#you've gone and done it I'm grumpy now

[bizarrelovetriangel]

missing you.

mdni. 18+ only. not for the kids, pls look away. male masturbation. panty sniffing. pillow humping. pervy caleb. caleb and reader/mc are in a relationship.

hello i'm joining caleb-the-panty-sniffer club and this is my contribution. please enjoy.

inspired by these arts: x, x, x

You were out of town for hunters business, and Caleb volunteered to check up on your house. While he's at it, might as well do some cleaning too.

But he gets a little distracted.

Last week, during your video call, you mentioned to Caleb that your team has been requested to go to a certain city that's been having Wanderer problems. The mission is estimated to last for about five to seven days, and you expressed concern about your newest plants that require to be watered at least every two to three days, which might die without your care.

So of course, Caleb is there to take away your worries. He promised to go to Linkon City in the middle of the week to make sure your plants get the nutrients they need.

Now here he is, inside your apartment's living room, putting away the objects that you'd left scattered all over the place. He imagined you putting things in your luggage at the very last minute before leaving for your trip. You've always done that when you were younger, and it seems old habits die hard.

Back when you were little, once you finish shoving plushies in your bag, deeming them to be absolutely necessary, you'd come to him so he can help you close the zippers.

This time, you didn't forget to take your plushies either. The Sunny Apple that he won with you at the claw machine was gone, which means it's probably keeping you company right now. The thought of you cuddling with the grumpy-looking apple puts a smile on his face.

After watering your plants, Caleb moved on to cleaning the kitchen. Your place isn't really messy; there are just several objects that were out of place, so there's not much work for him.

The last area that he took care of was the bedroom, where he will be sleeping for the rest of the week. The moment he entered your room, he was consumed by the smell of your signature perfume. If he were to close his eyes, it would feel as if you were there.

The scent also made him feel lonely. It's been days since he last saw you, as both of your jobs robbed you of each other's physical presence. Fortunately, once you return from your hunting trip, you two get to spend a few days together, so he's looking forward to it.

Caleb studied the collage of personal pictures you have on the wall, not too far from your nightstand. A lot of them are you and him from various age, a couple are of you and Zayne, plus a recent one with Caleb between you and the doctor.

There are also photographs of you with your coworkers, including the silver-haired guy that you're often partnered with. In all the group pictures, he's always, always next to you.

He's the one that's seeing all the cute expressions you're making right now.

Caleb shakes the jealous thoughts out of his head and lies down on your bed. It's the afternoon, just around the time for the sun to set. He's not sleepy at all, but the warmth and softness of your bed, combined with your fragrant scent, is just so alluring, his body was obligated to sink into it.

"Hmm? What's this?"

Caleb's left hand got a hold of something that you'd forgotten to either put in your luggage or put in the dirty laundry.

Something soft.

Something red.

His fingers grasped the material and held it above his face so he could see what it is.

"Ah...."

His face instantly feels warm at the sight of your underwear. Red panties.

He had seen you wear this before. He also remembers, quite vividly, him sliding it off your legs before pressing his lips and tongue at your core like a starving predator.

He rememebered how you felt. How you tasted.

His mouth watered.

His cock hardened.

His fingers twitched as he lowered his hand towards his face. Caleb closed his eyes and pressed the panty against his nose.

"Fuck..."

His other hand rose to his chest as heat from his rushing blood spread across his body, down to his stomach, through his hips, and pooled between his thighs.

His mind replayed the memory of you resting your back against the bed's headboard, your fingers tangled through his hair while his face is buried between your thighs.

Caleb rubbed his cock over his gray sweatpants, thinking of the face you make as his tongue drives you on edge.

He took another whiff of the red underwear and stained his own boxers as he become even more aroused.

His hips thrusted up as he stroke himself faster, pretending it was your hand that was touching him.

He pictured your mouth around his cock, cheeks flushed, eyes filled with lust as they flicker back to his, making sure he was feeling good. Your eyes would get teary when he'd lose restraints and put himself deeper in your mouth.

A groan comes out between his lips. He pulled down his sweatpants and boxers, smearing his pre-cum all over his aching cock before running his hand up and down, slowly, just like how you like to start and finish.

He needed you, so bad. But you weren't there.

He was surrounded by your scent.

He was on your bed.

Licking his lips, Caleb turned over and buried his face on one of your pillows.

He grinds his cock on your bedsheet, imagining that you were underneath him, crying out his name with pleasure with your honeyed voice that he'll never get tired of hearing even in the after life.

"N- not enough.... it's not enough..." He was pumping his cock while humping your bed, yet he was only getting harder.

It feels like he was going to burst but couldn't.

Caleb threw off his shirt as the sweat from all his movement and body heat made his clothes uncomfortably stuck to his skin.

Despite his tensed body, his hold on your underwear was gentle, as if it was your actual body.

He sniffed the red panty once again before moving it down to his lips. His tongue ran over the crotch, and his cock throbbed. He could almost taste you, as if you were actually there.

He whispered your name with desperation, right hand grasping the bedsheet, needing to feel you against him.

Letting out a ragged breath, he took another pillow and placed it under his hips. Caleb closed his eyes and a moan escapes his lips at the friction.

He immediately set a brutal pace, rutting against your pillow while his closed eyes sees your figure, taking him in deep and tight. You're scratching his back and mewling against his ear as he pounds into you so hard that the world is shaking.

Sweat causes his body to glisten while your bed quakes from all of his movements.

He didn't - or rather, couldn't, silence his moans as the red fabric was wrapped around his cock. He ran it up and down before spreading it over the pillow and grinding against it.

It wasn't you, but it still felt heavenly.

"Fuck. fuck.... so good..."

He was close.

Faster. Harder.

Caleb increased his speed on humping your bed, feeling his body tightening up.

Ring ring ring.

"W- what?!"

He jumped at the sound of his own phone ringing. Someone was calling him. More importantly, it was the special ringtone for you.

Luckily, it wasn't a video call. He'd usually prefer a video call so he can see your lovely face, no matter the time of the day, but today.... might not be a good idea.

"F-fuck." He was absolutely not in the right state to talk to you clearly.

Decline?

No, he couldn't.

He could never.

"Heya, pip-squeak," he breathes out slowly, carefully, as if his heart isn't racing. "Missed me already?" he asks playfully, as if he wasn't the one that was fucking your panties right now.

"Yeah, I do. I have to hold my bags by myself because Caleb isn't around."

"So nice to hear that you're thinking about me." He grins, while his hips continued to move with caution so you wouldn't detect any of the lewd noises he was making.

"Well, yeah.... I do miss you, Caleb." you replied softly, setting the jokes aside. "I'm so far away from Linkon. It's so different here, and it just feels lonely. I guess I'm just feeling homesick..."

You're feeling homesick and you're thinking of him. It's just like when he goes to Skyhaven. He was always thinking of you. The one that he comes home to.

"Caleb..."

The way you said his name caused his stomach to flutter, and his cock to twitch.

Fuck.

Your voice.

"Caleb."

"Mhmmmm..."

With your panty wrapped around his cock, he thrusted deeply into the pillow as if was you. Over and over and over again.

"Caleb..."

He's so close.

Faster.

Deeper.

"Caleb?"

The bed was shaking and screeching from how hard he was going. He'd forgotten about everything.

"Hnnngg,,,"

"Caleb!"

Not a second after you called out his name, Caleb reached his climax. The panty was shoved in his mouth to muffle out the whimpers that fell from his drooling mouth.

He came hard, all over your pillow and spilled onto the bedsheet, some in his hips and stomach.

"Caleb?"

His eyes opened widely as if he'd just woken up from a trance. "Yes, honey?"

"Are you okay? Did you hear what I said? Are you busy?"

He gulped. "I'm good, pip-squeak. I'm already at your place, just... cleaning up, so that it's all nice and pretty when you get back in two days. You should hurry back or else your plants might die from missing you too much."

"Just my plants? You don't miss me?"

On, you have no idea.

"Hmph. I guess I won't give you any of the souvenirs I bought for you."

You are so cute and so precious.

He wants to kiss you so badly.

"Why don't you come home so you can see out how badly I need you..... next to me..." he adds the last part quickly.

Caleb could practically hear you smile at the other line, causing the ends of his own lips to curl up with joy, eyes brightening as he thinks of your face.

"I'm coming home soon. Wait for me, Caleb."

"I'll wait for as long as you need me."

Once the call ended, Caleb sighs loudly and slumps on the bed, wincing at the wet mess he made.

Now he has even more cleaning up to do.

///////

You paused as you entered your bedroom after enjoying the brunch that Caleb cooked for you upon your arrival at your sweet home.

"You changed my bedsheets?"

"It was starting to get a little dusty. You're welcome."

[dodger432101]

Lay with your God - Lux Imperator/Mr Ring-A-Ding x Reader Part 3

[It's time baby! THIS PART INCLUDES SMUT, MINORS DO NOT READ. Everyone else enjoy :) Disclaimer: This will be with a female reader, yes, because I want to imagine myself as the reader. And I have more knowledge of that body.]

It's a lovely Wednesday morning. The sun is shining - very brightly into your eyes my god curtains do your job - the birds are singing and you feel as rejuvenated as ever. Dodging the sun's near blinding rays you practically jump out of bed and start getting ready.

Memories of yesterday speed you up; you just about inhale your breakfast and have possibly set a new world record for the quickest anyone has washed themselves. You really want to get to Palazzo as soon as possible to spend more time with your.. well, what is he to you? You'd kissed Lux yesterday (plenty of times when you had to go home and he tried to convince you to sleep over), though now that you think about it what kind of relationship did you have with the God? You have to admit you've grown exceptionally fond of the little 'toon and his silly pranks, his surprising charm, his warm kisses.. but you're a mortal. Surely you're just a drop of water in the ocean of his life. Will he even remember you when you're gone? Are you just something to stave off boredom while he feeds off light in a random picture house in Miami? Do you even mean much to him?

Ookayyy, little early for all that. You're fed, showered and dressed. Get out the door and get some vitamin D from all that sunshine you clearly need it.

The short walk to Palazzo gives you enough time to loop your thoughts back from that little existential crisis you had to the lovely day. Huh. It's been bright and sunny ever since the God of Light showed up. Has all this clear weather been his doing? Can he control the sun's light? Has he been waking you up? The thought puts a smile on your face as you walk into the building and get your uniform on. As soon as you're dressed you hear the tapping sound of a speeding little cartoon racing his way down the hall towards your direction. You just have enough time to turn and brace for impact before Lux comes bounding over like a rabbit on a sugar rush and jumps straight into your arms, giggling as he wraps his stringy arms around your neck and buries his face in your shoulder.

"You're back you're back you're back!! I missed you sunshine, why won't you stay overnight? I'm stuck with mopey ol' Pye when you're not here and it's no fun." The God lifts his face just far away enough so that you have a clear view of his shining eyes, wet with unshed tears and a quivering pout like he's 3 seconds away from crying. Of course, the lone sad violin makes a disembodied return as Lux puts all the works into making you feel bad for leaving him in here. You can't help but coo at the display, giving the melodramatic celluloid a kiss on the cheek for his performance. In an instant the violin scratches out and the pout makes way for the cartoon's familiar grin, another giggle shaking his shoulders as he rubs that cheek against your face like an affectionate cat.

"Lux, hun, I'm sorry but I do need sleep. Can't say there's a nice little bed for me in this place." You remind the 'toon in your arms as you walk to Mr Pye's usual theatre room to greet him. Lux pauses his loving on you when he realises where you're carrying him and huffs, crossing his arms tightly and wrinkling that little pig snout in annoyance. He's seen more than enough of that old man, he wants to spend time with you now! You set him down gently outside the door to the projector room - God forbid Mr Pye saw you carrying the God of Light like a sack of potatoes - and go in to speak to your boss, leaving a grumpy little Lux to sigh, loudly and dramatically, before following you in.

You have a small chat with Mr Pye, all while your impatient God leans by the door, arms crossed, finger tapping, waiting for you to be done. You mention how bright and sunny it is outside and Reginald perks up, turning to the cartoon behind you. "Uhm, sir, might it be alright if I leave for a little while to get some things? Just some food and whatnot, you have some company now, I can always sort some films for the two of you to watch while I'm out." The poor man wrings his hands nervously as he talks to Lux, probably thinking the God will deny him any reprieve from his stay at the picture house. The celluloid hums, tapping his fingers on his arm in a rhythm like he's considering it. Then a lightbulb pings over his head and he grins widely. This is perfect for him. Time without Mr Pye and time with you!

"Why of course Mr Reginald Pye! You do spend.. all your time here, you must need to stock up on supplies! I'll be fine with your little employee here, go have fun, get some sun or whatever." All his time here? Gosh you thought Reginald was just staying a little later to keep Lux fed with light! Has he even left the building at all?! You turn to Lux while Mr Pye goes to sort out some reels for you and the God to load into the projector.

"Hey Hun, if we're gonna be having a film day could you be a dear and grab some snacks for me? You can always have some too, of course." You scratch the cartoon under his chin and watch him lean into the feeling, antennae curling into a heart shape at your affection.

"Anything for you sunbeam.." He purrs out, a very smitten smile on his face before he snaps out of his daze and dashes off to supply you with treats. Was it your imagination or were his pupils heart shaped for a second? Shaking that off as wishful thinking, you take this opportunity to go speak to your boss, worried for his wellbeing. You find him in the reel storage room, still clutching the film of his wife in one arm while he struggled to carry multiple reels with just one hand. Wordlessly you take them off him, a grateful smile crossing his face before he sees your worried expression.

"Sir.. how long has it been since you left the picture house?" Just that one question makes him hug his film reel tighter, looking away from you like you're scolding him. "Mr Pye. I.. I know you miss her something awful but this," You gesture to him with one hand and the general space with the other. "It isn't healthy sir. I never got the chance to meet your wife, but if she's as sweet as she seems on that film then I know she wouldn't want you rotting away in here. Gosh you're just my boss but I don't want that either." A shaky smile forms on Mr Pye's face. He looks down at the reel in his hands, then slowly holds it out to you.

"I know my dear, I'm sorry I've worried you. You're a kind soul. She would've loved you, I'm sure." His smile grows steady as you gently take the film from him, keeping it separate from the others. "Right, I better grab a bag for all the shopping. I'll get some of your favourites from that sweet shop down the road, a treat for looking after.. her. And a God while I'm out." You both chuckle at that, going your separate ways as you put Mr Pye's film on his desk and lay out the others on another table in the projector room. Lux can be seen through the gap in the wall down in the theatre, comically stretched arms holding a bag of popcorn, a drink cup and other bags of unknown goodies. You shake your head fondly at the sight and go help him set them down at the seats of your choice.

"So, sunshine, ol' Pye selected any masterpieces for us to watch?"

"I didn't take a look, actually. We can pick one out together!" Lux beams at the idea, already bounding up the steps, leaving you to chase after him with laughter echoing around the room. Once you're in the projector room you lift Lux up so you can both see onto the table, pointing at the labels as you read them out. Hah, Reginald picked out a Mr Ring-A-Ding cartoon! Lux shakes his head immediately at it, both of you knowing he'll be unable to stop himself from copying the theme song and dance. (You do love to see the little God begrudgingly sing and dance along whenever it plays) You scan the selection again, gasping in delight at one reel. Mr Pye had picked out one of your favourite films. You grab it, showing Lux as you bounce on the back of your feet. Seeing your excitement for this particular film the 'toon nods right away, watching you load the reel into the projector with a fond smile, antennae back in a heart shape.

It wasn't a particularly well known film, or well loved. But it held a special place in your heart, every time watching it felt like the first. You sit down with Lux as it begins playing, munching on the selection of snacks he picked out. Your eyes were glued to the film, the familiar tune of the opening score putting a smile on your face. Lux leans back in his seat, soaking up the light of the film and the happy expression on your face. Both of his favourite things in one room. How could this get any better for him?

Near the ending of the film, the couple on screen come together for the big anticipated kiss the entire movie builds up towards, you and Lux watching in a daze. Yeah you're both imagining it's you two instead. Though as the final score plays the people on screen get a little.. handsy.. before falling into bed as the credits play over top. You'd forgotten about that, face a little flushed as you keep imagining it's you and Lux doing that. You glance over at the God to see him locked onto the screen, almost seeming in awe at their movements. Well that isn't helping your blush at all. The projector clicks like it's going to turn off, yet all it does is replace the image of the film with a general white light. You look back at it, then return your gaze to the cartoon next to you to see a curious expression on his face. Wait. Does he not know about-

"What were they doing on that bed? Thought they were for sleeping on. That sure didn't look like sleeping, whatever it was!" The God of Light doesn't know what sex is. Ho boy you did not think you'd have to have this conversation with a God, especially one in the form of Mr Ring-A-Ding. You're gonna tell Mr Ring-A-Ding about sex. What has your life come to?

"Well." Where the hell do you even start? "Do you.. know how we make, babies?" Lux tilts his head to the side, then shakes it. Oh wow. "They were having sex, Lux. It's how we make children. But lots of people just.. do it 'cause it feels nice... Apparently." Not to say you hadn't tried, oh you had indeed you little sinner. But turns out not everyone knows what they're doing, at least when it comes to making a lady feel good. That, or they didn't bother to try. You've got the God's undivided attention now; he sits forward in his seat and stares at you like he's waiting for you to say more. "Uhm.. yeah. Never really understood the talk for it. Wasn't that great for me. That's about it. You can stop staring now Lux." He blinks at that, looking to where the film had been playing then to you with a strangely determined face. What's he planning?

"Ya think I could do better than a human, toots?" He's gonna be the death of you. Your flapping mouth and multiple blinks lead him to continue. "'Course we.. don't have to, sweetie pie. Just I'm curious what it's like and.. seems you didn't get the best you could from the whole act. I..." He looks away, gently putting a hand over yours. You could pull away easily if you wanted. "I wanna make you feel good, dolly. Gosh you deserve that, that and so much more. What do you say, sunshine?" He looks back to you with the gentlest smile he can form on his cartoon face, stroking his thumb over your hand reassuringly. The tidal wave of affection he's loading onto you makes you lightheaded but you fight the daze to nod enthusiastically at the question. He raises his eyebrow at that, smile turning playful. The little minx wants words again, damn him.

"I want you, Lux." Where did that confidence come from?! Nobody knows but you're thankful it did show up cause you've got the little 'toon blushing a dark blue off that one sentence. The projector clicks off as he hops out his seat and grabs your hand in a firmer grip, leading you out this theatre and into one down the end of the hallway. You're about to ask where he's taking you before he opens the door to this theatre's projector room. In there is a mattress, with blankets and pillows piled up on it in a corner of the room. You stare at the makeshift bed for a few seconds before you turn to Lux, his blush only getting worse as he scratches the back of his head and chuckles nervously.

"Every time I've asked you to stay, you've always said about not having a bed here. Sooo I asked Mr Pye for all of that.." He stretches his free hand to the bed, "For you. You can sleep over if you want now!" He gives you a shaky smile, seemingly waiting for your approval of his work.

You scoop him up and hug him tightly, squeezing your eyes shut to try and keep any tears from escaping. Such a thoughtful little God has taken interest in you and you couldn't be happier. "I know this isn't the most.. savoury union." You pull away just enough to see his face, his expression serious. "Your existence. It's a blink of an eye to me. You'll be... Gone.. before I know it. Before I'm ready. I want to spend as much time as possible with you. I know the idea of being immortalised in film scares you, but please.." Lux cups your cheek in one hand, thumb brushing against your skin, a mournful look on his face. "If you ever, ever change your mind. Tell me. I don't want to let you go. I don't want to.. let you die."

That knocks the wind out of you. He cared. He cared so much about you that he wanted to make you immortal like him. He wanted to be with you forever.

Overwhelmed by the God's love you pull him into a kiss, Lux returning it instantly with all the passion he could muster in his little 'toon body. You stay like that for what feels like an eternity all in itself, holding your God. Then you remember the reason he brought you here. You set Lux down, reluctantly breaking the kiss before giving him a smooch on the forehead. Leaving him with his heart antennae, you make your way over to the mattress and kick your shoes off. You sit down, then flop back and snuggle into the pile of blankets and pillows. The mattress itself wasn't very thick but Lux had padded it up nicely, it was now a comfortable little nest. The God walks round so he's standing on the side your head is, leaning over until his face is in your view. "Well, sunshine? Do you like it?" He's tapping his fingers together nervously. He so badly wants you to like it, to know he's done a good job. You reach out till your fingers touch his chest, gliding them up to his bowtie and taking hold, pulling him down and flipping so he's laying underneath you. He looks up at you with wide eyes, his yellow hat knocked off somewhere in the pillow pile, the dark blue blush back in force.

"It's perfect now." You break off Lux's breathless laugh with another kiss, falling back into your familiar rhythm. Slipping your tongue into the toon's mouth, you lift one hand to start unbuttoning your work top. As you get halfway down, the God moves his hands off the bed and onto you, one on your cheek as the other strokes down the side of your neck. He lets out an inquisitive hum when his hand reaches your collarbone, breaking the kiss and looking down at your chest. His eyes flick between your face and your open shirt, his hand slowing down to a snail's pace as he traces your bra. It's nothing fancy, a simple black one you threw on in your rush to get ready, but Lux stares like it's the finest piece of fabric he's ever seen. You can't help but blush at the attention, sitting up onto your knees to reach behind your back and snap open the clip. Lux watches intently as you finish unbuttoning your shirt, pulling it off then slipping the straps of your bra down your arms until it falls from your breasts. His mouth falls open at the sight (not as comically far as you thought it would), hands hovering above him as he stares in awe. You giggle at the sight and lean back down, his eyes focused on your nipples like a laser pointer until they're right above his hands. He looks back up to your eyes. You know what he wants.

At the nod of your head Lux cups your breasts in each hand, gently kneading them, squishing them together. The brush of his thumb over your nipple makes you shiver, catching his attention and causing a smirk to form on his previously captivated face. He looks you in the eyes as he combines the kneading with drawing circles over your nipples, your arms and breath shaking from the strong mix of sensations.

Lux moves his hands down to your sides and all of a sudden you're on your back underneath him. Guess that toon logic gives him some strength. He leans down until his lips are brushing over yours. "Let me worship you, my angel." The whisper is followed by more kisses, his tongue lapping at your bottom lip but never moving further than there. The little tease. He finally moves from your mouth and shuffles down so he's straddling your stomach, hands back to your chest. You lean your head back, a drawn out pleased hum leaving you from the simmering pleasure growing lower south.

Lux smiles down at your relaxed state, taking it as a sign he's doing good. He shuffles further down so he's now seated on your hips, smoothing his hands down your sides, feeling your ribcage, running one hand over your stomach. "So much detail.." He truly was in awe over your image. He wanted to see more. All of you. Worship every inch of flesh.

His hands make their way to the top of your work pants, smoothing over the fabric. You raise your head at this, looking down as your fingers move to the front of your pants, working the buttons and zipper so you can take them off. Lux watches them, even your fine motor skills were captivating to the God of Light. You lift your hips to drag your pants down, Lux also being lifted with a quiet "Whee!" Making you snort. You kicked them off the rest of the way, now only one barrier of clothing left on you. You reach down but blue four-fingered hands gently move yours out the way. "I said to let me worship you, didn't I darlin'?" He hooks his fingers into your panties, slowly pulling them from your hips and exposing your dripping pussy to the God.

Without a word he shuffles back so he's between your spread legs, gently using one finger to trace your lips. You lay your head back against a pillow, letting Lux explore your body. Surprisingly he finds your clit right away, pressing gentle circles when you buck your hips up at the feeling of his finger on you. The hand not occupied slides further down, slipping between your lips towards the source of the water works. Lux flicks his eyes up to you, examining your expression, making sure you're enjoying his attention. Then a lightbulb pops up over his head and he licks his lips with a devilish little grin.

You gasp in a mix of surprise and pleasure when you feel a wet muscle glide over your clit. Glancing down shows Lux smirking up at you. One hand hooked around your thigh, the other using its index finger to circle your entrance. His mouth is over your clit, tongue giving it broad, slow laps. When your eyes meet he gives you a wink, a small *ding!* sound effect playing. You let out a half moan, half laugh at the sound before your head falls back again, soaking in the pleasure Lux so generously gives to you. A full moan claws it way out your throat when those licks turn to his lips sucking gently on it, Lux humming in response as he alternates between suckling and licking at you. You're so wet as this point that some more gentle prodding lets his other hand's finger slip right inside you, only adding to the pleasure. "Lux.. fuck, I'm gonna cum." He looks up at that. Come? But you're right here! You haven't told him to stop so he keeps lapping at your clit, the finger inside you gently feeling around your hot walls. He must do something good because you tighten around his digit in rhythmic pulses, breath stuttering and body shaking. Once your hole loosens its grip, Lux gently pulls it out, the hand on your thigh gliding up and down soothingly.

"That's it angel, come down from the heaven I took you to. Come back to me sunshine." His voice is low and gentle as you ride the last waves of your orgasm, soft kisses get littered on the inside of your thigh as you steady your breathing. "There you go sweetie pie. Was that good? Sure seemed so with all those sounds you made." He giggled, mimicking your moans while you covered your blushing red face. That drew out a proper laugh, the laugh only you got to hear from him. It was always the same 7 note tune but you found it endearing that this little God had such a unique laughter.

You sit up so you're face to face with Lux and kiss him, tasting yourself on his lips while you run your hands down his body. Still fully clothed (minus the hat, that's somewhere behind you). "Your turn, Lux." You purr against his lips before dipping your hands into his waistcoat, pulling the sleeves down his noodle arms until it comes off. Next, the yellow vest. As you take his bowtie off, you litter kisses all over his face, making the toon giggle and snort. Last was his shirt. Turns out underneath all the snazzy clothes was just blue skin. Lux grins nervously before you trail pecks down from his neck to his pants, more giggles erupting from the God. Must be ticklish.

You glance down at the front of his pants and - oh my god that's a bigger bulge than you expected from this barely-3ft toon. You hook your fingers under the fabric, looking into Lux's eyes. He nods quickly, but you want to play him with his own game. You raise an eyebrow at the God, waiting. Mere seconds pass before "Please please please take them off sunshine!" It's a good thing he isn't patient. You pull his pants down, immediately noticing this naughty toon goes commando as a fairly sized blue cock bounces in front of you, comical *boioioing* sound effect included. You should've laughed. You would've laughed if the appearance didn't shock you into silence.

It wasn't huge per say, definitely looked like it belonged on the cartoon body it was attached to. But it was deliciously thick, visible veins running down the sides, pink tip weeping already with pre cum. Wow, is your mouth watering at this? "Do.. do you like it? I can change it, probably, I mean I've never tried altering this form but how hard can it be?" Lux trails off his rambling with a shaky laugh, fingers tapping together. You glance up at him before you lean down, tongue out to taste the beads of white collecting at the tip. The God lets out a high pitched, admittedly quite pathetic, whine as you lap at the head of his cock. It has a familiar salty taste, though there's something else.. if you could put a taste to light, that's what you'd call it. Makes sense. Any other time you'd happily sit here and suck him dry. But your pussy wanted him more than you mouth right now.

You needed him inside of you.

So, you give his tip one last kiss before you fall back into the pillows and beckon him over with one finger. Lux happily crawls up until his cock is aligned with your soaking pussy, a small "Oohh" coming from him as he seems to realise how this sex thing works. "The hole your finger was in, love. Put it in there." You lift your hair from under your back, letting it spread out like a halo around your head while Lux gently pushed the tip of his cock inside you.

"Oh, fuck." You're honestly surprised he didn't get bleeped out from swearing, but god are you glad he can swear cause it's just too good hearing him moan out as he thrusts the rest of his cock in. "Gosh you're so tight, angel. Tight." Lux pulls out a couple inches before slamming back in. "Wet." Another sharp thrust makes you moan. "Warm." His angle is different this time, brushing up against something divine as you nearly squeal from the shot of red hot pleasure.

"Fuck, god, right there Lux!" He lets out a breathy laugh, setting a fairly slow but hard rhythm that has his tip kissing that sweet spot in you every thrust, driving you closer and closer to your second orgasm.

"That's it angel, I'm your God. I'm the only one who will see you like this, hear you sing like this. I'll ruin you for mortals and gods alike, only I will make you feel this good. You're mine, aren't you sunshine? My angel, my light." Lost in pleasure, Lux allowed his natural godly possessiveness to take hold. Not that you minded, you loved the idea of being all his. Especially when he spoke like that, the sound of his voice somewhat strained, trying to keep down his moans so he could get his words out.

He gripped at your hips tightly, just above where your thighs began, his thrusts increasing in speed as you both neared climax. You reach down to his hands, fingers interlocking as you feel the knot in your stomach get ready to snap. "Fuuuck, you're divine pretty lady. Oh and you will be, I'll find a way, I'll make you a God if you want dolly I'll do anything for you." Lux's voice gets higher in pitch as he thrusts wildly, seemingly desperate to get his release. "Oh you're mine angel, right? All mine? Mine, mine, mine, mine-!" He cuts himself off with a deep, drawn out moan as he buries his entire length inside you. The feeling of fullness jumpstarts your orgasm as Lux fills you with his cum, hips bucking as he pants heavily.

As his orgasm subsides, the little God collapses onto you, cock still buried in your pussy, his head just reaching your ribcage. One of his eyes are half lidded, both black pie eyes replaced by pink hearts. Tiny doves and Cupids circle above his head. You've fucked the God of Light stupid. Congrats!

Once you're no longer on cloud 9, you move your hands onto Lux in hopes of grounding him. One goes to his back, drawing random patterns into the blue skin. The other runs its fingers through his hair, earning a surprisingly deep and growly hum from the God. After a minute or two, Lux blinks the hearts out of his eyes, the familiar black pie pupils back. He lets out a long, satisfied sigh as he stretches his arms, swatting the images above his head away before he finally lifts his head to look at you.

Your hair's a mess, you're sweaty, your throat is dry, but he stares at you like you're the most beautiful thing in the entire universe.

"You alright, angel?" You can't help but chuckle. The one who looked about ready to pass out is asking if you're ok. Oh, you love him.

"Mhm, I'm doing more than alright Hun. What about you? You looked like you went to another plane of existence for a minute there." You both let out tired laughs, Lux smiling fondly at you for a second as he watches you try to bring some order to your hair.

"Yeah.. that was incredible. I see why you humans do that! Though..." He looks down where the two of you are still connected. "Leaves quite the mess, huh?" You grimace and nod your head, flashes of past hook-ups resurfacing. The many times you've had to wipe yourself off while the guy you were with got dressed and walked out or waited for you to leave. Like the toon can read your mind, he smirks and wiggles his eyebrows in a 'Watch this' way. Lux snaps his fingers and you watch a strip of film float over like a snake, wrapped around a box of tissues. "Ta-da! I didn't feel like getting up." He grabs the box and pulls a few tissues out, stuffing them under your ass before he pulls out with a shudder. Lux quickly gives himself a wipe down before cleaning you up, whistling the Mr Ring-A-Ding theme tune to himself as he works. You can't tell if he's doing it subconsciously or not. Once you're no longer covered in a God's cum, Lux snaps his fingers again and his clothes pop back onto his body. He's full of surprises today.

"Let me go grab the snacks, sunshine! Ooo! how about your usual clothes too? They're probably more comfortable than the stuff you gotta wear for work." You nod with a giggle, amused by the God's refound energy. He doesn't stay down for long it seems. Maybe that applies to his cock too..

Lux returns quickly, putting the food and drink to the side while he helps you into your clothes. This takes longer than it should purely because of Lux trying to litter more kisses all over you before your body is covered again. Clothed, fed and refreshed, you snuggle down into the pile of blankets and pillows with your God of Light, holding him close as you lay on your side. Finally, he got the sleepover he wanted.

Mr Pye returned much later than he'd anticipated. Buying the supplies he needed, sweets for you and the trip to his home to collect some trinkets close to his heart drew out his trip by several hours. Palazzo was silent when he got back, confusing the older man. Weren't you two going to watch films? He peeks his head into every theatre in search of the God who had invaded his picture house and the employee said God had gotten attached to. Growing concerned, he opened the door to the projector room of the last theatre. There you were, cuddling Lux like he was a big stuffed animal, the God snoring with a triplets of Zs floating above his head. Reginald smiled at the sight, then quietly shut the door and returned to his theatre room. None the wiser to what you and Lux had been up to.

[Holy mackerel! Wasn't that a lot of words? Just wanted to say a quick thank you for all the love these fanfics are getting, it's my first time writing anything like this but I had to give Ring-A-Ding/Lux some love. I might do a part 4 involving both Lux AND Ring, you could get up to some naughty stuff with 2 fellas. Hehehe]

[alicewritez]

Gossip - Aaron Hotchner

word count: 1329

summary: you’re a new recruit at the BAU and a firm favourite of Hotch, which has not gone unnoticed by the team. unbeknownst to the team, you and Aaron are in a relationship and are holding another secret; there’s more to what than meets the eye.

Aaron Hotchner x Reader

authors note: implied age gap, mentions of student-teacher dynamic, brief mention of pregnancy at the end but nothing too descriptive. it’s just a bit of fun/fluff. feel free to send requests of any criminal minds character you’d like 🩷

You leave Aaron's office after he briefed you on your tasks for the day; still in the probationary period. You're a newly hired profiler and a very clear favourite of Aaron's. You were surprised to hear that everyone thinks of him as a bit of a grump - he's a soft, gentle and kind man underneath the hard and stern exterior.

As you leave his office, everyone turns to look at you and you're flooded with questions. Are you two secretly related? Why does he like you so much? What is going on between the pair of you?

But truthfully, you didn't know yourself, you were just as clueless as the rest of the team. Sure, you could definitely say you harboured a crush for the man, but he had made no attempt to reciprocate those feelings. Not that he really knew about yours anyway.

Derek gives you a gentle nudge, grinning widely as his eyes glisten with mischief and he surprised a laugh. "So, you and Hotch are close?"

You shrug as you sit down at your desk. "I don't know, I suppose so..". Morgan raises an eyebrow at your nonchalant response. "You don't know?"

Penelope chimes in as she weaves her way back through the desks to get to her office. "It's so obvious. You two are clearly close! You're also, like, half his age. How do you know each other?"

You set your files on your desk. "He was one of my teachers back at the FBI Academy."

Both Derek and Penelope's eyes widen at the revelation, not imagining it could have been something as simple as that. David chuckles from his office before moving to stand against the doorframe with his arms folded. "So you're the fresh-faced prodigy we've all been hearing about."

David's smile widens. He knows you're exactly the prodigy the FBI has been boasting about for months. "But it's true, isn't it? You got your Ph.D. at nineteen and you're the youngest person to join the BAU. You were also the youngest to graduate the FBI Academy."

You suck in a breath, "well, you've certainly done your research.. but I only graduated thanks to Hotch..". Derek leans forward, his smile growing wider. "'Hotch', huh? He really is a softie for you, isn't he?"

You furrow your brows. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that we've all noticed that he's much tamer around you." Penelope chimes in again, her voice full of excitement. "Yes! Much softer, too! I've never seen him smile so often until you joined."

"I think you're reading too much into this. He's probably just being nice because I'm new." You wave them off, making a start on the files piled in your desk.

Spencer, the youngest besides you, looks at you skeptically. Sometimes he could be too smart for his own good. "You're not just any new agent, though. You're a brilliant one. You're smart, talented, gifted, and young. And you're a favourite of our unit chief. Who also happens to be a grumpy, intense man who can be hard to impress. I agree with Derek and Penelope, there must be more to the story."

"Well there really isn't." You sigh as you start writing some notes up. Each member look slightly skeptical at your response, but decide to drop the subject for now, seeing how you wanted to just get on with your work. Once you were done with your notes and reports, you excuse yourself to Hotch’s office, knocking gently on the door.

A few seconds pass before you hear his voice call out. “Come in.”

You slowly step inside and close the door behind you, files in hand. Hotch looks up as he hears the door open and close, looking up at you with a small smile. “Finished with your reports already? Impressive, as always.”

“Yeah but,” you pause, “that’s not the reason I’m here.” Hotch raises an eyebrow as he sets down his pen, giving you his full attention. “Then what is it?”

“The team are figuring it out.” You fiddle with the corners of the files in your hand, while Hotch’s eyebrows draw together in confusion. “Figured it out? Figured what out?”

“Stop playing dumb Aaron… about us..”

Hotch pauses for a moment at your use of his first name, then a sigh escapes his lips before he rubs a hand over his forehead. “I suppose they’re all talking about it, then.”

“Talk of the office yeah.” You sit down, dropping the files onto his desk with a small thud. “I suppose they were bound to find out we were together sooner or later but, I didn’t think it would be this quick.”

Hotch chuckles softly, his eyes focusing on you. Seeing your worried expression, he stands and walks around the desk to stand in front of you. He takes your hands, intertwining your fingers together. “They’re just being nosey. They’ll get over it and move onto the next bit of gossip soon.”

You sigh, squeezing his hand. “I hope so.” He rubs the back of your hand with his thumb, the gesture affectionate and soothing. He knows you don’t like being the constant topic of office gossip. “Hey, look at me.” He tilts your head up gently so that you’re looking directly into his eyes.

You look into his eyes, melting under his touch. He gazes into your eyes and over your face, his expression full of affection. He lifts a hand and tenderly strokes your cheek, his touch sending chills down your spine. “No matter what the others think or say, none of it matters. I chose you. I’ll always choose you.”

Your eyes flutter shut as you whisper, “I love you.”

He smiles at your soft admission, his heart swelling with love and affection. He pulls you closer, his arms encircling your waist. “I love you too, sweetheart.”

You smile giddily, your arms wrapping around his torso. “You’re being very bold doing this in the office.”

He chuckles, his arms holding you close to him. Despite the risk of someone walking in on the two of you at any moment, he’s too lost in the moment to care. “Can you blame me? It’s my way of showing the others who you belong to.”

You smile softly up at him. “I think we should give them something else to gossip about.” He grins gown at you, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “What do you have in mind, sweetheart?”

You pull away from him, bringing your hands to rest on your stomach. “We tell them about this.” You and Aaron had found out weeks ago, but chose to keep it quiet for now, not wanting too many to be involved just yet. It was nice that just you and Aaron knew.

His smile widens at your words. He follows the movement of your hands, placing a gentle hand over yours on your stomach. “You think it’s time?”

“We can’t hide it forever.. however much we may want to.” You respond, deep down wanting to keep it to you and Aaron for a while longer, but also knowing the team deserved to know.

He nods, his eyes fixed on the spot where his hand is resting on your stomach. He can’t help but smile wider. “You’re right. But are you ready for all the questions and comments we’re going to get?”

“No, but.. it was all going to come out eventually..”

He nods in agreement, his hand gently caressing your stomach after pulling your hands away. “You’re right. You know, you’re the bravest and most brilliant person I know. Nothing can stop us.” He drops his head down and plants a tender kiss on your forehead, then on your cheek before finally capturing your lips in a loving kiss.

Little did either of you know, the team had all been listening in from outside his office door, hearing every word. But they wouldn’t say anything, they’d let you and Aaron go to them first.

[sirxlla]

Lips Are Chapped & Faded

------------------------------------------------

Warnings: Angst, Fluff

Prompt: Jason supports you through cancer

Notes: female reader, italics are actions and thoughts.

Requests are open btw.

-With that said, it's all under the cut-

The shock on your face as you answered the call told Jason everything he needed to know. A few weeks ago, you went to the doctor for a bump on your leg that hasn't gone away like you'd expect it to. You thought it was a mosquito bite, but it wasn't; the call confirmed it.

By the time the phone hit the ground, causing the screen to shatter, Jason's arms were around you. He's been reassuring you all week that it's probably benign, and now you both know it isn't. You said nothing, you couldn't.

"We'll get through this, I've got you. I'm gonna be here the whole way. I promise, Angel." Jason rubbed your back and held you tight, kissing your forehead.

"You sure you wanna buzz it already, Babtgirl?" Jason held the clippers in his hand as you sat on the tub's edge with your eyes closed.

"Yes! Oh my god, quit asking, I just wanna get it over with, Jason. If I don't, then it's gonna fall out anyway!" Chemo was happening whether you wanted it or not. Jason's been so patient with you even though you've been snappy.

"You'll look beautiful regardless." He says as he begins to shave off your hair, the strands brush your shoulders as they fall to the ground. You take deep breaths as you try to process losing your hair and the start of this long and hard road ahead.

"All done and still a babe. You wanna see in the mirror?" Jason smiles and brushes the hair off you.

"No, I- I don't wanna see." You say as you stand up and brush yourself off a bit as well, grabbing a beanie and putting it on, not even looking at the hair on the bathroom tile.

Jason sweeps up the hair and promptly discards it before joining you in the living room to watch a movie with you. He's been doing his best to distract you and take you out but you didn't want anyone to see you like this.

Jason held your hand the entire time you got treatment, massaged your fingers to keep them warm the entire time. He had brought a blanket and snacks, Jason just wants you to feel as comfortable as possible. When you got home, you fell asleep on his chest watching Transformers, Jason picked it, of course.

"Hey, How's she doin' Jay?" Dick asks as he come in from his afternoon jog, covered in sweat.

"She um- She's alright I guess. She's really not talkative as much. The sparkle in her eyes just not as bright right now, I don't blame her for being so grumpy and everything. It's not easy."

"Yeah, I mean she's gotta be cold, weak and tired and that's just the physical stuff," Dick says before he drinks from his waterbottle. "How are you doing?"

"I can't tell her but I- I'm scared. I don't wanna lose her. You know I know the chances aren't that bad because they caught it early but I just can't see my future without her."

"Just take it step at a time, Jason. I know it's easier said than done but it's all you can do."

-

"Jason, I- I dont wanna...I want you to leave if you ever-"

"Absolutely not! I don't know how many times I gotta tell you this, Angel. I'm not leaving, quit telling me that. I don't want easy. I don't want you to pull back and ignore me. I wanna spend every second I can with you, I wanna be here with you and support you no matter what."

"I look like a skeleton, Jay. I look like I'm already halfway in the grave! Just let me go!" You said as tears poured down your face, your lip trembling.

"Listen to me, you beautiful, stupid woman, I am never leaving. I wouldn't've left when you werent sick and I damn sure am not going to now " Jason says as he grabs you chin to make you look up at him into his crystal blue eyes. His eyes and expression are certain and secure, he means every word, which causes tears to form in your eyes.

"Come here, Baby." He pulls you to his warm chest, the welcome smell of gunsmoke and cologne on his skin invading your nose. He rubs your back as you sob, you don't wanna be a burden and he's sure to make you never feel that way. He wants you, not because of your body, your wellness, but you as a person. He loves you through this all, no matter how ugly or broken you feel.

'

After about six long months of treatment, you were just wanting so badly to give up and had told Jason about how hard this was to keep going, the throwing up, the losing weight, all of it being so draining.

Jason answers a call from your doctor due to you again being asleep at his side, using him like a human heater. As soon as Jason hears the news from your most recent checkup he smiles and wakes you up, gently shaking you.

"Baby, baby. Wake up." He shakes you a bit more which causes you to grumble.

"What, Jay?" You mumble into his shirt as you barely open your eyes.

"They said you're good. They're gonna do another round, but after that? You're good. Baby, you're good."

"What? Are you serious?"

"Yeah, Baby. They just called cause you didn't answer, cause obviously you're asleep, but... You did it. I'm so proud of you!" He hugs you and pulls you closer, squeezing you tightly but lets go as he feels you wince a little bit.

You start sobbing into his chest, like it just caused your bottled-up emotions and the false armor you've had on to just crumble. Jason had thought it was weird you never cried about you having cancer but he suspected you were just trying to be brave and strong for him.

"Oh, Babygirl. You did it. I'm so so proud. It wasn't easy."

"I've been so mean." Your body wracks with sobs, just holding him like he might disappear or you will.

"You've been trying to cope, I'm not mad at you. Okay? I'm never gonna be mad at you for any of this. I don't know what I'd do without you, Sweetheart." He just kept rubbing your back and kissing your forehead again. He's been the only reason why you've been able to hold on. Even when you've pushed him away or tried to get him to leave you, he always pushed back, never taking the easy way out.

-> Masterlist

-> Send me requests/prompts if you'd like

[number1plotsagiglazer]

hii this is my first post!! i havent written before so please excuse me if its bad :)

cw: angst

ft: rin

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

So that's it then.

Three years of your life gone out the fucking window. You’ve given him everything.

Your time, your love, your  life.

And for what? To be discarded, thrown away like a piece of trash.

Boxes filled with your belongings lay scattered around the room. You had finally just finished clearing out the bedroom.

Your bedroom. Fuck.

A sigh fell from your lips as you looked around. The home that previously felt like, well, home, now seemed bleak and empty, a reminder of everything you had just lost.

That fucking bastard.

Your eyes drifted, landing on the small pile of glass laying grievously in the corner of the room. Somewhere in that miserable heap lay a picture, one of you and Rin on your very first date. You didn't want to look at it. No, you can't look at it. The man in that picture is someone else, someone kind and thoughtful, not the man who told you to leave without a second thought the night before.

Thinking back to the previous night, your heart began to ache, a cruel symphony of anger, hurt and love all fighting to surface, yet none prevailed. The events that had transpired flickered through your head.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

The rich aroma of sizzling steak and bitter wine wafted through the air, a result of the fancy dinner you had put hours into that now lay waiting on the table. You sat there, hair done, face covered in makeup that took a stupid amount of time and wrapped in a brand new turquoise dress, Rins favourite colour. Hell, you were even wearing lingerie in the same shade and, sure, it looks great, but it was the uncomfortable lacy kind you're constantly aware of when you wear it. This would be perfect. It had to be. Rin had been so distant lately, barely even bothering to take the time to look at or even speak to you. It hurt, and you knew he was just stressed. Matches hadn't been going well and you could see the effect it was having on him. So, being the wonderful girlfriend that you are, you cooked this wonderful meal for him and even placed stupid little candles and rose petals around the bed for later.

Sigh.

You felt silly, but you really wanted to make him feel better, and this would!

Oh how stupid were you.

The sound of keys jingling in the door snapped you out of your thoughts, shooting up out of your chair and racing to the door to meet him. You felt a nervous excitement course through your veins, almost feeling like a teenager again. You hadn't seen him in five days, and no matter how he had been recently, you missed him.

The door swung open, revealing your gorgeous boyfriend, wearing the expression of a man ready to snap at any second.

Shit. Don't let this discourage you. He's probably just grumpy.

‘Hey Honey how are you?’You start with a smile, throwing your arms around him, you continue. ‘I missed you!’

He looked down at you, peeling away from your grip as his scowl deepened.

‘The hell are you all dressed up for?’

Ouch.

‘I bought a new dress for tonight! Do you like it? I cooked us dinner as well. I thought a nice welcome home would help brighten your mood a bit, you know? You've seemed so stressed recently.’

His eyes darted to the dinner table which lay adorned with food, all of which you knew he loved, and dimly lit with candles. A sigh escaped his lips.

‘Can we do this another night Y/N? I'm really tired. Practice was shit.’

Your resolve cracked a bit. After all the time you put into this, he wants to just postpone it and the excuse you get is ‘today's practice was shit?’ Trying to keep your smile steady, you respond as sweetly as you can

‘Well love its ready now, so we don't we just eat and I can help you relax aft-’

He pushed past you, headed towards the stairs. He doesn't even bother to look at you as he speaks.

‘I said I'm tired. Another night,’

‘But-’ You began.

‘For fucks sake Y/N would you leave me be? Eat the food yourself if it bothers you that much.’

The harsh words that came so easily from his lips shot a searing pain through your heart. Watching him walk away, so unbothered by what he just said to you, had the words tumbling out of your mouth before you even knew what you were saying.

‘Do you still love me?’

Rin stopped in his tracks as a deathly silence fell upon the room.

‘What?’

Keep going.

‘You seem miserable Rin. You never smile at me anymore, you never spend time with me, fuck Rin you’re hadly ever home! And when you are it seems like you would rather be anywhere else than here with me. It's always soccer this, Isagi that, you never even try to listen to what I have to say anymore! So tell me, what the fuck is the point in us even being together?’

A long pause followed your words. Tears you hadn't even noticed had filled your eyes were now streaming down your cheeks. Your head was filled with a storm of emotions, anger, betrayal, but mainly just sadness.

‘Please Rin… say something.’

He keeps his back turned to you, remaining silent for another moment longer.

‘I've been clear from the start that soccer has always been and will always  be the most important thing in my life. If you can't cope with that, leave. I won't stop you.’

What? He won't stop you? Three years, and that's all he has to say?

The framed picture of the two of you on your first date sitting on the shelf meets your eyes. You're pressing a kiss to his temple, while he wears an embarrassed face, cheeks dusted pink with a small smile ghosting his lips. You almost trip over yourself as you walk over to it, picking it up with trembling hands. The tears are now flowing freely down your face as you march over to him shoving it into his face. 

‘Look at us! We were so happy Rin! What happened to us, to this?’

Abruptly, his hand shot out, faster that you could process, and knocked the photo out of your hands. A smash echoed through the room as it shattered against the wall.

A sob ripped from your lips as you saw the ruined picture frame in a pile on the floor. You felt your last ounce of hope dissipate. Rin was no longer the man you fell in love with. All that remained was a shell of him, filled with anger and hatred. You slowly turned your head to look at him. Regret flashes across his face for a split second, yet it's gone as quickly as it came. He looks down at you, eyes blank.

‘Well we aren't happy anymore, are we?’

He quickly moved towards the door and you collapsed on the ground,  strangled cries being torn from your lips. The door slammed, and he was gone.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

You sigh as your hands find the handle of the last box, moving to bring it to your car. As you turn to leave, the ruin of the photo catches your eye.

Bastard. Hope it cuts him when he cleans it up.

Kicking the door shut, you stroll over to your car, piling the last box in on top of the others. Glancing one last time at the house you once called home, a sad smile ghosted your lips.

That's it I guess.

[n3ptoonz]

Can I get SFW and nsfw bi han headcanons pleaseee

bi han!sub-zero sfw/nsfw hcs

y'all know the rules; includes reader

SFW

absolutely hates loud music but catch him blasting soft jazz or traditional instrumental music that you can hear throughout the temple

another chronic tea lover like you'll never not see him with a mug in his hand or sitting on his desk, and you can best believe it's never empty

he hates surprises. unless they're from you then he's more like "oh...that's nice. thank you." with a lowkey wholesome attempt at a genuine smile (you are the first person to ever actually see him smile)

he has a soft spot for flowers. literally any kind of flower and this becomes obvious if you roam around his temple and see all the pretty vases with their hand made bouquets by yours truly

he has the best hand writing out of the trio. i'm talking like calligraphy master type shit and he even offered to teach you so you could write to him when he has to go away on long missions

i'm giggling at the thought that the "this isn't you" speech would work on him😭his short temper and grumpy demeanor gets him into so much shit and when you give him those eyes he's like "grumble grumble...fine."

at the start of your relationship he was the same but very very slowly became more patient with general things. he still has those moments though and you gotta be the level headed one or else nothing gets done

NSFW

roughest out of the three. who else is surprised? right. it did take him a while to learn control so you'd be able to leave his room not limping for once!

TITTY/CHEST ENTHUSIAST. i will die on this hill. he gets so grabby like he saw something shiny. y'all remember when his eyes damn near glossed over when he saw the coins on the ground? that's exactly the face he makes. dudes a sucker [all pun intended]

i feel like once he learns how to be gentle he's so caring. after care becomes more prominent cause sheesh the way the room looks when yall done is...😧 but seriously i think he'd be so attentive too asking if you're okay in the heat of the moment before going right back to fuckin yo shi up

groan city population him. soft mutter central. you could swear you've heard a small whimper before but he refuses to ever acknowledge it ever again LMAOOO

you [did]nt hear this from me but...he likes wax play. actually, temperature play now that i think about it. you didn't even need to suggest it cause he experimented with it once when his cold handprints were still on your hips. the second he could sense you were into it, now you gotta do it in moderation cause bro is a lil too excited

he likes to be choked.

i know i say this every time but idgaf he turns into a lil bitch when his hair is pulled. that tough guy shit is GONE once your nails meet his scalp. he has once came on the spot from it too, another thing to never bring up again LOL

[rooksunday]

my first effort for flash fiction friday! i made myself sad 😔

not in question (but out of it) | ao3

word count: 912 words

theme: two truths, one lie

summary: commander fox is fine, actually.

"I'm fine!"

When Stone didn't move from his position in front of Fox's desk, Fox raised his eyebrows.

"Was there something else?" he asked, in the kind of tone that implied there had better not be.

Stone was one of the troopers that didn't need the shield of a helmet in order to disguise his expression—for that reason, he took a lot of the diplomatic escort missions—but at Fox's question, a brief flash of disquiet twisted his lips. He shifted his weight.

"You refused to see the medics," Stone said.

Fox lifted one shoulder. "I didn't need to see the medics."

"There's still blood in your hair."

Fierfiek. Fox curled his hands around his datapad to quell the instinct to check on his hair. He'd gone to the refresher after returning from patrol. He'd thought he'd gotten all the blood out.

Double down.

"No there isn't."

Stone went blank faced. As good as a you're full of banthashit from any other trooper.

"I see. Sir. My mistake, sir."

Fox decided to be magnanimous in victory. He inclined his head. "Easily done."

They looked at each other for a long moment. Stone had his helmet held beneath his arm, and his armour bore smudges and dust from a long prison shift, while his face showed the bruises of exhaustion that they'd all started to wear. He should've been in his bunk, but instead he'd come to check on Fox.

Fox lowered his gaze to the datapad and suppressed a wince at his reflection. Talk about someone who needed to be in their bunk.

He sighed. Stone deserved more than a brush-off.

Fox wet his lips and met Stone's gaze.

"I'm fine," he said again, more softly. It was the truth.

Another heartbeat. Then Stone nodded, saluted Kamino-sharp, and left Fox to it.

"I'm fine."

"All due respect, sir, but that's the kriffing concussion talking."

Fox tried to poke the closest Thire in the biceps. All due respect seemed like half a spoonful and that spoon had a hole in it. Why wouldn't a Thire stay still for swatting? Mutiny!

"I just don't want you to break your fingers on my armour, you clown."

"'m not a clown… You're a— Gristle?"

Where had Medic Gristle come from? And why did they have a hypo in their hand?

"Yes, sir. Very good identification of the hypo, sir. If you could just keep still so I don't stab you anywhere important, sir?"

"Just stab him. He's used to it."

Thire sounded grumpy. Fox didn't like when Thire sounded grumpy. It made Fox want to give him pastries.

Mmm, pastries.

Before the thing with the explosion, Fox had been on his way to meet with Senator Organa, and sometimes Organa had leftovers from breakfast and, once, there had been the teeniest pastries with little spots of jam that—

"Ow!"

Fox's neck hurt. He tried to rub it but one of the Thire's caught his fingers.

"It hurts because you didn't hold still for the hypo. Because you're a clown."

Thire's hands were warm. Fox tried to squirm his other, colder, hand inside the trap of Thire's, so it wouldn't be jealous.

"What are you— Kriff's sake. Jealous hands… Here, let me. There you go." The Thire glanced at Gristle. "He need anything else?"

"A few hours of observation. Nothing to worry about. Like you said, sir, he's used to it."

Now Gristle sounded grumpy. Fox was going to need to acquire so many pastries. He could smuggle them down the front of his armour, probably.

"Everything all right, Fox? You've gone kriffin' quiet."

Fox nodded. He tried to smile in the Thires' general direction. "Fine! I'm fine."

It was the truth! But Thire just grunted.

"I'm— I'm fine."

If Thorn had been there, he would've bumped his shoulder against Fox's and given him the look that said I know you're lying but that's okay. Then Thorn would've found a reason to redirect their next patrol route through the Senate Gardens—to check on camera locations, or safety hazards, or the new barista at the food cart—and made sure that his and Fox's armour kept crowding together all the while. Grounding Fox on Coruscant, when Fox wanted to be out there, yet couldn't leave.

"No, I am. I promise I am."

If Thorn had been there, he would've let Fox rest his head on Thorn's shoulder and rubbed his fingers through Fox's grimy hair. He would've been sarcastic about Fox's 'fresher avoidance, and said something about have we run out of shampoo again, but then he would've checked Fox's schedule and buffered the morning shifts to add extended slots for Maintenance and Upkeep.

"No one has ever been as fine as me. Isn't that what you always say?"

If Thorn had been there, he would've taken away Fox's datapad and ordered him into the nearest bunk—boots off first, sir, what kind of tube raised you?—in his typical, implacable way. He would've sat at the end of Fox's bunk and read aloud from whatever article had captured his interest; lately, Thorn had been learning about Chandrilan opera. Sometimes he sang.

How many clones had their voice?

Yet Fox would never hear Thorn's terrible singing again.

Fox curled up more tightly on his bunk, the sheets crumpling beneath his dirty boots. He pressed his hands to his greasy hair. His armour enclosed him like a shell no one would ever breach.

But he was fine.

[daydreamgoddess14]

Support System pt. 8

Roy Kent x Reader, spicy rating - MASTERLIST

CH1 | CH 2 | CH 3 | CH 4 | CH 5 | CH 6 | CH 7

It's gala time! With a sprinkle of Tedbecca cos I've missed them!

ohh and this is the gif on repeat in my head (that SMILE!! JFC):

~~~~~~

He hasn’t seen the dress yet. You’ve hung it up in his spare room while you deal with the other stuff you don’t do all that often like hair and make up - and when you do do it, you have a little shadow following you and asking if she can share your lipstick, what’s mascara, and why do you need to put that weird thing on your eyelashes. You’d both had to rush to get ready for work after he’d fucked you in the kitchen, everything taking that little bit longer when you could hardly keep your hands off each other. He’d gone off to Nelson Road with the promise of meeting you in the city so he could collect his suit. He’d run you a bath when you’d both gotten back to his, kissed each little fingertip bruise on your hips. You’d gone with Sara to get a manicure for the first time in a very, very long time, while Phoebe played Princesses with Roy.

“Jesus, you’re glowing. It’s sickening.” She laughed.

“I know you don’t want to hear this but just pretend it’s not Roy for a sec, cos it’s not really about him anyway, but it’s insanely different. Like night and day different to anything I’ve ever experienced in my life, Sara. My whole fucking life. It’s like I’ve been struck by lightning. With Andy it was just about him, with anyone else before actually. Like they didn’t actually care about me, it was only ever about them. And I mean that in every aspect, not just the sex.” She pulled a face, “I know, I’m not going to talk to you about the sex, I promise. I wish I could, because I need to shout it from the rooftops in all honesty.” 

“I told you, he’s so ready to make someone happy. I’m glad that person is you.”

“I’m still nervous about tonight.”

“Don’t be!” She said, full of confidence.

“These people mean as much to him as you and your mum and Phebs do. It’s like you three top tier, then this entire building full of people he adores.”

“You’ve met Jamie though?”

“Yeah, but he still thinks I’m just your best friend. He’s going to know as soon as he sees me that that’s not the whole truth.”

“So are you labelling this thing when you meet everyone later?”

“He said it’s up to me. But I don’t want it to be up to me. Or not completely anyway.”

“If anyone asks, you’re friends. They don’t have to know that you’re friends who are sleeping together and are almost certainly more than friends.”

“Hmm. You’re right, we can do that. That sounds easy.” 

“Ah. Wait, no. Forget that. I’ve seen his face around you. It’s literally impossible for him to disguise that he likes you. And tonight, with the dress and the boobs and the legs he’s just not going to be able to keep his face like,” she exaggerated Roy’s impassive, grumpy face, “that all night. He’ll never be able to manage it.”

“Oh.”

“So they find out you’re seeing each other - does it really matter?”

“Suppose not.”

“Exactly. So just enjoy it. Enjoy grown up company, drinks and a really fancy night on the town with a whole football team. You’ll have a blast.” You knew she was right, you repeat her comments in your head as you potter around Roy's room - hair done, make up done, you've just finished putting in some earrings and now you're having trouble with your necklace. 

"Not going to fucking lie, if this is the outfit then I'm fine with that. I want my money back and we're not leaving the house, but I'm fine with all of that." He says from the doorway where he's been standing for goodness knows how long. His suit leaves you speechless, perfectly tailored with sharp lines. You know he can tell that it's had an effect on you.

"Make yourself useful." You tell him, handing him your necklace and turning your back on him. 

"There are other ways I can do that," he suggests once he's done the necklace up, hands tracing the line of your strapless bra and your underwear. 

"No time babe, the car is due soon isn't it?"

"I'm sure I've got time for something at least." He hooks his thumbs into your underwear, using them to pull you over to the bed and sitting down, moving you between his knees. You cup his face in your hands and kiss him, knowing you made a wise choice in not putting your lipstick on yet.  

"I don't think we do. God, you look gorgeous." You run your hands down the lapel of his jacket. 

"Bet you a fiver I can make you come and leave you enough time to finish getting ready before the car gets here."

"I'm not taking that bet," you laugh,

"Cos you know you'll fucking lose." He teases. You swat at his shoulder, 

"Aren't you wasting valuable time?" His eyes light up, hands squeezing your bum.

"Well, it's not exactly what I wanted but you'll only tell me off if you have to do your hair again." His hands, as promised, make very quick work of you while he talks about everything else he wants to do. He holds you to him as you come back down from the high. "Dress on then." He tells you, taping your hip. "I'll be downstairs." He leaves you with a lingering kiss filled with promises for later. You step into the dress and lift it into place, reaching around for the zip. You slip on the shoes and apply your lipstick, checking the whole look in the mirror. You feel amazing, you just hope he agrees. He hears you on the stairs, "just in time-" He starts, but stops abruptly. "Holy fucking shit."

"That's what I said." You laugh. "It's OK?" He hasn't said another word or taken his eyes off you while you navigated the stairs. You wring your hands nervously. "Roy? Fucksake, say something please? Is it awful?"

"You look incredible," he finally says hoarsely. "Fucking incredible. Show me?" He takes your hand, urging you to turn around and show him the whole dress. When you stop in front of him again, his hand goes to the thigh high slit up the front of the dress. "I definitely can't wait to take this off." 

"When's the car coming?" You ask, stepping into his arms. 

"It should be outside." He leads you out. In the car, his hand slips under the split of your dress to rest on your bare thigh. "Remind me to take advantage of this later when you’re less fucking nervous."

~~~~~~~

Your grip on his hand gets progressively tighter the closer you get to the venue. 

"Look at me?" He asks quietly, "It's going to be fine. They're going to love you. And god, you look gorgeous." You take the arm he offers at the start of the red carpet, you'd tried to skip it completely but you couldn't bear the thought of Roy having to do it alone. Photographers had also asked for Roy on his own but his response had been a very tame "No." Inside the venue, you spotted the only people you knew, the American coaches and Jamie both at opposite ends of the room. Once people noticed that Roy had not arrived alone, they seemed to all be looking at you at once. 

"Royo my man, why don't I escort your lovely date inside and get a table, seems the fellas need you and it might be a bit like throwing this poor young lady to the lions. Maybe give them a Kent word of warning before you introduce them?" Coach Lasso kindly offered you his arm and before leaving your side, Roy checked in with you. 

"Think I can cope with that." You smiled. 

"I'll bring you a drink back." He kissed you softly and walked over to the first group of young men you'd seen out on the pitch. A couple of them clapped him on the back in greeting, looking over at you and then back to him. You could see from his profile how much he smiled. Ted led you into the ballroom which was decorated to perfection. 

"This looks amazing." You breathe,

"It does, right? The boss likes to make it one of the best nights we have. She does a damn good job too."

"Wonder if I'll meet her," you muse.

"Oh you sure will, Faith Hill, she and our Roy are good friends so if he wants you to be meeting anyone tonight, it'll be her."

"Oh. Great," your smile falters just a little.

"She's an incredible woman. Lotta fences, but once you've hopped over those, it's like winning the Premier League. I'd imagine, anyway."

"Hopefully you'll get to find out. Only a couple of matches to go."

"That's right, Manchester next week and then West Ham." He's easy to talk to, friendly and sincere and he has you laughing so much you forget your unease. When Roy joins you with drinks, he doesn’t hesitate to kiss you in front of everyone, happy that you're happy. 

"Right, the boys are on their best behaviour if they talk to you."

"You didn't need to do that."

"I did, the dickheads would have been bloody asking for your life story. No filter on 'em. You been OK with Ted?"

"Totally fine, we've been talking about work."

"Boring."

"We're both at an impasse. I need something new, he's not sure what to do. It's all very dramatic," you drink your wine and look around the room at the assembled guests, "I didn't get through the two interviews from the other week." You admit.

"Shit babe, I'm sorry. They're missing out, it's their loss."

"Thank you. Feels like a ticking clock looming over me."

"We can figure it out. I can help." You know he doesn't just mean financially, emotionally too, but your mind is focused on the practical issues first. 

"I wouldn't want you to do that."

"I know. You might have to stop being so stubborn at least for a bit and actually accept help though." You run your fingers over his knuckles, his hand firmly in yours. 

"I know. I'll think about it when I have to though, ok?" He nods. "No more boring talk. Who you going to introduce me to?" You look around again, Ted is talking to Rebecca over by the bar. He's making her laugh. "Think anything is happening there yet?" You ask, leaning in to talk quietly. 

"Not yet, but I think she likes him too." You sigh,

"That's so cute. Look at how he looks at her."

"There is someone I want you to meet," he tells you, pulling you to your feet, "but only if you want to?" You laugh a little nervously. 

"It's Keeley, isn't it?" He kisses you and it’s just slightly over the line of publicly appropriate. 

"Only if you want to." He promises again. You might as well agree, it's easier to get it done sooner rather than later and every time you've looked at her she's been looking curiously at you. He leads you by the hand to where Keeley is sitting with Jamie and two other players. 

"This is Keeley, Colin, Isaac and you already know Jamie." You smile warmly at them all and they welcome you to their table. 

"I knew it!" Jamie grins, "you sly git, I knew something was going on the other week. Friends my arse! You look lovely, I like the Chelsea blue." He nudged Roy, clinking their beers together, you watched the smile bloom across Roy's face, it was infectious. 

"It's lovely to see him so happy. You look fantastic!" Keeley teases. 

"Makes our life easier too, y'know." Isaac laughed with Colin who readily agreed. 

"Alright, alright. I'm not that bad." He grumbles. Everyone around you falls silent but you truly can't help the giggle that bubbles up and out until you're laughing so hard you can't catch your breath. They watch you for a second before Jamie breaks first, followed by Keeley. Colin and Isaac soon relax and laugh too.

"Oh babe, I honestly say this out of love, you are though!" You laugh again. Next to you, Jamie stops laughing straight away. Roy looks at you, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Next round on me. Wanna help me Roy?" Jamie asks and gets up from the table, Roy's hand just squeezes yours before he gets up. On the stage, Rebecca is welcoming the gala guests. Keeley turns to you and you grimace at what you think she's about to say. 

"Don't worry, he just needs a minute to process that and wonder if you meant what he thinks you might mean. Better have an answer ready for later." She offers with a gentle smile. "So what do you do?" She's guiding you to a safe conversation topic but you're not quite sure why. Then it registers - your passing comment, her advice, and your eyes widen as you realise what you said, "I know. Spiral later, deep breath now." You try and relax, finishing your wine. 

"I'm a deputy Comms Director. Well, I was. I quit recently so I'm looking for something new."

"Oh wow, I love working with internal Comms, you guys know exactly what you want. Makes my job so much easier!" She laughs and pulls you into a deep discussion about external PR and internal department politics. You glance at Roy occasionally, meeting his eyes more than once. His face is impassive, unreadable. He still holds your hand, thumb resting on your pulse point while he's in his own conversation with Isaac. Your table is visited frequently by other guests and you get introduced to many other people as the evening draws on. At the auction, Roy looks relieved and nudges against you, 

"Thank fuck I don't get auctioned off anymore."

"Tell me about it, I couldn't afford you." You joke, brushing his lips in a brief kiss. 

~~~~~~~

Once the auction is over, you excuse yourself to go to the bathroom. You're maneuvering yourself in the cubicle when you hear the doors open. 

"You look cosy with Roy's new squeeze." You hear an elegant voice say. 

"She's so fucking cute, Rebecca. Honestly. I hope he's ready for her because she could be the best thing that's ever happened to him."

"OK, that's not what I expected to hear from you. Really?"

"Really. We're friends, really good friends and yes, I loved him so much. But I wasn't the right person at the right time. Maybe she is. As long as he doesn't cock it up."

"Maybe your time hasn't happened yet? What if it's still to come?"

"All respect, Rebecca, I think how Roy and I go our separate ways is not too tricky to work out. You and Ted however…" 

"There is no Ted and I."

"Exactly! That's my point, and my problem! You can't let him leave, babe!"

"I can't force him to stay either."

"Do you love him?" It's no good, you have to move. Doing so will make your presence known but you just have to suck it up. You emerge from the cubicle to see the two women sitting on a small sofa with a cocktail in hand. Keeley noticeably gasps so you hold your hands up in surrender. 

"I'm sorry, I wasn't eavesdropping, I promise. I didn't realise what a nightmare it was going to be to go for a piss in this dress, it's so fucking big and there's so much sodding material-"

"I'm sorry," Keeley starts, Rebecca is watching the two of you with interest.

"Oh don't be, god it could have been worse! You could have said I was a right bitch, or not good enough for him. Believe me, I'll take what you said no problem." She sighs with relief. 

"Thank fuck for that! Have you two met yet?"

"Not yet, you must be Roy's new girlfriend. Gorgeous dress." Rebecca reaches out to shake your hand. 

"Thank you. Not sure I deserve that title just yet, it's early days."

"You like him, don't you?"

"Like him? She might have just admitted in a very roundabout way that she loves him, Rebecca!" Keeley squealed.

"Well then the girlfriend title definitely fits"

"Stop deflecting Welton, I asked you a question." Keeley got back to business. "Do you love Ted?" She looks at you and you make to leave, 

"Don't mind me, I'll leave you both to it."

"Stay." She urges. "Yes, I think I am Keeley, and I don't know what to fucking do about it."

"Tell him!" You and Keeley both exclaim.

"You can't let him leave without telling him." You tell her. 

"She can't let him leave at all, he's brilliant." Rebecca seems ready to give up on the discussion.

"I'm not going to let you both gang up on me. You should know better," she points at Keeley, "and you, I hardly know. No offence." She points at you. She leaves the bathroom first while you and Keeley linger.

"So, what I said about my feelings for Roy? Totally true, we're friends. I'm getting closer to Jamie again, but I don't know what that really means. The only thing I don't know for sure, is how Roy feels. We've been split up for nearly a year, there's no reason he should shy away from anything with you. But his mind works in mysterious ways. You're better off talking to him. My advice is to be honest and open with him no matter how scary it is." She's taken your hands while she talks and when she's finished, she wraps her tiny arms around you. You're not tall but she's so petite it's comical. "So, we should go and fucking dance?" She gives you a wicked grin. "Maybe we'll get lucky and Ted and Rebecca will start something on the dancefloor. God, I'd pay good money to see those pair bang!"

Roy is looking out for you from across the room as you leave the bathroom, he gives you a little salute. 

"Keeley wants me to dance," you tell him, going for your drink. 

"Told you you'd get along." He leans down to kiss you. "I get one later though." You join Keeley and half the team on the dancefloor where you spend the majority of the rest of the night. As the evening winds down, Roy takes you into his arms where your stay for song after song. You notice Rebecca and Ted out of the corner of your eye dancing together and turn both you and Roy so he can also see. "Fucking idiot should tell her." He chuckles, holding you tighter. 

~~~~~~~

In the car on the way home, his hand finds its place on your thigh again. The quiet and the alcohol make you pensive, you're mulling over almost admitting that you love Roy, and Keeley's comment about making sure that he's moved on from her the same way she has from him.

"I'm sorry for saying what I did in front of everyone. It just fell out of my mouth, I didn't mean to ambush you with it." You start. He knows you're not done, you're worrying your bottom lip with your teeth, and you won't meet his eye. "Keeley's so beautiful, Roy. I mean, really so gorgeous." You'd never been one for comparing yourself to other women. You especially tried to avoid comparing yourself to the exes of someone new. You believed in the right person at the right time, and that exes helped shape a person. It had taken leaving Andy to help you regain who you were, for example, so like it or not - he had helped you become you. And so, you absolutely couldn't dislike Keeley, you knew that she'd helped Roy become this version of himself. She’d been so gracious, kind, and sweet during the evening, you’d had a lovely time. But that almost made it worse - comparing regular exes to footballers exes was like comparing apples and oranges. And try as you might, you weren't able to escape the fact that you were not a model. "I'm not her." You tell him, the worry evident in your voice. "What if she's the 'big love of your life’? I don't… I don't want to be a placeholder girlfriend. If you're not done with her, then I need to know." He didn't say anything for a long time, he keeps his hand on your leg while the car travels past the stadium and into his street. He thanks the driver, comes round to open your door and still hasn't said a word. He unlocks the front door and slips off his suit jacket before he turns to you. He takes your hand and guides you to sit you on the stairs and paces in front of you, rubbing his hand over his beard.

"If you'd asked me probably before Christmas, I think I would have said that I still had feelings for Keeley. But in the last six months, I've seen her change and I think I've changed too. Fuck it, I've tried to. I think it's crept up on me and I hadn't fucking realised it, but I am done with Keeley." He's still pacing methodically in front of you, making sure he says exactly what he wants to say, the way he wants to say it. "Properly done, I mean. I love having her as a friend, she's really good at that shit and I'd be lost without her. I could say the same about Jamie too but don't tell him, he's already a massive twat." He pauses to collect his thoughts. "She might have been the big love of my life… if my life had gone in a different direction. But it didn't. It's led me to you, and you could never be a placeholder girlfriend." It takes a couple of seconds but he kneels so that he's lower than eye level with you, leaning back on his heels. "I don't want you to be a placeholder girlfriend, I want you to be my fucking girlfriend, and I honestly say this out of love," you giggle through the tears that have started to fall, "you're a really good one." He leans up to kiss you. "Now please tell me that's the answer that covers all the shit that's been worrying you?" You kiss him back deeply, sliding forward on the step to bring your knees either side of him. 

"I think that covers it. God, I really fucking love you." His laugh is magical,

"Fucking love you too. I love Lexie. I love that you can't park for shit and you're late for everything, and that you made my mum like you within about 5 minutes. She didn't even like me within 5 minutes." You kiss him again as his hands open up the split of your dress and slide up your thighs. He brings you further forward on the step and brings your underwear down your legs. "I'd spend the rest of my life on my knees worshipping you, even if it kills my bad knee." You lean back on your elbows as he brings his mouth to you and you believe every word he says.

~~~~~~~

[silver-itallics]

My Favorite Inside Source pt 2

Part 1!

Pairing: Leon Kennedy x Reader

Warnings: smut, masturbation, toxic behavior, mentions of rape, heavy choking, Leon being a grumpy old man, p in v, light mentions oral and fingering (f receiving), guilt (kinda)

!! Contains dark content !!

"do it and do it again..."

Leon is silent for a few moments. You're looking at him like he hung the stars. Really all he did was hang your knees over his shoulders last night.

"What?" He blurts.

He never was the type to think before he speaks. But this doesn't throw off your rhythm, though. Maybe there's more cotton in your head than there is a brain.

"I wanted to say thank you." You repeat, holding up the pan of bacon. "I had a good time last night."

You didn't seem like you had a good time. Leon looks down, confirming that you're still not wearing panties. That's because he stuffed them in his drawer, and your blood is still on his sheets.

For once, you're not the one looking stupid. Leon knows he looks like an idiot, but he can't stop staring at you like you're in one of those old carnival freak shows. But this just makes you laugh. You turn back to the stove, finish off the bacon and put it on a plate.

"I actually wanted you to do that. Sorry I freaked you out. No one has ever tried to do something like that to me before," you're grinning, despite the fact that your words could send you to a psychiatric ward.

Leon just stares wide eyed at you, as you sit him down on his ripped couch, putting a plate of food on his lap. First, you're his rape victim, and now you're his housewife? He's not sure if he should be thankful or not. Definitely not.

He pokes at the plate as you set a cup of orange juice near him. "You shouldn't be thanking me," Leon mutters. His voice is cold, shaggy bangs hanging in his eyes. He can't see, but that's the point. He just wishes you'd disappear.

"I know it's messed up, but…" you blabber on about the fantasy, and Leon tunes you out. You're just like him, in a way; you're both stupid, and neither of you know when to shut up. But at least you're not a monster. If anything, you seem like a sweet kid.

Kid.

Fuck.

"How old are you?" Leon asks, completely interrupting you. Slowly, you blink at him a few times. You look like you're going to say something to him about interrupting you, but instead you just answer.

You explain how you're in college, only a semester in. A smile crosses your face again as you chatter on.

Leon groans, covering his face. The plate in his lap tips, but you catch it before the scrambled eggs splatter on the floor. You take it from him gently, setting it on a cluttered table nearby.

"Did I do something wrong?" You ask, kneeling at his side. Your smaller fingers massage the muscles in his knees, and Leon has to try to push your hands away as politely as possible. He's so touch starved he might get hard just from the innocent gesture.

"No. You didn't do anything wrong," Leon sighs. He's the one that's gone and fucked up, yet you can't seem to understand that. The only thing you've done is started to follow him around like a baby duck does to its mother.

You look at him with big, watery eyes and he bites his lip to stop from groaning in annoyance. Before you can say anything, he cuts you off again.

"Don't you have school today?" He asks, trying to get you to take the hint to leave.

"It's Saturday," you reply, squeezing Leon's knee.

"Go buy me a six pack of beer from the gas station, then," he suggests. Please, please leave, Leon pleads in his mind.

"I'm not twenty-one yet," is what you reply. Leon should've known. God abandoned him years ago.

He doesn't want to yell at you, but he does. "Christ, kid!" Leon finally lifts his head up, grabbing his wallet on the crowded table. He shoves a twenty in your hands, the force pushing you back and startling you.

"Go buy some candy or something. Knock yourself out." He stands up, hoping that'll force you to leave. Maybe he'll take an angry shower. Sometimes that helps.

You clasp the dollar bill in your hands, looking like a deer in headlights. "Do you want anything?" You ask cautiously.

Leon turns, giving you a glare. "Go." With that, you scurry out the door to find the nearest gas station.

As soon as you're out of the door, Leon needs a fucking drink. You've definitely got the same type of parasite that he has, but yours is a more obnoxious, loud one, while his is a silent killer.

He's not sure if he'd rather go at the hands of this parasite or his own.

In his room, Leon yanks open one of the drawers in his nightstand. The one that has the "emergency whiskey" as he calls it. Instead, he finds your stupid panties that he shoved in there on a whim.

He reaches forward, hooking a finger in the lacy fabric. Underneath is a flask of whiskey, which Leon downs in a few seconds. As he does, Leon unfolds your panties from the ball he crumpled them into.

They're pretty. He never really looked at them last night. The panties are white lace, with a small bow at the front.

Leon blames the parasite when he lifts them to his nose. He inhales the same sweet musk from the night before. You.

Your pussy is probably your best feature, in look, feel, and now smell.

The drawer snaps closed, the contents disappearing along with the panties he'd thrown back in.

He needs a shower.

The warm water soothes his muscles, but comfort isn't something Leon is used to. Warm reminds him of you. Your cunt, your tits, you sleeping on his chest.

He switches the water to cold.

That's better. The water makes him feel a little more awake, more coherent. Things stopped making sense the moment he slipped those pills in your drink.

As Leon washes himself, he starts to think that the shower is helping with the thoughts of you. Then he gets to his crotch. He's not gross, most of the time, and actually washes his dick.

But the moment he takes it in his hand, he's imagining your smaller hands around it, the teary eyes you were giving him earlier. Which reminds him of the way you sobbed around his cock, and makes everything worse.

Leon can feel himself getting hard in his own hand. He's literally remembering raping you and getting hard?! Well, you did squeeze him tighter than any chokehold he's gotten put in, but that's not the point.

He slams his head against the wall of the shower, causing one of the three shower bottles to clatter to the floor. Your knuckles tap on the door, startling him even more than his own thoughts. You must be back from your trip to the gas station.

"Are you okay, Leon?" You yell over the running water.

The way you say his name reminds him of when you said it before, hands on his chest to try to push him off. He stiffens even more.

"Fine," he yells back. Nothing about this is fine. Why are you still here? And why is he getting hard to the thought of you again? That was supposed to be a one time thing. Or a never thing, really.

Hearing your footsteps recede, he takes his cock in a firm hand, stroking like he's done so many times before. His hand isn't as tight as you. For a moment he wonders how wet he can get you next time.

His fist squeezes hard on his dick, causing Leon to wince. What the hell's gotten into him? Reluctantly, his hand starts moving again, loosening his grip. He cums with a low groan to the thought of your tits.

Panting, Leon watches his cum wash down the drain. He wishes he could wash you away.

Apparently that won't be happening, as when he gets out of the shower and dresses himself, you're in the living room. You're eating gummy bears, sorting them into piles by color. One of the stupid toys out of a kinder egg is on the floor nearby. God, you're really a child. Not really, but you act like one. Can't believe he stuck his dick in you, now he's watching you make Frankenstein gummy bears.

You look up when Leon enters, immediately looking away because he's only wearing sweatpants. He rolls his eyes, but tries to ignore the way your shyness makes his heart thump.

"Why are you still here?" He really needs to work on watching his mouth. And not raping girls he found in bars, but that's a personal issue.

You look a little sad for a moment, but smile as you pick up some coins and a dollar off the table. Leon stares at you with a look of disapproval.

"I gave you a twenty," he scolds, like you're a child. Mentally, you probably are. Physically, you've got some nice tits.

"I know. Inflation is really bad nowadays," you bite the head off a green gummy bear and stick it to the body of a red one.

"What the hell did you even buy?" This is getting ridiculous.

"Uh, a bag of gummy bears, a kinder egg, and a soda. Oh, I also got you this!" You smile, taking a coke and two chocolate bars from behind your back. They're both different kinds because you didn't know what he liked. Leon watches as you set the items on the table.

"I told you not to get me anything," he's standing over you like he's trying to intimidate you, but you don't seem to notice. When he's not angry with you, you think he is. But when he is, you don't care. You're even worse than a child.

"I know," you chirp. "But I didn't want you to be sad while watching me eat."

Leon goes quiet. Really, it's a nice gesture. Even if it's his own money. He sits next to you on the couch, doing his best to put as much space between the two of you. You eat until you feel like you're on the cusp of a stomach ache, and fold up the bag of candy, then put it on the table.

Then you're lying your head on his shoulder, melting into him. Leon wants to push you away, but he's more shocked when you speak. You seem to do that a lot. Surprise him. He never liked surprises.

"Do you know where my underwear went? I accidentally went out without them," you chuckle, like it's funny. It's not. You're stupid, parading your pussy around in a tiny skirt. Don't you know that gets the wrong kind of attention? But Leon isn't the greatest person to give that type of advice, considering he's the one that gave you the wrong kind of attention in the first place.

"I lost 'em," he lies. Leon doesn't even know why he does. Maybe he wants to keep them, or just wants to get a glimpse of your ass when you walk around his house. He used to take an hour to get it up, but now he's popping a boner at the sight of you. Why don't you just kill him already? Y'know, you probably are already. Slowly, and quietly. He won't know he's done for until his eyes fall out of his skull. Maybe you'd finally leave if that happened.

But like that parasite, he can't seem to get rid of you. Like you're a tumor on his frontal lobe, he can't get rid of you without it killing him or changing him permanently. Seems like you've already done the second one, though. He never thought about taking someone unconscious or even without consent before you. You're like the forbidden fruit, but full of maggots and rot.

What the hell are you even doing to him? He's screwed. But probably more screwed up than anything.

But the worst part is: you won't leave.

The sun set a long time ago, leaving you two in the near dark with some cowboy movie playing on the TV. There's a take out box in your lap from a cheap Chinese restaurant that Leon ordered from. He's not really sure why he did it. You were complaining that you were hungry, and he wanted to shut you up like a baby with a pacifier. Did the trick for about fifteen minutes, but now you've got that look on your face that means you're thinking. Leon didn't know you could do that.

"Leon, what are we?" You ask, clicking your chopsticks together after shoving an ungodly amount of noodles into your mouth.

Leon almost powers down at the question.

His silence makes you start to ramble.

"Well, I was just wondering… because I've never really had sex with anyone. We hit it off last night and I-"

Sex. You think that was sex? Good God, he's really messed up. Or just chose the wrong victim. Leon isn't sure if he'd rather you go to the police or do what you're doing now. Honestly, he'd rather you try to lock him up. Maybe that'll control him. He wouldn't get out of his job either way.

"That wasn't sex," he snaps at you.

You wilt like a dying flower. Leon can't look at you when you make a face like that. He feels too guilty.

"I never said you had to have feelings for me. There's like, friends with benefits," you're trying to convince him to put a label to you. Leon wishes he didn't even know your name. That way he wouldn't have any reminder of you. But you're like a tick, digging your fangs into him so you stay stuck to his skin.

Leon remembers some shitty therapy session he had after a mission. They told him to take deep breaths when he's upset. Ground himself. But Leon isn't a man of therapy. He believes he can't really be fixed. So he yells at you. Again.

"Why can't you get it through your thick skull? You're a victim!" He sets his food down. His appetite disappeared a long time ago. Standing up, he tries to get away from you. But there's really nowhere to go. Especially with the way you draw him in like a magnetic force field.

You stir your food a few times, not sure how to feel. On one hand, you're angry that Leon doesn't seem to get your intentions. But mostly, his words hurt.

"I told you: I wanted it. I don't really mind it… whatever you call it," you sigh, setting your food down as well. When you start to clean up after him is what makes Leon's heart ache.

He's so mean to you, but you come back like a dog playing fetch. Each time, you drop the ball by his feet, a smile on your face. You run and go get the ball no matter how loud he yells or how hard he hits you. You remind him a little bit of himself in that sense. He wants you surgically removed.

"We can even do it again if you want. I'll let you," you try to plead with your eyes, doing everything in your power to get Leon to like you. He doesn't really like anything, especially himself.

Your words make him feel sick, leaving the older man to ignore you most of the night. But without a verbal cue to leave, you stay. You're not sure why you do it, but the next thing you know is you're fast asleep on Leon's ratty couch. At least you're smart enough not to sleep in bed with him.

Reluctantly, you sleep on Leon's couch. The springs dig into your back and you can barely get comfortable. Leon didn't give you a blanket either, so you're cold. The only one you found isn't even big enough to cover you.

Leon can't sleep. Your words repeat in his head, over and over. You're like an itch- the more he thinks about you, the more it bothers him. But he can't force himself to stop thinking about you either.

With a groan, he pushes up out of bed. He needs a beer. His emergency whiskey is gone, since he drank it this morning, also because of you.

Past his bedroom is the living room, then the kitchen. You left the light on in the kitchen as a night light, illuminating your form on the couch. You're an obstacle blocking his way from greatness. Technically, a cold beer. Same thing.

He inches forward, and you shift when a floorboard creaks under Leon's weight. Why is he even so scared or cautious? You're just a kid, couldn't do a thing if you woke up. The thought goes directly to his cock, reminding Leon exactly why he's been so guarded around you.

While he's caught in his thoughts, you move onto your stomach, that tiny blanket doing nothing to cover your ass. God, he wishes now that he gave you some clothes, since your puffy lips are poking out from underneath your skirt.

His mission is immediately forgotten.

Leon beelines for you instead, moving faster than he has in ten years. Pushing your legs wider, he kneels between them, hovering over you. Were you always this pretty? Or maybe he just likes you when you're sleeping. Fucking creep.

One hand holding himself up on the arm of the couch, he reaches around you to toy with your nipples. Last time, he was just searching for an object of pleasure, anything would do. But now he's got this little attachment to you.

This relationship, if it can even be called that, is closer to folie a deux than love. The madness of two. You've got this shared sickness between you both and only the other one can quench it.

Which is a very eloquent way to explain that Leon doesn't know why he wants to fuck you. Or why he's gently rubbing his bare knee over your core.

He's rough still, but he pays more attention to you this time. In his mind, you're almost a person. Almost.

Leaning down, Leon pulls his hands away from your tits, prying your thighs open instead. Slowly he licks you open, tasting the sweet slick you produce. It's not like candy, as Leon's a pessimist. He doesn't like to sugar coat things. But he can't stop his tongue from dipping in your slit and down to your clit until you're squirming and whining.

He wants you awake this time.

Maybe you'll fight like last time, maybe you won't. He isn't sure which he likes better. You're sweet, and it almost seems like you'd do anything for him. He wants to earn that privilege. Even if he's nowhere near worthy of your trust.

You moan softly, struggling to break through the barrier of sleep. Leon's tongue moves faster, holding your ass cheeks apart so he can watch the way you clench around nothing. When you cry out is when he knows you're awake. Your hips shift much more, he's not sure if you're fighting or if his tongue just feels good.

"Leon..?" You mumble, looking over your shoulder with glassy eyes. All you can register is the tingly feeling you've got between your legs. Then he stops.

You're flipped over on your back, Leon above you. He didn't know he still had strength like that. Guess being horny gives you superpowers.

This time he actually undresses you. He's treating you better than garbage, but only slightly. Leon's callused hands are still rough as he pulls and pinches your nipples.

Once you're conscious, you seem to be into it. Leon's not used to that. He's used to being pushed away, ridiculed for his taste and constantly manipulated. Maybe that's why he keeps you around: because you treat him nicely. Or just because you don't leave.

But what Leon is good at is self sabotage. He's excellent at it, actually. Once your skirt is off, he pushes two fingers in your hole without bothering to trim his nails earlier. You can feel him scratch your insides as he stretches you out.

He watches you squirm and cry in pleasure and discomfort, ultimately deciding it's not enough for him. Leon pulls himself out of his boxers, spitting on his hand before pumping a few times.

"You said you wanted this, yeah?" He asks, but it's a little late for asking permission. Before you can nod, his bulky hands wrap around your throat. At the same time, Leon pushes his dick inside all the way to the hilt. You feel like you're being torn in half and twisted like a pretzel at the same time.

"Thought you wanted this," he says again, taunting you. He pushes all the way inside just to pull almost all the way out at a slow pace.

You'd scream if his hands weren't blocking your airway.

Leon knows the difference between choking for pleasure and choking to kill. He's knocked his fair share of people out using the same method he's using on you. You can barely focus on the feeling of him moving inside you when you're worried he's going to kill you.

You trust Leon to an extent, but you know he's unpredictable. Which is why you squirm, thrash, and kick as much as you can.

"What, can you not handle it? Can you not handle me?" He lifts you up by the neck just to bring your body back down to the couch as he speaks. Leon feels like he's losing it as his hands clamp down on your fragile windpipe.

If he was choking you for your pleasure, he'd just squeeze the sides of your neck to cut off your blood flow. Make you a little dizzy. But right now, you can't breathe.

After having no oxygen for a few seconds, you start to run on instinct, panic flooding your body. Leon can feel your walls tighten around him as you weakly thrash in his grasp. For a few seconds, he likes it. But your nails are clawing at his arms, eyes wide and mouth open.

You're terrified. Of him.

The same person that refused to leave his apartment all day is looking up at him in pure terror. Leon slows his thrusts when he realizes all the usual pigment in your face is gone. He doesn't choke you for more than a minute, but it feels like eternity.

You gasp, hands flying to your own throat as soon as Leon lets go. Tears flood your eyes in relief. As much as you talk about wanting to be raped, for some reason, Leon's brain is hellbent on making you hate it. Teach you a lesson, maybe.

He means to say he's sorry. He wants to. But the only words that come out of Leon's mouth are: "you're an idiot for staying."

Part of the sentence is an apology in itself, but he's too much of a coward to come to terms with his feelings. In his job, he was always told he was too emotional. But everywhere else, he's too cold.

Leon shallowly thrusts in and out of you, looking at your tits instead of your terror-stricken face. You're still moaning, but the sound is strained and scratchy, not sweet and soft like usual. Turns out toys aren't as fun if you break them.

You don't cum, even if you tighten around him. Your brain is still too fearful to fully relax enough to orgasm. But Leon does. Maybe he gets off to the fear in your eyes. Just a little.

But really, he likes the power he has over you. Nobody else listens to him, but you do. Why do you do that? You're really unlike everyone else. You treat him differently. Which is why he has to treat you differently too.

He has to break you, but not completely. Just enough for you to understand that he's no good. He's a rotten old perverted man that only has a good ten years left. Only if he doesn't get snapped in half on his next mission.

Leon pulls out, groaning quietly as he busts on your stomach. Your skin is painted in white, like he's claiming his territory. You don't speak and he knows that's a bad sign.

He tucks himself back into his boxers, standing up. You expect him to leave and Leon plans to. At first, he did. But you're looking at him with those big, sad eyes of yours. Leon thinks you look like a trembling baby bunny. Seems like his attempts to push you away don't work. You just rely on him more.

"Stay right there," he mumbles before disappearing for a few minutes. Leon comes back with a washcloth and a glass of water. There's also a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel tucked under his arm.

The bruises in the shape of his own hands are starting to form on your neck. Why can't he just leave hickies like a normal person?! This job has fucked him up so bad that all he does is destroy.

Leon sits across from you, a guilty look in his eyes. You can tell he's sorry, but he refuses to say it. He sets the glass of water near you, wiping the cum off your stomach with the wet washcloth. The action is the closest thing to aftercare he's ever done. Mostly because he doesn't get treated very nicely after sex either.

He reaches out for your neck again, causing you to flinch. Leon curses under his breath, wishing he could be better. For himself mostly, but now for you.

"Why do you stick around?" He asks in a strained voice. Leon almost sounds like the one that got choked with how he's struggling not to cry. He picks up the bag of peas and unwraps the towel to show you what's underneath.

"Ice pack," he explains, trying to get you to lie down so he can place it on your neck. You take a few seconds, but eventually you relax enough to lie down. Leon adjusts the ice on your throat, hoping it'll help with the bruising and the pain.

"I'm not a very good person to stick around," Leon says, speaking more than he has before. He's also being more vulnerable than usual.

"It's okay, I'm used to it," you explain, trying to comfort him. But your confession just makes everything ache more. You're worse than any concussion or cut he's ever gotten.

You make him deal with his emotions.

Leon gives you a look that you can't decipher. His expression holds so many things that he wants to say, that he wants to do. But he doesn't let them out. He just needs to drink himself to sleep and bottle up his feelings to make himself feel better.

"Night, kid," he pats your knee before rising with a soft grunt.

Leon disappears for a few seconds before returning with a few things in his arms. He throws them at you, landing on the couch in a heap.

Then he turns and leaves.

You reach out, touching the soft fabric he's given you. When you hold it up, you realize what it is.

Clothes and a blanket.

Maybe he isn't so bad after all.

[atlantis-just-drowned]

could you do Sun and Moon x Reader who works as Music Mans attendant? (Handles maintenance, cleaning the dance floor, putting playlists together, scheduling, ect.) ???

I love all ur work btwwwww 🫶

A/N: Omg thank you!! For your kindness and for being patient with me!! You're my first ask about the DCAs lmao I'm so glad to finally answer this request, I hope you'll enjoy it :]

DCAs x DJMM attendant!reader

Please reblog to show support! Likes don't boost posts on Tumblr :(

Masterlist

I believe with all my heart that you meet Moon first

Well if you can call that a meeting-

Because you have to stay after hours to wash the floors while DJMM plays his own personal playlist

(he lets you listen because you're nice)

At some point during his patrols Moon just goes to the arcade and hide in a corner of the ceiling

The creature is curious

You seem to treat the DJ rather kindly even if he's an animatronic, which is... unusual, for human staff

So, he observes.

In case you are Secretly Evil

You are totally unaware of it but once you're gone DJ Music Man absolutely teases Moon about it

Sun does too

He is witnessing everything and thinks you're cute when you dance on the music

He just wishes Moon would stop being such a creep and just introduced himself

Which he does, at some point.

After weeks of being called a pussy.

Honestly your first interaction together is kinda awkward

Because he's only here to prove he's not actually scared of you so he acts grumpy

Which... you brush off as him having a bad day or something

I mean that's probably it

Right?

You're kinda concerned you did something wrong and annoyed him

But then again you only just met him, how could you have done anything wrong?

He thought he would be left in peace now that he proved he's not scared of you

Buuuut now you're installing some new decorations in the arcade and ask DJMM about him

Like how he usually is, if he's just always grumpy or more calm like you've seen on the posters...

You're being nosy. He's condemning you to Jumpscare Sentence.

You're kinda mad at him for that one but afterward he carries you around to set the higher decorations

Not that he cares okay?

He just doesn't want to risk being accused if you fall and die

(liar)

You probably meet Sun after a while because you get to go with one of the Glamrocks to pick up a toddler from the Daycare for their birthday party

The kid wanted it set in the arcade so you're mostly here to ensure everything goes smoothly

The second you pass the wooden doors Sun sees you

He's so so so glad to finally personally meet you!!

He's heard a lot about you, friend!!

Sun is honestly a lot easier to befriend than Moon

But now the starboy has to put up with Sun rambling about how nice you are and how he should probably try to be a bit kinder to you!!

He WILL jumpscare you again for making him go through the monologue

And that's... More or less how you get to know each others

Moon ends up coming to the arcade mostly to chat with DJMM

Because you know

It's not possibly to see you that he hangs around more often

Like not at all he doesn't care

No it's completely different

It's because the DJ is his friend

I'm also thinking, when you have day shifts and get some time to relax

DJMM lets you go to the Daycare to say hi to Sun :)

Well, more like

He encourages you greatly

By pushing you out of the arcade

He's just glad you're making friends :D

And he probably gets Bluetooth messages from Sun asking about you so he just directly sends you his way

After some time, going to the Daycare during all of your breaks just becomes an habit lmao

You chat with Sun and even sometimes get pulled in a game with the kids

Moon thinks the both of you are dumb

But he will get used to having you around eventually

It just takes some more time

And denial

Lots of denial

Until one day you almost trip and fall but he catches you

And you're all like "see!! you actually DO care a little bit riiiiight? :]"

He is not happy about it at all

Will probably blame you for being too endearing >:(

Troublemaker, making trouble in his head >:(

Meanwhile Sun knew Moon was getting attached all along and wouldn't stop mocking him

But he's genuinely so glad when Moon finally lets his walls down around you!!

They both managed to make a friend!! How exiting!!

And such a kind, caring and beautiful friend, with that!!

They both can't get enough of you for real

Well Sun can't get enough of you

Moon says he has way too much of you but he's a liar

He will never admit this is a lie >:(

(false)

(he will)

(in a very not so distant future)

(maybe)

[twoidiotwriters1]

Until The Very End —(WITS Sequel)

A/N: I'm always going to miss them -Danny Words: 3,668 Masterlist Previous chapter Listen to: 'Don't You Worry' -by Oh Wonder

2017

Grimmauld Place was unrecognizable. The curtains had been changed, the windows washed, the furniture fixed or replaced, the bedrooms remodelled, and most important of all, the portrait of Mrs Black had been removed after several attempts and replaced with a family picture including Sultens, Potters, Weasleys, Lupins, Flints, and a very grumpy-looking Aberforth.

Regulus had changed the darkness into light, the house that once was gloomy and claustrophobic was now open and welcoming, and Mel's chest swelled with a strange mix of feelings. Sirius would've loved living in this version of the place, he would've loved getting to know his son.

"Oi! If you've finished standing there like a statue would you help me deal with this thing?" Regulus called, holding the family tapestry, now just a ragged piece of rubbish. The house's magic had weakened throughout the years, and Mel and Regulus had no problem getting rid of it all.

"You'll throw it away?" Mel asked.

The young man raised a brow. "Why should I keep it? My dad's not in it."

"Well, no... but your uncle Regulus is."

"He's the only one that matters, but it's not worth keeping the whole thing."

"Don't you care about tracking your legacy and whatnot?"

"Legacy?" Reg makes a face. "The names on this left nothing worth remembering, nothing but cruelty and war. Besides, none of them raised me—if I care about tracking legacy, all I have to do is look up."

He nodded at the picture hanging in the middle of the main staircase, where their friends and family were waving and laughing with each other. Mel felt another tug in her tummy and she choked back a sob. Regulus looked at her. "What's that about?"

She shook her head. "I'm getting old, I think. Memories are turning dangerous... they always were, but now they're really starting to weigh on me."

His expression turned to concern. "What's the matter, Mely?"

"Oh, Leon," she cried softly. "I know your father, wherever he is, loves every bit of the man you've become. He'd be so proud to see what you've done, the man you are..." She pulled out a handkerchief. "I spent so much time with him and you so little..."

Mel paused, realizing Sirius had said something awfully similar to her and Harry about two decades ago. The thought, so specific and comforting, made her laugh. Regulus scoffed. "Mel, I think you've gone off the rocker..."

"Sorry, sorry," she said, half-crying and half-grinning. "I just remembered something." Mel hugged her brother, almost as tall as her but not quite yet. "I understand so much now that I'm his age... actually, I'm a year older than he was when he died..."

Regulus tilted his head. "And how does that feel?"

"Well, exactly like when I turned older than my dad," she responds. "I'm grateful I get to be here and see all of this, I'll be able to tell our dads their sacrifices were worth it."

"And once you're with them, I'll live some more and then tell you all about it," Regulus smiled, unaffected by his sister's mood. 

Mel wasn't surprised, he'd been his own person long enough that she knew her brother was a man in charge of his emotions, that somehow, he'd learned from his father's mistakes through her sister's stories, and he'd grown up to be a strong and determined man, full of his family's courage and lacking all of their cracks.

"I'm home, pup!" Teddy Lupin's voice came from the hallway. "Emily's here!"

Regulus scowled. Perhaps he didn't lack all cracks, jealousy was alive and well. "Why is my girlfriend with you?"

"Relax your wand-hold," Teddy's grinning face showed up followed by Emily Flint, rosy-cheeked and sheepish after Regulus confidently called her his girlfriend. "We ran into each other at the front door. Hi, Auntie!"

"Evening, Teddy," she beamed. "Hi, Emie, you came here alone?"

"I apparated," she announced proudly.

"You did?" Regulus wrapped an arm around her and kissed her cheek. "You're so clever."

Teddy rolled his eyes and walked past them. "Where's Abe and Uncle Harry?"

"Upstairs fixing the attic," Mel pointed up with a smile. "I left you boys dinner in the oven."

"You're the best!" Teddy rushed upstairs, almost tripping on his own foot. "I'll go get the others!"

"This house is beautiful!" Emily commented in awe. "I can't believe it's the place from Dad's stories..."

"Yeah, I was born here," Regulus said, sounding pleased. "One day our kids will too."

Emily's face flushed as she looked up with horror. "We've been dating for a week!"

Regulus smirked, and just then he looked strikingly like his father. "I know what I want."

"Don't let him scare you, he's always been a talker," Mel rolled her eyes. "Except during his first two years, I miss those times."

Regulus pulled her in and playfully wrestled with her. Despite the 16-year age gap, he'd always treated her as if they were equals, and Mel couldn't say she minded, for years she'd wanted a sibling and she cherished every moment shared with Regulus like a rare jewel. 

Their laughter was interrupted by a sharp whistle and they stopped, swiftly breaking the fight when they spotted Aberforth at the top of the stairs. Time had taken much of his ruggedness and left only a severe-looking ancient man. However, time had also softened him around the edges enough to allow Regulus to call him grandad just like Mel did, and enough to visit Mel and her children almost every weekend.

"Behave," he scolded them, though there was a glint of amusement in his eyes that reminded Mel of her uncle Dumbledore. "You're too old to be rolling around like toddlers."

"We weren't rolling around," Regulus argued. "I was choking her."

"That makes it sound way better," Harry replies sarcastically, helping Aberforth down the stairs. He didn't need to help, but Aberforth also reminded Harry of Dumbledore, and even if they weren't the same person, he felt in debt with both men. All he had was thanks to the Dumbledores, especially Mel, and that was the most important piece in his life.

"Well, we should get going," Mel went to get her coat and Harry's. "It's late and we're expecting the Grangers for dinner—that, I can't stand another minute of knowing the kids are home alone—Merlin knows they could blow up the entire house if they realize no one's there to stop them..."

Regulus laughed. "Have a guy night, then. Not you, Abe, you're staying!"

The old man stopped looking startled. "What nonsense is that?"

"Come on, gran, humour us a bit!" Reg walked up to him and patted his shoulder, gently guiding him to the kitchen. "It's my sister's cooking anyway, so you can't say you won't like it!"

"Yeah, Abe, stay and tell us your pub stories," Teddy grinned and attempted to lean on the bannister, but toppled over and stabbed his ribcage with the end of it.

Emily rushed forward and clicked her tongue. "You klutz have to be protected in bubble wrap— that's gonna leave a bruise..." Both kids—kids? Mel and Harry never felt as such at their age—turned and spoke at Harry and Mel. "Good night!"

"Bye, dears!" Mel called. "Bye, Gran! See you next Sunday!"

"Come on," Harry said taking her to the entrance. "Time to go home."

They left Grimmauld Place and Mel offered her hand to Harry so they could disapparate together, but Harry stood there, watching her with a soft smile. "What?" She asked with a hesitant grin.

"It's a lovely evening," he said. "Care to walk?"

"Walk home?" Mel raised a brow.

"For a while," Harry shrugged. "Then we can go for a train ride, and we'd still make it home before dinner. The kids will be fine, they're clever and good just like their mother." 

The woman hesitated, looking at the setting sun and then back at him. "You sure?"

Harry smiled and took her hand. He felt safe out in the open, he realized, he'd never felt like that. "Let's walk."

Harry heard children's voices coming from the drawing room as soon as he got home, and eager to see his kids, he followed them, only to be met with his son Matthew and Amy Flint, the youngest of Erick's daughters, closely huddled up while looking at one of Mel's old photo albums.

"Is that really your grandmother?" Amy was asking in awe. "She looks like Lily!"

"It's the other way around," Matthew replied wisely. "Lily looks a lot like my grandmother."

"She's so pretty!" Amy continued, unbothered by his dry teasing. "And both of your grandfathers were very handsome!"

"James looks like my mum's dad," Matthew commented. "Does that mean you think my brother's handsome?"

Amy huffed, unable to stay indifferent to his jabs. "Your brother is too silly and loud."

"You forgot ugly."

They snickered and put their heads together while changing the page, eagerly examining their parents's younger versions. Harry stood there in silence, and a strange pull of familiarity stirred. Amy with her soft brown locks, and Matthew, with his inky tufts of wild hair standing up in all directions just like his father's.

He could see himself, many years in the past, huddled up and reading Mel's fairy tales in her mother's drawing room, snickering at their own jokes, making fun of Dudley by comparing him to every odd-looking character. Had it been that long ago? It felt like an entire lifetime apart, the Harry in those memories wasn't him, but an entirely different human, certainly not Matthew's father.

"My dad doesn't have pictures of himself from when he was younger," Amy said after a while. "Your parents are lucky to have so many."

Lucky.

What a strange concept, the luckier people in comparison. But he felt it too, looking back on things. The tidbits of his childhood shared with Mel and Emily had outlived the bad ones, and his memories of Hogwarts, despite all the madness, never failed to bring a warmth to his chest that could cure any heartache.

He stepped forward, politely clearing his throat. "Shouldn't you two be packing for school?"

Matthew gave a start and looked up, his emerald eyes sparkling with affection. "Dad!" He left the photo album and rushed to welcome his father, wrapping his arms around the man's waist.

Harry chuckled and happily reciprocated. "Excited for tomorrow?"

"He's worried," Amy stated out loud.

"Oi!" The boy scolded her, glaring at her the same way Harry would whenever Mel put him on the spot. Matthew brushed it off, looking at his dad. "It's nothing, I'll be alright."

Harry decided not to push it. If Matthew said he could handle it, Harry wouldn't doubt him. He looked every bit like Harry but on the inside he was all Mel, and both hated it when people didn't believe them, or trusted in their word. "Very well. Then put that back where it was and we can walk Amy home."

"Mr Potter, your pictures are very pretty," Amy said while Matthew took the album.

"Thanks. I'll let Mel know, she took most of them," he disclosed. "She was lousy at first, but with time she learned and took some of the nicest pictures of our friends and us in Hogwarts. Are you excited to go?"

"Very," Amy smiled giddily. "Dad says I stink of lion."

Harry hesitated, unsure how to respond. "Yes, well, your dad has an interesting choice of words for a house he loved a bit more than snakes used to at our time studying there."

"Oh, he isn't mad about it, not like I'm the first to go there anyway," Amy brushed it off, having inherited her mother's lighthearted demeanour. "I should go, Josie and Eliot are probably stressing Dad by packing everything wrong on purpose."

Mel and Harry woke up on time that year. They rounded up their children and had them ready before nine, then sat together for breakfast as a family, chatting about the year to come, and giving the twins advice on the subjects they choose for their third year. Mel had to talk Emmeline out of adopting a mandrake, apparently one of her Hufflepuff friends liked to raise them at home during the summer.

"Is it a Hufflepuff thing, wanting to mother every odd living critter on the planet?" Mel huffed while taking the luggage to their car.

Harry laughed. "It's a Sultens trait, my love."

Lily clung to her siblings for as long as they allowed it. Her pout was so pathetic and touching Matthew didn't push her away as they reached the station, waiting for their parents to put every trunk in a cart. Everyone was there to wish Matthew John Potter, Amy Flint and Rose Granger-Weasley good luck on their first year at Hogwarts.

"You'll be going too," Harry eased his youngest daughter. "Be patient."

"A year," Lily bemoaned. "I want to go now!"

"Why is everyone always here?" Groaned James.

Mel looked down at him with surprise. "You don't want everyone to wish you a nice year?"

"They make such a fuss over it, and we're only going to school," he argued.

Mel smiled. "It means a lot to everyone. We went to that school, and now our kids are going. You'll understand one day."

James huffed, terribly vexed as any kid when they hear the ever-mysterious assurance that one day all the secrets of adulthood will be revealed. One day, much too far from reach for a thirteen-year-old.

As they made their way through the crowded station and crossed the barrier, James and Emmeline were quick to rush past their parents in search of their friends. "Look at that, they couldn't get away fast enough," Harry commented.

"Oh, they're not gone yet," Mel dismissed it. "The greetings to their friends stall the farewell to us."

Lily sobbed. "I don't want to be left alone! Amy's leaving this year too, I'll have no one to play with or have slumber parties!"

"You can invite your friends from school," Mel offered.

"I hate having to lie to my friends, and if I bring them home I'll have to hide our magic!" Lily complained.

"You won't be alone, Lily, you'll have us," Harry said, though that was a small comfort for the little girl.

"You and Hugo can ask Reg and Teddy to let you have slumber parties at Grimmauld Place." Mel was quick to fix it. That quieted the girl long enough for them to reach Ron and Hermione. 

"Look," Ron said, abandoning all discretion as he stared at some point far ahead. Draco Malfoy and his wife Astoria were sending their only son off to school. Draco spotted them as well, and he nodded in recognition before turning his back. "So that's little Scorpius..."

"Matthew," Mel's gaze lingered on the frail-looking child who got on the train, all alone. "You be kind to that boy, I'm afraid he'll have a hard time."

"Rose," Ron turned to his daughter. "You make sure you beat him at every test."

"Ron!" Hermione scolded him. "Don't go around turning them against each other!"

"I'm not! I never said she should mock him, did I? Just keep him humble..."

Mel rolled her eyes. "That poor boy has had enough humbling inherited from both, his granddad and his father."

"Besides," Harry added, "Draco's almost tolerable nowadays."

Ron snorts. "You never seen him."

Harry grinned. "Exactly."

Hermione and Mel shared an exasperated look but decided to drop the subject. Matthew took the opportunity of his sister leaving to sulk with Hugo, and shared his worries with his parents. "You'll write to me, won't you?"

"Every day."

"James said I should be mindful of Thestrals or they'll bite my arm off."

"Thestrals are gentle beings, and they usually don't bother those who can't see them anyway," Harry eased him. "Remember Hagrid invited you for tea this Friday, take Amy and Rose with you if you can—otherwise Rose will develop Hermione's ill habit of drowning in books."

"Stay as far as you can from Peeves, and please, do not pick fights on your first week of school, that temper of yours could get you in serious trouble," Mel added.

"Mum," Matthew's face grew worried. "What if I lose control of my magic the more I use it? I'm not as good as you at keeping it in."

Mel's expression softened. "Keeping things in isn't the solution, Matty. If you feel like your magic is getting out of control, talk to McGonagall. And that new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, I heard she's quite good. You don't have to be as good as anyone else, just be kind to yourself."

Harry crouched and placed a gentle hand on his son's shoulder. "Whatever happens, Matt, you'll always have us. You have Uncle Neville and Hagrid in the castle, your brother and sister, the Flints, the Weasleys—and your great-grandfather lives near the castle, remember? It'll be alright."

"Besides, you'll make new friends too," Mel beamed, excited for her son's endless possibilities. "Enjoy Hogwarts for us, won't you? We miss it."

"You do?" Matthew made a face. "It's just a school, home is much better."

Harry and Mel paused, hit with the strong revelation. For their kids, Hogwarts would be school, and home was them. Harry managed an earnest smile. "Either way, you'll enjoy it. Make sure to cheer for James and Emmeline during their quidditch tryouts, alright?"

"Who should I cheer for when Gryffindor and Hufflepuff play against each other?"

"Whoever's losing," Mel said humorously.

"Alright," Matthew smiled, genuinely this time. "I'll do that. And I'll be kind to Scorpius Malfoy as well, mum, like you were to Uncle Erick. I'll tell Rose not to humble him too badly."

Mel laughed and kissed his forehead. "That's my boy."

"Matt!" Emmeline and James showed up, ruffled and flushed after going through the attentions of a dozen different relatives. "Grandma Mily says you have to go and say goodbye before we leave!" The girl ordered.

Harry hugged his son one last time before he went to meet the rest of the fussing adults. James walked up to his mother with a face of deep disapproval. "I saw Uncle Reg and Teddy snogging Victoire Weasley and Emily Flint. Is every man in this family losing their minds?"

Harry chuckled. "One day you might, too. I was your age when I fell in love with your mother."

James looked positively grossed out by the thought. "Never!"

Emmeline glanced at him with a little smile. "Dad, I saw him blush when Alice Longbottom waved at him from the train."

James drew out his wand. "Shut it!"

"Oi! Are you joking?" Mel snatched his wand. "Don't try to get expelled before the year even starts!"

James mumbled an apology after sending a glare at his twin sister, warning her of the war to come. "Sorry."

"All ready?" Ron approached them again with Hermione close behind, fixing her daughter's robes. "Hop in you lot," he sighed. "I envy you lot, the feast that's waiting for you... I sure miss it."

"They don't make the mashed potatoes like mum does," James dismissed it. "I like those better."

Matthew came back a second time to hug his little sister and promised to write to her every day, then told his parents he would write the very next morning, and they knew he meant it.

Remus and Mel's mother approached them, both with a nostalgic gleam in their eyes. "And that's your third kid going to school," the man said proudly. "You've done a remarkable job raising them."

Harry took Mel's hand. "They've done us a greater favour by coming to our lives."

"Lily! Harry!" Mel walked out the garden door calling for her husband and daughter. "Dinner is ready!"

"Mum!" The girl was making a flower crown for his father, seated next to her on a blanket. "Can we have dinner outside?"

"Outside?"

"A picnic!" The girl offered giddily. "Please? It'll start to snow soon, and we won't be able to until next year!"

Harry looked at Mel as pleadingly as their daughter, and the woman could hear his thoughts perfectly. Let her have this. "Alright," she gave in. "Come help me carry out the food, then."

Harry and Lily went to work, talking animatedly and making Mel laugh, because they both adored the woman's laughter. Lily was as good as Harry had always been at distracting Mel, or talking her way out of everything, really. Mel could see the girl's future for next year, the hat would barely graze her forehead before yelling "RAVENCLAW!".

Funny how it worked, four kids each going to a different Hogwarts house despite having the same upbringing, or perhaps because of it. James in Gryffindor, Emmeline in Hufflepuff, Matthew in Slytherin, and Lily, if Mel was correct, in Ravenclaw. And Mel Dumbledore was never wrong.

She shared these thoughts with Harry while Lily napped quietly on his chest, the three of them still on the picnic blanket. "Why do you think that is, our children ending up so different from each other?"

"Dunno," Harry's voice was gentle and quiet to not wake the girl in his arms. "We never forced them to fit into things—we only wanted them to be happy."

Mel looked at Lily, peacefully asleep knowing she was safe in the company of her parents. Mel's chest tightened once more, for the things she never had, that she would never know, and that her children had never considered could ever be missing.

"You told me once before that I would grow to like silence," she said. "One day, after years of hard work, after handling enough nonsense, making endless cups of tea—or picnic dinners for our daughter," her eyes lit up, "I would find myself happy and at ease in the silence of our home."

Harry reached for her hand. "And?"

"I've made my peace with the silence," she admitted, squeezing his hand and staring at the girl between them, knowing the rest of her kids were just as happy, that they were always happy, and they would never know the kind of solitude that plagued their childhood. "I understand why my mother did so too, after my dad died."

Harry pressed a soft kiss on the top of Lily's head. "I do too," he confessed. "I didn't know, but something in me could see them in you. What we could have, if we fought for it."

Mel let out a soft, teary chuckle and nodded, then spoke what had been running through her mind since leaving their kids at the station. "We're home, Glasses."

"I know," he said, locking eyes with her and sounding slightly choked. "But I knew we'd be, you've always been mine."

"You'll always be mine," she leaned closer and kissed him. "Until the very end."

FIN

Taglist.

@dee123ksha @vampiregirl1797 @siriuslysirius1107 @stardusthigh @mikariell95 @vernon-dursley @thesuitelifeofafangirl @tomshollandz @reverse-hxlland @hamiltonwc @omiwashere @t-rexs-world @21bruhs @dielgonacoffee @thelastpyle @cedricisnotdead @greengarsstuff @aconfusedslytherin @talksoprettyjjx @avengersz-biotch @23victoria @moonhoonie @raajali3 @peachyaeger @espressopatronum454 @i-am-scared-and-useless-bisexual @na1ven3vy

It's over!! I started writing about 5 years ago and I enjoyed every second of it, I came up with Mel when I was about 10 years old, and since then she's been at the back of my mind, she'll always be at the back of my mind. You may think it's silly since it's just an OC but you know how polluted Harry Potter's story has become, and it simply doesn't spark as much joy as it used to for me, so with Mel, I'm saying goodbye to all of it. I might write a few other one-shots for hidden moments before finally closing the door, but the main story is officially over, and I thank you for reading this lengthy bible and the lovely comments you were nice enough to leave. I will revise the first three books since they need it, so you'll finally get to enjoy a well-written WITS series in the future! lmao

Once again, thank you. And thank you for always being at the back of my mind, Mel.

-Danny

[kiriiqt]

ur dad zhongli fics are so cute 😭😭 I’d love to see xiao in an older brother role

under a watchful eye

- in your time living with zhongli, you've met all the adepti, except for one; xiao. unbeknownst to you, he was never as far away as you thought.

characters: xiao & reader a/n: thank you so much! they’re fun and pretty comforting to write, so I'm glad you guys enjoy them. this one is about how xiao meets the reader in this au. i have another fic about him as well which will hopefully be done soon. i put this in the same ‘canon’ setting where zhongli is a father figure, so xiao is still an adepti and all that. feel free to request again if you had something else in mind. warnings: descriptions of injury, grumpy xiao, the reader is implied to be in their mid/late teens, visionless reader.

You’re no stranger to the rules of the wilderness, or in other words, the code of conduct for traversing any area outside of cities and settlements. Ambushes are common, even on the larger roads connecting Liyue with Mondstadt. Even so, they’re usually the result of a startled pack of monsters attacking, or planned by the Treasure Hoarders when specific goods are being transported. Generally, not a concern to your average traveler, so long as you’ve got your basic survival instinct in check. Even the Fatui don’t bother to harass lone travelers passing by.

However, it’s when you stray off the roads that those rules, or rather, tips, come in useful. You remember Madam Ping’s words as clear as day; 

“Always be aware. Is the buzzing you hear from a bee, or is it closer to the whizzing of a cicin? Is the distant clanging from the nearby house, or is it a ruin guard closing in on you? Is the change in temperature normal for the area, or is it the first warning sign of Whopperflower?”

To her relief, you’ve always taken the words to heart, even if trouble somehow still seems to find you. Normally, you manage just fine, with a few scratches and a disapproving glance from Baizhu to show for it, but nothing more than that. At the same time, you normally travel with companions. This time around, you’re alone. You’re alone, and curiosity got the best of you when you accidentally stumbled into that clearing, in the hills and mountains behind the harbor. The old ruin hunter in front of you set off alarms at first, but within the past minute it hasn’t moved, nor made a sound, and the rust and moss covering it is a clear indicator that the machine is dead and gone. From what you know about the various Khaenri’ahn war machines wandering around, it should have reacted to your presence by now. Against your better judgment, you decide to step closer. Most of these machines are left to rot, or collected by academics, so it’s not often that you get to look at one.

Still, you’re not stupid. You approach the machine with caution, and give the area a good look before kneeling down to investigate. You were right; it’s been powered off for a while, and as you move one of the blades, you notice that it’s quite small.

“Right…it’s rare to see a small ruin hunter that still works these days” You mumble to yourself, wiping your thumb across the wing where the serial number should be. It takes some effort to get the dirt and moss off, and eventually you settle for using a small cloth from your pocket. Your eyes narrow to get a good look at the number, and you mumble to yourself.

“Fo-118…”

Your voice trails off; an odd whirring sound, quickly increasing in intensity, stops you dead in your tracks. It’s not coming from the ruin hunter you’re looking at, but from somewhere behind you, and as you lift up a hand, you see that it’s bathed in red light, partly interrupted by the shade your head provides. It begins to blink, and your reflexes kick in.

Within a second you lunge to the side and collide with a wall, feeling a sharp pain flash across your entire skull as your head hits the wall as well. You do your best to ignore it, curling up to protect your ears and face. The ground in front of you shakes, and a flurry of dirt and metal splinters rains down on you. The blast rings in your ears, painfully so, and you scramble into a sitting position as soon as the downpour of small debris stops.

You blink; the ruin hunter you were studying mere moments ago is blown to bits, and there’s a large dent in the ground in front of it. Precisely where you were sitting. A shiver runs down your spine. Your ears are still ringing, and your head is pounding, but as some of your senses return, so does the whirring sound. It draws your attention to the source, and panic finally takes hold of you.

attention to the source, and panic finally takes hold of you.

Somehow - and you’d be beating yourself over the head due to your own stupidity, if you weren’t in dire straits - you’d missed another ruin hunter, hidden in the bushes on the opposite side of the clearing. Well disguised, and probably only alerted when you first sat down to investigate. Once again, the target appears on your back, and you decide that your best option is to dodge it once again, as hiding behind a tree could be a death wish.

With bated breath, you turn around and wait for the machine to send another laser after you. It blinks, settling its target directly on your chest, and you count down in your head…

Three…Two…One…

The blast never comes. A flash of green comes barreling towards the machine, and it collapses on the ground from the seemingly fatal impact. It all happens too fast; your instincts take over, and you leap, dodging the nonexistent blast. With a thud, you land on the ground next to the rubble of the smaller ruin hunter.

Your eyes close for a brief moment, and upon realizing that you’re no longer in immediate danger, you try to calm your heart that’s frantically beating away in your chest. The adrenaline and fear are both still present, but they slowly begin to fizzle out, allowing you to take in your surroundings.

The attacking ruin grader lies on the ground, twitching; its eye moves quickly, and the runes around it switch on and off in an unstable pattern. The same unintelligible sound leaves it over and over again, and you figure that it’s an error code. You almost feel bad for it. Almost.

A spear is then jammed into the eye, and the machine stills completely. 

Slowly, your gaze flickers to the owner of the weapon. A…relatively short man, with a pretty distinct appearance, face hidden by a mask. He yanks the spear out in one swift move, before turning to you. The mask is pulled off, and golden irises meet your own in a narrowed gaze. A sense of familiarity washes over you, though you’re not sure why… you’re certain that you’ve never seen the man before.

He seems to hesitate before taking a step towards you, and you feel your heartbeat pick up a bit again. You’re not entirely calm yet, and this man did just take down a ruin hunter in one move.

To your surprise, he seems to sense your fear. He stops, settling for staring at you as you push yourself up from the ground to sit. Despite being alert, you figure that he isn’t a danger to you at the moment, so you allow yourself to break eye contact. Instead, your gaze flickers to the mask that is now hanging at his side, and a lightbulb goes on in your head.

That’s a Yaksha mask.

The man in front of you is none other than Xiao, the adeptus that Zhongli and Madame Ping have mentioned on endless occasions, but never elaborated on. You figured that you’d never get to see him, much less speak to him, but now, here he is, right in front of you. The fear dissipates and is instead replaced by intrigue.

“You’re…Xiao, right?”

Seeing that you’ve let your guard down - and that you’re not bleeding to death - he lets out an exasperated sigh. 

“Foolish human…” He mutters. His voice is raspier than you expected.

You don’t say a word; he seems annoyed, but if there’s one thing you’ve learned from regularly mingling with adepti, it’s that they’re difficult to read. Though some of them may look human, they’re far from it; you can’t really judge them, or their emotions, by human standards.

“...It’s nice to finally meet you?” You say the first thing that comes to mind, testing the waters. He sends you a sharp look in response and crosses his arms.

“Are you hurt?” 

You shake your head in response. Too soon, though.; Xiao’s words seem to remind your body and brain of what just occurred, and the pain hits you all at once. You weren’t directly hit, but debris still lodged itself into your left arm in the aftermath of the blast. Your knees are scratched up, and bruises are forming in multiple places. Worst of all though, the adrenaline is no longer there to remedy the pounding in your head. You reach up a hand to touch the area.

It hurts; it hurts a lot.

“...Don’t lie to me. You’re injured.” Xiao mutters, voice softer than before, when he reaches you. He crouches down, eyes scanning your body as they narrow once more. He’s no doctor, but he can see the telltale signs of a head injury, on top of all the other things.

“Move your hand.” He commands, though the stern voice is a sharp contrast to the way he softly pushes down your hand. He looks at your head, but sighs, realizing it’s not much use. Concern laces his words as he speaks.

“...I need to take you to Bubu Pharmacy, but…you are too injured to be teleported, and as you don’t have a vision, the consequences could be greater. We’ll have to go by foot.” He concludes, before reaching out a hand to pull you up. You take it, slowly getting to your feet, yet again trying to ignore the pain.

Xiao looks into your eyes again.

“Can you walk?” 

You nod, taking a step to test it. Wobbly, but not impossible. Xiao seems conflicted for a moment, wondering whether he should just carry you, but as you insist on walking by yourself he settles for trailing you, very closely.

It’s silent for a while. You figure that he’s not one for making friendly conversation, at least that’s what you’ve heard. Still, you have questions - and somehow they’re at the forefront of your mind, right next to the splitting headache.

“How’d you know I was in trouble?” You ask, voice slightly strained. He doesn’t answer.

“Were you just passing by?”

Still no luck.

“Did Madame Ping send you?”

He spares you a single glance - but nothing more.

“Was it Zhongli who sent you?” 

Xiao sighs, and as he looks at you again, you wonder if the frown on his face is permanent. Or if you’re just extraordinarily annoying.

“Must you mortals ask so many questions?” He shoots back, though unlike the exasperated voice you were expecting, he just sounds worried.

“I mean it’s pretty convenient that you found me just as that thing was about to blast me to the depths of the chasm. I’m curious…do you adepti have some shared telepathic sixth sense? Or something?” You ask, trying to lighten the mood a bit. It earns you a scoff.

“The ‘sixth sense’ you refer to is commonly known as intuition or survival instinct, something most living beings should possess.” He answers, giving you a pointed glare at the last remark. You ignore it; He’s talking, and that’s what matters.

Xiao lets out a quiet groan when you don’t say anything.

“...If you must know…I follow you when you leave the harbor, if I don't have more pressing matters.” He explains, and though he doesn’t exactly seem flustered, his eyes don’t meet yours. You let out a small ‘Oh’ in response, and he hums.

A moment passes before you speak again.

“Wait…so you’ve been nearby this entire time?” You exclaim, but immediately regret it as pain shoots through your head from how loud your own voice is. Xiao looks at you as you wince, complaining under your breath. You take his silence as an answer.

“Well, I never saw you, so I thought you were cooped up in Juyeun Karst, avoiding everyone” You mumble, rubbing the bruise on your head. Xiao lets out an exasperated sigh.

“Foolish child, how would I protect your people from demons if I stayed in Juyeun Karst? They do not dare to cross that threshold.” He explains, looking at you as if you had asked about the color of a silk flower. A truly idiotic question, that is.

“...Right. Cloud Retainer did mention that you never visit, heh…”

Xiao looks at the sky, and you wonder just how badly he wants to roll his eyes at the moment. Yet, you don’t sense even an ounce of anger coming from him. You decide that it’s safe to continue pressing the matter.

“So did Zhongli ask you to be my personal bodyguard? Didn’t realize I was that important” You joke, amused at the thought, though Xiao nearly stops in his tracks, expression morphing into a slightly irked one. His response is immediate, voice as stern as it was before.

“Do not speak poorly of your own worth. There are people who care about you.” He commands, eyes nearly piercing through your skull. You blink, slightly shocked at his change in demeanor. 

“...I was just kidding, I'm sorry…” Stumbling over your words as you explain, you bow your head for a moment. He shakes his head before looking at the road ahead of him.

“...The humor of mortals is beyond me. Do not joke about that again.” He grumbles and continues walking. You nod, mumbling a quiet ‘right’, and he merely nods his head in response. The two of you continue, an awkward silence filling the air between you. Xiao occasionally looks at you, assessing how you’re feeling, and you pretend to not see it.

He sighs again.

“...Zhongli did not ask me to follow you. Neither did Madame Ping. I did it on my own accord.” He suddenly speaks up, and you snap your head towards him. His gaze flicks away from yours.

“...Then why didn’t you show yourself? I mean, it sounds like you’ve been doing this for a while…” You ask, and he seems to consider whether he should reply or not.

His gaze flickers for a moment, before landing back on yours, and a frown settles on his face. His eyes, on the other hand…a look of solemn resentment fills them, and his mind is somewhere else for a moment. Somewhere else entirely.

“...There is a burden that only I must carry, though the consequences of it affect those around me. For other Adepti and Archons, the effect is laughable, while those with visions possess an increased resistance. Ordinary mortals suffer under it.” He explains, though the last sentence is spoken as if it were a dark omen. A pit of dread forms in your stomach from his chilling tone of voice. Ordinary mortal…that would be you.

Xiao doesn’t say anything, simply letting the words sink in. To his surprise, you don’t ask about the details of such an ailment; his explanation served as enough of a warning. Still, he’s curious - or rather, concerned - about your reaction to the truth. It takes you a minute, but you shrug it off. Any other time you might ask, or listen to that sense of dread…but the pain you’re in overpowers any semblance of fear you might have felt.

“...If it makes you feel better, the bruise on my head hurts a lot more than whatever you might be radiating” You mumble, sending him a reassuring smile. Or rather, your pained attempt at it. And for a second, you swear that you can see a smile tug at the corners of Xiao’s lips. It’s quickly replaced by an incredulous look, but you cherish that small flash of amusement from him.

“...You truly are a foolish child. Karmic debt is no joking matter.” He mumbles, though it’s unclear whether you were supposed to hear it or not. Either way, you don’t respond, and as the bridge to the harbor comes into view, you speed up a bit.

“Wait.” Xiao’s voice makes you stop in your tracks.

“...I cannot enter the city. I will take you to the bridge, and then you will ask a Millelith soldier to take you directly to Bubu Pharmacy. Understood?” He says, crossing his arms as he looks at you, that same stern look on his face again. You nod slowly.

“Good.”

A minute or so later, Xiao stops again to bid you farewell. He scans your body again, eyes lingering on your arm and head, before meeting your own.

“...Stay out of trouble.” He says, and opens his mouth to say something again, before quickly closing it. You nod, staying where you are with the hope that he’ll speak his mind…but he simply nods towards the bridge, before turning around and walking in the opposite direction. You huff in disappointment, but begin to make your way towards one of the soldiers stationed there. As much as you hate to admit it, you really do need to see Baizhu.

"...One more thing." Xiao’s voice makes you snap back around, so fast that you’re worried about toppling over. Thankfully, you don’t, though he doesn’t miss the uncertainty in your step. Your eyes meet his.

“If you ever require my help, call out my name. I’ll be there when you call.” He says, before disappearing into a flash of green.

You stare at the spot he was just standing in, mouth slightly agape. He’s gone like the wind. Even the grass he just stepped on remains unbent, swaying in the breeze as if he was never there.

Still, you smile, looking towards the mountain range in the distance.

“I will.”

[mimisempai]

You no longer need to hide who you really are

Summary

Through a small bowl for keys, Aziraphale once again realizes Crowley's kindness and how he always tries to hide it. It's his turn to show the demon all the good in him.

Notes

I know I've touched on this theme before... but it's true, Crowley is kind 

On Ao3

Rating G -  1684 words

"Aziraphale? What's with the bowl and the keys in it?"

Aziraphale, who was reading a book at his desk and having no idea what Muriel was talking about, got up and walked over to them. 

They were standing in front of the small table where the horse stood and where Crowley used to put his glasses every time he entered the shop.

He approached and saw the bowl that had caught their attention.

It was a small white porcelain bowl, the handles of which were two delicate angel wings, and the keys Muriel had mentioned were the keys to the bookshop.

The angel murmured fondly, "Crowley..."

Muriel looked at him in confusion and asked, "How do you know it's him, and why would he do such a thing?

"Where the heck are those keys?"

Crowley watched in amusement as Aziraphale rummaged through the pockets of his pants, then his jacket, before moving to the chair where his vest lay and searching its pockets as well.

Aziraphale ran a hand through his hair in annoyance.

"Angel."

The angel replied a little exasperated, "What?!"

Crowley pointed to his desk with his finger and said gently, "On the foot of the desk lamp."

Aziraphale breathed a sigh of relief and walked over to his desk, grabbing the keys before saying in a calmer tone, "Thank you, my dear."

Crowley said kindly, "One of these days you're going to have to find a place to put your keys, it's always the same, see, I don't have to look for my glasses anymore, they're always on the horse."

Aziraphale shrugged, "Yeah, yeah, you can lecture me some other day."

Then he was gone, to the sound of the demon's slight chuckle.

"Crowley must have done it for that reason," Aziraphale said in an emotional tone.

Muriel said softly, "He's really nice Mr. Grumpy, isn't he?"

Aziraphale nodded and Muriel continued, "But why does he always do this kind of thing in secret or as if it were nothing?"

Aziraphale replied quietly, "He's always done it that way. Probably because as a demon he risked a lot to do good, so he learned to hide the best part of himself. But I'll tell you a secret, Muriel. Crowley is the kindest person I know."

Muriel replied, "I know, I've always found him kind, even though he teased me a little at first, and even more so when we were in heaven. I wondered how a demon could be kind."

Aziraphale looked at them indulgently and replied, "I think by now you've been able to see that not everything is black and white, that goodness and kindness don't necessarily have to do with our nature as angels or demons, right?"

Muriel nodded and said with a small smile on their lips, "I live next to an angel and a demon, so yes..."

They threw a glance at the window and added, "Speaking of demons, here he comes. Are you going to thank him for that?"

Aziraphale smiled softly, "Oh yes, I'm going to thank him properly."

Muriel was still a long way from understanding everything about relationships, but they'd learned when it was time for them to retire so, they said softly, "As for me, I'm going to go have a hot chocolate at Nina's before I go home."

Aziraphale smiled gently at them, "Good evening, Muriel."

They gave him a quick salute before striding off, and just as they came through the door, Crowley entered.

Aziraphale barely gave the demon time to get through the door before he was beside him, wrapping his arms around him and hugging him tightly as he whispered, "Thank you."

Crowley laughed softly and replied, "Not that I'm complaining about a welcome like that, but why thank you?"

Aziraphale stepped back a little and showed him the bowl with the keys saying, "Thank you for this."

Crowley shrugged and replied nonchalantly, "Well, it's not much."

Aziraphale replied gently, "It may not mean much to you, but it does to me. Crowley, you took the time to do this for me because you saw that I was always looking for my keys. You did this for me. Why do you always deny the good things you do?"

The angel took the demon's hand in his own and continued, "You can slam me against the wall, I won't change my mind. You're kind and good, Crowley. That's your nature, regardless of the fact that you're a demon."

He brought the demon's hand to his lips and, eyes locked with Crowley's, kissed the palm gently before saying, "You're kind."

He watched the demon swallow and his cheeks color slightly before he breathed, "Angel...no, I..."

Aziraphale cupped his cheek and asked, "Crowley, my dear, would you allow me in return to show you how kind and good I think you are, as you have shown me how beautiful you find everything in me?"

Crowley had the urge to flee, but he also felt something new, the urge to stay and be praised by his angel.

Aziraphale said softly, "As it was with me, it's up to you, and if you accept, you can say stop at any moment and everything will stop without any consequences.

At that moment, seeing the angel's clear gaze and gentle smile, Crowley decided to let go. 

He said softly, "Okay..."

Aziraphale pecked him lightly on the lips and led him up the stairs to the bedroom.

Once in the room, he made Crowley sit on the edge of the bed and asked quietly, "Still good?"

Crowley nodded and replied somewhat defiantly, "Go ahead, Angel."

Knowing his demon, and knowing that this defiance was a way of hiding his embarrassment, he leaned down and kissed him gently on the forehead before placing his hands on the flaps of his jacket, removing it and placing it on a chair. He then undid his tie and placed it next to his vest, continuing to undress the demon until he was down to his underwear.

The angel took off his own jacket, bow tie, and cufflinks, which he also placed on the chair before rolling up his sleeves to his elbows.

"Will you lie down, my dear?"

Crowley obeyed and slid to the top of the bed before lying down. Aziraphale came to sit on the edge of the bed and, taking one of Crowley's hands, gently kissed the inside of his wrist before saying softly, "You deserve the world, for it is what you give to the people you show kindness to."

He let go of the demon's hand and took the other, kissing the wrist in the same way and saying softly, "You're kind when you're willing to look like a villain to save a family's children and goats." 

Aziraphale climbed onto the bed, then straddled the demon, leaned down and pressed a kiss to its chest before saying, "You are kind when you take under your wing an angel who is terrified at the thought of having thwarted God's will."

He slid down the demon's legs and gently took one of the feet in his hands.

"Angel, no..."

"Does that mean stop?" Aziraphale asked softly.

He looked up to see Crowley covering his face with his arm as he replied, "No..."

Aziraphale gently kissed the ankle, then said softly, "You're kind when you come to save an idiot angel who got himself into a bad situation because of his sweet tooth."

This made the demon laugh slightly, so Aziraphale put his foot down and took the other in turn, kissing the other ankle and saying softly, "You're kind when you rescue a few books from the rubble because an angel is desperate to have lost them."

The angel continued to dot the demon's body with tender kisses, enumerating all of Crowley's acts of kindness.

Getting close to the demon's face, he pulled his arm away and, placing his hands on the flushed cheeks, said softly, "Crowley, you're kind, even when you did your demon work, you always gave people free will to choose whether to do evil or not. You've given people a chance to do the right thing regardless. You always tried to be as kind as you could, as best you could under the circumstances. Knowing that it could have terrible consequences for you. I know this because I've been the object of your kindness countless times. You are kind. You don't have to hide it anymore, at least not from me."

Crowley shook his head slightly and, placing his hands on the angel's, said, "Do you know, Angel, how hard it is to deny for thousands of years what you are deep inside, to forbid yourself to be who you really are, knowing it will cost you dearly? To weigh all your actions and words because the slightest revelation, the slightest weakness will have terrible consequences? Then there was you, to whom I could show that kindness while denying it. Because there were no consequences. Because you accepted it. You insisted on seeing it in me when I wouldn't and couldn't show it. So be patient, because it's probably going to take me some time to openly acknowledge it." 

Aziraphale pressed a light kiss to his lips, "I am not asking you to change, just to accept that those who love you as I do see your kindness and good heart. Even in something as simple as a little bowl for the keys of an airhead angel."

Crowley chuckled slightly, and Aziraphale pressed his lips to the demon's again, kissing his laughter.

Then he slid onto his side, resting his head on the demon's chest, who wrapped his arms around him.

Crowley murmured quietly, "Thank you, Angel. For allowing me to be who I really am, at least with you, all these years."

Aziraphale replied softly, "Happy to have been able to provide you with this little safe space."

He lifted his head and grabbed the demon's neck to bring his face closer, then pressed his lips to his to express better than words how much he loved his kind demon.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story  🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Ineffable Growing Love series : here (After season 2)

Ineffable Husbands masterlist : here (Before season 2)

[moyazaika]

oh, dear me. Have I ever told you that I'm a big fan of true crime?

I'm afraid you've opened a Pandora's box of boxes, my friend.

I am. CRAZY. (We could end it here) ABOUT PROSECUTOR DARLING AND THEIR FUCKED UP KINGPIN. Good golly gee I'm. yet I raise you another level of fuck-upery. What if you were the sole survivor of a terribly, horribly, oh-so-violent crime. This brutal, nightmare-fueling, gut-wrenching crime, committed by the complete and utter filth of the devil himself, that no one bothers to hear you out about. You spend every second of your life in fear, putting locks upon locks on all of your windows and doors, memorizing every single route out of town you could possibly imagine, hoarding supplies in case you ever need to run without warning. You go through hell and back, years of psychological torture, being slammed by the media, defense attorneys, other faceless, nameless voices who are convinced you must be lying about what you saw on that fateful night. And even physical violence. Hell, there's a sole survivor of this horrific crime who wants to conveniently point their finger at this supposed murderer? Nothing a good old fashioned beat-down can't fix. Your fixation on bringing justice to the crime you witnessed years ago has destroyed your life, it's made you hate with a burning passion extending towards the perpetrator, the world, yourself. But finally, FINALLY, after years of this torment… you put that man behind bars.

Yes. The man is behind bars, physically. He can't come and get you anymore. You don't have to sprint to your apartment door, hands shaking as you try to unlock it as quickly as possible. There's no one in the closet, no one at the window, nothing under your bed: You are safe. He's in jail. But you are still trapped with the conscious guilt, the unstoppable force that continues to eat away at your every waking moment; Why? Did the hours of interrogation footage not answer it? Did the most tense moments of that trial, or any of the trials before that, not live up to your wildest dreams of this wicked man's intentions? Is locking that psychopath up not satisfactory enough to fulfill the heavy hole in your heart, the one that still wants to look him in the eyes and ask; Why? Why do you still not feel any sort of closure? Where is the finality? Where is your justice? That's what drags you back to the bus station, back through the gates, down the road, past the double doors with the grumpy guards, right back down the hall to him.

He thinks you're a real character, actually. Dedicated, he likes that in a partner. Regardless, it's not like you could run from your guilt forever, right? One way or another, you'll trudge back to that dinky little prison cell, eyes downcast, feet dragging along the cold concrete, acting like you don't know why you're there. Again.

And he'll entertain that, happily. You've gone through all this trouble to put him away from life, maybe even to death, the least he can do is give you his full, undivided attention.

It doesn't matter what mood you enter in, somehow, you always work yourself up to this hysterical state. So while you recount the grisly details of what happened the night you lost everyone in your life, he can sit and smile and enjoy the view. Oh, you cry, you scream, you spill your tortured soul all over the unforgiving prison floor. Your rage can be felt from the other side of the glass, and it's delicious. He cherishes these little talks. He thinks he could keep himself behave for just a little longer if he could keep you around.

ayayayaya I’m sorry for the long ask/rant/brain vomit 😭 it’s late and I’m done with midterms so now I get to stare at a screen and go wooooooow goreeeee

on another note, how terrifying would it be to try to break up w Freddy Krueger and then have a never ending dream where he projects ur breakup texts over and over like WHERE DID WE GO WRONNGGGGG

the message u can’t leave on read 😭

or like you're just trying to get some sleep and Freddy's at ur window with a boombox like.

okay I’ll stop. Have you guessed who I am yet ;)

Ya it's me, I've been on another horror movie kick, but ALSO another true crime kick. It's pretty damn scary and I'm a bit too empathetic cuz. Serial killers r shit people and don't deserve any respect. So I've been into missing persons cases! Is that any better or nah 🤔

hope you're doin okay! Winter approaches us, are you ready for hot chocolate and candy canes 😋

sincerely,

-🕺🕺🕺

ohhhh god i’m sorry i’m responding so late nonnie i’m currently heading into midterms so. not fun. send. help. 😀😀!! oh also thank you !! i’m glad you like them both !! i loooove their dynamic so muchhh <3

ohh is this writing i see??? ok lemme read and come back :p

ok i’m back and yOOOO??? THIS IS INSANE. he thinks he could behave if only to keep you around longer???????? hello handsome 😅😅 i want him 😂😂😅 put me in the cell next to him i’ll show him the real punishment 😞

the dynamic you’ve created so well reminds me of nbc’s hannibal which i think your gay ass would love (affectionate) if u haven’t seen it already u should fr tho it’s got a lot of crime, psychology is a prevalent theme + banger dialogue and also i didn’t wanna mention it but like… fucking freaks at every corner bro 😭 trust me nonnie you’d LOVEE it 🙂‍↕️

i used to be into true crime as a teenager but i’ve distanced myself from it since i’ve grown older because it is so nuanced and just leaves a really bad taste on my mouth what with people treating it like entertainment. retelling the story of someone’s gruesome murder as you do your makeup or mukbang is fucking insane babes 😭😭😭😭😭

idk i just think it has the same sort of thing going on as straight people on booktok.

tldr i avoid both spaces like the plague 💔

oki that’s all from me since it is 1am and i have an early morning tomorrow [gunshot to the head] i hope you’re well lovely! and yeah, i know who you are just by the first two sentences of the ask EVERYTIMEE haha

australia heads into winter later than you guys do, so it’s still relatively warmer here even tho summers over. but yk what sucks?? we don’t get a white christmas cus we don’t have snow here WTF 💔💔💔💔

the aussie yearns for the snow……. (and for five minutes alone with this prisoner guy)

[heartlandians]

Filling Empty Spaces (Amy/Mitch), part 227

Mitch and Amy find an unexpected connection due to absent lovers. Set around season 11->.

A/N: I didn’t have a beta for this story, so hopefully there won’t be too many grammar errors.

****

Mitch was checking Whisky's cinch when Bryce pulled in to Big Sky Ranch with his truck. Letting gravity do its thing with the fender after he was done, Mitch moved onto checking that the saddle would stay put so that Bryce could get mounted without hurting himself.

After parking his truck, Bryce opened the truck door and assembled his wheelchair on the ground prior to moving himself on it. Before he closed the door, he reached out his arm to grab his cowboy hat, seeing it was a sunny day and he'd need it if he was going to be outside, helping Mitch check the cattle for the next few hours.

"You owe me", Bryce said.

Just like Tim, he sometimes had a funny way to greet people, Mitch thought.

"I know. And I'm sorry, I just... I didn't know who else to call with such short notice", Mitch said, his heart still racing as he assumed some topics would most likely come up due to him having to explain the sudden need for a helper.

He still didn't know what his reaction - while explaining to them - would be, he just knew they made him anxious.

"Ah, it's okay. I have my guys run the ranch while I'm gone, so... all good", Bryce assured then, after seeing how Mitch seemed slightly distressed being teased about it.

Mitch nodded. "That's good. I really appreciate this."

Even though Bryce seemed like he was grumpy about this, Mitch knew he was actually a really reliable guy who he could always lean on, and whenever he had anything on his mind, the man was willing to lend a listening ear.

Bryce just often acted like he was this tough guy, when really he was a very caring person - and that was what Mitch needed right now.

"So, how's Whisky been?" Bryce asked when he came closer to them and spotted his horse who was keeping Maverick company while recovering from an injury.

"He's been fine. The leg's all healed up. Which is why I thought you could ride him today", Mitch explained, handing him the reins.

"Sounds good", he said, going to check on the horse's leg, even though he trusted Mitch's word. It was just good to know what the starting point was before the ride so he could check on it after the ride as well. "So, Fleming stood you up?"

Mitch flinched upon the mention of that name.

"What...?" he said, his focus going wild as it was trying to decide where to land.

"Tim", Bryce rephrased. "He couldn't make it today?"

Right, Tim, of course, Mitch realized.

"Y-yeah, he..." Mitch was about to start explaining the whole thing, but didn't know if he was ready yet. Some part of him longed to be heard, the other wanted to shelter his heart. "Something came up."

"Well, better get to work then", Bryce said, walking Whisky on the side so the horse could lay down and he could get up.

Meanwhile Mitch pretended to check on Maverick's saddle, having his back on Bryce, and tried to collect himself. He had been hoping the work would keep his mind occupied, but it seemed like it was hard to focus on anything but Amy right now.

"Suck it up", he murmured to himself and took couple of deep breaths before mounting the horse and getting ready to head out to check on the cattle.

****

After Mitch and Bryce had done a headcount and steered back few cows that had strayed further from the herd, they began riding back to Mitch's ranch.

"You've been quiet", Bryce noted. "Everything okay?"

Mitch glanced at him and felt a lump in his throat.

He was about to pretend that everything was okay, but at the same time he knew that Bryce had always said it was best to be authentic in order to move toward a direction you really wanted faster, so Mitch decided to honor that.

"Well, not really", he had to admit - since Bryce had asked. "There's been something on my mind..."

"Okay. You wanna talk about it?" Bryce offered, adjusting his hat as a gust of wind almost blew it off.

"It's... kind of a huge deal", Mitch set up. This was Bryce's place to back out, if he wanted.

"Maybe even more reason for you to talk about it", his friend figured instead.

Mitch couldn't argue with that. He needed to let it out, but there was no one he could talk to - other than maybe Bryce now. Still, even that took some explaining at first.

"You know how I've told you that I've been seeing someone?"

Bryce's face lit up. He had not expected this to be about that, but at the same time he was eager to know more. "Yeah...?"

"Well, you can't tell anyone, because... it's complicated, but... that someone is... Amy. Amy Fleming", Mitch admitted.

"A--" Bryce only let out a single vowel as he was so surprised. "You're dating Amy Fleming?!"

Mitch nodded lightly. In any other situation, he would have been happy about announcing it, but now it came with a mixed bag of feelings.

Shame, guilt and fear were on the forefront right now.

"Yeah", Mitch confirmed.

"That's great. I mean, now that I think about it, why not? It makes sense", Bryce figured.

"Yeah, well... we haven't really told anyone about it yet, because... well, it's complicated. But we've been talking about finally making it official for everyone, but... today I heard - from Tim - that she's been in an accident, and they're keeping her in a coma for now", Mitch explained.

"Accident? Coma?" Bryce echoed. "Holy shit, what happened?"

"Yeah. She was at this rodeo event yesterday and..." Mitch's voice got breathy. "She hit her head and--"

"Wait - she was the one at the Calgary rodeo who got hurt?" Bryce counted two and two together.

Mitch's head turned toward him. "How do you know about that?"

"Well, I read news online", Bryce replied, shrugging, as it couldn't have been more obvious for him how he knew about that.

Right, of course, Mitch realized. There must have been something about that in the news.

The problem was that Mitch didn't like to read or watch news as he found they added to his anxiety.

Then again, if he had seen that headline, it would have actually made things even worse in a way as the paranoia would have no doubt crept in before getting any actual confirmation that that had in fact been Amy.

"I mean, it didn't say much, just that there was an incident involving a trickriding horse and someone from the crowd. The rider of the horse got hurt too", Bryce recalled. "Sounded pretty bad."

Mitch almost flinched now that he had more images to use to fan the flames of the disasters his mind created while he was still in the dark about the details. He wasn't sure if it helped him to narrow it down with facts or not.

"Seems like you know more about it than I do..." he admitted, feeling his chest get tighter too.

How had that happened? How much before the accident had Amy realized she was going to get hurt? Had she been scared? In pain?

"So Tim didn't fill you in then?" Bryce checked.

"Well, no, because like I said, people don't know about me and Amy", Mitch reminded. "Not even Tim. So he didn't think it would be important for me to know."

"Oh, right", Bryce realized. "Well... what's going to happen now then?"

"I don't know", Mitch said, feeling something resembling of a sob making its way up his throat as his lower lip quivered. "I have no one to talk to or... ask... or--I don't know", he shrugged sadly.

"I'm sorry, man", Bryce said, riding closer so he could put his hand on Mitch's shoulder and give it a squeeze.

Mitch nodded, appreciating Bryce's empathy. "Thanks..."

"Is there anything I could do?"

"I think it helps to talk", Mitch admitted. "Because ever since I heard about it, I've felt so lonely. Suddenly I realize how much she fills my days, gives my life more meaning, makes me think of the future, and now she's... somewhere I can't reach. I can't even go and see her."

He let out a heavy sigh, trying to gain the strength to admit the one thing he feared to admit the most but that had been circling on his mind ever since his phone call with Tim.

"I don't even know if she's going to make it... What the prognosis will be. I never even got to tell her... I love her, even though I was feeling it already; I just didn't want to scare her away... She's been through so much. All I wanted was to be there for her, but... now I can't."

Bryce looked at his friend with compassion as he began to realize even more just how serious this was. He really wanted to help him or give him an advice that would somehow offer him comfort.

"Maybe you could give Jack a call, explain--"

Mitch immediately shook his head.

"No. Or... I don't think he would necessarily be the problem, but... other members of her family might be. I just don't want to make it worse for any of them. I also want to respect Amy's wish; she wanted to tell them when she was ready. We were close to it, but... I want her to have a say. The best thing I can do is to stay away - and at the same time it's the hardest thing I can think of."

Bryce nodded, understanding Mitch's reasoning.

"Well, this sucks", he had to admit the facts out loud, no matter how depressing they were. "But if you need someone to help you with the cattle or... whatever - I'm your guy."

"Thanks, Bryce. That means the world to me right now", Mitch said, appreciating his concern.

Bryce gave him a firm nod. "Anytime. I'm glad you told me."

****

The next day, Mitch's alarm tone started beeping, just like it did every day, but it was for vain as the man had not even closed his eyes ever since getting in bed late last night.

Turning it off, he rolled back on the bed and sighed.

His eyes hurt from all the crying and his head was throbbing from the dehydration. Even though he didn't feel like getting up, Mitch had a commitment to his horses, so he sighed again and swung himself into a slouched sitting position so he could go and do the morning chores.

After brushing his teeth half-heartedly and grabbing a cup of coffee, Mitch didn't have the appetite to even make himself breakfast. He decided he could get by - for now - with just the coffee.

Walking from the house to the horses, Mitch felt like he was in a daze. His body remembered how to do everything as he had done the chores thousand times, even though his mind wasn't present at this current moment.

Last night, he had gotten ahead of his chores and directed his anger by chopping wood even though he didn't currently need them. But at least it had been a safe and productive way to direct his frustration somewhere.

His body was still aching from that, but it was no match to the pain his heart was feeling.

This morning, Mitch was going through several scenarios in his head.

In some of them Amy survived, but didn't remember him. The little love they had had for a while now would only ever get to truly live in his head as there were no other witnesses to it.

In others, she passed, and he was going to be down the same path he had already been through with Zach's death.

He was willing to bargain his love for Amy; he would let her go, he would never get anywhere close to her, if she could just come back and continue to live.

She deserved that. She deserved to find happiness after everything she had been through. It didn't have to be with him, just as long as she was going to get another chance on life.

When Mitch pressed his face against Maverick's neck and was comforted by his warm presence, he suddenly heard a car pull in outside.

Stumbling to the window to look at the yard to see who was paying him a visit, he was surprised to see Lou's SUV.

His heart was slowly growing weak from all the twists and turns of these recent events so he had to actually lean against the wall for a minute and pace himself.

When he thought he was ready to face Amy's sister, he caught another glimpse of her through the dirty window.

The brunette had stepped outside her vehicle, arms crossed as she was looking around. She didn't seem to be in a hurry which was somehow upsetting to Mitch.

Why was she here?

Eventually, he knew it was no use hiding as the stable door was open and it probably wouldn't take long for Lou to make her way there as it was an obvious clue about his whereabouts.

So Mitch decided to step outside, keeping his eyes on her.

When she spotted him standing next to the doorway, Lou stopped too and stared at him.

"So... this is where you live these days", Lou just said, continuing the continuum of unusual greetings Mitch had gotten lately. "I always knew this was here, but... I've never actually been here before, even though it's right next to Heartland. Looks nice. Cozy."

Mitch didn't know how to talk to Lou, if he was being honest. She acted as if everything was normal, when in fact the last conversation they had had had been over the phone few days ago and he had asked her to delete his number after her rant about how she didn't approve his relationship with Amy.

Not to mention his sister was currently - well, as far as he knew - in a coma at the hospital.

How was any of this normal for her? How could she talk so casually?

Or maybe she was here to rely him bad news and this was her way of softening the blow...

Mitch tried to keep calm and not got ahead of himself.

"You're back from New York", he remarked. Maybe it was neutral enough, but also posed a challenge for Lou to explain herself further.

"Yeah. I wasn't planning to come back any time soon", Lou nodded, walking closer, her arms still crossed, creating a shut-off impression. "But I'm sure you've heard that... Amy's in a hospital."

Mitch swallowed down the lump in his throat. "Yeah, Tim told me."

"So, of course I had to come home", Lou explained. "Not only to see her, but... deal with the aftermath. Grandpa and Dad help keep the ranch going - even though Grandpa really should be resting - while Lisa and I are dealing with lawyers and doctors and everyone else that's involved with all of this. -- What a mess..." she sighed.

"How... is she? How's Amy?" Mitch figured he might as well ask now that he had a chance since the question didn't leave him alone.

At least Lou knew about the situation and hated him already, so there was no losing here.

"There's still a lot of swelling in her brain, so... they're keeping her in a medically induced coma", Lou gave her an update, even though nothing much had apparently changed from what Tim had said.

But at least there was still a chance Amy would survive.

Lou let out a cold laugh. "I mean, I'm getting a major déjà-vu about this all; it's like when mom and Amy got into an accident and I had to come home from New York", she explained. "Except now she's an adult and she should have known better... But so should have mom..."

It seemed like Lou was using this situation as an excuse to let out some steam. Before she could continue and maybe even say hurtful things about Amy, Mitch cut in.

"Why are you here, Lou?" he wanted to know.

Lou's eyes were welled with tears for a while, showing her true feelings underneath all that anger, but then she was somehow able to hold them back as the subject changed.

"I've been on a phone all day, I just needed to go for a drive. Clear my head", Lou said, but Mitch wasn't convinced it was just about that.

"And you came here...?" Mitch said, cocking his other eyebrow. "When you could have gone anywhere", he challenged.

"Well... yeah", Lou said, acting dumb. "Everywhere I go, I can't stop thinking about Amy. But not here. None of this reminds me of her."

Mitch sighed. He wasn't in the mood for any games. "Lou, what's this really about...?"

Lou stared at him and he looked right back, not breaking the eye contact, hoping it would intimidate her just enough for her to tell the truth.

He didn't like to be the one enforcing boundaries as it made him feel like a bad person, even though it was for everyone's best interest, but it had to be done.

Eventually Lou turned her gaze and sighed, like she had been defeated.

"Fine. I come to offer you something", she revealed.

"Offer me what?" Mitch asked, not sure he liked the direction of this whole thing.

"I know you and Amy..." Lou began, but then bit her cheek. "That you two... are together", she said, sounding resentful. "And so, if I were you, I'd probably want to go and see her. But they only allow family at the hospital. And you're not family."

Mitch looked at her, waiting what Lou's motive was here. It was obvious this wasn't her favorite topic of discussion and yet here she was talking about it.

He didn't like that because Lou's assumption was obvious and right, she was able to point out what he wanted and therefore have a position of power. It made him feel vulnerable, and after all the stringing along Lou had done over the years, he didn't want to feel vulnerable around her as it often lead to him getting hurt.

That's why he needed to enforce the boundaries like this in the first place.

Still, he couldn't deny his feelings for Amy or how much he cared about her. "Well... yeah."

When Lou had gotten the hook she had wanted, she continued.

"Well... I might just be the unexpected ally you need right now."

Mitch shook his head. He didn't like the idea, but he had to see this through in order to know whether he was even interested or not.

"What do you mean?"

"I can offer you an in as a family member and as someone who knows about you and Amy", Lou explained further. "If you want to go and see her at the hospital."

This was another turn Mitch had not expected.

At first he was filled with relief as the chance of getting to see Amy was within his reach, but then quickly, he knew that this offer wasn't without a catch.

There was no way Lou was willing to do a friendly favor about something like this.

[beckiboos]

*Right Taliesin, it's now or never*

Taliesin- Can't sleep? Or are we enjoying the view?

Calliope- Hmm..? No. Not really, too cloudy tonight. I thought I should come out here and keep watch, I've been struggling getting to sleep since... well. You know

Taliesin- Yes.. I've been meaning to talk to you about that. Can we talk? Umm.. Away from the cliff ledge? Watching you there is making me very nervous

Calliope- Ok... not like there's anything to see out here anyway

Calliope- So

Taliesin- So

...

Calliope- I'm so sorry about Rulindil. I don't know if he was a friend of yours or something more... but I am sorry I hurt you by killing him

Taliesin- Don't be. We lovers when I first came to Skyrim 3 years ago but he neither a friend nor was their great affection between us. He was quite the sadistic bastard really and the world is better off without him

Calliope- But? You've been so-

Taliesin- Rulindil... Rulindil was a high ranking Thalmor agent, my superior officer. The altmer are not incredibly romantic or affectionate people as you probably guessed. We still have needs though and most of us have some kind of arrangement with our colleagues to keep us entertained. He and I had such an arrangement for a brief time. He had picked me out nearly as soon as I left the dock to seduce. I'm not picky and spent the night with him. He bores of his bedfellows quickly however and when the boat came in with fresh recruits he moved onto his next toy and I moved onto other arrangements.

It was a while before I learned the true extent of his role with the Thalmor. He speciality was 'acquiring information' by any means necessary. He took a great deal of pride and pleasure in his work. At the time I deemed his actions an necessary evil and I certainly didn't envy him his job. But I never liked his methods. I don't have a taste for torture and luckily he preferred brute force rather than magic to get the job done so I didn't have to work with him much. I didn't take part but I knew what was going on. We all did. Just tried to ignore the screaming the best we could

Calliope- That's not your fault Tally-

Taliesin- No, but I was a part of it. Calliope you got caught. You PROMISED me. I wasn't there and you were caught. Do you know what would have happened to you if hadn't of killed Rulindil? Because I do. You've seen the scars on Kaidan's back. Trust me those soldiers had NOTHING on Rulindil. He would have tortured you until you were barely recognisable and only stop once you had told him every single thing he wanted to know 3 times over, all the while begging for death. What's more the last thing you would have seen would have been MY people. MY former colleagues, MY former lover taunting and beating you, if you were lucky, before your corpse would have been tossed into a cave for a trolls dinner

Taliesin- Calliope when you told me about Rulindil I wasn't just upset for him. I was shocked by it of course it was someone I knew someone I- regardless I was suddenly faced with the fact that I could have lost you. By the very people and ideals I used to follow and respect. These past few months... You have become quite a dear... friend to me. I guess I didn't know how much I cared until that moment. I don't get close to many people Calliope, me and you, this little gang, we have become closer than I ever was with anyone at the Thalmor... and yet I still care about what happened to Rulindil. I didn't handle the situation well. For what it's worth, I am sorry for snapping at you in Solitude. Forgive this grumpy old altmer?

Calliope- *chuckles* Forgiven but only if you forgive me too. I'm sorry for solitude too I may have gone a TEENY, tiny bit over the top there

Taliesin- A tiny bit?

Calliope- Ok a bit more than tiny. Friends?

Taliesin- ...Friends

Calliope- Good. I'm glad we're sorted this out Tally. I didn't like bickering with you. I missed this. Us

Taliesin- I missed us too

end of part 1. Look this post is already waaaaay too long. But I wanted to make some headcannons about Rulindil (sorry @dynamite124if you have anything planned for him) and why Tally was so upset and they really needed this talk. AND NO KISS. Sorry I take my slow burns very seriously