#with dew it’s feeling comfortable (like when they watch shows together)

[cho-aaacho]

One kiss isn't enough

Characters : Gojo Satoru, Geto Suguru, Nanami Kento, Fushiguro Megumi and Choso

Masterlist

Gojo Satoru

Gojo Satoru adores wrapping his arms around your curves from behind, inhaling the intoxicating floral scent of your neck. He loses himself in your charm, finding you utterly irresistible, and he never tires of telling you so, each confession accompanied by a mischievous giggle curling on his lips.

He loves to plant tender kisses on your jawline, making you chuckle playfully. Sometimes, he gives small, gentle bites, subtly marking you as his own and expressing that every part of him belongs to you alone, drawing you deeper into his realm.

Your soft whimpers of his name during a kiss drive him wild, showing your desire, love, and fantasy, allowing him to do more than just kiss. He relishes stealing soft kisses in public, trying to shock everyone with his playful actions. You know these are not forceful—just tender pecks from his moist lips. How could you resist?

After a long night at work, he invites you to join him in the bath, sharing the warmth of the water and the sweetness of pink blossom soap. Even though you've seen each other naked countless times since you started dating, bathing together always feels different—more intimate, more vulnerable.

Gojo's gentle touch on your back, his soft chuckle when he does so, his tender lips grazing your shoulder, admiring you from behind—all feel like intimate secrets shared between lovers. As he closes his eyes, he places a small yet sensual kiss on your neck, calming you with his sudden move.

A faint blush adorns his porcelain cheeks as he whispers, "...need it? My dear, I don't 'need' anything. I want you."

Geto Suguru

Geto Suguru creates a comfortable atmosphere with his kisses, leaving you yearning for more with each touch of his lips. Sometimes, during kisses, he slips in compliments or love lines, telling you how beautiful you are, how sweet you are, and how happy he is to be around you.

His gestures are gentle; he loves cupping your face, gazing into your eyes, and locking his love with yours. His fingers trace the delicate curve of your jawline, enveloping you in an embrace that feels like coming home. He brushes his nose with yours, planting a gentle peck along with a playful bite on your earlobe as a final flourish.

He's like honeydew on a summer's day—irresistibly sweet, leaving you intoxicated with his charm until you're drunk on his affection. With your foreheads pressed together in the aftermath of a kiss, his soft breath dances across your skin, a gentle caress that leaves you longing for more.

Warmth radiates from him, wrapping around you like a cozy blanket. His breath feels like a familiar aroma, and sometimes he'll squeeze your soft body gently, eliciting a slight moan as your cheeks flush rosily. He giggles playfully before stealing another kiss on your neck, relishing the sensation of your vulnerability in his hands.

With a playful yet seductive smirk, he teases, "That wasn't so bad now, was it? How about something else? I know you want it right now."

Nanami Kento 

People might think Nanami Kento isn't a romantic man. His reserved demeanor and serious disposition might seem boring to some, but he shows his true self to you, and you are privileged to see this side of him.

He showers you with sweet, endearing words, telling you that you are the reason he lives, the only person he loves. He kisses you tenderly, embraces you gently in bed, rubs your face with his warm fingers, and traces your jawline with small, affectionate bites.

He finds immense joy in seeing your sleeping figure beside him, watching you cook breakfast, or being cared for when he's sick. He couldn't stop admiring you, slipping sweet words into your sleep every morning before placing a small kiss on your nose.

As a token of his affection, he kisses your cheek before going to work, saying, "My morning dew, I hope you have a beautiful day."

Fushiguro Megumi

Fushiguro Megumi loves to steal kisses from you, claiming every part of you as his, making it clear that you belong only to him. When he finally steals a kiss, he places a small yet sweet one between your cheek and jawline, giggling at your reaction and saying you're as red as a cherry blossom and sweet as a melon, trapping you in his embrace.

In response, you'll pinch his cheek, laugh, or playfully punch him every time he tries to steal a kiss. He knows you're only pretending to be mad and that, deep down, you crave more kisses from him.

When it comes to kisses, he loves to kiss the tip of your nose and often gives you multiple soft kisses on your lips. He avoids bites because he doesn't want to hurt you. 

Passionate yet reserved, he lets you put your arm around his neck while savoring the sweetness of his lips. Though he always denies his passion, it's clear he's just too shy to admit it.

Despite his mischievous nature, he tries to restrain himself from kissing you when he's with Yuuji and Nobara, convincing himself he's not very passionate. But you know very well that he's just being tsundere.

Choso

Despite his aloofness, he can be incredibly romantic and affectionate. When he kisses you, it’s always a tender softness, so sweet that you can't remember your name.

Sometimes, you catch the sweet murmur of your name between the kiss or a quiet hum escaping his sweet mouth, accompanied by a soft moan as your tongues intertwine.

There are moments when he chuckles between kisses, his eyes brimming with emotion, his cheeks flushed, and he is rendered speechless. Yet he cherishes every reaction you give, and while gently brushing your neck as he deepens the kiss, he still manages to tell you that small kisses aren’t enough for him. 

He needs more of you... because you're his alone.

Of course, he kisses you only when you're alone with him, away from the distractions of his brothers. Not wanting to be distracted by the teasing comments from Mahito or the disapproving remarks from Jogo. The two could be annoying sometimes.

[mak-be-ghouled]

The Sound of the End of Day

2.1k Words of Angst/comfort

Mountain/Dew (and a bit of Aether)

Terzo, Copia, and other ghouls mentioned

A huge thank you to @nastylittleghouls and @divine-misfortune for their thoughts under this post:)

the tittle being from Monstrance Clock only felt right

When Copia is lifted by the Skeleton Dancers during Dance Macabre, Mountain and Dew are taken back to one of the worst days in their time topside. 

They had officially made it to the final leg of the Re-Imperatour.  

Unfathomable hours were poured into rehearsals long before the tour was even announced. Any one of the ghouls could've played the show forwards, backwards, and in their sleep. They knew the order by heart, had already performed it more times than they cared to count. 

But this one was special, Papa was adamant about how important the shows in LA would be, and the ghouls were determined to do their part for their Papa. Hell, they even had choreography coordinated with real dancers. 

And so, more rehearsals were called, plugging in the Chamber Ghoulettes and the Skeleton Dancers. Sure, the ghouls weren't exactly used to sharing the stage with so many others, but they couldn't deny the sheer talent of the new additions. They rehearsed until every moving part was perfect. Until they were certain there would be no surprises. 

But something about the crowd’s screaming, the blinding lights, the shadowy figures, the music, the lift.  

The fucking lift.  

Mountain and Dew hadn't made the connection until now.  

The audience screamed, their Papa was in the air, and the music was still going.  

But Mountain and Dew were back on that dammed stage. 

That Gothenburg stage where they were promised they’d never have to return to. That stage where they saw their former Papa for the last time. That stage where Terzo was ripped from them before they even processed what was going on. That stage that haunted their nightmares and the darkest corners of their minds.  

Papa was in the air and Mountain was stuck behind his kit. He was frozen, just like last time. Just like he had sworn he wouldn't allow himself to do ever again. It's a wonder he only stalled for a moment. Straining to focus on Rain’s base line, to keep up. His head was swimming and he was drowning. 

And yet, no one else seemed phased. Swiss was still singing, still dancing--well moving his hips in a way that could maybe be interpreted as dancing. Aurora and Cumulus were still singing and dancing together, mimicking the Skeletons from earlier. Phantom was still working the audience as always. Cirrus was still playing. Rain still stood strong, was still in time. 

But Dew.  

Dew saw it too. The moment Papa was in the air his eyes fled to Aether. But Aether wasn't there. Aether wasn't on tour. There wasn't anyone to run after Copia. Dew’s heart stutters as he scans the stage. 

Finally, his eyes land on Mountain. Just like they had that night.  

Dew was certain they’d lost another Papa. He turned to run backstage. To follow those shadowy figures this time. To do what he hadn't then. What he beats himself up for not doing. What fuels that nagging voice in his mind.  

Dew is in auto pilot. He’s straining to find tempo again. To find the right notes on his bass. Dew’s hands are shaking so hard he's not sure any of the notes he's played in the last minute have been even remotely correct. He doesn't recognize the song anymore; this isn't Monstrance Clock and his bass feel wrong. Too Small. Too Light. 

Dew sees the fear behind Mountains eyes. Knows it's the same fear that is clouding his vision too. Dew watches Mountain shake his head, desperately trying to clear the fog.  

After what feels like an eternity Mountain returns Dew's gaze. Mountain gives him a firm nod and a half smile. It's so incredibly forced but that doesn't matter. Not right now. Somehow it makes everything okay. Confirms that Mountain saw it too.  

That it's not real this time. Papa is okay this time. He won't have to watch Aether run after him this time. He won’t have to run after them both this time.  

Finally, Dew can feel his hands again and The Forum isn't spinning quite so fast. He looks down. He’s not holding a bass. Fucking of course he isn't, he's got his guitar in his hands. He thinks he might hear Dance Macabre echoing in his mind. But it's so distant. A dream maybe? This certainly wouldn't be the first dream Dew’s had of this moment. 

And then, everything goes quiet. Copia is back on the ground. He isn't shouting or fighting. He’s singing. The crowd isn't screaming in fear, they're cheering. Those shadowy figures have disappeared. The Skeleton Dancers are still surrounding Copia, but he's still there. Still standing. Copia isn't being dragged off the stage kicking and screaming. He’s safe. He’s alive. 

Mountain can barely hold his drumsticks and Dew is sure he would've dropped his guitar if it wasn't for the strap on his shoulder. They shoot each other a final glance before Square Hammer starts. Before they have to pretend like they didn't just watch their Papa get pulled from the stage, leaving them helpless.  

And yet, by the looks on everyone else's faces, they hadn't. No one seems to care.  

Dew’s stomach twists and he's positive he's going to throw up. 

Mountain’s not much better, swaying slightly behind his kit, dizzy. 

They want nothing more than for this fucking show to be over with. To know that their Papa is okay. That they didn't fail him again. To call Aether.  

As soon as Copia finishes his farewell speech, Mountain and Dew are flanking his sides. This isn't their normal spots for bows, but they have to be around Copia right now. To hold his hand. To know that he's alright. They don't want to overwhelm him. They don't want to do anything too drastic; they know how important this show is for him. But they have to know he’s okay. They pull Copia into a bone cracking hug, and while Copia appreciates their affection, something neither Dew nor Mountain are particularly fond of sharing in front of this many people, he can't help but wonder what has prompted it. 

The ride to the hotel is a blur. Mountain vaguely remembers Cirrus’s questioning glance and Swiss’s hand on his back, leading him towards the bus. 

Dew thinks he hears Rain’s voice send comments and compliments his way, the beginning of a call and response of sort, a habit they’d fallen into after Rain’s first ritual. But this time Dew’s response is just a nod, hardly even perceptible had Rain not been burning holes into him with his stare since he caught whiff of Dew’s distress during Dance Macabre.  

When they arrive at the hotel, Dew is a bit more present. Asking Copia to ensure he and Mountain room together. He reassures the pack that him and Mountain are okay. Drained, but okay.  

He tries his hardest to guide Mountain to their room. To be the life preserver he knows Mountain needs right now. But fuck does he need one too.  

He feels bad calling Aether without checking what time it is over there, but doesn't even have the time to consider anything else before his arms are moving on their own accord. Pulling out his phone and finding Aether’s contact. Mountain needs Aether right now. Dew needs Aether right now. 

Dew knew how much Mountain still thought about that night. Mountain had confided in Dew shortly after it.  

In The Pits, Mountain was ridiculed for being a plant-specialized Earth Giant. Others thought that made him soft, pointless. Earth Giants were meant to be geological, what good would a giant with a knack for plants be, that job was for the little ones. 

Mountain was paralyzed with fear. He was stuck behind his drum kit. Forced to watch as Terzo disappeared. He was helpless. Years of working on himself, his self-image, his confidence, flushed down the drain in that single moment. Again, Mountain began to wonder if they were correct. Maybe he really was soft. Useless. A sorry excuse for an Earth Giant.  

“Hi Sweet Thing. You with us?” 

Mountain is ripped from his thoughts as he hears Aether's voice. It’s crackly and a bit robotic through the speakers of Dew’s phone, but it is undeniably Aether.  

“Hmm?” 

Mountain hums, his eyes finally focusing on something for the first time in hours. 

Dew is holding his phone in front of his face, Aether is dimly lit on the other end, smiling softly at them. 

“There he is.” 

Aether's eyes light up as Mountain acknowledges him for the first time since he'd answered Dew's call.

“Wasn't right without you Aeth. Fuck. Kept looking around for you. Imagined you running after him”  

Dew laughs dryly to himself but tears fill his eyes. 

Aether wishes he could just crawl through the screen and hold his boys. He knows how much they love Copia, how much Terzo's death affected them. How much it affected himself. But he’s on the other side of the fucking world, so he just hopes his words and presence, even if though a phone screen, can provide them enough comfort to get some rest before they have to do this all over again tomorrow. Without him. Again.  

“I know baby, I'm so sorry. Wish I was there too”  

Aether smiles sadly though the phone. 

“Guess neither of us made too big a fool of ourselves though, maybe those pointless rehearsals weren't so pointless”  

Dew tries to joke, but Aether can see right through him. 

“Why didn't I see it?” 

Mountain mumbles into the space between Dew’s neck and shoulder that he’s crammed himself into. 

“What was that Hun?” 

Dew asks, rubbing the back of Mountain’s head where his hair had been tied back for the show. 

“The lift, I mean why didn’t I see it before. We practiced--Satan knows how many times-- just like you said, and I never once thought anything of it until tonight. Why'd it have to hit me in the middle of a fucking show. Probably made a dumbass of myself up there loosing time during the second to last song of the night... Was supposed to be perfect for Papa.”  

Mountain whispers the last part, but Dew and Aether are still able to catch it.  

Dew pulls Mountain closer to himself and Aether’s heart breaks, longing to reach out, to whisk those worries away. 

“Mountain, I didn't make the connection until tonight either. It was different. I dunno how, but it... was.”  

Dew silently curses himself for his lack of explanation, he knows that's what Mountain needs right now. Mountain needs logic. Something that tells him why something happened so he can avoid it next time. But truthfully Dew doesn't know. He doesn't know why tonight was different, but it was, and it fucked him up too. 

“I'm sure it had something to do with the crowd and the stage lights. I remember those helmets; you can't see shit in ‘em. Hearing people screaming, being blinded and burned by those lights, watching someone you care about, who holds the same title, in the same spot as one of the most traumatic events of your time topside. That’s probably why it was different. I know that doesn't change anything, but it does make a difference.”  

Aether adds.  

And logically Mountain knows Dew is right, that Aether is right. That it was different. But he still hates himself for faltering, even if no one else noticed.  

“Plus, I'm sure if you really did mess up, anything noticeably at least, we all would've gotten a smartass text from Swiss. I'm thinking something along the lines of ‘The All-Mighty Mountain Crumbles at the Sight of a Dangerously Handsome Multi's Hips"  

Aether jokes while drawing a rectangle in the air with his hands, mimicking a news headline, hoping to bring his mates back down to Earth.  

Dew giggles, a genuine giggle and Mountain huffs out a laugh. It isn't much, he knows that, but Aether has never been prouder of himself.  

They talk for a bit longer, until Mountain and Dew’s minds have cleared a bit and their eyes have returned to that deep forest green and the vibrant copper and ocean blue Aether had fallen so in love with, before any of this mattered.  

Mountain and Dew finally settle into their bed. Their position is awkward at best but they’re comfortable. They're Here. They have each other. Copia is alright. They're alright.  

And that's all that matters right now. 

All that can matter right now. 

[wrathofrats]

I've been seeing the Swiss grabbing his crotch gifset going around again and the Swussy thoughts you posted and my brain can't help but try to combine those two ideas like I'm smashing two action figures together to make them kiss so here it is--

Swiss being in heat (or just being feral as usual) and unable to help himself and reaching down to press his fingers against his throbbing clit, feeling how wet he is. With how much he wiggles and moves during a Ritual his folds and puffy lips slip and slide together and he just can't help it after a while, just needs to touch and it's not like he forgets that he's literally in the middle of a Ritual, it's that he doesn't care.

And also because I can't help myself with Swissalps--Mountain seeing it and smelling him and it makes him break a pair of his sticks with how hard he grips them, especially when Swiss is all but humping the stage during Watcher in the Sky. He's gonna wreck that Swussy at the first opportunity he gets.

In hindsight Swiss should’ve known better.

The signs were there. Waking up in a cold sweat with his cheeks burning, a tugging feeling in his gut that could only be quelled by a hand roughly palming himself on top of his hotel comforter early in the morning. He chocked it up to the shitty hotel ac, barely blew into the room and during the dead of August the small breeze didn’t help much.

The main sign was when the feeling didn’t stop once he was packed up and back on the tour bus. Swiss sat in front of the vents with his face in the air, legs drawn up to his chest in a feeble attempt to stop the ache between his thighs. Too hot and too much. He elected to ignore it anyways.

Swiss should have thought ahead more when he had to change his underwear to put on his uniform. His own heady scent filling his nostrils as he pulled off his sweats, dragging the damp fabric down his legs. It should have been the main factor in trying to just breathe through the show, go through the motions without incident and once he was off the stage he could fall at mountain or rains feet and beg them for help, even if he was ignoring his own heat.

Heat clouded his mind, fingers slipping down and between his folds as he pulled off his underwear to change. In his brain the excuse was to clean up, to just see how wet he truly was, but the excuse falls apart as he brings his own fingers to his lips with a whimper.

Swiss was much too sensitive like this, just the act of sliding his fingers between himself with the intent of innocence had him bucking and his thighs shaking with want. He could feel his clit pulse as he reluctantly pulled his hand away from himself.

He just had to get through one show, and someone would help him.

The beginning of the show goes smoother than he thought, even if his head was clouded it served as a good distraction from how much he needed to be touched. Swiss went through the motions, some shimmies and shakes when he realized he had been lost in space for too long.

It only got worse the more he performed, the mic stand now being realized as an excellent form of friction along with his guitar. He could see a small darker outline on his stand as he pulled away from a particularly pointed thrust against it, his own slick seeping through his pants and leaving a damp spot on the metal.

He needs to touch, he needs something. He knows where he is, he knows he’s in the middle of a ritual but swiss can’t bring his foggy brain to care.

Mountain is the first to notice. Out of the corner of rain or dews eyes Swiss looked like he was acting normally, his usual antics that would get him a joke talking to by copia or another band member about being a whore. But this time? Mountain can see his mic stand shine in the light from behind him. Slick from where he grinded on it like he just couldn’t help himself.

He watches his hands move down his body, pretending like he’s performing even as the heel of his palm digs right into his cunt, no doubt adding pressure to his clit. It’s obscene, mountain has no clue how he gets away with it but god he’s glad he’s so far back behind his drums, any closer and the audience could probably hear him growling from underneath his mask.

The drumsticks in his hands crack, part of one going flying behind him as mountain continues to stare.

He’s going to ruin him.

[iamthecomet]

𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘺 𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘋𝘢𝘺 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯: 𝘓𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦

Rating: T Pairing: Aether/Dew but also Aether/Everyone Word Count: 986 Featuring: Some angst and a bad dirty joke or two.

Also could count for "telling stupid jokes" which was the actual day 7 prompt because Dew is Dew and I couldn't resist.

Many thanks to the amazing @forlorn-crows for putting Mushy May together again. And to @ghuleh-recs for the divider which I am mildly obsessed with.

It’s worse than he thought.  He thought staying would be easy, but it’s clear the moment the buses pull away that it’s leaving that’s the easy part. Staying is agony. 

Aether knows he’s made the right choice. That Aeon is ready and the Ministry needs him here and that he and Sunny will be fine.But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. 

He watches the driveway until the dust settles, and then he turns his back, his pack out of sight, and walks back into the Abbey proper. Sunshine had already gone inside–a meeting with Imperator she said. But Aether thinks maybe she just wanted some time to herself–he doesn’t blame her. 

Aether keeps busy for the first couple weeks. Picks up extra shifts at the infirmary. He works most nights. The idea of climbing into an empty bed in the middle of the night makes his chest hurt–it’s easier to do it in the day time when he can imagine that the rest of his pack is going about their day–not gone. 

He talks to them on the phone every day. Dew video calls him from the bus after every show. Swiss texts him pictures of all of the weird snacks he buys. Cumulus sends him beautiful landscapes, and little I miss yous. They call call him–he speaks to at least one of them a day, usually more. 

The missing goes both ways. But they’re busy. He isn’t. Even with extra shifts, and begging Imperator for things to do–he even offers to help with taxes, which is a huge mistake, he still feels like he’s got too much time to think. 

He walks the grounds. Sits at the lake on warm summer days and thinks about how unfair it is that Rain is trapped on a bus and not here floating. He offers to help Sunshine take care of Mountain’s plants, but she waves him off. She’s been given very specific instructions, and one of them is to not let Aether anywhere near the greenhouse. 

He and Sunny cling to each other like a lifeline on harder nights. Especially once the rest of their pack has gone overseas and the timezones get more and more ridiculous to manage. They nap together, curled up in swatches of sunlight like cats. Aether wakes up warm, and comfortable, and loved and still feeling like one of his limbs has been removed. 

Dew calls him early one morning–before the sun is even up. It’s late wherever he is. Dark. Aether can barely see his face on the video call. Aether sits up in bed and rubs the sleep from his eyes. 

“Dew?” 

“Shit sorry, timezones. Forgot how early it is there. I can call later–”

“No,” Aether says quickly. Trying to force himself to look more awake. He turns on the light next to his bed. “No. No it’s fine. I’m up. Don’t go.” 

There must be something in his voice. A hitch. A tilt in pitch. Because Dew’s mouth pulls down just a little. A tiny frown of worry that Aether wishes he could reach through the screen and smooth away. 

“Not going anywhere, Starlight,” Dew promises. His bunk light switches on and Aether can see him better. Sitting up in the corner of his bunk. Phone resting on his knees. He’s eating chips from a bag that looks familiar. 

“Are you eating those weird chips Swiss got?” 

Dew nods. “I’m the only one who likes them. They’re good weird you know? You’d hate them.” 

Aether watches him chew and feels the ache start to ebb, just a little. The same way it always does when he gets one of his packmates to himself for a minute. When things feel unhurried and he can talk to them like they’re sitting next to him instead of a continent away. 

“Swiss said they tasted like ass.” 

“Probably why I like them,” Dew shrugs. Aether snorts. He smooths his hand over his face, dragging his fingers through the mess of his hair. 

“How many more weeks?” Aether asks, can’t help it. 

“Three,” Dew answers without hesitation. “Not that I’m counting.” 

“I am,” Aether admits. 

Dew frowns again, a little deeper. He looks at the screen a little too directly and Aether feels like he’s being seen in a way he isn’t ready for. 

“Yeah, Sunshine said you’ve been moping.”

“I haven’t been moping!”

Dew rolls his eyes. “Whatever. But just–you know we miss you too right? Like you’re not just stuck at home missing us while we have this grand adventure. It’s tour. It’s boring and humans are stupid and the food is awful. And it’s not the same without you.” 

“Isn’t Aeon doing–”

“Aeon’s fine. He’s good. He’s kicking ass every night but you know that isn’t what I mean. It isn’t all about the music you know.” 

Aether’s chest constricts. “I know.” 

“Nineteen days,” Dew says after a minute. He rolls the chip bag closed and for a minute that’s all Aether can hear, the ungodly crinkle of whatever magic material chip bags are made out of. “Less than three weeks.” 

“You are counting.” Aether teases. 

“Of course I’m counting,” Dew counters. “I’ve been counting since the day we left.” 

“You love touring.” 

“Yup,” Dew agrees, nodding. “I do. I still do. But I love you too, and just because I’m happy to be out here doesn’t mean I also don’t want to be there. I miss my bed. And being able to cook a meal that doesn’t come in a styrofoam cup. And you.” 

Aether feels his chest crack open, but this time it feels good. Warm. Like he really can reach out over all of these miles and slide his hand into Dew’s–just for a second. 

“You just miss me for my ass,” Aether teases. Awake now, and warm and loved despite his empty bed.  Dew laughs. “Well, I mean, it does taste better than those chips.”

[forlorn-crows]

kinktober day 20

(not so) dry humping. we already know who's the king of cumming in his pants. put a pretty water and air ghoul on top of him and he's a goner. and they're high? oh yeah, big boy's totally creaming himself

little dick mountain, they/them zephyr (dick/cock for their anatomy), transmasc dew (cunt for his anatomy)

Dew lets ribbons of herbal smoke seep out from his gills, giggling at the ticklish feel. 

“Showing off for us, are you, water lily?” Zephyr lilts, reaching out to run a finger along the curly fins on the water ghoul’s neck. Dew sighshappily, preening under their attention. 

Mountain hooks his chin over Zephyr’s shoulder and watches the smoke curl and dissipate around them. “Pretty,” he mumbles. 

“He is, isn’t he,” Zephyr purrs. 

“Pretty high,” Dew replies with a laugh, snuffing out the end of the joint. 

Mountain squints. Stares at the ashtray for longer than necessary. He grumbles a little into Zephyr’s hair. “Was’at th’ end already?” he slurs, brows knitting together. 

“Number . . . uh . . .” Dew sucks his teeth and lets his eyes droop, brain visibly buffering as he struggles to remember just how many they’ve shared between the three of them. 

Zephyr chuckles at the both of them. They relax further back into Mountain’s chest and pull Dew further up their outstretched legs. He happily makes himself comfortable on Zephyr’s lap, wriggling and readjusting until his legs fold pretzel-like to fit between the taller ghouls’ equally lanky limbs.

“You two are adorable lightweights,” they muse. They smooth their hands up and down Dew’s sides, earning a pleased hum from the water ghoul who promptly tucks his face into the crook of their neck like a milk-drunk kitten. 

“‘S not fair you just,” Mountain gestures vaguely with one hand, “make it disappear. Fuckin’ air ghouls.”

Dew huffs a laugh against Zephyr’s shirt. “Not fair,” he echoes. He wriggles his hips again, settling further into their lap and into the comfortable haze hanging between his ears. 

Zephyr can’t really hide—or help—the strained grunt that escapes their throat at the sensation of a pretty water ghoul squirming directly over their dick. Blame it on the weed, or blame it on the lack of substantial material between Dew’s sex and theirs, but Zephyr is instantaneously more lightheaded and significantly harder than they were just moments ago.  

Mountain’s nostrils flare against their skin, ears perking. “Mm, smell good, Zephy. Feelin’ good?”

Dew sniffs too, jolting back up from his draped posture and grinning wide when he feels Zephyr chubbed up beneath him. “I’d say they’re feelin’ real good, Mounty,” he drawls. He rolls his hips for good measure, wrenching a real groan from the air ghoul’s throat. 

“You would too with a pretty little water ghoul in your lap,” Zephyr retorts. They give a pinch to Dew’s side as payback. 

“Ohhhh,” Mountain says, neurons finally firing in the right series. He squeezes his hands around Zephyr’s middle and pulls them properly against his chest, rumbling contentedly as the bright honeysuckle scent of their arousal wafts over them all. “Wha’ if I have a pretty air ghoul in my lap?”

“Dunno, pet,” Zephyr breathes, dropping their head back against Mountain’s shoulder. Dew takes this as an invitation to melt his lanky body back against their chest, nuzzling his nose close to their pulse point. “What will you do?” they tease. 

And then they have the audacity to wriggle their own hips, grinding against Mountain’s lap until he groans too. “Fuck, Zephyyy,” he whines. 

“Zephyyy,” Dew snorts, mocking him lightly. But any menace is lost in the giggle he lets loose less than a second later—a giggle that morphs straight into a moan when Zephyr’s cock rubs just right against his clit through their pants. “Oh,” he gasps, humping right back. “That feels real nice.”

“Yeah, does,” Mountain groans, his own cock quickly filling out and the little head turning sticky. “Too—mmpf—too nice,” he admits. 

“Plenty to go around, boys,” Zephyr teases. They grind between the others, indulging in the lazy heat settling in their veins. A pleased purr kicks up in their chest. “Fuck, you two feel divine.”

Mountain noses along the wispy hair at their temple, mouth slightly parted as he huffs hotly against the side of their face. A high earth ghoul is an easily excitable—and sensitive—earth ghoul, so his hips are already kicking up in tempo underneath Zephyr’s ass. It’s rough and greedy, but it feels too good to even fathom stopping. 

Thoughts are in short supply between them anyway. Especially not when Dew starts bouncing a mere minute later like he can ride Zephyr through their pants. 

“Don’t—don’ do that,” Mountain whines. His arms wrap around Zephyr’s torso and he grabs Dew’s waist, but he does nothing to stop him from moving. If anything, he grips the little ghoul tighter, keeping him from slipping off of Zephyr’s lap while he ruts harder against their ass. 

The air ghoul gasps, caught between amusement and arousal. “Can feel how hard that little cock is, pet. Getting needy?”

“Likes seeing me ride you,” Dew pants, almost just as desperate. Almost.

“You are doing nothing of the sort.”

“‘lose enough,” Mountain wheezes. The water ghoul keeps glancing past Zephyr’s face, batting his eyelashes at Mountain and flipping his silver hair out of his face. And devils below if he would stop bouncing like that, maybe Mountain wouldn’t be so close to cumming in his jeans. 

“Mounty-y-y,” Dew sing-songs, voice bouncing in time with his body. “You got that look on your faaaccee.”

The earth ghoul shakes his head, biting back a childish nuh-uh. The look in question has his eyebrows drawn together, and his chipped fang poking over his bottom lip where he’s worrying it between his teeth. His eyes are droopy and red-rimmed, fighting not to stare at Dew or roll straight back into his head. 

Zephyr cranes their neck to run their tongue up the column of Mountain’s neck. They rock their hips back and forth between the two ghouls, slow and torturous. "If you cum, pet,” they rasp, “I bet our droplet will clean you up while I fuck his darling cunt. Won't you, Dew?"

Dew chokes. "What the fu—"

"Oh Lucifer," Mountain cries, voice cracking through breaks he didn't even know he had while his hips give a telltale stutter. Before he can gather the scraps of his remaining wits, he squeezes his arms around Zephyr’s middle and humps them rabbit-quick, creaming himself in no less than five thrusts. He shudders through it, whining high and wounded, cumming harder under the burn of embarrassment. 

“Oh, darling,” Zephyr groans, albeit with a slightly teasing lilt. “That sounded like a very good time.” 

“Shut up,” Mountain mumbles, grimacing at the way his cock twitches in the confines of his now sticky underwear. 

Mercifully, Zephyr leans forward so their ass isn’t directly on Mountain’s lap anymore, getting close to Dew’s face with a wicked smile on their face. Dew can’t help but giggle as they brush their lips over his. 

“Better get to work, water lily,” they croon. Zephyr casts a quick peek over their shoulder, winking at Mountain who’s still staring at them, slack-jawed. They turn back to Dew, pressing even closer and lowering their voice to a barely-there whisper: “Wouldn’t want your treat to go to waste, would you?” 

[holdinbacksecrets]

Hiii! I have a little idea for a request but nothing too specific. Just Jk and his s/o being each other's biggest comfort place 🥺 Thank youu! I gotta say, I've read your pieces and they're gold!! 👏 My favorite blog on this site! Thank you for sharing it all with us 🩷

greetings! thank you so much for requesting and sharing kind words! i’m thrilled to know you’ve enjoyed my pieces 🥺 i hope you like this one too 🖤

you’re alive in autumn. the earth embraces you, tells you your existence is marvelous, and you always breathe easier when you meet these months again.

this morning, the air is crisp, saturating your living room in freshness created by the dew left behind after dawn’s rain.

your coffee is hot, swirling steam that warms the palm hovering above it. you’re passing time, twiddling your thumbs, watching minutes tick by on the wall clock.

jungkook’s not late. you can’t remember a time he ever was, but you’re his excited girlfriend. a girlfriend who’s known a heavy missing for weeks with a thick distance between the two of you. but today is the day, marking his return, and restoring a warm balance not even autumn can gift you.

you’re pouring a second cup of hazelnut brew when the lock clicks. you nearly squeal, maintaining composure until his hello meets your ear. the greeting holds excitement that matches your own, sung with joy.

“jungkook,” you breathe his name in the moment you’re scooped up by strong arms. your favorite arms in all their comforting, safe familiarity.

with your face buried in the crook of his neck, he spins you around, but doesn’t let you down once his feet are planted on the kitchen floor. your legs wrap around his waist, fingers combing through shorter hair than what he left with. you smile, giggling against his skin at the pure bliss of this scene.

“you’re back. thank god you’re back.”

he squeezes you, mumbling words of gratitude, making you laugh when he shares how happy he is to smell you again. “i swear i’ve missed it. hotel pillows don’t smell like your shampoo. i bought a little travel bottle, then i started knocking out fast- couldn’t remember pulling the sheets over me.”

your backside meets the granite of your kitchen counter, and you peel yourself away from him, feeling the stickiness between you, feeling your body begging for more already.

his thumb fans across your cheek, crossing the rosy apple, enjoying its softness.

“you weren’t the only one having trouble sleeping. i thought sleeping in your clothes would be good enough… i drowned my sheets in your cologne and ordered an extra long pillow to hold.”

you squeeze his shoulder, letting your head fall to rest against his chest. jungkook’s lips meet the top of your head. “we’re so used to being together now.”

“mhmm, and i love it. you’re my favorite person.”

jungkook’s hands run mindlessly up and down the length of your back, and you lift your head to find his lips.

your kisses create some kind of magic.

his tattooed hand flattens against your back, bringing you chest to chest. your fingertips are in his hair, and your bodies fall into a perfected rhythm.

somehow, you’ve been this lucky. somehow, you’ve realized all your ragged edges were sculpted purposefully, awaiting the day they would meet seamlessly with jungkook’s. your lips together is one reminder, and it’s been fun uncovering all the others.

his touch is your comfort as your voice is his.

his eyes are your compass as your smile is his.

your fears can tumble out messily and he will sit beside you, sorting them out together, smoothing the intimidating blurs.

his uncertainties taint dreams, taking off in the night, but you don’t mind his gentle waking, talking through splintered thoughts together until their endings have mended.

from the beginning, the two of you have been well aligned. it just took time to realize you fit together so beautifully. things you were afraid to say and sides you were afraid to show brought you closer.

now you’re close like this. close enough to kiss. close enough to laugh and yearn. close enough to unwind and hit pause. close enough to know even your time apart is a luxury because you miss and you crave, and you can’t wait to be back together. you can’t wait to make more love and discover another curve that meets his bend.

[m-jelly]

Tea for two - Chapter 1

Pairing: Post-war Levi x Fem!Reader

Tags and warnings: Canon world, post-war, injured Levi, scarred Levi, romance, falling in love, fluff, angst, emotional pain.

Story concept: After working in Levi's tea shop for two months, you and Levi seemed to have developed feelings for each other. Levi is struggling with these newfound feelings because he has never been in love before, he doesn't understand what is going on in his heart and is trying to figure it all out. Levi slowly bonds with you on a deep level causing him to open himself up like he has never done before with anyone. He starts working on healing himself so he can be a man that he believes deserves to stand at your side. When you and Levi admit your love, Levi slowly learns what it means to love someone and be in a relationship. Through good times and bad, through nightmares and pain, you and Levi face everything together and hold on to the deep love you have for each other.

In this chapter: Feelings are beginning to bubble away inside of you and Levi. Levi shows acts of service for his love language for you but doesn't understand his feelings. You are also using the love language acts of service, but you don't think your feelings will be reciprocated.

AO3 Link

Part 2

It was a crisp spring morning with a light fog clinging to the land and dew droplets running on lush green grass. The waves crashing on the shore were gentle ad soothing to anyone where resting close by. A sweet cottage with a beautiful garden full of life rested on the edge of the busy town. The home was peaceful with the beach and vast forest next to it.

Inside the home was simple and clean with hardly any personal possessions. It was a perfect home for Levi. He had been offered a few homes when he retired from the military and given a lot of money too for his dedication to the scouts. He chose this home so he could have some peace and he could watch the birds in his garden.

Levi loved his home and was adjusting to his new life as best as he could, but there were bad days and good days. He struggled sometimes with his injuries due to the weather and sometimes it just got bad. He spiralled a little mentally and decided to act. Levi focused and achieved his lifelong dream, which was a sweet tea shop. He was so happy when he opened the place up and it was popular.

It was four months in when he realised he needed help. His shop wasn’t big, so he just needed one person to help him. He had a few interviews and a lot of them were terrible. Most people wanted the job to be around the great Captain Levi Ackerman. Levi wanted space from that life, he wanted to move on. He began to lose hope until you walked in through the door. Levi had never liked anyone before or had feelings for anyone, but you made his heart flutter and cheeks burn.

Levi hired you right away because you saw him for who he really was. You didn’t press him about his time in the scouts. You were just kind and sweet and you knew a lot about tea. Levi enjoyed your company so much and even loved your dog Bo when he met him. Levi loved Bo the dog so much, he asked you to bring him to work every single day. Levi was beginning to smile more with you and Bo around and even laugh.

In just two months, you manage to turn his life around into something that was no longer black and white and now was starting to have light in it. He loved going to work so he could see you. You soothed and comforted him so much. He just wanted to go to work all the time so he could be around you. He enjoyed going to work so much.

Today, though, Levi was having a bad morning and he was beginning to panic that he couldn’t see you. He’d woken up and felt an odd sensation in his left knee. As soon as he felt something, he knew today was going to be a bad day for him. He’d worked so hard for so long to walk with a cane, but it seemed like he might not be able to today.

He sat up and winced a little as his knee and leg throbbed. He released a long sigh and looked down at his leg to see the large scars all over his left leg. He massaged his thigh and looked at his clock to see that he needed to hurry or he’d be late for work. He braced himself before pushing himself to his feet. He hobbled a little before he dropped to the floor and slammed against it with a grunt as pain shot through his leg.

He gritted his teeth as he lay there. “Shit.” He slammed his fist against the floor in frustration. “Not today.” He looked around and spotted his chair. “Fucking thing.” He grabbed the bed and pushed himself up to his feet.

Levi hopped to his chair and sat down. He wheeled himself to his closet and changed into comfy clothes. He moved to the bathroom and did a basic clean-up before looking at himself in the mirror and seeing he had stubble. He rubbed his jawline and sighed. As he looked at himself with the scars and stubble, he kept thinking back to the first weeks of the war being over. Levi had given up a little causing his hair to grow out of its normal cut and he started growing a beard.

He moved through his home and to the front door. He slipped on a nice pair of smart shoes before glancing at the clock to see he was late for work. “Fuck.” He hated being late and was always punctual, so this was hard for him to be so late. “Tch.”

When Levi moved through town, people would always try and stop him so they could talk to him. People loved the fact that they had such a strong soldier of the scouts in their town. Levi’s name had become even more well-known after the war. Levi hated that he was famous and just wanted some peace and quiet. He also hated how people would pity him because of his injuries. He just wanted to be treated like any other person like you did. Levi really liked you.

He moved down the street to his tea shop and expected you to be waiting outside for him, but he was shocked to see that the little tables and chairs were put outside with lovely decorations and flowers on the tables. He moved up the ramp to the door and waited for a couple to leave before he moved inside the shop.

Levi’s eyes widened when he saw you with a bright smile on your face as you talked to a customer and your sweet dog Bo at your side. He thought your dress for the day and apron were so pretty. He moved closer and called your name. He blushed when you lit up at seeing him. You looked at him in a way that he’d never been looked at before. He felt so flustered under your gentle gaze.

You cleaned your hands and hurried over to Levi. “Good morning boss! I hope it’s okay I opened up.”

He cleared his throat. “It’s great. Thank you.”

You hummed a laugh. “Oh, so we have a lot of paperwork to do and stock-taking and inventory. So, I compiled all the papers, organised them and marked them for you in your office.”

Levi was rather flustered at your declaration. He was certain that you understood that today was a bad health day for him and instead of fussing over him like most would, you were giving him an easy job for the day so he could rest and heal. He was always so taken aback by your kindness and thoughtfulness. He couldn’t help but smile a little.

He reached over and petted Bo, who was begging for attention. “Sure thing, I’ll work on all that. I should order a few things too.”

“I made a list of what we need.” You laughed nervously. “I hope that’s okay?”

He nodded. “Perfect. Makes things easier for me.” He released a long sigh. “I better get to work then.”

You opened the hatch door for him and then his office door. “Bo will want to keep you company, I hope that’s okay?”

“I’m happy to have the big guy.”

You waved to him and closed the door slightly. You moved around the shop and served tea to people, along with selling tea for people to take home. The shop was mainly for selling tea to be taken home, but ever since you joined you suggested that there be tables inside the small place and out so people could drink at the shop.

You noticed it got a bit quiet, so you decided to make something for Levi. You made a pot of tea with a nice-tasting medical tea to soothe his aches. You put everything on a tray and felt a bit nervous to give him a baked treat you’d made, but you had made so much last night that you just had to offer him some. So, you put some slices of lemon drizzle loaf on a plate and took everything into Levi.

Levi was working slowly as he wrote with his right hand. It was hard for him to be right-handed and to have two fingers missing, but he found a way to make it work. His other hand was on Bo’s head so he could give him a fuss. He lifted his head at the gentle knock at the door and noticed Bo get happy and hurry over to the door, which meant you were here to see Levi.

Levi gulped hard as a tingle began inside him. Levi had noticed that he liked you more than most people, he enjoyed your company and wanted you around often. However, something in his was changing and he noticed this change in him a few days ago. His heart would flutter around you, he’d try to get you to smile and laugh, he’d think about you when you weren’t around, he’d long for your presence and it confused him to feel this way as he had never experienced anything like this before.

He smiled softly at you before calling your name. “Come in.”

You slipped inside Levi’s office and placed the tray in an empty spot on his table. “Thought I’d get you something to eat and drink.”

He gazed at what you got him and felt flustered. “Oh, fuck this is very kind of you.”

“I picked a good tea.” You lifted the pot and poured him a cup. “Also I made some lemon drizzle loaf last night and I had a lot left over, so I brought some in. You don’t have to try it, but it is there if you want.”

Levi looked down at the slice and felt his mouth-watering. “It looks wonderful. I’m looking forward to it. You know, if you bake more things you should bring it in. You could bring the excess and we could sell.”

You laughed nervously. “Ah, I don’t think it is good enough to sell.”

Levi chuckled as Bo shoved his face under Levi’s arm to sniff the cake. “None for you.” He smiled at you. “Thank you. I’ll enjoy this all.”

“Call me if you need me.”

“I will.”

He watched you leave before sighing a little. He looked down at his cup and picked it up. He inhaled the scent deeply and knew right away what you had made him. He felt so touched that you instantly knew he was having a bad day so you had made him a pot of tea with a tea that always helped him. He sipped his tea and felt his body relax at the flavours.

He picked up a fork and turned his attention to the treat you’d made. He cut a slice and was impressed by how soft the sponge was. He popped the slice into his mouth and hummed in delight. You managed to get the balance between sugar and lemon. He licked his lips in happiness and began savouring every last bite of the cake until it was all gone.

As Levi enjoyed his lunch you got him you were busy cleaning the shop up. You served a few customers but business was slow which was okay because the shop had already made a major profit today. You were happy and hoping that Levi was doing okay. You figured Levi was late to work due to his knee getting bad. You were worried about him because you liked him so much and he was so kind and sweet, but you didn’t want to make too much of a fuss because it could upset him.

You looked up when a woman entered the shop. “Welcome to Levi’s. How may I help?”

She walked over to you and pulled a disgusted face. “Ugh, just look at your uniform. This is not appropriate.”

You looked down at yourself and felt a little confused. “Oh…I’m sorry.”

She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Workers these days. Now, I have a list of things I need. Get it for me.”

You took her list and nodded. “Sure. Oh, but there are a few things on your list that we don’t have.”

“What? You had it yesterday when I checked with the handsome man who works here.”

“Yes, we might have but between then and now we likely sold it all.”

She huffed. “But I asked for it! You should have kept it to the side for me!”

You felt a little nervous as your fight-or-flight instinct kicked in. “We don’t keep things to the side for someone unless they make a downpayment for it. I don’t see a record of that.”

“Are you calling me a liar?”

You shook your head. “No, I would never. I’m just letting you know of Levi’s policy that we only hold things for people if they’ve made a downpayment.”

“Don’t spout your policy to me!”

You nibbled your lip. “I’m sorry.”

“Get me what I want!”

You looked at her list. “I can get you everything but three teas on here.”

“I want all.”

“But we don’t have them in stock. I can’t get you something we don’t have.”

She huffed. “You stupid little! I’m not surprised someone as stupid and pathetic as you work in a job like this. You can only do something like this, but it seems like you can’t even do it well. You’re just so damn stupid.”

You gulped hard. “Please don’t talk to me like that. I’m just trying to help.”

“Help!? You’ve done nothing! I want to speak to your manager right now! I can’t deal with someone as stupid as you.”

You bowed your head and hurried to Levi’s office as you tried to hold back tears. You could take abuse from people, but there was something that cut you deep when your intellect was brought into question. You shook a little as you stood there in Levi’s office. You felt your cheeks burning as embarrassment took over.

Levi looked over at you as he softly said your name. “Thank you for the tea and cake, both were incredible. You know, I might ask you for more of that cake.” His slight smile dropped when he saw you were shaking and tears were running down your cheeks. He got up and hopped over to you. “Hey, hey, hey.” He pulled out his hankie and rubbed your tears away. “What’s wrong?”

You whimpered. “A woman came in and wants to see the manager.”

“What happened?”

You explained everything to Levi as you cried a little. “She called me stupid.”

“You’re not. She’s a horrible person.” He felt so enraged that someone had made you cry. “Tch, that fucking…I’ll talk to her.”

“I feel so silly.”

“It’s okay. The way she spoke to you and treated you was shit. I’ll take care of this, okay?”

You nodded. “Mm, okay. Thank you, Levi.”

He shifted to his wheelchair and sat in it. “Do you mind pushing me in there?”

You sniffed and smiled at him. “Sure thing, boss.”

Levi shifted in his seat and processed the words in his head. He wanted to call this woman out and shout at her for making you cry. How dare someone make you cry? You were his. He blushed hard when that thought drifted through his mind. He shook his head and looked out into his shop and saw the woman he remembered from yesterday who wouldn’t leave him alone.

The woman looked over to Levi and perked up at seeing the great Captain. She adjusted her boobs and grinned at him. “Captain!”

“It’s Levi. I want to know why you made my,” he said your name with such heart “cry.”

“Your…” She stared at you. “I didn’t know you were taken…I just…she was so rude! I want everything on this list!”

Levi grabbed the list and looked. “We can get you everything but a few things as we are out of stock.”

“But yesterday.”

He glared at her. “Tch, that was yesterday. Do you think we sat on our fucking asses all day waiting for you to arrive? You’re not our only customer. It is first come first serve. Someone else came and bought the tea, a nicer person.”

“But I want that tea!”

He tossed the order on the table and sighed. “We can order it in for you and you can wait, or you can go somewhere else.”

“Somewhere!?” She huffed. “I will not return here! You lose a customer.”

He shrugged. “Good. In fact, I’m fucking glad you’re not going to come back.” He reached up and held your hand. “No one makes her cry. Now, you can either get the fuck out of my shop or you can buy what’s on your list and leave.”

She growled in frustration. “I will tell everyone to not come here!”

“Please do, because anyone who believes you are like you and I don’t want any more people in here who are just like you.”

She pouted a little. “I’ll call the police!”

“Do it. I dare you.”

You squeezed Levi’s hand before releasing it. You moved around his shop and gathered what she needed and added a slice of your cake in there too. “Ma’am? I am not sure why you are so upset today and so angry. I might not ever understand why you took it out on me, but what I do know is that you are upset and hurting. I got you everything on your list and added in some lemon drizzle loaf as a hope you feel better.”

She stared at you for a while before she started crying. “I’m sorry. It’s just been so hard right now.”

You nodded. “I understand.”

She offered you money and a bit more. “Here.” She sniffed and rubbed her tears. “I’m so embarrassed.” She bowed. “I’ll be on my way, thank you.”

Levi called your name as soon as the woman left. “Why did you do that? Why were you nice to her?”

You walked over to Levi and sighed. “Well, I figured that her anger was towards something else and she was just taking it out on us. We don’t know what’s going on in her life and she doesn’t know what’s going on in ours.” You smiled sadly. “Hurt people tend to hurt others. I hope she gets better.”

Levi stared at you for a while. “You are unbelievable.”

You looked over at Levi. “That bad?”

He smiled a little. “In a good way. I can’t figure you out and I like that. You’re like no one I’ve ever met before. It’s refreshing.”

You hummed a laugh. “If I’m honest, boss, I wanted you to rip her fucking tongue out or you shoved shit into her mouth seeing as she talks so much of it.”

Levi’s eyes widened at your words before he started laughing causing your heart to skip a beat. “That sounds perfect for her.”

You smiled a little. “Right? So, you wanted more cake right?”

“I do.”

You giggled. “I’ll get that for you.”

Levi smiled a little. He looked down as Bo walked over to his side. “Tch, your mum is pretty wonderful.”

Levi gritted his teeth as he started his exercises for the day on his leg. He bent his knee and moved his leg as best as he could. Each time they got easy for him he had to upgrade what he was doing and push his body harder. He relaxed as soon as he reached his target for the day. He released a long sigh and closed his eyes for a moment.

A smile spread over Levi’s lips when you came to mind. He kept thinking of you all the time, how your hair was, your scent, your smile, your voice and how you were always so captivating when you talked. He hoped he could see you soon, but it was a day off and he knew that he would have to wait for the next workday to see you again.

He released a groan at a knock on his door. He pushed himself up and grabbed his cane before walking over to the door and opening it to see you standing there with a basket on your arm with a cute dress, Bo at your side. He frowned a little as he wondered if he had caused you to appear in his life. He had just been thinking of you and now you were here. You were this constant in his life ever since Gabi and Falco decided to remain in Marley and Levi went to Paradis, his home.

You grinned at Levi. “Hello, boss. I am so sorry to bother you, but I was shopping around in town and I found something you might like. Oh! I also might have baked too much again.”

Levi stared at you for a while. He was not used to this kind of kindness and people dropping in on him. He was certain you’d done this because of how unwell he was last week and now he was just about out of his chair again. He was touched by how thoughtful and loving you were. He was so happy.

He shifted out of the way. “Come on in.”

You gasped as your cheeks burned. “Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude or anything. I was just going to drop off some things.”

He smiled a little. “I insist. Tch, come on in. Don’t stand there like you need to shit.”

You laughed at his words. “Sure thing, boss.”

He moved to the side and watched you enter his home for the first time. He smiled a little at Bo and closed the door as soon as Bo was inside. He turned and felt his heart flutter when he saw your shoes neatly placed in the right area. He felt like you belonged here with him and he was thinking of asking you if you could possibly help him around the house. He was going to pay you, but he kind of wanted your company a bit more and he felt guilty asking you to stay around because he didn’t think he was good company. So, he was thinking of turning it into a job.

He limped into his home to see you in his kitchen making a pot of tea. He watched you closely until you noticed him staring.

You blushed hard. “Oh, I’m sorry for taking over your kitchen and raiding your cupboards.”

“Don’t be sorry. Make yourself at home, please.”

“Have you had any lunch yet?”

He moved to his favourite chair and sat down. “Uh, no.” He barely ate really mainly because he often forgot to, or his bad thoughts got the better of him.

You walked over to him with a tray and a sweet smile. “Well, it’s a good job I brought a lot of lunch.”

He watched you sit before opening your bag and pulling out wrapped-up sandwiches, cakes and some snacks. Levi was certain that you did make extra by accident but you intentionally made lunch for him because you worried about him. He liked that you cared about him. He was hoping it wasn’t some sort of care where you were trying to be a nurse to him, but genuine care for him as a man. Levi did not doubt it because you’d always treated him as if he was a normal person.

He tucked into his sandwich and hummed in delight. “You’re a great cook.”

“Mm, thank you.” You wiped your mouth up. “So, the reason why I came here was to feed you but it was also because I found a few things in town and I thought of you.”

He blushed a little. “Really?”

You nodded and put your food down a moment and pulled a few things out of your bag. “There was this new tea in town I thought we could trial run. The person selling it was running a stall. I told them about your shop and they hope we like the tea so we could trade.”

“Great.” He reached over and took the bag of tea. “We can test it tonight.”

“Fantastic. The other thing is a cleaning product. I know you love cleaning, so I found this special rag that’s supposed to have this great dusting ability.” You played with the rag. “Maybe it is static or something…”

Levi took it from you. “I appreciate it. I will let you know if it is better than my normal things.”

“Wonderful.” You pulled out something wrapped up. “Last thing.”

He frowned a little. “Tch, the fuck is that? Poison?”

You laughed. “No, no poison. If I was trying to poison you I would have done it by now.”

“Good point.”

You fiddled with the gift as your feelings slipped out. “I rather like you and would like to keep you around as long as possible.”

Levi’s cheeks burned. “I uh…”

You smiled at him. “Last gift. This is a new thing. They said it’s called chocolate and they had different kinds. I know you’re not the biggest fan of bitter things, so I got the one with a bit of milk in so it is a bit easier to eat. I will get the dark next time.”

“I’ll give it a try after this wonderful lunch.”

“Great.” He looked down and saw Bo was staring at him. “No, you can’t have my lunch.”

You hummed a laugh. “It’s hard to say no when he looks so cute.”

“You’re right.” Levi petted Bo. “I’m impressed with how trained he is.”

“He’s a quick learner. He’d be good with someone who needs physical or mental care.” You frowned in thought. “Maybe I should take him to the local hospital…”

For a moment Levi thought you meant him, but you mentioning the hospital meant you didn’t see him as someone who needed a lot of care. He was happy, but he also wanted you to take care of him and fuss over him too. He wanted your attention on him all the time. He didn’t know why he felt so demanding of you. The thought of you dating someone and spending time with them irritated him a little. He was rather confused about his feelings.

“Levi?”

Levi flinched at hearing you call his name. “You called me Levi.”

You pressed your lips together. “Mm…”

“It’s okay. I like it. I prefer it.”

You smiled softly. “Well, I’ll call you Levi from now on.”

“Good.” He cleared his throat. “So, you called my name.”

“Mm! Yes. I was asking if I could stay over.”

Levi’s cheeks burned. “Stay?”

You nodded and pointed to the window allowing him to see the rain was coming down heavily. “It appears it is pouring it down and I didn’t bring a coat or anything. I can leave if you want.”

Levi stared at the rain and thought about you staying over. He rather liked the idea of you being a permanent feature in his home, you were always one at work so it’d be nice to have you more. He looked over at you and gave you a tiny reassuring smile. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you need. I have a spare room if you have to stay the night.”

You gasped. “Oh! Oh, I don’t think that’ll happen, I’m sure the rain will ease off. I don’t want to be a burden or anything.”

“You would never be.” He sighed. “I might seem grumpy, but I rather enjoy your company compared to others.”

You smiled a little. “I’m glad.” You stood up and cleaned his living room of all the leftover food and rubbish. “Tea?”

He watched you in his kitchen. “We should try that tea you bought.”

“Perfect!”

He released a long sigh and felt a weight on his lap. He looked down to see Bo with his head on Levi’s lap with a sweet gaze and tail wagging. Levi hummed a laugh and began fussing him. “Good boy.”

You walked over and sat near Levi. “Bo adores you so much. I’ve never seen him so taken with someone.”

Levi smiled at you. “Well, I like him. I like having him around.”

“I’m glad.” You offered him a cup. “This is the stuff I bought today.”

Levi sniffed it first. “Has a nice aroma.” He carefully sipped it and let the flavours mix in his mouth. “Mm, that’s rather nice. Seems like a summer drink though. It is more fruity in flavour.”

You sipped it and enjoyed the fruity taste in the tea. “I like it too. You’re right about it being best for summer.”

“We’ll go visit the seller together and make a deal.”

“Perfect.”

He relaxed a little and enjoyed his tea. He winced a little when he felt a random stabbing pain in his right eye. He placed two fingers on his closed eye and began massaging the area. He hummed in happiness and felt himself being soothed by your scent and presence. Before Levi knew it, he had drifted off into a light sleep and started dreaming about you.

You cleaned up the tea and turned to Levi to ask him a question, but he was out like a light. You smiled softly as he slept in his seat but you noticed he was uncomfortable. You placed a cushion behind his lower back and another behind his head. You slowly lifted his legs and put them on a footstool. You grabbed a blanket and placed it over him to make sure he was warm.

You shifted his hair from his face and smiled at how handsome he was. You had been around Levi for two months and slowly developed feelings for him. You knew he had been in the scouts and people freaked out about him, but that’s all you knew. You didn’t want to pry into his business and possibly his trauma. You could tell by the scars that Levi had been through a lot in life.

You knew Levi didn’t see himself as much because he was always confused at fangirls declaring their love for him. Levi didn’t see himself as attractive, especially now with all his scars. However, you thought he was so beautiful and incredible. He was thoughtful, emotional, kind, caring and smart. You enjoyed talking to him and just being around him. You just had this natural desire to be around him and make him smile.

You realised you liked him more than a friend about a week ago. You didn’t say anything to him because you didn’t want to ruin what you had. You weren’t sure Levi liked you back in the same way you liked him. So, you were just going to do lots of acts of service to show your affection to him because seeing him happy was enough for you.

You leaned closer and pressed a delicate kiss on his forehead. You closed your eyes and wished him all the best in his health, both body and mind. You pulled back and smiled a little at him. You pulled away and went to the spare room thinking you needed to set it up, but it was already perfect for you to sleep in. You made some dinner in the kitchen and ate your serving before leaving a note for Levi to let him know how to reheat it.

With one last check on Levi, you moved your way to the spare room and pulled your things off until you were in your underdress. You slipped under the covers and felt yourself blushing because the bedsheets smelt just like Levi. You wiggled in place and gasped when Bo jumped on the bed and lay next to you. You knew that there was no bed for him, so you were just going to have to say sorry to Levi when he woke up.

He woke up after a while and noticed it was still raining outside and it was dark. He frowned when he felt a cushion behind his lower back and another behind his head for comfort. He looked down at his body to see a blanket had been laid on him. He blushed a little at the thought of your doting on him as he slept. He moved the blanket off him and limped to the kitchen to see the dinner you’d made and the cute note for him.

Levi enjoyed the freshly cooked meal before making his way to the spare room. He opened your door and peered inside to see Bo on the bed and you sleeping deeply next to him. He limped inside the room and fussed Bo as he woke up for a moment. Levi carefully pushed the hair from your face and smiled, you were so pretty.

He pulled back and released a long sigh. He closed the door behind him and made his way to his room. He changed into his night things and fell into bed. As he gazed up at the ceiling his mind was filled with you. Often he would think about his job, his life, or the people he had lost but it was all you. He blushed as you filled his mind and made his heart throb. He wasn’t sure what these feelings were, but he liked them.

[sponcarmicheals]

TEEN!Micheal Afton Fluff Alphabet

Warnings!: None!

they/them pronouns intended

A= Admiration (what do they absolutely adore about you?) :

He adores EVERYTHING about u! but the thing he most adores about you is your as- i mean your personality! Jokes aside, he adores every part of you but mostly your laugh. He just finds it so pretty and soothing.

B= Body (what is their favorite part of your body?) :

DEF YOUR THIGHS. HE JUST GIVE THIGH GUY VIBES YK?!?!! HE ADORES THEM NO MATTER THICK OR THIN, SHORT OR TALL, LIGHT OR DARK HE LOVES THEM ANYWAY‼️

C= Cuddling (how do they like to cuddle?) :

He def cuddles facing or spooning! He 100% small spoon most of them time, but if your not feeling well or your sad he’ll be big spoon

D= Dates (what does their ideal date with you look like?) :

Dates at the diner 100% (before bite of 87’ ofc) or arcade dates! He’d beat you half the time but sometimes let you win bc he’s a gentleman (to you and only you)

E= Emotions (how do they express emotion around you?) :

He has a hard time with emotions, especially after the d3ath of his little brother, but he tries his best to express his emotions to you from time to time.

F= Family (do they want one? If they do, when?) :

He definitely wants a family but just not yet, the reasoning is because his greatest fear is that when he gets kids he feels like he gonna turn into his father. So he wants to wait a dew until he forgets or the fear goes away!

G= Gifts (how do they feel about gift giving? What are their habits when it comes to this?) :

He LOVES gift giving he’ll find different stuff im the woods for you! (like twigs, rocks, mushrooms, etc.) you may find it odd but you still love him! He also wins a plushie from an arcade you mentioned one time, you were confused but loves it.

H= Holding Hands (when/how do they like to hold your hand?) :

He loves holding your hand! but also doesn’t like PDA that much. He’ll hold your hand or put an arm around your shoulder in public, just not too much! (hes got an ego to keep.)

I = Injury (how would they act if you got hurt?) :

If it was minor, he’s would laugh and tell you to walk it off. If it was major, he’d be bouncing off the walls in panic. Like fight or flight mode on, it chose flight. He’d run and grab the first aid kit he saw and run back to fix it (the best he can at-least)

J= Jokes (do they like to joke around with or prank you? how?):

He tries and jokes around here and there. He’ll make inappropriate jokes to make you laugh when your down. Sometimes he makes jokes about you and it gets out of hand sometimes so it ends with you guys curled up on the couch watching ghostbusters.

K= Kisses (how do they like to kiss you?):

HE LOVES TO KISS YOUR LIPS OR NECK. You can not tell me differ that this man would not kiss your lips nor neck 24/7. He just always ‘smooch’ on your soft lips or leaving soft pecks on your neck when you sit in his lap

L= Love (how do they show you they love you?):

He def shows love by spending time together wether it be at the arcade or your house, and he loves spoiling you sm. He may not be able to afford the best gifts but you don’t love him for money (i hope).

M= Memory (favorite memory together?):

His favourite memory of his was after his brothers death you comforted him very hard. He was having a panic attack and degrading himself so hard saying stuff like ‘i’m a fucking horrible person’ , ‘i should be here i’ve juts killed my own brother why am i still here’, and ‘god just take my now, i’ve murdered my brother, please let me be with him’ and you were like bbg no your wrong. He cried so hard that day, your shirt was soaked with guilt and woe.

N = Nightmare (what is their worst fear?):

Mentioned before (F-Family) his worst fear is him turning into his father. The reason being William was never a good father to Him, Evan or Lizzy, he would ignore them and sometime abuse Michael for the way he treats Evan. So if he ever has kids w/ you he never wants to treat his kids like that.

O = Oddity (what is one quirk they have?):

One quirk he has is he always quotes any movie he’s seen. Doesn’t matter where, when, or why he just does. Like out the blue he’ll quote “fuck me gently with a chainsaw” (ifyky) you’ll just have a confused look on your face the whole time.

P= Pet Names (what do they like to call you?):

The pet names he uses for you is Love, Babe, Baby 100% Reasoning because Love in a British accent is just *mwah!*, Babe is a basic pet name and he likes to keep things simple, and Baby because your a crybab- jk because your his bbg😍

= Quality Time (how do they like to spend time with you?):

He loves to hang out in the woods or the arcade with you. Either kicking your ass at air hockey or finding different rocks and mushrooms in the woods behind yours/his house.

R= Rhythm (what song reminds you of them?):

A song that reminds me of micheal is def Creep by Radiohead (ik basic) idk why but that songs juts gives me teenage micheal afton vibes

S= Secrets (how open are they with you?):

He’s decently open with you. He keeps some secrets to himself, like the way he treated his brother before meeting you or what his father does to him behind closed doors, but besides that he mostly opens up about his feelings and tells you what’s wrong in his life.

T= Time (how long did it take you to get together?):

It took you two 2 1/2 years to get together. You started out as best friends then you guys became enemies in late elementary school, then became friends again in early middle school and in late 8th grade, early 9th you started officially dating.

U= Upset (how do they act when you're upset?):

He tried his best to help cheer you up. Sometimes it works, sometimes it don’t. When it doesn’t he’ll also become sad then you’ll have to cheer him up and its juts a never ending cycle of sadness.

V= Vaunt (what are they proud of? Do they like to show you off?):

He’s very proud of his improvement of kindness to not only his brother but to everyone after he met you! He also loves showing you off. He wants everyone too know that your taken and his.

W= Warrior (how do they feel about you fighting? Would they fight for you, beside you, etc?):

He isn’t the biggest on fighting but would fight someone for you. He wouldn’t fight someone with you but still would be your biggest hype man on the side!

X= X-Ray (how well are they able to read you?):

He can read you pretty well. He can tell when your mood isn’t your normal mood. When you walk into a room slouching forward and not taking he knows what up.

Y= Yes (how would they propose to you?):

He would go to your first date spot (the arcade ofc) and do everything you did on your first date! That includes eating pizza, playing loads of different games, kicking your ass in air hockey, and winning you cool prizes! At the end when you won a prize he told the person at the prize counter to give you the ring box instead of the prize. He said his vows and what not you orc you said yes! Ofc at the end you still got your prize :)

Z= Zen (what makes them feel calm?):

The things that make him feel calm are You (ofc), Music, Arcade Games, and Sleeping. You because your the only person that has ever looked out for him, Music because its one of the only things that helps him in need, Arcade Games because it easily takes his mind off things, and Sleeping because it easily helps him get away from stuff lime his father and school.

[alwaysjustmina]

Whispers of Rain

Chapter 11: Up like the moon and out like the hounds

Commissioned art by @kamonart

Thank you to @papaslittlesunshine for betaing and @midnight-moth for listening to my depraved raindrop thoughts, as always!

Story can be read below the cut or on Ao3

If you like it, I'd love a reblog or likes. Always appreciated!

Dew quickly vacated Eidolon’s lap, his lips still wet with their kiss and stood on shaky legs to turn around. He felt Eidolon reach out to steady him as he too stood, placing his hand on the small of his back. Dew relished the feeling of his calm nature as he looked at Rain.

Rain.

Rain with his little smile on his face, his eyebrows pinched together, tears in his eyes.

Rain.

Rain was trying to ignore the fact that Dew was just on someone else’s lap, kissing someone else. His heart broke at the sight of them. It was his job to reach out and steady Dew, his job to bring him comfort. He swallowed those feelings down as he took a step towards Dew. His hands reaching out in front of him asking, needing to feel him close.

Dew could feel the tremor run through Eidolon’s hand on his back, the small growl in his throat at seeing Rain approaching. He reached behind him and grabbed his hand in a small squeeze, before letting go and putting his feet in motion to bring him closer to Rain.

When they met in the middle of the room, they didn’t immediately touch, instead taking a moment to look at the other as tears streamed down their faces. Dew reached out first, putting his arms around Rain, bringing him flush to his body. Rain’s arms quickly went around his back with the intention of never letting him go again. Rain’s body was racked with sobs as held onto Dewdrop, his tears wet on Dew’s shoulders.

“I am so sorry,” Rain whispered quietly into his ear, a statement just for the two of them.

When Dew choked out and asked why, he continued, “I tried to be here sooner, I tried so hard, but they wouldn't let me, I thought about you everyday, everyday.”

Dew pulled back and looked into Rain’s eyes, the torture these months had wroth, evident on his face. He wondered what Rain had faced topside.

“I missed you so much, Otter.”

They collapsed against each other again, just breathing in the other's scent, listening to their heartbeats sync together once more.

Eidolon watched Rain and Dew, trying to not let his face show the disappointment of being interrupted and be happy for Dew, he knew how much he missed Rain. He could see why he loved him, not just his looks, he was beautiful like Dewdrop, but also he could see how much Rain loved Dew. His emotions were written all over his face. He wondered how they hid their feelings from Ifrit, anyone with eyes could see they were meant for eachother. Eidolon quietly grieved what he knew he wouldn’t have with Dew.

So invested in his thoughts on Rain and Dew he missed when the other ghoul made his way to his side, and was looking him up and down. He turned to address him, introducing himself, when the other ghoul quickly pulled him into a giant bear hug, crushing him to his chest.

“He-Hello?” He tried to squeak out between breaths he was able to take.

“Phantom, he told me he let you go back to our village, why are you still here?” Aether pulled away from the hug, grabbing Eidolon’s face in his hands, turning it every which way, looking for what? He didn’t know.

“You may have me confused with someone else.”

“Phantom, stop joking around.”

Eidolon pushed himself back from the ghoul, his hands on his chest, pushing him away from his body. “I don’t know who Phantom is, my name is Eidolon.”

Aether tried to grab his arm again to pull him closer to his body, but Eidolon was having none of that. He quickly moved to the other side of the tent, his fleeing body grabbing Dew’s attention as he moved.

“Eidolon?” Dew inquired as he moved out of Rain’s arms, but not letting his hand go, their fingers intertwined, smiling to himself when he felt the ring he gave Rain still on his fingers.

Aether moved to approach Eidolon once again, but was quickly shut off in his pursuit by Dew, who placed his hand not attached to Rain up to ward him off, before he moved to stand closer to Eidolon, dragging Rain along with him.

“What’s wrong?”

“He keeps calling me Phantom, I don’t know who he is, Dew.”

Dew quickly turned his head to look at Aether, and mouthed, Phantom, while Aether quickly nodded his head.

“How?” Dew knew Aether had a brother, knew his name was Phantom, but nothing beyond that. The way Aether talked about him he was a lot younger, Dew thought he was still a kit from how he was described.

“I haven’t seen him in so long, but it is him for sure. The fact that Ifrit is calling him Eidolon makes sense too, that is his given name, Phantom was just a nickname I called him.”

“Why don’t I remember you?” Eidolon asked from behind Dewdrop.

“I don’t know, love, but I promise you are him, you are my baby brother.”

Brother? Was this person the embodiment of the family he couldn’t remember? He looked nothing like himself, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything.

Dew saw that Eidolon was reeling from this information, he wanted to reach out and hold him close to tell him it would all be ok. Shower him in the same comfort he always provided for Dewdrop, but the grasp on his hand pulled him back from those feelings before he acted on them. He was torn between not wanting to hurt either of the ghouls next to him. He cared, loved them both. How did this get so messed up?

Rain spoke up from his side pressed up against Dew, “Maybe we should all introduce ourselves?”

“Yes! Eidolon, this is Rain,” motioning to his side, “And this is Aether, Aether, Rain, this is Eidolon.”

Rain offered his hand not attached to Dew to Eidolon, “Eidolon, nice to meet you.”

Eidolon took the offered hand, looking up into Rain’s eyes, the kind smile he offered, Eidolon couldn’t stop himself from smiling back at him. He could feel the warmth in Rain’s hand spread up his arm, taking the chill of the last few moments away. He wondered if it would be weird if he held his hand for awhile. Probably.

He silently turned from Rain to look back at Aether. So this was Aether, the one he was drawn to the story of with his quintessence, was it because he was family, was it because he had the same magic. Like he stated they looked nothing alike, Aether was taller, with a stocky build, his broad shoulders, leading to muscled arms and strong hands that were now gripping his. His hand encompassed Eidolon’s, it was so large, his hand disappeared inside of his much larger one. When he looked at his face, he could see he had similar eyes, if not Aether’s a little darker purple. His hair was lighter, almost more of a brown, as opposed to his own dark tresses. He had a small pensive smile on his lips, and Eidolon knew he just wanted to pull him back into his arms again. He offered a nod of his head and a smile back, which had to be enough for right now.

“How did you even get here?” Dew asked quietly, trying not to add more tension to this already tense moment.

“It is a very long story, which we probably should hold off on for right now and get you two out of here.”

Now that they had their initial meeting they all could recognize the dangerous situation they were in. Rain wouldn’t be able to stop the pounding “thump, thump” of his heart again until he had Dew away from Ifrit, he could see the toll these months had on him. Dew was terrified now that Rain was back in his arms, that Ifrit would finish the job he started and as much as he cherished having Rain there with him again, he wouldn’t be the one to cause his death. If Ifrit touched him, he’d have to go through Dew and they would depart this land together, when he looked at Eidolon, he had the same urge to protect him as well. This was going to get messy if he didn’t figure this out soon.

Aether handed them both cloaks to pull over their clothes, they were in a stark white to show they were part of the attendant staff. He had failed to see the ones that both Rain and Aether had on and pulled back off of their heads. They all quickly donned their cloaks and covered their heads, keeping their heads down, ready to move before Rain whispered to him.

“I am not letting you go again, stay close to me.��

Dew could hear the tremble in his words, he reached out one last time before they stepped out of the tent to grab his hand before pulling it up to his mouth and placing a kiss on his palm. He could hear Rain’s small sigh of happiness before he quieted it back down and left the tent first, Dew right on his heels with Eidolon right behind him and Aether bringing up the rear, surrounding the weaker two from months (or in Eidolon’s case, years) of torture.

As they made their way swiftly between the tents, Dew could hear the moaning from within, the cracks of whips as they sliced through the air, the grunts of pain that followed the snap as it hit flesh, over and over again. He had to remind himself that Rain was in front of him and that he had to stay strong and focused, not get distracted by the inflections of pain going on around him. He knew there were probably so many people in the same situation he was in, but his only job today was to make sure Rain and Eidolon made it out of this compound. Aether could handle himself, he was sure and Dew, himself, didn’t matter, they could kill him to make sure the other two got free. They would always sacrifice themselves for the other, if they could stop trying to not inflect unhappiness on the other, maybe they could then be truly happy and free.

For the most part everyone ignored the four figures moving silently through the grounds, as they got closer to the exit, security picked up a little though and they had to carefully plan their moves. The first checkpoint to exit had Rain offering papers to the guard, mumbling quietly that they were tasked with getting more wine from the local warehouse. Dew waited with baited breath as the guard checked the paperwork and looked them over before waving them through the gate. Dew let out his breath in a huge rush, as Rain chanced a quick look back at him from the front making sure he was ok. He just nodded and they continued.

The next two gates went much the same, they had one more gate to get through and get to the vehicle Rain and Aether had secreted away nearby. This gate would be the hardest. Rain and Aether were prepared for it, they knew from friends that the guards were all tasked with making sure both Dewdrop and Eidolon stayed on the grounds since they were out of Ifrit’s sight for most of the day. Anyone who was found to have let them past, would be dealt with. Swiftly and deadly, so it behooved them to do their job well, paying attention to the smallest detail.

When they approached the last guard, Rain again handed him the papers. The guard asking more indpeth questions than the prior three before asking Rain to remove his hood, which he did without hesitation. When he moved down the line to ask Dew to remove his hood and ask him some question, Rain quickly spoke up and said both him and the next person were mute and unable to answer, but he nodded at Dew and Eidolon to remove their hoods. Hesitantly Dew pulled his back, ready for the alarm to sound, but all the guard did was take a quick look before telling them they could pull their hoods back up. When he got to Aether, he saw he handed him back the papers and took a small envelope back from him at the exchange. He waved them through the gate, making eye contact with Rain and Aether once more before turning back to his task and nodding for the next group to approach.

As they moved through the fields in a light jog, rushing to get to the car, Rain took Dew’s hand in his pulling him along, telling him it wasn’t much further. When he stumbled, he put his arm around Dew’s waist to help him along. The further they ran, the more Dew could feel his energy depleting, it had been so long since he was able to move like this, it was to be expected. The third time he stumbled, Rain looked back at Aether, who came forward quickly, crouching in front of the duo and telling Dew to climb on. Dew looked at him increndulously, he was not going to let him carry him. When Aether asked if he would rather they get caught, then accept help, he shut his mouth and climbed on. Rain fell in step behind them, making sure Eidolon was ok as they continued their trek.

In about another mile they made it to the car, Aether letting Dew down and putting him in the back seat, Rain quickly took the seat beside him after helping Eidolon in the passenger seat as Aether took the wheel. The silence in the car was thick as the car was put in motion. After many minutes of tense quiet Dew could visibly see Rain and Aether calm down and relax. They must have been far enough away from immediate danger.

“Where are we going?” Dew asked from the backseat.

“Somewhere safe until we can secure passage back to the surface.”

Somewhere safe turned out to be a few hours away at a friends house, someone Rain knew from his village. Somewhere Ifrit wouldn’t think to look. The friend had many acres of land around a large lake, thick forrest surrounding them. Dew learned the friend wasn’t there and wasn’t expected back for a few days, giving them the privacy to regroup and reconnect. When Rain asked him where he wanted to sleep, Dew knew Rain was asking if he wanted him in the same room to sleep in. Eidolon was a room down, with Aether across the hall, Dew told Rain the first room was fine for them.

He could feel the bone deep tiredness that was rapidly making his way across his body, he knew that him and Rain had to talk, but they both knew that tonight was not the time for a conversation. Rain watched Dew as he pulled back the covers on his side of the bed before getting in. Dew had gone to the bathroom connected to the room to change out of his other clothes into an offered sleep pants and t-shirt. Opting not to let Rain see the bruises and bites on his body, he didn’t miss Rain’s eyes tracking him across the room. Rain followed his lead, changing in the bathroom before crawling under the covers next to Dew’s warm body, he didn’t know if he should reach out and hold him, if Dew would want that or not. He laid facing Dew watching his chest rise and fall, rather than looking at him in the face.

Timidly, he whispered out, “Can I hold you?”

He saw the flash of pain pass across Dew’s eyes before he nodded. Rain put his arm out along the pillow, showing Dew it was up to him what he allowed. Dew rolled over, his back facing Rain as he pushed his body into his side. Rain could feel his rapid heartbeat through his back, he ran his hand along his hair. He watched as Dew’s breathing got shallower and shallower, his heartbeat never slowing down though. Rain couldn’t sleep at first, he had the constant thought of, how much did Ifrit hurt him? How much did he break him? Will he ever be the same? Rain cried silent tears for what he knew him and Dew had already lost.

[iamthecomet]

i will offer you my firstborn child for a new ghoul focused fic about him being praised about insecurities. i find comfort in my favs having the same issues as me, so the idea of him not really liking his body but being praised for it is just so good to me

I don’t know if this is exactly what you were looking for. But I blacked out and wrote 1k of Aeon/Dew angst/comfort. ♥ No smut (but it's implied). Just Aeon being insecure and Dew having none of it.

Aeon feels….wrong. The galaxy that is his existence shoved into this…the other called it a vessel. He thinks prison is a better word. They keep telling him he'll get used to it. Used to looking in the mirror and seeing…this. Whatever it is.

Dark skin splotched with swirling galaxies. Freckles like stars dotted over the pale spots. The brilliant white stripe of hair that keeps falling over his too dark eyes.

The horns and tail, at least, are familiar. Horns sharp and nearly iridescent. Shimmering black. His tail, dark as the night sky, curls around his forearm. The spade tapping against his ever rapid pulse. He fiddles with the waistband of his pants. Tightens the belt. He's always been small, but he feels his size so much more acutely here. He feels bigger--his personality dictates it. But next to Aether he looks like a kit.

The mechanical lock in the door hums. Clicks. It swings open to reveal Dew, shouldering it open as he stumbles through the small opening. Cheeks flushed, golden hair pulled back into a messy bun. Boots untied.

Dew looks up at Aeon as he closes the door--harder than necessary. Dew leans back against it, a little out of breath. His eyes glued to Aeon's body.

Aeon thinks about asking where he's been--what they all did after the show when they got together and Aeon retreated back to the room claiming an imaginary headache. But he doesn't think he actually wants to know. Doesn't really want to hear about whatever dive bar they found tonight. Or who Dew fucked in a sticky bathroom.

Dew reeks of cigarettes. Stale beer. Aeon crinkles his nose, drags his eyes away from the fire ghoul and back to the mirror. Meeting his own eyes. Still startled by himself. By the way the scars from the pit have translated onto this body.

Dew pushes away from the door and Aeon watches him move. Toe off his boots, shrug off his jacket. Dew has his t-shirt halfway off when he finally talks. Voice muffled by cotton.

"Checking yourself out, huh?"

Aeon winces. He could lie. Say yes. That would be the end of it. But he finds himself shaking his head before he can stop himself.

"I'm not--that doesn't look like me."

Dew tosses his t-shirt across the room when he finally gets it off. He blows hair out of his mouth. Meeting Aeon's eyes in the mirror. He moves closer, stalks is a better word for the way Dew walks. Aeon still isn't used to it. Being the singular focus of Dew's attention is still a little intense. Dew stops right behind him.

Close up the cigarette smell isn't as bad as Aeon thought. He can smell Dew underneath it. Cinnamon, woodsmoke, autumnal in a way that makes Aeon wish for fall. They're almost the same size. Aeon's a little bigger but he doesn't feel that way. He feels minuscule under the weight of Dew's gaze.

Dew catches his eye in the mirror, brow furrowing. "What were you expecting?"

It's a hard question, one Aeon almost chokes on. He doesn't know how to answer it. Taller maybe, broader, like Aether. Like other Quint ghouls even though he's always been little. Smooth, even skin. Lighter eyes. Something else--not this.

He doesn't answer, the words don't come. Dew reaches out. Traces overwarm fingers over one of the lighter patches of Aeon's skin. Thumb dragging over the galaxy of freckles, the endless array of colors.

"I don't know what you see when you look at yourself," Dew says slowly, like he's testing the waters. "But I think it's different than what I see when I look at you."

"Which is what?"

Dew huffs out a laugh, breath tickling Aeon's ear. Dew's hand slips lower, over his chest. "You're so fucking pretty."

Aeon's cheeks heat. He drags his eyes away from Dew's, looks down over the flat plane of his chest. Dews fingers ghosting over his collarbone. Feather light.

"You don't have to lie to me."

Dew goes rigid behind him. His fingers go still on Aeon's chest. The other hand snakes around his waist, presses flat to Aeon's stomach. An iron grip.

"Look at me."

Aeon raises his eyes to Dew's in the mirror.

"No," Dew snaps, "look at me."

He forces himself to turn his head, to look at Dew for real. Flesh and blood only inches from his face.

"Why the fuck do you think I'm lying to you?"

Aeon shrugs. "I…look at me..I'm not--"

"Shut up," Dew says, eye roll iminant. Aeon opens his mouth to protest but Dew keeps talking, cutting him off. Molten eyes fixed on his. Aeon had noticed before--but the center of Dew's eyes hints toward blue. Copper, oxidized. "You're exactly the way you're supposed to be. So fucking pretty I can't stand to look at you sometimes. Makes me insane."

"I--"

"I know how it feels to look in the mirror and not see yourself. But fuck Aeon, I don't know what you were expecting, but you're wrong. This is better than anything you were hoping for."

"Wrong? It's an opinion."

"Yeah. A wrong one. Looking at you is like looking at the sky on a clear night. You're the fucking milky way."

Aeon's words fail him. Protests dying on his tongue. Heart swelling. Something that feels like a sob threatening to break free in his chest. If Dew's lying--he's damn good at it. Aeon sees nothing in that angular face but devotion. It's overwhelming, he could drown in it. Maybe he wants to.

Dew tips his head forward, leans his forehead against Aeon's. Horns bumping. Breath mingling.

"Come to bed," Dew whispers, "I'll show you how much I mean it." Aeon's body is filled with light. Warmth. Static. He thinks he should nod, should let himself be led away, worshipped the way Dew's eyes are promising. He reaches up instead, drags his fingers over the sharp line of Dew's cheekbone. Dew leans into his touch, eyes fluttering closed.

"You want me," Aeon whispers, an impossibility. Dew nods, nuzzling against his hand.

"Yeah, dumbass, I do."

[ghoulangerlee]

Mushy May 11 - Papa Time / First Kiss

this is for day 11 for mushy may, i've combied Papa Time w/ First Kiss and thus we get Dew and Copia's first kiss vaguely based in my You Share Not universe (though a technical AU since this has yet to happen).

Mountain is also mentioned but not present, heavily implied Moutain/Copia, Mountain/Dew and Rain/Dew and Mountain/Dew/Copia :)

you don't have to have read you share not to know anything other than it's a slowish burn au of Copia taking over the mantle as the leader of the ghost project and the ghouls eventually fall in love with him.

-

Copia's nervous energy manifests itself into a sour sort of scent, cloying Dewdrop's senses as he watches the man pace along the aisle of the tour bus.

They're due soon, at their first stop of the tour and for the most part, Copia had seemed excited to leave the heavy and imposing walls of the church, ignoring the way one of the Clergy suits had tittered at them before they'd boarded, wishing Copia a good tour.

We'll be watching, of course. Do us proud.

There was a thinly veiled threat there that made Dew's hair stand on end, the urge to slink up to Copia's back and intimidate the man had been there for a moment, before Dew had bitten it back, knowing it was no use to pull the ire of the Clergy with so little time left.

"Hey, why don't you come sit down or something," Dew says, right as Copia's about to turn sharply and make another circuit around the small aisle, he pats the couch beside him and relaxes his stance when Copia stops pacing and looks up at him.

Copia glances at Dew and then at the space beside him on the couch; it is, for the most part, a comfortable couch.

He sighs, spins on his heel and drops onto the couch beside Dew; leaning his head back against it. "First time jitters," he says, half a joke but mostly serious, turning his head to look over at Dew. "You'll forgive me if I'm not an old hat like you."

Dew snorts softly, nudges his shoulder against Copia's, "It'll be fine. First few shows are always nerve wracking but once we've gotten a few under our belts, things will fall into place."

"So you say," Copia says with a healthy amount of trepidation, "I feel like one wrong move from me and they'll somehow orchestrate pulling me off stage." He presses his lips together, dark circles more prominent under his eyes now that he's not wearing his paint.

He looks less of the proud Cardinal and more along the lines of a weary man with too much responsibility; things that Dew had seen in small bits and pieces during their time at the church, in preparation, keeping a strong facade up.

"Over our dead bodies," Dew says, he's mostly joking, but there's a fire in his heart as he says it, beating loud in his ears, zinging through their bond, "No one's going to pull you off stage for messing up some lyrics."

He tries to play it off as a joke, to quell the strong emotions he's feeling, but Copia smiles a small sort of thing, his eyes crinkling fondly as he does.

He looks younger, happier, with a smile on his face, less like the world has settled on his shoulders.

It's a good look on him.

"I won't mess the lyrics up," he says, though there is some doubt in his voice. "It's not my fault that some of the older songs are written the way they are."

Dew hums and knocks his shoulder against Copia's again, "Do you want to talk about it though? Your fears and stuff? The thing that's got you all," he waves a hand im Copia'd face, "stressed."

Copia reaches out and grabs Dew's hand, pulling it further into his space, "Not really," he says, pausing for a moment, "I think, the stress is coming from the expectations, the careful way we've planned these shows. I'm worried something will go off kilter and it will throw everything off. They want bigger and better and well. I want to give everyone that, but there's a voice in the back of my mind that's saying what if this isn't big enough, even though the Clergy have signed off on it."

He pauses, squeezes his fingers around Dew's; his own skin is slightly cool to the touch, a stark contrast to Dew's warmer skin; the difference calms him a bit, "Apparently I do want to talk about it." he says with a little laugh. "But, I'm done, I'm done." He squeezes Dew's fingers again and Dew shifts closer, pressing their thighs together.

"I'm just glad to be away for a bit."

Dew finally tips his head to the side and rests it against Copia's, "Yeah, me too," he says quietly, basking in their closeness. "Gonna be in close quarters with a bunch of hellbeasts for the next however many days, though. Might start missing the silence of your own room."

"When do I get silence in my own room?" Copia asks, amused, "There's this pack of ghouls who keep welcoming themselves into my room most nights." He says, incredibly fond.

"All you've gotta do is shoo us away," Dew says, the words catching a bit, wondering for a moment if they're all coming on too strong--

Copia hums softly, brings Dew's hand up to his mouth and brushes a kiss to his knuckles, "I didn't say it was a bad thing." he murmurs, lips still pressed against bare skin.

Dew can feel the roughness of Copia's lower lip against his skin and his mind short circuits for a moment, his words catching in his throat, and then Copia's pulling away, letting his hand fall back to his lap and turning a bit so he can look at Dew.

He's so close now.

"Dewdrop?" he says, there's a warble in his voice, hesitance and Dew shakes his head before turning just enough to press his mouth against Copia's.

It's chaste, the angle is a bit off and Copia's hand squeezes at his while his other hand sort of uselessly hovers by his hip, but when Dew pulls away, there's a bit of a flush on Copia's cheeks, a soft look on his face.

"Mountain did say you'd get there eventually," Copia says after several long moments, breaking the silence. "But, I'm always happy to wait."

That pulls a scoff from Dew and he butts his forehead against Copia's, "Mountain needs to mind his business," he grumbles, remembering the night they'd spent together, and how Mountain had whispered things in his ear about Copia, riling him up. "He was getting a little too comfortable, being the only one that gets to kiss you."

He sounds petulant, something about the amused look on Copia's face making him want to hide his face from the other man, "There's plenty of me to go around," he says with a little laugh.

Dew goes quiet then, hides his face against Copia's shoulder, basking in his scent, mellow and happy now, instead of acidic and thick, "I do understand your hesitance though," Copia murmurs after a long moment, "If I had gone through even an ounce of what you'd gone through after Terzo's death, I would have kept my heart guarded as close as I could too."

Copia presses a kiss to the side of Dew's head; he'd sort of shaved the hair there, given himself an undercut to keep cool under the helmet during shows, so he's able to feel the warmth of Copia's lips against almost bare skin.

"Thank you for opening yourself up to me," he continues, sliding his free arm around Dew's shoulders, keeping him close. "I won't take advantage of that."

Dew wants to snort, to make a joke and cut the tension that had built up, but he doesn't, he just buries closer to Copia, allows himself to relax.

"Mountain's going to be so annoying about this," Dew says with a sigh a bit later, pulling back so he can look Copia in the eye, "He's so annoying about things like this. He was the same way when me and Rain got together."

Copia grins, a teasing sort of thing, leans in close to Dew, "Don't worry, I know the best way to shut him up. Something you can help me with now that we've figured ourselves out."

The grin works its way onto Dew's face after a moment, his eyes flashing, "He'll never know what hit him."

[miasmaghoul]

Any sfw headcanons for DewDrop? -🌱

Oh, plenty! Here's a good handful:

Has a rep for being an attention whore, but in most group settings he keeps to himself. He likes to listen, to observe. Doesn't always need to interact.

Love languages are physical touch and quality time.

Defensive and standoffish, always quick with a scowl or a sharp retort.

Wicked insecure and terrified of losing his place in both the band and his pack, even if there's no reason for him to be.

Deeply, deeply connected to Aether. He's seen Dew at his worst and has stuck with him through every bit of it. They share a unique bond, one Dew can't quite put a name to. Whatever it is, the feeling is mutual.

Was summoned when Secondo was still Papa, worked as part of his road crew and eventually became a tech before taking over on bass during Terzo's era.

Mentored by Mist, who treated him like her little brother most of the time. Despite her being the only ghoul shorter than him at the time, she was a very successful bully.

Very unhappy about his height. Comes from his time in the pit, where he was cast out due to being the runt of his litter. This fact also makes it very difficult for him to get comfortable in his new pack, or to accept changes to the pack.

Me personal hc is that all ghouls are elementally neutral before they're summoned. They're low-level hellbeasts, and their alignments are decided at the time of their summoning. As such, their elements don't always suit them. All this to say that I personally think that Dew never vibed with life as a water ghoul, it never felt quite right to him. When the option to transition to fire was put in front of him, it was like the answer to a question he didn't know he'd had.

However, he was definitely traumatized by the transitory process. Only a handful of people know exactly what happened in the limestone caves beneath the abbey that night, and Dew is not one of them. What he does remember is more than enough, and he's glad that fire is clearly what he was meant for. He could never go through that again.

He's a good cook, and an even better baker. They all have at least one non-musical creative outlet, and Dew finds his home in the kitchen very quickly.

His other hobby is glass blowing. That's one he doesn't get to indulge in very often.

Enjoys being carried, but would never admit it.

Incredibly weak to having his hair played with, it makes him feel oddly cared for.

Great listener, though he has perfected the art of appearing uninterested while still being very attentive. Comes in handy more often than you'd think.

A sucker for trashy reality tv shows, he and Swiss like to watch them together and make fun of the people on them.

His favorite place to be (aside from glued to Aether) is at the bottom of a ghoul pile, keeping everyone toasty warm.

Collects little trinkets on the road - bottlecaps, cool rocks, bits of sea glass if they're near a beach. Little reminders. Keeps them in a box under his bed.

The defacto caretaker of any sick ghouls, his hotter-than-average body making it hard for illness to take hold. He's on top of fetching soup, blankets and remedies from the infirmary, and only grumbles a little when the others (Rain) whine about being cold and clammy and in need of his body heat.

Terrified of chickens.

[kentuckyfriedsatan]

ℭ𝔯𝔞𝔠𝔨𝔰 ℑ𝔫 𝔗𝔥𝔢 ℑ𝔠𝔢

《 Chapter 3 》

❚ Rating: M

❚ Pairing: Dew/Ifrit, Dew/Rain (end goal)

❚ Chapter word count: 955

❚ Tags: Angst, Emotional Hurt, Self-Loathing, touch starved Rain, touch starved Dew, Ifrit is a manipulative bitch in this one, I am so sorry for that I normally love him, Emotional Manipulation, Hurt/Comfort In later chapters, emotional abuse

❚ Chapter summary: Did Rain get it all wrong?

Read it on Ao3 or here under the cut!

Rain wakes up exhausted, the few hours of sleep he was able to catch were not nearly enough to make up for all the sleepless nights before. He wants to just stay in bed and sulk, but he knows that he has duties to do today and he doesn’t want to risk falling back into a depressive episode, so he sticks to his routine.

Rain rises from his bed and makes himself presentable like on auto pilot. His thoughts are with Dew, like always. Rain doesn’t like the distant look Dew gets whenever he is with Ifirt. He knows there is something wrong, but Dewdrop doesn’t want to hear anything.

By the time he made his way to the kitchen, the rest of the abbey is beginning to stir. He finds Dewdrop there, preparing coffee, his movements slow and deliberate, as if each step requires immense effort.

"Morning," Rain said softly, trying to catch Dew’s eye.

Dew nods in response but doesn’t look up. There is not a trace of the vulnerability he saw last night, only a mask, but Rain can see the exhaustion etched in every line. He wants to reach out, to offer some comfort, but he doesn’t know how.

They move around each other in the kitchen, their interactions careful and restrained. Dew hands Rain a cup of coffee, their fingers brushing briefly. It was a small, fleeting touch, but it sent a jolt through Rain. He glances at Dew, hoping to see some acknowledgment of the connection he felt, but Dew’s eyes remain downcast.

As the day wears on, Rain can’t help but find reasons to stay close to Dew. He lingers near the fire ghoul, making up excuses to spend more time together. Rain even lies about needing help with some bass lines before practice, though he can play them perfectly fine. The thought of Dew going to Ifrit right now is unbearable. Rain knows Dew is drawn to Ifrit, but he can’t understand how Dew could yearn for someone who was slowly destroying him. Why could Dew not see that there are better ways, better people to hang around?

Do you think you are better than Ifrit? His mind mocks him. You are just desperate and lonely and want to see only the bad in Dews relationship because you are jealous and want him all to yourself. Pathetic!

He tries not to let it show, but Dew knows that something is up.

“This isn’t like you at all, Rain. You can play this riff in your sleep, why do struggle now?” The fire ghoul asks confused, concern lacing his face.

“It’s nothing, I’m just tired.” He lies.

During practice, Rain can’t help but steal glances at Dew, watching the way he plays with grace and incredible power. He sees Dew smile for the first time today and loves how he gets lost in the music. The air is buzzing and Dew creeps steadily closer to Rain and finally lays his head on Rains shoulder while playing. It’s something they do for the show at concerts and never at practice, but if feels incredible. Rain doesn’t want to move away, not move a muscle, as to not drive Dewdrop off.

The creaking door gets his and Dews attention and Dew practically scrambles away to the other side of the stage when he sees Ifrit standing there, watching, arms crossed. The fire ghoul plays more stiff and he certainly isn’t having fun anymore. Rain notices how Dew’s gaze often strays to Ifrit while playing, resignation in his eyes. It breaks Rain’s heart to see Dewdrops demeanour change so drastically.

Luckily Ifirt was called to handle some out of ministry business and won’t be back till evening, but Dew stays distant and locked up in himself.

Lunchtime is no different. They sit at the long dining table with the rest of the pack, exchanging polite conversation but never truly connecting. Rain wants to scream, to shake Dew and make him understand that he is loved, that he doesn’t have to suffer alone and that he deserved better. But the words stay locked inside, buried beneath layers of fear and uncertainty.

In the quiet moments between tasks, Rain’s mind drifts to fantasies of what could be. He pictures a life where Dew could smile freely, unburdened by the weight of his demons. A life where Dew and him could be happy. But each time, reality crashes back in, reminding him of his own insecurities and the distance that still lays between them.

As the evening approaches, Rain finds Dew alone in the library, staring out of the window with a distant look in his eyes. Rain hesitates in the doorway, his heart pounding in his chest. He wants to reach out, but he knows Dew isn’t ready to accept any contact he so desperately wants to give yet. And the nagging voice in his head reminds him that maybe someone different from their pack would be better for Dew than himself.

“Dew,” Rain says softly, stepping into the room. Dew turns to face him, his expression guarded but empty. “I saw how you reacted to Ifrit today and I have been noticing it for a longer time now. I’m concerned for you. Do you maybe want to talk?”

Dew’s eyes flicker with uncertainty, and for a moment, Rain thinks he might have a conversation with him.

“No need to worry, I’m fine. In fact, Ifrit will be back soon so I will head to his room now. See you at practice tomorrow.”

He simply stands up and leaves disappointed and disheartened Rain behind.

Is Dew happy in his relationship and Rain is just interpreting things wrong? Did he get it all wrong?

[rhinestoneskye]

Woman Jn A Dream

I don’t know what kinda home the Kiszka boys grew up in, but their music just reminds me of that country home down in the hollow, where nothing really matches but at the same time it does because it’s a mess of patchwork decor and it all has one thing in common: the simple fact that it’s crunchy and probably passed down by other family members. Like the frosted colored plastic cups, and the fake wood walls that match the floors, and the orange yellow lights and all the old quilts. Like I had grandparents who’s homes were like this and I LOVED it. So that’s kinda the vision I had for the home in this fic.

Edit- I found Pinterest photo examples!

Josh x Fem!reader

Warnings: cursing, the fear of losing loved ones, a random moan, Josh in no pants.

Word count: 3.1k

————————༒————————

The peace that surrounded us was like many mornings before. And yet this one, no matter how similar to the rest, was unique. They were always unique.

The hardwood floor and the matching -vertically placed- wood wall adopted an orange-brown appearance. The doily blinds on the window across from the bed had never been drawn the night before. Josh and I got into town too late in the evening to mind. His childhood bedroom was decorated with mementos of music and theatre. Just as one would expect. Old programs of shows he’d been in painted the wall above his desk. John Denver records sat on a shelf -on the opposing wall- that flexed downward in the middle only in the slightest. There were a few framed pictures hung about. Ones with the band when they first formed. Photos of garages they’d played in, the first article written about them, a stray graduation photo.

Josh and I had spent almost a week together after tour before he had asked if I wanted to go home with him and his brothers to visit their parents. I couldn’t say no. I loved the boys, and I loved their family as well. I had extended a further invite to Danny after I discussed it with the three boys. Karen had a guest room, and Danny had been ecstatic to go with us.

A yawn escaped my lips, making no attempt to remain particularly quiet. Usually I tried to mind Josh’s sleep schedule, but he was home. I knew the moment his eyes cracked open, they’d never shut again until the evening hours. He’d want to be up early. Then again.. there was a good chance his mother wasn’t even up.

My head lulled toward the night stand on my side of the small bed, eyeing the old alarm clock as I tried to read the blinking number. Just barely 5:30 in the morning. The dew would still cover the grass, the air would still have a humid chill to it. The birds were just beginning to rouse. Their songs faint in the world outside. I heard the comforter rustle. Felt a leg brush my own. My gaze drifted back toward the man sleeping at my side. Josh was anything but a peaceful person. He was chaotic and excited. He had a mind full of wonder, and held so much love for the world that I never understood how he didn’t explode. I could never comprehend how he loved everything. Cared so deeply for even the things that hurt him.

The thorn of a rose could prick him and he’d rather bandage the damaged stem than his own finger.

His lips parted, bare chest rising and falling slowly with a heavy exhale. His hair was a hot mess. It reminded me of the years of our childhood, when we’d get up after sleepovers, and I would watch Karen fix his hair in the bathroom while I sipped on juice.

A thud tore my gaze from my sleeping lover, staring at the door in anticipation. It was a distant sound. I was uncertain who it came from. Then I heard feet trample down the steps. It had to be one of the boys.

The gentle caress of a hand against my arm warmed my flesh. I hummed at the feeling, peeking back at Josh to see his head turned in my own direction. His eyes just barely began to flutter, another heavy breath escaping.

“Morning, love.” I whispered, turning onto my side and propping myself up on an elbow. He seemed to barely register the words that left my lips, his eyes closing once again. I chuckled softly at his exhaustion. He’d done quite a bit of driving the day prior. “Josh.” I called his name softly. My objective nothing more than to bring him from whatever world of dreams had a grip on him.

“Not yet.” His whispered words were accompanied by the gentle squeeze of his hand before it fell from my arm and back to the mattress. I carefully reached out to brush the middle of my index finger against the bridge of his nose, relishing in the way his head tilted up into the feeling, until I reached the space between his brows. “I can’t keep you here.” He mumbled incoherently, a statement I didn’t completely understand. But Josh often said things of that nature when half asleep. Emotional or thoughtful things that he wouldn’t explain at a later time. These were the rare moments when his mind was too groggy to guard itself. When he was vulnerable enough to share just a little of what went on upstairs. If one could pry enough from his lips at times like those, one could understand his mind much better than before.

“You’re not keeping me, Josh.” My finger trailed from one brow to the next, before I dragged my knuckles down the side of his face. Too much contact would wake him up faster. Not enough would allow him to wander back to sleep. “I don’t mind laying with you.”

“S’not like that.” His brow creased. I stopped my movements.

There were often moments when Josh got so lost in his own mind, that he forgot reality. Moments when he couldn’t enjoy life because he got caught up in the idea of it ending. Not that he wanted to end it, or that he ever had anything wrong enough to be so morbid, but even as the day is long, night still creeps in. Josh’s biggest fear was that of losing the things around himself. His family, his friends, the life they’d built. Me. We had a good relationship. We were happy, stable, healthy. His concerns never rose from the fear that he was doing something wrong, but rather that I might cease to exist one day. He never liked to vocalize the word, ‘death,’ but I always imagined that’s what he meant. He was afraid I might pass and he’d be alone.

“Why don’t you open those pretty eyes, huh?” I prompted after a moment of silence. Another long exhale followed, this one more labored than the last. Threaded with dread and worry. I moved my hand from his jaw to his chest, felt the pendant of the gold J he wore, then dragged my hand further toward his abdomen. “Josh.” I leaned forward to kiss his shoulder. He stirred slightly.

“Please not yet.” His eyes squeezed. I could sense the tension. “I just wanna keep you a little longer.” He was more coherent. I could tell by the sound in his tone. “Please.” His voice was trapped between a quivering plead and the sound of a man who’d simply given in. A little scattered.

“I’m right here.” I leaned forward and kissed just beneath the outer corner of his eye. I felt the way his lashes fluttered against my skin. “You can keep me all day if you open your eyes.” In his head, I existed forever. In Josh’s mind, I never had to disappear. He was in love with me, the physical me, but attached to the memories and pictures his mind created. His dreams offered the comforts that I could not, because he never let me in too much when it came to his darkest concerns.

“You’re right here.” Josh repeated softly. Distantly. I couldn’t tell if he was talking to me or the girl in his dream. A girl I desperately wanted to see. Myself. Through his eyes.

I gently traced the few bumps on his sides, faint spots where I could feel his ribs. Then my hand dipped lower to the bruises on his hip.

“Josh.” I repeated more sternly. “Your mom’s gonna be waiting for you.” He’d live forever in a dream if he could. Where the world was perfect and people didn’t die. Where nobody left and he could spend eternity with his family. Sometimes I wondered where the fear came from. Josh never spoke of somebody close to him passing away. I always assumed his fears were what happened when somebody was so full of love and wonder about so much. If you love everything, then you have everything to lose.

Another heavy breath left Josh’s lips.

“My mom.” His tone became a whine. I dragged my hand back up his side, toward his chest, up the side of his neck.

“Jake‘s gonna get to see her first.” I whispered tauntingly, brushing my thumb against his jaw. “Five minutes before you.” He stirred, leg pushing against my own once again.

Just bring him out of his own mind. Just distract him from his world.

“I think I hear her right now.” I gently tugged on one of his curls. Josh’s eyes fluttered once again, a bit faster than the first time.

“I came out first.” He clearly wasn’t comprehending the entire conversation, which helped me understand that most of our previous conversation had been in his subconscious mind. I cooed at the sight of his dazed expression, pushing my hand through his messy hair.

“I know you did, honey.” I answered softly. To use sarcasm, or make fun of him too early, would only cause greater confusion. He just needed somebody to agree with him while he gained full awareness of the world around him. “The birds are singing for you.” I whispered, “hear ‘em?”

“I always do.” His eyes closed again, a blissful look adoring his smooth features as a smile overtook his face. He was finally awake. “Mourning doves.” It amazed me how he could always tell what they were.

“You wanna go find your mom?” I pulled my hand from his hair and sat up, stretching my arms over my head and extending my legs toward the end of the mattress.

“What time is it?” Josh’s eyes opened again.

“Almost six.” I peeked back at the alarm clock.

“She won’t be up until eight.” I would have questioned his logic if I hadn’t known him longer. Over time though, I had learned Josh knew his mother like clockwork. He knew almost everybody as such. “Let’s get something warm and go sit on the porch.” His hand found my thigh, giving a gentle squeeze before he sat up with a groan. His hip bothered him, I could tell. Not in a severe way, but simply when he moved in certain directions. That damned tambourine.

“Tea?” I suggested.

“I think I might actually be in a coffee mood.” His brown eyes looked like pools of honey as the sun reflected off a mirror in the room, lighting up half of his face and the area behind him.

“You got it, dove.” I rested my hand below his chin and guided his lips to my own.

Josh let out a sound as he pulled away, nothing short of an obscene moan that he always knew irritated me. I didn’t mind in certain situations, but after such an innocent kiss, I knew he only did it to annoy me. I gently pushed his chest and slid out of bed, hearing his amused giggles. “Get dressed, you ass.” I scolded in a lighthearted manner, reaching for the shorts I’d discarded the night before. I slipped them on before I found my way over to his old dresser. I rifled through a drawer before I found a t-shirt to change into. I had packed a bag, but nothing felt better than wearing Josh’s clothing. Clothing that fit me fairly well all things considered.

“Oh, yeah.” Josh’s flirtatious tone had my head whipping in his direction as I changed from one shirt to the next. His eyes trailed the back of my body. I flipped him off.

“I love you too, honey.” He responded to the gesture with sarcasm and a cheeky grin.

After I got the new shirt on, I grabbed a hair tie from his nightstand and slipped out of the bedroom.

The blinds in the living area had all been opened, the beautiful morning sunlight cast upon all of the furniture, and Danny, who was on the couch with a book in his hands. His head raised when I reached the bottom of the steps, earning a grin from him.

“Morning.” His soft voice rang out.

“Coffee?” I offered, though he shook his head.

“No thanks.” I slipped into the kitchen, and it wasn’t long before the drummer followed. I made quick work of finding the coffee pot, and the items I needed to get the caffeinated beverage brewing.

“You guys left late last night.” Danny commented as he found a seat in the kitchen.

“We didn’t plan on it, but Josh is late to everything. He didn’t pack until like- maybe six?”

“Jesus.” Danny’s quiet laughter brought a smile to my lips.

“That’s what I said when he was running around like a madman freaking out because we were gonna be late. I told him he should have packed earlier, and he said, ‘I was busy!’” I mocked his voice with a soft chuckle.

“Thanks for inviting me by the way.” I turned away from the coffee maker and smiled, looking up at the tall drummer.

“Of course. You’re a brother from another mother.” I teased, watching the way his cheeks flushed. Danny always felt embarrassed to be called part of the family. He never wanted to intrude, but I wondered when he’d realize that he wasn’t. They all loved him. Especially Karen, because he was always ready to eat when she made something, and much like a grandmother, she could offer food over and over, and he’d never turn it down.

The scent of coffee quickly overtook the kitchen. I folded my arms over my chest as I waited for the pot to fill, my senses brought to attention by the familiar smell. I didn’t have to wait much longer before the last drop filled the pot. I went looking for mugs, only to accept the assistance of Danny when I found them on the top shelf of a cupboard. He pulled two out, and I filled them with both to the brim. Mine didn’t need much doctoring before I went on to perfect Josh’s coffee how he liked it. I heard feet on the steps the minute I tapped the metal spoon I found against the side of the cup.

“Ready?” Josh stepped into the doorway, walking through the kitchen and slipping behind me to pull a mug off the counter. His bare arm was the least of my worries, but the moment I turned to look at him, a gasp slipped my lips.

“Joshua!” I scolded. “I said get dressed!”

“It’s fine.” He argued like a moody teenager, and certainly walking away from me like one as well. My brow creased with worry at the sight, his ass clad in boxers. He made a trip to the living room for something before I heard the front door open. “I can’t do it sometimes.” I muttered incredulously, shaking my head as I grabbed my own mug. Danny laughed. “I really can’t.” I scoffed, glancing at the drummer before I followed my boyfriend outside.

“Would you go back inside and put something on?” I scolded, watching him sit down in a white whicker chair. Josh set his coffee down on the small table outside before he unfolded the blanket in his other hand, draping it over his legs. We made eye contact. He wore such an innocent expression that I wanted to strangle him.

“No.” He answered simply before patting his legs. “Come sit with me.”

I huffed out a breath.

“You’re stubborn as a mule.” I muttered, walking over and sitting in his lap. A breathy laugh fell from his lips. I shifted to sit sideways, leaning my back against one arm of the chair, and draping my legs over the other arm. I leaned into his chest, holding my cup of coffee between my hands while Josh grabbed his own from the table.

“I’m headstrong.” He corrected.

“You’re gonna be head-up-your-ass here in a moment.” I warned.

“Yes ma’am.” He knew I was telling him to quit with the attitude, even if I didn’t have to make the request. I looked out toward the wet grass. The forest in the distance, the bird feeder that hung from the tree in the yard. All the birds signing. I felt his hand tuck a lock of my hair behind my ear.

“I dreamt about you.” He commented thoughtfully. I took a sip of my coffee.

“You always do.” I teased, eyes trained on a pair of turtle doves flying together close to the tree.

“Because I love you.”

“You love everything.” I took another sip of my coffee, finally peering back at Josh.

“That may be true, but I’m obsessed with you. I don’t dream about things that I love. I dream about things that I adore. That I can’t live without. I am.. absolutely smitten.” The grin on his lips was almost childlike. So full of wonder. So Josh. “I am devoted to you in a way I will never devote myself to anything else. You are my dream.”

I never believed a man felt much other than lust until I met Josh. Then I found myself wondering how someone could be so full of emotion. How did he feel all those things and never get exhausted.

“I wish I could see the world through your eyes.” I whispered, nestling my side further into his chest.

“I wish you could see yourself through my mind.” His free hand rested behind my back. “I’m gonna write a song about you one day.”

“Please don’t.” I whispered with a breathy chuckle. “Don’t Swift me.”

“No.. her songs couldn’t measure up to the one I’m gonna write for you. Your song will be sung by only the best choir of angels.” There went his mind again. “It’ll be as beautiful as you are.”

“I don’t need a choir, J.” I wrapped my own arm around the back of his neck. “I just need you.”

“I’m afraid my voice won’t be good enough to sing your song, love.”

“You’re the only man I want singing praises to my name.” I lifted my head from his shoulder. “If there’s any other, I’ll be miserable.” The doves interrupted our conversation with their own. Josh and I both looked toward the tree, where they sat side by side, enjoying whatever feed Karen had set out.

“The birds agree.” I whispered jokingly, earning a quiet giggle from Josh.

“Hey..” I turned back to him, brow risen in expectation. “I love you.” A smile turned my lips upwards. I nodded in understanding.

“I love you too.”

“I’m gonna keep you forever.” He whispered, “please let me do that.”

“I won’t stop you.”

[terrible-eel]

"Astarion and Gale finally have a chance to have some time alone together and figure out a few sexy work-arounds to Astarion's touch repulsion"

Because I've been completely obsessed with bloodweave recently I thought I might as well get some of their cursed romance out of my head. I think I might turn this into a longer thing eventually.

Astarion walked down a small trail behind the encampment. The moon pierced the forest canopy, cascading over the dewy grass. He smiled to himself, watching it move gently in the wind.

“It looks like puddles of moonlight,” he thought fondly, stepping through the pale blue ripples, feeling the icy dew soak into his clothes.

The air out in the wilderness made him feel light and peaceful again. There was a rightness in the underbrush and little rivers that he would scarcely allow himself to feel in the company of others, but on the way to Gale's tent he was content with a solitary embrace of what the night had to offer… Which made approaching the tent all the more solemn.

Astarion began to roll the sleeves of his tunic shirt absently as he thought, an age old tell of his nerves.

He and Gale had been exchanging glances and small flirtations where they could manage as their camp grew larger with refugees. Neither of them felt comfortable letting any of their companions know of their affairs, sexual or otherwise, and it had left them exchanging letters and subtle conversations during the rare moments when they could find each other.

Fortunately, forming a more permanent settlement while they waited out the conflicts had allowed them the opportunity to meet up again. Gale had taken his tent far into the woods, using some excuse or another. Nobody paid him any mind, just as they paid Astarion no mind as he made his way out into the forest "for a hunt."

"Gale? It's me!" Astarion called from a few paces away.

Gale threw open the flap of his tent quickly upon hearing Astarion's voice.

Astarion’s heart skipped a beat, shock clear on his face. He quickly forced his jaw to shut but still stared with brows raised at Gale.

Astarion felt so underdressed for the occasion in his jodhpurs and old tunic. He didn’t even consider fastening a belt this time, but Gale was carrying himself beautifully in a fitted top he had never seen before. It was a deep enchanting purple, almost black, and though it was a long sleeved garment, there were expertly tailored openings revealing his collarbones and shoulders. Gale’s olive skin in the firelight was almost more than Astarion could take, but he made himself absorb the rest. Around his neck hung a long silver chain and turquoise pendant, which allowed his eyes to trail down to his pants. Beautiful purple brocade ran up the sides of the black fabric. He also took note that he was barefoot.

“Well, the least I can do is take my boots off before entering,” Astarion thought in embarrassment.

“Come in, Astarion,” Gale said with a knowing smirk, inviting the vampire in.

“You look lovely,” said Astarion, glancing up as he pulled his boots off, hoping Gale didn’t notice his shame.

“I’m glad you think so, I’ve been meaning to show these garments to you, I figured you may be interested in their design.” Gale boasted, clearly proud of himself for drawing such a reaction from Astarion.

Astarion smirked. “Well I’m clearly interested in the form they’re designed for.” To that Gale turned quickly away, moving further into the tent.

It was a modest thing from the outside, but Astarion was just as taken aback as usual when he walked in. It was much bigger on the inside, giving the appearance of a private study. Bookshelves lined the walls between things in jars and bottles. Astarion barely understood most of it, but he was familiar with a few things here and there. Of course there was a desk and a million half written papers thrown about, but in the middle of the room was a comfortable sitting area with large ornate pillows and furs over beautifully woven woolen rugs to keep the cold out.

The bed lay unattended in the corner. Astarion half wondered when Gale ever actually slept before a bone chilling sensation encompassed his body. Gale had taken him in his arms. The scratching of his beard felt like spiders. The light touch on his back burned like ice water.

And then the kiss. At first it warmed him to the other feelings. Astarion allowed himself to settle into the entanglement, trying to ignore the shivers like nails scraping against iron. Gale's mouth was warm and welcoming. Astarion tried to remind himself of how much he wanted it. How many weeks he had spent crafting letters of what he hoped they would do together; about their plans after their return to Baldur's Gate. He had even been so bold as to suggest they stay together in Gale's home in Waterdeep.

Astarion was desperate for a life where an embrace from Gale meant something romantic. He wanted the sunlight to rouse both of them from their dreams and to be able to cuddle into his shoulder as dawn sang sweet birdsongs.

"Why can't it just be like that now?" Astarion lamented as something crept into his mind. Books. Shelves like Cazador's. His study. Cazador taking notes. Astarion lay bound and watching him from a table-

Astarion pulled away quickly. Gale didn't try to hold him as he left his embrace. Gale had watched Astarion lose himself before and responded immediately with a loud distraction, hoping to pull him back to the present.

"Astarion! Let's start over, alright? You step outside now." Gale ushered Astarion back out of the tent.

The sudden feeling of icy dew on his bare feet and the soft smell of pine trees began to bring Astarion back to his senses. Gale hurried away and returned with two cups of hot chocolate he seemed to have had sitting for a while.

“He must have prepared that for me,” Astarion thought with a flutter in his chest that he prayed would not turn to guilt.

Gale swung one flap of the tent up and stood at the threshold.

"Let's start over, " he said again brightly. "Hello Astarion! Welcome to my room. I've made a drink for you- oh hells how long has it been cold- '' A purple glow came from his hand and the drink began to steam. "No matter, there you are." He placed the cup in Astarion's hand. The warm ceramic had grooves pressed in by some potter’s hand. Astarion began to trace the marks, feeling a sense of calm at the gentleness of the handcrafted object.

Astarion loved to watch Gale be charming. Perhaps the wizard didn’t know it, but whenever he began to show even a hint of what was on his mind, Astarion was charmed.

"Now, my dear, would you like to come in? I've added a little space since it will be the two of us. I wasn't sure if you would want your drink sweet, but I took the liberty of guessing you would. You do seem to have a sweet tooth."

Astarion finally smiled. "You're not wrong in that," he said, tasting the drink. "Oh, this is quite good. You really shouldn't have, sweetheart. Too many nice things and I might think you're flirting with me."

Gale smiled back with all the warmth he could manage. "There he is. Gods, I really need to stop approaching him so aggressively," Gale silently berated himself before speaking out loud:

"Well we couldn't have that now, could we. I suppose these biscuits I picked up at the market will be much too sweet and suggestive then. I will have to have them for myself," Gale said, opening his palm and pulling a small ginger jar to himself with his magic. Astarion intercepted it and tucked the jar under his arm, forcing Gale to release his hold before the thing shot out of Astarion’s grasp.

"No way you're retracting your sweets from me," Astarion chided, flopping down on Gale's many pillows. "I'll be eating all of them myself now," he said, making a valiant effort to do so.

Gale took a seat next to him. "Fine, I surrender. It's more fun watching you eat them anyway... I do love to see you satisfied."

Astarion lounged on his side and propped himself up on an elbow enough to look up at Gale. "I'm sorry for my behavior. It's just one of those days, it seems."

Inwardly, Astarion lamented. "I don't deserve someone so gentle. Look at him. I need to get myself under control. This is what he's been waiting for. I can't go back on every promise I've made. I need to stop behaving like a ridiculous child.-"

Astarion was pulled from his thoughts by Gale's gentle fingers running through his hair. His big warm hand was such a surprising and wonderful sensation. He leaned into the touch as he drank his cocoa.

"I'm so thankful I can see him happy like this," Gale thought, watching the man's expression soften as he settled down. "This is how I always want to see him. Just content and smiling. Maybe I'm going insane, focusing so hard on another's happiness again, but it feels different this time, I think. Astarion has been thinking of me as well. His little handmade gifts. His tending to my affliction. Rage towards our enemies as he comes to my aid... No. I know he's different." Gale wondered at Astarion as he leaned down to place a kiss on his forehead.

To Astarion these things finally felt right, but he knew that they would only go on for so long before the expectations would arise. He leaned onto Gale's lap, hoping to savor the affection before everything went sour.

"How would you like to have me," Astarion blurted out before he could catch himself.

"I'm sorry?" Gale asked, pulling his hand away.

"We had talked about this, why did I have to say that-"

"Remember we had-" Gale began.

Astarion sat up to face Gale directly.

"Talked about that, yes, I recall. I'm sorry. Look, frankly this is a situation we have both been anticipating, and with that anticipation there must be some expectation, no?" Astarion’s voice broke. He sounded more meek than he liked.

Gale pondered for a moment before responding: "Hm. I suppose… perhaps there is a bit too much of that. I myself am finding it difficult to know whether I'm going to be satisfactory for you. I had offered you the option to fuck me again in that letter…" Gale hesitated, and Astarion reached out and placed a hand over his, maintaining a reassuring grip until the man was able to continue. "Truth be told, you're the only man I had ever allowed to bed me at all, let alone in that way. I have no real reference with which to compare my own performance, I fear I am likely inadequate."

"Oh love, no, there's nothing to compare. I'm here because what I feel for you makes everyone else irrelevant to me." Astarion placed his cup and jar of sweets down on the floor and began to stand, bringing Gale to his feet along with him. He guided Gale into his arms, holding his left hand in his right, and pressed his body to Gale’s, swaying a little as if dancing with the man.

Astarion continued, “Let's just be here together now, in each other's arms, free of expectations," he whispered, feeling Gale lean into his shoulder. "You're wonderful in bed, but more than that, you're my treasure. You're who I want to spend my days with, as well as my nights. That's by far more important. I want nothing more from you than your love."

Gale's shoulders tensed and his face began to feel very hot on Astarion's collarbone. It was rare for Gale to become shy about anything, but Astarion was managing to find more and more ways to elicit the response recently. Together they tiptoed around the concept of love as they danced in silence.

"Alright. No expectations." Said Gale as he wrapped his arm around Astarion. "You have such a small waist. It just fits so perfectly in my hand."

"Hmm, perhaps it was made for your hand then," Astarion purred into his ear. "To hold, to caress, to scratch as I am inside you..."

Astarion could feel Gale's hand curling around the fabric of his shirt as Gale hid his face again. This time Astarion peeked down to see Gale's olive skin turning a deep crimson.

Astarion carried on, "There's my blush. Does my mage wish to feel me again?"

Gale's breath hitched in his throat, a delicious sound to Astarion. He had to have a taste of those lips. This time Gale's mouth tasted like chocolate. Warm and soft, his tongue coaxing Astarion for his kiss to go deeper, Astarion gladly moved in, eliciting a moan from Gale that made Astarion's body tense with arousal.

Gale's hand traced up Astarion's back and he felt that cold shivering malice run through him again. Slime like a snail's trail. Icy, dripping liquid. It was beginning to feel awful again. Slowly, Astarion began to pull away once more, taking a few steps back.

"What is it? You can tell me. Is it something I did?" Gale's voice was purely concerned. Astarion could tell consciously that he didn't want to hurt him, but the feeling was impossible to explain.

"It's not you, it's just…" Astarion looked down at the ground, hating that he couldn't bear to look Gale in the eye. He knew how pathetic he must have looked, but the idea of facing Gale was an even worse prospect than whatever the man thought of him at that point.

"It's just that tonight isn't really working for me…" Darling was usually the rest of his sentence, when these kinds of things came up; some flirtation to ease the tension, something to mask his worries a little, but all of that was gone. All that remained was hesitation and too much fear.

Gale felt an ache in his heart as he watched Astarion pull away. He hated to see that enchanting confidence be swallowed up by an anguish someone else had put there. Gale approached Astarion, reaching out and quickly drawing away when he saw the elf curl into himself.

"That's absolutely fine, Astarion. Another time, perhaps?" Gale took a step to the side where Astarion was staring off to, trying to at least meet Astarion's eyes.

"If he can see my sincerity, perhaps he would at least take comfort in the fact that everything is alright at the moment." Gale thought hopefully.

Astarion flashed him a glance through his lashes. When he saw Gale's worried expression, he turned on his heels, running both hands through his own hair in exasperation.

"Agh it's nothing so serious, it's not that I'm truly uninterested! Gods, I'd happily be fucking you right now! It's just the idea of sensation; the pressure of bodies is repulsing me, and of course it's happening now of all times! Right when we finally have time alone together, after so long. And then there's the hunger, I haven't fed properly in two days! This unpleasant mess-" Gale cut him off before he could continue.

"Might I interject with a solution -what you're going through is a relatable experience, if I'm being completely honest. It's not something I am taking lightly, I assure you. I may know at least a little of what touch repulsion may mean to you, is what I mean to say-"

Gale's voice, the notes of confidence and comfort, filled Astarion's ears like the low hum of a song. He could feel his jaw relax and his shoulders drop. Gale continued.

"There were points where an overabundance of affection from my goddess would become too much. Whenever I had experienced these awful, skin-crawling sensations, nothing my lover could do was a comfort to me. Contact was simply unbearable. And I believed that was that. That I was this untouchable, unlovable mess. To think I would be useless to her as a lover filled me with dread- well it didn’t help that she berated me for my performance issues, but it wasn’t that I was uninterested. It was just too much and too often. And the expectations she had for my performance…well perhaps her expectations were uniquely high as well. The more time I spend with you the more I understand the amount she would take from me while giving nothing in return."

Gale's words struck Astarion.

"So he truly does understand. He has nothing to gain by telling me this point of weakness…then why? Is he simply attempting to comfort me?" Astarion turned away from Gale and smiled. "He's too soft. The fool. So much more tender than he should be."

But the thought of intimacy; the thought that someone would want to share so much vulnerability with him just so he felt less alone in his needs, soothed his anxieties almost instantly. A blush rose in Astarion’s cheeks. Meanwhile, Gale had continued.

"However, there are very simple ways around things so pedestrian as physical contact with a body- that is, if you're still interested in something sexual, we needn't-"

This time it was Astarion's turn to interrupt.

He turned back to face Gale, this time locking eyes with hungry intensity. He wanted to savor Gale's next words. "I'm all ears," Astarion said in a low voice.

The sultry tone caught Gale off guard.

"Fuck. Don't give me that look," Gale thought as he felt a wave of arousal run down his abdomen.

Astarion could see more color rush to Gale's cheeks, a blush deepening over the human's neck. His heartbeat quickened in Astarion's ears, his scent filled his nostrils.

Gale struggled to keep his composure as a predatory shift overtook Astarion. As attractive as the idea of being taken by Astarion's instincts was in theory, he knew that Astarion had no true desire for intimacy past his vampiric needs, so he continued.

"Just because I can't touch you, doesn't mean I can't give you pleasure," Gale said with an eyebrow raised. Astarion bowed his head, peeking up hungrily. The posture of a beast on the prowl… And Gale could sense he had just become the prey.

"Is that so…" Astarion asked, taking a step towards Gale, who swallowed hard, attempting to move past the erotic focus Astarion had on him. "Then show me what you have in mind."

Another step and they were only a foot apart. Gale wanted to reach out and kiss him, to comfort him with touch, but he only smiled and kept his hands at his sides.

"Are you sure you want this?" Gale asked, searching Astarion's face for an honest answer. A smile crept up the corner of the elf's mouth and he raised his brow as if to suggest he continue.

"Then get on your knees." Gale instructed with more authority than Astarion thought he had in him. Astarion obeyed, curious where this would go.

"My abilities are not to be overlooked. Behold-" Gale raised his right hand, bending it at the elbow, pointing two fingers up and twisting his wrist to the side. A glowing purple ribbon fluttered into existence. Astarion watched the thing wrap itself gently around his wrists.

"Why is everything he does so beautiful?" Astarion thought as he let the ribbons draw his arms gently behind his back until he was secured in comfort.

Before he could think further, a sensation of pure pleasure ran up his arms, tingling and exciting but not overwhelming. It was enough for a soft moan to escape his lips. Then another stroke of pleasure, this time stronger, pulsing down to his groin so fast he thrust his head back in a gasp, and there he saw that Gale was standing directly over him now.

"This is better than I expected." Gale thought, admiring Astarion's body, watching how his heavy breaths escaped moist lips. Astarion was his now, finally, after so many nights of laying awake knowing that he was off with someone else, knowing that he was feeding on someone else's blood... No. Not this time. Now it was he who would be available for Astarion.

"I'm the one who's going to provide for you. I'll be the one who sustains you and makes you feel like this, more than anyone else. I’ve waited my turn."

As he spoke, the waves of pleasure grew in intensity. It was better than the touch of light fingernails on Astarion's skin, it was as if he was made of nothing but liquid pleasure. Gale was inside of every nerve in his body. Gale was going to take him over completely.

Astarion couldn't help but let his back arch, couldn't stop himself from gasping, couldn't stop the tight confinement of his erection pressing hard against his pants. Gale's words felt like they were burrowing down inside of him, erotic for their content but also hypnotic, like a spell was being sung into his heart. But it wasn't mind control. This was something so much more gentle. It was as if Gale was somehow cradling his joints, caressing his lungs, nurturing this feeling of pleasure; enveloping him in something Astarion could only guess was love.

"I'll be the one coursing through your veins from now on." Gale said as that magnetic hypnotism only increased in Astarion. Gale reached for the knife at his side and sliced a deep cut down his palm, spilling his blood onto Astarion's face. It dripped down his cheek and pooled between his lips.

At first Astarion recoiled, expecting the burning acrid taste to make him retch, but somehow, past the initial sour taste, past the burning in his heart as he swallowed, there was something sweet. Something like a fresh plum, just picked from its tree. He had never been so aroused from blood. His eyes rolled back for a moment and then he shut them hard. The blood kept coming.

The drops were like rain falling down inside of him, coating his throat, suffocating him. His head rattled like thunder. Shadows and rainstorms and dark fields. He lapped at the dripping wound. His tongue thrusted out, seeking the cut. It felt like he was finally satiated after starving for years. He drank and moaned and allowed the blood to pool down his face. It was the dripping caress of a lost lover; the answer to some divine mystery he had contemplated for that year in the dark.

He licked at Gale's hand until the ache in his pants was too much.

Astarion finally opened his eyes to see Gale's expression. The man was looking down at him with brows knit, the soft sheen of sweat at his temples, his mouth ever so slightly open. Astarion had to give him a teasing smile.

"Will you be the one to provide me some more now? Will you satisfy me?" Astarion nipped gently at Gale's pinky. "Will you fill me up like this every night?"

"Fuck, Astarion," Gale said in a low voice, biting down on his lower lip.

With his free hand repeating the same waving gesture, Astarion could feel the strings of his pants be undone. His nakedness instantly met with an unexpected wave of pleasure like something was running from the tip down the entire shaft, drawing out thrusts from Astarion as invisible motions pumped him at a tantalizingly slow speed. Gale raised his bleeding hand and squeezed more onto Astarion's face as he arched into his thrusts.

"That's it. Let me take you completely," Gale breathed as he watched Astarion's eyes widen.

He looked like he was begging for more, and with each plea, Gale quickened the pace, feeling his magic inside Astarion, pressing hard into his prostate until his moans became gasps. The feeling was dizzying but Gale began to support Astarion, commanding his magic to hold the elf up as he played with his body.

Astarion could feel this invisible force pressing into him, wrapping tightly around his thighs and neck, gliding down his body lightly enough to make him squirm. He shivered in pleasure. Astarion could barely lick his lips as the blood spilled down his throat. His moans were almost inaudible whimpers.

Gale’s voice was breathy with desire as he spoke. "Gods, you are impossibly beautiful,” he said, savoring the way Astarion's whole body began shaking as the sensations became unbearably intense.

“Now, come for me.” Gale’s voice filled Astarion’s mind until he felt himself lose control. With a sharp breath hitched in his throat, Astarion began to come as commanded, and the force that held him pushed the orgasm further and further until Astarion finally let out a gasp and his body relaxed, spent and exhausted.

Gale lowered him down gently so he could sit on his knees, still shaking, breathing heavy. The ribbon that bound him still gave him light pulses of pleasure.

Astarion didn't want the ribbons off yet. To be held by something so pure was blissful. It was Gale's intent, wrapped in his hands. He gripped the ribbons hard and looked up at Gale again.

“Take off your clothes,” Astarion said hungerly.

“Are you sure? But you had said-” Gale was cut off by Astarion’s voice, dripping with lust. “I said take them off. I want to feel your cock down my throat.”

“Are you sure?” Gale repeated with some hesitation.

“Darling, I’ve never been more sure of anything.” Astarion waited on his knees, pants down at his ankles, Gale’s blood beginning to crust along his neck. He was exactly where he wanted to be. The warmth of Gale’s blood was bringing him clarity like he had never imagined. There was nothing in the world but this room and this man in front of him, who’s muscles moved under soft skin, who’s arms rose above his head as he removed his shirt, whose pants came down tantalizingly slowly as he undid small knots at his hips, revealing a full and beautiful erection.

“Now come here, my doll, you can touch me now. I want to feel your hands as I take you.”

Gale looked away in shame. His modesty only served to attract Astarion further to him. He could feel his own dick begin to harden as he watched the crimson blush rise in Gale’s exposed chest. Gale reached out a hand and brushed Astarion’s bloody, sweaty hair from his face. He took Astarion’s cheeks lightly in his hands.

The two men held each other’s gaze for a moment. Both could feel their stomachs flutter with anticipation.

“Oh gods he’s perfect. I can’t be without him. I need him,” Astarion thought in wonder.

“How can this be happening? I’ve never needed someone so badly in my life. I need to be with him,” Gale thought with adoration.

Astarion slowly opened his mouth and leaned forward. Gale gently moved Astarion’s head, guiding his dick straight into the elf’s mouth, and then pulling back a little again, slowly back and forth, coaxing a moan from deep in Astarion’s throat. The sensation made Gale shiver.

Astarion moved down the shaft, taking him even deeper until Gale could feel the back of his throat. Gale’s hands gripped hard in Astarion’s hair as Astarion began lightly sucking and licking. Gale began to lose more and more control, soft moans escaped his lips which he threw a hand up to silence, but the grip in Astarion’s hair only tightened as he felt Astarion begin to lick at the base and back up to the tip, lapping at the precum he couldn’t repress. And again Astarion took him in his mouth, this time almost completely.

“Wait, I don’t want to choke you-” Gale breathed. He could feel Astarion’s mouth curl into a smile around him.

Astarion pulled away for a moment to say “my love, I don’t need to breathe. I’m dead.”

“Ah-but-” Before Gale could protest, Astarion’s mouth slid quickly around him again, this time even further. Gale watched Astarions eyes begin to tear up as his throat was impossibly filled. He could hear Astarion’s moans, feel Astarion choking, yet he continued that sucking pressure, moving even deeper. Gale couldn’t help it, he took Astarion’s head in both hands and began to thrust into him. The deeper he went, the harder he thrusted, the harder the moans from Astarion.

“Ah! Fuck! The sounds you make!” Gale exclaimed over the choking sounds of Astarion around his cock.

Gale pressed even harder, until all Astarion could do was whimper. That was enough to send Gale over the edge. He shuddered, letting himself thrust deep into Astarion’s throat, filling the elf’s mouth with cum. Astarion continued to suck through his orgasm, finally opening his mouth to release him, gasping as he tried to breathe through the cum that had begun to leak from his nose and throat.

“Gods! I’m sorry!” Gale cried as he released the ribbon tying Astarion's wrists and summoned a handkerchief which Astarion gladly took. Gale leaned down, trying to hold Astarion’s shoulders, but Astarion waved him off as he cleared his airways.

“Are you alright? What have I -” A sharp laugh cut through Gale’s fretting.

“Hush, Gale! Hah, you’re ridiculous.” Astarion giggled between coughs.

“That was fun for me, see?” Astarion gestured casually to the cum running down his leg. “It only took having you in my mouth to make me finish again. You have no idea what that does to me.” The deep purr of his voice made another shiver run through Gale.

“Can I please hold you, Astarion?” Gale asked.

“Yes you may, my love.” Astarion replied with a chuckle.

Astarion found himself in Gales' embrace faster than he anticipated. It was a fierce hug that held more passion than he was expecting. "I'm sorry. I was afraid I went too far." Gale mumbled into his neck. Astarion softened at the kindness, slowly allowing himself to return the embrace.

Astarion wiggled loose to look at Gale, who wore an expression of uncertainty, so he offered a reassuring smile. "Gods," Astarion complained with mock drama. "I feel I must have woken the whole forest, let alone the camp." Gale smiled back at that. They both couldn't help but laugh.

"I think we're fine. I have enough paranoia to put a little soundproofing around us," Gale said as lightly as he could.

A blush was returning to Gale’s cheeks. His bashful demeanor made Astarion's chest ache with adoration.

Gale asked with some hesitation: "What did you think? Did you like it?"

Astarion blinked. Beyond the surprise, there was this tender bubbling in his chest which he didn’t anticipate. “He’s too soft,” Astarion thought. But his judgment was gone, replaced with a deep admiration for the man’s kindness.

Astarion let his expression soften. He let that feeling wash over him; let the affection show through his eyes. More than anything he wanted Gale to know what he meant to him.

“You’ve done something for me like no one else has, Gale. You’ve seen me. Of course it was uniquely amazing, but more than that, you knew just who I was going in, and you chose to do that. More than satisfied, I’d say I’m charmed. I’ve never known anyone like you.” Astarion placed a hand on Gale’s cheek as the man's eyes widened a little at his words. “I think this is the first time I’m actually in love.”

Gale wrapped Astarion in his arms and tightly squeezed until Astarion collapsed helplessly, unsure what exactly it meant, until into Astarion’s hair he heard Gale whisper: “I love you too.”

[cheerycherrycandy-resurrected]

Ash @rainsbasspick wanted some comfort ghoul/ghoulette/papa thoughts so here, have a few of my thoughts on era 4 ghouls, copia, and found family from the notes pile! Hope these distract you a little bit 🖤

I like to think that despite the various upsets in their lives before, they have each other as pack now, and will go to hell and back to protect it.

Below the cut bc I got a bit carried away (no surprise there then):

I think Copia worked really hard when he took over to make his little band of ghouls and ghoulettes feel safe, and just as important, permanent. He had felt temporary, like a replacement for the popular Papa III, and I think he saw that reflected in his ghouls at first. I imagine he took advantage of his takeover to enact some changes around the ministry to make the ghouls feel more equal, everyday things like having the Abbey ghouls and Siblings work together rather than in separate teams. Obviously the new masks helped too, turns out people aren't as afraid of ghouls when they can see their expressions.

With the band, I see him working to set up some kind of "retirement plan" for lack of a better word, so the ghouls no longer in the band could stay together in their pack. Copia finds a way for them to work behind the scenes for the band, rather than having to pick between the Abbey jobs no human wants to do, or returning to their old lives in the pit.

Meanwhile I think the ghouls, especially Dew, see Copia as one of their own, someone who was pulled into everything whether he wanted to be or not, and is trying to make the best of it. He is pack. I always see Dew and Copia as having this special kinship, they've both experienced this feeling of otherness that no one else understands quite the same, especially after Dew's elemental transition and Copia's remolding into Papa IV. I also see them both as quite shy with people outside of their pack, although they hide it in different ways.

I imagine they ran into each other many times in the chapel late at night, seeking affirmations from below that they were doing the right thing. The Dark One may have stayed silent, but I think they got talking, and learned to feel the acceptance they needed from each other.

I see Copia reassuring Dew that his talents were what brought on the Ministry's demand that he play lead guitar, and not to do with him or his elemental capabilities. He helps Dew feel valued as the ghoul he is, and as a friend too, not just for the faceless musical talent the Clergy may have seen him as. Likewise, Dew sees all the same insecurities in Copia and makes sure he knows that despite the whispers and Nihil's comments, he is more than deserving as his place at the head of the church. Dew is adamant that despite any talk of him being weak, this perceived weakness just shows he has a heart. Him being too influenced by his feelings is a strength, that all the ghouls and congregation appreciate his humanity and the feeling of home he creates.

They're both probably quite nervous heading out on their first era-4 tour: new ghouls, new outfits, no Papa. But I see the pair of them huddled together over a phone on the tour bus, watching the videos of them in awe and disbelief at first, at later with pride at how well they're received. I'm sure Dew takes great pleasure in showing Copia all the thirsty (so, so, thirsty...) videos their congregation make of him, teasing him slightly in a way only Dew is allowed to. Likewise I imagine Copia returning the favour, laughing at how everyone seems to think Dew is as angry as his on-stage persona when really it's all bravado and a projected stage confidence. It doesn't stop Dew from smirking and snapping his fingers to make a small flame dance on them, raising an eyebrow as he waves them a bit too close to Copia's moustache in retaliation.

I think the rest of the pack feel the kinship with Copia too, but maybe in different ways. For Rain for example, as one of the ghouls summoned by Copia, I think he seems him as more of a guardian or father-figure. Older, wiser, a protector of the pack from any more human problems the Clergy may throw their way (but better believe Rain has any more physical threats covered perfectly fine by himself though..!). Aether and Mountain maybe took a bit longer to feel the pack connection - at first he was just their new boss, but after they saw how much he helped Dew, they quickly grew to respect him for the loyal friend he is.

I don’t think Swiss has had many thoughts on the matter. Dude got pulled outta the pits by a guy with cool facepaint and handed a pretty guitar. Neat!

The ghoulettes loved Copia from the second they were summoned - they adore their goofy rat man! I imagine both of them can often be found in his office, sprawled across various surfaces trying to coax him into taking a break, making him tea, and rubbing his stiff neck when he doesn’t take one.

Opposite to Rain, I don’t think they see him as their Protector, I think they more want to protect him - real big sister vibes y’know? Like Rain, they have no doubts in their physical prowess against a threat, but unlike Rain they don’t doubt their ability in a mental fight either. Sister Imperator is genuinely confused how Copia manages to work in that office, every time she enters it’s almost unnaturally cold, and there’s always a strange low rumbling sound… Very disconcerting. She makes a point not to go in there too often. Mission success! Cirrus will bring the temperature back to normal, and Cumulus will stop growling, and they’ll cackle to themselves as Copia rolls his eyes and tries not to look too encouraging of their behaviour. He adores them too, they act like the older siblings he always wished he had growing up.

All in all, I think the older ghouls, Papa, and the newer summons are a real little family, even if they’re a bit on an unconventional one! <3