker standing in front of his computer screen, but he just explained it was a background and that he wanted to showcase the platform he was publishing on. Karl was the kid’s name, and evidently he and Parker were the same age.

All in all, Parker was pleased with his interactions and the people he was meeting. Lots of them had advice and things for him to check out, and he liked all of the things he was seeing.

There were sketches of space and vast mountains as well as the everyday interactions. There were hundreds of stories from writers just like him.

It felt nice. It felt like some kind of community with people supporting and helping one another. A sense of satisfaction filled the young teen every time he checked his notifications and saw he was getting the chance to meet someone new.

“Just look here, mom,” said Parker eagerly as he showed his mom the latest post he made. “It has almost fifteen likes!” He looked up into his mom’s features and saw her beaming with pride.

“That’s so great, Parker,” she complemented. “Are you going to post your latest story from Mr. Tamplin’s class?”

“I… think so. I don’t know yet though. It doesn’t feel done,” he replied, feeling his cheeks getting warm. The latest story he came up with for Mr. Tamplin’s class was a fiction fantasy story about a sprite named Tal’el. It essentially was his backstory for the Dungeons and Dragons campaign he and his friends started.

Basically, he was a small fairy-like person who was a poison master for his people until he decided he wanted to go out adventuring and exploring. The Dungeon Game Master said it was fine if he played a smaller character, thankfully not questioning why he would want to do such a thing and found a special class for him to play as.

The story actually won a young adult author award for his class and Parker had Mr. Tamplin to thank since it was he who tutored him through his writing slumps. He was now refining it for his literature class.

“Well, don’t be scared to post it sweetie. You’re such a great writer and can do whatever you set your mind to,” encouraged his mom. “Now before you get sucked into checking your notifications, finish your homework and get ready for bed. You have a long day tomorrow.”

“Yes, momma,” Parker replied, rolling his screen back into place in the main area. The structure walls rumbled as his mom closed the outside walls to his home. It was hard to believe it had been a whole month since he “moved in” to this new space.

Parker loved it, in a weird way.

Not to sound ungrateful, but having his own space to roam around, especially in a space that felt suited to him, made him feel just a little bit normal. He liked that he was usually at eye-level with his mom instead of having her loom over him. Just the thought made him shudder involuntarily, and he wasn’t sure why.

It made him feel guilty every time the sensation seized him.

But, now was not the time to dwell on that. It was time for bed.

Parker walked into his room and rummaged through his dresser to find his oversized space t-shirt and elastic band sleep shorts. Then, he went back to the computer and finished submitting his assignments. The words filled the page and Parker hoped that his paper on the evolution of technology was going to be good enough to get him the grade he needed.

Parker’s other assignments were a breeze. Math was simple enough and the biology project about documenting the growth of plants was going smoothly. It was his other project, his story for his literature course, that he was worried about. It was his same story that he was using for his channel, but it was more a mild fear of rejection and lack of perfection.

His online friends liked it, but would his teacher? His followers?

Parker sighed and leaned against the wall before slinking down further into the chair. His eyes focused on the blinking line in front of him as he stared at the end of the fifth chapter he had been editing. Something about this story felt particularly personal, but Parker remembered hearing once about how writers put more of themselves than they’re aware of when they’re making characters and stories.

Perhaps this was just part of that feeling?

The teen sighed and stretched when, suddenly, his lights flickered up above him.

Confusion injected itself into his mind as he stared at the wired lights on the ceiling. His eyes flicked over to the wall switch.

Perhaps just a fluke?

The notion was dismissed when the lights flickered two more times, all of his lights dimming and glowing systematically.

Something raised the hair on the back of Parker’s neck. He felt like he was on pins and needles, the anticipation of a drop while suspended in mid-air. Cautiously, the curious teen stood up and walked over to the switch, examining it closely.

It was still up and wasn’t jiggling or loose.

The lights flickered again.

It felt like he was in a spooky movie, of which Parker had only ever seen one in his life along with a couple of older “thrillers” like Alien and Jaws. Even those movies were censored because his mom didn’t want him to get too spooked.

Was there something wrong with the plug?

Parker glanced at the window at the back by the stairs and, just for a moment, he could have sworn he saw something.

It looked like the quick flick of a shadow.

It was quick and Parker wasn’t even sure if he knew what he saw. He did just step out of his room after all, and he had been staring at his computer screen, which he knew sometimes made shadows appear when there weren’t any.

He held deathly still, his entire body locking up like a perfect figurine. His body fell naturally into the position as he slowly crouched and laid his hand against the floor, as if he could detect any trembling or motion.

He didn’t get a chance to investigate for long though. Before he could make his way to the stairs in his crouched position, there was a knock on the table that made Parker nearly jump out of his skin.

“Parker? Are you going to bed soon?” Parker’s entire body shivered as he pushed himself upright and heaved in a few deep breaths. Every nerve in his body felt electrified. While his heart continued to thrum rapidly, he cleared his throat and called over his shoulder to his mom as the sides of the walls began to open.

“Y-y-yeah, mom. I’m ready for bed,” said Parker. He glanced up at the lights stayed on without the slightest hint of a flicker. The walls opened fully and, instantly, Parker saw his mom’s brow furrow quizzically.

“Everything okay? You look a bit pale,” she said. The maternal instinct in Amanda kicked in and she reached forward and pressed the tip of her finger against Parker’s forehead. He shied away from it, which was typical teenage behavior, but something else felt off about Parker that Amanda couldn’t quite place.

“Y-yeah. I’m fine. I just…” Parker stopped short. It felt like something physically squirmed in his mind, preventing him from saying something about the shadow and the lights. He shook the notion loose, confused as to why this instinct flared up in him, and proceeded with his thought. “I just saw the lights flicker and got spooked.”

“Oh?” Amanda replied as she glanced over and looked down at the power strip that fed electricity into Parker’s Place. Nothing looked off about it to her, but she still knelt and glanced around the ground.

Still nothing.

“Well,” she sighed as she stood and walked back over to the front of Parker’s tiny home. “I don’t see anything. It looks like it’s all plugged in, but we’ll check on it tomorrow. Okay? For now, it’s bedtime.”

“Yes, momma,” replied Parker as he walked up to the edge and accepted the kiss on his torso that his mom gave him. With that, Amanda smiled and watched as Parker curled under the blankets, forming an almost imperceptible lump in the bed. “Goodnight momma. I love you.”

“I love you too, Parker. Sweet dreams my love.” Amanda closed the walls and secured them tightly before tiptoeing out of the room and to her own room to turn in for the night.

Just in the other room, Parker laid there with his heart still fluttering nervously. Everything in him was still on edge, and the curiosity of what was going on with his lights was really bothering him. Parker enjoyed a good mystery or puzzle, but he generally liked ones he could solve.

This one wasn’t solved yet.

For what felt like a couple of hours, Parker tossed and turned in his bed as a mixture of homework assignments and curiosities about the power outlet swirled like a mist in his mind. The more the young teen thought, the more it annoyed him that he didn’t have the answers.

He had had enough.

Parker pushed himself up and decided to go and check out the source of the flickering lights. If it was a cable going bad or possibly the breaker being loose, he needed to get a new one as soon as possible. It would be terrible if he was in class and his power went out. His mom said they would do it in the morning, but Parker knew himself; and he knew he couldn’t sleep if he didn’t at least go and see it for himself.

He couldn’t afford to not check it out with his presentation tomorrow.

The teen stepped noiselessly through his house and exited the front door. As he walked around, he noticed a few things that just seemed, in a word, natural.

Sound was amplified. The darkness in the corners of the room seemed brighter. He could feel every tremble in the desk from his footsteps.

As he made it outside, a choice presented itself to him. For a moment, he considered going down the climbing line he installed himself on the backside of the desk.

But he knew if he slipped on the rope and got hurt, which he never did, his mom would make him take down the line.

He decided to risk it.

It was late. She was asleep. Parker was as sure footed as a goat and knew he would be fine all the way down. The temptation was also too great for the teen to resist. Plus, it would be a lot faster.

There was something about the experience that was, in a word, liberating. The free fall. The catch. The feel of the rope in between his fingers.

It felt natural.

The urge to climb and fall and hide never failed to fascinate parker. Whether it was something his condition genetically programmed him to do so or if it was some personality trait he possessed, he didn’t know.

What he did know was the sensation was addictive and he was itching for a good climb.

Parker snagged the line in between his fingers and leaned over the edge of the desk. There was a mild sense of vertigo that swelled inside him, but he loved it. The weightlessness seized him as he let himself slip over the edge, hands and feet firmly in place and secured on the line.

The line burned against the teen’s palms and against his legs as he quickly descended. It felt like something a secret agent would do, and it felt epic.

The moment Parker’s feet hit the ground, he felt himself instinctually look around and crouch low. Silently, he stepped across the planks of wood that constructed the floor and walked toward the power strip that was only a few feet away. The whole thing was four times Parker’s size, but he navigated through the wires with ease.

His hands worked quickly to check the buttons and reset panels, and the teen could find nothing wrong with any of it.

Perhaps something is up with the electrical cover in the wall? Parker wondered silently. He jumped over the stiff cord that led to the wall and approached the trim on the wall which had small notches in it, so he didn’t need to snag a ladder.

As he approached, Parker noticed something by the very base of the electrical cover that made his hair stand on end.

It was a drill bit.

Flat head.

It was a tad bit rusty, and Parker didn’t recognize it from his mom’s kit that she used to help construct his space. He approached and picked it up, realizing it wasn’t as heavy as he thought it would be. In his hands, it was about twice the size of the drill that his mom used, and he realized he could probably carry it around easy enough; but where did it come from?

I don’t think this is mom’s drill bit. How’d it get here?

Parker glanced up at the electrical cover and felt his heart skip a beat as he noticed the screw for the wall socket was protruding from the wall ever so slightly.

His entire body was shaking now, but he wasn’t sure why.

Had his mom messed with the electrical cover with some old tools that she forgot about?

It didn’t seem like her.

Parker stepped up on the trim, balancing precariously and using the cord to stabilize himself, as he pushed on the very bottom of the electrical cover.

With almost no effort, the piece wiggled free and the screw clattered to the ground. The end looked a lot shorter than the others. He knew because he helped his mom replace the covers a few weeks ago.

The young teen took a few deep breaths to calm himself before he dared to peek inside. Engulfing darkness belonging to the wall consumed his vision. There was something exciting and enticing about the darkness in front of him.

It felt, in a word, familiar.

But why?

Parker felt his head beginning to throb as his mind stirred some fragmented memory, but it was hazy and distant.

What really set the teen on edge, however, was when he dared to push himself up onto the ledge to peer better into the wall and noticed something else that made his insides fill with nervous energy.

There was something that looked like a pencil mark. Two lines with a triangle on top followed by a little check mark on the inside. To Parker, it looked like a kid’s drawing of a house with a check mark inside of it.

Was this something his mom did?

Or was this some kind of construction mark?

What was this?

What did it mean?

The teen stared at the marks and then back to the darkness of the wall. Just like the shadows of the room when he stepped out of his house, the looming abyss of those narrow spaces between the walls didn’t seem very dark. It almost seemed inviting.

There was something about that confined space between the drywall and the studs and exterior boards that made Parker feel like he was back in his space. It was familiar.

But why?

Parker hadn’t realized that he had been learning forward to the point where he was barely hanging onto the edge of the electrical cover and leaning into the walls. It took the sound of his foot skidding against the wood and nearly tumbling headfirst into the space in front of him.

Startled and shaken, Parker pulled himself back out of the entryway into the walls, forced the electrical cover back onto its perch, and hurried back to his room. He was in such a tizzy, the young teen didn’t even realize he had gone straight to the secured line he left and climbed up it in record time, ignoring the staircase mere feet away.

His little feet barely made noise as he scurried back to his room, securing the door and slipping under his covers without so much as a squeak.

Parker’s mind was racing. What was that he just saw? And what was that weird draw he had toward the walls?

Hopefully, his mom would have the answers.

First thing in the morning, he would ask her. She would make everything better, right?

~~~~~^*^*^*^*^~~~~~

Continue

Previous

Beginning

[mrghostrat]

some of my favourite good omens fics for @lostscript!

this got so long oh my god. i have to stop, but this is only like 2 pages of my bookmarks, in no particular order. i'll have to make another post eventually, or at least start organising my bookmarks on ao3 to rec things more easily. for now, please enjoy this tasty mix of human aus + angel/demon pining.

First Class (Hons) Christmas, University of Tadfield by heloluv

M • 41k • human AU (professors) this fic is like stepping into a beautiful, cosy, classic, high quality christmas movie. crowley and aziraphale are professors at Tadfield University, and they meet for the first time when aziraphale starts organising the yearly christmas fundraiser. "A Christmas and New Years fic, in which Aziraphale teaches Crowley how to enjoy the most wonderful time of the year."

What We Make Of It (Shotgun Wedding) by charlottemadison

E • 213k • human AU (teacher/guardian) the flow of their growing relationship in this fic is so unique and incredibly written, it seizes my heart on every reread. aziraphale is a high school english teacher, adam is his narcoleptic student, and crowley is adam's uncle/legal guardian. due to crowley's work, he cannot date a teacher, for risk of losing his job and the health insurance that covers adam's condition. but he can, technically, marry one.

Something We Were Withholding Made Us Weak by triedunture

M • 14k • angel/demon (south downs) where pre-relationship aziraphale and crowley retire and move to the south downs cottage before ever talking about their feelings, and come together as they learn to live in tandem.

the bucket list by darcylindbergh

E • 44k • angel/demon (south downs) technically still a wip, but it's been left at a satisfying, conclusive point. after armageddon, pre-relationship crowley and aziraphale decide to work through a list of human activities they haven't done before. they go travelling and dining together, try out hobbies, and end up in a south downs cottage. communication angst as they try to work out what they want from life, and each other.

Of burnt books and courting Crowley by robynvite

E • 11k • angel/demon (post s1) "a year after Armageddon't, Aziraphale finds out two pieces of very startling news: One, Newt and Anathema burned the sequel to Agnes Nutter's Nice and Accurate Prophecies. Two, Crowley was in love with him, and had been since the Beginning." aziraphale attempts to court crowley when he finds out crowley loves him.

Slow Show by mia_ugly

E • 95k • human AU (actors) "two ineffable co-stars only take four seasons of an award-winning television program to realize they’re on their own side." crowley is a washed up PR nightmare and aziraphale is in the closet, married to a beard. crowley is in love with him, and aziraphale falls over the course of the show.

South Downs by summerofspock

E • 76k • human AU (actors) this time, aziraphale is out and proud, whilst crowley needs some help figuring it out. "Blackballed from the industry ten years ago, Anthony Crowley jumps at the chance to star in a new Regency romance miniseries with well-known gay actor Aziraphale Fell in the hopes that it will help him restart his career. The trouble is, Crowley has played all sorts of characters and for the life of him, he can't figure out why he's struggling to play the romantic lead opposite a man."

Not a Mounted Dildo but a Fuck Machine by NaroMoreau, summerofspock

E • 35k • human AU (roommates) "When Aziraphale meets a nice girl on Tinder who he thinks is his perfect match, he's delighted. There's just one hurdle: that pesky virginity thing. Lucky for him, Crowley has always been there for him. He's helped Aziraphale with every other problem through the years, why not this one?"

Intermezzo by FeralTuxedo

E • 47k • human AU (musician/journalist) Music critic Aziraphale Fell is trying to break into the world of television, when he is signed to make a documentary about former-rockstar-turned-composer Anthony Crowley. It’s been eleven years since Aziraphale’s disastrous review of Crowley’s debut opera nipped his classical music career in the bud. He can only hope that Crowley will get over his admittedly justified grudge to make the TV show a success.

side note: i officially love everything feraltuxedo has ever written. their library is a slew of human AUs in all kinds of settings with varying wordcounts. they are a GIFT

Joint Honours by FeralTuxedo

E • 43k • human AU (university students) aziraphale (phd) and crowley (undergrad) live in the same student share house. they get involved before they realise crowley is a student in aziraphale's seminars. spicy drama of them trying to keep their relationship hidden + aziraphale getting his work plagarised

it's a new craze by attheborder

T • 5k • angel/demon (post armageddon) aziraphale and crowley start an advice podcast. dialogue only, with comments from listeners speculating about their relationship and potential immortality

Petrichor & Parchment by MrsNoggin

E • 33k • human AU (gardener crowley) aziraphale, a restorer of antique books, moves to a cottage in tadfield. the garden is a mess. he hires a local landscaper to sort it out. aziraphale takes his work outside and ogles.

The 21st Century, In Which They Finally Work It Out by chaya

E • 22k • angel/demon (post armageddon) crowley tries furthering their relationship after armageddon. he has to go extremely slowly so as not to spook aziraphale, but eventually they find themselves on romantic weekend getaway, in a lodge under the northern lights.

Waking Up Slow by the_moonmoth

E • 88k • human AU (lockdown roommates) aziraphale and crowley are strangers who have to quarantine together in aziraphale's cottage. exquisitely romantic mutual pining over the course of two weeks, with cosy fireplace cuddling, walking around in towel, and strip poker.

Have you told him by cyankelpie

G • 7k • angel/demon (through the ages) aziraphale can sense love, and can tell crowley is deep in it. he can only assume he's fallen for a human. again, and again, and again, and again.

The Bizarre Demons of AZ Fell & Co Antique Booksellers by WorseOmens

T • 8k • angel/demon (buzzfeed unsolved crossover) a fuckin hilarious crossover fic presented as an episode of buzzfeed unsolved, where the ghoul boys visit the bookshop and commune with crowley through a spirit box

[horizon-verizon]

HOTD IS ALREADY A VIOLENTLY ANTI BLACK SHOW BUT RACIST PIGS WANT TO HAVE ANOTHER BLACK GIRL SIDELINED IN FAVOR OF AN IRRELEVANT & UNINTERESTING WHITE NON-CHARACTER.

When Aegon III look at Jaehaera, her face, her eyes, I know he saw Aegon II’s face. With Jaehaera, he can’t escape him, he can’t escape his mother’s violent death, he isn’t allowed to think of anything else, he’s forced to revive his olympic trauma over and over again. But with Daenaera, it’s UTTERLY different.

Jaehera dying is the story coming full circle. A greedy and ambitious hand wanting to make his daughter queen started the war but now his line ended by another greedy and ambitious hand who wanted to make his daughter queen. The point is that the Greens didn’t get what they want in the end because someone, one of their supporters, had the exact same mindset as Otto. Karma got to them. The Greens started this entire war to get their blood on the throne and their last chance to get their victory is dashed by one of their own people doing the same thing to them, GRRM is a genius, it’s ABSOLUTELY PERFECT.

Y’all REFUSE to let Rhaenyra have some crubs, it’s so disgusting. The Greens already have their own victory, Aegon II is the one remembered as king and Rhaenyra as an usurper, but he must also have descendants (the Blackfyres I guess) who tries to usurp Rhaenyra’s descendants and grandsons who became kings ??? OUT OF QUESTION, LET IT GO. You cannot have your cake and eat it too.

The Greens started this entire war to get their blood on the throne and their last chance to get their victory is dashed by one of their own people doing the same thing to them

Heavy on this, anon. In fact, let me go back an insert the part about Jaehaera being the green's last botched "chance".

Anon refers to this post I wrote from a person expressing why they thought Jaehaera's death was "narratively irrelevant". And why Daenaera can still be written in without marrying Aegon.

It's true Aegon the Elder is held as one of the kings in the line of monarchs while she is not. That is not bc she usurped Aegon, but because they wanted to discourage the idea and practice of naming women or girls as heirs altogether. It was about female rulership being made into the cause of disaster or conflict, not Rhaenyra necessarily!

I still don't think Rhaenyra is universally remembered as the/a usurper, because by their own vocabulary Rhaenyra can never be a usurper...she was declared heir by the monarch and held as the true heir for years. Gyldayn calls her "Queen" several times and unironically and out of the then-living people's perspective. To be a usurper, you need to violently or unlawfully seize power, which Rhaenyra never ever did. The greens did that.

Once again, Stannis is not a reliable source to judge history, because the man is a walking self-denier and nihilistic user of fear to get his way. In the actual novels, Rhaenyra is thought of a civil conflict more than the direct cause of one through usurpation and "usurpation" itself is never mentioned unless it's Stannis saying so. And yes, Arianne Martell had the right of it, even though she is also using history for her own claims...the difference is that her reading of history and Rhaenyra's position is correct.

The people who want things to be more "equal" or "balanced" bt the greens and the blacks or have the greens have a sort of victory like the blacks just sound really desperate. And for what? For patriarchy to reaffirm itself deeper than ever and more than if Rhaenyra had just been queen?🙄

[intheheartoftheking]

Higher. Faster. Further (Bird of Prey Series)

Jacaerys Velaryon x Aunt!Targaryen oc x Aemond Targaryen

Pt2. (pt.1)(pt.3)

strangers to lovers, targcest (reader is aunt), semi angst(?), aemond being aemond, diplomat!jace,

summary: After Aegon seized the throne, Jacaerys and Aemond were dispatched to ensure the loyalty of House Arryn and the Vale. However, their mission took an unexpected turn when they encountered Lady Jane Arryn's ward, leading to a tangled web of lies, deceit, and power struggles.

word count: 965

a/n: part two of HFF (Birds of Prey) this was originally supposed to be the smut I forewarned but Tumblr isn't letting me post the full thing so its been split. I hope you enjoy my brainrot and please leave comments and suggestions to add in future chapters. this is a short ishstory (I think.) let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! ill also be adding a playlist soon but the theme song for this whole series is basically Middle of the Night by Elley Duhe ! xoxo 

Daella sheepishly asked her aunt, gesturing down to her feet. Her aunt nodded. "Forgive us, my princes. My niece is not accustomed to dancing."

Daella looked up through her lashes at the princes as she curtsied.

"That is not necessary for me, Lady Daella," Prince Jacearys said as he kissed her hand gently on the back.

Prince Aemond said, "Perhaps I could escort the lady back to her chambers. The hour is late, and it doesn't seem safe for a beautiful woman to walk alone."

Daella chuckled. "That hardly seems appropriate, Prince Aemond; you could be seen as a potential suitor, which could cause whispers." Aemond furrowed his brows. "I see," he grumbled. He had hoped to get her alone and convince her to swear allegiance to Aegon. Aemond believed that once she chose her side, her lady aunt would quickly agree, and this business could be over with so that he might return to the Red Keep.

"Perhaps if Prince Jacearys would be so kind as to walk with us, that would be seen as more appropriate," Daella suggested, snapping Aemond out of his thoughts. Both men glanced at each other, uncomfortable with the proposal, but this seemed to be their only chance to try to speak to Lady Daella alone. Aemond hummed in approval but stared at Jacearys with annoyance as he extended his arm to her, which Daella gladly accepted. Both men bid their goodnights to Lady Jane Arryn and made their way out of the great hall with Daella sandwiched between them.

The walk to her chambers was quiet, but as they approached, Daella spoke up, "I want you both to come inside." Aemond stopped abruptly, causing Daella to be tugged back along with Jacearys. "What?" They both chimed in unison, the confusion laced in their voices. "When my ladies leave my chambers, I wish you both to enter. I believe there is much to converse about away from prying eyes." Daella spoke in hushed whispers. The two men stared at one another, concerned. First, she talked of propriety, and now she's inviting the two most influential men in the realm to her chambers. "And what of the whispers?" Aemond repeated her words from earlier. "While I hate to agree with my cousin, he's right; what of the whispers?" Jacearys echoed in agreement, but something else ate at him. Something else ate at both of them. This invitation felt like a trap.

Daella rolled her eyes. "To seven hells with the whispers," she snapped, breaking her facade of a perfect lady. "You both know the season we've entered, and that's why you are here. I wish to know more of you before my lady aunt does."

She pulled her arms away from them. "The invitation remains, and I shall wait for you if you choose to accept it."

In his chambers, Aemond bit at his nails nervously. This alarmed him. No one had made Aemond nervous since he was a child. Was her proposal really to speak of potential alliances? And why would she want to share his and his bastard nephew's company?

He knew Jacearys was desirable due to his position should Rhaenyra capture the iron throne, but their children would always face doubt about his father's parentage. As for himself, he was known as Aemond one eye, and marriage was a hard enough prospect not simply because of the loss of his eye but also because of his brothers' additional teasing. These whispers made Aemond weary of anyone remotely willing to show affection or interest for fear that all they wanted from him was his proximity to Aegon or his title.

A door opening and closing across the hall pulls him from his thoughts as he hears footsteps descending the hall in the direction of Daella's quarters. "Jacearys," he growled. If his strong nephew has gained the courage to seek out Lady Daella alone, Aemond knew he also had to follow. After all, he knew he couldn't lose the Vale all because he was too afraid of rejection.

Meanwhile, Jacearys was mentally cursing himself for indulging in Daella's invitation. Did she mean to speak, or was this an invitation for something more? Daemon once told him of ladies who used to seek him out for pleasure or in hopes of capturing his crown. He also heavily warned Jacearys against fathering any bastards since his claim was already shaky due to the vicious rumors fueled by the greens. He knew better, how he knew better, but she was just so beautiful, and unlike any of the ladies he had ever met, she had him enraptured. As he approached the door, he saw the guards had been sent away. Jacearys raised his hand to knock the door cracked open, and a hand emerged, wrapping around his wrist and tugging him inside abruptly.

"Forgive me, my Prince. I'm just trying to be as careful as one can be not to be seen," Daella stated, turning away. "Tea?" She offered, gesturing to the set on a small table. There were cakes and small bites on display, and it almost seemed as if she was sure at least one of them would come.

He shook his head as he realized she was in her nightclothes; however, her hair remained pulled in a tight braid. The fire illuminated her face, highlighting the flecks of gold in her ember eyes. If there was something that was for sure, she was one of the most stunning women he had ever met. It was as if the gods themselves had come down to craft her. Her heavy door opened slightly, causing both of them to turn and hold their breaths. Sounds of relief were emitting from them once they saw a head of a silver hair sliver inside.

Taglist: @damewritesalot

[shychick-52]

Headcanon

So, this post talks about the episodes 'Hexley Hall' and 'Day of the Sorcerers', and Grimtrix's motivation when it came to Cedric and the Order of the Wand.

I think that Grimtrix blatantly manipulated Cedric to join his side in 'Day of the Sorcerers', so he wouldn't be a threat to his plans to unseat royals everywhere from power and have sorcerers take over the world. Because if Cedric was on his side, then he couldn't be against him, and Grimtrix could therefore keep an eye on him.

Because why else would Grimtrix even think Cedric would be interested in joining the Order of the Wand- let alone could be trusted- after the episode 'Hexley Hall' where he helped Sofia stop him from stealing her amulet and proved that not only was Cedric truly loyal/close to the young princess, but also that Grimtrix greatly underestimated his competence (his ability to stop him) after all, despite his reputation as a bungler?

It was his way of testing Cedric, seeing which was more important to him- his friendship with Sofia (who's a royal) or his desire to finally demolish his poor reputation and prove himself as a great sorcerer. So, he lured Cedric to his cause against the royals with promises of power (he obviously knew about Cedric's reputation as a bungler and likely assumed how much it bothered Cedric) ... and it nearly worked!

In the episode 'Hexley Hall' (season 3):

All throughout this episode, Grimtrix knew how close/loyal Cedric was to Sofia- from the moment he greeted Cedric when he and Sofia arrived at the school, and during all the times he was spying on them in his crystal ball (which is how he learned about Sofia's amulet in the first place, finally giving him the chance to seize his own secret dream of overthrowing the royals of the world), and of course when Cedric used the floating potion on Sofia and himself to escape from Grimtrix... the latter being when Grimtrix realized he'd underestimated Cedric's competence, making him a bigger threat to his plans than he realized (but if he's more clever than Grimtrix originally thought, maybe it would serve him well to try getting him on his side).

When Grimtrix subdued Cedric with the Shusher when he first tried to stop him from stealing Sofia's amulet, Grimtrix said to him, "You of all people should realize, Cedric! Aren't you tired of being a glorified jester for King Roland?" (referring to Cedric's reputation and how poorly Roland regards him).

Right after Cedric used the floating potion on Sofia and himself, escaping out the window, Wormwood said to Grimtrix and his old animal friends, "I hope you all learned never to underestimate my master again!" (And I nearly forgot to mention, but Cedric also managed to put a freezing spell on Grimtrix's weasel Wrigley, who Grimtrix revealed he'd sent to steal the amulet for him, so that was another way Grimtrix likely realized he underestimated Cedric).

In the episode 'Day of the Sorcerers' (season 4):

From the moment Cedric and Sofia arrived at the Conjurer's Conference at Hexley Hall, Grimtrix's weasel (Wrigley) can be seen spying on them and wickedly snickering as they happily spend time together, further confirming for Grimtrix just how 'pathetically' close Cedric is to the princess (and I definitely headcanon Grimtrix was also secretly spying on them in his crystal ball, like he did in 'Hexley Hall', and thinking 'Let's see which matters more to Cedric- the chance to finally be seen as a powerful sorcerer or his friendship with the little princess!')

After Wrigley secretly slips Cedric Grimtrix's invitation to the mysterious "meeting of power sorcerers", and Cedric enters the room where Grimtrix and the others are already gathered, Wrigley wickedly laughs and rubs her paws together as she watches him go in (as if to say 'My master will be so pleased Cedric took the bait!')

When Cedric expresses shock, confusion, and suspicion at learning Grimtrix was the one who invited him (and even reminding Grimtrix what happened the last time they saw each other in the episode 'Hexley Hall') and demanded to know what was going on, Grimtrix used blatantly manipulative language on him to lure him even more ("Cedric, old chum! You made it!" and "I'm sure such a powerful sorcerer like yourself will want to stick around and hear my plan! And with my help, you can become even more powerful!"). He even forced Cedric to sit down with his magic (forcefully encouraging him to stay).

After the Order of the Wand all left to take over their respective territories, Grimtrix seemed particularly invested on Cedric taking over Enchancia; when he saw in his crystal ball that Cedric hadn't taken care of the royal family with the Medusa Stone, he said "No surprise there", likely meaning that his weakness of his friendship with Sofia got the best of him after all- again confirming that Cedric was a threat to his plans- so he went to Enchancia to personally make sure that Cedric finished the job

At the castle in Enchancia, Grimtrix had frozen all the royals (except for Sofia) while Cedric was escaping from the dungeon, then he handed his staff with the Medusa Stone to Cedric and said "All you have to do is freeze the princess, and the kingdom is yours! Greatness awaits, King Cedric!" I think Grimtrix was deliberately testing him here, to see if he really had it in him to freeze her or not... but he didn't expect Cedric to freeze him instead!

I incorporated my hc into chapter 3 of my story The Master Wand:

@tookishcombeferre

[dwreader]

So was Armand behind it all or Santiago + the coven? Cuz the usurping his maitre role stuff wasn’t questioned by Daniel at all so I assume it’s meant to be true? Does that mean Armand was given a choice and he was really just a coward??

listen I’m done speculating on what this show is doing in the long run cause I’m really over the whole wait until season 19 to find out what it really means. BUT as far as s2 goes, yes I believe that’s the “true” narrative right now. the coven senses Armand’s weakness and santiago seizes the opportunity to get the coven on his side. they present Armand with an ultimatum - go along with this trial (including directing this play) or die. At the time he’s unsure of louis’s love which he explains to Louis in the post revenge scene and is confirmed by ep6 Madeleine asking why Louis is so reluctant to show the real depth of his feelings. Bc of his uncertainty he chooses to save himself and go with the safety of what he knows vs what he doesn’t. I think we zero in on Armand’s face when Madeleine says that line about how much Louis loves him for a reason.

During the trial itself I think he’s simply too passive and cowardly to stop it, contrast that with Lestat who will do anything to save Louis and that’s your love triangle right there. Lestat will do anything for Louis like he’ll go off script he’ll change his tactic and do whatever it takes with no regard to rules, Armand either can’t or won’t cause he can only let things happen. But Lestat saving Louis on stage means Armand has the opportunity to save Louis from the coffin and when Lestat doesn’t expose him in the tower, he sees a chance to present himself as his ultimate savior. But Armand saving Louis depends on Lestat taking action first which is what Armand is incapable of. That’s Lestat vs Armand right there. One is capable of doing and the other is only able to wait for other people to do things even if he wants it too. Man of words vs man of action.

When Daniel is presenting his evidence there is no indication that the narrative of santiago taking over the coven and being the primary mastermind of this plan is false. The only thing Daniel is contradicting is Armand was still involved in the play/trial and not hiding in his coffin during rehearsal and who actually saved Louis. We also see earlier when Santiago is taunting Louis about Claudia that he claims responsibility for it despite having no reason to lie at that point like he’d actually hurt Louis more by exposing Armand as the mastermind if that were the case.

Now we and sam reid don’t even seem to know what they plan to do w/ paris in s3 so this could all change like if he doesn’t know what Lestat’s doing in the trial i feel like we have no room to speculate lol they just haven’t decided yet I suppose. This is just what I see based on s2 alone. If they reveal more in s3 then whatever I’m like done lol.

[the5thcellar]

Yeah I agree with that anon a little bit. Great post by the way. It's...just... they were ASKED multiple times about the status of the relationship and they ignored it intentionally. I will say in February, Nicola did say "friends" but then it started changing as the months went by and then they completely would not even acknowledge the question and both would just smile and stay quiet. Naturally people would assume a shift occurred. So that kind of toying is something that will take me a while to get over. I don't think I'll fall for another costar ship again. I guess tomdaya are truly the exception.

I really don't think they tried to mislead the fans at all - the "smiling and silences" are taken out of context - fans post those one or two instances that they edit out of an entire interview and read too much into it for the sake of shipping, and that's how the frenzy starts. in that particular interview where they smiled and nodded, you'll notice the interviewer said "clearly you two get along really well" and they both agree enthusiastically, to which the interviewer follows up with the unnecessary and obvious statement that they must be friends. there was no need for luke or nicola to reply to that with more affirmations - it's quite a natural pause in the interview where they're both waiting for the next question since the interviewer phrased it as a statement that doesn't go anywhere.

in numerous interviews both of them have also repeatedly stated they're great friends right up to Ireland - there was no effort to deny their friendship at all. that's why there's a danger being caught up in all the gushing posts on twitter / tiktok. there is a real need to filter all the posts that are a total stretch (ie the silence and smiles) from the posts that show moments of GENUINE love and affection that speak to more than friendship - like all those times when luke is clearly searching for Nicola as his anchor amidst the overwhelming crowd / getting her attention just to hold her hand, all the soft smiles, existing in their own little bubble, knowing more about each other than anyone else etc... moments that aren't performative.

that said - it is true that there is some element of being vague on their part. neither of them have ever insisted they're JUST friends. I think that's what people seize upon the most - they always say they are great friends but never JUST friends with no chance of more. but that's why I also said in my original reply to the first asker that they themselves don't really know what they are. there is always the potential for more and they both know it. i think it's a positive sign 😊

[the-bjd-community-confess]

I joined the hobby with my sister in early 2003. We both got our first dolls at the same time but I hated my doll (she arrived blank) and I decided to not join the hobby because I hated the doll so much. My sister stayed active, but passed away in 2016, in which I got my first doll back when they were passing the inheritance and arranging everything. That was my reintroduction into the doll hobby, to connect with my sister in a way.

Enjoyed making friends with people in the community, generally found the community peaceful and positive. I liked playing and taking pictures of my dolls and was interested in trying OC and the biographies people posted because it looked fun.

in 2022 the rest of my family passed away in a car crash. Its been difficult for me to accept this and I keep going into states of "if this" or "if that", and I tried to connect to the hobby but I couldnt escape reality. It didnt help that my fathers side of the family were relentlessly trying to put a conservatorship on me, have me put in a mental hospital and seize control of me, my assets and finances forcing me to go to a psychiatrist and take medication just so I can have freedom and avoid them.

I decide to try and cheer myself by going to a doll event on holiday and get a chance on a doll that is coveted by a niche in the community, as in limited to a few dolls a year that you can only get in person in a certain location on certain dates by a lottery. This is a doll Ive been obsessed with getting, having won two YJA auctions for her (you arent supposed to buy them secondhand or sell them), only to have the sellers always refund the proxy. I won this doll, on my first lottery entry and I feel nothing.

I met two people and one was extremely kind, and the other that I thought I had a connection with was just disappointing to meet in person. Gossiping about people the whole time, including the person that was also there with us, always talking about why they were better than so and so because they did x. Talked about entering the lottery many times but always losing and not to get my hopes up because they dont pick nonresident foreigners. She also suggested I bring in someone to increase my chances, but I said I wanted to play fair and she shocked me when she said good answer; like it was a trick suggestion or she was waiting for an aha moment.

The pure anger on her face when I was called the winner, and then the comment about them picking the lottery winner like I was supposed to feel bad that I was picked instead of randomly chosen was weird to me. I just brushed it off as me being paranoid. Its not jealousy of the doll, but I think anger that they picked someone she saw as unworthy (me). She even called me a whale, but I just ignored the comment because I know Im not even remotely chubby back then.

Then she said something about how maybe this was the universe giving me a present because my whole family passed away a few months ago (at that time). This was the first time I told someone in the hobby about my familys passing and I felt completely emptied? deflated? by the comment. They may have not meant it to be negative, but I felt repulsed. TBH, I havent even taken the doll out of the box since getting her because I keep remembering that comment made. They probably didnt mean much, but it stuck to me. I cant even look at the doll's box without feeling sick. I just remembered this because its been a year + and I saw someone being annoyed that a oneoff winner didnt post an opening even though its been a few months, and now I feel worse because its been a year of her in the box.I was just waiting until I felt happy again so I can at least have the box opening be special. I dont know what to do because that comment; the universe giving me a doll in return of my whole family dying? I cant disassociate it and I wish I never met that person because I feel like it has made the doll hobby unenjoyable to me, but I also know its unreasonable to think this way because Ive met so many that are so nice and kind. I think Im reading into the comment more than its worth. I honestly feel pathetic for letting it affect me this much.

Sorry for writing all of this. I just wanted to get it out of my chest so I can maybe get back to normal. My friends dont like listening to this, because Im a man and am supposed to be more mature, and I also dont like holding on to anger, and I dont usually do, but I feel angry and sad all the time, when I know I should be grateful because I have a lot of blessings. Some might know who I am, and I hope they dont take it as a sign of me needing help, and more of just me venting if they read all of this, that my disinterest in a lot of things isnt them, its just Im not back to normal and I want to be.

~Anonymous

Mod: I'm so sorry anon, you've been through so much. 💗

This person sounds insecure and jealous and imo you should dismiss everything they said to you, it was not coming from a good place. You deserve to have joy and happiness in your life.