#y'all ever hear of first come first serve

[spagheddiediaz]

would you consider giving your handle to someone who is actually active in fandom?

[munson-blurbs]

Joker!Eddie Munson x Harley Quinn!Reader

Summary: You're a psychologist who has always done the right thing. Enter Eddie Munson, mandated to attend court-ordered counseling sessions, who has a devilish side you can't resist.

WC: 2.9k

Warnings: dark fic, loosely based on Joker and Harley's story, mention of drug dealing, mention of parental abandonment and death, murder, ex!Jason Carver/Harvey Dent, arson, power imbalance, allusions to smut

A/N: Before y'all say anything, I know that Joker and Harley have a toxic relationship. Eddie and Reader bring out the worst in each other, but this is *clears throat* FANFIC! So long live these fake toxic relationships. And big thank you to @corroded-hellfire for her help with the lore. Happy Halloween!

Divider credit to @saradika

Eddie Munson didn’t sit down once for the entire duration of his first session. 

Most of your clients opted for the couch. The more nervous ones sitting so close to the worn cushion’s edge that they nearly fell off, while the more experienced ones practically lounged as they recounted whatever horrors had occurred since their last session. 

Eddie paced back and forth, his Reeboks wearing a hole in the mildewed carpet, only pausing when he needed to light a cigarette. 

“I mean, this is bullshit.” He took a drag and exhaled a cloud of smoke. “Twenty fuckin’ years, I get shoved to the side, and now they think some shrink is gonna fix all my problems?”

‘They’ most likely referred to Chief Hopper, who had been the one to recommend Eddie receive court-mandated therapy instead of serving time in jail for possession with intent to distribute. The police chief had become soft ever since adopting that teenage daughter, which was probably why Eddie was in your dingy office rather than behind bars. 

Your gaze flicked over the tattoos on his arms, visible where he’d cut his shirt sleeves, and looked him in the eyes. “Have you been to therapy before, Eddie?”

He threw his head back and laughed so violently that you dropped your pen. Before you could reach for it, Eddie picked it up and placed it in your lap, his fingertips grazing the hem of your skirt. 

“After my dad got locked up for, oh, I dunno, the tenth time?” Eddie shook his head and laughed again, though this one was quieter. “My uncle took me to talk to some shrink. Turns out that my old man had actually stolen the guy’s car. Small fuckin’ world, huh?” He scratched at the nape of his neck. “Yeah, he told us never to come back. So we didn’t.”

Your heart broke for the child he once was, rejected by a therapist while coping with his father’s incarceration. “Where was your mother?” You asked softly. 

Eddie flicked some ash into the ashtray. “She’d been dead for a while at that point.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be.” His face lit up, smiling too hard to properly take another drag of his cigarette. “At least she didn’t have to deal with any of this shit. All she had to do was be worm food.”

The visual made your stomach turn, but Eddie was grinning. 

“Aww, c’mon, Sweetheart” he pouted jokingly, snuffing out his cigarette. “You gotta appreciate some dark humor once in a while.”

The nickname would have earned any other man a stern look, maybe even a warning for dismissal, but it felt so right coming from Eddie. 

“Do you use humor to cope?” 

He twisted a skull ring around his finger and walked over to where you sat before crouching down in front of you. 

“I appreciate what you’re trying to do here.” One hand found your knee, his nail catching on a run in your black tights. Eddie peered up at you, lips twisting into an unsettling smile. “But I’m not dealing because I’m sad or trying to fill a void left behind by my parents. I’m doing it to survive in this shithole.”

He rose then and resumed his pacing while he ranted. “We can sit here all goddamn day and talk about my daddy issues, or my mommy issues, or how the system failed poor Eddie Munson over and over and over. And maybe I’ll leave here feeling slightly less shitty about myself. But you know what that won’t do?” He didn’t wait for your response. “It won’t put food on the table or keep the lights on. It won’t stop the bank from taking my trailer. Greedy bastards.”

Only when you remained silent did Eddie glance over at you with his wide brown eyes, as though he’d just remembered his speech had an audience. “You can put all that in your notes. Show it to Chief Hopper, to the judge; I don’t care.”

You closed the marble notebook perched in your lap and capped your pen. “I’m not trying to fix you, Eddie,” you said. “I just want to know you.”

“No, you don’t.” Eddie huffed out a chuckle. “You wanna get inside my brain. You can’t help it. I’m an interesting guy.”

He was. You’d always been interested in understanding people; how they thought and how it affected their behaviors. It was why you chose a career in psychology. But Eddie had something beyond that—a magnetic pull that drew you in, no matter how many times you silently reminded yourself to maintain those professional boundaries. 

For the remaining twenty minutes of your session, you dug for as much information about Eddie as you could get. He played guitar, took six years to graduate high school because of an algebra teacher who was determined to flunk him, and kept a notebook of his own to plan Dungeons & Dragons campaigns.

If you didn’t have another client immediately after him, you would have let him keep talking. You clung to every word like a lifeline, noting the little mannerisms peppered into his personality. 

Eddie spoke with his hands and ran his fingers through his knotted curls when he was particularly agitated or passionate about a topic. His nose scrunched when he asked questions that required your approval. He’d lick his lips every so often, and his tongue poked out of his mouth when he was concentrating. Every movement was intoxicating.

Your next session was more of the same, though this time, Eddie actually sat down on the couch. He lit a cigarette before speaking, taking a drag and holding it out to you. 

You watched the smoke curl around his fingertips, beckoning you to accept his offer. It was wrong; sure, you could smoke during a session, but to share a cigarette with a client? You shouldn’t. You couldn’t. 

You did. 

“There ya go,” Eddie murmured under his breath, watching your chest rise with the inhale and fall with the exhale. “Sweetheart, ya gotta take the edge off once in a while. Do something that makes you smile.”

You cocked your head teasingly, holding the cigarette hostage for a moment longer. “Aren’t I supposed to be helping you?”

“We can help each other.” He plucked the cigarette from your grasp. “Watch.”

Your gaze stayed on his lips, full and slightly chapped from the bitter winter, as he inhaled deeply. He crooked a finger, and your body moved of its own volition to the spot beside him. 

His thumb pulled at your lower lip, a question he could already answer. His mouth found yours, not in a kiss, but just to transfer the smoke he’d been holding back; tobacco mixed with a subtle hint of spearmint. 

“How do you feel now?” Eddie hadn’t moved back, and you felt every word he spoke. 

All you could do was nod, focusing every ounce of energy on going back to your chair. The distance suddenly seemed too far; any distance from Eddie seemed too far. You wanted to be in his lap, sharing the remainder of that cigarette, drawing you in closer…

Swallowing your steadily building desire, you forced yourself to ask him a question that didn’t pertain to the way he tasted. “W-What was it like moving in with your uncle?”

Eddie laughed darkly, taking in your nervousness like he knew exactly how brainless he’d made you. “My uncle, huh? All right, I’ll bite” He stretched, revealing a thin trail of hair that started at his navel and dipped below the waist of his jeans. There was a sick gleam in his eyes when he caught you staring, but he said nothing about it.

He told you about a police officer dropping him off on Wayne Munson’s doorstep in the middle of the night after his father had been arrested. 

“Just me and a trash bag full of clothes that barely fit me,” he proclaimed. “Oh, and the headlice tagging along. Ended up having to shave these gorgeous locks.” He shook his head to exaggerate his point.

“That must’ve been really traumatic for you.” You tapped your pen on your notebook absently, somewhat aware that you should be writing this information down, but not able to look away from him.

Eddie shrugged. “Not really. It grew back.”

“I meant…never mind.” You tucked your lips into your mouth to stifle a giggle.

He looked as though he wanted to say something, but your actions distracted him.

“Don’t hide your smile.” He ran his tongue over his teeth, letting you feel the gravity saturating his words. “Makes me happy when you smile.”

“I didn’t want you to think I was laughing at you.”

He clicked his tongue in mock sympathy, like he pitied you. It was a gesture you were unused to seeing from your clients. “You wouldn’t be the first, Sweetheart.” Eddie sat forward. “You might have been the first to feel bad about it, though.”

Over the following weeks, your sessions with Eddie followed the same routine. You would ask him questions and he would answer them cryptically. Shared cigarettes became more frequent as you convinced yourself it was good for building rapport.

In the early days of spring, where winter’s chill still peeked in each morning, Eddie opened the door to your office and found you crying in your chair. Most clients waited for you to get them from the waiting room, but he always let himself in.

The moment you heard the hinges creaking, you swiped at the tears dampening your cheeks. Embarrassment flooded your veins and heated you from the inside out at the thought of him seeing you in such a vulnerable state.

He was at your side in a heartbeat, reaching for the tissue box you kept on your bookshelf. “What’s wrong?” There was venom in his tone, ready to bite at a moment’s notice.

“N-Nothing,” you lied clumsily, convincing neither him nor yourself. “Just a bad day.”

Eddie gritted his teeth. “Don’t fuckin’ do that, Sweetheart.” He grabbed your chin and brought your full attention with it. “Don’t fuckin’ lie to me. Not when I’ve been honest with you.”

The story spilled out before you could think better of it: You’d woken up that morning to your ex-boyfriend banging on your front door, screaming to let you in, his slurred words informing you that he was drunk. Calling the police would be futile; he was buddies with the whole department and more than likely had them in his back pocket. All you could think to do in that moment was hide under your covers until he eventually gave up and left.

Eddie tensed, never losing his grip on you. “Did he hurt you?” His breathing quickened, fight-or-flight activated. “I swear to God, Sweetheart, if he put his hands on you–”

“No,” you hurriedly assured him. “No, he just scared me. But Jason’s never–” Your eyes widened when you said his name aloud; all at once, you realized your error.

“Jason…Carver?” Eddie’s eyes narrowed. “The hell were you doing with an asshole like him?” He shook his head before you could answer. “Never mind. Doesn’t matter. All that matters is that he never bothers you again.” Rage flashed in his eyes. “Just say the word, and I’ll do it.”

You furrowed your brows. “What do you mean?” There was no way…he wouldn’t…

He crossed his arms over his chest, obscuring the view of the devil on his shirt. “Do you remember a few years ago when Harrington Enterprises was planning to shut down the plant to build those luxury condos?”

You nodded, wondering where he was going with this. Warren Harrington had all but signed on the dotted lines, but he’d been murdered in his own home before he closed the deal. Rumor had it that his own son, Steve, had orchestrated it in order to gain control of the family fortune. An investigation came up without any suspects, and the plant remained open. 

“If they had their way, my uncle and all of his buddies would be out of a job, and then they’d lose their cars, their homes…well, you know how it goes.” Eddie smirked. “So I did what I had to do to stop that from happening.”

“You…” you lowered your voice in case anyone was listening in, “you killed Warren Harrington?”

He bristled preemptively, only relaxing when he didn’t detect any  judgment. “I’d do anything to protect the people I love.” Eddie’s palms cupped your cheeks, the calluses scratching at your skin. “I’ll kill Carver if it’ll keep you safe, Sweetheart. You won’t have to worry about him anymore.”

Everything about this was wrong. He was threatening to commit homicide for you because he loved you. 

You needed to stop this. It had gone too far. And yet you couldn’t, not when he was pleading to let him take care of you. All of your career, all of your life, you had been expected to clean up everyone else’s messes. You were the one who fixed other people’s mistakes, who solved their problems. To lift that burden from your shoulders, to let someone else take it on…

“I love you, too, Eddie.” You reached out and took his steady hands in your trembling ones. “I love you so much.”

“Okay. Good.” Eddie sighed deeply, leaning in and pressing a tender kiss to your forehead. There was a flicker of amusement when he pulled back and saw the concern on your face. “C’mon, baby. You should be happy. Here.” He reached behind your chair and grabbed your bag, rummaged through it. Deft fingers uncapped your ruby red lipstick and drew a Black Dahlia smile on his lips, extending from one clean-shaven cheek to the other. “Now, close your eyes.”

You did as he asked, placing full trust in him. You expected him to draw a similar smile on you; instead, he pressed his mouth to yours, transferring some of the makeup to your face.

The words I love you kept falling from your lips, muffled only by the hungry kisses you eagerly gave and accepted. Zippers were unfastened, buttons undone, clothes strewn across your office floor. For a moment, the only sounds were the soft moans and panting breaths that punctuated the silence. It was love, and it was perfect.

It all happened so fast.

You woke up the next morning to sirens blaring down the street, a never-ending parade of noise and flashing lights. There was no way Eddie had already done something to Jason; you’d just talked about it yesterday. Killing one of Hawkins’ most beloved citizens would certainly take more than twelve hours of deliberation.

If Eddie had struck, he wouldn’t have been able to escape unnoticed. 

Black smoke billowed from one of the Loch Nora mansions, visible even in the less wealthy parts of town. You could hear your neighbors clamoring, and the consensus was that it was the Carver house that was burning to the ground.

You drove straight to the county jail, not even stopping off at work or letting them know you wouldn’t be in. The fear of being reprimanded paled in comparison to Eddie’s fate.

Flashing your government ID, you bolted through the doors and blew past the guards. Sure enough, Eddie Munson sat behind the bars of a cell, head in his beautiful hands. The same hands that had touched you just yesterday, fumbling with the tiny buttons of your blouse. The man who was larger than life during your sessions suddenly seemed so small.

“Puddin’?” 

Eddie glanced up when he heard the nickname you’d given him. “Baby, I…I didn’t kill him. I tried, but he got out. Forgot that rich people have those smoke detector things,” he added with a wry smile. It was then that you saw that his mouth was still stained with remnants of your lipstick. “But when he ran out of the house it looked like half of his face had burned off.”

Of course he’d stuck around to see the aftermath of his destruction.

“We can talk about this later. Okay?” You lowered your voice to a whisper. “We’re getting out of town. And we’re never coming back. I’m gonna tell the guards that I’m taking you out for a therapy session. Just follow my lead.”

Eddie was uncharacteristically quiet, so much so that you worried the guards might apprehend him because he wasn’t talking. Their narrowed eyes followed you and Eddie until you exited the building.

“My girl is a natural-born deceiver.” Eddie laced his fingers with yours. “So proud.”

You laughed. “If they gave us any trouble, I might’ve had to knock them out with their own clubs.” When you started towards your sedan, Eddie tugged you in the opposite direction. “My car is–”

“Forget it. Leave it here.” His eyes scanned the parking lot. “We’ll take that one.” He clocked your confusion and let out a raucous laugh. “Al Munson may have been a deadbeat, but he did teach me one thing.”

You slipped your arm around his waist. “Looks like I have a lot to learn.” 

“It’s gonna be me and you against the world, baby.” Eddie pulled you closer and whispered in your ear. “We’re gonna knock ‘em dead.”

--

[wheneclipsefalls]

Withered

Beautiful Adult Neteyam photo by the wonderful @cinetrix

Pairing: Alpha Neteyam x Beta Fem Omatikaya Reader

Synopsis: You and Neteyam have opposite lives. He thrives in the daylight of possibilities while you are forced to the shadows. You are sure that the right course of action would be letting the future Olo'eyktan go. Neteyam is less convinced.

Based on a request from my 🥔 anon

Warnings: aged up characters, aged up neteyam, angst, health problems, explicit smut, dirty talk, crying, miscommunication, p in v, virgin reader, first time, omegaverse, alpha/beta relationship dynamic, heat, sickness, 18+ only MDNI

Tanhi: star/little star I Yawne: beloved I Sevin: pretty I Mawey: calm

A/N: I can't tell you all enough how grateful I am for the hype and many comments that have been around this story just from that small sneak peek I posted. This ended up being a lot longer than I ever anticipated but I had a blast writing it. Please let me know what you think. I love hearing from y'all!

For many the sun is a symbol of warmth, peace, and solace. The bright rays enwrap Na’vi of all ages in the glow of Eywa’s love. The rise of morning light represents a new day, another chance for adventure and possibilities. When the illuminating glow of yellow sunshine transforms into streaks of vibrant purples and pinks, it indicates a time for families to come together and tuck in for the night. 

However, for you, your day truly begins at the first glow of bioluminescence. Eclipse is your time to explore the world.

You were born with an almost unheard of disease. It only took a few days of your infant body breaking out into abnormal rashes for Tsahik to realize something was wrong. Exposure of more than a few minutes to sunshine causes detrimental effects to your body. For this reason, you are forced to avoid the vibrant glow of the sun. 

From that moment on you have lived your life almost nocturnally. On lucky days the clouds protect you from the harmful UV rays. Rain has come to be your favorite weather as it allows you an escape from your hut. 

Despite these difficulties you have always strived to remain positive. You thank your parents for their gracious attitudes that inspire you to look for the silver lining in all situations. Sure you can not sunbathe or prowl the forest during sunny days but no one knows the forest at Eclipse as well as you do. Your knowledge has come in handy more than a few times, being asked to guide night hunts with some of the most notorious warriors in the clan.

This is where you met Neteyam.

The firstborn of the infamous Toruk Makto and your future Olo’eyktan, you originally assumed he would have no interest in interacting with you. You knew him from afar, hearing the word spread of his kindness and diligence when it came to helping those around him. His alpha status only served to bring a larger gaggle of girls practically falling at his feet. As a beta and suffering from a rare condition, you naturally took yourself out of the run up. You were confident he would choose some sweet and knowledgeable omega that would be the perfect tsahik. 

However, your assumptions quickly crumbled as he progressively paid attention to you more and more throughout these night hunts. Instead of joining the rest of the alpha warriors gathering to share a strong drink after a successful kill, he would opt to check in with you. You were shy at first, unsure of how to act around such an influential member of the clan. However, there was something about those golden orbs and soft smile that quickly set you at ease. 

You still remember the first time you had sustained a small injury during these hunts. It was nothing more than a shallow slash to your forearm, but Neteyam had insisted on carefully wrapping it himself. You gushed over him like an idiot, reminding him that it was unnecessary but  he showed his stubborn side that day. 

At first you thought it was your own overactive imagination noticing the frequency of night hunts he signed up for increase, but eventually it had become every single night. No matter how boned-tired he was from a day of full Olo’eyktan training, he would beam at the sight of your small form. His scent was something that seemed to constantly enrapture your senses. The heavy essence of pine and hormonal swings was so much stronger than yours. It took some getting used to. The first few nights you were bashful to come home and find evidence of your arousal dampening your loincloth. 

Still, you told yourself it was just a simple crush that you had to live with. It took weeks for you to even consider the possibility of Neteyam showing interest in you. He had been consistent in bringing you out of your shell, getting you to talk about everything from your family to the fondest hope and dreams in your heart. Oftentimes he would stay back behind after the hunt to help you join him sitting on an overarching thick branch (you were grateful for the darkness of eclipse that hid your blush each time he effortlessly hoisted you up with large hands gently holding your waist) and chat away into the night. 

It was only when the gifts began that you gave these interactions a second thought. It had started small with simple flowers and fruits he had encountered throughout the day. However, they slowly became more intricate. The first time he brought you a small woven bracelet of sparkling gems, you had been gobsmacked. 

“Like the night sky. The only thing appropriate for my tanhi.” He had said, making you almost choke on your own spit. Tahni- little star: a nickname he had coined for you after the first week. A fitting term for someone that only knew the night sky. Still, it was the first time he had ever called you his. The terminology was not lost on you. 

When the sun arose once more and you had retired back to your protected hut, those words had kept you up, your small fingers twiddling with the bracelet. 

Taking your acceptance of the small gift, Neteyam had become even more bold with his courting. Before you knew it he was bringing a meal with him for you before every hunt. You had tried to decline the thoughtful gesture but he would not take no for an answer. 

“Someone has to make sure you eat, tanhi.” 

There was no fighting the alpha on this, so you graciously took the meals each night. He smiled proudly as you moaned in satisfaction of the carefully seasoned meat he had killed and prepared for you. Another testament to the mighty warrior and beneficial mate he is. 

You started to think that the eldest Sully was simply a flirt, or perhaps such a kind person that his actions came off as romantic. However, there was one instance that finally tipped you to accepting his affections. It was a particularly successful hunt, dragging home a thanator, when he had slowed down to your pace. Talking about anything and everything under the night sky, your breath was practically stolen from your lungs when he reached out to tuck a strand of your dark hair behind your ear. 

However innocent the gesture was, it was the lingering of his hand running down your neck that caused your heart to bash against your rib cage violently. A simple brush that had left his scent to coalesce with yours. An essence that would keep other suitors away. Out of habit, you mentally went to play it off as a simple accident, but the crooked smirk plastered across his face did not allow you. There was a primal satisfaction seated in those golden orbs, one that caused a pool of arousal to gather in your core. 

He knew what he had done. 

Neteyam was proud of it. 

His affection was untethered from that point forward. Accidental brushes of fingers had turned into blatant hand holding. The alpha never missed an opportunity to press a warm hand to the small of your back, guiding you through the terrain, or wrap an arm around your waist in order to steady you when walking over uneven forest floor. 

“What kind of alpha would I be if I let you get hurt?” 

He had spoken in response to your inquiry, a cheeky grin plastered across his face.

Falling for Neteyam was easy. Too easy. It was keeping yourself back from jumping into his arms or melting into his embraces that was difficult. No matter how strange and suggestive his behavior had been, you didn’t want to get your hopes up. After all, there was no saying what he got up to during the day. For all you knew he could be taking omegas out every day and weaving sweet gifts for them too. 

So you had decided to do what was best for everyone and take yourself out of the situation before something embarrassing could happen. You declined the request to accompany the hunting party and instead went to spend some more time with your family. If your parents noticed the difference in your appearance they did not show it. They were always good at giving you space, respecting your independence as an adult (although your mother did go out of her way to place a comforting hand on your shoulder, a silent way to express her understanding and love). Neither of them knew about Neteyam at the time, it was easier that way. 

This fact only heightened their surprise when they saw Toruk Makto’s eldest son approaching their small gathering. You can still remember the intent gaze that Neteyam pierced you with. Your heart hammered out of your chest, hands fidgeting with the moss beneath you nervously. Neteyam signaled the traditional greeting to your parents before respectfully asking your father if he could borrow you for a moment. 

They were caught off guard, your dad turning back to send you a curious look, but naturally neither wanted to decline the Omatikaya prince. 

Once the two of you were finally alone, Neteyam immediately sprang into action. He grabbed your biceps and used that hold to turn you from side to side as he scanned your form. His intense inspection had blood rushing to your cheeks. 

“Neteyam, what are you doing? I thou-”

“Where are you injured?” You twitched when he reached a hand out to inspect your flicking tail too. Confusion swarmed within you. You had sputtered and struggled to put together a full sentence.

“It has been three days, Tanhi. I blew one day off as exhaustion or a fluke and the second as pure coincidence but surely only an injury would keep you away from the hunt for three days.” His eyes finally met yours again when there was no wound to be found. His tall frame had towered over yours as he reached out to cup your cheek. 

That familiar warmth and adoration you had for him had returned within an instant. 

You stepped back, successfully out of his grasp.

“I’m fine.” You replied simply. 

His tail swatted in the humid air and those golden orbs had squinted into slits. The focused attention of that look full of suspicion was enough to hold you down to your spot. You swallowed the lump in your throat and as you tried desperately to keep the fidgeting at bay. It was one of the few times you were grateful to be beta because surely an omega would shrivel under the pressure of his looming presence. 

“I don’t like when you lie to me, Tahni. Now tell me why I’ve had to go without my little star for three whole days.” Neteyam placed his hands sternly upon his hips, ears twitching forward as if preparing to take in your explanation. An explanation that you felt could not be shared. Doing so was bound to undermine your plans, completely destroying the efforts that had been made. 

“The group seems to be more than sufficient without my guidance.” You don’t dare to meet his eyes, your own orbs trained at the ground instead. In a moment’s notice his sculpted body was once again inches away from yours. His warmth came off of him in waves, along with the heady aura of alpha pheromones. 

You couldn’t hold back the shiver that ran down your spine when he placed heavy hands on your shoulders and bent over your frame till you could feel his calm breath against your ear. Neteyam’s tail wrapped around your thigh. A part of your brain told you to run, understanding the alluring danger that awaited you, while the other yearned to curl up against his impressive physique. 

You couldn’t understand how any omega managed to be around this male without completely dropping to their knees.

Suddenly you had some sympathy for the girls that had always fawned over him. 

“Tell me the truth, sevin.” The heated words tickled at your ears and made your heart skip a beat. It was foolish to think that there was any chance of lying to Neteyam, the mighty warrior that walked with the confidence of the supernatural. 

So you did.

You had scrambled to messily explain how it would be best if the two of you spent less time together. Unfortunately this unrehearsed synopsis included an approach that painted yourself as the foolish beta with a crush on the Omatikaya prince and therefore unable to handle herself around him. It was not the perspective you had hoped for, but it was the only one that could have been presented in your state of jumbled thought. 

Neteyam shook his head, an almost fond smile upon his lips. 

“Tanhi, you really do not like to make things easy for me.” A bitter laugh escaped his throat. The sound put you slightly on edge but there was no trace of anger in his expression. Amusement was easily perceivable in the raise of his hairless eyebrows. He had taken your humiliating and pathetic explanation in stride, in fact, he had found humor in it. 

“I thought I’ve made myself clear.” You were swooped into the encirclement of his arms in one quick motion. You squeaked and braced yourself against the warm muscles of his abdomen. “You are the mate I seek.” 

His words had thrown you into a spiral, your heartstrings plucking into rhythms of heightened emotion. It was almost too much to take in. A part of you still found security in denying these bold claims but there had been too much evidence at that point. Neteyam Sully had in fact been courting you. 

His head lowered, nuzzling at your face until you finally looked up at him. Your lips were only a breath apart. 

“If you’ll have me.” Neteyam whispered. 

There was no fighting the longings of your heart at that rate. That night you had agreed to his courting and within a month the two of you had been madly in love and preparing to officially mate. 

The process was faster, seemingly faster than anything else in your life. Night had always slowed you down from progressing in the normal rhythm of Na’vi milestones, but Neteyam had broken that pattern for you. 

You can still remember the vivid sensation of his tendrils connecting with your own. Those sparks of electricity that had created a direct line to his innermost feelings and thoughts. There was great solace to be found in the surging feelings of love and adoration he had for you, something you had been able to tap into. Still, nothing could ever compare with the way you felt for Neteyam. 

He’s your world. Your light. Your sun. 

Being with him feels like finally having a taste of those golden rays. You can see it in his smile. In the shake of his shoulders when his laughter trickles from soft lips. In the unashamed sparkle that overtakes his eyes in a coating whenever they land on you after a long day of training. 

Neteyam has become your world in only a matter of a few months. It is hard to imagine how you went so many years without this unbreakable connection between the two of you. Each night you wake up to the warm embrace of your mate who has come home from a long day of training. Soft kisses are placed along your eyelids, cheeks, and nose until your thick lashes flutter and you regain consciousness. 

The searing envious looks of other females can be felt at your back when the two of you join the rest of the clan for dinner each night, but it is only white noise in the presence of your handsome mate guiding you with a hand to the small of your back. In fact it becomes less than a passing memory when Neteyam goes on to share the events of the day in great detail, usually pulling out a tucked away gift he has found for you along the trails of his adventures. 

There is so much hidden beneath that emanating exterior of perfection that Neteyam upholds. He strips away those layers only for you, usually among the flowering meadow the two of you lay in while stargazing. The stories often end with your mate trailing off into a groggy murmur until the air fills with the sounds of his sleeping breaths. You prefer to stay tucked against him for a while longer, letting the moment last before you must wake him and shoo the mighty warrior back home for some much needed rest. 

While he sleeps you venture from the hut to forage and hunt, although Neteyam prefers to accompany you during dangerous hunts. You decide that what he doesn’t know can’t hurt him. He is known to be an overprotective alpha anyway. Once food has been secured and your adventures have come to a close, you slip back into the darkened hut before the first break of dawn. Those specially made thick curtains are the difference between life and death for you. 

Although the tent has been sufficient for years, Neteyam continues to add to its layers. He is constantly worrying about the vulnerabilities of the hut, convinced that one slip could bring catastrophic consequences to his mate. So he works with his father to constantly rebuild and strengthen the exterior walls. There are times where you remind him of how unnecessary these actions are but Neteyam is undeterred by these conversations. So you let your mate continue his projects. If it brings him peace of mind to obsess over the structure then it must be doing some good. 

Things are great for the first month. Nothing sexual occurs during those first few weeks of being newly mated, out of respect to you. There is no denying that Neteyam has had experience in the ways of pleasuring females but you on the other hand have never been close to intimate with someone else. As a couple you decide to take things slow. However, you can not help but admire the restraint Neteyam shows when you catch the shift of his pheromones into that of lust or see the tightness of his loincloth after a particularly long make out session. 

Were it any other alpha you are sure that the time would have come for him to become impatient and work towards persuading you to go further with him. However, Neteyam knows that you are shy and nervous. He puts your needs before his own and constantly assures you that he is happy to wait so long as you feel comfortable when the time is right. 

Your apprehension has slowly been melting away. The soft caresses that travel along your form sends a burning thrill that is exotic to you. Moments where you are brave enough to straddle his lap while kissing, the friction of his groin against your core is electric. These new feelings have been quickly festering and building inside of you. The nerves have slowly morphed into alluring curiosity. It has been becoming harder to hold back.

For this reason, you’ve decided to tell Neteyam tonight that you are ready. Finally, the bond created through tsaheylu will be strengthened and confirmed by the intertwining of each other’s bodies. 

The last hints of sunshine have disappeared behind the moon. This time you wake before Neteyam has a chance to come wake you up himself. The nerves that bundle into a coil in your stomach have kept you from sleeping in so you decide to seek him out yourself. It shouldn’t be long till he is back from an exhibition with Jake. 

The village is lively with reuniting families after a prosperous day of duties. It's a familiar sight that has always brought a warmth to your heart, especially that of small children running to their mothers or fathers with grabby hands. There are times where you imagine sending your own child to wobble excitedly towards Neteyam, spun through the air by the mighty warrior that you are lucky enough to call your mate. 

High in the trees, hidden by the walls of a family hut you hear the familiar voice of Lo’ak. A smile tugs at your lips, confident that Neteyam is sure to be with his brother. However, that excitement is dampened slightly when the responding voice is not your mate’s but Unip’s. 

“I just don’t know how long he thinks this can go on.” Unip sighs.

“Well you know how Neteyam is. He will find a way to succeed and if not, he will die trying.” Lo’ak snorts, but there is a hint of concern in his nonchalant tone. It’s a timber that makes you halt in your tracks and ears twitch to hear the conversation. 

“It’s only going to get worse, you know. Once he is Olo’eyktan, half a night’s rest will not be enough anymore. He already looks half dead.” 

There is a silence that follows, only filled by the sound of your own heart thumping. 

“You’re never going to convince him otherwise, bro.” Lo’ak responds, amused tone faltering greatly. 

Stepping forward, you curve yourself around a thick tree trunk in effort to discreetly get a better look at the pair. Lo’ak’s back is facing towards you but even from this low vantage point, the lines of his tense muscle are easy to spot. Your golden eyes have become specialized for seeing in the dark after all these years, allowing a better image of his form and mannerisms. You are used to reading people’s expressions and body language with only the dim glow of eclipse. 

“Stubborn skxawng.” Unip shakes his head before leaning against the sturdy trunk. His scowl is illuminated by the soft red glow of a patch of sprouting flowers. The sight makes your stomach twist. 

Have things truly gotten this bad?

“Neteyam won’t leave her. You and I both know that. All that can be done is make peace with it.” Lo’ak shrugs his shoulders.

“And watch him turn into an old man in a few years. Those bags are sure to be bad for his pretty boy appearance.” Unip quips back, causing both the males to break out into laughter. 

The tension visibly eases between them but you are not laughing. In fact, you can feel the beginning of those twisting nerves pushing bile up your throat. All joyful anticipation has washed from your features, replaced with dread and horror. 

Your feet drum against the forest floor, stuck on autopilot and effectively taking you home. The beginning of streaming tears threaten to drop past your eyes. 

It’s true that Neteyam has been tired but it isn’t till now that you reply back your interactions and his recent appearance. Those dark circles aren’t as prevalent in the light of eclipse, perhaps they are more telling in daylight. Neteyam has a way of falling asleep in a matter of seconds once hitting the mat but you have always assumed that to be a part of his nature. Some people are naturally deep sleepers. 

However, now, all of these signs appear in a different light for you. Each conversation is played back in your head but of course Neteyam has never let his weaknesses show, especially ones that could be brought on by you. You know this and yet it is only now that you scold yourself for not being more perceptive, for not seeking advice and perspective from those around him.

His family and friends have an advantage that you can not achieve. Surely they would be the first to notice his changes in demeanor and health. They are the ones watching him work, train, and interact more closely with clan members. You have never been more envious of those walking in the sun in your entire life. This condition has always been a hassle for you but now it has turned into true heartache. 

This weakness that Eywa has given you is no longer just affecting you but now your perfect mate. This disease has spread to him in a way you scold yourself for not anticipating. 

How is he supposed to become Olo’eyktan, protecting and guiding the People all while being tethered to you? 

Eywa has destined your life to be forever restricted to the shadows, but that is not Neteyam’s path. 

You can spot the familiar dark canvases of your hut in the trees up ahead. No doubt Neteyam has already returned home at this point, if not then he will soon. Less than an hour earlier you were ecstatic to see him but now the thought of seeing those tired eyes makes you want to curl up into a ball. 

Needing more time to process, you opt to take a different route, one that leads to a secluded waterfall. Safe in the greenery and now sitting in the shallow area of the glowing water, you take a moment to breathe. Water trickles into a soothing pattern that has been associated with your memories in this found sanctuary. 

Truly, none of this should be a surprise. This ailment has been the driving course of your life thus far and you’ve grown used to it, letting go of certain aspects that are not meant for you. Neteyam is just another one of those. He is beyond your reach. Keeping him here would only hurt the clan. They need a leader that can be with them, present both physically and mentally. For the greater good it is time to let him become that Olo’eyktan. 

Perhaps you would have accepted this fact and stuck to it earlier on were it not for the great love you hold for him. Neteyam Sully holds your heart and soul effortlessly in his hands. There will never be another that lights up your life the same way he does and truth be told, you don’t want there to be. Forever your first and only love. 

Regardless, the time for being selfish is over.

Some Na’vi have the honor of dying a warrior’s death, going down in the name of protecting the People. Others sacrifice their time and energy serving the clan daily in the name of Eywa. You have been kept back from either of these duties so it makes sense that giving up the future Olo’eyktan would be your contribution. 

After all, how are you supposed to serve as Tsahik with your limitations?

This makes sense. Your brian tells you this is the logical solution. Life will go on. You will return back to a life that you have come to be content with over the years and Neteyam will find a proper mate that can serve The People by his side. 

Still, it is impossible to ignore the cracks that are slowly developing in your heart. It is difficult to imagine a life without your true love. The thought alone has a sob crawling up your throat. This sound however is morphed into a strange shriek when a pair of muscular arms suddenly grasp and pull you back against a hard chest.

The water splashes around the two of you and you can feel the rumble of Neteyam’s laughter as you are awkwardly shifted in his arms. 

“Baby girl, you are really off your game today.” He teases fondly before nuzzling his face into the curve of your neck. An efficient shuffle has you more familiarly settled between the corded muscle of his toned thighs. Instinctually you lean back against him. 

“What? Nothing to say in your defense?” 

“Oh yeah uh just tired.” You lamely respond. 

“Silly Tanhi, today has barely begun.”

For you. 

The day has barely begun for you and only you. Every other Na’vi enjoy the blissful alignment of the sun and their ‘days’. You are the outlier. 

Gathering up your courage you finally lift yourself onto your knees and turn to face him. Neteyam grins, but for once you aren’t focused on the gleams of those pearly teeth. Sure enough there are dark circles in a crescent shape beneath his eyes. You reach out to thumb at those dark contrasts. The alpha blissfully misreads this as cupping his cheek. He leans into the touch and his smile broadens. 

“My sweet sevin.” He mumbles. Your stomach tightens back into that knot. Finally, he seems to notice the shift in your demeanor. The smile falters and he places his hand over the one cupping his cheek. The large veined hand completely covers yours. 

“What’s wrong?” 

It seems an impossible task to go through with what you know must be done. A part of you considers holding off, letting it last a little longer before you lose him forever. However, that would only result in a more sleep deprived Omatikaya Prince and the suffering of future Olo’eyktan. 

The longer you take to respond the faster the amusement in those golden orbs declines. He calls your name softly and turns his head to gently peck your palm. 

“I just-” You steady yourself. The words feel like acid crawling up your throat and sitting pressed against him only makes it burn more. Cautiously you detach yourself completely and settle down on the colorful rocks lining the shallow river. 

Neteyam immediately stiffens. His tail curls up into high alert and his ears twitch back slightly, but still you can see the now fake smile plastered on his face. 

“You’re…tired.” It’s a weak start but they are the only words you can force out. 

There is a flicker of surprise in his features but it melts away into a mocking eye roll. The corners of his lips are back to being turned up in a more genuine manner. 

“Well of course I’m a little tired Tanhi. Every mighty warrior should be if he’s done his job right.” The alpha chuckles and you can almost taste the deviation of his pheromones. He confidently reaches out to take your hand in his. “But never too tired to spend time with my sweet little star.” 

The cool rush of water is a dramatic contrast to the warm grasp Neteyam has on your hand. It feels like fire that curls up your veins and pushes tears to the back of your eyes. It’s too painful to be close like this. To see him obliviously flirt and cuddle as if all is well when you know deep down that this will be the last time you feel his touch. 

“No, I mean exhausted. Ma Neteyam-” You shut your mouth tight. That phrase was so easily in your arsenal of vocabulary but it’s time to start training yourself to stop using it. You brush the circles under his eyes again. “You haven’t been getting enough sleep.”

Realization seems to dawn for him.

“Oh you mean my eyes. Lo’ak was teasing me earlier about it. Didn’t think it would bother you so much, sevin, but I’m sure my grandmother has some herbs to lighten the color.” He laughs lightly.

“No, Neteyam. This is bad for you. Staying up every night only to push yourself to the limit the next day. Living in that darkened hut. Spending every last fiber of energy you have spending time with me. Taking care of me-”

“That is what mates do, Tanhi. I don’t want it any other way-”

“I am bad for you!”

The words cut through the air and suddenly every remnant of the playful atmosphere has disappeared. 

“Don’t say stuff like that, Tanhi.” His voice is firm, stern enough to be considered reprimanding. Neteyam eyes darken onto a duller glow. The musky scent of your mate shifts into that of a stronger presence. It’s moments like that that you remember how distinct his second gender is. 

“Neteyam, you know I’m right. This condition is no longer just hurting me but you too. Playing this game of back and forth makes no sense.” 

He sits up straight, back stiff as a rod. It takes everything in you to hold that gaze without bursting into tears and backing down. The flicker of his tail has turned into frantic swatting as his lips curl downwards. 

“What are you trying to say, love?”

You gulp and prepare yourself to utter words that weigh heavy in your heart. 

“We have to end this.” 

Silence drags on. The rush of running water and purring wildlife is the only thing that fills the air. Your tail swishes nervously in the water, causing a slight splash. No matter which way you squint or tilt your head, Neteyam’s expression is unreadable. Even your enhanced night vision is not enough to fully understand or anticipate the brewing emotions beneath those golden eyes. 

“No.”

Your mind sputters to a halt at the snipped response. He’s giving you nothing to work with. 

“Neteya-”

“Where is all of this coming from, yawne?” He reaches forward to cup your cheek but you stand up before he can. This close proximity is becoming too much. Perhaps it’s cowardly, but you need a reprieve from his love-filled gaze and tender touches. Otherwise, there is no way you will be able to do what needs to be done. You wonder if he knows this as you are met with a toned chest at eye level blocking your path. 

“Did something happen?”

“No.”

“Then why are you so worried all of a sudden?” He pleads for an answer but you have finally managed to slip past him and wade out of the water. The drum of your feet rings in your ears, taking you to Eywa knows where. Neteyam is hot on your heels. 

“It’s not just worry, it’s logic, Neteyam. Can’t you see? You are going to be Olo’eyktan. The People need a leader that won’t be tied to some nocturnal Na’vi that drains the last bit of energy you have left.”

The alpha goes to interject but the words are flying out of your mouth at such a speed at this rate, he has no opportunity. 

“They will need a Tsahik that can do more than just work a night shift. Not to mention one that actually understand healing protocal-”

“My grandmother has already offered to teach you.” He counters, stomping feet practically nipping at your heels. It’s not that you mean to walk away from him, but the dam that holds your suffocating emotions at bay is starting to crack and crumble. One look at him could weaken your resolve. This has to be done fast, ripped off like an adhesive bandage. 

“You deserve to be with someone that can lead The People with you. A mate that can serve both you and the clan in a way I never can. An omega that is a proper mate.”

A strong hand clamps around your bicep and spins you around. Neteyam glowers down at you with an intensity that is borderline desperate. The tears are starting to leave a glaze over your eyes, even as you avoid his own at any cost.

“You are my mate. You are the woman that I choose to spend the rest of my days with.” He tries to gently tilt your face towards him by grabbing your chin, but you flick it off. “We are mated before Eywa.” The crack in his voice tears at your heart. 

“I shouldn’t have let it go on this long, I’m sorry. I foolishly let myself believe that you and I are meant to be but now it is clear that my head was simply in the clouds.” A sob thickens your voice until it is barely tangible. Words are failing you and you idly wonder how many more you will truly be able to manage in this state. 

You attempt to flee from his embrace once more, just a moment to escape that heartbreaking stare that follows your every move. Neteyam holds you gently by the biceps but there is enough force there to keep you in place. 

“We are, Tahni. All these other obstacles are just that, obstacles. Things we can overcome.” He slumps down, determined to finally have your eyes meet his. The curtain of your flowing hair is a weak shield against these efforts. You can feel the heat of his escalating breath tickle at your cheeks. He swoops in closer slowly, with the caution of closing in on a skittish prey. “It’s just you and me, little star.”

The flat of his nose finally rests against yours, lips only a sudden movement away.

There are promises of familiar comfort and happiness in this intimate position. Your nature keens towards his gentle touch. It prompts you to hide away every other concern, worried that it could break this moment of tranquility. 

However, that is exactly what you do.

“You have to break it.” 

There is a pause, a moment of shock that you take advantage of. Slipping out his hold, you watch realization slink across his features. It’s blood chilling, the look of horror that is clearly evident upon his handsome face. It’s a rare thing to render Neteyam speechless. He has grown up learning how to lead and command a room with confidence and grace. Seeing him now, mouth agape as his thoughts lag, it’s easier to see that there is simply a normal man behind the mighty warrior. 

A male that you have managed to strip away the light in his eyes, all evidence of excitement lost. 

It is now that you can truly see the aching restlessness and lost nights of sleep in his demeanor. He wilts before you. 

“You don’t mean that.” He insists, voice now hollow of its usual domineering confidence. 

“I do.” The timber of your voice shivers and shakes, doing nothing to strengthen your resolve. Still, the lost look that Neteyam sends you absolutely wrenches at your heart. “It’s what’s best for everyone.”

Words that are meant to reassure him at least slightly only make his tail halt movement, obvious that the phrase only digs the dagger deeper into his chest. 

“Everyone?” He whispers, hairless eyebrows drawing together. Hesitant steps lead you backwards, eager to begin your journey away from this tornado of darkened emotions. Away from the raincloud you have created between the two of you. “You…this is what you want?”

Want.

That small word is a palpable distinction. To change this argument from what needs to be done to the inner workings of your desires and dreams. To veer it towards the ever flowing river of devotion and love you know will always be in your heart for him. It’s the one move that leaves you completely defenseless.

This is the last thing that you want. 

He has to know that. He must know that. And perhaps that is why he faces you with this question head on, forcing you to say the words out loud. It’s a towering wall that you have no hopes of climbing. Lying is not your strong suit. Neteyam knows that. 

“Please Neteyam.” You send your final plea before turning on your heel and bolting. Vanishing into the trees before he has a second to form one syllable.

Lying isn’t your strength, but hiding is something you are familiar with. 

“She’ll probably cool down.” Lo’ak reassures him, handing a leaf with larvae to Neteyam. 

“What did I do wrong?” Neteyam wonders out loud. It’s difficult for Lo’ak to tell whether or not that question is rhetorical. The eldest Sully’s eyes are focused on the horizon, he’s lost. Off somewhere else. 

“Nothing, bro! Not everything is that simple.” 

Out of the corner of his eye, Neteyam sees the wooden cup of strong drink pushed toward him but he declines. Drinking is the last thing he needs right now, although it is tempting. These past two days have been pure torture and sorrow. Washing every clouding thought away with the swig of fermented fruit would surely keep his mind off of you for a while, but it would never stop the permanent ache in his chest. 

Although Neteyam knows he must look awful because even his father encourages him to drink, despite the duties he is set to carry out the next day. Most nights he is advised to keep his wits about him, but Jake has let up since the event. 

“There has to be something I could’ve said. Perhaps something I can say now.” 

“Bro, you’ve already said more than enough. If your constant notes and begging haven’t got her to let you into the hut, I don’t think words are the problem here.” A grimace is etched into Lo’ak’s features but Neteyam turns away from the sight. He can’t handle the look of pity that his family seems to constantly be shooting him. 

He looks miserable. He is miserable. Every Na’vi with eyes can see that much. However, he doesn’t want sympathy. He needs solutions. A plan that will set things right again. Anything to bring his littler start back into his arms. 

“Ma Teyam,” Neteyiri gently coos, haunching forward to tuck on the tangled braids behind his ear. “Perhaps it is time to give her some space.” 

Usually his mother’s presence has the power to soothe away the worst of his worries, but today all he can do is sigh at her words. Sitting in problems has never been his strong suit. Neteyam is used to problem solving. Coming up with a strategy and executing it until the issue is nothing but a distant memory. He prays to Eywa that this too will become just that. Something that can be laughed at down the road.

However, sitting here now surrounded by people and never feeling more lonely, it’s hard to imagine ever laughing at such a thing. 

Neteyam continues to pick at the grass next to the untouched meal. The sun has been down for over an hour now. Dinner is wrapping up and there is still no sight of you…again. Every crunch of a leaf or flitter of voices has him turning to search for your small frame in the darkness. It’s an effort that leaves him empty handed every time but, no matter the frequency of failure he can’t stop himself from whipping his head around anyway. 

“You know, there was a time that I was upset with your father. Livid, actually. And yet here we are today.” Neytiri almost purrs, trying to comfort her son.

“Yeah and did he wait around and give you space?” The words come out harsher than intended but Neytiri doesn’t tell him off like usual. Instead her ears pin back and she runs a thumb across his cheek. Jake and Neytiri lock eyes from across the fire, a silent communication that has Jake clearing his throat. 

“I’m not sure if I’m the prime example in this scenario, kid.” A deep chuckle accentuates Jake’s words. He goes to close his mouth and leave it at that but his mate sends him one fierce look that lets him know he is far from done comforting their eldest. “I mean uh truth be told, I was an absolute knucklehead before I met your mother.”

“Still are.” She corrects him. 

Jake doesn’t try to fight against the claim, but he does nervously clasp the back of his neck, searching for the right words to say. 

“Tanhi still hasn’t eaten. Must go.” Neteyam abruptly calls, on his feet within a heartbeat. He gently cradles his untouched meal in the palm of his hand as he navigates his way out of the circle of his family. Neytiri sighs and Jake sends her an apologetic look as they watch their son slither off into the night once again. 

Even Tuk sends sad eyes in the direction of her older brother as he walks away. 

Upon reaching the dark curtains of your hut, Neteyam is unsure whether or not you still reside inside. There is no sign of light emanating inwards. For a moment he is convinced that you have slipped out during his absence, but then there is a ruffle of covers that his ears manage to pick up. Stalking forward carefully, he leans in to pick up on every sound possible. 

Even with his alpha hearing, there is little to no noise coming from the hut. Or at least no sound that is useful to him in any way. He wonders what you are up to within those darkened walls. His hindbrain urges him to go inside and find out for himself, cradle you in his arms till there are promises of never leaving again. However, he knows better than that. 

Neteyam waits to be invited in. 

“Tanhi?” The sound echoes through the night air, but no response comes. With a sigh he kneels down by the entrance, cautiously pushing the leaf underneath the thick rim of fabric.

“You missed dinner again.” Neteyam knows he shouldn’t expect a response at this point, but his tail still naturally droops to the floor when one doesn’t come. “I brought some for you.” 

He waits once more, but silence hangs heavy in the air. Neteyam’s ears twitch to focus in on the minute sounds again. The shallow breathing is confirmation enough of your presence. A part of him almost wishes that he is talking to a blank piece of fabric. If you had left then he could have at least spent that anxious energy scouring the forest for your slim frame. If you had left it would give him hope that you’ve hunted, eaten, gone on a walk. Anything that isn’t sitting in your hut. 

“Do me a favor, baby. Please eat something. Maybe you have been when I’m not breathing down your neck,” He gives a humorless laugh. “But…I just want to make sure you’re healthy. I’m starting to get worried.”

When the silence continues he doesn’t leave immediately. The weight of the stress and heartache is tangible. He can feel it in his bones. He can sense it when in the lag of his maneuvers and movements during flight in his training. Truth be told, Neteyam is sure that it’s visible to others, shining through in his trudging walk to and fro. 

Sitting here in the grass, the same place he had spent that first night you started icing him out, he can feel the weight of sleep pulling him downwards. The muscles of his body scream in protest at every movement. Physically his body is ready to give way, but his hindbrain weaves together signs of distress all night long. 

His instincts yearn to be close to you again, close to his mate who he shares a special connection with that nothing can replace. At times it is painful, that bond between the two of you. Neteyam remembers many days where that connection has been physically fortified by your time together, binding tighter with every brush of his fingers along your skin. However, he did not anticipate the effects of the opposite reaction. 

Going to sleep alone and cold, leaves a heavy weight on his chest. At times it feels almost suffocating. Sleeping outside of your hut doesn’t erase these pains, but it does dull them slightly. He wonders if you’ve ever stepped over him during his slumber. Actively trying to or not, his senses remain on high alert throughout the night. He can wake at the drop of a leaf, false hope that it may be your small form finally stepping past those heavy curtains. 

“Neteyam.” His head whips around at the voice, but it isn’t your honey timber that flits through his ears. Instead it comes from behind him, where Kiri stands with her hands woven together in front of her. 

“What’s wrong?” 

Not bothering to answer, she instead motions for him to follow her. He glances back at the entrance of your hut, but one look at Kiri’s down turned lips has him groggily shifting back onto his feet. She doesn’t speak till the two of them are out of ear shot. 

“Mom and Dad sent you?” Neteyam guesses, tail already drooping between his legs. It bothers him that his parents are rushing to bandage things up, treating him like a child. Advice is appreciated at the best of times, but this is his life. He is an adult, and has been for years now. The rift that has been fortified between you two is his problem to solve and therefore his choice on how to fix it. 

“No, just thought I would save you from making a fool of yourself.”  She continues to effortlessly lead him away from the hut. 

“I’m just dropping some food off.”

“I know.” There is no hint of mocking or disbelief in her tone. She simply grabs his hand gently and guides him back along the path home. Neteyam braces himself for a spew of advice but it never comes. Kiri to his surprise is silent, no hint of tension lingering between them. Still, he knows what message is being conveyed. No matter how much it hurts, he can’t continue to barricade your front door. 

It’s moments like these that Neteyam comes to truly admire how much his younger sister has grown up. She prances through the forest with a humble confidence. Each step taken with the certainty of belonging. Kiri no longer needs others to tell her who she is. Similarly she feels no need to press her opinions on her older brother. She waits patiently. As if she knows that he will come to her when the time is right.

It is a quality he looks upon with great fondness and gratitude. 

Life has thrown you more obstacles than you care to count. This condition has been a stumbling block your entire life, but you refuse to let it keep you from the finishing line. You consider yourself a persevering person, one that is not easily taken down. When things get difficult you have always been taught to gather your bearings and get to work. Some sacrifices are painful but meant to be left behind if they are keeping you from fulfilling a happy and purposeful life. 

So for the first few days, you try to get back into your normal routine. The first night was spent weaving baskets together through the blurred vision of your tears. The basket came out looking like it had been mauled by a Palulukan. Regardless you continued to attempt getting back into your old routine, however those were usually filled with night hunts, an activity you were terrified of seeing Neteyam at. So you declined. 

However, truth be told, it only takes twenty four hours to realize that this heartbreak is intruding upon everything you do. You open your eyes as sunset turns to Eclipse and the first thing that surfaces is the dread at needing to go to communal dinner. So, you push dinner off. Neteyam is persistent in bringing you a plate each night, usually saying a few apologies and begging once again for you to come out. 

Your lips are raw and sore from biting into them in order to keep sobs at bay every time he comes to visit. Those first few nights he spent laying outside your hut was an awful mixture of longing and agony. His potent essence was easily carried through the night wind, constantly bringing it to your senses. You had twisted in the thin blankets on your hammock to stop yourself from going out there and cuddling next to him. 

On the third night, he doesn’t stay. 

You expect to feel relieved when he silently sets the serving of food down and leaves.

And yet, there is a part of you that longs for the draw of his smooth voice, no matter how distraught and rough it has become over the past few days. A part of you seems to also intrinsically sense his presence, even in the midst of slumber. Now that he spends his nights away from your hut, the emotional turmoil has become too much to handle.  

Simple tasks pose as daunting accomplishments, ones that already feel like impending defeat. So, you slowly start losing those habits too. Your eyes run out of tears to shed so instead you spend more than a reasonable amount of time pondering on your life. You consider what it is that brought you to these circumstances, questioning whether or not you were the one to blame for this heartbreak. Perhaps, you were the one easily swayed into promises of fairy tales. 

Before you know it a whole week has passed and you haven’t stepped foot outside. Recognizing this fact makes you feel pathetic and helpless, something that you don’t take a liking to. So, with red rimmed eyes and a congested nose, you take up a new purpose. Wielding together weapons from the materials in your hut. 

Although they’re nothing to gawk at, the finished results are enough to convince yourself that you are contributing to the welfare of the clan. The steps are repetitive and allow your thoughts to wander while doing so. By the second week you have donated a fair amount to the hunting parties without having to leave your home, thanks to the kindness of your mother. 

Your parents drop in frequently, but it’s obvious that they too find these visits painful. It’s an emotional ball and chain to see you wither away into something different. Visits that used to be full of vibrant laughter and storytelling now consist mostly of their own updates and pleas for you to come outside. Each time you assure them that you will…soon. 

It’s not a lie, at least not to you. 

Despite the physical ache of your heart every time you think of Neteyam’s smiling face and the bond that is now nothing but dust between you, there is still hope in your heart. A hope that someday you will recover from these lovesick feelings and finally be able to look upon the Omatikaya prince as any other clan member would. Purpose will return to your everyday tasks and Neteyam will only reside in your mind as Olo’eyktan of the Omatikaya. 

Still, you would be naive to ignore the weighted awareness of his presence that consumes you every time he comes to drop meals off. You can sense him before his footsteps are even audible. Occasionally, he will say a few encouraging words or promises of solution but some nights he simply places the food there and stares at it sadly before disappearing once more. Both instances strangle your heart in their grasp. 

You thought that his scent would lessen once the bond was broken, but you figure it is alpha status to thank for always sending his essence of fresh pine through your hut at each visit. In some ways it feels like the only full breaths you took. The woven walls still allow air in, but only breezes warped with his scent remind you of being outside. 

It’s on the two week mark that there is a shift in the miserable routine. No meal is brought to the entryway. Hours go by and Neteyam never comes by. You’ve been living off of those nightly meals and while one meal is not hardly enough to maintain a status of full health, its loss is even worse. At first, it appears that Neteyam has given up. He is tired of chasing after you and rightfully so you suppose. This is meant to be a step in the right direction, but you cry yourself to sleep that night. Apparently, your body had an extra storage of tears after all. 

However, when it happens again, your theories start to change. A small slice of fruit is left outside on a leaf by the curtains in place of a meal. It’s delicious with juice squirting along your tongue in a dramatic symphony of taste. It’s the type of experience that leaves one wanting for more. Initially you are disappointed when the small piece is gone, but you remember where this food comes from. It would only take a five minute walk to approach the communal fire and snatch some away for yourself. 

Only moments away from dipping outside that entry way for the first time in two weeks, you have another thought. 

Neteyam only put one piece.

Would it not have been easier to leave a whole fruit rather than take the time to cut and separate one morsel of it onto a leaf as an offering.

It wasn’t an offering, it was an enticement. 

You stay behind, trying to forget the sweet tang of the dessert. 

Sure enough the suspicion is correct when the next night one piece of wrapped chocolate is left outside with a note.

Found this during the raid this week. There’s a whole bag left sitting in my hut. Let me know if you want some more.

-Neteyam 

The chocolate is a tiny ball wrapped in a red textured material that is unfamiliar to Pandora. Chocolate is something you never knew of before Neteyam. However, now it has become one of your all time favorite delicacies, especially with the rarity of its availability. Neteyam took a great liking to showing you around the outpost and the stocked treasures they were stealing from the old Hell’s Gate post and the new trains they were constantly raiding. He would explain the random customs and stories of Sky People that he hears from his father while carefully unwrapping the delicious pieces for you. 

Some days you would even have him read some of the English text, whether from the wrappers or other books that are kept around the outpost for the human scientists to enjoy at their leisure. You never understand a word of what he says, but the sounds are fascinating to hear in Neteyam’s familiar timber. Although the Mother Tongue of the Sky Demons, you’ve always been fascinated by Neteyam’s ability to speak it. Something very distinctly attractive about his extra abilities. 

You sigh and thumb at the round ball of chocolate. It melts on your tongue, creating an explosion of sweet smooth sensations. Leave it to Neteyam to try and lure you out through your love of chocolate. That night you flatten out the wrapper, running your thumb over the English text that appears as nothing more than scribbles to you. It serves as a painful reminder of the golden memories the two of you have shared. 

It remains clamped in your fist the entire day.

Heavy eyelids blinking open slowly, you can still feel the strange texture of that wrapper between your fingers. Contrary to your lack of activity, your body feels sore. Every muscle seems to be wound the wrong way and the air in your hut feels moist and stuffy. Stretching out, your foot hits the food supplies basket you keep and knocks it over. You stumble to put the object away, or rather you try to before you realize that it’s empty.

The last of your supplies is gone. 

Regardless of your feelings and fears, you need to go outside today. It’s time to face the music. 

Your toes curl and feet flex before carefully shifting to stand. Pushing aside clusters of baskets and tools you finally breach the front entryway of your hut. Expecting the air to have cooled down by now, your skin prickles strangely at the feeling of heat against your back. You rush to throw off whatever blanket or item of clothing that must have stuck to you but then your eyes are blinded. Sheer light invades your vision, drenching every sight in white. 

Stumbling across the forest floor, it truly takes you more than a moment to understand what is happening. The harsh light, the foreign heat. This is sunlight.

A pure beam of sunlight that has not disappeared behind the moon yet. 

Your delayed reaction finally allows you to search for the entryway and try to scramble towards safety but it’s impossible to see with the brightness of the world turned up to one hundred. Your eyes can’t manage to stay open for more than a second, each time feeling a burning sensation that is unbearable. Soon, though, it seems to be too late as your limbs grow heavy and your skin heats uncomfortably. Even when that last ray of sunshine disappears, your body continues to torment you with a rising heat.

The sensations become too much. The weight of your own head drags you down. The world spins around you in disorienting directions. Only a glimpse of blue skin is caught before you collapse into someone’s arms and the world turns blissfully black again. 

“Move before I kick you out.” Mo’at warns, but her tone holds a morsel of sympathy despite the strict instruction. 

You are laid out along the mat of her healer’s tent with half the Sully family gathered around. Neteyam can hardly keep his hands off of you, constantly checking to see if you have cooled down yet. Each time renders him disappointed, ears folding back against his head. Mo’at is quickly losing patience as she is constantly swatting the boy away in order to apply the series of healing balms. 

“She’s burning up.” He protests, but finally moves out of her way. His idle hands find a new place along his knees where the blunt nails dig into his skin. Kiri and Tuk surround their brother but are careful to not impede too much on his space. His panicked dread rolls off of him in waves, a palpable tension that can be felt by everyone in the tent. 

“How long was she exposed?” 

“I don’t know. Can’t be more than a few minutes maybe. She was hardly past the entrance when I found her…I….is she going to be ok?” His voice cracks as tears finally well up over his golden orbs. Tuk places her small hand on his shoulder. 

“Only the Great Mother knows that.” She pauses, looking up to see her grandson’s crumbling composure. “She is hot. Her temperature needs to drop significantly.” 

The message doesn’t seem to settle on Neteyam. His gaze continues to focus on your unconscious face.

“Neteyam.” His head finally snaps up at his grandmother’s stern voice. “Go fetch me cold water from the river.” A basin is handed to the alpha but she can already tell there is reluctance in his expression. 

“Now.” It’s harsher than Mo’at would like to be but she knows that getting the concerned alpha outside of the tent is essential for her to complete the healing rituals. His presence is a distraction that has her own emotions tugging her away from the work at hand. 

Neteyam purses his lips and sends one last glance towards you. He cradles your cheek and leans down to softly press a kiss to your forehead, whispering promises to return. Then finally, he rushes out of the tent, driven by the given task. 

The hours rush and drag simultaneously for Neteyam. It becomes difficult to believe that it has already been a full twenty four hours and yet every minute that your eyes are not open feels like a year to him. Jake recruits Norm and some of the other scientists to take a look at you in the outpost. Moat is naturally displeased by the change at first but even she can’t deny that the old metal portable is a safer place for you to hide from the sun. Thick blankets and rugs are hung over the windows to keep the rays of sunshine out. 

Between the expertise of the scientists with their modern technology and the healing powers of Tsahik, things begin to look grim when there is little to no change in your state. Neteyam becomes increasingly more tense with every passing hour that yields no result. At some point his family stops trying to convince him to take breaks. Tuk takes it upon herself to gather and deliver a good serving from the communal fire for her older brother at every meal. 

Kiri is constantly teetering between helping her grandmother wrap cooling salves of thick leaves on your skin and foraging through the forest for different materials that could be used to create various healing ointments. 

Lo’ak tries to provide his brother with some pleasant company. If not that, then at least an annoying younger brother that can keep his mind off the matter for a few minutes. He tells jokes and shares random stories, usually featuring young alphas and the things their idiotic pride leads them to do. He has a plethora of these events saved up, having been training the new batch of future warriors almost daily. Those stories shift to other couples’ drama and fights when Neteyam laments over the past few weeks, assuring his brother that rough patches are normal in relationships and that perhaps he is not the worst skxawng to be found in the forest. 

Jake and Neytiri watch the scene with sorrowful eyes, discussing in the privacy of their home what needs to be done for their son and you. 

At hour thirty six, you begin to squirm. Every muscle seems to creek with each movement, seemingly as rusty and worn as the door to the outpost that takes an extra shove to open. It’s the burning heat that you notice next. It seems to travel along your veins and cover you in a suffocating cloud. It brings on feelings of almost claustrophobic symptoms. 

Finally, the flutter of your lashes reveal your golden eyes to the synthetic lighting of the outpost makeshift hospital wing. Only one electric light is turned on down the hallway. The rest of the ambience comes from lit candles scattering the surfaces around you. Their flicker is soft and soothing, but it’s the familiar scent of timber and pine that has your muscles finally relaxing. 

The surface beneath your head is cool to the touch, you rub your cheek against it. 

“Tanhi.”

That soft makeshift pillow is his thigh. Your already burning cheeks seem to reach new levels of inflamed rose color as you drowsily look up at him.

“You’re awake.” His voice is thick with emotion, almost choking the sounds from his throat. On its own volition your hand shakily reaches up to swipe away the tear traveling down his cheek. His skin is cool to the touch, such a different contrast to the usual warmth that you remember radiating off of him in your nights together. Your thin arm shakes from the strain of holding it upwards, he grabs your wrist gently and reluctantly helps you lower it back to your side. 

“Yes.” The sound comes out more hoarse and gravelly than you anticipated. You clear your throat before continuing. “How long have I been out?” 

“Over a day.”

A few moments of sunlight and suddenly a day and a half has been taken from you. It’s a lot to process, especially with the hazy pounding assaulting your head with every moment. The usual strength and energy in your body seems to have greatly dissipated, leaving you feeling as nothing but a shell of your normal self. Your attempt at sitting up is not only hindered by the strain of your abs but also cut short by Neteyam’s large hands gently pushing you back down. 

“No no Tanhi, just rest. Don’t strain yourself.” It’s too easy to settle your head back onto his welcoming lap. A small voice at the back of your head warns you of reversing all the progress that has been made, but it seems insignificant when Neteyam begins to tenderly brush his fingers through your hair. Nothing can take away the ache of your body and heat of your blood boiling but his touch does finally stir your heartbeat into a steady rhythm. It’s as if a weight is lifted off of you as your senses become filled with his essence. Every point of contact between you is like fire and ice. He is the ice that you welcome greatly, the only thing that seems to relieve the burning along your skin. 

“I’m sorry.” You whisper, eyes almost closed once more. 

“Whatever for, love?”

“I don’t mean to trouble you. I should’ve been more diligent, tracking the sun’s cycle..” Your lungs seize into a painful invisible grip, forcing a coughing fit to begin. Neteyam is quick to shush your sentence away and help you get some cool water down. His large hand rests over the heat of your forehead. The eldest Sully frowns down at you, no doubt still feeling the evidence of your raging fever. 

“Hush, Tanhi. There’s no place I would rather be right now.” 

You watch the shadows dance across lines of his collarbones and sharp features as he prepares another cool wrap to lay across your forehead. The grip you have on conscious thought is weak, but even at your mental peak you are sure that there is nothing more beautiful than the man above you. His harsh and sharp features that frame those kind and insightful eyes. He has an ethereal beauty that has always captured you. 

 “You’re going to be ok.” It’s unclear whether or not the sentiment is meant for you or rather himself. His hairless brows pinch into those familiar clenched lines. You recognize them from days he would come home to, the evidence of his still racing thoughts clearly etched into his features. 

Through the constant ache of your body and heat that tries to lure you to sleep, it takes you a moment to recognize the pheromones drifting off of him. You’re surprised to find that you can still identify the shift of emotions through his essence. Supposedly your sense of smell is better than you thought for a beta. The curling sadness and anxiety that comes off of him in waves, however, is something you wish could not be so easily detected. It is foreign and strange when mixed with his calming perfume. Neteyam isn’t usually one easily frazzled. 

Neteyam settles a clear plastic over your mouth and it takes a moment before you recognize it as the Avatar oxygen masks. The air filtered through it is clearer and more readily accepted by your lungs. After a few breaths you nod at him and he pulls it away again. 

Silence ensues. You yearn to break it with some semblance of an apology or explanation, but the words never come. Your body has other ideas as it drifts in and out of consciousness. Several times you wake to see another member of the Sully family perched next to Neteyam. However, the oldest Sully child never leaves. The hold you have on time becomes almost nonexistent as you slip back and forth between reality and fever induced dreams.

 Eventually you begin to wake periodically in Neteyam’s arms, head laying on his chest or coddled in his lap. Each time you consider saying something, knowing that he is no longer your mate. You have no claim on him and therefore no right to use him in this way, but his skin is cool and calms the sizzling heat upon your own. The very idea of creating distance between you two causes a spike of anxiety to take hold. 

It would be all too easy to blame this on your fever and the aid he provides, even in your state of watered down thought you know the truth. There is a yearning to be close to him again. To feel the gentle caresses that line your lips and cheeks as you sleep. To fall into a fantasy where the two of you never split, convincing yourself that today is simply a small sick day where your mate pampers you. The natural instincts of your beta nature furthermore aches for the calming presence of an alpha. Even the simple actions of his rising and falling chest that contains a steady heartbeat lulles your nature into a submissive calm. 

It is such a dramatic contrast to the empty abyss that has replaced your heart over the past few weeks. Falling into Neteyam feels natural, as expected as the waves that crash against the shore. It’s an ironic feeling to have considering the most inconvenient and problematic characteristics of your relationship. He was never meant to be yours. 

You chant those words in your head, willing them to echo true. 

This time, your eyes flutter lazily open to the feeling of his slim tail wrapping itself around your upper thigh. With creaky drowsiness you look up to find him fast asleep, lips parted softly with shallow breaths escaping soundlessly. Sprawled across him, head on his chest, this position resembles that of your usual sleeping position together. Or at least, what it used to be. Before the first cracks of dawn you would slip back into the tent and gently fall into his dozing embrace. It was not uncommon to find his tail slink around one of your limbs possessively all while never stirring from his unconscious state. 

Looking around the dingy outpost, it’s just the two of you. The plastic material of the mask around your neck feels uncomfortable around your heated skin. You find a matching one around Neteyam’s own throat. Although showing no signs of struggling breathing, you gently place it against his lips. When the clear oxygen filtered through his lips, Neteyam stirs.

You contemplate faking sleep when his ears twitch and eyes slowly open, but they immediately land on you. 

“Yawne.” Neteyam groans, voice thick with sleep. The deep rumble of his morning voice always makes your stomach do somersaults. “How are you feeling, Tanhi?” 

His ears pin back when you veer away from his efforts to cup your cheek. 

“A bit better.” Your arms tremble as they push against Neteyam pectorals to try and sit up properly. Despite his gentle protests, you finally manage to remain upright for the first time in days. The room spins around you. It’s only by the grace of Neteyam’s hands supporting your back that you remain sitting. “What time is it?” 

It feels like night but then again the heavy blankets over the outpost windows would show no indication of broad daylight if present. 

“Middle of the night.” 

“Then I should go.” Your feet are barely planted on the ground before Neteyam is pulling you back into his arms. 

“You don’t really think I’m going to let you out there in this condition, do you?” His chest rumbles with a stern timber, but his hold is tender and gentle. You are tempted to roll your eyes at the protective behavior, but you’re worried that doing so would put the room back into orbit again. 

“You need rest.” 

“I can rest at home.” 

“Like hell you will.” Neteyam scoffs, using another phrase he so commonly picks up from his father. You can practically feel the protective growl that yearns to climb up his throat, but a sigh comes out in its place. “You’re shaking, Tanhi. Let me take care of you.” 

His knuckles graze your cheek delicately, sending a cool shiver along your shoulders. 

“I don’t think that is a good idea.” 

Neteyam’s hand stills before dropping heavily to his lap. The heated breath coming from his lips tickles at the back of your neck. Were it not for your already trembling form you are sure that his presence alone would erupt goosebumps and shivers along your body. The pressing weight of silence is dizzying, tempting you to lay back down. You can practically hear the cogs in his head turning at a rapid pace. 

“Please just hear me out for a moment.”

Turning around to face him takes more effort than you would like to admit. Seeing those sad golden eyes without melting takes even more. 

“Five minutes is all I ask.” You hesitate, biting your bottom lip. “And if by the end of it you are sick of hearing from me then I promise I will leave you alone. My grandmother will take over caring for you and I will…respect your wishes.” His words are strangled, that suffocating dread pulling his features into a deep frown. 

“Ok.” 

The shimmer of hope is barely visible in his shining eyes but it still wrenches your heart. 

“My entire life has been about being Olo’eyktan. I’ve watched my father lead the people since I could barely walk and since then I have always known that someday that would be me. I wake up every day and the first thought that comes to mind is what needs to be done in order to become the mighty leader that everyone expects me to be. For a long time I’ve thought that my path was already decided by Eywa. Find an omega suitable of being tsahik, settle down with her, and lead till my son can take over. I was ok with that, I’d accepted my fate.” Neteyam shifts to his knees, fingernails digging slightly into his own thighs. Apprehension spoils his scent, creating a new mixture you are unfamiliar with. It’s then that you realize you’ve never seen Neteyam nervous before. 

“Then I met you.” 

Your eyes dart to the laminate floor. 

“I…I’m usually a lot better with words.” He chuckles nervously while rubbing the back of his neck. “It occurred to me recently that I’ve been negligent in our relationship. I never truly explained why I chose you. Why you are the person I can’t live without. Perhaps if I had we wouldn’t be in this situation now.” 

“Neteyam it’s not-”

“Please let me finish, Tanhi.” 

You nod softly, careful to not increase the already blooming headache pounding at your skull. 

“I’ve never met anyone like you.” A weak snort transforms into a cough raking up your throat. “I don’t mean because of ailment, yawne.” He clarifies and you suddenly feel embarrassed for assuming so quickly. Neteyam pauses his little speech to reach behind and once again carefully bring a cup of water to your parched lips. Gratefully, you let the cool substance slink down your throat to soothe the scratchy ache. 

Once he seems to be sure that another fit is not about to come on, Neteyam continues. 

“You have this unyielding spirit, determined to forage through any storm. Eywa herself puts you in the shadows and you conquer the terrain. The air around you hums with a quiet confidence that is…” He searches for the right word. “Intoxicating.” 

A laugh escapes your lips and yet you feel nothing resembling humor. Your hairless eyebrows scrunch in disbelief. Neteyam shows no acknowledgment of your reaction as he instead puts the mask back against your mouth. 

“I’ve been drawn to you since that first night hunt. Surely, that isn’t a secret.” He laughs into his own mask that is raised to his lips. If only he knew how oblivious you were to his intentions those first few weeks. “You’re fiercely determined and independent yet hold a gentle empathy and kindness for those around you that I could only ever hope to imitate. And stubborn too.” Neteyam chuckles with a shake of his head. “Fucking stubborn enough to tell a dumb alpha like me off, consequences be damned.” 

Your lungs can only manage a simple huffed laugh, but the corners of your lips are already turning upwards subconsciously. 

“When I’m around you,” His eyes pierce through you. “I can finally bear that weighted pressure of expectations on my chest. You make it light.” Neteyam leans forward and tucks a stray strand of hair behind your upturned ear. “My little star.” 

Your cheeks are damp and it is only then that you realize tears drops have been escaping your eyes. Neteyam thumbs them away with tender care. 

“I’ve grown accustomed to sacrificing whatever it takes to become Olo’eyktan. I’ve written my life off as not my own. I’ve given everything I can and could in order to fulfill this role. You are the only thing that I can not sacrifice. And maybe that is selfish of me, but I also know that without you I’m simply a shell of the man I am with you.” 

“I could never be Olo’eyktan without you by my side.” 

“But how am I supposed to be beside you when I can’t even step a foot into the sun without falling apart at the seams?” 

“You truly think that I haven’t thought about that, yawne?” Neteyam’s lips quirk into an amused smile. “I guess now would be a good time to tell you that Lo’ak and I have been building a black out healers tent.” You gape at him. “I wanted it to be a surprise. I suppose I should’ve known better than to think I could pull one over on you.” 

It’s foolish, you tell yourself. Another darkened tent doesn’t solve all of the problems. It doesn’t erase the strain this relationship would have on Neteyam or allow you to operate during the daytime hours, unless you are content to remain in the tent for all of your days. And yet, there is a sliver of hope growing in your bosom. 

“Nete, I don’t know what to say.” His braids swing over the intense eyes that focus on your every move. He’s tense, ready to jump in at the notice of resistance. “But, I can’t live my life in a dark tent.” 

“Of course not. I’m talking about a compromise. Lo’ak, he takes over in the mornings while you and I start the day in the midafternoons. Tsahik duties in the tent for a few hours and then the rest of the night spent together. Leading together. Hunting together.” The dopey grin that spreads upon his lips is fiercely adamant in capturing your heart once more. It takes everything in you to not reach out and pinch the mighty warrior’s cheek. A notion Neteyam is known to reprimand with a playful glare. 

“You make it sound so simple.” It’s too much to meet his gaze. You prefer the view of the worn down tiles as you take another calming breath from the mask. The pace of your heart is evermore increasing and part of you wonders if this conversation has the ability to make you faint. 

A hand beneath your chin gently prods you to look back up again. He whispers your name, soft but clear in the quiet outpost.

“We have a choice.”

The words weigh heavy in the air, drawing your ears to perk forward in anticipation. 

“I know that may sound like a lie to you. However, if there is anyone that understands their life being determined from birth, it’s you. You and I have been pushed and kept into our respective boxes, taught to dream of only the realistic paths ahead of us.”

You wish to say it’s untrue, but any other reality has been stripped away from you from your first breath and morphed into only that of fairy tales. 

“We get to choose whether or not we believe that. I’ve accepted my destiny, Tanhi, but I can not bring myself to see my journey walking besides anyone that’s not you. I’ve already chosen. You are what I will not sacrifice.” Neteyam’s calloused fingers weave into your hair, hands on the sides of your head. 

“It’s your turn, Tanhi. What do you choose?”

“Is that your definition of fumbling words?” Your chuckle is choked with tears. Neteyam’s short laughter joins your own, his lips already starting to spread into that smile you adore so much. 

The past few weeks have been a constant building of that fortress around your heart. You’ve tried to convince yourself over and over again that the two of you parting ways is for the best. These mantras have ripped your heart out and left you in a state of empty sadness, but they also have created a sturdy wall, one that is hard to crumble. Naturally, it is Neteyam that ever stands a chance at breaking through. Sweet Neteyam that knows you so thoroughly that he doesn’t require brute force to get through, he finds a hold from the inside, reading you like a book until there is nothing left for you to hide. 

This experience has been a draining uphill battle, but one that you have embarked on because you’ve been convinced that the right thing to do is often the hard thing. However, now, the story shifts. You are left wondering if perhaps this whole time, running away is not the hard thing at all. It’s staying that proves to be the most difficult battle to fight. It’s staying that requires your heart to be opened and at the mercy of failure and disappointment. Leaving Neteyam isn’t the noble cause you once thought it to be. 

It’s hiding. 

“You really have some nerve calling me stubborn.” You try to joke, but tears are already cascading down your cheeks at an alarming rate and you can tell Neteyam is seconds away from scooping you back into his lap. 

“Well I admit being stubborn has its reward sometimes.” He quirks an eyebrow at you. “Perhaps it’s paid off for me this time?” 

“Perhaps.” You smile coyly at him. It takes bracing a stabilizing hand against the floor to stop yourself from falling over when you lean forward but it’s worth the exhilarating feeling of his lips against yours once more. 

Neteyam is cautious and gentle, moving his lips softly in sync with yours, but you can feel the restraint it takes for him not to swallow you whole. However, you are still healing so Neteyam treats you the way you expect any alpha to: like a delicate flower. Your own tears wet the canvas of both of your cheeks and it takes a moment to realize that small droplets are falling from Neteyam’s eyes too.

The kiss is warm and tender. Relief washes through your body in a wave that makes you realize how much pain you truly were in. How even the very bones in your body finally lose their ache when Neteyam slips an arm around your back to bring you closer. 

You’re forced to break the kiss earlier than desired as Neteyam can feel the way your body lags to get air into its lungs. The soft pants that leave your lips are soon encased by the mask that the alpha slips over your mouth once more. The warmth of his gaze beaming down on you spreads across your chest and lights another fire along your skin. 

“Come home, Neteyam.” You whisper softly. His forehead leans against your own, those golden orbs still shimmering with unshed tears. 

“Always, Tanhi.” 

The hours float by in a happily dazed dream afterwards. Neteyam’s touch starved state comes fully into the light as he is constantly keeping a point of contact between you two. It’s obvious that his alpha hindbrain has gone off the wall after being apart for so long and furthermore trying to care for you without going too far. Now that the green light has been given, Neteyam is constantly wrapping his body around your own smaller form till you are almost completely encapsulated by him. 

Truthfully, you have no objections. In fact, even your own instincts push you towards readily accepting and initiating any forms of affectionate touch. It further helps that Neteyam’s skin is cool to the touch in comparison to your own raging feverish skin. 

Within half a day your wellbeing has greatly increased after the constant nurturing of your overprotective alpha, who seems to be constantly slipping water, food, medicine, or mask given air past your lips. Mo’at is greatly pleased when your temperature begins to return back to its former state and there is a greater strength present in your body. Still, she instructs you to lay low for another day as a precaution. 

Neteyam is more than happy to keep you to himself for another day. Watching you come close to the brink of death has his primal urges dialed to eleven. You have to scold him every now and then when his younger brother comes to visit and Neteyam thanks him with an aggressive hiss and tucking you safely into his arms and away from the ‘threat’. 

It’s borderline shocking to see his strong reactions considering the severed bond between the two of you. That is, until you find the truth.

“I admit, it might’ve been selfish Tanhi but I couldn’t bring myself to cut our tie before knowing that I had tried everything possible to get you back.”

He had looked up at you with a guilty composure but after everything the two of you had been through you couldn’t hide your relief and joy in finding out that this bond had still survived the heartache. It also provides a greater explanation to your own body's willingness to melt into him with or without a resolution. Now, though, you are content to let him have his fun babying you for one day more and revill in the renewed connection the two of you share.  

This time when you awake in the newly hung hammock inside of the outpost (Neteyam had used every angle possible to convince the human scientists to let him temporarily take up the space) you’re surprised to find your mate’s skin hot against your own. His thumping heartbeat rickets in your eardrums but instead of rocking you to sleep, the sound sends shivers down your spine. 

Neteyam is blissfully unaware of your consciousness as your own heart starts to speed up. Shifting your leg, it’s a surprise to feel a sticky texture lining the inside of your loincloth. Blood rushes to your cheeks when you realize the source of this substance. Bashfully you’re relieved to see Neteyam is still asleep, allowing your arousal to remain a private humiliation. 

With the cautiousness of a sneaking Palulukan, you attempt rolling off of the hammock and out of his arms to take care of your little problem. It’s only halfway rolling over to your side when the Omatikaya prince shifts and spoons you from behind. All plans are immediately thwarted when his muscular thigh slips between your splayed legs innocently. However, the pressure it incidentally puts against your clit brings forth feelings that are anything but innocent. 

A veiny forearm easily clamps around your waist to pull you back against his chest. The act rubs his thighs against your clothed folds so suddenly, that it brings a whimpered moan from your lips. Breath hitched in your throat, you wait to see if Neteyam stirs. He shows no sign of waking so you try to scoot your heated core away from his thigh slyly. 

Not only are these efforts unrewarded but also bring a tinge of sadness coursing through you. It’s a strange wave of emotion that follows. Arousal quickly windles into full blown desperation within a few heartbeats. The sensations are overpowering, racing through every surface of your body until all that your mind can focus on is the need to be filled by a mate. 

Filled by Neteyam.

“Oh Great Mother.” You curse quietly. 

Your first heat.

A momentous milestone that your parents have talked to you in great lengths about yet still brings nothing to light on the reality of the experience. You’ve had smaller mini episodes of heat, normal in the beginning of adulthood for Na’vi betas, but it’s only a laughable comparison to the clawing desire taking over your body currently. As a beta you figured that your own heats would be miniscule compared to the laborious heats that plague omegas earlier in their years. 

Involuntarily rocking your clothed core against Neteyam’s thigh you now wonder how these Na’vi have ever survived such a demanding lust and lived to tell the tale. And that is what it feels like. Death if not satisfied. Pain if not satiated. 

Embarrassment is thrown out the window in favor of creating a pleasurable friction against your clit. Hardly ever having experienced touching yourself on the rare occasion, you have no idea what to do. The corded muscle of his relaxed thigh feels better than your usual small fingerings drumming against the bundle of nerves, so you continue to rock back in a desperate rhythm. 

The hammock starts to sway softly with your jutting hips. Some movements are rewarded with a spark of pleasure, only to then be absent on the next rock of your hips. Frustration is quick to brew as you can’t seem to find the right angle and pressure against your core. Shiny slick drenches through the thin fabric and onto the alpha’s thigh. It acts as a lubricant for your journey across his skin, allowing a faster pace to be adopted. 

Your pussy clenches around open air, beckoning for a worthy mate to finally fill and claim you properly. It’s an emptiness that you can only compare to the tingling you have experienced after especially long makeout sessions with Neteyam, but it’s worse. So much worse that it brings tears to your eyes. The only relief is found when a lucky thrust finally has the fabric pushed away from your core and lets your small clit peek out and press against his azure skin. 

Now without any barriers, pure ecstasy wracks through your body. It only amplifies when the muscles flex slightly beneath you, giving just the right amount of pressure against your clit. A knot forms and tightens in your stomach, quickly winding until it feels as if it’s about to snap. It feels almost dirty to realize that your slick has now coated the entirety of Neteyam’s thigh all while he is sleeping and yet it lures you further into a state of arousal than you have ever been before. 

Your own thighs clench harshly around Neteyam’s to trap it against your core. A release clear on the horizon, every effort is put into maintaining that delicious sensation of your clit being assaulted against the muscle. Legs shaking and small squeaks erupting from your throat you chase that feeling relentlessly. 

“Cum, Tanhi.” 

Neteyam’s raspy voice pushes you over the edge with a shocked gasp. His rumbling growl of satisfaction seems to pulse through you in sync with the overwhelming sensations of an orgasm. 

“Good girl.” He praises as your body trembles in the afterglow of release. Neteyam chuckles when a simple flex of his thighs has a whimper spilling your lips. Swirling patterns are drawn by the alpha’s fingers along your sides and arms. 

Mental clarity returns in a flash, allowing the reality of the situation to sink in. You hide your heated face against his arm underneath your head while groaning in humiliation. 

“Nete.” You whine.

“Hush, baby girl. It’s alright, no reason to get all shy on me now.” He coos while swiping your hair away from your cheek to finally have an unobscured view of your blushing face. “Especially not when you make such pretty noises.” 

The words crumble any wall of resistance against the impending heat. Your body yearns for another release, still screaming at you for not being filled with your alpha’s cock yet. A cock that you can feel hardening beneath Neteyam’s loincloth and poking at your lower back. 

“Neteyam, it really hurts.” 

“I know, Tahini, I know.” He soothes, softly kissing your temple while brushing the strands of hair away. “My poor little star. A bit stronger than you expected, hm?” 

When his thigh finally shifts away from your leaking pussy, despite the strength of your clamped legs, a noise of disappointment escapes you. 

“So much worse. Neteyam please!” It’s hard to say what you are begging for specifically, but the alpha is quick to calm your worries with sweet nothings. Your limbs kick out and try to wind around any of his, subconsciously finding ways  to trap his body closer to yours. 

“If you want help, all you have to do is say, yawne. I know how to take care of my girl.” He turns you by the chin to make direct eye contact with him, a silent second measure to make sure this is truly what you desire. Hesitating is far from your mind as you nod and whine out little pleas.

Satisfied with your consent Neteyam grins and begins to descend down your body. Confusion swirls in your eyes when he situates your legs over his shoulders. The sex talk from your parents may not have been that descriptive but you know enough to realize that his cock is nowhere near your drenched entrance. 

“How does that…” You trail off, head tilted to the side. 

“Just need to get your ready first, Tanhi. Want my baby girl to feel good.” Pointed teeth poke out beneath his lips in his open mouth grin. The pads of his fingers tenderly brush and tease along your outer thighs, slowly making their way to your inner. Tingles of anticipation and pleasure trickle up your body. It boggles you how such a light tracing heightens your lust to new levels. 

“How?” 

His face softens and Neteyam coos at you while tucking a strand behind your ear. 

“Just trust me, little star. I promise you’ll like it.” 

So you do, even when his face lowers to your partly clothed mound. Neteyam’s nose presses against your pussy and he sucks in air like a man on the brink of drowning. Your cheeks set aflame at having his face so close to your special place, something you had never considered before. The rumble of power in his hungry growl, however, washes away any insecurity that would plague your mind. 

“Smell so delicious, Tanhi.” He purrs.

Neteyam’s creates a path of wet kisses along your inner thighs. Careful grips on your knees allow him to maneuver your legs into whatever profane position he desires, easy access for his eager tongue and lips. His saliva and your slick become intermixed along the expanse of skin as he takes his time warming you up. Each time his lips come closer to your folds, you whimper needily. Heated lust entraps every thought you have, wondering how long it will be until the two of you finally become one. 

The first nips at your left inner thigh causes you to jump. His eyes look back up at you as the pointed tips of those canines teasingly scrape against your soft skin. 

“Just a little taste, yawne?” He asks, although the smirk along his lips suggests that it is less of a question and rather a warning. 

“A bite? T-there?” 

Neteyam chuckles at your clueless behavior. It’s been known among Na’vi to leave obvious hickeys and bites along one’s mate’s skin, but you’ve always assumed that to only be in places more visible and less…private. Your tail swishes anxiously as you think of those marks being so close to your heated entrance. 

“Yes, baby girl. A little mark to remember me by, hm?” 

A simple nod of your head is all the permission required for Neteyam to continue. He takes one last breath from the hanging mask before picking a spot on your inner thigh where the flesh is supple and tender, licking and kissing and the area in preparation. When his lips close around the plush skin and begin to suck, it sends tendrils of electricity straight to your core. Without even thinking you moan and grab at his hair. You’re stuck between the urge to push his head away and encourage him to suck harder. 

Once released, the skin is left with a pronounced purple mark. One lick is deposited on the spot before his teeth nip and tug at the skin. You squeal and arch your back dramatically, Neteyam moans darkly he has let it fall from between his teeth and begin to soothe the skin with kisses and licks. The entire act scratches a part of your brain that is primal, satisfied by the apparent claim he leaves for all to see. 

“Much better.” His tone drips with pride. “Thank you, Tanhi.” He kisses your knee in gratitude, as if you have given him some sacred gift, and perhaps for him that is true. 

It’s only now that it occurs to you how many times Neteyam has held back from staking his claim on you the way most alphas do. You vaguely remember the indented mark of his own teeth against his bottom lip that would draw blood, especially after you have shared an intimate moment or he saw another male eyeing you for too long. What you had originally shrugged off as a habit now transforms in your mind as an act of self control. 

Neteyam is quick but deliberate with his handy work of undoing the ties around your tail and hips. He slides the fabric away from your pelvis with an attitude of reverence. Cool air against your slick folds feels like a tickling touch that has your lust spiking dramatically. Burning eyes on your most sensitive area is like gasoline to the flames. 

You attempt to clench your thighs together to protect your dignity, but Neteyam hoists them apart and back on his shoulders sternly. 

“None of that, baby girl. Let me see how pretty you are.” 

And there’s something in that phrase and his undivided attention that makes your toes curl. It becomes blatantly obvious that if he doesn’t hurry up and get on with sticking his cock inside your pussy, you will fall apart at the seams before there is even a chance. 

“Neteyam, I’m ready. Please please I’m so ready.” You ramble, willing your legs apart to prepare easier access. Once he is inside everything will be better, although the thought of your virgin walls stretching around him causes a slight tinge of panic to break loose.

“Mawey, my love. It’s about to get good.” 

However, frustration and confusion bubble to the surface again when you see his face lowering back down. 

“No no, Nete. Enough kisses.” You whine. “I need you inside.”  

His brows push up at that, the corners of his lips perking slightly as if hesitant to fully grin.

“Are you sure, my love? We can still wait if you wa-”

“NO! No more waiting! I’m ready now. I need you right now.” 

He calls your name softly, but with a hint of unyielding sternness that lets you know it is important you listen. Even a beta can sense when the time to obey is present.

“You’re heat is a very powerful thing but also fleeting, Tanhi. I don’t want you to make such a big decision purely because of your primal instincts.” It’s a respectful and considerate gesture but your head is shaking before he is even close to finishing. If this man does not take you now, you’re ready to flip him over and sit on his member, inexperience be damned. 

“It’s not. I’ve been ready for weeks. W-was just waiting to tell you. Take me now, stick it in now.” The ringing in your ears, you realize is actually the accelerated blood thumping along the eardrums from your racing heart. It feels as if the speed will be enough to burst your ribcage open. “I’m ready.”

Neteyam watches as your eyes clench shut and hands scrape against the woven material of the hammock. You’re braced and ready for the pain that will ensue upon penetration. 

“Tahni,” Your eyes slowly peek open to see that the alpha hasn’t moved a muscle. “You love me, don’t you?” 

The question throws you off guard, but the answer comes easily.

“Of course.” 

“And you know that I love you?” 

“Yes Neteyam.” Your hips scoot against the fabric, pussy fluttering as it continues to wait for the incoming sensation. 

“And you trust me?” 

“Always, Nete.” 

The alpha hums happily at your response, muttering out a deep ‘good girl’. 

“Then I need you to trust that I know what I’m doing, baby girl. Trust that your alpha will take care of you.” He tenderly brushes his fingers over your soft stomach. “And trust me enough to say if or when something doesn’t feel good.” 

You nod hazily, keenly aware of the tickling sensation of his touch along your hips. 

“That’s my good girl. Now let me get you ready.”

It’s still confusing when you see his head lower towards your navel once more, but you don’t protest this time. He’s right, you do trust him and he does have far more experience with sex than you by far. Your upturned legs are spread even wider by his broad shoulders as he leans closer and lets the tips of his tongue drag over you from belly button to navel. The saliva line goes down further and further until…oh.

It takes his grip on your hips to keep them pressed against the hammock when his tongue brushes over your clit for the first time. It’s a pleasure that is completely foreign to you. Comparable to the spark of dopamine that comes from your small finger teasing the area and yet completely different in intensity. He draws sensual figure eights along the bundle of nerves several times before swooping down to collect more of your arousal between your folds. 

Neteyam is calculated with his exploring, performing in the way of someone who has crafted their art. When his tongue just barely swipes across your entrance your hands fly down to grasp his braids again. This time, however, the only thought on your mind is keeping him down there. His flat nose nudges at your clit with every swipe of his tongue along your pussy. 

“Oh my Eywa!” You screech as that knot is quickly being tied again in your stomach. 

Neteyam on the other hand becomes focused on another knot, tugging at the twine holding your top in place while still working on your pussy with zealous excitement. With your aid, the dangling top is released and falls to the side. His assault on your pussy pauses for him to trail upwards and lick along your quickly hardening peaks. 

“So pretty, Tanhi.” He murmurs against your right nipple before taking it into his mouth and sucking. Meanwhile his fingers have taken the place of his tongue and expertly rub your clit. “My pretty little star.” 

Gleeful pride twinkles in his eyes as he looks up at you, a string of saliva connecting his lips to your chest. Your small hands grapple at any part of him you can reach, finding purchase on his flexed bicep that holds himself over you. 

The connecting lines of your thoughts are tangled into a ball of messy hunger and desperation. Never in your wildest dreams would you have imagined such strange things to be so exhilarating. A part of you wonders what else was not included in that sex talk. 

His head is found back between your legs again once your nipples are red and pointed proudly. Neteyam licks, nips and sucks at your pussy like a starved man. Every moan of pleasure releases vibrations that sky rockets through you. It becomes too much to handle. You’ve never felt more fragile in your entire life than when his eyes connect with yours, one eye winking at you, and you fall apart. 

Neteyam’s moan while licking up the white substance pouring from you goes completely unnoticed as the world around you spins and your ears ring. The gravity of this orgasm shakes you to the bones, floodgates of pleasure completely open in your brain. 

Although it feels as if Pandora has slipped out from beneath you, the recovery from this release is swift. Your skin prickles with goosebumps and your pussy hungrily clenches around open air once more. It seems that the monster of a heat inside you grows more insatiable with every second. So when Neteyam covers one finger in the remnants of your juices and starts to prod at your entrance, you’re relieved. 

“You’re doing so good, baby girl. This may feel strange at first, but let me know if it hurts too much.” It’s hard to focus on anything else besides the shiny slick that still coats his chin as he looks at you, but you manage a nod.

It does feel strange at first, your walls incredibly tight. Getting down to the first knuckle is easy but going towards the second proves to feel a little more strained. Regardless, you are happy to find that getting one finger inside is nothing near as painful as expected. Neteyam wiggles the digit and it makes you twitch. Such a strange sensation to be filled but, the longer he twists and curls his finger, the more you find yourself enjoying it. 

“How does that feel, yawne?”

“F-fine…a little strange.” 

Neteyam chuckles.

“I know. My girl’s pretty pussy is so tight.” It’s the pride and adoration in his voice that melts you from the inside out. The muscles of your cunt relax against him as he starts to slide another finger in. 

This stretch takes a little more time, effort, and praise from your alpha but otherwise it’s smooth sailing. He scissors and stretches your walls with due diligence, even as the dark pupils of his eyes overtake the gold color. By the third finger, you’re clawing at his braced forearm and begging for his cock. Neteyam doesn’t immediately give in, reminding you of the importance of being stretched out for him. Frustrated by his noble intentions, you aren’t beyond playing dirty. 

“Alpha please! Need your cock so bad, it hurts. Feel so empty.” The begging turns into sweet tones of whimpers. You can see the shift of his muscles as they tense. His pheromones take on a stronger hue, one that surrounds you like a cloud. Your small hand reaches down for him, fingers grasping in open air. Neteyam is quick to use the hand not half way up your pussy to hold your own, looking up at you. “You said you’d take care of me, alpha.” 

Perhaps in a situation not distorted by desperate lust and the sweet scent of your erotic perfume Neteyam would be tempted to put you over his knees for trying to manipulate him, but the clenching of your velvet walls around his fingers is enough to keep him focused on being balls deep inside of you instead. You can see the moment that his resolve crumbles to ashes, it’s accentuated by a deep growl and narrowed eyes. 

You watch with hungry eyes as Neteyam hastily claws at the strings of his loincloth. It’s a wonder that it doesn’t rip underneath his harsh fingers but it finally falls away and your pupils dilate at the sight. His length stands heavily against his stomach, curving slightly under its own weight. Saliva gathers in your mouth as you observe the freckled stars that glow under the dim light of the room and scatter over his shaft till reaching the tip. A bead of precum is settled there and for the first time, you understand the desire to put your mouth in such sinful places. 

Neteyam preens under your awed attention, his hindbrain purring in delight at seeing his little mate impressed with what he has to offer. His grin widens when he notices your hand hesitantly reaching towards it. You stop, however, before getting to touch. 

“It’s ok, Tanhi. You can touch.” The three fingers leave your entrance with a squelching sound. Neteyam confidently keeps eye contact while licking the digits clean with a soft purr, then that large hand is wrapping around your own and leading you towards his twitching member. 

Even with Neteyam’s guidance, you’re unable to wrap the entirety of his width in your grip, but he doesn’t appear to be bothered by it. In fact, a devious spark lights in his smile as he watches you struggle to hold it. Although, you will probably never admit it outside of heat, you too enjoy the dramatic size difference between the two of you. On more than one occasion you have let your arousal ruin your loincloth just from having his large body completely wrapped around your own, tucking you away so easily. 

A small gasp leaves your throat when his cock twitches in your hand. Neteyam can’t keep his cooing laughter in as he pets affectionately at your hair. He pauses to take a breath from the mask while still smirking. 

“You see what you do to me, baby girl?” 

The taste of iron erupts in your mouth and it is only then that you realize you’ve been crushing your bottom lips between sharp teeth. 

“Is it…uncomfortable?” It feels silly to be so bashful after having his lips along your pussy moments earlier, but you can’t help but keep your voice down to a whisper. You thank the Great Mother for the privacy that the scientists have allowed the two of you over the past few days. There would be no recovery for your dignity if they were to walk in on this scene. Heat or not, being whiny and oblivious is embarrassing. 

“Hm, sometimes my love. If relief is not given.” He guides your thumb to run over the head. “Mostly it gets my thoughts traveling to tempting places. Imagining all the different ways I can have you laid out for me.” The weight of your eyelids seem to increase with every word he speaks. His other hand running up and down your inner thigh only adds to the lust filled daze that has captured you. 

“Wondering what you would taste like.” Being the cheeky alpha that he is, Neteyam doesn’t let the opportunity pass by without reaching a few digits down to his soaked thigh and swirling the substance between his fingers. He simultaneously continues to help you jerk his thick member slowly while sticking the dripping fingers into his mouth profanely. 

“My imagination, however, doesn’t do it justice.” He hums with delight, his pink tongue swiping over his bottom lip to collect any escaping juices. “My thoughts are merely a facade in comparison to the real thing. They can’t do you justice.”

You subconsciously tighten your grip around him at the words, causing a low groan to rumble from his chest. Another trickle of slick coats your entrance. You’re in absolute awe at your body's ability to get close to cumming just from the dark noises and words that spill from your mate’s lips. Not to mention the twitching weight of his cock restrained in your hand. 

“Then stop imagining and come here.” You leap forward and capture his lips with your own. Neteyam’s hum of surprise morphs into a viscous growl as your tongues fight for dominance. The little gasps and groans that slip into the kiss as you pump his cock is electrifying. It’s borderline addicting to see that way the mighty Omatikaya Prince bucks his hips for you. A sense of power to know that you can get him melting like this. 

Never breaking the kiss, Neteyam shuffles your body forward and the two of you start to guide his cock towards your fluttering pussy. All forms of trepidation are gone. Your body screams from every pore that you can take it. You trust these instincts as the thick head of his member prods at your entrance. 

Your lips part against his mouth in a gasp when the head slips past your entrance. Slick walls stretch in ways that you couldn’t have imagined and it feels as if you are about to be split in half. Neteyam continues to kiss and nip at your lips gleefully while carefully continuing to guide himself in inch by inch. 

“You’re being such a good girl for me.” He coos as your eyes scrunch shut tightly. It feels as if the length will never stop, as if he is about to reach your chest from the inside, but Neteyam is patient. He takes his sweet time checking up on you with every inch and soaking his tone and words with constant praises. It does this trick, scratching at that primal desire to please your alpha. 

When his balls finally meet the curve of your ass, little whimpers rain from you consistently. 

“N-nete, so b-big.” You cry, forehead touching his own as you struggle to take in ragged breaths. He forces you to take a breath from the mask hanging from his neck. 

“I know, baby. So perfect and tight around me.” His own voice shakes slightly. “God damn!” The english phrase sounds like gibberish to your ears but you understand the sentiment nonetheless. 

Settled there to let you adjust, your head lolls to his shoulder.  When his cock twitches, you clamp your teeth down on his exposed shoulder to stabilize yourself. Neteyam encourages the oral fixation through  hissed words of praise. Tears spill from your eyes but it’s hard to say what the source of your crying is. The stretch is uncomfortable but you can’t deny the certain tinge of pleasure that courses through you when a slight shift reminds you of how full your pussy is. Eventually, your heat takes the edge off, rewarding your ability to secure a mate with a pulsing clit and dripping entrance. 

It takes a moment to realize that Neteyam is calling your name, you eventually snap out of it when his lips murmur it straight into your flicking ears. 

“Hand me your kuru, baby.” Your hands obey on their own accord. “Want you to understand how good you feel, Tanhi. How happy you make me.”

When those dancing tendrils wrap securely around one another, your eyes go from sleepy slits to dilated pupils of awe. It never becomes old being able to feel Neteyam so closely. To feel his breath and strength. To have his own emotions coalesce with yours. A vulnerable certainty of how he is feeling. In this state, neither of you can hide. There is no deceit. There are no polite formalities. You both have direct access to the other’s soul.

This time, a new current of sensation travels through the bond. It sparks into growing forms of ecstasy that makes you groan. It’s a strange thing to accept, but you can feel your own tights walls secured around him. Hugging him so tightly in the warmth of your cunt, velvety texture caressing him with every shift. Underneath that pleasure also grows an unyielding lust that pricks at his self control with every passing second. His hindbrain is screaming at him to move. To claim. To fill your womb with his seed until it drips out from you. 

It’s better than if the words had come from his own lips. It sets you into a feral need to complete these fantasies. 

“Can you feel me, baby girl?” His arms are securely wrapped around your middle to keep you tight against him. 

“Yes Nete, feel all of you. Need all of you. W-want you to move.” The ability to form coherent sentences starts to slip between your fingers. Neteyam, however, requires no further instruction. Your back hits the hammock once more as his strong grip clasps around the soft flesh of your hips. The mask is settled over your lips by the alpha before he continues. 

Slowly, but surely, he draws out with smooth and continuous thrusts. Your cunt clenches around him almost painfully, as if to keep him locked there. Once the tip is just barely past your entrance he starts to slide back in smoothly. The prolonged thrusts eventually angle in a way that hits a bundle of nerves inside you that has never been explored by you before. Neteyam moans in sync with you as he can feel your own pleasure every time the head of his cock rubs at the rosy spot. 

It spurs him forward. You don’t have to explicitly tell him to go faster because he can feel it straight through the bond. It allows you to focus the energy you have left on gripping his shoulders for dear life. A brutal rhythm begins to take place, your legs wrapped around his waist. 

“Oh Eywa!” You screech. The obscene noises of skin slapping fills the room along with Neteyam’s loosed growls and grunts. 

“That’s not my name, Tanhi.” The alpha teases, but you can feel the aching desire he has to hear his own name upon your lips. To have the auditory satisfaction of knowing he is pleasing his little mate.

“N-neteyam oh haa Nete!” 

His precision at hitting your g spot increases. Neteyam learns your body with an impressive speed. One hand comes up to palm and tease your breasts in his large hand. His eyes switching back and forth between watching his cock disappear inside of you and marveling at the nipple hardening between his pinched fingers. 

Everything starts to become a blur for you. The origins of sounds are unknown. Several times you are surprised to find that the high pitched screams are coming from your own throat. Your body shakes and trembles as if it is about to shatter into a million pieces. And that is what you come to truly believe as it overwhelms your senses. It is so consuming and new that you start to sputter little pleas of mercy to your mate, convinced that you truly will die from this overload of sensations. 

“It’s alright, Tanhi. You’re alright. Just let go for me. Let it all go.” 

Your hair tangles in the woven material of the hammock as you shake your head. Neteyam thrusts become ragged and less coordinated but he slips a hand down to fondle at your clit. You scream and arch, cumming harder than ever before. Neteyam is less than a second behind you, feeling the effects of your orgasm through the bond. Warm ropes of seeds paint your inner walls. 

The first normal sense that comes to you is the feeling of Neteyam’s heavy and warm body collapsed on top of yours. Heated breath tickles at your neck, intermittent with sweet kisses and nonsense murmurs. You let yourself bask in the afterglow. Your body is sore and motionless, but luckily Neteyam takes over. Only a tiny sound comes from you when he slips out.

“Come here, tanhi.” Your boneless body is pulled to lay on top of him. Soothing affection swims across the bond when you nuzzle your face against his chest. The swing of the hammock and rhythm of his heartbeat is quickly luring you to sleep. 

Neteyam grabs your hand and kisses it sweetly. You can vaguely make out the sound of his voice, but the words are like garbled noises which never compute in your brain. It’s hard to say whether or not it’s english or if you just can’t understand simple words now in your fucked out state. Still, you like the way it makes his chest rumble. 

“Neteyam.” The rumble stops, tail flickering as he waits patiently. 

“I see you.” Your words are barely more than a whisper in the stuffy room but they ring true. He gently places the breathing mask over your lips again before your eyes close. 

“You’re all I see, little star.” 

Taglist @yurmomsawh0r @nilahsstuff @name-saken @luvv4j4ybe11 @stylishtoast @karateperson @henhouse-horrors @easy2004 @whisperingwillow0854 @whenercolorfulrainbowlol @neteyamtesuli

[astonmartinii]

hii, can i request an insta au for lando? i don’t have something particular in mind, bit maybe best friends to lovers kinda thing? and their friends teasing them/ being annoyed? <33 love your work!!

best friends 4 ever | lando norris social media au

pairing: lando norris x bff!reader

best friends? lovers? who knows?

yourusername

liked by landonorris, maxfewtrell and 320,879 others

yourusername: clubbing on a budget 🍒

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user1: where's lando?

user2: yet another post without lando, have they broken up?

user3: how can they be broken up if they aren't together?

user4: why do you people think lando and y/n doing things separately is illegal?

user5: why weren't you at the race?

yourusername: babes i'm just a bartender i do not have the schedule or the finances to just fuck off to saudi arabia for three days sorry xx

user5: you clearly had the weekend off?

yourusername: please refer to my previous statement on my financial standing

yourbff1: who is that stunning woman?

yourusername: u bestie

landonorris: glad you went with outfit choice number one

yourusername: thank you miranda priestly

oscarpiastri: so that's who i could hear you talking to...

yourusername: clubbing outfits are a serious business oscar

oscarpiastri: serious enough for a three hour call?

yourusername: YES.

landonorris: YES.

landonorris

liked by yourusername, maxverstappen1 and 902,894 others

landonorris: mood before the race v after the race, see you next year jeddah 🇸🇦

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user6: what driving a tractor does to a motherfucker

yourusername: what's a performance where a man is having the worst time of his life but looks sexy doing it?

landonorris: beauty is pain

yourusername: then you must be suffering

user7: mr and miss we're not dating flirting up a storm in the comments as per

carlossainz55: maybe focus less on modelling and more on driving

yourusername: so no more ferrari thirst traps?

carlossainz55: damn i forgot that coming for lando means dealing with you

yourusername: meet me in the parking lot chilli

landonorris: y/n is like my little chihuahua so come for me, watch your ankles

user8: do they think we're dumb?

danielricciardo: ah the classic post mclaren snooze, if only you had your cuddle buddy

landonorris: i know you miss me mate but i'll cuddle you in melbourne

danielricciardo: ok. not what i meant. but i'll take the free cuddles

user9: so he was defo referring to y/n, right?

daniel3.jpeg

liked by landonorris, yourusername and 708,655 others

tagged: yourusername, landonorris, heidiberger

daniel3.jpeg: any wagon need a third wheel, i'm practically a professional now?

view all comments

user12: confirmation? this is confirmation, right? RIGHT?

yourusername: i gave you that banjo in good faith daniel and this is how you repay me?

daniel3.jpeg: i appreciate her !!!! thank you for my lessons, but these are cute so i will not be deleting sorry not sorry

yourusername: ur right we are serving

user13: life is just not fair

user14: official cause of death: the third slide

landonorris: how relegated to just an arm, i see how it is daniel

yourusername: you are literally the definition of pookie bear and cutieful in the first pic

landonorris: i'm going to need you to never say those words ever again

yourusername: that's not what you said last night ...

landonorris: you're right i am pookie bear

user15: actual pics + comments = y'all can no longer say i'm being delusional.

f1wagsupdates

liked by user16, user17 and 3,240 others

tagged: landonorris

f1wagsupdates: lando norris spotted on his boat in monaco with an unknown woman. the pair looked flirty and spent the whole day together alone on the boat. norris' rumoured girlfriend y/n y/ln was back in the u.k. where she works as a bar tender. what do you think?

view all comments

user18: i'm so confused rn

user19: i know we never had concrete confirmation but my heart is broken for y/n right now

user20: i don't want to jump to any conclusions, men and women can be friends, there's nothing in these photos that suggest anything more than friendship

user21: they're literally holding hands in the second pic

user20: i hold my friends hands every time i jump in the water doesn't mean i'm with them

user22: but the pic in danny's post .... i don't even know anymore

yourusername

liked by pierregasly, landonorris and 356,823 others

yourusername: food will never leave me

view all comments

user25: so like is this a dig after those pics of lando and the random girl?

user26: i know this is sad and all, but that kebab looks banging please tell us where you got it

yourusername: camden market babes

yourbff1: sexy girl, sexy food and sexy photography

yourusername: best photographer i know

user27: SHADE LANDP.JPEG YOU WERE NEVER THAT GIRL

landonorris: camden kebabs without me? offended.

yourusername: doing a lot of things without each other recently.

maxfewtrell: could've at least invited me i love that place

user28: oof. i feel like i shouldn't be watching this

lando.jpeg

liked by danielricciardo, yourusername and 1,305,066 others

tagged: yourusername

lando.jpeg: appreciation post for my bestest friend forever and the love of my life. i didn't want to give any attention to the rumours going around so i thought i'd just let you know i'm in love, i've been in love for years and will be in love with her for the rest of my life.

view all comments

user29: okay, now the confirmation is here, idk what to do with myself

user30: i survived the y/n x lando slow burn

yourusername: i love you too bob

lando.jpeg: i love you more, can't wait to see you

yourusername: i'm never letting you leave again

user31: so like you're gonna deny being all up close and personal with a random girl on the boat

landonorris: not that i owe you people anything, that girl is my cousin, she was visiting monaco and i showed her around. but it shouldn't matter, you guys don't know me personally and stop assuming things about athletes' personal lives.

yourusername: what he said.

carlossainz55: FINALLY

danielricciardo: i literally don't know how much longer i could've kept this a secret

oscarpiastri: i think we deserve a reward

charles_leclerc: i second this

maxverstappen1: i third this

maxfewtrell: i fourth this

yourusername: alright, alright we get it

yourusername

liked by charles_leclerc, landonorris and 607,845 others

tagged: landonorris

yourusername: i guess we owe our parents £50 xx

view all comments

user32: bro this shit has me straight up crying THIS AINT EVEN MY RELATIONSHIP

oscarpiastri: you guys are cute i'll give you that

yourusername: teammate stamp of approval get it @landonorris

oscarpiastri: i think you guys got that after i walked in on you after silverstone

landonorris: our bad lol

user33: this reads like a fanfic but they're so cute

maxverstappen1: awww lando was so cute in that first pic, what went wrong?

yourusername: u and kelly look like siblings, don't come for us

maxverstappen1: u got it

landonorris: i love you fairy princess

yourusername: i love you racer boy

note: enjoyyyyyyyyyyyy. i originally wrote this a while back but it deleted itself when my laptop had a meltdown. so this is a bit diff but i hope you like it anyway !! xx

[love-belle]

you can hear it in the silence !!!

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ in which he knows how lucky he is.

or

for when you know your stars were on your side when you met them. ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

social media au // charles leclerc x fem!reader

warnings - language

author's note - so sorry for not posting yesterday, i was catching up on my hw so !!! anyways, i will try to clear out my inbox by sunday, i have like 10 more requests which i still have to post. you can send me more but please be patient because first i would be clearing out the initial ones!! i love you, thank you so much for reading. hope you like it!!

≡;- ꒰ °instagram ꒱

liked by lewishamilton, carmenmmundt, charles_leclerc and 3,427,926 others

yourusername 🤍

19,628 comments

username MOTHER

username SHE SERVES EVERY SINGLE TIME

username the reason im bi

username OH MY GOD IM MALFUNCTIONING WHATCTHE FUCJ

lewishamilton roscoe misses you ‼️

-> yourusername can't wait to see u all next week 🫶🏼

username women.

username SHE'S SO GIRLFRIEND OH MY GOD

*liked by charles_leclerc*

selenagomez in love

*liked by yourusername*

dualipa the prettiest ever 💞

-> yourusername i love you 💕

username can charles fight?

username im ready to throw hands with charles for HER

charles_leclerc wow im

charles_leclerc hahahahaha are u single ?

charles_leclerc just one chance pls

-> username someone take away this man's phone

charles_leclerc literally on my knees

-> landonorris DUDE

-> yourusername CHARLES OH MY GOD

-> charles_leclerc 🤷

charles_leclerc i love you 💌

-> yourusername i love you more 💗

username sigh can't believe my wife got wifed up by a guy that drives a red car in circles

≡;- ꒰ °instagram ꒱

liked by yourusername, carlossainz55, georgerussell63 and 799,315 others

charles_leclerc she is the best thing that has ever been mine

tagged yourusername

6,628 comments

username SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP

username GOODNIGHT.

username NOT HIM QUOTING TAYLOR SWIFT OMG

landonorris please refrain from being in love in front of us singles ❤️

-> charles_leclerc no ❤️

-> username lando spoke for the people and i appreciate that

username god i see what u have done for the others

username microwaving a spoon rn enough is ENOUGH.

danielricciardo disgusting ❤️

-> charles_leclerc stfu ❤️

username i too deserve someone who will post me to taylor swift lyrics :///

yourusername thanking my constellations everyday, i love you ❤️

-> charles_leclerc i love you so much ❤️

username still in disbelief that this mf bagged THE y/n y/l/n like.

username y/n it's ok u can come home now the kids and the cats miss u

username god me when.

≡;- ꒰ °instagram ꒱

liked by charles_leclerc, lewishamilton, carmenmmundt and 3,562,728 others

yourusername you can hear it in the silence

tagged charles_leclerc

18,927 comments

username SHUT UP THEY'RE SO

username oh my god

niallhoran the best people i know 🤍

-> yourusername we love you niall 🤍

username i love them sm omg

username they're so ☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️

username i want this kinda love rn

carmenmmundt lots of love 💗

*liked by yourusername*

username PARENTS

username alr y'all. having a toaster bath rn.

maxverstappen1 photo credit ?

-> yourusername photo creds to this dude who cursed us for 20mins when we forgot him at the restaurant

-> maxverstappen1 IT WAS SCARY OKAY????

username screaming crying throwing up sliding down the wall bashing my head ripping my hair yelling kicking

-> yourusername u good hun?

-> username ahahahahahahha!!n3++₹(@)#+₹+udusjskjddjkad..zzuzjsjxjj,idejskkakajsjdjsj goodhey.

taylorswift 🤍

*liked by yourusername*

username they're so "you are in love by taylor swift" coded likee

-> username no bc that's literally THEIR song

charles_leclerc i am in love

-> yourusername i am in love with u

charles_leclerc ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

-> yourusername ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

username the way charles always blushing and giggling when he's with y/n like bro's down BAD

-> username if y/n was my gf i would be too

-> username real like who can blame him

≡;- ꒰ °instagram ꒱

liked by yourusername, lilymhe, yourbestfriend and 814,527 others

charles_leclerc my forever ❤️

tagged yourusername

7,628 comments

username "my forever" CAN U HEAR ME CRYING

username no bc the bar is literally so fucking high

username my future partners can blame them for my high expectations.

danielricciardo we know mate, u send is a 15min voice message

-> charles_leclerc and i'm about to do it again

-> danielricciardo NO

username he's so in love like it makes me cry up

username no one loves y/n y/n more than charles leclerc

pierregasly a thank you would be nice after i chased you both down the street to click these

-> charles_leclerc we didn't ask you to, you literally ran after us yelling

-> pierregasly no one's asking for details. no one.

username their relationship is a want like.

username im so normal abt them hahahahaha!!! sO nOmaL hahahahahah!!!

username i guess he's good enough for my wife

lewishamilton 🤍

*liked by charles_leclerc*

username imagine getting to call y/n y/l/n your forever like

-> username u wish it was u huh?

-> username yes i do.

yourusername forever sounds so good with you ❤️

-> charles_leclerc i love you ❤️

username my last straw 🧃

[dilfdemolisher]

Hey,

Heard you are in a Hannibal mood right now, so could you please write a needy Hannibal one-shot? They have been busy with their respective jobs and Hannibal comes home after a long, at first just wants to kiss and cuddle, but soon discovers how desperate his body is?😏(nsfw?)

Sorry, if I made you uncomfortable

an: I wrote this while listening to Honeymoon and I feel that its evident; so i insist y'all listen to Salvatore while reading...

YEARNING

Summary: A moment to lounge and enjoy peace becomes much more eventful when Hannibal arrives homes from work—hungry;)

Content Warning: Smut, Hannibal Lector is SIMP!!! Spread the word, oral and fingering (f!receiving), male masturbation (he jacks off during snack-time)

Word Count: 2k

It’s nice to finally have the opportunity to lounge—nothing to write—no one to speak to—no where to go—just you, your book, and the sun accompanying you while you sit comfortably in the lounge chair that has recently been brought outside.  

You always believe you’re not one who’s affected by the seasons; that cold, dreary weather doesn't get the best of you. And you believe that until the weather starts to warm your body up and you feel like you just crawled out of a cave and haven't seen the sunlight in years. 

Your whole body feels hot, and your internal temperature rising from the hot sun on your barely covered skin. You didn’t want the sun to have to penetrate through anything—you wanted it direct. 

You can’t help but let out a sigh. You allow your head to roll back and take your eyes off the pages you are reading, savouring the way the heat permeates through your hair and warms your scalp. So caught up in your relaxation, you didn’t become aware of your partner's presence until you felt a hand on your shoulder that delicately squeezed you. 

You don’t feel the need to open your eyes; you just feel content. 

“You’re the most divine creature I’ve ever laid my eyes on.” He speaks. Oh, how you’ve missed his voice. You’ve both been so caught up in your respective careers that the simple attention he’s giving you right now makes the world seem like it’s stopped spinning and that it’s just you and him, no one else. 

He leans down and peppers kisses onto your shoulder; you can’t help but smile as his mouth trails upwords along the side of your neck. 

Your sure he can hear the grin that's carved onto your face as you speak, “I’m savouring the weather. Who knows how long it will be until we get another day like this.”

He only responds with a hum in agreement, or maybe just in enjoyment of his activities; your not quite sure. “Care to join me?’ You ask in hopes this isn’t just a fleeting moment; you miss him—you want him. 

He stays mute until he brings his lips to your carotid artery and lightly nibbles on the skin that serves to protect it. “I’ve missed you more than you know. I’m tempted to eat you up so I can have a piece of you forever.” He says before hashly nips you. 

It’s a frighting statement indeed, but he said it to you. If it were for someone else, it would be a threat, but for you, its a declaration of love. 

You can’t help but blush at his statement, “What's gotten into you?” 

He doesn't answer; instead, he continues to manifest his care with kisses instead of verbalizing it. His hand makes its way up your back as he pulls his head away. Before you can complain, he places his hands on your shoulders and rubs. You can’t help the small moan that makes its way out of your mouth due to the pressure on your muscles. 

You hear him quietly chuckle above you. You tilt your head back and open your eyes to look at him. 

He’s staring right back at you with a satisfied grin.

It’s ridiculous, and you know it. But sometimes you remember how beautiful he is and it takes you off guard, turning you into a blushing, love-sick fool. 

“Hi.” is all you can say. He says it back; you can see how humorous he finds this and how his simple touches seem to melt your brain away. 

You bring your hand up to his, where he working on your shoulder. “You just got home from work; I should be loving on you.” You say while bringing his hand to your mouth for a sweet kiss. 

He pulls his hand away, “Nonsense.” He says as he returns it back to your shoulder to continue your massage. “I live to love you.”

You love Hannibal, and you have no doubt your feelings are reciprocated, but its unusual for him to be this touchy. 

“I feel like you have bad news and you’re buttering me up.” You joke. You can't help but swoon as you hear his chuckle from above. 

“No bad news.” He says, “We’ve both been suffocated by our work lately and for the moment we aren't, and I feel it would be pitiful to waste it.” He explains. 

Your smile grows larger at his words, “Take off your blazer.” You tell him. You hear him laugh once more as he shrugs it off. 

You immediately understand how words come off. “No, not like that; I’m sure you’re baking in that. I’m just enjoying being here with you. I don’t need anything more.” Your a tad embarrassed by how forward you accidentally sounded, though he didn’t seem to mind. 

He places his blazer down somewhere out of sight. When he returns, his hand lands on your scalp where he gently drags his nails along it. “Just because you don’t need something more doesn’t mean you don’t want it.” 

You rotate your head back once more to look at him. You remember a few moments ago how soft his gaze was. Now it’s much more hungry. 

“I didn���t want to be greedy.” You whisper. There's no need for your quiet tone; Hannibal is the only other soul near you. Yet, just in case you stay hush. The words are meant for him. Yourself—your being—is all for him. 

“You’re too sweet.” His hand falls down farther. He’s slow with his movement, teasing you. His hand lies on your chest, above your heart; you know he’s revelling in the past pace of it—physical proof of your need for him. 

“Be greedy; you deserve it. Your always so good.” His hand  shifts to encompass your breast. He has a firm grip, but nothing to ensue pleasure; he’s waiting for your response. 

His simple words make your mind turn to putty. His face is next to yours—you can sense it. You feel his lips on your cheek—a gentle, kind kiss.  

“That's what I want. I want to be good for you.” It was the correct answer to assume as his hand slides beneath your swim top. 

You utter his name as he kneads your chest. You feel him exhale on your shoulder before biting into while pinching your nipple. His other hand, that’s not busy, starts to remove your top. 

Hannibal's fingers work deftly, sliding your swim top completely off and casting it aside. You feel the warmth of his body leave as he comes to kneel in front of you. Being able to fully see him for the first time since he’s come home, you drink in the sight of him. His own eyes are dark with desire as he takes in the sight of you. 

He kneels in front of you and leans his head against your knee. Its not that you don’t appreciate it, but it’s rare that he’s so indiscreet about his wants. He’s the most cryptic man you’ve ever met—dangerous too. And yet, he’s kneeling before you, looking at you like you’re what makes the world spin. 

He kisses your knee before sliding his hands up your outer thighs and pulling your bottoms down. Once removed and places aside, Hannibal grabs your hand thats laying lip beside you and takes it into your own, clasping your fingers in between yours to hold hand. 

His gaze stays on you, his eyes looking at you with desire and devotion as he gently prys his legs apart with his hand. 

“Hannibal.” You breath, your voice a mix of need and plea. 

He smiles, a sensual curve of his lips that sends a shiver through you, "I want to make you feel everything," he says softly, his breath warm against your skin. "Every touch, every kiss. Let me worship you."

With that, he lowers his head and leans in, his mouth immediately on your most intimate spot which he handles with such precision. His tongue is skilled, flicking and swirling around your clit in a manner that hitches your breath. 

“Fuck.” You swear while he uses his lips and teeth on you, alternating between gentle suction and soft nips.

You feel like he’s eating you alive. 

Your hands grip the soild arms of the chair, head thrown back as he continues his ministrations. You can feel the internal pressure build, the delicious tension coiling tighter and tighter inside you. His one hand presses down on your lower stomach to keep you still, holding you steady as he works you with his mouth. 

“So good.” He lowly hums into you, the vibration from his voice adding to your pleasure. He quickens his pace, moving to a faster rhythm as he removes his hand from yours and probes it around your leaking hole. 

“Please.” You gasp, and that’s all it takes for him to insert his digit inside you. He slowly drags it along your walls, only harshly hitting your sweet spot when you’ve been quiet for a moment. 

You feel yourself getting closer and closer as he sucks and licks; your words become unintelligible and are just as loud as your moans until suddenly, Hannibal pulls away. 

You watch him breathless as he removes both of his hands from you and brings them towards his belt to remove it. You both stare at each other as he unbuttons his trousers and lowers them slightly, just enough to remove himself.

His cock springs free, hard and dripping. He doesn't say a word as he lowers himself down and halts your legs over his shoulders while he dives into your core again. One hand he brings up to your pussy where he pushes two fingers in, moving them fast as his other hand wraps around his shaft. 

His movements are synchronized, moving both his hands at the same time, at the same speed, matching the rhythm. His gaze never leaves yours; the intensity of his glazed over eyes boring into your soul only nears you to your orgasm. 

The sight of him pleasuring himself while his tongue acts on your sensitive core is almost to much to bear. Every flick of his tongue, every movement of his hand causes your eyes to roll back into your skull. 

Hannibals moans reverberate against you, only making you melt more and more. His pace quickens, both on you and himself. As you look at him once again, you can see the strain in his muscles as he gets closer to his own relief. 

You reach down, threading your fingers between his hair and tug, urging him on. “Please Hannibal.” You whine, “Want you to cum.”

He groans at that. “So sweet, always so good for me.” 

His strokes become more frantic, his tongue more insistent. The sight of him on the edge, the feel of his relentless movements on your sensitive clit pushes you towards your climax. 

You feel your body arch towards him as your mind falls blank. The only thing in the world being Hannibal’s continued movements, his tongue on you and his fingers abusing your insides, drawing out your pleasure. 

With a gutteral groan, Hannibal finds his release. His warm cum spilling over his hand, making a mess on the ground below him. 

He collapses onto you, his head leaning against your thigh for a moment before he tucks himself back into his pants and rises. He presses soft kisses on your forehead, your cheeks, your lips, murmuring words of love and praise.

“You’re perfect.” You say quietly against his lips. 

He grins, his canines poking out and revealing themselves. “I could devour you forever.”

[brooklynisher]

Hey all, you ever hear of Jaunty?

[x]

Do you WANT to learn more about Jaunty?

Well I dug deep, and found some things I never thought I could find. I'm really excited to share what I've found with y'all. This post is sort of a little journey of how I found Jaunty.

There's a few sections to this.

Skip to But where does Jaunty come from? If you just want answers

Is Jaunty even a real character?

Jaunty, from what I originally found, is SUPPOSEDLY a Steam Powered Giraffe character. But where have we seen this character before? Was it the comic? Was it the timeline? Maybe in a song cover? Does the band ever talk about Jaunty?

And to answer all of your questions, no! At least not that I knew of. The only source of Jaunty’s existence is here.

The Steam Powered Giraffe Wiki

So that makes this whole thing pretty complicated right? The wiki has info, and it’s not too inaccurate most of the time, but some of the lesser known/more nuanced information tends to get scuffed.

It really doesn’t help knowing that David has mentioned before that the information on the wiki wasn't that accurate.

What I’m saying is, the only proof we have for the existence of this character is on what might be one of the more unreliable sources of SPG information.

But despite that, this page is special in the fact that SUPPOSEDLY it was uploaded by Steam Powered Giraffe themselves!

[x]

However, there isn’t really much of any information on this user at all. All we know is that they founded this wiki, added a few characters and a bit of information, and then became inactive. Really our biggest reasoning for believing that this was an actual SPG member is the fact that they are the founder and have been around for a very long time.

Okay, suspicions aside, let’s see what I found about this thing.

What the wiki tells us

One, this image was touched by the founder of this wiki twice, it was uploaded in 2011, and in 2014 they protected the page, which means only the administrators can edit the page.

[x]

Both are pretty major years for SPG being the year Upgrade left the band and the year Rabbit transitioned, but there’s not many connections you can make with that.

This user was first active in 2010 and last seen in 2015 [x]

Cool dates to have, but not a lot to work with. It mainly gives us a clear vision of what SPG was looking like at the time of the creation of this page. I can see this thing being used for a special, slightly themed show.

Of course, the information the wiki alone offers is very limited, but we know two things for sure. One, this character is a robot being under the category of robots, and two, these photos were taken by Cineria.

[x]

So, here's the problem, you'd think that by having the name of the photographer, we could get far with that, but unfortunately, it is such a vague name, that there is just no way we could figure out who Cineria actually is. It really doesn't help that they don't seem to be a professional photographer. The only page I could find that connects both the name Cineria and Steam Powered Giraffe is this one.

Useless information

I started searching for stuff by reverse searching it. It wasn't really successful, as I was expecting, but I did find one thing.

A different source.

This source doesn't go anywhere must you know. The ORIGINAL site, florist.buketbunga.com is still up an active serving as an Indonesian site for selling flowers, but this very specific link is broken, and the Wayback Machine doesn't know a thing about it.

The good news is, the link title alone gives us a ton of stuff to work with! Appropriately, the last part of this link translates to "Flower Bouquet Florist Shop Address Nearest 24 Hours Online", which makes sense.

What DOESN'T make sense is everything else coming before it. Specifically the Team Fortress 2 Wiki. This made me believe that someone used these sites to create a scam link, but it's weird because somehow, it's relevant?

Yandex was able to match these images of Jaunty to this site, and what's crazier, Jaunty is in the title of the link! But it's not just Jaunty, it's the Jaunty Explorer.

I did some searching, and discovered that the Jaunty Explorer originates from a TF2 livestream charity event called Tip of the Hats! Donations can earn you medals known as the Jaunty Explorer ($10 Donations), the Jaunty Ranger ($30 Donations), and the Jaunty Mountaineer ($100 Donations). They can come in many different color variations, but here are the main ones.

[x] [x] [x]

There are TWO connections between this and SPG. One, the shared name of Jaunty, and two, hats. Steam Powered Giraffe is pretty big on hats. But, bad news, these are completely unrelated. Main reasoning? The image of Jaunty was posted to the wiki back in 2011, while Tip of the Hats as an event started back in 2013. Can't even take the "SPG was inspired by TF2" route with that.

Okay, but what even IS it?

Now we get into the visual aspect of this!

I tried to see if there was at least any way to identify what this is, but that solely relies on observational skills. There are two images of this thing, but the image with the blue background is much easier to make out.

[x]

There's a lot that's going on with the design of Jaunty. Unfortunately, I'm not smart enough to identify what half of the doodads are. This machine, whether it's an actual machine or just a prop, is definitely a one of a kind as I couldn't find anything like this.

I talked with @boneinator about this, and he was able to read the text: "STAND CLEAR!" on the top of the doors of this machine which lead him to believe that it might be a time machine of sorts.

What we both managed to agree on when it came to the design of this thing however, was that it looks like a cabinet.

Now, like I said, this thing has a one of a kind design, so it's not going to look exactly like one thing or another, but it has similar features to other things such as to this cabinet

[x]

Two longer doors on the upper half, and two smaller doors/drawers on the bottom. Is that actually what it is? I didn't know, but there is a resemblance.

One thing that's REALLY interesting about this machine is the intense amount of steam it lets out.

[x]

So it's definitely a very active machine.

But where does Jaunty come from?

Something I've been wondering is how much of this is actually connected to SPG.

Is it theirs? Is this a part of a bigger thing? Is it just associated with them?

A bigger thing. There is one example of a big SPG show that comes to mind, and it was not just them.

During their 15 Year Anniversary Livestream, the band was asked about their favorite memories. Bunny mentions that one of her favorite memories was at a show called Clockwork Vaudeville. This was one of the band's first time having a massive audience. According to her, this was a time traveling show, and they performed alongside others.

I looked into it and found that the full name of this performance is called Clockwork Vaudeville Circus Cabaret. And there, I found a little advertisement for it as well!

The Kickstarter for this show started in late 2010

I did some more searching and realized there is a bunch of video from this show out there though all these clips are recorded at random intervals. Assuming that the uploader posted these clips close to the date of the actual show, we can see that this show took place in February of 2011!

About one month after this show, this page was added to the wiki.

I checked the clips, and guess what.

[x]

Right there in the corner, there was Jaunty.

But that's not all

Not only have a found a video that contained Jaunty, I found a video that contained Jaunty in action!

[x]

Unbelievably enough, it was a video of the band performing Honeybee alongside a pole dancer. And thanks to the title, we now know that this show took place February 19, 2011

Which all this confirms 100% that Jaunty IS a time machine.

Now with all things considered, Jaunty is not necessarily an "SPG character" as in they didn't create it. It's hard to say if Jaunty is even a character at all at this point! But it does exist in their world and they actively interact with it!

Who cheered? I cracked the code!

[thir10th]

The getaway pt.2 - Emily Prentiss x fem!reader

ALL OF THESE CAN BE READ AS STAND-ALONES

summary: it's your first morning on vacation and you decide to go for a swim! tw: where do I start. Smut. Toxic masculinity. Oral sex. Fingering. Emily going from possessive to completely in love w you in like two seconds. Shower sex. Idk lmk if I miss something! a/n: I've gotten a lot of positive feedback on the first chapter which i LOVE, thank y'all who comment, it really helps!

You stare at your reflection on the mirror while you spread some sunscreen on your face, paying special attention to your cheeks and nose. You throw your coverup over you, the thin cloth serves it's purpose to take you from your room to the pool.

"Em! are you almost ready?" you shout at her from the bathroom, but she doesn't answer, so you come out to see what she's been doing instead of getting ready how you had specifically asked her.

"oh, c'mon, really?" you say when you see Emily, sitting on the edge of the bed, checking her phone.

"I'm just checking if we had any messages! That's all, I promise" she says raising her hands, trying to defend herself.

"Emily, please stop worrying, go inside there, put on whatever allows you to sit on a sunbed, and get your ass here so we can actually start our vacation" you say, grabbing her hands and pulling her to stand up, you take the phone off her hands and leave it on the bed.

"ok, you know what? you're right, I'll be back in a second" she says, depositing a soft kiss to your lips, and rushing to the bathroom.

You walk up to the balcony to check if the pool is too crowded.

"Em, it's perfect! I just eyed a spot with our name written on it, it's right next to the bar and far enough from the pool ledge to avoid noise" you yap in a louder voice for her to hear you.

"what? I can't hear you, hey have you seen my shirt?" she says, coming out of the bathroom looking for it while you're still concentrated on the view out the window.

When you turn around, the sight is one for sore eyes. Emily stands there, looking around the bedroom floor absentmindedly "oh- wow" it's all you can manage, mouth dropped.

Her eyebrows lift as she looks up at you, a cocky smile spreading on her lips in amusement when she sees you slack-jawed, frozen in place "like what you see?" her stubborn ass won't ever pass up an opportunity to tease you.

In four large steps you're standing next to her, your fingers tracing the low waistband of her low bikini bottoms.

You nod "This is why i go to work everyday" she scoffs, and you lower your head, connecting your lips with the tender skin of her neck, kissing her there she breathes out at the slow contact, then grabbing your hips and pulling you away from her in a quick motion.

"Hey!" You whine at the loss of contact.

"You said it, c'mon, the sun awaits" she scolds you with a cheeky smile.

"We are on vacation! Can't we just fuck and then go later?" you complain, already knowing the answer.

"No, c'mon, chop chop" she says, throwing her coverup over her shoulders and grabbing her bag. Well, two can play that game.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

When you get to the pool, you take exactly the same seat you had previously devised from your room. Emily places the towels on top of the lounge beds, and sits on hers.

She shoots you a threatening look behind her sunglasses when she sees you sitting beside her just the same.

"hey, need sunscreen?" she asks, holding the bottle up.

"Em, you just want me to take my clothes off and rub stuff on my body" you remark.

"so what if i do? C'mon, take that shit off" she says sitting upright, encouraging you.

"fine" You oblige, stripping off the flowy, white button up cover up.

"Hell, love, if i had seen this i would've taken your suggestion of staying in" she says, biting her lip, her eyes run up and down your body.

"focus, you offered sunscreen remember?" you say, snapping your fingers at her, and turn your back so you're laying flat on your stomach all along the surprisingly comfortable lounge chair, specially in that position.

With your eyes closed, you hear Emily squeezing the sunscreen bottle into her hands.

She starts by rubbing the back of your legs, applying just the right pressure on your calves, massaging the tense muscles.

She takes some more sunscreen, rubs it in her hands, and then moves to get your shoulders. Her skilled fingers massage all the way down to your shoulder blades.

You let a moan escape your lips from the soft pressure on your lower back, she squeezes your hips just hard enough, and chuckles when you let out another sound in pleassure.

"Baby, you're making a scene" she warns you, but you couldn't care any less, not when her touch moves back to your legs, this time to get your thighs.

Her fingers move dangerously up. Her fingers sink on your skin, you can feel her hands moving further up as she keeps working on your muscles.

You let out a louder whine when her fingers bruise where your thighs meet the curve of your ass. Your small bikini bottoms doesn't leve too much the imagination, so lucky for you, she doesn't find any other way of protection when she massages your ass.

You feel so relaxed agains her soft strokes, and the way her fingers sink into your flesh. You barely remember how she might just be taking a bit longer than this process should.

"If you keep that up you will see me making a scene so i suggest you stop what you're doing, or i will get kicked out for public indecency" you whisper to her when her face gets close enough to yours again.

She surprisingly obeys, and leaves you with one last pat.

"ok, all done" she concludes, and sits back in her lounge chair.

"c'mon, your turn" you say, taking her but surprise, but she doesn't complain, she simply smiles and turns around like you had just done.

Damn, you think, if this is what is going to be for the whole weekend, m¡we may not be able to leave that hotel room at all, we need to cool off.

A sudden squeaky sound takes you out of your thoughts, right before you can pick up the sunscreen bottle.

One of those pool rubber balls lands right next to you, and you grab it, turning around to see where it came from.

A group of shirtless guys looks at you from the pool, one of them raises his arms, trying to get your attention "ball help?" he yells.

You walk to them, and hand him the ball, you would've thrown it, but those kind of plastic ones are a bit unpredictable, and you wouldn't want to run for the ball again.

"thanks, hey, can I buy you a drink?" the guy says, he brushes his hair out of his face, so clear to you that he is flexing his arm as he does.

"ugh, no, thanks" you say, trying to be polite, bbut he doesn't seem to take a no for an answer.

"c'mon, how can i pay you back?" he says with a side smile that you wonder if it has ever worked before for him.

"look, man, we're just trying to have a nice time, alright?" you try to keep your cool as much as you can, but this guy really doesn't seem to get the message.

"oh, you having a nice time really is all i want" you fins the comment repulsive, as he raises his brow to you, his friends around him listening, encouraging his words.

"hey, something wrong here?" you hadn't heard Emily come over to where you are, she places her hand on your lower back in a protective gesture.

"oh, nothing around we're just hanging out" he explains. "c'mon baby, you bring your friend with you?" the audacity takes you by surprise.

"friend?" Emily repeats, her hand gripping your waist harder, you know she's about to do something she will later regret, so you decide to take care of it for your sake.

"Ok, you know what? let's do it, swim race, you and me, if you win, you can buy us drinks, if i win, you leave us the hell alone, for real, alright?" his friends encourage him, he smiles at me with a triumphant smile, he brushes his hair trying to flex his arm muscles once again, this time a bit harder. You hear Emily scoff right behind you.

"I like it, I'll let you ten extra seconds just to keep it even" the masculinity display is making you gag.

"oh, no need" Emily gives your waist one last squeeze, before walking away to leave you space to maneuver.

"oh, I wanna see this" she mutters only for you to hear.

As the boy gets out of the pool to take his side next to you, you think back to your academy years. Being a swimmer in high school had helped you through all the physically demanding fitness tests, you remind yourself all the times you had exceeded the water rescue tests, plus, you really liked it.

One of his friends does the countdown, and without thinking too much about it, you throw yourself headfirst in the water.

You aren't thinking too hard about it, you just get to it, and swim. You swim fast. When you reach the end of the pool, you turn in a fast and fluid motion that he doesn't expect, and is definitely not ready for nor he can replicate, which takes him a couple extra seconds to recover.

When you reach the finish line, and you get your head oout of the water, you realized you had dragged the attention from more than one at the pool.

Most importantly, you realize he has lost.

Some people do a little cheer, and his group of friends opt to laugh defeatedly.

You search for your girlfriend, standing right on the pool ledge where you had left her, a proud look and a triumphant smile on her face.

"sorry, guys, maybe another time, or never" she says, waving them away with her hand.

You climb up the ladder to get out, and walk up to her with your arms open. She grabs your face with both your hands to pull you in, crashing her lips against yours in a fervent kiss, your hands grip her waist.

Their eyes burn in your back, you can feel them staring, you could've just started by doing this, and it would've been enough probably, but what was the fun in that?

Emily still kisses you, you can feel her desperation on your mouth, she pours all her feelings in the kiss, and you can only hope that group of assholes is still watching.

When she finally pulls away, her hands softly move away a couple of wet strands of your hair, and her fingers trace your lips sweetly.

"you know, that was amazing" she says, both of you in your own little world like usual.

"Oh yeah, well, no problem" you say in a husky voice, playing it down.

"And do you have any idea how sexy that was, and how badly i want you right now?" she growls.

Your blood rumbles in your ears, the adrenaline from the race still running through your system, and the effect of your girlfriend's hands all over your body still resonating on your skin. You peck her lips, grab her hand, and walk with her to leave the pool, and find your way back to your room.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Emily inserts the card on the lock of the door, the green light flickers and she pushes the door open with a loud thud.

She aggressively pushes your hips agains the door to close it. You feel a subtle pain on your lower back which turns quickly into heat, as she grabs your thigh with her hand, making you jump to pick you up and push you again agains the door.

This new position allowing her a great access to your neck, she nibbles at the soft skin, licks up and mouths the slope, your soft skin will probably show deep purple marks tomorrow, nothing you could care remotely about right now,

Not when Emily's hand grabs a handful of your ass, and takes you in her arms to bed, tossing you in the middle of the mattress.

She walks away from you, you whine at the lost proximity, she just snaps the do not disturb sign on the outside door handle, and locks it again.

You're breathing uncontrollably when she gets to you, she's still wearing her two piece, the small black fabric barely covers her, and you notice how one of her nipples is basically out, caused by your harsh entrance.

You eye it, and holding her hands, you try to attract her body to yours so you can get her breast in your mouth, but Emily has other plans.

"What was that there baby? What happened to the let it slide, and the easy, Prentiss?" You're at a loss for words, the softness of your voice only makes your heart beat faster, your arousal growing with every touch of hers.

She loops her fingers in the waistband of your bikini bottoms and drags them down your legs. “You didn't just shush him, you crushed him" she kisses your stomach, brushes her lips teasingly over your hipbone.

"Em, please" you whine, breathing loudly.

"please what, honey? c'mon, cat got your tongue? You had a lot of say before, what happened to that?" her hands run through your inner thighs, and avoids getting anywhere near where you actually want her.

She knocks your feet apart, the motion taking a loud gasp out of you.

"keep them open, or I'll tie them open" she threatens.

You're dripping, damn near glistening, and she cups your center, feeling the arousal in her palm, your hips buck at the sudden contact, but you keep your volume in check.

"Good girl" the softness of the petname makes you moan loudly "ssh, it's ok baby" you purr and she enjoys watching the shiver in your muscles.

She kneels in front of your opened legs, her hands still caressing your inner thighs. Your sounds drive her crazy, god she loves to have you like this.

She slithers further down, spreading your folds. "Goddamnit please, Em, do something" you whine.

“Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” She sinks between your spread thighs, fingers curling and tongue on your clit to soothe the overly sensitive bud.

"Right there love. Oh- that feels so good" you encourage her.

You know how much she loves when you ask nicely, if the situation was different, if you couldn't already feel the muscles on your abdomen clenching, then maybe you would try to tease her too. Not right now, now you need to come now, maybe later you can think about something else.

She adds a little more pressure to her fingers and tongue, and you moan her name, reaching your climax as you arch off the bed.

You open your eyes, coming down from your orgasm, to meet Emily's face close to yours, her gaze softens when your smile meets hers.

"hey, ok?" she asks, checking up on you.

"perfect, but my hair is still wet, and i need a shower" you nod.

"ok, easy, hold on to me" she says, holding your arm, allowing you to deposit all your weight onto her.

The bathroom is big and spacious, the shower head has different modes to set what kind of stream you want. Emily opens it and the warm water falls creating something similar to a heavy rain.

As you stand next to her, you notice how she's still dressed, if that small bikini could count as dressed.

You surround her with your arms, untying the knot of the top from the back, pulling the string you let it fall to the ground, and you kneel to take the bottoms off.

She holds to your shoulders with both hands, and takes her legs out of the small fabric one by one. You observe her from that angle, she looks down at you, she always looks pretty, but in the comfort of your shared intimacy, you could swear she was shinning.

She pulls you uo by your hand, and you both get under the shower water, the stream wide enough to fit both of you.

You shoot a look at her pebbled nipples, feeling almost hypnotized by the way her hair starts to fall over her shoulders, you connect your lips with hers again.

Her mouth welcomes you, letting you win in the fight for dominance, you kiss your way down to her neck, making sure to lick and suck on the most sensitive area that you know drives her crazy.

You kiss all the way around her collarbones, and she moans at the feeling of your hands and lips on her.

She takes all her strength on her to let out a breathless chuckle and encourage your intentions.

"C'mon baby, you got me all worked up already" she says on her low signature sex voice that she knows drives you crazy.

"Let me take care of you, Em" you whisper to her ear, one of your hands move up to play with her breast, you tug the bud between your fingers, squeezing and caressing,

You find her clit immediately, which makes her gasp.

She rocks her hips against you, you know when and how to stroke or circle or flick. You know exactly how much pressure drives her crazy. You already know how to play her body the way she likes it, and she knows you know, so she bucks against your fingers, wanting more of you.

The onslaught of her clit has been nearly constant since you stuck your hand there, she can feel her abdomen muscles clenching, and you play her just the way she needs to get her to her release.

You crash your lips against hers, swallowing up her moans, and you flick her clit repeatedly until she comes undone in your arms.

You wait for her to catch her breath. You both do, you kiss every square inch of skin you can find, her neck, her face, her nose, her chest...

"You destroying those guys is an image that will follow me for a long time" she presses your lips in a sloppy kiss "and i couldn't be happier".

Emily takes her time to massage your scalp, trying to get all the chlorine off your hair. When you both start feeling cold despite the water being warm, you decide it's time to get out.

Emily steps out of the shower, grabbing one of the fluffy and soft bathrobes hanging on the wall and putting it on.

You observe her naked figure from the shower, her slightly muscular back moving along with every step she took, and her long legs have you practically drooling. God, she is too perfect,

She comes back to you, opening her arms and holding the bathrobe open for you to slip in. She ties the knot closing it, and wraps you in her arms on a warm hug.

She holds your waist, and rests her head on your shoulder.

"Em, it's lunchtime already, we should get going" you say, moving away a strand of wet hair falling over her face, and kissing her scalp.

"Just one minute. You feel so warm like this"

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Ok, sorry I kept you waiting, i hope it was worth it and this isn't shit!

Yes, this is a direct reference to that one Station 19 scene.

Also, I was a swimmer in high school, so i projected a little, i'm literally just a girl <3

Like and reblog. Feedback is greatly appreciated <333

[overrboarrd]

sanctuary: prologue

firefighter!roman reigns x azure clarke [oc]

warnings: death/mentions of death, sibling loss, spousal loss. please read at your own discretion. this story is for audiences 18+ so minors please dni.

word count: 1.2k

a/n: finally getting the ball rolling on this one! I don't wanna say too much but this is just the prologue, first chapter will be posted this week. it's a bit heavy, but I hope y'all enjoy it!

•───────────•

August , 2024

•───────────•

Azure stood in front of the memorial stone, the rain mingling with her tears. It had been three years since that day. The folded flag from his funeral was still tucked away in her closet, along with the wedding ring she no longer wore but still kept. The life they built together had become nothing more than shadows, painful memories she carried like an anchor.

The third anniversary of his death—a life taken by violence while serving in the line of duty as a police officer, leaving Azure a widow far sooner than she ever imagined. She replayed the warm afternoon in her mind, the way time stopped when she opened the front door and saw Officer Ford and Officer Hayes, heart shattering when she learned her husband wasn’t coming home. It was her undoing, that moment. The moment her world collapsed.

Every day since, she had felt suspended between two worlds—the one she had before him, and the emptiness that followed his death.

After years of sleepless nights and well-meaning condolences, Azure couldn’t stay any longer. The memories of him haunted every corner of their old home, every familiar street in the city. She could no longer bear to walk down the paths they had once strolled together. Her grief had become suffocating.

The papers were signed, her resignation submitted to the hospital where she had worked for nearly five years. In the morning, she would pack up the last of her things and drive away from this chapter of her life.

Azure bent down to lay a small Polaroid from their wedding day on the grave, her hand lingering on the cold stone for just a moment longer. She whispered her goodbyes, feeling the weight of her decision settle on her heart.

“I’ll always love you,” she said, her shaky voice barely above a whisper. “But I have to go.”

As she turned to leave, the wind carried her words away, and with it, the first step toward something new.

•────────────────•

October, 2021

•────────────────•

The acrid scent of smoke filled the air, and Roman’s heartbeat echoed in his ears, faster than he could control. The fire raged, crackling louder than the sirens blaring around him. Flames licked at the sky, casting an eerie orange glow over the street.

Roman watched helplessly as the house crumbled, swallowed by the inferno. Fire hoses sprayed water in all directions, but it felt like nothing could quench the flames. In the chaos, one thing was painfully clear—Daniel was still inside.

He had already gone in once, like the hero he always was, emerging with a small bundle in his arms: a little girl, no more than two years old. Daniel’s face was soot-streaked, eyes wild with determination, but Roman saw the flicker of fear in his brother’s gaze. He had saved her, pulled her from the flames in time.

Roman had rushed toward Daniel when he stepped out, relief flooding his body. “You got her, man, you got her,” Roman had said, barely able to hear his own voice over the sirens.

But Daniel wasn’t looking at Roman—his eyes were fixated on the burning house, the flames licking dangerously at what was left of the roof. He handed the little girl off to a paramedic, but his body stayed taut, muscles coiled as if he were preparing for another run inside.

Roman grabbed his arm, pulling him back before he could reenter the house. “Daniel, wait! The roof—”

“There’s someone else inside, I don’t have time, Ro!” Daniel turned to face Roman. Roman could tell something was wrong, but before he could question it, Daniel jerked his arm free, his eyes fierce and mind made up.

“Daniel, no!” He disappeared into the blazing house. Roman’s stomach dropped. He wanted to follow, but the walls of the house groaned, threatening to collapse. The fire chief shouted something over the roar of the fire, but Roman didn’t hear it. All he could focus on was the growing, gnawing dread that his brother wouldn’t come back this time.

The minutes dragged on like hours, each second ticking by with Roman’s heart hammering in his chest. And then—

A deafening crash.

The roof caved in, sending embers flying into the night sky like a thousand stars falling to Earth. Roman felt the impact in his chest, the air punched from his lungs. Shouts erupted around him, but all he could see was the house, now reduced to a fiery skeleton.

He knew. Even before anyone said a word, he knew.

Daniel wasn’t coming out.

Roman’s knees buckled, but he caught himself, stumbling forward, only to be held back by a fellow firefighter. “Roman, no! It’s too late!”

The reality of it hit him like a sledgehammer. His brother—his best friend, his blood—was gone. There was no heroic rescue this time. There was nothing left to save.

And then, a cry pierced through the night.

Roman turned toward the sound, eyes falling on the little girl Daniel had rescued. She was sobbing, her face smudged with soot, her tiny body trembling from shock and fear. The paramedic, wide-eyed and silent, stood holding the child out toward him.

Roman looked down at her. She was so small, fragile, barely able to understand the magnitude of what had just happened. In her eyes, he saw nothing but confusion and fear. She reached out, clinging to him like he was the only solid thing in her world.

Roman held her close, cradling her as her sobs wracked her tiny body. He could feel the heat of the fire on his back, the devastation surrounding them, but in that moment, everything went silent.

He was left holding this little girl, the last life Daniel had saved.

She didn’t know what had happened. Didn’t know that the man who had pulled her from the flames was gone. But Roman knew. And as he held her in his arms, the weight of it hit him all at once. Roman stood there, his own tears mixing with the ash on his face, unable to process the magnitude of it all. He had just lost Daniel, but in his arms was the symbol of his brother’s final act of heroism.

“I’ve got you,” Roman whispered to the little girl, his voice cracking, though he wasn’t sure if he was saying it to her, to Daniel, or to himself. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

As the fire continued to rage behind him, Roman realized that he had been given more than just the responsibility of saving lives. He had been given this child, this tiny piece of his brother’s legacy. She had no one left now—and neither did he.

From that moment on, Roman knew.

He was her protector.

•────────────────•

Dear Brother, I hope this letter finds you well. I’ve been thinking about you a lot, and I miss you. It’s been a long journey, but I’ve finally settled in my new place. It’s quiet, not too far from the ocean. I never imagined I’d end up down here, but maybe that’s exactly what I needed—a fresh start, from everything. Things are… complicated right now. There’s so much I want to tell you, but I don’t know where to start. Just know that I’m okay. I’m figuring it out, one day at a time. I hope someday we can see each other again, in a different world maybe, where none of this matters. Know that no matter what, I will always love you.

[luigisblueoveralls]

First Time 🔥

Luigi x Reader (NSFW)

Summary: Luigi wants to take both of y'alls relationship to the next level but is very shy about it. You help him out with it.

(Y/N)= Your name

(S/T)=Skin tone

(H/C)=Hair color

Notes: NSFW, you help a virgin Luigi with his first time, fluffness and smutness ensues.

💚

"Hey honey can come and see how this tastes?" Luigi asked you while he was cooking dinner for the both of you.

You got up from the living room and walked to the kitchen. Luigi intently watched as you tasted the delicious tomato soup he was making on his cold and rainy night. You nearly fainted by how good it was.

"Oh my goodness, Luigi. This is delicious!"

Luigi's face turned into absolute happiness and joy. Him knowing that his cooking was delicious to you made him so happy. Nobody else's opinion mattered but yours.

"A-Are you sure? Does it need more salt?" Luigi asked.

"Lui," You started as you got close to Luigi, calling him by his nickname you have given him, "it is delicious and perfect the way it is. Just like you."

You leaned in close and gave Luigi a big smooch on his cheek, making his face blush red.

"You're so kind to me." Luigi said as you went and sat back down on the couch.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" You reassured Luigi.

Both of you have been together for almost three years now. You first met when your pipes in your house had broken and you had to call the Mario Brothers for help. They fixed your plumbing no problem and you even gave them a hefty tip due to their help and them willing to come at the very last second. Afterwards though, you had bumped into Luigi in public one day and well one thing led to another and the two of you became great friends. The two of you talked on the phone late at night till three in the morning or sometimes till the sun was rising and were attached to the hip. It wasn't long before Luigi confessed to his big brother Mario, which you have hung out with a few times and you both were cool with each other, that he had feelings for you. Of course Mario told Luigi just to tell you how he felt. Easier said than done. Mario was already in a relationship with his girlfriend Peach while Luigi had never been in a serious relationship before. He confessed to you one night on the phone as the previous day rolled into the next day. You were left so stunned that Luigi thought he ruined everything and started apologizing repeatedly. You had to reassure him and help meddle his anxiety that you did indeed feel the same way. That was nearly three years ago. And you both are happier than ever. Except there's one thing missing. Intimacy. It's always on both of their minds. You want Luigi to make the first move, and Luigi wants you to make the first move. They just haven't said it to each other before.

Dinner was eventually ready and he served both you and himself, but made sure you were served first before him. He always made sure of that. Luigi cares about you so much and loves you so much. He wants you to be first for everything.

"Oh thank you, Lui." You thanked him as he handed you your plate.

"Of course, my love."

Just hearing him call you my love always filled you with euphoria. You loved him so much. You wanted to take it to the next level, you just weren't sure if he was ready or not. As you both ate the delicious dinner Luigi cooked for the both of you, you thought of the right words to say to Luigi. You didn't want to scare him off or startle him by asking.

"Hey Lui?" You called to him.

Luigi looked up at you, letting you know nonverbally that you had his full undivided attention.

"So um we have been together for three years now. And you know I have been thinking long and hard about this but why don't we try and take it to the next level?"

Luigi eyes immediately went wide and his face turned beet red. You immediately regretted what you said.

"Oh I'm sorry Lui I didn't mean-"

"Mean to w-what?" He stuttered.

You can tell he was very flustered by your question. So flustered that he started to sweat.

"Well if you aren't ready then you aren't." You attempted to reassure him.

"W-Well that's the thing. I have been waiting for you to ask that."

You mentally facepalmed at what Luigi said. This whole time he was wanting to do this but never said anything.

"Honey! Why didn't you say anything to me?"

"I uh, w-well you see I don't know how to do that sort of thing. You're my first serious relationship you know." Luigi explained to you in a very flustered tone.

You then realized the reason why Luigi never said anything till you did was because he doesn't know how to do it.

"Luigi you still should've said something. I can very well teach and show you how." You reassured him lovingly, resting your hand on top of his.

Luigi stared at you. You can tell his heart was racing as well as his anxiety over this.

"But if you aren't ready then I can wait longer for you. I want our first time to be a magical moment." You reassured him as you scooted closer to Luigi.

Luigi just stared down. He was trying to figure on what to do. He wants this next level of relationship with you. He just wasn't sure if he would be any good or if he'd mess up too much.

"Besides, it will be your first time. It won't be perfect. Trust me. My first time wasn't perfect I can promise you that. And also you'll have your very own teacher to help you with that." You winked at Luigi when you said teacher, making him sheepishly chuckle.

Luigi thought about it for another moment. He just didn't want to mess this up nor the moment not be good. That's what made him anxious the most. But at the same time, he wanted this. He wanted this bond with you. Just the thought of you laying in bed, with him standing over you, with no clothes on instantly got him aroused, but he didn't admit to that. In the past he has accidently walked in on you changing by pure accident, you had a bad habit of not locking the door when changing, and has caught a glimpse once or twice. And he won't admit to it but after those glimpses, let's just say he had to lock himself in the bathroom for a minute or so.

Luigi then turned his attention back to you, and he had a reassuring smile on his face. You could read that his face was full of love and care for you. Whenever it was your turn to cook, he would wash the dishes for you after you were done cooking, even if you insisted. He would describe you with words such as stunning and gorgeous. He would always open the door for you and let you in through first, no matter where y'all were at. You would wake up to him soothing and calming you down if you were having a nightmare. And so so much more. He says it all the time, but you were truly the best person to ever come into his life.

"I do want this. But you have to promise to help me, okay?"

"I promise." You promised Luigi, reassuring him.

Luigi then got up and immediately started cleaning up the kitchen as quickly as he could and he came back to you.

"Well shall I take my lady up to the bedroom?" Luigi said, making you laugh.

You know he is trying to be smug and it was cute. You thought he was cute all the time no matter what but he was the cutest right now. You let Luigi come to you and ever so gently wrap his arms around you, hold you tight and lift you up out of the chair with your head leaning on his chest.

"I'm not going to drop you, (Y/N). I promise." Luigi reassured you as he took you to both of y'alls bedroom.

He then gently sat you down on the bed and went back to the front door to shut it. Luigi came back to you, standing in front of you. You can tell he was waiting for your commands and on what to do. His face turned beet red as he laughed sheepishly.

"U-Um..so." Luigi stuttered with an embarrassed tone.

"What's up, Lui?" You asked him, seeing his nerves get the best of him.

"D-Do you want me to take your clothes off?" Luigi stuttered, asking for your approval.

"I mean if you really want to then go for it." You were trying to let Luigi go at his own pace and be as patient as you possibly could and it was only cause you were so excited for this moment.

Luigi nodded as he approached you. You were sitting upright on the edge of the bed as Luigi got closer to you and started pulling your shirt off. Your shirt was halfway off when Luigi screeched to a halt. You looked and noticed that Luigi was looking down at your breasts, with a super dark red blush covering his face. You had forgotten that you haven't been wearing a bra this whole night. He was staring in awe with his eyes wide open as well as in embarrassment with that blush covering his entire face.

"Ah um I'm sorry." Luigi apologized as he pulled your shirt off and tossed it to the side.

"For what? Admiring your girlfriend?" You asked him making him feel flustered.

"Well you know they say it's rude to stare." Luigi mentioned.

"Well in this case, I'd be offended if you didn't stare." You half joked with Luigi making his blush become a dark red.

He was so red that he looked like one of those old cartoon characters who would get so angry their faces would turn red. But in this case it was cause Luigi could barely hold himself together. And you noticed that he was covering himself down there with his hands.

"What are you hiding?" You questioned him slyly.

"Uh, uh nothing. Nothing at all!" Luigi jolted with embarrassment, covering his crouch up some more.

For some reason, Luigi felt so embarrassed for not only rudely staring at his girlfriend but also now that he was super hard that it was poking completely through his shorts.

"Luigi, that is nothing to be embarrassed about I promise." You reassured him.

Luigi didn't say anything as he removed his hands from down there. He was indeed very hard. Just from seeing your breasts fully for the first time had him very aroused. So aroused that he was worried that the slightest movement would make him cum in his shorts.

"Are you okay?" You asked him.

Luigi nodded as he started taking your shorts off. You can tell he was being very delicate and gentle, taking in every inch of you as he was seeing a new part of yourself for the first time. Your (S/T) glowed as he ran his hands down your legs and thighs. It made you aroused instantly. Eventually Luigi got to your underwear and removed it. You were now fully naked in front of Luigi and he couldn't keep his eyes off of you. You were so beautiful in his eyes. More prettier than any other woman in the entire world.

"Y-You're so beautiful, (Y/N)." Luigi said as he started placing soft kisses on your legs and thighs.

His long mustache tickled you a little with every kiss he made but you were loving every single moment of this. This moment was full of bliss and love between the both of you. Once he was done he looked back up at you with a twinkle in his eyes. A white twinkle in his beautiful blue eyes that you loved looking into all the time.

"What do you want me to do next, love?" Luigi asked you.

"I believe it is your turn to take your clothes off." You mentioned, "it ain't fair you know that I'm naked and you still got your clothes on."

Luigi awkwardly chuckled as he got up and started undressing in front of you. You watched intently as your handsome boyfriend removed all of his clothes. He eventually was done and was sheepishly trying to hide himself from you. You looked and noticed how big he was. He wasn't necessarily very long but he was thick. Probably a good five inches. Luigi noticed you staring and got even more flustered.

"Don't hide, Lui. Come here." You encouraged him to sit next to you.

Once he did, you turned around to face him and immediately placed a big kiss on his lips, kissing him passionately. Luigi then wrapped his arms around you, bringing you closer to him. Feeling your naked chest on top of his, made him shiver with delight. You could feel his slightly chapped lips moving in unison with yours as well as his mustache fluttering on your nose with gentle ease that it doesn't provoke you to be tickilish there. You and Luigi have never had this type of moment together until now. It was a magical moment. An absolute magical moment.

You pulled yourself away from Luigi, staring right into his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" You asked Luigi, checking up on him.

"N-Nervous, but also really good. You're so beautiful, (Y/N). Your body is stunning. The way your (H/C) hair just falls down your (S/T) skin just makes you glow. I have to admit if I could look at your body for forever I would." Luigi flattered you.

"Oh you flirt. You lover boy." You joked with Luigi, although you were very much flattered.

"Do you want to keep going?" You asked him.

Luigi smiled and nodded at you with reassurance. You could tell he was getting more and more confidence as they went on. You then crawled up the bed and laid down were y'all would normally sleep at. You didn't know if it was instinct or Luigi just knew, Luigi then moved towards you and was hovering over you. A sight you didn't think you'd be seeing. Luigi's face contuined to have that same dark red blush.

"You're so cute when you are flustered." You told him, making him chuckle.

"Well, its what I do best."

You chuckled in response to him as y'all went back to what y'all were doing.

"Do we have protection here?" You asked Luigi.

Luigi nodded as he left you for a second and quickly came back with a condom. You could tell Luigi was getting more and more nervous as you and him kept going. But that was expected of him. He slipped the condom on, and he shakingly got back on top of you.

"Relax, Lui. You're okay I promise." You reassured him, caressing his face.

"I-I know. I just..can't stop staring at you. You're so gorgeous. I never realized that you were so beautiful underneath those clothes." Luigi praised your body, making your cheeks turn rosey pink.

"Oh stop it." You jokingly said even though you were loving his praise for you.

It gave you a whole different feeling.

"So, um I just stuck it in?" Luigi asked you embarrassingly.

You can tell Luigi felt embarrassed asking these questions. He felt as though he should know this stuff already and shouldn't have to be relying on his lady to know how to have sex.

"Lui seriously don't feel ashamed. It's your first time." You continued to reassure him.

Luigi nodded in response. You then grabbed his dick which made him flinch a little but only from surprisement. You then helped him guide him inside of you and Luigi did a deep moan as he did so. Luigi was so sweaty already and shaking. You felt so good. So warm and good. It made him quiver intensely.

"You okay?" You asked him as you were getting used to his size inside of you.

You knew he was big but you didn't think you'd have to take a minute for your body to adjust to him.

"Y-Yeah, I uh, oh, (Y/N). You just feel so good." Luigi moaned to you which just turned you on so much more.

He hasn't even started thrusting and he was already just moaning from how good you felt. You could feel your body starting to relax and getting used to Luigi.

"Alright, Lui you can keep going." You gave him the go ahead.

Luigi placed his hands above your shoulders, still hanging over you, as his brace and he started moving himself in and out of you slowly.

"Oh, oh, oh my god."

Luigi deeply moaned from the feeling of you inside of him. It was too much for him but it all felt so good to him.

"Oh, oh (Y/N)!"

Luigi suddenly screamed out your name as he cummed hard. He caught his breath as he leaned his head onto your shoulder, feeling super embarrassed of himself. You were surprised by how quickly he came just from three thrusts but you weren't going to shame him for it. In fact, you took it as a compliment. You felt that good to him that he couldn't help but finish early.

"Oh God I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry, (Y/N). I tried I really did to hold back but I couldn't." Luigi started hysterically apologizing.

"Luigi, stop. It's okay. It's only your first time I promise you that it's okay." You reassured Luigi as you made him look into your eyes.

You can just read that he felt shame and embarrassed of himself just for that action.

"Besides, I take it as a compliment. Did I feel that good to you?" You asked him, rubbing his chin.

"Uh well, yeah. You felt really, really good to me. I think I can go more another round just give me a second." Luigi told you.

The fact that you felt so good to him made you feel so good about yourself. You can tell Luigi still felt bad about cumming so early for y'alls first time doing this but you continued to reassure him as you could feel him start to get hard again inside of you.

"I think I'm ready again." Luigi told you.

"Well then, go ahead, big boy." You told him, making him flustered.

Luigi leaned down close to you as he began thrusting himself in and out of you softly and gently. He didn't want to hurt you or cause you any pain so he figured he'd start off slow to see how you feel. Just feeling Luigi go in and out of you, made you feel so much euphoria and made your whole body tingle. You wrapped your arms around Luigi's black and then wrapped your legs around your waist.

"Oh, (Y/N). T-That feels good." Luigi moaned referring to you wrapping your legs around his waist.

It made yourself tighten around his dick which felt so good to him. He could hardly wait. He wanted to jack hammer you because he was wanting to make you feel good but he held back. Suddenly, Luigi managed to thrust into the right spot inside of you, making you moan deeply into his ear.

"L-Lui. Right there, please." You begged.

"C-Can I go faster?" Lui quivered out.

He could hardly speak, this whole moment made him feel so euphoric and good.

"Yes. Faster please." You moaned as Luigi quickened his thrusts.

You gripped his back with your nails as the feeling of pleasure was beginning to fill your entire body. Luigi was going so hard and fast that the entire bed was shaking and smacking into the wall with every thrust. You were both so glad you didn't have any close neighbors.

"Lui, Luigi. Oh God, you feel so good. Don't stop please."

"A-Ah. Ah, (Y/N). Oh God, I need you. I need you. Hmmhm." Luigi whimpered into your ear.

You could feel your entire body start getting super warm and tingly. You could feel yourself getting close to finishing. It was such an intense feeling but it felt so good.

"Are you close?" You asked Luigi.

"Ah, ah, a-ah."

That was all Luigi could answer you with. You can tell it was all overwhelming Luigi a little bit but also felt so good to him.

"Oh, Lui. Lui! Ohhh!!" You screamed as you finished and gripped Luigi hard from the intense pleasure taking over your body.

You finishing causes Luigi to quicken and harden his thrusts. It didn't hurt you at all thank God he just couldn't hold himself back anymore after hearing you finish because of you. It made him feel so good.

"Oh, oh, oh God, (Y/N)!" Luigi shakingly yelled your name as he cummed for the second time. You could feel his entire body shake so intensely as he cummed and he continued to do so as he finished his orgasm.

The two of you laid there in bed in silence, both catching your breaths and coming down from the high you both felt from each other.

"Oh Lui. That felt amazing." You complimented him.

Luigi raised his head up to look at you and his eyes were wide.

"W-Was it really?" He asked.

"Of course it was. It was an amazing moment." You reassured him, holding his shoulders.

"O-Okay I believe you. I promise that next time I'll be better." Luigi promised.

"Oh stop being so hard on yourself Luigi. You were great I promise." You reassured him and he gave you a gentle smile in response.

The two of you laid there until you got an idea.

"How about we get in the shower and clean ourselves up?" You suggested.

"Yeah. That sounds lovely." Luigi said with a loving smile.

The two of you got out of bed as you both headed for the shower, still reeling in from the magical and blissful moment you both had with each other.

💚

I hope you guys enjoyed it! I can do kind of a part 2 to this with the shower aftercare scene if y'all want! Also, my tumblr is glitched at the moment and I can reply to any replies at the moment even though they are turned on so thank you all for the support for the first x reader I uploaded of Luigi!

[cherryxsapphic]

Miss Delight sfw alphabet 🎀

So I heard the children were hungry for Miss Delight content well I'm here to serve 😌

I hope y'all enjoy ♡

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

At first, she’s very closed off and sometimes passive-aggressive because you’re unfamiliar, and she’s honestly just scared. Once you manage to coax her out of her shell (heh), she’s very touchy and wants to make sure you’re taking care of yourself to the best of your abilities. Being an anatomy teacher, she knows how much you’re supposed to be eating and sleeping, and if she finds out you’re lacking in either, you will never hear the end of it. 

She will force you into self-care and snuggle with both the most threatening grin and the kindest eyes you have ever seen. Although she herself doesn’t really need sleep, she will lie down with you just to be near you.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Definitely the mom friend. She’s got snacks literally everywhere you can think of and will not hesitate to pull one out if you need/want one. In her shirt pocket, she carries granola bars and maybe a bandaid or two in case you’re accident-prone (like me oop-)

Gives the best advice too. Having relationship trouble? She's right there with solutions or just an ear to listen.

Don't know what to make for dinner? She's got cookbooks you can look through.

Want someone to come with you to the grocery store? Sure, just give her a second to grab the suitcase she calls a purse.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

I like to think that despite Miss Delight’s body being mostly plastic, she still runs pretty cold, so every chance she gets, she wants to sap your warmth like a cumbersome house cat.

At night, once you lay down to go to sleep, she is all over you. You alternate between spooning and laying on each other's chests, trying to be as close to each other as possible. During the hotter months, she makes do with just holding your hand.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Homegirl absolutely cannot cook, please for the love of god, DO NOT let her in the kitchen EVER.

But besides that, Miss Delight is very good at cleaning! While you handle the cooking and do your best to help her in any way you can, especially after she deals with so many kids daily, girly deserves a rest.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Simply impossible. You would have to die before thinking about breaking up with her.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quickly would they want to get married?) 

Marriage isn't really something Miss Delight would think about at first. She's happy just to be together with you because she loves you. She would still be perfectly content being your domestic partner if it never came up.

If you call her your wife, even lightheartedly, she would probably laugh along with you, but that might get the gears turning, and you would sit down to talk about it a while later.

When you propose, she wouldn’t  want a huge flashy event like at a restaurant. A romantic date night at home with her favorite meal by candlelight  would be her dream proposal.

She wouldn’t want a huge flashy ring because honestly, it's a bit much. Instead, she'd most likely go for a smaller solitaire diamond or just a simple gold wedding band.

 G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?) 

Physically, she may not fully grasp just how strong she is until she hurts you by complete accident. Once she realizes, she’s incredibly apologetic and is willing to do anything to make it up to you.

Emotionally, she’s extremely fragile because of everything she’s been put through in the last ten years or so. Some days are easier than others, but other days she will be so riddled with anxiety and stress that all you can do is sit with her and let her know she's okay.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?) 

Once she warms up to you, she’ll velcro herself to your hip. She’s spent 10 years by herself, so she is extremely touch-starved and will take advantage of all your time together. 

Because she’s mostly plastic (with the exception of her torso, which is strangely body temperature), she’s a strange combination of temperatures and textures, so it was weird to get used to at first.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

It would be one random night, probably after dinner. The two of you are cuddled up on the couch, not really paying attention to what's on TV.

She keeps glancing up at you and looking away, almost like she's worried about something. So, you nudge her and ask what's up.

Miss Delight is silent for a second before whispering, “I uh, I think I love you,” and immediately looks down at her nails as if trying to pretend she didn't just say that.

You’re still looking at her, and you wrap your arm around her a little tighter. You lean down and place a gentle kiss on the top of her head before whispering a soft

“I love you too.” 

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Being the youngest out of all her sisters, competition over everything was seen as normal. She could handle jealousy like a pro until you came into the picture.

Now if another woman so much as breathes near you, she's pissed. If she could, she would keep you at home all to herself, but instead she will shoot that woman the nastiest glare she can muster and just will her into going away.

You'll talk about it after you get home, and she will think she did absolutely nothing wrong and was just protecting what's hers. Of course, you can't really be mad at her, so with a few kisses, she is forgiven for her mile-wide possessive streak.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?) 

Imagine kissing the edge of your sink, but it presses back. She has no lips, but she’ll use her chompers to the best of her ability to give you all the kisses you deserve. Her favorite place to kiss you would be your neck cause she has a biting kink real <333

She would also enjoy neck and forehead kisses from you, especially if you're sitting in her lap so she can wrap her arms around you.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?) 

Homegirl is a teacher, she’s gonna be the best around kiddos of any age. 

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?) 

Usually, you would wake up alone simply because she’s an early riser and can’t stand to be idle for too long. She’ll gently shake you awake and hand over a piping hot cup of coffee, just how you like it (she hates energy drinks and scolds you if you start your day with one)

If, by some miracle, you manage to crawl out of bed before her, she loves when you rouse her with gentle butterfly kisses all over her face (bonus points if you’ve got a plate of eggs and bacon with you)

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

At first, she wouldn’t really know what to do with you. Miss Delight has spent a long time just watching and patrolling, so she would continue the habit regardless of your presence there. After you two get to know each other, she starts lingering closer to your room, almost like she’s guarding you. Gradually, she’d start laying down with you and not quite sleeping, but she enjoys resting with you. It gives her a sense of normalcy.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

As a teacher, she knows how to share personal stuff without making it personal, if that makes sense. It would take some time to get her to open up truly, and even then, some topics are absolutely off the table.

Should you accidentally mention one of the topics she won't talk about, like how the cracks in her face got there, or her sisters, or where she happened to be in August of 1995, she'll completely shut down and won't speak for a good few hours.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

You would think that because she's a school teacher, she has the patience of a saint. You'd be correct, but that only applies to little kiddos.

If you're an adult acting dumb or wasting her time on purpose, she won't hold back, and you'll probably get something between a pointed glare and an all-out verbal lashing.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or forget everything?)

Her brain is like a sponge; if she deems the topic important enough, she will absorb every bit of information she can. 

You just so happen to mention your favorite song? She'll memorize the lyrics on the same day.

Mention a dish you happen to like? Well, she can't cook for shit, but she will memorize a recipe to help you make it.

Miss Delight will learn your routine down to the average time you wake up in the morning so that she can make fresh coffee for the two of you to enjoy.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

As cliché as it is, her favorite moment would be your first kiss. She had gone to extreme lengths to make sure everything was perfect for the two of you.

She had ordered your favorite takeout and set it up nicely on the dining room table, went out and bought a nice bottle of wine for you to share, and she even put on a touch of makeup for confidence.

You had come home and had probably the worst day ever. Your coworkers were just piling more and more shit on top of you, and your boss expected everything to get done. By the time you left, you were ready to just collapse into bed, dinner be damned.

When you walked in the door, you were greeted by Miss Delight standing next to the table, which was covered in your favorite food. She grinned and asked how your day was while stepping closer to take your coat off. God, you loved it when she did stuff like this.

With your coat now off and in her hands, you wrapped your arms around her shoulders and pulled her into you for the warmest hug you've had in years. You lean up and gently place your hand on her cheek before whispering about how good she looks, how much you missed her, and how nice she was for surprising you like this.

“W-well, I wanted it to be perfect.”

“Wanted what to be perfect, love?”

“This..” 

She whispered and leaned in to give you probably the sweetest kiss you've ever had.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Miss Delight and Barb would literally kill someone if they upset or, god forbid, harmed you in some way. She's definitely up there on the protectiveness scale.

Miss Delight is a very anxious creature, so she would definitely like to avoid dangerous situations now that she's in a good place with you. If something bad were to happen, she could step up but would definitely prefer if you either stood in front of her to shield her or wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Miss Delight absolutely loves to go all out for everything. As mentioned with your first kiss, she set up the perfect date night because she wanted to do something nice for the two of you.

Anniversaries would be something very special to her, considering the fact that you might as well be her soulmate at this point. Both of you will go all out for this celebration, calling out of work and spending the entire day with each other.

This also goes for holidays as well, especially like Christmas or Valentine's Day, because imagine sitting with her and making cute little Valentine's Day decorations to hang around the house or decorating the Christmas tree like girly goes all out.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

She bites, but not even in a sexual way most times. She just thinks that’s a normal way to show affection, and it has left you bruised numerous times (not that some of you would mind)

Miss Delight also leaves coffee cups and dishes EVERYWHERE. If she takes one with her to the bathroom or her home office, she will absolutely leave it there. If she takes a travel mug to her classroom, you are never seeing it again.

Your good plates? You’d better keep those in the dining room. Otherwise, you might sit on one that she LEFT ON THE FUCKING COUCH BEFORE BED, GOD DAMMIT!!

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Miss Delight puts on a façade of not really caring what she looks like, but every so often, you’ll catch glimpses of her looking in a mirror. She’ll be staring at her cracked face, wondering if there’s anything that can be done or if she’ll be stuck looking broken forever. 

When you catch her in one of these moods, you always take your time to comfort and reassure her that she's beautiful (which she is) and that you will always love her no matter what she looks like.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Absolutely she would. You are quite possibly the best thing that has happened to her, and now that she's got you, she finally has someone to rely on and help care for her.

If you left, she would be torn apart mentally. The heartbreak might be enough for her to completely snap.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

Miss Delight likes to jumpscare you sometimes. By standing still in a dark hallway or grabbing you from behind whenever you're not looking, she thinks it's funny, and your screams are really cute too!

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

As previously mentioned, she does not like energy drinks and will scold you if she catches you drinking one.

She hates cigarettes too, especially the smell and how bad they are for you.

Also, if you have a habit of cracking your neck, back, or knuckles, she won't say anything, but she hates the sound. When you do it, she'll stop what she's doing just to turn and glare at you.

Z = Zzz (What are their sleep habits?)

She doesn’t need to sleep. She didn’t for a long time until she met you. When you first laid down to go to sleep, she watched over you to make sure nothing messed with you. As time went on, she got more and more curious until she worked up the courage to ask if she could lie down with you; you just looked so warm and cozy…

She rested peacefully for the first time in over ten years that night. 

Special thanks to my beloved @s1nful-sa1nt this probably would not have ever gotten out without them, so I love you very much <33

[kurithedweeb]

Okay SO, I think it was @al-ld who made the post about feeling like Xavier was retconned into being Esmund because the Jury of Nine is under O'khasis control if not directly under a Ro'Meave who are regarded as Esmund's bloodline, but I had the thought of what if they were both Ro'Meaves and then it turned into rewrite canon so I'm inflicting it on y'all too.

What if Esmund and Xavier were brothers, what if they were twins? They did everything together, they were close as could be. They became guards together and planned that if either of them ever ended up having to become Lord in the event their older sibling the heir died, they would do that together too. And then Irene came into the picture.

They both loved her. And Esmund was chosen as a Divine Warrior, and Xavier who had served at Irene's side as her personal guard, maybe even her head guard, was somehow left behind. 

The distance gave Xavier clarity. He loved her, yes, but he could see the way she was around Shad and quickly came to realize that she would never feel towards him what he felt towards her, and even if she did she would long outlive him on account of her seeming immortality, but maybe he could still protect her the way he once had after death. He went home to O'khasis, instituted the first guard academy there and the Jury of Nine, which he led and which followed the Divine Warriors on their later adventures as they went on their quest to save the world. Maybe he and Esmund get back to how they once were. During the separation, he became known as the Admirer because he admired both Irene and his brother from afar. 

In the meantime, Esmund followed in Irene's footsteps. He only looked back when he realized his brother was far behind, no longer following where Esmund led the way he always had before, and this spurs doubts about his position in the Divine Warriors. Did he do the right thing getting so close? Is it worth it when the one person who has been at his side his entire life, who he had always planned spending the rest of his life alongside, was gone? He followed Irene because he loved her, but it takes a lot longer for him to realize what Xavier had, and once he does the realization makes him feel like he had left his brother behind for nothing despite his work as the Protector, because she didn't love him either and even if she did he knew he couldn't make himself admit his feelings for her. So he sat and stewed in all these feelings, wondering whether he should leave for home, if they would be able to complete the mission they had set out to complete without him, and the guilt eats him up inside. 

Then Xavier shows back up with the Jury in tow. Esmund realizes that his brother has had an entire life without him while he was away. 

He made an institution that would outlive them all, he moved on, he's married with a kid on the way and Esmund was so far out of reach that this is the first he's hearing of it. They catch up, they talk about everything they should have years ago, and Xavier has to leave before the final battle when news reaches them that the heir of O'khasis, their older sister’s only child, is dead. Someone has to be the heir, someone has to put the Lord back together again, and Esmund is too important to the mission. 

This is when he realizes that this entire time, Xavier was the one leaving him behind and now he will never catch up. But he can protect Irene, something Xavier dedicated a massive chunk of his life to, and so he became Irene's guard in his brother's stead and remained so until the so-called betrayal' of Shad, a man he had come to think of as a brother too, and afterwards he went home to O'khasis to be with Xavier again. 

Further down the line, Esmund returns to Divine Warriors business but helps run the guard academy and Jury of Nine, and when their older sister dies the twins rule O'khasis as the only duo of Lords in known history. Esmund never married, his heart belonging solely to Irene, and so never had any children and when Xavier died his children became the heirs, beginning the modern Ro'Meave line. Esmund rules alone for a number of years, taking care of Xavier's family, the guard academy, the Jury, and holds O'khasis to the ideals of the woman he once loved, which turns O'khasis into the religious powerhouse it is today. When Esmund dies, his relic gets passed down to Xavier's children, eventually making it all the way down to Garroth and Zane, which makes anyone not in the know about Xavier believe that the Ro'Meaves are Esmund's direct descendants.

[rogueddie]

Different Time AU, Steddie Fics

Important: READ THE TAGS! Also, leave a comment and kudos! These fics are amazing and I love them and I hope y'all do too 🕓

I'm a Fool to Want You

senoritablack

Steve Harrington is a regular at Valentine’s, a word-of-mouth, traveling party for queers. As a hard-knocked detective in a town meant to kill you slowly, he’s not meaning to be anything but drunk at tonight’s shindig. Somehow, with the help of a gorgeous pianist, he finds himself in love.

Words : 7,755 Chapters : 1/1 Rating : Explicit

AO3 : x

( Set in the 1940s )

Don't threaten me with a good time

QueenOfSwords1312

No sooner is Eddie through the door, bottle in hand, than he’s being swept up in someone’s arms and pressed back against a wall. He blinks a few times to steady his vision after the near-whiplash move and comes face-to-face with Coriolanus himself, Steve Harrington. He’s got one hand on Eddie’s waist and the other has smoothly made its way into Eddie’s hair at the back of his head. And Eddie’s still clutching the damn wine bottle neck so he only has one free hand to grasp at Steve’s sweater.

The last time Eddie had seen the beautiful man, he’d been on stage, covered in fake blood and waxing poetic about all the bad decisions he made in his life to land him where he was. Which was hot , if a bit sad, but definitely fucking hot.

“You’re—” Eddie starts, but Steve cuts him off.

“Gonna kiss you now, if that’s alright,” Steve says, already staring at Eddie’s mouth.

Words : 7,496 Chapters : 1/1 Rating : Explicit

AO3 : x

( Modern au )

What Do You Want?

Sharpbutsoft (BuckysButt)

He hears the clink of glass pearls first, then feels a bare arm pressed alongside his own, warm through his thin cotton shirt.

“You here alone, handsome?” asks a low, husky voice, right into his ear. Steve turns to see the most beautiful person on whom he’s ever laid eyes.

Tall, with long, dark hair and darker eyes. A gash of red lipstick on her full lips, a stylish fringed dress and a strings of pearls hanging off her boyish frame.

Words : 1,543 Chapters : 1/1 Rating : Teen And Up Audiences

AO3 : x

( The whole series is great, and it is also written / co-written by dodger_chan. Set in the 1920s. )

May I Have This Dance?

sky_neverending

Steve attends a masquerade with Robin, and ends up meeting a handsome stranger who awakens a new feeling.

Words : 3,162 Chapters : 2/2 Rating : Teen And Up Audiences

AO3 : x

( Set in the 1800s )

Moments can be Monuments to You, if Your Life is Interesting and True

DiscoSuperFly

Working 911 dispatch in a small town is equal parts stressful and rewarding. Steve likes to think he's making a difference.

Eddie quietly returns to Hawkins and is surprised by everyone who chose to stay.

Why would a golden boy like Steve Harrington stick around in this dead end town?

Words : 58,749 Chapters : 7/7 Rating : Explicit

AO3 : x

( Set in the 90s )

Betting On Your Name

FIick

“But I don’t want her Eddie!” The prince throws his hands up. “Why can’t my father see there are other candidates who are closer to me, right here at home!”

“Who do you want then?” Eddie asks his breath catching in his throat, his hands itching to reach out and reassure. This is a dangerous game. Far more so than a silly childhood bet. It’s a very easy thing to say he’ll give Prince Steve the air from his lungs, and another entirely to do so.

Words : 4,533 Chapters : 1/1 Rating : General Audiences

AO3 : x

( Medieval au )

the devil’s camaro (please don’t remember me, it’s only 1993)

roosterroo

It’s 1993. Eddie works at his local garage after serving time for a drug charge in high school. There he meets Steve, a typical well to do suburban dad type, who turns everything Eddie believes on his head. And he’s married- but also flirting with him?

Words : 32,798 Chapters : 6/6 Rating : Mature

AO3 : x

Here is the Repeated Image of the Lover Destroyed

stevefuckingharrington

He could feel the warm, wet red of his blood slipping down over his fingers and dripping onto the forest floor. He had been stabbed before of course - it came as part of the job - but never quite like this. He could feel himself dying, his life slipping through his own weak grasp.

It was no longer a case of ‘if’, but ‘when’.

Words : 1,744 Chapters : 1/1 Rating : Mature

AO3 : x

( Medieval au )

Blood 🩸 & Caffeine ☕

Witch_Weakly

Eddie's got a little vampire...problem. You see, he normally feeds once a month from the blood bank at the hospital where he works. And that's normally fine. The blood provides him with life for a few days - breathing, hunger for real food, a healthy sex drive. And then that fades away, replaced by a mild bloodlust that gets stronger until he finally needs to feed again. This cycle is fine as long as he doesn't go too long. As long as he feeds before he gets so numb and so hungry that he loses himself. Except one day, that's exactly what happens. And it's only been a few weeks since his last feeding. Way too soon. In a panic, he feeds early and now needs silly human things like sleep during his scheduled night shift. Guess it's time for a trip down to the coffee shop. But on top of meeting a hot barista, Eddie finds that his little problem is only getting worse.

Words : 17,756 Chapters : 9/9 Rating : Explicit

AO3 : x

( Modern AU )

[comically-callous]

PART 2 FOR THE MILES N READER SLEEPING IN THR SAME BED ITS SO CUTE I NEED😢

Y'all ask, I serve 💅

Miles Morales x Fem!Reader

You can read part one of the fic here!

A/n: First time doing a sequel fic 😈 My requests are open, as always. Sorry if I'm taking a while to get to them. My winter break recently ended, and I've got finals coming up, so-

Warnings: None, methinks.

The morning sunlight streamed in through Y/n's bedroom window. She slowly opened her eyes and was met with the sleeping face of Miles.

Their faces were mere inches apart, and his arms were wrapped around her, holding her close.

She felt her face heat up as her heart began to race.

There's no way this is actually happening.

This was both a dream come true and an absolute nightmare.

Did she like Miles? Yes. But, he was supposed to be her best friend! This wasn't supposed to be happening!

She had to do something. She had to slip out of his arms.

She slowly began to move her body away from his. For a second she thought it was working and then Miles pulled her back in, stirring in his sleep.

Please, don't wake up. Please, don't wake up. Please, don't wake up.

His eyes cracked open.

NO!

His eyes widened when he realized he was holding her to his chest.

For a moment they both just stared at each other, faces hot, eyes wide, in uncomfortable silence.

Suddenly they were both spouting out rushed apologies at each other as Y/n practically threw herself off of the bed and Miles sat up straight.

Once they both stopped frantically apologizing, Y/n sighed. "I'm sorry, I..."

"It's alright. I mean, it's not your fault."

"I know it's not... That sort of made it sound like I'm saying it's your fault. It's not your fault."

"Yeah, I know. I don't think it's my fault. It's no one's fault, we were both asleep, so-"

Y/n sighed. "This is weird..."

"It's not! Well, I guess we both kinda made it weird."

"Yeah... Sorry for freaking you out."

"You don't need to apologize! I mean, I'm only freaking out this much because I like you."

...

"What?" She didn't hear that right. He didn't just say that.

Miles seemed to not realize what he'd just said.

"You like me?" She asked.

Miles' eyes widened and he was even more flustered than he'd been when waking up next to you. "Uh..." God, he really wanted to go invisible and swing away right now. "Yeah... I guess I do." He hesitantly looked up from the ground, scared to see her reaction.

Y/n looked just as flustered as him. "That's-"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, and I totally get it if you don't want me to come over ever again and if you don't wanna be friends with me anymore. You know what? I should probably just leave. I'm gonna leave." Miles rambled and he began to stumble toward her bedroom window to leave, but he was stopped by her grabbing his shoulders and making him face her.

"Miles, dude." She smiled at him, her face still hot. "I like you too."

He felt like he was frozen in place at that confession. "Really?"

"I thought it was obvious." She shrugged.

"I... Don't think it was?" Miles wasn't sure. Maybe it was obvious and he was just bad at reading signals.

"So..." She looked at him expectantly. Miles blinked, unsure what she wanted from him. "This is the part where you ask me out on a date."

"Oh. Oh! Yeah! Uh... Do you wanna, like... Go to the park or something? We could get lunch there?"

Y/n leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "The park sounds great."

Miles was frozen in place again, smiling like an idiot after the small peck on his cheek.

...

"This is the part where you go home to get ready."

"Right! Yeah.. I'll go. See you later."

[abarbaricyalp]

Written for the @sambuckylibrary anniversary event! CW: Violence, injury, blood, MCD I don't know where this came from. Sorry. I did reblog a lot of stellar art last night if you'd rather look at that. This one is angsty y'all

The Kind You Save

Sam had said it once. I don't know if he's the kind you save. Looking back, he's not sure how much he meant it and how much he just wanted to keep Steve safe. One last ditch attempt to make the other man see reason instead of sacrifice.

Sacrifice.

It's a word that's followed him like a stray dog all his life. The things his grandparents sacrificed to begin building the life Sam got to live. The things he sacrificed to build a life they'd be proud of. His father sacrificing his own life for the possibility of peace among strangers on the street. His mother sacrificing everything to keep everyone fed and clothed and housed. The sacrifices he made to escape, to serve, to protect.

Riley, saving Sam in the middle of the night for no damn reason.

He's the kind you stop.

"Bucky, stop!" Sam shouted. But it was too late, wouldn't matter even if there'd been time. Barnes was the most stubborn asshole Sam had ever dealt with, including the other super soldier in his life.

Bucky, stop, and Bucky was swinging Sam out of the way, throwing him to the ground as he stepped forward in front of Sam. Sam could see the splash of blood from his shoulder first, then by his hip, and the edge of his neck even as he fell.

Sam scrambled over on his hands and knees, ignored the aching in his ribs that kept cutting his breath off. "Bucky," he breathed, instantly pressing his hand to the spurting wound in Bucky's neck while his other hand went to the side of Bucky's face, holding onto his jaw and cheek to keep his eyes on Sam. Bucky held onto his wrist, dazed gaze trying to settle on Sam. "Hey, just stay still, alright?" he halfway begged.

But Bucky was stubborn and he was reaching for his thigh holster, shaking Sam's hand away as Sam tried to keep him still. He raised the gun, scrunched one eye--which Sam had never seen him do--and pulled the trigger on the figure running towards them with a raised weapon. The same man who'd shot Bucky in the first place. The one who'd been aiming for Sam.

Bucky's whole body went lax at the same time that the other man dropped. The handgun fell away with a clatter. Sam put his hand to Bucky's cheek again instantly.

"Hey, hey, stay here. Stay with me," he said, patting Bucky's cheek until his eyes flickered open again. "Why'd you have to go do something like that, huh?" he asked to distract him. He hoped Bucky was distracted enough not to hear the waver in his voice.

"You're one of the good ones," Bucky wheezed out. The muscles in his neck fluttered beneath Sam's hand and he pressed more firmly on the wound, even as blood continued to ooze against his palm. "You're the one who gets saved."

Bucky's eyes closed again and Sam looked around desperately. He tried to call for Steve, who was around here somewhere but currently lost in his own fight, but his voice died in his throat, beneath the knock that was cutting off breath and blood and thought alike. The wingpack had always had space for a medical kit. Half the point of the wings was to do medical triage where vans and humvees couldn't go. He'd kept it when he'd designed his Falcon suits too. But this wasn't a regular suit. It was a stupid, useless stealth suit. It was trim and tight and left no room for excess. He didn't have his medical kit. He didn't have triage tools.

Up there just to watch.

"Buck, come on, stay with me," he said. His voice was verging on desperate. This couldn't be happening. Bucky had just come out of hiding. He wasn't even supposed to be around. He was supposed to be recovering in Wakanda. They hadn't told him about this mission.

"I'm right here," Bucky muttered and forced his eyes open.

"You've been through worse," Sam said, convincing Bucky as much as himself. "You're gonna be fine."

Bucky brought his hand up to Sam's face, leaving finger length smears of hot blood across his cheek and jaw. Sam pressed his cheek more firmly into Bucky's touch and squeezed his own eyes shut.

"Don't go," he pleaded softly. "You weren't even supposed to be here. This can't be it."

"It's a good thing I was," Bucky coughed out. Blood splashed over his face, created a river from his mouth to his ear, one drop detouring to his eye. "Else you'd be on the ground."

Riley, plummeting to the ground beside him. Riley, caught up in the explosion. Riley, in a flag draped box. And all of the thousand sad platitudes that followed. Everything happens for a reason. He'd prefer it was him and not you. It's fate. It's God. It's luck. It all happened for a reason.

"No," Sam said with a fierce shake of his head. "Not again. Not this time."

But when he went to get on his feet, to lift Bucky and carry him to any place that could help, Bucky wrapped metal fingers around his wrist and kept him down. "Just stay here with me. It's my turn now. Stay."

Sam looked around again, pleading with a the universe to throw them a damn bone just this once. For Steve to emerge from the dust and smoke. For a time machine to materialize so Sam could go back just a few minutes and shove Bucky away from him this time.

"This is so much better than I'd thought it'd go," Bucky said and drew Sam's eyes back to his pale, drawn face. He offered a weak smile, eyes going hazy for a moment before he refocused on Sam. "View's a lot better. And I always figured I'd be alone."

"You're not alone. And you're not going to die," Sam lied. Bucky's hand fell from his face, went for Sam's hand on his cheek to hold onto it tightly.

"You're one of the good ones," he repeated, coughed a glob of blood out again, and couldn't reopen his eyes that time. "Sam, you are so worth it."

"Shut up, Barnes," Sam ground out. He didn't have a free hand to pat himself down, to eke out any kind of tourniquet or padding.

"You've gotta keep Stevie outta trouble, alright? He did alright finding you. You're not such a bad replacement for me."

"I'm not your replacement. You're right here," Sam insisted and pressed his hand tighter against Bucky's neck. "It's just a graze. You're being a baby."

Bucky's smile briefly flashed before he grimaced and tried to turn onto his side. Sam kept him mostly still. "You're right. You're so much better than me. You're gonna do good things. Great things, Sammy. This was worth it. All of it's been worth it. It led me right to you, right? Even all the bad shit can't be too bad. Hey? Just...stay. Please. You don't gotta watch, but don't let go of me."

Sam nodded, roughly wiped his face on his shoulder, and then said, "Yeah," out loud because Bucky couldn't see him. "I've got you. It's gonna be okay."

That weak smile came back to Bucky's face and he slowly half opened his eyes to look at Sam again. "Yeah," he agreed. "It is."

[jjungkookislife]

Quarterly Fic Recs 2024: #1

Hello! I'm back again with the first fic rec list of 2024! I enjoyed reading these fics, and I hope y'all do as well! Please be mindful of the warnings on each fic and I encourage you to reblog fics you enjoy as well :)

Seokjin

king of tides @sailoryooons

summary: Seokjin meets a ghost of his past when he and his crew stop to celebrate for the evening.

Yoongi

desecrate @hamsterclaw

summary: A fall from grace causes you to stumble into the hands of a demon prince. Inspired by Lilith.

stress relief @dreamescapeswriting

soft Yoongi having a bad day

morals on sundays @/gimmethatagustd

summary: You’re still in love with your ex-boyfriend. Yoongi offers some help to get over him.

Hoseok

spider web @/sailoryooons

summary: Playing games with vampires is a bad idea. Playing with Spiders is worse.

Namjoon

gang shit @gimmethatagustd

summary: Your daughter’s classmate has a really hot dad. Apparently, you’re his arch-nemesis.

Jimin

technicolor @/gimmethatagustd

summary: Love is one hell of a drug. Bottled and sold on the black market, it isn’t for the faint-hearted. You’re not really interested in trying it until you meet Jimin.

Taehyung

the one with taehyung's indecent proposal @eoieopda

summary: your fuck buddy’s class reunion is coming up. that’s not something you expected to learn about. it’s definitely not something you expected to be implicated in.

Jungkook

none :(

OT7/Multiple Members

carnival of terror @theharrowing

summary: The carnival is in town, and it is unlike anything you have ever experienced. Will you make it out alive?

immortals @bang-tan-bitches

summary: Sometimes, you find your destiny. And sometimes, your destiny does whatever it takes to keep you.

petrichor @purpleyoonn

summary: You had been working at Bangtan Corporation for almost two years now, and not once have you ever laid eyes on your bosses. That was, until you met them when out with some of your coworkers. Now, you almost wish you hadn’t. Almost.

Seokjin

memories of you @shuadotcom

summary: Your memories with Seokjin are some of your favorite.

serve me @chateautae

summary: kim seokjin has been your annoyingly stoic butler ever since you started university, and were gifted your own penthouse. for years, your relationship had remained on the outs, subjecting seokjin to hearing your desperate moans for other men each time they climbed into your sheets; and each time you rubbed it in his face. little did you know that you were only riling him up, and it would be your moans for him bouncing off the walls when your taunting finally unravels his ironclad self-control.

sweet dreams @/gimmethatagustd

summary: Seokjin loves when you paint your nails pink.

Yoongi

broken pt. 2 @kithtaehyung

summary: the championship game lights up… and everything goes down.

maybe so @diorh0seokie

(cheating/angst)

Hoseok

gone wild @johobi

summary: Hoseok consumes porn like he does Cheetos: in unhealthily large amounts. He’s seen, and jacked off to, most things imaginable. But there are those photos that always draw him back…

hot rod @kinktae

summary: a 1950′s inspired fic where greaser Hoseok can’t keep his eyes, or hands, off the new waitress at his and his boys’ favorite diner.

keeping a secret @/kpopfanfictrash

summary: You and Hoseok have been hooking up for a few weeks now. No one in your friend group knows. What happens then, when he shows up at movie night looking better than anticipated?

flower @readyplayerhobi

summary: You finally decide to take a dip into the world of online dating and find the Flower dating app. One of the top matches for you proves to be a guy who looks to be your complete opposite; tattooed, pierced, a metalhead and oh…incredibly handsome. What happens when you throw caution to the wind and reach out to him?

who's your daddy? @ppersonna

summary: in order to get over your hopeless crush, you sign up for DADDI, a daddy-dom dating site. you can’t tell your friends, especially your best friend hoseok. but as weeks go on, you’re desperate to meet the man behind the screen.

groupie love @kimnjss

summary: he’s ½ of the famous rap duo, the 94′s. when stumbling upon a pretty youtuber, he’s quick to decide he wants to have her. but one night with her just doesn’t seem like enough.

heartbreaker ^

summary: you’re just his type. so it’s no surprise when all of his time and effort goes into making you his. though, they’ve always said… you only want it because you can’t have it.

swallow your pride @/ugh-yoongi

established relationship

ho ho horrible ^

summary: the one where your neighbor is a relentless christmas caroler and refuses to take a hint, but at least he’s really hot.

hate that i love it @yoongiphoria

summary: hate-fucking hoseok is your favorite and least favorite thing to do.

take care of me @/gimmethatagustd

summary: You’d never trade quiet, sleepless nights with your boyfriend for anything in the world, even when sometimes it feels like the world is falling apart around you.

not today, satan ^

summary: If you had known the demon tasked with reaping your soul would be a total #daddy you would have gone to Hell sooner!

Namjoon

the gang summons a demon @ugh-yoongi

the prompt: you, a powerful demoness, have just been summoned to earth. this man, this human, wants you to pretend to be his girlfriend for a few days so his parents will get off his back about it.

in the closet ^

office au

Jimin

none :(

Taehyung

rotten angelcake ch. 11 @inkedtae

summary: she’s as sweet as angelcake; he likes her honeyed rotten. this is a series following the complicated relationship between a sugar baby, sugar daddy and his corruption kink.

loverboy @kookslastbutton

summary: After a startling conversation with your coworkers, you start feeling insecure about your sexual prowess. You don’t initiate as much, you haven’t worn lingerie yet, and you’re still timid about doing much seducing with your body–are you giving your boyfriend boring sex? Taehyung reassures you that you are perfect and have nothing to worry about.

Jungkook

be mine @minisugakoobies

summary: Won’t you be his Valentine?

to give a helping hand @oddinary4bts

summary: when Jungkook comes home from the gym, he goes feral thinking about you.

oxygen @/gimmethatagustd

summary: If you get caught, you’ll both die. Jungkook wants to be yours anyway.

OT7/Mulpitple Members

lavender lover @/gimmethatagustd

summary: Taehyung broke all his rules for Jimin, even when it hurt.

Seokjin

chivalry @out-of-jams

summary: And they say chivalry is dead.

burn after reading @raplinesmoon

summary: The agency made the biggest mistake they ever could by trusting Kim Seokjin one more time. You weren’t going to do the same.

Yoongi

exitus acta probat @/bang-tan-bitches

summary:  “All you need to know is that my name is Yoongi and you’re mine now.”

beloved ^

summary: Court was just a game of politics after all. And you intended to win

the mark of yun-ki @/ladyartemesia

summary: For a thousand years the tiger god Yun-Ki has marked the heirs of the Min Empire and thus only a marked heir can inherit the throne. When the beautiful daughter of the Min Emperor’s loyal warlord rescues a mysterious tiger hybrid from the imperial prison, she unleashes a secret that the throne would kill to protect. The young emperor claims to be the chosen heir… but who really bears the Mark of Yun-Ki?

romancing the tome @/kpopfanfictrash

summary: Min Yoongi is many things: renowned archaeologist, versatile hat-wearer, on a bit of an unlucky streak with his work and kind of an ass. What he isn’t is fluent in Latin. Meaning, Yoongi can’t quite determine if he’s being led astray on his most recent archaeological expedition. Enter you, cultural linguist and all-around badass. The goal? Treasure. The means? Your teensy, tiny car. The problem? Min Yoongi is so damn annoying, you might just kill him first.

be my baby [SMAU] @/kimnjss

summary: when the love of his life suddenly vanishes, he drives himself mad looking for her. seemingly erased from the world, he’s forced to pick up the pieces of his life and move on… fast forward three years and someone who looks a lot like the woman he lost is being spotted, holding a kid with an oddly familiar gummy smile…

too easy @sweetestofchaos

summary: Yoongi’s sugar baby really wants that new Zimmermann dress

blackthorn ^

summary: Prince Yoongi and Princess Keena have been friends for as long as they can remember. But finding out they’re promised to one another in marriage isn’t the only obstacle they must overcome as war threatens their home.

stop thinking about me @/yoongiphoria

summary: there's only one person he thinks about with that song.

Hoseok

hot and bothered @sahmfanficbts

summary: You’re hot and bothered and your lawn needs some TLC. Enter: Hoseok with his big lawn-mower.

Namjoon

promise @joheunsaram

summary: Namjoon has always been in the periphery of your friend group, but when you meet the cute boy he doesn’t make the best first impression, or second, or third…

Jimin

renegade @/yoongiphoria

summary: is it insensitive for me to say get your shit together, so i can love you?

Taehyung

new flame @/gimmethatagustd

summary: Flame is a dating app designed for omegas and alphas to find heat and rut partners. You’re skeptical of using the app, not anticipating that you might find someone who is more than just a new flame.

enfer @/out-of-jams

summary: Enfer, the ironically named club, was well known for helping to bring together those of the living with the dead, well, undead. And your best friend had convinced you to try it out, to potentially find a partner amongst the sophisticated group of the otherworldly elite. You’d been open to it. But never would you have imagined meeting him.

stranger danger ^

stress relief @joonsmagicshop

summary: Taehyung gives you an offer you can’t refuse

Jungkook

none :(

OT7/Multiple Members

cosmic collision @/gimmethatagustd

summary: A responsible weedman, Yoongi always tests out new marijuana strains before selling them to his customers. When his supplier offers him a new strain, Cosmic Collision, Yoongi is eager to try it. What he doesn’t expect is the alien that comes with it.

accidental texts (hyung line) @ppersonna

accidental love confessions @kookiesjoonies