#xreader maybe

[fiendishfables]

Hello! Can I plz request Lucifer (Hazbin Hotel) x reader where he meets the reader and is attracted to her but after he sees her transform into a beautiful Light Fury dragon (How To Train Your Dragon) he's like: they have to be mine.

pairing: Lucifer Morningstar x Female! Lightfury Shifter! Reader

summary: ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴇᴛ ꜱᴛᴜᴄᴋ ɪɴ ʜᴇʟʟ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴇxᴛᴇʀᴍɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴅᴀʏ; ᴡʜᴇɴ ʟᴜᴄɪꜰᴇʀ ᴄᴏᴍᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟᴘ ʜɪꜱ ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ ʀᴇʙᴜɪʟᴅ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀᴍᴀɢᴇꜱ ꜱᴜꜰꜰᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴅᴜᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴅᴀᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ʜɪꜱ ɢᴏᴏɴꜱ, ʜᴇ ʀᴇᴄᴏɢɴɪᴢᴇꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ʜɪꜱ ᴅᴀʏꜱ ɪɴ ʜᴇᴀᴠᴇɴ. ʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴋɴᴏᴡꜱ ᴏɴᴇ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴜʀɴ ɪɴᴛᴏ ꜱᴜᴄʜ ᴀ ᴍᴀɢɴɪꜰɪᴄᴇɴᴛ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ…

warnings: cursing, slight angst, fluff, Lucifer + reader are secretly in love and are complete dorks about it

words: 6k+

a/n: I saw this request and immediately got to work; I love HTTYD, so I hope you enjoy its inclusion in this fanfic. I was thinking about adding 1-2 more parts to this; just let me know in the replies if you guys even want a second part to this; wanna give y'all what you want. Thanks again, anon, for requesting this! ^_____^

A Dragon's Vow

(Part 1?)

Lucifer had been standing in the lobby of the Hazbin Hotel, speaking with his daughter, Charlie, when he first met you. He had come by the morning after extermination to check on her, as well as the other residents of her hotel (for whom he didn't particularly care for, in all honesty; especially not that Alastor fellow).

They had been speaking about renovations to the hotel after the events that took place prior and during the extermination. The hotel had suffered many damages to both its interior and exterior; damages that normally would take one a while to fix if they weren't in Hell. He promised Charlie his help with fixing whatever needed fixing.

And that's when he first saw you.

Everyone was gathered in the hotel lobby, residents and all. His eyes had begun scanning around all the potential bodies that would be helping with the reconstruction of his daughter's life-long dream of a project, when he had spotted a head of pure white hair in the group's mass. He squinted his eyes, as he couldn't remember seeing such a color that stood out as much as it did, but when he saw your face it was all over for him.

You were absolutely stunning.

Your hair had to have been a result of your transformation into the afterlife. He had never known any being to have such a pure color for hair while still being alive. At least, not naturally.

Your body, from what he could see, appeared to be dusted with white glitter markings, highlighting your already beautiful skin. The light coming through the broken windows of the hotel seemed to gravitate towards your figure, as if sensing the need to accentuate how unique your presence actually was.

In Lucifer's mind, it was almost like looking straight at an angel.

Only was he shaken from his thoughts when he finally noticed the pair of snapping fingers that had been in-front of his face for who knows how long. They belonged to his daughter.

"Dad!" Charlie exclaimed, continuing the snap of her fingers in-front of his eyes until he finally gathered his bearings with a blink, turning to look at her.

"Huh- oh, did you need something dear?" He asked, blinking his eyes slowly, like a toad who'd been sitting on a log all day without interaction. Charlie gave a sigh and put her hands together as she then tried again to reach her father with words.

"I said," She began, a smile creeping its way up onto her face, "Dad, I would like you to meet our newest resident to the Hotel! Her name is Y/N! And, Y/N, this is my dad, Lucifer!"

Then, "I just wanted to introduce you both since we will all be spending lots of time together, trying to rebuild the hotel! I want everyone to get along!"

It was just then that he had realized that you were now also standing in-front of him, alongside his daughter. Your beautifully colored eyes were pinning him under their gaze. Your sparkling skin looked even more enticing up close. It really made him wonder what sort of hybrid you must've been to be able to adorn such a naturally beautiful look. Your eyes had looked at Charlie with such a softness, before turning their now piercing daggers onto him.

Wait...did his daughter say...Y/N?

That had to be a coincidence, he was sure. Such a familiar name, it was just making him think of those he used to know.

Yet, the leap of his heart in his ribcage didn't fail to go unnoticed.

He wasn't given much time to delve deeper into his confused thoughts, because he was already being pushed slightly closer towards you, as a means to encourage him to introduce himself instead of just standing there like an oaf, he assumed was Charlie's idea behind it all.

A goofy grin overtook his face as he took a step forward on his own accord, without any help from his daughter. He was going to nail this 'introduction'. Or so he thought.

As he began the simple motion of extending his arm for a polite handshake, he was surprised to see that, once he re-opened his eyes after a blink, you were no longer standing in-front of him.

Rather, in your place now stood a white, glittery colored dragon, lips pulled back in a snarl, baring your teeth, snout wrinkling with the motion.

Lucifer hardly had any time to react, let alone back up, before you let out an earth-rumbling roar; the sound caused him to instinctively reach a hand up to steady his top hat atop his head, to make sure it wasn't blown off by the force of your bellowing sound. He shut his eyes against the harsh gust of wind that suddenly swept past his face following the noise; the complaints and confused murmurs of the other hotel residents were barely audible as he was the one experiencing this head-on. More to the face than head, but same thing for him.

Once the whirlwind of noise had stopped, he opened his eyes just in time to see you turn tail and flee, going up the main stairs and off to one side of the staircase, disappearing deeper into the hotel. No one went after you. He supposed from that reaction he got just from trying to shake your hand, that was what you most preferred.

In that moment, he realized that Charlie was once again trying to tell him something, but his eyes were still trained on the last spot you'd been.

"Heh...sorry, Dad." Charlie said, rubbing the back of her neck with her big, awkward smile that he knew so well; she got it from him. "I-I forgot to mention that she's still a bit skittish. She was pretty banged up when we first found her during extermination. I've noticed that she doesn't seem to want to be touched or even remotely looked at for too long, for that matter. I shouldn't have pushed her or you, I'm so sor-"

"Charlie, it's fine." Lucifer assured, finally turning his body towards his daughter as they talked, leaning on his cane nonchalantly. "New sinners always need time to warm up to things down here! I can...always say 'hi' later." He assured, giving her a big grin of his own.

His eyes found themselves instinctually looking back over at the stairs and railing, then down the dark hallway where you had disappeared deeper into the hotel. A soft glimmer lit his eyes.

So it was true. He had thought you looked a little familiar...maybe a bit too familiar when he first laid eyes on you. The white hair might have been what threw him off to start, but there was no mistaking it now. The Lightfury form was a dead giveaway for anyone who knew you personally.

It was you.

Y/N. His acquaintance; the person who had tried to help him rebel against God, prior to his falling. Always he had wondered what had happened to you, being his helper in his schemes, after he fell. What had God done to you? Were you punished as well? He had never known and still didn't, for that matter.

At the time he had hoped, even though it was selfish to wish and he knew it, that you too, would be cast from the clouds and bound to join him in the afterlife down in the various cities of Hell.

What he had gathered from your sudden appearance here, at his daughter's Hotel, told him that you were most likely still living in Heaven, and probably against your will. Whether you were still an angel or not, he didn't know.

All he knew was that you weren't where you were supposed to be.

But he was determined to find out why you were here, and how on Earth you were still managing to be as beautiful as the last day he laid eyes on you.

Whilst everyone else was out helping with fixing hotel damages, Lucifer had snuck back into the hotel; he was searching for you, to put it plainly. You had caught his interest earlier, and he just wanted to apologize to you for being so forward and making you uncomfortable enough to scurry away like you had. He was also terrified that he had already made a horrible impression on such a beautiful woman, which whom used to work right alongside him back when they both spent their days in Heaven. He had lost you once; he couldn't afford for that to happen again, especially not when he could help it.

He practically skipped up the stairs two at a time to the second floor of the hotel, as that was where he had watched you disappear an hour or so ago. He assumed that meant your room was somewhere nearby.

It surely didn't take him too long to find your room. The side of the door exposed to the hallway had some unique-looking, luminescent vines hanging down from the top of it; some tiny glowing crystal shards were embedded into the wood of the doorframe.

Lucifer stood outside that door for a good five minutes. He swallowed many times, as if trying to physically push the nerves back into his body.

What was he supposed to say? What should he do? How should he act? Would you even let him near you? Did you remember him at all? Did you...hate him?

He remembered receiving some pretty angry sounding letters from you when he fell from Heaven. Claiming to him about how the angels, as your side of the punishment, had started using you for tests to try and better understand your hybrid anatomy; forcing you into executing angels who refused to follow the rules with your plasma blasts. He had then sent a letter back, asking why they didn't cast you out like they did him. You told him it was because the angels deemed you 'too valuable' to just be thrown down into 'that wasteland', as they put it.

Lucifer shook his head. He was still stalling. You were just on the other side of this door, someone who he used to call his partner in crime; his friend. He sighed, straightened his outfit whilst taking a deep breath, then knocked a total of three times.

He waited patiently, tapping his foot outside the door silently, mentally willing for you to open the door and possibly (hopefully) greet him with open arms.

But like all the other things pertaining to your complicated relationship status, he knew that was amongst the many things that was very unlikely.

He raised his fist to knock again but there was no need. The door opened a crack. He stiffened in surprise, moving his head to peer into the small crack the sudden opening provided. A soft glow could be seen within the room but besides that, the interior was shrouded in darkness. Although you yourself had not physically come to the door to let him in, he took this as an invitation rather than a deterrent. Stepping inside, wincing at the small creak of the door on its hinges, he shut it behind him without so much as a sound.

Lucifer looked around, taking in the interior design of your room. The half shrouded in blacks and greys looked like any of the other hotel rooms. It held a fancy, well-kept king sized bed; a nicely crafted wooden desk with a chair, a small carpet under it additionally to avoid scratching the floors; a large dresser; a decent sized standing mirror beside the bed; a small nightstand on either side of said bed.

The other half of your room was a totally different story completely.

And he had to admit, it was pretty amazing.

The second half was an expanse of forest-like figures. It held high rocks that seemed to stretch to the endless ceiling of the room, while the original half of your room had a short-stopped ceiling just high enough for five-star comfort. Said rocks held many various colored crystals on them, each which glowed a slightly different color than its neighbor, each bearing that welcoming yet cautioning signal to any beholder.

The wooden floor gave way to a grassy texture; the grass was glowing lightly, looking more like an expansive patch of algae rather than everyday grass. He could tell it was most likely very soft though, as it swayed lightly, subtly, as if a draft were coming through from somewhere not visible to the naked eye. There was even a little pond in the distance he could see!

As he thought to himself more and more, he realized that he did know what this stuff was. Landscape one would see in The Hidden World. In your Heaven days, the both of you would sit around for hours and swap stories with one another, going all the way back to the times when you were alive and what life was like for you. You always spoke to him about The Hidden World; the homeland and birthplace of all the dragons of your kind. From what you had told him about it, he had deemed it pretty amazing in his mind. He remembered you speaking about the glowing necessities, the luminescent markings on dragons, the crystals you sometimes liked to collect, and the overall peaceful atmosphere. He was able to get a general image in his mind of all the things pertaining to the homeland that you mentioned; looking at this area of your room now, he told himself it was probably safe to assume that this whole area was a resemblance of where you come from. He felt as if he could almost puff his chest out in pride for remembering something so important to you. Of course, he had to stay humble now if he wanted any chance of getting you to talk with him once again; maybe not like old times, but a greeting would be nice, surely.

You had said that The Hidden World was truly a place that you felt peace for the first time in your life whilst you were alive. Then you had proceeded to tell him after that, that he now provided that same feeling for you. That sense of safety. Security. Belonging.

As he made his way across the normal part of the room to get to the additional beauty, that's when he noticed you there. You were, hanging from a bare tree by the tail, it looked like. Your beautiful, white wings were wrapped around yourself except for a tiny crack in their merging.

And in this crack between your wings, was a thin-slitted pupiled eye staring straight at him.

The sight caused him to freeze in his tracks, with one foot now in the glowing, algae-like grass. He gave a nervous smile your way, which only caused you to narrow said eye further and uncurl your wings. Like the most skilled acrobatic, he watched as you unfurled your long, slender dragon body; walking along the branch, you then jumped down to the grass below.

Your eyes were still slits as you approached him now, slowly, cautiously. Almost as if he were the prey and you the predator. Honestly, that's how Lucifer felt right now.

But then, instead of pouncing, you just stopped and stared at him. Your long, elegant tail lashed slowly, barley touching the grass as it swayed freely, yet with a controlled fashion. Eyes still narrowed, you let out a snort of annoyance, rolling your eyes, before tossing your head in an irritated gesture and finally coming to sit on the grass, still a ways away from him.

"...You're ruining my grass..." You huffed, narrowed eyes taking him in, raking over him as if you could pick him up and toss him out of your proximity with just a gaze.

He blinked at your dragon form, confused. Then he looked down, seeing how one of his shoes was sunken slightly into the delicate, glowing grass. He gave a sheepish smile, quickly removing his foot and placing it back on the hardwood, rubbing his neck with a nervous chuckle. Although he knew there was a human soul beneath the dragon you were currently transformed into, he also knew that you could probably reach him in a faster time than he could scream. So, he wanted to try and keep you happy, especially if it meant you would keep talking to him, even if in a condescending tone. And especially since he didn't know your current feelings towards him.

"Sorry, I-"

"Save it. I don't want to hear your excuses, Lucifer. Don't you think you've given enough of those already these past hundred years?"

He looked up at you, eyes shining with a little bit of hurt. That might be the first time you had ever used his full name since he first met you. He was so used to you calling him Luci.

Lucifer just...didn't sound right. Not coming from you.

"I-"

"Then, you come in here and trample my grass; the same grass of my homeland; the grass my ancestors before me walked on!"

"I-its just grass, darling-"

Your head snapped in his direction quite violently due to the nickname and his response. Your body stood up on its own accord and began slowly stalking over to him.

"Just...grass? Just GRASS?! I was born on said grass-"

You continued walking towards him, pupils back to those dangerous slits that signaled your current emotional state; upset and angry. You kept rambling to him about the grass and its importance to your true home. You got so close to him to the point that he had to start taking steps backward, until there was no room left to do so. He was at the door to your room, back pressed roughly to it as your dragon form prowled closer to him, flat snout right in-front of his face; he could practically feel the hot air being emitted from your nostrils. By this time, you were nearing the end of your rant.

"and at the end of the day-" You let out a hiss, baring your teeth. "...it really is just grass."

Your face relaxed almost immediately. Your wrinkled snout became smooth again, the luminescent glows from the vines on the door making it sparkle lightly. Your bared teeth dropped their snarl, turning your dragon lips into a sly smirk. You turned tail and lazily sauntered back to the grassy expanse of glowing vegetation. Doing a few circles in one spot you then decided to lay down on your side, eyes never leaving his. Almost as if you were taunting him to draw nearer.

"I- oh. Wait, what? W-What-"

Lucifer sighed and awkwardly leaned on his cane, rubbing his temples. He knew you to be intimidating back then but holy shit, now? Now thinking about it, he never really had experienced your fury head on before. He hoped he never had to.

Seemingly sensing his hesitation, you sighed.

"Oh for fucks sake, Lucifer. I was kidding. You of all people should know how dramatic I like to be."

Seeing as he still didn't move a muscle, as if wanting to respect your personal space and not get any closer if you really didn't want him to, your cylinder-shaped ears flattened against your head, an almost worried look overtaking your features.

As if he didn't believe you were real.

"Am I really that scary?"

As soon as that question left your lips, he was by your side. Having teleported, it made you jump a little when he so suddenly appeared by your side on the grass, sitting cross-legged.

You let your muscles relax once again, letting out a silent breath. You offered him a toothy, cute dragon smile. He gave you his big, signature grin right back.

"No, no, no. You're one of the most beautiful dragons I have ever seen! Absolutely no one can compare to your beauty, light one!"

With the way he spoke, as if he was presenting a speech, it made you let out a huff and a snort, which was also the dragon equivalent of a laugh in most cases. It also made your heart thump rapidly in your chest, hearing him use the nickname he often used for you back when you both resided above the clouds together.

Light one.

You figured it was only fair to change back into your human body, since it had been so long since you had seen one another in person, that he deserved to talk with you face-to-face and not to the face of a dragon, no matter how much he claimed you were beautiful both ways.

In a span of seconds, there was no longer a large dragon sitting beside Lucifer in the grass, but rather another individual, just as himself. Your legs were crossed just as his were, mimicking his body language. The two of you sat in silence for a long while, although throughout it all you could feel his eyes on you. With how quick he was to reassure you of your beauty, you knew he must be dying to ask you a bunch of questions; catch up on all that you had missed of one another's life since his falling and sparse letters in between.

You sighed and folded your hands in your lap, looking at your soft, glitter-dusted skin. It was hard to think of things to say when you really need not say anything at all. The silence, for you at least, said all that words could not and so much more beyond that limitation.

"Look, Luci, I-"

A sudden force knocked you onto your side, arms wrapping around you in the span of a second, squeezing you tightly. You yelped in surprise, although it was quite obvious the only person it could be.

"Oh my goodness, it really is you!" Lucifer exclaimed happily, eyes shut tight as he buried his face into your neck as your hug proceeded. "I knew it! Oh, I knew it as soon as you transformed back in the lobby- when you called me Luci just now. Oh my gosh, it really is you!"

He sounded exactly like a little kid might on Christmas, just getting their first train set, with many more to come after that within the following years. Alongside that excitement usually followed laughter, and oh was that universal sound flowing in the room at this moment.

You were both hugging and laughing to your hearts content after you had gotten over the initial shock of him bowling you over. For a little man, he surely had strength, that was for certain. Yet you knew best that he was not to be underestimated.

"Shit- yes, yes, it's me, I promise! I know the looks a bit new, but its me!" You said, trying to speak coherently through his own rambling and excitement of having finally found his friend after so long. The person who had been by his side through all his rights and wrongs whilst in Heaven. His wingwoman. His ride or die.

The person whom he had loved since first glance, but was too much of a coward to ever admit it. He always knew you deserved better.

"I-I'm sorry, I just...I can't believe you're really here! After...after all this time. Oh, Y/N...how I've missed you..."

Lucifers voice had dropped to a whisper at this point. You had to strain your ears to hear him, but made sure you did. You always heard him, whether he thought so or not.

"I've missed you too, Luci...really. I'm so sorry we got separated. I should've fought harder for your safety, I should've tried harder to convince the council, I-"

A finger found its way to your lips, shushing you with one, quick motion.

"Stop. Just...stop." Lucifer said, brows furrowed, a sad look overtaking his features as he sighed, eyes closed. "It was my fault for even convincing you to help me in the first place. I should've just kept you out of it."

He sniffled softly, turning his body away from yours a bit, not wanting you to see how emotional he was getting. He could still remember the way you cried his name as you got a front-row seat to watching him fall, courtesy of Adam.

Adam. That son of a bitch. He could only imagine the cruel and unusual punishments the sadistic man had thrown at you in return for helping the Devil himself (although he hadn't had that role back then just yet).

"What have they done to you...you know, since I left? They knew we had a good connection. I can only imagine the things they did to you as a result of helping me. I know you said they refuse to kill you or cast you out..." He muttered, now having his knees up to his chest, his chin resting on top of them.

You frowned, mainly in pity for him, watching him seem to curl up into himself like this. You had been thinking about all the ways the separation had been hurting you all these years, but now you had come to realize that you hadn't done much thinking about how it was affecting Lucifer. You figured that, since his fall, he had been doing just dandy down in Hell with his wife, Lilith. God, you hated that woman, or at least you had when they had decided to cast Lilith down into Hell with Lucifer instead of you. Many nights you had cried yourself to sleep, wishing so desperately that you could be down in this wasteland with him, comforting him about the recent events. You knew Lilith most likely wasn't doing it, and even if she was, you knew you could do better. He was your truest friend. You knew him both inside and out. Better than anyone.

"Its not of importance what they did and still do to me, Luci-"

"Yes it is! It's very important!" He burst out, making you raise an eyebrow. "It was supposed to be my job to protect you from any harm that came our way, remember? Remember what I said? I-I promised to always protect you from danger, to keep you safe, and I couldn't even do that without messing up!"

He threw his hands up, exasperated, using a gloved hand to cover his eyes and rub them. You gave him a soft, sad smile, one you were not sure if he saw, but knew he could sense. He was being way too hard on himself, you knew.

You had made the choice to help him, and wouldn't change a thing about that decision.

"Lucifer..." You spoke lightly, as if speaking to a scared animal. In a way, you were. "None of what happened to me is your fault. None of what is still happening to me is your fault. If someone has to take the fault, it should be me. I knew what I was potentially getting myself into when I agreed to help you. Those possible consequences never mattered to me."

You had to look away from him for a split second, some tears falling from your eyes as you blinked, then onto the lush grass beneath both your bodies. A deep breath inflated your chest before you allowed yourself to continue talking.

"All that ever mattered to me..." You began again, voice shaky as you maintained your composure, "...was the fact that I was getting to help my closest friend. The first person in Heaven who welcomed me, took me in with open wings. The first person to ever hug me. The first person to show me how unique and special I was, as well as my abilities and hybrid form. The first person who...didn't look at me like I was some sort of monster, due to the fact that I could transform into a dragon."

This seemed to shock him, for he raised his head to stare at you once again, cheeks lightly tear stained.

"People thought you a monster?" He asked, eyes wide and confused. "Why? H-How-"

You shrugged and picked at the grass beneath you with a finger.

"People tend to be scared of the things they don't understand, Luci. Things they've never seen before, such as a hybrid like myself. Even angels get scared sometimes, believe it or not."

Lucifer was at a loss for words. The angels had seen you as a monster when you first appeared at their gates? Someone as beautiful, majestic, and powerful as you? He truly couldn't believe that. He made a silent promise to himself in that very moment to give Adam a little extra punch for treating you like that upon your first visit to Heaven. You had never told him, either. Or, at least you hadn't had the time to before he fell.

"Apparently." Lucifer grumbled, whilst rolling his eyes. "Damn idiots never know what the hell they're talking about..."

At this, you raised both your eyebrows, and couldn't help the small giggle that left your lips at his protective nature. After all of this time not seeing one another, he was still as protective over you as the first day you met. It was refreshing to see that some things really never did change when it came to the King of Hell. Since the day he became so.

He perked up as you began to giggle, a shot of red flashing across his features from embarrassment. Then, despite himself, he too began to chuckle.

The steady rhythm of his heart made itself well known in his ears as the two of you continued to laugh together, just like old times in the clouds.

Although when you were together it felt like no time had passed at all, you both were aware that that was far from the truth.

You had some catching up to do.

The hellish sun beat down on the Hazbin Hotel. All the other residents, including Charlie, were outside helping to rebuild and design a new look for the previously destroyed hotel.

You and Lucifer had finally come out from your room after chatting it up for what had to have been over an hour. It was nice, now knowing the truth behind some of the things that had happened to him, and you were sure he felt the same about the things pertaining to you. He had promised you he would deliver quite the ruthless punch to Adam's groin when he saw him next, due to the things he had put you through after his falling. This had made you roll your eyes, but the idea wasn't dismissed. You'd allow it. Maybe even a couple times. Especially if it meant you got to see Lucifer happy.

Now, both of you were currently outside with everyone else, helping to rebuild the structure of his daughters hotel. You were in the form of your Lightfury, whilst Lucifer was standing proudly on your back as you flew laps around the perimeter of the hotel, giving him range to shoot blasts of magic, where building parts would then materialize before ones eyes.

You craned your neck around to look at the little man on your back, who was already looking down at you, smiling like the dork you knew him to be. This was almost like the perfect moment, especially after the deep conversation you both had back in the hotel room-

"DAD! No riding my residents, please! I'm glad you're making friends though! Proud of you! I just don't think we have the insurance to cover an injury yet!"

Charlie's voice cut through the atmosphere like a knife, causing both of you to startle and look down at her. She had a finger pointed up at you both, an adoring smile on her face; following it were the rest of the residents eyes. You both were now the spotlight of attention.

Your smooth-skinned dragon face had a bit of a red tint to it now because of the princess's words, and you didn't even have to look at Lucifer to be able to say that he looked the same. His daughter didn't even know how deep the history went between you both; she didn't even know you two knew one another prior to this. Nor did she really need to know. It could be you and Lucifers little secret. Something just for the two of you.

You snorted at her words, managing to screw your face into an extremely unamused expression quick enough to hide the blush, making sure to keep flapping your wings so you wouldn't falter in your hovering.

"Dear, you may just find yourself jealous because I have a dragon and you lack one! You see this beauty? Extraordinary! Such a great species too, infact-"

You managed to look even more annoyed than you felt, as Lucifer continued to take it upon himself to deliver a little speech on your back whilst you were just hovering there, explaining his good fortune to have found a friend in you once again and now being able to get free rides. But, no one seemed to tell him that you were the one steering this ship.

In the span of a millisecond, you had tipped your body to the side, sending him sliding off your back and plummeting towards the ground, following with him yelping in both surprise and momentary fear. You snorted in amusement and instantly tucked your wings and went into a dive, following right after him.

The wind whistled past your sensitive ears as you were now falling right beside him. You looked at him with your wide, cat-like eyes, a curious coo escaping your throat as he just smirked at you, putting his hands behind his head as you both fell through the air, as if in some sort of movie. You then narrowed your sharp eyes and struck him playfully in the chest with a paw, sending him spinning off balance and crashing into some nearby bushes.

Quick to steady yourself, you quickly turned around midair and swooped just low enough to snag Charlie from off the ground, holding her in your arms, before letting her climb onto your back and sitting comfortably. Her smile was wide and cheerful, making you laugh as you shot back up into the air.

"Woo-hoo!" Charlie hollered, holding onto your neck by wrapping both her arms around its thick expanse as you warbled in response, showing off your toothy dragon grin as you flapped your wings vigorously, taking both you and the daughter of Hell off into the surrounding city.

Lucifer sat up in the mas of bushes, spitting out some leaves and rubbing the side of his head. He could've used his wings to slow his fall but he figured if it made you smile, he would get a little banged up. He still had that same grin plastered to his face.

He couldn't even be annoyed as he picked off thorns from his suit and top hat, watching with a soft sparkle in his eyes as his two favorite girls flew away together into the sunset.

Upon Charlie finding and helping you on extermination day, which had been only yesterday, you had now become an official resident of the Hotel. You kept telling yourself it was temporary until you were able to go back up to Heaven, but the more time you spent under the clouds and the feet of those still alive and walking, the more you came to realize that this place felt more like a home than the one you came from originally.

Lucifer had promised to wait for you in Hell after he fell, even for all eternity if that's how long it took for your pure soul to deserve damnation.

In return, you had promised never to truly leave him. To never abandon. To never relinquish your connection. And you would hold that promise, through and through.

It was your vow.

[fosilizedflower-blog]

Just a random thing that i thought of

“Stay with me tonight?” “As long as you’d like. I’d stay by your side forever, if you’d have me.” “Forever huh? That sound like an awful long time.” “Not nearly long enough.”

[kidn3ybeanz]

Red Warrior - Bucky Barnes x Super Soldier! Reader (1)

This is a super old story I made like pre-lockdown I think when the Avengers were like THE thing. I still love them and I thought I'd just put all my writing here so I could find it :" Enjoy!!

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Chapter One: A good-looking man in uniform

1942

“Are you sure you don’t mind me coming?” Gloria asked as Y/n took off her medical apron and tossed it into her bag. She smiled at Gloria and grabbed her coat from the rack, slipping off her oxfords to then replace them with a pair of low heels. She cringed at the blisters from her work shoes that had been made from running around all day.

“I’m sure, Gloria, trust me.” She watched as Gloria grabbed her coat and linked arms with her, bidding farewell to the matron for the evening. “Bucky has been talking about this for days, I told him I’d set him up with someone pretty and you were the first girl that came to mind.”

“Are you sure he’s happy to see me? Or to spend time with you?” Gloria smirked, hinting at the one thing she knew she could tease her with.

It was an ongoing thing that she thought Bucky was head over heels for Y/n but Y/n couldn’t see it, only seeing him being the flirty friend she grew up with. She shrugged in response, not wanting to have this conversation again and they left the hospital. They’d finished their shift later than usual tonight despite this being the one night they had plans meaning they had no time to go home and change. Y/n hoped that Steve and Bucky wouldn’t mind them still being in their uniforms and probably not smelling like the prettiest women in the world but then realised it was Steve with the heart of gold who would never hurt her feelings even if he wanted to; Bucky was Bucky and she could deal with his comments.

After about a ten-minute walk with comfortable small talk about gossip within the maternity ward (Gloria had an ear for it and always made sure to report back to her), both girls finally found themselves at the start of the Stark Expo and fair. As she looked around, she couldn’t see the familiar sight of Bucky and Steve and decided to wait by the erected statue at the centre of the entrance. She began looking around, taking in the sights of the stalls, some food vendors and some exhibits dotted around the large park with futuristic-looking inventions inside. Gloria tugged her arm, causing her to snap back to her friend who then raised her hand and waved into the crowd, obviously seeing the boys they were waiting for.

Y/n turned and saw her two oldest friends; Steve had a black eye and she cringed slightly, already being able to piece together the story. That boy, that 5”4, 95-pound boy, always got into trouble for all the right reasons. Like she said before, he had a heart of gold and that heart worked on respect and courage so when someone didn’t do the right thing – he couldn’t look away. She shook her head slightly, realising she would probably be stitching him up later in the evening and turned her attention to the taller of her two friends.

Her heart dropped. His hair was slicked back and hidden under an army-green cap. Her gaze lingered for a moment before her sights dropped down to his body. Green shirt, green tie, army blazer with golden adornments. If it was any other time, any other time at all, she would have stopped to blush but the only heat that coursed through her was anger. Anger and fear.

“You didn’t.” She snapped out, startling Gloria who moved her hand back to her side, Y/n’s mood dropped as she stalked towards him. They seemed to notice her anger as Steve whistled and stepped aside so Bucky could take the brunt of her anger, leaving a defenceless Bucky in her wake. She shoved him lightly, to others it may have seemed playful but she was hurt. How could he have not told her?

“Woah, Doll,” He grabbed her enclosed fists in his slightly larger hands and held them between them both, looking her up and down. He bit his lip as he watched her mood change again and she slowly calmed down. She dropped her hands and moved back slightly. "You’re not beating me up in front of the pretty lady to ward her off now, are you?” He winked at Gloria who gave a flirty chuckle back but Y/n was in no mood for jokes. She inspected his uniform before slapping him again on the side of the arm, moving his attention back to her.

“Where are you going?” She asked, watching as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He muttered something but the crowds of the park stopped her ability to hear it so she asked again.

“England…” That was so far away. She’d never even dreamed of going to England and now she was losing her best friend so he could go without her?

“Oh god…when?”

“Tomorrow.” Her heart sank. No, this wasn’t happening. Not tomorrow, he couldn’t just drop that on her and expect her to be okay with it. She noticed people were beginning to turn their heads to meet the four of them because of their earlier confrontations but saw the scene play out as it had probably had with hundreds of other families, lovers, couples and friends – someone was going to war and leaving the ones they loved behind. “I only got told today, Y/n, okay?” He grabbed her shoulder in comfort but it felt foreign to her. “I promise I would have told you sooner if I could.” She focused her energy on not raising her voice at him again and sighed, she craned her head to meet the smaller of the two friends and Bucky instantly moved to the side of her, happy to be out of harm’s way of an earful.

“Did you do it too?” Steve shook his head in an almost sad manner and she realised he wanted to join. She should have felt infuriated but she couldn’t. It was Steve. Steve the little guy, Steve the defender of the little guys; Steve who wanted to change the world FOR the little guys.

“He tried, didn’t ya? Where are you from now? New Jersey?” Bucky teased, pushing the significantly smaller boy to his side, almost toppling him over. Y/n rolled her eyes again, turning back to Gloria with a huff. She’d lost count of how many times Steve had falsified his credentials to try and get in and even though every time he did it, she explained to him how serious it could be if he was caught and yet he still did it. Gloria noticed the sour look on her friend and coworker’s face and pulled her to one side. The boys watched as she berated her on her behaviour.

“Look, I know it's sad but at the end of the day, you can't change anything,” Y/n bit her lip, knowing she was right, Bucky couldn’t choose when his orders were given out. “This is his last evening and he wants to spend it with his two friends and I guess me too so let's just go out and have fun.” It was true, Bucky was obviously wanting the people he cared the most about with him and he just wanted it to be another evening. She thought back to when he’d asked her to bring her friend to the expo, it was like any other day where Bucky was either flirting with her or trying to get a friend of hers instead. Forever the womaniser, she thought, if Bucky wanted this evening to be like any other night then so be it. She took another breath and followed Gloria back to the group.

She smiled at the two of them and Gloria nodded at her in respect at her decision to drop the concern for one evening.

“There’s my doll face.” Bucky grinned, slinging his arm around her. She shoved his arm off of her and pushed him towards Gloria, motioning for him to talk to her. She then stepped back to be in step with Steve and they walked at a slower pace.

“So did it work?” Y/n asked after a few minutes of silence, Steve turned to her with his small features and shook his head.

“Nah, they didn’t take, I didn’t get in on the asthma alone.” She wrapped her arm around his shoulders, bringing him to her side as they walked.

“That’s okay, there’s plenty more states and cities – right? One of them has to take you.”

“You’re okay with it?” She shook her head and Steve smiled sadly at her. They both knew she wasn’t okay with it but it was what he wanted to hear so he appreciated that she was thinking about him. They slowly walked to join Bucky and Gloria who were now standing watching in anticipation for the show to begin and stopped talking. The curtains opened and a few dazzling ladies came out onto the stage where a car was stationed.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr Howard Stark.” One of the women called into the microphone and after a second, a handsome man in an expensive-looking suit and top hat came waltzing onto the stage. The crowd cheered and Gloria squealed, muttering to Y/n that he was quite the looker. Bucky moved his arm so Y/n could see and she looked up at him and smiled before looking back to the stage. She watched as they removed the wheels from the cars and slowly lifted the automobile from the ground.

“Holy cow,” Bucky muttered, watching in awe as the car rose.

“I second that.” She muttered but just as she blinked the car began to falter and fell to the ground with a crash. The crowd all gasped as they watched the scene unfold and an embarrassed Stark moved back to the mic, telling them that it would still take a few years. The crowd clapped and Y/n followed suit before turning to Steve only to realise he wasn’t there. She tugged on Bucky’s sleeve causing him to turn from the flirtatious comment he was making towards Gloria to focus solely on her. She motioned to where Steve was standing moments before and he looked around, noticing a recruitment sign.

“He didn’t…” He muttered, alerting her attention to it and she sighed.

“Stay here, I’ll go find him.” With that, she parted the crowd and left to find her frail friend, leaving Bucky and Gloria alone.

“You like her, don’t you?” Bucky’s attention snapped back from the dispersing crowd where he had been watching Y/n leave through to the woman he was meant to be going out with tonight. He watched as her eyebrow rose and her lips formed a smirk. “It’s pretty obvious, Bucky, admit it.”

“Y/n? No, she’s my best friend. I’m here with you darlin’.” Bucky knew he was lying to himself. He adored her, everything about her. He hated that she was so angry at him for leaving tomorrow and he hated that her last memories of him tonight would be of him flirting with a woman while she chased after their friend. Gloria picked up on this and shoved him slightly in annoyance. Her smirk stayed on her lips, however.

“Look, Bucky, Y/n’s not got a lot of time left here so you need to spend every moment with her that you can tonight – even if it’s just as her friend or you’re gonna regret it.” Gloria paled as the words came out of her mouth. Oh no, she thought. She wasn’t meant to tell them about that – Y/n had specifically told her not to tell them otherwise the evening for them would be ruined.

“What do you mean she hasn’t got a lot of time?” He asked, his worry increasing. Was she hiding something? Was she okay? When Gloria stayed silent he grabbed her arms, face filled to the brim with panic and she bit her lip. She was really in for it now.

“Y/n got drafted last Monday by the A.N.C.” She started, taking in the new emotion she could only describe as something between sadness and shock that crossed over Sergeant Barnes’s face. “She’s shipping out next week but she didn’t want me to tell either of you because she didn’t want either of you being upset.” Bucky’s worry dispelled and he realised she’d been so angry not only because she was worried for him, but she was worried for Steve. Y/n wasn’t the type to tell people her problems, preferring to help others before tackling her issues and he realised just how much of Steve he saw in her. He had a type when it came to the people he hung around. There was slight anger in the back of his mind, however. She had been hypocritical, yelling at him when she’d done the same thing anyway. He realised he needed to talk to her and apologised to Gloria who seemed fine with the idea of him leaving her in favour of their friend. He took off towards the recruitment centre, hoping he could catch the duo.

Instead of finding Y/n, he found Steve and pursed his lips. Steve probably didn’t know, he couldn’t do that to him, not when he’d only found out about his own deployment a couple of hours ago. Y/n wouldn’t have told him, she’d have left it until the last minute so she didn’t have to witness the aftermath of her decision and he cringed just thinking of how he was going to take it. Instead of bringing it up, he decided to change the topic, focusing on Steve’s interest in the army once more. He straightened up, wiped the pained look from his face for the benefit of his friend and walked towards him.

“Come on, you're kinda missing the point of a double date – let’s take the girls dancing.” Bucky shoved Steve lightly, bringing him off the weighted plat that showed how he would look in a uniform. Steve turned with a neutral face and stuck his hands in his pockets.

“You guys go on ahead, I’ll catch up with you.” Bucky sighed and backed up, wishing Y/n was here for backup. Of course, he was going to do this. He was like a pig running after a carrot on a stick when it came to enlisting. He couldn’t stop, not until he reached his goal. His prayers were answered when he heard the familiar click of wooden heels come closer to him and they both turned to see Y/n with a neutral expression to match Steve’s.

“You’re really gonna do this again?” She asked, watching him like a mother would with her child. Steve looked at the floor as if he was ashamed of himself for not being able to stop. She locked eyes with Bucky and realised she couldn’t stop him. “I’ll be in the bathroom.”

As she walked away from the group, she knocked into an older man, knocking the clipboard out of his hands and onto the floor. She cursed, moving to pick it up and almost bumping heads with the man as he followed suit. He let her rise back up and smiled at her and she took a look at his nametag. Erskine. She’d heard that name, he had something to do with the job she was being sent to.

“Excuse me, miss.” He said in a rough German accent that contrasted his well-pronounced English. She stepped to the side but before he could walk past she caught his attention again. “I’m sorry – are you THE Doctor Erskine?” He turned to face her and his cheeks wrinkled as he grinned at her.

“Well it would be the first time hearing that there is another," He joked, "I am him, how can I help you?”

“Yes actually, my name is Y/n L/n, I think I’m going to be working with you soon.” He pondered over her name for a moment before looking back to her and it was like a lightbulb went off in his head.

“Ah! Miss L/n, the nurse!” He moved the clipboard under his armpit and took her hand in his, grasped it tightly and shook. She smiled politely at him in response. His grip was kind of tight. “You will be coming with us to New Jersey, yes?”

“If all goes to plan, may I ask what I’ll be doing there?” She had been thinking this question through since she got told she was leaving – why would they want an ordinary nurse up in New Jersey? There were no wars on the home front as far as she could tell.

“Top secret business, Miss L/n – now tell me,” He turned her by her shoulders so she was in direct eyesight of Steve and Bucky. Bucky seemed exasperated as they argued over Steve’s continuous choices. “About him…”

“Who? Bucky?” She asked motioning to her friend in the uniform but the doctor shook his head and pointed towards the smaller of the two: Steve. “What about him?” She asked, her voice laced with obvious concern which caused him to chuckle.

“What is he like?”

“He’s just…Steve. He’s a hardworking guy who has to put in twice the effort as the average Joe but he’s good. He’s kind, selfless, hellbent on joining this war.”

“He wants to kill Nazis?” The German doctor asks with a hint of a joke tipped at the end of his words. She thought for a second, she didn’t know. She only knew he wanted desperately to fight but he’d never really told her why. She thought of her own answer, using it instead to cover the gaps.

“I don’t think he wants to kill anyone, but Steve’s a good kid, he just doesn’t like people who push others around like they’re better than them.”

“Hmm, I see,” Erskine muttered, not taking his eyes off of the two as they finished their little argument and Y/n realised she should probably go over there now. As if sensing her departure, the doctor bid her farewell until they would meet again and Y/n moved back over to the two boys.

“This isn’t about me.” Steve all but yelled as Y/n got closer and she slowly pushed her way between them to separate them.

“That’s enough boys, come on.” She yanked Steve’s collar and dragged him away from Bucky. “Right, ‘cuz you got nothing to prove?” Bucky’s eyes were full of sadness. Y/n knew what he meant. Steve just wanted to be a good person, to show the world that even the little guys needed to be respected and while she admired him for doing it, she realised he was oblivious to the fact their best friend was worrying so much about him.

“Come on, are we going dancing or what?” She asked them both and they both looked away for a second. “Guys?”

“Bucky’s gonna take you, Y/n, I have some stuff to do.” Her sad smile was back on her face and Steve broke a little on the inside, he wondered if she would take her turn and berate him on his choice but she just engulfed him in a hug. They stood at almost the same height and Y/n held her arms around him as his frame was so small compared to any other she’d hugged. If he was doing this again, she wanted him to know that she would support him.

“Be safe, okay?” She asked and Steve noticed she was sniffling a little. He pulled away and Bucky’s stomach dropped at the tears that circled those beautiful eyes he adored so much. She wasn’t crying for him tonight, she was crying for the fact she wouldn’t likely see him for a long time.

“Don’t do anything stupid until I get back.” Bucky changed the focus from her, allowing her to wipe her tears. Steve looked straight up at him with his small smirk, Bucky began to turn and grabbed Y/n’s arm, linking it with his own. She looked up at him and he smiled softly down at her in understanding. He knew, she didn’t know how but he had picked up on it.

“How can I?” Steve asked, bringing the attention back to him, “You’re taking all the stupid with you.” Y/n laughed at that and wiped her eyes again.

“There’s enough stupid between the both of you to keep the world running.” Steve and Bucky laughed at her and her face lit up slightly, she was going to miss this. Bucky walked back over to Steve and brought him in for a short hug, pulling back and muttering that he was a punk. Steve smiled and called him a jerk causing Y/n to perk up again and tell them they were both idiots. She smiled one last time before walking off with Bucky, watching as he turned and saluted to Steve when he told him not to win the war until he got there.

They walked a little further until Steve disappeared back into the building and they stopped. Y/n looked around, wondering where her friend was.

“Did you leave Gloria?” She asked, trying to find her through the sea of people. Bucky bit his lip and turned to face her.

“Yeah she – uh, she went home.” Y/n nodded slowly. She had to tell him, now. He was leaving tomorrow and she couldn’t just keep it from him forever. What if he came back and she didn’t? What if he came back and found out she had served without telling them? “I know about it.” This broke her from her questioning and her eyes went wide. He knew.

“Did Gloria tell you?” She asked, remembering that Gloria often forgot to think before opening her mouth. She knew she shouldn’t have told her, Bucky nodded and it seemed like forever until she mustered up the courage to speak again. She’d been a complete hypocrite and he was probably so angry at her now. “Look, Buck, I wanted to tell you but-“

“You didn’t want us worrying about you?” He finished a playful tone resting on his words. She nodded slowly, unable to look him in the eyes. God, she was so done for. She didn’t even think when she got so angry at him before but now he was completely calm at her confession and it made her realise she’d overreacted. “Doll, we’re gonna worry about you regardless. You can't just not tell us things like that and expect everything to work out.” Bucky saw the tears in her eyes once more and sighed, pulling her head to his chest as he rubbed circles in the back of her neck. This was hard for both of them – this was a war for crying out loud. No one knew whether one day would be their last day and both of them realised they’d spent some of their last hours together with one of them angry at the other for something out of their control.

“I’m sorry.” Her voice was tiny and he barely heard her over the booming voices of families at the fair. He did hear her however and his heart swelled at the noise. She pulled her face away from her chest and looked up at him, her face was flushed red from the tears and her eyes glistened under the lights. She looked beautiful. He smiled down at her and she slowly felt a smile spreading onto her face like it was contagious. Y/n found herself staring at him like she’d never done before, he looked ethereal. The uniform, the boyish smile, the adoration in his eyes as he looked down at her – he was something else. She felt something stir in her chest and it scared her. She couldn’t do this, not now. Y/n pulled away with a cough and looked around the area, not noticing Bucky’s slightly sad features at the sudden movement. When she looked back he covered it with his trademark boyish charm and offered his arm to her. She took it and they began walking out of the expo.

“I’m thinking burgers and dancing – my treat.” He told her as they walked down the dark street. She scoffed at his words and turned her head to face him with a frown.

“No way- it’s your last night. I’m buying.” He grinned down at her and she realised he’d fallen into his trap. Of course, he wanted her to pay and knew she’d call him out on trying. She shook her head as a laugh erupted from her lips and they made their way down to the diner; their diner.

They didn’t bother ordering, they just sat in their usual spot and the waitress gave them a thumbs up, rattling their usual order to the chef.

“I think it’s bad that they know exactly what we want, Buck.”

“Nah, we’re just loyal customers.” The cook came over a few seconds later, hands filled with two plates of burgers and fries. He grinned at the two of them and set the plates down. The food steamed slightly and Y/n’s mouth watered just at the sight of the perfect food. The waitress followed close behind and placed two milkshakes on the table.

“Here you are! Looking good Barnes.” The cook commented, placing his hand on Bucky’s uniformed shoulder. Bucky smiled politely back and Y/n glanced at him, relishing in the happiness one small diner could bring the both of them.

“Thanks Mr Daverish.” He replied and before she forgot, Y/n pulled out her purse, giving the stink-eye to a laughing Bucky and began to count out the necessary money. A large hand stopped her and she looked up at Daverish in questioning. He shook his head at her and pushed the purse away from him.

“Oh no no, on the house for military boys – you do us proud son.” He winked at Bucky and left the table with the waitress, continuing their work. Y/n looked at the purse for a second and put it away, turning her attention back to the soldier in front of her.

“Yeah, you definitely can't leave now Barnes. I need to take you everywhere if this is how people react.” She joked and he tucked into his food, barely stopping to breathe as he inhaled the homemade burgers and Y/n watched with a cheesy grin on her face as she tried to stop herself from laughing at him. She tucked into her burger, groaning at the flavours that melted in her mouth. This place was heaven to the trio. They would come here all the time after school and now as they were older, whenever they hung out.

They ate in with a small conversation for a while until Bucky finished his food, eyeballing her fries to which she rolled her eyes and pushed them towards him.

“So..the Army Nurse Corps.” He started in an attempt to pry more information out of her. He wanted to know all that he could – would she be safe? Was she going out to the front line? “Yeah, it…different I guess.” He noticed her blandness and inwardly sighed, knowing she didn’t want to tell him all that she knew.

“I think it’s nice you're finally being appreciated for your talents.” He finished, sucking the salt off of his fingers. She reached for her milkshake, taking a short sip before swallowing and locked eyes with him again.

“I guess patching up Steve has helped me hone my talents through the years…” They both laughed for a moment until she sighed. “Do you think he’ll be okay?”

“He’s Steve, he can get through anything.” They both knew it was true. He was small but he was resilient and Y/n knew deep down he’d be okay. He’d made it this far, right? Still, there was a part of her that panicked about the idea of leaving him alone.

“I know that, Buck but-“

“Listen to me doll, this is my last night so I wanna enjoy it.” He dropped his napkin on the table and leaned over, taking her hand in his. “So we’re gonna eat the hell out of these burgers, dance the hell out of that club then who knows?” He winked and his eyes ran down her body in a flirty gesture. She yanked her hands back and blushed, instantly realising what he was getting at.

“Absolutely not Barnes.” The sound of his laugh settled her down and she realised how much she was going to miss it. She was going to miss his laugh, his smile, his annoying little comments – she was going to miss him.

“I didn’t say anything!” He put his hands up in mock surrender and she shook her head, getting up from the booth and smoothing down her skirt. He followed suit and straightened out his uniform, picking up his hat from his side and placing it back on his head.

“We’ll see you soon, Mr Daverish.” She called to the back and the chef peeked his head through the door, waving them off with a smile. They made their way out of the establishment and began walking down the street. Y/n stopped, looking up at the sky and sighed. Bucky stopped walking and turned back to her.

“What?” He asked, his hands hung loosely from his pockets and he wondered why the girl he so was infatuated with looked so sad.

“We don’t have long left.” She responded, motioning to the full moon that plastered the sky with a subtle glow. He realised that it was far later than they both anticipated. The dance hall would be closed by now and Bucky had to get some sleep before his big day. “Walk me home?” She offered and he took her arm in his. They walked in silence until they got to her apartment and she pulled out her key, opening the door.

“Can I give you something?” Bucky asked as she threw her bag into the apartment before returning out to the landing of her complex. She frowned at his question, wondering what he could possibly give her when the ones who stayed were meant to be the ones giving going-away presents.

“Sure, what is it?” She watched as he pulled a silver chain from around his neck. The two metal plates jangled as they knocked against each other and he placed them in her open palms. She looked down at them and felt those stupid tears well up in her eyes again. This was too much, she couldn’t bear the thought of him actually leaving her and now, in their final moments together, he gave her the one thing that now meant so much to him as a soldier. They told the world who he was, they literally defined him as a soldier. “Bucky, I can't have these.” Her small voice returned and Bucky frowned down at her, had he overstepped? “It’s sort of counter-productive if you don’t have these on you in case you, you know.” The big D word. The one she had made sure she did not think of while he was wearing that uniform. He couldn’t die on her, she refused to believe that was even a possibility so she pushed it to the back of her mind. She heard him sigh and he grabbed the chain back from her, opening the clasp and pulling one of the tags off. He dropped the chain in her palm again.

“There. Now we both have one.” He watched as she ran her fingers over the indents in the metal and watched as her body froze when she spotted the number three, that dreaded number no man wanted to get.

“You didn’t choose…” He was called up, but he didn’t choose to enlist. He was drafted. He wasn’t leaving her by choice.

“No.” His voice was hurt and she realised the pain he must have gone through. He didn’t plan for this. He wanted to stay with them, protect them.

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologising, doll. There was nothing you could do.” She didn’t know what to say after that so she wrapped the tag around her neck and brought herself to his chest, wrapping her arms around him once more. After a few seconds, he hugged her back. She took in a breath, savouring the smell of his cologne and the smell of his new uniform and tried to remember it perfectly for the coming days. This was it. He was going to war tomorrow.

“Be safe.” She muttered into his chest and he pulled her back, stroking her face with his thumb. He was breaking inside, he didn’t want to leave her, not like this.

“I’ll see you again soon, doll face, don’t you worry about it.”

She wanted to believe him, but part of her knew it wasn’t true.

[lord-and-master]

My Dearest Enemy [7]

◤• Commander Peepers x Reader • ◢

╰┈➤ This is not slow burn at all and with a serious tone (just saying!). This is THE SEVENTH CHAPTER, you can read the rest here:

https://www.wattpad.com/story/222059481-my-dearest-enemy

Chapter Seven: They Keep On Coming

The second-in-command of Lord Hater's army sat in his small, dark cell, his eye narrowed with anger. He had been in there for days, and he was absolutely furious. There was no way that his leader, his friend, really had the gall to lock him up like a common criminal. It was ridiculous, comical in a sense even. However, it didn't stop the small watchdog from cursing at himself for daring to stand up to his superior. 

After all, it was his fault that he ended up in such a humiliating place.

And so, Peepers was seething in his cell, his tiny fists clenched tightly. He paced back and forth, the cold, hard walls of the prison doing little to temper his fury. His small frame was shaking with anger, his eye red with frustration. The atmosphere was tense, the air heavy with the weight of his bottled-up emotions. The alien was completely, unwaveringly pissed off and it was evident in every inch of his form.

"Great job, Peepers! Way to show your superior how loyal and respectful you really are!" He raised his voice, the unwanted situation making him lecture himself.

The walls echoed back his sarcastic voice, a cold reminder of his current circumstances. He was trapped like an enemy, all because he dared to speak his mind. It was a ridiculous situation, a hysterical and humiliating one and it only added fuel to his already blazing anger. But deep down, he knew that he had pushed Hater too far, crossed a line he couldn't cross... or at least the skeleton couldn't tolerate.

Peepers sighed, rubbing a hand to his head, and continued pacing. His thoughts were as restless as he was. He remembered his outburst, his defiance, and the cold, angry expression on his superior's face. He could still feel his heart beating fast, the memory triggering his pent-up frustration. He muttered to himself, cursing his own stupidity and stubbornness. "Great, just great." he mumbled, self-loathing dripping from his tongue. "You just couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you?"

With his tone more sorrowful, the echo of his footsteps sounded mocking and harsh in the cramped space. He was isolated and alone with nothing to do but stew in his degradation. His mind kept replaying the moment, the one where he should have kept his composure, but instead, he allowed his emotions to get the best of him. It wasn't just disappointment in himself, there was also a tinge of bitterness toward his leader.

Hater, the Lord he admired and respected so much, had locked him away without a second thought. Like he truthfully didn't mean anything to him.

Their companionship meant nothing.

His devotion meant nothing.

H̷i̷t̸ ̷l̶o̸y̴a̴l̷t̸y̴ ̷m̶e̶a̵n̵t̴ ̸n̵o̶t̷h̸i̶n̴g̸.̶

As that thought crossed his mind, a spark of defiance began to stir within him. Anger replaced his previous feelings of self-loathing and self-blame. He was the Commander, for Grop's sake. The egoistical skeleton was the one who was acting like a petulant child, not him. His words were justified. His outrage was too. "If Hater wants to act like a child, then so be it!" He said to himself, his displeasure bubbling up higher as he crossed his arms. "THAT'S FINE BY ME!"

But he glared at no one.

He was alone.

As he stood there, seething in his frustration, Peepers began to notice just how quiet and still the prison he found himself in was. The only sound he could hear was the steady echo of his own breathing. The complete lack of any kind of stimulation made his situation feel even more bleak.

He glanced up at the small window in the cell wall. It was letting in a feeble, almost laughable amount of light, not enough to see by, but enough to highlight the cramped, dank nature of his new accommodation. The bars were thick, and the iron looked ancient and unwavering. There was no getting through them, not without serious tools and a lot of time.

And Peepers had neither.

"Yeah, right." He muttered to himself. "Like there's any chance of escaping this place. Hater would never let a cell be weak enough to be escaped from-"

Oh wait. He would.

The second-in-command nearly smacked his forehead. "Of course!" He shook his head at his own obliviousness. "That orange weirdo and the zbornack escape all the time, how could I forget that? But..." He looked around the place with a critical eye, trying to find any signs of weakness. "I don't see any loose bars, or holes, or anything that would allow for easy escape." He stood up and began prowling around, running his hands over the stone walls and searching for any hidden chinks or faults. But no matter how many times he circled the tiny space, he couldn't find anything that would help him.

"Curses." He placed his hands on his hips, stomping his foot impatiently. Of course Hater would make sure his cell was rock solid and unbreakable, while those two idiots could escape their with ease. Figures.

The irony and unfairness of the situation only added to the watchdog's mounting anger. He was the skeleton's most loyal (well not anymore) and competent Commander, and yet there he was, stuck in prison with no chance of escaping. "Unbelievable!" His hands balled into fists as his eye narrowed in irritation. "This is ridiculous! I didn't even know we had a prison like this! How come we never used it on them?!"

Even in a situation like that, he once again was reminded how incompetent his leader was.

"Unacceptable." He grumbled, his mind racing with plans and schemes, trying to find an escape route, any way out of that humiliating predicament. But the more he thought about it, the more impossible the task seemed. "There has to be a way out of here." He said, more to himself than to anyone else. "A weak spot, a crack in the wall, something."

He went back to the wall and started searching again, his fingers tracing over every crevice and crack in the stone. He knocked at different spots, listening for any changes in sound that might indicate a hollowness, an opening, anything that could lead to an escape route. But no matter how many times he went over the same ground, he found nothing. Not a loose stone, not a gap in the mortar, not even a hint of a chink the cell's structure.

Frustrated, Peepers slammed his fist against the wall, the impact sending a jolt of pain up his arm. "THIS CAN'T-" He gritted his teeth and let out a growl of irritation, his anger and desperation growing by the second. "HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!" He yelled, his voice echoing off the cold walls. "How did Hater build the perfect prison, one that not even a watchdog can escape from?! It's not logical! It's not right!"

"Oh, trust me, he didn't build the perfect cell."

Wait. Who was that?

...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" The commander jumped in the air, terrified. "WHAT-?!" He wheeled around, his eye widening when he heard the mocking tone. Though the moment his gaze landed on the person, the tension fell from his veins, and his eyelid moved down as his orb narrowed in annoyance.

___, of course.

The human woman was leaning casually against the metal door, her arms crossed and a sly smirk pulling at the corners of her lips. She was dressed in her usual outfit, looking relaxed and at ease in the most casual way possible, her eyes gleaming with a mix of amusement and mockery. Something that wasn't all that surprising.

Peepers felt his resolve wavering, the sight of her stirring up a mix of feelings inside him. He steeled himself and cleared his throat, trying not to show his vulnerability. And hoping that she wouldn't comment his.. not-very-commander-like scream. "H-How in the hell do you keep slipping in and out of here undetected?!" He asked, his tone trying to sound authoritative, but the waver in his voice made it clear he was anything but.

To his dismay, she chuckled, her smile growing wider as she pushed off the door and sauntered closer to him. Her footsteps echoed through his small cell, the sound adding to the uncomfortable pang in his chest. "I have my ways." She responded slyly, her eyes fixed on his like a predatory cat.

The small watchdog watched her approach, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Confusion, annoyance, and, unfortunately, a flicker of attraction. Damn her. He gritted his teeth and crossed his arms, trying to maintain his professionalism even though she was getting on his last nerves. Ever since their last encounter he longed for her, but in that situation, he really didn't want to have anything to do with her mocking attitude.

Though the woman paid his frustration no mind, stopping in front of the cell door, one hand on her hip. "I never expected to see you in here." She commented, clearly amused.

Peepers scoffed, trying to put up a cool facade despite the emotions raging within him. "That makes two of us." He muttered, his eye still narrowing at her slender form. He hated the way she was taking pleasure in his predicament and the way she seemed so casually at ease.

At his words she raised an eyebrow. "Really?" Her tongue was absolutely filled with sarcasm, enjoying the sight of the commander alone and helpless. "Because after our last encounter, I assumed you would be in here a lot sooner."

Their last encounter? He remembered it quite vividly. Grop, the thought alone almost made him shiver.

The man bristled at her remark. It was a jab at his loyalty to Hater, a reminder of his weakness and disobedience. He clenched his teeth, forcing himself to hold back a retort. It wouldn't do him any good to get into an argument with her, not in that moment. "And what exactly are you doing here?" He asked, his tone guarded but trying to hide the flicker of curiosity.

She leaned in, looking at him through the bars with a smug expression. "I just wanted to see how you're doing. After all, you were pretty clear about your loyalty to Hater not that long ago." Her eyes were then half-lidded as she reminded him of their last conversation back at his quarters.

His hands clenching into fists, he stepped closer to the bars, his demeanor defensive and a bit defiant. "So you're really going to hold that against me, huh?" He snapped, his voice carrying a hint of irritation. "You're going to come all the way here, right onto the Skullship, just to mock me for trying to salvage my position?!"

The human almost snorted, enjoying the fact she was getting under his skin. "I wouldn't exactly call your current situation 'salvaged'." She gestured in amusement to him. "You're in a cell, after all." As she spoke, she casually traced her fingers along the metal, in an almost patronizing way, watching him closely with a sly expression.

Peepers felt his eye twitch. He wanted to snap back at her, to show that he wasn't as affected by her taunts as she hoped. Unfortunately, she was absolutely right, and he couldn't deny the situation he found himself in. His expression morphed into an angry scowl, his fists balling up at his sides, but he held back a biting retort. "Shut up." He grumbled, his embarrassment making him look away from her sickly delighted gaze.

At that the woman chuckled again, her amusement growing. She was obviously enjoying the situation, his reactions. She leaned forward, resting her chin on one hand and her elbow on the bars, watching him like a predator watches its prey. "I'm just surprised, is all." She said with a hint of mock innocence. "I thought you were Hater's loyal lapdog."

Oh, that little-

"I AM NOT A LAPDOG!" The watchdog retorted, his voice harsh. "I am Lord Hater's Commander, his most loyal and competent officer. I may have made a mistake in standing up to him, but that doesn't change who i am, or the duties I perform for him!" He placed his hands on the sides of his hips and proudly puffed out his chest, closing his scarlet orb in a confident manner.

Though ___ only raised an eyebrow, looking at him with a mixture of interest and doubt. "Is that so?" She said, tilting her head. "And what duties are those, exactly? Fetching Hater's slippers? Polishing his throne? Barking on command?"

Upon hearing her words, the commander's eye flashed with the color red. "THAT'S RIDICULOUS!" He snapped, growing more and more defensive. "I AM NOT SOME DOG, FOLLOWING HATER'S EVERY COMMAND LIKE A MINDLESS SHEEP! I AM A COMMANDER, A MILITARY LEADER! I PLAN AND STRATEGIZE, I LEAD MY SOLDIERS INTO BATTLE, I-"

"Oh really?" She interjected, her voice more taunting. "You 'plan and strategize'? Let's see... You planned to stand up to Hater, even though you knew he wouldn't like it. You strategized yourself into being imprisoned, which was also incredibly genius, by the way."

Grop, how right she was. He hated it.

Peepers gritted his teeth, his temper rising. He had to remind himself not to snap, not to let her bait him further. "My actions might have been... misguided." He admitted, visibly still defensive. "But I am Hater's right-hand, his commander. My loyalty doesn't waver easily!" He stood up tall, trying to show her that he, in spite or recent events, believed in his role and dedication to the electric skeleton.

"It's all just a minor setback." He continued, trying to keep his voice steady and confident. "I will be back at Hater's side in no time!" With that he crossed his arms, trying to appear composed even though inside, his mind was a whirlwind. The situation was embarrassing, the mockery annoying, and the human's continued presence was distracting. Truthfully, it was all a bad combination and the watchdog didn't enjoy it in the least.

And yet as he looked at her, meeting her sly gaze, a different kind of feeling was beginning to grow within him. A flicker of doubt, a hint of confusion. Her words were getting to him, her pure existence unsettling him in ways he didn't want to admit. And so he forced himself to focus, to shake off the thoughts she was stirring inside of his villainous heart.

He took a deep breath, his fists then clenched by his sides. She was just a smug, annoying human, a constant thorn in his side. Nothing more, nothing less. Just a pesky threat that needed to be dealt with. "Enough of your taunting." He snapped, trying once again to sound authoritative. "I won't let you get the better of me." With that he gazed at her, his eye still narrowed.

There was no way that he would crumble. No way.

The woman tilted her head slightly in response to his declaration, a small smile tugging at her lips as she crouched down to look into his eye on the same level. "Is that so?" And with that, she grabbed his uniform through the bars and pulled him towards herself, her mouth crashing with his in a passionate kiss.

W-What?!

Peepers' surprise was palpable. Her confidence, her audacity and tenacity, it was everything he found infuriating, but he also couldn't deny the attraction he felt toward her. He hated the power she had over him, the pull she had over his senses, the way she could make him forget everything and melt into her touch. That's why he pushed against her, trying to regain some control, but he soon found himself powerless. The sensation turning his brain into mush, as a giant fog covered his logical thought.

The act of affection lasted for what felt like eternity. His mind spun with the mixture of his anger, frustration, annoyance, and the growing desire that she always seemed to ignite within him. He despised himself for it, for being so weak. For the way his body responded to her without his permission. It wasn't right. He was breathless, his thoughts nonexistent. His hand gripped the cell bars, trying to find something solid to ground his small form. But her lips had overpowered his senses, making him unable to focus on anything else.

In a way, it was comforting.

But... he knew that it was also wrong.

He broke away from her with a gasp, trying to catch his breath, to compose himself. His mind was a jumbled mess, his emotions at war within him. The kiss had left him unsteady, wanting to keep sucking those sinful lips, but he knew better. He knew he had to be the smart one, the one who saw past the woman's charm. Though his scarlet orb kept wandering back to her mouth, her cocky and smug expression, the teasing glimmer in her eyes.

Hater was his friend, his leader, his ally through countless battles and conquests. For years he longed for any sort of appreciation from the skeleton. He owed his allegiance to him, and yet, there he was, kissing a human who was trying to convince him otherwise. It didn't make sense, but he was struggling to find the will to resist. He was a devoted commander, even if he dared to stand up for himself once. His loyalty should never waver.

However, she was making him question it.

___'s orbs narrowed at his reaction, her smile growing wider. She knew he was fighting inside. She could see the flicker of doubt, the hints of conflict within. He was already wavering, the desire she sparked was clouding his judgment and it was making her proud of herself. She realized that she had already gotten to him, to those deep, buried desires he had. "You were saying, Commander?" She teased, her voice filled with satisfaction.

Hearing her words, the sides of his eye started to flare with a familiar pink tint.

Peepers found her smug expression and acts irritating. He hated how amused she looked, acting like she had already won. He had to maintain his composure, prove that she hadn't already pierced through his walls. Inside of him was a need to say something, anything, to defend himself and his devotion to Hater. But his mind was conflicted, his heart racing, his breath still coming in short gasps after being kissed by her.

He loathed how she made him feel.

With a quick blink, he muttered, his voice a mix of anger and blame. "This is your fault." It was so easy to say that, but harder to think. "If you hadn't come here, if you hadn't... opened my eye... I would still be blissfully ignorant, blindly loyal to Hater." A sigh escaped his nonexistent lips as he leaned his head against one of the bars. "You've messed everything up, ruined it."

He clenched his fists, his orb narrowing slightly. He wanted to blame her, to cast her as the villain, the reason for his current predicament. But deep down, he knew it wasn't that simple. She wasn't entirely to blame, she was just the catalyst. The spark that had ignited the fire of doubt and rebellion within him. Something that existed long before he even knew her, but didn't have enough courage or time to admit.

"You just waltz in here, causing chaos and upheaval where you go!" He went on, his gaze moving to her tall form as he spoke. "You turn everything upside down, you mess with peoples' heads!" His eye darted in panic across her features, searching for something, anything that could prove that he wasn't just delusional. "You're- You're meddling, manipulative, dangerous!" He spat the last word like it was venom on his tongue, but even if so, deep inside he didn't quite believe it himself. It didn't make sense.

He took a step closer to the bars, his eye locked on hers. "And yet... I can't stop thinking about you. Ever since the first time we met, I can't get you out of my mind. I keep replaying our conversations in my head, I keep thinking about what you said about me, about Hater, about us..." Peepers felt his anger draining away, replaced by a mixture of confusion and vulnerability. He shouldn't be admitting these things, he should be maintaining his distance, his pride. But he couldn't help it.

The words slipped out before he could stop them.

"Why are you doing this to me?" He asked, his voice frustrated and helpless. "Why do you have this... effect on me?" There was a hint of confusion, but also affection. Something he didn't exactly wish for her to know, and yet he felt the need to say it either way. "It's like every time I see you, every time I hear your voice, everything just... stops making sense."

Ẃ̸͔͗̈͑̓̍ẖ̶͂̒̋̓̿̏̿ý̷͈͉̪͙͓̹͑̂͑́͒̊?̸̢̟͕͍͋̀

Peepers' words echoed around them, the confessions pouring out of him like a dam breaking. And all the while, ___ watched him, her cold eyes seeing right through his carefully constructed defense. She didn't talk, she just listened, her mannerism nonchalant. There was not a single hint of emotion hiding behind her expression. Truly, it was quite... strange.

But then, she laughed.

The watchdog froze, his orb widening at the sound of her unexpected hysterics. He had expected a biting retort, another mocking comment, but not that. And what scared him the most was that the sound was both irritating and beautiful, the thought alone sent a chill down his spine. "What- What are you laughing at?" He asked, clearly puzzled. "This isn't funny, I'm-"

Before he could finish his sentence, she stepped closer, her gaze locked on his. Her smile was both mocking and sultry, her voice a whispered tease. "Isn't it obvious, Commander?" She tilted her head, the smile never leaving her lips. "I'm laughing at you."

For a second, everything stood still.

Peepers' heart skipped a beat at her declaration, her sudden proximity sending a rush of heat through his body. He was taken aback by her audacity, yet he couldn't deny the thrill that shot through him as she leaned in towards him, her body just inches away from his own. It was one of these moments that he couldn't really understand her, no matter how much he wished he could. It was a desire, not only to acquire knowledge but to also find out her thinking process. She was a human, he didn't know how her race worked, he's never met one before. And additionally, she was the only person that made him question everything.

How bizarre was that?

The woman noticed his dazed expression and it only made her smirk widen as she continued speaking. "You just spent all this time complaining about how I've disrupted your life, how I've made everything a mess." She said. her tone still amused. "And yet, here you are, practically confessing your feelings for me." It was a low, seductive murmur in his invisible ear, something that made him shiver unknowingly.

His villainous heart started hammering in his chest, his breath catching in his throat at her words. He hadn't quite realized how close she was, how her breath was brushing against his face. All of that was too much for him to handle. He wanted to deny it, to protest her ridiculous claim, but somehow the observation was hard to ignore and his mind was reeling. "I-I'm not 'confessing' anything!" He tried feebly, his voice betraying his fluster. "You're twisting everything I say to fit your narrative."

He didn't have any 'feelings' for her, did he?

That would be impossible. He was a villain, not some hopeless romantic!

Though the warmth on his cheeks surely said otherwise.

"Oh, really?" She questioned with a sly smile. "So you're saying you don't have the thought of me swirling around your mind on a regular basis?" As she spoke, she leaned even closer, her lips hovering just a hair's breadth away from his. The movement alone reminded him of the kiss they shared just moments ago, his mind filling with the memory. "And you don't feel the slightest hint of... attraction towards me?" She continued, her voice dripping with mockery and desire.

The watchdog felt his resolve weakening with each word, everything sending a mixture of embarrassment and... something more through him. He found himself leaning closer, as though he was pulled towards her by a magnetic force. It was irritating and intoxicating at the same time, and he hated it. "Don't be ridiculous." He growled, trying to sound defiant but it came out as a pathetic whisper. "I would never feel..." His voice trailed off, his eye meeting hers. That mocking gaze of hers alone sent a jolt of electricity through him, he could feel the tension between them thickening with each passing second.

___ could see the flicker in his scarlet orb, the hesitation and frustration. No matter how much he tried to deny it, she knew she had him right where she wanted him. She could see the internal conflict swirling within him, the confusing thoughts and emotions that she stirred. "You can deny it all you want." She whispered, her tone like silk. "But your body can't lie to me, Commander." As she spoke, her hand reached through the bars, cupping his chin, her touch making him shiver. It was like a drug, something that made his mind spin. "And you could have all this if you just let go of your little loyalty."

Her words felt like a siren's song, tempting and alluring. She was offering him something forbidden, something that went against everything he stood for. Not only power, but also herself. It was strange, sweetly horrible, and yet the desire to give in felt unbearable. His mind was a mixture of anger, lust, and the fear of betraying his leader, a raging storm.

"You have the potential for so much more than serving that idiot." She continued, her voice low and persuasive. "You're a brilliant tactician, a natural leader. You could rule the galaxy far more efficiently and effectively than Hater ever could." It was a pierce through his defenses, hitting their mark with painful precision.

He could almost see the image she was painting in his head, the galaxy at his feet, under his control, with the skeleton defeated. The power, the satisfaction of ruling in his own right, it was- No. "You're tempting me." He muttered, conflict and desire rolling off his tongue. "You're making me question everything, it's... wrong." He pulled back slightly, even as her touch tempted him to come closer, to give in.

Her lips turned into something resembling a pout, though softer. "Why is it wrong?" She whispered, her hand staying exactly where it was, refusing to let him create any space between them. She was close, so teasing, so alluring. "Why is it wrong to want to rule? To seek power? To become the ruler of the galaxy instead of just Lord Hater's loyal lapdog?" Her words were as dangerous as her touch. She was telling him the very thoughts he had tried to push away, the dark fantasies he had refused to admit to himself.

And they were starting to work.

"Imagine it." She murmured, it was a seductive sound in his ear. "All the power you could wield, all the planets at your feet. You could make things right, impose order and justice, rule with an iron fist."

Peepers felt a shiver run down his spine, her sultry tone sending bolts of heat and excitement through his tiny form. The more she talked, the more power and glory she was describing, it called to him. Spoke to the dark, hungry part of him that longed for control and dominance. The image in his mind alone was enough to make him crave more.

Seeing his reaction, she continued. "And I would be there, at your side." Her voice dropped lower, more intimate. "As your advisor, your partner, your... enforcer." Her words were like a symphony, playing him like a musical instrument. He felt his resolve beginning to crumble as her hand started moving down on his chest and lower, the heat within him growing with each sentence. She was offering him everything he wanted, and he was desperately conflicted. The part of him that craved control and power couldn't help but salivate at the proposal, but a stubborn part of him still clung to loyalty, to his devotion.

He needed to resist.

"Think about it." She continued, her tone a seductive purr. "No more taking orders from an incompetent fool, no more being pushed around like you're expendable. You would be the one giving the orders, making decisions." Saying that, her fingers moved down, resting against the tip of his belt. "Wouldn't that feel good?"

Holy Grop. That woman was intense.

The watchdog, finding a shred of clarity amidst the whirlwind of emotions, forced himself to speak, his voice a tense whisper. "Why?" He asked, his eye locking on hers. "Why are you offering me this?" He felt a flicker of suspicion, a hint of confusion. He needed to understand her motives, to be sure it wasn't some elaborate trap. The feeling and effects of her touch still lingered, his body tensing as she continued her seduction. She was speaking his desires, but he had to be cautious. He wasn't so lost to her allure that he didn't have his doubts, his suspicions, his questions. "Why would you want to offer me power, help me rule?" He asked, his tone tinged with doubt. "What's in it for you?"

His inquiry hung in the air between them. Her motives, her true intentions were a mystery to him. He couldn't shake the feeling of unease, the thought that she wasn't just a helpful ally. She was a human, a stranger in their galaxy. He needed to be cautious, even though his whole form was responding to her touch and words. He had to make sense of the situation, of her intentions. She was a puzzle, an enigma that he dared to uncover.

However, the question made the woman smirk, her fingers trailing even lower. She was enjoying the effect she had on him, the war raging within. "Isn't it obvious?" She whispered, her hand stopping in place. She let the words hang in the air for a moment, her eyes glimmering with a mix of anticipation and amusement. Leaning in, she traced her fingers over his ahem, and then returned them to his chest. "I want to rule alongside you."

Peepers decided to ignore the sensation she left on his lower body, though the red tint on his cheeks spoke otherwise. Either way, his confusion was growing alongside his desire for power. ___, a human and even a friend of Wander, wanting to rule? It was an unexpected revelation. There had to be more to that, more to her motives. "Why would you want that?" He asked, his voiced laced with suspicion. "You're Wander's friend and you're a human. Why would you want to help me take over the Galaxy?"

Her sly smirk was replaced by a devilish grin as she leaned closer, her body pressing against his as much as it could through the bars. She knew she was getting to him, pushing his suspicion aside with her admission. "Because I want you." She whispered, her declaration loaded with meaning and desire. "I see in you a lust for power and control that you don't let yourself indulge in. With me as your partner... we could rule together."

The alien felt a jolt of excitement mixed with confusion as her words sank in, his heart skipping a beat once more. The was she spoke, her tone, her touch, they were designed to stir him. Her claim of wanting him was unexpected, but it felt like a validation, a testament to her own attraction towards him. But even if so, he couldn't let his emotions cloud his judgment. He had to stay vigilant, no matter the fact that her sentences were like the sweetest poison to his ears. And so he kept his eye fixed on hers, his expression a mix of shock, confusion, and a hint of temptation.

"You..." He started, his voice trailing off, his mind spinning. The idea of him and her ruling together was alluring, way too alluring. A part of him wanted to give in, to take what she was offering. Power, control, and her by his side. But he couldn't shake the suspicions, the doubts. "You, a human, why do you want me to rule?"

Peepers wasn't dumb, he knew about the history of her race, that's why the question was even more important. It didn't make sense for a human to want an alien to be in charge. Because of that his mind was a whirlwind of feelings, his curiosity now rivaling his desire. She was a mystery, a riddle he found both enticing and infuriating.

Though the woman's lips pulled into a satisfied smile in response. Her hand once more started sliding down his chest, her touch lingering. Her admission of wanting him was a clear reminded of her intentions. She was determined to make him hers, to make him realize the potential they had together. "Because I see the leader in you, the one who's been hiding for so long." She whispered. "Power-hungry, dominant, capable. You're the one I want." Her breath was like a kiss against his skin, a sensation that clouded all logical thought.

The watchdog felt her hand, her words hitting him like a punch. Power-hungry, dominant... those adjectives were everything he had craved for so long, the things he had held back. Hearing them from her made his heart beat faster, heat blooming in his chest. She was hitting his buttons, pushing his deepest desires. He tried to maintain his composure, but it was difficult. Yet, he couldn't dismiss his lingering suspicions. He couldn't trust her fully.

Or himself, for that matter.

"You... you think that of me?" He asked, his tone a mix of vulnerability and curiosity. He studied her face, her eyes, searching for any hint of manipulation or deception. After all, nobody ever gave him praise, no one noticed his assets. Knowing that she could, it was like a dream come true.

And she seemed to notice his suspicions, her gaze softening. It was such a stark contrast from her usual sly smirk. It left him reeling, her approach shifting to something different, something pure. And so he continued to gaze into her orbs, trying to decipher her motives, the septum still there but her change throwing him off. He couldn't shake the feeling that she was manipulating him, he wanted to stay wary, but her new tactic was disarming, making his guard falter.

"Don't think so hard, Peepers." She whispered, a sultry chuckle mixed with a hint of amusement. "You get all adorably flustered." As she spoke, her hand reached for his cheek, her touch lingering. It was like a symphony of confusion for him. Her words were honeyed, her touch a subtle act of control. He wanted to resist, but her attempt at softness was like a velvet trap, pulling him into its warmth. "You don't have to resist." She continued in a soothing tone, a small blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Just say yes." Her voice so close that he could feel her breath against his neck, could smell her sweet, intoxicating scent. "Say yes, Peepers. Come with me."

The feeling of her touch and fragrance was dizzying, a mix of arousal and unease. He tried to resist her charms, his instincts screaming at him to run, to not fall for her manipulations. But her words, her voice, her proximity... it felt like she was wrapping him in a web of temptation, her offer like the most enticing poison.

He swelled, his breath hitching at her closeness. His eye trailed across her features, from her face to her body. He didn't understand it, didn't understand how a human, one that he didn't even know that well, could make him question his whole life. She was a toxin, a forbidden fruit that he shouldn't think of eating. And yet... he felt the tug at her proposal, the allure of it all.

In that moment his defenses crumbled, leaving him bare to her advances.

He couldn't deny it any longer.

"Yes." He said quietly, his voice barely audible. It was like a breath of surrender, a small admission against his better judgment. He was giving in, letting himself hope that it was real.. that she wasn't just taking control of him. The watchdog didn't know what the future held, didn't know the dangers that her offer could bring. But he couldn't push away his desires, not with her so close, her words so sweet, her touch so tempting.

He was caught, and deep down, he wanted to be.

The human leaned back slightly, a satisfied smile spreading across her face, her lips curling around a smirk. She had him. His declaration, his surrender, it was the victory she wanted, the opening she needed. But, she had to make sure he was completely caught, completely and utterly hers. And so, her hand gently caressed his face (eye), her touch soft and inviting, her orbs locked on his. "Good choice, Commander." She whispered, the sound filled with a mixture of triumph and desire.

She felt the tension between them, the heat of the moment, and she intended to keep him wrapped around her finger. With that in her mind, she leaned in once more, her lips pressing against his... eyelid (?). She still didn't understand how a kiss between a watchdog and a human worked, but oh well, it was good either way. However, contrary to their previous sharing of saliva, the one she started then was softer, almost vulnerable.

Peepers felt a new kind of heat spreading through him as her lips pressed against his, a pure sensation that sent shivers up his spine. It felt different, softer, almost affectionate. The contrast with their previous, passion-filled kisses was jarring, and it left him momentarily dazed. He leaned into the gesture, the sensation so different from everything they shared before. He couldn't believe how it was happening, how her presence was making him forget everything else in the whole world.

Her kiss, her touch, it was addictive, like a symphony playing in his ear. He could barely think straight, barely find the words or coherent thoughts in his mind. He had completely given in to the temptation, the desire she ignited in him. He wanted more, to get lost in her embrace. And so he pressed his body against hers, his hand reaching for her arm, trying to pull her even closer. "Don't hold back." He whispered softly, his voice hoarse with desire. He couldn't believe how much he craved her, how desperate he had become for her touch, her words, her proximity.

And she could sense the surrender in his movement, his sentence. His desires mirrored hers, his body pressed against hers in an attempt of closeness, a silent plea for more. Her lips curled slightly into a smirk as she lost herself in the sensation. "Don't hold back." She echoed, her mouth lingering against his eye. Before he could react, she deepened the kiss. It was then deeper, hungry, tinged with a mix of dominance and passion, as if she was marking a claim over him, making him hers.

The watchdog felt the intensity of the gesture, the lust and control. When she pulled away, he felt a flicker of disappointment, but it was quickly replaced with relief as he saw her stand, her focus clear. He tried to regain his composure, his mind a mix of emotions. He was in too deep already, he knew it. And so he watched her, his scarlet orb holding a hint of anticipation, of eagerness to see what she planned next.

With a determined glint in her eyes, the human female stood up. She knew exactly what she had to do. She needed to get him out of the cell, take Hater out, and claim the ship for their plan to move forward. And so she spoke, her voice low and commanding. "Stay here, Commander." Her eyes burned with fire, a flame of calculation, and something else.

Before he could retort, say that 'Of course he'll stay there, he can't escape on his own!', he could only watch as she disappeared in the darkness. Her sudden display of dominance had him stunned, a part of him wanting her to return right then and there. He was a little irritated at himself for his own weakness, for how easily he had succumbed to her allure. And so he stood in the silence, her presence leaving a strange void behind. He hated not knowing what she had in mind, but he trusted her, his suspicions put on hold for now.

But then...

"PEEEEEEPERS!" A loud, booming voice, echoed in the distance.

The watchdog's heart sank as he recognized the voice. Hater. The very person he had been plotting to betray, it was like he knew about the whole conversation with the human, coming exactly as they finished. But Peepers pushed the thought aside, plastering a stoic expression on his face, not wanting to show any signs of weakness. He mentally prepared himself for the imminent confrontation, bracing for the skeleton's usual brand of mockery and taunting.

However, it would soon end.

The door to the prison opened, and Hater strode in, a smug smile on his face. "Well, well, well, if it isn't my favorite little Commander." He stopped in front of the small alien's cell, peering in at him with a mix of amusement and condescension. Though as he noticed the silence of his subordinate and the defiant glare, he let out a chuckle. "Look at you, trying to be tough. HA!" He leaned in closer to the bars, his smile widening. "But I can see right through you, Peepers. You're just hiding that you're shaking in your wittle boots." He placed a finger on his cheek and did a stupid pose, fake tears welling up in his eyes... and also sticking his backside out in a comical way.

Peepers bristled at the condescending tone and obnoxious gestures. It was exactly the kind of behavior that had driven him away in the first place. He clenched his fists, restraining himself from reaching through the bars to smack that stupid smirk off Hater's face. But he kept his composure, refusing to let the skeleton see anything that would show him as pathetic.

"Awww, is lil' Peepers feeling abandoned? Did I hurt your feewings by locking you up?" The 'lord' continued his taunting. He feigned a pout, looking at his second-in-command with exaggerated sympathy. The sight was amusing to him, so sickly sweet that he couldn't stop himself from acting so childish.

Though the watchdog wasn't enjoying the situation, instead he gritted his teeth, his eye blazing with anger. "Save your concern for someone who cares, Sir." He snapped, the title still slipping from his tongue despite his want for rebellion. "I'm more than capable of handling myself."

Hater chuckled at his biting tone, clearly unimpressed. "Oh, I'm not worried Peepers." He said, smirking. "I just thought you might be lonely, you know, since you're all alone in there." With that he leaned on the bars of the cell, his grin growing wider. "But you know what they say." He drawled, his voice dripping with false pity. "When you're alone, you a lot of time to think." Saying that, he reached through the bars and ruffled Peepers' helmet mockingly, knowing how much it irritated him.

The watchdog angrily swatted his hand away, quickly adjusting the top part of his armour. "I don't need your fake sympathy, Sir." He grumbled. "And as for being alone, at least it means I don't have to listen to your constant whining and ego-stroking." With that he moved back, leaning against the wall of the cell, crossing his arms and fixing his superior with a glare. "Besides, I prefer my own company over yours any day."

Though in a different situation, it would be the thing that he longed for.

Hater's smirk wavered slightly, his ego bruised by the biting retort. He also crossed his arms, trying to maintain his cool demeanor. "Is that so, huh?" He retorted. "Well, you know what, Peepers? I don't really care. In fact, I'm glad you're in there. It saves me the trouble of dealing with your annoying advice and nitpicking all the time."

Peepers let out a scoff, rolling his eye at the comment. "Oh please." He sneered. "You would be lost without my advice and nitpicking. You would probably have destroyed the entire galaxy by now if it wasn't for me reminding you to wear your pants every day." Saying that, he could almost feel a smirk forming on his - nonexistent - lips.

The skeleton's face scrunched up in anger at his subordinate's jibe, but he tried to hide it behind a sly smile. "Ha! Yeah, right. I've been doing just fine without you. In fact, things have been a lot less annoying around here since you were locked up!" His tone was confident, but there was a hint of uncertainty in it as well. He knew damn well that ever since he threw his commander in prison they haven't conquered a single planet.

He wouldn't admit it though.

Peepers raised an eyebrow, his head tilting slightly. "I'm sure." He retorted sarcastically. "I bet you've been making all sorts of great decisions without me. Like the time you accidentally turned on the self-destruct switch while trying to program the coffee maker."

The face of his leader reddened at the memory, but he tried to play it off, puffing out his chest. "That was a one-time thing, Peepers!" He protested, his voice indignant. "AND I DIDN'T DO IT ON PURPOSE!"

"Of course, Sir." The watchdog replied dryly. "And I'm sure that the time you launched all of our Eye Fighters into deep space was also an accident, right?"

Hater huffed, his ego bruised by the reminders of his past mistakes. "Well, you know, even the greatest villains make mistakes, Peepers!" He blustered, attempting to defend himself. "At least I'm brave enough to be out there making decision, unlike you, hiding in that cell like a coward!"

An awkward silence followed after his words, but then-

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO PUT ME IN HERE!!!" The commander jumped in anger.

The skeleton's face turned an even deeper shade of red at Peepers' retort. He let our a frustrated yell, stomping his foot like a child throwing a tantrum. "WELL, YOU DESERVED IT, YOU LITTLE KNOW-IT-ALL!!!" He shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at his second-in-command. "You're always questioning my commands and undermining my authority! You think you're so smart, don't you, Peepers?! But guess what? I'M THE RULER HERE, NOT YOU!"

Peepers didn't back down, his own temper flaring. "AND WHAT A FINE RULER YOU'VE BEEN!" He spat back, the sarcasm rolling off his angered tongue. "Destroying planets, terrorizing innocent people, and crashing your own ships! You act like you're such a big, scary villain, but you're really just a BIG, DUMB CHILD THROWING A TANTRUM!" He threw his hands in the air to emphasize his point.

And it was true, Hater never managed to conquer planets competently. Every time they managed to do it, it was because of the commander only. And even then the skeleton found a way to mess everything up by going after the orange fuzzball like an absolute moron.

But the taller villain only stomped his foot again, his face twisting into a mask of anger. "I AM A GREAT VILLAIN, YOU'RE JUST TOO STUPID TO REALIZE IT PEEPERS!" He bellowed, the sound shaking with suppressed rage. "And just you wait. Once I deal with YOU and YOUR LITTLE FRIEND, I'll show the entire galaxy just how powerful I can be!"

The second-in-command rolled his eye, completely unimpressed by the empty threats. "Good luck with that, Sir." He retorted sarcastically. "Considering the fact that you can't even defeat a furry weirdo with a magic hat, I doubt you'll be conquering the galaxy anytime soon."

Hater's fists clenched at his dismissive tone, his anger reaching a boiling point. "YOU TAKE THAT BACK!" He yelled, his voice rising to a shriek. "Wander is nothing but a little pest! I could beat him any time I want to, I just choose not to! I'm NOT going to waste my time on that little furball!"

Yeah right.

Peepers smirked, thoroughly enjoying getting under his leader's skin. "Oh please." He scoffed, a hint of amusement present in his orb. "We both know you've been chasing after Wander like a lovesick puppy for years now. If you're so powerful, then why haven't you beaten him yet?" Why indeed, it was a question the watchdog asked himself ever since they met that vagabond.

"SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!" He yelled, stomping his foot once more. "I'm warning you, Peepers! If you don't stop with those snarky comment, I'll..." He trailed off, realizing he had no idea what he could do to make the watchdog stop.

At his outburst, the smaller villain raised an eyebrow. "You'll what, Sir?" He goaded, his tone laced with challenge. "Lock me in a cell, perhaps? Oh wait, you already did that." The amused smirk tugging at the corner of his eye was evident.

Hater's face reddened further, his frustration reaching a peak. "I'LL... I'LL... I'LL THROW YOU OUT OF THE AIRLOCK, THAT'S WHAT I'LL DO!"

The second-in-command chuckled at his empty threat, completely unfazed. "Really?" He taunted sarcastically. "And how exactly are you going to do that, hm? I'm locked up in a cell remember?" Of course, the promise could be swiftly done, but the eyeball knew just how dumb and unable to process everything his boss was. And he used that to his advantage.

"I'LL FIND A WAY, FOR GROP'S SAKE!" The skeleton yelled, stomping his foot, again. "Don't think you're safe in that cell just because you're surrounded by bars!"

The watchdog couldn't help but laugh once more, thoroughly entertained by Hater's impotent rage. "Oh, I'm not worried." He replied, his voice casual. "If you're dumb enough to accidentally launch all our ships into deep space, I have no doubt you're capable of purposely launching me into deep space as well."

"SHUT UP, PEEPERS!" The smaller villain was absolutely right and his leader knew it, which made him even angrier, his tone rising to a high-pitched squeak.

Peepers smirked at his childish outburst, clearly amused. "Hit a nerve, did I, Sir?" He taunted, the sarcasm rising once more. "Maybe if you learned how to control your temper, you'd actually accomplish something other than throwing a tantrum like a two-year-old."

Oh no, he didn't just say THAT.

"THAT'S IT!" The skeleton's eyes raged with fury. "WATCHDOGS! OPEN THE CELL!" He yelled out to the soldiers that were outside, taking care of the controls. His orbs were bloodshot and hands enveloped in green, crackling lighting in a split second.

The second-in-command's heart seized with dread as he heard the order, his eye widening in alarm. That wasn't good. He knew Hater's temper was volatile, and him being locked up hadn't exactly smoothed it out. Before he could respond, the entrance to his accommodation beeped and swung open, revealing the menacing leader standing there, his fists enveloped in the color emerald. Involuntarily, the watchdog took a step back, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a plan. He was unarmed and trapped with an angry, power-wielding skeleton. Not exactly a recipe for success. But he couldn't show any fear, not in front of the person he wanted to defeat. So he stood his ground, his scarlet eye narrowed defiantly as he faced his lord.

The taller villain advanced into the small space, the electricity dancing around his hands like a swarm of frenzied bees. His eyes were wild and unfocused, his face twisted into a mask of pure rage. "YOU'VE BEEN NOTHING BUT A CONSTANT ANNOYANCE, PEEPERS!" He growled dangerously. "I've had enough of your sarcasm, your undermining and your ENDLESS nitpicking!!!"

The heart of the watchdog beat faster, every nerve in his body yelling at him to run. His mind was blank, his whole form frozen. He stood his ground, his orb fixed on the man in front of him, refusing to back down despite the overwhelming danger. Hater was unhinged, unpredictable, and Peepers knew he was in a fight that he didn't want. His head raced with possibilities, hoping that he could get out of that without getting seriously injured — or worse.

And so his defiance grew, a surge of confidence flooding him. He was tired of being mocked, demeaned, and underestimated. He was done being a doormat, and he decided in the heat of the moment, that he wasn't going to take his leader's bullying anymore. He straightened up, his fists clenching at his sides.

No more fear.

No more submission.

He wasn't backing down. Not this time.

Peepers clenched his hands even tighter, his resolve solidifying. The time for passivity, for being the "good soldier" was over. He was done playing the submissive part, the obedient second-in-command. It was time to stand up for himself, to prove his worth, to show the skeleton (his friend that he wished would appreciate him), that he was more than just a punching bag, more than just a loyal follower.

The watchdogs outside watched, unable to intervene as Hater advanced, his body thrumming with barely contained rage. The Commander could see the anticipation in their eyes, expecting a one-sided fight. Well, they were in for a surprise. He held his ground, his scarlet orb narrowing even more as his leader (or rather former leader) got closer.

"You're nothing but a thorn in my side, Peepers!" Hater snarled, his voice a mix of anger, irritation and malice. "You've always been here, criticizing me, undermining my authority. You need to learn your place, AND I'M ABOUT TO TEACH IT TO YOU!"

With a deep breath, the smaller villain steadied himself. His heart was hammering in his chest and his fists shook in anticipation of the impending attack. But he didn't let that show. He held the skeleton's gaze, defiance flaring within. "Go ahead, then." He retorted, his tone filled with tension and daring. "Teach me my place. Show me what you've got, Hater."

He didn't even bother calling him 'Sir' anymore.

Hater's eyes narrowed, his face turning into a deep sneer of rage. "OH, YOU ASKED FOR IT, PEEPERS!" He growled, his voice rising in pitch as his temper flared higher. He launched himself at the watchdog, his fists crackling with lighting. "I CAN'T WAIT TO WIPE THAT ANNOYING SMIRK OFF YOUR FACE!"

Fight it.

Fight him.

Her words echoed through his mind.

Peepers reacted on pure instinct, years of training taking over. He sidestepped the attack, narrowly evading the electricity. He felt a jolt of adrenaline, a mix of excitement and anticipation coursing through him. He didn't back away, instead, darted to the side, putting himself in position to counter-attack. He knew fully well that he couldn't fight Hater on a physical level, but he was smart, quick, and he knew his weaknesses. So he had to stay nimble, dodging and striking when he found and opening. He saw the blind rage in his opponents eyes, the lack of strategy, and he knew that was his advantage point.

In the distance however, he heard explosions.

His heart lept in his throat as he heard the loud sound and screams of his fellow watchdogs. It took him a moment to process the realization that it was ___'s doing. His chest swelled, a strange mixture of pride and concern filling him. He knew she was handling the situation, giving him his chance... but that meant she was in danger too. He tried to shake the worry off, focusing on the present, on the battle with his boss.

Hater, though seemingly oblivious to the chaos around him, was too consumed by his anger, his fury, to notice. His attention remained locked on his subordinate, his focus unyielding. He continued his barrage of attacks, his movements clumsy. He didn't question the detonations; his tunnel of vision directed solely at his second-in-command. Blinded by his need to put him in his place, to make him pay for constant criticism, he poured rage into every attack. "YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN TO SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" He shouted, frustration and anger making his tone higher. "ALWAYS TELLING ME WHAT TO DO, ALWAYS DOUBTING MY DECISIONS!"

The watchdog dodged another swing, swiftly moving away from the skeleton's reach. "Maybe it's because your decisions are usually idiotic, and you need someone with common sense to point it out!" He retorted, his voice a mix of irritation and confidence. He kept moving, dancing around Hater's attacks, waiting for his moment.

With a clench of his fists, the 'fearless leader's' face reddened with anger. "YOU! NEVER! SHUT! UP!" He yelled, swinging his hands wildly. He was losing control of his temper, his punches becoming more wild, more erratic. He was focused on landing a hit, on making his subordinate pay for his insolence.

Peepers rolled his eye, the insult and attacks becoming more intense. "Oh please, I'm just stating the obvious!" He replied, his tone rising to match his opponents volume. "If you only stopped and thought for a second, maybe you could actually come up with a halfway decent plan!" He snarled, feeling the tension, the adrenaline mixing with his growing frustration.

Hater's face grew tomato red, his nostrils flaring. "I DON'T NEED YOUR ADVICE!" He roared, leaping at the watchdog, anent on landing a blow. "Every time you open your mouth, it's to tell me how stupid I am! I AM NOT STUPID, PEEPERS!!!" He charged forward, his strike coming in a torrent of rage and lighting.

The Commander side-stepped again, his agility keeping him nimble. "Then stop ACTING stupid!" He retorted, keeping his distance while still looking for an opening. He was dodging, weaving, and talking, his breath getting heavier. His mind kept whirring, assessing the skeleton's moves, desperately searching for that opportunity.

The taller villain paused, his eyes flaring in fury. "I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S STUPID!" He yelled, his fists crackling with electricity, glowing brighter. His attacks were becoming more unhinged, faster, each one fueled by his anger and desperation to finally land a hit. He launched himself at the smaller opponent, the power cracking around him, aiming to unleash a powerful lighting blow.

But Peepers was quick, dodging the strike just in time, rolling to the side. "Really? Using lighting now?" He called out, his voice tinged with a hint of humor despite the tension. His mind was laser focused, every move calculated, as he tried to dodge and respond to the taunts. He knew he had to keep moving, to keep his mind sharp.

"DON'T MOCK ME, PEEPERS!" The skeleton howled, a vein starting to pop up in his head despite him not having veins (wow). "YOU'RE JUST A WORTHLESS NOBODY WHO HAS TO BELITTLE ME TO FEEL IMPORTANT!" He launched another lighting-charged attack, trying to catch his Commander off guard.

The watchdog evaded the blow, his eyebrow raised. "Worthless?" He almost laughed. "That's rich, coming from someone who can't even conquer a single planet on his own!" He replied, keeping his feet moving. He darted between Hater's wildly thrown blitz, his words a mix of annoyance and sarcasm.

Suddenly however, as he was focused more on his snarky retort rather than dodging, the skeleton's fist finally connected with him, the lighting crackling upon impact. It sent electric shockwaves through the commander's small form. The force throwing him at the wall, a gasp escaping him. The impact shook him, the waves of electricity causing his world to spin. The hit was hard, and his body felt the full force of it, every nerve screaming. The pain was like nothing he had felt before, stars dancing in his vision.

But as he heard the laugh of his former superior, something inside of him stirred.

After all, you can't run if you want to be number one.

Peepers straightened up, his determination like a fire inside him. He quickly shook off the pain, his adrenaline pumping. In a quick, bold move, he ripped off his shirt, revealing his unexpected, yet undeniably muscular, physique (sweet betsy). And as if possessed by his emotions, he roared and lunged at his Hater, throwing a powerful punch right across his face.

Ouch.

The punch connected with a resounding thud, sending the skeleton stumbling back from the force. The watchdog's fist hurt, a sharp sensation shooting up his hand, but it didn't matter. His adrenaline was high, his mind focused on the fight. He took advantage of the shock value, his upper body in full display. He knew damn well that it would tick his former superior even more.

Hater blinked in disbelief, his face turning a deeper shade of red, not only from anger but also from a hint of jealousy. He stumbled back a step, his eyes widening at the unexpected strength. His orbs flicked to the newly revealed muscular physique, and he seethed in silent envy. Or rather, loud. "YOU'VE... YOU'VE BEEN WORKING OUT?!?!" His voice consisted of shock and disbelief, his words filled with bitterness, his eyes flicking between his foe and his own scrawny frame.

The watchdog took the chance to respond with a quick jab, a smirk present on his face. "Yes, unlike you, I actually train!" He retorted, a combination of sarcasm and satisfaction. And with that, he threw another punch, aiming at Hater's middle.

Blocking the punch, the skeleton's eyes narrowed further. "I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW!" His jealousy grew with each passing moment as he spoke. "I'M THE GREATEST VILLAIN IN THE GALAXY, I DON'T NEED TO TRAIN! I'M STRONGER THAN EVERYONE ELSE ANYWAY!" He snapped, his declaration filled with a grudge and a hint of embarrassment. He threw a strike of his own, aiming at Peepers' jaw.

While dodging the blow, the former second-in-command let out a small chuckle. "Right, because being 'The Greatest Villain' means you sit around all day, doing nothing but ordering people around while eating ice cream!" He taunted, his tone purely sarcastic. "And don't forget the tantrums, those are a very 'great villain-y' thing to do!" Another punch sailed at the Hater's chest, making contact with a loud thud.

"I DO NOT THROW TANTRUMS! I AM THE ALMIGHTY LORD HATER, THE FEARSOME LORD OF DESTRUCTION AND EVIL!!!" He threw another hit, aiming at the watchdog's face (so his eye), his jealousy boiling over, his ego wounded further.

"ALMIGHTY, MY BACKSIDE!" Peepers retorted, easily dodging the punch. His movements were light and quick, his reflexes honed. "Don't even get me started on your 'destruction', you're about as destructive as a nerf gun!" Another strike connected, sending the skeleton staggering back for a moment.

Hater's face turned as red as the windows of the Skullship at the audacity of the comment, his ego bruised beyond belief. "SHUT UP! I AM A FEARED AND RESPECTED VILLAIN! I CAN DESTROY WHOLE PLANETS!" He yelled, throwing another blow in response, his aim slightly less coordinated.

The watchdog rolled his eye, not missing the slight loss of aim. "You couldn't destroy a sand castle with a death ray, let alone a planet!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" The skeleton's rage reached new levels as he roared. The lighting crackling in his hands grew more potent, and with a surge of his powers, he used a tendril of green electricity to lift his former subordinate up from the ground, anger fueling his every move. The emerald hue wrapped around the watchdog, pinning him mid-air.

Peepers gasped as he was lifted into the air. He tried to wiggle out of it, but it was no use. He found himself suspended several feet off the ground, trapped, his heart pounding in his chest. If the bigger villain wanted to kill him, then he could do it with a swift snap, and his opponent couldn't do anything about it. But he didn't plan on showing fear. He held his ground, his expression defiant and with a hint of anticipation.

Hater held him aloft, his eyes practically glowing with his fury. "I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT, PEEPERS! I DON'T NEED YOUR NAGGING! I'M THE GREATEST SOON-TO-BE RULER THIS GALAXY HAD EVER SEEN!" He yelled, lighting circling around his fists, a physical representation of his resentment. Peepers dangled, his mind racing for a way to get free while also keeping his former boss talking.

"Ruler? You're barely in control of your own emotions, let alone a galaxy!" He retorted, his words sharp. He needed to keep Hater distracted, ti find a way to escape the electrical hold.

With a narrow of his orbs, the skeleton's lip curled in anger. "I HAVE PERFECT CONTROL OVER MY EMOTIONS!" He roared. "I'M CALM AS A LAKE IN A THUNDERSTORM!!!" He emphasized the last part by making the lighting crack even more, the sound almost ominous.

The irony of his statement clearly lost to him.

But then, in the midst of the tension, a loud explosion roared through the room.

The force shattered the door, the shockwave sending Hater crashing to the ground, releasing his former right-hand in the process. The sound of glass and metal debris clattering filled the air, though for a moment, the only thing the two of them heard was ringing in their ears. However, with the last bit of his sense of hearing, he realized that there was also a sound of someone walking into the cramped prison. The watchdog watched in a daze as the chaos ensued, the detonation shaking the very foundation.

And just as his vision began to clear, he saw what happened.

There, right in front of him, Hater found himself under ___'s boot, his chest pinned to the floor by her foot. The echo of eruptions and watchdogs' screams only added to the surreal atmosphere, creating a tense and unpredictable ambiance.

Peepers watched in both disbelief and awe as the woman stood over the beaten skeleton like a true conqueror. The sight of him, once so intimidating, pinned beneath a mere human was almost unbelievable. The watchdog couldn't help but feel a flicker of amusement, perhaps a hint of satisfaction at the tables turning.

"Good job, Commander." Her cold gaze faltered for a moment as she turned to the smaller villain. The clothes she wore, usually clean and ironed, were then dirty and torn, showing just how determined she was to help. For certain, she planned everything. And even if it happened quickly and abruptly, Peepers couldn't keep himself from admiring her resolve. She was a force to be reckoned with, a person that he never thought he would have the pleasure of meeting. And deep inside, he was pleased that he did.

As she smiled at him in that sly way of hers, her eyes suddenly moved lower. For a second, a flicker of surprise appeared on her face as she raised an eyebrow. "Nice pecks." With that, she gave him a wink, wiping the blood that dripped from a cut on her cheek.

WHAT-

Peepers felt a weird mixture of embarrassment and amusement when the compliment reached his ears. His face heated up, but he quickly shook it off, focusing on the situation at hand. Seriously? Now?! He mentally chided her, unable to comprehend her priorities.

She was a strange woman indeed.

Hater, not even daring to comment, looked more like a tantrum-throwing child than a fearsome villain, struggling ineffectually against her hold. Because of that his face twisted in frustration, his anger momentarily replaced by surprise. "WHAT THE HECK, PEEPERS?!" He yelled, his voice carrying a hint of disbelief. "GET HER OFF ME, FOR GROP'S SAKE!!!"

With a whirl of emotions, the watchdog tried to keep his cool. He didn't intend on helping his former leader that time. Hater's demands fell on deaf ears. And so he straightened up, trying his best to assume a sense of authority. He was no longer an obedient follower. With a quick jump, he joined the woman near the skeleton, ready to stand by her side. Upon seeing it, the childish villain looked at him, his eyes begging for help, a silent plea, but the small alien just watched. "Sorry Hater." He said, his voice surprisingly steady considering the situation. "But I guess it's time for a change in management."

Hater looked at him, his orbs wide, his expression filled with genuine surprise, which quickly turned to anger, and then slowly, the realization began to sink in. His second-in-command wasn't doing anything, he was no longer at his side, supporting him and his actions. Instead he was siding with the human he caught him with not that long ago. Knowing it, he let out a groan, his face twisted in frustration and indignation. "You wouldn't-" He hissed, his voice strained. "You wouldn't turn against your leader! YOU WOULDN'T TURN AGAINST ME!"

And with that he reached his hand to grab the woman's leg, a desperate attempt at regaining control. But when she noticed it, she swiftly pulled out a device out of her pockets. The same object she stole from Peepers at the Yonder Festival. With a quick push of a button, Hater was enveloped in blue light. Unable to move.

He froze. Literally froze.

The sapphire colored light held him in its grasp, confining him, rendering him immobile. There was no struggling, no movement, nothing. The villain, still pinned under the human's boot, was like a statue. He was frozen in place and shock, forced into stillness, his rage halted (at least physically). "Oh, poor Hater." She said in mock sympathy.

"IT'S LORD HATER TO YOU! THE GREATEST VILLAIN IN ALL THE GALAXY, THE FUTURE RULER, YOU ABSOLUTE IMBECILE!!!" He yelled, his voice a mix of indignant and desperation. No matter the fact it didn't work, he still tried struggling, but his body remained unmoving.

"You may be Lord Hater..." The woman trailed off, her tone mocking. She was savoring the moment, a smug smile on her face. "But what good is it if you're frozen, unable to rule 'your galaxy'?" She leaned closer, her foot pinning him harshly to the ground.

"It's quite p̴̘̽ā̸̞t̶̛̼h̴̦͝e̴̮̓t̶͕̀i̵̞̊c̷̫̃, don't you think?" Her eyes were hollow as she spoke.

Hater seemed to shrink under her glare, his anger giving way to helplessness and frustration. "PEEPERS!" He cried out, desperately looking at his former Commander. "You can't just let her do this! You can't just... just...!"

And as the watchdog watched the whole ordeal, he felt guilt and satisfaction at once, a strange blend that he wasn't used to. He approached the skeleton's frozen form, his face carefully masked, though his heart was beating in anticipation. Hater was completely vulnerable, pleading for help, and Peepers knew it was his chance to seize control, but... He could still feel the memories of their friendship, the nicer words - that weren't said very often -, and he doubted his own resolve. It was now or never, and he had to decide what was more important.

His past loyalty to Hater, or his new future with ___.

"C-Peeps." The skeleton tried again, his voice cracking with despair. "You... you can't-"

"Oh but he absolutely can, Hater." The human interrupted, her orbs mercilessly fixed on the suspended villain. "Get used to it."

The skeleton tried to ignore her, his own eyes pleading, desperation clear, the fear of betrayal. "Peepers... you wouldn't do this..." He was almost begging, trapped in his frozen form. He couldn't argue or defend himself, completely at the mercy of the two. He had hope, hope so pure, that his former commander wouldn't turn his back on him.

And for a moment, Peepers' harsh expression faltered, the quilt gnawing at him. He forced himself to suppress the emotion, to remain resolute, but his heart felt heavy. The pleas of his one-time friend hit him like a punch in the stomach, the words echoing in his mind. The helplessness, right under a human's foot, it was a scene he never imagined. The vulnerability, the pleading, it tugged at his heart strings, the years of loyalty and training urging him to act, to protect his leader. To remain loyal.

"I-" He began, his voice a whisper, a hint of internal struggle.

The small watchdog felt a mix of emotions, his body tensing as he battled with his past allegiances and the temptation of power. The whole situation seemed unreal, he was unable to think clearly, to decide. But then suddenly, as if sensing his turmoil, the female reached out to him and grabbed his hand, their contact electric. Her palm was warm against his gloved one, the soft touch a stark contrast to the tension and uncertainty he was feeling.

"It's time to choose, Commander." Her voice was like a command, a gentle nudge towards the decision she wanted him to make. As if to emphasize her point, she handed him the device in her hands, a sign that he was the ruler, the one who had to make the calls.

Peepers was shocked by the electricity that seemed to course through as she grasped his hand. The unexpected gesture was like a wake-up call, a reminder of what was at stake. He looked at their palms, felt the device in his, the power within it. She was trusting him, she wanted him to lead. And he had to make a choice, right here, right now.

And so his eye met Hater's frozen form once more, the plea echoing in his mind. Guilt, loyalty, and the temptation of power warred within him, the emotions swirling like a storm inside him. The gaze of his former leader begged for loyalty, for the watchdog to side with him, to oppose the human female. But the object in his hands, her warm touch, all pointed towards a future where he was the one in control.

It was too much.

His mind was a whir of emotion, the weight of his decision, the skeleton's pleads, the device, and the woman's trust - it all clamored for attention, for his decision. He could hear Hater's words, the demands, the fear, but he could also feel the woman's hand holding his, guiding him, reminding him of what she wanted.

And in that moment, the storm of uncertainty cleared, his choice clear. His hand tightened around the magical mechanism, it's presence a confirmation of his selection.

He decided to side with ___.

His heart pounded in his chest with determination and anticipation. He straightened up, his choice made, his future chosen. Hater's trapped form and his pleading gaze served as a reminder of what was at stake, what everything meant. And knowing it, the watchdog turned to his future right-hand, his jaw set, his expression resolved.

She met his eye, a flash of satisfaction and approval passing through her face. Her smile was the confirmation he needed, the sign that he made the right call. And with that in mind, she stepped away, leaving the skeleton still unable to move. Although he couldn't do anything, his emotions were on display, and his screams rang out. "DON'T DO THIS PEEPERS! YOU'RE AS STUPID AS YOU LOOK!!!"

But Peepers ignored his words, his expression unyielding, his grip on the device tight. He took a deep breath, his back straightened, his resolve like steel. "Sometimes, being 'stupid' for a greater purpose is necessary." He said firmly, his voice steady. "I've made my choice, Hater."

With a frustrated roar, the skeleton struggled against the blue magic. "GREATER PURPOSE?! WHAT GREATER PURPOSE?! YOU'RE BETRAYING YOUR LEADER, PEEPERS! YOU'RE A WORTHLESS, USELESS FOLLOWING WITHOUT ME! I SHOULD HAVE NEVER MADE YOU MY COMMANDER!"

The watchdog's eye twitched, the outburst digging deep. He knew the truth in them, the years of loyalty, the bond they had, but that was different. It was a new beginning. "Worthless?" He countered. "I have been the backbone of your every failed plan. It's time I have a shot of at one of my own." His resolve was unwavering. "Consider it... a new start."

"A start fitting for the New Ruler of the Yonder Galaxy."

At that, Hater's eyes blazed. "YOU THINK YOU CAN RULE? YOU?! A PATHETIC WATCHDOG?! YOU DON'T HAVE THE BRAINCELL FOR RULING, YOU'LL COLLAPSE IN A WEEK!"

Right as he finished yelling, the human moved closer to the smaller villain, her hand casually resting on his exposed shoulder. Her eyes flickered to his scarlet orb, a hint of amusement glimmering inside. She decided to speak, her tone dripping with an authoritative edge. "Oh, he won't collapse." With that her fingers trailed along his collarbone. "As long as I keep him in line."

Though a hint of defiance showed in Peepers' eye as it narrowed. "Keep in line?" He scoffed, a small smirk tugging at his whole optic. "I won't need to be kept in line." He countered, his words sharper than usual, his tone slightly shifting. "Because I'll be the one giving the orders." His gaze met ___'s, and in that moment, an understanding passed between them.

"I'll be the one in control." He continued, his tone gaining malice. "And soon." He leaned forward, his amused glare set on his former leader. "The Galaxy will bow to the new, and improved Commander Peepers." 

[kitkatmochi]

Isekai'ing into a chinese historical game or something where you are a lower concubine.

Everyone expects you to be upset, try to get the Emperor's attention but you're thriving.

No more 9 to 5! You get a 24/7 helper, you do some finance and you get paid!?

The only downside to this is the lack of freedom but no one's got their eyes on you so you can escape whenever you want...

Chu Song (your lady in waiting): Lady Hua, I could not find you last evening...

You: Is that so...? Don't worry, I went to clear my head...

Shi Siming (A Lieutenant): I've got my eye on you miss....

(By the by I made a bot of this haha)

[lustylcvers]

❛𝗒𝖾𝖺𝗁, 𝗆𝗒 𝖻𝗈𝗒𝖿𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌 𝗉𝗋𝖾𝗍𝗍𝗒 𝖼𝗈𝗈𝗅, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗁𝖾𝗌 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝖺𝗌 𝖼𝗈𝗈𝗅 𝖺𝗌 𝗺𝗲.❞

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ : MEN who just chuckle at the truth you spout, because he himself knows it's the most honest truth. though, his gaze never leaves yours as he listens to your wise words. too enchanted to look away, obviously.

characters:

KATSUKI B, SATORU G, DILUC R, WRIOTHESLEY, CHILDE/TARTAGLIA.

sanemi s, megumi f, choso.

[harmonysanreads]

Interesting how I almost always deviate from my own personality when writing the readers in my fics.

[iicomet]

 A little troublemaker runs away from the chases of his older sect brother, a bottle of wine dropping from his arms as he spins and avoids the fallen soldier, giggling loudly as he runs. His face holds a cheeky grin when he sees his older sect brother chasing after him with a broom, picking up the bottle as he did.

  He laughs. A sound so carefree and filled with mischievous delight.

  Blankets of snow covered the grounds of the sect, the cold making him huff out breaths of cloudy air, despite his energized steps. He could run ten more laps and more, just to escape from his sahyung and enjoy the spoils of his gluttonous greed in delight.

  A daily occurrence in Mount Hua, a daily occurrence between sect brothers.

  “Ah– There you are.”

  He hears, before he is grabbed by the back of his collar like a cat and held in the air, his bottle dropping immediately in alarm. He looks at his perpetrator, a nervous chuckle coming out of him as they look at him with an amused, yet confused look.

  “...Senior.”

  He calls out, hoping to sound as gullible and innocent as possible, as if he wasn’t laughing internally at his sahyung, as if he didn’t just steal bottles of wine to drink in a tree somewhere in the sect, as if he wasn’t planning to skip his training again. They stared at him, opening their mouth to speak before they were interrupted by another voice, the voice of his sahyung who had chased him across the sect grounds.

  “Chung Myung! Ah, thanks for catching him, senior. He stole those bottles of wine again.”

  They smiled, nodding at their junior before turning their gaze towards Chung Myung, this time more disappointed and strict. He could feel shivers up his spine at that stare, any words immediately disappearing at the tip of his tongue. He had no way of escaping this time, so he had no choice but to bow his head down and pout, defeated by his senior.

  “...I’m sorry…”

  They shook their head, letting him down with a gentle pat and picked up the bottles, leaving the two sect brothers alone. He watched them leave, their figure growing smaller at the distance, their footsteps resounding across the silent grounds with each gentle step. A back he has grown used to seeing, a shadow he wished to chase after. No matter what he did, it seems like he could never ever catch up to them, their nimble movements too fast for a young boy like him.

   A wishful thought remains in his mind as he turns around, following his sahyung obediently. 

  ‘One day, you won't be able to catch me, senior.’

[0ann3]

First Meeting

Regardles of what dorm one gets sorted in, all students have to be careful on getting involved with the seven mysteries of the academy.

Each mystery revolves around a single dorm, and they all have the same idea or warning: "To not stray too far from the boundary."

No one knows what's ahead. All rumours just says that there is someone outside from the boundary who take away students that walked into their domain or that they take those who doesn't uphold the dorm's principles, never to be seen again.

Regardless, it is heavily implied that your fate is sealed if you meet one of them.

But of course, a strange circumstance may have pulled a student to forget about the warning and walk pass the supposed boundary.

And that's when one will meet them, left behind with two options

> [Accept your fate?]

> [Fight against your fate?]

------

tfw when the plan was to draw one cg-like drawing per Overblotted students, only to remember that there's a reason why I prefer doing doodles kjASHKAJSh

Anyway, it's a what-if it's an otome game and the routes/options are the guys who overblotted. I remember faceless mc's is common in otome games, so I just went with it for this one 👍. Also, I'm so sorry for my storytelling/hcs in this what-if. I'm like, sometimes I forget what words are there in the english language LMAO ToT But definitely inspired by some fics where the overblot students are used as possible ship for the oc or reader

Extra sketches done for this though:

[iheartchv]

Imagine...

You've known the turtles and their friends for a while. You have feelings for a certain turtle, and he's aware of that. He has feelings for you, too. You both are adults, you know what you want, and know the hardships that are to come. Shredder has risen in power, his army many, causing an apocalyptic war between mutants and humans. Since then, you and your turtle crush hasn't had any time to be together. Duty came first. Sure, you talked briefly over police speakers Donnie had rigged, but that wasn't the same as actually talking face to face. One thing he also told you, because Splinter had told his sons....

⛩⛩⛩⛩⛩⛩⛩⛩⛩

"Ninjas are forbidden to love..."

"I know. You've said this before..."

He saw the sadness, the loneliness, in your eyes. He never wanted to make you feel that way. He sighed deeply and made you look at him.

"That doesn't stop my heart from thinking about you though."

He told you that he was going to join a resistance group that has stayed hidden from Shredder and his goons. He was going to war. You had tried arguing with him, telling him it was dangerous.

"What if you never come back? What if something happens and we never see each other again?"

He was silent for a short moment, and finally said,"Even if our paths never meet, or you get over me and move on, just know that... no one will ever treat you, love you, for the beautiful goddess you are. Any man would be lucky to have you to treasure and hold."

Your heart pounded so much it hurt to breath. The thought of losing him was too much to bear. You cared for him too much.

You started again,"I'll never meet someone like you again. You're my man," you confessed.

His heart hurt, as well. He wanted to be happy, more happy than what he was feeling right now. He wanted to tell you that he was going to come back and always be by your side, but he learned to not keep promises that he wasn't for certain to keep. However, hearing you say that you loved him warmed his soul that dreaded the war ahead.

He couldn't help it. His heart, his entire being was consumed by you. "Y/N..." he barely whispered. He kissed you so sweetly, so slowly, wanting to memorize the taste of your lips. His arms wrapped around you, wanting you so close. He needed your warmth, your love right now. He needed you.

"I want to spend every minute we have together. And right now... I want to make love to you." He paused for a second. "Do you want that?"

His eyes... oh, you couldn't resist the tenderness in his eyes. There was life again where there was once something dull, dead. Since Splinter's passing, he hadn't been himself. But the eyes staring back at you was the ones you missed. Your heart swelled with love for this turtle man. Yes, you wanted him, in the most intimate of ways.

"Yes, I want that. Make love to me. Please..."

He kissed you more passionately this time while laying you back onto your bed, with a mission in mind. And that was to love, touch and kiss every inch of you.

⛩⛩⛩⛩⛩⛩⛩⛩⛩

So this turned out to be a bit longer than I wanted, but... I'm just exercising my brain and looking through my drafts to finish before moving on to my inbox ( it wont take long ) Hope you liked it c:

Tag list:

@turtle-babe83 @tmntspidergirl @leosgirl82 @angelcatlowyn @annaliaandtheturtles @pheradream15 @exovapor @cowabunga-doll @bluesakurablossom @crazedauthor @darksaphire2002 @foreignbrunette @greenprincess @half-shell-bo @lady-maria-the-wolf225 @moonlightflower21 @narwals14 @nikitaboeve @nittleboo @raphaelsrightarm @southernblossoms @thelostandforgottenangel @white-masked-beauty @roxosupreme @kawaiibunga @captain-kinda-trash @angelicdavinci @thelaundrybitch @yumefuusen @sivy-chan-blog @artsolarsash @turtlebeaa @crazedtmnt @raisin-shell @sacredwarrior88 @leosgirl82 @egg-on-the-run @ashleighclark98 @dilucsflame33 @tkappi @post-apocalyptic-daydream

If you'd like to be tagged, let me know c;

[kanene-yaaay]

Oh my, I am feeling so relaxed and happy rn, what a perfect moment to scroll through some of old fav tickle fanfics that I still enjoy immensely and read all of them ahain. I am sure that this will have no lasting consequences and will not make me get into a Tickle Mood or whatsoever :D of course not :DD

[noecoded]

If you could have any Asmo/reader fic what would be the things you would want from it? like an ideal fic would contain what tropes or AUS or situations or whatever

uhmm anything wellwritten that characterizes asmo similar to the way i do ! i rlly like character exploration , both more serious stuff & just sillycute...anything where asmo is a little cunning and toxic and also gets railed into oblivion.anything where hes a vampire. ill write a tag essay about the specifics

[koicrimes]

i had this realization of how embarassing it is to be sick and suffering when one of my f/os is literally a doctor....

[lord-and-master]

My Dearest Enemy [3]

◤• Commander Peepers x Reader • ◢

╰┈➤ This is not slow burn at all and with a serious tone (just saying!). This is THE THIRD CHAPTER, you can read the rest here:

https://www.wattpad.com/story/222059481-my-dearest-enemy

Chapter Three: And Yet I Hold On

Peepers sat there, his eye drooping wearily. He was usually hyper-vigilant, sharp-eyed and quick to bark orders at his subordinates. But today, he was different. He was exhausted, his orb ringed with dark shadows, his 'antenna' drooping listlessly. He hadn't slept all night, his mind replaying the events of the previous day over and over.

The army of watchdogs watched him with confusion. This wasn't the Commander they knew. This was a Commander who looked as if he'd been through the wringer.

And it wasn't just his appearance. His whole mannerism was different too. He was quieter, his usual sharpness and enthusiasm replaced by a weary slouch. He didn't snap at them when they made mistakes, instead just giving them a tired glare.

And as he began to hear whispers, he decided to ignore them completely, too lost in his own thoughts to care. He sipped his coffee, his eye staring blankly at the table in front of him.

He hadn't been this distracted in a long time. He had always prided himself on his focus and discipline, his ability to push away distracting thoughts and stay completely in the moment. But today, he found himself slipping back into memories, reliving moments from the past, wondering about possible futures.

And at the center of it all, was her.

The memory of her teasing smirk. The way she had toyed with him, her words and actions leaving him both intrigued and perplexed. He couldn't get her out of his head. He wanted to know more about her, to understand her.

To know why she kissed him.

But he wasn't sure if he'd get the chance. She had been flippant, unpredictable, and he had no idea if she'd even show up that day. 

And as the minutes ticked by, he found himself growing more and more anxious. His eye kept swiveling towards the entrance to the cafeteria, hoping beyond hope that she would waltz through the door. That he would get his chance.

Suddenly, as if on cue, the door he was watching so intently slid open, and a figure entered, drawing Peepers' eye and his immediate attention. He hoped it was her, so so badly.

But no.

It was only his superior, Hater.

Sigh.

The skeleton walked into the cafeteria, and the mood instantly shifted. The watchdogs immediately snapped to attention, their expressions becoming serious and disciplined. Even Peepers straightened, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten in the presence of his boss. 

And as he scanned over the army of watchdogs, his gaze abruptly came to a halt. "Oh there you are, Peeps!" Hater exclaimed in his usual pompous manner as he saw Peepers sitting at his lonely table, his voice piercing the silence. "Just the watchdog I wanted to talk to!"

The commander's 'antenna' perked up a bit at the sound of his superior, his weary eye watching as the skeleton strode towards him. "Morning, sir." he replied, trying his best to keep his voice steady, despite his exhausted state. He braced himself for his boss' undoubtedly demanding request.

And so, the man in charge came and hovered beside him, a wide grin on his face and a gleam in his eyes that Peepers knew meant trouble.

"I've got a new super awesome mission for us," he began, his tone oozing confidence. "And I need you to be in top form, Peepers. As in, not looking like a dead puppy." He gestured in a dumb manner, not a hint of concern in his voice.

The commander couldn't help but grimace slightly at Hater's words, a mix of irritation and resigned duty welling up in him. He was exhausted, both physically and mentally, and the last thing he wanted to do was deal with the skeleton's 'super awesome' mission.

"I'll be fine, sir," he responded with a tired sigh, hoping his voice wouldn't betray his fatigue. 

Hater narrowed his eyes, his grin shifting into a disapproving frown as he studied Peepers' weary frame. He wasn't convinced. 

"You look like garbage," he declared bluntly, his expression shifting from pompous to critical as he blinked at the watchdog in confusion. "When did you last sleep?"

The watchdog suppressed a sigh, his 'antenna' drooping further as the skeleton's assessment only confirmed what he already knew; he did look like trash. He looked and felt worn out, and his usually sharp-witted brain was sluggish. 

And it was all thanks to her.

"Last night." he replied matter-of-factly, his voice neutral. It wasn't entirely a lie. He had slept a little. It just wasn't nearly enough.

Though Hater lifted an eyebrow at his response, clearly not buying it.

"You expect me to believe you look like that just from one night of not sleeping right?" He said, his tone incredulous. "What were you doing last night, partying or something?"

As he said that, he reached for the watchdogs' tray of food, grabbing a piece of fruit and throwing it in his mouth. Quietly, he grumbled, his orbs moving to the side like an offended child. "...without me?"

Peepers twitched, his irritation flaring at Hater's assumption. "No, Sir, I was not 'partying'!" he responded, throwing his hands slightly in the air with his one eye narrowed. Despite his weary state, he couldn't help but feel annoyed at Hater's casual invasion of his tray and his presumption that he would do something as plebeian as 'partying' without him.

The skeleton only blinked at him, still munching on the food like his question was a serious matter. He clearly didn't believe his second-in-command, as much as it angered the small watchdog. 

The man in charge was so childish at times... it was actually quite saddening.

"I was simply.. busy." The commander added while rolling his eye, not wanting to get into the specifics, especially not in public.

Hater snorted, not looking very convinced. He spat out the piece of fruit at his subordinate - not caring that he blinded his vision for a split second -, his eyes still fixed on the smaller villain, studying his weary silhouette. "Busy, huh?" He grumbled, his tone laced with doubt. "Doing what? Paperwork or something equally boring?"

Peepers bristled at Hater's tone, his eye narrowing slightly. He really didn't want to get into this discussion, especially not with the person he knew wouldn't understand. Especially not when he was tired and more likely to let things slip. "Something like that," he mumbled, averting his gaze and pretending to find a piece of lint on his uniform interesting. Anything to avoid the skeleton's penetrating gaze.

Hater watched him a moment longer, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. He clearly wasn't satisfied with The commander's vague answers, but he seemed content to drop the subject for now.

"Alright, whatever," he said, waving one hand as if discarding the topic from his mind. However, the watchdog knew Hater well enough to know that this wasn't the end of it. Yet for now, he decided to drop the subject. "Anyways, about this mission I told you about.." With a more eager tone, he threw away the edible, and puffed up his chest proudly.

Peepers was simultaneously relieved and worried when his boss changed the subject. Relieved because he didn't have to give any more answers about his night. Worried because he doubted the mission would be anything less than tedious and energy demanding.

"What.. kind of mission is it, Sir?" he asked, trying to keep the exhaustion out of his weary voice.

Hater's skeletal grin widened, a flash of egotistical pride in his eyes. "Well, I had this amazing idea," he began, his tone dripping with self-importance. "We're going to conquer a planet, and this time, I have a bulletproof plan. No distractions, no interruptions, just us, the planet, and my awesome-ness!"

Oh joy. 

Peepers thought sarcastically. his 'antenna' drooping even more at the enthusiastic declaration. A mission to conquer a planet sounded like the exact type of thing he didn't need right now; physically demanding, mentally exhausting, and probably lasting for days, if not weeks. But he held back any complaints. It was his duty to support Lord Hater, regardless of his own personal state.

And well, it was their goal to conquer the Galaxy, was it not?

Even if Hater's view on the matter was a bit... one-sided.

"Sounds.. great, Sir!" he forced himself to say, his voice betraying none of his internal dread.

The grin on the skeleton's face widened, seemingly oblivious to Peepers' lack of enthusiasm. He thumped a hand on the table, the sound echoing through the quiet cafeteria. "You bet it's great!" He exclaimed, his voice loud and booming, gaining glances from the other watchdogs in the room. "We're gonna show that planet who's boss! And all thanks to my genius planning!"

The commander resisted the urge to roll his eye. Hater's constant bragging and self-congratulation could be tiresome at the best of times, but right now, with his brain fuzzy from exhaustion and his mind still preoccupied, it was particularly irritating.

"Right... your genius, Sir." he forced himself to reply, his voice flat and lacking any hint of praise.

Though his superior didn't seem to catch the lack of admiration in the watchdog's tone. But even if he did, he definitely ignored it.

"Damn right, it's my genius!" he declared, puffing out his non-existing chest. He then leaned forward, his eyes narrowing slightly. "And don't you forget it, Peepers. I expect you to be at the top of your game for this mission. No slacking, no screw-ups, got it?"

The watchdog suppressed a wince at Hater's words.

At the top of his game?  Yeah, right. 

How was he supposed to be at the top of his game when he could barely keep his eye open? But again, he held back his complaints. His personal issues didn't matter. Hater wanted him to be ready, so ready he would be, no matter how exhausted he was.

"Yes sir." he managed to say, mustering the best determined expression he could in his weary state.

Hater seemed satisfied with his response, his egotistical grin returning. "That's my Commander!" he exclaimed, slapping a hand on Peepers' shoulder, nearly causing him to tumble off his seat. "I can always count on you to get the job done, even when you look like..."

He trailed off, studying his commander's tired frame with new suspicion in his orbs.

The smaller villain winced silently at the sudden touch, his weary body nearly toppling over. He managed to remain seated, but the contact made him acutely aware of just how exhausted he truly was.

How was he going to get through this mission?

Hater's gaze continued to scrutinize him, his skeletal features twisting into a slight frown as he took in the weary state of his subordinate. "Seriously Peepers, you look horrible," he finally declared, his tone laced with skepticism. "You sure you're up for a mission? I mean, you can hardly stay sitting up straight."

Peepers bristled slightly at hisobservation. He knew he looked bad, but he didn't need to be reminded of it. He was already struggling to keep it together, but the remark only added to his stress.

"I'll be fine, sir," he replied, mustering up as much determination as he could, his voice not betraying his weariness. "I might not be at my best, but I can still fulfill my duties."

Hater gave a skeptical hum, seemingly unconvinced by Peepers' assurances. He narrowed his eyes, studying the Commander's weary face closely.

"I don't know, Peepers," he grumbled, tapping a skeletal finger against his ribcage. "If you can't even sit up straight, how are you gonna lead a mission?" He pointed his finger in the air to make a point. "And a very important one, mind you!"

Ah, right. He was supposed to lead the mission, like always.

The comander felt a pang of anxiety at Hater's words. He had been so focused on his own tiredness, he hadn't even considered the fact that he would be leading the mission. He was supposed to be strong, reliable, a model of discipline and determination for his troops. How could he manage that when he could barely keep his eye from shutting?

But he couldn't show weakness, especially not in front of Hater. He swallowed his anxiety and steeled his voice into an approximation of confidence. "I'll manage, sir. I always do."

Hater continued his skeptical stare, his gaze flickering over Peepers' slumped form. He was clearly doubting the Commander's ability to lead the mission, but he seemingly decided not to push the matter.

"Alright, if you say so," he grumbled, his voice laced with doubt. "But if you mess this up, you'll personally be the first to face my wrath, you hear me, Peeps?"

The watchdog suppressed a sigh of relief as Hater finally seemed to drop the matter. Although he could still see the skepticism in the skeleton's eyes. "Understood, sir," he replied, trying to sound as formal and assured as possible. "You have my word, the mission will be a success."

He had to do this. He had to be the commander he knew he was, no matter how exhausted he felt.

He straightened up in his seat, his determination growing. "I'll prepare the troops for our departure immediately, sir," he stated, trying to ignore the weariness in the pit of his stomach. And at that, the gaze of his superior shifted from skepticism to satisfaction at his response. He seemed pleased that the Commander was not succumbing to his tired state. "That's more like it, Peeps," he huffed, his ego inflating. "I knew I could count on you to get things moving."

He then gave a careless wave of his hand. "I'll leave the rest to you. You know what to do."

Peepers nodded at Hater's words, his eyes shining just a tiniest bit in acknowledgement. "Yes, Sir!" he replied, already mentally planning his next course of action.

He needed to go over the mission details, select the right troops, assign roles and responsibilities, and a hundred other little things that he usually completed with great ease. But in his current state, he felt as if he might forget some crucial detail and doom the entire mission to fail. Though despite his inner turmoil, he pushed the anxiety aside and started to stand up, intending to get to work as soon as possible, but as he did, a wave of dizziness crashed over him.

His balance wavered for a moment, and he had to grip the edge of the table to remain standing.

That wasn't good. Not good at all

Peepers internally cursed as the wave of dizziness washed over him, nearly toppling him over. He could feel Hater's eyes on him again, and he knew he must look as weak as he felt right at that moment. He quickly schooled his expression into one of determination again, trying to hide the internal struggle he was facing. He couldn't afford to show weakness now, not in front of his troops. Not in front of the skeleton.

"You alright there, Peeps?"

Hater's voice broke through the commander's inner turmoil, thick with suspicion and hint of... concern? No, the watchdog was just imagining things surely. His superior was watching him again, that shrewd gleam in his eyes as he observed the struggle in front of him.

"Of course I'm alright!" He wanted to snap, but he held his tongue, knowing it would do no good. Instead, he gave a small nod and forced a slight smirk onto his weary features. "Just a momentary spell of vertigo, Sir." He said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Nothing to worry about." With that he closed his optic and crossed his arms confidently.

Hater observed him for a moment longer, clearly not fully buying his reassurance. But, after a moment, he huffed and shrugged. "If you say so," he grumbled, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Just make sure it stays a 'momentary spell' and doesn't mess up our mission, got it?"

The watchdog nodded again, trying not to grimace at the way Hater's words stung. He was far from alright, but his boss didn't need to know that.

"I will, Sir." He replied firmly, even though it felt like his energy was slowly draining with each passing second. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into his bed and sleep for a week, but that wasn't an option.

He was the commander. He had a mission to lead. He had to be strong.

Hater's skeletal grin returned, clearly satisfied with Peepers' response. He clapped a hand on the Commander's shoulder again, causing him to wince once again internally at the touch. "That's the spirit, Peeps!" he exclaimed, seemingly unaware of the Commander's actual condition. "You go get everything prepared. Let's get this show on the road!"

The smaller villain gritted his teeth as Hater patted his shoulder again, the contact sending jolts of fatigue through his weary body. He desperately wanted to brush off Hater's touch, to scream and shout and make the skeleton understand that he could hardly keep his eye open, let alone lead a mission.

But he knew it would fall on deaf ears.

Instead, he forced a nod and a tight smile. "Right away, sir," he replied, his voice strained yet determined.

Hater gave a satisfied grunt, seemingly completely oblivious to the strain in Peepers' voice. "That's what I like to hear!" he declared, hovering back, a smug smile on his face. "Go on then, go get busy. I have important things to take care of too, you know." He placed his hands on the sides of his hips in a confident manner.

At that, the second-in-command nodded again, barely holding back a sigh. The last thing he wanted to do was leave, but he had a mission to prepare for. His exhaustion was starting to really show, and he had to keep himself standing with all his limited willpower. And so, he gave Hater a half-hearted salute before he turned on his heel and forced himself to stride away, back straight and expression determined.

As the commander left the cafeteria, he noticed a few of the other watchdogs watching him from the corner of his eye. He could see them whispering to each other, glancing at him with expressions of worry and curiosity once more.

"He looks terrible."

"Is he alright?"

He ignored them all, focusing on keeping his gait steady and assured. He couldn't afford to show any weakness to his troops. As the small villain pushed his way through the base, he noticed a few of them stopped to give him a salute. But he could see their eyes lingering on him, their expressions ranging from concern to confusion to pity.

He hated it. He hated the way they were looking at him, like he was made of glass, like he was seconds from collapsing.

He swallowed down the urge to snap at them, to tell them he was fine, that he was the Commander of Lord Hater's Grand Army and he didn't need their concern. But he knew it was useless. He could see the bewilderment in their scarlet orbs, the uncertainty on their faces. They were seeing their Commander, the one who had always seemed so strong and unshakable, faltering.

It was a strange feeling, to be vulnerable in front of his troops. He had always put up a mask of strength and determination, never letting them see the doubts and fears that plagued him. But now, he couldn't help but show his exhaustion. It was written all over his weary frame.

He could still feel the watchdogs' eyes on him as he passed, the words of their hushed conversations reaching his ears.

"He looks worse than ever..."

"I've never seen him like this before..."

"Do you think something happened?"

"H̴̢̼̟͒́̑e̸͎͔̋͊̓̔̈͘'̶̻͇͉̹͔̮̼͊̈̈́͑̋s̶̛͎̺̰̈́͆̄ ̷̤̣̘͚̉p̶̢̦̮̂̃̑͛̋ă̴̼͈t̷̮̤̩̔̾͠h̴̘̄̃̓̚e̵̯̝̩̭̣̮̽͒t̷̛̰͙͉̘͇̿̓̐̃͂̎ḯ̴̻̭̩̇̕͜c̷͙̥͂͂̇́".̷̢̨̱̼̠͓̲̊̆̕͝

Peepers froze. That... wasn't one of the watchdogs, was it? He must have been hearing things from his fatigue surely.

R-Right?

He shook his head, he had no time for things like that.

As Peepers entered his small room, he let out a sigh of relief. He was finally alone, away from the prying eyes of his troops. The weight of his exhaustion hit him like a ton of bricks as he closed the door behind him, his shoulders slumping and his eye closing for a moment.

At last, some peace and solitude.

"Hey." A female voice called out, the tone smug.

"Hey." The commander replied, like it was nothing.

...wait.

Peepers jumped in surprise, his own voice getting stuck in his throat, spinning around to see the woman he longed to see laying on his bed, a sly smirk on her lips. She looked utterly indifferent, as if it was the most normal thing in the world for her to be lounging in his sleeping quarters.

His heart rate quickened as anger and embarrassment washed over him. How the hell did she get in here? "What the... what are you doing here?" he demanded, pushing himself away from the door and striding towards the bed.

But even if he was startled, he couldn't shake the small flicker of happiness in his chest.

He was glad to see her, as strange as it was to admit.

The human female however merely smirked at his outburst, lounging back against his pillow as if it was hers. Her eyes glittered with amusement, and there was a hint of something else. Something that made his heart skip a beat in his chest. "You look tired, Commander." she observed, her voice dripping with mock concern. "Late night?"

Peepers' 'antenna' bristled at her observation. He was tired, exhausted even, and there was no denying it. But to be called out on it, by her of all people, made aggravation flare within him.

"Yeah, I wonder why..." he bit back, his voice laced with annoyance. "Maybe because someone decided to pay me an unexpected visit yesterday and keep me up all night!" He glared at her, his fists tightening slightly from irritation.

The woman's smirk widened at his response, seemingly finding his reaction amusing. "Oh, come on, Commander," she chided, her voice laced with a hint of mockery. "You can't blame me for your insomnia." Peepers opened his invisible mouth to protest but she continued, her tone turning slightly sly. "Unless, of course... you're still thinking about last night."

The villain felt himself flush a deep crimson at her words. He had been trying his best to push the events of the previous night out of his mind, but her reminder had brought it all back in an instant. The warmth of her touch, the electric feeling of her lips on his... And the infuriating way she had left without a word, as if it hadn't meant a thing to her.

"I-I am not!" he protested, his voice embarrassingly high-pitched.

Yeah right. 

The woman's smirk widened into a knowing grin at his response, clearly enjoying his flustered state. "Oh really?" she drawled, her voice mocking. "Then why is your face the same shade as some parts of your uniform, Commander?"

Peepers' flush deepened at her observation. He couldn't deny it, she had a point. He was blushing, like a damn fool in fact. He tried to come up with a retort, anything to deflect her teasing. But his weary brain struggled to find the words.

"I-it's just hot in here, that's all." He managed to stutter out, knowing full well it was a lame excuse. He could already see her raising an eyebrow, her smirk growing even wider.

"Oh, is it?" she teased, shifting on the bed so that she was leaning closer, her face now mere inches from his. "Or is it just your memories of last night that are making you all hot and bothered, Commander?"

Her proximity was making his heart race even faster. He could smell the faint, intoxicating scent of her perfume, and he had to actively stop himself from leaning in.

"Shut up," he muttered, his flustered tone betraying his annoyance. "You're enjoying this far too much."

And she was. Her eyes were glittering with mischief as she observed his flustered state, clearly deriving great pleasure from it.

"If you want it you can just ask for it, you know." She stated bluntly, her face as nonchalant as ever as she leaned towards him slightly.

Peepers tried and failed to suppress a shiver as her words washed over him. The bluntness of her statement, combined with the closeness of her face, was making it hard to think straight. "I-I.. what?" he managed to stutter out, his 'antenna' quivering. He knew exactly what she was talking about, but the fact that she was saying it so straightforwardly was both infuriating and alluring.

Her sly grin widened at his confused stammering, clearly enjoying the effect she was having on him. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Commander." she chided, her voice dropping to a suggestive murmur. She moved even closer, just a little bit, and the watchdog could feel the warmth of her breath against his face. "Or do I have to spell it out for you?"

Peepers' mind was reeling. She was too close, her presence alone was making his heart pound furiously against his ribs. It was getting hard to think, to even speak. He opened his mouth to protest, to deny her words, to tell her to back off. But what came out was a shaky, breathless exhale. "You... you're just... playing with me again, aren't you?" he managed to get out, his voice far quieter and less certain than he intended.

She hummed at his uncertanity. "Now why would I do that, Commander?" she purred, her voice like velvet in his ears. She reached out a hand, her fingers brushing the edge of his 'antenna', sending sparks of electricity through his body.

"I did keep my word from last night, didn't I?" she reminded him, her voice dropping to a sultry whisper.

Peepers' mind was a tangled mess of thoughts and feelings. The touch of her hand against his hypersensitive helmet (even though it made no sense) sent jolts of pleasure through his weary frame, and he had to resist the urge to lean into her touch.

The memory of their kiss the night before was vividly clear in his mind, and hearing her bring it up again was only serving to remind him of it. Still, doubt and uncertainty tugged at his mind. The fear that she was just toying with him, mocking him for his weakness. Though the female seemed to sense his doubts, her smirk fading slightly. She reached up, her hand gently cupping the side of his face, and he leaned into the contact almost involuntary.

"Why would I toy with you like that, Commander?" she asked, her voice low and gentle. "Why would I do it again after I told you that I'd come back?"

Actually, you didn't - was what Peepers wanted to say, but he wasn't able to.

Her eyes were almost soft as they met his, but there was a hint of something else there too. Something he couldn't quite place. The watchdog wanted to believe her, to trust her words. But he couldn't shake off the doubt entirely. Too many times had she left him confused and frustrated, only to reappear as she pleased. It had played havoc with his emotions, leaving him in a tangled mess of confusion and want.

"Because..." his voice was strained and shaky as he spoke, barely above a whisper. "Because you find pleasure in tormenting me."

An eyebrow she raised at his words.

And just like that, he felt her press her lips against his. It wasn't as deep as yesterday, just a small sensation that left him in a massive form of desire. However, she quickly pulled away from it, her eyes showing an unfamiliar glint. "Is this torment?" She asked, before moving to his neck, her breath hot and inviting. "Or is this?" With that, she left soft kisses on that part of his body, her eyes closed softly.

Peepers couldn't help but shiver at the feeling of her lips against his skin. The small peck on his was a tantalizing reminder of the night before, leaving him wanting more. Her lips tracing a path down his neck, hot breath caressing his skin as her eyes closed, drinking in the moment. A tingling shiver erupted across his frame, betraying his desire, his surrender. Each tender kiss was like a flame upon his weary form, igniting a yearning, a need for more.

Her question echoed in his ears, his mind too caught up to form a response. Her actions, her presence, it was all too much...

But at the same time, it wasn't. 

He wanted more, he craved more. Every gentle touch, every kiss, it was like a drug, making him crave further closeness, further contact.

His mind was spinning and he was barely aware of his own actions. His arms moved of their own accord, wrapping around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He could feel her body press against his, her warmth seeping into him. Her scent filled his nostrils, her breath caressed his skin, and he found himself losing what little control he had left.

He couldn't deny it any longer. He wanted her.

The thought should have horrified him, it did horrify him, but at the same time, he couldn't care less. The need for her overpowered everything else.

But then, he realized.

The mission.

The realization of what he was doing, what he was about to do, hit him like a punch to the gut. He was supposed to be preparing for something important, something that his superior asked him to do, and here he was, about to throw all caution to the wind for a few moments of pleasure.

And with her, of all people.

He drew a deep, shaking breath, trying to will himself to back away. But his body wouldn't listen, his arms only tightened around her, holding her firmly against him. His heart was racing, pounding furiously against his ribs as he battled with his thoughts. A part of him, a larger part than he cared to admit, was desperate to ignore the mission, to throw it all away and fully give into her. Another part, the logical part, screamed that it was foolish, that it would lead to nothing but trouble.

He could feel his resistance wearing down, his resolve weakening. Her body against his, her breath on his skin, it was all so distracting.

But no. Hater needed him. Peepers couldn't just throw away a chance to conquer another planet, not when the skeleton finally started coming back to their plans.

"W-wait!" he managed to gasp out, his voice shaky and strained. His arms trembled around her, desperate to pull her closer and push her away at the same time. Every part of him was screaming, torn between his obligations and his desires. The human didn't help matters as her mouth moved against his neck, her kisses more frantic, more insistent. He gave a soft, choked moan, his willpower faltering slightly as pleasure washed over him. "I-I need... to prepare.. the mission..." he tried to form a coherent thought, to focus on his responsibilities, but it was getting harder and harder.

God, he wanted her. He wanted her so bad, it was like a physical ache.

Her lips against his skin, her body pressed against his, it was driving him crazy. It was becoming impossible to think, to breathe. All he could feel was her, all he could think about was her.

No. He needed to focus. He had to pull away, to regain control, he had to...

He couldn't.

In the embrace of her touch, he found himself drowning. Each caress sparked a rush of pleasure. Unable to contain his ecstasy, he groaned aloud, his hands gripping her tighter, pulling her ever closer. Her softness, warmth, perfection, all merging into one blissful sensation. Every thought of the mission, of Hater, of everything was fading into the background, overshadowed by the need, the desperate want for her.

"Commander," her voice was a whisper against his sensitive neck, her breath warm, sending a shiver down his spine. Her hands moved up, her fingers trailing on his anntena, pulling gently. He gave another involuntary moan, his resolve crumbling further.

"Stop thinking," she murmured, her mouth moving towards his ear. "Stop fighting me." And even if she kissed him, there was that familiar hint of coldness in her voice. He didn't know if he really did, but he was sure that he also heard her whisper..."Fight him."

Those few words had the effect of snapping him out of his lust-filled haze. There it was again, that hint of something else in her voice. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on, but it was there. It gave him pause, an uneasy feeling forming in the pit of his stomach that had nothing to do with his current predicament.

And then he shook his head, trying to regain control. "___, the mission." As much as he didn't want to go, to leave her, he had to. "I have to prepare."

Her eyes, the same ones that had just moments ago been filled with tender intimacy, now had a cold fire in them. Her expression darkened, and her voice was hard as she retorted. "Oh, so the mission's more important, is it?"

She pushed herself back from him, her lips pressed into a thin line. There was a flash of anger and hurt in her eyes, which quickly faded into a cold glare.

"You'd rather prepare for the mission than spend time with me, is that it?

Peepers couldn't help but flinch slightly at the change in her demeanor. The sudden coldness, the anger in her voice caught him off guard. He was tempted to give in, to ignore the mission and focus on her. However, the logical part of his mind won out, pushing the desires aside. He gave a small, reluctant nod, knowing it would only add fuel to the fire. "Yes," he admitted, his voice firm. "The mission is important. I have responsibilities to attend to."

Her cold glare darkened further at his words, her anger flaring like a small storm. "Responsibilities," she repeated, her voice laced with a mixture of anger and disdain. "Because of course you do. Of course you can't just give up your little military routine for a couple of hours. You have to be the perfect, ever-so-loyal commander, don't you?" she spat, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

And then, that smirk coated her lips, but it wasn't as mocking as always. It was cold. "Weren't you the one that said Hater holds you down?" She sat on the bed more confidently, her eyes darkening even more. "You know, back on the Ferris Wheel."

Peepers felt his heart drop into his stomach as she brought up the Ferris Wheel. It was a low blow, bringing up his own vulnerability against him. But her words stirred something within him. He did feel held down by Hater, like an invisible anchor tied him to his captain, preventing him from being himself, from being his own person.

He bit the inside of his cheek, his orb quivering slightly. "That's... different," he protested, though his voice was quieter than usual. She chuckled, a bitter sound that made him shiver. "Is it?" she asked, her eyes cold and mocking. "Is it really any different? You still let him hold you down, still play the loyal little commander, even though he constantly lets you down."

Her words stung. She was right, and he hated it. Hater did let him down, time and time again. Yet here he was, still loyal, still obeying.

The truth in her words filled him with a complex mixture of emotions. Anger, at himself for being so blind to Hater's faults, and at ___for bringing it all out into the open. Yet at the same time, he couldn't deny her words. It was true, he had been letting Hater hold him back, keeping him from being more than just a loyal commander. He had settled, had become complacent.

And it hurt, more than he'd care to admit.

Her smirk widened at his hesitation, sensing his internal turmoil like a predator sensing weakness. "Don't you want more?" she pressed, her voice a soft, silky whisper. "Don't you want to be free? To live your own life, without being tied down to someone as... incompetent as Hater?"

Her words hit him like a dagger to the heart. Of course, he wanted more, he wanted freedom. The idea of being his own person, without the weight of Hater's failures on his shoulders, it was tempting. So very tempting.

He opened his mouth to reply, but no words would come out. He was too lost in his thoughts, too conflicted by her words. They hit too close to home, uncovering feelings he had tried to suppress for so long.

She leaned closer, her eyes fixed on his. "Imagine it, Commander," she purred, her voice low and seductive. "Imagine what you could do without Hater holding you back. No more failures, no more disappointments. Just you, free to do whatever you want, to become the person you're supposed to be."

Her words were like honey, sweetly, temptingly pouring into his ears. The idea of being free, of not having to constantly clean up after Hater's mistakes, it was so appealing.

He found himself drawn to her, her voice a siren's song, luring him in.

Yet, at the same time, a small voice of reason whispered in the back of his mind. Hater was his captain, his friend. He couldn't just abandon him, no matter how frustrating he sometimes was.

She seemed to sense his inner conflict. "But you're loyal," she taunted, her voice filled with mocking sympathy. "To Hater. You would never think to abandon him, even though he constantly lets you down."

She reached out a hand, tracing a finger lightly along the sensitive flesh of his antenna. The touch sent a shiver down his spine, making him shiver. Her words cut deep, hitting him where it hurt the most. She was right. No matter how much Hater's failure annoyed him, bothered him, he could never bring himself to abandon him. Even when it was so painfully obvious that his captain wasn't fit to lead.

And yet, the touch of her finger on his antenna felt too good, too pleasurable. He found himself leaning into her touch, his resolve faltering.

She chuckled, a low, almost cruel sound, sensing his inner turmoil. "Look at you," she taunted, her voice filled with mockery. "So loyal, so obedient. Even when your captain treats you like a worthless tool." Her hand moved up the lighting bolt on his helmet, her touch light but purposeful, sending sparks of pleasure through him, making him shiver.

Her words stung, but he couldn't deny them. Hater did treat him like a tool, an afterthought, rarely caring for his opinions. He was constantly putting down Peepers' efforts, only recognizing his mistakes.

But the touch on his antenna... it was addictive, a distraction that muddled his thoughts, making it harder to think clearly.

She leaned even closer, her voice a sultry whisper in his ear. "You don't have to be loyal to him, Commander," she murmured, her hand still tracing delicate patterns on his sensitive spot. "You don't have to be a slave to his failures, his incompetence."

With each word, her touch became more intense, more pleasurable, sending waves of heat through him as his mind became more and more clouded.

He was at war with himself. Part of him, the rational part, knew she was manipulating him, using his insecurities and his desires against him. He should pull away, resist her, remain loyal to Hater. But another part, the growing part, the part that was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore, was leaning into her touch, drowning in the pleasure it brought. Every stroke, every caress was causing his resolve to crumble, bit by bit.

The woman's smirk widened, her touch even more intense now, her fingers tracing the delicate 'flesh'. "You don't need Hater," she whispered, her voice both sultry and harsh. "You're better than him, stronger, more capable. You can be so much more than just his commander."

With each word, her touch became more intoxicating, filling his mind with a haze of pleasure that made it harder and harder to think straight. He could feel himself losing control, his mind becoming more and more clouded by her touch. Her words echoed in his head, their truth too hard to ignore. He was better than Hater, wasn't he? He could achieve more, be more, if he wasn't tied down by the skeleton. He could be free. With her, maybe, he could-

No.

No, he couldn't think like that. Hater needed him, he was still his captain. Even despite his flaws, his failures, he still... cared, in his own way. Right?

Her chuckle was both mocking and knowing, as if she could perfectly see his thoughts. "You're still hesitating," she stated, her voice filled with derision. "Still trying to cling to your loyalty, your pathetic devotion to Hater." Her touch became even more intense, even more pleasurable, making it increasingly hard for him to think straight. Each stroke caused another shiver to run down his spine.

Her smirk grew more pronounced as she continued, her fingers tracing circles on his antenna. "You really care about that failure of a captain, don't you?" she cooed, her voice half mocking, half sympathetic. Her words pierced his small villanous heart, igniting a mixture of anger and guilt. She was right, damn it. Hater was a failure, and yet he still cared about him. He still felt beholden to his captain, despite everything.

She leaned in even closer now, her breath warm against his ear. "But tell me, Commander," she purred, her voice almost sultry. "When was the last time Hater appreciated your work? The last time he actually cared about what you did?"

The question hit a nerve, stirring the long-suppressed feelings of neglect and frustration. Hater had never really been a good leader, never really showed genuine gratitude for his efforts.

Peepers felt a pang of guilt and frustration at her words. She was right, as much as he hated to admit it. Hater rarely, if ever, showed any acknowledgement for his work, for his dedication and effort. It was infuriating, but he could never bring himself to confront his captain, to demand the recognition he deserved. Instead, he swallowed his pride and continued to serve, hoping, foolishly, that one day Hater would finally appreciate him.

He really was pathetic, wasn't he?

Her voice softened further, almost seductive. "You deserve more than that, Commander. More than a captain who ignores your efforts, who overlooks your worth." She shifted, moving her body closer still, pressing against him more insistently. As she spoke, her fingers continued to caress, the ecstasy it inflicted making it even harder to think.

Her words were like poison, seeping into his mind and taking root. He did deserve more, didn't he? He had worked too hard, suffered too much, to be treated so dismissively by Hater.

He could feel her body against his, her touch sending waves of heat through him. It was maddening, this mixture of anger, guilt, and pleasure. It made him want to pull away from her, yet at the same time, he didn't want her to stop. 

"Why stay with Hater," she asked, her voice a seductive whisper, her hand still gently tracing his antenna, "when you can have so much more?" She leaned in even closer, her body pressing against him with an almost possessive force. Her words and her touch together were almost intolerable, filling his mind with a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts and feelings.

More. The word echoed in his mind, mingling with the pleasure from her touch and the bitter memories it stirred. He could have more, couldn't he? He could be free from Hater, free from the constant stress and disappointment his captain brought.

But at what cost?

The question hovered in the back of his mind, fighting with the intoxicating pleasure her touch inflicted. He felt torn, pulled between the desire for freedom and the loyalty that had been hammered into his very core.

Her body pressed against him with increasing urgency, her hand on his antenna tracing more intense patterns, making it even harder to think. His mind was a tangle of emotions, his desires fighting against his ingrained loyalty to Hater. He knew he should pull away, resist her, remain loyal to his captain. But her words, her touch... they were all so tempting, so intoxicating. It was becoming harder and harder to think straight.

But no. Hater was his friend, not just his boss. He couldn't just push him away, forget about his existence.

His thoughts were like a bucket of ice water dashed over his heated mind. Yes, Hater was his friend. They had been through everything together, from countless battles to humiliating failures. They had grown to trust and depend on each other over the years. He couldn't just abandon him, no matter how much his own desires pulled him in the other direction. Loyalty, not just to his captain, but to his friend, was what made him who he was.

He took a sharp breath and took a step back, pulling away from her, and more importantly her alcoholic touch.

He took a moment to recompose himself, to pull his thoughts and emotions back into some semblance of order. His sensitive area was still tingling from her touch, and his body was telling him to stay, to experience more of that pleasure. But he pushed those thoughts aside, focusing his mind on his duty, his loyalty. When he spoke, his voice held a newfound resolve, a conviction that even shocked him a bit. "I can't," he stated, his tone firm. "I can't betray Hater like that."

Her usual smirk turned into a frown, her eyes narrowing in annoyance. "You're still clinging to him? After everything I've said? After everything he's done, or rather hasn't done?" Her tone was filled with disapproval and frustration, a stark contrast to the seductive sweetness she had used earlier.

Peepers stood his ground, his determination holding strong despite her disapproval. A part of him was struggling, torn between his loyalty and his desires, but he kept his voice steady, his resolve unwavering. "Yes," he stated clearly. "I am. Hater is my captain, my friend, my..." He hesitated for a moment, a small internal war fighting within him before he continued. "...companion. I can't forget our history, our bond, no matter how hard you try to sway me."

The commander swallowed hard, the truth in her words cutting deep. Yes, Hater often treated him poorly, overlooked his efforts, and took him for granted. It hurt, gods, it hurt so much. But he couldn't bring himself to admit it, to give voice to those feelings. Instead, he lifted his chin, his voice steady despite the tangle of emotions battling inside him. "It's complicated. You wouldn't understand." he said simply, refusing to give her an admission of weakness.

Her eyes narrowed further, her irritation growing. "It's not complicated," she retorted, her tone harsh. "It's clear as day. Hater treats you like dirt, yet you still cling to him like a lost puppy. It's pathetic." Her words stung, but he refused to let it show. He couldn't let her see how her words affected him. So he held his ground, his resolve solidifying further.

"It's not about him treating me well or badly," he countered, his voice firm. "It's about loyalty, about our history, our bond. I know he isn't the best leader, I know he has his flaws. But..." He paused, his voice breaking slightly, betraying a hint of the internal conflict he was battling. "But he's still my boss. My friend. I can't just... abandon him like that."

At that, the woman's eye twitched slightly. She wanted to say something, but decided against it. Instead, she bit her tongue and formed a different response. Her annoyance turned to something close to disgust. "You're a fool," she stated, her voice harsh and cold. "A pathetic, loyal fool. Hater doesn't care about you, not really. He only sees you as another part of his army, a tool to be used and discarded as he pleases."

Her words were like stabs to the heart, but he held his ground, refusing to back down despite the turmoil inside him. He clenched his fists, struggling to keep his emotions in check. Her words were hitting all the right - or rather, wrong - places. He knew they rang with truth, but he couldn't, wouldn't admit it.

"He does care about me," he protested, his voice firm. "In his own way, he does. He may not show it often, he may not appreciate me like he should, but he..."

He trailed off, realizing how weak his defense sounded.

She chuckled cruelly, her eyes filled with disdain. "You're kidding yourself," she taunted, her voice filled with mockery. "He doesn't respect you, let alone care about you. You're nothing to him but a pawn, a soldier, a disposable tool in his grand scheme. But please, do keep deluding yourself into thinking otherwise. It's endearing to see how blindly loyal you are."

Every word was like a lance through his heart. He wanted to deny it, to shout at her, but the truth was impossible to ignore. Hater did often treat him like a throwaway pawn, his loyalty taken for granted. But even knowing this, even feeling the sting of it deep inside, he couldn't bring himself to admit it. He took a breath, his voice firm despite the turmoil within. "I know he's not perfect," he stated, his eyes locked on hers. "But I can't abandon him. I won't."

Her expression darkened, her annoyance becoming something close to anger. "Why are you so eager to cling to him? He doesn't deserve your loyalty, your devotion. He's a failed captain, a failed leader. Why can't you see that?" Her voice held a mixture of frustration and disbelief. She was trying so hard to get him to understand, yet he was stubbornly, desperately loyal to someone who didn't deserve it.

Suddenly a scoff could be heard. "Fine." With that, she stood up from the bed, threatening to disappear again. "By all means.. drown in your loyality." 

As she stood up, a spark of panic flared up within him. "Wait, where are you going?"

She paused, looking back at him with a mixture of annoyance and disappointment. "I'm done trying to convince you," she stated bluntly. "You're too loyal, too stubborn. You refuse to see the truth, even when it's right in front of you."

She turned her back on him, a gesture full of indifference and irritation. "Enjoy your loyalty, Commander. I'm sure it will only bring you more frustration and disappointment." Her dismissal felt like a blow. She was giving up on him, on her attempt to sway him from his loyalty. He should feel relieved, shouldn't he? But instead, a pang of disappointment washed over him. 

No, he didn't want her to give up.

He took a step forward, a desperate plea on his lips, "Wait-" He caught himself, however, his resolve refusing to let him back down. Instead, he managed to bite back the plea, replacing it with a firm directive. "Stay."

She halted, turning to face him again. Her expression was still annoyed but there was a hint of mockery and surprise now. "Stay?" she asked, her voice filled with ridicule. "Why should I? You've clearly chosen your path. Your loyalty to Hater is more important than anything else, isn't it? Even me..."

His hand clenched into a fist. He didn't like that tone, that mocking challenge. He didn't like what it made him feel inside. "No," he protested, his voice firm. "That's not-" He stopped, his mind struggling between his loyalty to Hater and the strong mix of emotions the woman's presence stirred. Frustration, anger, longing... he felt like he was torn between them at her every word, her every glance.

She smirked, amused by his struggle. "Not so sure now, are you?" she teased, taking a step closer to him. Her voice was taunting, designed to provoke a reaction. "You can't decide, can you? Between me and your dear Lord Hater." Her proximity made it harder to think straight, to maintain his resolve. His antenna twitched, the memories of her touch still strong in his mind. He struggled to find his voice, his mind tangled with conflicting emotions.

"It's more complicated than that," he managed to say, his voice hoarse. "You make it sound so... black and white."

She chuckled, taking another step closer. Now she was standing right in front of him, their bodies only inches apart. "Is it, though?" she purred, her eyes locking onto his. "It's quite simple, really. I'm offering you everything he can't. Freedom, recognition, appreciation, pleasure." Her words were like a sultry caress, her proximity sending waves of heat through him. Her voice, the look in her eyes... it was intoxicating, making it even harder to think straight. But beneath the heat, beneath the temptation, he felt a pang of loyalty, a pang of guilt.

He knew he should back away, but his feet refused to move. Instead, his mind struggled with warring desires, his heart torn in two.

"You've given him everything," She continued, her voice a seductive murmur. "Loyalty, devotion, obedience. And what has he given you in return?" She let the question hang in the air for a moment before answering it herself, her voice dripping with mockery. "Nothing. He's given you nothing. Just more demands, more tasks for you to complete."

Her words stung, hitting a sensitive nerve. She was right; he had given everything to Hater, and for what? The captain often took him for granted, failed to appreciate his efforts or even recognize them. But despite this, he couldn't bring himself to sever the ties that linked them.

He swallowed, his voice strained as he replied yet again, "He's... he's my superior. My friend."

"See, you say that again and again..." She smirked, though the amused expression slowly began to disappear. "And yet you struggle." She frowned, turning on her heel. "Well, whatever. I already made my choice." She finished, beginning to push the door open.

Her abrupt movement and the sound of the door opening snapped him out of his daze. The thought of her leaving, the possibility that he would lose this chance, this... whatever it was they had, sent a wave of panic through him. He reached out, his hand grabbing her wrist.

"Wait!" His voice sounded strangled, desperate even to his own ears.

But she ignored him, and as she opened the door her eyes blinked a few times, her expression still nonchalant. 

"Huh."

Hater was standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest.

Peepers froze, his hand still on the human's wrist. Hater's presence made him gulp. The captain's expression was a mix of irritation and something closer to hurt, perhaps even anger. He was staring right at his subordinate and ___, his eyes taking in the situation.

The air felt thick with tension, and the silence was deafening. the small watchdog could feel his heart pounding in his chest, every beat like a drum of guilt and anxiety. He hadn't let go of her wrist yet, and he could see Hater's eyes flick down to his hand, taking in the gesture.

His voice was low, filled with a mixture of anger and disappointment. "Commander Peepers. Care to explain this?" But he couldn't find the words. He swallowed hard, his mind racing. What could he possibly say to explain himself? He was caught red-handed, quite literally. 

His grip on the woman's flesh tightened slightly.

But what would he explain?

There were no labels, were there?

She chuckled lightly, her voice smooth and composed. "I think it's quite obvious, don't you think?" She didn't seem bothered by the situation, not even slightly flustered. Instead, she smirked, her confident demeanor making Hater's irritation flare.

His eyes narrowed, his gaze burning a hole through her. He turned to the small watchdog, clearly expecting an answer form his right-hand man. "Peepers?" The commander winced as his superior gritted his name through his teeth, the demanding look in his captain's pupils. He couldn't lie. Not here, not now.

He forced himself to speak, his voice hoarse. "I... we..." He was struggling to find the words, the right explanation that wouldn't make this look worse than it already did. 

Hater's patience seemed to be fraying, his fingers clenching into fists. "We what?" His voice was cold, filled with a mixture of anger and disappointment that made Peepers' anxiety increase. He darted a glance at her, hoping for some help, but she simply looked back at him with an amused smirk. 

Helpful.

He took a deep breath, trying to find his voice, his courage. "We... we just-" He began, but the woman suddenly interrupted him. "We connected." Her tone was casual, as if it wasn't a big deal. Yet the look in her eyes, the deliberate choice of words, betrayed more than she let on. And Hater noticed.

Hater's eye widened, disbelief and anger flashing across his face. "CONNECTED?!" he repeated, his voice harsh and disbelieving. "What does that even mean?!" His eyes flicked between Peepers and ___, the gears in his mind visibly turning. He was trying to make sense of the situation, to understand the implications of her words and their positions.

But it was hard, since he was quite oblivious and stupid.

The commander swallowed, the heat of embarrassment and tension rising in his chest. He was torn between a need to explain, to defend himself, and a need to keep his relationship with her private, hidden. The human, on the other hand, didn't seem bothered by Hater's obvious irritation. She continued to smirk, her voice nonchalant. "Oh, you know... we just had a discussion. A very enjoyable discussion."

Hater's irritation continued to grow at her casual tone, her smug expression. It was obvious he was struggling to keep his temper under control. "A discussion," he repeated, his eye narrowed and his voice dripping with frustration. "And you need to have this discussion in a private room, alone, with my commander?"

He was practically glaring at this point, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. He almost reminded them of a kettle, because of the amount of steam coming out of his nonexistent nose.

The watchdog opened his mouth once more, trying to find something, anything to say. But before he could speak, she cut in again, her voice light and almost mocking. "Well, sometimes private discussions are the best way to connect." Her hand moved slightly, and suddenly she was interlocking their fingers, her grip firm.

Peepers' eye widened in shock at her gesture.

Hater's eye darted between their interlocked fingers and their faces, the realization and understanding slowly dawning on him. The way they were standing, the way they were holding hands... it all suddenly clicked. His expression was a mixture of shock and anger, his voice low and harsh again. "So when I asked you to prepare for our mission..." He gritted his teeth, his gaze becoming bloodshot. "You were here with HER?!"

If there was a table, he would flip it over alright. 

Peepers' antennae drooped guiltily as Hater's accusation hit the nail on the head. Yes, he had been here, with her, instead of preparing for their mission. And it was now painfully clear that Hater had noticed his absence. He tried to speak, to make an excuse, but no words came out. He was caught red-handed.

Hater's anger seemed to swell as he realized the extent of his subordinate's actions. He took a step forward, his voice rising. "You ditched your duties, our duties, TO BE HERE WITH OUR ENEMY!?" He was practically seething now, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. The human in question was enjoying this, of course, watching the whole scene with amusement. But that seemed to only anger Hater further.

"And not only that," he continued, his voice sharp and biting, "You were holding hands with her. Explain that to me, COMMANDER PEEPERS!" He was fuming at that moment. There was no way, no way that his only friend, his right-hand man was in a romantic relationship. Not when he himself had no person like that at his side. It was horrible, unfair and it angered the skeleton to no end.

Peepers winced at the scathing tone in Hater's voice. He had never seen the captain this angry, this indignant before. He couldn't blame him though. This was... pretty bad. The woman chuckled again, seemingly unbothered by Hater's anger. She cut off her lover (if she could even call him that) again, - she clearly didn't want the commander to defend himself - her tone nonchalant. "Oh, we were doing a lot more than holding hands."

Hater's eye widened again, his anger now mixed with disbelief. He turned to look at her, his expression a mixture of shock and irritation. "What?!" he exclaimed. "What do you mean more?"

She smirked, enjoying the captain's reaction. "Well, let's just say we were... exploring each other." Peepers felt his cheeks burning, the heat of embarrassment and exposure almost overwhelming. He couldn't meet Hater's gaze, not with her making things sound so... suggestive.

Hater's eye darkened further. "Exploring?" he repeated, his voice a dangerous rumble. "What do you mean by exploring?!"

"Oh, you know..." The human's hand slid up Peepers' arm slowly as she spoke, her touch sending a thrill through him. "Touching, feeling, discovering." She was enjoying this, watching as Hater's anger grew with each word she spoke. The watchdog couldn't help but be both embarrassed and slightly aroused by her boldness. It was a wild mix of emotions.

Hater's eye almost bulged out, his expression a mixture of anger, jealousy, and something else Peepers couldn't quite place. "You-" he began, his voice strangled. "You two-" He struggled for a moment, the realization and implications of their actions slowly sinking in. She was almost flaunting it, too. She was enjoying this little game, and it was driving Hater insane.

"We what, Hater?" Her tone was almost mocking now, a smirk on her lips. She took a step towards him, pulling Peepers with her. He didn't resist, feeling like a spectator to the scene unfolding before him. He watched as Hater's expression shifted from anger to something closer to hurt, his eye flicking between the two of them.

He was jealous. Not in a romantic way of course, but jealous either way. 

Hater's eye darted between their connected hands, their proximity, her sly smile. His jaw tightened, his fingers clenching into fists again. "How long has this... thing been going on?" he demanded, his voice a low growl.

Peepers winced. He knew this question would come, and he also knew his answer would only further enrage his captain.

Before he could speak, however, ___ beat him to the punch. "One day I guess." she answered, her tone nonchalant as if they were discussing the weather.

Hater's eye widened again, a mixture of shock and... disappointment on his face. "One day?" he repeated, staring at her. "Are you serious?"

His eye flicked to the watchdog, who looked away, not meeting Hater's gaze. Hater's voice lowered, though it was now more surprised than anything. "Commander, is this true? This... thing has been going on for only one day?" He whispered to him, placing a head between him and the human, thinking that she couldn't hear him.

Peepers swallowed, feeling the weight of Hater's question and disappointment in his stomach. He couldn't avoid answering, especially with Hater's eyes pleading for the truth. He gave a shaky nod, his voice a hoarse whisper. "Yes, sir." He could feel the woman's gaze on him as well, her hand still firmly holding his. She was amused by this little exchange, but thankfully, she remained silent for now.

Hater took in the information, his eyes narrowing as he processed the confirmation. He was quiet for a moment, a maelstrom of emotions clearly visible in his orbs. And then... his expression hardened again, his jaw clenching. "One day," he repeated again, his voice taking on a harsh tone again. He took a step forward, his anger returning in full force. "One single day and you can't even bother to prepare for our mission? You ditch your duties for her?"

Peepers shrank back slightly under Hater's glare, feeling the full weight of his disappointment. "I-" He tried to speak, to explain, but the words caught in his throat.

The human, meanwhile, remained aloof and unbothered, her smirk never leaving her lips. She leaned against the wall, looking as if she was enjoying the whole scene like theater. But then, she chuckled. "Oh, don't worry." With that, she released the grip she had on the Comannders' hand. "I was just leaving anyway." 

Her eyes were cold.

Hater turned to look at her, a mixture of anger, confusion, and a hint of relief in his eyes. "You're... leaving?" he repeated.

She nodded, her smirk fading into a small, mysterious smile. "Yes," she confirmed, her voice back to being nonchalant again. "I have places to be." She began to walk towards the door, seemingly done with the whole scene that she had started. Before she left, she sent a small glance to Peepers over her shoulder. 

She mouthed a few words to him, words that made his pupil shrink in size.

You've made your choice.

The commander watched her go, his heart sinking slightly as he realized that she was leaving, that their brief encounter was coming to an end. Part of him wanted to call out to her, to ask her to stay, but Hater's presence behind him froze him in his spot. He turned to look at his captain instead, bracing himself for the barrage of questions and disapproval that was surely coming.

Hater's expression was still a mixture of anger, disappointment, and... something else. Perhaps confusion. He stared at the door where she had just left, his green hues flickering as he processed what just happened.

Finally, after what it felt like eternity, he turned to the second-in-command, his gaze sharp and penetrating. For a moment, he didn't say anything, just looked at the commander. Peepers swallowed, his antennae twitching under the intense scrutiny. The silence was deafening, making him squirm with unease and anticipation. But he couldn't take it anymore and spoke up.

"Sir!-" he began, his voice slightly trembling.

The skeleton cut him off, raising a hand to silence him. His voice was steady, almost eerily calm.

"Don't."

The single word hung in the air, heavy with unspoken implications. For a moment, he simply stared at Peepers, his eyes studying every facet of his features. "You're my commander, my second-in-command," he continued, his voice still quiet but laced with a hardness that made the watchdog's heart sink further. "You're supposed to be loyal," Hater continued, his eye narrowing. "Loyal to your duties, to me, not... not this." He made a vague gesture, and though Peepers knew he was referring to the woman he longed for, the words stung.

But he was loyal, wasn't he? He defended Hater when she tried to convince him to leave with her. He told her countless times that he wouldn't. But Hater didn't know that, he could only assume based on what he saw.

"I am loyal, sir," Peepers insisted, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice. "I- I was just-"

But Hater interrupted him again, his voice growing louder. "'Just'?" he repeated, his eyes darkening. "You just... what? You were just holding hands with the enemy, my enemy?" He gritted his teeth, almost crushing them in the process.

Peepers flinched at the sharpness in Hater's voice, feeling more and more like a scolded child under the skeleton's intense gaze. "No!" he protested. "I mean... Yes, but..." He stuttered for a moment, trying to find the right words, the right explanation. But how could he explain this? How could he tell his captain that in one day, he had accidentally grown feelings for an enemy?

Hater's eye narrowed further, his patience running thin. "But what, Commander?" he demanded, his voice cold and hard. "You have a better explanation for this?"

Peepers swallowed again, his brain working at a million miles per hour trying to find something, anything to say that would make this whole situation less bad. But he drew a complete blank. What could he possibly say that would justify his actions, that wouldn't make his relationship with the enemy sound even worse?

Hater seemed to take his silence as an answer. He let out a low, frustrated growl, his hands clenching into fists.

"So you have nothing to say," he said, his tone harsh and biting. "You have no explanation. You just... did it." He sighed, clearly done with the whole situation. 

Peepers felt like he was shrinking under Hater's gaze, his words like physical blows. He knew he was in the wrong, but hearing it stated so bluntly, so disappointedly from Hater's mouth made it all so much more real, so much more painful.

He tried to speak, to defend himself again, but all that came out was a shaky, guilt-ridden whisper. "But... I'm still here."

Hater let out an almost humorless scoff at that, the sound like a dagger through Peepers' heart. "You're still here," he echoed, almost mockingly. "But for how long? For how long until you decide to sneak off with her again? Until you decide that she's more important than our mission, more important than me?"

He took another step closer, his eye filled with a mix of anger and... hurt.

Peepers felt a pang of guilt, hearing the hurt in Hater's voice. It was subtle, buried under layers of anger and dissapointment, but it was there. Hater was hurt. He was hurt by his subordinate's actions, by the idea that the Commander would choose an enemy over him. It was a thought that he had never even considered, but now... now he felt like a jerk for even making Hater think he would do something like that.

He tried to speak, to say anything to assure Hater that he would never betray him, never choose her over him. But the words stuck in his throat, his guilt and anxiety making it hard to speak.

"Sir... I-" he began, his voice barely above a whisper. But he couldn't finish his sentence before Hater cut him off with another scoff.

Hater's eye darkened again, his voice taking on a bitter tone. "Save it," he said, his voice low and harsh. "I don't want to hear your excuses. I don't want to hear your apologies."

He took another step forward, towering over Peepers once more. "What I want, Commander," he continued, his words as sharp and cold as steel, "Is for you to remember your loyalties. Your real loyalties. Remember who you're supposed to be loyal to."

Peepers felt a pang in his heart at the skeleton's words. Of course he knew who his real loyalties lied with. It was Hater.

 It had always been Hater.

But... ___... 

There was something different about her, something that made his heart flutter in a way it had never done for anyone else. Even Hater. And now, being confronted with Hater's anger, his disappointment, Peepers felt torn.

He looked up at his boss, struggling to find the words to express his inner turmoil, his conflicting feelings. "I- I am loyal, sir," he whispered, his voice shaky and filled with guilt. "I am..."

But Hater's eye only darkened further, his expression hardening at Peepers' words. "Are you?" he said, his voice low and harsh. "Because from where I'm standing, it seems like you were pretty loyal to her a little while ago."

"Give me one more chance, please Sir!" He managed to whimper out.

Hater paused, surprise flashing in his eye at Peepers' desperate plea. He hadn't expected the Commander to beg for a second chance, especially after the scene he had just witnessed. He was silent for a moment, his eye studying the commander, searching for any sign of insincerity. But he found none. The watchdog looked small, guilty, and genuinely remorseful.

Hater's expression softened ever so slightly, but the anger and disappointment were still there. "Why should I?" he asked, his voice still sharp but lacking some of its previous harshness. "Why should I give you another chance after what you did?"

Peepers swallowed, gathering his courage to meet Hater's gaze, pleading with his eye.

"Because I will do anything, sir," he said, his voice firm despite the fear and guilt he felt. "I will make up for it. I will do anything. Just... just let me stay."

Hater was quiet again, studying the commander's expression with a mixture of anger and curiosity. He had never seen Peepers look so desperate before, so scared of being abandoned. A part of him felt a pang of satisfaction at seeing his usually composed and confident Commanders so shaken and vulnerable. But another part of him couldn't shake the image of his subordinate holding hands with the woman, the image of loyalty and trust being given to someone other than him.

He clenched his jaw, his eye darkening for a moment before he spoke. "Anything?" he echoed, his voice quiet but expectant.

Peepers nodded, his antennae quivering slightly. "Yes, Sir!" he said, his voice trembling. "Anything."

He meant every word. He was desperate. He needed to prove his loyalty, needed to make up for what he had done. He would do anything to stay in Hater's ranks, to remain close to him. Hater's eye narrowed, a small smirk slowly forming on his face. He was intrigued now. Peepers' desperation, his willingness to do anything to make up for his actions... it was quite funny for the skeleton lord.

"Anything, huh?" he repeated, his voice taking on a slightly amused tone.

He circled around the watchdog, studying him with a mixture of anger, curiosity, and... perhaps a hint of excitement. He was going to test the commander's loyalty, see just how far Peepers was willing to go. "Very well, Commander," he said, his smirk growing wider. "If you're so eager to prove yourself, I have... a task for you."

Peepers felt a mixture of relief and trepidation at Hater's words. He was getting another chance, a chance to prove himself. But at the same time, he had a feeling he wasn't going to like this 'task.'

"Yes, Sir?" he said, his voice surprisingly steady despite his pounding heart. "What is it?"

At that, the skeleton smiled and clasped his hands together, making the commander confused for a small second. But then, the gesture was replaced with a sudden jump filled with rage.

"GET BACK TO YOUR DUTIES AND STOP WASTING MY TIME!!!" The skeleton screamed out, his figure losing all sight of hurt.

Peepers flinched at Hater's sudden outburst, startled by the sudden switch in his mood. He took a step back, his heart racing in his chest.

He had expected Hater to give him some kind of difficult or demeaning task, a way to humiliate the Commander and show his superiority. But the sudden outburst seemed... different. Hater had gone from stern and annoyed to... something else entirely.

"S-Sir," he managed to stutter out, still startled but trying hard to compose himself. "What-"

"You heard me, Commander," Hater interrupted, his voice cold. "Get back to your duties. We have a mission to prepare for, and I don't have time for this... nonsense."

It was like a switch had been flipped. The hurt and anger that had been evident in Hater's eye and voice just minutes ago had vanished, replaced by a cool, cold exterior. Peepers was taken aback by the sudden change in Hater's demeanor. It was as if he was pretending that their entire argument didn't happen, that he hadn't just caught the Commander talking and holding hands with the enemy.

He opened his mouth, then closed it, unsure of what to say. Part of him wanted to argue, to defend himself, but the other part knew it was futile. Hater was in one of his distant, cold moods. There was no reasoning with him when he was like this. That's why he stood up, ready to leave and work.

He turned to leave, but a low, cold chuckle from Hater stopped him in his tracks. "Oh, Commander," Hater called out, his tone laced with mockery. "One more thing."

Peepers swallowed, turning back to face Hater, anticipating another harsh command. But the smirk on the skeleton's face made him wary. He had a feeling he was not going to like whatever Hater had to say next. Hater took a step closer, once again towering over the commander. His eyes was narrowed, his smirk still firmly in place.

"From now on," he began, his voice low and cold, "You will not be speaking to any... uninvited guests without my permission. Is that clear?"

The watchdog nodded quickly, his heart racing in his chest as he realized what Hater was implying. He was being forbidden from contacting the woman of his dreams, from seeing her again. The realization stung, but he knew he couldn't argue. Not now, not when Hater was in this mood.

"Yes, sir," he managed to say, his voice shaky. "I... I understand."

"Good," Hater replied, his smirk growing wider. "I'm glad you understand, Commander. Because if I find out that you've so much as looked in her direction without my permission..." He paused, his eye narrowing even further, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I will make you regret it. I will make you regret it severely."

Peepers felt a chill run down his spine at Hater's words. He had never heard the skeleton sound so ominous, so threatening. It was a clear warning, a clear reminder of who was in charge. He swallowed, trying to keep his face neutral, to hide the fear and hurt that was coursing through him. "Understood, sir," he said, his voice a whisper. "I will not... contact her without your permission."

Hater's smirk turned into a full-blown sneer at the Commander's words. He didn't believe for a second that Peepers would so easily give up on a potential liaison with the enemy. But he decided to torment him, to push his buttons. "Oh, I'm sure you won't, Commander," he mocked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "You've always been so obedient, so loyal. I can't imagine you ever doing anything that would... compromise your duties to me."

The smaller villain felt a pang in his heart at Hater's mocking tone. It was as if the skeleton was taunting him, daring him to go against his orders, to prove that he was just as disobedient as he clearly thought he was.

He wanted to argue, to tell Hater that he was loyal, that his loyalty to him was unwavering. But he knew it would be no use. Hater was in a cruel mood, and he was not going to listen to reason. So with that, his only choice was to sigh.

"My loyalty to you, Sir" he replied firmly, "Is not compromised."

B̶̡̪̿u̶̯̥̥͑̂t̴̰͖̋̓͝ ̷̲̿͑̂w̸̭̤͠͝a̵̡̝͂͝s̶̫̗͆͝ ̴̡̪̋̊h̷̳͔͜͝e̸̹̓ ̴̞̝̗̂̒r̸̫͛͐e̸̬̝͝a̵̬̍l̷̡̥͚̔̈́l̷̰̫͂͆y̵͍̟̹͐ ̷̰͐͒͑s̶͙͊̈́̕u̴̢͘r̵͔̹̎e̴͔͍̽̓̓ ̷͉̍̍͘ä̷̹́̐b̷̳̪̙͋͒o̷̩̘̯̊u̵̮̇͑̉ț̵͘͠ ̶̠͛́͠h̶͔̭͙̽̀͗ĭ̶̟̺̳ś̶̼͑̉ ̸͖̦͈͋̄͠w̸̠̙͙̆̀o̶̝͙͕͑r̴̫͌͘ḍ̴̯̍͊͘s̶̡͍̃̒́?̸̪̹̽͐

[mystiika]

a random blog just went through & spam liked a ton of warren hc/meta posts & i'm just kinda... ??? like its not illegal & it's all stuff i'm proud of/posted publicly but it feels questionable somehow. in theory i don't care whether they use my hcs or not, but looking at their blog it does confuse me a little ! they're a self insert writer & take requests so out of curiosity i looked through their list of fandoms they'll write in & sky high isn't even listed??

[ariminiria]

I have so many notes in my notes app of just like. things I might write about MacGyver 2016.