#who is said to appear as a living flame
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tenshiharmonia · 25 days ago
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Okay, let's stop thinking about how sexy Satan is for one second (I know, it's hard) to appreciate all the new Goetia designs we got. I'm particularly fond of the one who looks like an emo, phoneaholic horse, but they are definitely not the only one...
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nightingale-prompts · 1 month ago
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Overworked- DCxDP prompt
The knight led the group of selected heroes into the throne room. Sitting before a crowd of his people was none other than the ghost king.
"Do not test His Majesty, his mood his well this day. Say only what is necessary." The knight warned before stepping aside.
The kind wasn't what Constantine had mentioned. He was young and rather small for the throne he now sits on. The green flaming crown was unmistakable though.
The young man glared at them with intense animosity, his upper lip curled as he held back a reflexive snarl. Sharp canines peeked out just for a moment as he schooled his expression.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?" The kind said drumming his fingers on the armrest of his chair. His black claws each clicking aginst the cold metal.
The group had been briefed on the situation by Constantine after they were summoning to this realm.
The short and sweet was that they were being mandated to appear before the king of the infinite realms for a long list of violations against the order of the universe. The current group contains Bruce, Clark, Wally, Kon, Jason, Hal, Barry, and Damian. Constantine himself will also be there but he already knows that this tribunal will have multiple groups.
The group reamined mostly silent.
"Where you not read your list of crimes?" The boy asked this time.
An attendant scurried through the crowd with a large scroll in hand before the king immediately waved him off tp return to his post.
"No, lets skip the reading. It would take cycles to get through the charges. Let me be brief. You have all been found guilty of charges of resurrection, time traveling, timeline manipulation, Planetary rearranging courtesy of Mr.Kent here, Interdimensional universe travel, and UNIVERSE MELDING! THE LIST GOES ON!" The king became more irate with every charge. "Tell me why I shouldn't banish you to an empty dimension right this instance."
Constantine knew this was all politics at the end of the day. This whole thing could be smoothed over with the right words by the right person.
"We are human." Bruce said firmly before anyone could stop him. Jason held back a groan of agitation.
"...So you are. What does that have to do with anything?" He boy asked.
"Isn't it natural for us to want to live and do whatever we can to keep living?" Bruce responded
Murmurs erupted amongst the crowd of onlookers.
"So what? Do you think you are the exception then? Look around heroes. This room is full of ghosts who would also have done to keep living. My people couldn't avoid death but they accepted it. What can I say to them if I let you go while they paid their price? How fair would that be?" The king condemned.
The murmurs turned into cheers for their king's words. It was unfair. Why do they get to do what they want without repercussions when they died without even getting the option to live?
"If it counts for anything many of us died to protect as many people as possible," Hal said.
"Well, good for you. How much was that sacrifice worth in the face of your resurrection? That probably doesn't feel cheap at all." The king said sarcastically. "I suppose that goes for most of you."
"I have an objection. Resurrection is not a choice if someone chooses to bring us back we don't get a say. By default we shouldn't be charged for it." Jason argued.
The king paused and raised a hand silencing the crowd.
"Hmmm, I suppose you are correct. Fine, I will strike it from the record." The kind relented.
The heroes had finally found an in. If they could argue their charges down they could leave.
"None of use have willingly time traveled. Hell i hated it. Being lost in time was not a chose we made." Wally said as Barry nodded along.
The king bit the inside of his cheek as he pondered the response.
"I suppose I can overlook it."
"Let me just say that any melding of the universe happened as a consequence of our battle with Darkside." Clark said getting rid of their their biggest charge.
"Darkside?" The king narrowed his eyes.
A courtier stepped forward and leaned down to whisper into the boy king's ear.
"I see. He will be added to the ledger for his crimes. His trial will not be as forgiving as yours. You will not be seeing him again." The boy silently signaled to the knight who bowed and exited with a group of others.
The boy sighed and stood up.
"Follow me."
The group was led down a long corridor to an office with stacks of paperwork from floor to ceiling lining the walls.
"Welcome to my personal hell." The king announced.
Constantine whistled at the sheer number of documents scattered across the room.
"Sorry about the whole court thing. I don't really want to do it but I kind of have to. The Observers demand some kind of punishment for violations. Also, you need to understand that your actions are kept track of and you can't escape it. When you break the rule I have to do the paperwork. AND I HATE PAPERWORK. So here is the deal. You guys bring me the people that have done worse than you on this list and I'll call it square. And if you don't I take everyone's souls." The King handed the scroll to Bruce. "I want the Al Ghul clan first."
"Wait but my-" Damian spoke out but was cut off by the King's raised hand to silance him.
"It is irrelevant to me what your personal issues are. Every violator will be judged for their crimes. If they can give me a good plea then they can return. Consider yourself lucky that you're too young for a full sentencing. As for the rest just do what I say and make up for your crimes. This is a mercy so don't complain."
It was clear that the moody young king wasn't going to argue. It was best to keep quiet and before they knew it the group was sent back to earth.
"You have no idea how lucky we got," Constantine said lighting up a cigarette and leaving to get a drink.
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illyrianbitch · 9 months ago
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An Education in Malice
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Pairing: Vanserra!Reader x Azriel
Summary: With the sharp tongue of your notorious family, you are Azriel's most tantalizing challenge yet. It only takes one small meeting before you both realize that the line between hate and desire is dangerously thin.
Warnings: 18+ SMUT, rough, angry, hate sex basically. sexual degradation (name calling), p in v penetration, sex in da woods, bickering and insults, inner circle slander
Word Count: 6.6k
a/n: i know technically we wouldnt be a princess... but we r a high lord family so were running with it for the sexual tension. also dedicated to my soulmate and the brilliant babe, @itsswritten who told me to write sumthin smutty like this. thank her 🫡
Series Masterlist | Part Two
✹ ✶ 𖧷 ✶✹
“Hello, Shadowsinger.”
Azriel’s jaw clenched at the sound. 
He’d almost forgotten how grating your voice was to his ears, how it made his body tense with an emotion he could never quite describe. He turned around slowly, taking you in where you stood leaning casually against a tree. 
The dress you wore was reminiscent of autumn court elegance, fabric cascading around you in rich hues of crimson, gold, and amber, like the vibrant foliage of the season brought to life, sleeves like flickering flames. There was a sense of wrongness in seeing such an elegant form amidst the wild, your commanding presence even more striking than that of your other family members. If he didn't know who you were, he would have been tempted to describe you as something of unparalleled beauty, a vision amidst a forest of wilderness.
But Azriel knew who you were. He knew what you were. 
He had noticed the similarities between you and your brothers quickly, from your mannerisms down to the curve of your lips. You and Eris shared the same snarky smirk– a smirk Az wanted to wipe clean off your faces. You were using it now, holding his gaze with the corners of your lips upturned and amused eyes. 
“You look thrilled to see me,” you said. 
Az did nothing to hide his disdain as he narrowed his eyes at you. “Where is your brother?” 
“Busy,” you responded, absentmindedly running the tips of your fingers along the tree you leaned on. You took a moment to observe the bark before you turned to face Azriel again, a small taunting smile on your lips once more. “I’ll let him know you missed him.”
Azriel held your gaze for a moment, a tick in his jaw as he let out a short exhale. Then, he was turning around to leave, a clear dismissal. A small flicker of anger rose in your body. Quickly, you winnowed in front of him, your sudden appearance setting his shadows into a frenzied dance around him, coalescing into a swirling mass around his neck like a collar of live snakes ready to strike. 
“Don’t be rude,” you said, “I’m here on Eris’ behalf. Give me information to report back to him.”
“Nothing to report,” Azriel said, voice flat. He stared at you for a moment, eyes scanning you. And then he was making another notion to leave, brushing past you with a small shove to your shoulder. You nearly laughed at the action, at how easy he was becoming to rile up— at how much your presence bothered him. 
“You don’t want to stay and chat?” You said over your shoulder. A flutter of triumph spread in your chest when you heard his footsteps come to a halt. You turned to face him, his back still to you, shadows swirling around his body like black flames. “It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other.”
Azriel turned to face you, a small scowl on his beautiful features. “Not long enough.”
You laughed, the sound stroking his body in a way that sent shivers down his spine. You let out a sigh.
“I get bored in Autumn sometimes, you know?”
Briefly, something flickered in Azriel’s hazel eyes, but it faded faster than you could decipher what it meant or where it came from. He titled his head slightly, eyes taking you in fully.
“Not enough cruelty for you?”
“Something like that.”
You both held each other's stares, his icy gaze against your fiery one. He lifted his chin slightly, rolling his shoulders as if to straighten his already stiff posture. You didn’t miss the way his wings extended slightly from their tucked in position, just enough to stand as a warning, as a reminder of who he was— what he was. 
“This is a waste of my time.”
Yet, Azriel made no move to leave— not this time. 
“Because you have such important matters to return to?” You asked with a raised brow, “You said it yourself, nothing to report. So, are there some damsels in distress to be saved? Something to make you feel important?”
You made sure to pay extra attention to when you mocked his previous words, tone dropping slightly deeper to imitate his. Azriel’s eyes narrowed even more, a dark wave of evident anger washing through his face, nostrils flared, jaw clenched. You bit the inside of your cheek to contain your grin. 
You were playing with something dangerous, this you knew. But Azriel was so fun to rile up, so easy to. You understood, now, why your brother seemed to enjoy these meetings so much. You’d assumed Eris was some sort of masochist, somehow finding pleasure in the necessity of being allies with the Night Court, the same people who so commonly disregarded you and your family as evil and cruel— although, they were right to a certain extent. But perhaps Eris had found some sort of entertainment with this affair. 
“Stop talking,” was Azriel’s only reply. 
“Why?”
He took a step forward. You made sure to stay still, to hold his gaze as he peered down at you. 
“Because you’re trying to get a rise out of me,” Azriel responded, his voice cool, “and it will not work.”
“Oh please,” you scoffed. “Play the unphased act all you’d like, we both know its bullshit.”
He said nothing in response, his eyes remaining locked on yours. Azriel’s stare was harder now, colder. A clear warning was written in his features, carved out between his clenched jaw and narrowed eyes: do not fuck with me. 
But you welcomed the challenge. If he wasn’t going to admit it, you were more than willing to prove your point. 
“You put my brother in a chokehold in a public meeting. You have no self-control. You’re just constantly one spark away from igniting.”
Azriel growled. “Your brother deserved it.”
You raised your brow in a small taunt. 
“Because he called your precious Morrigan a slut?”
Whether Azriel wanted to admit it or not, you were very easily tearing at his resolve. He moved quickly, his hand naturally falling to the dagger at his hip. Shadows moved closer to you, but with a swift movement of your fingers, they were met with the spark of a small flame, quickly retracting back into their mass form near Azriel’s shoulders. You winnowed back to your original place, back against the rough tree bark. 
“Careful, Shadowsinger,” you sneered, “You’re forgetting your manners.You didn’t even let me finish.”
Azriel wore a clear scowl now, brows furrowed as he held your gaze from afar, hand still on his weapon. There was something deadly about the way you made him feel, the intensity of those feelings far surpassing any hatred he held for your brothers– Eris, specifically. In truth, the more time Az spent near Lucien, the more he saw him as someone good– and the less similarities he seemed to bear with you, his conniving snake of a sister. You opened your mouth to taunt him once more.
“I don’t agree with my brother,” you said, “Hell, I admire Morrigan for her freedom. I do love a pretty dress. So, I would have called her something else… a liar, perhaps?”
Those words were all it took to light Azriel’s fuse.
Within a blink, he was in front of you, the cold steel of a dagger, Truth-Teller you presumed, pressed against your neck. His wings flared out angrily behind him. Shadows surged around you, a suffocating darkness descending like a shroud, swallowing the sunlight and leaving only a void of darkness. You stared into Azriel's eyes— cold, and angry.
"Shut up," he snarled.
For a moment, a sense of fear flickered deep in your stomach, but you swallowed it down, the flame diminishing before it could properly ignite. Even as his shadows threatened to consume you both whole, you refused to back down, meeting Azriel's gaze with a defiant stare of your own. And then, you grinned. A cruel, wicked gesture that made his blood boil.
“Nice to see you perform without an audience, too.”
Azriel's voice was laden with disdain as he responded, words dripping with venom. "You and your brother are exactly the same."
But instead of flinching at the accusation, you maintained your smirk, unfazed by the blade pressed against your neck. "Which brother? I have quite a few," you countered, your tone teasing, almost playful.
Azriel's grip tightened, images of your family conjuring in his mind. Az could barely remember the names of your other brothers, their features blurring into a blurry mess of fiery auburn and copper. Instead, his mind focused on you– the female before him, under his grip and his dagger, standing next to the two males he despised for different reasons. 
“You can decide,” Azriel finally said, “they’re all equally terrible.”
“I’d say Lucien is a good male,” you laughed bitterly, “I’m willing to bet your sweet Elain would agree.”
A surge of fury rose within him, a deep primal instinct to lash out and silence your taunts once and for all. But even as he bristled with anger, he realized you were right.
He was constantly teetering on the edge, one step away from losing control. It had gotten worse recently, watching everyone around him find their place, their people; Elain growing closer to Lucien, his brothers spending time with their mates. Azriel was frustrated. He was angry. You’d done exactly what he told you wouldn’t happen– gotten a rise out of him. He hated it, hated you, hated himself even more.
Azriel took a deep breath, your heated gaze still on him, eyes narrowed, a small smirk on your lips that he filled him with a burning anger. It wasn’t as if he could kill you, no, he couldn’t even really hurt you. One mark on the Vanserra’s youngest and only daughter would be a mark for war. This was a battle Az couldn't win, indulging your provocations for the mere sake of your entertainment. He needed to calm down. Regain control. 
The shadows around you began to recede and sunlight filtered back into the clearing as Azriel  pushed you away with a snarl. You leaned your head back against the tree as you took a deep breath.
He studied you for a moment before saying,  "You'd think someone as pretentious as you wouldn't need to rely on irritating someone for an ounce of attention." 
There was a subtle shift in your demeanor—a swallowed response, a flicker of vulnerability. His gaze followed the movement down to the column of your throat.
“Pretentious?” 
You gave a bitter laugh.
"Yes, pretentious. All of you Vanserras," Azriel retorted with a bitter edge, “Every single one.”
"That's ironic coming from you. You think we're pretentious?"
Azriel's gaze hardened. "Yes. Cruel, evil, and vile. You think you're better than all of us."
Your mouth widened as you scoffed. And then you let out a laugh of disbelief. 
"Oh my Gods, does it ever get tiring?" you retorted, your voice dripping with sarcasm. "Wallowing in your own self-pity and then using it as a means to hate everyone outside of your incestuous little circle?"
"Do not speak of my family," Azriel snapped.
You smirked. “So you admit your family is incestuous?”
Azriel said nothing, a sudden realization that his anger, once again, had beat him to his rationality, somehow giving you another weapon to use against him.  He clenched his jaw, feeling a simmering heat building in his stomach. 
"You stand in front of me and pretend to be shocked when I call you for what you are?" he countered with a sneer, “Your family isn't quiet about their disdain for my family, for my kind, or for me."
You lifted your chin. “You don’t even like your own kind, Shadowsinger.” 
There was another flare of his nostrils and you knew that you’d gotten him once again. Azriel’s fists clenched at his sides, a sight lost to you as his shadows covered them. You continued as he stayed silent.
“I will admit, my family can be a bit narrow minded. Why would I hate you for the things you can’t control? Where's the fun in that?”   
Again, Azriel remained silent. He knew if he made a move, if he said a word, it would likely be something he regretted, something that would come back to bite him in the ass. 
"I don’t hate you because you’re from the Night Court, or an Illyrian, or a bastard, or whatever it is you tell yourself at night," you continued, your words like a dagger aimed at his pride. "I hate you because you are hot-headed and arrogant. You’ve held a grudge against Eris for something that wasn’t his fault and have utterly screwed Lucien to no end. Your little family is a disease.”
Azriel’s resolve was cracking. He didn’t have enough self-control for this, for you. He’d barely mustered up the diplomacy needed to meet with Eris. 
“Stop talking,” he said through gritted teeth. He felt it again, the flicker of frustration that threatened to engulf him like an unattended flame.
You gave him a withering glare. “Or what, you’ll make me?”
Azriel blinked, his eyes scanning your body instinctively. There was something about the words you spoke, the way you had spoken them, that made his body shiver. A small jolt of electricity passed through his muscles. Unfortunately for him, you caught it as quick as it manifested. Your eyes widened as you let out a dry laugh, forming a small smirk on your lips.
“Oh my gods,” you said, taking a step closer, “I bet you’d like that, wouldn't you? Is that why you’re such an ass today? 
Azriel’s wings twitched behind him. You gave him a mocking pout as you stared up at him. 
“No one to torture, no sweet female to make love to? Poor, powerful, Spymaster.”
Azriel thought for a moment. He thought about the anger boiling in his body, how on edge he’d been, how every little thing had been setting him off. He thought about you, in front of him, a female he despised from previous meetings– loud-mouthed, vicious, and selfish. A female from a family he hated, a family that took things from his family, from him. 
And then he began thinking of how great it would feel to show them how wrong they were about him. To prove to them that they weren’t better than him, that he was just as, if not more, powerful than their damned bloodline.
You had been right again. He was pent up. He hadn’t taken a lover recently, hadn’t fucked anyone since that one almost-night with Elain– where she’d been sweet, sensitive, and gentle. But even before, with the females who’d asked for it rough, told him they could handle it, he hadn’t indulged himself too far. He still respected them. They were still wide-eyed and kind, sweet to a certain extent. He didn’t want to hurt them. They were ladies. Azriel respected ladies. 
“I said stop talking,” Azriel growled. 
There was a tick in his jaw. 
“And I said, make me.”
But you, you weren’t a lady. You weren’t sensitive, sweet, or kind. You were a viper. A snake with beautiful lips and a body he found incredibly inviting— not that he’d ever admit it to anyone. But standing in front of him, that defiant look in your eyes, the pride seeping off you, the smirk on your lips… Azriel felt hungry. He felt ravenous. 
So, he thought for one more moment. And then he was taking a step forward, one that you matched with an equal stepback. 
“Y/n,” Azriel drawled as he continued to take another step. You matched him again, moving back while you glared at him. “Are you not getting enough attention? Is that it?”
Your back hit the tree and you let out a small exhale as Azriel took a final step forward, inches away from you as he stared down with a dark gaze. 
“What the fuck are you talking about?” You bit out. 
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
You attempted to regulate your breathing as his eyes drank you in, a clear and unashamed desire painted over his face. 
“Do I look like a fucking mind-reader?”
 Azriel gave a dry chuckle. You were unraveling before him, scrambling for control. “Such a vile mouth for a princess.”
“Fuck you.”
“Is that why you came?” He brought a hand to your chin, roughly tilting your face up to look directly at him. “Do you want to be fucked, Y/n?”
The answer was yes, you did. There was a sickening sense of excitement that ran through your blood, a heat pooling between your thighs. But you wouldn’t admit it. You weren’t going to give him the satisfaction, weren’t about to prove him right. So instead you stayed quiet, pulling your face out of his hands and turning your cheek. 
“I came for intel,” you said through gritted teeth, “in Eris’ place.”
Azriel gave another chuckle, something dark and humorous. His hand trailed to the side of your neck, pushing the hair off your shoulders to expose the line of your collarbone. You swallowed.
“Interesting,” he said. He leaned in, lips against your ear. “Then what is that desire I smell?”
You let out a sharp exhale as he leaned away. Taking a deep breath, you looked at him, biting the inside of your cheek at your body's betrayal. You needed to balance this.
“Maybe its you that needs a good fuck, Shadowsinger. Like I said, you seem real pent up. Noone quite scratching that itch?”
But Azriel no longer seemed angry at your words, instead, he seemed amused– hungry. He was quiet for a second too long, simply staring at you. A sense of irritation prickled at your skin.
“What?” You snapped.
“I can admit that,” Azriel said coolly, “if you can admit something to me.”
“What, are we trading secrets now? I wasn’t aware this was a children's sleepover.”
Azriel didn’t respond. You registered the movement of a dark shadow as it fled from his body, slowly sneaking around your collarbone. You attempted to hit it away, but it quickly slithered back to Azriel, running up his chest to curl around his ear. He smirked. 
“When was the last time someone fucked you, Y/n?”
The air left your lungs as you let out a small gasp. You blinked. Quickly, you regained your composure.
“Excuse me?”
Azriel kept his smirk. “It must be hard getting anyone to touch you when you’re so sheltered by those males you call brothers.” 
He reached out a hand to your bare collarbone, but you caught his wrist in your hand, allowing it to hover in your grip. His eyes slowly trailed up to your face, heavy-lidded and darkened with a sense of attention that made your stomach clench. 
“What the hell are you getting at?” You sneered.
Azriel simply stared at you, the ghost of a smirk still plastered on his lips. His reactions had you gritting your teeth in anger and rubbing your thighs in anticipation at the same time— you hated it.
“Don’t ask questions you know the answers to.”
“You're pathetic,” you spat, “Save your games for a bitch who cares.”
But you still gripped his hand in yours, still felt the heat radiating off his skin. And you made no motion to move. No motion to let him pull back. Azriel didn’t fail to notice this, either. 
“That snarky mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble. But I bet that's why you use it, right?”
Your breathing was heavier now. Azriel’s gaze flickered to where you still gripped his wrist.
“You can fool everyone, Y/n,” he said, “But not me.”
You shouldn’t have enjoyed the way his voice sounded on your skin, shouldn’t have felt a breathlessness filling your body as he spoke to you. But you felt it. And it was a burning, hungry desire that made your chest tighten. This was what you wanted, it was what you needed. 
Azriel was right. The bastard had read you like a book. Your family, your brothers, never let anyone near you for fear of embarrassment– fear of you bringing some sense of shame. But Azriel was right. You wanted it. You craved it. You wanted to forget who you were, to give up the control you always had to wield. 
Before you could overthink it, you loosened your grip on Azriel’s hand and pulled it towards you, situating it on the side of your throat. You let out a small gasp when he quickly wrapped his fingers around the base of your neck. 
And then he was pulling you into him with a deep and angry kiss. All teeth, tongue, and fire, mouths crashing together almost painfully, but neither of you stopped. With every movement of his mouth, of his tongue on yours, a dormant flame deep within you awoke. 
A primal desire surged through Azriel’s veins like wildfire, the scent of you– of your want, of your desire– filling his senses in a way that had his cock throbbing. There was no room for rational thought, only the raw, unbridled passion that engulfed him in a fiery embrace. His hand found its way into your hair, fingers brushing along your scalp as he yanked your hair to expose your neck to him. His lips wandered to your exposed collarbone, giving a harsh suck to the skin near the column of your throat. 
“Is this what you wanted?”
“Shut up,” you responded, reaching your hands out to fumble with his leather clothes. Azriel pulled back slightly, grabbing your wandering hands in his. You let out a sound of protest as he ran sloppy kissing along your neck.
“Oh how i’d love to fuck that foul mouth of yours,” Azriel murmured against your skin, his mouth reaching your ear. “But we’re short on time.” He took your lobe in between his teeth and you let out a small groan.
“I bet all you’ll need is a few minutes– and that's being generous.”
Azriel’s hand gripped at your waist, traveling up your chest to roughly grab your breast through your dress. 
“No wonder you’re so insufferable.” he said, his voice amused as he pulled back, his other hand tugged at your hair once more. “You haven’t been fucked properly.”
You snarled. "Fuck you." 
Azriel grinned.
"Oh, princess, I will.”
And then he was pulling the front of your dress down, exposing your bare breasts before him, nipples peaked in the fresh air. You let out a gasp as a small faint ripping sound traveled to your ears. Before you had a chance to react, Azriel was spinning you around, pulling your back against his chest, one hand bracketing your throat as the other traveled down your stomach, grabbing at the fabric at your dress. 
"But first, you're going to beg me for it,” he breathed into your ear, his voice so low you felt it more than you heard it. His words traveled straight to your core, leaving you dripping with want. Yet, you refused to let the words leave your lips. You gritted your teeth, bristled at the suggestion— pride and defiance warring within you. 
“Like hell I will.”
Azriel made a sound of disapproval, his mouth still running along your ear, “No?” he asked, hand slowly trailing from your throat to your chest, his fingertips leaving goosebumps in their wake. “So you don’t want me to touch you?”
His hand fell over your breast, cupping it in his palm as his thumb brushed over your nipple. You watched as black tendrils of shadow danced around his forearm, meeting where his fingers tweaked your nipple. Their cool gentle touch sent a ripple of sensation through you and your head fell back against him as you let out a small whimper. 
“Stop being a fucking tease.” 
Azriel found that he loved the way you whimpered, loved the tinge of frustration in your voice as he touched you. Here you were, melting into his touch, attempting to avoid admitting in words what your body was showing in actions.
“I asked you to do something.” 
He rolled your nipple between his fingers. You let out a deep exhale, pushing yourself back onto him, grinding into the evident bulge that pressed against you, the thin material of your dress doing nothing to disguise his hardened length. 
“Just fuck me already,” you turned your head to catch his gaze, darkened and pupils blown with lust. “I know you want to.”
You covered his hand in yours, molding his hand into your touch, urging him to grab your breast again– harder, firmer. 
The corners of his lips quirked up. “That doesn’t matter. Beg for it.”
Agonizingly slow, his hands roamed your trembling form, lighting flames of desire that you almost feared would consume you whole. Second by second, you felt yourself losing control. The heat of his touch seared through you, eroding the last crumbs of your resistance until all that remained was a burning need to be filled by him, to succumb to the primal urges coursing through your veins. You wanted him. You needed him. 
“Please,” you whispered, the truth spilling from your lips in a voice so meek you barely recognized it as your own. 
"Please what?"
With a trembling breath, you finally let go of the last shreds of your resistance, your voice coming out in a deep, frustrated plea.  “Please fuck me.”
Azriel's lips curved into a predatory smirk. 
“Good girl,” he said, his voice low and sultry as he pulled away from you. In one movement he was pulling your ass closer to him, forcing your body forward to brace yourself on the tree. In seconds you felt the cool air on your body as Azriel pushed your dress above your hips. Naturally, you felt your body bowing at the sensation. He let out a groan at the sight. 
Then he was spreading your legs, baring you before him, glistening cunt on full display. His rough hands gripped your bare ass. He massaged it for a moment, but the motion was brief, and soon you felt a hard hand land on the fat of your cheek. You let out a small shriek, but it was followed by a low moan as he delivered another smack. Azriel smirked at the sound of it, at the sight of your ass reddening with his handprint. 
“Are you going to fuck me or not?” You managed to grit out as you pushed your ass out further,  “I’m growing bored.”
“Bored?” He ran finger through the wetness that pooled at your core. “Your cunt doesn’t seem to think so.”
You moaned at the feeling, pushing yourself back against his hand.
“Too stubborn to admit anything,” Azriel murmured, “But your body gives you away.” 
Azriel took a step back, your body cold at the loss of contact as he freed himself from the confine of his leather pants, each movement filled with a primal urgency that would’ve made him unsettled— embarrassed even— if he had been in a more rational state of mind. But Azriel wasn’t being rational. All he could think about was you, and staring at your beautiful glistening cunt, all he wanted was to fuck you into oblivion, to let his frustrations out. To tame you like a wild animal— his most tantalizing challenge yet. 
He settled himself behind you and stroked his cock along your folds, allowing it to glide against your core until both of you were slick with your desire. He teased you slowly as he moved up and down your entrance. You pushed against him, urging him inside, inviting him to take you. 
Azriel only laughed darkly at the movements, and you whined in response, frustrated and irritated. 
“Remember this the next time you insult me,” he said, “Remember how you were begging for me to fuck you.” 
Half a breath later, he pushed himself inside you, sheathing himself to the hilt. You exhaled in tandem, your cunt clenching him, pulsing around the stretch of him.  He adjusted his angle and picked up the pace, sending pleasure rising in a wave that you couldn’t hold back, your mouth falling open as he began to take you harder. 
You let your forehead fall against your hands, braced against the rough texture of the tree. You faintly felt the ridges under your palm, but there was no pain, no irritation that you knew you were bound to experience later. All you could truly feel was Azriel deep inside you, stretching you out and using you in a way you hadn’t experienced for a very long time. The lust Azriel felt, the experience of being with you, of claiming you as his, was no longer a desire, no longer a want. It was a need. An animalistic and primal need that he felt deep in his chest. 
Azriel's movements were relentless, each thrust sending ripples of pleasure rippling through your body, clouding your mind in a haze of ecstasy and melting away all coherent thought. There were sounds emitted from your lips, this you knew, but they were incoherent whimpers, quiet murmurs whispered towards the ground as your forehead dug into your hands with every buck of Azriel’s hips.
“You had so much to say earlier, Y/n,”  Azriel said, pulling out until he was barely inside you. He thrusted back in, resuming a hard and brutal pace. 
“Why so quiet now?”
Thrust.
“Did you just need the attitude fucked out of you?”
Thrust.
"What will your brothers think?” he taunted, his grip on your hips bruising in its intensity, “Your father?”
Thrust.
“If only your family only knew what their precious princess was up to. Taking it from the likes of me, like some common pleasure hall whore."
The mention of your family sent a surge of burning shame coursing through your veins, you felt the heat rise to your cheeks, flushing against your exposed skin. But amidst the suffocating shame, there was something else, something primal and insatiable that stirred within you—a hunger born of defiance, of indulging in a forbidden ecstasy. It filled you with a sense of exhilaration that bordered on madness.
Quickly, that spark of defiance ignited within you, mingling with the fiery hunger coursing through your veins, an urge to bite back at him. You craned your head to look over your shoulder, catching his eyes as you let out a moan, taking your lips in between your teeth. 
"Do common whores get you this riled up?" you purred. There was a feigned innocence in your tone that made Azriel twitch inside you. His gaze burned into yours. "Do they make you this hungry?”
A part of you wanted the confirmation, wanted the triumphant feeling of knowing you could ruin him for everyone else— that you felt better than the females he had bedded, that you, the one he loathed so openly, were the only one to truly quench his thirst.
“Do they feel as good as me, Azriel?”
He let out a deep, guttural moan. The sound traveled through your body, lighting your skin on fire as you bucked back into his movements, meeting every roll of his hips. 
“Say that again,” Azriel groaned.
When you gave no reply, he twisted your hair around one fist and gave it a tug, pulling your body up to him as before. His thrusts never staggered, not even as his hand traveled to wrap around your throat, matching the reddening print from his earlier grip. The other hand remained steady at your hip, gripping into the fabric of your dress and the exposed skin of your body. 
“Say my name,” he growled and your cunt tightened at the sound, at the way he gripped your throat harder. You grasped at his arm with your hands, holding on to his skin as he bucked into you. 
“No.” 
Azriel growled, pulling out of you almost completely before he pushed back in a heavy, angry stroke. Your body arched in pleasure, a small whimper leaving your mouth instinctively.
“Don’t be a brat.”
“Fuck you.” 
“I am,” Azriel said, “And your cunt is swallowing me whole, princess. Like it's made for me, like its been begging to be fucked.”
He released his grip from your throat, letting you fall forward as he placed his hand on the small of your back, arching your body for him as he pounded into you from behind. You fell forward, hands planted on the tree before you, fingers clawing at the bark like an animal in heat. Azriel watched as his cock disappeared into your cunt with every thrust, watched how your ass bounced back on him with every movement, how your tits moved with every roll of his hips. He fought not to finish from the sight alone. 
You struggled to find your voice through the haze of pleasure that clouded your mind, that seemed to twist and tie your tongue to where you could only gasp incoherent words of ecstasy
“Oh, fuck. Azriel.”
Azriel drank in your sounds of pleasure like a male thirsted for centuries, the sound of his name on your tongue sending a wave of pleasure through his body.
“Are you going to cum, Y/n?”
You let yourself surrender to his touch as he continued to ravage you with ruthless abandon, his voice caressing you in ways you never knew a sound could do. You wanted him to go faster, harder, rougher; wanted him to fuck you with all his might, with all that anger you saw. As if he could read your mind, Azriel’s thrusts sped up, slamming into you.
“Fuuck, yeah, you are. I can feel this pretty little cunt clenching me.”
He continued his pace, fucking you with long thorough strokes that left you completely pinned between him and the rough bark of the tree. You felt him heavy against your back, breasts pressed against his hand as he moved between gripping them both roughly, holding onto them for leverage as he fucked you from behind.
"Look at you," he taunted, his grip tightening around you possessively. "So desperate, so needy. You're nothing but a pretty little slut, begging for release, aren’t you?"
Azriel continued, moving deeper and faster, pumping into you with snaps of his hips that had you writhing underneath him. 
"And yet," you managed between breaths, gasps leaving your lips as he drove into you. "You’re the one pounding into me like a brute who can't get enough.” 
With a low groan, Azriel's hand tightened around your breast, his grip possessive as he leaned in to bite at your shoulder with a hungry intensity. He was beginning to think that you’d surely be the death of him, that he had created something, some beast inside him, that refused to be satiated by anything other than you— and that was dangerous. But he didn’t think too much about it, not now, not as he felt your cunt massaging him from the inside, felt your walls clamping onto him in a way that set his body on fire, his cock throbbing. 
Azriel railed you over and over, nothing slow or gentle about his movements. And with every thrust, you whined in ecstasy. His grip on your hips tightened, holding you in place as he kept pounding into you. He fell forward, grinding against you, pushing you further into the rough bark of the tree.
You could feel it, a deep pressure building in your stomach as his cock stretched you in the most delicious way. And you could feel him too, hot against your back, his deep breaths and the groans that reverberated through his body. The sound of skin slapping against skin echoed in your ears, muffling out the sound of your moans as your whole body tensed.
Then you felt it, a cool trail snaking up your legs. Dark tendrils of Azriel's shadows slithered through your thighs, caressing your skin with a tantalizing touch that made you clench at the sensation. You gasped as they coiled around your clit, winding you up with a feeling you’d never experienced before. With a loud moan, your orgasm rolled through you in a violent convulsion,  white spots dancing at the edges of your vision.
Azriel hated to think it, hated to admit that the sound of you coming undone on his cock was one of the most beautiful things he’d ever heard, that feeling your cunt clench around him as the sound filled his ear was enough for him to unravel. With a choked moan, Azriel spilled into you, spurts of his seed coating your walls. You let out a final, breathy whine at the sensation of him spilling into you, feeling as it began to drip as Azriel slowly pulled out.
With a heavy breath, his gaze lingered on the glistening trail connecting the tip of cock to your cunt. The lust in his eyes faintly faded, and a moment of clarity washed over him as the reality of what he’d just done hit like a sudden, cold wave. He didn’t regret it, no, not at all. This was exactly the release Azriel had needed. In fact, a part of him nearly grinned at the realization, at the relief he now felt in his body. But the other part of him, the rational side afraid of disappointing his family, of fucking something up, awoke in a panic. What the fuck had he just done? And why was he so proud of it? 
You slowly stood up, straightening yourself out as you turned to face him, face flushed and hair a tangled mess. There was a ghost of a smirk playing on your lips as you took them between your teeth and bit down. Your breasts were still exposed, nipples peaked and reddened marks from his rough grip. Azriel's eyes traveled down your form, swallowing hard as he took in the sight before him. He could smell the desire that filled the air around you both, could smell himself on you— the image of him plunging in and out of you still fresh in his mind. 
The idea of it alone made his cock stir again. There was something intoxicating about this situation to him. The image of you returning home, covered in his marks, in his scent, in his seed. Eris smelling him on you, realizing that you’d not only fucked someone he despised, but sullied yourself with an illyrian– just as he’d told Mor. And you, you’d remember this. You’d remember him inside you, remember how you let him use you, fuck you like a common-court whore. And you’d have to live with that. Every insult you’d give him, everytime you sneered at him in the future, there would be a part of you that remembered falling apart on his cock as you begged him for more, for him to fuck you harder.
With a gentle flick of your fingers, your dress was perfectly restored, the fabric falling gracefully around your figure as your hair cascaded down your shoulders in silky, untouched, waves. You smoothed out the sleeves of your dress with a practiced gesture before turning your gaze back to Azriel, scanning him from head to toe. Your eyes lingered on his still-exposed cock, covered in the mixed fluids of your cunt and his seed. A smirk played at the corner of your lips as Azriel looked down, realization flickering in his eyes as he hastily pulled up his pants, stuffing himself back into them. 
"Well, this was fun," you remarked casually– almost bored. Azriel resisted the urge to frown at the words, at the tone you used.  "Catch you later, Shadowsinger."
Before he could respond, you were gone, leaving him standing alone in the forest, staring at the empty space before a tree.
✹ ✶ 𖧷 ✶✹
Part Two
permanent tag list 🫶🏻: @rhysandorian @itsswritten @milswrites @lilah-asteria
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cuprohastes · 1 year ago
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The humans said "We sent our very best to the stars."
Well we looked at what they sent: And thought, if that's their best, what are their worst like? They were scavengers and opportunists, fast talking con artists, barely restrained psychopaths with mayhem on their mind.
Honestly we were expecting the worst: That 'human' would be a curse word, that we'd have to root them out painfully and banish them back to their dirty heavy world.
But they cleaned up Antichor. They dredged the oceans, got the ecosystem back up, cleaned the mine lakes, remediated the sludge swamps, turned the hulks into gleaming ingots.
"We knew how. We had the experience." They said.
The humans started showing up in the weirdest places. Conflicts of all sorts... and they always had questions. "Why are you doing this? What if tehy did this. What if you did that?" And it was so odd - Within weeks of the Humans showing up, common ground would be found, or reasons to get along would appear.
"Well, we're used to it. We know how to deal with conflict." They said.
And the human liars, dressed in bedazzling clothes, singing and laughing... They spun lies! For entertainment! Of better worlds, and drama, of excitement, of adventure. Thay made such spectacles - Fire in the sky of a thousand colours - smoke and lasers, costumes and music, feats of synchronised movement the Civil Worlds had barely imagined could be performed by any being let lone these strange humans...
"We know how to have a good time!" They said.
When there was a nasty little war of expansion over on the Veran worlds, we thought we'd be barely in time to document the mass graves and the scraps of planetary genocide. Expansion wars are the worst of crimes but what can you do? The settlers who are squatting on the graves of the people who came before aren't usually the ones who ordered the invasion or carried it out. And there's always some justification that can be argued over for centuries: none of which brings the dead back.
We were horrified to find the Human fleet there. Finally proof that the Humans were the worst sort of mercenary.
But the ships had aid: Shelters and food. Medical personnel. And those that did fight did so under strange rules that allowed for surrenders and retreats in good faith.
The Verans talked of the Arnath Invasion fleet: Unstoppable, claiming thier worlds before they even landed, their leaders ranting and cursing those who lived there - But then the Humans arriving like heroes of legend, in flame clad dropships, spending their lives hard, making the Arnath throw incredible effort to get nowhere... Of the mighty Rangers, each one a hero. The Bulwark infantry who wouldn't yield a single step until the civilians had been evacuated. The Medical teams as caring as any, who'd stand and fight as hard as a soldier to protect their patients.
And even before we arrived, the Arnath were losing - Humans arriving on their world and asking "Why?". Arguing with the Archons with the skill of philosophers, litigating on behalf of the Verans with cunning arguments. The clowns and entertainers with unexpected savagery, showing the population their own "heroic" soldiers burning crops and firing on children, turning the population against thier bloody handed leaders.
The soldiers returning, not hailed as heroes, their crimes documented.
"We know these crimes. We won't stand for them." The humans said.
And we started to wonder... what else did they know?
What we know now is... you can always ask the Humans, because they always send their best.
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ckret2 · 1 month ago
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The second dimension has burned (along with half the neighbors) and now there's a bunch of survivors stranded in Dimension Zero; which means the gods have to talk Bill into letting them leave.
Which should be easy, right? They're a bunch of gods and he's just one puny little mortal. Look how small he is.
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Puny little mortal. 👍
Here have a fic.
This is part 6 of an ???8-ish??? part plot about the Axolotl meeting this friendly harmless innocent little triangle in the wake of the Euclidean Massacre and then getting repeatedly slapped in the face with all the atrocities Bill's committed. If you want to read and/or look at the pretty art on the other parts, here's one, two, three, four, and five.
####
It hadn't taken long for VENDOR to make preparations to receive another ten million-odd sentient refugees; but then, the Axolotl supposed it wouldn't, considering that THEY could pop out a planet capable of supporting quadrillions at the snap of a finger. (Somebody else's finger, presumably, since vending machines didn't have any.) The most time-consuming part had been determining which gods would be responsible for the refugee shapes currently stranded in Dimension Zero once they were rescued—for speaking for them, for finding out what they ate and supplying it, for finding new suitable 2D and 1D homes for them in dimensions with compatible laws of physics and chemistry. The Axolotl doubted the shapes themselves had been consulted on who they'd like to speak for them.
And then, THEY'd approached the unstable border barely holding the miasmic rubble of half a dozen burned universes inside Dimension Zero, and said, "I hope you're ready to come out of there."
And just like that, the barely visible, twinkling yellow light in the center of the dimension appeared at its border, as if he'd always been there.
Behind the triangle, deep in their "dream realm," the shapes that the triangle had kidnapped/rescued from the cosmic flames, living and dying and undying and unliving, were still trapped in their eternal dance party. How many of them were paying attention to the proceedings through their forced dance? Did any of them understand the negotiations the triangle was making on their behalf? 
The Axolotl was sure their "Magister Mentium" wouldn't allow anyone but himself to speak for the shapes, but VENDOR could find that out the hard way. The Axolotl didn't see any benefit to trying to warn THEM first.
And as expected, the triangle retorted—just as haughtily as VENDOR—"I'm ready to talk. Are you?" The triangle was swirling a drink in a red disposable cup as though he were aerating a fine wine, looking for all the world like he'd been waiting there for hours and VENDOR was the one late to an important meeting.
VENDOR grumbled something that the Axolotl didn't catch besides the word "attitude," and then said, with a diplomatic air that just edged into patronizing, "Well, as long as we're making progress. Come here, let's get started."
"Hmm... nah," the triangle said. "Howsabout you come over here."
VENDOR stared, THEIR camera whirring as its focus narrowed in on the triangle.  "Excuse me? You expect me to get closer to that thing?" (The Axolotl assumed THEY meant the entirety of Dimension Zero.) "Absolutely not. You're already right on the border; just go through it."
The triangle was, indeed, right on the surface of Dimension Zero, like a fleck of glitter stuck on a bubble. He swung back and forth along the dimension's cellophane skin a few times, as though weighing up the thought of peeling himself off of it; and then shrugged, lounged back against the barrier, and sipped his drink. "Naaah, don't feel like it. You come to me! Get cozy! It'll be intimate!" The triangle purred unseductively, "C'mere, big boy, lemme whisper in your... whaddaya got, microphones? An intercom? What are you, some kind of office building?"
"Of all the—! I'm a vending machine!"
"Wooow, really? You're yanking my chain!" He drew a ghostly blue chain out from the esophagus under his eye like a clown pulling a trail of handkerchiefs out of his sleeve.
"It says 'Vendor' on my face!"
"Really? I figured 'Vendor' was the name of the company renting you!"
VENDOR gasped. "You think a god can be rented—?!"
While THEY tried to find adequate words to express THEIR outrage, the triangle's chain disappeared and he squinted at the silver continent-sized logo listing VENDOR's name. "I don't know how you expect anyone to read that anyway; it's all one color," he said. "Well, they make 'em large where you're from! But okay, vending machine, get over here and lemme whisper in your coin slot."
"No!"
"Hey, big as you are, narrow as I am, I bet I could slide right in without even touching the sides!"
VENDOR shuddered hard enough to set off earthquakes on several of THEIR planets. "Is this how you speak to all your gods, mortal?" The two cops at THEIR back bristled menacingly—the crablike cop with two mushrooms for eyes clacking his claws, and the cop made of two interlocked flaming wheels spinning faster and burning higher. 
"Whoa, since when are you one of 'my' gods!" Smugly, the triangle said, "I thought I heard I'm in Lady Morgenstern's district."
Before they could come to blows without ever starting the discussion, the Axolotl called over to VENDOR, "He can't come closer. He's the only one able to keep his dimension from collapsing back into a singularity on the refugees—he has to stay in there in case emergency maintenance is needed."
"Ugh," VENDOR said. "Nevermind, stay where you are then."
With a singsong lilt to his voice, the triangle said, "If you insii-iist!" He settled back against his bubble and took a long, slow sip from his drink.
The Axolotl hated to admit it, but in spite of it all—the horror, the massacres, the cult recruitment, the dancing corpse puppets—he was starting to really like that triangle.
Along with VENDOR and THEIR unofficial police escorts—both of whom seemed content to do nothing but lurk behind THEM and look imposing—several of the gods involved with helping the refugees had assembled to observe the negotiation with the triangle. The storm cloud currently in charge of the Apocalyptic Threat Task Force's operations—who had less to do now that most of the cosmic fires were under control—was drizzling over several other apoc agents, and the tornado in which it carried its personal effects twisted back and forth in a figure 8 beneath the cloud, as though it were pacing in place. At some point, the barricade keeping the reporters from getting too close to the scene had been breached, and now dozens of them—messenger gods, gods of wisdom, gods of truth, twin-headed deities of secrets and revelations—circled the scene with enormous eyes and sharp ears and pens and recorders and cameras.
Until it burned down, the Axolotl had always called Dimension 2 Delta a "wall," because that was always how he was oriented to it during his daily commute—flying home with the dimension to his side—and the now-bloated Dimension Zero where the wall used to be was oriented the same way; but up and down and left and right were arbitrary directions in space when you could just rotate and change them. VENDOR and THEIR accompanying gods had reoriented themselves in relation to Dimension Zero so that it was like a floor rather than a wall—so that they were looking down on the triangle, and forcing him to look up at them.
Even the Axolotl had unconsciously reoriented himself so that he matched the other gods. He couldn't pretend he had any business in this discussion as anything but an uninvited witness; he'd been flying in nervous circles around the group, only just barely within the perimeter established by the reporters, gazing down into Dimension Zero as he did. Even though the triangle was staring straight at VENDOR, his slitted eye felt like one of those trick paintings that gave off the impression that, no matter where the Axolotl was, it was looking directly at him.
He ended up circling near the Time Giant, who was also avoiding the conversation as she worked on her official report on what she'd found in Dimension Zero. As he passed, she absentmindedly patted his head between his frills. Her glove was coated in grease, heavy metals shavings, and stardust.
The triangle said, "So pitch me your big evacuation plan."
"You don't need to worry about the details; it's our responsibility to handle the situation, not a mortal's."
"Humor me," the triangle commanded.
VENDOR valiantly bit back the urge to say something else snide. "Fine. It's a simple process, at least for you. First: you'll all be temporarily relocated to a safe world, where you'll be taken care of. Somewhere... suited to your species's anatomy, as best as we can manage on such short notice." As THEY spoke, THEY began idly flipping through THEIR worlds, juggling them between THEIR coils, apparently mentally measuring up the triangle before THEM against THEIR available selection. The Axolotl had seen THEM do that earlier. A nervous habit, he supposed. The god from the urban planning committee deciding where a few more residents could be moved.
A few of the partiers far below the triangle had apparently noticed the conversation, and had broken off from the party to fly a little closer to the barrier, eavesdropping on the discussion. There was a quiet flurry of excitement at the suggestion they might be getting a planet. (They had so little in there, didn't they?)
"Second: we clean out the rubble that fell beneath the multiverse and ensure everything is stabilized again. Third: we set off Big Bangs to put up new 1D pillars and 2D walls where the old ones used to be, and repair all the standing walls and pillars that were damaged in the fires. We'll likely recycle much of the rubble into the new dimensions. There, that's nice, isn't it? Your new dimension could be made out of what's left of your old one." THEY talked like an adult who didn't like kids trying to persuade a child that this new toy was just as good as one that had been accidentally thrown away.
As VENDOR spoke, the triangle slid off his tall black hat and held it in his hands, looking down at it. No, the Axolotl realized, not at it—into it. He was looking at his speck. The little pearl that contained the scant remains of his universe.
"Fourth: all the refugees are returned to their native dimensions or their replacements."
The grip on the brim of his hat tightened. The triangle looked up sharply.
A few of the shapes who'd broken off from the dance party to eavesdrop looked dubious of this news—the Axolotl noted the line that the triangle had been dancing with earlier among them—but the vast majority looked ecstatic. One of them—a nearly square blue rhombus—rushed back to spread the news to the rest of the party.
But he stopped without reaching them when the triangle demanded, "You think you're going to split us up?"
"Of course! You can't possibly be placed together long term—you're all from so many different dimensions that your molecules probably don't even operate on the same laws of physics." VENDOR pointedly added, "Besides, I know some gods are very eager to have their people returned to them." The Vitruvian Mandala must have talked to THEM about how the triangle got his new followers. (How many of the listening shapes were eager to return to their gods?)
The triangle stared at VENDOR, eye wide and expression unreadable; but for a split second, an inferno of absolute fury raged behind that blank white sclera. "What about me, genius? You don't have a god to foist me off on."
"No, I suppose not," VENDOR sighed. "Naturally, as the last surviving soul from your dimension, you'll be afforded a few more special protections than the others." (The triangle didn't protest the accusation that he was the last.) "Eventually, you'll have the option to move into an afterlife in whatever replaces Dimension 2 Delta, but until then, you'll have to be housed elsewhere, just like the other refugees. Did you have diplomatic relations with any of the neighboring dimensions?"
He said tersely, "No."
(Then that settled the question for good, the Axolotl thought: none of the other shapes came from his home dimension; and he really hadn't known the shapes he'd kidnapped from other universes and called "his" people.)
"Of course not. That will complicate finding another dimension to move you to, but I'm sure he'll help you with that part."
VENDOR tilted in the Axolotl's general direction. Terrific, THEY'd progressed from accusing him of being a stranger's lawyer to volunteering his services.
"Of course, you should expect to be judged and sentenced by the standards of whatever afterlife you join—"
The Axolotl cut in loudly, "I think he'd rather remain a wandering ghost." It was clear the triangle still saw himself as alive. (Maybe, to his species's culture, he was still alive. If the Axolotl had learned anything during his service as a psychopomp, it was that death was as much cultural as it was physical. Most species saw a soul shedding its body as the end, but others saw it the same way as a butterfly shedding a cocoon.)
VENDOR shuddered in distaste. "I can't believe this district still hasn't outlawed letting unruly expired mortals meander around."
Of course THEY were anti-wandering ghosts. The Axolotl didn't know what else he expected. He made a mental note to throw a campaign donation at Municipalitron before the next election. "Yes, it is still legal, and technically isn't illegal on a district-wide level anywhere in the multiverse—wandering ghost legislation is decided at the dimensional level—"
"You can explain his options after he's come out here into civilized space," VENDOR said sourly. "The bottom line is, everyone gets sent home. And that's the plan! All right?" THEY glowered down at the triangle.
With a flick of his wrist, the triangle's hat poofed out of his hand and reappeared above his top angle. "If you want my opinion—"
"There is nothing I have ever wanted less."
"—you're wasting a lot of time creating a worse solution to a problem you invented! Splitting us up, gentrifying our dream realm, forcing us back under gods and locking us up in afterlives? Yikes! We're not refugees, we're liberated—for the first time in our lives! We don't need to be 'sent home'! We're already living in our home!" The triangle put unnecessary emphasis on the word living.
The excitement slowly drained from the eyes of the listening shapes. They looked so tired. How many were already dead? How many wanted to rest in an afterlife?
The triangle said, "Look, I can save you a lot of time on red tape and bureaucracy." He gestured back into Dimension Zero. "Just give us an empty spot outside reality's butthole, we'll pack up our dream realm and fly it there ourselves, and then everything's hunky-dory!"
"Pack your— Fly it—?!" VENDOR scoffed in disbelief. "You must be mad. It would most certainly not be 'hunky-dory'! Your little organic mortal mind can't even grasp how much more difficult, dangerous, and inefficient it would be to relocate and rebuild this wreck instead of simply recycling what's left of it and setting off a new Big Bang. Is it even possible?" THEY'd directed this last question to the Time Giant.
"Hm?" It took her a moment to drag herself from her paperwork and process the question. "Hell, I hope not. It's the worst idea I've ever heard."
"See? I don't even know which district's jurisdiction such a ridiculous project would fall under!"
"So what's the problem?" the triangle asked. "It probably won't be yours! You can foist the paperwork off on some other sucker!" (The Axolotl choked back a laugh.)
"It would circle back around to the urban planning committee eventually," VENDOR said wearily. "We simply don't have room for a—" They turned to the Time Giant again. "How big is this dimension, anyway?"
"'Bout twenty percent bigger than D-2Δ was."
"Oh, what a disaster. Two dimensional?"
"Technically, zero, but it behaves like it has five or six."
"Absolutely barbaric." VENDOR rounded on the triangle. "We don't even have zoning for an oversized zero dimensional property shaped like a six dimensional property! Every last Planck length in the multiverse is already in use; this is a planned community— Are you paying attention?! Don't you roll your eye at me!"
He was indeed rolling his eye as he took a long, slow sip from his red plastic cup. He held up a finger to signal VENDOR to wait until he'd finished. This wasn't doing the triangle any favors, but the Axolotl had the sneaking suspicion he'd decided to ignore VENDOR because VENDOR had started to ignore him.
"Of all the—you're the one who wanted to waste my time finding out how your evacuation will work! You could at least listen!"
VENDOR still thought THEY were giving instructions to a mortal who didn't quite yet fully understand that it was his responsibility to simply obey, and the triangle still thought this was a parley between equals in which he had the option to say no. And, the Axolotl realized, they were both wrong.
A single reality could simultaneously operate on so many vastly different scales. The Axolotl could still hear the triangle saying that he felt every dying thing that fell into Dimension Zero; he could still see the triangle's gaze unfocused from pain and the distraction of holding up a dimension on his back. While a minor local elected official was arguing about zoning law, a mortal was suffering a trillion trillion deaths.
And on a smaller scale even than that, a trillion trillion lives were suffering death—once.
The Axolotl wondered—what justice was there in the fact that the most trivial concerns of gods were infinitely vaster than the worst horror a mortal could ever endure?
(But what justice was there in the fact that one mortal could force so many more to endure the horror with him?)
The triangle finished his drink and sighed, "Yeah, yeah, I'm listening." Like a bored child fidgeting in his seat, the triangle peeled off Dimension Zero's skin and swung backward into his dream realm, so that he was dangling over his eternal party with the soles of his feet still stuck to the bubble. "And all I'm getting out of your yammering is that you want to destroy my dimension because you don't want to deal with a little red tape!" (He stared at the eavesdropping shapes. They flinched and retreated to the party.)
"No," VENDOR said venomously, "I'm saying we can't move the rubble pile you're calling a dimension, because it would require knocking down half of existence to restructure it around your whims."
"Great! Which half do you want me to knock down?"
The Axolotl could faintly hear the click of VENDOR's camera shutter closing and reopening in horror.
The storm cloud had been brooding quietly back with the other apoc agents while VENDOR and the triangle attempted to negotiate, but now it let out a thunderous rumble as it swept like a cold front into the discussion. "Out of the question. The whole point of clearing out the rubble is to prevent any more damage to the surrounding dimensions. We're not going with a plan that causes more apocalypses."
"Oh, for— No one's talking to you, Fog Brain!" The triangle tried to wave the cloud off. "Who do you think you are, the Killjoy God of Stopping Apocalypses?"
The cloud's tornado swerved down to hold its Apocalyptic Threat Task Force badge where the triangle could see. "Yeah, actually."
He gave it a dirty look. "Okay, Officer Fun Police. Here's the deal: me, my people, and my miasma in here are a package deal. I'm not going a-ny-where without them, and they're not going anywhere without me. So if you don't want us knocking the stilts out from under your palafito, then you'd better make an offer better than Coin Slot's little refugee plan!"
"Your people? What gives you the right to speak for them!" The storm's tornado jumped in intensity from F0 to F2, and only grew faster the more it spoke. Through its clouds, the eye of the storm glared down at the triangle. "You mean the people I've watched die all day thanks to your attempts to kidnap them from their own dimensions?!"
The triangle glared right back up into the eye without flinching. "Yeah, and my attempts to rescue them from our world would have a lot better success rate if you incompetent losers didn't keep getting in my way!"
In a startling display of unity, the storm cloud and VENDOR both started shouting at the triangle, one after the other: "Rescued?! The ATTF was already rescuing them! We're professionals! You're the one mucking up all our operations—"
"And you're the only reason these mortals need rescuing! You caused this crisis in the first place; you spread all the fires—"
"—and mangled or cremated half the people you're trying to save—!"
"You're forcing millions of people to float aimlessly in an unstable, barren void! Those mortals belong out here, under divine supervision, on a real world!" VENDOR punctuated this with a rev of THEIR motors and THEIR coils half twisting forward, like THEY were tempted to launch THEIR whole stock of worlds at the triangle in anger. "I am a vending machine full of planets. Any one of these would be better than your colorful cesspit! What are you offering?!"
The triangle was glowing red-hot, trembling with rage. "Everything they were ever told they can't have," he said. "Freedom. Immortality. Utopia!" With a noise like a whip crack, the triangle snapped his arm down (up?) to point at his eternal dance party; and suddenly his eternal party was right there, and he was in the middle of it. "This is what I'm offering! Isn't that right, gang?! We're keeping this party going forever!" A loud roar of voices cheered in response. (It was, the Axolotl thought, nowhere near ten million voices. The shapes that had been eavesdropping earlier had blended back into the crowd. The only one the Axolotl could still see was the blue rhombus, glaring resentfully at the triangle.)
With an impressive synthesized approximation of the sound of speaking through gritted teeth, VENDOR said, "Why would you want to squat in the rubble of half a dozen destroyed dimensions when we could recycle it into a new dimension?!"
In truth, the Axolotl was wondering the same thing. He could understand if the triangle were just trying to maintain his independence from an overbearing god—the triangle clearly liked being in charge—but then why not offer the rubble from Dimension 2 Delta in exchange for the right to rule the new dimension that would be made with it? VENDOR would never agree to that deal—not that THEY even had the authority to agree—but that hadn't stopped the triangle from making even less likely demands. Or why not trade the rubble to the gods in exchange for an equivalently-sized stable universe to throw his unending party in? Hell, why not say he'd take a newly-vended planet as long as he could rule it without any unwanted divine intervention? His people didn't want to live like this. Why did he?
With great dignity, the triangle straightened out his hat, casually swirled his drink, and floated up off the surface of the bubble—and the Axolotl realized that the triangle hadn't been standing "upside down." All along, he'd been doing the same thing VENDOR had done to him: repositioning himself so that the surface of the barrier between the zeroth dimension and the third dimension was his floor, so that the gods he spoke to were beneath his very feet.
He didn't answer VENDOR's question. Instead, he asked his own: "Why would I want to be a dead freak in somebody else's universe, when I can be an eternal god in mine?"
So many things—his insistence that he was alive, his contempt for the gods that tried to assert their superiority, his determination to repair his own reality, his absolute control over his people—suddenly made sense.
VENDOR leaned away from the triangle. "You? Think you? Get to be? A god?" THEIR two police escorts, who so far had managed to stay silent, burst out in mocking laughter.
The triangle stared imperiously down upon VENDOR, THEIR hundreds of worlds, and the countless gods watching. "It seems to me like I already am one!"  Arms outstretched, he gestured around himself at Dimension Zero, at his eternal party. A cacophony of every song at once poured out into the higher dimensions and all lights shone on him like a strobing halo. "I created a universe by myself! A dream realm where ideas and reality overlap, where a thought's just as powerful as an act! A dimension of color and life that's free from all laws and restrictions—even gravity! If that's not godly, I don't know what is!"
Honestly, the Axolotl thought it was kind of impressive that the triangle had spun his failure to get the gravity working into a perk.
The crablike cop hooted with laughter and said to his partner, "How stupid does he think we are?"
"You're no creator god," VENDOR said. "Everything you have fell in from Dimension 2 Delta and its neighboring dimensions—we know that much."
The triangle was silent for a long moment; and the Axolotl got the sense, by the look in his eye, that he was choosing his next words very carefully. Like a creator god preparing to speak a reality into existence.
Voice low and hard, he said, "You don't think it got in here all by itself, do you?"
VENDOR gasped sharply. THEY weren't the only one. A crackle of thunder and a low rumble filled the still space—followed by hundreds of tiny, twinkling lights from the outer ring of gods, the flashes of the reporters' cameras. Recording the mortal who claimed he'd killed an entire universe.
The triangle, glaring defiantly down at them all, seemed to glow a little brighter with each flash.
No. Not that curious, cocky, bright-eyed little triangle. The Axolotl couldn't believe he had wanted to destroy his own dimension.
But... he did believe the triangle had done it. On some level, he'd known.
The storm cloud cut in, "Hold on, hold on, hold on." It seemed to be the only one who could find something to say. The Axolotl was sure it had known, too; it had only been waiting for confirmation. Making a valiant effort to rein in its rage, it retrieved its interview and asked, "How did you destroy your dimension?"
The triangle's hands curled into fists, crushing his cup. "I didn't say I destroyed it. I renovated." He said it so haughtily. He said it like he needed to believe it himself. "It was close-minded and claustrophobic! It needed a lotta work! The whole thing ended up being a teardown! A place like that, the only thing you can do is—burn it down and start over."
The Axolotl could hear the triangle's voice catch and fall quieter as he regretted his choice of words before he'd even finished saying them. His heart broke. No. He knew the triangle didn't mean that. He was torturing himself to keep as many of his people alive as possible, he couldn't have meant to destroy all those lives—
The triangle raised his voice again—not quite shouting, but straining to project his words, to ensure everyone, everyone, would hear him. (Over the next trillion years, the Axolotl would come to think of this as the default way he spoke.) "We're building a better world here. One where we're all finally free. Isn't that right?!" His undead, undying revelers cheered and applauded. This speech wasn't for the storm cloud; it was for his followers and the reporters. He was putting on a performance. What a show it must be through the cameras: the lights, the music, the proud glittering shape in the center of it all.
The storm demanded, "How did you do it?"
The triangle hesitated again, searching again for the right words, the right story. His eye darted to the side, toward his listening people. Like a bad radio signal, the dance music was infected by a rising static hiss.
But before he could come up with an answer, VENDOR snarled, "It doesn't matter; that's all we need to know! We don't need to wait for him to enter the third dimension anymore—" THEY turned to the cops, "—arrest him now!"
The triangle flinched. "Wait, what?" He glared accusatorially between the Axolotl and the Time Giant. "You! You set me up!"
"Did not," the Time Giant muttered resentfully. "I gave the ATTF my verbal report. What they do with the report ain't my problem."
The Axolotl didn't even respond to the accusation. Operating on pure reflex, he'd already dove in front of the triangle, gills flared and curled forward, putting himself in between the accused criminal and the gods of punishment.
"You can't be serious!" His gaze darted in disbelief between the gods he'd spoken to the most throughout this whole wretched incident. The Time Giant's jaw was set hard and she kept her face turned from the scene as she continued to work on her official report; the storm's cloud had darkened and its rain fell heavy and cold; and VENDOR—well, VENDOR still looked like a vending machine, but the Axolotl had no doubt THEY were determined to carry this through. "He's a refugee seeking asylum! You should be worried about getting him and his people to safety!"
The Axolotl felt the triangle's eye on him like a laser. "They can't do that." (He had only heard that nervous waver in the triangle's voice once before. Yesterday—before Dimension 2 Delta burned—the very first time the triangle had ever met a higher dimensional being.)
"We can." VENDOR's camera focused on the Axolotl. "Unless you have any legal objections."
He nearly demanded THEY explain what legal grounds THEY possibly had to arrest him—and then realized what an idiot he was for not seeing this coming. He'd been so blinded by the fact that he was sure the triangle hadn't meant it that he hadn't registered what the triangle had done.
The triangle had burned down multiple dimensions by ignorantly messing with the fabric of reality. He'd selectively targeted entire populated worlds—and accident or not, he'd incinerated them. On the immense scale of crimes this triangle was operating on, personally kidnapping millions and slaughtering billions who got caught in the crossfire was the least of his sins. VENDOR didn't want the triangle shuffled into some afterlife to get him out of the way; THEY wanted him damned.
But the gods had divine laws, and how they judged the mortals and sentenced the dead were among the most complex branches. What you could punish the living for, and what you had to wait until their death to punish; whether a ghost could be allowed to wander; where a psychopomp could escort the dead; when and how gods could reincarnate a soul... Rules, rules, rules.
And one rule was that a god couldn't legally arrest a mortal outside their own jurisdiction, under any circumstances, without permission from a god who did have jurisdiction.
Any gods who once held jurisdiction over the souls born in 2Δ were dead. The only gods who could arrest the triangle now were whatever gods had authority over the territory he was in.
No one and nothing had ever had authority over Dimension Zero.
The triangle had stumbled his way into the only pure neutral territory in all of reality. He could not be legally arrested.
That was why VENDOR had been so eager to get the triangle out of Dimension Zero; that was why THEY were so impatient with his protests and questions. This was all just a ploy to lure out the triangle so they could make an arrest that neither the witnessing reporters nor the neighborhood's most stubborn afterlife lawyer could legally challenge.
However... those were the rules for arresting a mortal. Arresting a god was different.
Any gods that operated on a higher than galactic level agreed that nothing mattered more than preventing divine threats to the multiverse, by any means necessary. Whoever could make the arrest should make the arrest, and they'd figure out who was in charge of the troublemaker later. Jurisdiction was irrelevant when it came to stopping a god who committed crimes against reality.
Which was exactly what the little triangle had claimed to be.
"Well?" VENDOR pressed. "Any problems, attorney?"
The triangle had the kind of eye that gave off the impression that he was always looking at you, no matter where you were; but now it felt different. Now, the Axolotl truly felt the triangle was looking directly at him.
It wasn't one of those creepy being-stared-at feelings that made his back prickle and his gills curl. It was more like the sensation he got in court whenever one of his clients was looking to him for support and protection, when the Axolotl was the only thing standing between them and death, damnation, or worse.
The Axolotl wracked his brain for any reason to object to an arrest. He was sure, he was sure, that the triangle didn't want to hurt anyone... but the Axolotl's opinions weren't relevant. The triangle was a self-professed god who had confessed to deliberately destroying his home dimension. He was more than an active threat to existence itself—the fires were still burning.
But... "You'll have to prove he's a god." Which was more difficult than one might think. A legally airtight definition of what was and wasn't a god was notoriously elusive. "If you cross dimensional lines to arrest him and then can't prove he's divine, any decent defense attorney could get the whole case thrown out." Which was maybe a slight exaggeration—any decent prosecutor wouldn't let a mortal who'd destroyed a dimension go unpunished, even if they had to hunt him down with their own scythes and fangs—but the Axolotl didn't see any judges here to call him out.
"Pinky's right," the crablike cop said—and only then did the Axolotl realize he and the flaming wheels hadn't budged an inch at VENDOR's order. "Shoulda waited for him to come out."
VENDOR spluttered indignantly. "But you don't have to prove he's a god to arrest him, do you? Just—just that you had reason to think he's one? Isn't that how it works?"
The crab's mushroom eyestalks and the wheels' hundred eyes exchanged a look. The wheels said flatly, "If we claim we had probable cause to believe the mortal's a god because the mortal himself said so, we'll be laughed out of the courtroom."
"Hey! Are you calling me a liar?!" The triangle flared red hot. Some of his shapes had stopped dancing again to stare at the argument. "I made a dimension! If that's not godly, what is?!" Frustrated, he gestured again at the party behind him and the dream realm beyond. (One of the shapes who'd stopped dancing waved.) "Were you listening to that part of the conversation? Or didja get too many retinas to leave room for a cochlea or two, Eyeballs?! How about you, Pinchers; is that gunk growing out of your shell clogging your ears?"
The rings' flames blazed a bit hotter as he seethed, but the crab's two mushrooms reeled back in offense and he clacked his claws furiously. "Those are my brains, you idiot!"
"No kidding?"
The Axolotl swore he could see the malice in the triangle's eye as he thought of ways to abuse this new information. Before the triangle had a chance, the Axolotl dove in the way of his line of sight to the cop and hissed, "Shh! Whose side are you on?" Handing his future prosecutor ammo was bad enough; he had to insult the cops too?
"I could ask you the same thing! All I hear you doing is telling them a better way to arrest me!"
"You don't want to be charged as a god—!" 
"Maybe I do!" Growing more heated, he shouted, "Nobody could do this by accident! It's impossible! Obviously I meant to do it, how could it have happened if I didn't mean to do it?!"
Oh, the Axolotl thought. Oh. Oh, no. This poor child.
The crab laughed loudly. "This pipsqueak's funny!"
"You're a mere mortal with some magic tricks," the flaming wheels said coldly. "You probably have a superpower or two. That doesn't makes you a god."
The triangle's gaze locked onto the cops like a prison searchlight on two escaping convicts. His eye darted between them, sizing them up like a predator choosing the easier prey; and then focused on the crab. "You want me to prove it?" He shoved his crumpled red cup over to one of his nearby followers. (In his rage, he didn't seem to notice that he'd shoved the cup into his follower, in the middle of his 2D organs.) The triangle pointed at the crab. "Come over here! I'll show you!"
"He thinks we're stupid," the rings said.
The crab jabbed a claw toward Dimension Zero. "If you were a god, I wouldn't have to come over there for you to pull whatever dumb trick you're trying! You'd be omnipotent enough to just do it!"
"If you're so sure I'm lying, you've got nothing to lose! So what are you waiting for?! Sounds to me like you're scared! Afraid a little mortal pipsqueak might hurt you if you step into his domain? You scared of pipsqueaks, Pinchers?"
The crab clacked his claws angrily. The two wheels' fires flared up, their furious eyes as bright as stars, glaring at the triangle with the force of a hundred steel-melting sunbeams. The crab growled, "Of course I'm not scared of a stupid little—"
"Then what're you waiting for, fungus brain?!" The triangle didn't even squint under the burning ring lights. If anything, he seemed to soak up the light, growing brighter by the second. He slung an arm around a nearby trapezoid (who started as the Magister Mentium somehow gripped her through a dimension she couldn't see) and said, "Everyone here knows that you're a big, scared coward who's too afraid to face down one puny little mortal. You big chicken!" He turned to shout to his imprisoned people, "Hey everyone, look at the big chicken who's scared of a mortal! What a loser!" 
"Fine! I'll show you what a god is—" Claws crashing together like thunderclaps, the crab stormed up to the border of Dimension Zero.
The second the crab stuck his face through, the triangle twirled upside down.
The entire dimension turned upside down with him. It ground against the nearest walls as it laboriously rotated; all of reality shuddered.
The shapes trapped inside shrieked.
The crab wobbled back.
His face was upside-down, the stalks of his mushrooms were tied in a bow, his claws were attached backwards, and his shell was unevenly coated in purple glitter glue. "Well," he said woozily, "I think that triangle's a god."
"Now will you arrest him?" VENDOR demanded.
The flaming wheels shook themselves out of their shock. "Fall back, kid," they said sharply. "I'll handle this."
"Sure, sarge." Trying to get his mushrooms untied, the crab cop stumbled sideways back toward Dimension Zero. One of the other cop's wheels hooked around one of his legs and tugged. The crab stumbled sideways the other direction. 
And then the wheels turned their full attention on the triangle. "It's too bad hubris isn't illegal here." The rings grew, and grew, and grew hotter, and hotter; until, at last, they were vast enough that one ring could have held a supermassive black hole in its circumference. "YOU COULD HAVE LEARNED THE EASY WAY WHY IT'S A BAD IDEA."
The wheels whirled like some eldritch cross between saw blades and pulsars as they approached the border of Dimension Zero. Their countless eyes opened and shut in hypnotic patterns, red and blue, red and blue. The reporters' camera flashes petered out; the ones taking notes into recorders fell silent. The power that poured off the whirling flaming wheels, both physical and psychological, was suffocating. Even as ancient and powerful as the Axolotl was, and even though the display wasn't aimed at him, he could feel it like a pressure on his lungs—feel it like swimming through water without oxygen. This was the sort of god that could incinerate a million worlds with one rotation. 
But the triangle only momentarily flinched back at the red and blue flashing; and then the display made the triangle stronger. Soaking in the heat, the light—glowing brighter, hotter, redder, angrier. "You wanna get me?!" 
The empty space around him burst into flames—pale, blue flames, reeking of burning hydrogen. Several of the more lucid nearby dancers shrieked in terror.
The helpless shapes burned up. But the triangle simply burned.
He grew in size, larger than the Axolotl, than VENDOR, than even the flaming wheels—larger than all the assembled gods combined—filled the entire visible cosmos with light. "Then come get me!"
Lightning and his knuckles both cracked menacingly; and the sound echoed across a dozen fracturing realities. Gouts of fire erupted from Dimension Zero, shooting from the second dimensions into the thirds. The gods froze as the fabric of reality vibrated with trillions of trillions of voices screaming in agony as they were incinerated.
The triangle's eye was wider than the twin rings' circumference. Dimension Zero pulled taut around him. Dimension Zero was triangular. And though it hadn't moved, it was clear that the gods were no longer looking down at Dimension Zero; they were staring up into it.
The twirling rings skidded to a stop as they realized that, in all their million-world-incinerating wrath, they were a matchstick next to this volcano. "Whoa—whoa! Stay back—"
"Whatsamatter, handcuffs? Can't handle the HEAT?!" The nauseating, kaleidoscopic miasma behind where the wall used to be lurched toward them. Every god flinched back as the formless color feigned grabbing at them. "Shoulda thought of that before you stepped into my kitchen! I'll boil you alive!" The triangle let out a terrible, hysterical, shrieking laugh that echoed between the stars. 
Columns of roiling colors, like amoeba-like feelers the size of a galaxy, bulged out of Dimension Zero, curled around the edges of the crumbling husks of the neighboring dimensions—2 Gamma, 2 Epsilon, 2 Zeta—and reached out, looking for somewhere else to get purchase. Whatever had filled Dimension Zero appeared to be trying to crawl upside-down out of its prison and into the third dimension. In all his existence, in his worst nightmares, the Axolotl had never seen anything like it before. Oozing reality dripped lava-lamplike from Dimension Zero, lurching closer to the shaking twin-ringed cop, preparing to crush them like two pieces of cereal in a formless palm—
And then existence itself let out a howl of pain.
Everyone froze.
The triangle shrank back to his usual size with the speed of a balloon popping. His wide eye darted around nervously. "What."
The multiverse was still. The triangle shook it off, pushed against the border of Dimension Zero, and tried again to squeeze his dream realm out of the bloated singularity into the multiverse—and reality screamed again, like the sound of solid metal being twisted and ripped in half. Its echoes continued long after the triangle froze again—followed up by an alarming series of creaks and punctuated by a CRACK that made everyone assembled flinch.
The Time Giant swore and muttered, "That sounded like something important."
The triangle jerked back again, and only then seemed to notice that he was still burning. He looked at his hands, coated in pale blue flames.
The Axolotl couldn't see the trapezoid the triangle had had his arm around a moment ago.
The apoc agents were already a flurry of activity. The storm cloud—so terrified that it had started hailing—shakily pulled a walkie-talkie from its tornado and demanded info on the status of the second dimensions, trying to figure out what had cracked and what they could possibly do to mitigate the devastation. Replies tumbled in, overlapping each other, frantically reporting fires in dimensions the Axolotl had never heard of before. He could already see how the line of blue fire on the cosmic horizon had grown so much brighter, stretching out into space. Please, don't let the fires have spread to the third dimensions.
The triangle was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. Trying to sound more confident than he looked, he squeaked, "I think I've made my point! I'll let you losers off with a warning this time!"
The cops had somehow managed to put the entire line of reporters in between them and Dimension Zero. The crab ducked his mushrooms down when the triangle addressed them. The rotating rings shrank a little smaller, but muttered, "Well—we're—we're watching you."
The triangle surveyed the ring's hundred eyes. "Yeah," he drawled, "you look like you're good at that."
Voice shaking, the Time Giant barked at the triangle, "Are you nuts?" She gestured furiously toward the growing line of fire on the horizon; spurts of blue flame were still erupting into the third dimension. "I told you that moving around would damage—!"
"Don't. Don't provoke him," the Axolotl said. "He still has hostages in there."
"Hey!" the triangle shouted, and the Axolotl flinched. The triangle strained against the thin membrane of Dimension Zero to lunge at the Axolotl. "Watch who you're calling��hostages! Hey, are any of you hostages?" He whipped around to stare at his people.
None answered. The ones who were lucid and living simply stared in silent terror.
"That's what I thought!" the triangle said. "Now, why aren't you dancing! Is this a party or not!" He whipped around again to face the Axolotl. "If you wanna go too, let's go. Just try to enter my kingdom, see what happens."
"No." The Axolotl could take it. The Axolotl was an axolotl; anything he lost, he could regrow. But the shapes that would be caught in the crossfire couldn't.
"Didn't think so," the triangle snarled. "If you want to kidnap my worshipers, you'll have to come in here and get them." His voice dropped to a deep, booming growl that echoed through the stars. "Because we're staying. Right. Here."
The Axolotl could hear VENDOR's motors whining in stress as THEY tensed up at that ultimatum, but THEY knew better than to argue. The triangle's eye twisted into a satisfied smirk.
The triangle couldn't leave his "dream realm," the Axolotl realized. That was why he threatened to fight anyone who crossed his borders: he couldn't attack them before then. He could crawl out of Dimension Zero, but not without dragging along the entire world he'd built inside of it. No wonder he hadn't even considered VENDOR's plan to move him somewhere else so Dimension 2 Delta's rubble could be recycled. He and his miasma were a package deal.
But—why couldn't he leave his dream realm?
"You know you can't stay in there," the Time Giant said, gently pushing aside the Axolotl when he tried to shush her. "It's too unstable—"
"I'll repair it."
"And I told you the entire multiverse will collapse if you keep making 'repairs'—"
"Your multiverse isn't my problem," the triangle said icily. "I can stabilize my dimension just fine. Maybe you need to get off my hypotenuse and worry about stabilizing your own dimensions." He was speaking past her now, talking instead toward the reporters—talking to the whole multiverse.
"It'll be your problem when the omnipocalypse crunches you, too! What'll you do when all those higher dimensions crash down on yours?!"
The triangle spread his arms and said, simply, "Welcome them to the party."
####
(Thanks for reading!! If the art lured you in and this is the first chapter you read, this is part 6 of a 7-or-8-or-9 part fic that keeps getting more parts, about the Axolotl in the immediate aftermath of the Euclidean Massacre. I'll be posting one chapter a week, Fridays 5pm CST, so stick around if you wanna watch the Axolotl deal with the fact that the sweet little triangle is, in fact, the bad guy. :,(
It's ALSO chapter 66 of an ongoing post-canon post-TBOB very-reluctantly-human Bill fic. So if you wanna read more of me writing Bill, check it out. If you're not sold on the idea of a human Bill fic, I've also got a one-shot about normal triangle Bill escaping the Theraprism if you wanna read that.
If this is NOT your first time here and you already knew all of the above: tbh this is probably all of you at this point, but I'm maintaining hope that contextless art of Bill & the Axolotl doing stuff will continue to lure in curious new readers until this arc is done lmfao.
At long last, the characters learn what the audience has known the whole time. This chapter had several big moments, looking forward to hearing y'all's thoughts!!)
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navybrat817 · 5 months ago
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Love Isn't Enough
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Pairing: Dark!Jax Teller x Female Reader
Summary: You love Jax, but not enough to stay.
Word Count: Almost 1.5k
Warnings: Angst, implied dubcon/noncon, attempted breakup, bittersweet ending, Jax Teller (he's a warning, okay?).
A/N: More Beach Fun Nonsense! Hope you lovelies enjoy. @writercole requested Jax Teller and a visit Under the Boardwalk (dark) with prompt #38 in bold. Not beta read and written on my phone, so any and all mistakes are my own. Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog for new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!
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You zipped up your bag after you put the last of your clothes inside. You expected a weight in your chest as you looked around the bedroom, but you weren’t upset at all. The place looked lived in, but it wasn’t a home. Charming was no longer your home. You could practically see the smirk on Jax’s face as he said “I told you so” since he suggested for you to leave and settle down somewhere else a long time ago. You didn’t listen then, but you were taking his advice now.
It was time to move on.
“I’m all about that fairy tale, baby.”
While you felt nothing when you packed your bag, your heart ached with each step you took. Jax Teller loved you and you didn’t want to leave him behind, especially when you still loved him, too. Just because the love was there didn’t mean you had support or respect. Not the way the club did. They would have a part of Jax that you would never quite reach and they couldn’t expect you to just fall in line or keep your mouth shut when your man did something dangerous or worse.
“You wanna be an old lady? Act like it. Do what you're told!”
There was something wet on your cheeks when you went to grab your keys. You sniffled as you wiped them with the back of your hand. When did you start crying? How many tears had you shed over the man who promised not to break your heart? It was tiring putting yourself back together and no amount of amazing sex or empty words could fully seal the cracks.
If your relationship taught you anything it was that love wasn’t always enough.
You didn’t regret it though. Life was too short for regrets. You got to experience love and many couldn’t say the same. You weren’t sure if you’d ever meet someone who sparked as much passion within you as Jax had, but you hoped he could defeat his demons without you tethered to him. Both of you could forge your paths and maybe they’d one day merge again.
“I love you, baby.”
“I’m sorry, Jax,” you whispered into the darkness of the living room.
“What are you sorry for?”
The keys fell from your hand as you spun toward the couch, your heart close to beating free from your chest. The flame from Jax’s lighter illuminated his face from where he sat and for a moment he looked like a demon, tortured and beautiful. He flipped on the lamp beside him and took a long drag from his cigarette, his stormy eyes drifting to the suitcase before they went back to you. His normally slicked back hair appeared disheveled as he blew out of a puff of smoke, like he couldn’t stop running his fingers through it.
He still took your breath away whenever you laid your eyes on him.
As much as you wanted to go to him and pull on those strands as you rode him, you wouldn’t. Sex wasn’t going to steer you from your decision. Besides, he used it as a weapon and you didn’t have the strength to clean up your wounds when you walked away.
“I didn’t hear you come home,” you answered.
He tilted his head and took another drag. “You’re sorry that you didn’t hear me come home?”
You swallowed as his gaze went back to your bag. “No, I’m sorry because I’m heading out,” you said, your stomach sinking as the words hung in the air.
Jax continued to smoke and you didn’t dare move as he took his time, the familiar scent of the smoke doing nothing to ease your nerves. You almost wished he yelled or destroyed something instead of stewing in silence. It put you on edge.
“And where the fuck do you think you’re going?” He finally asked, his voice so quiet you almost missed the question.
“I don’t know yet,” you said, tears springing to your eyes as he put the cigarette in the ashtray and got to his feet. “I just can't stay here.”
“So, you’re not just heading out. You’re going away. You’re leaving me,” he stated, clenching his fists as you moved back. He didn’t sound surprised. Just hurt and angry. Hurting him was the last thing you wanted to do.
“You told me to leave a long time ago. I should’ve left then, but I loved you and I thought that was enough for us,” you explained, a tear sliding down your cheek. You couldn’t back down though. “I still love you and I probably always will, but you’re married to the club. That’s your true love and I’m tired of fighting a losing battle.”
The stricken look he gave you almost made you apologize, but it was too late to turn back. “I’m the President and the club is family, but they aren’t you.”
“Jax-”
“Come here. Now,” he ordered, but there was a familiar gentleness in his gaze that he only showed with those he cared for. It was almost enough to make you cave. “Just sit and talk to me. We can figure this out.”
You slowly shook your head. “There isn't anything to figure out.”
“So, that’s it then? You're leaving?” He asked, raking a hand through his hair. “How many times do I have to prove to you that I love you? But no, it’s never good enough for you, is it? Love isn’t enough?” He scoffed when you shook your head again. “That’s bullshit. I need you and you need me, so don’t just-”
“That’s just it, Jax! I don’t need you!” You snapped. Both of your eyes went wide and you weren’t sure which one of you was more stunned by the statement. “When I did need you, you weren’t there. The club always has and always will come first. My eyes are finally open to that.”
“Baby…” he breathed out, his shoulders falling when you held up a hand.
“I love you. I do,” you promised. God, you loved him so much it fucking hurt. The pain had to end at some point. “But I don’t need you or this life. Not anymore. I’m done.”
You needed to say the words, so why did they feel hollow?
Jax snapped himself out of whatever shock he was in before he stomped toward you. With a gasp, you backed yourself against the wall. He never raised a hand toward you, but you had seen that fire in his eyes before. Anyone in his path ended up destroyed by that fury. Would he leave you on the ground in a pile of ash?
“You aren’t leaving me. We aren’t done,” He grabbed your chin, his grip tender when he could’ve crushed you. He pointed toward the bedroom, but kept his eyes on you so you knew how serious he was. “So unpack that bag and get it in our fucking bed.”
You searched his gaze, trying to find a trace of the man you loved instead of the stranger in front of you. “You can’t make me stay.”
He crushed his lips against yours, drawing a whimper from you. This wasn’t the kind of passion he typically showed you. This was a form of control. Like the club, he wanted you to bend to his will. Make you submit. Could you do that?
Was it safer or cowardly to give in?
It didn’t hurt so much when you opened your mouth to him and let him take over. The dull ache between your thighs would fade quicker than the cut to your heart. A betrayal of a moan escaped as his tongue dueled with yours. It didn’t take him long at all to win that battle. Jax would always win.
Was it worth fighting even if you lost? Yes. At least that way you could say even if you didn't win that you tried.
You couldn’t take a breath even when his mouth left yours. His lips left a blazing trail toward your ear, but it left you cold instead of warm. “Yes, I fucking can,” he snarled, your legs shaking as he pulled you away from the wall. “Tell me the club means more to me when I’m inside you. See if you can leave me when I’m fucking you into our mattress and showing you how much I love you.”
“Jax, please,” you begged, trying to pull free from his hold as he dragged you to the bedroom. He wouldn’t force you to sleep with him, would he?
“Beg all you want, baby. I won’t stop ‘til you know your place is here with me.”
Was this why Jax told you to leave a long time ago? To save you from the man he had become? It didn’t matter. It was too late to escape.
And maybe, in his own twisted way, he’d prove that love would be enough this time around.
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I hope I did this justice! Love and thanks for reading. ❤️
Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi
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bamfkeeper · 4 months ago
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Beautiful Devil
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RQ: 'Hi, I have a request: a fic about NightcrawlerxFem!Reader, Beauty and the beast AU, starting it like the fairytale (Reader decide to sacrifice herself for her father because the scared man THINK the mysteriuos blue creature ask him to bring one of his daughters in his place). Maybe in the finale you can add the mob attacking the castle like in the episode of the '90 serie, with Graydon Creed guiding the mob (you can't look at that man and don't think he's a variant of Gaston). Just don't turn Kurt into a human, I love our fuzzy Elf. Thanks!' - @historygirl93
Warnings: F!reader, some violence, minor character death. Unedited.
A/N: I think this is a cute idea, I love the story. I don't see how Kurt could ever be viewed as 'beastly' he's too sweet. The fairytale is a longer story and involving all the details would take me a long time to write, so I did what I could to get the idea of the story across. I did my best, it was slightly challenging, and I changed just a few details just because I thought it would be better for the story.
WC: 2.2k
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The village held such a prejudice against the blue demon who lived in the abandoned church. Rumors of yellow glowing eyes and a shadow with a devil's tail flicking in the dark, crawling on the walls like a hellish insect. A monster, the children of the village feared him just as much as the adults, whom had weapons ready to kill if he dared leave the cathedral.
Your father was highly religious. He wanted to banish the devil from the church once and for all, to purify the holy ground, but believed that only a sacrifice would satisfy the creature. You were horrified at first, being so helplessly given away as a sacrifice, you were the lamb that was about to be beheaded for no reason.
Upon being abandoned at the cathedral, surrounded by the harsh cold and snow, you thought you'd freeze to death. To your initial horror and surprise, the devil appeared. He flashed in front of you in black and purple smoke, like they rose from the ashes of Hell. You were far too tired and exhausted, so before you knew it, your body was wrapped and you were inside.
You felt the warmth of the fire inside the stone furnace, you sat up and watched the orange flames dance quietly while the blanket remained wrapped around your drenched form. The snow melted away and left you wet and still somewhat cold. But you were at least inside...
Once you regained enough bearings, you looked around for the devil, wondering where he was and what he was going to do to you. You felt fearful, your mind having heavy thoughts invading your mind of horrific treatment. While you searched the dark room, you saw his eyes peering to you from the darkest corner, tiny irises of gold staring through your soul.
"It's you..." your voice muttered out quietly, "You're the devil." Your hushed tone made him tilt his head slightly, he slowly walked around the wall, the far shadows hiding most of him.
"Nein...I am no Teufel..." he spoke back, his voice was even and not nearly as intimidating as you thought it would be. "I was born like this. But I am no demon." He stepped closer as he spoke to you, his appearance becoming more visible in the firelight. He had blue skin and sharp teeth like the villagers said, a long tail with a devil's spade, sharp nails and pointed ears...
"You look like one," you shakily retorted, still on edge of what his intentions were and you weren't about to fall victim without a fight. He only chuckled back, empty and somewhat...sad.
"I know."
He sat down near you, a few feet away, looking at you and slowly giving a smile, trying to be friendly. "I won't hurt you, I wouldn't ever." He paused, then continued, "Besides, a demon cannot step inside a church." He reasoned, holding out a three fingered hand to you. "Hab keine Angst."
You were cautious, but after seeing he wasn't nearly as horrifying as the town made him seem, you reached out and touched his hand. His skin was warm, he was fluffy. He felt like soft velvet, not like cold scaled skin you had been told was the skin of the devil.
Over the following weeks, you became closer to each other. You warmed up quickly after his efforts to try to appear not so scary, and once you spoke more often, he was actually very sweet and kind. You watched him feed birds and squirrels, holding the seeds in his palms and speaking to the birds as if they could understand him.
His favorites were the blue jays.
He showed you the cathedral, leading you through the massive church and showing you around. He showed you the library with lots of books along the walls, the studio where old paints and canvases were. He gave you plenty of things to do, and he provided you with good food, a large space to sleep, he treated you well. He was kind and sweet and...attractive.
You couldn't help but feel yourself get pulled towards him. Feel yourself get swept up by his chivalry and charm. He showed off in front of you, entertaining you with his skills as an acrobat and swordsman, he even let you try to swing one of his swords.
It was much heavier than you thought, making his skills all the more impressive.
You got word that your father had fallen very ill, and you wanted to see him. Kurt didn't want you to leave, scared you'd never return again. He held your hands and looked at you in the eye, his worry etched on his face. "You won't abandon me, will you?" he asks softly, "I don't wish for you to go..." he brings your hand up to his cheek, rubbing his face into your palm.
Your heart melts and you sigh, "I promise I'll come back. I just...want to make sure my father is okay..." you whisper back. You knew how he felt, being abandoned was one of his biggest fears. All he had been in his life was abandoned, by his mother, this town, sometimes he felt as though God himself has abandoned him.
With great reluctance, he let go and you rushed back into the village, desperate to see your sickly father. You were still angry he left you to die, but he was still your father. When you made it back, you came to his bedside and saw how terrible he looked. You had no idea what he had, but he looked on the verge of death.
Word got loose that you were in the town, somehow surviving the 'demon' who resided in the abandoned church. The town's greatest 'champion,' Graydon, nearly stormed up to your home and forced his way in. His voice loud and demanding, he as angry and furious with you.
The vile man had attempted to court you before. You always denied him. Why would you want to be with someone as crude and hateful as Graydon?
"How did you escape that wretched demon?" he demanded, yanking you from your father's bedside. He held your arm tight and stared at you with fury in his eyes. "That beastly creature will invade our town because of you! You were his sacrifice! Leaving signifies that the deal is broken! You've doomed all of us!"
Your eyes were wide as he basically screamed in your face, his cool was gone and he looked like he wanted to hurt you. You tugged against his strong hold, grunting as you tried to get free. "He's not a monster, or a demon! He's just a man!" You shouted back, "He's kind, gentle, he wouldn't hurt a soul!"
Graydon laughed at you, yanking you closer again. "You are lucky you are pretty, girl...you are such a naïve little thing. That devil is evil, and you have succumbed to his incubi ways. Don't worry, I'll make sure I fix that little head of yours up and rid you of the corruption he has brought upon you."
He threw you down, you hit your head and everything became a hazy mess. You heard his footsteps leave, his heavy boots hitting the old wooden floors with anger. You tried to lift yourself up, but you hit your head too hard. The world was spinning around you, but you didn't want any harm to come to Kurt. Graydon was as ruthless as he was egotistical, and he was dead set on murdering Kurt. He always had been, telling tall tales of cutting off his head and hanging it over the statue in town square.
You could hear his voice, rallying the town and heading up the treacherous path to the abandoned cathedral. You felt your heart ache, your body fading to unconsciousness from the injury.
When you regained consciousness, your body ached but the thought of Graydon already at the church gave you a newfound form of energy. You jerked up, your father had been too weak and sick to help, while you worried for him, the memory of him giving you up to die was there. You had to make a choice, and your heart had been decided.
You needed to get to the church.
You stumbled out to the stables, your body staggering as your brain felt fuzzy and heavy. You probably had a concussion, but right now that wasn't important. You didn't have a horse of your own, you prayed that the one you made it to wouldn't buck you off. The stallion let out a soft nicker, you rubbed its neck, your hand weakly holding onto the mane and you forced your body to mount.
The horse moved a few steps, adjusting to your weight. No saddle, it'll have to do.
You squeezed your legs and held on, the horse moved forward and with your encouragement it began a steady gallop through the trail that led up to the church. The horse was fast and bareback was hard for you to hold on, especially with a head injury. the horse sensed your wavering weight and tried to steady its run.
Over the hill was the church, and the stallion ran you right inside the broken down doors. You heard loud shouting, men fighting, and the sight that came to view was horrible.
Most of the men were down, unconscious, and Graydon was shooting arrows at Kurt, who had been disappearing in puffs of smoke, reappearing in other places. His yellow eyes blazed and he hissed at Graydon, landing kicks and punches to the larger man. You shouted at them to stop, but your voice fell on deaf ears.
The torches the other men had been carrying caught the tapestries and the flames eagerly began to eat the fabric and grow. The horse reared up, and you fell off its back as it ran out of the church. You sat up and cried out at Graydon, "Stop it! Don't hurt him! Can't you see what you're doing?!"
Kurt's teleporting soon became predictable, Graydon memorized the pattern and he shot an arrow into Kurt's leg right as he reappeared again. Kurt let out a strangled cry, stumbling from the beams and to the ground. By now the flames had consumed the entire room, smoke became thick and Graydon towered over Kurt's body. His eyes reflecting the fire, his face red and his hair a mess. He looked like the devil now, the fire only adding to his hellish desires to smite out Kurt's existence.
"Die, I cast you down to the pits of Hell where you belong!" Graydon tore a blade from his sheath, raising it above his head. But Kurt's eyes were focused on the burning wood above him, and he managed to teleport from that spot right as the wooden beams fell from the ceiling. Kurt reappeared by you, his fuzzy arms wrapped around yours as he teleported you outside. The last thing you saw in the church were the large beams falling onto Graydon's body, crushing him.
When you reappeared outside, you saw Kurt was hurt from the fight. He had two arrows in his body, one in his leg and one in his back, several lacerations from fighting the others and some parts of him had been burned. He let out a deep cough and he laid beside you, unresponsive.
"Kurt?? Kurt! Wake up!" You shook him, gently at first but it became more frantic when you noticed his lack of response. "Please get up!" You felt tears prick your eyes, your head swiveled around, looking for anyone to help. You weren't sure what to do, you felt hopeless. After you thought he was gone, his tail twitched at your side, gently curling up around your thigh weakly.
"Kurt??" You asked quickly, glancing down at him. You could see the exhaustion on his face, the weakness, but he nodded back. He gave you a weak smile, his yellow eyes soft and pure.
"Liebe..." he whispered back, his hand held yours and he pulled you closer. Your body naturally obeyed and you let your lips find his, both weakly pressing together as the two of you kissed for the first time. It felt so right, his hand cupped your face and his tail wrapped around you, being so weak but loving all at the same time.
You hadn't noticed the other townspeople had been watching from the trees, seeing how gentle and sweet you were to him. They could see that Kurt didn't resemble a creature of Hell like they thought, while he did seem odd looking, he didn't look to be horrific as they predicted. Their imaginations took over and the tall tales took over their logic.
When you broke the kiss, he smiled up at you. "You....came back..." he rasped, he was hurt still, but he was okay. He'd live. That's all you needed to know.
"Of course I came back...I told you I would..." you whispered sweetly, guilt gnawed at your core, "If I hadn't left then..."
Kurt cut you off, shushing you, "Nein, liebe...do not worry...the church can be rebuilt...I am going to be fine. What's another small scar? My fur will cover it anyway." He added, giving you a playful smile.
You couldn't help but roll your eyes, "Oh, Kurt...don't make me laugh right now..." You muttered, some of the onlookers came to aid you in bringing him to the town to get treatment from the doctor there. You knew he'd be okay. The awful stories were debunked and the town appeared to accept him.
You had your love, safe and sound, and the real demon of the town had been snuffed to ash.
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Thanks for reading.
*BAMF*
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Dividers by @/adornedwithlight
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duck-a-doodle · 5 months ago
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COD IMAGINES
TACTICAL BUDDLE BUG 4/4
Chapters 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
TF141!reader x 141
WARNING: Angst, Death, Comfort
A/N: I could not think of any other way for Ghost to accept your hug. I apologise for the trauma in advance. :'-)
Masterlist
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The most serious member of the 141 is secretly a very affectionate person.
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The mission was rough, one that pulled you under and dragged your bloodied knees through dirt and gravel.
It was a ground search and rescue operation which lasted for weeks on end, and one which tested the limits of the human body, bending your sanity to the brink of a clean snap.
The streets were coloured in violence, and the grounds were a tangle of rubble, vehicle parts and severed bodies.
Wherever you stepped, there would lay a limb or a head, of which you could no longer tell if they belonged to an enemy or hostage. It no longer mattered, not when your boots must travel the roads of a thousand stripped souls.
You saved several hostages from the scene, but there was one that you know would haunt you til the end of your days.
It was a little girl. Small, young, with her favourite doll that was caked with remnants of dirt and coagulated blood, the latter of which should never have made its mark upon such a pure soul.
You had to coax her to climb down from the roof, to bring her to safety, and you had failed to realise that you were not the only one to notice the child.
A bullet tore through her chest, and another through her side, bringing her down from the roof, soft and limp into your arms.
Not every hostage can be saved. Not every enemy will be found. Ghost, who buried the young girl you in the aftermath, had watched you ruin every unfriendly sight with a fury unmatched.
He witnessed the angry flames that swallowed up every dead man as you pulled them straight down to hell with you.
Your body had moved blindly when you heard the roaring sound of your captain's orders to return to the plane.
Gaz was adjacent to you, resting quietly while Johnny sat on your other side, watching you carefully; you refused to look at him, knowing that his eyes would look right through you.
The captain said nothing, and Ghost, who propped himself opposite to where you were, was unreadable.
There was no banter, no questions, and only a silent prayer remained.
You cannot remember whose hands have rested on your arms or shoulders in an attempt to calm you; all you recall was the chill and bile that rised from within you. You could not remember the debriefing that felt like seconds but passed like hours.
You could not remember how you got back. Not how you got into your fresh clothes, not how your wounds — once bloody and inflamed — were now patched, and not how you found yourself standing at Ghost's door, waiting.
Why were you there? What were you waiting for? And as soon as the question arose, the answer made itself clear; because of all people, he would know.
As if sensing a presence, the room opened with a click, and Ghost appeared in the doorway, taking a moment to register your presence. He moved to one side. Stepping in silently, the door closed shut behind you, enclosing you in a box of white noise.
He stood before you, saying nothing. He did not need to say anything. In fact, he need not even ask. He simply knew.
"You did what you could."
The reality of his words were a dagger to your beating chest. You lived. You lived, and you were grateful. But you lived at a cost, with the price of blood on your hands.
You took one step. Then another. And Ghost, who did not anticipate what you were about to do, stilled as you wrapped your arms around him, holding him tight.
Fingers tangled tight into the fabric of his shirt, and you press your face deep into his body, seeking — begging — for a reprieve. The darkness was a comfort. He was a comfort.
For once, you want to feel a life that you can hold in your hands, that will not disappear under your touch, that is living and breathing. To hear the heartbeat of a soul, to get rid of the memory of cold, colourless skin that rest unmoving against your arms.
"Breathe, cub."
You could not move. You did not want to move. You cannot bear to move. Not an inch, not away from him who you knew understood better than anybody. His hands were placed on your back. Warm. Alive.
There were no use for words as both of you held each other in silence, resting in the comfort of a feeling near-forgotten.
That was your last memory of that night before you knocked out cold, and in your sleep you dreamt of a hand that wiped the warm corners of your eyes, rough yet gentle.
Unbeknownst to you, a storm in Ghost had calmed when you chose him of all people to seek comfort in, and silently grateful he was for the team to have a most sensitive heart on board.
You were the most affectionate person of the 141, and you cared and loved unconditionally. Those qualities made you the most lethal one of them all, for despite any rankings or titles, you commandeered them all with a piece of your heart — and the day your heart dies is the day they raise hell in your name.
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FOOTNOTE(S):
Ghost likely has only hugged the captain once or twice and Johnny, several times but not of his own volition.
Your heart reminds him of his better days with his brother Tommy and it makes him want to punch you (cuteness aggression), but he will take that knowledge to his grave.
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reidology13 · 2 months ago
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we could make it better (breaking every habit)
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Spencer Reid x fem ex-famous!reader
Summary: After Spencer overcomes his addiction, he seeks out the company and forgiveness of an old flame. cw: talk of addiction, a little sad? mostly fluffy though a/n: technically a part 2 of my fic based off making the bed by olivia rodrigo, but it can definitely be read as a oneshot. maybe they are a bit unhealthy, but they're cute and that's all that matters. also this was so incredibly delayed cause my phone drowned so I'm posting this from my dad's computer
Part 1
They say time heals all wounds, and standing at the door of his past mistake, Spencer hoped it had healed hers the way it had his. It had taken him too long to find her, for his pride to break down enough to ask Garcia to search for her. A few years ago it would have been all too easy, a few years ago she was on the cover of every magazine. Now she was the public's favourite conspiracy theory, the biggest where did she go? post made on some website full of self important nobodies. 
Where did she go? A small house in a small town, a few hours from D.C, just close enough that Spencer had gotten in his car without a second thought the moment he had her address. Maybe it was a slight invasion of privacy, but Spencer had seen much more of her than the house she lived in.
As he lifted his fist to knock, doubt crept in for the first time since the beginning of his endeavour. Was he right to apologise, to show up at the doorstep of the person he hurt worse than anyone else in his life, and say sorry? Sorry. ‘Sorry’ was a puny word that could never hope to mean anything compared to what he had done, how he had used her. But it would have to do, because he had not come all that way to turn back at the flashing neon sign that said ‘CLOSURE’.
Knock, knock, knock. Was three knocks not enough? Knock. God four was too many and the last one had been so separate from the others it was clearly an afterthought that she would think was weird before she even knew it was him on the other side of-
“Spencer?” The door opened, just enough for her face to be visible through the small opening. She was so much more beautiful than he remembered, although he really didn’t remember much from back then. 
“I’m sorry.” Well that was one way to get to the point. He smacked himself internally, scolding himself for being so stupid and inconsiderate, not even saying hello or asking her how she was doing.
“Do you wanna come in? You look like you need to sit down.” She pulled the door open, stepping back to let him in, and Spencer froze. She was allowing him into her home, her space, he who had squeezed her dry, used her up and tossed her aside when he didn’t need her anymore.
Unsure what else to do, Spencer found himself sitting on her couch, the awkward tension between them palpable as he sat silently in regret of every decision he had made in the last week.
“So,” She prompted, gesturing vaguely in his direction, “How are you?”
“Good, yeah, better. You?” He looked around the room, trying to find something that would tell him anything about her life, about her. She was a stranger, really, a stranger that used to be someone he knew. He wanted to know who she was then, on that day, in her house sitting across from him.
“I’m good too. You look better.” He knew what she meant – he didn’t look high out of his mind. The far wall of the room was covered in framed pictures of her and what he assumed were her family and friends. Some were from her childhood, some were taken in front of the very house he was sitting in. 
What surprised Spencer were the photos, though few and far between, where he made an appearance. The Fourth of July party, a bright, sunny photo full of smiling faces. The poor quality of the picture did nothing to disguise the bags under his eyes, nor the dead look in hers. Her birthday, a photo of her blowing out the candles on her cake, blurred from his shaky grip on the camera.
“I don’t remember that one.” He pointed to a picture of the two of them, a dark photo that he nearly hadn’t recognised as himself. The ability to not remember had been his favourite thing back then, now the haze left him with a pit in his stomach.
“Makes sense, you were… you were bad. It was taken right near the end.” 
“I am sorry, really.” Neither of them spoke after that, the silence a warm blanket rather than a thick smog. The apology wrapped around them in a warm embrace, they did not choke on it.
She moved first, after what felt like the most peaceful eternity, slipping her hand around his, holding it in the space between them. He looked down at their joined hands, his gaze slowly drifting up until it landed on the soft smile spread across her face.
“I missed you.” She squeezed his hand gently, although it felt like she squeezed his heart instead, “I missed you from the moment I met you. It’s nice to get you back.”
“I missed you too.” He didn’t know how to explain the way it had taken him a month to get sober enough that reality hit and he realised what he’d lost. At least, he didn’t know how to explain it without having to actually say something about his addiction. He’d always been good at avoiding the topic, skirting around it with suggestions and subtle confirmations. The word ‘addiction’ made him feel weak, like he’d been defeated. He’d talked about his problem once, in a room full of people who had been through the same thing, and even then he hadn’t been able to say it. 
“You’re so strong, Spencer. You’ve come so far.” It was like she could read his mind, see every fear that haunted him and soothe it accordingly.
“So are you, I mean, you got out of everything.” His eyes dropped to his lap in shame of everything that he hadn’t noticed, all of the obvious signs of just how not okay she had been. All that she must have been going through, that he had been too far from reality to know existed, even when it was staring him in the face.
“You say that like you didn’t.” It was a simple sentiment, but maybe that was what hit him like a freight train. It wasn’t some mantra he’d heard hundreds of times, or a complicated conversation with his friends where they tried to talk to him without saying anything that actually mattered.
He got out of it.
“You’re perfect, you know that right?” The way he looked at her in that moment could only be described as reverential, she was the brightest star in a sky that he had never truly seen before.
“No I’m not.” The way she said it like a definite fact made Spencer’s heart start to crack, “Do you know why I have those pictures up?”
Spencer shook his head, “Tell me,” he said the words under his breath, as if they were surrounded by people in the empty room, “I’m not going to find you any less perfect.”
“Hope. I could never get the thought out of my head that you would come back.” She shook her head, gaze locked on the ground like she couldn’t bear to look at him as she spoke. “It was stupid, and then you actually did, and that’s stupid all over again.”
“You’re even more perfect than I thought.” Spencer laughed, tears pricking in the corners of his eyes, happy and sad and something he couldn’t put a name to. She was still holding his hand, he realised, and he used that information to interlace their fingers, placing their joined hands in his spare palm.
“I’m stupid and lucky, that’s what I am.” She snorted, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
“No, not stupid.” Spencer drew circles with his thumb on her palm as he spoke, “Lucky, maybe.” 
“We’re gonna have to talk about this, us, you know that.”
“Eventually, yes. Not right now.”
“Not right now.” She confirmed, nodding slowly. They were both there, and that would have to be enough, at least for the moment.
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clownzaf · 28 days ago
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I know that people love to headcanon Tim as a child of Athena, I personally like to headcanon him as child of Hades due to his similarities with Nico and the fact that dead seems to follow that kid like a motherfucker but never actually reach HIM.
But hear me out.
Tim as a child of Dionysus. And he gets claimed during the Bruce-quest.
When he was in Gotham monsters were a usual thing. You never knew that they were there for your godly blood, you just thought that they were things created by pollution or something like that. And when he became Robin fighting things that wanted to kill you while saying weird things was more usual than a hug (not that that was a hug standard for Tim).
But then everyone started dying. His parents, Kon, Bart, Steph, BRUCE. Everyone. Every. One.
And Tim…Tim couldn’t seem to reach madness. I mean YEAH he wasn’t doing great by any standard, but he knew madness, he grew up in madness, and he wasn’t going mad.
The cloning was just a treat.
And during the Bruce-quest, everyone thought he was crazy, he was casted away because everyone thought he was crazy CRAZY Tim can’t he crazy! He knows that! He knows that in his blood that going crazy isn’t a chance for him. He made everyone crazy when they were around him (hence Jason. He knew that Jason was mad at him from the start, but going near Tim lighted a flame inside him that Tim is sure isn’t completely Jason’s) but Tim couldn’t go crazy. He could ACT crazy. But never too serious.
And then, in the depths of Greece, he met his dad. His real dad.
He always knew that Jake wasn’t his dad. The blonde hair his mother forced him to dye since he was 5 and the purple eyes his father forced him to hide with contacts told him that. But Tim grew up looking up at Jack, even if Jack didn’t love him, he was the dad that decided to (figuratively) stay. And Tim loved him till death.
But when that man appeared, Tim knew, with only a moment of stares, that that man was his father. They talked a bit, too. The man knew about everything Tim was doing, and that creeped Tim out, but when the man made appear a glass of wine for Tim (and one side for himself) and Tim drank it, he knew what he was.
Something on the flavor, on the feeling. It was Tim. It was home. Something he hadn’t feel in a long time.
He spent the rest of the quest feeling sure that he would make it, because somewhere on the heavens his dad was looking out for him, he promised he was. And this time it wasn’t a figuratively sentimental bullshit. His dad was really helping on the heavens. And Tim was gonna make it.
He saw him again when the quest ended. He appeared in all of his godly glory while Tim was living in the nest. He opened a can of soda and sat on his couch like he wasn’t a man Tim has only met twice, but that was ok, because that was his dad, and he was choosing to visit him. (Also, he wasn’t going to say no to a literal GOD) .
He yapped for two hours about the kids at the camp his dad forced him to work at ( “HE IS SUCH AN A-HOLE SOMETIMES TIM YOU DONT UNDERSTAND-“) and the more he talked about that camp, the more invested Tim got. At the end of it the man, his dad, just looked at him in the eye and said “y’know if you were there we could do this more often. Yer a better listener than that centaur. Also, I think your brothers would like having you there”
He leaves immediately for camp after that. The family thinks Tim decided to leave them for not believing in him, so it’s a shock when he comes back after the summer being great with a sword and with a Tan his skin haven’t known before, not even after fighting crime during the hottest days on San Francisco, and he was happy, like actually happy. A kind of happy he never was with them.
Tim made friends there. He was friends with Annabeth, a girl from the Athena cabin, who honestly thought that Tim was one of them after they had a talk about strategies on the field and all that, and was about to fist fight Dionysus for claiming one of her brothers. She still called him brother, but now she understood that Tim was a Dionysus kid. And her boyfriend Percy. They talked all night about the weight of being a leader and having your people die without you being able to do anything. Percy talked about a boy named Ethan and two girls named Zoe and Bianca. Tim talked about Steph, Kon and Bart.
Tim told him about the Bruce-quest, and Percy told him about the time he was ready to fist fight a good to get his mother back from the underworld.
He also fully loved his brother. Pollux was great and made him feel welcomed to camp. They talked during lunch and Pollux showed him every single thing that made camp especial. He also teached him how to make fun of their dad without turning into a dolphin, so yeah. They got along like a house on fire.
He also made friends with a girl from the Aphrodite cabin. Her name is Drew. She was kind of an asshole and tried flirting with him, and THEY DID GET TOGETHER FOR A BIT, but after some time they decided they were better as friends. And friends they were. Best friend even.
He never told the Batfam any of this.
So after some months in Gotham there’s a cult going around calling themselves “Children of Dionysus” and doing atrocious things.
Duke walked in on Tim trashing the training room of the cave, and later on Jason walked in on Tim having his fourth bottle of wine.
Tim was FURIOUS. Not only that was disrespectful to his dad, but to his brother and himself too. He was going to pick every part of that little cult and trash it.
There he meets Bernard. Then they get on a relationship.
When a sathyr comes to take Bernard to camp Tim goes with him, excited to have his dad meeting his boyfriend.
Dionysus has never been more uncomfortable than when he had to claim his son’s boyfriend in front of him. It wasn’t that hard before! But now they had those things against incest on the human world and he knew this wouldn’t be pleasant to any of his sons.
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arabella0001 · 15 days ago
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Hiii do you write kakashi smut czI I have a req I have an idea .. I'll dm you
sure, i saw your request before, hope this is good! ( sorry if its too long)
"Marked by Fate" (Kakashi Hatake x Reader)
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Pairing: Kakashi Hatake x Reader
Anime: Naruto Synopsis: "His clan’s mark burns on my skin, a secret even he doesn’t know." Warnings: light teasing, fluff, fingering, rough/light sex
The flames consumed everything. Shadows danced across the walls of your crumbling village as screams cut through the night. You’d fought, you’d run, but there was no outrunning chaos. Your back hit the corner of a smoldering hut, your legs shaking as a rogue shinobi closed in.
You thought this was it. The end. But salvation came like a lightning strike. A kunai sliced through the air, and your would-be killer hit the ground
“You okay?” a boy’s voice asked, loud and bright like it wasn’t coming from a battlefield.
You stared up at him—wild blonde hair, a foxlike grin—and nodded numbly.
“Get her out of here,” Sasuke ordered, his voice calm and sharp. Sakura was already at your side, her hands glowing with chakra as she hauled you to your feet. “You’re safe now,” she said, and her words felt like a promise as your vision blurred and the world went black.
You woke up to unfamiliar walls and the quiet hum of life outside. Konoha.Your body ached, but you were alive. Sakura hovered over you, focused, her chakra seeping into your wounds. You muttered a quiet thank you, but she barely seemed to hear it.
Her hands froze mid-motion as her gaze fell to your shoulder blade.
“What is that?” she murmured, tracing a faint, intricate mark etched into your skin.
Tsunade appeared in the doorway, her presence commanding even in silence. She leaned closer, her brow furrowing as her fingers brushed over the mark.
“Impossible,” she said softly. “What?” you asked, sitting up, dread twisting in your chest.
Tsunade didn’t look at you when she spoke. “That’s a soulmate mark.”
“A… what?”
Sakura’s face was pale. “It’s Kakashi-sensei’s mark.”
The name hit you like a weight. You’d heard the stories—the cold, brilliant shinobi who lived half in shadow. A man who, by all accounts, didn’t believe in soulmates. And now… now you were tied to him by some weird twist of fate.
Naruto found out, of course, and his reaction was loud enough to shake the hospital walls. “You’re Kakashi-sensei’s soulmate?! He’s gonna lose it!”
“I’m not telling him,” you said quickly.
“Why not?” Sakura asked, trying to be gentle, though you could feel her curiosity bleeding through.
You shook your head, the weight of it all too much.
The kids didn’t listen.
They schemed, planned, and eventually set up a casual “coincidence.” A bar. Kakashi would show up, you’d just happento be there, and they’d introduce you.
You didn’t know what you were expecting, but it wasn’t this.
The moment you stepped inside, you saw him. Silver hair, relaxed posture, mask tugged slightly down as he leaned in toward a woman at the bar. She was laughing, her hand brushing his arm, and he didn’t move away.
Your stomach twisted, you d come here hoping—foolishly—that maybe, maybe, this would make sense. That you’d meet him, and it would feel like fate instead of a curse.Instead, you were watching the man fate had tied you to flirt with someone else, his smirk lazy, his body language too easy.
Sakura caught your arm before you bolted. “Wait—”
“No,” you said, voice trembling. “This was a mistake.”
You left before anyone else could stop you, but the crack in your chest stayed.
You buried yourself in Konoha life.
The Hokage gave you refuge, a place to live, a job at a small café. You found a rhythm, a way to quiet the ache that wouldn’t leave.
Naruto and Sakura visited often, always hovering like guilty little conspirators. They wanted to tell him, you could feel it in the way they watched you. But they didn’t.
You were grateful for that. And yet, every time Kakashi’s name came up—his voice, his quirks, the way they talked about him like he was more than just a legend—you felt that ache again.
Months later, fate struck again.
The bell over the café door chimed. You glanced up out of habit, your greeting catching in your throat as Team 7 walked in, Kakashi trailing behind them.
Time slowed. His presence filled the room without effort—silver hair, lazy posture, his eye scanning the café like he wasn’t paying attention. But then his gaze landed on you and he made a curious look. Your breath caught.
“Have we met?” he asked, voice smooth, curious. You shook your head, managing a tight smile. “No.”
He watched you for a moment too long, his sharp eye narrowing slightly like he didn’t believe you. But then Naruto dragged him to their table, and the moment passed. It didn’t take him long to notice something was off.
Kakashi was sharp, and Team 7 was terrible at hiding anything. He caught their sideways glances, the tension in the air whenever you walked by. Naruto couldn’t keep a secret if his life depended on it, and Sakura wasn’t much better when she started side-eying him during missions. Even Sasuke had been unusually quiet, which was more alarming than the loudest confession. It wasn’t just them, either—Tsunade’s cryptic looks, the way his students avoided certain topics, the odd tension that lingered in the air whenever you were around.
You.
There was something familiar about you, something he couldn’t place but couldn’t shake.
And Kakashi wasn’t one to ignore his gut. It came to a head late one night. He caught Sakura and Naruto whispering in a hallway outside the Hokage’s office, their voices dropping the moment they noticed him. Naruto froze, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Sakura groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose, like she knew what was coming.
“Care to share?” Kakashi asked, his voice deceptively casual.
“N-Nothing, sensei!” Naruto stammered, backing up a step.
“...Right.” Kakashi didn’t buy it for a second. “Sakura?”
Her shoulders slumped. “It’s not my place to say,” she mumbled, refusing to meet his eye.
Kakashi’s patience was thin, but it wasn’t until he went straight to Tsunade—knowing she wouldn’t bother with games—that he finally got his answer.
He wasn’t ready for it.
“She’s your soulmate,” Tsunade said bluntly, leaning back in her chair, her eyes steady on his.
Kakashi blinked once. Twice. It felt like the words hadn’t landed, like they’d slid past him into someone else’s world. “What?”
Tsunade sighed, like she was tired of explaining herself. “The mark on her back. It’s the Hatake soulmate seal. You’d know this if you’d bothered to read the records your father left behind.”
Kakashi stiffened at the mention of his father, but his mind was still spinning. Soulmate? Him? He almost laughed, the idea so ridiculous he couldn’t wrap his head around it.
“You’re joking,” he said finally, voice flat.
Tsunade’s gaze hardened. “Do I look like I’m joking?”
The weight of it sank in slowly, pressing against his chest. Soulmates weren’t supposed to exist. Or at least, not for him. That was for other people, for brighter lives. Not for someone who had lost too many people to ever believe fate could be kind.
But then he thought of you—of the way you avoided him, the way you flinched when his students talked too loudly about you. The way you wouldn’t look him in the eye, even though his presence seemed to pull something fragile from you.
“She didn’t tell me,” he murmured, more to himself than Tsunade.
“She didn’t want you to know,” Tsunade said, her tone sharp, cutting. “Can you blame her? She’s seen what you do when you think no one’s watching.”
The image hit him like a punch to the gut—his flirtations at the bar, his careless attempts to fill the hollow spaces of his life with fleeting touches and empty nights. You’d seen that. You’d seen him. And you hadn’t said a word.
He left without another question, his mind spinning. It wasn’t hard to find you. You were at the café, wiping down tables, your back to him as you hummed softly to yourself. He lingered in the doorway for a moment, watching, trying to process the weight of everything.
You noticed him eventually, stiffening when you turned and saw him. “Kakashi,” you said, voice quiet but steady.
He stepped closer, his hands stuffed in his pockets, his posture lazy but his gaze sharp. “You knew.” It wasn’t a question.
You froze, your knuckles tightening around the rag in your hand. “Who told you?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he asked, “Why didn’t you?” There was no anger in his voice—just a quiet curiosity, edged with something you couldn’t quite place.
You dropped the rag and sighed, crossing your arms over your chest. “Because it doesn’t matter.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Doesn’t it?”
You looked at him then, really looked at him, and he felt like you were stripping him bare. “I saw you. At the bar. With her.” Your voice didn’t waver, but there was something raw in it that cut straight through him. “What was I supposed to do? Walk up to you and say, ‘Hi, I’m your soulmate,’ while you were busy trying to take someone else home?”
The words hit their mark. He didn’t flinch, but his jaw tightened, “I didn’t know,” he said softly, his voice low and rough.
“And now you do,” you shot back, your eyes burning. “But it doesn’t change anything.”
He stepped closer, his presence filling the small space between you, and you felt your resolve falter. “It changes everything,” he murmured, his voice dropping lower, more insistent. “You’re not just anyone.”
You shook your head, backing up, but he didn’t let you retreat. “You don’t have to want this,” he said, his tone gentler now, almost pleading. “But I do“
Your breath caught, his words settling over you like a fragile thread.
“Don’t walk away,” he whispered. “Not yet.” And against every instinct you had, you stayed.
You shook your head, stepping back. “You don’t even know me,” you said, voice sharp, trying to steady the way your heart raced.
Kakashi leaned casually against the doorframe, but his gaze pinned you in place, sharper than you wanted to admit. “You’re right,” he said, voice calm, almost lazy. “I don’t. But I’d like to.”
You let out a bitter laugh, folding your arms. “Why? You’ve lived this long without me. What difference does it make now?”
He tilted his head, like he was genuinely considering the question. “Because now I know you exist.”
The words hit harder than you wanted them to. You opened your mouth to push him away again, but he stepped closer, not touching you, not crowding, but enough that you felt his presence like a weight.
“I’m not asking for everything,” he said, voice softer now, the edge gone. “I’m just asking for a chance.”
You swallowed, your walls cracking against his quiet persistence. “And if I say no?”
His eye softened, and for the first time, you saw something raw beneath the mask. “Then I’ll respect it,” he said simply. “But I don’t think I’d stop hoping you’d change your mind.”
Your chest tightened, a lump forming in your throat. You barely knew him. This wasn’t how things were supposed to happen. And yet, the way he was looking at you—steady, unflinching—made it impossible to walk away.
“One chance,” you whispered, barely able to meet his gaze.
The corner of his mouth twitched in what might’ve been a smile. “That’s all I need.”
And somehow, you believed him.
Kakashi wasn’t the type to beg. He wasn’t the type to chase, either. But with you, it wasn’t about pride or ego. It was about something he couldn’t quite name, something that wouldn’t let him walk away, no matter how often you pushed him back.
At first, he kept his distance, unsure how to approach. He wasn’t a man of grand gestures, and he didn’t see himself as someone who could offer you what you deserved. But he couldn’t ignore the weight of knowing you existed. He couldn’t ignore you.
So, he tried in his own way. Small things. A quiet “Good morning” when he passed you in the street. An extra cup of coffee dropped off at your workplace, with no explanation. A subtle nod of approval when you’d mutter a sarcastic jab at Naruto’s antics during team dinners
When he asked you to dinner the first time, you said no. Flatly. No hesitation. He’d only nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets, murmuring, “I understand,” and walked off.
But he didn’t stop.
He didn’t push, didn’t pry. He just... lingered. Always nearby, always watching—not in an overbearing way, but enough that you started to notice. Enough that when you caught him helping an elderly woman with her groceries or quietly fixing the fence around the local park, you found yourself lingering, too.
The second time he asked, it was quieter. No grand invitation, no fanfare. Just a casual, “I’ll be at the ramen stand around eight. If you feel like joining.”
And somehow, against your better judgment, you showed up.
The café was quiet, warm light flickering against the wooden beams above. Kakashi sat in the corner, his usual laid-back posture, but his eyes—his eyes were focused entirely on you. It wasn’t the casual glance you were used to; it was different tonight. There was a quiet intensity in the way he watched you walk toward him, the faintest trace of curiosity and something else you couldn’t quite place.
You hesitated just outside the table, your eyes meeting his, and for a moment, it felt like the whole world slowed down. “You’re not as punctual as I imagined,” Kakashi teased, his voice smooth, the usual playful edge there, but something softer underneath it.
You arched an eyebrow, tilting your head. “Maybe I just didn’t want to seem too eager.” The words were light, but the look you gave him was anything but.
He chuckled, pushing his headband up slightly as he leaned back in his chair, looking as relaxed as ever. “You could’ve fooled me.”
The way he said it sent a wave of warmth rushing through you. There was an undeniable chemistry between you two, something that had only grown stronger with every passing day. You had tried to deny it at first—tried to keep it at arm’s length. But there was no mistaking it now. The tension, the connection, the little sparks that flew every time he glanced at you—it was all too real to ignore.
You sat down across from him, trying to keep your composure. “So, what do we do now?”
Kakashi leaned forward just slightly, the playful gleam in his eye never leaving. “I could ask you the same thing.” He paused, letting the words hang in the air before his voice softened, just a little. “I’m not great with this whole... getting to know someone thing. But with you, it doesn’t feel as... difficult.”
You couldn’t help but smile at that. His honesty, raw and almost vulnerable beneath his usual teasing, caught you off guard
“You’re not the only one who feels that way,” you said, voice quieter now, eyes meeting his in a way that said more than words ever could.
The silence stretched between you two, not uncomfortable, but full of something—something you were both trying to figure out. The waiter came and went, but neither of you seemed to care. Your focus remained on each other, the distance between you shrinking with every passing second.
“So,” he said, his voice lower now, tinged with something more serious, “what’s been on your mind lately? What are you really thinking about?” He didn’t ask out of curiosity; it was more like a challenge, a dare for you to reveal whatever it was that had been building up inside.
You hesitated, his question lingering in the air between you. The way Kakashi asked wasn’t pushy—it wasn’t even entirely intentional. It was just him, quiet and steady, drawing you out without even trying. His gaze was unreadable, but there was no denying the way it made your pulse quicken.
“I’m thinking about why you’re really here,” you said finally, fingers tracing the edge of your glass.
Kakashi tilted his head, his lips curving into that faint, lazy smile that always seemed to disarm you. “Why I’m really here?” he repeated, his tone light but with a flicker of something deeper. “I’d like to think it’s obvious.”
You raised an eyebrow, the skepticism in your expression enough to earn a quiet chuckle from him. “It’s not,” you said, leaning back slightly. “You’re hard to figure out.”
He took a sip of his drink, his visible eye fixed on you, studying, softening.
“You’re not like anyone I’ve met before,” he said suddenly, his tone quieter, more thoughtful now. “And that’s... rare for me. You don’t make it easy, but I like that.”
Your cheeks warmed at his words, but you weren’t about to let him see how much they affected you. “So you’re saying I’m difficult?” you quipped, lips curving into a faint smirk.
“Very,” he replied smoothly, leaning forward slightly, his voice dipping into something almost playful. “But I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t worth it.”
That hit harder than you expected, and you swallowed, glancing down at your glass to avoid his gaze. “You don’t even know me,” you murmured, but your voice lacked the conviction it once had.
“I know enough,” he countered, and the softness in his voice made your breath hitch. “I know that you’re strong. Stubborn, too. I know you’ve been through hell and back, but you haven’t let it break you. And I know that when you look at me, you’re still trying to decide if I’m worth trusting.”
You froze, his words cutting through the carefully constructed walls you’d been trying so hard to keep up. “And what if I decide you’re not?” you challenged, though the waver in your voice betrayed you.
Kakashi leaned back slightly, his smile shifting into something more sincere, almost wistful. “Then I’ll have to keep proving that I am.”
The simplicity of his answer—how calm and certain he sounded—made something inside you crack. For a moment, neither of you spoke, the space between you charged with a tension that felt almost tangible.
“Kakashi…” you started, but the way he was looking at you—so steady, so unshakable—made your words falter.
“I’m not perfect,” he said softly, his tone carrying a weight that made you look at him again. “I’ve made mistakes. I’ll probably make more. But if there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s this.” His voice dropped, his gaze unwavering. “You’re worth the effort.”
Your breath caught, and the resolve you’d clung to so desperately finally crumbled. Before you could stop yourself, you leaned forward, closing the space between you.
Kakashi didn’t hesitate. His lips met yours softly at first, testing, but the warmth of his kiss quickly deepened as his hand found its way to your jaw, tilting your face gently toward him. His touch was deliberate yet careful, like he was holding something fragile.
When you finally pulled back, your forehead resting lightly against his, the air between you was heavy and electric. His thumb brushed your cheek, and the corner of his lips quirked into a smirk.
“Was that convincing enough?” he murmured, his voice laced with that familiar teasing edge, though his gaze held nothing but sincerity.
You couldn’t help but smile, your chest tight but lighter than it had felt in a long time. “Maybe,” you said softly, your voice teasing but your heart already betraying you.
Kakashi chuckled, the sound low and warm, and you realized with a jolt that, for the first time, you weren’t afraid of letting him in.
The café was quieter now, the hum of conversation from other tables fading as the night wore on. You leaned back in your chair, watching Kakashi as he lazily spun the last sip of tea in his cup. He wasn’t in a rush, not even close. In fact, it felt like he was trying to stretch time, holding onto every second of this evening.
“Do you always do that?” you asked suddenly, tilting your head at him.
“Do what?” His visible eye lifted toward you, curious.
“Act like nothing affects you. Like you’re always one step ahead.”
He smirked, leaning back in his chair and resting his elbow on the armrest. “Maybe I am one step ahead.”
You gave him a skeptical look, crossing your arms. “I don’t buy it.”
Kakashi hummed thoughtfully, his smirk softening into something almost thoughtful. “It’s not that nothing affects me. I just don’t show it unless I want to.”
There it was—that honesty he had a habit of slipping in when you least expected it. It wasn’t showy or dramatic, but it caught you off guard every time. You felt your defenses lowering without even realizing it.
“Why show it now?” you asked, your voice quieter now.
“Because you don’t buy it,” he said simply, his gaze meeting yours and holding it.
It was such a Kakashi answer—straightforward, disarming, and oddly intimate. You didn’t know how to respond to that, so you picked at the edge of your napkin, trying to find your footing again.
“What about you?” he asked, breaking the silence. “What do you show people?”
You blinked at the question, startled by how direct it was. “That’s not fair,” you said, your lips curving into a faint smile despite yourself. “I’m not the one with a mask on.”
Kakashi chuckled at that, low and warm. “Touché.” He leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the table. “But the mask doesn’t hide everything, you know.”
You couldn’t tell if it was the way he said it or the way he looked at you, but something about that moment made your breath hitch. His gaze felt heavier now, less playful, like he was studying you in a way no one else ever had.
“You’re not what I expected,” you admitted softly, breaking the tension before it could overwhelm you.
“Good or bad?” he asked, the corners of his mouth quirking up.
You shook your head, feeling your cheeks warm. “Different.”
He smiled at that, not a smirk this time, but a real smile, subtle but there. “I’ll take that as a win.”
The night wrapped itself around the two of you as the café began to close, but neither of you seemed eager to leave. When Kakashi finally stood and gestured toward the door, you found yourself following without hesitation.
The walk home was quieter, more reflective, but that same connection lingered, hanging between you both like an unspoken agreement. It wasn’t until you reached your door that the tension came to a head, your heart pounding as Kakashi lingered just a little too close.
“You’re dangerous,” you said softly, half to yourself.
“Am I?” he asked, stopping just slightly in front of you. You turned to look at him, and for the first time all night, his expression was unreadable, his single visible eye searching yours.
“Yes,” you admitted, your voice quieter now. “You make it really hard to keep my guard up.”
Kakashi tilted his head slightly, his gaze never wavering. “Maybe that’s the point.”
Your breath hitched as the space between you suddenly felt smaller, the air heavier. He didn’t move closer, didn’t touch you, but his presence was overwhelming—calm, steady, but intoxicating all the same.
“Do you always talk like this?” you asked, trying to sound teasing, though your voice betrayed you.
“Only when it matters,” he replied softly, his tone serious enough to make your heart stutter.
For a moment, you both stood there, the world around you fading into nothing. Then, almost as if pulled by an invisible force, you took a step closer. “You’re impossible,” you muttered, though your voice lacked any real bite.
Kakashi’s lips quirked into a faint smirk, and in one smooth motion, he leaned down, his hand ghosting lightly against your arm. “Tell me to stop,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, his breath warm against your skin.
But you didn’t. You couldn’t.
Instead, you closed the space between you, your hands brushing the fabric of his shirt as you tilted your face up to meet him. His lips found yours, slow and deliberate, the kiss starting gentle but quickly unraveling into something deeper, something more consuming.
His mask had slipped somewhere in the moment, and his uncovered lips moved against yours with a hunger that sent warmth pooling through you. His hands settled at your waist, firm but not forceful, pulling you closer as the kiss deepened, his soft groan vibrating against your mouth. It was electrifying, intoxicating, and it left you breathless when he finally pulled back, resting his forehead lightly against yours. His breathing was uneven, and the intensity in his gaze made your knees weak.
“You’re going to ruin me,” he said softly, almost like a confession.
You smiled, your hands still resting against his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart. “Guess we’ll ruin each other then.”
His laugh was low, warm, and entirely unguarded as he pressed another kiss to your forehead, his hand lingering at the small of your back as he finally murmured. He looks down at you, his eyes searching yours in the dim light.
"I've never felt this way before,"he admits, his voice low and sincere. Kakashi takes a deep breath, he reaches out, gently tilting your chin up with his thumb, his gaze intense as he leans in closer.
Your breath catches in your throat as Kakashi's thumb tilts your chin upwards, his piercing gaze holding yours captive. You swallows, your heart pounding in anticipation of what's to come.
"Me neither." When your mouths finally touch again, you let out a soft moan, melting into the kiss. Your arms wrap around Kakashi's neck, pulling him closer.
He groans low in his throat, desire surging through him like a raging inferno. His hands roam over your curves, mapping the contours of your body as if committing every inch to memory. When you two break apart for air, Kakashi's breathing is ragged, his eyes blazing with lust. He takes your hand, leading you swiftly back to your home, urgency propelling his steps. Once inside, he pins you against the door, kissing you fiercely.
"I need you,"he growls against your lips, his voice husky with want.
His hands shake slightly as he frees your breasts from your kimono, cupping the soft mounds and thumbs brushing over your nipples. A gasp escapes you, and he captures your mouth in a searing kiss, swallowing the sound.
"Please,"he breathes against your skin, nuzzling into the crook of your neck as his fingers find the delicate folds between your thighs."Let me make you mine..."His movements become more urgent while your body arches involuntarily as Kakashi's skilled fingers tease your most sensitive areas, sending jolts of pleasure coursing through your veins. You whimper into his demanding kiss and your hips buck reflexively, seeking more of his touch.
"Yes... please..."you manages to gasp out, your voice thick with need.
Kakashi's other hand slips beneath your robe, finding the warm, supple skin of your thigh. He drags his palm upward, his calloused fingertips grazing the delicate inner curves as he inches closer to your aching core.
"So responsive, so perfect,"he murmurs, his voice dripping with lust and admiration. Kakashi's fingers brush against the slick folds of your pussy, gathering the evidence of your arousal before delving inside. He crooks two digits, searching for that elusive spot that will send you soaring.
"Let go for me, Y/N,"he urges, his thumb circling your clit in time with the thrusts of his fingers. You cries out, your back arching off the bed, your inner walls clenching rhythmically around nothing as your orgasm rips through you.
"Kakashi" you moan his name, as the aftershocks subside, you collapses back onto the mattress, panting heavily. You look up at Kakashi with glazed, lust-drunk eyes, a dazed smile curving your lips.Kakashi's lips move possessively over you and your body.
Breaking the kiss, Kakashi trails his lips along your jawline, nipping gently at your earlobe before whispering, "You're incredible. So beautiful, so sexy..."
His hands roam your body, mapping every curve and hollow with reverent touches. Kakashi's thumbs brush over your nipples, teasing them into stiff peaks that ache for his attention. "Tell me that you want me too, Y/N," he murmurs, his voice low and husky with desire. "Let me please you..."
“I want you too, Kakashi...”you whisper and with that, Kakashi starts to undress you completly “Beautiful…” you blush under his glance while he murmurs, his lips trailing up the curve of your neck to nibble at your earlobe.His hands cup and knead the supple mounds, thumbs brushing over the hardened peaks of your nipples through the fabric.
Kakashi straightens, his own chest heaving with desire as he steps back to admire the sight of your half-naked and wanting. A wicked grin spreads across his face."Let's get rid of the rest of these clothes, shall we?"
With deft fingers, Kakashi unties the sash around your waist, letting your skirt pool at your feet. His eyes roam hungrily over your body, lingering on the swell of your hips and the gentle flare of your thighs.
Without waiting for a response, Kakashi drops to his knees and pushes the flimsy fabric aside, exposing your glistening folds to his ravenous gaze.
His tongue darts out, licking a slow, deliberate path along your slick slit, he groans low in his throat, the sound vibrating against your sensitive flesh as he delves deeper, swirling his tongue around your clit with increasing fervor.
Maintaining eye contact, Kakashi sucks gently on your nub, relishing the way she trembles and gasps above him. He slides a finger inside you, curling it to stroke that elusive spot within you that makes you moan uncontrollably.
"You taste even better than I imagined," he murmurs against you, your hips buck wildly into Kakashi's face as he devours you, pleasure coiling tighter and tighter in yourcore. You throws your head back, crying out
"Oh my.... "you gasp, fingers tangling in his hair to pull him closer."Don't stop, please" He continues to lap at you, coaxing out every last tremor until you goes limp beneath him, panting and spent. Only then does he release you, sitting back on his heels to admire the flushed, dazed beauty before him.
"So good... "Kakashi purrs, dragging his thumb through the remnants of your arousal and bringing it to his mouth for a taste and you watch in daze, blushing so hard.Kakashi swiftly undoes his pants, freeing his thick, hard cock and yoru breath hitch in your throat. He positions himself between your thighs, rubbing the swollen head against your slick entrance.
Slowly, he sinks deeper, savoring each inch of your tight heat enveloping him. Once fully sheathed, he pauses to relish the feeling, his hips pressing firmly against you.
"Fucking perfect," Kakashi groans, beginning to thrust in a steady rhythm, you gasp sharply as Kakashi enters you, you wrap your legs around his waist to urge him deeper.Soon he sets a relentless pace, pounding into you with deep, powerful strokes. The sound of skin slapping against skin fills the room, mingling with your heavy breathing and moans of pleasure.
"Kakashi....fuck...Like that... "your beg breathlessly, meeting each of his thrusts with your own eager movements.
Your body tenses, coiling tighter as the pressure builds toward a shattering climax. Kakashi groans low in his throat, each word from your lips sends a jolt straight to his core, fueling his lustful desire.
"You're mine now... all mine,"Kakashi declares possessively, pounding into you with renewed vigor, his breathing ragged. He leans down to capture your mouth in a searing kiss, tongue delving deep to claim you as his own.
With a final, powerful thrust, Kakashi buries himself to the hilt, his member throbbing as both of you reaches your peaks.
The room was bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight slipping through the cracks of the curtains. Everything was quiet now, save for the rhythmic sound of your breaths mingling in the stillness. Kakashi lay beside you, the mask and armor he carried with him every day stripped away in the intimacy of the moment.
He shifted slightly, propping himself up on one elbow to look at you. His hair was tousled, and his sharingan was covered, leaving only his dark, unreadable eye visible. But it wasn’t unreadable to you—not anymore. There was a softness there, something so raw and genuine it made your chest ache.
“You okay?” he asked, his voice low, almost hesitant, like he wasn’t sure if he had the right to ask.
You turned to him, still catching your breath, and nodded. “Yeah. Are you?”
A faint chuckle escaped his lips, and he reached out, brushing a strand of hair from your face. “Better than okay,” he murmured, his fingers lingering against your skin for a moment longer.
The silence settled again, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Kakashi leaned over and grabbed the blanket from the edge of the bed, pulling it over both of you with a kind of quiet care that made your heart swell. He shifted closer, his body warm against yours, and rested his chin on the top of your head.
“You don’t have to say anything,” he said softly, his hand trailing absentmindedly along your back. “I just... wanted you to know I’m here.”
It wasn’t grand or poetic, but it was Kakashi. No unnecessary promises, no overcompensating gestures—just the steady reassurance of his presence.
You tilted your head up slightly, your eyes meeting his, and for a moment, neither of you spoke. Then, with a small smile, you reached up and cupped his face, your thumb brushing against his cheek. “You don’t have to try so hard, you know.”
His eye crinkled in that familiar way, his smile lazy but tender. “I think you’re worth the effort.”
That was Kakashi—always knowing just the right thing to say, but never in a way that felt rehearsed. He leaned down, pressing a lingering kiss to your forehead, his lips warm and gentle.
As you nestled closer, the weight of the world outside the room faded. For now, it was just the two of you, tangled in warmth and quiet intimacy, finding comfort in the shared vulnerability of the night and the more days that will come now that you accepted your fate.
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blueberrypancakesworld · 22 days ago
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Door.3 ~ Cold Temple ~
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Caracalla x wife!reader
warning : comfort, kissing, cuddling
Summary : Rome, the city of the mighty Holy Roman Empire, has been plagued by the cold winter for several weeks. Nature covers the city in white and everything huddles around the warm fire, all but one, Caracalla, disappears into the temple of spring and his wife finds her confused lover praying for more than just spring and a warmer time.
info : The third day and of course Caracalla should also get a day, I love the gif so cute, have fun reading ;)
masterlist ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A winter that froze the harvests, froze the population and left the rest to stand by the warming fire that burned everywhere in Rome's public spaces.
So too in the temple of the imperial brothers and Caracalla's wife, who wrapped the bright mink cloak tighter around her, the fur warm but the howling of the wind outside worrying her.
,,If the gods continue to be so angry, we will slowly run out of food with the next full moon,” she heard Getas complain, pulling back from the window and letting the heavy fabric fall shut again in front of it.
Her brother-in-law had ordered rationing and even if riots threatened, the winter seemed to hold out against the resisting ones.
Turning away from the fire she already missed the warmth and took her goblet again, ,,Drink something, at least it warms your mind...do you know where my husband is?” she asked after pressing a goblet into his hand.
But the older man just shook his head, since winter had set in Caracalla had become suspiciously quiet, too quiet for her own good and one thing that bothered her was that he was losing his amusement.
The warning words of Geta, who didn't want her to go out alone, ,,Send for me at dawn but I have to save my Rome” threw her back before she left the palace with another cloak and saddled her horse. Geta and her were had hands full it was only a few hours but they seemed to have been enough for Caracalla to sneak out into a blizzard that could have meant death.
On her horse she was safer from the masses of snow on the ground but the wind raged around her ears, the hood of her cloak barely held and she had been riding through the town for an hour without a trace. Until her shouts almost blew away in the wind and she glanced at the Temple of Spring as she spurred her horse in that direction.
From a distance she saw that a single light was still burning inside and she rode up to the stairs, clutching her husband's cloak tightly she ran up the stairs into the temple and found him.
Huddled in front of the flame were a few small stunted flowers and the blond seemed to have been praying here for hours, ,,Thank the gods you're alive!” she shouted and immediately wrapped him in the cloak, hugging and kissing him, trying to give him her warmth.
His smile, even now still radiant, when his love, his goddess appeared. But his hand on her belly, the knowledge of what he meant to us moved her. It was still small, the spark of life within her, it seemed to heal his madness and that was all that mattered.
Even through the make-up she could see the bluish lips and the trembling, ,,I-I wanted spring back...for us,” he admitted, holding on to her as she helped him up to get back to the temple, even though his courage moved her, her concern for him was more.
Feeling his hand grasp hers faintly tighter, she placed more kisses on his head, feeling as this might calm him, as she helped him onto the horse, ,,The gods will let you live, then they will bring spring back for us too,” she assured him before sitting down behind him.
Wrapping her arms around him, he snuggled up to her, ,,I love you,” he said before wrapping himself completely in the cloak, murmuring words of love and gratitude as they rode back through the snowstorm, making it to the temple and being met by a concerned Geta.
Perhaps it was love, the two lovers sitting snuggled together in front of the fire, or the will of the gods as a few hours later the snow stopped falling and the sun broke through the sky.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@potatoesenpaii , @cottoncandiescupcakes , @k-yurieee , @sigiismunda , @somepallings
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radiance1 · 1 year ago
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The members of the Justice League sat in silence, joined by a few members of Justice League Dark.
They were almost ready to start their meeting.
Almost.
"Where is John Constantine?" Batman stared at those gathered around the table, one spot currently vacant. Zatanna spoke up. "He's coming."
Batman narrowed his eyes.
"I don't know how," Zatanna nodded. "But he's coming."
The table was silent for a few moments, before Superman hesitantly spoke up. "Maybe he's running late?" At Batman's look Superman felt the need to add. "You know, he could've gotten stuck up with another magic user, or something."
Superman brought a hand up to rub at his neck as he laughed awkwardly, before promptly shutting up at the look Batman sent with an even more awkward smile. The silence was notably loud, such that it made it quite easy to determine who and where the sound of crunching came from.
Flash swallowed. "What?" He dug his hand in the bag of chips, only to pout at it being empty. He quickly ran from and to his seat in, well, a flash. Laying down his armful of chips, he picked up one and opened it, back to stuffing his face. "It's not like we're starting yet or anything."
Batman's eyes narrowed.
Flash blinked, looking down at the chips in his hand, the one on the table, and then back at Batman. He picked one up and held it out in his direction. "Want one?"
Batman glared.
Flash hesitantly brought his hand back down, before sticking his hand in his chip bag and eating some more, this time quietly.
Minutes passed by with the various League members gathered around sitting ramrod straight. A few more minutes passed, and they started to relax (except batman), a couple more and some of them started up conversation with each other, with some others joining in.
Batman took the time to work through a few files, giving the occasional grunt and hm whenever Superman and Wonder Woman tried to drag him into their conversation.
It was then that a noticeable heat spread inside the room, rising in temperature with each passing second until it was no longer ignorable. Just then, when the heat reached its highest point, with the members of the League already standing from their seats, a wave of black flame appeared in a circular pattern and the League tensed, magic gathering at the fingertips of some and battle stances being fallen into by others.
The circular flame shot up, high enough to reach the ceiling and not a second later, in its place was a giant mass of flaming feathers curled into a ball.
A groan came from the middle of it, and a few seconds later-with what sounded like a huff- did the mass uncurl just enough to see the owner of said groan.
"Ello." John Constantine raised a hand and gave a two fingered salute. Everyone in the room blinked at the man currently leaning against the- creature? Being?- in just pants. "I would say this isn't what it looks like, but its exactly what it looks like."
Zatanna's eyes narrowed, before she inhaled sharply. "Constantine." She hissed out quietly, as if trying not to draw the being's attention. "What is-" She gestured at the creature. "-He of all beings doing here?!"
"Being used as a living heater."
Zatanna blinked again in surprise as she stumbled over her words. "I- what-?"
"You heard me. It's colder than Santa's tits in our house, and I'm not paying even more money for a heater when I have a living one right here." Constantine deadpanned, very shamelessly sinking back into the mass of feathers behind him and giving a most certainly exaggerated sigh to prove his point.
"But- But he's," Zatanna gestures at the phoenix again, this time with both hands. "Him. How are you okay with this!?" That time she spoke to the phoenix, rather than Constantine.
The being in question peeked open an eye, before huffing in annoyance and closing back its eye.
"So uh," Flash spoke up, rubbing his hands together. "Not to interrupt, but uh, do you mind explaining for the rest of us not in the know?"
Zatanna blinked, staring at the other League members in surprise as if she forgot they were there. She awkwardly coughed into her fist. "Right, yes." She cleared her throat, before gesturing towards the giant mass of feathers. "That being is one of the more infamous of those heralding from the Infinite Realms, because that's its goddamn Duke." Zatanna rubbed her head, as if she were getting a migraine just thinking about it. "Constantine, how did you even-"
"We met on a rainy night, and he lit up my cig and proposed his love for me." Constantine said simply.
The League stared in bafflement. Zatanna had a skeptical look all over her face. "I'm not believing that. It's too much of a stretch, even for you."
Constantine shrugged. "Okay so would you believe me if I said I sold like half my soul and conned this other guy by swearing my soul to this big guy for his protection?" Constantine deadpanned.
"Yes, actually." Zatanna matched Constantine's deadpan with a look of her own.
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caberzatto · 9 months ago
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distraction (pt. 1)
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fem!reader x Minho
summary: After the arrival of a new female glader, Minho begins acting strangely. He’s losing focus and getting easily distracted, which leads to an incident one day when he's out in the maze. Luckily the newest greenie is there to help.
word count : 4.6k
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Being a teenage boy is hard enough as it, but being a teenage boy and having spent the last three years in a confined space surrounded by around fifty other teenage boys? Yeah, not the most ideal living situation in the world, I mean you can just imagine the amount of pent up sexual frustration.
I mean it's not like thoughts of sex or women were constantly on Minho's mind, but at the end of the day he's still a teenage boy with needs.
That day you had come up in the box was by far the most genuine feeling of excitement that the boys had felt throughout their time in the glade. I mean for most of them it was the first time that they could remember actually seeing a girl, and a really, really, pretty girl no less.
You can only imagine all the crass thoughts and mental images that made their way through the minds of majority of the boys once they opened up the box, only to find a girl sitting at the bottom.
The crowd of men above you simply stood and glared down at you in silence before one of the boys made a comment something along the lines of "Well how do we decide who gets first go, boys?," resulting in scattered snorts and chuckles from the rest of the group.
Alby was quick to step in, though. Keeping a close eye on you during your first few days in the glade; setting rules and boundaries around you to make sure no one would try anything. He showed you around and how things worked, informing you of all the different roles that everyone plays to ensure smooth sailing, introducing you to people like Newt and Fry and Gally.
And Minho.
You and Minho had never really spoken to each other despite you having been in the glade for almost 2 months now.
The most you'd interacted was one evening after the runners had gotten back from the maze. It was a night of festivities; everyone was gathered around what appeared to be a very large bonfire.
You were sat next to Newt on the trunk of a fallen tree, and as you blankly stared into the orange flames of the fire, you felt someone gently nudge your shoulder from behind, pulling you out of your trance like state. Alby. In his left had he held the necks of two bottles of Gally's secret drink and in his right hand he held a bowl of food, along with two more balancing on his inner forearm.
"Thanks, Alby," Newt said as he grabbed a bottle and a bowl from Alby's grasp, digging right into the plate of food, which honestly looked like a pile of vomit - no offense to Frypan, he does the best with what he’s got.
"Here you go Greenie," Alby offered a bowl of food to you as he climbed over the branch to take a seat beside you. "So, how's life in the glade treating you so far?" Alby questioned in between bites of food.
"Not bad I guess. Considering everything, you know," You placed your half-eaten bowl of food down, grabbing one of the bottles of Gally's drink from between Newt's legs to take a swig, cringing at the taste of the beverage.
As you pressed the bottle to your lips your eyes began to scan over the rest of the gladers sat in their own separated groups. Since Newt and Alby had already shown you around a few days prior to the bonfire, you were somewhat familiar with a majority of the boys and the jobs everyone did.
The 'runners' was one of the jobs that intrigued you the most when you’d first learned of them from Alby, (even though you yourself were a medj-jack), and they were just the group your eyes had landed on whilst you scanned the bunch of boys sat around the fire.
Your eyes settled on Minho, the dark haired Asian boy who was sat in the centre of the rest of the runners. He was the 'keeper of the runners' which is apparently a highly important role. Well, that's just the way everyone else described it.
It was not your intention to stare, and you hadn't actually realised that you were until Newt made a comment that snapped you out of it.
"Hey, Alby. I think our Greenie here might have a little crush," causing a chortle to leave Alby's mouth as he glanced between you and the Asian boy sat on the other side of the fire.
"Slim it you shanks," you were quick to roll your eyes at the two boys sitting on either side of you. Although they weren't totally wrong.
It's not like you hadn't taken notice of Minho when you were, eventually, let out of the box. The first thing you observed about him was his stoic demeanor. Unlike the rest of the gladers, Minho definitely did not appear to be as talkative or interactive as everyone else. He was honestly kinda reserved, only speaking to a few other boys such as Newt, Alby, and Fry.
But there was something about him that intrigued you. I mean, you obviously couldn't deny the fact that he was a very, very attractive dude, but it wasn't just that. There was something more to your interest in him.
Just as you were about to go back to your-unintentional-staring after brushing off Alby and Newt, once your eyes landed back on the spot Minho had been sitting, he was gone. Your eyes wandered around the area, trying to locate him, when you spotted him heading in your direction to which you quickly dropped your head to look down at the grass in hopes that he hadn't seen you staring.
Once he'd reached where you and the two boys were seated, he turned his attention towards Alby. "Hey, Alby, I needa talk to you," his eyes flickered to yours before he continued "It's about the map."
"Yeah sure, let me just finish off here and I'll walk with you to the map room, alright."
Minho nodded in response before finally paying attention to you and Newt, well, more so Newt than you but still. "W'sup Newt,"
"Yo, Minho," pulling his sleeve over his hand before wiping over his mouth to clean himself up, "How are things looking in the old maze?"
Minho placed his hands on either side of his runners' harness, grabbing onto it, causing it to pull down ever so slightly. Why was that so shucking attractive. "Not too bad actually, think we might be making a lot more progress."
Just as Alby had polished off the last of his food and was beginning to get up, Minho turned his attention towards you, giving a quick upnod, "What's up Greenie?" Without saying anything you merely returned the nod before he and Alby were on their way.
And that was the only 'interaction' you and Minho have had since then, if you can even call it an interaction at that.
Since then the two of you haven't exchanged any other words with each other, yet even aside that fact, you couldn't get him off your mind for a reason you couldn't come to terms with, or rather one that you were too embarrassed to admit.
It was safe to say that you had developed kind of a crush on the apathetic runner, although you don't even know how it happened seeing as you've barely said two words to one another in the past 2 months since becoming a new resident of the glade. But even so you would catch yourself stealing glances at the unbelievably pretty dark haired boy, from time to time.
Though you were blissfully unaware, Minho too would sneak looks (and the occasional stare) at you when you weren't paying attention. Even though he acted like it (and very well too) you were definitely not invisible to him. In fact you were truthfully the immense opposite of invisible to Minho.
From the day you had arrived in the box, to you and Minho's very first interaction that night during the bonfire, the boy could not, and I mean could not, get you out of his head.
Now, despite the fact that it was the first time he'd seen a girl in well over 3 years, it didn't change his mind that you were the most gorgeous girl he'd ever laid his eyes on. Ever.
Everyone in the glade knows very well that Minho is not an easily distracted, or crush - having type of guy, so when Ben and the rest of the runners were discussing their plans for their next venture into the maze and Minho was not quick to chime in to either correct something or simply just to add his input, they knew something strange was definitely going on.
"Minho," Ben called out the boys name on the account that he'd been staring at section 6 of the maze for the past 10 minutes without saying a word, or even blinking for that matter, "Minho!"
Minho's head quickly snapped up to look at Ben, before clearing his throat and trying, but very miserably failing, to pretend as if nothing happened at all.
"Yo, Minho, where's your shuckin'' head at today?" Ben questioned as the rest of the group grunted in agreement.
The answer to Ben's question was you.
Minho knew himself very well, and for him to be distracted whilst on the job? is not like himself whatsoever. Being the leader of the runners is one of the most important jobs in the glade, and Minho himself knows that better than anyone, which is why he takes his job very seriously, never allowing his mind to be absorbed with anything else less eminent. He puts it above almost everything else.
But now, suddenly he's constantly finding himself daydreaming about you, about the gorgeous girl who came up in the box almost 2 months ago. And he just can't seem to shake you from his head.
He's tried almost everything he could think of to keep his mind off you : burying himself in his work - sometimes even spending hours in the map room - taking cold showers in attempts to slow his heart rate. But nothing was doing the trick.
It even got so bad to the point where he'd run out of possible solutions to solve his problem, so he did something completely outside of his character - he confided in someone about it.
This specific someone being Newt, who when Minho came to him all tense and awkward and completely unlike his normal self, immediately knew what was causing his newfound dilemma. The newest (female) Greenbean of the glade.
Once Minho had finished informing Newt of his current problem, and embarrassing himself by rambling on and on in the process, a smug, shit - eating grin was plastered onto Newt's face
"For shuck's sake, Newt, you're supposed to be helping me with my problems here, not finding them amusing." A frustrated Minho expressed.
"Okay, okay, you're right, my deepest apologies," Newt placed a hand over his heart, feigning sympathy for the wreck of the usually put together boy standing in front of him. "But alright, you want my advice?"
The keeper of the runners nodded his head desperately, "That's the entire bugging' reason I came to you in the first place, Newt."
"Well," Newt replied, dragging the end of the word almost as if he was unsure of what he was about to say, "You're going to have to talk to her, Minho." He explained as he shrugged his shoulders, almost as if to say it wasn't even that big of a deal.
"No. Absolutely shucking not," Minho babbled on, "I mean, I wouldn't even know the first thing to say to he- what the shuck would I say to her?" Desperately looking to Newt for the answers to his problems.
The blond boy merely crossed his arms over his chest, "That my dear friend, is for you to figure out on your own."
Minho is not a talker, he's simply just not good at it. So unsurprisingly he took absolutely none of Newt's advice. Instead, sticking with what he knows he's best at - running. When he's running between the walls of the maze his mind is clear, well, for the most part. He still has to be alert and aware of grievers on top of having to lead the rest of the runners, but for Minho, that's as clear as it gets.
So that's what he's been doing and it had been working great for maybe a week or so before everything went awry.
The scorching sun was beginning to disappear behind the vine-covered walls of the maze, signalling that the doors were about to close, although today was different from any other day because usually by his time, the runners would have been back already. And they weren't.
Ben and Minho were the only two to go into the maze today, which made the fact that they weren't back yet even weirder. Typically, the fewer runners went into the maze , the earlier they'd get back, meaning that the two boys should have long emerged from the griever-infested walls.
People had started to gather at the solid doors of the maze, worry beginning to consume the thoughts of one glader at a time. You and Newt were stood at the forefront of the rest of the boys, anticipating the safe return of Ben and his leader.
5 minutes had passed and still no sign of Ben or Minho. "They're not coming back bro," were the words being exchanged amongst the group of dispirited boys. At least 2 more minutes go by and still absolutely nothing; no movement from inside the unwelcoming walls of the maze.
A once sizeable group of gladers waiting under the anticipation of the two runners' return, had now decreased until the only people left were you, Newt, Chuck, Alby, Jeff, and Clint. 
"They're not gonna make it." Newt proclaimed to everyone else. 
Even though you hadn’t know him long, you couldn't even fathom the possibility of Minho not coming back from the maze. The possibility that you might never see him again. Never see his face again. "They'll make it."
And just as the words left your lips, two figures rounded the final corner of the maze, coming into view for everyone to see. 
Chuck's head shot up whilst his arm flung in Ben and Minho's direction "There!" 
But the closer the two boys got to the doorway, the more apparent it became that something was very wrong. Minho's arm was slung over Ben's shoulder, whilst his other one clutched his midsection. His head hung down as Ben used all the strength he had left to drag the both of them to the safety of the glade.
A loud rumble erupted in the air, shaking the ground beneath the feet of you and everyone else surrounding you, indicating the closing of the maze walls. By now, it really did look like the two adolescent teens weren't going to make it in time before the doors shut, meaning they would have to spend an entire night in the maze. And no one ever survived a night in the maze.
Without thinking, you lunged forward, heading towards Ben and the injured boy lugging by his side. Your fellow gladers tried to grab hold of you but were unsuccessful in their attempts as you had already set foot in the maze.
Ben shifted his gaze to you, giving you a look as if to say, "You've really done it now, Greenie," yet you couldn't care less. The only thing on your mind was getting them to safety before you were all trapped in there for the night.
Yanking Minho's free arm from his stomach, you pulled it over your shoulder to provide more support for the injured boy who now stood between you and Ben. Shouts of desperation and distress flooded your ears, coming from the now-increased crowd of boys standing on the grass in front of you.
You grunted as you and Ben pushed closer towards the exit, dragging Minho as best as possible along with you. Your safe haven was a mere few feet ahead, looking like the three you might make it, but the doors of the maze were faster, closing in in an attempt to squash you between them.
"Come on!" yelled Chuck and his fellow friends as you approached closer and closer towards them.
An exhausted Ben looked at you with an encouraging expression, as he could see you were beginning to tire out, and with all the strength you both had left, the two of you hastened your pace, Minho's legs dragging along the floor of the maze.
Your bodies were now sideways due to the limited space between the doors, brushing against the cold surface of the walls. With Ben behind Minho, and you in front of him, still clutching onto his limp arms, you squeezed your way through the doors that threatened to crush you.
And just as the doors made their final thrust, you were through.
You hit the ground hard and with a thud after being pushed by Ben, who barely got his arm out in time before the doors of the maze finally slammed shut, resulting in a loud 'BOOM' erupting throughout the glade.
The soft grass brushed against your cheek, your chest rising and falling with heavy breaths of exhaustion. 'I'm safe. I made it." Was the first thought to enter your head.
Using all your effort, you planted your hands on the ground, hoisting yourself up onto your feet, and before you were able to register what was happening, at least 30 boys were clamoring around you and the two other boys that lay on the ground beside you.
Minho.
God, Minho. You looked down and watched as your friends helped Minho and Ben to their feet as best as they could. Without any regard for yourself and your current state, you promptly began giving orders to your fellow med jacks, Clint and Jeff. "Get them to the med hut, now!"
Newt and Alby sat Minho down on one of the beds in the hut, whilst Jeff and Clint attended to Ben to check if too had any injuries. Once Minho was settled, Alby gave orders to the large huddle of boys situated outside the entrance of the hut to pack it in for the night and head to bed. "You guys alright in here?" His words, directed to you, Jeff and Clint.
Your eyes never once strayed away from the Asian boy who was now laying on the bed in front of you, "Yeah, we've got it from here. Thanks, Alby."
"Let us know if there's anything you need," Newt added. And with that, the two of them left the hut to settle down for the night.
Jeff and Clint had completed their inspection of Ben, concluding that he was relatively fine; just a few cuts and scrapes were all, and once they had finished cleaning those up with some rubbing alcohol and plasters, they assisted Ben to his hammock, checking on you before they left, "Yo, Greenbean. You good?" Clint questioned.
Still not taking your eyes off Minho, "Yeah, I got it, thanks guys. Goodnight."
And then there were two.
Minho had both his arms draped across his stomach, clutching his midsection. His eyes were shut tight, his brows furrowed as he groaned in pain. But let it be Minho to still pass a comment whilst being severely injured, "You could've gotten us killed in there, Greenie."
You scoffed in amusement as you carefully began moving his arms away from his stomach to take a closer look at his injuries, "True, but I ended up saving your life didn't I."
No response.
You placed your fingers on the hem of Minho's shirt, accidentally brushing them against his skin, causing him to shiver under your touch. For a second you wondered if it was because of the pain from his cut, or the fact that you had touched him, although you quickly brushed your thoughts away as to not let yourself get distracted.
As you tried to lift his shirt to assess the severity of his cut, it soon became apparent that you need more access to be able to do a proper job of cleaning it up. Meaning he has to take his shirt off. Meaning you're gonna see him shirtless for the first time ever.
Great. This won't be awkward at all.
"Minho," pausing to collect yourself, "I, uh, need you to take your shirt off, y'know, so I can get a better look at the cut on your stomach."
He tenses under your touch. Again.
In your head, you excuse the reaction for him just being in pain. But in reality, Minho is having a full-blown freakout in his mind right now. He has to take his shirt off. In front of you. The girl he's secretly been crushing on since you arrived in the glade.
Great. This won't be awkward at all.
He clears his throat before lifting his head off the table to look a you, "Uh, yeah, sure no-no problem." He's stuttering. Minho never stutters, like ever.
You remove your hand from its current position on Minho's stomach and place it on his lower back to help him sit up straight, but as he's getting up, his hand slips off the side of the narrow twin bed, and in a quick attempt to balance himself he grabs onto the forearm of your other free arm, causing your body to jolt forward.
Your faces are now mere inches away from one another, both of you in shock with wide eyes as you look at each other, registering what just happened. This sudden closeness doesn't last long, though you wish it had, as Minho pulls his arm away.
Once again, he clears his throat, meanwhile, you blink rapidly in an attempt to gain back focus, "Um, okay where were we-right, um I'm gonna need that shirt of yours to come off now."
He simply nods, before lifting his arms over his head, as best as he can, wincing from the pain coming from his midsection. As his arms raise, his shirt lifts up slightly, giving you a peek of his toned stomach in the process.
Focus.
You unhooked his harness, carefully taking it off first before tackling his shirt. Your hands find their way back to the hem of the garment, steadily raising it higher and higher until it's over his head and his arms are through, before placing it on the bed on the other side of the hut.
A now, shirtless, Minho sat before you on the bed as you tried to calm your quickened heart rate. But God was he a work of art. You couldn't help but admire his athletic body, I mean he literally looks like he was carved from stone.
Focus.
"Okay, now let me take a look at that nasty cut of yours," you positioned one hand on Minho's chest and the other on his stomach just below where the cut was.
As you took a closer look to examine the injury closer, Minho's head was just about ready to explode. His head was tilted upwards, barely even breathing, focusing only on the way you were touching him. Touching his body.
What could he have possibly done to deserve this? Aside from maybe almost dying, of course.
Suddenly, the warmth of your hands disappeared, prompting Minho to look down at where they once were, as you walked over to the cabinet to get supplies to clean the affected area. And he couldn't help but wish your hands were back on him.
With your back facing him, you grabbed everything you needed, your mind wandering back to the maze. Minho has never gotten injured in the maze before, he's the best of the best, and he never gets distracted. So what was so different this time?
"So, what the shuck happened out there today?" you made your way back over to him, supplies in hand, "I mean," you paused, placing a cotton ball that was damp with rubbing alcohol on the cut, causing a strained moan to leave his lips. the sound left your mind fuzzy, "you've never gotten hurt, and definitely not this badly, in the maze before right?" You looked up at him, eyes wide with confusion.
That look could have sent him over the edge.
He licked his lips, "Uh-shuck...I dunno, I guess I just..." his words trailed off as he looked back down at you, "uhh, just got distracted I guess."
You couldn't believe what you'd just heard, "You, got distracted?" still running the cotton all over the large cut, "I mean you, the Minho, the always focused, leader of the runners?...surely my ears are deceiving me."
Minho chuckled at your genuine disbelief, "Sure did."
After wiping off the last bit of blood, you put down the now red-stained ball of cotton and picked up the roll of gauze and began unraveling it, "Well...are you gonna tell me what on Earth it is that distracted you or are you gonna make me guess," smiling at him as you asked the question.
He's going crazy right now.
"Uhh..." Okay, deep breaths now Minho, "well, it was uh- okay," The boy was literally a stumbling mess in front of you, his hand flying to scratch the back of his head, "okay-shuck, I mean...okay,"
"Jeez, I can take a hint y'know, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I was just curio-"
"It was you!" He blurts out, cutting you off mid-sentence.
You blink, confused at what has just come out of his mouth. "Me? what do you mean it was me who distracted you?"
Well, there's no going back now.
"I,okay-shuck... I like you, okay? Like, like-like you, and for the past couple of weeks I haven't been able to get you out of my head and I just- I don't know, I mean it's not like me to be easily distracted but you- you just-you're so pretty and sweet and it was getting so bad-not that...liking you is a bad thing, I just mean I didn't know how to stop thinking about you that I even went and asked Newt for his help! Which is just...so unlike me but I-uh-yeah..."
No words. I mean you literally had no words. Minho just told you he likes you?? What is the right reaction? So you just stood there. Frozen.
"Shuck... say something. Please." He asks softly, pulling you out of your trance like state.
"I-uh...I...I like you too Minho," you admitted.
His eyes widened as he stared at you in shock. You liked him? You like him. You. Like. Him. "You...you like me?"
You rolled your eyes at the oblivious boy in front of you, "Yes, you shank, I do." your tone low and faint.
His voice is soft and almost gleeful as his eyes flicker to your lips briefly, "Oh... well that-that's great, I mean its good-I mean-"
You leaned forward, cutting him off, and pressed your lips against his, catching him off guard. He kisses you back almost immediately as you stand between his legs, his hands gently coming and settling on your waist.
"Holy shuck!"
The two of you abruptly pull away from one another, as a third voice fills the hut. Both looking over to the entrance, Newt is leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest, and a very big smug smile on his face as he stares back at the both of you.
"I take it you two lovebirds have finally worked things out?" he added, sounding much too pleased for you and Minho's liking.
You turn to look at each other once again, chuckling lightly before awkwardly turning back to face the tall blond boy by the door.
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wordbunch · 4 months ago
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oh, how unreasonable [Halbrand]
LONG A/N: I hope yall have lots of fun and feels while reading this, and I am living for any comments and impressions ♡ if it is slight ooc, I really don't care. If you don't consider Halbrand a warning in itself, then the only warning I have is occasionally suggestive conversation.
❗️this is essentialy Halbrand x my OC D��orien (she), who is a half-elf with the other half of her roots unknown, but there are no physical descriptions - feel free to consider it a reader insert. The only extra bit of knowledge is that she can use fire magic (hence multiple fire references), she is more-less one of the elves but not fully, and is very much on the fence about who to side with. A girl is struggling
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I wholeheartedly recommend these 2 songs for the mood ♡
“So it is true.” 
“What is?”
“That evil never sleeps?” Díorien’s face appeared in warm candlelight amid the dark room. Her eyes scanned the figure in front of her with equal parts disdain and intrigue.
“Ever so witty, my queen,” Halbrand cackled, positioned in front of the door of Díorien’s private chambers. “How could I sleep, knowing you are here, and not by my side in a realm of our own creation?”
Cautiously he began to approach her bed, thick darkness everywhere except for the cool glow of the moon through the large window above her headboard, and the candle in her hand she had lit seconds ago. Fitting. 
“What brings you here?” she inquired dryly, pretending with all her might that his presence in the dead of night wasn’t making her shiver from head to toe. Having just awoken abruptly, she needed a few moments to wrap her head around the situation and realize she was dressed only in a delicate, sheer nightgown with sheets bunched up around her waist and legs. Swallowing thickly, Díorien decided to just pretend she was dressed properly - however, she was convinced Halbrand could see right through her anyway. Somehow he was always able to. 
“What brings me here is…” he began, voice heavy with something inexplicable, “the fact that the most enchanting, strong, passionate woman in the world, does not want to partake in that world with me.”
“But how could I, Halbrand?” She defended herself, not fully convinced she stood behind her own words. The way his eyes pored over her vulnerable form in the candlelight pulled the very ground from beneath her feet. “Y-you want me to-”
“I want you to rule with me, I want you to be my other half, I want you to come with me somewhere you will be not cast aside, but worshipped.” All decorum aside, Halbrand sat on the edge of her bed, and he could see her swallow thickly. If he said that heat wasn’t overcoming his whole body in her presence, that would be a very transparent lie, since that usually was the effect that she had on him. And he knew that she knew about it very well. “They do not understand you. They do not drive you to grow greater, to aim for more - they do not see you the way that I see you, Díor.” He was sliding one hand slowly over the mattress towards Díorien’s hand which was tightly clutching the silky sheets. “I know how that feels, my starlight, because that is how they are to me as well. But not you. Not you. You know my mind like you have walked the very steps inside of it. And I - I see the greatness that burns within you, the flame that terrifies everyone else, except someone who has walked through fire before.” His voice was quiet and gruff, but with an edge of persistence.
“Halbrand-” she whispered, furrowed eyebrows reflecting her inner turmoil.
“When you say my name like that, I am willing to throw the rest of the world away and just live in you instead.” He interrupted her eagerly, but she cleared her throat, determined to continue.
but you’ve come to offer, i’m here to receive / your face is my gospel, your body my creed / bring me to your altar, drop me to my knees / the more i worship, the more i believe 
“You are asking me to betray my own kin-”
“And you would betray your own heart.”
His calloused hand found his way to her closed fist and wrapped around it. Had the windows not been open and graciously letting in a light breeze, Díorien would have combusted then and there. In spite of that, she allowed him to touch her. 
“Do I not make you feel better than any of them, my queen? Do I not make you feel euphoric, boundless? I find it hard to believe you have already forgotten how we relished in each other, away from any judgemental glare,” he pressed with a deceitful pout. His other hand found its way to her bare shoulder, his touch almost scathing in the crackling air.
“Even when I try to bury those memories, they come back all the stronger, and I tremble every time I feel the ghost of your lips on my body” she admitted earnestly, her eyes bearing a striking vulnerability. “I feel you even when I least wish to do so, but I do not believe you and your proposals and schemes.”
it’s not fair, oh, it’s not fair how much i love you / it’s not fair ‘cause you make me ache, you bastard
Halbrand sighed away a self-satisfied smile, composing himself before speaking up once again. “You would not be betraying any of them - I need you to establish a new order with me, I need you to save your beloved world with me. You would not be betraying anyone, quite the contrary, you would be their savior, and nobody would have any right to pass you any judgment.”
There were a few steady beats of silence, the only moving thing the meek, flickering flame of a single candle on the windowsill, and the light that it cast on all around it. 
“Do you speak of betrayal because you were conditioned to do so, or because you feel that way truly? You speak of your kin, but are they, really? What makes you anymore closely bound to any of them, than it does to me? Had you been so important to each other, you wouldn’t have been treated like some lesser-”
Díorien interrupted his barrage of questions before his voice could adopt an even more venomous tone than it just had.
“And what do you know of true feelings, of truth in any capacity?” She chuckled dryly, hoping to have finally caught him off guard. In that moment, the only perfectly true thing about her was the fact that she was holding onto her morality by a thread, weakening by the second. He knew too well exactly where to hit her, and how, and she was aware that she had entered a battle inevitably to be lost. 
“The way I feel with your hands on me is the only measure of truth I need. You are the very flame of my heart.” 
Whether her senses and sanity were failing, or was there something so genuine and frail in the way he delivered his confession, there was no way to tell. Their eyes met as an abundance of feelings grazed his facial expression. 
and if you asked me to, if you asked me, i would lose it all / like petals in a storm / ‘cause darling, i was born to press my head between your shoulder blades, at night when light is fading
The thread weakened to become next to nothing. Against her better judgment, Díorien reached out a warm hand to remove a stray curl that had fallen over Halbrand’s eyes. He himself was growing uncertain of what exactly he was holding onto. Perhaps it was just her existence, just her closeness, her overt ferocity and her inescapable radiance. He only knew he wanted more of it, all of it, until the end of all the ages of the world. 
“But if your plan for a newly established perfect harmony fails, what then, Halbrand?” Díorien’s tone was stiff yet hushed, but it was all false pretenses; those troubled eyes, unruly hair and towering height had broken through her guard one too many times already. She sat there, defeated, all but vibrating with things left unsaid, and the expectations of things yet to be heard. 
“We would still have one another,” he retorted with a pinch of desperation in his voice, and you would still have thousands… millions, under your merciful hand.” He touched her jawline, brushing over her lower lip with his thumb. “And me, merely a breath away from your lips.” Halbrand’s eyebrow twitched upwards ever so slightly; she would have missed it had she not been so familiar with almost all of his crevices and corners. “You would have tried saving the elves, saving Middle-earth, if that is necessary to still your conscience. But failure of my mission or not - in the end you still come out a winner. We do.” His hand found her trembling fingers, firmly bringing them to his lips, never ceasing to hold her gaze. 
“When you look at me like that,” she whispered, subconsciously leaning into his touch and toward his face, “I find myself failing to draw a single breath,” she finished shakily, mentally cursing herself for falling under his influence time and time again. Although she had aimed to hold her ground, she was walking a thin line between the right choice and the reckless one. But, oh, the reckless one had a smile which made her forget her own name, and the rasp in his voice drowned out even the sweetest elven melodies. She wasn’t walking a line - she was falling over it right into the strong arms of her ravishing, twisted enemy (or at least whom she was raised to believe was one). 
Halbrand offered her a devilish, partially relieved, grin as he pulled her onto his lap in one swift motion, twisted sheets and all; she drew in a sharp breath weaving both of her hands into his unruly hair. Forehead against forehead, they were now painfully aware of both of their strained breathing and the thrill that was palpable in the, until very recently still, air. Díorien eagerly renounced the last bits of her poise as soon as his face was buried in her tender neck, his beard deliciously scratching her skin. However, as soon as she let out a sweet breath of pleasure, Halbrand moved away to look into her face again.
“Is that a yes, my queen?” he whispered, looking up at her through his lashes, his hands firmly dug into her hips. 
“It is anything you want it to be, my king,” her answer was hurried, desperate, starving, merely a millisecond before she collided her lips with his. 
It didn’t take long before Halbrand maneuvered them so that he was hovering over the wide-eyed girl with fire inside her body and heart.  
“I think it is time I make you forget all those wretched little excuses you tried giving me, darling,” he murmured into her skin before hastily blowing out the candle.
oh, how, oh how unreasonable / how unreasonably in love i am with everything you do / i’ll spend my days so close to you / ‘cause if i’m stood here, then i’m stood here / and i’ll stand here / i’ll stand here with you.
♡♡♡
shoutout to my most beloved 💖💖💖 @queenmeriadoc @lady-of-imladris
and @entishramblings i know you're not a ROP girl, but perhaps the writing style will be right up your alley 🥰
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melancholyshadow · 18 days ago
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SESH - S. NARA
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PAIRING: stoner!shikamaru nara x f!reader
WARNINGS: smut (18+ mndi), afab!reader, friends to lovers, modern-ish au, marijuana use, reader's first time smoking weed, riding, unprotected sex, early20s!shikamaru, reader is a similar age, cursing, intoxicated sex. both parties are high while partaking in sex. so...dubcon? (pls let me know if i missed any!!!!)
SUMMARY: you decide to try smoking weed with your best friend, shikamaru.
WORD COUNT: 3.8k
A/N: i bet y'all didn't see this coming. i know i posted like a three months ago saying i was going to post a kakashi fic, which i AM working on, but i love shikamaru too much. i'm also working on an itachi fic, so let me know which one you guys would like to see first (itachi or kakashi). also if i miss any warnings let me know, because this is my first time writing something a little darker (?) like this. i tried to be as blatant as possible.
DIVIDER: @adornedwithlight (thank u <3)
MASTERLIST
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“Wanna try some?” 
His voice caught you off guard. 
You hadn’t even noticed that your eyes strayed from the television screen. They stared at Shikamaru as he leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and brought the silver lighter toward the tip of a joint. Fire flickered for a quick moment, as he rolled the stick between his fingers, until the flame engulfed the end. As soon as the fire appeared, it was gone, with the clank of the metal.
You watched as he brought the end to his lips, wrapping around the thin paper.
His eyes fluttered shut and he sucked in a long breath, allowing the cannabis to flood his senses. You eyed him, in awe, as smoke poured out of his mouth and nostrils. The smoke swirled past your face, and dispersed across the room. The living room filled with the familiar scent of weed, mixed with the seasonal scented candle you lit before he arrived. 
“N-No.” You said, once it finally registered that he asked you a question. “I’m alright.” You added, eyes shifting back to the show that was playing on the screen. Shikamaru always offered for you to try and smoke, even though you denied him every time. 
“You sure?” He questioned, turning the joint’s towards you. Shikamaru had never pressured you. Not to drink. Not to smoke, whether that be cigarettes or cannabis. He was simply tested the waters. But from where you sat, curled up on the couch beside him, the stick was only a few inches from your own lips. For the first time, you were intrigued. You eyed it, watching the embers burn.
“I think you want to.” He chuckled, brought the joint back up to his own mouth, and puffed another drag. “I don’t know how to do it.” You admitted, playing with the hem of your skirt, feeling an embarrassed warmth creep over your cheeks. “That’s alright. I can teach you.” He offered, nudging you softly with his shoulder. “But, only if you really want to.” He added, and flicked the ash off into the tray that lived on your coffee table, specifically for him. 
“O-Okay.” You confirmed, sitting up slightly. “Hell yeah.” He smiled, turning, so most of his body faced you now. “Alright, it’s pretty simple.” Shikamaru explains, taking a quick drag.
“Obviously, you don’t put your lips on the burning side-“ You cut him off, “I’m not an idiot.” You huffed, crossing your arms over your chest. “No, I know you’re not, but you’d be surprised at how many times I’ve seen it happen. ” He joked. 
You cocked an eyebrow at him, and he laughed, “Choji. And Ino.” He whispered, which confirmed your hunch. You gave him a small smile as he continued to explain the process to you. It wasn’t as convoluted as you originally thought it would be, it sounded pretty simple. 
“Ready?” He asked, as you eyed the joint one more time, and nodded your head. He handed it to you carefully, and you pinched it between your index finger and thumb. As you brought it closer to your lips, you hesitated, eyes landing on Shikamaru, who gave you an encouraging smile.
Finally, the thin paper made contact with your bottom lip, followed by your top lip down so both wrapped around the filter. “Now, inhale.” Shikamaru instructed quietly, and watched the way your lips hugged the joint tightly. You sucked in a large breath, admittedly too large, “Exhale.” He says, and mimicked it with his own breath. You pulled the stick away and exhaled. 
Immediately, the smoke poured out of your mouth, throat feeling scratchy, which induced a coughing fit. You handed Shikamaru the joint, using your free hand to cover your mouth, as you wheezed. He tried to hold in his laughter, but he couldn’t help it. “You’re so mean!” You exclaimed between coughs. 
“I’m sorry.” He said between chuckles, taking a short hit from the joint. “You did good.” He praised, his free hand landed on your thigh. “How long until I feel something?” You ask, letting out one more weak cough. “For you, probably a couple minutes.” He says, eyes glanced at the time on his phone. “Let’s see how you feel in ten minutes.” He decided. 
He leaned back against the couch, and opened his arms wide, enough for you to be nestled into his side. Both of you turned your attention back to the show, and waited for the effects of the cannabis to kick in. 
If you were being honest, you doubted for a few moments that one hit from a joint would make you feel anything at all. You couldn’t have inhaled that much cannabis in one go, could you? But after ten minutes, you definitely felt something. 
Everything about your body felt a little more relaxed, and you seemed to giggle more frequently at the stupid show Shikamaru had requested to watch. “How’re you feeling?” He asked, his thumb rubbing your shoulder. You couldn’t help the smile that played on your lips when you looked up at him, which in turn made him snicker. 
“I don’t know. I feel a little different.” You shrugged, eyeing his features. His eyelids were low, and the whites of his eyes decorated with strings of red. “Can I try again?” You asked softly, and studied the second joint that rested between his fingers. “Of course.” He smiled, passing the stick off to you. Your lips enclosed around the filter again. You inhaled a sizable breath, and then allowing the smoke to escape your lungs.
“You finish that one.” He said, as he grabbed another joint off the table, and mirrored his process from earlier with the lighter. You puffed on the stick, ashing it when necessary. It only ended up having four more hits in it, before it became just a dud. But for you, that was more than enough. 
Definitely more than enough.
By the end of it, your entire body felt heavy, which included your eyelids. It felt like a fog encroached your mind. You swore you could feel your teeth and hear the heartbeat that thumped inside your chest. 
Looking over at Shikamaru, you discovered he was already looking at you. 
Had he been watching you?  
You couldn't help but smile, your lips upturned on their own accord. “How do you feel now?” He asked, his own lips lifting into a smirk. “Good. Kinda floaty.” You hummed, with a giggle. It felt like your entire body was vibrating as you spoke. “Perfect.” He confirms, and brushed some of your hair out of your face. His free hand cradled the side of your face, and you leaned into him. 
“Here. Have some more.” He said sweetly, you opened your eyes, the ones you hadn't noticed had fallen closed against his touch. The joint is pinched a few centimeters away. Your hand went up out of instinct, pushing the joint away from your face. “C’mon, sweet girl, take one more hit.”
A heat creeped up your entire body.
You shook your head, “N-No. I feel g-good.” You insisted, mouth now feeling like it was full of cotton. “Please? For me?” He implored, his eyes pleaded. Gods, you could never say no to him and he knew that.
You took the joint from him, and hesitantly brought it to your mouth. The puff you took was short, wimpy. But he seemed satisfied with the puff of smoke, so he took the stick from you, and placed it in the ashtray. 
“Now, c’mere.” He murmured it so quietly, you almost didn't hear him, and before you could react to his words or question him, his large hands wrapped around your waist, which allowed him to pull you into his lap. All you could do was yelp in response. 
His touch seared into your skin. 
The shift in movement ended with your knees on either side of his hips. As the cotton material of your panties made contact with the rough fabric of his sweatpants, you bit down on your bottom lip, to stop a strangled moan from slipping past your lips. 
You hadn’t even noticed the sticky feeling between your thighs, you felt everything else about your body so intensely. But now it was very apparent. “S-Shika, what’re you doing?” You asked softly, and tried to sit up on your knees in an attempt to climb off him. However, his large hands were quick to grip you tighter, and pulled you back down. 
“S-Shika…” You stuttered out again. He just hummed back, looking right at you, as his thumbs rubbed soft circles in the exposed skin between the waistline of your skirt and the hem of your shirt. “Just wanna make you feel even better, baby.” He cooed.
Between the nicknames and the weed, you thought your brain melted out of your ears. And neither was helping with that ache between your legs. As a response, all you could do was involuntarily clench your thighs around him. 
“Oh, you like that idea?” He asked, as you looked away in shame. He clicked his tongue in disapproval, one of his hands strayed their grip on your hip, his index finger coming to rest beneath your chin, and turned your head to force eye contact.
All you can do is nod at his question. Which didn’t seem to appease him either. Since, he roughly squished your cheeks together between his fingers, until your lips puckered, your face only centimeters away from his. 
“I need words, sweet girl.” He said, but it came out more like a demand. He momentarily softened his grip on your face, which allowed you some room to answer his earlier question, “
Y-Yes.” You admitted, attempting to turn your face away from him again, but to no avail. He chuckled. It was nothing like you had ever heard from him before. It was dark, almost menacing, a shiver ran down your spine. 
“Then you’re gonna have to relax for me.” He whispered, his mouth practically moving against your own. He uncrossed your arms from your chest, and placed them against his torso. You could feel that his muscles as they shifted under your palms, “I’m gonna kiss you now, okay?” He informed you, and you started to nod, but caught yourself, “O-Okay.”
He doesn’t need to lean in very far before your lips are connected, your eyes fluttered shut. His mouth started to work against yours smoothly.
Although, you could sense a hint of experimentation behind his gesture, like he was trying to ease both of you into this foreign experience. 
After all, this was unfamiliar territory for both of you. Over the course of your decade-long friendship, the two of you had been tentatively intimate, hands brushing, lingering hugs, falling asleep in each other's arms, but nothing this extreme. 
You’d be lying if you hadn’t thought about this moment before. 
Dreamed of it, in fact. 
His lips were chapped and dry from a mix of the smoke and cold winter months, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care. You were positive that yours weren’t any better, and he didn’t seem to mind either.
As the kisses edged towards being more intense, your mouths and teeth began clashing together, your intoxicated mind barely able to keep up. You could feel his hands leave your wrists, gripping onto your hips once again. 
His tongue pushed past your working lips, exploring the wet cavern of your mouth, and worked harshly against your more tentative one. You gripped his t-shirt in your fist, trying to ground yourself, working against the fogginess in your head.
Your body buzzed, a tingle growing in the pit of your stomach. You were light-headed from the lack of oxygen, but you were reluctant to pull away. Reluctant, for this moment to stop, for the reality of the situation to hit you. When you did pull away, only a string of saliva kept you connected.  
Shikamaru was practically panted underneath you, a slight shade of pink dusted his cheeks. His lips coated in a mixture of both of your spits. You notice that his usual brown eyes were now almost completely engulfed in black, scleras still covered in stringy red lines. You could feel his bulge that strained against his sweatpants, and nudged your clothed cunt.
The whole sight stirred something primal within you.
He pulled you even closer to his chest, so he could attack your jawline with peppered kisses along the bone. You released the grip you had on his t-shirt, and slid them upwards towards his shoulders, resting your forearms there while your fingertips fidgeted with the hairs on the back of his neck. Your brain was so caught up in the feeling of his lips, that you almost didn't notice how his hands began to wander.
You weren’t sure at what point they left your waist, but they slowly pushed up the fabric of your skirt, and bunched the material around your hips. The white material of your panties, one’s decorated with a small bow, displayed to his prying eyes. “These are cute.” Shikamaru chaffed, going as far as to toy with the small ribbon. 
His finger trailed the thin, lacy waistband, from hip bone to hip bone. This touch was feathery-light, goosebumps coated your skin. That same finger wandered further down, until the pad of his thumb made contact with your panty-clad clit, and applied the smallest bit of pressure. 
You couldn’t help the small gasp. “Is that the spot, sweetheart?” Your brain went to mush, all you could muster is a breathless reply, “Y-Yes…” He chuckled again. His thumb pressed harder, even going as far as to rub slow, tight circles into your sensitive bud. Your eyes screwed shut, a mewl shot out of your mouth. 
Between the sound of his soft praise and the movement of his thumb, you could feel another wave of warmth pool in your panties. Your hips bucked forward, body pleaded for more of his touch, as you dragged the soaked material of your underwear across his restrained cock.
That's when his nonchalant demeanor seemed to slip slightly, as a choked out swear gurgled up from his throat. 
You repeated the motion once again, and dragged your entire lower body, slower, over the fabric of his sweats. His hand grasped at the fat of your thighs, as his head fell back against the cushion of the couch. A sense of confidence surged through your body, knowing he craved your touch just as much as you did his. 
Without a second thought, you set a consistent pace with your hips, and rutted them back and forth against his groin. You could see his pants were starting to become discolored, a darker splotch formed over his erection.
Fuck, you’re so wet.” Shikamaru huffed out, that same pink shade that decorated his face before was a deeper shade now. His hips jerked upward and plunged against your cunt. “I-I need to feel you.” His words stumbled out, jumbled together.
Everything after that happened so fast. 
The look on Shikamaru’s face was pure determination, something you didn’t see often. 
He lifted his hips, pulled down the waistband of his sweatpants, just enough for his cock to spring free with a soft thud against his lower abdomen. You can’t help but stare, as beads of precum ran down the length of his shaft. His hands quickly snaked behind your body, using your ass as he leveraged you upwards, until you hovered over him on your knees. He made sure you were stabilized there, and you used his shoulders to steady yourself. 
One of his index fingers hooked the material of your panties and pulled them to the side, and finally revealed your naked core to him. He didn’t even have the willpower to admire you for as long as he would have liked, that haziness in his own mind clouding any rationale. All he knew was that he needed to be inside you, now. 
Using his other hand, he grabbed the base of his cock, dragging the leaking head slowly between your wet folds, tracing your slit’s entire length, until he reached your clit and applied some soft pressure with his cockhead. This press alone was enough to make you clench around nothing, “Shika…” You pleaded, thighs tensed. “I know, baby.” He rasped out. He repeated his movements a few more times, collecting as much of you as he could.
Finally, he glanced down at his glistening tip, both your arousals now mixed together on the head of his cock. He lined himself up with your entrance, the anticipation grew in both of your guts. “Ready?” He asked, his eyes finally lifted up to your face. You nodded vigorously. 
This time, that was good enough for him.
His hands shook slightly as they grabbed at the plush around your hips, and he let out a breath to steady himself. He slowly guided you down the head of his cock, until just his tip was swallowed by your warmth. In sync, the two of you let out a shared wince as your cunt gripped him.
“F-Fuck, you’re—hah—so tight.” He mumbled, more to himself. You watched as his eyes slowly drifted shut as you continued down his cock. You took him in, inch by inch, going at an agonizingly slow pace, allowing you the time to adjust to his size. 
It was a nice gesture, but you wanted more. 
You decided to take the situation into your own hands, and quickly buried the rest of his length into your aching cunt, and ignored the hint of pain that came along with the stretch of your walls. The noise that exited his mouth was unlike anything you’d ever heard, animalistic almost. “Holy sh-shit.” He breathed out, the clutch he had on your body hardened, enough so that it left marks for you to admire later. 
The two of you sit there for a moment.
You, enjoying the snug feeling between your legs, and Shikamaru, relishing in the vice-tight hold your cunt had around his cock. You gave your hips an exploratory roll, in need of some more friction. His entire body tensed beneath you, and his chest stuttered as he took in a quick breath. His forehead falling against your own, eyes transfixed on where the two of you were connected. 
Be used his dense grip to encourage the slow grinding motion, he rocked you back and forth against his lap. You could feel what felt like twinges of fire spread across your entire body, and a familiar tension built up in your gut. 
That’s when you decided to get more creative.
Slowing your hips, you pushed up on your knees again until only the head of his cock was tucked inside you. Shikamaru goes to protest, probably with some sarcastic comment. However, before any words could pass his lips, you sunk down to his hilt again, until you could feel him nudge your core. Yet, before he processed your actions, you did it again.
His mouth fell slightly agape.
He’s speechless.  
His cock twitched inside you, another one of his whimpers echoed through your ears. At the same time, you can't help but let out a similar noise, as his cockhead pierced the gummy spot in your cervix. “F-Fuck.” The feeling, you were addicted, so much so that you hadn’t noticed the ache in your legs. Your pace quickened as you desperately chased the building pleasure in your gut. Your face was hot, cheeks burnt, and your heart continued to race. 
Shikamaru was so entranced by how you maneuvered, that he completely stilled, and left you to do all the work. The only gesture being how his eyes flickered between the apex of your thighs, and your strewn face. 
“Shik–hah–amaru!” You cried, gripped his shoulders, until the tips of your fingernails left indents in his skin, even through his t-shirt. That seemed to pull him out of his trance.
Shikamaru didn’t hesitate to set a brutal pace, as he gripped the back of your thighs to support your ebb and flow. He buried his face in your neck, nose nudging the column of your throat. You could feel his hot breath against your sensitive skin, the occasional grunt passing his lips. 
You felt the building of your climax as it quickly approached, especially at his frenzied hips. You could feel all your muscles, as they slowly tightened, his thighs pistoned against the backs of yours.
The feeling was intoxicating, the air was thick with sex, and your body was still warm. Your body was hit with a thrum of pleasure as his cockhead speared the bundle of nerves in your cervix. And that’s when he spoke, “Come for me, sweetheart.” 
His words acted like a trigger, as your entire body flushed with a white-hot heat, and stars filled your vision. It was unlike anything you had ever felt before. The coil in your gut seemed to snap on his command, waves of ecstasy surged your body. Your pussy pulsed against his cock, along with a new white, creamy ring of your arousal accumulated around his base. You couldn’t stop the long, choked out sob that left your mouth. 
“That’s–ngh–it, I’m close.” He whined against your throat. As your walls continued to flutter around him, you could feel him twitch once, and then again. “Come inside me, p-please.” You begged, head still clouded by the remnants of the marijuana and your fading climax. “Fuck.” He growled under his breath, as he accelerated the snapping of his hips.
The mixture of your whines and the loud plap of your damp skin were the only noises in the room.  It edged Shikamaru on, those same hips slowly lost their rhythm. “Fill me up, Shik-ah-a, please.” You babbled, the sensitivity between your legs had gone to your head, as you practically collapsed against his chest.
“A-Are you sure?” He asked, he was close, very close. “Yes!” You exclaimed. You wanted to roll your eyes at him, annoyed by how he always over-analyzed everything.
Similar to his words, yours seemed to have triggered his climax. Between uncoordinated jolts, and the hoarse cries of release, you could feel his seed flood your pussy. His chest heaved up and down, and his back arched off the couch cushions as you tried to use your weak hips to rock back and forth, and help him ride out his high.
After a few moments, and with his head tipped back against the couch, his familiar hands gripped your hips and stopped your movements all together. You practically melted further into his chest, feeling the remnants of his cum seeping between the cracks of where you were still connected.
That’s when it struck you, and you giggled a little. Shikamaru’s body tensed when he heard it. “Why the hell are you laughing?” He questioned, still partially out of breath. As you unfurled yourself from his chest, you couldn’t help but smile down at him. 
“Do you do this with everyone who gets high with you for the first time?” You interrogated. 
“Or am I just that special?”
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A/N: im a wee bit rusty okay? i haven’t written or posted in over a year sooooooooooooo
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